I thought I would (try) doing a post a month called my monthly highlights. I thought this would be a good way to share what I’ve been up to. A little diary of sorts.
So, without further ado – here are my January highlights.
Our first film of the year, Disney’s Wish 🎥
Back to running on the track, at our running group! 🏃♀️
Testing out my new headphones that Tim got me. We’ve been doing lots of gaming this month!
🍫Fun in London watching Stranger Things: The First Shadow. A brilliant show.A fun afternoon playing a murder mystery for my besties birthday, with my husband and her family. Great fun, and Granny did it!!!An evening in London, on a weekday (oooh ah!) To see ABBA Voyage. Absolutely fantastic.
So, something super fun happened last weekend! March 4th.
Me and my Husband went to our very first comic con. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was at times as stressful as I thought it would be… but also, not as stressful as I thought at the same time…
Let me explain – so I don’t think the where’s and when’s of your photo experiences were massively well explained. I was never explicitly told a time but thankfully someone I know worked it out for me and we arrived with plenty of time, without prior con knowledge I have no idea how you’d ever work it out… but,
Once we were there the staff were super helpful and it was relatively easy to find/ask where you needed to be and when for any experiences and photos you may have booked, so that made it alot less stressful! Everyone else who was also visiting were helpful too which was lovely.
So, anyway – our first comic con was really fun and it was exactly how I imagined it to be. There were so many people in so many costumes, epic costumes. Seriously impressive stuff. It was just a vast room filled with people geeking out, having fun and being unapologetically themselves and maybe slightly irrationally excited about celebrities 🤣 (my self included) I walked past Sylvester McCoy for christ sake!!
And best of all… I MET JOSEPH QUINN.
It was actually surprisingly nervewracking just before the photo slot but it all went well, mostly… I had to have my photo done twice as the camera flash left a glare on the photo because of my glasses… so I had to go again… I had to stand and have everyone look at me as I had a photo taken, again… which I hate… but, it meant I got to say ‘hi’ and put my arm around Joseph Quinn twice so… 🤷🏼♀️🤣 I’d take that as a win tbh
Plus – I thought it was really nice that they let me go again and made sure everyone got a nice photo.
I mean, I literally said ‘hi’ x2 and ‘bye’ and ‘thanks’ to him but in those 10 seconds he seemed very lovely (as I had heard he would be) his very enthusiastic ‘HI’ and smile as you walked over was very sweet. I kind of wish I had plucked up the courage to say a bit more to him but you don’t really have much time anyway… I would probably buy a autograph next time if he goes to any nearby cons again.
The two things that struck me the most were how totally normal he looks (and I mean like in a non celebrity way, he looked great but I think it’s very easy to forget that celebs are just people and they don’t like float around on clouds, with gold sparkles around them or whatever ) and how friggin tall he is in real life- jesus.
I enjoyed having a walk around and looking at the stalls and costumes. A highlight being when I rounded a corner and saw Ghostface casually browsing a t shirt stand 🤣🤣
I got me and my sister a cool Stranger Things Poster each and then we headed over to the mainstage and queued for Joseph’s talk. It was the final event of the day and it was so packed, I’m glad we started queueing when we did.
It was so surreal seeing the set up that I have watched so many times on tik tok of his previous con ‘talks’ but it was really cool to listen to one and see him chatting in real life. To be honest, if you’ve seen one you’ve probably seen most as he gets asked alot of the same questions… but there were some really funny moments that made it worth it… and some adorable moments from a few little kids too.
All in all I really enjoyed my first comic con experience and I would definitely go to one again and be more confident and less panicked now that I know how it all works.
Today is World Book Day. I mean everyday is Book Day for me haha.
As I work in a Primary School Setting I do love this Day simply for sharing stories and excitement around books.
Plus, it’s good fun to make a costume and dress up. My favourite part is reading to the children throughout the day though.
What could you do this World Book Day?
Get crafty and make a bookmark for you and or the kids.
Just enjoy a bit of quiet reading time with a new book or a favourite of yours…
Read to the kids! This is my favourite part of world book day at work ❤️📚
Try something new? A new type of book, a new genre. I have recently been enjoying the Heartstopper Graphic Novels which is not a book format that I usually read.
Read your favourite book ♡
Unfortunately I won’t have time today but, going to a local bookshop and treating yourself to a new book would also be an awesome way to spend it too. Especially if the kids have their book token too!
This year I have reused my Stick Man costume as I put alot of effort into making this last year so I thought I would get one more year out of it!
Whatever you do, I hope you have been able to enjoy a book and share that joy with somebody…theres nothing better ♡
I hope you enjoyed NYE, however you spent it. We had a chilled one with out friends, playing games, eating party food and having a few drinks.
We made the most of the first new day of the new year by spending the day together.
We started off still at our friend’s as we stayed over last night. We all had a nice chilled, lazy get up which was great as I was knackered from staying up but also from a rubbish nights sleep the previous night (I never usually have trouble staying up until midnight!)
Once we left, we decided to stop off for lunch on our way home. We both fancied a roast to roll in the new year, and let’s be honest, a roast is way better when you don’t cook it or there’s no washing up at the end, so to Toby carvery we went.
Perfect for a Sunday or Bank Holiday and there was a slot that fitted I’m perfectly with when we would be arriving home.
I went for Roast Turkey as I didn’t have any at Christmas. It was so really juicy turkey and it was delicious with cranberry sauce, the thick gravy and awesome roasties.
After our yummy roasts we decided for go for a walk.
After that we headed home for a little while before we went to the cinema.
We went to watch the film ‘Till’ which was playing as an Unlimited Screening, so you can get to watch the film before it comes out to everybody, if you have an unlimited card (which we both do)
The film was incredibly powerful, thought-provoking, inspiring but also truely heartbreaking. The film was from the perspective of Emmett Tills mother Mamie, which it what makes it so compelling and as I said, emotional – It is told from the perspective and experience of a black women and is co-written and directed by a black women.
I took some of the Christmas chocolate in a tub for us as we have loads left still. It saves us buying anymore and is a good way of getting through it as you need a cinema snack!!
So this weekend me and my husband went to the Stranger Things Experience.
I bought us tickets for Tim’s birthday in July and we have really been looking forward to it since.
We decided to dress up for the experience.
I dressed as Eddie Munson…
And Tim dressed as Dustin Henderson…
The experience was really cool and really well done. It genuinely felt like we took a little trip to Hawkins, Indiana and snuck around the lab.
The actors and everyone involved were really good and very authentic – some of them were a little too good at staying in character.
Once we had finished the experience we were free to go around the merch/eating/drinks area. The themeing was really cool and very well done. They had recreated lots of iconic Stranger Things ‘Sets’ and rooms to make your experience really immersive.
There was the Surfer Boys Pizza Van, Family Video, Scoops Ahoy and they even recreated the iconic living room of the Byers house, fairy lights and all.
As well as these there were smaller themed areas and sets that were themed around Hawkins high and the Roller Rink from Season 4.
I had to do a little Eddie Munson Redemption Photo…. 86′ baby!
There was some cool merch on offer too (although not as much as I thought there would be) and a Hellfire Club themed Merch area which was amazing.
Hellfire Club Merch AreaTim at the Surfer Boy pizza van Family VideoScoops Ahoy!Dustin at the AV Club doorSurfer Boy pizza vanMeeting Vecna!‘We’re not in Hawkins anymore’
There were lots of cool photo opportunities with sets and props as well as retro photobooths.
Photo bioth snaps
It’s a brilliant experience for any Stranger Things fans and I would definitely recommend it.
The only negative I can think of is that maybe the actual experience could have been a little longer. It’s a 45 minute experience but I think an hour would make it more worth the money.
And prehaps a little more specific merch for some of the main characters like Dustin, Steve and Eddie.
I did pick up some cool bits though, Inc some Hellfire bits and a cool poster for our picture wall.
Eddie & Dustin’s Day Out
My fave!
Like I said, I would definitely recommend it, it was a really fun afternoon out.
As we all know unfortunately our Queen died on the 8th September 2022.
I was completely and utterly shocked – we all knew at the impressive age of 96 that it was an unfortunate inevitability… but somehow it just seemed like she would always be there, like she always has been.
It still seems unbelievable to write that even now, on the 21st September, 3 days after her state funeral.
How can someone who is such an intrinsic and integral part of Great Britain be gone?!
She was a constant throughout all the hardships and dramas (The COVID Pandemic being a particularly poignant one) as an unwavering source of comfort and support to the nation, to her people.
She served with such honour, pride and distinction, and alot of us held her with great affection, I know that I did, so it is a sad time now that she has passed away.
Grief is the price we pay for Love’ – Queen Elizabeth 2nd
I was heading down to London the weekend after The Queen had died, for a pre organised event and I was actually really pleased to be able to take the opportunity to pay my respects to her, at Buckingham Palace, the Queens London Residence.
It was a wonderful show of shared grief and respect and I’m sure she would have been deeply touched by the affection shown to her.
London really did pay tribute to her and it was lovely to see that happening around the country and the world too.
Me, My Husband and My Father in Law watched the funeral together on the Bank Holiday Monday.
It was a beautiful occasion for a thoroughly well deserving Monarch- 70 years in any job is unbelievable really.
Our longest reigning Monarch. I will remember her fondly, in particular her kind smile, her wicked sense of humour, her colourful attire, her Corgis and her care for this country.
I Love Autumn & Halloween… here’s what we got up to !
Spooky fun at the farm.
We went out for the day, to a nearby farm!
It was brilliant.
There was SO much to do.. we made wands, got sorted into our Hogwarts house, had a spooky trailer ride, explored the spooky maze, picked and decorated pumpkins, pettee guinea pigs & rabbits, looked at loads of other animals and had a bug trailer ride.
With our Nephews 💙
A great family day out, themed really well and with lots of fun to be had.
A fanily Halloween party for the kiddies.
We had a fun little family Halloween party at my sisters house.s
She set up some fun activities for them, we also had a buffet of party food, spooky tunes and Halloween pass the parcel.
Halloween at ours
Me & Tim always do a few Halloween traditions at home – these include carving a pumpkin (we’ve done one every year that we’ve been together) and I make us ‘Spooky Sausages’ which are meant to look like mummies.
I also like to watch horror films but Tim isn’t too keen on those so thats usually just me haha
Some of my favourites are Scream, Halloween, Hocus Pocus, Nightmare before Christmas and Nightmare on Elm St.
Our local cinema was showing some Halloween classics on Halloween.
Me and my Twin sister Sarah always watch horror films together so we went along and watched the original Scream! I can’t believe its the 25th Anniversay 😱
Scream is my favourite ‘Scary Movie’ and it was cool to watch it on the big screen.
Take time out for yourself, buy yourself a coffee, go for a nice walk, read a chapter of your book.
Don’t just say yes all of the time – sometimes its ok to say, no I actually don’t want/agree with that.
Take the time to indulge in your hobbies.
Even if someone annoys you – take a deep breath & kill them with kindness.
When you are feeling down and being unkind to yourself, think about how you would feel if someone treated your loved ones like that – it makes you sad doesn’t it?! – so don’t treat yourself like that.
&
if all else fails, talk to someone, anyone. You are not alone.
So, as I said, I thought I would start up the ‘Holiblog’ series for the Summer… turns out I didn’t do a very good job… because here we are, quite a few days into Autumn and I haven’t posted a Part Two: August…
So here is that part… not because anyone cares but because we did alot of fun stuff in August and it deserves its own part too.
Let’s take a look!
𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟙𝕤𝕥 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
First Nandos in AGES!!So good.Our Sunday cinema fun & our first proper Nandos in ages, trying out the new Garlic BBQ seasoning YUM!
Sleepover fun continued… off to the cinema we go!
Follower by a Nandos just me and Tim ♡
𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟚𝕟𝕕 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
A prettt viewA lovely walk At the Maybush, Waldringfield
A yummy lunch with my friend Charlotte.
𝕋𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟛𝕣𝕕 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
The Waterfront
Lunch and a catch up with my friend, by the Waterfront. Followed by a stroll into town.
𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟞𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
A arts & craft afternoon with my favourite little girly.Yolo with my Rolo
The final Youth Club Farewell 😥
The Youth Club that I went to as a teen and have volunteered at for over ten years is closing. It is really sad and the end of an era! The leaders who used to look after us are now our friends and we had some great times that we will treasure fondly.
𝕊𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟟𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
We celebrated our oldest friends (who we’ve known the longest, since we were 3!!) 30th Birthday.
We had some nibbles, drinks and a noce catch up.
I can’t believe we are all turning 30 🎈
𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟠𝕥𝕙 – 𝟙𝟙𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
Meeting Auntie Frances & BarryTime to packThe best scone I’ve ever had
This was our Summer holiday this year and because of COVID we thought we would keep it local.
We went camping (for the first time!!) Staying at Waveney River Centre in Norfolk. It was nice and relaxing and a bit different. We had some nice meals, played games, went on walks in the sunshine, swam and met up with my Auntie and Cousin.
𝕊𝕒𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟙𝟜𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
Me & my twin sister had organised our bestfriends Hen and finally (thanks COVID!!) it happened.
And it was SO much fun! We started with an Escape Room, followed by lunch, an amazing, hilarious, tipsy Cocktail Masterclass, Dinner and more cocktails 🥂
𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟙𝟝𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
We started off with fun at ‘YaYas House’ a stay and play play centre, which would of 100% been my dream as a child, with its themed rooms.
The boys came over for a sleepover – its so good to be able to do them again.
𝕋𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟙𝟟𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
Today, we celebrated my Aunties 70th birthday. It was a lovely family get-together.
𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟚𝟚𝕟𝕕 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
An excellent, if not a little, messy (and expensive) day starting with a yummy bottomless brunch. I work with great people.
𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟚𝟡𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
Celebrating the birthdays of my two fave little boys 💙 My Nephews.
𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝟛𝟘𝕥𝕙 𝔸𝕦𝕘𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙
I got my husband Tim a Meerkat experience at our local zoo. This was part of his 30th birthday present. He loved it.