On the subject of selfies..

I mentioned previously that Vikki and I are going to attempt a selfie a day this year.. Well we've set up a specific blog to document the photos.. go and take a look http://selfiebloggers365.blogspot.co.uk..!

Happy New Year

Its a whole new year Clanettes, I hope you had a lovely Christmas and saw in the new year with people that you love.

I'm starting 2015 with a few new ideas in place. The smallest, but most significant in blog-land is that I am going to attempt a selfie a day this year, 'selfie365'. My friend VF suggested it and given that I intend to make a lot of changes this year, it seems like an appropriate tool for measuring such changes. Don't worry, I'm not going to post a pic everyday, I'll save them up and post collections.

Personally, or physically I guess, the biggest change is that I have actively decided not to work going into 2015.. Paul has gifted me a personal trainer, called Nick. I have gained a lot of weight. A LOT. Nick is going to inspire me in the gym, keep my workouts fresh and inspire my food choices. At home I am going to become 'Chief Economique' and work on keeping house, looking after Paul and the children. And mysef. I stopped working on myself quite some time ago and its time to remedy that.

It all sounds pretty idyllic really, doesn't it. Truth is, I'm terrified. I'm on a lot of medication right now and I want to start coming off it, so I've got my work cut out for me. I know its time, because this time last year I was m i s e r a b l e. This year I feel hopeful. Thats a good place to start, right?

I'll leave you with a few pics of our Christmas. The few blurry ones I have, were taken by the children, so excuse them, but they are good for setting the scene!

Happy 2015 x x

Wide broad on a big bike

IIt's s the end of November Clanettes. Lochie turned 8 last Tuesday and he had a little cinema and pizza outing with two of his friends. He had a pizza themed cake and was generally a very happy fresh new 8 year old.

I left Cycleworld yesterday. After nearly three months I had had enough time to figure out that being the only girl isn't what I'm looking for in a job. They have been great and I have learnt so much. During my final shift I was cheeky enough to ask for a last favour and they gave me great discount on a mountain bike I have been coveting. It's actually a hard tail (front suspension, no back suspension, hence it having a 'hard tail') and a 29er to boot (29 inch wheels, aka massive). 

I was feeling massively inspired anyway, the guys at Cycleworld are mountain bikers, rather than road bikers and so I have watched a lot of amazing footage of downhill races that I just 'had' to watch (aka they put on and made me watch). But when I got my new beauty home, I realised just how inspiring she was... Is..!

Look at her stem cap! 

I'm a little bit in love with Trek as a brand. Amy, my road bike is a Trek too, and during my time at Cycleworld I had to do a number of Trek online tasks and their motto is 'ride the fastest wheel that fits' - a 29er being the biggest wheel you can get. (Yes yes cycle buffs, I know, I know, it's a general rule of thumb!)

So this morning I was super keen to get out on Xena ( yes, I have really named her Xena) and find some mud! There are two extraordinary things to that last sentence... The terms 'keen' and 'mud'.. In the same sentence!

 

I'm quite a nervous rider at the best of times, and I'm not quite sure where I got the nerve from this morning, but I took myself off to the woods and cycled a fair way a long a small track and then turned around and retraced my steps. I wasn't very fast and I didn't go very far, but I enjoyed myself. I was thrilled at the bike and myself and I haven't felt like that for quite some time.

Riding a big broad bike with rugged wheels is so massively different to teetering on a road bike and I was a little giddy at my confidence. I hate going on unmade roads on Amy, but Xena just powered through the mud and track and kept on going. Brilliant.

I am about to embark on a new chapter at Marks and Spencer's as a Christmas temp and my hours will mean that I have an hour on a Tuesday and Thursday morning to myself.. Maybe to push myself a little further on my 29er. Who knows.

Catching up

A few pics from the last 6 weeks xxx

Boo

Hi there. Shocked eh? I know, I'm back and I'm a bit shocked too. So much to say, so much to catch up on.

Lets just say that this blog post here and this one too have made me think about blogging again, about reconnecting and coming out of my cave to find the wi-fi.

Today I pledge to dust myself off, get back on my bike and make a change.

All change

I think I might have mentioned that my sister had a baby!! I went and met Yvie yesterday, she is a total cutie. I'm so proud of my sister.

Massive thanks to Vikki for taking my kidlets to their first day of school, you're a total life saver VF. Love you xxx

I worked my penultimate shift at Kiddicare today.. So sad to see how little is left of the store! I have LOVED working there, and I'm still a little in denial that's all over.. But it really is, the store closes on Monday and the band of merry (wo)men will all move into new jobs.

I cleaned out my locker today

And helped dismantle signage.. 

I had my first shift at Cycleworld this week. Going forward, I'm going to do school hours on a Tuesday and Thursday, and all day Saturday. I'm the only girl and I was a smidge nervous, so I decided to cycle there (show then I do own a bike and know how to ride it!) that was a big deal too actually, getting on my bike was a bit of a milestone. The journey only took me all of 6 minutes. Result!

I had a great day! They were all really nice to me, I figured out the till and built two bicycles all in my first 5 hours!

I had such a great time that the day flew past and as I swaggered out the door, with them all saying a cheery goodbye... I fell off my bike on the forecourt. CRINGE! Fortunately  nothing but my pride was damaged. 

When I'm anxious and not on the ball, the first thing to suffer is my diet and exercise. 

I've gained 24lbs this summer. I'm finally (f i n a l l y) motivated to sort it. I may be the only girl in the shop, but I do not to want be the fat girl too.

So I'm all over planning my food, using myfitnesspal (username anamcarra) and I will blog about food shortly.

Paul has a new job too! He has been with his current employer for 10yrs, so it was not a light decision. He has gone solo, becoming the director of 'Christie Solutions' and starts a new contract at the end of the month.. I'm so excited for him and the new challenges he is looking forward too.

Thanks for reading Clanettes x x

Yvie

My amazing sister had her baby yesterday! Yvie Belle Swanborough was born at 9.24am, weighing 08lbs 01oz. Congratulations to Emily, Daniel and Leif on your new arrival! I'm an Aunty again!!!