How to be a big kid

Sometimes grown up life can be stressful. There are bills, rent and mortgages to pay, work stress and lots more. It's at times like this that I feel envious of kid me, life was carefree back then!

But why leave the fun stuff behind you? Why not bring back some of that carefree nature to combat serious grown up stuff? Here are some of my personal recommendations on how to be a big kid:

1. Build a fort.

 Seriously. There is so much fun to be had in a fort!

2. Have a picnic (indoors if the weather isn't good)

3. Play kids games, like hopscotch, Snap or Tag.

There's a reason you had so much fun playing them as a child!

4. Laugh and giggle over silly things.

5. Have a pyjama day.

They're comfy, just try not to let them become outerwear. They're not that cosy!

6. Have a movie day.

Watch the films that you loved as a child, you'd be surprised how much you might still love them!

7. Play with Lego.

Why not use it to make something practical for grown up you?

8. Sing!

It doesn't matter if you can sing or not. You'll feel happier and carefree after it!

9. Friends Forever.

Do all of the above with your friends. Some of the happiest memories I  have involves silly times with friends. There's a reason for that.

Got any more tips on how to be a big kid? Comment below or come join me on Twitter!

Third speed engaged!

This year is officially flying by!

Next month will be pumpkin carving season, there are Christmas trees and festive decorations already for sale in some stores!

Any Sims fan will know what I'm talking about when I talk about the fast forward function on the Sims clock...

Third speed engaged surely?!

Think it's important to remember to kick back every now and again. I've taken my own advice and have bought a new tea pot and some exotic teas, it's a lazy Sunday must!

Perhaps I'm just 'feathering the new nest' a little bit, but I've become a little overenthusiastic about homeware goods. Although I'll buy myself and Mr. Ree the odd treat, I can't resist oh-so-subtly side stepping into the homeware department of any store I'm in.

I really want these Scrabble cushions..

IKEA is my mothership. There, I said it! There are soft furnishings and little bits and pieces to make the place homey. Anywhere I live will never be immaculate, manicured or kept like a show house, but I've always tried to make it feel like a home.

Adding this to the Christmas list!

 Let's be honest, home is where you relax. It's your haven from whatever is going on outside and it's a reflection on yourself. I'm currently surrounded by DVDs, photos, comic books and candles, all things that we both love. Life is already manic enough, it's so important to fit time into relax. If you can't relax at home, where else can you? 

Warning - Rant

Alright, I will hold my hands up. I am a spelling freak. Not only that, but I can be pretty finicky about grammar. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

What brings me to write this blog post?

Well, as part of my new job, I'm using the internet even more than before (less lolcats and general nerdiness being downloaded sadly) so I've been accessing a lot more websites than usual.

It has been an experience. Some of the grammar and spelling errors on all kinds of websites are unbelievable! Whatever about the old school dancing baby style graphics and broken links etc., I'm talking about basic grammar and spelling here.

Although spotting things like this on Facebook puts my teeth on edge, it's a social media site where people engage with each other, not a spelling bee.

But surely on a business site, you'd think there'd be someone there to proofread things before it was put on the site?

Personally it puts me off the page or company, one particular wedding supplier actually used a capital letter for each word, which completely put me off. Can you imagine if they made wedding videos?

'The Beautiful Morning Of June Sixth When David And Laura Became Man And Wife At The Church Of St. Paul.' 

It hurt to type that.

Luckily, the folk at the Oatmeal have put my irks into a fun cartoon. Full link here.

Yes, I know I'm a complete and utter nerd about this, but it grinds my gears! In short, try hitting F7 to check your spelling and grammar. Go on, it feels good! 

Optimism is key!

I would like to be clear. I am not one of those people who read self-help books or preach about visualising success etc. However, in these times where doom and gloom reign, it is so important to remain optimistic.

I believe that happiness is a state of mind, if you surround yourself with happy people then it rubs off. Happiness is contagious and it is something that should spread. Try treat yourself to something small, at least once a day, it doesn't have to cost anything. Be it an extra hour in bed, watching a movie that you love or having a good laugh with friends, do it! Who cares about getting a few laughter lines? I'd welcome them over frown lines any day.

There are many things to worry about and get stressed over, but in the grand scheme of things, they are barely a blip in a happy lifetime. Focus on the times of fun and frivolity and let the good times roll!

OK..

Anyone who knows me will know that I tend to lean towards the kookier and odd things in life, but these little critters are heartwarming.

Now I don't think I'd go down the road of having a black wedding cake, but something about these two just makes me go "Aw!". Sure if you can't be creative on your wedding day, when can you?

As busy as a bee..

I will hold my hands up and admit it. I have neglected my blog, not for the first time, nor the last (knowing me!) But I have a very valid excuse.

At the moment I'm up to my eyeballs planning a wedding, my wedding actually, well our wedding. So far we have sorted out the venue, colour scheme, budget, and just last week I chose my dress. I tried on a grand total of three dresses, a modern day Goldifrocks!

I may shop 'like a male' but it's efficient!

Even for me, this is a record. I don't "do" clothes shopping, I've never had an interest, fashion isn't a factor. It's more "Do I like this?" and it either ends up coming to the till or back on the rack it goes. It's not for lack of trying, in the past I have tried to keep up with fashion. I even had a pair of tracksuit bottoms with popper buttons all up the side, I wonder if they'll ever come back into fashion?

Anywho, I expect there will be a lot more wedding talk mixed with general nerdiness in the coming months, brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen, it might get bumpy!

Lego rings ftw!