60 in 6 : Food Restrictions

Things to Avoid (keep to a minimum):

-Root veggies*: carrots, sweet potatoes, parnsips etc

-Bananas, mango, papaya, pineapple, watermelon – very sugary fruits.

*GNS recommends to eat things like Sweet potato/Carrots etc in moderation and always pair with a protein and fibre source to help speed up the digestion. E.g. sweet potato wedges with chicken and lots of green veggies.

The ‘NO’ list (no exceptions here)

-No Alcohol

-No Takeaways

-No Soda

-No Fruit Juices (Unless Freshly Prepared)

-No Bread, Cakes, Muffins, Biscuits etc

-No Pasta, Rice or Potatoes

-No Sweets

-Jar Sauces

Again neither list is exhaustive, but it’s a guideline and I have to use my discretion when I’m grocery shopping.

LMC

xxx

60 in 6 : Food Plan

So the majority of questions I’ve had so far are related to my Food plan for this Journey.

I am going to try and avoid using the work DIET, because I am not cutting down any food intake, quantity wise. I am just filtering it correctly to eliminate the bad stuff! I won’t be starving myself – no fear of that!!

All the credit for my Food plan inspiration goes to GNS fitness – a program I took part in for 4 months in 2015 (before I moved to Canada).

Breakfast:

Eggs – scrambled/hardboiled

Porridge – gluten-free oats & cinnamon for flavour

Snacks:

Nuts; pistachios, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts (raw, unsalted, non-roasted)

Green Apple /Pear sliced with Almond butter

Handful of berries

Protein shake on water.

Lunch:

(9 times out of 10 this will be leftovers from dinner the night before. Takes the thinking out of at least one meal – make a healthy dinner and have enough for a healthy lunch the following day)

Chicken with stirfry veg – olive oil/coconut oil

Turkey with steamed veg

Salad and protein (chicken or turkey)

Lean ground beef with Veggies

(in all cases veggies are 95% green veggies; broccoli, peas, asparagus etc. Also allowed: Onions, and peppers.)

Dinner:

As I said above most of my lunches will be the same as the dinner from the night before.

The Routine:

-          AM workout 30mins

-          Breakfast,

-          Mid-Morning snack,

-          Lunch,

-          Afternoon Snack,

-          PM workout 30mins

-          Dinner,

-          Evening Snack

Also Recommended:

-          Multivitamin in the mornings

-          Lots of Water and Green/Herbal teas

NOTE: This list isn’t exhaustive, it's just a brief snapshot of the food plan. There’s so many options and variations. Lots of meal prep required and so far, it’s been quite fun trying out the recipes.  I’ll share some here as I go along.

For anyone still in Ireland, I highly recommend checking out GNS: http://gnsfitness.ie/

LMC

xxx

60 in 6

Hi All,

It's Day 1...

I've set myself a goal and it begins today. Lose 60lbs in 6 months (60 in 6 for short).

It's ambitious I know, but I figured, why not? What's stopping me? So I'll be documenting my #weightlossjourney here over the next 6 months for anyone who's interested to follow.

I welcome all stories of personal weight loss, tips and words of inspiration or motivation, which will help me ALOT over the next 6 months.

In setting out to do this I am allowing myself 2 occasions over the next 6 months to have a 'cheat day'... My birthday in Sept, by which time I should have lost about 20lbs, and Christmas Day, by which time I should have lost 50lbs total. These will be my milestones, along with Monthly weigh ins.

Now comes the tough part... admitting to my current weight:
- Starting Weight: 203lbs
- Goal Weight: 143lbs

So over the next 6 months, I'll be sharing tips on motivating yourself, clean and delicious recipes, planning and food prep notes etc.

Wish me luck....

LMC
xxx

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Let's Face Facts!!

You can buy countless handbags all shapes and prices, you can get your hair re-styled and coloured as many times as you like - but your face... your skin... you only get the one.

The lesson I have learned since working in the Spa is the importance of investing in quality Skincare products. Price doesn't matter so long as it is worth it. 

It led me to compare my most recent quality products with the other creams and potions I have tried and tested.

Let's start at the very beginning...

~CLEANSER~

• ESPA's Pro-cleanser;

Recently launched and a serious WOW product.

This wondeful product has a gentle exfoliant, a delightful scent and if you leave it on for 15mins creates a mask for the skin. 

It's my new fave!!! 

Here's the pincher - it's €36 - so although it may be a saver scheme, it's so worth it and your skin will thank you!

• Neutrogena Visibly Clear daily scrub;

This was a favourite of mine pre-ProCleanser,

It's a far more affordable product, available at Boots, and under €10.

The scrub is suitable for daily use, but is alot more abrasive. You really feel brand new after using this product, although it can leave your skin feeling a little tight if you have tendencies towards dryness or sensitivity. 

~FOUNDATIONS~

• Chanel VitaLumiere Aqua

I absolutely love this Foundation. I don't like to wear alot of makeup - I prefer the natural look, especially for daily-wear. This foundation is lightweight, pliable and skin-perfecting! Matched with the loose Chanel powder, it provides a flawless finish and natural look. 

Available from Boots and House of Fraser for in and around €34. I tend to get 4-6 months from each bottle and therefore I think despite it's steep price, it is worth every penny!

• Rimmel London 25 hour Lasting Finish

I was stuck in a rut and picked this up for €8.99 in Boots the other night. This foundation, while conveniently available in a wide selection of skin tones, is heavy, thick and uncomfortable to wear. Despite wearing powder over it, it was sticky all day every time I touched my face. This isn't even worth the €8,99 I paid for it, as it now sits collecting dust in my makeup basket. I used to wear Rimmel foundation all the time, but since using Chanel, it's hard to beat the comfortable light weight texture of Vitalumiere Aqua.

• Benefit Non-fiction foundation;

This was the first foundation I ever used. My mam handed half a bottle down to me and I loved it. It had fantastic coverage, easy to apply and lasted well. It was a thicker foundation (hence the amazing coverage comment) but not as sticky and uncomfortable to apply or wear as the Rimmel. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be available anymore - being out-shined by Hello Flawless and YouRebel. 

~Eye Make-Up Remover~

Eye make-up remover is an important must-have for every girl in my opinion - or at least any girl who wants to keep those crows-feet away. No matter normal/dry skin, oily or combination - the skin around the eyes is entirely oil free. It is highly susceptible to dryness and so should be treated differently from the rest of your face. 

Wearing mascara, eye liner, eye brow pencil, eye shadow and liquid eye liner all contribute to congestion in your eye area, and can be harsh on your poor lids. 

The following are three products I have used to cleanse my eyes and here are my reviews;

• No,7  Beautiful Skin Eye Make-up Remover

You know those free coupons you get in Boots for €7.50 off No.7??? Well I used mine to buy this product every time. Ringing it at only €7.00 it was my first eye cleanser. It had a greasy texture which meant you didn't need to rub too hard on your eyes. It leaves oily residue on the lids which soothes the skin after the cleanse.

I have used better products though.

• ESPA Bio-Active Eye Cleanser

Now THIS is a product!!! You know the greasy texture I mentioned in the No 7 review? Well.... it shouldn't feel greasy, It should feel gentle and smooth. This product has it down to a tea. The ESPA brand products are always guaranteed 99-100% natural and often have an aromatherapy element to them. This sensitive product is gentle, effective and soothing on the eyes. The only complaint I have for this product would be the change of bottle it is sold in. They used to sell it in this small round bottle (above).., now it is sold in a tall thin bottle and for me and many other accident prone people it is a smash-hazard. Otherwise, it is a favourite of mine and well worth the €29,50 I pay for it. 

Last but not least (No 7 is least)...

• L'Oreal Micellar Gel Eye Cleanser

This is a great 'get you by til pay day' product. Only €4, it is available at Boots and as part of the Skin Perfection line of L'Oreal Paris it isn't half bad. It's more gentle on the eyes that the No 7 and doesn't leave any residue. It takes slightly longer to remove makeup but can be very hydrating and cooling on the eyelids.

Well that's all from me! Get in touch if you have any experiences good or bad with the above products or if you have any other products you couldn't do without please feel free to comment below.

As always, 

LMC

xxxxxx

'First World Problems'??? if even....

you know what... sometimes life is too damn tough... but I'm not even sure I'm entitled to say this?? Am I merely suffering from 'first world problems' as they say?

I just can't stand it when just as you've recovered from one mishap/hurdle/upset... and think everything is just hunky dory, you turn a corner and BAM, something else happens that just fucks your day right up.... I mean come on, is there not meant to be a daily quota on shit like this..???

I find myself getting frustrated, taking deep breaths and asking 'what did i do to deserve this??' and yet, my life isn't so bad, nor are my 'problems'. I'm sure many many people worldwide could read this and think 'oh shut up girl, you are fine....'

But baring that in mind, i still feel awful...! I can't help but feel a bit selfish... wanting to wallow in my own "troubles" for a while.... write about them so as to alleviate the stress... because that's just how I do things....

Is this such a big deal??

Afterall, I find myself short on proper friends right now... people I can pick up the phone too and rant away... because we're busy, I'm too busy, we've all got shit going on, important things, deadlines, assignments... I'm guilty of letting this become my excuse too! Aren't we all...?

I just wish I could figure out some kind of way of fitting both in... I mean, right now it's college... final year, exams and deadlines approaching, it is all such a rush, such a hurry... as if I didn't see this coming for the past 3 years...

But all of a sudden I find myself blaming everything on this... I don't need to focus on being the best in work cos hey... i hopefully won't be here for much longer... I will make time for my friends after my exams... they'll still be there right??

Everyone else always seems so on top of these things, so together, organised, so little to 'sort out'...

It's times like these that I wonder... are some people destined to lead disorganised, hectic lives that consist of several disruptions every day... if it's not a heap of  college work, or stressful commute, or busy day at work, or annoying customer, or slow internet, or crashing computer, or a lazy team mate, or a sick dog, or a messy house, or crappy weather, or headache for no reason.... what will it be ????

My one and only solution to days like this.... SLEEP... just get under the covers, forget about it all, cos nothing matters in Duvet Land, and just close your eyes and sleep... forever and ever... when you wake up tomorrow you'll laugh at the days mishaps, you'll shrug at the "deep insightful" blog... and you'll carry on living, wondering what kind of quests the day has in store.

Alright then.... good night..

LMC

x

Please follow/share/like :)

My new freelance Production company EMBR productions will kick in properly when I finish college in May, but for now, I'm just spreading the name around :)

Ever wanted to be behind the scenes??? Now you can...

There'll be a new blog dedicated to the company's progress, would love to get the views up on that one too!

All news of Pre and Post production will be blogged.

Keep an eye out :)

LMC,
xxx

https://twitter.com/EMBRproductions

50 Shades of 'Wahey!'

OK, so I couldnt let this summer go by without penning a post about the new phenomenon 'Fifty Shades of Grey'... whether you love or hate it... it must be discussed. I heard about it from my mam, yes odd and all as that is, I have never looked back... I loved them!! I'm still on the 3rd book now, but it's so entertaining! There are definitely pro's and con's to it though... so this post will outline said pros and cons and then I'll share my 'dream cast' for the movie.... :)

PROS:
*brilliantly gripping and exciting storyline
*awesome characters.... nom ;)
*a great way to spend the summer holidays
*gets us all reading... ;) i.e. combatting illiteracy
*helping to spice up relationships world wide... (apparently sales in handcuffs and sex toys has shot up)


CONS:
* attrocious abuse of the english language by the author... for those who've read it, you know what I'm talking about... I mean COME ON! What does 'sardonically' even mean??? :P
*the sex does get a bit repetitive and you tend to skip past it after a while
*We can't all have a sugardaddy like Christian Grey :(

Now, there are rumours flying left right and centre about the A-list will-be cast of the movie.. which WILL be awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

But these are who I think should play the characters... let's see what you guys think? Agree or Disagree??

Ana: Anna Kendrick

Christian: Alexander Skarsgard

Taylor: Vin Diesel

Kate: Emma Watson

Jose:  Taylor Lautner

Elliot: Channing Tatum

Mrs. Robinson: Angelina Jolie

Other than that... I dont really care! These are the people I imagined while I was reading... anyone agree?

If you havent read it yet.... GO READ IT NOW! You wont be sorry... :)

Laters,
LMC
xxx

Our New Buddies!!!

The latest addition to our bedroom is big, full of water and salt and glows in the dark! You got it... We bought a tank! Fish fever has struck and we headed to Seahorse Aquarium in Ballymount and 'took the plunge'. (yes you're right this post will be full of fishy puns where possible)
So over the next few weeks my blog posts will follow the set up of the aquarium and the addition of our new fish pets! (among other topics)

So the stages to setting up our home aquarium aren't as simple as filling it with water and dumping in fish and fake plants. We chose a salt water or 'marine' aquarium so it needs to cycle through the filter before we can add the fish. The live rock, (covered in tiny plants and coral) is added first with the live sand (contains tiny crustacean). After a week we brought a water sample back to the aquarium and our water was ready for some 'cleaners'.
3 hermit crabs, 3 snails, an emerald crab, a starfish and a shrimp later we had a little housekeeping crew set up. They all do different jobs and keep our aquarium as true to life as possible. By Friday we should be able to add our first 2 fishies.... but I'll keep their type for the big reveal on Friday. For now we are both enjoying 'fish parenthood' with our cute little shrimp who will clean your hand if you stick it in the tank... (something i havent tried yet) but has led to him following us around the room when we pass the tank. He loves us!!! :)

Say 'Hello' to Shrimpy!

It's funny but it's unbelievable relaxing to just sit and watch the tank. The filter adds bubbles and the uv light casts lovely blue waves on the 'sea-ling' at night :P The tv is feeling a bit left out :P

Click 'interesting' below, if you want more Aquarium Posts,

(but i may do them regardless)

LMC

xxx

I Am Who I Am..... For a Reason Apparently!!

So being home sick today has led me to re-take a personality test I took a few years ago. I was curious as to whether my results would have changed since 2009 or so. It hasnt... this is good I guess. I'm still the same old me. So, I thought I'd share a little about myself and my personality and I'll post the link so that you too, can check out and better understand what makes you... you! (if you want)


My Results:

My personality type is ENFJ - 'The Giver'!

Extraverted (E) 61%	Introverted (I) 39%
Intuitive (N) 77%	Sensing (S) 23%
Feeling (F) 80%	Thinking (T) 20%
Judging (J) 59%	Perceiving (P) 41%

But what does this all mean, really? The site provides links that explain the careers suited, relationship structures and roles depending on your type.

• Genuinely and warmly interested in people
• Value people's feelings
• Value structure and organization
• Value harmony, and good at creating it
• Exceptionally good people skills
• Dislike impersonal logic and analysis
• Strong organizational capabilities
• Loyal and honest
• Creative and imaginative
• Enjoy variety and new challenges
• Get personal satisfaction from helping others
• Extremely sensitive to criticism and discord
• Need approval from others to feel good about themselves                                       

Careers Suited to my Type:

ENFJs generally have the following traits:

• Genuinely and warmly interested in people
• Value people's feelings
• Value structure and organization
• Value harmony, and good at creating it
• Exceptionally good people skills
• Dislike impersonal logic and analysis
• Strong organizational capabilities
• Loyal and honest
• Creative and imaginative
• Enjoy variety and new challenges
• Get personal satisfaction from helping others
• Extremely sensitive to criticism and discord
• Need approval from others to feel good about themselves

Possible Career Paths for ENFJ':

Facilitator

Consultant

Psychologist

Social Worker / Counselor

Teacher

Sales Representative

Human Resources

Manager

Events Coordinator

Sales Representative

Politicians / Diplomats

Writers

ENFJ Relationships - Strengths/Weaknesses:

ENFJs put a lot of effort and enthusiasm into their relationships. To some extent, the ENFJ defines themself by the closeness and authenticity of their personal relationships, and are therefore highly invested in the business of relationships. They have very good people skills, and are affectionate and considerate. They are warmly affirming and nurturing. The excel at bringing out the best in others, and warmly supporting them. They want responding affirmation from their relationships, although they have a problem asking for it. When a situation calls for it, the ENFJ will become very sharp and critical. After having made their point, they will return to their natural, warm selves. They may have a tendency to "smother" their loved ones, but are generally highly valued for their genuine warmth and caring natures. 

Strengths:

• Good verbal communication skills
• Very perceptive about people's thoughts and motives
• Motivational, inspirational; bring out the best in others
• Warmly affectionate and affirming
• Fun to be with - lively sense of humor, dramatic, energetic, optimistic
• Good money skills
• Able to "move on" after a love relationship has failed (although they blame themselves)
• Loyal and committed - they want lifelong relationships
• Strive for "win-win" situations
• Driven to meet other's needs

Weaknesses:

• Tendency to be smothering and over-protective
• Tendency to be controling and/or manipulative
• Don't pay enough attention to their own needs
• Tend to be critical of opinions and attitudes which don't match their own
• Sometimes unaware of social appropriateness or protocol
• Extremely sensitive to conflict, with a tendency to sweep things under the rug as an avoidance tactic
• Tendency to blame themselves when things go wrong, and not give themselves credit when things go right
• Their sharply defined value systems make them unbending in some areas
• They may be so attuned to what is socially accepted or expected that they're unable to assess whether something is "right" or "wrong" outside of what their social circle expects.

As Friends:

ENFJs are warm, sociable people who are keenly in tune with other people's feelings and perspectives. They enjoy supporting and bringing out the best in others. They are energetic and fun to be with. They seek authenticity in their close relationships, and are very sensitive to the needs of others. All of these characteristics make the ENFJ valued by their peers as a warm, supportive and giving friend.
ENFJs are interested in all sorts of people, and are likely to be able to understand and relate to all of the personality types. The will excel at getting along with all sorts of people when the situation demands that they do so. However, they will not choose to spend their personal time around all of the types. They may resist spending a lot of time with Sensing Perceiving types, whose carefree "live for the moment" attitude may conflict with the ENFJ's strongly held value system. When seeking companionship that is not romantic, ENFJs will be drawn to other Feelers who have similar values and ideas. Since they live in a people-oriented world, they are not comfortable with objective judgments which do not consider people issues. Consequently, ENFJs are not likely to have close friendships with strong Thinking types. They will be likely to especially enjoy the company of other iNtuitive Feelers, as well as Sensing Judgers.


So it's interesting enough. If you fancy finding out about yourself, its far more detailed and extensive than this, I just picked a few little paragraphs: the website is: http://kisa.ca/personality/

Enjoy,
LMC
xxx

Special Mention Corner (Episode 1)

Welcome to the Newly Developed Special Mention Corner of my Blog.
An idea that had been brewing for a while I'll admit, but wanted a substantial 'Mention' to kick it off....

Today's SPECIAL MENTION goes out to...

Barry and Christine who set a date for their Wedding.... :) YAAAAAAAAY

Wishing you both every happiness together. (and to Chriso, who is the most organised person ever.... Enjoy the planning... its almost the best part! :P)

LMC
xxx

Oh Its a Good day for Writing a Blog!

Yes it's a good day, how can anything go wrong?? :)

Hey All,
How ya doooo-ennn?

I had such a productive morning and afternoon that I thought ... why not dust off the aul keys and pop up a blog about how good a day it was. Let's face it, there's been nothing else to blog about!
So I like to do a little spring cleaning once a week.. Generally a Wednesday as that's my day off, but I'm off all week for Easter so I felt that cleaning muscle tingle and had to pull out the hoover. Most weeks I'll only hoover, empty the bin and bring down the washing but every so often something special happens and I decide to go all out, dusting and 'eeerything'!!!
*HOLD THE PHONE*
to anyone still reading... I praise you and thank you sincerely. I admire you're patience as I babble on about cleaning... ugh I'm truly ridiculous!

Several episodes of Friends later, the place was spick and span and I had struck gold. I had compleeeetely forgotten about all the wonderful soaps and suds I'd got and not opened yet and it was like Christmas morning all over again. I high-tailed it to the bathroom and dumped all the bottles that had the teeny-tiniest bit left and replaced them with brand spanking new delicious smelling ones. :) eeeeek!

Needless to say, I made a beeline for the shower after 'Ousting' the bejaysus outta my room. As most girls will know, it's just the bees knees feeling when you get a chance to pamper yourself... you know, shave, condition over and over, moisturize, bitta tan, bitta nail polish. Ya feel just swell!
Well I did it all, and I have to say, it was an hour well spent :P

Next thing I faced was not as fun.... college work... DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!
I had very efficiently made a list of all the deadlines I have to meet before I get to kiss college goodbye for the summer.... MAY 12TH people!!! There will be smiles, alcohol and many happy blogs!

But before I get carried away- I had 3... yes THREE history essays to do.... cumulatively 10000 words... bleughhhh! (not to mention having to finish reading a book first)

But I have the house to myself, a lovely mug of tea and a comfy recliner. My laptop is being a doll and I'm totes making good progress! Here's hoping the motivation rides on for the rest of the week... at least!

HAHA, I pause to re-read and remember that this was meant to be a 'quickie' to try and revive the non-history side of my brain!

All in all its been a good day... can't complain... so wont!

Hope all you lovely people are also enjoying the day!

ITS A SMILING CAT (lols)

Giddy on Life... and Tea,
LMC
xxx

A Change of Scenery

So with the new Facebook Page up and running I decided the blog needed a bit of a face-lift.

Hopefully you all like it!

I took the step to establish the blog on Facebook in an attempt to gain more followers and basically make it easier for people to be notified when new posts go up! Along with the Facebook page, I also hope to increase my followers on this site. Down the left hand side you'll find the 'Members/Followers' of my Blog. If you have Gmail/Twitter its pretty much a hop, skip and click! No money required, no surveys, just simply making me look better! :)
If I hit 50 likes or 20 followers, I'll arrange a competition, whereby I will draw a name at random and award them a prize! But this will only happen, if I hit 50 Likes on FB and/or 20 followers here! :) Get joining!!

Again,
Thanks for the support,

LMC
xxx

'Like' Me here: https://www.facebook.com/LMCblog

Rumbling down Route 66

So I discovered an adventure that I aim to do either next summer (2013) or failing that the next year! And having officially added it to my Must Do list, I thought I'd share the plan!

Simply Rent a Harley and travel Route 66 biker style!! Pit stopping in motels and maybe camping, it'll be a once in a life time experience that i'm so excited about! ... Yeah simple as! ...

There are a few reasons for the trip being postponed till 2013...

There are certain eligibility restrictions:
*to rent the Harley's you must be over 21
*have a full motorbike license and 2 years experience riding....
*and last but certainly not least it is a little bit Expensive... Like $900 a week expensive!

Currently I have none of the above!
(i could be a passenger, split the cost and require none of the above documentation but where's the fun in that?? )

With the theme tune to Sons of Anarchy and the luscious rumble of a harley echoing in my mind, i cant help but dream about that awesome trip- bring it on!

LMC
xxx

TLC at its best!

So I didn't keep to my resolution so well this week due to illness so hopefully this makes up for it:
Here's just a few little helpful tips for anyone who's sick at the minute!! Tested and approved:

*LEMSIP : like a hug from inside!
(Hot lemon with a teaspoon of sugar and maybe some honey if u like)

*DUVET; putting on layers isn't the same as wrapping up in a nice warm duvet or blanket! Drag it to the couch or stay in bed- it helps when you feel crappy!!!

*SOUP: stereotypical I know but nothing is nicer for an icky tummy than some chicken noodle soup! Get it into ya!

*VICKS INHALER: it may look super uncool to use but it works wonders fr your sduffy dose!!

*BALSAM TISSUES: we all hate the feeling of a rudolf nose after a cold- while you may need a whole toilet roll worth of tissue, these are much kinder to your skin!!

* JOHNSON'S BABY PRODUCTS: lavender baby wash will send you to t most comfortable dreamy cloudy cushiony place ever... Babies know where it's at!!

Terms and conditions apply- these methods may not work for u, these are all just my face things to do when I'm not in the 'pribe ob libe' (FRIENDS reference)

Feel better soon,

LMC
sniff sniff sniff :)

The Hay in the Needlestack

The Last few days for me haven't been the best- ive had sinusitis and an awful headcold, despite dosing myself with vitamin c etc routinely since January! To add to that I've come to loggerheads with more than one person, been swamped with college deadlines and to top it off, didnt get paid properly this morning!! It has just been one of those weeks and the only highlight for me was the delicious roast beef that mammy and daddy treated me to last night!
But today, through all the turbulence and after i had sorted my wages issue, things began to pick up little by little!
It all begins in the queue for my bus ticket at Supervalu! I popped out of the line to grab a bag of popcorn and when I got back to the Til I had been skipped, I didn't particularly mind it was only one person after all but next thing I knew he turned and allowed me to skip him, saying 'I saw you were ahead of me' ...... I couldn't help but smile after thanking him!! Some people are so nice!
Next I head into my lecture hall- 3 hours of my Fridays are spent listening to this old codger go on and on about archaeology! But today he announces that there'll be no classes for the next 4 yes 4 weeks- I could have jumped out of my seat- never again will I dread Fridays- they'll return to the good day of the week as they should be!
As I write I'm in the last of the 3 hour stint and I can't help but feel über excited for the evening ahead- pizza and Tom Hardy- cant really ask for a better end to a crappy week! :)

LMC
xxx

A Whole Lot of Love....ly Lists!!!

I admittedly suffer from OCD in terms of rigid organisation and list-making! I'm no Sheldon Cooper with my 3 knocks on everyones door, but even as I sit here typing with a bowl of cheesers beside me, I've been made aware of the 'eating system' I employ... Cheeser, finger wipe, type.... and so on!
I find my whole world falls apart if I haven't planned my days or if my routine is broken in any way. If I have an unexpected day, say a lecture finishes early, I miss a bus (which I rarely do thanks to the Dublin Bus App, although its still often wrong and causes a bus-miss which is out of my control... sorry rant over... that's for another day) I waste my time, probably taking ridiculously long lie-ins and eating badly and not getting things done that I have to do. This may seem like not the worst thing in the world, but believe me, the guilt and self disappointment that sets in at the end of a wasted day is inexplicable. This becomes even more of a problem when I let things that other people have to do become responsibilities of mine. Honorary responsibilities if you will! These just add to the stress by no fault of... well anyone!

If I have a day off coming up, I'll make myself a nice long list, usually timetabled, of things I need to do, buy or start/finish. This may seem normal enough, but its the execution of this list in order of appearance and the strict 'checking off' of the completed items that makes me feel so relaxed and at peace.
Unfollowing and deleting my contact yet?? Fortunately for everyone I know, I don't let this interfere with or overspill onto other people. Mind you I have tried to organize people, making them lists like me, but it failed miserably. Living life Listlessly seems so crazy to me, I wouldn't remember to do anything and I'd constantly find myself double-booking my time and forgetting/missing deadlines. Therefore, is my compulsion such a bad thing, if it prevents all these catastrophic eventualities for me? Why is OCD seen as such a negative thing? So what I clean every inch of my bedroom for fun and relaxation and won't rest until every surface is dusted/hoovered/cleaned? I've seen or heard of worse...

OH NO! I've reached the end of my bowl of cheesers, and I didn't enjoy the last cheeser like the last of any crisp should be enjoyed and savoured.... one moment please....
*runs to press for a refill*

PHEW! The eating system may continue!
Unfortunately I've reached the end of my rant/discussion. I just think its something that people see as such a bad thing, but why can't it be seen as a positive thing? I'm a neat, tidy and organized person because of it! :)

LMC
xxx

BTW: How awesome is Sheldon??? BAZINGA!

Childhood memories!!

Driving up to Bettystown today and I spotted a sign for 'Mosney' ....fizzle fizzle fizzle FLASHBACK! ... Emma aged 6 "we're Going to Bosnia on holidays" Eeeek!

I used to love childhood holidays! They were such an excitement: I remember my mam would get the airline tickets in the post and we'd sit on the bottom of the stairs and open them up, getting more and more giddy with impatience and excitement!

The car trips had to be the best: cramped into the back, 'Bagsy not in the middle' 'I've longer legs' ... You know yourself!

The games we would play included counting cars, I spy and green light go! But the main echo was "maaaaaam are we there yet??"

Beach trips were always fun times: my dad diving into the sea, quick swim and out again! Happy as Larry!

We had to have our bucket and spade, a little watering can and some sand moulds! Not forgetting the windbreaker that we pegged into the ground (and often treated as a toilet cubicle) and of course the delicious picnic with plastic plates and forks and the tankard of tea!

The best thing of all for me, are the pictures we still have of us all on the beach ..... Freezing our asses off! Good ole Ireland!

LMC
xxx

The Good Kind of 'Monthlies'!

So recently I've found it very difficult to think of things to blog about! Inspiration seemed a far off memory!! But alas I felt that niggling feeling - the one that, had it a voice, would repeat 'blog blog blog blog' ... So here's hoping it lives up:

A new year brings a new hope for everyone! How often have you heard 'this year will be different' ?? It's the most optimistic way to start a new year! Because let's face it, it is a new start!

New years resolutions are rife, everyone knows what they want to achieve; weight loss, find love, new job.. The list goes on!

It's a really lovely idea to think that, despite the past 4 or 5 new years when you have never kept a single new years resolution past pancake Tuesday, you try try and try again! And thats the spirit! Weight loss, job hunting and looking for love are things that you can never and should never give up on until you're happy!

So here's my proposition; instead of a new years resolution: make a new month resolution each month- lets face it, shorter goals are easier to achieve and hopefully they'll lead to an ever happy you!

My March resolution is to keep up blogging more frequently and keep on top of my college work! :)

Whats yours?

LMC
xxx