Week in Photos - 26th November 2017

I haven’t felt that great this week to be honest. Although I seem to have almost got rid of the virus I’ve had for the last few weeks, I just seem to be feeling pretty down, wiped out and run down. Basically, all I want to do is stay in bed and sleep. But this week has been crazy busy with university and appointments, so that hasn’t been an option. I don’t really like being negative on here, but I also think it’s important to acknowledge when things are a bit crap – this is meant to be about my life after all. Somehow, I need to find some motivation and get myself back on track again.

After taking some time off, I was back at Uni on Monday for another news day. I had to edit together a pretty serious video about railway suicides. So I decided to treat myself to a Christmas Starbucks in one of their cute Christmassy cups. I noticed they also had some adorable ceramic Christmas mugs in the shop, which I’m so tempted to go back and buy (although I’m not quite sure where I will put it – my mug collection is getting pretty big!) Thankfully, my news package got some amazing feedback from my course leader and another lecturer. They’ve even recommended that I enter it into a competition, which was a massive complement. I’ll be sharing it on my YouTube very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

Freddie always manages to spread himself out in the most uncomfortable looking positions! Yet somehow still manages to look cosy and cute. He’s particularly loving my Dunelm teddy bear blanket at the moment!

It’s been so dark, cold and gloomy recently and as I mentioned, I’ve been struggling with my mental health quite a bit. So when I popped into Waitrose to get some cash out, I decided to pick up these beautiful autumnal flowers to go in our kitchen. How gorgeous are those roses.

My Mum has made our kitchen look nice and cosy with fairy lights. There’s a heart hanging from one of the windows and then three lanterns, all from Waitrose. I always like to use lots of fairy lights and candles this time of year. It helps to make the darkness a bit less dark.

I received these amazing Dr Martens for my birthday last month and completely forgot to share a photo of them with you! So here they are – have you ever seen anything quite so pretty?! I will definitely feel like some kind of mermaid unicorn when I wear these. There’s a ‘What I got for my birthday’ video up over on my YouTube channel.

On Thursday, my Dad and I took the train up to Denmark Hill for my appointment at Kings College Hospital. I had to do some exercise tests where they monitored my breathing, oxygen saturation, heart rate and blood pressure. I knew it would be hard, but oh my goodness it completely knocked me out. I ended up having to give up before I passed out, so I hope they got what they needed. Because I was so wiped out afterwards, they told me to go down to Costa and get some sugar in me (and who was I to say no?!)

Our boy is doing so well since his surgery – he’s such a fighter. Considering how poorly he was only a short while ago, he’s done fantastically. This week he had his stitches taken out in two stages, but unfortunately he’s still got to wear the inflatable collar (which he’s not impressed with at all!) but it’s so he doesn’t re-open the wound. It’s good to have the real Alfie back again.

A few years ago, I started a little tradition that each year I would buy a new Christmas film. I’m building up quite a collection, so it’s getting more and more difficult to find films to add. But this year, after getting recommendations from some Facebook friends, I picked up a box set of Santa Clause films and also The Nightmare Before Christmas. So I’m looking forward to watching these over the next few weeks.

My Mum and I went over to Richard and Lisa’s yesterday to see the bunnies, Benjie and Beatrix. They’re so cute and fluffy, so it was nice to have a little cuddle.

You can check out my YouTube channel here, where I have recently uploaded a few new videos (and hope to continue doing!)

I’m also trying to post on Snapchat a bit more, so if you fancy following me, my username is Jennycole44.

If you don’t already, please give me a follow on Bloglovin here - I can’t believe I’ve managed to hit 800 followers now! Thank you all so much. I’m planning a giveaway as soon as I can get some bits together!

What have you been up to this week? I always enjoy hearing about your news and adventures!

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Sunday Snippets - 18th December 2016

The past week has been a tough one. Last week at Uni is always a bit stressful, but alongside our deadlines we also had a news week, which my poor body just couldn’t keep up with. But now I’ve got three weeks off, which I’m sure will fly by! I’m nowhere near ready for Christmas though, so goodness knows when people will be getting their cards and presents. I’m just trying not to stress about it too much, as I’m hoping people will understand and know I’m thinking of them.

It was our church’s Christingle service last Sunday morning, so my Mum took me along, which was nice. I always feel like Christmas has started once I’ve been to it and I love the magical atmosphere when all the candles are lit. I came home and sorted my medication for the week ahead. Then my Mum drove me over to my lovely friend Charlie’s for a Christmassy afternoon with her and her two children, Izzi and Joe. We had some snacks and watched Elf first, then played a game and did some Christmas crafts with Izzi and Joe. We ended our afternoon by chilling out and watching The Polar Express, before my Dad picked me up and brought me home. I was given this cute card and presents when Charlie and I exchanged gifts. They’re the first presents under my tree (or they would be, if I had a tree!)

I was up early on Monday for the start of a busy week at Uni. We had a news week, so had to be in every day, which was going to be a massive challenge, especially when I was already running on empty. I worked with Amber on a story about the cost of Christmas food and the fact you can often get the same products, from the same suppliers as high-end supermarkets, in shops like Aldi and Lidl. We did some research, and then went into Farnham to do some filming. We also compared the cost of a basket of Christmas foods in two different supermarkets. Back at Uni, our group all swapped Secret Santa presents. I got a bath set and some gel pens, which I look forward to using. I had to leave early, so my Dad picked me up and brought me home. My Mum then took me to see my GP. I’ve been feeling really dizzy a lot of the time, so she gave me some tablets to see if they help. We also talked through a few other things – I have to continue on a high dose of iron and have to go for blood tests next week to check some other levels. When I got home I opened some post, which included a Christmas card from my closest friend, Sarah, and a gorgeous photo of her little boy, Charlie.

It was another early start for Uni on Tuesday morning, which I anticipated was going to get harder as the week went on. Our programme was Christmas themed, so we all had to do a story/feature around Christmas. I worked with Ife and Tazmyn on a Christmas gift guide to suit any budget. So we spent quite a bit of time looking round the shops for inspiration and managed to find a good amount of gifts for each budget. I also picked up a flamingo diary for myself from WHSmith and couldn’t resist these Yankee Candles that were reduced in Clintons. We spent the afternoon editing our footage into a package and writing a piece to go online. I was so pleased to get home because, although I enjoyed the day, I was so exhausted and was finding it hard with the constant dizziness.

I was back at Uni on Wednesday for another news day, although it was just a planning day so we didn’t have a programme at the end. I was assigned the role of editor for Friday’s radio programme and we decided to make it a 2016 round up. So I spent the day sending out loads of emails to try and get local guests for Friday’s show. I really wasn’t feeling too well though and just found the whole day a bit too much to be honest. Plus, being stuck in a room with no windows or natural light wasn’t much fun and really got me down. By the time my Dad picked me up I was really struggling, so when I got home I just dozed on the sofa for a while. I finally got round to opening my Crown and Glory Glitterati box for December. It’s got some really cute items in this month and really cheered me up.

I decided not to go into university on Thursday. I was completely exhausted, didn’t feel very well and was really struggling with this dizziness, so I thought a day off was probably the best thing. I hate letting other people down, but I knew I needed to put my health first. I had an appointment with my Dietician first thing. I hadn’t seen her for a while, so we talked through how much I’m struggling and she gave me a few advice sheets to try and help. There’s not really much more she can do for me, so I was discharged but can get another appointment through my GP if I need it. My Dad brought me home and I did some work to one of my Uni articles, before falling asleep on the sofa for quite a while. My Mum woke me up around lunchtime, and I finished the last of my Uni work that needs to be in before Christmas, which was such a big relief. I had quite a chilled out afternoon watching a bit of TV and finally writing some of my Christmas cards. These are a few Christmassy pieces I’ve accumulated so far this year. A couple were in my alternative advent calendar that my Mum kindly does for me, and the other mug is something I picked up from Waitrose in a 3 for 2 deal when I bought a couple of gifts.

It was our last day at Uni on Friday and I was editor, which I was a bit nervous about. Unfortunately, pretty much everything that could go wrong went wrong! The radio software wasn’t working, so we had to find a way to work around that. Our lecturer also needed to be in about three places at once, so I kept having panics every time I needed some advice and he wasn’t there. We were meant to have a bulletin at 12noon, but no stories were ready, so we moved it back to 1pm. But we didn’t have many stories then and a few had to be dropped; however we managed to get a bulletin out. Our next show was at 3pm. We had a lot of guests come in that I’d organised for a series of discussions, which went really well. It was a massive relief! Afterwards, we had all brought some food in so we listened to Christmas songs and had a bit of a party. It was a lovely end to a really difficult term. When I got home I found that my Mum had put my Christmas bedding from ASDA on my bed. This is the first year I’ve had Christmassy bedding and I love it! Now I just need to replace all my cushions with festive ones, as I’ve had to take them off because they don’t go.

The December Birchbox is full of lovely products and I love the style of the box this time!

I had a much-needed lie-in on Saturday morning, which was so good! Once I’d got myself up, dressed and put on a bit of make-up, I made a YouTube video with my sister, Bekkah, and her friend, Keshy. We made this gingerbread house and, although it’s a little rustic, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Keep an eye on my YouTube channel, as hopefully the video will be up soon. In the afternoon I watched Arthur Christmas and wrote some more of my Christmas cards. There was an outdoor Nativity in my town in the afternoon, which I had hoped to go to, but I just felt so exhausted and still have lots of Christmas planning to do, so I decided to chill out at home instead.

You can check out my YouTube channel here, where I have recently uploaded a few new videos (and hope to continue doing!)

I’m also trying to post on Snapchat a bit more, so if you fancy following me, my username is Jennycole44.

If you don’t already, please give me a follow on Bloglovin here - I would love to reach 800 followers, and do have a little giveaway planned for when I get there!

What have you been up to this week? I always enjoy hearing about your news and adventures!

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Sunday Snippets - 11th December 2016

Two weeks today will be Christmas Day…how the hell did that happen?! I’m most definitely nowhere near being ready for it, after using all my energy on Uni, getting work done for deadlines and going to numerous medical appointments. I am trying to get in the Christmassy spirit a bit more by watching festive classics, listening to Christmas music and gradually putting decorations up, but for some reason I just keep feeling really sad about it all. I think part of it is because we lost my Gran this time last year, so it’s always going to be a difficult time. But also I find it hard with not having a partner, and seeing lots of other people do nice things with their other halves. But I’m trying to concentrate on enjoying time with my family, which is always nice.

It was good to have more of a lie-in last Sunday morning. After sorting out my medications for the week ahead, I spent the morning writing and uploading my Sunday Snippets blog post. The Polar Express came on a bit later, so I watched that and wrote another blog post about the Lush Christmas range. After all that blogging, I curled up on the sofa, watched Miracle on 34^th Street and did a bit of Uni work. I didn’t do as much as I’d hoped to, but I guess it was better than nothing. And it was nice to get on with blog bits and watch Christmassy films.

I had to be up pretty early on Monday morning so my Dad could take me over to the hospital for an appointment with my jaw physio. She did a couple of exercises with me and then did a bit of soft tissue massage, which seemed to help the pain a bit. My Dad then drove me to Uni, where I grabbed some breakfast in the canteen before going up to the classroom. Our lecturer talked to us for a while about audio features and techniques for making them. Then we were sent out to record some audio for our own little package. First, I went to Costa Coffee with Megan, Amber and Ife so they could get some lunch. After that, we went to a few shops to record some background noise, interviews and narration for our piece. We also went into Barkers and I bought some antlers for Alfie and Freddie. When we got back to Uni we edited our audio, and I also spent some time talking my portfolio article through with my lecturer. When I came home, we tried the antlers out on the dogs. I think they look adorable, but then I am biased!

Tuesday morning was my second attempt for getting some blood out of me! Thankfully my usual lady was back, and after three attempts we finally got what we needed. My Dad then took me over to Uni for another news day. I’d already got my footage, so I spent a lot of the day editing it all together, writing a script, recording my voiceover and putting it all into a package. Once that was all done, I wrote a piece to go up on the blog before we watched the final programme. Unfortunately, something went wrong with my package so it was all out of sync, which I was disappointed with. When I finally got home I felt absolutely awful, so crashed out on the sofa. I did open a couple of Christmas cards though, including one from my friend Charlotte, who’s all the way in Australia at the moment. I miss her a lot, so it really made my day.

I was up ridiculously early on Wednesday morning so my Dad and I could get a train up to London. When we got to Waterloo, we went to Costa Coffee for some breakfast, before my Dad pushed my over the bridge to the Houses of Parliament. We met the others outside, and then got taken in through security. First up we were shown around inside – we saw the House of Commons, House of Lords and also where The Queen comes in and sits to have her robes put on. After our tour, we met with an MP and asked him lots of questions. My Dad and I then went up towards Victoria and got some lunch. I had hoped to do a bit of shopping or go to Covent Garden, but I was shattered so we just made our way home instead. I rested for a bit on the sofa and then managed to do a bit more work on my Uni article.

I tried the Toasted Marshmallow (Soya) Hot Chocolate when we went to Costa Coffee for lunch. How awesome are the glittery marshmallows!

The Christmas tree at London Waterloo was really pretty and made me smile.

I slept until really late on Thursday morning, which definitely wasn’t what I had planned! I didn’t really do an awful lot before lunch. But I definitely needed some chill time after the last few weeks. My Mum and I went over to Tesco so I could get some essentials and also a few bits for Christmas. The store looked very festive and they had these cute reindeer bags. I was hoping to go into Marks and Spencer as well, but by the time we’d done Tesco I was too exhausted and in so much pain. I rested for a bit when we got home, and then finished my article for my Uni portfolio, which I was really pleased about.

Friday started off with making my way over to Uni. Unfortunately, hardly anyone turned up, so in the end my lecturer decided not to do the lecture he had planned. Instead, he chatted to us for a while about dissertations, which is always a scary word to hear! Then he let us go early, so I went over to the library and did some Christmas planning on my laptop. My mentor came to see me for a quick chat, and was happy with how I’m getting on with my work. My Mum then picked me up and brought me home. After resting for half and hour and having my Fortisip, my Mum took me over to Frimley Park Hospital. I saw my hip surgeon, who said that he couldn’t do anything surgically for me. It’s good in some ways but frustrating in others, as it means we can’t make my symptoms any better. He advised me to keep up with my physio, but that it’s just a case of putting off the inevitable, as having EDS makes me more prone to osteoarthritis. He said it’s pretty likely I will need a hip replacement at some point, but hopefully by strengthening my muscles I can put it off for as long as possible. On our way home we popped into ASDA and I picked up my Christmas DVD for this year – Elf! I also got some Christmas stamps, as I’d run out.

I had a pretty long lie-in on Saturday morning, but didn’t feel too guilty as it’s been such a busy week and I don’t have any Uni work to do at the moment. I spent the morning doing some blogging, as I wouldn’t have time to do it on Sunday. I then curled up on the sofa with Freddie for a while and watched a few episodes of The Coroner. I wrote a few Christmas cards that need to be given out next week too. Nativity came on the TV, so, of course, I had to watch that! I also wrapped up a few Christmas presents for next week, as well as a few to be posted. My Mum got out a few of our Christmas decorations including these gorgeous trees. I keep getting these really weird dizzy spells – it feels like when you turn your head but your brain and eyes take a while to catch up, except it happens even when I’m not moving my head. I have no idea why it keeps happening, but it’s making me feel really ill and also a bit worried.

You can check out my YouTube channel here, where I have recently uploaded a few new videos (and hope to continue doing!)

I’m also trying to post on Snapchat a bit more, so if you fancy following me, my username is Jennycole44.

If you don’t already, please give me a follow on Bloglovin here - I would love to reach 800 followers, and do have a little giveaway planned for when I get there!

What have you been up to this week? I always enjoy hearing about your news and adventures!

Follow me on Bloglovin, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube