Week in Photos - 30th July 2017

Regular readers will probably have noticed that my usual Sunday Snippets posts haven’t been such a regular thing over the last few months. This was partly due to me going into hospital for three weeks, but also because I had stopped enjoying them if I’m totally honest. Sharing so much of my life every single week and having to keep detailed records of everything I had been up to was becoming quite a pressure. The reason I blog is because I enjoy it, so I didn’t see the point in forcing myself to do something that I wasn’t enjoying any more. However, I know some of you really enjoyed my weekly posts and I do like having a record of things I’ve been up to, so I didn’t want to get rid of them completely. So I’ve decided to shake things up a bit and start a new weekly post – my week in photos. I will post photos that I’ve taken throughout the week with little captions to explain them, but without all the detail I had in my Sunday Snippets posts.

As I haven’t done a Sunday Snippets post for quite a while, I thought I would use this post to share some photos I’ve taken since I came out of my three-week hospital stay. It’s been a very up and down couple of months, as you will probably have seen in my post about Living with Chronic Mental Health problems. But there have been some good times too, which I wanted to share with you.

A couple of weeks after coming out of hospital, I picked up my sparkly new Motability car – a bright yellow Ford EcoSport! I’m planning a separate post and video about it at some point, so won’t go into it too much, but it’s an automatic, so easier for me to drive. And it also has a hoist in the boot to lift my electric wheelchair in and out, so will hopefully allow me a bit more independence.

I think it’s amazing that so many bloggers and YouTubers are doing great things like releasing merchandise and writing books. One book I was particularly excited to hear about was Louise Pentland’s ‘Wilde Like Me,’ so I pre-ordered it and it arrived on the day of release. I’m really looking forward to giving it a read.

While I was in hospital I made some amazing friends. It was a bit of a different experience from your usual hospital admissions, as we were all there for planned rehabilitation and a lot of us had the same diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It really did make my stay so much better and I hope to keep in touch with the group of girls I met forever. One person I was there with was Lydia, and we decided to meet up in Windsor about a month after leaving hospital. Despite living where I do for most of my life, I had never been to Windsor before, so as well as it being lovely to meet up with Lydia, it was great to explore Windsor. We looked round some of the shops, had some lunch and then went down to the river to have an ice cream.

I always like to share my subscription boxes with you, as it was only through Instagram and blogs that I discovered these boxes and decided to try them out! The July Birchbox came in a gorgeously summery box and included some of my favourite products yet! I’m particularly excited to try the Origins facemask, the Rituals foaming shower gel and the Benefit Tint.

I also received my Pink Parcel subscription, which never fails to impress me with the goodies inside. I like the fact that I’m getting my monthly essentials, which I would have to pay for anyway, but that I also get some treats to make things a little bit better. I’m really looking forward to trying the Nip and Fab Cleansing Pads, as I’ve never tried the brand before, the Joe & Seph’s popcorn and think the bracelet is so pretty.

Back in February, my Mum celebrated a special birthday. My present to her was to treat her to afternoon tea at The Ritz. I went for my 21^st birthday and knew then that it was something I really wanted to do with my Mum, so her special birthday seemed like the right time. So, last Monday, we made our way up to London to enjoy some yummy treats. We got there quite early, so had a look round Cath Kidston and Fortnum & Mason, which was fun. Then we went down the road for afternoon tea. As I was in my wheelchair, we were taken round to the delivery entrance to get into the hotel (it’s all very glamorous when you use a wheelchair!) but the staff were all very helpful and accommodating. When I went last time we weren’t allowed to take photos, but they seem to have relaxed the rules, so I managed to snap some pictures of our afternoon there. We both had a lovely time, even if we weren’t able to eat everything we were given!

We have a couple of flowerbeds in our garden, which are predominantly for a variety of rose bushes that we’ve acquired over the years. They are all flowering at the moment and all the different shades look so pretty. I’m still waiting to get a red rose in memory of my friend Natasha, who sadly died at the end of last year, but we need to extend one of the beds first. So hopefully I can get one to add to the collection soon.

One of my best friends, Katrina, who I met when I was at college, is getting married in August, and I’m lucky enough to be one of her bridesmaids. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go to her proper hen weekend, as it was going to be too much for me to manage, so I wanted to do something special with her. We decided to have a spa day at Champneys Forest Mere and oh my goodness it was amazing. I’ve been to Champneys before a few years ago, when I was lucky enough to have a three-day break there with my Mum, so I knew it would be good. But I’d forgotten just how relaxing it was. They have also made some improvements and changes since I was last there, so it’s even nicer than it was before. We enjoyed breakfast, had a dip in the pool and the Jacuzzi, had a nap on some heated water beds (amazing!!), tucked into a delicious but healthy buffet lunch and I also had a very relaxing massage. At the end of the day I really didn’t want to leave! I’ve now decided that I need to save up and go back for a longer break again.

We’ve had some beautiful sunsets recently, and I managed to capture this one out of our Velux window one evening. I couldn’t believe how pink the sky was!

This Monday, I went to a local craft village called Holme Grange with my best friend, Sarah, and her little boy, Charlie. I can’t believe he will be one in a few weeks – I don’t know where the last year has gone! I don’t get to see them very often, as they don’t live nearby anymore, so it’s always lovely when we do get to meet up. We had a little look round some of the shops and then enjoyed some lunch in the café.

My sister-in-law, Lisa, had her birthday back in April, and my present to her was tea and cake at Peggy Porschen. After seeing it in blogger photos and on YouTube videos, I shared them with Lisa, and she and I were both desperate to go. So, this Thursday, we went up to London with my brother, Richard. We started by looking round Borough Market, which I’ve never been to before. It was crazy busy and a little bit scary when you’re in a wheelchair, as you just see people’s legs and stomachs! But it was nice to see all the different market stalls. We then made our way over to Belgravia (which was harder than it sounds, as none of the stations nearby had disabled access) and had our tea (or rather, pink lemonade) and cake at Peggy Porschen. It’s such a beautiful little cake shop and, although the flowers aren’t real, they do look pretty. It was smaller than I expected, so luckily it wasn’t raining and we were able to sit outside. There were a lot of people stopping to take photos outside, so it got a little crazy at times, but otherwise it was lovely.

I saw these Disney accessories on the Primark Instagram (or possibly on someone else’s Instagram – I lose track!) and knew I needed to get my hands on them. Usually, if I see something that I love on the Primark Instagram, chances are it won’t be available in my local store (I’m looking at you, ‘Chip’ mug and Mrs. Potts Teapot!) so I wasn’t holding out much hope of finding them. But my Mum and I popped into Camberley this week and I asked if we could have a quick peek in Primark. And low and behold, the staff were just putting out these backpacks and wash bags! I’m really hoping we can go to Disneyland Paris next year to celebrate my 30^th (I really wanted to do Florida, but it’s going to be too expensive) so these would be perfect to take with me.  

As Sarah and Charlie were back for the week, I wanted to fit in as much time with them as possible. We were both free yesterday afternoon and had planned to go for a walk/wheelchair ride somewhere, but the heavens opened and it poured with rain. So I just went over to Sarah’s parents’ house and we had a homey afternoon instead playing with Charlie. He’s just started really saying ‘Mama,’ which is so adorable.

I also received my Tea Tourist box, which they kindly send me every month. This month’s box has a selection of teas to take you from first thing in the morning to just before you go to bed, so I’m really excited to try them out. And, to make it even better, I’ve been given a discount code for you guys! So, if you use ‘JAFFACAT30’ you will get 30% off your first box when you start a monthly subscription. Let me know if you do join up – I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Another blogger to release a book this month was Grace Victory. For some reason I had never really heard of her until a couple of weeks ago when her video came up in my recommended section of YouTube. But I was soon binge-watching her old videos and absolutely loving how openly she speaks about mental health, self-esteem and body image. So when I found out she was releasing a book, I, of course, pre-ordered it. I’m really looking forward to giving it a read, as I think I will identify with a lot of the things she talks about.

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 we’re so nearly there! I do have a little giveaway planned for when I get there!

I also just want to apologise for the slightly shabby appearance of my blog at the moment. I had some problems after Photobucket changed their rules but am gradually getting it sorted and hope to have a new layout as well soon. 

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

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Sunday Snippets - 5th March 2017

If you’ve read my last few Sunday Snippets posts, you’ll know I’ve been struggling with a nasty virus for the last few weeks. So, this week, I decided to finally give in and take some time off university. I’m rubbish at listening to my body and giving myself time to get better, but it had got to the point where I realised if I kept going, I was just going to get more ill. Taking a couple of days off definitely helped, and I’m gradually starting to feel better (although I’ve woken up today with a really sore throat, so I’m keeping everything crossed it doesn’t mean I’m going downhill again!)

I got up fairly late last Sunday morning and after I’d had my breakfast, I sorted out my medication for the week ahead. I felt absolutely awful – my breathing was really bad and I felt like I was going to collapse. For the rest of the morning I watched The Simpsons and wrote and uploaded a blog post. After I’d had my Fortisip, I imported some photos off my camera, edited them and sent them off to go with an article I’d written. I was still feeling quite wiped out, so rested on the sofa and read through my essay to make sure it was OK to submit. 101 Dalmatians came on the TV, so I watched that, opened some post and dozed a bit. We had some family friends over for dinner, which was nice, as we hadn’t seen them for a while. Once we’d finished, Freddie sat on Rosiie’s lap, rested his head on the table and dozed off. It was on Sunday evening that I decided to take a couple of days off Uni.

I had a bit of a lie in on Monday morning, which was just what I needed. I spent the morning editing my January Happiness Project video and uploading it to my YouTube channel. I had hoped to do the blog post as well, but I ran out of time. I rested on the sofa for a bit and did some Law reading for Uni. I needed to get out of the house, so my Dad took me over to the wheelchair place, as I needed to find a different chair to the one we originally looked at. The sales person was just leaving but pointed out a chair that might be suitable. He asked us if we could go back on Wednesday for a proper chat. When I got home I wrote my cards for March and did some more reading. I wore this new jumper from New Look, which made me feel nice. I actually felt like I’d made a bit of an effort, without having to put any extra energy in.

As I’d decided to take Tuesday off Uni, I had another lie in to try and catch up on some more sleep. I woke up feeling pretty rubbish, but wanted to be productive so put some make-up on and filmed a video for my YouTube channel. I then took a few photos of something I’ve been sent to review on my blog and gave my room a quick blitz with the handheld hoover. It completely wiped me out (but desperately needed doing) so I collapsed on the sofa, had my Fortisip and watched The Coroner. My friend, Sarah, was heading home, so my Mum and I popped over the road to look after baby Charlie while she packed the car. He was being so cute pulling funny faces at me and I managed to get a few smiles. My Mum then took me down to the chemist so I could speak to the pharmacist, and she recommended a different cough medicine. When I got home I wrote a couple of penpal letters and rested on the sofa. In the evening, we had pancakes, which I normally really love, but I felt so sick, it made it impossible to enjoy them.

I had counseling first thing on Wednesday morning. The last couple of weeks have been pretty crap, so it was good to have someone to talk things through with. My Dad picked me up and we went over to the wheelchair place to have a chat with the salesman about a different chair. I put a deposit on a second-hand Pride Fusion, which is rather exciting! When we got home all I wanted to do was sleep, but instead I edited and uploaded the video I filmed on Tuesday to my YouTube channel. It’s quite an important one for Eating Disorder Awareness Week, so if you’d like to hear about my eating disorder story, you can check it out here. In the afternoon I caught up on The Moorside, which I’d recorded, and did some Uni work on my laptop. I had this little fellow keeping me company, although he was more concerned about the cat he could see out of the window! I felt really strange all day – my whole body felt weak, I was struggling to move my arms and legs properly and was finding breathing really difficult. I get this quite a lot, but it doesn’t get any easier to deal with.

Thursday started quite early with a trip to the Doctors for a blood test. Somehow they managed to get it first time, which is unheard of for me! But for some reason I felt really faint, so when I got home I lay on the sofa and fell asleep. I didn’t feel brilliant when my Mum woke me up, but I had an appointment at the hairdressers, so my Mum took me down there. They gave me a cup of tea and I felt a little better after that. It was nice to just spend a bit of time reading a magazine and being pampered. I rested when I got home and watched a bit of TV. My Dad and I then went over to the Peugeot dealership and I had a test-drive of the 2008 SUV. It was quite nice, but felt a bit different, as it was a semi-automatic. I spent the rest of the afternoon doing some Law reading and watching Death in Paradise. My New Look order arrived, which included this awesome cat t-shirt!

I decided to give university a try on Friday, as I didn’t want to miss too much and we do some pretty important stuff on Fridays. Our morning lecture was about research methods for our dissertation, specifically surveys. I just can’t get my head around this whole dissertation thing at the moment. At lunchtime I met up with my mentor for 15 minutes and then caught up on a few blog emails. In the afternoon we had our Law lecture and oh my goodness, my brain felt completely fried by the end of it! We were talking about being self-employed and how your sort out everything like tax, VAT, insurance, pensions etc. It all seems to complicated, but I need to start understanding it if I do go into freelance work. When I got home I fell asleep for quite a while. I then opened a few letters that had come in the post, including one from Victoria, who writes over at Lily loves Lola, with this adorable pug stamp!

I had a bit of a lie in on Saturday morning, then my Dad and I went over to the Ford dealership to look at a couple more cars. We looked at the B-Max and the EcoSport, and I had a test-drive in the EcoSport. It was a really nice drive and the boot opening is pretty big so will fit my wheelchair and the hoist. So I bought it! Well, technically I’m getting it on the Motability scheme, but we did all the paperwork and sorted it all out, which is very exciting. This isn’t the colour I’ve gone for – I’ll leave that as a surprise for you! I’m not going to get it until June time, but it’s something to look forward to and I’m happy to have it sorted. By the time we got home I was exhausted, so I had my lunch and then fell asleep on the sofa for a while. I had the most painful acid reflux/pain all day. Every time I breathed in it got worse and it felt like someone was stabbing me inside. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching YouTube videos and writing a blog post.

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 we’re so nearly there! I 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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