Sunday Snippets - 22nd May 2016

Thankfully this week has been a lot less crazy than the last few weeks, which I definitely needed as my body is struggling to keep up. Unfortunately I haven’t felt particularly well, and have been having a lot of trouble with pain, as well as my mental health, so it’s not been the easiest of weeks. But I’ve been trying to pace myself a little better, at the same time as trying to catch up with e-mails, letters, Facebook messages, blogging, YouTube and everything else that needs doing! At the moment it just seems that no matter how much I try to catch up and get on top of things, the list of what I need to do never gets any shorter!

Last Sunday I had a bit of a lie-in after not sleeping particularly well, which seems to be a regular occurrence these days for some reason. I spent the morning seeing my friend, Sarah, again and giving her her birthday presents. It was lovely to catch up, as we don’t get to see each other that often now that we live in different counties. I came back home, did my medications for the week ahead (which seemed to take forever!) and played with the dogs in the garden a bit. I spent most of the afternoon blogging, which took longer than usual as I got distracted by a TV programme about elephants, which was pretty awesome but also really sad seeing how many of them get killed for their ivory. I spent my evening watching The Queen’s 90^th Birthday party celebrations on TV.

On Monday I woke up with a splitting headache and in a lot of pain, which wasn’t much fun. According to my sleep tracker I woke up at least ten times during the night, so it’s not really surprising that I felt rubbish! I did manage to do a bit of tidying in my bedroom during the morning in between crying because of the pain. It doesn’t look massively different, but I keep reminding myself that every little helps. Around lunchtime my Mum and I popped over to my brother’s fiancé’s Mum’s house to do a bit of planning. How cute is this notebook from Veronica Dearly! We came home early afternoon, and I had planned on doing some work but ended up falling asleep on the sofa for most of the afternoon.

I had a fairly chilled out Tuesday, which was lovely. In the morning my Mum took me to my friend, Katy’s, house and I had a back massage. It was desperately needed as my neck and shoulders especially are so tight and painful – I just wish it lasted longer and I could have them more often! I came home and fell asleep, which definitely wasn’t what I had planned. My afternoon was pretty quiet – I just spent it trying to catch up with some messages and e-mails. I popped to Waitrose with my Mum to get a few bits for dinner and also picked up a prescription from the chemist. I made sure I gave this little lady lots of cuddles when we got home, as it was her 6^th birthday.

On Wednesday I had absolutely no plans, which was a lovely feeling. I had planned to get up a bit earlier than usual, but obviously my body had other ideas because I ended up sleeping until quite late. I had a very slow morning just pottering around, and it seemed to take me ages to get myself up and dressed. I spent quite a few hours editing photos and then writing and uploading a blog post, which I was pleased to get done. I opened this lovely note and bracelet from my friend, Lissa, which really brightened my day.

Thursday brought with it an early start for a hospital appointment, although apparently I didn’t get up early enough! The traffic was absolutely awful, so I ended up being a little bit late, but thankfully not too late to be seen. I saw my Neurologist, who said he couldn’t be certain whether I’m having seizures at night and we’ve basically got to wait and see if another seizure is witnessed in the future. He doesn’t agree with what the Pain Doctor has prescribed me and thinks I should try Gabapentin. I’m really not happy to though, after the experience I had with Pregabalin. I’m seeing him again in August, but I just don’t know what to do at the moment. I’m getting conflicting advice from so many different doctors and it’s just impossible to know who to listen to. We came home and I ended up sleeping until lunchtime. I hate feeling so lazy and unproductive, but I just feel so rubbish at the moment. In the afternoon I caught up on a whole load of YouTube videos and also went through all my blogging e-mails that have built up. Freddie fell asleep on the back of the sofa while he was sitting there waiting for my sister to get home, and he just looked so cute!

On Friday I woke up with no real plans, so was just going to have a quiet day doing odd jobs. But I desperately needed some new bras, so my Mum said she would take me over to Marks and Spencer, as they had a money off event happening. We had a browse around and I chose some that I liked the look of, before getting measured to check I was getting the right size (which I wasn’t). We also popped next door to Tesco, as I needed to get something for the hen party in a couple of weeks – thankfully they had exactly what I was looking for! We came home and I dozed on the sofa for a while. I then rang the DVLA and they’re still waiting to hear from my neurologist to say I can drive again, so I’ve asked them to send him the form again, as he said he hasn’t received anything. I spent the afternoon watching YouTube videos and browsing the Internet for ideas for my sister’s birthday. As the weather was nice I went and sat out in the garden for a little while to watch the dogs play.

I didn’t have a great night on Friday night, as I was upset after hearing that a friend I made in hospital a few years ago has passed away. So I ended up waking up quite late on Saturday morning feeling pretty crappy. My pain levels were really high as well, so I spent most of the morning just trying to get myself up and dressed. I eventually managed to edit some photos and write and upload a blog post, which I’ve wanted to get up for a while. After resting for a bit, I went to the chemist with my Mum to get my new pain medication, and we popped into Waitrose as well. When I got home I opened some post, which included these new Nivea products I’ve been sent to blog about, so I’m excited to try them! Keep your eyes peeled for a blog post about them soon!

If you haven’t read my blog before, I just wanted to let you know that I have a second blog, which mainly focuses on my health in more depth than I talk about it here. It’s largely for friends and family to follow and keep up with what’s going on, but if it’s something you would be interested in reading as well, you are more than welcome to follow me over there. It’s called ‘Zebra Crossing’ and you can find it by clicking here. I’m trying to keep it updated fairly regularly, so hopefully there will be something there for you to read!

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

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

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January Monthly Round Up

A collection of things that happened in the month of January

I can’t believe we have already got to the end of January – I swear it was only Christmas yesterday?! I’m kind of glad to have January out of the way if I’m honest. I always find it a particularly difficult month, but I’ve tried to fill it with nice things to look forward to, which has helped me get through it. Unfortunately my health has been a bit rubbish, so I haven’t been able to get everything done that I would have liked to, but it’s still been an OK month. We started the month by putting away Christmas. I hate this time of the year because all the pretty lights and decorations are suddenly no more, and the world looks a lot more dark and cold again.

I also decided this month that I am going to start a Project Life album. I’ve been wanting to do it for a while, but have never really got round to it, so I thought a new year was the perfect time to be proactive and get myself sorted with all the bits I need. I’m excited to start putting it together once I’ve printed off my photos, and perhaps I will show you a flip through if you’d be interested to see what I make.

Days when I get to see friends are always the best kind of days, and I had a lovely time with one of my spoonie friends, Sophie, this month, when she came down from Winchester for the afternoon. We spent hours just chatting and gossiping, which is something I really miss being able to do, painted our nails and did a few crafty bits and bobs. The afternoon was over before we knew it, but we’re already planning another meet-up for some time in February.

There have been both highs and lows this month, which has been quite hard to get my head around. It started with a high when I was offered an interview at Southampton University, but unfortunately ended on a low when I received a letter of rejection from them. But I’m trying to look at the positive side of this and tell myself that Southampton just wasn’t the right place for me and that’s why I didn’t get a place.

A couple of weeks ago I headed to my local salon to get my hair re-dyed. Generally my hair holds its colour really well, but it always feels nice to have it re-done. I’m thinking next time that I might go a bit more red, as I’d love a brighter colour!

The last thing for me to talk about from this month was a special new purchase I decided to make. I’ve been contemplating it for a while, and thought that now was the perfect time to upgrade my DSLR camera. I’ve started making more YouTube videos and my little point and shoot camera just wasn’t cutting it, so I now have a DSLR that is capable of taking videos, and I love it!

Things I’ve learnt this month…

+   I don’t have the energy to chase after people who don’t care about me

+   There’s something good in every day

+   I try so hard to be normal but behind the smiles I’m really struggling

+   College is definitely testing my strength

+   My body really doesn’t like me

+   I’m so desperate to go to University

+   My family mean everything to me

+   Having a Godson is such a blessing

+   I try my best but it still isn’t good enough

+   I am so confused about what the right decision is

What to look out for in February

I’ve heard we’re set to get more snow, and what better way to spend a snugly afternoon inside in front of the fire than with a good film. There’s a couple of DVDs coming out this month that I’m looking forward to watching. The first is Gone Girl, based on the book of the same name. I haven’t actually read the book yet, and feel like I should really do that before I watch the film, but I’ve heard really good things about the book and the film, so I’m excited to see it. It comes out on 2^nd February. Then, on 16^th February, there is another film out called The Book of Life. I don’t know an awful lot about this one, but it has got the voice of Channing Tatum, so it can’t be too bad!

If you’re looking for a bit of reality TV to watch in the month of February, then look no further than The Jump, which is due to start on 1^st February. I think this is the second series, but I’ve got to say I don’t remember watching the last one. I’ve seen so many adverts for this, but I can’t decide if it’s something I’m going to enjoy watching. I guess there’s no harm in watching to see what it’s like – chances are I’ll get hooked like I do with every other reality/celeb programme. Something I will definitely be tuning in for is Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, which comes back on our screens in February. I absolutely love the boys, so will happily watch anything they’re in, but Saturday Night Takeaway is definitely one of my favourites as it’s just so packed with comedy and fun.

As you probably already know, if you’re a regular reader, one of my resolutions for this year is to go to the cinema once a month. Last month I went to see Into the Woods, which was brilliant. In February I am looking forward to going to see Disney’s new release of Big Hero 6. It’s had fantastic reviews and is said to be even better than Frozen, so I have high hopes. However, that’s not the only good film out this month. Fifty Shades of Grey is finally making an appearance, although that definitely won’t be one I take my parents to see! We’ve also got Shaun the Sheep the Movie and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, so there’s plenty of choice for all occasions in the next month.

Something I am mega excited for this month is the release of a new Marc Jacobs perfume, Daisy Sorbet. The bottle is the classic Daisy bottle, with a twist as it comes in a new colour combination of pinks and purples. It looks beautiful and the fragrance sounds gorgeous, so I can’t wait to smell it and hopefully add it to my bathroom cabinet.

I think with my make-up this February; I will be rocking a fuchsia pink lip to tie in with Valentine’s Day. I’ll also have a nice pop of pink colour on my cheeks and my for my nails I’ll be going for a gorgeous deep pink, perhaps with a little sparkle. Clothes wise, pastels are so in right now and I’m loving a bleached jean with a crisp white shirt. You can then accessorize with dainty rose gold details and maybe even a Crown and Glory bow in your hair. Perfect.

Image from Weheartit

Do you have any favourites or things you’ve learnt in January? What are you looking forward to in February?

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December Round Up

A collection of things that happened in the month of December

Here I am with my final monthly round-up of the year – where on earth has the last year gone?! Looking back it’s been a pretty difficult year for me. I’ve needed two majoy operations, been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type 3 and my physical health overall seems to have declined quite a bit. But, saying that, there have also been some lovely events this year – from engagements and weddings to spending time with special friends, it’s always important to remember there is something good in every day. I seem to say this in every round-up I do, but it seems to have been another crazy busy month (well, for me anyway!) I started the month celebrating my Granny’s 91^st Birthday, which I think is bloomin’ amazing! She might be in the late stages of dementia and be very frail, but she’s still going strong and continues to surprise us with her strong will and determination. This is one of my favourite photos from the day.

This month I have also tried to go back to Church a bit. I’ve spoken before about how I’m struggling with my faith at the moment, but December seemed the perfect time to go to a few services and try and sort out some things in my head. One service I managed to attend was the annual Christingle service, which was really lovely and I even managed to get my Mum to come along as well. This service always signifies the beginning of Christmas to me, and I love eating the sweets from my Christingle after the service has ended!

This year I was determined to get myself a few Christmas jumpers, and I certainly managed to do that. I’ve been wearing a huge variety of different Christmas jumpers throughout the month, and am actually quite sad that some of them will only be for Christmas as they’re so darn comfy and warm!

I’ve managed to get to the cinema a few times this month, which I have really loved. I definitely enjoy going to see films on the big screen and one of my resolutions for next year is to try and go a bit more. I started off the month seeing Nativity 3, which, although not quite as good as the first, was still good fun and got me into the Christmas spirit. I then went with another friend to see Night at the Museum 3 and wholly enjoyed it. Being the third one I expected it to not be brilliant, but I was pleasantly surprised and thought it was just as good as the other two. Then a few days after Christmas my Dad took me to see Paddington, which was quite frankly brilliant. I’m a big Paddington Bear fan anyway, so was dying to see the film and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Of course, the main event of this month was Christmas, and I had a lovely Christmas period spent with family and friends. I was an angel in the Church Crib Services on Christmas Eve, spent Christmas Day with most of my family, and Boxing Day with the extended family. I also got the opportunity to see several of my closest friends, who usually live all over the world, from London to Dubai, so it’s been great to catch up with them. I will be welcoming the New Year in with my close family, playing Wii games and eating party food. I can’t think of anything better.

Things I’ve learnt this month…

+   Some people need to get the facts before they pass judgement

+   I love the build up to Christmas, probably more than Christmas itself!

+   Sometimes a break from reality is what you need

+   I can do anything I put my mind to

+   It’s good to have goals but don’t lose sight of enjoying yourself in the moment

+   Home is the best place to be

+   I need to be more flexible

+   I have very special family and friends around me who care about me more than I could know

+   I love giving other people presents

+   I feel a lot more relaxed when it’s the holidays

What to look out for in January

I always find January to be a really depressing month. I think after all the hype of Christmas, it just seems to be a bit of a comedown – everything is dark and gloomy, you’re back at work and it’s freezing! So what better thing to do then settle down on the sofa with a warm blanket and a good DVD. There are a couple out this month that caught my eye. The first is The Boxtrolls, which just looks like a light-hearted animation that’s great for those times that you don’t really want to concentrate on anything heavy. The other one that I spotted that I’d quite like to see is Love, Rosie. It’s based on a Cecelia Ahern book, which is what first drew me to it, and it sounds like a really sweet story. Hopefully one of those chick flicks that you can just snuggle down with and chill out.

I’m really hoping there will be some good things on TV this month, because that’s pretty much what my evenings are going to consist of! I love nothing more than to come in out of the wet and cold, jump in my pyjamas and switch on the box while I do a bit of work. I’ve been keeping an eye on the adverts and it looks like we’ve got a new series of Broadchurch starting soon. I’ve not actually got round to watching Broadchurch before, but it definitely looks like the kind of TV series that would interest me. Plus it’s got David Tennant in it, so you can’t go wrong really! Something else that I’m excited about is the new series of Death in Paradise, which starts in January as well. It’s one of my favourite murder mystery shows, mainly because of the beautiful scenery and the actors that have played the main detective. So I’ll be looking forward to solving some murders with them!

One of my resolutions for 2015 is to try and go to the cinema at least once a month. There are always so many films that I would love to see, and I think I should be making the most of my student discount and socialising a bit more with some of my friends. In January I’m looking so excited to go and see the newest Disney film, Big Hero 6, when it comes out on the 30^th. I know one of my friends is dying to see it as well, so hopefully we can go together. Another film that’s coming out is Into The Woods, which brings all of our favourite fairy tales together in one film. From the trailers it looks a little scary and it’s got Johnny Depp playing the wolf, but it still looks like a good watch, so I might have to make two visits to the cinema this month!

Make-up wise, in January I want to start rocking a darker lip colour, as I think it’s the perfect time of year for those deep reds and purples. It’s not a look I’ve ever really worn before so I’ll be interested to see how I work it. Clothes wise I will be sporting lots of big fluffy jumpers, especially in burgundy and mustard yellow, and will team them with giant statement scarves and a cute bobble hat to finish the outfit.

Image from Weheartit

Do you have any favourites or things you’ve learnt in December? What are you looking forward to in January?

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September Round Up

A collection things that happened in the month of September

It feels like yesterday that I was writing my August round up here, but yet another month has gone by and here we are at the end of September. This month has been pretty hectic and I’m desperate for a few days rest, but I can’t see it happening any time soon! As you know I started college this month and to begin with my Mum had to drive me there and back every day. But I’ve been slowly building up my driving again and I am now able to drive myself there four days a week, which is great. I love having the independence again, and practically it’s helpful because it means I can get myself home quickly if I’m feeling too unwell.

Like I said, this month I started at a new college doing an Access to Higher Education Diploma. I am following the Nursing and Midwifery/Allied Health pathway, doing Biology (Human Physiology), Chemistry, Psychology and Sociology. I’d be lying if I said it was going well – I haven’t felt this ill in a good few months and mentally things are pretty bad. But, saying that, I’m enjoying meeting new people and learning again, so I’ve just got to try and push my body to the limit and keep everything crossed I won’t relapse in the process.

If you’ve read my ‘About Me’ section, or have been following my blog from the very beginning, you’ll probably be aware that my blog is named after my black cat, Jaffa. On the 4^th September he turned 10, which is just crazy! I can’t get my head around the fact that we’ve had him for ten years. My parents bought him for me when I first got ill, to keep me company while I spent the majority of my time stuck in bed. He’s seen me through so many events over the last ten years – from hospital admissions to sitting my GCSEs and from passing my driving test to needing to be tube fed. I felt quite reflective on his birthday, as it gave me a chance to look back at the progress I’ve made over the last ten years, but it also made me feel quite sad. When we originally got him I never expected to still be so unwell in ten years time, so that was a bit hard to deal with. But I’m very lucky to have my special little guy and couldn’t wish for a better friend.

Something particularly crazy that happened this month was reaching 1000 followers on Instagram and 500 followers on my blog. I’ve been doing this for a year now and it was such a lovely blog birthday present to reach these milestones. I can’t quite get my head around these numbers, and it baffles me that so many people are interested in what I have to say! But I’m also incredibly grateful that you do like what I do, because I wouldn’t be where I am today without you all!

This last event happened just a couple of days ago, but I had to share it with you because it’s so exciting! It’s actually two separate things, but they’re of a similar topic so I thought I would combine them. So, on Saturday we found out that my brother and his girlfriend had got engaged! They’re such a lovely couple and I’m really happy for them both – another family wedding to look forward to! After hearing this news, my other brother and his fiancé then came round and asked my sisters and I to be bridesmaids at their wedding. We were each given a helium balloon, which we had to pop and were then covered in confetti and a scroll saying ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’ It was such a lovely idea and I’m super excited to be a bridesmaid for them.

Image from Weheartit

Things I’ve learnt this month…

+   Starting college is a massive step for me

+   Red hair makes me feel more like me!

+   I wish people would stick to their word

+   Real life is very exhausting

+   Life is really not fair sometimes

+   I’m fed up of my crappy body ruining my life

+   Why can’t I just be normal?

+   Nothing I ever do is good enough

+   I don’t function well when I’m tired

+   Planning and organising seems to calm me right down

+   I’m fed up of putting everything into friendships and getting nothing back

+   Days like today make me think that the world is trying to get rid of me

+   Sometimes it would just be nice to be able to sleep all day

+   I hate when my body feels like the life has been sucked out of it

+   I really hate being at the weight I am

+   If this continues I’m going to turn into a crazy cat lady who’s left on the shelf

What to look out for in October

I’ve been doing a bit of browsing on Amazon and October seems to be quite a good month for DVD releases. I love nothing more than, when the cold weather starts to draw in, snuggling up with a blanket and hot chocolate to watch a good film, so I’ll definitely be looking out some of these movies. The first film I found, The Other Woman, comes out on 13^th October and I’m really excited to watch this as I loved the trailers when I saw them earlier in the year. It’s got Cameron Diaz in it as well, and I’m a bit of a fan if I’m honest, so hopefully it will be a light-hearted chick flick to distract me from college work! Next is Walking on Sunshine, which is due for release on 20^th October. With the darker nights and gloomy days, what more could you possibly want than an upbeat, summery film full of good tunes and happy people?! The film I’m particularly looking forward to picking up next month though, is Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie, which comes out on 27^th October, just in time for half term. I absolutely love the original TV series and was really disappointed I couldn’t see it in the cinema, so I can’t wait to pick it up on DVD and watch it over half term.

I can’t seem to find much information about what’s on TV during October, so I’m guessing there’s nothing of note to look forward to. Saying that though, there are quite a few series that have already started that will no doubt keep us entertained throughout October. We’ve got the Bake Off final to tune into (I was kind of hoping Martha would win, so now I’m trying to pick someone else!) which is set to be great. Then, of course, there’s Downton Abbey that I’m sure I will be glued to over the coming weeks – I’m already loving it! And if you’re after something a little less serious, there’s always X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing if you want your fix of sequins and sparkle!

I haven’t really spent much time looking at cinema releases recently, because I just don’t have the time or energy to go. It’s a real shame because I do love seeing a film on the big screen, but it’s so expensive to go along that it often puts me off. Still, I had a quick look online and one film that does look interesting and is coming out in October is Gone Girl. Apparently it’s based on a book of the same name, and I thought the story sounded really gripping.

Now we come to the most important thing to look out for in October – my birthday! On 4^th October I will be turning 26 (eek!) and I’m in two minds about whether I’m excited about it or not! I really don’t like the fact that I’m getting older so quickly, but saying that I do love a good birthday and I’ve got a few nice things planned, which I’m sure I will share with you nearer the time.

Image from Weheartit

Do you have any favourites or things you’ve learnt in September? What are you looking forward to in October?

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