Write Yourself Happy // Week 6 ( & week 7 & 8....)

Well, it's Thursday, hi :)

xXx

I have many excuses for not keeping up with posting regularly, but none of them seem good enough, I should be better at multitasking, and whilst my time has been spent on other lovely pastimes (ie. working, seeing friends, working, and more seeing friends) I see no reason why, with a little more effort, i should e able to include blogging in my weekly schedule just as easily. I am henceforth going to stop apologising and making promises I don't seem to be able to keep, and focus on actually trying harder.

So, in the process of all this work and going out with friends, I missed two of Shannon's Write Yourself Happy series posts. I am hereby making up my contribution, and concluding my part in the link- up, thanks for having me guys, and being so patient with my poor commitment skills!

May 15
What are your top 5 favorite family memories?
1

Setting of for Cornwall in our camper van, as a child, with my parents, getting as far as Wolverhampton, breaking down and spending the weekend at the Glastonbury festival instead (I was eight years old and slept through David Bowie's live performance.)

2
I cannot possibly choose any particular individual, but meeting all the amazing and interesting people that we came across on our travels.
3
Our coach trip in Tangers, Morocco- a whirlwind tour of a completely different world.
4

School holidays in Anglesey.

5

learning to swim in Italy. I was terrified of swimming up until this point, and used to routinely cry every Tuesday evening to try to get out of swimming lessons the day after. Half an hour's coaching in the Mediterranean sea and, voila, like a fish! (Thanks Dad!)

xXx

May 22Write down 5 things you can do next week to be more present in your life.

This one interests me a lot, I think it's something we could all work on, as a society too. I will update you on how these ones go over the coming week, but I hope I will be able to incorporate them into my daily life completely.

1
Turn my phone off when I know I don't need to be in touch with anyone or waiting for a phone call, especially, when I'm with my Beloved or another close friend. I would hate to turn into that one friend who is constantly checking her phone at the pub.
2
Spend more time with my parents.
3

Put more time aside for crafts.

4
reply to the letter a dear friend sent me ages ago (I am never this late replying!)
5

Make more effort to contribute to household duties at home (I still live with my parents.)

xXx

May 29Think of 5 new things you want to do this summer.
1

Travel the UK (at least part of it) with my Beloved - as opposed to a weekend away in a hotel.

2

Play a payed gig- here's hoping!

3
Get more involved in sport.
4
Learn to save better (ok, this one has been an eternal promise to myself for some time now!)
5
Get serious about studying language.



Happy Thursday all, see you soon :)

Write Yourself Happy // Weeks 4 & 5 (Eek!)

(Sheepishly:) Hi...

xXx

Link-Up? Did somebody say Link-Up? Last Thursday?

Oh dear!

So, I obviously didn't get to posting for last week's Write Yourself Happy Link-up, but I am here this week, and just to prove how committed I actually am, hear are both posts, in one :)

May 1

List 5-10 things you love about where you live right now. These can be your house, neighborhood, town etc. Whatever works for you.

1

I am within 15 minutes walking distance from the town center.

2

I am also within walking distance (albeit quite a bit more than 15 minutes) from both my Grandparents' and my Beloved's houses.

3

I have become more and more organised when it comes to housework and general orderliness, making me ever prouder of my own little room.

4

I live roughly 20 minutes by car from both the city center (as opposed to my local town center) and the rolling hills of the beginning of the peak district- best of both worlds!

5

Although I am eager to expand my horizons and plan to move out of the area when the time comes to set up home on my own, this will always be my real 'home'. I was born and grew up here, and to be honest, on a sunny day these usually drab streets can seem quite airy and bright :)

May 8

List 5 things you love about your physical appearance.

I thought I would moderate this week's prompt a little bit. Whilst I have no issues about my appearance, it's not really me, listing what I like about myself. Instead I'll simply say that currently I'm having great fun experimenting with hair colour and bright, quirky clothes :) In my opinion it's important to love ourselves as nature made us and not to hanker after drastic and unnecessary 'improvements' to our physical appearances. As long as we're healthy and  taking care of ourselves, we should be proud to be us :)

xXx

See you next week (hopefully!)

Write Yourself Happy // Week 3

Hello There

xXx

What a surprise, I'm late again!Well better late than never I say.Yesterday's prompt was:

'Write down ten things you love about your family.'

This turned out to be more specifically things that I'm grateful to my family for, but that has been my interpretation :)

1

How close we are 

I'm an only child, and I'm still living at home with my parents, so it's just the three of us as it's always been

2

How practical my mum is

It's always been Mum who's been the one to dabble in DIY in our house. Mum is a no-nonsense, straight forward kind of a lady, very string and nothing phases her. I admire this a lot.

3

How knowledgeable my dad is

He was banned from taking part in his local pub quiz when he was younger, as he used to win every week, and it wasn't fair on anybody else.

4

The opportunities I've been given

We have travelled a lot together, as a family, and amongst many other wonderful things, I've been able to learn such a lot about different cultures and languages, which have turned out to be great passions of mine.

5

Going to my grandparents' house

As a child, my grandparents used to pick my up from school each week, firstly every Tuesday and then on Fridays, and I'd spend the evening and have tea with them. I remember playing all sorts of games with Grandma, mostly 'Banks' and 'Schools', and also me being the 'posh mademoiselle' and Grandma waiting on me with cups of tea and chocolate biscuits! She must have been very patient.

6

My aunty introducing me to the theatre

My aunty, first took me to the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester, to see The Glass Menagerie, when I was about sixteen, and I have been a loyal theatre-goer ever since. They always do something interesting at the Exchange.

7

The creativity I've inherited

I have always been very imaginative and creative, and I thank my family for encouraging this in me.

8

That my parents were never too strict about homework or having a set tea-time

Meaning that I could play out all evening!

9

My dad buying my my first guitar

I distinctly remember wondering why on Earth he had bought it for me, but a few years down the line, and hear I am, with a repertoire of original songs and performing regularly at open mics :)

10

Girls' evenings in with my mum

Catching up with Mum, treating ourselves to a foot-soak and a cup of tea, whilst listening to classical music.

Write Yourself Happy // Week 2

Hi.

(EDIT: I'm so sorry this is a day late, I hope you'll still accept my offering to the link up!)

xXx

It's Thursday which means it's time to link up with Shannon from Smile and Write again for week two of her Write yourself Happy project. This week's prompt is: 

Write down five positive affirmations, quotes or bible verses you want to incorporate in your daily life to keep your thoughts and beliefs about yourself in check.

And below are the five I have chosen.

1

'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' - Matthew 7:12
Ours was not a religious family, but I have often heard this passage quoted by my parents whilst I was growing up, and believe it to be one of the simplest and best rules to live by. Put yourself in others' shoes and try seeing things from their point of view.

2

'It's what's on the inside that counts.' - My Mum
Beauty, whilst being something that we are all preoccupied with for one reason or another, is only skin deep. A person's personality, creativity, intelligence and kindness of spirit, are what really matter.

3

'If a job's worth doing it's worth doing well.' - Proverb
Also often heard from my Mum. This one is pretty self-explanatory: what would be the point of setting out to complete a task if you didn't put any effort into it? 

4

'No man is an island...' - John Donne
Taken from the full poem of the same title which you can read here. I remember my Dad teaching me frequently throughout my childhood, how everything we do has a 'ripple effect', as he liked to call it, on the people and the world around us. Similarly, this quote reminds us to be thoughtful and to consider the feelings of others in all that we do.

5

'A Brownie Guides thinks of others before herself and does a good turn every day.' - The Brownie Guide Law
I was a member of the Guiding Movement from age 4 until just recently when I decided to take a break for a while due to other commitments (however once a Guide, always a Guide!), and the Brownie Guide Law is one of the easiest things to keep in mind and to carry out on a daily basis, right through your life, long after the sashes and badges have been carefully stowed away for posterity :)

xXx

Et voila, my offering for this week's link-up. Please do get involved, I know Shannon would love you to.

Write Yourself Happy Link-Up // Week 1

Hey Hey.

xXx

I recently came accross this inspirational post written by Shannon at Smile and Write, and it was just the kind of motivation I needed to help me get back to blogging regularly. My Beloved and I actually had a similar motivational writing project on the go back in the winter, but unfortunately it fell by the wayside as things sometimes do. Life has been really hectic recently with my new job (sometimes it seems I practically live at the office and only come home to eat and sleep!) hence the lack of regular posts here on Box of Various for a while. I am however, always coming up with new ways to try to keep myself organised and I'm currently sitting down to devise a weekly schedule to make the most of out-of-work hours, whilst James is finishing writing a new song... and playing the guitar with a pencil...

As well as the myriad of drafted posts I need to complete and schedule, I am working on getting my online boutique up and running! Yes, that's right, as I may have mentioned once very long ago, I plan to open an online shop selling one of a kind vintage and pre-loved dresses, accessories and items of curiosity. So watch this space for Pepper Wood boutique's opening day! (I'll hopefully figure out how to set up discount codes for the first few customers too.) 

Excitement!

xXx

But to the business in hand, writing ourselves happy :)

Shannon has outlined a schedule for anyone who would like to take part in the project, and this week's prompt is:

List 5 people you completely admire and role model. Tell us why you love them so and what attributes are so admirable.

It goes without saying that my parents and the rest of my family are very dear to me and always an inspiration. I wanted to take this time to tell you about a few different people whom I admire. In no particular order, they are:

1

The 24 year old guy I spoke to on the phone at work who had suffered one of the most terrible illnesses we know of, twice in his life, and was still able to take it all in his stride.

2

 Paramedics. My Beloved and I were discussing, the other day, how incredible it is that there is a type of person for every job that needs doing, and how someone could be so selfless and level-headed to do a job like this. It must be incredibly rewarding.

3

Wes Anderson, for his incredible film making ability. He makes the kind of films that fill you with their atmosphere and leave you floating around for hours after you've left the cinema. (We went to see The Grand Budapest Hotel last night.)

4

Sandy Denny, of Fairport Convention. She has the most heavenly voice.  

5

Mother Nature, especially in the Springtime. This is my favourite season. There is nothing like the feeling you get, strolling around the neighbourhood on a mild Spring evening just as the sun is fading. The scents of the flowers, and the cherry trees laden with blossom :)

  

Why don't you join in and link up or post your lists in the comments at Smile and Write?

Have a wonderful Friday :)