Put on your positive pants.

I am, by nature, a procrastinator.  I put things off without ever having a proper reason to do so. "I'll do it later" I say, mañana mañana  - everything always happens tomorrow - well it would do if I ever actually did it.  On the flip side I am also the kind of person who wants things done yesterday, if I'm waiting on someone to do something for me I see absolutely no reason why it can't be done right there and then.  I have no idea how I can be two types of people at the one time, it makes literally no sense.  

I talk about being fed up with my job, not knowing what I want to do with my life but I never ever seem to do anything about it.  I've been saying that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up since I was 16.  Which is fine, and perfectly normal when you're 16 but now I'm 26 - I am a grown up - I still have no clue where I'm going in life.  For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a author/journalist - writing a book is my absolute dream -  until I had a horrific English teacher who put the fear of God in me and made me believe that I couldn't do it.  Suddenly the essays that had to be written to go along with the University applications for journalism courses were too much hassle & 'I never really wanted to do that anyway'.  I swear this is where my procrastinating days began and they haven't stopped since.  I constantly find pathetic reasons not to do things, for example, I really do want to make a go of this blog and get writing again but rarely post things because 'my photography skills are shit' or 'I don't have nice pictures to go along with my posts'.  Seeing all these other blogs with the perfect photos and witty captions makes me feel like I'm not good enough, which is ridiculous because everybody has to start somewhere, right?

So I have decided to make a conscious effort to overcome any of the stupid obstacles that I come across - most of which I put in my own way.  So what if my pictures aren't great, I'm sure I'll get better with a bit of practice.  Don't know what to write about?  Just start typing and see what happens; if it's awful so be it, at least I will have made the effort.  I really need to stop being so negative about everything, after over 10 years of being a glass half empty kinda gal it's beginning to take a toll on me and it has to stop.  It's doing no one any favours.  I find people who are always positive and see the good in the worst of situations so inspiring, I'm going to aim to be one of those people.  I'm not going to lie, it won't be easy; I've had my struggles with depression in my teens/early 20s and PND after I had Connor but I'm out the other side of that now and don't want to go back.  I think that's why I find it so hard to see the good in situations, I'm constantly thinking of any possible negative outcomes so that I'm prepared.  Some might call it my coping mechanism but it's getting to a point now that this way of dealing with things has made me the ultimate pessimist.  I don't want to be that person anymore, I want to be able to put my all into everything without holding back because of fear that it won't turn out alright.     

Stacey Leigh from Mummyandthebubbas posted a quote on Instagram the other day and it got me thinking about how I'm not a particularly upbeat person.  I commented (not something I usually do) saying that being positive was something that I struggle with and I'm so glad that I did because her reply was simple but it made total sense and led me to this point.   

'Everyone has crap days and it's okay not to feel positive all the time.  Draw a line and think about all the positive things in your life.  Each day write down one thing that you feel positive about.'

Such a straightforward idea but one that hadn't occurred to me until it was pointed out.  So this is my line.  Nothing but good, happy thoughts from here on out.  I know it won't be easy and that there will be times when I struggle but I just have to remember what I have and where I want to be.  I can't stand in my own way any longer because really the only thing stopping me doing what I want to do is me.  

xx

You can find Stacey Leigh on Instagram here she's definitely worth a follow, her feed is gorgeous and her positivity is infectious.  Thank you Stacey for taking the time to reply to my comment, you've give me the kick up the backside I needed and you don't even know it.

Connor A/W Wishlist

I love Autumn.  Since I live in Scotland & we don't get much of a summer here (maybe a week in May!) Autumn is definitely my favourite season.  What's not to love - beautiful colours everywhere you look, no excuse needed to layer up & be all cosy aaaaaand the countdown to the C word is on (sorry)! 

Since I had Connor I've loved it even more, all the cute boys clothes make me so excited to buy his Autumn/Winter wardrobe.  I thought I'd share a few bits I have my eye on for him & a some that I've already bought.  As his birthday is in September he got a few pieces from different people but I still feel the need to go & buy some extra things.  He's a typical boy and loves nothing better than running around and playing in the dirt so his clothes never last particularly long - it's always good to have a back up supply!

Zara | Joules

I really struggled to choose between these 2 jackets.  I absolutely love the parka which is from Zara, the only problem is that it isn't waterproof which is definitely a must for a Scottish autumn/winter.  The navy jacket is from Joules; I saw it in a vlog I watched a few weeks ago and totally fell in love.  I have been trying unsuccessfully for the past week to order it- it's been out of stock every single time but finally I managed to nab it last night.  I'm so excited for it to arrive & can't wait to see C in it.  I'm hoping it'll fit okay, I ordered age 2-3 as that's what he mostly wears & I've got everything crossed that we won't need to roll the sleeves up.  I swear he's like a T-Rex; long body & tiny wee arms that don't seem to grow as quickly as the rest of him! 

H&M | M&Co | H&M

These 2 jumpers are ones that he got for his birthday at the beginning of the month, they are an absolute bargain at £6.99 each!  H&M had a few other styles as well but none that were in stock in  Connors size the day I was in.  I picked the shirt up from M&Co a couple of days ago, again it was pretty cheap at £9 & I think it'll look really cute layered over the long sleeved red polo in the next picture! 

Zara | Next | Zara | Zara

We had the red polo last year in a variety of colours and it just looked really cosy, they also wash really well and hold their shape - as does the majority of Zara's stuff, I've found.  So when I saw that they were back this year obviously I had to add them to my 'Connor's Autumn Wardrobe' list.  We also have the aqua top in a mustard colour which looks really cute with the sleeves turned up to 3/4 length so again I'm just getting a few colour options.  Next have such a good range of clothes this year, I feel like they can be quite hit or miss with their boys clothes sometimes but they've definitely struck gold this year.  Connor loves dinosaurs which seem to be a prominent feature of this years A/W collection, lucky us!  However, he has loads of jumpers already and doesn't need much else so I thought we'd get this little dinosaur raglan top as you can never have too many!

Zara

Connor already has loads of jeans that he got for his birthday so he doesn't really need much in the way of bottoms this year but I just love Zara's leggings.  He hasn't had a pair for quite a while actually, he mostly lives in jeans, but I just love khaki & the camouflage pattern so when I saw these we just had to have them.  They will also match perfectly with the pair of Timberland look-a-like boots which I have ordered for him!   

So that is basically what I have in mind for Connors Autumn/Winter wardrobe.  I'm pretty sure that by the time I get around to buying this stuff there will be far more available & the list will have doubled.  Maybe I'll do a haul once I get it all in, what do you guys think?  

If you follow me on Instagram I post regularly over there - come & say hi!

xx

Little Fish Turned 2!

So.  Somewhere along the line I became the emotionally unstable mother of a 2 year old.  This realization has hit me like a ton of bricks & the night before his birthday I found myself looking through baby pictures & wondering where the hell the past 2 years had gone.

Cue a text to my husband that reads 'how are we going to have a 2 year old in the morning?' with about a million crying emojis (did I mention how emotionally unstable I was that night?!).  His answer?  'Because he was born 2 years ago?' smart arse.

Anyway, like I said it hit me all of a sudden that my baby isn't a baby anymore.  He's a walking, talking,  whirlwind of a boy - a toddler boy.  He's only going to get bigger & there's bugger all I can do about it :(.  Just a thought - if we don't celebrate his birthdays that means he can't get any older, right?

After I managed to put down the baby photos I started to focus on the positives.  No he's not a baby anymore & but now is when the adventure begins.  I made a list of my 5 favourite things about Connor at 2 to remind me that even though he's growing up (& that is heartbreaking) he really is just amazing & that will never change.

1.  I love that we can have conversations now, like proper conversations.  His understanding of words has been great for a while but it's only been over the past couple of months that his talking has followed suit.  Don't get me wrong he still has the 1 word for about 4 different things but I know what he means even if no one else does.  It's also quite handy that if I don't guess the right word first time he'll tell me 'No' & I'll run through the list of possibilities until he says 'Yeah' & only then are we allowed to continue talking!

2.  I absolutely love how much he loves learning.  He is so interested in everything & never shies away from new experiences.  He's such a clever little boy & it's amazing to watch him learning something new every single day.

3.  He is turning into such a polite, loving wee boy.  He absolutely adores animals & babies, he's so gentle with them & always wants to smother them with cuddles and kisses - cuteness overload.

4.  My favourite thing that he does at the moment is sing along to the Rihanna & Calvin Harris song - This is What You Came For.  He only knows roughly 1 word at the end of each line but what he lacks in vocabulary he more than makes up for in dance moves!  Generally it goes like this - 'Baaaaaaaaaayybeeeeeeeee' 'moooooooove'  'ooh oooh oooh ooh ooh'  you get the idea.

5  Finally, I'm just so glad that he is still happy & healthy and hopefully always will be.  He is a great sleeper & eater and we are incredibly lucky that so far this has never changed (touch wood).

It's amazing to think that 2 years ago I was handed a baby & had absolutely no clue what the hell I was supposed to do with him.  But here we are 2 birthdays later, still standing & actually, we're doing alright!

xx


   

Book Club: Giovanna Fletcher - You're The One That I Want.

Blurb

Maddy, dressed in white, stands at the back of the church.  At the end of the aisle is Rob - the man she's about to marry.  Next to Rob is Ben - best man and the best friend any two people ever had.

And that's the problem.

Because if it wasn't Robert waiting for her at the altar, there's a strong chance it would be Ben.  Loyal and sensitive, Ben has always kept his feelings to himself, but if he turned around and told Maddy she was making a mistake, would she listen?  And would he be right?

Best friends since childhood, Maddy, Ben and Rob thought their bond was unbreakable.  But love changes everything.  Maddy has a choice to make but will she choose wisely?  Her heart, and the hearts of the two best men she knows, depend on it...

What I thought

I think I actually loved this more than I loved Dream a little Dream - which is a lot.  See my thoughts on that here.  I devoured this book in one sitting - a grand total of 2 hours, I just couldn't tear myself away.  Like with Dream a little Dream, it's such an usual idea for a story (Mrs Fletcher must have some imagination!) but it just works.  I've never read a book before where I've been willing two different relationships to happen - where both include the same person.  It's very strange but it happened! You're the one that I want had me hooked from the start.  I loved that it told the story from each of the three main characters points of view, that way you got to hear the same story but it was never told the same way twice.  As always the characters were warm & endearing and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Maddy, Ben and Robert.  I really hope that this isn't the last we will hear of them.  Maybe book number 5 is the sequel?  I really hope so!  Have you read You're The One That I Want?  If so please let me know what you thought in the comments or follow me on Instagram @lifeinthegingerlane

Next on my list

Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight.

I have previously read & reviewed A Part of Me by Anouska Knight & absolutely loved it so when I found what I believe to be her very first novel I just had to buy it!  Especially when it was the bargain price of 50p!  So this week shall be spent reading Since You've Been Gone & I'll get my thoughts up asap!  

What are you reading this week?

xx

Book Club: Giovanna Fletcher - Dream a little Dream

Blurb

Sarah is doing just fine...

Sure, she's been single for the last two years, and has to spend an uncomfortable amount of time around her ex-boyfriend, his perfect new girlfriend and all their mutual friends.  And yes, her job as a PA to one of the most disgusting men in London is mind-numbingly tedious and her career is a constant disappointment to her mother.  But it's really okay.  She's happy(ish).

So it's not surprising that when Sarah starts dreaming about a handsome stranger, she begins to look forward to falling asleep every night.  Reality isn't nearly as exciting.  That is until her dream-stranger makes an unexpected real-life appearance, leaving Sarah questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Because no one ever really finds the person of their dreams...do they?

What I thought

Loved this.  Such an unusual idea for a story but it works brilliantly, I particularly liked how the dream sequences flowed seamlessly with the rest of the story.  Sometimes it was difficult to tell what was a dream and what was reality, which all added to the books charm.  The characters were all warm & relateable - something I've found with most of the people in Giovanna's books.  I tried to take my time reading this, instead of flying through it as I usually do but I ended up finishing it in a day anyway - it's just too good people!  I highly recommend giving this a read, it's perfect to relax with by the pool or on the beach but also offers the perfect escape which is handy if, like me you're in the middle of a typical Scottish summer!  It's so easy to become completely immersed in Sarah's world & forget everything that's happening around you - ideal when it's bucketing down outside!  Dream a little Dream is definitely a new favourite of  mine & I'm going to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the novella - Dream a little Christmas Dream simply because I'm not ready for the story to end! 

Definitely add this to your summer reading list!

Next on my list

You're the one that I want by Giovanna Fletcher

I'm quickly working my way through all of Gi's books and am loving them all so far so can't wait to see what this one has in store for me!

Any recommendations for what I should read once I've finished all 4 of Giovanna Fletchers' books?  Comment below or follow me on instagram @lifeinthegingerlane I'd love to hear from you!

xx

Love a bargain.

I thought I would do a little round up of some of my bargain finds, I've already posted a few pics over on my Instagram @lifeinthegingerlane but thought I would do a post too!

I must admit I've been quite lucky this week with some of my goodies but you can see for yourself.

This is everything I got this week that isn't clothes.  I will do a post on those when I figure out how to take nice pictures of them.  As you can probably tell my photography skills leave a lot to be desired, I plan to rope my sister (the photography graduate) in as soon as possible.  Until then you'll have to make do with my pathetic attempts - sorry!

As you can see most of it is brand new in packaging - my favourite type!  The whole lot cost me £12ish - give or take a few pennies, bargain!

King size duvet set - £3.  I won't show you a picture of it on for 2 reasons: 

1: I haven't put in on yet &

2: It doesn't match my current wall paper & will look ridiculous BUT I do plan to redecorate soon.

Brand New Carvela by Kurt Geiger Purse with tags & packaging inside £3.99

Love this but think I'll keep it for a Christmas present for someone as apparently it's bad luck to buy your own purse, who knew?!

This lip stick & liner were from Poundland.  No colour swatches I'm afraid,  I did try but my hand looks ridiculously freckly in pictures & you can't see the colour properly #gingerproblems.  

I won't be using these again, I tried them out to see the colour & the lipstick feels as if you have sand on your lips. it's really gritty and horrible and the lip liner doesn't show up unless you press really hard and scribble back and forth.  It has the texture and consistency of an actual colouring pencil and if you've ever tried to write on your skin with a pencil you'll know what I mean.  So bargain or not they are totally not worth it.

I also got books for £1 each, The Single Girl's To Do List by Lindsey Kelk & Tell Me Something by Adele Parks.  I've read all of Lindsey Kelks' I Heart series but have never read anything by Adele Parks, I hear only good things though so am looking forward to working my way through these. 

I treated myself to a little Cath Kidston Provence body set for 95p which has body wash & body lotion in it and smells of bluebell and jasmine.  The packaging is a bit damaged so I think that's why it was so cheap but hey! I'll take it!

Have you got any bargains recently?  Let me know in the comments or tag me in your pics on Instagram @lifeinthegingerlane

xxx