NEW YEAR GOALS

I'm not even going to try and fool you guys into thinking the new year will bring a whole new me because I'm not even kidding myself and to be totally honest there's a few tweaks I'd make but a whole new me is just a tad extreme.
That being said if I wanted to make any drastic changes I don't think I'd wait because theres no better time than the present a new year is a perfect start just as a memorable marking but this year I decided to stop waiting and just went for it something I plan to continue throughout 2O16 and all other years from now.

So I'm going to make a list of goals I'd like to achieve through out 2O16!

Blog
- I really let my blog slip at the end of this year, there was plenty of opportunities to schedule posts but I just didn't take them and I'm truly gutted now looking back so one of my goals for 2O16 is to have a blog schedule I can hopefully keep to around general life.
- Attend more blogging events I've attended a couple since starting my blog but I'd love to take the leap and attend a few more that are out of my comfort zone I tend to shy away from a lot of them because I don't think I'm quite worthy of the 'blogger' name.

Myself

- Take more pride in my appearance I own more than enough tools for the job but when I can I'll always opt for the extra 3O minutes in bed or just to laze about before heading out, There was once a time I would never leave the house without making an effort.
- Drink more water I very rarely drink water and always opt for a fizzy drink, I managed to kick the habit of drinking a litre of coca-cola a day more water is the next step.
- Enroll onto a few make-up courses and other courses that take my fancy.
- Pass or at least be close to passing my driving test, Twice I've started lessons and given them up near to christmas the first being 2O1O

Home life & General home
 - Have more of a structured routine with our home life
- Clear both gardens and keep it that way, making them as I've imagined them for so long
- Turn my house into the home I've been lusting after for so long

Do you have any goals you'd like to achieve in 2O16?

WHAT I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS 2015

I've wondered all day whether I should do a 'What I got for Christmas post' but since christmas has been over and I've had some time to catch up with my bloglovin feed I've been hunting what I got for christmas posts and videos because I'm seriously nosey! *insert monkey hiding eyes emoji*

Why don't blogs have emoji options yet?

I won't list each item I got and who they were from because this post would go on forever, I've missed a few things out of the photo like I was sure I had while getting the photo. Some of the things that haven't been pictured are an awesome jack skellington wooly hat because its no secret I'm a HUGE Tim fan, an american sweets box, mascara, family & friends photo frame and an impresive stash of biscuits which was for all of us as a family.

I've been wanting a willow tree statue for awhile now, every time I get into any kind of house conversation I always mention how I'd like one to represent me and the girls, Andy and the girls and me and Andy. 

When delivering our presents my mum mentioned the little bag was breakable and to be careful with it, also that she hadn't got me anything pandora for my bracelet this year but she got me something I've been wanting. Christmas day I finally got to find out exactly what it was and it was the start of my willow tree collection it was the friendship one my mum has called me her best friend since I can remember whenever she's down she turns to me and always apologises for it something I always tell her off for and remind her that its exactly what I'm here for.

I also got plenty of bath stuff lets face it, it just wouldn't be christmas without bath and smelly stuff will it?

I finally got the POLICE perfume I wanted for ages I had planned to get both me and Andy them as the bottles match just different colours but never got round to it before, So I finally got him the mens one and his cousin got me the womens so we can finally display them together in my bedroom! 

I also got some jimjams which aren't pictured because obviously I've lived in them since I got them, I'm guilty of getting into my pyjamas as soon as I know I'm done with going out for the day.

Theres just nothing better than your jarmies when your indoors how Andy doesn't own one pair is beyond me.

I also got some underwear but nobody wants to see that

I also have the Holly Hagan not quite a geordie book on its way to me, I've wanted it for what feels like forever since starting to watch Geordie Shore I'm seriously late to the party on this one and have only watched the last 2/3 series. I've read Vickys and now its just Charlottes on my list, I did plan on lending my nieces copy but she sucks at reading books and I've read a few waiting for her to finish her copy.

If you have a What I got for Christmas post I'd love to have a read, leave me a link below so I can take a peek! 

How we spent Christmas 15'

First of all I hope everyone had a wonderful christmas, I've been so useless with my blog the past two months my plans of any scheduled christmas posts didn't go plan at all after I got seriously swept up in all the christmas madness, flapping left right and centre over anything and everything.

This christmas we had a big family christmas at home.

We had a total of 12 of us for dinner this was our first year having such a big number to cater for or to cater at all usually we go along to my mum and dads for dinner, Luckily we all worked as a team when it came to buying in everything my mum and dad bought and cooked all of the meats, My aunty done all the desserts and I had the easiest bit of all the trimmings.

I DID have every intention of preparing and cooking said trimmings myself but my parents popped in early after going to my brothers, With an hour to go until our other guests would be arriving and dinner should be almost ready to dish I of course was only half dressed in my tights and skirt with my pyjama top on and hair all over the place we won't even mention my face. I had only got as far as setting up the tables and clearing up all the madness of the mornings present opening.

I had no idea that the potatoes would need boiling before going in the oven so thought I had more than enough time *palm face*  Thank god for mum and dad they ended up peeling and prepping all the veg and even manning the cooking of them on their first christmas off! 

While I finished getting myself sorted, the final pieces of the table and general unnecessary flapping around

Sorry mumsie and pops next year I promise to be more with my time keeping. This Christmas was the first time my mum and dad left the house for christmas dinner in 48 years!!
My dads a hard one to get out the house to any kind of event as you may have read in my beefeater post, once he's out he loves it but its the getting him to come along in the first place.
The cherry on the cake this christmas for me was hearing my dad talking to Daisie about christmas telling her that this years was the best christmas.
It went so well I've been wondering why I've never hosted christmas at my house before, It was so lovely having everyone that means so much to us around our table.

On christmas eve we decided we wouldn't be getting as many pictures as we did in pervious years and to just enjoy the day by being in the moment rather than watching it through a camera screen. It was lovely I am kind of regretting not getting more than I did tho because I barely got any and the ones I did get are either blurry or the lighting was awful.

I even bought plenty of photo props for the dinner table and didn't even get any of those either I totally underestimated the power of food once our plates were full the photo props was the very last thing on our minds.

With christmas day over with its onto the countdown of Issy's 8th birthday!

Christmas Eve Boxes '15

This year I made the girls boxes a little more of a permanent fixture and something we will pull out every year if I haven't found another use for them once Christmas has passed.

I went for a plain crate from eBay and done the finishing touches myself with Andy's help, Now I have the crate bug and I want crates in every room!
I'm lucky enough that Andy owns his own vinyl cutting machine so he cut the girls name out in vinyl sticky back and I used that as a template for me to paint onto the boxes one of Issys L's bled slightly under the sticker but I was in no way going to make it worse by correcting it afterwards so opted to just leave it be.

Over all the boxes cost me a total of £16.41 for the both of them
that includes the cost of the ribbon and paints to paint them white and the red for the names.
All of the items inside cost me no more than £1 each!!

I planned to get a lot better photos on my camera but it just wasn't happening I always remembered at the weekend with little eyes around who have been lead to believe the boxes I was painting were for Daddy's tools and to this day they still believe so. With Christmas just round the corner I'm running out of time way to quickly to get any decent pictures of them with school plays to attend, christmas shopping to finish and whatever else likes to pop up this time of year I'm sure you'll forgive me for my shoddy phone photos.

Have you done a Christmas eve basket this year?
 I'd love to read all about them if you've blogged about them! 

H&M WINTER WANTS | TIDDLERS & MUMMA

What's winter without a good wishlist?

As I've been pretty absent from my blog recently it seemed the perfect way to get me back at it.

H&M is the one website I could spend hours on filling up my basket usually just to laugh hysterically at the total shutting the page down and trying not to cry but if its in my basket I can pretend I almost own it right?

It wasn't until putting together my winter wants that I realised I have a serious woolly hat problem!

It's no secret if you know me personally that I love a good woolly hat but I didn't realise it was a 4 woolly hats in one post kind of love, I've already purchased two new woolly ones this year.

I usually love a good cringey hat dangly plaits, giant strawberries but this year I'm opting for a more plain and simple bobble.

I'm really loving camel, khaki and bottle green and greys recently.

Everything pictured above can be found on the H&M website!

ROYAL OAK BEEFEATER | REVIEW

We were recently asked if we would be interested in reviewing the Royal Oak Beefeater in Wrotham after it's new refurbishment, Of course we said we'd love to! I love a bit of beefeater its mine and Andy's go to place if and when we ever have a date night.

This is the first time we've eaten at a Beefeater since their refurbish, I took along my parents as it was one of the only times we are child free and it just seemed perfect. 

On arrival I was amazed how small it was the one I usually go to has a pretty big parking area making the restaurant look huge, Once inside the restaurant was pretty big it was a bit like Mary poppins handbag looks small outside but can fit so much inside. We were kindly greeted by the reception staff, we had arrived a little earlier than our booking time 3O minutes to be exact and was eating our meals by the time our table booking time had come around which for me is brilliant there's nothing worse than arriving early unexpectedly and having to wait around getting in the way of other diners and staff. 

We were seated just behind the labelled bull which was the main thing you saw when you walked in.

Each seating area felt very private and personal other than one or two other diners you couldn't see everyone eating their meal and that for me is a really BIG bonus, there's nothing worse than going to a restaurant and being in full view of everyone while trying to eat.

Our seating area was our table and one other two seater table which for me is the perfect amount for one area, 

I really liked the old look of Beefeater and wasn't to sure you could get much better but I was pleasantly surprised the new look was very modern with family's in mind, each seating area looked inviting and comfortable the mixture of floor levels was a great feature, I loved the wood and brick theme that was carried out throughout the restaurant and the different style bull heads dotted around the restaurant were the perfect finishing touch. 

Shortly after being seated we were greeted by our waitress for the evening Dani and told who our Grill chef would be our grill chef for the evening was Jason. 

Which is something I've never had in the many times I've visited beefeater before it was a very nice touch to be told the name of the chef who plays such an important part of the evening. 

After a little look at our menus we were ready to order, Dani made us aware of some items from the menu that they were out of luckily it wasn't anything we planned to order. Dani was very helpful throughout the evening we didn't feel badgered like I have in other restaurants she was there when we needed her and checked in to check we were okay!

 Me and Andy went for the Beer battered cod and chips (we went for the spicy chips like we always do) My mum went for the Sunday double chicken and my Dad for the flat iron steak.

Each of us thoroughly enjoyed our meals only one small problem was the lack of gravy on the Sunday dinner but other than that each meal was perfect.

For afters me and Andy went for the Eaton mess sundae and my mum went for the sticky toffee pudding which were both heavenly!

We all left the restaurant very pleased with our time there and even more happier with the overall cost of our meals we felt it was worth exactly what we paid for it.

AND my dad is happy to return this is a man that usually is really hard to get out to a meal like this, he left really pleased with how the evening went and has even spoken on returning to the Royal Oak and making eating out a once a month thing.

Royal Oak you've converted my pops!

*DISCLAIMER - All opinions and views are entirely my own

DOTD Convention | MANCHESTER

My big brother is a major Dawn of the dead fan, I on the other hand had never seen the film before but when he contacted me and asked if I fancied going to Manchester to the Dawn of the dead horror convention group meet up, I at first had my doubts first of all it was quite a distance from my bubble of home comforts and secondly I'd never seen the film and to be totally honest never had the urge to either but I accepted the offer as just being with my brother for the day would have been good enough for me!

I had a little while to prepare and watch the film but in true me fashion I watched it the night before we were due to head up to the event.

Friday morning we began our 4 hour trip to Manchester both journeys the traffic was really good other than one slow moment on the way there where a number of clothing items had what I'm guessing fallen from a van.

Other than that it was pretty straight forward all the way there I say straight forward I wasn't the one driving so it's easy for me to say, We checked into our hotel the diamond lodge a lovely hotel if you happen to be looking for a place to stay in Manchester.

We got ourselves ready my brother as a SWAT zombie and myself as Francine from the make-up room scene (yeah we turned some heads)

We waited for our taxi ready to head off to the night full of amazement for my brother and a night of the unknown for me! 

Luckily the film was playing on a few screens through out the night so I could have a quick catch up and my brother could point out who the special guests were.

The event had been put together by Marcus Lewis all from a facebook group for UK DOTD fans although anyone is very much welcome, One fan had travelled all the way from Ireland to be apart of the event! Any money raised from Friday nights event is being put towards next years event they are hoping to be bigger and better. This event is run entirely by BIG fans and is an event for fans, It honestly felt like you were at a family party none of this money money money that you usually find at such events, They had two of Dawn of the dead 1978 actors that had very kindly come over to the UK especially to meet their fans and what Sincere humble men they were.

You can find DOTD events in america and many other countries but this is the first one in the UK and what a brilliant night it was.

(My little head can be spotted in the back row)

If your a DOTD fan and want to be apart of next years event you can join the facebook page 

HERE