You are my Sunshine when skies are grey...

**Spoiler Alert*** Look away now if you are someone who gets totes emosh (Becky!!), dislike extreme levels of gushiness and vom at too much romance and lovey doveyness, as this post is gonna have a lot of this.

 I'm celebrating something uber mega special this week. I'm making it a week long celebration because this time last year from the 13th to the 18th of May was a super exciting and ultimately life changing week.

I met this boy.....

See I told you it was going to get soppy! But I will try not to make too many of you vomit.

Mike I and have known each other since I was 16 and he was 20, in a non creepy MTV Catfish kind of way we were AOL Buddies back in the day when online chat rooms were safe (safer) for teens and you didn't get hit on by sex pests. We then had an intermittent friendship, purely online for many years via Twitter, Facebook chat and texts and then last year we decided it was time to meet in real life because we always got on so well and already "liked" each other. I thought being on Catfish would be a great way to meet but as Mike rolled his eyes at this, we decided to meet in Birmingham, and the rest is history. Since then we have been through a lot, 4 months separation while I volunteered abroad, a visit in India and an incredible 2 week holiday travelling and getting to know each other then coming home and lots of driving between Shropshire and Staffordshire before we finally found a perfect place to live and I get to see this face everyday, and it's a whole year later and I don't think I could be happier!

This boy is definitely my sunshine when the days seem grey, he makes every day special in so many ways and makes me understand what Love is.

Love is making your girlfriend a cup of tea every morning before she even wakes up.

Love is casually travelling anywhere between 30-4,000 miles to see the one you love.

Love is bringing Krispy Kreme donuts to cheer a person up after a long day at work,

Love is making the other half of you laugh at so many silly things, so that their face and stomachs hurt from smiling, and you can't breathe properly and doing this at least five times a day.

Love is looking goofy in Selfies when the other person feels self conscious in photographs...

Love is patience to wait for someone you know is worth waiting for.

Love is sharing everything about yourself, and trusting another to accept you just the way you are.

Love is not caring what you look like in the morning, or when you are unwell and seeing the true beauty in another.

Love is sharing special moments, planning adventures far into the future, and enjoying each day making them all into treasured memories.

Love is taking the risk to meet with someone you have had dreams about since you were a teenager and having them all come true.

Day 5 - End of an Era at 1st Basford Guides

One of the best opportunities I have had in my life is being a part of Girl Guiding.

My mum signed me up to be a Rainbow, I was a very shy child and going to Rainbows was a big deal. I  loved putting on my blue tabbard and earning badges,taking part in all sorts of games, songs and activities.  Moving up to brownies at 7, somewhere there is a photo hidden in the depths of my parents photo albums, where I proudly pose in my new yellow and brown uniform tshirt, coulottes and cap, which was at least 2 sizes too big, but I was so pleased to be a brownie and had so many opportunities to grow and learn during this time, then moving up to Guides going on residential camps, abseiling, canoeing, fundraising and doing good deeds in the community, being responsible for those younger than you as a Patrol Leader and planning activities and sessions with the leaders. Unfortunately I didn't stay in Guides all through my teen years, other after school activities and just hanging out with friends over ruled my weekly Wednesday meetings but as an adult fresh out of university, and back from a summer as a Camp Counsellor in North Carolina, I had rekindled my love of camping, outdoors, badges and Guiding.

Back at home I got in touch with the very same Guide unit I was a guide at almost 10 years prior. Run by the same leader, at the same time and at the same local church hall. I went every week for the next 7 or so years. Planned many activities for the Guides, crafts were my forte and I loved sharing the games I had learned from camp and from my other travels. Taking them camping in rain or shine (mostly rain!), bouncing on the coach to the Big Gig, screaming over Ed Sheeran and The Wanted, and singing along to Scouting for Girls! Giving them advice and ideas and inspiration and encouragement on anything they needed.

Over time you get to see these young girls move from Primary to Secondary school, watch as their likes and dislikes change, maturing and shaping themselves into young women, you get to see them discover themselves and experiment with who they want to be, and have the privilege of seeing them grow before your very eyes into intelligent, caring, talented and determined young women.
A few weeks ago I was running my last evening at 1st Basford Guides, it was a tough decision but due to moving house and moving county it had become difficult to go back and forth every week travelling an hour each way, so I took the big decision to say goodbye.

I had been running Free Being Me sessions with my group for a few weeks and was sharing with them about Body Confidence and Self Esteem, the girls had some wonderfully encouraging and insightful things to say and made me immensely proud to be their leader.
Some of the girls I started out with are leaders themselves now, college and university students, or in full time work, others taking their GCSE's and making important steps in what they want to do with their lives. It has been the most humbling experience to be part of their Guiding journey, to see their confidence grow, and to have been allowed to help shape them into something that they too can be proud of, looking back in years to come on fond memories of their childhood and teenage years knowing there were people in their lives who wanted them to do their best and to be proud of who they are.

Thank you Georgina, Charlotte, Ellie, Charlotte, Georgia, Emilia, Elise, Victoria, Izzy, Charlotte, Alice, Ella, Laura, Gaynor and Pauline and so many others who have come and gone over the years, you have all made a huge lasting impression on me and inspire me to keep Leading and Guiding and trying to make that small difference each week to other people's lives.

It really is the end of an era and I felt so emotional leaving on that last night. You have brightened up so many Wednesday nights, always putting a smile on my face and highlighting why Guiding is not just a hobby but a passion in my life.

Day 4 - Electric Date

Mike and I took a trip out on the sunny bank holiday Monday.

Mike likes to plan special things for us to do together, and I got to open another Christmas envelope on May 1st, which is always super exciting to see what he has planned. This month we had a Movie out and dinner. Sounds like a pretty regular date but it had a twist.

This time last year we met for the first time and had an amazing day in Birmingham. It's a very special memory for the both of us.
One of the fun things we did that day was watch a movie at the rather cool and quirky Electric Cinema just on the edge of the City Centre.
As a surprise (which I might have guessed with my awesome detective skills) we rocked up for a matinee showing of Far from the Madding Crowd in the same seats we sat in a year ago. (I know, very romantic!)
What's really great about this cinema is it's a really individual movie experience. They have an old school ticket booth with a window and tear off tickets that say "admit one", a concessions stall, with sweets, cakes, nibbles and booze if you are so inclined.
There are a couple of screens each with 50 or so seats, sofas for two in the back and comfy leather seats with big arms and foot rests at the front. Once you sit down you feel like you are at home in front of a big tv with loads of snacks and drinks, it also helps when the film is excellent and the person you're with is your favourite too.
For dinner we went back to the Miller & Carter restaurant, where last year we spent a long time chatting and had some real deep and meaningful conversations, right up until I had to catch the last train home at 10pm. On this date we had no time limits, had a wonderful meal, shared desserts and got to people watch and guess how many other couples were on first dates. A game I am very good at! Coming back to Birms with Mike was such a wonderful way to walk down memory lane and celebrate an awesome and life changing year together.

Day 3 - Luigi

I have an awesome, gorgeous, wonderful, talented, cheeky and ever surprising Godson.
He is 19 months old and the son of my oldest and best friend. I love him to bits.

Saturday night was my first time babysitting him on my own. EEEEEeeeek I was a bit scared.

I have to say I'm not a natural baby person. I have got better with some practice with other little people but just me and Luigi on our own? so many things could go wrong!
He has an adventurous streak and likes to climb on things that are high and have sharp edges or near glass and electronics. His main aim is to climb onto the arms of the sofa in order to launch himself off and land on the cushions and bounce up and down. He also likes to be picked up and dropped on the sofa by me many many many times over and over. Great game, good for the bingo wings!
He opens doors and is constantly attracted to buttons and switches, every plug socket and device in the house needs to be found and pushed or flicked on and off. He also adores stairs mostly running away and climbing up them. It sounds like a nightmare but we had so much fun and I really enjoyed spending so much one on one time with him.
He was absolutely fine when his mum and dad left for work for the evening. The tiniest bit of shyness crept in when he realised it was just me and him but once I started a game and got him giggling he was more than happy to jump around on the sofa, sit and pop balloons, read stories and sing songs as I attempted to get him to eat food, wipe his nose, put on his pjs and get him to bed.

I feel so grateful I get to spend time with this little person and to see him enjoy spending time with me too. Knowing he recognises me and feels safe and comfortable around me is such a special feeling.

He has such a personality. I can see traits from both his parents shining through but also unique things that are purely his own ways of doing things. I am so excited to see him grow up, I can't wait to be able to have conversations with him. Know what he is thinking. Hear the questions he will ask. Share days out and take him to see new things and teach him stuff too. But for right now I am more than happy to be able to pick him up, have big toddler cuddles and sloppy Luigi kisses.

Day 2 - Something unexpected happened

Sorry I'm late. I didn't manage to post - but I have reasons. One being the title of this post.

On Thursday I was having a late lunch at my current temp job, when the phone rang with a number I didn't recognise. Normally I would't answer, but for some fanciful reason I did.

It was for a new job. Long story short I went for a chat and an interview - thought maybe I hadn't done great as the interview was so short but not half an hour later before I had even got half way home the phone rang and the job was mine! Hurrah

What was really cool about it all was that I didn't even apply, an agency found my cv online, put my cv forward with a bunch of other applicants and I was successful, and I start tomorrow. I'm pretty excited. It seems like a great job, a little bit of a commute from Shrewsbury to Telford but I'm hoping it will be just the thing I have been waiting for the past few months.

That's why Thursday and Friday evenings I was unable to post as I was driving to and from an exciting new opportunity and the weekend will be explained in my other catch up posts.

I will get better at updating each day! I just know it!

Give it 100

Have a dream, idea, hare-brained or otherwise and not knowing how to get there but starting the journey anyway.

Here I go, writing a blog post every day for 100 days.

Why? I hear you ask… well I’ve decided to Give it 100.

“Give it 100 is a place for people who live life 100%!” so the website Giveit100.com says. "Choose what you want to get better at and share a 10 second video of your progress every day for 100 days straight."

Realistically I wanted something I could achieve every day and stick to for 100 days. Definitely not anything exercise related!!

I want to get better at writing, most of all I want to get better at motivating myself, committing to something and sticking with it. 100 days seems a lot but I think if I can do this then my motivation for other things can be improved on too (like exercise).

Writing on my blog always gives me a sense of fulfilment, clears my mind and gets all the random thoughts and emotions out onto the page.

I have so many potential post ideas, nowhere near a hundred, but that too is where the challenge lies, but getting through the list of ideas I’ve had saved on my iphone will be satisfying in itself.

I can guarantee they won’t all be long, I will hopefully get better at taking photos and including them on here too but I am determined to do my best to write 100 posts over the next 100 days, starting with today!!! Wish me luck :D