32 by 32: Marriage

I started thinking about approaching 30 and I started reflecting on my life, where it was going, what had happened so far and how did I see the next ten years panning out? I started thinking about this probably much too close to actually turning 30.

A couple of my friends and I were having a chat about all of this, and chatting about our thoughts on turning 30 - what it meant to us, how we felt and how achieved we were for this time in our lives. A couple of us decided to do a 30 things we wanted to do before 30 list. I wanted to extend mine out to 32, and do 32 things before I turn 32. Two reasons, the first being things I wanted to do I wasn't ever going to be able to do before 30 with having a wedding in the middle to pay for. And second, 32 has always been the age I thought of as the scary grown-up age.



One of the things that was on my list was to get married. As readers of this blog will know I have been very happily married coming up to two years now. D and I met each other as high school students and started dating when we were only 17 and 18. We got engaged at 26 and married at 28, and it is without a doubt one of the best things I have ever done with my life.

D and I have put a lot into our relationship, spending four years of it living in separate countries. As so many relationships facing long distance difficulties can do, we didn't grow apart but instead grew even closer together. We made a point of ensuring we were in touch and spending time together where we could. This laid the most solid ground for a wonderful marriage, which we have been lucky enough to enjoy now for two years nearly.

Marriage has always been an important step I wanted to take in my life, and I knew that when I married I wanted it to be a partnership, a friendship and the most valuable thing in my life, which it has become. I wanted a partner in all parts of my life, someone who really understood and accepted me for exactly who I am. Someone I could travel with, see the world with. Someone I can laugh with and joke with, and cry with, someone I can grow with. Someone to share my passions, and someone to hold my hand through everything. I found that, and so much more, in my husband. I am biased, but I'm also pretty sure he's the best man that has ever walked on this earth. AND.... he's pretty hot. Marriage means partnership, acceptance, fun, pure love, support, warmth, growth and happiness.

The first thing on my list was a success.

1. To get married.

Reading Routine 2016

I spend a great portion of my spare time reading, it is definitely my number one hobby - as you can probably tell if you read this blog with any regularity! I love reading books of all kinds: fiction, non-fiction, history, biographies, all sorts. I also love reading magazines and have spoken previously about Readly - the Netflix of magazines! So fitting in all I want to read on a weekly basis can be a challenge. I will separate this out into books and magazines, to give you an idea of how I try to make sure I make enough time to read everything I want to.

Books
I have spoken about my approach to selecting titles before on this blog - I set a seasonal reading list well in advance. This means that I can take a look at the genres and lengths and fit them into a typical 13 week season. I like to make sure that I have a good range of genres and book types and lengths, this allows me to follow a heavy history book with some light chick lit, for example. So once I set my seasonal list, I put dates beside these based on how long I think it would take me to get through. These dates are then put into my planner and I aim to work with those dates to get through all the books I need, giving more time to heavier books, longer books or classics, and less time to more frivolous and shorter works.

I curl up at the weekend, Saturday afternoons usually on the sofa with a coffee and a blanket, and that's my favourite reading time. In comfy clothes in my own house. During the week, I get about 45 minutes - 1 hour of solid reading done each morning on the train. I always read my book on my morning commute with my coffee, I feel most energised and really enjoy the journey to work.

Magazines
This is a little more complex. This is where my inner planning nerd and my book worm personality meet and they have a huge geeky party, and nobody else is invited because nobody else wants to bloody go.

I have a good few magazines - both monthly subscriptions and weekly - that I have on my Readly app, as well as additional subscriptions the the weekly Economist magazine, its bi-monthly sister publication 1843 (previously Intelligent Life, but recently rebranded) and the monthly National Geographic magazine. I have a set list of magazines for each week, that usually looks something like this (I counted five weeks in my April planner, but this would be over four weeks in months with four, for example):

Week 1:
Weight Watchers magazine
Delicious magazine
Good Housekeeping
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 2:
Olive magazine
National Geographic
Women's Health (UK)
Rolling Stone
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 3:
1843 (half, as this is bi-monthly)
Lonely Planet magazine
BBC Good Food
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 4: 
Total Film
BBC History
Ideal Home
Rolling Stone
Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

Week 5:

Fast Company

Cosmo Deutsch

Wanderlust

Women's Running

Paris Match
Hollywood Reporter
Economist

I tend to read these with a flask of coffee on my commute home, and for an hour or two in the evenings during the week. It's the perfect time to read magazines, as you jump from article to article and it is great for the end of a long work day when your brain is a little frazzled. I also read magazines when I first get into bed, which is one of my favourite times of the day - when D and I cuddle together for 25 minutes and spend time winding down reading our own little things. It is the most relaxing time of the day, for sure. I sit at the start of the week and I will schedule when I will read each magazine in the week, to make sure I can fit them all in.

So there you go, that's my reading routine and how I try to make sure I fit it all in. How do you approach your reading lists? I would love to hear from you :)

March Favourites

Favourite music:
March has really seen the Centenary of the Easter Rising in Ireland ramp up a gear. TV, radio and the printed media have been covering the event in depth and with a beautiful and mature reverence. I was introduced to a song called Grace in this time, which is an Irish ballad written about the wife of Joseph Plunkett, one of the rebels, whom she married in Kilmainham Gaol the night before he was executed. This cover in celebration of the centenary was recorded in the jail, and is poignant and touching.

Favourite TV show:
D and I have been watching Orange Is The New Black this month a lot. Always late to the party. We are really enjoying its subtle comedy and the depth of character development, while the storyline is a meandering wander, not a sprint - which we've been used to recently! (Following The Returned and Making a Murderer, I'm enjoying the gentle stroll)

Favourite movie:
10 Cloverfield Lane - reviews to follow...

Favourite book
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. (Again, full review to follow..)

Favourite article:
Elton John: The Bitch at Peace by Stephen Rodrick in Rolling Stone, published February 25, 2016. The singer reflects on his career and his meteoric rise to fame, its effect on his long-suffering partner, David, and the feud with his mother.

Favourite moment:
Going to my first ever Ireland rugby game and watching them beat Scotland!

Most proud of:
Making necessary changes and pulling together to get back on track.

And my promotion at work. :)

Looking forward to in April:
I am looking forward to spending a night with our closest friends, for some laughs, drinks and nice food. A spa weekend with one of said friends, to celebrate her getting married soon!

Spring cleaning your home 101

There is a change in the air. The mornings and evenings are brighter and the sun is certainly making itself a little more available. Spring is always a chance to open the windows, clear the air and declutter. Let the winter air out and the fresh spring air in!

With this in mind, here are a few tips and tricks to help guide you spring cleaning in 2016.

1. Make a list.
Putting down on paper exactly what needs to be done can really help you visualise, plan and prioritise. This list will be applicable to every zone, be that an area or a room, and you will start at the top of the list and work your way to the bottom each time - checking off as you go. 

2. Take your time
Spring cleaning involves attacking every room and area of your home, so spread it out. You aren't going to get to it all in one day, so take a month and schedule time for each room or area in the month. So by the end of March, say, all your jobs are done, and it's only taken 1-2 hours out of each weekend and a few weekday tasks that are a bit shorter.

3. Delegate, if possible. 
A problem shared is a problem halved, so get everyone who lives in the house to help out. Husbands, children, heck - pets if you can strap little cloths to their feet.

4. Do a stock inventory before your spring-cleaning-month is here
The weekend before, add any extra cleaning supplies to your grocery list. Make sure you have the right sprays, cloths, sponges, bleaches, wipes - and of course the nice smelly candles for when you're putting your feet up with a cuppa in your sparkling new castle.

ZONES:

Kitchen/dining:

• Oven - clean the inside, take out the internal shelves and either run them through the dishwasher or give them a good scrub in the sink. While this is happening, fully clean the doors. 
• Fridge - take out and thoroughly clean each shelf and drawer. Clean the inside of the fridge and replace all the shelving. Best to do this on a day before you plan a major grocery shop.
• Cupboards - remove everything from each cupboard one at a time and dust and then scrub with water and dry thoroughly all the shelving. Replace items and move on to the next one. Clean the front and back of each cupboard door. 
• Wash skirting boards and hoover or dust ceiling and walls, including any air vents, pictures, mirrors etc. This will remove any dust and cobwebs.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills (and the outside ones if you can brave the cold, I would hire a window cleaner for a professional gleam!)

Living area:

• Wash and dry any cushions covers/throws on the sofa, and if possible have your sofa shampooed/cleaned. 
• Wash and dry any fabric curtains (or have them dry-cleaned) or if you have wooden blinds, dust and wash those. 
• Declutter any old magazines or papers lying around that could be got rid of. 
• Dust and polish all wooden surfaces.
• Wash skirting boards and hoover/dust ceilings and walls.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills. 

Bedrooms:

• Buy new pillows to replace any current ones. I wouldn't say this is necessary for spare rooms or pillows that aren't used often, but for your daily sleeping pillow, I would do this. 
• Wash and dry and curtains/blinds.
• Wash skirting boards and hoover/dust ceilings and walls.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills. 
• Clean and organise your wardrobes - dusting where necessary and clearing out any clothes you no longer wear so they can be donated or got rid of.

Bathrooms:

• Wash every washable surface with bleach or cleaning products. 
• Clean taps very thoroughly, clean shower head and bath taps too. 
• Wash your bathroom bin.
• Clean tiles and grouting. 
• Scrub your bathtub clean.
• Wash and dry and curtains/blinds.
• Wash skirting boards and hoover/dust ceilings and walls.
• Clean the inside windows and windowsills. 

Other:

• Organise garage area and garden shed if applicable, dispose of any rubbish appropriately and tidy and organise the area. 
• Dust all doors (including the tops of doors) and shine all the handles. 
• Digitally spring clean - purge your inbox, back up your folders, save your photos. It is a good habit to get into as you approach each new month to save photos and organise them from the previous month. Each three months it is worth ordering any prints you might like to ahve hard copies of. 

How do you attack Spring Cleaning? What's your favourite thing about getting it done? Let me know in the comments below! :)

SunnyDays Now on Instagram

Instagram has only been in my life for, like, a year, max. I was properly late to that party. But I have fallen hard, guys. It's so interesting to see what everyone you follow gets up to, and I find it really motivational seeing how other people organise their lives, lose all the weight, wear all the nice clothes, you get me.

So come join me over on Instagram and let's nosey at each other's lives! :)

sunnydayswithc - Instagram

I'm also on Twitter - @sunnydayswithc - so you can have a nosey at my ramblings and thoughts. 

Tips for getting back on track

1. List anything you feel went out of control. 
Seeing it on paper will help, and will allow you to look at this and take each hurdle individually, giving your mind clear space to start making solutions. List beside each 'problem' what actions you can take to make that 'problem' disappear.

2. Take 30 minutes to meal plan your next week.
This step is crucial if your diet is what's been let go. Take a look, with your planner, at any social commitments you have coming up in the next week and how this will affect your meals, and plan accordingly. This might mean batch cooking and timing things to be taken out of the freezer, or it might mean having to rejig your cooking time to make sure you have dinner ready earlier than you usually would. Whatever system you use, make sure you face the next week with a meal plan for each day (including snacks) and a grocery shop done to make sure you have what you need to get back on track.

3. Plan, plan, plan. 
Make your to-do list for the week, and slot these tasks into your planner, so you know what needs to be done each day. You will feel much better when you are on top of your to-do list.

4. Get back into a routine.
Your body works best when it's in a routine, so try to keep to the same bedtime and same getting up time as far as possible. It takes 21 days to make a habit, so let this be the month you get your body clock regulated.

5. Schedule in me-time.
This is so, so important. It is easy to get overwhelmed and to burn the candle at both ends. It is so important to schedule in time to look after yourself, mentally and physically. Take a look at your planner for the next week and make sure to schedule in physical and mental me-time. On a weekly basis, I block out certain time spots when I turn my phone on to airplane mode and make sure I cannot be disturbed. I will block off time to read, to have a bath, to do a face mask and a bit of meditation, to take my dog for a walk. Anything that relaxes you, keeps your interests up, and gives you time to reset. Also important is to schedule exercise, at which I am getting better. Block off an appointment with yourself, and show up.

6. Inspire yourself.
Google inspirational quotes. Pinterest some pictures of your goals, create a vision board. Every day, remember where you want to be and remember what you need to do to get there. Nothing is more important than making yourself happy and proud. Grow continually. Time is something you cannot save and cannot get back, so use it wisely to be the best you can be.

Spring wish wear list

Spring, please hurry. I've had enough of the cold, wet, dark days, and I yearn for brighter mornings, chirpier moods, lambs and daffodils! I have trawled some of the high street websites, to find some bright spring pieces I would love this season.

For work

Next - Print Fluted Sleeve Textured Dress - £28
Tesco F&F - Checked Slim Leg Trousers - £18

For chill

Next denim dress - £30

Tesco F&F - Striped wool jumper - £16

For play

River Island Green wrap front blouse - £36

Accessories

Asda - Faux leather jacket in brown - £30

Topshop - Glitter Eye Brooch - £6.50