Number 34. Give something away every time I get something new.

Number 34. Give something away every time I get something new.

Well I can safely say I have given away stacks of stuff this year....clothes, furniture, toys, etc...
Have given to charity, friends and neighbours. I am very fortunate and lucky enough to have had lots of new things for me, the kids, Rund, and we've had quite a bit of work done on the house so its meant a year of giving has definitely been achieved.

Number 28. Play a board game with my kids every week.

Number 28. Play a board game with my kids every week.

This is a failure!! Lydia and James love playing games as a family, and when I added this to my list I thought it would be so easy to do, I was wrong! Should have said once a month, might have been more realistic, and even then we haven't done that!

We've had such a busy exciting year that most weekends we've had something on, and if we have had a quieter weekend it usually involves the kids having their friends round, sleepovers etc...

My intentions were good and I will continue to play games with them as and when time allows as I think it is good family bonding time...until someone cheats and it all kicks off!!

Number 15. Read more.

Number 15. Read more.

I've always had a love of reading, I read avidly as a child and could get quite lost in the pages! Unfortunately the older I have become I seem to be reading less and less, or I go through phases of reading a succession of books and then nothing for quite some time!

This has been a hard one to succeed at this year, I'm not making excuses but with trying to find the time to watch a 100 films and all the other things that life involves you in, reading has again been lacking this year. In fact I have a pile of books on my bedside cabinet waiting to be picked up!

It is something I will rectify I think probably as the winter days settle in and I've finished watching loads of films and celebrating my 40th!!

Number 13. Make peace with those whom peace needs to be made.

Number 13. Make peace with those whom peace needs to be made.

This is a hard one, it kind of links in to the forgive everybody task but also runs deeper than that!
Without airing any dirty laundry and boring people there are two separate situations in my life which for a few years have caused me a lot of heart ache and have effected my health, especially my mental health significantly.

I have been criticised for not having this as number one on my list (by the other side of the disagreement) but it wasn't foremost in my mind, purely and simply because it had been going on for a few years before writing my list last year and and I didn't know if I wanted to go 'public' with it or not. 

I've also been told that apparently I now only want to sort things out because it's on my list, totally untrue, I've always wanted a reconciliation, if you want to sort things out it doesn't matter when, what day, what year you just do it because you want things to be right! If people don't want to sort things out before I turn 40, so I don't achieve this on my list then that really says more about their mentality than it does mine! 

The main thing I have wanted and will always want is for differences to be resolved and for things to be better than they are.

On a personal level the upset significantly lowered my confidence, made me feel like I was wrong and a bad person, and feeling attacked all the time and lied about just makes you feel like you are in a big hole you cant climb out of. I'm not an evil or nasty person, I am a very honest person and if someone has done wrong by me, or my husband, my kids, or someone I care about I will defend them and stand up for them. I appreciate not everyone likes their wrongs pointing out, but if you have done wrong by someone then why should you get away with it, why should you not realise you have hurt someone? I believe if you have done wrong you should say sorry and face up to the consequences.

I understand that not everyone likes straight talking, or face to face discussion, some people like to hide behind text messages, ignore you completely, or talk behind your back. I prefer to discuss a problem, let both sides say their issues and then move on.

I am quite happy to and will always say I am sorry when I have done wrong, but unfortunately in both the situations that have happened, I have said sorry, but this still isn't enough for them and I have had no apology in return. I can therefore really do no more. 

I have tried my hardest throughout the year to improve things, I will always try as I think in both cases its not just me I have to consider but its my husband and kids too.

The major change for me this year is that I'm not allowing the anger to take hold of me, I have forgiven them, I can't make people change their minds about me or force them to have a relationship with me. I would prefer people to make up their own minds and not just form part of a 'pack' of disliking me for the sake of disliking me but again I can't change other peoples reactions or thoughts they have to want and do this for themselves. I just wish people would realise that there are always two sides to every story.

It's hard to stand up to a pack of bullies telling you what you should and shouldn't do who are telling lies about you, and want to bring you down and ridicule you at every opportunity. When you are an individual to stand up and be strong is the hardest part and I've realised that as much as you may want to change things some people just won't move on. 

I can live with myself, my heart is a lot calmer, I really don't want conflict.
I know I treat every day as a new day, I try and help and be there for as many people as I can and I always try to do the right thing! I also have the support of many wonderful people who when times are tough help pick me up, but I will never ever go back to the darkness that once consumed me, life is definitely for living and if you let the past control your future then there really is no hope!

Number 12. Forgive everybody.

Number 12. Forgive everybody.

Hmmmmm, I think I have done reasonably well with this...I would say I can forgive fairly easily but forgetting is the hardest part!!

Some situations have arisen this year, not many thankfully but when they have I remembered that this is part of my challenge so it has made me think carefully before responding.

There are some situations and people you meet who of course upset you, it may be someone serving you in a shop who is a bit rude, it may wind you up but I guess most people have a reason why they react in a certain away and we don't always know or understand that!

Life is too short to hold grudges, they make you bitter, I like to try and understand where people are coming from, to listen to what someone is saying, not everyone gives me the same courtesy but that is there problem and I can't do anything to change that! If you forgive it makes it easier to move on...I would recommend it!

Number 10. Ring at least one out of town friend every week.

Number 10. Ring at least one out of town friend every week.

I'm afraid this hasn't gone very well, but it wasn't for the want of trying! I started out with the very best of intentions, but trying to get hold of friends who like me all have busy lives is VERY difficult!

I would like to think that I am a thoughtful friend, I love all my friends dearly and have many that live nearby but also plenty who live some distance away. I know that with all my friends we may not see or speak to each other often but when we do we always just pick up where we left off!

I text, Facebook, Twitter with friends all the time and that is a good quick way of keeping reasonably up to date but its not the same as a good old natter!

So I apologise to all my out of town friends, I tried and failed at this!! But I still do love you!!

Number 7. Lose some weight.

Number 7. Lose some weight.

I have never ever done a diet, but I quite clearly need to lose some weight, not because I am unhappy or uncomfortable in my own skin, quite the contrary, but I have known for some time that the extra weight is not good for my arthritis/joints and the older I get the harder it will be to shift!

I weighed myself on my 39th birthday, I will not share that information with you as to what the scales said but I recorded the information!!

Anyway as I left it and did nothing about achieving this goal, by the end of June instead of having lost weight I'd actually gained 10lbs!!

I needed to do a diet that didn't make me feel like I was depriving myself of anything/cutting things out, and that more importantly I was still sitting down with my family on an evening and still eating the same as them. I also didn't want to be counting calories, or points etc...a diet needed to fit in with me!
I've always eaten a well balanced diet, I've just eaten too much! I do walk and had been swimming regularly until early this year which is probably accountable for the weight gain of 10lbs!

I saw a friend on Facebook was promoting a new diet, and had actually given up another job to become a promoter of this diet, she invited me to her house to talk about it and so far I've not looked back!

I am doing the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge, and I have set myself the initial target of losing 20lbs within 90 days. I need to lose more than that but the concept of the diet is that you do it in 90 day challenges to keep you focused.
I have 2 shakes a day, breakfast and lunch, 2 snacks and sit down with the hubby and kids and eat the same as them on a night. The product/shake powder is highly nutritious and is packed with minerals and vitamins, as well as been a weight loss product it can also be used by people who are in to fitness as a supplement for their normal diet.

The 90 days comes to an end on the 6th October, so far with 29 days left to go I have lost 15lbs and inches from all around my body. I do not feel like I'm on a diet as I've still had takeaways, alcohol, chocolate, etc..but I've made changes which are helping the weight come off and when you've got stones to lose, not just pounds it feels great to be making a difference!

For more information please ask me or go to: www.clairearundel.bodybyvi.com

DAY 90 RESULTS:

Day 90 of my Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge, which was to lose 20lbs.
I'm amazed at how easy I've found it and can't wait to start my next 90 day challenge to lose 15lbs.
My results are as follows: Weight: 22lbs LOST...woo hoo!!
Arms= 2 inches lost
Boobs= 3.5 inches lost
Tummy=4.5 inches lost
Hips=5 inches lost
Calf=1.5 inches lost
BMI= dropped 2.8 points

Still along way to go but I'm on the right path now to making a difference!

Number 36. Raise some money for Arthritis.

Number 36. Raise some money for Arthritis.

On Saturday 14 Sept 2013, I hosted a fundraiser at Cass Hall, King Street, Driffield in aid of the Psoriasis & Psoriatic Arthritis Alliance.(PAPAA) My lovely friend Siobhan who also suffers helped me invaluably with the day! 

At 32 I started getting Psoriasis and at 34 the arthritis began its not the easiest of conditions to live with on a daily basis and raising awareness is really important!

The day was so well attended, I really couldn't have been happier with the support, and it was lovely to see people enjoying themselves over a cuppa and cake! We had the usual raffle, tombola, cake stall and a lovely water colour which was donated by the artist himself, Alan Allsop which we also raffled! We had  handicrafts/stalls by local traders 'Chocolate & Pink', 'Railton Farm Gifts', 'Little Miss Allsorts', 'Avon', 'Made in Heaven', 'Forever Living', handmade cards & bunting by Gail Rowley, and candles with Nicola Hogg. 

This is a photo of the original water colour beautifully framed by the artist himself, Alan Allsopp who is 84 years young! It is a scene in the Yorkshire Dales. It was won by Michelle Bell. It was so lovely of Alan to contact me and generously support us. 

I'm over the moon to say the day raised £484:90 which is fantastic! As well as raising such a great amount of money, to highlight awareness of the condition was definitely achieved and other people who are also suffering locally have contacted me. I feel that we may now need to set up a local support group and future events will be arranged, which was beyond my initial expectations! 

It isn't too late to support as I have created a Just Giving Page, you can donate by clicking on the link below:

http://www.justgiving.com/Claire-Andrew-Arundel1

Thank you to everyone who made the day a success I'm just so so happy! 

Lots of love

Claire

Number 9. Visit a new country.

Number 9. Visit a new country.

There are so many places in the world that I hope in my lifetime I get to see. I've travelled quite a lot of Europe but Italy is a country I've longed to go to for so long and there are so many parts of it that I want to see.

I am incredibly lucky, I have the best husband ever, I had also added to my list that I'd like to ride in a gondola and the kids were desperate to come to so we hunted for a holiday that would include a day in Venice so I could kill two birds with one stone! 

We found the perfect holiday with Thomson, staying at the Villagio Amare on the Venetian Riviera, hotel/apartments with pool & private beach, a rarity in Italy! We booked for 23-30 August 2013.

It truly was a fabulous holiday the apartment was lovely, the beach & pool were fab and we hired a car so we could see and do more! We visited Burano, Venice, Caorle, Verona and a waterpark and apart from the fact I came home covered in bites (no-one else) it was a great week and I can't wait to go back to Italy again!

 

Number 16. Ride in a Gondola.

Number 16. Ride in a Gondola.

When I wrote my list I tried to make it as achievable as possible, this however was one item on my list that when I added it I didn't really think it would happen, but I was wrong!!

I've never been to Italy and there is so much of it I would like to see and share with my family. The Venitian Riveria though was a good start and the highlight of our day in Venice was the evening serenaded gondola ride!

It was one of those experiences that as it was happening and you are living the moment it seems so surreal! I was incredibly moved by it, I didn't cry but I was close to tears!

The gondolas are just so lovely, very plush! It's not a cheap thing to do for 40 minutes entertainment but it was worth every single penny!

As we were queuing for our ride all the 'gondoliers' were milling around and one stood out as a typical 'slick' Italian and I said as much to my hubby and kids, it was then very amusing that he steered our gondola, you will notice him as he wanted to get in all our photos! We named him 'Slick'!! 

All in all this is a life experience I will never forget, a beautiful memory!