Halloween Memories.

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Happy Halloween! It’s already the end of October and a holiday that I absolutely LOVE. I have a love affair with Halloween but as I write this at 9 on a school night we’ve had no trick or treaters, sad times. I’m a giant kid on most holidays (I still don’t sleep on Christmas Eve, I still compete in the Easter Egg Hunt with my sister and I still count down to my birthday) and it was so hard not to go to work in full fancy dress today.

Some of my favourite memories from my childhood are from Halloween. When I was really small all my cousins and I would go trick or treating together covered in glitter and face paint. We’d visit all the neighbours that had known us since we were born and my grandparents would give us our pre-made bags, aunts, uncles and parents would give us special treats from Thorntons. Later my parents would throw Halloween parties (even though I felt a little old). The best times though were when I was in America for Halloween. The USA knows how to do Halloween properly. My parents took my sister and I in 2009 and then Ali too in 2010 to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. It’s absolutely amazing

The best times though were when I was in America for Halloween. The USA knows how to do Halloween properly. My parents took my sister and  then Ali too in 2010 to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. It’s absolutely amazing all the characters are dressed in costumes, there are shows and a parade and all the sweets you can eat. The park is open until around midnight and you come away with bags and bags of sweets (so many that I usually take a bag or two home to the UK). It’s also a fun atmosphere, I’m not into Halloween to get scared I’m in it to have fun!

 

The last few Halloweens have been very different, parties with friends or staying in eating sweets that trick or treaters didn’t come for (what a shame!). One day though I’m going to head back and party with Mickey Mouse, because that’s how it should be done.

Workouts and Willpower

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Work it!! 

For the last 6 weeks I’ve been trying really hard to get fitter and healthier. As soon as I was told that I was allowed to attempt a little more exercise I wanted to work on it. I went to physio religiously and only missed one week because I had the sickness bug and wasn’t allowed to. I’ve never really had the kick up the butt I needed before, but after the accident I had a huge appreciation for, you know, a working body.

Now I’m at home it would be easy for me to say ‘oh well! I’ll just start again in January!’ and then eat everything, ignore my routine and then cry in January. I refuse to forget my progress. So, a few weeks ago I called the biggest gym enthusiast I knew and asked if he could be my gym buddy once I was home. This morning I was picked up by my Gramps and we headed to the gym for my induction and his work out.

It is very weird that my Gramps is so much healthier than me and while I was being shown around, he was on all the machines! Eventually I got started and we were doing some of our exercises side by side. It’s nice because we’ve always been super close, to the point where I wouldn’t sleep as a toddler until he’d come home from work, so having this to do just the two of us was nice. Hopefully I’ll get at least 2 more sessions in before I go back to London.

I left feeling energised and really proud of myself. No one forced me to go and work out today I wanted too and felt so good after. My new gym buddy was pretty pleased too. If 16 year old me had been told I’d love the gym she would have fainted (I’ve never been sporty at all, riding was the only thing and, well, you know how that went).

Now, the other thing I need to work on over the holidays is not over indulging on sweets, chocolates, my Mum’s amazing cooking and my sisters delicious baking. Over the past few days I’ve been very good. I’m using my app and still eating my recommended amount of calories but it is hard. I don’t want to just not eat but at the same time I don’t want to seem rude. It’s a tough balance and on days like today sometimes I don’t want to eat because I know I’ve done so well, then I quickly remind myself that I’m not getting into that cycle again. I’m doing this the healthy way or not at all, hence why I won’t have any scales in my flat.

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Mine and Summer’s Gingerbread House…looks so yummy!

My willpower is being pushed to the limit but so far, so good. I feel healthy, happy and actually really accomplished that I’m sticking to something I’ve found so difficult in the past. Unlike a lot of the ‘new year, new me’ types that will head into the gym January I’m not doing this to lose that big of extra weight or because I ‘should’, I’m doing it because I’m really proud of my body. After all the healing and growing new bone after so much damage (some of which may be permanent) I’m going to treat it as well as I damn well can.

 

Something chocolaty this way comes…

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Ok so the plan tonight was to put my robe on, head out to a party and be more than a little bit hungover tomorrow. Seeing as I’m writing this you can all work out that it didn’t happen. I do love Halloween, even more when I’m in the US *cough* Mum and Dad *cough*, Tonight though I knew the drill, cheap drinks, expensive entry, awful chat up lines and long queues. Until this morning I was totally up for doing all that and having fun, then I thought about it and I honestly couldn’t be bothered after being up early for work today and having a load of stuff to do tomorrow.

I do slightly wish I was out tonight but at the same time I know it wouldn’t have done me any favours. I’ve had an exhausting week and my moods are just starting to become stable again after almost a week of dropping in the first place. Luckily the boys don’t seem to mind, Ali likes the company and the girls all have their own plans.

I do have loads to look forward to, other than the pile of chocolate and sweats I bought with the money I was going to use for tonight. It’s Ali’s 21st in 2 days!!!!! Then Joe’s and then I can finally start a real Christmas countdown. Taking it one step at a time, but so does having an excuse to buy bags of chocolate 😉

Happy Halloween folks! However you’re celebrating!