Absent from posting…?

I started this with all the good intentions of updating weekly. Pah!! Who was I trying to kid! I work full time, travel an hour each way for work and like to spend my precious Sunday off with my Hubby or with friends and family.

We’ve been surrounding ourselves in family and friend’s. A new addition to our family to be precise! Steve’s sister gave birth on Sunday 14th May, to a very healthy boy weighing in at 9 pounds and 11 ounces! He is called Joshua James aka JJ! He has most definitely stolen Steve’s heart. I have nephews from my siblings so know exactly the love he is feeling towards this gorgeous bundle!

I’m so excited to watch JJ grow up. He has already changed so much since he was born just 3 weeks ago. That time has gone by so quickly. I’m not wishing him to grow up, but I can’t wait to watch him with his daddy and Uncle Steve kick a ball around the park & when I get the chance to push him on the swings in the sunshine. Even to wipe the ice cream from his chin, that little bit that dribbles down before you get a chance to lick it up! (oh I do love an ice cream). I’d just like to say also, how proud I am of my sister in law! Siobhan had possibly the roughest pregnancy I’ve heard of.  It was constant the whole way through. There wasn’t ever a week where she felt 100%. I was sure the saying of rough pregnancy leads to a good birth would be true. I hoped it would apply. We all hoped it would apply!! Nope!! 10 days late, after being induced and a very VERY rough labour JJ arrived, leaving Von exhausted and vowing never to have another bambino! Siobhan is a trooper, she brought JJ into the world using just gas and air. I know women do it all the time, but Von is the first to admit her pain threshold is not all that. Well Von if your reading this – f*****g well done gorgeous!! You amazed me ! Your strength, determination and courage got him here!! Thank you for giving Steve and I such a gorgeous nephew, we love him very much!!

Seeing Steve with his nephew has made me love him just that little bit more! I’ve always loved how great Steve is with my Brother’s two boys, and my Sisters son. I can see he feels so much more comfortable with JJ than he ever has with ”my” nephews. This is his sister’s baby so I understand why. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying I think he is uncomfortable with ”my” nephews. He has held and loved the youngest since he was born, and watched & loved the two older boys grow up since they were 5 years old. Steve is the cool Uncle, the one who plays Fifa against them on the Xbox, and the one who will tackle them to the floor when they have a kick about in the park.

It makes me excited to think of how Steve will be if we are lucky enough to have children one day.

IM GOING TO BE A BRIDESMAID!!!! I’m a little bit excited for this! (Another reason for me to stay on plan with Slimming World. ) My beautiful best friend and her man became the future Mr and Mrs Beck 2 weeks ago!! They had a BBQ planned for the bank holiday weekend which turned into a celebratory get together! When Steve and I arrived, I banished them from the garden so we could decorate it in banners and balloons! It was so lovely, they are so in love. I’m so very excited for them! I absolutely loved planning our wedding. Arranging all of the fine details that made it our special day, choosing THE dress & finding dresses for my bridesmaids and Maid of Honour – who happens to be the future Mrs Beck. Lianne, if you are reading this, you are going to make such a beautiful bride. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for. You’ve been there for me in the good, bad and the ugly times. We may have had a few crossed words, but we’ve always come out on top in the end. I cannot wait to be by your side as you marry old Jonny Boy.  I’m a little bit in love with d.i.y gifts. They add that extra special touch, so when I heard the news of this engagement I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Thankfully it went down well 🙂 Ill attach a pic below.

So in short, that’s where I have been. Celebrating the arrival of our gorgeous JJ and the engagement of my beautiful friend and her man. Bubbly has been consumed on both occasions, and man it tasted so good!!! It always tastes better when its for a celebration!!

Thanks for reading, speak soon.

xXx

Nikki’s Slimming World Journey

My most recent journey began on 21st November 2016. I’ve rejoined so many times I’ve lost count. This time felt different. Before I had always struggled, and although I have this time too, I’ve not lost my determination. My need to loose weight has not got any less, though the thought and my plan to do so has changed. I’ve always felt so guilty in the past if I put one weight,as I know its only me who can control what happens.
On this journey I have allowed myself to enjoy meals out with family and friends. I have made the best choices where possible and let myself enjoy a pudding or a few drinks if I have felt like it. Which I have, too much of the time!
This journey has been made up of 23 weigh in results. Which has seen 13 losses, one maintain and 9 gains!! I would like to say i’m okay with that, but it’d be a lie. I don’t want to be having any gains, at the same time, I don’t want to restrict myself when I go out.
I just want to be able to eat all of what I want and drink copious amount of bubbly and still loose weight, surely its not too much to ask!!!
I decided to rejoin group before christmas to do a bit of damage limitation. Basically, I wanted to loose weight before christmas so that I could put some back on over the festive period and not have a horrific starting weight come January. I was successful in a way, comparing my starting weight to my weight on my first weigh in of 2017 I was 1 pound up. Since the 21st November I have lost 1 stone and 3 pounds to date. When ever I have been on slimming world, I have always set myself a rule that I am ”happy” so long as it always averages that I have lost at least half a pound a week. I am just about sticking to that rule!! I’m not happy, obviously i’m not, but i’m still attending group and where possible still sticking to plan. My theory is that if I did not to go group each week, weigh people in for my consultant and sit through the valuable image therapy, I would be a lot worse off! Its the small things that make you realise you are following the plan. I’ve always been brought up to finish the food on my plate, not any more!! I’m starting to leave food, if I feel full. I’m listening to my body and I feel so much better for it. Slimming World isn’t a diet, its a way of life, all about balance. For me that means one day leaving food on my plate and other days finishing my plate and seconds! If I like it i’m going to eat it, all of it and more!
Why am I doing slimming world? For myself most definitely. Also for my future, my husband, family and friends. I don’t want to be getting ready for a night out with the girls and find myself staring at my wardrobe with nothing to wear. I’m sick of having panic attacks and feeling anxious about going out. The thought of people looking at me petrified me. Deep down I know they weren’t looking at me, they were looking through me or probably past me. Though in that moment, everyone is looking at me, getting the people who are with them to look at me too!

I’m beginning to feel more confident, my clothes are fitting better. I know that I can go into most shops and pick up a size 14 and it’ll fit me. I no longer look in the mirror and hate what I see. Which is a bonus, as being a hairdresser, i’m forever looking in the mirror. Usually at my clients hair mind you, occasionally I catch a glimpse of myself and adjust my hair or outfit! Don’t get me wrong, i’m not saying I love what I see now. Far from it, but I don’t mind how the person staring back at me looks any more.

What’s my target?! No idea. I’m unsure if it will be a weight I see on the scales or how I feel and look. I think I will just know when I get there! I’m excited to get there and get to the half way point of this journey! Why the half way point of the journey?? Slimming World is a lifestyle not a faddy diet. My half way point will be reaching my target, the rest of my journey will be made up of maintaining said target!

 

This has been a bit of a long blog, especially for those reading (if any one is!!??) I’m not going to apologise for it being so. This blog page is for me to get everything out and ramble on, so I can look back in years to come ( hopefully at target!!!!!) I’ll leave this one here, and will update or write a new one when the time suits.

Thanks for reading, speak soon.

xXx