Running in circles - Day 2

So it was our second full day of being isolated at home. I am trying to make sure we don't get stuck in a rut - even if it is just 48 hours in! I obviously can't get out for a run and haven't got a treadmill so I decided to recreate a parkrun as gardenrun. Here is my first timers' briefing:

I have to say that 155 laps was mentally tough and I couldn't get up much speed either! It did make me feel better though (and entertained my neighbour!):

Yesterday my son seemed to be non-stop eating so after my run I cooked us both bacon and scrambled eggs which kept him going for longer. Then I had another virtual coffee morning with friends.

Operation Central Heating

When you have filled your house to capacity (and have squeezed in things right to the edges of rooms) getting a letter saying your heating is being replaced is the stuff of nightmares! For the last couple of months I have been rearranging furniture and selling excess stuff in the hope of making everything accessible. It's hard when you will have to continue living a property during major works as some jobs have to wait until the last minute. 

So this weekend I found myself dismantling beds with help from my dad. We had had lots of fun constructing the high sleeper in a box room 4 years ago and it was just as interesting to dismantle! At least my bed wasn't as tricky as it just needed some gentle persuasion:

I am very lucky to have a decent size shed that I had decluttered as it is currently full of things such as dining chairs and recycling boxes (only problem is I should have left lawn mower accessible!):

The results of all this manual labour?

Reasons to be Cheerful: A mixed bag #R2BC

Thanks everyone for joining in last week. Its great when people find the happy little things when life can seem grim. Here are this week's reasons for me:
1) Running Together
Its not often I get photographed running but at Parkrun this week one of the regulars was practising his sports' photography. Great to see my son's determined sprint finish and I was obviously enjoying running with a lovely lady from St Andrews:

2) Yummy cooking

My daughter's cookery lesson this week was apple crumble. Absolutely delicious:

3) Operation House

The hall and landing have finally been painted. It makes a huge difference and we can finally get the carpets put in 4 months after ordering them:

4) Flowers

Wonderful to see these beauties still flowering in my garden:

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Reasons to be Cheerful: October is here #R2BC

It's a new month so Jo (Ojo's World) is having a well earned break from hosting and handing back to me! Here's hoping I can do as good a job as her for the month... At least I should have plenty to be happy about as its my birthday and my daughter's. Here are this week's reasons:
1) Photography
I entered an online photo competition on Instagram with UK Pic of the Day and was publicly voted the winner for this photograph:

I am amazed as I've never won any photo comp before - it may only be for kudos but I'm happy with 841 Instagram likes!
2) Macmillan Coffee Morning
We had a successful coffee morning at our house and raised over £20. My son kept adding money from his wallet to boost the total! One of his friends also went home and came back with some cash. Big sister had helped bake the cakes for her contribution.

3) Operation House

One of the key areas needing sorting was the storage in my bedroom. Being a teacher I have a tonne of stuff I need to keep handy and my room has to act as my office. My dad put up these Ikea shelving units this weekend to make it all a lot more organised.

4) Clever girl

One of my daughter's favourite subjects at school is art and she has been involved in a project for Kendal's Comic Art Fest. She has helped to create this fabulous fox (and a badger too):

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Reasons to be Cheerful: End of Summer #R2BC

Now its September the lovely Jo at Ojo's World is hosting again. Thank you everyone that joined in during the summer holidays! We have so many reasons to be cheerful on this the last day of the school holidays:

1) Operation House

I finally got around to clearing out the excess in my bedroom and putting up the mirror. It makes a difference and takes away from all the office/study aspect of my bedroom. I also put one up in the downstairs loo and brightened that room up with bright matting:

2) Proud mum

My son ran his 10th Parkrun last weekend and for the first time ever was first in his age category. He was disappointed not to improve on his PB but you can't do that every week:

3) Grasmere Sports

We made it to Grasmere Sports for the first time ever as my son had a championship race. Both children took part in the various activities. I will be doing a full post about this but meanwhile here they are heaving away together in one of the many tug of war events:

#Reasons to be Cheerful: Easter holidays are here! #R2BC

The lovely Jo has taken the reins of host back this month so I can relax a bit! We will be in safe hands with her for the month of April. Here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:

1) Running fast

I surprised myself by equalling my 5km PB on Sunday! Seeing as the original one was done in a race with no pauses for road crossings etc I was impressed with myself for doing the same time under normal conditions:

2) Operation House

Nothing quite like your landlady coming round to prompt a major kick to house sorting! This included sorting out the main dumping area by the way in which I had put new storage in last year to keep it tidy (hadn't succeeded!). Let's hope we can keep it this way...

Reasons to be Cheerful: Surprises and other things #R2BC

Thanks to Jo at Ojo's World for hosting again this week back to me next week so I will have to be organised! Its lovely to read everyone's happy posts each week. Here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:

1) A rare night out

With my children away and no school I managed to get down to the Jazz session at the Brewhouse at Burgundy's:

A mellow night even when not drinking in the company of my artist friend.

2) Hair Cut

I realised I hadn't had my hair cut since October so just managed to fit in a much overdo cut and blow dry:

It makes such a difference and I have to re-learn how to look after it. I must make an effort not to go so long between cuts next time..

3) Proud Mummy

My son had his latest fell race at Sedbergh school this weekend. Despite the wintry weather he was very happy whizzing around the course:

4) Operation House

I tackled my daughter's room this weekend. It looks so much bigger now things are contained and not all muddled up. She has a lovely little area for her special things:

What is making you smile this week:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Half Term #R2BC

Thanks to Jo at Ojo's World for hosting again this week and welcoming back the founder Michelle. Its lovely to read everyone's happy posts each week. Here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:

1) Charts

A really pleasant surprise to have gone up in the world on the Tots 100 Index with a rise of 32 places to be back in the 100s:

Obviously the quality of my posts in making up for the quantity!

2) Getting Healthier

As shown in my race post and Muffin Top Monday I am not only getting slimmer but fitter! Definitely a reason to be cheerful.

3) Student Life

I actually had a day on campus this week. It was lovely to feel like a real student and its a beautiful location in Lancaster:

Reasons to be Cheerful: Feeling Fab #R2BC

So glad to have handed the hop over to the safe hands of Jo at Ojo's World for the month! Like me she understands the value of focussing on the little things that have made us happy in the week. Any way here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:

1) Operation House

I put in a lot of time to sorting out my kitchen on Saturday. This included sorting out some of the storage which has meant for clearer worktops. Still some way to go but even my daughter was impressed with the way it looked:

2) New vacuum

As part of Operation House I was pleased to receive the prize Miele at the weekend. My daughter has claimed it for her own and was the first to try it out. She loved the quietness and was able to easily clean the stairs:

Reasons to be Cheerful: End of the Month #R2BC

My last week hosting until March. I will be handing you back to the care of Ojo's World for February. Thanks for joining in this month its been fabulous to see all your positive posts.  

1) Teaching

I am finally relaxing in my teaching practice with the younger ones. We have also had lots of fun with things like visiting birds of prey. Its fascinating to see how young children start to learn English and maths as well as wider subjects. I am doing such a variety of things including teaching singing so no two days are the same. I get to have a lot of fun too:

2) Running

My running is improving so much at the minute. I went out with a younger, fitter friend on Sunday in the pouring rain and broke my 1 km and 1 mile personal bests! It was nice to prove to myself that I can run fast I just need to keep it up. Here is my face when I realised what I had done:

3) Operation House

After a couple of hard work Saturdays things finally seem to be improving in our chaotic home! Even if its just an organised under sink cupboard in the kitchen and my daughter's room having a tidy bookcase:

That'll do for this week! I look forward to reading your posts..

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Reasons to be Cheerful: Running and Dr Who #R2BC

The hop is still being hosted by the lovely Jo at Ojo's World and she is doing a great job this month at encouraging us all to share the happiness posts. So here are mine for this week:

1) Parkrun

We finally got a South Lakes Parkrun and typically it rained! But it was amazing to be part of history in the making at a debut run and my son was amazing. Hopefully once he starts his fell running training at the Helm Hill Runners he will learn how to run faster and better - leaving me in his wake..

2) Dr Who

My children and I were all very happy that Dr Who featured at the Comic Arts Festival this weekend. My son had 2 visits as his school went during the week and he travelled back in time to see the dinosaurs being wiped out apparently! I was just chuffed to get in a T.A.R.D.I.S.:

 3) School Trips

Reasons to be Cheerful: family time #R2BC

As you can see by the badge the blog hop is back to Jo at Ojo's World and she is looking after us for the rest of the month! Thanks everyone who took part with me last month and made the world a happier place. Now here are my reasons to be cheerful this week as we have had so much fun as a family this week:

1) Kid's cooking

Seeing and sampling food my children rustled up together in the kitchen was amazing!

2) A trip to Manchester

We had a 3 generation trip to Manchester at the weekend which had been re-arranged from Christmas (as my mum broke her ankle). It started with lunch at Bella Italia in the Lowry Outlet:

Reasons to be Cheerful: The End is Nigh! #R2BC

I don't mean the end of the world but the end of term! Here in Cumbria Friday afternoon sees us breaking up for the holidays and I can't wait. No wonder it hasn't taken much to make me happy this week:

1) Tea in the park

Last Friday it was so hot I treated us all to fish and chips in the park it really was bliss to chill out in the sun at the end of a busy week:

Hoping we get more days like this in the holidays!

2) Family Bike Ride

It had been too long since we went out cycling so I took the offer of another adult willing to come with us to get us all out on our bikes. The second half of the bike ride had me smiling once my son got his confidence back:

3) Staveley Carnival

This is such an amazing event for the whole family. I've written a long post about it already but here is a taster:

Shame we have to wait 2 years for the next one!

4) Operation House

It's nice to feel at the end of the week that progress has been made in sorting the house out a bit. There are little areas that look so much better to me though its still very much a work in progress to be be completed over the summer. I even cajoled the children into starting to tidy their rooms and I am managing to slowly increase the number of chores they each do. Not a smooth ride but hopefully it will be worth it in the end..

5) Positive body image

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