Reasons to be Cheerful: Week 13 #R2BC

Clare is still looking after the linky over at Seasider in the City so please have a look and say hello! Meanwhile here are my reasons to be cheerful this week:

1) Go me!

I haven't had one of these for months so I am so pleased:

All the hard work of running and dropping the calories paid off with a 3 lb loss. Now I just  need to watch out in the school holidays that it doesn't creep back on again... But that leads me on to:

2) School Holidays

We all broke up today and its nice to think we have just over 2 weeks with no school. Hoping to mix up chilling, getting out and about and house sorting! Watch this space for what we get up to.

3) Running

I am well into week 8 and its 28 minutes at a time! Funnily enough the first time I did this in the snow I just managed it but today I set off too fast on first half and struggled. Its fab to be going twice around the loop now and I just hope that I can squeeze in my 3 runs a week whilst kids off school. It does help on sunny days when I get views like this:

4) Walk in her shoes

I may have finished the challenge a while back but my local paper has only just put me in the news:

Its not too late to donate to help Care International provide safe drinking water to more villages.

Why are you smiling this week?

Reasons to be Cheerful XXXIII ( #R2BC )

I love it when Thursday comes around and I can join in this hop! Especially when every entry this month gives me a chance to win something from the lovely Michelle ;-)

1) Slimmer of the Week

Yes I did agin and was joint Slimmer of the Week at my Rosemary Conley class! With a 5lb drop it's given me a great boost to losing weight this year. That's everything I gained at Christmas plus an extra 2lb gone so I am very happy. Makes giving up booze this month and having lots of detox juices etc worth while! In total my class lost over 7 stones between us this week which is amazing. Just hope I keep up the momentum for longer this year...

2) My children

My 5 year old continues to amaze me at how much he is learning this first year at school. He quite happily counted to 100 this week and is doing simple sums. Back in the pool for his first swimming lesson of the year and he actually managed to go on his back too.

This term my daughter seems to enthusiastic at school about things such as comparative fractions and French. Off her own bat she has joined in the school's lunch time Quest club which is like a primary school Christian Union. Hope this will help her feel even more settled.

3) Out and About

I went on a lovely (if muddy) little hike around Crook with my mum and her local Ramblers group. It was great being out in the fresh air with lots of new people to meet and chat with and enjoying wonderful and interesting sights. One of which was yesterday's Gallery photo but I also found this bit of agricultural history:

4) Getting Crafty

I am finding rediscovering/learning crafting talents such as sewing and PomPom making. Its so rewarding to see the results and its very therapeutic!

For more people's reasons please follow the linky: