12:12 12/12/12 ...

10 things: easyfundraising ....

.... can't believe it's the tenth again already. I'm so consumed with work the time is flying past. I can't comprehend that it's Xmas in 2 weeks time and sadly I don't think there will be any handmade presents this year.

So in honour of work I thought I would do my 10 things post about easyfundraising.

1. You can raise money for good causes by shopping online. Retailers give back a donation and it doesn't cost you anything.

2. £4.2 million has been raised to date for good causes.

3. Good causes range from PTAs and Brownies right through to NSPCC, Cats Protection League, Cancer Research UK, Oxfam and Help for Heroes.

4. My supported cause is Telford Junior School Learning Centre.

5. There are over 2,000 retailers listed that you can shop with

6. It's free to use!

7. They set crazy challenges such as my advent one which was to carry around baby Jesus with me for 24 hours. Won me a £10 gift voucher though!

8. Apart from a brief hiatus, I have worked for them since about 2006 and have been the Customer Support Manager for the last 2 years.

9. We run lots of fab competitions and giveaways - http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/blog/.

10. I am looking forward to a quiet Xmas without lots of customer emails to answer!

Let the countdown begin ....

... a tad excessive maybe, but I love Advent and the whole counting down process. Lego Friends is a big thing in our house, so that was a must. Chocolate (sorry traditionalists) is a must also. And then on the home made front each envelope contains a clue leading the girls to some treasure. This is still a work in progress but the daily 'prize' is either a sweet treat (for about 15 of the days) mingled in with an activity, cookie ingredients, peg dolls crafts, pamper treatments, a xmas DVD and book, personalised tree baubles for the day we do the tree, paperchains to make and a coupon book.

The scented candles have been retrieved and I may even be tempted to put some Xmas tunes on later.

How are you all counting down in your houses?

Frosty Festivties ...

... there's been lots going on over at Jennifer's blog this weekend. There's still time to comment on all the inspirational ideas and take part in the challenges.

I don't do much in the way of Christmas crafting - a few cards, maybe Journal Your Christmas, but fancied making a canvas yesterday inspired by Jennifer's Canvas and I'm quite pleased with it. You can't really see very well but it's covered in glimmer mist and Stickles!

 

 

I cut out a few different trees before I decided on this, so there may be a few more canvases appearing shortly!

10 things: Beauty favs ....

... I'll start this post by saying I'm quite lazy when it comes to 'my beauty regime'. I know I'm at an age when I should be thinking about anti-ageing products but I only just about manage to cleanse and moisturise once a day! Thankfully I'm blessed with skin that's holding up pretty well.

So to clean my face I use Philosophy's Purity. It's a one-step cleanser so will take my eye make up off as well. I can't bear the feeling of soap and water on my face so this works really well. For years I suffered with soreness and dry skin around my eyes which I now know was the Clinique eye make up remover so I do actually have to be very careful with what I use.

This Neutrogena moisturiser is great, gives me the right amount of moisture without being too thick. Need to replenish both bottle.

 

Palmer's Cocoa Butter, again great for dry skin, I do have stretch marks from being pregnant but again am too lazy to apply it often enough to make any difference!

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - I can't explain how this works but applied before make up and it really seems to light up my face, this is probably my most favourite product.

 

Make up - I have really short eye lashes so curlers are a must and this Benefit mascara is brilliant. I don't wear lipstick very often but eye make up daily. Benefit's High Beam is lovely for a night out - makes you sparkley and glowing! I love Benefit make up and do have quite a few of their sets.

 

Left to it's own devices my fine hair has a very random curl. I've yet to find a hair cut that makes the most of it, so long straightened hair suits me. GHD's are great, I had these for a birthday, I don't think I would go to the expense of them myself.

Even when it's straightened, if there's any dampness in the air my hair frizzes. Frizz-ease helps a bit.

We are using lots of Vaseline on our house at the moment, all suffering from sore lips. I have various tins in bags and pockets!

So there you go, my Top Ten must haves.

New She Art girl ....

... my little sis came to stay in half term and she was keen to do some crafting with me. She's particularly keen on mixed media canvases and so while she messed around I created a new She Art girl. I haven't done one for ages and loved the process. This was a great size to work on 4" x 12", didn't feel that I had too much space to fill.

And finally ...

... inspired by Lisa's LO created with this kit

and the left overs!

So I just have one sheet of cardstock left and half the sticker/alpha sheet, don't think I've ever used so much of a kit, I'll be definitely watching out for next month's Papermaze kit.

The next two ...

... I used the Sarah's Card challenge for the first one

 and then I just pulled out paper and pushed it around! 

You may want to sit down .... (this time with a picture!)

... as I have scrapped!

I got the recent kit out I bought from Papermaze and some photos and then sat and stared, got up and walked away. But determined to break my block I set about finding a challenge and choose this one from Sketchbook 365 blog

I then went on to make 4 more LOs over the weekend. They're all quite simple as I wanted to stick with just the kit contents (I did add a journalling card. misting and some buttons) as it was more about the process for me and getting some stories down on paper, rather than hunting out extra co-ordinating supplies.

And 5 LOs from a kit and cardstock addon costing £11.75 is pretty good I think! I shall share the rest over the next couple of days.

10 things: Walt Disney World ...

... it's been some time since I did a post for 10 things on the 10th and as I was looking through my subscribed blogs on google reader at 6pm I realised that today was the 10th.

So very quickly, my favourite 10 photos/memories from our Disney trip.

Splash Mountain - favourite family ride, Mia looks completely unfazed!

 

Have always wanted to be a Princess!

So pretty!

Kitty paws!

Epcot - everything I read said that it was a great park, but how great was still a surprise to us all.

Star Wars weekend

Kali River Rapids, Animal Kingdom

Feeding the dolphins at Seaworld. Make me want to swim with them even more. We had considered Discovery Cove but £600 for the 4 of us was a bit ouch.

This photo was taken just before, as our waiter informed us, the worst thunder and lightening storm he had ever encountered passed by. We were having dinner in the tallest building in the resort at the time as the lightening encircled (and hit). It was exciting but scary at the same time.

MICKEY!!!!!!

I will give next month's post some more time and consideration!

Some crafts to share ....

... but not of my own making! I often help out at my daughters' Brownie pack meetings so decided to volunteer on their annual Pack Holiday - nearly 20 7-9 year old for 2 nights - as their camp cook! It was exhausting! But I did really enjoy the whole weekend. The Warwickshire District had planned a teddy bear theme and there were many packs having a sleepover at some point over the weekend. Our leaders had put so much thought, time and effort into planning the weekend's activities.

Notice board

Breakfast pancakes

Tie dyed teddy bear blankets

Boxes

Necklaces

Calenders

Hama beads

And that was just Saturday!

Sunday was spent on the zip wire and abseiling finishing in a Teddy Bears Picnic of course! The girls and I are now catching up on much needed sleep.

 

Hello lovelies ....

.... cos if I'm going to scrap I need new supplies, right? (ignoring the untouched Scrapbook Circle kits I have gathering dust!)

 

Whilst I was away ....

... oh my, was my last post really in April? I think that was the last time I scrapped as well. I just haven't had the inclination to do either until I read about a Blogger's Weekend in March next week. Although I haven't been posting I have still been reading the hundreds of posts I get in Google Reader each week and the idea of a weekend away has inspired me to get back in the saddle. I can't promise lots of posts and creativity, I'm just dipping my toe in for now!

So what have I been up to?

An amazing family tip to Walt Disney World in Florida.

 

Another birthday celebrated.

Steve and the girls enjoyed a day out watching the Olympics.

General celebrations!

A tree top assault course at Go Ape.

A perfect camp at the coast in Suffolk.

Took park in Christy Tomlinson's Artsy Bangles workshop.

Went to Jamie Oliver's Big Feastival in Oxfordshire.

That's Mia in the purple gilet watching Texas.

Mia left Infants and started at Juniors with Lily ....

... which also meant I concluded by duties as Chair of the Infants PTA.

Another perfect camp at Rutland Water.

Mia turned 8!

And a request for a pink layer cake fulfilled. 

 

My biggest achievement was losing one and half stone between April and the end of July with the help of Slimming World. Am hoping that it doesn't creep back on like last time.

So that's it for now, hope to be back soon.