Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Inspiration - Pinterest edition

I have been slightly MIA this week - I have been so tired of an evening. I think since increasing my medication dose, I have felt a lot more tired and 'sedated' this week. I am pretty sure this will be a start up side effect. On the plus side, I am sleeping more. Every cloud has a sliver lining I guess. 

So today I wanted to share some of my favourite inspiration quotes I have pinned lately. If you want to find me on Pinterest, click here.

I think the pins show that this week my thoughts have been on my own self and accepting myself as well as matters of the heart. It hasn't been an decision but I have tried to walk
away from certain things. I am hoping to not crumble and stay strong.


 


 





Find me:
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest


Friday, 28 February 2014

Never throw anyone out.

I just wanted to share a quote with you all today. I haven't been the easiest to be around lately and I am thankful for those friends who have not thrown me out. I have a number of friends but feel that I can count 3 that have helped and supported me. Others have distanced themselves and readily accepted the distance which I have created. 



Feel happy with your friends and accept those who stick around during the rough times.


Find me:
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Love ... Like Crazy.

I haven't exactly had it easy in the love life department lately. I have myself pushing friends away so having time for romance has not really been on the agenda. The one person who I had let myself trust however, made me realise that my fear of rejection was correct. That I need my walls because when I finally let them down, he vanished. 

He has since came back but I just find it difficult to deal with the 'just friends' tag. I said I was fine to myself but I am not. I realise now that I fell and fell hard. Where I go from here I do not know. I tried to push him away and annoy him so much I would not hear from him, which he always said would not happen. But it seems like I was pretty good as I have not heard in 3 days now. Maybe he's busy or maybe I was just successful.

Either way I am at a crossroads here and I am going to sit down. I don't like making decisions and I can not deal with emotionally draining situations right now.


Can I just bury my head and pretend he never existed? Pretty please?
 

Find me:
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

I heart bloggers!

I love blogging and I love making connections with new bloggers. From the beginning, the friendships and the community is what I liked. Over time I have made some great friends while blogging and I've come across some amazingly talented and strong individuals. 

Blogging isn't always easy. It takes time, patience and creativity! I often lack all three of the pre requisites. But I keep going. Most people I have connected with are lifestyle bloggers, this can be tricky sometimes because sharing your life means sharing the ups and downs. I'm not great at this but through writing I find it easier. Putting yourself, your feelings and your life out there is brave. 

[Source]


We open ourselves to judgement and comments. I have always found others to be extremely supportive which is great. We all encourage one another to get through the tough times and congratulate each other on the good times. 

Today, going with my love theme, I am sharing a handful of bloggers I love!


Myself and Rebecca have been blog buddies for years now. We text, Skype, type and send cards to one another. We bitch about life, boys and work. We generally speak on a daily basis but with my issues lately I have been having a few bad days so we had less contact. To show our link, I text her at the exact same moment she emailed me. She blogs about her life in LA, family and friends in Germany and has a fabulous fashion sense! I love Rebecca for her support at my worst time. Go check her out:



What can I say about Kym? If you're on my blog, chances are you have come across Kym. She is a fabulous woman who is strong, caring and loyal. I stumbled across her blog due to the hockey link (I think her husband is a hockey player - is that right Kym?! haha). But there is so much more to this woman. Kym is one of THE most honest bloggers you will find. From blog stealer's, to her wedding, to the pains life brings, to the constant moving - she gives it all. Oh, and she also shares pictures of her beautiful Brutus (her dog friend!).Kym is another who has supported me through the tough times.... and online stalker! Kym- you are amazing girl! Keep going and stay strong! 

Sarah at Venus Trapped in Mars
Sarah is hilarious. I could leave it at that but I won't. It may sound like I am selling her short (I'm not - seriously, read her blog and you will figure that out). Sarah is another girl, who like me, loves sports but also loves being that bit girly! You want to know about Football? Go to her, funny and factual. Sarah is also on the healthy bandwagon with me. I like have a little Twitter conversation with Miss Sarah too - witty witty!


Hockey Wife is back and I for one am pleased! Hockey Wife was one of my very first followers and very first blogs on my reading list. After a hiatus she's back and I love it. She is hilarious and just has a sweet family. She's also a busy Momma and boy does she work hard which is just as amazing to read about. Settling in Germany for her husband's career the last two seasons has not been the easiest but shes handled it all in her stride. So now, she's back- check out her blog for posts about her life and pictures of her adorable little ones!

Becky is amazing, she is someone who also is going through a tough time like myself but pulls herself up and keeps going. Becky always supports me and I am so excited to follow her 'being brave' journey right now. She is a fighter and if there's anything which impresses me, it is someone who fights. Becky is witty and intelligent and you will find posts about her thoughts and feelings. I love that she puts her opinion out there and it is what it is. Hop on over and see her fabulous posts!


Link up your blog below for us to visit and Let's spread some blog love this week! I always love to find new blogs!



Click the link to follow me on Bloglovin' - show some blog love this week!
The Hump Day Blog Hop

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

What is love?

The word love is used all the time in day to day conversations. But sometimes, that 4 letter word can have quite an effect on a person. Especially in the romance sense.


[Source]
 Those 4 words can be a pleasure to hear or just knock you for six and lead to heartbreak.

When I asked the kids in my class last year, 'What is love?' before my sister's wedding, a couple responses were:
"When you don't date anyone else."

"When you go out to restaurants and hold hands."

Both very sweet responses and to be honest, both are aspects of love. Love to me is many different things all in one. I don't think it is easy to explain and lots of things relating to love are feelings and not tangible or things which can be seen. 


I have never been the best person accepting love. I am the type of person who freaks out when I know someone is getting close and I push away. Why? I am not really sure. I love the closeness of love, that feeling that you have someone you can talk to anything about, who supports you and who you can just have fun with. But when I start to feel close I push the person away by acting distant or just becoming panicked. This is where love takes on a personal meaning to me, it means to keep supporting me and not allow me to push you away. I don't mean this in a selfish give, give, give way. Just a give me time and show me I can trust. My closeness issues in love come from not trusting and expecting someone to walk away. However, once I trust someone I am 100% in it (friendships and love).


Ok...if you insist [Source]


To me, being in love is going out and about, spending nights on the sofa watching rubbish tv and still having fun, being able to support one another through good and bad and obviously having great chemistry. I've had a fair few bad times of late and I think having had someone by my side, it may have been somewhat easier to go through the changes in my life. But it has made me stronger and dertermined to find someone who is right for me.

If you're looking for love, I hope you do... [Source]

I am happy for love and ready for love but I won't be jumping in to anything! I want to know it's right and I want to know the person is someone who is honest and I can trust. I am quite the nurturer and I give so much I would like to find someone who doesn't use that to their advantage. 

I am not sure I have even answered my own question at the end of this? What about you - do you have thoughts on what love is? I would love to read your comments!



Click the link to follow me on Bloglovin' - show some blog love this week!


Monday, 10 February 2014

Valentine's for the whole family!



Today is the start of 'Love Week' here at Take All Chances. With Valentine's Day at the end of the week I thought I would do some posts about love this week. Today's post is something which I have worked on with a contact regarding ways to celebrate Valentine's with the whole family! After all, love goes between the whole family and to show them love and spend time with them is a perfect treat!

Enjoy!
__________________________

3 Valentine’s Day Activities Your Whole Family Will Love


Valentine’s isn’t just about spending time with the person you love.  It is also about bonding with your kids and teaching them how important it is to appreciate and love their family.  By helping to challenge their minds and helping them get some exercise with fun Valentine’s themed games, you will not only be able to bond during the day as a family, but as they pass out from all of the fun, you get to enjoy your significant other at night.   


1. A Valentine’s Day Scavenger Hunt with Themed Clues

In a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt, you’ll have your children searching for red heart-shaped clues that lead them to a fun activity and prize for the whole family.  First, assign each of your children his or her favorite cartoon or movie character- this will serve as the theme of your child’s scavenger hunt.  Write each of their first clues on a Valentine’s card featuring their assigned characters.  Many drugstores carry inexpensive movie- and television-inspired Valentine’s cards, or you can make your own using free Valentine’s Day cartoon printables from the internet.  Include a letter with the first clues explaining that their character has lost something he or she loves and needs your child’s help finding it.  Make sure to put your children’s first clues somewhere they won’t be able to miss, such as their bedroom doors or bathroom mirror. 


On the rest of the clues, include objects that are important to each of your children’s characters but are not what that character loves and is searching for.  If you’re using Aladdin, you can include a magic carpet on one clue and a genie lamp on another, but don’t include Princess Jasmine until the very end.  Make sure that your children’s clues always lead to the same locations throughout the hunt.  This way, they can brainstorm and work together in finding their next clues. What can be more fun for a parent than seeing their children work together!  


Once your children arrive at their final destination, glue a picture of what each of their individual characters have been searching for all along.  Leave a letter explaining that as a reward for working together, you’ll do a fun activity as a family later that evening.  This can be as simple as eating dinner at your children’s favorite restaurant or watching a movie together in new Valentine’s Day pajamas that your children can find as a prize for finishing the scavenger hunt.


Oh so pretty and cute! [Source]



2. “You’ve Melted My Heart” Pictionary

You’ve Melted My Heart Pictionary is a fun and simple Valentine’s guessing game that can help your whole family to be creative and have a blast. To begin, place water in heart-shaped ice cube trays, and add red food coloring to the water.  (If you don’t own a heart-shaped ice tray, you can find them at a local dollar store or very inexpensively on sites like Amazon.)  Have everyone write words or phrases on little strips of paper, and place the strips of paper in a bowl. The key to Valentine’s Pictionary is to relate all of the notes to Valentine’s Day or love. For example, one of the notes can say “Cupid’s arrow,” while others could say “secret admirer,” “initials carved into a tree,” or “Valentine’s Day candy.”  


Once the ice-shaped hearts have frozen, you’re ready to begin playing!  Have someone randomly pick a note out of the bowl.  Then, drop an ice heart into a container of warm water.  Whoever’s turn it is to be the artist can only draw for as long as the ice-heart has not completely melted.  When the ice has melted, it is up to the rest of the family to yell, “You’ve melted my heart!” and then have someone else take a turn being the artist.  Whenever someone guesses what the artist has drawn correctly, both that person and the artist get a point.  That way, everyone will do their best to draw the words or phrases well and guess correctly!  

The only way to play! [Source]


3. Heart-Shaped Baking and Valentine’s Day Cake Decorating

Having your children help you to bake and decorate mini heart-shaped cakes or a large Valentine’s Day family cake can be a lot of fun, especially since they’ll get to eat what they create!  While you’re baking, an adult must be present to supervise and make sure that children do not handle knives, use the oven, or use or touch anything that is hot, as this may be dangerous.

There are two ways you can create heart-shaped cakes.  The first, which is easier, is to have your children help you bake a large cake and then use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out smaller cakes.  The second method is to use a large square pan and small, springform cylindrical cheesecake or cupcake pans.   If you are using this method, take the square cake and cut it into even squares.  The diagonal across the square should be the same size as the diameter of the cupcake or circle.  Next, slice each circular cake in half and place two half circles on two sides of the square on the top to form a heart.  


No matter if you choose to make mini-heart shaped cakes or a large Valentine’s Day family cake, having your kids help you to pour bake mix into the pan and decorate cake with Valentine’s Day candies, Hershey Kisses, and cute sayings like “Be Mine” or “I love you” can be a ton of fun for your children.  Make sure that everyone initials their mini-heart cakes or their slices of the Valentine’s Day family cake so you can take a picture of everyone’s creations before you begin eating! 

Yes please! [Source]



Valentine’s Day can be a wonderful opportunity to share special moments with your family.  By making a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt, playing Your Melting My Heart Pictionary, or enjoying Valentine’s Day baking together, you can create activities that your whole family will love.  With these activities, you can help your family to grow closer and make Valentine’s Day special for everyone.  

___________________________________

I don't know about you, but I love baking so heart shaped cakes is definitly a winner for me!

Have you got plans for the whole family this Valentine's? 

Follow Me:
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest



Wednesday, 15 January 2014

What if I am just too broken?

Am I broken? This is something I've thought about for some time now. The amount of times I've exclaimed, "What's wrong with me? Why am I like this?" over the past year is too many to count now. I feel like I am so out of sync it's unreal.

Some days I feel fine and don't mind being 'me'. However, more often than not, I just feel unhappy with myself and that I have lost the person I was. My therapist keeps reminding me that I won't be the same person I once was because after what I am going through I will learn new things and change. No one can go through such a time without changing.

This I understand. But the problem is that I don't know if I will ever feel 'me' again, whether a changed me I don't mind, just me. Feeling like you don't belong in your own skin is a strange feeling. I look in the mirror and don't like the person that looks back or sometimes I even feel sorry for it. I see unhappiness and confusion. People around me are telling me I am looking brighter, but that's easily faked, that's how I got to the low point I did. 




I keep thinking, 'What if I'm so broken, no one will have me?' I am not saying I want to settle down with the 2.4 kids right now at this moment. But it's in my future and at the moment, I have nothing to offer. I don't sleep well, I crash out when I return home from work and like to be in silence, I freak out at the idea of socialising and can't bear to have conversations sometimes. Not to mention the taking of anti-depressants and my 'off' days. Who wants that? No one.





I am trying, trying so desperately to 'fix' myself and I can't. I don't like living my life some days. Inside my mind is just darkness and cloudy. I can't see the future and I can't see true happiness. Not only that, I look tired and bloated and basically, a bit of a mess most days. Where do I go from here? If no one wants me, what can I do? I am happy enough alone at the moment but I starting to feel like I am missing something. 

This all seems rather self indulgent, that I am aware of and I am afraid that's where I am at right now. I don't want someone to come and 'fix' me, I want a constant in my life in someone who will stand by me and support. But I just don't think there is anyone to do that and deal with me now.


 

Maybe this is just a rut and I am hoping my mood will life once I become more stable on my medication once again. Perhaps I won't reach that place. At the moment it is just too difficult to see.


All images from : Pinterest



Find Me
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest/instagram 





.

Tuesday, 31 December 2013

From the vaults: Love has always been the message...

Before we welcome the New Year, I thought I would share one of my posts where I mused about love. Love is powerful and something (even if we sometimes don't admit it) which we want and need. It's not easy though, and the older I get the harder I am finding it to just let go and accept love.

_____________________________________________________

I received a new album the other day. For those who read my blog you will know how much I love a band called Bright Eyes. If you are new....well I love Bright Eyes!

I got their new album yesterday and the opening track has this man speaking. I'm not sure who he is or what he does but it grabs your attention. Then he says a line, which even the first time I heard it, stood out for me. It was:

"And love's always been the message. It's just - circumstances happen, right? People freak out, just flat flip out, you know?"

It's true, people always want love and believe in it and try and live to a certain state of love however circumstances change everything sometimes. Yesterday I blogged about children's views changing. This is very  much what happens in love. Love (in most cases) develops quite out of the blue whether instantly or over a long time. Neither of which people expect. It can all be great and then circumstances happen. I don't need to even give examples of this as I am pretty sure you could all give me a number of these which has affected love for you. How do we control that 'flip flap' and stop ourselves freaking out. I myself am a person who wants love yet as soon as it comes near for some reason or another I become self destructive and 'freak out'. Sometimes I am aware of it, other times I will reflect and think.. why on earth didn't I just admit to how I felt? Things could've been oh so different.

I know that we all have free choice but I hope that the thought everything happens for a reason is true... the thought that I have ruined something is just not good. If you are in love.. hold on tight and if you are still waiting then accept it when it happens. We don't want to flip out do we?






Find Me
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest/instagram 

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

What is there to live for?

Since suffering from depression (before and after diagnosis), I have had my fair share of 'down days', as I affectionately call them. These days bring a feeling which is difficult to describe. I can't get out of bed and when I do, I only make it as far as the sofa. It is almost like some black cloud is hanging over me, following me wherever I go. I don't feel positive and I also question my life and things around me. Sometimes I dislike myself with feelings of worthlessness. 

What is the point? This is a common question I ask myself on these 'down days'. But, I have never thought I'd be better off not being in this world. That is something I can't say I have fully experienced. Once or twice I have thought about what it would be like if I wasn't here but never that I would do anything to myself. I always hope I will never get so far to do anything like that to myself.

[Source]
These kind of days are difficult to deal with, even more so when they are so often that I am surprised when I have a good day. But this can crash down so quickly you don't even realise. The darkness becomes the reality in which I live in. 

So how do I cope? Well, since the introduction of anti-depressants, I have began to feel the down days are outnumbered by the good days. I have also had to look around me to find the reasons to live. Now this isn't a big, grand scheme of my place in this world. It's the little things.

[Source]

In our lives, we all move so fast and are so easily made to think thoughts and ideas from the media around us. We are told what is 'normal' and we take in everything we are given. So much so, that in this whirlwind of life, we begin to miss the little things. The things which we almost take for granted or even in some cases, neglect to see or experience. 

Finding these 'little things' again, has taken me some time. In a life where I threw myself into work for a number of reasons and had the black cloud of depression following me, these became difficult to see. In recent weeks, I have ended my days by recording what I am thankful for in that day. Sometimes, this can be difficult - but by doing so I have been able to start opening my eyes up to the things which I have not seen for some time. I am looking for them and becoming more aware of these things in my life. I am appreciating them and being thankful that I am lucky to have them.

[Source]

On the down days, I struggle and search harder. But each time it shows me, there is always something there to live for. Something to be thankful or happy about. We may not be able to choose happiness (believe me, I am not exactly turning it away) but we can try and find it when it's gone. Forget what we are told to like and not like, find your own little things.


How do you make sure you don't forget the 'little things' in life?


Find Me
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest/instagram 
 

Friday, 1 November 2013

One year on and you're still gone...

Today is the 1 year anniversary of the day my brother lost his fight with Cancer. This year has been so difficult for so many reasons. I still miss him every day and wish he was here to talk to and sit with. So today I am posting the song he choose to have played at his funeral.

His advice was to find happiness in all the little things in life. They don't always have to be big things, live your life and find the happiness and every morning wake up and be grateful for the day ahead.

I miss you every day Craig. Love you lots.

 
Find Me
twitter/bloglovin/pinterest/instagram

Wednesday, 9 October 2013

Love - don't be a chicken.

[Source]

I do this thing, this thing where whenever I start to feel close I push away. It's not big and it's not clever. It certainly does not help my love life! I am not one to use the love word towards people easily. I find it difficult, not only to say it but to open up to people. Currently, I am in a complicated situation with Mr Canada and we're both playing chicken, wondering who will crack first. We are so similar it's painful sometimes. But I am starting to wonder if it's even worth it? I know you have to stick your chin out and accept it but where does that courage come from? Who helps you with it? It seems my life has been so unstable lately that this connection with him has deepened but we're both scared of it. We're happy but seem so determined to play it down. 

When you just want to be honest, how can you give yourself that extra push?

Monday, 19 August 2013

Blog Besties - Cyber Love

Today I have had a last minute switch up of posts due to the amazing blog post from Rebecca over at Forever after Undecided : Cyber Love for Grown-Ups

Forever After Undecided

We have been blog besties for years now and I received a message telling me to check out her blog today (not that I wouldn't of course). I have to admit that I actually teared up reading it. I nodded along with every word and sentiment and ever teared up! Between us we have definitely been through a lot of difficult times and she has been there to help me. Even more so than some of my friends who are where I live. I know I can trust her to understand my 'down days' and help me see the positive in times when I can't see it myself.


Head on over to her blog and show my blog bestie some love today! Perhaps you could share stories of your own blog friendships?

Thank you for the kind words Miss Rebecca!
 
 
  Today I am linking up with Leeann. Head on over and join in the hop with your own gossip!

Friday, 16 August 2013

My Bridget Jones moment...

I am watching Bridget Jones's Diary and it has been so long since I have watched this film. It definitely got me thinking, the last time I watched this I was a lot younger - cut to now being 28 and inching closer to 30.

Am I where I thought I would be? No.

All by myself... [Source]   



Like 'Bridget' I am beginning to look more closely at my life and what I want.

I am happy with my body, I like the way it looks (more often than not) and I am seeing some great changes with my workout routine at the moment. So in that aspect I am happy. I have also made a giant purchase this year - an apartment - and I love it. I love having my own space and something which is all mine. To get onto the housing market these days is difficult and as a single person it is near impossible! But I did it and for that I am proud of myself.

My career is a part of my life which I feel I need to make some changes to. I have talked before about my inability to say no but when school goes back in September I must learn how to. I take on far too much and this has had a negative impact on my health. I must remember that I work to live not live to work.

As far my love life, it has been pushed to the back of everything while I was dealing with my brother's illness and passing. During my health issues I was certainly in no fit state to date, being on the constant verge of tears 24/7 and looking ghostly ill would not have been a good first date. I am sure you can agree with that one. Now I am having to get myself back in the game but at 28 it is harder than you think. It's getting difficult to meet guys in bars now so where else? I think this means I actually have to start doing new things and getting out there in different ways. 



I wouldn't mind hearing this... [Source]


Like Bridget, I want to make changes in my life. Hopefully I won't end up in the romantic predicament of Bridget with a cheating cad! Maybe this is the start of my new year?




Have you had a Bridget Jones moment in your life?

Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Wedding Day Pictures!

I have had the most perfect weekend. I witnessed my twin sister marrying her true soul mate. As a couple, they are amazing. I watched them at the weekend and realised how much of an inspiration they are to me. They fit perfectly and just read each other so easily. 



The day started early, and as chief bridesmaid and twin we shared a room the night before. I would like to say I helped keep the bride calm but in fact I was more stressed than she was. I had barely slept and worried about things being perfect. We had breakfast in bed and just tried to relax. I then spent some time setting up the extra touches to the room in the venue (sweets, photos of family weddings and time capsule). Then it was straight into hair. As the morning passed, with a background playlist including Jack Johnson, we chatted, had a visit from the best man with a special memory book for the Bride and excitement.





As time came to get dressed, the Bride's nerves were setting in and she began shaking. Luckily she had two very competent bridesmaids to get her dressed. The dress was stunning and she just looked beautiful. After the walk down the aisle and the exchanging of vows, the day went in a blur. Everyone had fun and danced the night away. To say it went without a hitch it an understatement! Everything was just absolutely perfect!

Don't you just love the gown and bridesmaid dresses?

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...