Bullet Journal - planning for 2017

Bullet journalling has helped me a lot this year.

I started my bullet journal in May and I found it much more useful to me than a traditional diary or journal.

Being able to add things in whenever I need or think of them has helped me clarify what is important to me. Being able to drop items that I don't use frees me to focus on other areas. Having the space and option to journal in the midst of planning means everything stays together and I can track what works and how I'm doing in a simpler way.

As I only started the journal in May I still have space in my current notebook so spent some time deciding if I wanted to start a new one or keep going and how I would use my daily spaces.

I've decided to start a fresh book in my new Fantastic Beasts notebook. I've checked through my collections a page options and decided what I want to continue and focus on.

I've setup a year at a glance page to help me check up coming dates and I've also setup a future log to help with forward planning.

A Goals page will help me focus on things I'd like to achieve this year and the Wishlist will help me keep track of things I see or think of that I would like or need.
As my first Goal is weight loss I've setup a weight log to keep track of downs and ups :)

 I'm wanting to keep track of TV shows, movies and books I'd like to watch or read and these tracker pages may help.

Fun things is to help me remember to take time for other fun things in life like visits to friends.

 My monthly page list is for regular monthly shopping lists to help me with menu planning and eating properly.

Project 333 is for my clothing challenge I follow with 33 items of clothing for 3 months.

Next comes my regular monthly pages with a calendar list and tracker, my gratitude pages and then I'd like to continue using the photo challenges and my existing daily log pages. 

I'll see how I go with these pages and the beauty of the Bullet Journal system is if I don't find a page useful I can change it any time and add new pages as I need them.

Trying Friday Fill in's

Ok I have nicked this idea for a post from Kat's blog as it seems quite interesting and as its my first go I'll try both. For more info on Friday Fill-in's try here

*This week, I'm going to give you a choice of fill-ins OR a different kind of fill-in (or both). A friend emailed me a list where you have to identify Christmas songs by the initials of the first words of the first line of each song. Each Friday until Christmas Eve I'll post 9 more of these songs and if you'd like to play along, great! So...here we go! *

1. The best thing about a birthday celebration is my mum singing happy birthday on my ansaphone.
2. I cant believe the speed of the passage of time.
3. I went shopping recently and the most interesting thing I bought was spices, sad but true :)
4. Doublers was a child's game played with tennis balls.
5. The reason is because!
6. Getting fed up of snow and cold.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Sleeping, tomorrow my plans include taking photos at Santa's Grotto and Sunday, I want to run!


AND/OR
1. HYAMLC:
2. TFNTADS: The First Noel The Angels Did Sing
3. GRYMGLNYD: God Rest You Merry Gentlemen Let Nothing You Dismay
4. ICUAMC:
5. SNHNAICAIB: Silent Night, Holy Night all is calm all is bright
6. OTFDOCMTLGTM: On the first day of christmas my true love gave to me
7. DTHWBOHFLLLLLLLL: Deck the halls with boughs of holly falalalala lala la la
8. YBWOYBNC:
9. JTTWTLHC: Joy to the world the lord has come

November

Still running and now I have winter running kit to keep me warm and dry while I do it thanks to Mum and Peter {THANKS}.

Normal sports shops still don't have running kit for the larger lady (me!) so we had to think a bit laterally while looking for the base layers and the jacket and, thanks to a suggestion from Peter, ended up in Mountain Warehouse. They have a great range of clothes designed for walkers and cyclists that also work well for runners and they go up to size 20 in most things.

So I got a couple of base layer long-sleeved tops, the Hi-Vis waterproof jacket that is really great and properly waterproof not just shower proof, a couple of pairs of thermal long pants (coloured long johns to you and me) and a head tube that is helping to keep my ears warm when I'm running but can also be a head band, scrunchie, hat, scarf or hood.

We did find something that fitted in a normal sports shop, new running socks! and amazingly they do make a difference.

Not wanting to have cold legs, and having found the thermal pants to be more like long johns, I searched online for running pants/leggings/trousers and another runner suggested Next Sports wear.

Now I admit, I had always thought of Next as being for 'Tall, Long Legged, Skinny people' but I stand corrected. They do have a petite clothing range as well as large sizes and their sports gear (sadly not petite) goes up to size 22! So I got my black technical running leggings to complete my winter kit.

I have tested the kit by going out (accidentally) in a force 9 gale and it held up well, the jacket kept me (and my inhaler) dry, the base layer stopped me over-heating under the jacket, the leggings kept my ankles warm and the head tube converted nicely from ear protecting head band to full head and face balaclava. And my test run was another 4km so getting closer to my goal all the time.

So the running will continue outdoors during the winter.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes :)

I had to give it my run a miss this weekend as it seemed to become monsoon weather and gale force winds at the same time! Not a good combination. Managed out between the showers tonight so W7D3 last 25 min run of the week done and dusted.

Passed another female runner several times this evening doing my same route but in reverse. Think she's training for the 10km road race at our Highland games in August as in my lap and half of the park area she passed me 5 times. Although as we were going in opposite directions I passed her 5 times as well :)

While I'm on a roll I've decided I can make positive changes in my life this Summer. I am joining the gym & pool for the summer and have registered for weight watchers online to try and make my weight loss and healthier eating a permanent thing.

Since starting running in May I've lost 4lbs if I can get my food issues and portion sizes sorted I may actually be able to fit into some of the clothes in my wardrobe :) Will keep you posted!

Sunny Evening

Week 3 Run 2 done and dusted.

Nice sunny evening with cool breeze to help me forget I'm running!

Came home to a nice hot shower and big bowl of stir-fry vegetables and pasta.

Running 3 minutes still a bit of a shock to my system but not as bad as Monday, roll on Friday :)

ITS COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok the Snow was nice before Christmas and helped lend a seasonly feel to the holidays and looked pretty.

But its now been two weeks, its not snowed again, we still have below zero temperatures and now ice skating rinks instead of pavements.

I'm officially over the fun of snow and want the sunshine to come back!

Unlikely I know :(

I'm actually starting to wish we could get the heavy snow that Englands getting as then I might get the day off work.

Apologies to those who are getting the heavy snow and hate it or to those without snow and ice who want some.