Small and 10 happy things! #10

Time once again to round up the happy things of this this week! 

I've spent the majority of the last seven days missing my boyfriend while he was been in hospital so if I'm honest it's certainly not been the happiest of weeks on the whole. However, there's always something to smile about on this blog and the week ended up finishing with a wonderful surprise!!

1// Having Taylor Swift/Spice Girls morning dance sessions! Without boyfriend around I've been getting ready for work on my own so I've made it into a little solo dance party every day, totally pumping me up for the day!

2// My grandma buying me a new little cuddly friend. She picked up this adorable bear for a pound in a charity shop this week and gave it to me as she felt bad for me having to be home alone! Even though I am a proper adult I love cuddly toys so it was so sweet that she thought of me in what was quite a lonely week (at the start anyway...)

3// Receiving a lovely card in the post. Again something to do with that fabulous grandma of mine. Her bestie Joan sent my boyfriend a get well soon card this and she dropped a little surprise one in there for me too! She's absolutely wonderful and I feel like I have a whole group of OAP pals thanks to my AWESOME gma.

4// The solar eclipse. This was just pretty cool for everyone no? It's times like these when I really love my job. Sharing the eclipse with my class and showing them the live feed and watching their expressions made it so memorable for me. It's one of those moments that they'll remember where they were for and I feel really lucky that I got to help make it special for them. It was special for me too as I got to indulge in my Brian Cox obsession at my place of work... ;) added bonus for me!

5// Having an evening off watching It Takes Two. Please tell me someone else has heard of this adorable Mary-Kate and Ashley film? They made it when they were about 5 and it's basically Parent trap except the kids aren't related. At all. I know. If you can get past the fact that these two identical twins are cometslt unrelated then this is a really sweet movie where a rich girl and a poor orphan meet by chance and decide to set up her father and her orphanage running lady (definitely can't think of the official job title!) It's a 90s classic and I whole heartedly recommend it. Like I would any Olsen movie, tv show, tbh. Mega fan here.

6// Ending the week with the wonderful surprising news that my boyfriend was coming home from hospital! We made a delicious red lentil curry (our FAVOURITE dish) and just kicked back and watched 24, it was wonderful.

7// The beautiful sunshine this weekend. I'm feeling in such a good mood because of it :) It just makes everything (and everyone) nicer!

8// Cuddles in bed. I have experienced what it's like living alone and I am not doing it ever again if I can help it. It was so lovely to have someone to wake up to again, I have really, really missed it.

9// Buying two DVDs this week. Call me a big spender!

10// Cross country phone calls with my Portuguese fam. I am so looking forward to seeing them on my annual trip and it was so nice to have a good old catch up with my grandma and grandpa.

So all in all a week with a very happy ending. This week was also international happiness day on Friday and I am going to make a concerted effort to carry over that happiness and the gratefulness was that this week has brought me into the rest of the month (and beyond!) 

How was your week? What made you smile? I hope you enjoyed the sunshine! 

Sophia :) xxxxxx

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Small and happy's Disney Friday!

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Hello lovelies! 

A nice little romantic Disney Friday picture this week seeing as we are on the cusp of Valentine's weekend. Plus I adore Donald and Daisy so anything that includes them is a-Okay by me!

It's Friday! Have we all had good weeks? Mine has been a bit crazy to say the least, it's assessment week in school so it's been a lot of marking, looking at data and late nights! But as of 3.15 today I will be done! Lol jk, the kids will be done..I will be filing and marking and planning until boyfriend picks me up at 6! 

I am still very grateful for this break though as I know it is a unique one to my profession so I am grabbing this opportunity with both hands (and feet, and everything else!)

I am currently drafting this at just gone 6am having been up since 5.30. Why you may ask?! Well boyfriend is away and I've had to be home alone in the flat for the first time. I like to think I am a well put together adult but truth is I did not like the idea of sleeping alone. Also as we use his alarm (I always, always sleep with my phone off) I was panicking I wouldn't get up! So my body did that usual thing of knowing you need to get up so you wake up incredibly early! Anyone else ever do that?

Anyway, none of that will bring my mood down because it is Friday and I can't wait  to start the day, smash it and enjoy the weekend!! #pumped #deliriouslytired

What are you up to? Any special Valentine's plans for the weekend? Are you envisaging a crazy Friday 13th?! What's been the highlight of your week?

Sophia x

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Small and Happy's Disney Friday!

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Happy Friday! I feel like this photo completely sums up my excitement for the weekend!

Don't you just love the fireworks at Disney? They're so magical. Usually I get a bit tired of fireworks but I feel like at the end of a magical day with all the music and the characters interspersed in the display Disney's fireworks makes for a perfect end to any day. I don't have them today so I'll just have to pretend with the help of this beautiful picture! Nevertheless, I am still feeling very joyful and happy to be saying hello to Friday once more :)

It's our first Friday in February too, can you believe it?! It's completely flown by and I am finally feeling better! Also the mornings are getting lighter too and it really feels like Spring is on the way. I am looking forward to catching up with some serious sleep and going bowling on Sunday! Yes, total big kid here! I am already preparing for my inner competitive nature (demon!) to be unleashed!

What are you up to this weekend? Any fun plans?

Sophia x

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Small and happy's #fabulousfebruary

In case no one's realised from my last couple of posts I have discovered the app PicCandy haha! Creating the above picture (basically a 6 year old's doodle!) gave me much joy while I was lying in bed this morning too ill to get up! 

Anyway, I feel like I achieved and did a lot in January and I think it's because I really sat down and thought about what I wanted from those four weeks. As such, I'm going to do that again this month! February is such a crazy period because time just flies, those few little missing days that make the month shorter seem to make a world of difference! 

So to make this February fabulous I plan to:

*Play the host. This weekend we're expecting a visit from Boyfriend's parents which will be nice and we might even be cooking for them. This is a time to test the culinary skills! Although to be fair his parents are the most unfussy, easy going people when it comes to food and to quote Boyfriend 'we could serve then dried pasta and they'd eat it happily' so I think our food will pass the test!

*Play the host x2. One of my best uni friends is coming to stay in February and I can't wait for her to come! We'll just chill out, watch movies and just catch up and enjoy each other's company. It'll be so nice having that time together one on one which I don't think we've had for literally years! Plus I'd like to convince her to move to England so I shall be pulling out all of the Manchester/Cheshire stops!

*Go to a spa. I have a voucher that I got for my birthday almost two years ago that literally needs to be used PRONTO. If I lose my free massage privileges I will be devastated. These knots aren't going to loosen themselves! So, I am going to use half term to head back home to Sheffield and use the voucher for the spa there, Spa 1877. It's absolutely beautiful there and I am really looking forward to booking a treatment and just having some total relaxation time. I think I'll try and book it for the Monday. Everything always feels extra decadent when you're doing it at a time when you'd normally be working, don't you think?

*Go and see The Lion King. Boyfriend and I have tickets to see the show in Manchester and I can't wait. I haven't seen it for years and years and can barely remember it and he's never seen it on stage so this will be fab!

*Celebrate Valentine's Day-froyo style! We don't make a huge deal out of Valentine's day. We've never been ones for big material gestures and having spent so much of our relationship in long distance due to our university choices we are more used to planning special things to do together. Just seeing each other when you've been apart for weeks was wonderful enough without the need for presents and other splurges! So to that end we'll do what we have always done which is get each other a card and just make a point of doing something we love together (usually this involves nandos..) This year boyfriend suggested going for froyo (which is my all time, number one favourite thing) at our favourite place, Frurt in Prestwich in Manchester. The reason this one tops them all is because it's self service! As in like 8 different flavours and all the toppings you could want and you can just go to town and get as much as you would like (and I do, and then some) Last time my froyo ended up costing a tenner (it's calculated by weight...dangerous, I know) and I'm sure as it's a special occasion I'll make sure I hit that mark again!

* Go bowling! I wanted to do this last month as part of my 'do something different' pledge but we kept putting it back for various reasons so we're hoping to go one weekend this month. There's some really cool places in Manchester that offer it, it's not just Hollywood bowl streaming with kids anymore! Bowling gotten edgy!

*Celebrate Chinese New Year! Obviously I am not Chinese, however I love the Asian culture and one of my best friends in Chinese so I've always had a penchant for all things Oriental. I'm especially fascinated by their new year's celebrations. As Manchester has one of the biggest Chinese communities in the UK (think it's the largest outside of London but don't quote me on that!) the celebration here is a big deal. It starts on the 19th Feb and carries on through the weekend with a big parade on the 22nd complete with street food, a Chinese dragon and lots of music and performances. I really can't wait! I think this will be fantastic and something completely different. I love that Manchester is such a melting pot and I really want to try and experience as many different cultures and events as possible.

*Go to the cinema again! This was something that really made me happy in January and I am definitely going to keep this up. I'm think American Sniper next!

So all in all, looking at that list, bowling, Chinese dragons, hosting, massages, cinema trips etc. It's looking to be a quite diverse and exciting month, I almost don't know how I'll fit it all in, especially with that little, niggly thing called work! 

How's your February looking? Are you glad to see the back of January or was it a really good month for you? 

Let me know...as always, I'm desperately nosy! 

Have a lovely week :)

Sophia x

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Small and 10 happy things! #3

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Hello there all and goodbye January!!  

So in a week that involved some intense laryngitis, can I manage to think of TEN happy things?!  I think this girl can!  If you didn't get the reference there, then hold up a minute because my first happy thing this week is...

1// The 'This Girl Can' campaign.  I love that we are in a world where adverts like are being made and feminism and being a strong, competitive, athletic woman is something to be praised and admired.  I love it and it makes me smile and feel empowered every time I see it.

Check it out here if you haven't seen it or watch it again and jiggle if you feel like it!

2// Being able to finish work early on Thursday because of the snow. In a poorly week this was a Godsend!

3// Meeting one of my bestest friends ever for lunch yesterday. We had a lovely catch up and she's coming to stay with me in March. Zumba has been planned!!

4// Friday evening! Boyfriend and I have a lovely tradition now of him picking me up at work and then going to do our food shop and then cooking something lovely together and just chilling out. Sounds pretty simple but then, I love the simple things.

5// Almost missing my bus stop on several occasions! I know this doesn't sound good but trust me it is when you do it because your book is so engrossing!

6// Having some time this weekend to start thinking about Summer travel. Namely Bali and Singapore. These are the two places we're definitely thinking of hitting on our Summer Asian Adventure and I'm getting really excited learning more about what these places have to offer! 

7// A little H&M spree. I never really shop ever either for time reasons or because (and this is the main reason) I really don't enjoy it too much! However, every now and then I do like a little splurge and I had the time to do that this week because of the snow ending school early. It's always nice to add a few additions to the wardrobe!

8// My wonderful partner. I know this is super lame and cheesy but especially in weeks like this when you're under the weather I am so incredibly grateful for the person I share my house, heart and life with (I am under painkillers, remember this!) from reading my book to me to dashing out to buy paracetamol, he's such a gem and I am so lucky.

 

9// Pinning recipes and making new dishes. Tonight we're making a sweet potato, spinch and lentil curry and boyfriend is so excited because this means he gets to make another curry paste from scratch! I shall let you ll know how it goes! 

10// And finally, my massive highlight of the week. It was our school's poetry performance week and my class's performance was chosen as the best and they were asked to perform it again for the school. They memorised the whole thing and remembered their moves and seeing how nervous they'd been and seeing their pride and shock with all the praise they got made my heart absolutely melt. Completely an 'it's all worth it' moment. Every job needs them and this was a fantastic and joyful way to end the week! 

How was your last week of January?! Any highlights? Have you been to South East Asia? Where would you recommend?! 

Speak soon! 

Sophia x

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Small, happy and rounding up #joyfuljanuary!

Can't believe it's already time to write this but here we go, it's time to sum up #joyfuljanuary

This January 2015 was the month I...

Booked a holiday to Rome in Easter!

Enjoyed my juices in mini style.

Tried out a new exercise class and got really into playing squash!

Started my first full time teaching job and took my stationary obsession to another level.

January was also the month I...

Made some highly necessary impulse purchases from Tesco! 

Got this A beautiful mess diary, 2015 is beautiful!

Cooked some delicious new recipes including tomato thyme cod and imam bayildi!

Got cracking at work and received some really good feedback, finishing the month with my class winning best poem at our school poetry performance! 

And other lovely things I did that weren't pictures, I...

Had a lovely visit from my mum and sister.

Explored more of both my town and city- hello northern quarter! #alternative

Had some lovely phone calls with my grandma after work.

Watched my boyfriend trade food at Altrincham market and do his part to help food poverty in Manchester.

Started tutoring.

Read more than my goal of 100 pages of The Luminaries.

Went to the cinema twice in a week!

Organised for one of my best, best old uni friends to come and stay in half term. 

Booked to go and see The Lion King in Manchester next month! 

Wow, so to look at that I've actually done quite a lot! It's been, as my boyfriend very wisely said, a month of planning. January seems to be that time, the month where we make plans and resolutions for what we hope the rest of the year will bring.

While that's true I really wanted to make a concerted effort this year to make January a fun and special month itself and I feel it has been. So I'm calling #joyfuljanuary a success! How had your month been? I want to know! Any top moments?! 

Now we've all had a nice catch up and recap,blet's get going with #fabulousfebruary!

Nope, not tired of the alliteration yet, sorry!

Sophia x

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Small and happy's #JOYFULJANUARY (come join!)

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People love to hate on January, don't they? It seems like first month of our new year is like the black sheep of the twelve month family. Everyone's grim about going back to work, the next big excitement of summer seems light years away (it's really not) and everyone's being so hard on themselves trying to completely change overnight due to the pressure of new year's resolutions.

I know because I've been there. This time last year I was absolutely dreading January, as in did not want to go back to Leeds where I was deep deep in the trenches of my PGCE. Sure, I was enjoying my course and it was my ticket to qualifying for something over always wanted to do and I knew that. But the idea of going back to Leeds away from my family and boyfriend to go back to 6.30am pick up times and marking books til 7pm and lesson observations and living with noisy international students who were seeing their stint in England as one big party?! No waaaaay, January, I'm not joining the party.

However, before I knew it, not only was January done and dusted (and not as bad as I expected, much like everything in life) but it was February half term and my time at the school I couldn't wait to leave was in fact done. And yep, you guessed it, I was sad to leave.

This made me think that how we see situations are the key factor in how we the situations themselves pan out. If I didn't have it in my head that January was going to be stressful and long and depressing I probably would have enjoyed it much more quickly and it would had made me enjoy my December even more too because I didn't have the looking January dread!

I'm not saying it's easy to be completely positive and love every day with the same kind of Christmas build up, chocolate fuelled, present buying excitement but I am going to take steps this year to make this month a #joyfuljanuary.

I always plan fun things for Decmeber, when in fact this month needs no help being exciting! Our friend January needs a little sparkle injected into it and that's where my #joyfuljanuary idea (which popped into my head on our drive back to Altrincham) comes in.

I am going to set out some fun things I am going to do or get organised in January to help the month look like work interspersed with fun rather than just work and no fun (the basic opposite of December!)

I feel all months should be treated like equal months like this. I am going to aim this year to find and create joy in vevey month, and the little things in every day so that I don't end up spending half the year counting down to Christmas and the other half counting down to summer (totally guilty of this!) 

So in January I pledge to:

* Have a Skype date with one of my best uni friends who is back living in Belfast and have a lovely catch up.

* Do Zumba and step, my two favourite fitness classes as often as possible and see if there's any more fitness classes I want to try out!

 

* I will go to the cinema (this is already organised, The Theory of Everything on 21st January, see you there Eddie a Redmayne you beauty!)

* Sort out my Mum coming to visit sometime this month. I'm going to try and convince her to see Into the Woods with me. I can't wait to see this and Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep should help me make this an easy sell to her! 

* I will make sure I reach at least page 100 of The Luminaries by the end of the month. I just started it after getting it for Christmas and while it's a mammoth read I'll feel really happy getting into it and getting started! 

* Go visit the Northern Quarter in Manchester. I keep saying I want to explore more of Manchester and the Northern Quarter is still a complete mystery to me so I think my boyfriend and I are going to try and go next weekend. Any recommendations? Pleeeeease nowhere too alternative, I'm a huge Disney fan and my boyfriend will never have a large beard so I already feel we shall stick out like sore (non tattooed, non pierced) thumbs.

So, looking at all that I think that's quite a lot to be excited about for January! I really think this a nice idea just to try and make a little effort to have fun things lined up to help make waving goodbye to Christmas less dramatic and make saying hello to January a bit more joyful!

What about you? Do you have anything nice lined up for January? How do you battle the blues this time of year? What's your favourite time of year in general?

Speak soon!

Sophia x

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