Wake me up when my life becomes normal again

HA, what a joke, like my life has ever been normal. And what is normal anyway?

Whilst we’re at it, have I really been away from WordPress that long…..I’ve logged on and they’ve decided, just for kicks, to confuse the shizzle out of my by revamping everything. Not cool.

 

So, I’m writing this from bed, because my body hates me and doesn’t want to move a muscle without pain shooting through my abdomen. Again, not cool. Welcome to the fun and fabulous world of Crohn’s Disease!!  I don’t normally have crash and burn days where I have to get into bed though in all fairness, I think my inflammation is just so far through the roof that my body has had enough and needs a time out…..and maybe a few painkillers whilst I’m at it! As a result of my feebleness tonight, my mum has decided ‘no more crap is coming into this house now’, and by crap she means everything that is joyous in life. Chocolate, crisps and shortbread. I want to cry haha

 

I also need to kick Chiquitos ass at some point soon too, I went for lunch today with my boyfriend and no joke, over half an hour we waited for our food and I was pretty sure they hadn’t gone to catch my fish themselves! My opinion, they’d had the fish grilling away for that full half hour because I’ve never had to chew fish as much in my life, and to add insult to injury, the rice was definitely something that had either come from a microwave or had been reheated, it sat in clumps around my plate. Vile.

 

So as you can all see I’ve come back grumpier than ever haha my bad, I’m sorry! An early night is needed tonight, maybe I’ll wake up tomorrow and my body will be friends with me again 🙂 A girl can dream right!!

 

Sweet dreams folks xoxo

Birthdays

Tomorrow I turn 26. Twenty-frickin-six.

Generally I look forward to my birthdays, but that was before my early twenties slipped away from me. So depressing. Oh, and I found a WHITE hair today, it didn’t even have the decency to be grey, it was full on white, on the top of my head, taunting me! So I did what anyone would do, squawk about it, then pull it out!

So until tomorrow *sigh*

Xoxo

Babies,babies,babies

Just had to share our very first nappy cake with you, we’re so proud of it haha it’s a custom order, we’d never made one before but I’m addicted!! Isn’t it sweet?!!

2 Blogs in 2 days, didn’t I do well!!!

I mentioned yesterday that I had started reading the Twilight books…well the first one anyway, I thought now that the craze had calmed down a bit in between films I’d take the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about. I.AM.HOOKED. I refused to be sucked in when the first film came out, and I was a HUGE Buffy fan way back when, but I just refused to be sucked in my yet another franchise. I did the same with Harry Potter, and Glee, but now I feel like I’m really late to the game and have missed out on seeing what could have possibly been amazing films at the cinema! I’m now on a mission to read all of the books before November so that I can at least see the last one on the big screen haha I’m such a geek. But seriously, I’m gonna end up broke at this rate between buying the books (the first was £4.99 on my Kindle so I dread to think what the newer ones will be), then the fact I NEED, not want, NEED to see the films, this is not gonna be a cheap month.

 

I do love a good book though, I downloaded a sample of the Hunger Games and quite enjoyed that too so maybe I’ll download that after my Twilight binge. Are there anymore good books I could read out there? I love books that can carry on, like Wicked too, fantastic reads in my opinion, and the I Heart series by Lindsey Kelk, amazing chick lit, and the carry on so you get a continuous fix haha

 

Oh, oh and…..HURRAH!!! I have my bridesmaid dress as of last Monday. We went to Meadowhall, a mall in the next county to where I live and found a dress in a store that wasn’t even a ‘bridesmaid’ dress but it’s lovely! And only £45, and is cream! Mum figured why conform to tradition, who says we can’t both be in the same colour, hey, if it works for Kate Middleton!! One major snag is that mum still actually needs her dress and the wedding is on 24 August. Yikes.

 

That’s me for now anyway folks

 

XOXO

Lazy blogger

Hey hey! Just checking in to confirm that yes, I am still alive, but boy am I a great big ball of sleepiness.

These last couple of months my Crohns has kinda kicked my arse a little bit……ok a lot. I had it appear in my throat which is a pure mother plucker, then, as I got that under control I started to struggle to walk properly and lift my right leg. Weird right? Well when I saw my gastro on 13 April he said there was a risk that it could be an abscess. Be still my beating heart.

Anyway, after one CT scan referral, a giant thromby on my part over no one telling me they wanted to pump a load of contrast dye in my veins, then a different hospital and an MRI scan, I am happy to tell you I have no abscess! It’s my stricture which may not be scarring (bonus for my mammoth appetite) which indicates that I’m in, yet another, major flare. Anyway on a happy note I started medication today, I’m being built up slowly on it and am extremely hopeful that this will work now instead of the damn steroids.

So that’s my grumble over, and an explanation as to why I’ve been so quiet, I’ve just been absolutely drained with everything and have been trying to just relax. I started reading the first Twilight the other night too but that’s a whole other blog!!

Peace out my little cherubs xxxxxx

Bad blogger

Wow, have I been a sucky blogger or what?!!

The last few weeks have seriously FLOWN by, seriously, I can’t even remember what’s happened in between me blogging last and now, aside from the exhausting weekend I’ve just had with my mum looking at bridesmaid dresses for me. You’d think this would be an enjoyable task for all taking part but alas, no, because my mum is quite indecisive when it comes to some stuff, take colour schemes for example. She started off wanting burnt orange, gorgeous right? When you’re getting married in Cyprus you want vivid colours that blend with the country you’re in in my opinion…….but trying to find anything burnt orange at the time (last August/September) was impossible, nowhere had anything, so the colour changed to baby pink. Cute, no? NO. Because god dammit when we went to 2 major shopping malls this weekend, the White Rose and Trafford Centre we did the length of both malls several times and can away with, you guessed it, NOTHING! However we did come away with a potential new colour scheme. Olive green. Only it’s not an olive olive green……here, this is the dress we kinda like……..

 

This is called Anna Green according to BHS

 

It does look slightly darker in real life. So we may be going with green, because none of the shades of pink were right sooooo, but it’s ok, we still have….. *GULP* 4 months left. No need to panic right? Right???

 

Seriously though, it was fun this weekend to all go out together to look at them but I genuinely thought I was going to keel over at one point, this was either because I am completely unfit, or because they had the heat too high and it dehydrated me…..I’m going for the second option 😉

 

Who knows what the final decision will be, but I will keep you updated haha

 

Have I missed much??

 

Over and out xoxo

Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?!

I was sat talking to my boyfriend last night and we both realised just how fast time seems to go as you get older. I mean, I’d already realised this once I got into the working world because you find yourself praying for your holidays, or bank holidays, or even the days that your boss goes on holiday! But last night I had a really depressing thought…..it’s TEN YEARS this year since I left school. I’m officially getting closer to 30 day by day. Zoiks.

Age generally hasn’t ever really bothered me. I have a friend who started using anti-wrinkle cream at 21, seems like a waste of time to start so young if you ask me, I know some may disagree but, as long as you keep your skin well moisturised and look after it then you’ve got a pretty good shot of keeping wrinkles at bay. Wrinkles are a fact of life unless you’re wanting to go under the knife, I’d rather just wear them with pride (providing I don’t start to look like an elephant at 30, then I may have a different opinion on the matter).

I look through old photographs sometimes and think, really, was that however many years ago? The post I did recently on San Francisco contained pictures from my holiday in 2009, 2009, that was almost THREE YEARS ago, a sad fact that makes me want to weep into my green tea. Sigh. It’s the same with music isn’t it, do you ever hear a song and think, aargh I remember this from that night me and *insert name here* were on a night out and stumbled up to the DJ like a drunken fool demanding he play such a classic. And yes, Dolly Parton 9 to 5 IS a classic despite what that nightclub DJ says.

It’s a sad fact of life that time goes too quickly, depending which way you look at things too it can be downright depressing but, I’m choosing to think of it as a reminder that I should shift my little ass and work on that bucket list because it isn’t going to complete itself. I should start with something easy, to give myself a boost so I feel like somethings getting done, like when you write a to do list, even if its a really easy and quick task that you’ve checked off, the point is, you’ve made a start and one item has been checked off. Now, I think trying caviar might be the easiest one because, because, and I hope, the snow angel is a no go until we get more snow around December (please mother nature, spring snow is unacceptable. Just saying.)

Never take a day for granted! I’m off to requaint myself with my bucket list haha have a fun weekend folks!!

XOXO

My week of being a zombie!

I’m actually pretty good at it, not that this is a surprise, when I get overly tired which can happen quite a lot I tend to go through life in a trance haha the week becomes a blur….and that’s pretty much what’s happened this last week!

 

So last Monday I got told that I can reduce my steroids, whoooopa, and as of tomorrow I’ll only be on 2 a day, 10mg! In 5 weeks time I’m back again to get started on some medication. Now, I’ve fought this for the last 3 1/2 years but I’m finally at the point where I want to give my body a chance to heal, to have some happy years in remission and a sense of normality so here’s hoping that it agrees with me. Oh, and that, apart from the many scary side effects, you know the usuals, liver damage, skin cancer, nausea, my bone marrow being affected there’s the whole staying out of intense sunlight. I always use factor 50 anyway but you try finding sunBLOCK over here in the UK, it’s like hunting for gold on a farm, pointless!! So hopefully factor 50 will be enough because my mum gets married in Cyprus in August, outside, at 12 noon. Yes. Midday heat and I’m a bridesmaid haha plus side, we know the photographer so any large red blotches appear then he can airbrush me up baby 🙂

 

Between hunting for sunblock, planning holiday outfits (yes, I know planning outfits 6 months ahead is OCD at it’s finest but positive thinking and all that!) we’ve been trying to sort out product labels, containers, oils, sorting the business website, I AM EXHAUSTED!! We had a nice meal out on Sunday though at The Red Hot World Buffet where my steroids could eat their little heart out, I was just a mere bystander haha seriously, I had 3 plates of starters, 1 plate of ‘mains’ which consisted of 3 different meals all seeping into one, bit gross to look at but tasted immense, and 2 plates of desserts!!! Yes, the all you can eat buffet was a HUGE success, so much so that we’re all looking to go back again soon for the night buffet, the sushi station wasn’t open for lunch and my mum and I are huge sushi fans so, it has to be done right?!

 

Oh, and lastnight I managed to lose a lense out of my glasses yesterday too, luckily I have contacts but my eyes are officially knackered. I feel like someone has blasted a hairdryer at them whilst holding them open with matchsticks. Ouch *whimpers*

 

That kind of takes us back to today, I’ve been a very bad blogger I know, I’m sorry but I have been very busy…..and feeling very sorry for my tired self haha but I’m back and currently full of chocolate frozen yogurt which I’m guessing may have more E numbers in that I normally find acceptable but I REALLY needed them (she say’s whilst getting ready to watch Obese: A year to save my life USA).

 

Anyway, ciao for now xoxo

I left my heart in San Francisco

Genuinely, I think I did. And this is way back on 2009 *sigh*

This picture is my favourite picture of San Francisco, I have no idea why really, it just fills my little heart with joy whenever I see it.

This picture makes me happy too, I think it’s because these were some of the first pictures I took of our holiday there. We landed the afternoon before but you know what it’s like when you land, then you have to collect your car, navigate your way to your hotel without causing a 6 car pile-up because you’re driving on the opposite side of the road, then get checked in, then most importantly of all, EAT!

So, first thing the next day we were up at the crack of dawn ready for the 9am boat to Alcatraz. We’d already bought our tickets from these guys so we didn’t have to join the ever growing queue when we got there. Alcatraz is truly a place  that everyone must see, as soon as you step off of that boat you get a feeling inside that I can’t actually explain, it’s something eerie yet exciting. I would highly recommend you do the audio tour too, sends chills up your spine hearing the clanging of the cells and the wardens shouting.

Alcatraz

The view from the dock up to the prison

One of the cells

Can you imagine seeing this view daily and not being able to visit!

This was my second time visiting San Francisco, I went in Feb 2005 with my mum and her friend, this time it was August 2009 and glorious does not even cover the weather!! Well, until you take a trip across the bridge that is…..

You see that mist, coming across the bridge it makes every inch of your body hurt like hell it's that cold.

Cold or no cold though, I’d still do it all again…..but maybe I’d take a warm coat on the ride instead of a cropped thin jacket haha

Hehe I couldn't resist. Who does this?

Downtown

They do garlic ice cream!! GARLIC ICE CREAM! Next trip there I'm visiting the Stinking Rose!

This man is a legend! The Bush Man, he has his own Facebook page too

I really would happily move to San Francisco tomorrow if I had a lottery win, it’s such a special place, from Pier 39 and the sea lions to the Golden Gate Bridge, I think everyone should put this on their bucket list…..in fact, I demand you put it on your bucket lists, you’ll thank me for it, I promise!!

And with that, I’ll love you and leave you. I may not post tomorrow on account of the fact I’ve thrown myself under a bus from sheer depression at not being able to go back here anytime soon haha I joke, honestly, don’t panic if I don’t post tomorrow!!

XOXO

PS – San Francisco, I my heart called, it wants to come home now 😦

Fail-proof Blueberry Muffins

This recipe is based on a muffin recipe from PPK but I’ve never been one to exactly follow things to the letter, especially when I’m not a fan of a certain ingredients. Seriously, that would just be silly wouldn’t it, making something you couldn’t benefit from when your family are sat munching haha yes I am that greedy!!

I haven’t posted pictures from the prep because, there really is no prep involved that needs pictures, it’s not complicated at all, I promise 🙂

Oven: 375f/ 190c/ gas mark 5

Makes 12

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour

2/3 cup caster sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda/baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cranberry juice

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients with a hand whisk, the manual kind! Doing this saves any messing around with sieves and mixes everything nicely.

In a jug, mix all of the wet ingredients.

Pour your wet ingredients into your dry and mix by hand. When the mix is just combined, but still lumpy, add in your blueberries, then continue to mix briefly.

Fill your muffin liners about 3/4 full and bake in a preheated oven for 23-27 minutes.

VOILA! For those of you with super beady eyes, yes, I had to use Christmas muffin liners because I’d run out of plain ones haha they look ever so pretty with their holly liners though don’t they!!

These muffins can be switched and changed to anything though, all you have to do is adapt the juice element and the berry element, so for example, choc chips and milk, orrrr blueberries and FRESH orange juice? That would be nice! The thing with this actual recipe is, I used Ocean Spray cranberry juice so you can’t actually taste the juice, whereas with fresh juice you can. But at least by using juice you’re not using excess oil for moisture, you still have a healthy element in there. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it anyway 😉

These really are the quickest and easiest muffins ever, totally fail proof and idiot proof to be honest. I can’t wait to try some more adaptions.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to feed my face with lots of baked goods!!

 

 

XOXO