Bank Holiday Discombobulations

30th Aug 201930th Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

I am so glad we are nearing the end of the week! Every year, the end of August Bank Holiday really confuses the heck out of me and even though I have only worked 4 days in my 9-5 job I feel like I have worked 2 weeks straight.

Tuesday morning I woke convinced it was Monday, and quite happily went off to work. Then I realised that it was actually Tuesday, which was fine by me. Then, just before lunch, I felt like it was a Friday as there were not many people in and that feeling didn’t leave me all day.

Wednesday I went to work and it felt like a Thursday which was really weird. At some point, my internal calendar overcompensated for its mistake and I then thought it was Tuesday.

I don’t know why this always happens with this Bank Holiday and not any others through the year but it is really tiring having to try and remember what day it is.

Roll on the weekend is all I can think! I need to catch up on this week that feels like I have lived it twice!

Do Bank Holidays throw your internal calendar into disarray and discombobulate you too? Id love to hear in the comments!

Top 10 Workspace Must-Haves

29th Aug 201928th Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

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When I say workspace, I don’t necessarily mean an office space, but any place that you may work or craft from, whether it is, indeed an office, home office, craft room or coffee table. There are certain things that should be to hand wherever you are working from. Here are my Top 10 Workspace Must-Haves

A notepad. Whether it is lined, dotted or plain, it is always really handy to keep a notepad nearby as you never know what you may need to jot down.
A decent pen. Please don’t confuse decent with expensive, any pen will do but make sure it is one that writes well and doesn’t skip, isn’t comfortable to hold or any other little nuance that comes with writing implements!
Post It notes. These little things are so useful for writing down lists, dates or any other information that you want to put somewhere else (like a diary or calendar!)
Ruler. Sometimes I use a ruler to measure the dimensions of something, to draw lines or use as a guide when reading lengthy texts.
Pencil. An HB one is one that I always reach for. Good for making notes, sketching something out, drafting out an idea or for making lines with (or for doodling with!)
Eraser. For getting rid of any mistakes you may make with your pencil.
Stapler. This is one thing on my list that I never thought I would need or use, yet it is one of the most useful little implements I have and reach for it daily.
Calculator. I don’t think I could survive without one, either using one on my phone, my laptop or a good, old -fashioned desk calculator.
Highlighters. So very useful for drawing attention to important information, dates, or anything else that you want to remember.
Water bottle. In order to function properly and stay hydrated and awake, a water bottle is a must in any workspace. Just remember to drink from it regularly and top it up when it is empty.

What are your Top 10 Workspace Must-Haves? Let me know in the comments!

Exciting News!!!!

29th Aug 201929th Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

The Countdown(1)

If you have been reading my blog for the past month you may have picked up that I have been working on a new project and business idea. I am now, almost, ready to launch it! I have a website set up, plans in place, pricing sorted and have had the processes tried and tested. The 8th September will be the official launch day!!!!

So, today marks the first day of my 10 day count down…or is that day 10?!

Are you guys as excited as me?!

Words On Wednesday

28th Aug 201927th Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Wednesday (3)

With the start of a new school year looming most parent’s thoughts are on preparing their child for school, new school uniforms will have been purchased along with a bag and stationery, questions will have been answered about the classes they will attend and the things they are set to learn. A lot of thought will probably have been given to continued learning at home whether it be in the form of homework or activities. A child’s education is so important for their growth and development for the future. But there is one lesson that is not taught in a set syllabus and it is an essential skill to learn and one that could change the world.

The lesson is about kindness. If you can teach your child to be kind in thought, in action and in word, from our own actions then the world could become a better place. So often I see comments left on twitter, blogs and other internet sources, I hear words spoken that are hurtful and not thought about and I see actions that exclude others in one way or another and I have realised that these things, if thought about, would not have happened if we were kind to each other.

I was really not a big fan of school, most of the time I struggled to fit in which left me open to bullying. If we were all taught to be kind, compassionate and notice others, instead of focusing on ourselves, our own wants and needs then I think my schooling could have been very different.

If we can teach our children to reach out to the lonely, the kids who are awkward, the ones that are left alone in the playground, the ones that others shun, and they can include them in what they do, it is a start.

Imagine this small act, going forward, into the future, how different our world could be? How could you see the world changing just by teaching kindness?

So this year, and going forward, we should be teaching kindness and acting in a kind way to everyone we meet along our way, maybe we can change the world?

Things I am Looking Forward to – Autumn

27th Aug 201926th Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Autumn(4)

As someone who loves colour, I think that Autumn holds the greatest intrigue and inspiration for me.

This season I am really looking forward to

The change in colours of the trees and foliage
Cooler days and nights
Wearing boots with everything
Cozy nights in
Stomping through crunchy leaves
Looking for mushrooms
Conkers
Apples fresh from the tree
Visits to the local pub to sit in front of the open fire
The scent of bonfires on the air
Autumn outfits
The Apprentice starting on the BBC

These are some of the things I am looking forward to, what are you looking forward to this coming season? Let me know in the comments!

Weekly Roundup 18/08/19 – 24/08/19

25th Aug 201924th Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

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Reading

I started reading Into The Darkness by Sibel Hodge this week, I’m only a few chapters in but I am itching to read more of this book! The start has been a bit slow-moving but is adding a lot of detail to the characters, building the start of the story and laying the foundations for what is to come. So far, so good!

Watching

I recently discovered Mystery Diners on the tv, it is a show about a group of undercover diners, hired by restaurant owners who go into the restaurant posing as employees and diners to catch staff that are up to no good. I can’t believe what employees think they can get away with when their boss’ back is turned!

Listening to

We have now been given permission to wear headphones and listen to things in work so I have been listening to podcasts by Logo Geek – Ian Paget. Ian interviews different graphic designers on each of his shows and I have loved listening to them! I really like listening to podcasts rather than music in the office as I can still hear things going on around me (like the phone ringing) while still being able to concentrate on my work. If you have any suggestions for any podcasts then let me know in the comments and I’ll check them out!

Eating

I’ve been eating a lot of fruit in different forms this week, from bananas with my breakfast to smoothies and dried fruits. I’ve also been enjoying tomatoes, at this time of the year they taste so good, not too sweet or sharp and really juicy and flavourful!

Drinking

Is it bad that wine featured a lot this week? I don’t really drink much week to week but this week I have had 2 bottles of wine and really enjoyed them. I also had some Brewdog Punk IPA cans which I enjoyed too. (I didn’t drink both bottles of wine in the same night, they lasted me for 3 days, and I have half a bottle left, nor did I drink all my cans in one go, I had 2 one evening and the other 2 I had on other nights!)

Doing

The highlight of the week was a trip to Cardiff on Wednesday with my friend. There was an exhibition taking place in the National Museum of works by David Nash. I have been inspired by David Nash since secondary school and wrote many an essay about him and the work he creates for my GCSE’s and into my time at University a few years ago. If you have a chance, I really recommend going to see his art!

Feeling

I’ve been feeling pretty tired this week and seem to have had a nap every day after I have got home from work. I think it must be something to do with the weather (or maybe it is mid-year burnout as this Guardian report suggests…hmmm…) Aside from that, I seem to have misplaced my enthusiasm for housework this week though I have damaged my shoulder and am limited in what I am able to do housework wise right now. Overall I have been feeling fairly content and happy with what I have done and achieved this week, I’ve realised that there are some things you can not change no matter how hard you try but you can create other things that could work better long term and it is better to channel any anger or frustration into something that could turn out well than to brood and fight something that will just zap you of all of your energy in the long run.

How has your week been? What have you been up to? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Summer to Autumn Wardrobe Transition

23rd Aug 201922nd Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

Transition

Considering that it is still August, the weather recently has started to turn more autumnal. The mornings and evenings are both starting to feel more chilly and I’m starting to think about my Autumn wardrobe.

Dressing in Autumn can be a bit hit or miss, some days it can still get really warm and others may be cooler and rainy and in order to feel comfortable in what I am wearing I need to dress for all sorts of weather. This is where layers come in really handy!

I like to layer long-sleeved tops under my summer dresses and add a thin cardigan over the top, and should the day warm up I can remove the long top or cardigan and still feel comfortable.

Another thing I like to do is utilise my leggings, wearing them under long skirts or dresses, or beneath thin trousers, or I will don a pair of tights under more summery clothing.

Footwear can be an awkward thing to figure out, it can still be warm enough for sandals but too wet to actually wear them. I really love lace-up canvas shoes in this transitional period as they are comfy to wear, can be bought in a ton of different colours, are light enough that feet don’t get overly hot but offer some protection from the weather. Another thing I am a huge fan of is wearing boots with summer dresses and bare legs though this is something that I end up doing when the rain is tipping down or it is particularly chilly.

I pack a small umbrella in my bag that then comes everywhere with me for those times when the rain appears from nowhere. I have a light mac that I wear over an outfit if the weather is set to be rainy much of the day or I pack a poncho if the day is set to be warm and wet.

How do you dress for the transition between seasons? I’d love to hear about your outfit choices in the comments!

Top 10 Free (or cheap) Things to Do in the Summer Holidays

22nd Aug 201921st Aug 2019 | Suzi Stamp

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Check out your local library and see what events they have on. Many libraries have reading groups or storytelling times that can be fun to go to. Even if the library isn’t holding an event you could get your child to pick out a book to take home and read together. To make it even more fun you could suggest a theme for the book to have or a character (like monsters, or time travel).
Visit your local museum, often entry is free and there are so many things to look at and learn about.
Set a project for everyone to work on. The project could be based around their favourite subject in school, where they live or any number of different things. A fun one could be about the history of the area you live in or even your home or street.
Give your child an old digital camera and get them to document their day in photos. At the end of the day get them to do a show and tell about their photos.
Cook something together. Kids love to make things and this is a perfect activity to help them learn some essential skills. Simple things like biscuits or a cake that can be enjoyed after dinner are good ideas to try!
Make a packed lunch and go exploring. You could take them for a walk somewhere new, visit some woodland, walk up a mountain, go to a park, the list of places to go exploring are pretty endless!
If the weather is bad how about a PJ day? Dig out the board games or a jigsaw and work on it together, watch some films, go through old photos together or read a book together.
Go on a bug-finding mission at a local park or in the garden, see how many different kinds of bug you can find, see if you can name them and find out about them on the internet.
Get them involved in something that you are doing or want to do, whether it is housework or decorating or something else. Make it fun by setting challenges such as how quickly they can gather the laundry together and get it to the machine or see how many red things they can find that need to be put away.
Gardening is always a fun activity, whether you have plants that need re-potting or seeds that need to be planted, weeding that needs doing or a bed that needs digging over, get the kids to help.