2013 a review

Like most I like to review the year that is just ending and reflect on the good and bad points and ensure that I approach the new year with no regrets just lessons learned.
I think I have felt the happiest yet:  I have the most amazing man in my life who looks after me very well;  I have some brilliant friends;  my family are wonderful; I am respected at work; I enjoy what I do and I don't really have a care in the world.  What more could I ask for?

High points
I had many high points this year but there were a few stand out moments for me.
Firstly, ending my degree study and graduating.  I have mentioned my study journey before I never thought I would be able to achieve what I actually did.  I know I am not a total dunce and that although I found the degree hard at times I know that the hard work paid off.
My second high point was visiting the Space Center in Florida and being up close to Atlantis, I love all things to do with space and seeing the Space Shuttle and all the other exhibits was amazing.
Another high point was getting to the end of our first year of a new school, making new friends and helping the founding cohort on a new journey of discovery.  The elation knowing that we achieved great things in the first year, meeting like minded people was immense.
I was promoted and able to build up a team from scratch, a firm foundation for the future.

I went on a fantastic holiday, watched wild dolphins swim alongside the ship and fed stingrays by hand.  I cycled around an uninhibited Caribbean Island and met a Disney idol.
I was also happy to welcome 2 beautiful beings into my home extending my lovely family.

Low point.
Without getting personal and deep I was diagnosed with an illness at the beginning of the year, it was the one major low point of 2013.  It could have blighted me , it nearly held me back.  It was the love of my family that helped me through the worse times and although I have one or two bad days I have mostly good and I know I can keep getting better.

Hopes and wishes for 2014.
This is a tough one, I would like to study something else, maybe a counselling course to help others who have had a diagnosis like I had this year.  I would like to continue to help educate young minds whilst keeping my own mind alive.

2013 was a year of surprises and successes may 2014 be as enlightening.

Happy 2014 may all your own hopes and dreams become fulfilled this coming year.

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Maybe this is something I would not have said a while back but I think I am ready to say it now and that is that I am actually looking forward to Christmas, not super excited yet but I am facing the festivities with joy in my heart.
This week at school it has been very festive, lots of Christmas music being played and preparations for our community party were in full swing.  Yesterday was Christmas jumper day and our Christmas dinner.
The week has not been full of cheer though, Monday afternoon revealed a revelation that sent me into a spin and I spend the next few days catching my breath from it.  So it was really lovely to end the week with the Christmas dinner puller crackers and clinking glasses to shouts of cheers with my students whilst we all wore crazy Christmas jumpers.  I decided to go all glittery gold and silver for the Christmas lunch, I had gold and silver MAC pigment on my eyes and an amazing gold glitter polish from OPI "Goldeneye" on my fingernails (click here to buy from Amazon UK).  My Christmas jumper was a silver grey with a beautiful robin from Dorothy Perkins and I decided to wear my very festive red UGG boots.
It is just 5 days until we break for Christmas and boy I really do need the break.  This week really took it out of me but I guess I am lucky to have someone at home to watch out for me and for me to talk to when things get tough.

I received my Urban Decay Naked 3 pallet this morning and I am very excited about it.  The colours are very wearable and I cant wait to put a look together with it.

The packaging is in a beautiful rose gold and the pallet itself has a good range of matt and shimmer colours easy to transform a look from day to night and perfect for travelling.
I am also finishing off my eBay run with just a few more items to be added this weekend, then I am all set for Christmas.

The December Glossybox is also very festive.  It arrived in a beautiful red box with the items nestling in green wrapped in candy cane red and white paper.

So here goes, my own reviews on what I have received from Glossybox.
The first thing that really caught my eye was the Wilkinson Sword Intuition razor.  Mainly because it took up half the box.  

Its from their naturals range (click here for more details) and I have used the intuition razors before.  They are really handy for holidays and when in the gym as it has the 'gel' around the blades.  I like this item and I was pleased to see it .
The second item I pulled out was the Maybelline New York color tattoo 24 hour eye shadow in Everlasting Navy available in the UK in Boots.  

I was really chuffed to get this as I wanted to try this product for some time but never got round to buying it.  The colour is like a great denim and very wearable. I cannot wait to try it.
The third item that caught my attention was the nail varnish. As you know I have a number of nail varnishes so at first I thought meh and I put it to one side but then once I put it down the colour really caught my eye.  

The brand is Seche I have never heard of it before but the colour is 'smitten' (click here for more details).  The photos or their own site do not do this colour justice, its a bright vibrant red slightly on the orange side in the bottle but I will post a picture when I have tried it on.
The next item was a lip gloss in a nude shade from beautiful movements cosmetics a lovely shade that will balance out a strong eye during the party season.  

I love the fact that this brand is cruelty free and I certainly will be looking on their site for more of their products.
The last item I received certainly gets a meh from me, its a perfume sample.  Now I like perfume and I like samples  but I think it should never form part of the 5 items in this subscription.  I can go to any store and get a sample to try so why should it be part of this deal.  its from Lipsy and its called 'Glam'.  

First impressions is that it is a fruity fragrance, it is nice and would be lovely for the daytime it sits well on the skin but I am not convinced it is long lasting.  I may get the full size at some point but it is not high on my want list.
On the whole I am 90% pleased with this months Glossybox, it was the perfume sample that let it down, maybe I am not alone in thinking this.

I am off to finish my festivities planning.  I hope you are all set.

Planning

So I have had an excellent few weeks using eBay. I have really decided to use these last few weeks to become less cluttered.  I also didn't want to be looking at a pile of things I have no use for in 2014.

The first things to get put onto eBay were my Filofaxes, I love filofax but I had too many plus I had moved to tech planning at work and that in itself had led to me really looking around for tech to help my private life organization. I found an app called informant which is an electronic version of a filofax and I have been using this alongside paper planner for last few months with no issues. Last week I finally got him indoors to go electronic and added a joint calendar to all our devices which then made the filofax in the kitchen redundant.

I am sad to see some of the Filofaxes go, I had some gems in my collection but although they were loved they were redundant and I thought it would be about time they went to a loving home whilst I make a few pennies for myself.

I am still using the staples Arc system and I have the filofax flex system still in place, I can never move completely away from paper.

We went to see Hunger Games - Catching Fire today, we were a bit late getting on the bandwagon but it was the first Sunday we were free of other commitments. So glad we went as it has remained true to the book, the first film cut lots out but the 2 1/2 hours of Catching Fire held true to the second book. It was a fantastic film and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.

The shopping centre was busy but we had time it have a look around before the film and I think for the first time in years I felt truly festive. I guess it helps knowing I am staying home this year and that the 2 weeks off work will be restful and I can spend plenty of time with my loved ones.

I have tried a new varnish out, another OPI "peace & love & OPI" a two tone, plum/grey/lilac depending on the light, not very Christmassy but I like how it goes with everything and I know it's going to match a Christmas gift I know I'm getting!

There are just 2 weeks of work left, the Christmas dinner is this Friday and I really think the students are looking forward to it as much as the staff.

I hope all your festivities planning are going well, don't forget to take some time out for yourself.