BEDN - Introduction

Well this is the first time I have tried a blog challenge but I'm looking forward to it and I am hoping I will be up to the challenge!!  I am very glad that this has come up in November as I have quite an exciting month: tomorrow I am off to Paris for 5 days for work, then Hong Kong for a work trip and finally in the last week of November I will be in Dubai.  While in Dubai, I should also received my final university result so it's all go!!!

So where to start, there isn't that much to know about me, I don't blog about anything specific, in fact I ramble on about anything that comes to mind at that moment!!  Sometimes this can be interesting and funny and other times it's just not but try to bear with me!!

Yesterday, I went shopping specifically for shoes for my latest exhibitions overseas, not only did I come home without any shoes but I came home with these 2 beautiful rings and £45 lighter!



I have found a shop that sell silver everything and I could have spent all day in there but once £45 was spent I thought I should leave before I spent anymore!!

Finally, I tried to have a massive clear out before I started my crazy November of working away, I like having a good clear out and getting rid of stuff I haven't used for years but I managed half of my room and now it looks like half a bomb site and half nice and clean!! I don't have time to finish it now before I go so it will be like that for at least a month now!!!


Off to Paris in the morning, it is my first time in the centre of Paris (if you don't count the Ambassadors Residence where I went last time!) so I am taking an extra day and doing some sightseeing.  I have booked a seat on a big red tour bus so I am going to see the city that way - I should have lots of photos so my next post should not be as word heavy and much more photo heavy!!

TTFN.

Birthday Weekend Celebrations

This was supposed to be posted in May but I forgot to post it but as it is important (i.e. MY birthday!!) I figured I would post it now anyway!!!

As I said previously, my birthday weekend was jam packed!!  There was the family meal that never happened, then Alison’s engagement party and the cupcake baking that preceded it! Then Saturday was quality time with Claire, which when she suggested just popping to hers for a cup of tea instead of going out I could have kissed her…. Finally a break to just relax!!  So spent a few hours with Claire, then got ready and went out with my old work friends for Champagne in Selfridges and a lovely Italian meal in the Arcadian. 

 

It was a lovely night as usual with that crowd, we had a really good catch up and a laugh and plenty of wine J  So pretty late night, woke up with a minor hangover but proceeded to roll my ass out of bed and head to Wolverhampton to see Lou, Ste and my favourite little person in the world, Brogan!  We went to Ironbridge for lunch and then to Queenies Cupcakes for (a minimum of two each!) cupcakes – Snickerdoodle and Vanilla were my cakes of choice and I made a good choice – soooo good!! If you’re ever in Ironbridge, definitely go to Queenies J 

 

Following that and running quite late due to the little ones requirements, I dashed home, only to find Alison already waiting outside my house for me to head to Coast to Coast for food and the Big Reunion Concert – which was amazing!! Reminded me of my love for cheesy 90’s music – definitely helped with my playlist for my graduation party!! We had a good ol’ boogie and didn’t get home til midnight!!

 

Foolishly, I didn’t book the Monday off work which I should have done.  Even the two cans of redbull I necked didn’t do the trick, I was exhausted ALL DAY!!  It was worth it though, I loved every minute of my birthday weekend J

#BEDN

Well, again I have left it too long since my last post.  So on a suggestion from my cousin and in a bid to push myself to post more, I am doing the Blog Everyday in November challenge!!!

You can look forward to 31 consecutive posts from me from various parts of the world, starting in Birmingham via Paris and Hong Kong and finishing in Dubai (therefore I can't guarantee the timings of my posts but they will be posted on each day dependent on the country I am in!!)

Happy Blogging!!!

J x

First EVER overseas work trip - Friedrichshafen, Germany

So, my first ever overseas work trip!!  Was it a complete disaster?  Did I get lost with no knowledge of the German language? Did I get on the wrong bus, boat or airplane?? Nope nothing of the sort, it was a roaring success and I loved every minute!!

I landed in Frankfurt to be greeted with a 27 mile walk to my next gate (with a 55 minute transfer time!) so I had to make it a slight jog, which with my fitness levels at the minute felt like a marathon - but I made it and jumped straight onto the tiny little plane to take me to Freidrichshafen airport - which is probably the smallest but most well signposted airport I have ever been to.  I managed to successfully get a taxi which dropped me off, not at my hotel, that would be too easy.  As my hotel was in Konstanz which is the other side of lake Konstanz, I had to get dropped at the Catamaran port which took me to Konstanz - on arrival I didn't appreciate the sites much as I was lugging the heaviest suitcase (for less than a week!) in history! But once I had gone up a hill, down a hill and up a hill again I found my hotel (next door to a McDonalds whoop!) - I dumped my luggage in my room and as it was still daylight I went to have a look around, and I'm glad I did because this place was beautiful:

So, I had a look around but I was starving hungry having not eaten all day and I was not in the mood (nor did I have the energy) nor have the energy to sit in a restaurant with my book!!  Therefore, I eyed up the McDonalds a few more times before making the ultimate decision to eat a Big Mac in bed!!  So off I went ordered my 'menu' (apparently German for meal, very confusing!!) and took it to my room and proceeded to happily watch a film on my ipad!!

It was only then that I realised in order to get to the show at a reasonable time I would have to leave my hotel at 6.30AM which was 5.30AM UK time, meaning I had to be up at what felt like 4.30AM - so I proceeded to go straight to sleep with the nagging panic at the back of my mind that my alarm wouldn't wake me up!

It did and I went on the 2hour journey to the show - which was not too bad as 45 minutes of it were on the Catamaran with these types of views:

Then was the show, the actual reason why I came to Friedrichshafen in the first place.  First day I turned up in a suit, only to be nearly laughed out of the building as the show was called OutDoor everyone was wearing sports gear and casual clothes, I looked completely out of place.  Unfortunately, I hadn't prepared clothes for casual working week so I had to wear the same jeans all week - thank god for overnight laundering at the hotel!!!

This is where I spent my week:

Everyone at the show was so friendly and I had a truly enjoyable time, the only downside was that the last Catamaran back to Konstanz was at 7pm so I couldn't enjoy the evening festivities like I hope to be able to at future shows but that wasn't the end of the world.  On my last day on the stand I had a little glass of champagne with the team and said my goodbyes!!

It was a little sad to leave my first show, but I was tired and ready for a good nights sleep and a lie in!!  I was a little worried traveling home about how I would cope with the same level of work with jet lag but we will soon see..........

J

Long time, no see!

I have been away for while now, I would love to say it is because I have been soooo busy and not had time but I could have found the time I just didn't!!  I was being lazy and I am disappointed in myself because I want to be able to look back on this blog and see the changes that have happened in my life but I can't do that if I don't post!!! 

So, what's been going on with me!  New Job, travelling the world, finishing uni - you know everyday stuff! ha!

So the new job, I am loving it - it is crazy busy but I love every minute of it. I cant believe I have been lucky enough to fall into a job that seems to fit me so well!!  I have already been to Friedrichshafen in Germany and Jakarta in Indonesia and I have still got 2 trips to Paris this year as well as Hong Kong and Dubai - I will write about all my trips separately on here though as I don't want to forget a single thing I did as these are once in a lifetime trips that I may never get the opportunity to do again.  So in short the job is going VERY well!!

Finishing university - I am just finalising my very last essay to be submitted - this essay is the difference between a First and a 2:1 so it is so important that it is perfect before it's submitted.  I am on edge thinking about how close this has come and 1 point could mean a 2:1 instead of a First - I will update with results once I (eventually!) get them!!

Weight loss - I got bored i'm not going to lie and really gave up! Although I didn't put a single pound back on so I am really pleased with that.  However, I have now bet a friend that I can't lose 2 stone by Christmas so it's on now like Donkey Kong - I am back on Slimming World and walking at least a mile every day and on top of this (once I have shifted this chest infection once and for all!) I will be picking back up with Zumba and Insanity (not too much insanity though as I don't want to put on too much muscle mass!)

Finally, I have officially left counselling after a full 12 months of support.  I feel I am ready to do this on my own, I am in a much better place than I have been for such a long time - I am positive and really looking forward to the future!!  I can't wait for all the exciting things to come next year, there might be a few surprises as well but I'll keep you updated :-)

Updated to come as I am determined not to let this blog slide again!!

TTFN

Jenna

The arrival of a rainbow...

My dearest friend Louise went into labour on 30^th June (after going over by nearly 2 weeks I think!) and after 22hrs of labour (I think that’s what they said!) she brought the beautiful Brogan Beau Yates into the world by emergency c-section.  When I say beautiful, I mean it – she is amazing I can’t take my eyes off her when I see her J

I got to go to the hospital and visit the three of them the day after she was born and she took my breath away.  I was told she was 10lb 2 so I was expected a mini sumo wrestler all chunky and squidged up but she wasn’t, she is long so she looked absolutely tiny.  I can’t post a photo because she isn’t mine to post but you can trust me when I say she is by far the most gorgeous baby EVER!!

Since then I have met the little munchkin a fair few times, had lots of cuddles, changed my first nappy, rocked her to sleep, winded her, shifted her hiccups and given her lots of kisses and I plan to keep doing this for a loooooong time!!  I can’t wait to watch her grow and get her own personality, I get the feeling she is going to be just like her mom – which definitely isn’t a bad thing J

Lou and Steve decided they wanted a Naming Ceremony for Brogan, a Humanist ceremony with no religion and if I would plan it for them – in two weeks!!! :-0 fortunately the venue wasn’t available that weekend giving me an extra week to plan.  Luckily, it wasn’t the type of event where they left the whole thing to me, we all did it together.  It’s now two days away and everything is planned – I’m very excited but also very nervous – Lou and Steve have asked me to do a reading, I am so nervous to speak in front of everyone BUT I will be talking directly to Brogan and the reading I have found is so beautiful and truthful that I know it will come easier than I’m expected!

This is the reading I have chosen:

‘The Wish List’ by Collin McCarty

Of all the things I wish for you, I would give anything if these wishes could always come true…

I want you to be happy.

I want you to fill your heart with feelings of wonder and to be full of courage and hope.

I want you to have the type of friendship that is a treasure — and the kind of love that is beautiful forever.

I wish you contentment: the sweet, quiet, inner kind that comes around and never goes away.

I want you to have hopes and have them all come true.

I want you to make the most of this moment in time.

I want you to have a real understanding of how unique and rare you truly are.

I want to remind you that the sun may disappear for a while, but it never forgets to shine.

I want you to have faith.

May you have feelings that are shared from heart to heart, simple pleasures amidst this complex world, and wonderful goals that are within your grasp.

May the words you listen to say the things you need to hear.

And may a cheerful face lovingly look back at you when you happen to glance in your mirror.

I wish you the insight to see your inner and outer beauty.

I wish you sweet dreams.

I want you to have times when you feel like singing and dancing and laughing out loud.

I want you to be able to make your good times better and your hard times easier to handle.

I want you to have millions of moments when you find satisfaction in the things you do so wonderfully.

And I wish I could find a way to tell you — in untold ways — how important you are to me.

Of all the things I'll be wishing for, wherever you are and whatever I may do, there will never be a day in my life when I won't be wishing for the best… for you.

I will update in a few days on how it all went.

Shocking behaviour!!

I am appalled at myself, it has been a month since I last posted anything – I will never remember what I was dong, thinking or feeling for 30 days so I will never know.  When I look back on this blog in 10 years’ time, I will wonder what I did this month and how I felt.  I can post about what I did and who with but feelings diminish over time and therefore you don’t get the full impact after waiting so long to write about it.

Well, the last I posted was about graduating, which is very exciting so I have been working really hard on my uni work in the hopes of getting a First as well as planning my party – which is the main reason I want to graduate!

New Arrival

What else have you missed, well….the most amazing little girl was welcomed into the world Brogan Beau Yates on 1^st May 2013.  I say little lightly as she was 10lb 2oz so not really little at all.  I got to meet her at only 3 days old, which was a huge honour and I expected her to look like a little sumo wrestler being so heavy but she’s perfect.  Not chunky just long, I’m sure she will be taller than me in 2 years!!  I have since met her 3 times and each time I meet her I love her a little bit more.  She is just so cute and I just want to munch her all the time.  I am now being that annoying proud Aunty that will happily show random people photos of the most beautiful Niece in the world.  The proud parents are doing really well and are just getting themselves into a routine, so hopefully when she’s a bit older I can see her a little bit more.  On the plus side this means more work for me and Poppy Events, I am organising their Naming Ceremony or Brogan’s Welcome to the World party.  With only 3 weeks to plan it and venue disasters it’s not going the best but I will get there and the party will be amazing J

Family Time

Also, it was my birthday – I didn’t mess about and filled my weekend jam packed with visits and drinking and friends and I loved every minute – who needs rest!!  First was the family meal on the Thursday night, however as more and more people dropped out (including my Dad who decided to go to Poland instead!) I decided it wasn’t worth going out and paying for a meal – so we stayed in and finished off making the cupcakes for my friend Alison’s Engagement party (see below) – it was fun family time nonetheless and we had a laugh as we always do!

Alison’s Engagement Party

CRISIS!!! Alison texts me to say the cake lady she had booked had let her down, so would I make 40 cupcakes for her party – how could I say no!  Plus it’s fun when you baking for a purpose!  So with a bit of help from Barbara and Steph the cakes were made, iced and decorated in 2 nights!!  The party was Friday night so me and Steph got on the road listening to Will Smith’s Greatest Hits and headed to our hotel.  Have to say staying in a hotel, whether a million miles away or 20 is always fun!!  We had a real laugh getting ready and were significantly late as expected.