MosaiCraft

Part of being a Dance Mum, is that you have to go around the country to various dance festivals.  Last year, we were at the North Somerset Dance Festival, and decided to make a holiday of it by staying in a caravan park.  On one of our free days, we visited Clevedon Craft Village, and that is where we came across MosaiCraft.  For a pound, they were allowing children to make up keyrings of their own designs, from small plastic pixels, so both girls had a go.  Whilst there, I was perusing all the different kits that were for sale, and came across Tranquil Lake.  I really liked the colours, and I thought finally, a craft that I can do! So I did.

It's surprisingly easy actually, as long as you can use a pair of tweezers.  Each kit consists of baseplates (this picture has 6 baseplates), sheets of paper with the pattern on, and the pixels.  Unlike cross-stitch, which can be complicated to follow the pattern, this is very easy.  The transparent baseplates sit on top of the pattern, and you fill each colour as if it's a colour-by-numbers.  Each section of the pattern only has four colours on it, and they are in numerical order (this is not colour order, so the designs can look very odd until they are finished), and once completed, you move on to the next section.

After I completed the sunset, which took around a month for me to do, I decided that my mum, who does cross-stitch herself, would really appreciate something like this.  

I contacted MosaiCraft about their Bespoke Service, and set off a photograph from my mum's wedding.  They came back to me with various options, and I chose the one I wanted.  It was 24 baseplates, and took me 3.5months to complete.  Considering I only did this whilst I was waiting for the girls' activities (either dancing or home ed), and there was a summer break in between, I don't think it took too long at all.  And, the benefit of this hobby was that I was able to appear sociable and keep up a conversation at the same time, as opposed to when I'm reading and I zone out a lot.

I am not a crafty person (in the craft sense - sometimes I can be conniving, especially when playing Monopoly...) but I can do this, I enjoy it, and I impressed myself with the results.  Here's the finished portrait and a close-up so you can see the individual pixels.

And I'm pleased to say, my mum absolutely loved it when I gave it to her and her husband for Christmas.  It is not the cheapest hobby in the world, but is so repetitive and enjoyable, that you don't need to concentrate too much, it's almost a form of meditation and you get something pretty at the end of it.

Weekly Update No2

This week, I am exactly the same weight as I was this point last week.  I'm counting that as a positive, considering I haven't done any Body Groove this week, nor have I eaten the best.

Back to being busy, means it is harder to get time at home to exercise.  Today, both my girls are ill, so I will be able to fit it in today, as I've had to cancel all their HE groups and my tutoring.  Neither girl is eating very much atm, they both have a bit of a fever, feeling sick and are very lethargic.  I should have known something was wrong on Saturday, when my elder daughter came home from her theatre class and fell asleep on the sofa!

I still am not back in the habit of using my slow cooker.  It doesn't help that since Christmas, I've had loads of food piled on top/next to it (like crackers for cheese, etc) that don't fit in our cupboards.  We don't have much cupboard space at the best of time, so when we have extra food around, everything just overflows everywhere.  I would like to get the kitchen redone, but I don't see the point if there's not going to be any more cupboard space, as the area to work in is so small. My husband mentioned yesterday about the possibility of having the whole downstairs redone, to have an open plan kitchen/livingroom area.  Apart from the money issue (ie we have none), I'm not against that idea, but it seems quite daunting, and I'd have to study lots of plans before we agreed to anything - and I'm not sure how many people would b willing to draw up plans in the detail I'd like to see for free, before we commit to anything.  It's not helped by a friend having renovation work, only for her builders to try and charge nearly double the agreed quote, and then walking out leaving it unfinished.


 Back to my weightloss plan, though.  This week, I would like to try and lose 1kg.  I am drinking plenty of water, but I do need to up my veg intake again, as it's too easy when tired, to reheat frozen beige food.  Looking over this blog, I found this post where I said I would do some stretches every day.  Well, that fell by the wayside... but if I can't
fit in 30min of body groove, then doing a few dynamic stretches in the morning will help tone my body a little - at the very least, it's better than doing nothing.

King Arthur and Her Knights books 4-6,7 by K M Shea

Yesterday, I wrote a post reviewing the first 3 books in this series, and ended saying I was about to buy the next set.  Well, I did, and the book after that!

Spoiler Alert:
Though there's no spoilers of these books in the review ahead, if you want absolutely no inkling about what happened in the first book (beyond what I wrote yesterday), don't read any further!

So the next 3 books in the series are called Embark, Enlighten and Endeavor. By the time I was reading this book, I was hooked and needed to find out what happened next.  Britt's biggest secret, her gender, is finally found out and spreads throughout her knights. She has to try and regain their trust and loyalty, whilst facing other enemies.

The blurb says:

Britt Arthurs has finally settled into her role as the substitute King Arthur. She’s even made peace with her growing feelings for her surprisingly young and handsome wizard advisor, Merlin. If only it could last. 

It took two years for Britt to be crowned King of Britain, raise Camelot, and establish the Round Table. It takes only a moment to bring everything crashing down on her. 

When Britt's biggest secret--her true gender--is revealed, she realizes that there is a price for her lies. For the knights of Camelot--whose loyalty she has won through blood, sweat, and tears--might never forgive her.

Perhaps even more devastating, at a time when Britt needs him most, Merlin becomes aware of her love and pushes her away in the most painful of ways. Merlin won’t let anything, including his own heart, stand in his way of a united Britain. Or so he tells himself.

Can Britt reclaim her knights’ loyalty and reconcile with the wizard who she loves as more than a counselor?

When I finished these three books, even though I had only bought them that day (yes, I'm a fast reader, but was still 370 pages) I had to buy the final book so that I knew how the story concluded.

By this time, Britt finally feels at home in Camelot and settled in this century. Endings is a fitting title at the end of this series as it tries to bring all the threads to a satisfying conclusion.  However, life is never easy for our hero, and she faces the might of Rome as the Emperor tried to conquer Britain.  Not only that, she had to watch as Merlin pretends to fall in love with Lady Vivien.

The descriptions says:

Peace never lasts. Britt has finally settled into her life as King Arthur. Her knights know her real identity, her lands are are free from war, and she has friends and a family she loves. 

But all of this is threatened when the Roman Emperor invades.

Merlin thought Rome was his greatest fear, but as he finally recognizes his own feelings for Britt he discovers a greater terror: Britt coming to harm. Merlin will do anything to protect her, even if it means distracting the evil magic user, Lady Vivien, by acting the part of her lovesick fool. 

Old enemies and allies make an appearance as Britt forges new alliances for the sake of the impending war and tests her knights as never before. In order to repel the Romans and assure Camelot's survival, Britt must achieve Merlin's greatest ambition and unite all of Britain. 

Will she succeed, or will she fall on the battlefield?

I like a book with a decent ending where everything gets neatly wrapped up.  However, there are still twists and turns.  In my mind I guessed how the story would wrap up, and I was wrong.  Some parts were on the right lines, but in a different way to what I was expecting.  I was happy with the ending, and pleased I read the series.

King Arthur and Her Knights by K M Shea

I am going through my kindle, and trying to read more of the saved books, rather than buying new books every time I get a voucher (such as for Christmas).


So, I chose this book because I was interested to explore the idea of King Arthur being a woman.  I didn't expect this book to start in modern times, and it is actually due to Merlin's magic that a woman is unexpectedly taken back in time, and told she is to be the new king.  Only Merlin and her closest knights are aware of her real gender.


The blurb says:

In a place and time not her own, one woman must risk everything to protect her life, her kingdom, and her heart.

Britt doesn’t want to be a leader, and she definitely doesn’t want to pretend she is the legendary King Arthur. But history has other plans.

A magical summons back through time lands Britt into the schemes of the surprisingly young and handsome wizard Merlin. He has some bad news: the real Arthur has disappeared, and the sword in the stone has chosen Britt to take his place. 

But life in ancient Britain isn’t safe. The kingdom is fragmented, with enemies on all sides, and there’s little chance for mercy if Britt’s real identity and gender is exposed. Britt will soon find herself fighting for her life again and again on behalf of her people.

And then there’s Merlin. Focused on his goal to unite Britain, he’s oblivious of Britt’s growing feelings for him. Or so she thinks. But what future can they have in a world that only sees them as monarch and confidant?

Don’t miss this collection of the first three stories in the bestselling King Arthur and Her Knights series plus exclusive bonus content not available anywhere else.

The finished King Arthurs and Her Knights series is based on Arthurian legends and lore. It is sprinkled with humor, love, and more than a dash of magic. If you enjoy strong characters and tales about the Knights of the Round Table, check out the King Arthurs series today!

I found it a bit difficult to get into initially, mainly because it wasn't what I was expecting.  I would also say that I don't think I'm the intended demographic; I would say this is more a book for teenagers or young adults, but still can be enjoyed.  It is easy to read, however, and the books are much shorter than I expected.  I think there is scope for the author to either expand the books a bit (delve into the lives of the characters a bit more), or collate some of the books together.  But was enjoyable enough that I have just purchased the second set (books 4-6) in the series.

Listen to your body!

That's my own advice I should be taking.  And it is a good thing to learn.

Yesterday I had a... I'm hesitant to use the words "bad day" because with the 2B Mindset, there are no bad foods, just foods that you should eat less of as they may not be as nutritious as other foods.  Yesterday, I did not eat as I know I am capable.  I snacked, cooked (reheated from frozen) beige food, and snacked some more.  At the end of the day, I did eat some slow cooked stuffed peppers, but my stomach was so full and bloated that I didn't enjoy it.

Taking the positives, the salt content of the food meant I more than surpassed drinking my water target. It didn't have a good effect on my bowels either, and when I woke up this morning, my body was crying out for vegetables, fibre, nutrition, anything!

Today, I have eaten better: a delicious ham and egg salad.  And when I prep my food for the week, I need to prep more - I enjoyed my homemade mix and match salads, so need to cut enough veg to last the full week, not just 3 days.

I also need to work on my triggers and feelings regarding eating.  It's no surprise to me that I post that I'm eating well, and then immediately self sabotage.  Healthy eating is more than just knowing what you should or shouldn't eat - if it were easy, nobody would be overweight or malnurished!  I need to tackle what is going on internally too.

Back in the swing of things

Term-time is up and running, and we're back running around after the girls and all their dances and activities.  I am trying to make the most of the time I have, so am currently being good and am sat in the dance studios with my laptop writing this post!

My tutoring has started up again after the Christmas break, as has all the girls' home education groups, leaving me little time at home for everything I need to do, including exercise.  It's now Wednesday, and I for the third day in a row I have no managed to BodyGroove, as I have not had 30min spare.  Technically, that is a slight lie, because I could have tried to wake up earlier, or stay up later, in order to fit it in, but I am someone who needs a lot of sleep. But, I'm not giving up on it.  I do enjoy it, I have noticed it working my muscles and I am losing weight.  I just need to squeeze a bit more out of my day.

I am eating well at the moment though.  The 2B Mindset is firmly implanted in my brain.  I am easily drinking my 90oz of water daily, and for the past 3 days I have had "mix and match" salad for lunch, from the prep I did at the weekend.  I have discovered I didn't prep enough, as I ate the last of the cut cucumber and pepper today, and ate the last of the hummus. I still have portions of vegetables that I can use for the remainder of the week, and some couscous left, but when I meal plan this weekend coming, I will need to prep even more food.

So far, I have managed to keep on top of the Bible readings - I'm aiming for 50 chapters a week.  We had our first meet on Tuesday, and we discussed the verses that spoke to us, and spent some time praying for each other.  Even though we're going at a much faster rate than I anticipated, I think I will get a lot out of the next 6 months.  I had planned to use my study Bible for the readthrough, but I find that I do most of the reading when I am taking my younger daughter to bed (we need to stay with her until she is asleep).  So, I'm reading the Bible on  my phone, highlighting the verses there, and then going through my actual Bible to copy up my highlights.  Only on the second week of the year, but it's working so far.

I'm also reading less than I would usually, as a combination of not having to wait for my children all the time (some days I leave them at dancing or gymnastics whilst I do other things), or because I'm using waiting time to do something else, like writing right now!  I do have 3 books on the go, though: 1 Christian inspirational, 1 non-fiction, and 1 fiction, so I haven't stopped reading altogether - perish the thought! - just getting through books a bit slower than usual.  That said, I am starting to really get into the fiction book I'm reading, so I may end up giving up a few hours sleep for that.

Note to self:
If I can give up sleep for reading, I can give up sleep for exercise. 
I am important and I am worth it!

Can you make money from blogging?

For me personally, up to now the answer has been no. 

That's not a surprised to me, as I know I haven't been putting in the hours that some people do. I am not expecting to make megabucks, or become famous, or anything like that, though a bit of pocket money would be nice.  This blog was set up to see how far it would reach, because my elder daughter wants to blog and vlog when she is older.

As expected, my main audience is in the UK and USA, and I know I have a friend in Australia who checks in.  What has surprised me is the size of the audience I have in France, Germany and India! Bonjour, Guten Tag and Apologies to any Indian followers that I do not know how to speak, let alone write, any of the languages from India.

One of my friends, who admittedly works harder than I do, started a blog at a similar time to me.  Rather than be anonymous, she regularly shares with all her friends, and has lots of followers both on the blog itself and on her Facebook Page.  I, on the other hand, have many fewer*: Follow this Blog, Like my Page and share with your friends!

*Is it Much Fewer, Many Fewer, Much Less or Many Less?  I feel it could be any of them except many less.  Fewer is for discrete objects, and people are discrete rather than continuous - I hope I don't come across half a person, for example! 

Anyway, back to my friend.  She gets sent products to review and keep - why haven't I thought of that!?! So any authors out there, who want me to review your book, I would be delighted to read and review them.  Any writers (cooks/chefs/other) of cookery books, especially ones purporting to aide weight loss, healthy eating, low carb etc I will definitely like to review and try out some of the recipes.  And anyone else who wants me to review anything, please get in touch, or I might have to do it the hard way, and actually write to publishers, manufacturers, and promoters myself.

It has sparked a thought, that I have had in the past, before I even started up my blog, about joining Amazon Associates.  It is actually much easier than I thought, and I can now say "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases".  I just need to go back through my blog, updating everywhere I have linked to an Amazon book.