077. Have my hair cut every two months

I was up early and in the city for 9am this morning, I had some things to mail out at the Post Office and then my hair appointment was at 9:45am. After finishing at the Post Office and a quick bacon panini from Cafe Nero I headed for the salon.

The stylist I was due to be with had left the salon...... They had tried to call me and left a message, but they had my mobile number down wrong! So, I'm now having my hair cut next weekend instead! Never mind.

099. More Flowers Pics

More flowers pics, in slightly better lighting. I've had them for a week now and they look pretty much the same, water just needs a top up - they're thirsty flowers!

022. Watch 100 never-seen-before movies (11/100)

I've got films recorded onto the Sky+ box but didn't feel in the mood for any of them, so with nothing on the TV at dinner time I browsed around on Sky Anytime. I found 'Remember Me' starring Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin.

I really liked it, a lot. That surprises me because I'm not a Twilight girl and I don't 'get' the whole Pattinson thing! I do love Emilie de Ravin though, I remember her as Tess in Roswell long before she was Claire in Lost and really only chose to watch the film for her!

All I'll say about the film is that the ending is so unbelievably sad! I was very shocked. Read about it here.

Today I also watched 'Pocahontas II' - I thought I'd seen it, but actually I hadn't! On my list it goes! haha.

No Buy May 2010

Last May I joined others on the DISBoards in something that call 'No Buy' months - the objective was to have as many days in the month where you spend nothing at all. Some would set out a monthly budget and targets for how many 'no buy' days they aim to achieve. I used it as an exercise to record what I spent, now I'm going to do it for a second time I can use that experience to make budgets and targets.

This is what happened with my spending last May:

May 01 - £0
May 02 - £0
May 03 - £0
May 04 - £200.77 (£36.87 quarterly TV Licence Payment); (£39.26 monthly minimum Credit Card payment); (£34.65 monthly Car Insurance); (£75.00 monthly savings direct debit); (£14.99 monthly Lovefilm subscription);
May 05 - £0
May 06 - £11.00 (£6.50 taxi into the city); (£4.50 drinks);
May 07 - £27.00 (£27.00 disney pins);
May 08 - £0
May 09 - £0
May 10 - £295.01 (£50.01 Full tank of fuel); (£245 rent);
May 11 - £0
May 12 - £0
May 13 - £11.00 (£11.00 disney pins);
May 14 - £62.29 (£1.30 lunch); (£17.04 part payment for Wii game pre-order); (£43.95 new clothes & delivery);
May 15 - £5.42 (£2.92 postage for pin packages); (£2.50 cotton pads);
May 16 - £0
May 17 - £3.50 -(50p birthday fund @ work); (£3.00 badges @ Mr Hudson gig);
May 18 - £0
May 19 - £44.30 (£43.20 train tickets to London); (£1.10 lunch);
May 20 - £224.40 (£224.40 hotel booking for London);
May 21 - £5.00 (£5.00 dinner from the supermarket);
May 22 - £122.29 (£4.50 car park); (£40 dress and jeggings); (£74 maxi skirt, vest, tunic); (£3.79 razors);
May 23 - £49.89 (£49.89 savings);
May 24 - £1.10 (£1.10 lunch);
May 25 - £0.60 (£0.60 lunch);
May 26 - £0
May 27 - £0
May 28 - £204.38 (£4.50 work shop x15 products @ 30p per product); (£199.88 savings);
May 29 - £0
May 30 - £0
May 31 - £0

Total 'No Buy' Days = 15
Total Spent = £1327.35

For May 2011 I'm going to target the same number of 'No Buy' days and hopefully achieve more. A lot of my outgoings have increased over 12 months, including rent and fuel and insurance for my car. I did save well over £300 last year, I hope to save more and spend less on other things like clothes, food and random purchases. I'll also be transferring the balance from my credit card to a 0% card and hopefully pay that off very quickly.

With a week to go until the beginning of May I'm confident that throughout the month I can save more and spend less. Also, at the end of May I'll see the first increase in my pay from the pay rise I received last week and the company bonus will also be paid out at the end of May (it should have been paid at the end of April, but was delayed).

May will be a good money month! Even better than last year.

012. [currently reading] 'My Last Duchess' by Daisy Goodwin

The summer is made for reading books and today was a real summer day. I bought myself a few new books from Waterstones and 'My Last Duchess' was one of them. It's a book I have lusted after for a while now, I think it was on one of those book club/must read lists for Christmas? Anyway, I made a note of the title here as one of the books I had to read during my 1001 days.

So far I've made it through a chapter, but with James away and the long Bank Holidays I am pretty sure I'll get through a lot of it quite quickly. I have it on my desk right now to take to bed - I've not read a book in bed for years!

022. Watch 100 never-seen-before movies (9/100)

I watched two movies yesterday and they couldn't be more different!

I'm a Disney fan and always have been, but there are quite a few of the older movies that I've not seen. On the list was 'The Aristocats', I was familiar with the characters especially Marie the little kitten. I really had no idea about their voices and how properly English they are, particularly for a movie set in France...... Overall, it's cute and I'm happy to finally have watched it, but it's not going to become my favourite Disney movie.

'Bruno' was sick and funny, a bit of a waste of time - I won't be watching it again.

064. Get a pay rise

A couple of weeks ago I got a promotion to Supervisor of the support team in our office, a job I share with one other. A complete shock, but welcomed! It's a struggle getting used to the role, but what comes with it is a £1000 pay rise - so happy!

This was one of my 101 things that I didn't think would be completed so soon, but I'm so pleased I got there - let's hope I can get one or two more rises throughout my 1001 days!

046. Go for a walk 3 times a week for 12 weeks (1/12)

Week One

Sunday - I was feeling ill, so needed some fresh air before bed. James and I walk down the road and back again. Distance covered: unknown.

Monday - I found the fresh air and exercise was starting to help me get over my cold, so we went out again after dinner. Distance covered: 1.77km.

Tuesday - Our aim was to cover more distance tonight. Distance covered: 2.03km.

James is away for a few weeks now, so I've got to walk alone. Wish me luck.

099. Buy myself flowers five times (1/5)

James is working away for a few weeks, so I'm home alone for the Bank Holidays. I thought it would be the perfect time to treat myself to some pretty flowers (courtesy of Interflora and a handy 10% off code).

I'll take more pictures during the day tomorrow, the false lighting from the lamps doesn't make them look that good.

I love the little gem in the centre of the rose, so pretty!

026. Make 101 Disney pin trades (49/101)

When I'm not feeling too great, I like to see the postman deliver a package full of beautiful pins!

Awake. Ill. Can't Sleep.

It's 5am in the morning, on a Saturday - yes, the weekend and I'm awake at this time. Awake but not out of choice. I think I've been awake for about an hour, maybe more? Yesterday I thought my hay fever allergy had come out and made an appearance for the year - the weather was so good yesterday, I'm not surprised.

I've had a sore throat for a few days and now I have a stuffed up nose. I've taken some medication and a hay fever tablet in the hopes that they get rid of my symptoms long enough to sleep. I'm waiting for that to kick in at the moment.

Being ill is not the only reason that I can't sleep. I've recently been promoted to Supervisor of a new team at work and there are some uncertainties and new things I've taken on that are just worrying me. Worrying me because I'm just a little bit afraid of making the wrong decisions. I'm also afraid that all the teams are changing so much that what I used to do is now being done by someone else and that I wasn't 'good enough' to do that and too good to be lowered down. GAH. I'm ill and it's 5am, I ramble and make no sense.

I won't know for sure what's going to happen and what I will and won't be doing until Monday when all the changes are supposed to take effect. Experience has shown me that getting my worries, concerns and fears out of my head and onto a blog or journal have always helped in the past, getting it all out there and admitting these things should bring me some good karma and wash the worries away!

Hopefully I can get a few hours sleep now before the Formula One Malaysian GP, qualifying starts at 8am. I might even delete this post later today, unless this kind of personal stuff is interesting for you and the kind of thing you'd like to see with my 101?

026. Make 101 Disney pin trades (48/101)

Two more trade packages landed today - pretty!

026. Make 101 Disney pin trades (46/101)

Four more pin trade packages landed on my doorstep yesterday - more expected!

Wanna Trade?

Check out my Pin Pics wants and traders! ♥

035. Buy shelves and organise the office

My shelves are full, tidy and organised! And those boxes finally have their home.

Here's a closeup look at what I have on my shelves:

Disneyland Paris - Day Two

I don't remember what time the alarm went off on Tuesday morning, but it was definitely early because we had a 7am breakfast slot. I was up and in the shower by 6:30am, I'm sure, so that I can wash and dry my hair, then be dressed and ready for 7am. I think we were slightly late for breakfast but only by 10 minutes or so. The breakfast offering was fruit salad, croissant with cheese, ham or (my choice) chocolate spread, pain au chocolat, mini baguettes, toast and cereal. Never would I have so much bread for breakfast, but it doesn't do the French any harm, does it?

The Disneyland Park opened at 8am for Resort hotel guests - that means us! A quick stop back in our room before the walk to the park, we arrived at the gates for about 8:30am. Only a selection of rides and certain areas of the park were open between 8-10am for Resort guests only. Our first stop was for the Buzz Lightyear ride, my score was better than the day before but James still kicked my butt!

A lot of Fantasyland rides were open so we got through those before 10am. First up there was the Peter Pan ride, which is very similar to the WDW version and a lot scarier than I remembered! You sit in a suspended pirate ship vehicle that flys over scenes from the movie, with some very sharp corners and jerky movements - I wasn't a fan! Next up were the Madhatter's Teacups, again another ride replicated from the US parks, then we went on to a ride which is in WDW but I'd never been on it. It was the 'Le Carrousel de Lancelot', the wait was actually really long but not because a lot of people wanted to ride - the loading was slow and the Cast Members have to go round and check that everyone is secure in their belts before the ride can start. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get on those big horses, they're pretty high off the ground, but I was alright!

There was still quite a wait until the rest of the park opened so we joined a crowd of people waiting at the point where Fantasyland meets Adventureland, everyone was waiting for the 'rope drop'. We planned to head to the Indiana Jones rollercoaster and Thunder Mountain so that James could ride one and then get a Fastpass for the other. We ended up at Indiana Jones first, I sat on a rock near the entrance with the bag while James went on to ride. I was sitting quite happily in the warm morning sunshine, until someone lit up a cigarette behind me. I stood up and moved away, but James had just walked round from the exit to meet me where he'd left me. Next up was 'Le Passage Enchante d'Aladdin' which was just a walk through attraction with scenes from the movie behind glass windows and a bit disappointing. We moved on to the Fastpass machine for Thunder Mountain but the ride wasn't yet operating and no Fastpasses were being distributed, never mind - we carried on to the Thunder Mesa Riverboat which James had been looking forward to going on. This boat circled the Adventureland area and Thunder Mountain so we got some great pictures.

After the Riverboat we found that Thunder Mountain was now open and Fastpasses were being given out, James got one and we wanted to hitch a ride to Fantasyland via the Railroad but that was operating! Oh well, Fantasyland isn't far to walk, we just really wanted to ride the train. Back in Fantasyland while it was still early we aimed to finish all the rides there before it got too busy. We went on the Pinocchio and Snow White rides before having a fish 'n' chips lunch at Toad Hall. We split one lunch portion between us got extra fries - one portion of fish and chips had two pieces of fish, who eats that much....? It made sense to have one piece each and for me to have the extra fries - saves money and also means we wouldn't eat too much!

After that early lunch it was back to Discoveryland for a showing of Captain EO, we'd just missed a crowd going in so we had to wait quite a while for our viewing. All the waiting was having to stand and my feet were getting pretty cranky, even for lunchtime! Finally it was our turn to watch the Michael Jackson show and I thought it was really great, only the poor quality glasses messed up the 3D effects.

With only being in Disneyland Paris for a few days we wanted to make sure we were able to see everything that we could, which meant it was time for a park hop to watch the Moteurs...Action! Stunt Show at the Walt Disney Studios park. This show clashed with the parade in the same park on all the days we were there, so we couldn't see both on the same day. With the stunt show at 2:15pm, we had to make our way over to the park quite sometime before then to make sure we got a good seat - getting there later means you have to walk high up into the stand or have your party split up. I think the show started late because everyone took their time getting into the stands, but when it did start it was fantastic. Just as amazing as when we saw it in WDW.

We park-hopped back to Disneyland Park to grab some ice cream and a spot for the afternoon parade which was due to start at 5pm. We pitched up opposite the castle and just round the corner from Main Street. It turned out to not be that great of a position because of the sun:

The sun was so bright that everything in my photos came out dark - not so good for a parade filled with colour! Never mind, we did have fun while waiting for the parade to start, lots of little girls in princess dresses running around and these two Mums catching a rest in the children's pushchairs while they're off riding Buzz with the Dads! James took a picture with his phone, but I through I could get away with taking one with my camera, well, I'm just taking a picture of the castle, right?

The parade was only moments from starting and there are always people who have failed to pitch up in advance and of course the kids want to be at the front. Because I'm a grown up I have to let them through and take a step back, away from the spot I'd spent 40 minutes staking out (even if it was a bad spot for photos). My view wasn't that terrible, children are only small, it's the adults that ruin it! But, I have to say, when the parade started it was awesome and I confess that behind my sunglasses were a few tiny tears of emotion when Minnie and Mickey appeared on the first float! It's all about the magic!

The parade was our last Disney thing of the day, we tried to escape through the Discovery Arcade and use the toilets on our way out of the park. At the end of the Arcade the parade was just coming to an end so we ended up seeing a lot of the floats again. Considering the park didn't close until 7pm, I was shocked to see lots of people heading for the exit, like us. We weren't heading back to the hotel, we weren't even going for dinner in the Village - we went to the train station to Val d'Europe. I had pretty achey feet still, so we really weren't there for very long and they only things we bought were food and drink from the Auchan supermarket. If we'd had more time and more money and less achey feet, we would've enjoyed it a lot more!

Back to the train and onto the bus back to the Hotel Cheyenne for much rest and sleep!