Here's to the New Year

New Years Resolutions

1. To do a bit of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and attempt to not even think about the last 6 months even though they were some of the best. Move forward and not dwell on the past.
2. To prove myself at work even more so than I have and someone to actually acknowledge that I’m the one doing all the hard work.
3. To leave the country, whether its for good or for a holiday. Either way there’s a big wide world out there that I have to see some more off.
4. Apply for a green card in the Green Card Lottery
5. I know everyone says this but I am determined to do the healthy eating, more active living in order to lose a few pounds - MOTIVATION is all
6. Save money as I have already planned in my 2012 planner - all I need to do is resist the urge to shop on every lunch break
7. Venture off the island of Cobh a bit more especially for nights out, there’s so much more going on in the city.
8. Pay off and cancel my credit card, there really is no need for it.
9. Be more creative and thrifty - there’s been a few blog’s I follow who have inspired this but there’s so many more ways to get things rather than just walking into a shop and buying a ready made product - where’s the achievement in that?! 
10. Not reactivate my Facebook until I have done at least one of the things above!!

New Years Eve is going to be quiet here this year, the last 2 years have been pretty full on with NYE celebrations so I’m going to take it easy this year and prepare myself for what 2012 has to bring.
I hope you all have an awesome night wherever you are and that it is spent with the people you care about the most.

All the luck in the world for 2012 to everyone :-)

Christmas Walks

Christmas holidays are filled with lots of eating which means lots of walking to justify the eating!! I've had a few nice strolls so far over the holidays...
On St Stephens Day, me, Kellie and Katie went for a stroll to a nearby marsh to feed the ducks and swans...and the seagulls because they were swooping in fast! Im always a bit wary of swans though, while they are pretty to look at, I have a childhood memory of being chased by one in Windsor, makes me uneasy! Actually one of the swans grabbed on to one of the little ducks and pushed it away from all the other ducks, mean old swan! After we fed them, I took the kiddies to the park for a play on the monkey bars, they love them and had to pose for pictures hanging off them of course! As the park is down by the water front it was very windy and we soon got a bit too cold. Only one thing would solve this - cups of lovely hot chocolate!!

Poor little ducky!

A Poem Here and There

I've been a closet poetry fan for a while now but only recently started taking more of an interest again and have been collecting a few as I see or find them. There are 2 that will always stand out in my head though, both of which were learned in school, for the Junior Cert I think. I just remember reading them and they instantly clicked with me which surprised me because nothing in school was ever that interesting!

The first one I'm sure almost everybody would have read in school also at some stage:

Hope - Emily Dickinson
Hope is the thing with feathers 

That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

I could just read it over and over!

Destination Wishlist

I wish I had loads of money so that I could pay for me and the Mister to travel the world for as long as we wanted! However, for now here is my wishlist of places I have to see and go to before I leave this Earth... (not in any particular order)

• Lie on the white sandy beaches of Barbados sipping on some rum - it will be my honeymoon destination!
• Hike around the Scottish highlands and the Orkney Islands with the Mothership
• Spend one Christmas in New York because its so delightfully over the top for the festive season
• Take a ride in a gondola in Venice - the Mister can propose while we're if he wants!! :P
• Go to the Carnival of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro - it looks like a exciting colourful world full of samba!
• Take the Mothership to see the Northern Lights in Norway - such an amazing vision that Im guessing no pictures could ever really do it any justice! 
• Visit Koln in Germany to experience the famous Christmas markets
• Sail a yacht around California, San Diego to be precise (I blame the OC for this destination wish!)
• Safari in Africa - although I keep changing my mind on this one!
• Watch the sunset on Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia - This I have done before but really didnt appreciate it at the time and the Mister wasn't there, he would love it - it really is a lovely sight. (Couple of pictures below taken from the first trip Down Under.)

So pretty

This was taken from the back door of where I lived!

A Rare Sunday Off...

I've had a busy few days which always seems to be the way when I take time off work to chill out...I always end up doing more than I would if I was at work!! Friday I had a much deserved lie in, 7am starts 5 days a week really take it out of you! I chilled in bed until 1pm...first time in ages doing that! I then had to clean the whole house, I cant relax until its done, OCD I know! It was freezing so had the fire roaring early in the afternoon which made it almost too cosy to get showered and ready to go for dinner. But I did and met some friends in Scoozis in the city for some tasty food and lots of chat and giggles. A few drinks after although minerals for me because I was driving home...there was a great festive buzz around the city, I love that! Saturday was spent pampering myself really...facial, eyebrows done and hair dyed, all in preparation for a girls night out that night. I'd never usually go to that much effort but it seemed like so long since we'd all been out together it was a bit of an occasion. Plenty of Southern Comfort was drank and we all had a good night, although thats my lot for a while when it comes to a visit to the local club..its older I feel each time I go in there! I was dreading the hangover so you can only imagine my delight when I woke up with none!! Yay! So I took advantage of my Sunday off (no CL this weekend) and myself and the Mister went for a spin. We ended up in Roches Point and took a walk along the beach although it was so bloody cold but its just so nice down that way. We stopped in a local pub a few mins back the road and had a cosy drink by the fire.

A cosy  drink in the Schooner

In cave like surrondings

Roches Point Lighthouse

Roches Point

We then made a stop in the local shopping centre on the way home where I got some new candles..I love candles! Esepcially these Yankee wax melts - Christmas Eve and Red Berry & Cedar smell extremely festive and a friend gave me the Christmas Cookie candle as a gift - these will keep me entertained for ages as careful decisions will need to be made when deciding which one Im going to burn each day!!

Deck the halls...

a festive filled weekend! Took a half day from work on Friday and went for lunch in the city with the Mister. We then took a stroll around the shops, which he wasn't impressed with and then over to the Christmas markets on Grand Parade. They had some lovely stuff over there, unique even. Couldn't get any pictures as it was pishing rain but we did get some adorable cupcakes which were devoured when I got home by everyone else but me!! :/ Saturday was spent putting up the tree and decorating the house for the festive season, I've mulled wine scented candles all over the place!! Myself and the Mister then decided to go for ONE early festive drink in a local bar at about 5pm...that turned into us falling out of the pub at half 9 a bit tipsy! We then took a drunken stroll to Supermacs and Xtra Vision where I attempted to argue with the guy for selling us a dvd at a higher cost than what it was advertised for, bloody cheek!! All in the name of festive fun though!

The Christmas Fairy

Santas Grotto..kinda!

Kellys Bar,perfect for a Christmas tipple

The famous Tree!

One of many mulled wine scented candles!

On a not so happy note though, I was helping the guards with the search for young guy missing form the Cork area on Friday night. I was called into the office to give them access to them CCTV for them to see the last few images of the guy. There was lots of people out searching and have been all weekend. Although it involved a Garda escort through the city (and me thinking I might not arrive at my destination in one piece), which everyone wants to try sometime, it was all in very sad circumstances. Last update I heard was he hasn't been found so if anyone has any info on the where abouts of Caolan Mulrooney please Contact Angelsea Street garda station on 021 4522000. Lets hope hes found soon and safe and my thoughts are with his family.x