A different kind of work day

Last year I blogged about a team volunteering event at a local farm, where we spent the day doing manual labour clearing brambles and bushes and other horrible things!

Last week, our team volunteered again, this time in Birmingham, running something called Money Live. I genuinely feel lucky that I work for a company that actively encourages volunteering, and the day was certainly a very different kind of work day for me!

Money Live is a Financial Education experience for young people, where they visit different scenarios on the Safe Side 'street'. The volunteers (us!) run interactive sessions where they can learn about savings accounts and ATMs (in the mini Nationwide branch), budgeting and looking for best value offers (in the mini Co-op store), about online safety in the internet cafe, find about bankruptcy in the model court, look at bills and payments in the house and clamber on the double decker bus to learn about credits and debits.

How did they get the bus in there?

The team getting ready before the kids arrived!!

Kat was the judge in the court - complete with wig!

The kids have to decide on the verdict in the court... we may have practiced before they arrived!

Chris and his branch!

Vicky ran the Co-op for the day!

No idea why I'm on this bike!

I had no idea what to expect. I don't have kids, so I will admit that I was worried about even speaking to them! I ran the internet cafe, geek that I am, and talked about keeping your money safe. I showed them about ATM skimming devices and talked about identity theft and fraud. I learned a lot too!

The sessions are normally run for years 9 - 11, so secondary school pupils. To make it even tougher, we were told that we running a pilot session for primary school children! But we needn't have worried - they were so engaged, and pretty fascinated about everything. Willing to have a go and try and work out interest rates and percentages, and were pretty knowledgeable about internet shopping in my session!

It was an incredibly worthwhile way to spend a day, and all of our team are just lining up for another opportunity to do it again. Even if the kids take one thing away, hopefully we've done a good job. It was a genuinely fantastic resource - and they run sessions on lots of different topics, like safety and life skills, and I really enjoyed taking part.

New year, new resolutions

Working on my downward dog...

If I'm honest, 2014 has been a strange year. An emotional roller coaster of a year, with some pretty extreme highs and lows.

Now we're into 2015,  here are my new year resolutions. As normal, I imagine most people expect me to do this post, uphold them for two days and then not bother. Well, I'd be an idiot to make some sweeping statement about how I'll definitely keep them going this year, but hey! I'll give it a go! Like most things, these will all be successful if I CHOOSE to make them happen.

My 2015 new year resolutions...

1. Wear lipstick. 
I love makeup. My collection is ridiculous, I have stacks of the stuff. But I own two lipsticks and I can never be bothered to put it on, ever. I think it's because it comes off so quickly, but that's no excuse for 2015!

Yes, this is an easy resolution that I should be able to achieve.

2. Do Yoga More. 
I love yoga. Recently I tried hot yoga, which I also loved. So why can't I get off my arse to do it more often? I can do it in my lounge for crying out loud!

In 2015 - I WILL do more. I am making time for it.

(I write this post after I weighed myself - on Xmas Eve, idiot idea, just before i eat all the food - and was shocked by my weight. I know I'm lucky because I'm small but i've put on a solid 1.5 stone over the last 2 years, most of that in the wrong place and I am NOT happy. Time to change.).


3. Photography
Something else I love. And haven't made enough time for in 2014. The year started well with a trip to Oz where I took thousands of photos - but can I honestly say I've worked on my photography over the last year? No. So that's my mission for 2015 - not just to take more photos, but to take BETTER photos.

And then do something with them - I want MY photos on my walls, not some Ikea prints.

4. Blogging
I am just going to do more of this. It's a rubbish excuse but my last laptop was slowly failing - it would take 35 mins to just turn on, and trying to download images from my camera was a nightmare. I know have a shiny new laptop so no excuses any more!

So that's a quick summary of my plans for 2015. I'll keep you posted :)

My fave photos of 2014

Summing up 2014 in photos, I have chosen these as my favourite pics of the year. They might not be the technically 'best' photos, but I have chosen them for what they represent.

January - we started 2014 in Sydney... talk about fireworks!

Feb/ March - baby shower! (She arrived three days later!)

I really did try to exercise...

My work colleagues are awesome...

April - we went to Rome, amazing place. And the FOOD!

I got to know my garden - largely just by looking at it!

I still love living near the Cotswolds...

I've been lucky enough to hear Andy Cope talk about being brilliant twice. He's right you know. Get the book, and be brilliant.

June - I joined a new team and in week one we did tree climbing.

Kat, pictured below, did not accept that the route she wanted to take was too difficult! Never seen anyone throw herself into something like that, and keep smiling!

Me and the rest of my new team!

Me and my bro on his birthday - i'm sunburnt after a day spa!

We said goodbye to a very dear colleague and friend. Mojitos all round!

Weddings!

July - the Tour de France in Yorkshire!

And the day my old boss Fiona and I caught a lift to an event...

The scaffolding came down and I got a new roof!

The Gloanna yoga run!

Yet another holiday in Spain with some crazies!

Our family picture where we think Nick looks like he's in a wheelchair!

Love working for a company that gives you a chance to volunteer - here we are at Caenhill farm, where we worked SO hard to clear all those bushes behind us!

This was us laughing at a sheep selfie. You had to be there. 

August saw us head up North to the highlands of Scotland for the bagpipe gathering. It poured it down.

All the family in one room!

In September a group of us from work went to the Invictus games. Awe inspiring.

Then I taught baby Ella the art of selfies...

She's a quick learn!

October - our whole team doing the selfie for the Macmillan coffee morning - even joined by our colleagues in London!

Then we headed to the IOIC awards where we picked one up!

I've been on a development course with some lovely people this year!

I met a very lovely horse...

And then i was awarded the Internal Communicator of the Year by Melcrum. Honoured.

We visited the poppies at the Tower of London. Breathtaking and thought provoking.

Celebrating jobs, awards etc with some fizz!

Learning more about ourselves at the Warrington Wolves stadium

My Christmas present from Nick...

Me and my pops on Christmas Day!

Thanks everyone for a wonderful 2014. 

Glorious Autumn

This post is mostly about trees, very beautiful trees.

Yes, I got up at 7:30am on a SUNDAY to visit Westonbirt Arboretum. The early start was totally worth it because the queue when we left was ENORMOUS, and I did feel rather smug!

Autumn at Westonbirt Arboretum is incredible. They call it nature's firework display and they're right - it is an explosion of reds and yellows and oranges and pinks. And it's incredible.

And so I took a lot of photos of trees!

I'd say we might have been a week early bit given that a tornado is hitting the UK this week, there might not be any leaves left next time!

Not sure why Nick took a photo up my nose but I actually quite like it!

Taking a photo of me taking a selfie!