http://www.shonettebason.com en-gb shonettebason.com 2012-2-6T00:00:00Z shonettebason.com http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#111936 This year already I have been on tour In January I went to Wales for 3 days. I discovered the pleasure of the welsh Foundation Phase its to end Year 2. Fabulous play based opportunities till your 7 my idea of pure exciting education.On my second night I set off into the Valleys and the rain was lashing down and wind it did blowAs I arrived in this little town I found the school nestled in the hillside sheep yes of course. As I got out of the car a man got out of the car in front and he looked like he modelled Swiss ski wear As he took me into the hall there across the hall came a man more my age but who could equally model for a catalogue outfit or twoHere in the Valleys was not one not two but 15 beautiful male catalogue model primary school practitioners They were not only beautiful but the whole staff were warm and friendly AND fun Had a brilliant training day there and the head and I are now firm BFFBoth schools in Wales were exciting and friendly and pleasure to work with. As I j... 2012-2-6 18:47:09 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#109614 As I penned my December blog I received a call from my son who was out walking with my MumQuick Mum Grandma has broken her legAs we shot into the wood in the Geordie Princes brand new white car he had just finished washing and hurtled down the farm track towards the scene dialling 999. I remembered what my Mum had said to me the previous evening.We had had relatives over and they had asked my Mum how does Shonette manage her busy schedule and family 2 dogs and a cat and now 3 fish My Mum told them that the secret was a large sense of humourAs we arrived on scene there lay Mum in claggy mud by a swollen muddy stream with our 2 boys and dogs equally covered in mud a smile crept across Mum face as I arrived in baby pink coat PJs and light brown UGGs The Geordie Prince went to guide the ambulance men down the track and I tried to make her comfortable. The ambulance came and the 3 Paramedics administered morphine and strapped her to the stretcher pondering how to manage the mud and stream G... 2012-1-3 16:19:53 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#109613 Is it a disappointing end As the year draws to a close I begin to ponder 2011 no doubt just like youI hear people say cant wait to see the back of this year. I realised how many times previously I have said this phrase But have they actually looked back upon the year and reflected on the happy times Or like we do reflect and highlight the rough or negative patchesThis year has been busy like yours too This year has had its low points bet youve had a fewBUT THIS YEAR 2011 has also had many moments of laughter and joy. Were you there tooI bought my Mum a framed quote this yearIf I could reach out and touch a star for the amount of times you have made me smile this year I would hold the evening sky in the palm of my hands.So thank you to all those people who have made me smile this year on trainings in their schools in my schools the children my friends strangers on the street Its the smiles that make the year worthwhile.I am here to make you smile next year and on 31st December 2012 l... 2011-12-17 16:18:41 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#105792 Every minute of everyday is a learning opportunityIn work and playWhat with a busy Autumn 1 I almost forgot I was engaged Dont tell the Geordie PrinceSo did my mouth and my stomachI always like an extra layer for winter and its usually beneath my skin not the latest autumn collectionNovember alreadyStill nowhere near a size less as I had planned so its timeThe Soup dietMother of the bride has ordered and taken delivery of the soup maker machine not chef shame. She has set about buying and trying a range of assorted veg and fruit not sure pear and apple was quite my flavour.Join us this month as we go for 30 days has November and each day a new flavour to savour You can drink as much as you like Soup that is but only 2 slices bread during the day none at nightFruit is allowed not in pie though and no the cherry on top of your Belgian bun is not part of your 5 a dayA hearty porridge breakfast followed by soup glorious soupJoin me if only to giggle as I slosh and gurgle my way to a lower... 2011-11-1 12:34:58 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#104042 Zoom zoom wedding costs hit the moonOk quick wedding update nothing really has happenedWe booked a party venue for the return from abroad wedding celebration. The venue said is it a wedding I said no its a party to celebrate our wedding.They said its a wedding then and we have wedding rules.WHATWOOOOOAWith the word wedding came 163163163163163163I could not believe me the customer was going to have to follow RULES at my own wedding party And pay for that as wellThe Geordie prince looked down crest as I ranted on my Shonette soap box and when I eventually got down he said lets look elsewhereSo the wedding party venue hunt went wild venues here venues there venues everywhere.Some were booked some did not cook some did not look greatEventually we found a man who said I canHe did not add on wedding charges and now we feel like we have found the perfect place to celebratePhewWhat nextI am determined to tackle my ever increasing thighs I am back to Autumn boot camp. The only way for me not ... 2011-10-6 16:36:08 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#102396 Well have I got news for youIn June I got engaged to be marriedIn August I booked my weddingNow you know my theme is on a shoestring So I wanted to do my wedding on a shoestring too I have been married before and that dress ended up at the tipSo first the location I have a love for the island of Cyprus and so I have decided to tie the knot there The hotel I want said 1631000 online for a small wedding. Great I thought to my self as I googled my three bridesmaid dresses and got them for 16315 eachMy Fianc233 and I visited the hotel with its picturesque views and luxurious environment. Squeezing each others hands with excitement we flicked the prices brochure Lets just say a small wedding of 15 people was not a shoestring price They also informed us that they did not allow children having 6 between us that might be a problem as 3 are bridesmaids and 3 are the best menSo sitting on our beach well technically its not ours but it feels like it is we decided that perhaps a hotel wedding wa... 2011-9-12 18:21:33 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#95463 Bikini Boot Camp the story continues Its June the 1st 2011I have been a Bikini Boot camp member now for 6 weeks AND I am still going My body shape is starting to changeMy bottom has a muscle as Gordie says its the biggest muscle in your body mine is visibly the biggest muscle My clothes are fitting better and I am eating cake The thing I have found the hardest is not the Boot Camp itself although Gordie its hard its the self motivation when there are days I cant make training I have to self motivate go out on my own Without Gordie I cheat myself I think maybe later tomorrow and I am not feeling great. All these excuses are cheats On who Myself Gordie said when you working and you cant make training you need to run just 20 minsIf Gordie says I doSo I thought come on girl Laid my clothes out on floor set the alarm and had a serious word with myself about my bikini goal There are so many things in life like exercise that we dont like doing We put them off we fin excuses but when... 2011-6-4 12:57:43 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#94771 Bikini Boot CampWeek 1 I have tried them all have you Diets that is This year I have decided as I approach a 0 ending number that fitness needs to be a priority So I have joined a Boot Camp with Gordie the personal trainer. Its in a local park 3 times a week and I know I love outdoors but I have fallen in love with fitness outdoors. Day 1 It was a struggle to even get my trainers laced For many years my exercise has been dog walking Gordie informs me thats not fat burning exercise And cake eatingAs we ran for 3 minutes something I believed I could do I nearly lost all feeling in my legs At 21 minutes in I could actually feel body parts I never knew I hadGordie said at the end as my friend threw up in a nearby bush that we had done well to complete the full 75 minutes Day 2 Getting out of bed was hard Not because I was tired more because I ached top to toe The only part I found that did not hurt was my nose Day 3 Session 2 with Gordie took us on a different route I talked a... 2011-5-25 18:18:34 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#90503 Look upReallyLook up I recently went back to Dubai. Whilst walking in the sunshine I took some time to look up. Two things made that possible the towers gleaming in the sunshine different shapes and sizes reaching sky high and the second is the clean streets. You can walk without fear of tripping as your eyes scan the sky. On return to the UK I noticed the number of people who walk along in life looking down. There are people in our lives that drain us You know they pull the plug out at any point in the conversation and spiralsuck the very life out of you DOWN the plug into the drain. People who radiate in our lives the people we feel warmer for being with The radiators heat rises upward As Spring is sprung the chinks of blue sky make us look up after a long cold winter. I watched my children fly kites on the beach last week. Everyone who walked by looked up and smiled watching the kites sailing high in the sky. So look up walk tall ... 2011-3-29 18:45:08 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#90480 Is your life a daily celebration Someone died His name was Clive.Clive GottIt was a huge shock. Clive was an amazing man he ran he walked he jumped he danced he laughed he cried he was honest To pay tribute to this man would take 6 months of blogsOne of my favourite things about him was that he appreciated life.I enjoy the simple things in life in a busy day its hard to appreciate that cup of tea or that daffodil blowing in the breeze. Clive came on a family picnic to a seaside castle. It was the end of April and freezing The seagulls the sea breeze the taste of the homemade pasties were all fully appreciated by this world traveller. As I sat in his favourite caf233 in Dubai watching the tallest tower twinkle high in the sky. I thought about Clive and how much he lived.He did not worry so much about things he believed in kindness and karma. We watched the bucket list at pictures together and spent many hours making our li... 2011-3-12 15:25:38 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#85947 I dont want to go on Happy New Year againDid you stick to what you really wanted to achieve Yes Well done No Ask yourself this When you decide to do something anything l ose weight write a book join a club What do you say I want to try to I did I say I want to try to lose weight. I lost 2llb first week second week hit hard times third week You know the story I was only trying and thus setting myself up for low performance I have looked around over January for the successful those achieving their goals and do you know they were few and far between but what I saw was the motivational language difference. My friend who is succeeding at losing weight says she is determined to lose her weight. My friend who is taking up a Masters degree says they are determined to achieve their goal. Its simply the difference between determined and trying. What are you determined to do Shall we change our wording and get to our goals I am determined if you are. Yours determinedly.......... 2011-2-1 17:53:32 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#83822 Since November 2010 when the big freeze hit my screen wash has been frozen Everyday I have tugged the lever to no screen wash After 4 weeks and many stops on the hard shoulder I learned to live without it and wish for spray from a lorry. I even spent large part of December on our rail network and was never disappointed in fact had a number of adventures and met some amazing people even talked on the tube My point and lets make it quick As I drove to Newcastle at the end of December suddenly I realised the temperature was 5 above freezing and with hope in my heart I flicked the wind screen washer and there it squirted onto my screen and I watched happily as the windscreen wipers danced merrily through the spray. It was at this point I realised how often we take simple everyday actions for granted. We also had a power cut for 7 hours and my children learned that you can flush the toilet but your iPod will not charge How much do we take for granted Who ... 2011-1-4 10:08:53 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#79254 Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Egypt to train teachers in the Modern English Speaking school. I was extremely excited having never been to Cairo or Egypt for that matter. Most of all I was excited to see the pyramids. I have often watch documentaries on TV about them and marvelled from a behind the 2D box over the design and mystery that surrounds them. So to see them up close even perhaps to go inside I chose my outfits carefully as Egypt is a Muslim country and had my toenails specially minxed gold Attention to detail On the day of my trip to the pyramids I sat in the lobby awaiting my guide with a butterfly gathering of excitement that I was going to see one of the seven wonders of the world and as I bumped along in our coach down the traditional streets of Cairo and along the Nile my guide told me she was taking me not to the usual tourist spots but out into the desert to see the pyramids in their real glory amidst the vastness of the desert sands. There it stood ... 2010-11-1 19:19:39 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#77036 Enjoy Talking in fact BIG talk itTo MHRS Manchester England Airport GMSubject Wednesday 30th June 2010 Dear Robert My name is Shonette Bason I am an educational consultant for Andrell Education. I am writing to tell you about the most divine dining experience I have experienced in a long time and it was in your Marriot Hotel at Manchester airport Hale. On Wednesday I was running a training in the stable room ... At lunch we went down to the Marriots restaurant and were greeted by the hotels waiter Michael. He made everyone feel a million dollars by claiming out loud to have had his day made by serving this lovely group of ladies. He made sure he described all the delights on offer and we felt pampered and special by his excellent manner. I was so amazed by his excellent technique that after the lunch I decided we should use our morning session to TALK out the experience and write down sentences to describe to Michael how the experience and made us feel. The de... 2010-10-4 15:31:52 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#77034 Read all about it Shonette Bason Leaves Teaching in the Classroom I know can you believe it I Shonette Bason have left the classroom for a trial period as a full time motivational consultanttrainer I made the decision for a number of reasons and it was a hard choice as if you know me I LOVE the practical aspect of teaching combined with the consultant aspect one day a week. However over the past year the demand for my training and work across the country and indeed THE WORLD has become huge so I have decided to step out as they say. In the summer term 2010 I jumped for joy at the thought of no more assessment prep prep and toilet habit cleaning On Day 1 of the Autumn term I cried all the way to Liverpool and back at the thought of not being able to have my own class and in a dramatic voice no working with children I have waited to be a few weeks in to write my blog as I wanted to see how I felt and you will be pleased to know I have a new light on my role I am going out into the... 2010-9-30 15:26:23 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#69133 Thinking of something this July Wow is it July alreadyAnother school year is nearly overPhew we made itSo much has happened since my last blog I am not sure quite where to begin the beginning I hear you cry and youre right so June is my Birthday month and I sailed through with pride but I am approaching a zero ended number and it makes you think A lovely school friend died tragically and I attended her funeral. That certainly made me think I was filmed for Teachers TV and that made me think Ben Harding taught me how to teach maths in the most amazing way called CLIC. His inspiration made me think I trained over 100 people this month and learned so many new things. Every minute makes me think I was moderated That made me think So much thinking in such a short space of time My point is Throughout all the thinking I focused my mind to creating a good feeling inside hard in some of the circumstances but the better the internal feeling the better the external view became. I ... 2010-7-1 13:05:45 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#66993 OH NO I forgot it was May and then suddenly June was upon me Have you been lost in the sands of time tooI missed you already My excuse for not writing to youSimply Hard work Do I need to say the words moderation OFSTED Teachers TV Reports My Life... Sorry life whats that Is that the weary bit at the very end of the day where I want to sleep but that sensible voice in my head says Go on do just one more ... Report This term is the most fabulous weather wise but the hardest work. Your to do list seems endless but the end is once more in sight Russell C. Taylor Quotes Hard WorkI have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough we must apply. Being willing is not enough we must do So as we speed through June and into July we must as Russell says... do do do do ... do do do you feel a song coming on For those of you who want dance motivation check out Dizzee Rascals new song dirty disco brilliant for dance and movement activities. See you in July I am right wi... 2010-6-4 12:23:42 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#66989 Oh Where Oh Where has my Dolly gone Sometimes in your life youre downSometimes in your life youre down and things spiral even further... downward Sometimes in your life your friends and relations are downSometimes when they are down their life spirals even further... downward Its so true when we are down at the bottom everything looks bleak then more of the same happens to make bleak seem colourful Have I got you down there in empathy yet Well I am not down Yeah But lots of people in my life have down been recently and my advice to them Simply Get back up Get back up Thats it you cry No really lift yourself on a daily basis through music dance and song. Take time when youre down to play some music you love blast it Lay back Or dance around go on... try it no one is watching When you take this time your mood lifts and your perspective and all of a sudden things start happening. A friend and I went on a night out to cheer her up we stayed in a hotel had time getting ready and n... 2010-6-4 12:02:28 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#64430 Happy holidays As a teacher holidays are a perk of the job. How many times do people remark about how many holidays teachers have I always laugh it off and say I know its great isnt it No point in arguing when we get more than most This holiday I asked my children where they would like to go Dont ever do thatThey said they would like to go to BlackpoolSO to compromise and take the dogs with us too I booked a cottage in the country just outside Blackpool. The weather for the week was spectacular the food delicious the cottage gorgeous. As the week went by I jotted down some notes as the children described the best bits of each day Day 1 was arcade day The best bits were the tummy in the mouth moment as the ride tips over the edge The sensation of freshly cooked chips and the taste of a full English breakfast The rosy cheeks from sea air and sea weary feeling when you get home. Day 2 was water park dayThe sun rising over the horse fields in a bright blue sky Washing drying on the ... 2010-4-21 14:36:43 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#60174 My big fat early years wedding sorry conference In February 2009 I was sat thinking about the people who inspired me on my learning journey. I thought of Anne Cradock who inspired me in my physical development skills and introduced me to Andy Dalziell. I thought of Lorraine Patterson and her magic wood in Lucker. Dr Jan who makes me think about talking I thought of Clive Davies who inspired me to Learning Challenges and introduced me to Ben Harding In life I believe there are some people who you are destined to meet for a reason. I wanted the North East region to meet people who inspired me so that they to could be inspired on their journey. So I thought how about a celebration day with all these people with Helen on admin bookings and location finder it became reality. On Tuesday 26th February all of the above people Ben will be there next year came to Durham for a one day conference celebrating Early Years within our region. My vision f... 2010-3-9 19:05:24 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#57966 Minds are like parachutesThey only work when they are openThomas Dewar Would you believe this quote came out of my Christmas cracker The year I turned Thirty it seems so far away now I decided to do a tandem parachute jump in Cyprus It was the most exhilarating feeling dropping from a plane and freefalling then suddenly the chute opens and silence falls as you sail through the air The instructor strapped to me kept me right the whole time and having the experience together made a bond so strong. When I landed he lent across and said we made it together girl YES I felt the relief to have made it too Together Its great to work alone to create independent self empowered visions but tandem work is far more fun. Cocreating occurs everywhere in life an it is often these moments that make us smile or laugh out loud. Not LOL but really together out loud. Over Christmas I had the pleasure of meeting another inspirational consultant called Ben Harding as we cocreated some exciting i... 2010-2-3 11:36:59 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#55460 Winds and Wands Wings if we had wings we would fly to the personsituation that troubles us.Wands if we had magic wands we would wave the wand over the person or situation that troubles us.But we have neither.What do we do have is a seed of faith in the source of universeGodOnly a small seed granted but a seed of trust and as we trust the universeWith our faltering seed she will respond in the right time and space sequence.Until that time you have my hand to holdBy P.P. A simple poem for January 2010 January is a tough month for everyone back to work blues lack of cash tax bills to pay whole six weeks till we are off again BUT it is also the start of not just a New year but a whole new decadeWhat are your hopes for the next ten yearsDo you have any challenges for yourselfHow old will you be in ten years and what would you like to look likeDont waste your seed on bird food Sow it this month and see what you can create. Visualisation of your dreams is the first... 2010-1-4 15:45:25 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#53738 Do you believe Its that magical time of year where teachers all over this land are tearing their hair out trying to get their class into some sort of show for parentscarers to celebrate Christmas. I myself began the task yesterday 28th November my key workers cried Its too late to knock them into shape But I have a duty a time honoured tradition to impart. All my 82 parentscarers are waiting for the Christmas show date So its for parentscarers everywhere I attempt the task of producing the Christmas show Do you remember your child appearing in their school show Dressed as a donkey or with a tea towel on their head as shepherd Was it a moment you will always cherish Especially as they become teenagers Even the toughest of parents has a glory moment as their child treads the boards in the name of Christmas. It literally melts hearts. I remember helping one of our builders get much sought after tickets to his daughters final Christmas show at primary school. I called the sch... 2009-12-1 12:04:43 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#51880 The ticking ticking hands of time Already the shops are full of Christmas Do they not know that with every sight and sound of Christmas season approaching the heart of the Early Years practitioner beats faster because they know they soon have the dreaded task of turning their classes of 3 to 5 year olds into cute nativity characters Over half term I had the pleasure of spending time with my family in a far away town in the sunshine. It was time well spent everyone took a turn being poorly but recovered quickly so as not to miss a day at the pool Whilst I took time out from my busy work schedule I pondered the modern worlds desire for quality time ME time US time and stumbled upon a theory. When I was little I enjoyed my friends my toys and my imagination. I never expected my Mum to play with me nor did I ever look for our quality time together. She thankfully gave me two brothers to play with when I turned five so I had ready and willing playmates. As an adul... 2009-11-3 10:30:25 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#50127 Sorry if you missed me in September but it was back to school crazy month for me I am working right across the country now so look out I may be coming to a venue near you very soon. This month I did something I never thought in my wildest dreams I would ever do Let me set the scene its my youngest sons birthday and I asked him the fatal question what would you like for your Birthday. He replied in that sweet child voice all I really want is to see Manchester United play at Manchester United or Lego Firstly let me tell you we dont live in Manchester and secondly I know nothing about footballNot one to leave birthday dreams in the bin I headed to the trusty internet. Do you know how hard it is to get tickets to games at Old Trafford now I know thats where they play Someone told me you needed a Manchester United Season ticket holder. So I put it out there to the universe and every time I had a spare minute I imagined receiving two tickets to the game. Yes you guessed right a week ... 2009-10-6 20:36:50 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#45737 My childrens little red bucket. Last month I wrote about my childrens fishing adventure have a look at Junes Blog. Whilst they were knee deep in water and scooping handfuls of tiny fish they kept asking me for a bucket Now we had not intended to fish and although my handbag has many Mummy essentials I dont really carry a bucket as one of those My children all believe in The Secret and magnetising is a term they are familiar with in fact they regularly magnetise for desired outcomes with great success. But magnetising a bucket in the middle of a waterfall in a woodland park We all laughed and put the wish out there and I moved to a bench to allow them time to fish. A little while later they all appeared proud as punch with a red sandcastle bucket full to brim of fish I was so surprised and asked them where did you get the bucket from. They explained that another family had come along with a big bucket and a small bucket to fish in the falls and had offered them the smaller... 2009-7-28 14:36:03 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#45736 As this month flew by in terms of work load I nearly missed my own Birthday I was struggling this year with turning another year older as 40 is fast approaching and its not that I think 40 is old but its the fact that time flies and at certain points in your life you wake up to the fact that youre a certain age and not getting any younger My children are obviously growing older too and its that time in their lives where I feel like a taxi and housekeeper rather than a Yummy Mummy Their busy lives keep me busy but its important to make time and often our quality time involves walking. This particular weekend I had taken them to a local woodland park and they all dashed off in front. As I turned the corner there they all were shoes off and trousers rolled up knee deep in a waterfall scooping handfuls of water screaming FISH FISH. They were so happy and absorbed in catching fish that the moment made me smile so wide. I forgot about work load to do lists and any other business an... 2009-6-28 14:31:09 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#40909 May What are you grateful for I am grateful for you logging onto my site and reading my blog this month so thank you. May Really already My book you will be pleased to know is finished Outdoor learning on a shoestring will be available on a bookshelf near you soon. What a project what an opportunity that I only dreamed of when I was five years old. So I am thankful to have met Helen Gordon Anna MicheleHantler and George Robinson who all mysteriously linked to me having the book published. This year already I have been witness to several stories of friends and family who have had the big C yes cancer. It has made me really think about how lucky I am to have these people and the healthier people in my life and how often due to time and that busy word we forget to tell people we are grateful for them just being around or just by us simply being grateful for our lives. I recently sponsored a friend from my past she is running in the race for life and her dedication o... 2009-5-2 11:44:50 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#39256 April 2009 blog I love Disneys Aladdin in fact my oldest daughter Jasmine is named after Princess Jasmine Everyone loves the idea of having wishes in the story. Aladdin finds the lamp and to his surprise when he rubs it a genie comes out and grants him three wishes. At this point you immediately think what would I do with my three wishes In the original story there was no limit to the amount of wishes Imagine that unlimited wishes Where would you start What would you choose differently in your life Part of The Secret is creating the life you want. One of the items on most peoples wish list would be money. Either larger amounts or just simply creating more in your life. One of the games I play to give you a healthier attitude to money therefore attracting more is called the bank of abundance simply create a bank of abundance in an empty notebook and on the first day deposit 1631000. Then spend it on anything you want. The next day deposit 1632000 and spend it give it awa... 2009-4-5 20:21:22 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#38670 Marchs Blog 2009 Do you ever have days that spiral out of control You get out of bed and stub your toe Drop your favourite cup Burn your toast On the way to work you see one magpie get stuck in traffic when you NEED to be there early and when you get there you cant get a parking space Ever had one of these days After reading the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne I have less and less of these days but every now again one creeps in I think its about our busy levels I know when I am full of busy my stress levels rise spiral out of control almost and with it the day. I now look on the traffic and the stubbed toe as reminders from life to calm down. Take a breath. A recent day was spiralling out of control when I had been up in the night with one of my children poorly I had to set off extra early to avoid busy traffic and ended up fifteen minutes late and stuck in traffic As the traffic ground to a halt my stress levels rose and my phone shut down for no reason I took a depth breath as ... 2009-3-15 20:46:17 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#37340 Februarys blog 2009 I always find myself in bed early in the months of January and February is it the dark nights or that human need to hibernate when the hours of sunlight are few and far between No its because being outside during the day exploring the world through the eyes of three four five year olds wears you out My fitness has been an issue and my weight has been spiralling upwards for sometime so this month I made the adult decision to do something about it. There are so many diets on the market but the one I chose seems extreme to most and they are not wrong Anyway which every form of weight loss road you choose to take on my road it was extremely uphill in fact it was like climbing a glacier at times Through the first fourteen dark days I struggled miserably wanting at times to chew on a table leg I suddenly realised in the darkness that I ate a lot more than I thought. After twenty one days my energy levels have raised what I thought was the need to hibernate was in... 2009-2-11 17:34:04 http://www.shonettebason.com/page14.htm#35121 January Gossip Happy New Year Hope your Christmas was as fabulous as mine If not let me tell you it was the best one had in five years January January and you sit thinking well shall I diet Shall I give up something I been reading this Christmas and I have decided I carry far too much baggage with me if my house looked like my emotional baggage I would clear out bag it all and bin it So that is what I have decided to do this New year bag the past and bin it. A fresh start for 2009 a clean slate Why not So my wonderful web guy T is clearing out the gossip section letting go of old ghosts in a cyber way I am setting myself learning challenges this year some I will define for myself others will just appear to me and do you know what It feels really exciting. What do I hope to achieve by clearing out Space Space for the new to hoe and mow and creativity to grow. A space from which happiness will flow. So Happy 2009 A year where the road is open and so is my... 2009-1-17 15:08:05