Without being able to go into too much detail - yesterday I was supposed to be heading into Central London to do a day of filming for a big UK TV Channel - it had been in the diary for a few weeks, Liam had booked the day off work, the production company had paid all my fees and travel expenses, my case was packed, and I was ready to hit the big smoke for an exciting opportunity to be part of a new TV show pilot.
Then at 10pm the night before with my case packed, hair straightened and outfits ironed I got a text to say that one of the presenters was sick, and the whole day had to be cancelled and re-scheduled last minute. Talk about burst my bubble! The poor production company were in a dreadful position, and were so stressed - having to call round 12+ participants at 10pm on a Sunday night is not a cool job, bless them.
I was mega gutted as I was so looking forward to such a different experience, and a fun day out in London. However, my train to London was all booked and paid for, Liam still had the day off work to look after Bert, and I'd made plans to meet a lovely friend of mine in the evening (after filming) for dinner, as she is London-based...and I really didn't want to also miss out on seeing her...so we re-jigged our plans, and instead decided to meet up for Afternoon Tea and go on for evening drinks in the city, instead of dinner. Anyone who knows me well will know that Afternoon Tea is one of my favourite things to do ever (being able to eat multiple cakes for lunch/dinner - who wouldn't LOVE THAT!)
So, with my spirits lifted, I headed to London, and enjoyed a joyous 40 minute train journey of uninterrupted crocheting! Before walking the hour from St Pancras to Lancaster Gate by Hyde Park where I met my gorgeous friend Rhia for lots of chattering & cake. Perfect.
Make up on, spirits lifted, heading to London for fun with a good friend
Yesterday really taught me about making the best of a situation, grabbing the bull by it's horns so to speak, and the true spirit of being kind to myself (one of my New Year Goals) ... I had the most wonderful day, and being with beautiful, positive friends like Rhia, who i have so much in common with, makes me more sure of how lucky I am to have great people in my life, and even more determined to steer clear of those who drag me down.
Hehehe how we giggled...Rhia and I are so similar - we were offered this awesome case of every single type of tea you could hope to drink and we both chose....English Breakfast Tea! Ha! The original - the best!
Our Afternoon Tea was yummy, and was the perfect backdrop to a huge girlie chin-wag - we even got a glass of prosecco each to start our afternoon/evening off in style! Rhia is also an actress by trade, she too has one little boy, and with our joint passions for crafting, baking, TV & film, we had so much to talk about!
Afternoon Tea for 2 at The Elizabeth Lancaster Gate, Hyde Park
CAKE!!!!
Gorgeous Rhia and I
Good friends, good times....
After hours of chattering over cake, we felt we may have slightly over-stayed our welcome, and at around 6pm we headed to a local hotel bar for a naughty gin & tonic, to round off our evening nicely!
Gin & Nuts....the perfect end to a truly lovely day!
Yesterday, taught me that when I'm concentrating on being good to myself, when I'm putting myself first, and 'being kind to myself' in every sense of the word it makes the world of difference to my state of mind - just a few hours 'off' - away from nappy changes, cooking dinner, loading dishwashers and hanging out washing, away from Mega Bloks and singing cuddly ducks...I feel renewed, I remember that I'm a fun and interesting person in my own right, that I like my own company, that train journeys can be enjoyed, books can be read, crafting can be completed, long conversations with friends can be had uninterrupted by little people- but as a busy mum I have to MAKE TIME for all of those other parts of myself.
I also managed to have a day of balance in terms of one of my other goals this year, which is to reach my 10 stone weight goal. With 10 lbs left to lose at my last weigh in on Friday, and having maintained that weight without a loss for the past month, this week saw a new determination in me to shift a few pounds, and get myself closer to my weight target. Of course, an Afternoon Tea wasn't going to help matters, but I made the most of my free day, my lack of children, and my sheer bloody determination, and apart from the 40 minute fast train from Bedford-St Pancras I walked everywhere else. By the time I arrived home at 11pm last night I had walked around 13 miles in total and for 3 hours and 40 minutes in time. That burnt off my Afternoon Tea and put me under my calorie goal for the day - SCORE!
Today, I feel renewed and ready to be the best mum I can manage to Bert, the best and most supportive wife I can be for Liam, and I feel content with my lovely, lucky life.
This year I am determined to be the healthiest, happiest version of Mrs Bishop I can possibly be.
Sending happy hugs
Mrs B
xxx