So it's that time of the year again to start making some New Years resolutions. Lets look back at 2014...

In January I decided I had to get a job closer to home, the hour and a half drive to work, and back, was getting me down. In March I had my first interview and was successful in getting a temporary part time job 2 miles from home. I had to wait until the middle of May to start my new job which drove me crazy.

At the end of March my other half and I went on holiday to Southern Ireland and I discovered I liked Jamesons whiskey! During a tour of the Jamesons distillery in Cork I was brave and put my hand up when they asked for some female whiskey testers. A group of us tried a whiskey from America, Scotland and some Jamesons. I really didn't like Jack Daniels! My other half gave me a bottle of Jamesons for Christmas!

I vowed that when I started my new job that I would return to FitSteps. I love FitSteps as strictly come dancing is one of my favourite programmes but dance classes require dancing with a partner. FitSteps doesn't! I am glad I went back and I intend to go every week I can in 2015.

I have been to the cinema lots more this year thanks to odeon for building a multiplex in our city! As yet I haven't paid full price for a film as I have mostly been to their 'senior screen' with my mum (neither of us are seniors!). It's only £3 for the film with a drink and a biscuit! We have see the likes of The Railway Man, Mandela, Chef, Pride and many more. I will have to book Thursdays off in the new year to go now I am working on that day.

Last month I was finally offered a full time permanent job following an interview! I was getting a bit down as I felt I was doing good interviews but not being selected. So I'm glad I had an early Christmas present with this one and I am looking forward to starting at the end of January.

My other half and I started a new business in November called Humblebee Gift Company, selling tea and coffee gifts at Christmas fayres. We are currently working on a new website which will launch towards the end of January.

I have a few more things to look forward to in 2015. Firstly Kaiser Chiefs in February, then a wedding in April and our holiday to Orlando in May. All of which I need to lose weight for... Diet starts tomorrow??

I hope there will be plenty more things to look forward to as well.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year.

Jenna

I love this little makeup bag my friend brought me back from her trip to Thailand. The little elephants are so cute! It was one of a few international gifts she gave me for Christmas, as her job means she gets to visit some interesting countries at times.

I have been looking for something to pop in my handbag to store all those little things I can't live without, like my lip salve, perfume and headache tablets. It will also be handy for my travels to put the smaller things in that I need on the plane like ear phones, tissues, wet wipes and probably more headache tablets! The mirror will come in very useful too!

What do you have with you in your hand luggage on a long flight?

Jenna

Back in October I had a nomination to answer 11 questions put to me and a few more bloggers by Lynne at Dorothy Camper. I have to apologise greatly for taking so long to get round to answering them! In the new year I will try to come up with 11 questions of my own to pass on to others. Until then here are my answers:

1.  Why did you start your blog?

I started my blog because I wanted to share all the things I go through when I am building up to a holiday but it has become a bit more than that now!

2.  Describe yourself in three words?

A quiet enigma.

3.  What's a typical day like in your life?

My typical day does depend on the day of the week! If I am working it will be mostly get up and ready for work, do a day, come home and work on setting up our own business. If I am not working I will be working on our own business which is almost ready to launch! Super excited!

4.  When are you at your happiest?

I am happiest when I am on holiday and I can forget about my real life for just a while.

5.  If you were any character in a movie, who would you be?

I'm not sure on this one. Maybe I would be Fran in Strictly Ballroom as I love dancing.

6.  What is your most treasured possession?

I'm not sure I have a most treasured possession. I'm going to say my family.

7.  Where is your favourite place?

My favourite place is Fowey in Cornwall. I have been holidaying there for more than half my life and it feels like a home from home.

8.  How would you describe your personal style?

My personal style I would say is classic or comfy! Right now I am in hoody and jeans but I love it when I can wear boots, black trousers, jumper and a classic style winter coat.

9.  What is your favourite food?

My favourite food is Mexican. I am a vegetarian so I love the different ways veg and beans can be spiced up without being spicy, and also churros for dessert!

10.  Who were your childhood heroes?

My granddads were my childhood heroes. They were always teaching me and my sister new things like throwing a hula hoop so that it would roll back to you and different card games. My mums dad died when I was 14, aged only 64, from a long standing illness and I miss him greatly still. Fortunately my dads dad is still going strong aged well into his 80's!

11.  If you could change any one thing about yourself, what would it be and why?

I would change my laziness so that I would do more of the things I put off and then regret!

I hope everyone has had a fab Christmas and I wish you all a lovely new year!

I didn't post my weigh in last week because I thought the same story would be a bit repetitive. I stayed the same. So I thought I would wait until this week to see if there was any change. Nope. ️

I can't believe that someone can stay the same weight for so long! I'd expect a little bit of variance in the quarter pound at least.

I'm off to Cornwall on Friday so hopefully I can post a few more blogs and answer the questions I've been set.

Until then here is a photo of my cat pinching my chair! How is anyone ment to get any work done?!

Loss: +/- 0

To date: -4 3/4lbs

Ok, are my scales broken? Surely you cannot stay exactly the same weight every week?

I didn't make it to FitSteps last week because of a family meal on Tuesday night and babysitting Thursday night. I should have done something else on the other nights to make up for it, but I didn't! Although I did have Miranda Hart's Maracattack DVD for Christmas which I have yet to watch - I mean do! Right, it is going on my Must Do list. Watch this space!

Also, I haven't cycled for a while. For some reason I feel a bit anxious about it. I'm not the most confident cyclist and roads, roundabouts and traffic lights scare me, meaning I have to take quite an obscure route to work and back! I must get back on and build up my confidence.

I'm still having my SlimFast but I guess the 3 course meal out, and that Dominos pizza hasn't helped my cause... Oops!

Right. Concentrate. Focus. Christmas is coming. I need to network and get myself a support group. If you want to be part of my support group or can offer me any cheap weight loss ideas let me know!

How many interviews does someone have to go through before they actually get offered a job?

Although we are setting up our own business I currently only work part time doing basic administration. I'm not used to a part time wage, and not being able to do the things I would like to because I don't have the money. Our Orlando holiday needs to be paid off in January and I haven't saved a penny for it. I have also backed out of a Christmas meal because I know I don't really have the money, and when you add drinks and the taxi home that's way more than I've got.

So far I have applied for 6 jobs and got 6 interviews. I'm pretty good at writing application forms! Also I don't apply for just any random jobs. I apply for things I feel I can do and have the qualifications or experience for.

My first interview was going well until I was ask a question which I hadn't researched. At that point I knew they wouldn't be offering it to me. I'd missed a basic rule of researching the post.

My second interview was with Next. Well to be fair it wasn't really an interview. They invited me in for training, I did two shifts and they sent me my P45. My second shift I forgot my phone, which had my clocking in details on. I asked a manager for my details and they said to just clock in on the manual in/out sheet. I was never paid the right hours for those 2 shifts, even the one I clocked in properly for.

My 3rd interview was a telephone interview with Debenhams and I got a 2nd interview at the store. I thought I did well. But I forgot to bring my proof of right to work in the UK, my passport. I never heard back from them.

My 4th interview was for a basic data entry job. I knew the manager in passing so I thought I had a good shot at getting it. It was something I had done before in a different role and I thought the interview went ok. Obviously not. Never heard from them.

My 5th interview was again a telephone interview, this time for a travel company. I thought I would have a go at working as a travel agent again after 10 years. She sounded positive about my interview. She said she didn't want to get my hopes up but she was sure I would be invited back for a 2nd interview, she just had to discuss with the recruiting manager first. Yesterday I got a rejection email. I'm obviously not cut out for the minimum wage retail jobs.

So on Tuesday I have interview number 6. This is a job I really like the sound of and it is a job where they provide training for you to progress. It is part time again but the base pay is £2k more than what I am on now. I don't have the qualification they need but I have worked with something sort of similar. I am really nervous and I am putting myself down. They probably have someone in mind already. There are lots of people who already have the base qualification they need (I personally know several people who do) but you have to work in a certain field to get it, you can't just sign up for the course. I am wondering if I will be waisting my time. I don't know what to do or say that will put me ahead of the other candidates.

I have never been great at interviews. At least 3 times I have been the 2nd choice, only getting the job because the 1st person turned it down. I am better than I was, having more experience behind me that I can draw from to answer questions rather than just sitting there in stunned silence being unable to think up an answer. However my anxiety sometimes gets a hold of me and I forget the obvious bits of the answer, waffling my way round in the hope it will come to me. Only later do I think 'why didn't I say that!'.

So if anyone out there has some great interview tips they want to share please let me know and cross your fingers for me!

Loss: +/- 0

To date: -4 3/4lbs

"I'll take that" is what my boyfriend said when I told him I'd stayed the same weight. 

There was a lack of healthy meals last week and there was cake, and more cake.

I went for a job interview which messed up my eating. The interview was in the middle of the day so I had my SlimFast breakfast but my nerves stopped me from having anything else. When I came out of the interview I was starving so I drove to a shop to see if they had SlimFast to go. They didn't but they had goodness shakes on offer so I got one of those instead, and a Crispello, oops. When I eventually go home after picking up more party decorations (and a helium canister! Such fun!) my anxiety picked up again as I was due to get a call if I had got the job. Time passed, the call never came and my mood hit a low. 

My low lasted into the next day. I went to the cinema with my Mum again. We watched Chef. I'd never seen it advertised when it was on originally but it was a really good light hearted film. A good Sunday afternoon type film. Again I hadn't planned on lunch and as it was a wet and horrible day (we got soaked walking from the car to the cinema) my mum suggested a jacket potato so I joined in. I then searched for the right coloured balloons and waterproof LED tea lights.  Then I wound up having chips for tea instead of SlimFast. Willpower at an all time low.

I can't remember what we ate Friday night! We spent the evening cutting up letters for the party bunting and getting flowers. Then we picked up a free TV with surround sound. By this time it was quite late and after a failed attempt to get a pizza from Sainsbury's we decided on something to eat...?!

The next day was party day. After a small charity errand where I met Kate Bliss, local antique celebrity (for the 2nd time, 1st time was about 7 years ago when she met my manager, her good friend, at my old work place, which as of last week is now a pile of rubble). Sorry I digress. We finished off the bunting and took everything to the venue. This was the 1st time I had seen the venue and my 1st thought was 'I don't think I've got enough decorations'! However when we made the centrepieces up and put everything out it looked just right! To celebrate we ate cake...

The party went well. Everyone kept complementing me on the decorations but I felt guilty as it wasn't just me who did them. I hope they complemented the others too! Two bottles of Bulmers, food, more cake and a shared taxi home made for a late start the next day and a lunch round the in-laws to be. 

Not the best diet week. So as my other half said about me remaining the same weight - I'll take that!

Loss: +1 1/4lbs

To date: -4 3/4lbs

I knew that would happen. It was too good a weight loss last week for me to sustain. I would have loved to have made it to a half a stone loss this week but I have taken one step back instead.

I'm not giving up though. This week I am upping my exercise by walking the 2 miles to work, and back, and returning to FitSteps now I am almost 100% recovered from my cold.

I know I am my own worst enemy. I could have got to that half a stone this week if I had put a little more effort in, if I hadn't have had that Dominos stuffed crust pizza or Nando's beanie pitta with chips. Or the chocolate. However as you will know if you have read my previous posts, I like my food and I am not giving it up completely!

This is going to be a long journey, especially with winter fast approaching. Comfort food will be shouting over the salads and takeaways will be more and more temping as the temperature and my energy and willpower levels drop.

Willpower is the hardest thing for me. If I want chocolate I will have to have chocolate. It will be the only thing on my mind regardless of what I do to try to let the craving pass. I can read a book and not actually read a page because I am thinking about chocolate. I can down a glass of water and still want chocolate. I can have something else sweet but I will still want chocolate. Go for a walk, have a nap, play bejewelled and I will still want chocolate. I had half a tootsie roll because I wanted chocolate and there was none in the house. I still wanted chocolate. So if I want chocolate I will have it, but I will have a treat sized bar instead and pray my willpower will stop me from having another from the pack.

Hopefully next week I will be back on track...

Starting a business is exciting but difficult.

We are currently trying to put prototypes together of what we want to sell but getting the items isn't easy. 


Getting honest feedback from family and friends on something you think is great, only to be told that the items are wrong or the packaging is wrong is a little disheartening. However this made me feel, we have to take these comments on board to get the right product and for our business to work.


The next day I did a rehash of the prototype taking the comments on board and this time got some great feedback! Just a couple of tweaks needed which hopefully some of our outstanding samples will solve and it will be a beautiful product.


We have bought our website domain name and have uploaded a 'coming soon' landing page with our logo. Now we need to get our head around web hosting. I'm a bit reluctant to pay a monthly fee for a company to host our site until we have done a few test runs at Fayres in our local community and selling through Facebook. I want to know our product will sell before spending time and money creating an amazing website. For now I'd like an 'about us' page and a 'contact us' page directing potential customers to our Facebook page, where hopefully we will pick up sales to fund our webpage.


This weekend we are going to work on our business plan, now that we have a better idea of costings, with the hope of applying for a start up loan to help us get funds to launch our product to the masses.


The journey continues...


Any advice regarding starting up a business is most defiitely welcome!