It’s the little things 30/05/16

It’s the little things that make me want to grin like the Chesire Cat, bounce like Tigger and put on my best Minnie Mouse shoes.

Check out what’s put a smile on my face this week.

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Stretching my creativity bone again, adding quotes to my photographs
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My daughter’s tasty creation
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A night away in a brand spanking new boutique hotel (more details to follow soon)
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Enjoying cocktails in the sun at The High Field
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Having a giggle in the Ice cave in Birmingham. Click here if you want to see us rave!!

This week has been a real blast.

Enjoy the bank holiday (fingers and toes crossed for some sun) and have a fabulous week to come, full of little things to make you smile or bounce like a creature from a story book too!

Sunshine and smiles,

Nicky xo

Did I hear you ask for more quotes?

Three delicious nuggets of wisdom to satisfy your cravings.

Day three has arrived.

If you’ve only recently surfaced and are bemused, baffled and unsure what’s going on – check out Day One and Day Two of The Three Day Quote Challenge and you’ll be brought right up to speed.

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Everything has a purpose, a reason to be here – including you.

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This is my absolute favourite quote. Be true to yourself at all times. You know yourself better than anyone – listen to your heart. What is it telling you?

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Enjoy where you’re at. Be happy right now. Time flies and moments don’t last so hold onto the good ones with both hands and enjoy life when you can, where you are.

Three more blogs I’d like you to check out:

Susan Bruck

The Aarav Blog

Amy Quite Contrary

I hope these last three posts have inspired you to carry a little positivity in your pocket and sprinkle the good vibes around like confetti,

xo

3 more quotes to inspire you

If you’re a little late to the party and wondering what this is all about – check out yesterday’s post for a little insight.

Here are three more quotes to inspire and motivate you for Day 2:

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Don’t do anything half heartedly. Give it your all, be extraordinary, be fully engaged and present and be known for it.

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How is your frame of mind today? What things do you see? Are you being as positive as you can and focusing on all the good stuff around you?

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Notice the small things in your life that make a big difference. Your favourite coffee mug…the perfect colour nail polish…your hair went into placed perfectly first time. It can be anything – just start noticing the little things that make your day a little brighter.

Here are three more amazing bloggers I invite to join me in this challenge:

I am my own Island

Teen Girl meets World

Music Teacher Lifestyle

Have a calm, focused day filled with a plethora of little things that will make you want to smile,

xo

The Three Day Quote Challenge

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Thankyou to B.G from Getting Through Anxiety for sending me a challenge that includes quotes. I was always going to say yes to this one (if you follow me on Instagram and Facebook you will understand!)

You should check out B.G’s blog. She writes about her experiences with anxiety and her blog is full of really helpful advice and insights, book reviews and cute drawings…oh and of course, quotes!

So, the rules are pretty simple; post 3 quotes, for 3 days in a row. You also have to invite 3 bloggers to join the challenge each day too.

Here are my 3 quotes for Day 1:

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Let’s start with a really positive one – I believe this intently. Happy girls are also easy to be around, charming, full of life and project good vibes to all who are near.

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We do, don’t we? For just one day stay focused, calm and enjoy the day, however it turns out.

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I said that. Be you, wherever you are, whatever you do. Amazing people don’t waste energy comparing this story to someone else’s. And. You. Are. Amazing.

Here are the 3 bloggers I invite to join me in this challenge:

24 Hours in Today

Rosypop

Nina Speaks

Wishing you all a day filled with kind words and heart felt compliments,

xo

 

 

 

Observing kindness all around you

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Week 2 of the kindness challenge was to notice kindness going on around you.

I’m a positive person so my mind is naturally wired to look for the good stuff anyway – but I was pleasantly surprised at just how much good stuff you see when you decide to focus on it. I noticed many small acts of kindness – offers of help, kind gestures and words of support; but one act sat deep within my heart.

As a therapeutic play worker I spend a large proportion of my day sorting out friendship issues – most of them involving teaching empathy and compromise.

This week I observed a group of children on the playground playing a game of cricket. One child was sat a little distance away from the group clearly upset. When I asked what was up, he said that he had missed his turn to bat and now the group had said he would have to wait until it came around again. As I was speaking to him, a few boys from the group came over (probably fearful they were going to be in trouble!) I explained to the boys what the child had said, noting how upset he clearly was and wondered if anyone could come up with a solution to the problem.

Three boys walked away instantly.

The rest stood silently.

Then one boy said that the upset child could take his place in the line and have his turn at batting. The child agreed, thanked the boy and the game resumed play.

This sounds great doesn’t it? But no big deal – it happens daily on playgrounds across the world, yes?

But what if I told you that this particular child, the one who gave up his turn, was a child that was regularly in trouble for fighting, found maintaining relationships difficult and had very little concept of compromise or empathy.

Later in the day, after praising the boy for his actions, I asked him what had prompted him to act in that way. He replied that he remembered a time when someone had helped him when he was upset and how it had changed his day for the better and even though he really wanted his turn he knew that it would help the other child have a happier day and it was the right thing to do.

He was right, it was the thing we encourage children to do – but the fact that he realised, without prompting, the impact his actions would have on the young mans happiness was astounding to me. Because I was the person who had helped him when he was upset, unsuccessfully I thought until now, to improve his behaviour and understanding this past 8 months.

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Kindness does change people – even if you have to spend a long time undoing learned behaviour first.

If you look for it, there is a lot of kindness going on around you. It’s easy to focus on the dramas at work, crisis in our lives and chaos in our world.

Take a moment to look, really notice kind the gestures that happen every day. Ignore the news, forgo reading the newspaper and enjoy the little things in your lives.

When you notice them, I hope they warm your heart, soften your words and increase your belief that people are fundamentally kind.

Sending kind vibes your way to see you through the week.

If you’ve felt inspired to join the challenge – check out Niki’s blog The Richness of a Simple Life for all the details.