Candyfloss & Dreams

Category: Lifestyle

lifestyle blog posts focusing on home, lifestyle, parenting, pregnancy, family life and home and style. Home decor and working at home, working at home as a self employed freelancer and blogger. Family lifestyle blog posts including family reviews, family products and saving money as a family. Being a more eco friendly family.

Thinking of the future #Ad

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Now Adam is half way through his education we have been thinking a lot about our next five year plan and that absolutely involves moving home. We know this might take a little bit of forward planning whilst we find the perfect place to live which is probably going to involve looking for storage solutions to store our stuff.

There are plenty of self storage solutions available all around the UK

Having a self storage unit and renting it for a period of time would allow us the flexibility to find a new home in a new area which will hopefully avoid us having to pay rent in two places for two long. The closer we can have the storage unit to our new home, the better as it avoids moving day being a very long day. Having a self storage unit on the way to our new area would give us a lot more flexibility in how quickly we can move all of our home furniture and belongings. It would also give us the freedom to properly clear out one room at a time, getting rid of clutter and giving it a good clean.

I think for us it’s really important that a self storage unit offers a variety of different sized units, flexible and affordable prices and friendly customer service. It’s great to see so many options of self storage solutions around the country which really increases the flexibility of finding the ideal location. I think we’d probably look for a medium to large sized unit to hold some of our bulkier white goods as when renting property you never really know what it comes with unless you’re there looking. Places like Shurgard Self-Storage Hayes seem to have it covered for what we need.

Having shelves in a self storage unit could help with storing smaller things

So far all I know is we will absolutely be looking to move away from the South but of course it depends on work for Adam being available in an area we are hoping to live in. We have our sights on relocating to either the North East or North West though so having a self storage unit somewhere in the middle would be ideal for creating a flexible moving process, esepcially if Adam has to work away for a little bit whilst we sort things out.

I also know we will be looking for a house rather than a flat which will hopefully mean more space. That way we might have to get bigger furniture but have no place to move it to so having a self storage unit could really help this. We could budget what we need to buy much better if we have somewhere already we could store the bigger things for our new lives.

I’m really excited about the next five years as I think we have some great things to look forward to but moving house is, as it seems to have been for ages, firmly in that plan. I know it will be a huge project and something that won’t be as simple as a quick, overnight, one weekend move. We want to find an ideal home to raise our family in and we are keen to explore a new part of the country.

October 13, 2019
Daily Goal Setter Planner from Mal Paper – #Ad

Effective Six Month Daily Goal Setting Planner

I recently received a pink Mal Paper Daily Goal Setting planner in exchange for this blog feature and I have been loving using it so far. I love a good planner and I really like how this one is set out too. The daily goal setting planner comes in a few different colours and is available to buy for the current price of £20.95 (as of September 2019). I have the pink planner, but black and grey are other available options.

Mal Paper daily goal setter planner

Starting with the Daily Goal Setting Planner

The planner has a great amount of information in showing you the planner system and how to use it for setting short, medium and long term goals. It features six monthly spreads for an overview of the coming months and to help plan your goals. It then features weekly and daily pages to effectively help you reach your goals. This planner works on the premise of you attempting to do the hardest task first which should help set you up right for the day ahead. If you do the hardest thing first then you will feel accomplished throughout the day, it will help motivate you and you can get ticking things off straight away.

The Monthly spread for the daily goal setter

How I’m using my goal setting planner

My goals for the next six months largely revolve around my blog as well as getting strong so they are the goals I’ve worked on. I started with my long term goals which are the dream big type goals and then I began breaking them down into smaller goals, before they became daily tasks. Setting up my month and week like this allows me to focus on things each day which really helps with my family and work life balance.

I’ve really enjoyed trying to be creative with the monthly spreads and make them colourful, themed and personal so that I can add a bit of my own personality to this planner.

Using mal paper daily goal setting planner for gratitude and inspriration

This planner has a few inspirational quotes, space to write daily affirmations as well as a chance for gratitude and reflection. I think these are really important things when it comes to personal development and I know personally when I use affirmations and focus on gratitude each day I feel better about myself and I feel much more accomplished in what I do.

It does take time to build this into a habit but I think having a structured planner really helps me to set up my day, plan content I need to write and I can set myself tasks in bursts so I don’t compromise spending time with my family.

Why I love using planners

Planners really help me feel organised for the day, week or month ahead. I’ve used a variety of ones before and this is a great option for ticking pretty much every box. It’s great to have a planner focused on goal setting specifically and daily to do lists. It has really helped me prioritise my tasks for the day ahead too. I like that there is space for affirmations and gratitude but mostly I have been using this to get my to do list sorted out and help me be productive throughout the day. This planner is a pretty good all rounder and I particularly like the section for weekly and monthly reflection as that helps me set better goals for the following week.
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October 12, 2019
Why I Will Never Join A Slimming Club Again
In short; because they’re toxic and damaging and I never, ever want to put myself through that kind of misery ever again. But there is so much more to it than that. I will be sharing more of my body positive, self love, strength gaining progress on another blog as I feel it deserves more space than what this blog can give it. You can read more about why I’m saying Goodbye to scales and find other resources there too.

Recently you may have noticed on my blog and social media that I’m stepping away from talking about loosing weight and being thin and slimming clubs and all kinds of things weight loss and health related. That’s because I am sick of feeling like a complete failure and have accepted that I am so much more than what I weigh.

Adding lots of colour to food makes it look so much more appealing

I don’t want or need to be thin

You see I have no desire to be thin at all. I never have done. When I really sat down and thought about it I have no interest in being a size 8 or even a 10, 12 or 14. I have no interest in weighing myself on the scales ever again. I have no interest in feeling unwell because I’ve been starving myself. I do not want to spend the rest of my life counting calories, adding up syns (that have no nutritional backing by the way) focusing on what macros I’m allowed and if I’ve had enough protein. I’m sick of saying I can’t have what I want to eat because I’ve been dragged down by a fatphobic society.

Getting stronger without restriction

Instead of shrinking myself I am going to focus on making myself so strong. I am going to find ways of moving that I love, be it dancing with my kids, swimming in a bikini or learning to lift weights – because it’s bloody exhilirating. I said I wanted my word of the year to be more and I want to focus on more ways to cook delicious, fufilling meals for myself and my family. I want to find more flavours of food that I love. I want to read more books by inspiring, interesting, diverse women that have said a big F you to diet culture.

With all this anti weight loss that doesn’t mean I don’t seek change, I absolutely do but I am completely shifting my focus away from disordered eating and weight loss. Instead of restricting myself I am learning to listen to my body again, it’s fullness signals. And whilst I haven’t lost weight or got smaller, I haven’t got bigger in these last few months either. I don’t eat as much or as often, unless I’m hungry. I am getting back into my hobbies and reading more. I am writing more and I am singing loudly (badly) in my living room because it makes my little boy laugh so hard.

I want to focus on getting stronger and healthier without focusing on weight loss and hating my body because I am fat

What About MY Health

I am not disregarding my health. My blood pressure is fine, Im increasing my activity every day because I want to and it makes my body feel good, I’m taking a multivitamin and adding more veg and fibre into my food. I’m trying to cook from scratch more often and I’m drinking more water. But I’m not feeling guilty for a takeaway. I’m not feeling guilty for a gin and tonic. I’m not feeling guilty for feeling too full. I am wearing clothes that fit me and that are comfortable. I’m taking better care of myself and my health, body and mentality than I ever have before when attempting to slim and shrink down. Regardless, my health is my business and I only owe it to myself to get into a healthy position, not anyone else.

The need for emotional wellbeing and happiness

Loosing weight doesn’t make me happy. It makes be obsessive, stressed and binge eat. With no restriction I don’t feel the need to binge. Instead I want to educate myself and focus on improving my health, happiness and self confidence. All of these things do not require me to have a specific BMI or be a certain number on the scales. One thing I have noticed is when I’m not obsessing over weighing out food or counting calories or syns I actually have so much more time for myself and my family.

So what can you do to improve your health without focusing on weight loss?
1. Shift the focus from food restriction to eating slower, listening to your body when it’s full and stopping if you don’t want to. You never, ever have to finish your plate
2. Find movement you love and stick at it
3. Focus on getting a restfull night sleep
4. Drink water
5. Do something mindful like meditation, deep breathing, relaxing or keeping a gratitude journal
6. Do more of what makes you happy
7. Follow other anti diet culture people on social media
8. Affirmations can help your self confidence so saying something positive about yourself every day five times can really help shift the focus to self happiness
9. Read and educate yourself about damaging diet culture and find a way to live a lifestyle that makes you happy
10. Be out in nature and say yes to more things that you think will be fun
Pin Image: Ditching diet culture for a happier and healthier lifestyle
October 8, 2019
Thanks for Coming Through from Instagram
Here you can find links to my latest YouTube video, blog posts and amazon wishlisht.

Good Reads Profile with reading challenge and latest book reviews – https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7509160-kayleigh

Latest Blog Posts:
Latest YouTube Video

Amazon Wishlist

I’ve seen a lot of amazon wishlist threads about and have people ask for mine so I thought I would put it here too. I usually use my amazon wishlist for christmas/birthday gifts but it’s been really nice to give to friends and family in the blogging and bookstagram community!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2MTYD0SUTNGL1?ref_=wl_share

You might be looking for a bit more information about me.

Alternatively you might be looking for ways to contact me which you can do so here or feel free to email me directly [email protected]
October 1, 2019
When is the Right Time to Visit Austrailia with Kids #Ad

I think Austrailia is one of those places that seems to be on everyone’s travel bucket list. I’ve seen many family and friends visit this beautiful country and share their travel adventures for us. There seems to be a lot of things to consider when travelling to and visiting Australia from arranging an Australia visa, travel money, flight plans and where you want to visit. It’s a big place with a long haul flight and it’s unlikely you can see everything you want in just a couple of weeks.

Making Travel plans & arranging Visas

Planning a trip to Australia is not going to be a quick five minute job, unless you’ve got friends or family there it will require a bit of planning. Firstly what kind of holiday or trip are you going to have? If you’re planning a trip which see’s you out there for a long time and then perhaps wanting to earn money then looking for a working holiday visa Australia is going to be ideal. This allows you to work and travel around the country for a maximum of 12 months. It is an ideal visa for student’s looking to take gap years or someone eager to travel and work around a beautiful country.

When travelling as a family an eVisitor visa can work well for tourist trips and will be something to look into for many members of the family. A travel visa can usually be obtained quite simply online but make sure you fill in all of the details correctly so that your visa can be approved way before you travel.

Visiting Australia requires a visa so it’s best to check which one you need ahead of travelling

When should you travel to Australia as a family?

I don’t really think there is a best time to travel as there are so many variations of circumstances. Cost is usually a big factor for many families as the time flying and time needed to explore such a large country can make visiting Australia expensive. I think that’s why so many people opt for the working holiday visa because it allows them to earn as they travel. This isn’t usually something you need as a family or for shorter trips.

There are some great blogs on travelling long haul with a baby too which may make your decision easier if you have very young children, like me. You also want to consider the seasons being very different and the fact that it can get pretty hot down under. When you’ve got small children sometimes travelling in cooler months such as Spring or Autumn is a little easier on sensitive skin.

You also want to think about what you want to do and what you’re family are capable of as both sides of the country can offer completely different experiences. Another thing you might want to think about is how much time you can arrange of work so you can make the most of the trip and perhaps visiting this beautiful country before any children start school so that there are no issues or disruptions.

Australia is full of beautiful landscapes or all the family to enjoy

How long should you visit?

Again, visiting Australia is going to be a different experience for many people. I’ve known family and friends to visit for the full 12 months and I’ve also seen others visit for 4 weeks and still have the most amazing time. With a very long haul flight to consider, usually at least 24 hours, then you want to make the journey as memorable as possible as it’s likely to be a once in a lifetime thing for so many people, especially families.

If you’re visiting on your own then you really only have to think about how much time you have spare. Getting the right visa and arranging any work placements before you go might be advisable just so that you have a bit of a plan and then that can really help shape how long you visit for. Funds are again usually a big factor for both families and individuals visiting Australia.

For my family I think we would be looking to visit for around 4 weeks and we would probably want to stay on the east side of Australia. I think the best thing to do is book a week or so in each place you want to visit and make sure your flights accomodate this. There is so much to see in Australia that I know for my family it would be pretty tough to choose just a few things because it’s so big and there’s so much to see. I know it would be a once in a lifetime trip for us all though and I’d want to make it really special.

There is so much to see and do in Australia

Things you need for a family holiday to Australia

I think a good thing to do would be to pack fairly light and then find laundry services so that you can travel around the country a little lighter. You obviously need good travel insurance, passports, visas and any medication you need to take. Other than that a good plan and a prepaid credit card and you can have a wonderful trip.

Pin Image: Best time to visit Australia with Kids

October 1, 2019