10 things about me

Following on from Emma Collins fabulous blog post here http://emmacollinspr.com/2012/01/15/10-things-about-sunday-fun/ I too thought it would be a good idea for you to know a little more about me.

1. I have an inspirational sister who is born on the same day as me, just 3 years apart.

2. I was once on the Rolf Harris show with my primary school.

3. I love classical ballet and once dreamed of being a ballet dancer.

4. I wasn't always so organised. Before kids I was always late and missing appointments. Scary what happens when you become a Mum hey!

5. In fact pre-kids I couldn't really cook. After finding recommendations on baby forums I learnt to cook with Annabel Karmel’s baby weaning books.

6. It took me until I was 30 something to decide on a career and even then I've diversified. Started off as a secretary (ok but worked at a bank and not as service related as I'd hoped). Then I qualified as a Horse Riding Instructor but the money didn't pay the bills. I enjoyed being a Sales Administrator at a local hotel. The service part I loved, the wedding organisation exciting but the cold-calling sales tough. An ex suggested working in IT which I've been doing for the past 13 years. I love pitting my wits against computers but also the (generally) logical nature of computers. Becoming a Holistic Therapist is my dream job so I balance this with my day job in IT, a perfect compliment to each other. I feel truly blessed.

7. Self confessed Eco warrior. I hate chemical additives so what (little) house cleaning i do is done using as few ‘nasties’ as possible. We try and eat as additive free as possible. My son’s eczema is much calmer when I use bath products with no chemical nasties.

8. As previously mentioned tree hugger, I have used cloth nappies on both sons and I even created my own 3 part all in one cloth nappy system. My sewing machine rocks!

9. I am a geek. I love nerdy computers, Filofaxes, the latest gadgets.

10. As an ex-Girl Guide, I can honestly say I learnt loads as a Girl Guide, some of which I still use in everyday life now.

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook

How is your 2012 organisation going?

Returning to the subject of organisation (as we are a few weeks into the NewYear) how is your 2012 so far? Have you missed any appointments or birthdays? Can you tell at a glance what plans you have for the next week or month? When shopping do you have a list of what you require or do you grab your purse and hope?

For me, 2012 has been a success so far. I don’t believe I missed any birthdays or appointments. My family can quickly tell who is meant to be where and at what time by a variety of means. I’ve even changed phone and although I’ve had a slight change around (my old phone linked directly to Outlook and I manually entered data in a Yahoo calendar whereas now I link my IPhone to Google which then syncs to Outlook) I think I’m still on track.

However, I still use my Filofax’s to help organise everything. So below, may I introduce you to my (very cute) mini Filofax. I love the mini size as it’s easy to slip into almost any handbag but still retains its functionality. This blog could be photo heavy so please bear with me (although I’m sure my Filofax friends won’t moan too much):-

With ruler to show just how small it is.

The inside has two card slots (ideal for business cards or credit cards) and a secretarial pocket (is that the correct term?)

There is a full length pocket ideal for paper money:-

This shows my tab labels. I always like a map of the world with me as my geography is shockingly poor. A shopping list, segregated by which shop I want to go to (so encompasses a wish list too)

I try to keep a Week on two pages for the coming month and then Month on Two pages for the next 12 months. These are only basic appts and don’t take too long on a Sunday evening to copy across from my A5 main Filofax.

Showing my home-made Today marker (using re-cycled plastic from one of the boys Xmas toys)

The back has a zip suitable for coins, stamps, receipts etc








So what do you think to my mini Filofax? How do you (or do you) organise your time? As always, please do not hesitate to ask me questions or add comments below. Thank you for reading

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook

Animals and Reiki

For the last two weeks, we’ve been discussing why I was initially drawn to Reiki and what Reiki involves. This week I hope to give you another insight into why I find Reiki such an amazing modality; using Reiki with animals.

Reiki is a gentle but highly effective, non-invasive treatment suitable for all ages, types and breed of animal. Animals usually have a profound response to the vibrational energy of Reiki. Not all animals will want Reiki. My sister’s dog (who is often found following me everywhere) disappears as soon as I start any Reiki sessions. I never force Reiki onto an animal. It is usually obvious within 5 minutes of starting a session whether the animal wants a Reiki session at that time.

As your pet does not have to be confined or restrained to be treated, Reiki is ideal for animals who are timid or too afraid for hands-on contact as they can be treated as effectively from a distance. I often start a session outside the stable/kennel and only enter if/when I feel they are ready for me to put my hands onto them directly.

Please note; I abide by the The Veterinary Surgery Act of 1966 which prohibits anyone other than a qualified veterinary surgeon from treating animals, including diagnosis of ailments and giving of advice on such diagnosis. However the healing of animals by contact healing, by the laying on of hands or distant healing is legal. However the Protection of Animals Act 1911 requires that if an animal clearly needs treatment from a veterinary surgeon the owner must obtain this. To give emergency First Aid to animals for the purpose of saving life or relieving pain is permissible under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 Schedule 3. Therefore, all animals are treated under veterinary supervision.

As always, please do not hesitate to ask me questions or add comments below. Thank you for reading

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook

What is Reiki?

Last week I discussed why I was initially drawn to Reiki but what is Reiki (pronounced Ray-kee)?

The word Reiki translates from the original Japanese meaning spiritual/Universal energy. Eastern medicine has always recognised and worked with this energy, which flows through all living things and is vital to well-being. Known as ‘ki’ in Japan, ‘chi’ in China and ‘prana’ in India and the practices of Acupuncture, T’ai chi and Yoga are also based on the free-flow of this energy in a person. The system of Reiki was developed by a gentleman called Mikao Usui in the early 1900’s. I think Reiki can sound confusing and very hippy and this can put people off just trying Reiki.

In basic terms, a Reiki practitioner asks the recipient to sit or lie somewhere comfortably. The Reiki practitioner then places their hands on or just above various areas of the recipient’s body. Reiki is activated by intention and addresses physical, emotional, spiritual and mental imbalances. The recipient’s physical, emotional and spiritual systems responds by moving toward balance. This response is typically experienced as relaxation. Whilst in this state of relaxation, your body starts to heal and balance itself. The Reiki Practitioner is not the healer; your body uses the Reiki Practitioner as a channel to this spiritual/universal energy.

There are 5 reiki precepts which everyone could bring into their daily life and the five I like to work with daily are:-

Just for today do not worry
Just for today do not anger
Respect every living thing
Honour your parents, teachers and elders
Earn your living honestly

I meditate on these 5 precepts twice daily and they are in the front of my Filofax as a constant reminder.

Do you have any questions about Reiki? Ask me below and I will try and answer them for you.

Why not give Reiki a try? What have you got to loose?

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook