4mydadTony Fundraising challenge

Hello little blog,

Sorry it's been a while since I last wrote - lots of things have been going on, but the most exciting has been to do with my Fundraising Challenge, to help people with MS!

You may remember that I wrote about my New Big Goal, which was an awesome starting point! Things have taken a slightly different direction, in light of my bipolar diagnosis, so I thought I'd share a little update with you all.

The original plan was for me to raise £22K to help pay for a big Wheelchair Accessible Car (WAC), that would fit all of the family and my dad comfortably. Well, now that I am probably not going to be moving out of my parents house for some time (well, not until a lovely fella comes along and sweeps me off my feet 😉) we had a re-think about how best to spend the money raised - the big WAC would no longer fit the needs of everyone. So we decided on a new plan - my parents would get a much smaller WAC, that would fit both of their mobility issues and I will save for a family car myself.

My dad hasn't been on holiday for over 2 years now - he either has to go into respite care or have a live-in carer stay with him, which I hate, as i feel so sad having to leave him behind, while we all go off for a fun family holiday. So, some of the money raised is going to go on a lovely family holiday - for my dad and the entire family to enjoy!

Then we had the job of deciding what to do with the rest of the money raised. Well, I met a friend of a friend whose wife also has MS like my dad and she attends a therapy centre for people with MS! So, that is where the remainder of the money raised is going, The Berkshire MS Therapy Centre!

I have already had a couple of fundraising events to help 'kick start' the money raising efforts -
Firstly I held an online Facebook Auction - I asked all of my creative friends if they would be willing to donate any pieces for the auction - to say that I was blown away with their generosity is a total understatement!! The auction went really well and overall raise £264! I have decided to hold another auction in December, perfect timing for some unique Christmas Gifts!

Some of the items donated!

 Next fundraising event, was a pamper evening that I held at a local Hotel. It was a really nice evening, with lots of different stallholders from massage therapists, to nails and skincare products 😊 the only downside was that where I had been so ill for 3 months, all of the final organising was crammed into just a few weeks! It was def a big learning curve and I have already got plans for another similar event next year! That event raised £261 and that was only with a few people there - plus all of the money from selling jewellery that a friend and I had made (we're going into business together - more on that another day!!)

If you fancy checking out my progress, I have a Facebook group called 4mydadTony - I've been uploading my progress and sharing videos of my fitness progress - did I tell you that I have signed up for Reading Half Marathon next Spring!?! I have found a personal trainer who is going to help me on the running side of things - I've been building my fitness levels with HIIT classes, aqua fit and walk/jogs, but I still have a long way to go before I'm Half Marathon Ready! So excited though! 😄

Oh and before I go, I just thought I'd share one little thing extra that I've done recently - I pledged that when my fundraising pot reached £750, I would dye my hair rainbow colours! Well, with generous friends and the online auction, we smashed that goal and so I got a hidden rainbow - which I LOVE!

My next milestone is £2K - then I will get all of my hair rainbow coloured! 😄

My new self-employed life!

Hello little blog, sorry I have been neglecting you again!
So much has been going on lately!

I made a huge decision at the end of November 2017 - I decided to take a leap of faith and stated running my own business in the Health and Wellbeing industry and I am LOVING it!!

I found the company because a family friend had encouraged my mum to start using one of the supplements and he came to do a products party at our house - I loved it so much and thought that I could do that, so I asked him to sign me up the very next day!! I think I gave him a bit of a shock to be honest, as I didn't even want to see the business plan or how it all worked (I know, I never do things like 'normal' people, heehee!)

I had my first planning meeting with my up-line manager at the beginning of December and then she helped my launch my business on the 8th December with my first products party!!

Since then I have been on a roller-coaster ride of highs, lows, huge learning curves and soooo much fun! I am most happy that I am finally earning my own money again!
The last 5 years have been really hard for me, having to rely on benefits! I have been in paid employment since the age of 16 and have absolutely HATED relying on 'hand outs!' it's made me feel like such a failure! I have to remind myself that I didn't plan on getting a divorce, plus the moment I felt well enough I found myself voluntary work - so it wasn't like I've sat on my bum doing nothing for the last 3 years!

I'm also enjoying learning again! As I've only ever been employed in jobs where you get handed a payslip at the end of the month, having to sort out all of my finances myself has been quite a challenge ;-) I am working on my 'love-hate' relationship that I have with Microsoft Excel - for the first 2 months, I was sat working out my calculations using the calculator on my mobile phone!! haha! I'm now onto simple equations ;-)
I'm also learning about Network Marketing - not something I ever thought I would be doing if I'm honest, but soooo much fun!
Lastly, I am learning about the wonderful world of Aloe Vera! My new love!

I am blessed to be working with the most amazing, supportive team you could ever wish for! Plus the love and support of my friends and family has seen me through the tougher times, when I was convinced I had made a big mistake taking on this new challenge!

What I'm loving the most is being my own boss!!
I choose when I work and what I'm going to read, watch and listen to each day to help me grow both my knowledge and skills, but also personal goals like working on my confidence and self-belief!
I can still do my voluntary work at the soup kitchen for the homeless and the session each week at my local library - not many paid jobs would be flexible enough for that to happen and there was no way I was going to stop doing them ;-)

I still need to work a little on getting a good work-life balance, but it is already so much better than when I first started back in December!
I try to work when the kids are at school and then again in the evenings when they have gone to bed. Then it leaves me time for them! I have managed to do the school runs AND even some morning ones!! (big achievement that one!)
I have time to meet friends for coffee! I could never do that back when I was a teacher!

All in all, I have to say, becoming self-employed really was the best decision I ever made!

If you want to find out more about what I do, please check out my website:
http://melissa-alwaysandforever.flp.com

Hope you're all enjoying the glorious sunshine we've been having lately - I think Spring has finally sprung now :-D

Hugs to all xxx

My first grey hairs!!

Hello little blog,

So, today I went to Aquafit (will write all about that in my next post!) and I had just stopped quickly to dry my hair before I went out in the cold. I was brushing my hair, just about to pop 20p into the machine to get the hairdryer working, when I happened to glance in the mirror on the wall, and there they were! Two bright, silvery-grey hairs on either side of my parting!

Now for some of you out there, this would be cause for alarm and a flying visit to the nearest supermarket to grab a bottle of hair dye quick! Or booking the first available slot at your favourite hairdressers, to get rid of any traces of those pesky grey hairs!

Well, I'm weird I guess, because instead of the shock and horror of finding those little grey hairs, I just started to smile!

You see, I don't see them as a sign of old-age in a bad way at all. I see them as a kind of badge of honour! That I have finally reached an age where my hair is starting to show signs that I'm not a spring chicken anymore, and I love it!!

When I was a teacher, (over 8 years ago now!) my one dream was to grow 'up' to be an old teacher with round glasses perched on the end of my nose, and long, silvery hair tied up in a tight bun! My aim was to be one of those slightly 'batty' old people, who when they enter the room, people are ever quite sure what they're going to do next! It would have been so much fun!😂

image source here

Alas, my teaching days are far behind me now. So my original aim has been tweaked to leave out the 'teacher' bit and replaced with me sitting with my grandkids (I can dream!) and my Little Man and Little Miss (though obviously all grown up by then) wondering what their batty, old mum is going to get up to next!

I have absolutely no intention of 'growing old gracefully!' I fully intend to be as mischievious as possible! 😉 I'm not going to worry about the 'should I' or 'could I' but will make the most of every day; living life to the max! Then, when my time is up, I'm going to look back on my life and think 'wahoo! What a ride!' instead of a just seeing a list of the things I didn't do, or should have done!

Those little grey hairs just gave me the reminder that it's never too late to 'tweak' my life goals. Plus how lucky I am to have reached this age, where grey hairs are starting to show, when others have not been so fortunate!

So, I am going to wear my silvery- grey hairs with pride! They are my visual reminder of how lucky I am to be this old! How life is for living, and now is as good a time as any to say 'yes' to scary things, or make changes before the regret kicks in!
Thank you little grey hairs, you certainly cheered me up! 😂😂😂