My Home Comforts

It is never to early to put on your PJ's or stay in them. My niece loves being in her PJs all day at the weekend and I loved this too, but when I did I would feel some sort of guilt. It made me feel that it was a waste of a day and was bought up to believe that mornings were about getting up, making your bed, getting dressed, brush your teeth and go out, but there are days I don't want to go out and indoors reading, writing and spending time watching TV with my son.

I love seeing the clouds and sky turn from daytime to night especially during the Winter

Yet looking back as a kid I am glad that I didn't always stay indoors because I loved the weekends. We were always socialising and would go to see a friend, see my grandparents, watch my brother play football, I would be at dancing school and so my brother did judo and I lived a very sociable life. 

Now, I have a few or at least one or two days a week indoors or an afternoon indoors, as I love going on morning walks. It's a bit hard at the moment to walk, because my son Henry, likes to take the bus, but like to have break in the afternoon, so my first Home Comfort, which I do in the morning and evenings too, is having a Cup of Tea. 

I do like coffee but I like to go out for one. I tried a new Flavored Latte called Nutcracker in Costas and is lovely. 

A second home comfort is having a magazine to read. I have just got back to buying a magazine and so want to buy another magazine to read and when Henry has his lessons, as he will have a tutor, whilst we await for a place to be available at a Secondary School, is to read a magazine in a coffee shop. 

Then there is clothes. I like to put on my jogger bottoms and a jumper. I like to watch a documentary or a concert. I am into the Celebrity Traitors and like to have a nice cup of tea and write along with a biscuit too. Not trying to do this too much as I am starting to be a bit more of a lunch girl and avoiding having a snack. I enjoy food and mix it up, by having a McDonalds or a pastry, just not all the time.

I like to watch sport and I love my radio show. I like to plan meals and will be Christmas shopping soon but will think about this at the beginning of December.

Have a blissful life and feel you have to over do it. I like to take my time and focus on my mornings, then the afternoon and then the evening as it comes, with a bit of a structure and take a break from a to do list and pleasing other people. 

So what are your Home Comforts? I will be adding this blog post on my Winter Wellness Programme that starts today and it is all about having a better Winter if you dread this time of year and enjoy it more. 

Check out Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/thetypicalLondongal/winter-wellness-2025/

Check out my blog site: https://www.everyonecanbuildacastle.cm 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

I love to Plan in my Pajamas

Thursdays are becoming my Fridays where I won't do so much. I will read with a cup of tea and plan in my Pajamas. It helps take my time and plan. We have a storm so good excuse to have an easy day. I love days where I can potter, watch a bit of TV, Youtube and perhaps some cleaning. I love writing lists.

Photo of the morning in my PJ's 

Having a nice hot drink when it is wet outside, with a notebook, feels me up with so much joy and been planning the week ahead and it doesn't have to be a fancy notebook, just having a set of regular tools can help with making plans and just set the week ahead. I also keep track of what I want to accomplish on what days. 

I like going through appointments and special dates. It is my sons birthday soon along with my Mums and brothers so it is a very busy time of year, so it is good to have plans for home, my blogs and books, along with vlogging and meals planned and listen to some music, whilst in my PJ's.

When it comes to planning my life it is good to do it as a family thing. So you all have to plan whilst in your night clothes and do it each evening or once a week and I find it takes the chore aspect away, but a fun activity. 

It is good to be in bed and plan, with your bed clothes with a cup of tea and a bit of TV on. I like to plan whilst watching TV or Youtube as it gives me ideas of what content to post and is still being productive and being in my PJ's I plan better. I find it hard to plan when comfortable. 

When my son is in the bath tub we will chat and make plans. I have to write it down and put it on Notion as I know I will forget. It is good to have a bits done when still in your bed gear or at night getting ready for bed. 

Then once the planning is done it is time to get dressed and kick start the day. We do go out mainly in the mornings, but have a day where we have time indoors and not having to get dressed before 7am but when I feel ready to.

So do you like planning in your PJs? Does this give you ideas on planning?

You can leave a comment below. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Getting The Most Out of Everything

It is good to have productive days and getting endless tasks done, but be able to relax and put your to do list a side. The one thing I like is a good tasty dinner and at the moment I am doing some work on my laptop, with a bit of cake given to me from a wedding I went to and a cup of tea. 

Yes I could be sitting watching TV but to be honest there is very few programmes that interest me. 

I love having a good book to read. Check out my blog site: My Books & Stories – Reading is the food for our writing and including a good Audio book on many different topics. 

It is good to have a good breakfast and going on walks. Tomorrow it will be a busy day as having work done on the shed in the garden along with hopefully getting the fence sorted out and part of it was and still falling apart and it has taken such a long time to get someone to sort this out. 

I am home schooling now and so this has changed many things and for my son sake and us (his parents), because wants to, get a place in a school that matches his needs as it has been a mission. 

Henry helped me today make dinner and I do need to relax and not get anxious as it is great that he wants to help make food and want him to be able to cook for himself and I am lucky, he is not a fussy eater and will try many things. 

Not always been the case but making sure I encourage. As a kid I was super fussy and would not eat hardly anything. So not going to take it away from him, if he wants to try different food. The more they try the more they will be less of a fussy eater and makes life a lot easier. 

Then there is personal care, Bath time is good as I will sit with my son whilst he's in the bath and I sit on the toilet, seat down of course, and we will have a chat, then I will get myself washed and ready for the evening and wind down when it gets near the end of the day and it is good to have a good routine, that helps to get the most of the day and evening.

It is not about having the perfect day, but a day that has structure. We had a bit of lunch out today. I l like getting out each day. I would like a day or two staying in, but I feel more tired when I do, so if I can get out I feel so much better. 

So make times count in your days and that you have had time to yourself aswell with the ones you love around you. 

Have a good rest of the week.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Enjoying Home Life

It is good to be out and go for a coffee and cruise around in my husbands car and be able to peel potatoes whilst watching video and my son playing rugby with his teddy bear. We watched a bit of a repeat of The Final Score that was on at the weekend. 

I love having family dinners. This can really help with keeping, if you have children, seated at the table. 

My and Son I after we completed a local Parkrun

Henry, my son is responsibility is to put out the knife and forks out onto the table.

He will often help with the cooking too. It is good to get your kids involved in everyday tasks as my son loves to have a responsibility. I enjoy it when we watch things together, when we play sports and planning our days together. 

Don't get me wrong, it is not always a bed of roses, my son is changing from a young boy to a teenager and with that, it can be a strange time. They become more aware of the world and will find their own path, so the moment I can have, I know I have to celebrate the good. I can be grumpy too. 

I do get annoyed if the toilet roll has not been changed to a new roll, the farting and not being able to go the toilet in peace. I think back of when I was a kid. My dad was a micky taker. He would moan about the people upstairs, the TV and never talk about football. Yet he would have us crying with laughter and so as much as his fleurs, I loved my dad and am makes me treasure the times I have now with my son, when he is not being mischievous. 

My husband I have mixed views on many things and are very different but for Henry he needs stability and we both agree that we will make sure he never goes without and ready for when he decides to fly the nest. 

So I am now going to chill now and watching a bit of TV. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

How I love my Walks in the morning

So I popped out to get a ID badge but there appears to be some confusion. However I still enjoyed my walk and went out twice today getting some milk with my son. 

One of my favourite places to walk Collierswood London 

I like to go to different places as it can be boring walking the same route all the time, so I like to mix it up and so will take a bus or train and just allow my feet do the talking whilst I take in what it is around me. 

It is good sometimes to go for a coffee and do a bit of writing, brainstorming and be in a different environment. I like to often take the bus to Morden or Wimbledon, other areas in London too and walking, meeting my mum and stepdad for a coffee and just having time outdoors makes me feel so good. Be great for your wellbeing.

I like to feel the cool breeze and being by water always gives me such a inner feeling of comfort and relief. Life is full of challenges and so a nice walk in the morning, helps to control my thoughts, get in touch with my body and its okay to take time to explore. 

Even when I was pregnant would walk up until my son was born. When he was in his pushchair would go out in the morning and often take a trip to London, to the park and meet with other parents and babies.

My mum and dad would walk a lot and so feel it is in my blood. 

I would walk to work from Epsom to Kingston, Kingston to Wimbledon and from Hampton court to Kingston and from Kingston to Richmond (in the UK) and when holiday go for walks.

In the winter I walk too, but with the summer its nice not to layer up. 

It can get very hot during the day and so it is nice to get out in the morning and gonna go out tonight too, to dine out and looking forward to it and something my son and I love to do too. 

So yes I love my morning walks.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

I Love My #bread and butter

This blog was inspired by the lunch I had yesterday,. which was, having a piece of fish and a slice of bread with butter. I love these easy meals as they are just simple and great for a small lunch until dinner time, as I don't always fancy a big lunch and suits me down the ground. 

Toad in the hole a great for simple lunch or dinner and leftover 

I like to have sausages with bread and butter and cheese with some apple or a yoghurt. 

It is good to have a light lunch as I am not really into eating really large portions and they say now that you can eat lots of food and still lose weight but for me; sometimes I will eat through out the day, like I will have brunch rather than lunch. It all depends what I feel like having. 

I don't eat too much bread because I find I get heartburn, so I will have crackers or pasta instead. 

It is good to mix it up. Today it is left over Bolognese. I love batch cooking and would like to do more of that. The meals that I enjoy to eat leftover are Bolognese, cottage or shepherds pie, the fish I had yesterday was left over as I had the first one the night before yesterday for dinner and wanted to share, because I am sure you can relate if your not a lunch person or just like simple basic meals.

My favourite meal is dinner. Today we have Pizza as my son has afterschool club today and so want something simple. Then tomorrow we go over to Wimbledon and have something else that is easy and quick. 

I enjoy food and luckily my son is not fussy when it comes to food. Yesterday when he helped me cook dinner, he put in quite a bit of pepper but it actually gave  it a better taste and I prefer seasoning during cooking rather than adding it once its on the plate. 

I like to plan meals and use Pinterest for inspiration and already as it is Thursday, planning for next week and got my shopping list ready for next week.

I'd like to know what are your go to meals? 

You can leave a comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

I love my Super Noodles

Yes I am at my desk, well the dining table that also is my desk, with a bowl of noodles and crackers and love it. Yes I know process food, but not something I eat everyday. It is when I want a day indoors and this meal is, a big hug in a bowl. 

I also like to have a hot breakfasts on some days. This time of year though my taste buds change and like to have yogurt some mornings and eating a muesli with Granola and some fruit, like a banana. 

When my husband family visited, we'd go to a local cafe for a All day breakfast of sausage, fried egg, mushrooms, or cook a breakfast and so on and it would make a nice change and fill us up for the day. We would then venture out and since then though the cafe, we used to go to changed and not so good. 

It is good to change it up, but when I'm at home and working on my blogs, books and videos, like food that warms my insides and makes me sigh, feeling blissful and content. I like to sit out in the sun and read and write. This will be happening and have plans of tidying it up and also want the shed to be where I do my crafting and make scrapbooks and I have designed my own journals and will be blank so you can use it how you wish, but I am going to use mine, because I have two proto types, as a memory journal. 

During the summer holidays I sat in a local gardens and read, this year going to invest in a picnic basket, blanket and a flask with some homemade food, and sit and read and write and be in the moment and blanking out what is going on around me and make the most of what I have and have booked a nice holiday in a farm and have another trip to the seaside and would like to sit outside with some noodles to eat if I feel like it and lose myself. 

It is good to have noodles and watch some TV but I like to write in the day and share parts of my life. I am doing some training at the moment on one of my other blogsites: Everyone can build a castle | Creating goals, habits and being empowered aiming for success and filmed my first Youtube video about it, if you'd like to check it out: Video 1: Change YOUR Life/Coming last

It is free training and will more videos will go up. In the days where it is dreary I like to have leftovers and why meals like Spaghetti Bolognese that you can batch cook and helps to control my snacking. 

So have a bowl of noodles and just take in the moment, taking a deep breath and just be in the moment and that you have your phone on silent and just enjoy. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

 

When its cold outside at the weekends

I have been up since 5:30am couldn't sleep much more so got up read, watched a bit of youtube video and then got up had shower and my son had his rugby. 

Find day for Rugby chilly because of the wind but warm in the son

So when it is cold outside I like to make sure that the heating is on. We don't have it on all through the day because of costs but in the mornings. I still go out but just make sure it has warmed up a bit first and like to treat myself to a hot chocolate. This is indoors aswell or in a coffee shop or cafe. 

I love a hot chocolate with cream and Marshmallows. I will have the works basically. When we get to rugby as there is a clubhouse, have a coffee and today that had pastries or you can have breakfast bun there too and it was chilly because of the wind, but the sun was out so still pleasant, but still needed a coat and jumper. 

Windmill in Wimbledon Common near to where I do Parkrun

Then there are meals. I love a Sunday Roast. This weekend we have belly pork. 

When it is cold a good to have nice hot meal. If you know someone who is alone why not share with them and is a must and cook for the week. Have a nice warm breakfast. Porridge or a toasted sandwich is a must with a cup of tea and as a kid would go to a market. There are local markets and often take my son to get his hair cut. We occasionally will watch a film on TV if there 's not sport on. We watched the last matches of the rugby union Six Nations and my mum and step dad bought me some ciders. I don't have any alcohol during the week but will have a can of cider at the weekend and thankfully I have two days where I don't have to make dinner and last Friday we had fish n chips, because my son came back from going to a Residential trip with his school. Check out this blog I wrote: https://theparentingadventuresthebirthofmyson.wordpress.com/2025/03/13/my-sons-last-residential-trip-with-his-primary-school/

my steps from Saturday doing parkrun ad walking home 

The temperature outside influences me in what to watch on TV or on Youtube, listening to music and what books to read. It is a good time to have a declutter and do those jobs that you have been putting off like housework, doing some laundry and wash your bedding, I do Parkrun on Saturday mornings and do my radio show on Sundays check out this link: https://www.epsomhospitalradio.org.uk/on-air/presenters/carrie-challoner

So it is now Monday finishing this blog. I have had my first cup of tea. My son partly ready for school and today it is a day indoors catching up on my blogs, plan for the week and have a good start to the week ahead. I hope you all have a good one. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Finding a new style for 2025

So I feel that it is time for a change of style. I do like clothes that feel like a big hug but I also like the tailored look to the rock style chick look. I love the rock style and wearing boots that I can wear with a pair of jog bottoms and like the oversized look. 

I use Pinterest for inspiration, as a kid and adult, before the internet existed I loved clothing in Catalogues and couldn't wait to be able to be older to buy clothes from Catalogues but led me to debt and so I have stopped buying clothes from Catalogues and love charity shops and secondhand fashion. 

The other places I like to style is my bedrooms, I stay in the week to look after my son in Epsom and weekends and holidays, stay at my home in Wimbledon, where my stepdad and mum live and changing my style on how I see my relationship with money, by changing my shopping habits and stop relying on clothing to make me happy. I am doing No spend January again so means not buying clothes, saving where possible and still go out for coffee, and take my son out before he goes back to school but not buying items I don't need and using up what I have got.

I am still going to buy food and use cash that was paid to me as my husband, to buy fish and chips on Friday and so I got cash for this and but will be the last one. My son and I are going to be, on Saturday's mornings, doing a local parkrun in Wimbledon and feel this will really help me save as I want to have a proper holiday this year and the park run is free, visiting a pay as you go gym once a week and change my fitness lifestyle as it needs improving and get back in running again. 

It is good to restyle your life if there are areas in your life you want to change, but not sure where to start and that could be fashion, a room in your house, your health and your relationships, visiting friends you've been meaning to meet up with, but not got round to seeing. Making time for yourself to write as writing and walking are areas I love and want to change my lifestyle to grow my books, blogs and videos and build on my other two Youtube channels. Financial Living and my educational youtube channel. Continue to vlog and help others change their life by making changes of my own. 

My word for this year is "Lifestyle". last year was "Grow" and year before was "Build".

I have changed my lifestyle, by focusing on what is important to me and being honest with myself and how would like to live? Who do want to me meet in my life? What parts of my life do I like? 

In 2024 I applied to work on Epsom Hospital Radio and this was something that I had wanted to do when I left school, this was 29 years ago, but didn't know how to go about it. I saw an advert outside Epsom Hospital getting off the bus and so I filled in the waiting list, not thinking anything will happen, but received an email about a Recruitment Evening and then started training and now I have my own show on a Sunday.

So never give up on your dreams and they can happen unexpectedly. I had to change my way if thinking by altering my lifestyle. I wanted to get fit and do running. This really helped my lifestyle because it changed my energy levels, my relationship with myself, no longer giving myself a hard time but use the positive side of the brain and took on things I never thought I could and did the Great North run, the Royal Park run, Race of life, Women's 10K run and the London 10K Run. Working in a corporate environment made me make effort to dress smartly, put on make up and get fit. 

I have always wanted to change my lifestyle to follow my dream to write a book and so when I became a parent and was getting ready to change my lifestyle in terms of work, I discovered blog writing, that lead me to write my first book, The Parenting Adventures and wrote a novel called A Lonely Walk to happens and learned about this by watching programme about it and lead me to Youtube and having my own channels and blog sites. 

In 2024 I have done a lot of courses in mental health, life coaching and counselling and got 10,000 all time views on my blog site, Everyone can build a castle. 

Now it is 2025 I am going to be doing a Winter 5K Walk in London to raise money for the British heart foundation, check out my fundraising page if you'd like to sponsor me: https://www.justgiving.com/page/typicallondongal

There will be more I want to do and have set my goals for 2025. I have created my vision boards and really ready to take on more challenges and experiences to make 2025 even better, by changing my style and learning more to continue to build a lifestyle I love.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X