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