The right path

It's that time of year when this weekend will have seen parents running around like headless chickens, discovering the shoe shop has sold out of their child's size shoe because it is a "popular size" and they will also discover that their child is the same trouser/skirt and shirt/ blouse size as all the other school children their age.  Yes it's the weekend before the children go back to school, college and uni.  It's so easy to leave it to the last weekend like most parents do even though you have had 6 weeks to prepare, I used to do it with my son! My son is now 18 and when he finally returns from his holiday in Malia he will be back to college on Thursday ready to start his level 3 Public Services and I wish him well for the next 2 years.  As for the rest of my family, my niece and nephew Leah aged 15 and Luke aged 12 will be moving up a year in secondary school, my other nephew Kai will be 2 in October so this time next year will be starting to think about school/nursery but this year sees a big change for my niece Amy who is 18 as she is off to uni for the first time.  She will be going to Bristol Uni to study English and Journalism.  I won't lie I am going to miss her, I have always been close to Amy and I have watched her grow up from birth, she is a very pretty, clever and fun loving girl and I really wish her well! It's a big time for teenagers going to uni, not only is it a different building but it's also a different town/city and a different experience.  It's a totally new chapter in their lives, some will love it and go on further and others will be homesick and be home by the end of the year, it's probably not for everyone but you won't know unless you have tried it.  To all students out there I wish you well in which ever path you are taking, make the most of what you have learnt and are about to learn and if you don't succeed there are plenty of alternative paths to follow and you will eventually find the right one which will lead you to where you want to go in life!

High Street Collapse

I love shopping and I have to admit I will shop around until I find the best price for an item whether it be on the high street or online, with wages low and bills high you find you need to!  I went to Haverfordwest town centre last Monday which was August Bank Holiday with my husband and I came away feeling very sad as there were no more than 8 cars in the multi storey car park and the town itself was like a ghost town.  I know people blame the larger names for killing off the trade for the local shops but this isn't the case as we went into shops like Wilkinsons, Savers, Argos, Poundland and they were all empty.  After buying a few items from Wilkinsons we made our way up to an out of town department store called Vincent Davies, and guess what, yes it was very busy with lots of people walking around with baskets and trollies full of items and there were constantly ques at the checkout.  After leaving there we went to Withybush retail park and we couldn't even park there at first as the car park was full with lots of cars queuing, the shops here include Next, M&S, Debenhams, Sports Direct and Boots and apparently T X Maxx is opening there in October.  I just couldn't believe the difference on this Bank Holiday Monday, it's the same town but it felt like you had been into 2 very totally different worlds.  Since being there I have learnt that apparently Burtons is closing down in the town centre.  I am first to admit I love online shopping but I also like to look around local towns, I don't know what the answer is but I certainly came away on this day feeling sad!

A week without my son

Today sees the start of my sons "lads holiday" to Malia, yes 6 of them are off on a club 18-30 holiday!  It doesn't seem a minute ago since he booked it and here we are the day of departure.  I said my goodbyes to him last night as he stayed at his mates house and yes I was an emotional wreck!  I only have the one son and he means the world to me, yes he annoys me at times but he is a typical 18 year old and I love him to bits.  He does need to learn not to leave everything to the last minute, I told him I needed all his washing by Friday and finally got it 8.00pm Sunday night and then he wondered why it wasn't dry by first thing Monday morning!  Up until lunch time yesterday his passport was still in the drawer! At least its looking hot where he is going, its averaging 30C compared to 15C here. That's another thing you worry about then, telling him to make sure he puts plenty of sun cream on so he doesn't burn!   I know he will have a great time but that doesn't stop you worrying about him, I just want him to get there and back safely and enjoy it! Has anybody any tips for me about how to stop worrying for the next week or is it just a "mummy" thing!

I love my electric Yankee Candle Burner

I love it when the nights start getting darker and it's time to close your curtains and light your candles and there are so many fantastic different types of candles and candle holders which are now available out there.  I have to say my all time favourite has to be my Yankee Candle electric burner, I had it for Christmas last year from my husband and I absolutely love it.  Not only does it look nice but the smell you get from from the tarts are just fab.  It is so simple to use, you just place a tart on the top of the unit, switch the burner on at the wall and let the tart burn.  Each tart burns for 8 hours so you can either burn the tart in one go or over a couple of days.  For my birthday earlier in the year my parents bought me a selection of 24 different smelling tarts and I have to be honest and say upto now I haven't found one that I don't like the smell of.  Once you have bought the initial burner then the tarts are only £1.25 each which to me is brilliant value and you find that for several days after the tart has finished burning you can still smell it in the room.  If you love scented candles then I would suggest this product.  Does anyone else have a favourite Yankee candle product? 

Company Gimmicks

Don't you find that companies are very clever with the gimmicks they use to get you to buy, or sign up to their products. A true example was at the show yesterday, there was an insurance company there encouraging you to have a go at "crack the safe" to win £10,000, it involved you having to guess the 6 digits to open the safe.  The chances of you winning are tiny but you couldn't just walk up and have a go, you had to fill in your contact details first.  Very clever marketing, if they had just asked you for your details for nothing in return the majority of people would have said no! Another example is the Pembrokeshire Lottery, they always have a stand at these events encouraging you to sign up to the lottery, in the past you have seen people walking past and not stopping, myself included.  This time if you sign up they are offering you a free plastic purple piggy bank and the chance to see if yours has a £10 note in it, even if it doesn't you get to keep the piggy bank.  When I walked past yesterday there were plenty of people signing up and guess what, yes me included! Yes I did it to get the piggy bank. It just goes to show how clever marketing and gimmicks really do work.

Bucks fizz and sushi for breakfast

Well here I am at the County show ground and yes I have been having sushi and bucks fizz for breakfast! The sun is shining and there is a brilliant atmosphere here and  you'll be pleased to know that up to now there has been no sign of Titan! There is so much to see and do here and I can't wait to look around it in a bit after my husband has finished work. Events like this are so important for Pembrokeshire they brings lots of money and people into the area which is what is needed.  I have just watched a sheep show, I have never quite seen anything like it before, quite entertaining and unique! I'm off for lunch now and then I'm going for a walk around the show later. x

Early start tomorrow

It won't be a late night for me tonight as I have to set my alarm for 4.15am tomorrow as I am going to the Pembrokeshire County Show in Haverfordwest.  I'm really looking forward to it and this year I have managed to book a day off work so I can literally spend all day there with my husband.  It attracts thousands of people each year and it really is a major event in the Pembrokeshire calendar.  I'm hoping Titan the robot won't be there this year as I don't like him but apart from that I can't wait to see everything else! The weather looks promising so fingers crossed, I went a few years back after it had been raining constantly and I literally got my car stuck in the mud and had to be towed out, quite embarrassing at the time especially when you are on your own! My son went today on the opening day and thoroughally enjoyed it, he kept wanting to buy a duck would you believe! I think it's ladies day tomorrow and I heard the word champagne mentioned so I will have to make sure I have a glass or 2 and especially seeing as how I'm not driving even better so I have no excuse not too!  Right I suppose I better go now to do my picnic ready for tomorrow as I dare say no food will be available at that time in the morning! Speak soon x 

Insurance renewal quotes

You get to that time of year when you receive your insurance renewal quote, either for your car or home.  The next step is to spend all weekend on your computer or Hudl searching for a better price because you can guarantee your quote has gone up even though you haven't claimed. After trawling through all the comparison sites you eventually find a better deal than the one you have been offered! You phone your existing company like I did yesterday to tell them you are leaving them only to be told they will look for a better offer.  Why on earth didn't they quote you the "better offer" price in the first place, and that would have saved me wasting my weekend getting a headache searching for new quotes.  If you are reading this and work for an insurance company then please feel free to explain it to me and everyone else who experiences this problem. I did once ask the question but the reply confused me even more! Now it really is time to go to work so I will be back later!

My favourite possession

Morning! My first blog yesterday seemed to go quite well and was seen by 44 people so I have decided to continue with it and post some more! At the moment I am drinking my tea in bed thinking about getting ready for work and I am typing this blog on one of my favourite possessions at the moment which is my Tesco Hudl.  I bought it earlier in the year and I absolutely love it! Its compact and does everything you need a tablet to do, tablets are so clever, I remember being impressed with the laptop when it first came out as to the fact it was portable compared to the desk top computer, but the tablet to me is even more impressive, I have to say technology never fails to amaze me and I feel its an exciting time in the "technology world" waiting to see what they are going to  come up with next. I also have an iPad but I'm afraid my Hudl is my favourite and every morning at 6.30 my husband wakes up to the initial Hudl starting up sound! If someone said I could go to an island and take one item then for me it's my Hudl, as long as there was internet of course! What is your favourite possession? Does anyone else love the Hudl like I do? Well it's now time to start getting ready for work I suppose, don't you just love Monday mornings!

About me!

Hi my name is Jo and as the title suggests I am 38 years old! I live in a seaside village called Saundersfoot which is in West Wales.  This is the busiest time of year for the village and I have to be honest and say I love to see it busy and thriving but I also love it when Autumn comes and we get the village back to ourselves. I am married to Gareth and we will be celebrating our 8th anniversary in October. I also have an 18 year old son called Matt who I love greatly but I have to say at the moment he is a typical 18 year old lad! He is off on a lads holiday in just over a week but I will tell you more about that shortly! I am new to blogging so before I go any further I am going to attempt to publish this first, wish me well and here goes!