Thoughtful present: A long drive home survival kit

Last week my friend Jenny came back to visit the area. She now lives in the Cornwall area and a few weeks ago I went to stay with her and husband and baby boy Sam. The only time she was free to catch up with myself and the other school friends was on Saturday but I’d already had other plans. I said I was free Sunday and she said she was going to be driving back to Cornwall at 3.30am, as she could drive when Sam was asleep. So as much as she wanted to catch up, she thought 3.30 in the morning was a bit too early for a catch up.

With such a long drive ahead at the crack dawn didn’t seem like my sort of fun, so I thought what could I do to help make things a bit bearable? And the main idea that came to mind was an audiobook.

So I went to the local Waterstones and there was a great selection; I was on the lookout for one that a) the voice wouldn’t be too abrupt and spikey as I didn’t want Sam to get wake up, and b) it should be something that would interest Jenny. I ended up ticking both of these boxes with Clare Balding's ‘My Animals and Other Family’ audiobook. She has a quite a soft smooth voice and with Jenny being a vet and having a lifelong interest in animals I knew she’d like it.

I also got her a couple of treats from Graze to keep her going energy wise. With all surprise gifts, I leave them on the doorstep to be discovered the next day, and Jenny loved it saying it was perfect way to get her home.

Thoughtful presents: No reply present

A few weeks ago I went on holiday with my friend Mel. The first week of our holiday we went on a road trip, with Exmoor being the final destination. We stopped at Bath, Wells, Stourhead, Weymouth, and Looe on the trip.

At Weymouth I had plans to meet up with my friend Emma. I’d known Emma since uni as we lived together throughout; living in halls and then a student house after. Pretty much every year since graduation we’ve had uni meet ups in Portland (the island off Weymouth where she lives.)

Towards the day we were supposed to be meeting up Emma got very quiet (which isn’t the Emma I knew) and didn’t reply to my texts about confirming plans. The day after I got a text from Emma explaining that she’d been super stressed with work and mortgage stuff so didn't want to catch up.

Whenever a friends says something like that I immediately think what I can do to help. Not solve the problems they have, but just make things a little easier or do something to cheer them up. With not being at home I didn’t have my own things for inspiration so I looked around the Weymouth shops for something to buy.

As you may know I love a good quote and a bit of positivity and I thought Emma might like a little reminder that things were going to get better. So I found a card shop that sold that sort of thing and got a few pieces that might put a smile on her face.

With any unexpected presents I always leave them on a friend’s doorstep. For some reason I want them to fully be surprised (also if I’m not there, then they can’t give the present back, lol.) A few hours after I dropped off her present I got a text saying thanks and that it had made her week.
So even on holiday there are still opportunities to be thoughtful.

Challenge within a challenge: No cinema update

How is it October already? Just like every year it seems this year has gone by really fast. And apart from the movie marathon I went to back in May for my friend Rachel’s birthday, I haven’t been to the cinema!

A couple of weeks ago I came close to going to the cinema as the group I was with on the National Trust holiday went to see Bridget Jones’s Baby and it was the second time somebody had asked me to go and see that film. But I stayed strong and didn’t go.

With every film I’ve wanted to see at the cinema, I’ve read an autobiography instead. I have got a little bit behind in this and got 12 books left to read, which is roughly one book a week till the end of the year. People have asked me why I’ve decided to read autobiographies instead. I just thought it would be good to read about different people’s lives and experience different narratives, which is what you would experience in the cinema anyway.

Thankfully with the weather getting colder and getting a new corner sofa courtesy of my neighbours, I’ll be able to read the remaining books in comfort.