Blogtober16 - Happy Halloween!

I'm going to keep this post brief because I don't have a lot to say if truth be told.

I feel like it's controversal to say but I actually dislike Halloween. Apparently I did do trick or treating, but don't remember it. I just remember dressing as a witch every year and hanging out with other family/friends. I might have tried to carve a pumpkin with my Mum and Gran a few times too, but that's as far as it goes.

Why do I not like Halloween?
1. My birthday is the 26th October, so Halloween served as a constant reminder that the presents, kindness, good food, cake and surprises was over.
2. I hate dressing up. I've done my fair share from dressing as a daffodil for Marie Curie to dressing as an easter bunny for my fundraising efforts to climb Kilimanjaro

3. I've never found any horror films that I've enjoyed or that scare me.
4. I don't understand why people want to find ways to be scared.
5. I can't really think of further reasons, but it seems like a pointless event

That being said, I genuinely wish you a "happy halloween" whatever you're doing. I'm guessing the majority of you might have enjoyed it over the weekend. I have friends who love to curl up watching horrors, or dressing up. Just because I don't doesn't mean I can't appreciate why it's popular. It's nice to see kids dressed up or carving pumpkins, which has filled my current facebook feed.

I'm going to try to embrace this occasion watching a few horrors including: Case 39, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, then perhaps Leprechaun, Return of the Living Dead and Poltergeist II. Unfortunately they are the best selection on Netflix, and not seen that much worth seeing on TV. Any better recommendations to be found on TV are much appreciated! Keen to watch something I've not already seen.

What are you doing this halloween?

As this is my final post, I'd like to say thank you to Hex Mum for getting my creative juices flowing. It's been great, but think I will be glad of the break. For those bloggers, who wished to get involved, Hexmum and Me Becoming Mum are doing #AlphaBlogBites this November too. To get involved, you write the following types of posts:

Further rules are available on the Facebook group here. Unfortunately I think this is too much for me to do! I have come across of blog ideas recently that I hope to write, and hope you will enjoy reading! I'm also thinking of taking up another blogging challenge, which I hope more people wish to take part in.#dreamandsparkle is weekly posts displaying positive posts detailing things you are proud of, achievements, milestones, or any type of post that makes you feel good. I hope to do a post every Sunday starting this week, so if I don't blog for a while, it won't be until then.

Blogtober16 - Piercings and Tattoos

Day 16 of Blogtober, and here I am discussing piercings and tattoos. I believe that it's another way to express yourself as a person besides makeup, clothing, jewellery and obviously your personal interests. It is part of fashion.

Like any fashion, some are more extreme than others.

Tattoos are gorgeous especially on men. I love the sleeves. Of course it does depend on the guy and how good the tattoos are, but here are a few examples.

My first tattoo combined a few ideas. My favourite flower is white lilies and I wanted something feminine, so got this. I also wanted to be reminded that to get the good, you sometimes need to experience the bad. I've always been fascinated by asian art, and like the whole idea of the yin yang symbol and therefore had that copied onto the lily. I also picked out meaningful lyrics from Friendly Fires with the same kind of mentality of living everyday to the best.

I always said I'd get a tattoo, but thought I'd only get the one, but was inspired to get another when I climbed Kilimanjaro for charity. Unfortunately it didn't go as planned. I just don't think what I wanted transferred well as a tattoo. Here is a picture of what I wanted:

This translates as "peace, love and happiness" (not sure if it's in that order) in swahili which is the language spoken in Tanzania. I decided I wanted these words that I saw written at the children's school which my fundraising benefitted. I wanted that same writing with stars instead of bullet points, and all with the colours of the Tanzanian flag. I even wanted it on my foot because it was my feet that got me there!

However I didn't anticipate that the tattoo would be painful or that the tattooist would tell me that the colour wouldn't last moments after it was complete. He advised that I got it curving round so it was easy to read. The colour was faded within two weeks, and now I'm slowly using laser treatment to get rid of it. I was told because of the colour it could take up to 10 treatments. So far, I've only had 2 treatments. If you think a tattoo hurts, laser tattoo removal is so much worse. Some people describe it as an elastic band hitting you. It's worse. I find it makes my whole body sweat and feel like I'm being cooked. Awful.

Here is a picture just after my second laser treatment in January:

I'm not a huge fan of piercings as such. I like different ear piercings, but that's probably as far as it goes.

When I was younger I wanted to get my belly button pierced, but I have a huge fear of anyone touching my belly button so that thought soon died. In recent years, I've had a few different piercings to the ear.

When I was 6, I got the standard ear piercings. Unfortunately it hurt too much so I only got one ear done. Then went back a week later for the other ear. Then for some reason or other it got infected, and they got taken out. I still remember being at my Gran's, it hurting and my mum getting frustrated as she tried to get them out and I kept screaming. Then when I was 11 I got them done again. This time at a lovely beauty place in Yorkshire. They both got pierced at the same time, and I liked the pair of earrings so much that they stayed in for ages. I felt feminine with my ears pierced. It had to be one of my favourite items of jewellery. I can't remember when I stopped wearing them, but they started to seal up. So I tried getting them pierced again last year. I was told then that they couldn't be pierced again as the tissue would be damaged. I listened, but it hurt changing them when the time came and therefore I've given up on that. The holes are there but it hurts to try and put anything in them.

I'd also tried tragus and helix piercings. I love them. Unfortunately they hurt as well, I couldn't sleep on them while is a pain for someone who sleeps on their side and was woken up everytime I turned over. The tragus also hurt while I had earphones in. Needless to say that was short-lived. Recently I've thought about a nose piercing, but not sure if that's just something you get as a teenager? I also have long-term sinusitis so wouldn't want to mess with my nose. In conclusion, I have no piercings, but love them on others. Again like tattoos, they don't have to be extreme but are a great way to express yourself.

Anyway, I hope you like the post and look forward to your thoughts. What do you think of tattoos and piercings? Do you have any?

27 reasons I'd rather be an OAP right now

For a bit of full, I've written a bit of a list of things that I think will make growing old - great!

1. You've made your mistakes and not much that young people do will shock you (you've seen it all before).
2. The bus pass! Of course the bus pass. The best thing about turning 60 after enduring menopause, wrinkling and everything sagging... travel can be so expensive, and now you have a cop out.
3. You don't need to work unless you want to.
4. Your children are grown up, so you no longer need to "parent". What they do is up to them at this stage! They have their own children.
5. Nobody cares what you look like. Nobody ever says: "Ew, look at that ugly old lady" or "That is one fat old lady!"
6. You can travel whenever you want with no obligations.
7. It is your family's job to look after you instead.
8. Your mortgage is likely to be paid off.
9. Every wrinkle, scar, freckle, tattoo or mark on your body has a story.
10. You don't need to be a slave to fashion and likely to know what suits you best.

11. You're an encyclopedia of knowledge.
12. You don't need to worry about being 'cool' and can be your true self. 
13. The friends you have you've had for years, and stay loyal.
14. You're not likely to be made a fool of.
15. If you want to slob in your pjs all day, you don't have parents to tell you not to (your kids might, but how will they stop you?) 
16. You are likely to know the healthy habits you enjoy.
17. The young people you know come to you for advice and wisdom.
18. You've seen your fair share of good and happy occasions including weddings, births and parties.
19. You will have taken risks in your youth that you don't need to do anymore.
20. You will have the best life stories to tell.
21. You can spoil your grandchildren and babysit when you choose.
22. You have no issue with spending your money. YOLO and all!
23. From going to many restaurants in your life, you probably by now which are the right knives, forks or spoons to use.
24. You'll have many achievements to reflect on.
25. Your bucket list will be shorter than a list of over 300.
26. You know what is important.
27. You make your own rules.