What makes you happy?

It's the International Day of Happiness - so how happy are you and what makes you happy.

The sun has come out - that makes me happy.

• A lovely bunch of flowers - freshly delivered or picked from the garden - that makes me happy.

• Chocolate (good quality) - that always makes me happy.

• Watching the birds in my garden - that makes me happy.

• Listening to my favourite music or an upbeat song - that makes me happy.

• Children and babies - they make me laugh and smile with their wonder at the world.

There's more of what makes me happy on my Facebook Page.

Whatever you do in life - be happy! :)

Have An Extra Day

So, what will you do with your extra day this Leap Year?

Yes, tomorrow is the 29th February.  An extra day squeezed into the usual 365 days of the year.

What would you do if you could have a whole extra day for yourself?

Would you ...

- use it to catch up on your email?
- use it have a day off in the middle of the week?
- use it to spend time with your family, friends or loved one?
- use it to catch up on reading?
- use it to do something new and exciting?
- use it for thinking and planning?
- use it to catch up on all those jobs around the house you never quite have time for?
- use it for all those other things there is never enough time for?

In reality, tomorrow is just another working day - no one's really squeezed an extra day into the week - wouldn't that be nice.  But how would you like an extra day every week?

It's estimated that people only use 60% of their work time in a productive way.  If you take out the time wasted on distractions and interruptions (2 hours a day) - add it all up and you can easily have an extra day a week to do what you want.

If you'd like to find out how - get in touch.  Email me or book a Strategy Session.

Related articles

• Leap Year (didyouknow.org)

Great Deals With GroupOn

Now, I’m always looking out for a bargain and ways to save money and I came across this website via Twitter. Groupon – My City Deals offers you great savings on local businesses – from health and beauty, exercise, restaurants and fun.

I'm fairly sceptical when it comes to most things like this, so was expecting there to be some catch and 'no such thing as a free lunch', some complicated sign-up process but these are genuine deals that can save you between 60-85%.

There’s a different deal each day, so you'll need to subscribe to their daily email if you don't want to miss out but if you want a haircut for 60% less or six exercise classes for a fraction of the cost, take a look.

M.A.D. Your Social Life & Having Fun

This is the fifth in a series of M.A.D. Moments based on different areas of your life to inspire you or give you that boost at the start of the year.

So how is your fun and social time?

• Do you spend your weekends catching up on chores?
• Would you like more time for socialising?
• Do you have interests and hobbies outside of work?
• Would you like to have more FUN in your life?

Sometimes we’re so busy working or getting on with our day-to-day lives that we don’t find time to have fun or we’re too tired at the end of a day’s commuting to think about going out. It’s important to take time out to relax and socialise, to do something different to enable you to distress and recharge your batteries.

What do you enjoy doing but perhaps haven’t done in a while? Whether this is meeting up with friends for a meal, going out to the cinema or theatre. Think about the fun you had when you were younger – even the simple things in life can be fun.


Action:

What difference could you make to your Fun Time this week?

• Do something you haven’t done in a while – that’s fun and sociable. Arrange a meal out with friends or invite them round for a social evening. If you’re not in the habit of socialising regularly, find time in each week to meet up with a friend just for a coffee or a meal and a chat.
• Take time out this week to relax and unwind. Find thirty minutes or maybe even an hour at the end of each day to do something just for you. Switch off totally from the outside world – that includes the phone and the TV, sit and listen to some music, read a book, soak in the bath or meditate.

When you are out having fun – allow yourself to totally enjoy what you’re doing and the people you’re with – don’t think about the other things you should be doing and distract yourself from the enjoyment.

Have fun this week.

How balanced is your life - take a look at the Life Balance Wheel.

Bacon, Eggs and Juggling.

I was at my monthly Chamber breakfast this morning and apart from the fact that it's the best breakfast in town, it's also a great motivational start to the day, even though it's the end of the week. This morning was no exception - a great talk from Rob Hughes. Well, not so much of a talk, as a lesson in how to juggle but delivered in such a way that, while we may not have been juggling by the end of the session, we were at least a few steps further along in the process, with the potential to actually master the art if we decided to apply the few tips and tricks we learnt.

It's all in the throwing rather than the catching and about not allowing the logical left-side of the brain to take over from the free-flowing creativity of the right-brain. It's a great way to exercise both sides of the brain. So, I've dug out my trainee juggling balls and this year, I will learn to juggle.

Now what was it? Throw, throw, catch, catch ...

Manchester Stop-Over

I was up in Manchester yesterday at the IFA Adviser08 exhibition. I travelled up on Monday afternoon and booked an overnight stay for the night. I'd searched various hotels, some of which were right by the Manchester Exhibition Centre and varied from the reasonably priced, basic room to the more upmarket, expensive options. Although Manchester has plenty of hotels to choose from, I decided that rather than stay in an impersonal, hotel and as I didn't need to be there on the dot of 8.30 when the event started, that I'd find a B&B somewhere close by.

After a few phone calls - it's half term up there this week, so some weren't taking bookings, I found the utterly delightful Birtles Farm B&B. It's situated on the edge of Tatton Park within a short drive from the M6 and only 20 minutes from the centre of Manchester. Down a long drive, it's a working farm and the farmhouse is crammed full of warmth and character. No clean lines and white walls here - all wooden rafters, uneven floors and walls, wonderful dark wood doors with old fashioned latches and a lovely double room with everything that your average business hotel would have but in much nicer surroundings. OK, the tiny ensuite shower room might be a bit smaller than most and if you were six foot you'd have to duck through the door but it had everything I needed and more. There was a TV, wireless internet access, tea & coffee making facilities, a fabulously comfortable bed with loads of pillows, a sofa to relax on, soft towels, a cupboard with proper hangers. Downstairs was your own guest lounge and the dining room, where a good hearty breakfast was served the following morning. Better than the usual Tuesday breakfast I'd be having if I was at my local Chamber meeting.

I'd highly recommend it if you need somewhere to stay in the area and it will certainly be my first consideration if I need a place to stay again. If not for a business stop-over in Manchester (it took me 30 minutes to drive into the centre of Manchester or I could have hoped on the Metro from Altrincham and that was in rush hour(, then it's ideally placed for Manchester Airport or for a long weekend break. There's plenty to see in the area and it's just on the edge of the wonderful Peak District and there are walks from the front door.

Do You Believe Everything You're Told?

Well apparently some people do and such is the power of rumours and chinese whispers, helped along by the apparent authenticity that the internet can now provide (or not) to say nothing of what gets published in the tabloids, that someone suffering from a sore ear has decided that this is due to overuse of the mobile phone ... because apparently the signals from mobile phones can boil an egg.

Well, after I'd picked myself up off the floor - I thought I'd check out where this crazy story came from and a quick Google provided this.

Time Management Book Launch

Last night's launch went well. I did wonder at 6.30pm where they all were but running true to form and considering that it was for a launch of a time management book, several people turned up late - some almost missed the whole thing! :)

I didn't mind at least they were there. It was all fairly low key and I had plenty of friends there to join me in celebrating the launch of my book and share a glass (or small plastic cup) of wine. I was competing with three other events in and around Brighton last night, so was hardly going to be packing Borders to the rafters.

Book sales at the event went well, in fact there was a comment that even John Gresham doesn't sell that many copies in a day. They usually expect a 50% sales rate and I exceeded that, so thank you to everyone who came along and helped me to mark the occasion. I will now claim to being a Borders bestseller ... at least for one day and in one location!

An Amazing Cake

If you want the lightest, fluffiest, most melt in your mouth victoria sponge then you just have to get along to Badgers tea-rooms (or Tea House) in Alfriston. A friend and I went out for a walk and I suggested walking along the river as far as we wanted and then have a bite to eat back in Alfriston. It was a short walk as we encountered a herd of cows - which she's none too happy with - blocking the path, so we turned round and walked back.

We had a light lunch of their special of the day, an open prawn and avocado sandwich on proper, decent brown bread, which meant we had plenty of room for cake! :)

Having seen the size of the cake sitting on the counter in the shop next door, we didn't need much time to make our choice and it really was the most amazing sponge I've ever tasted. As light as air, moist, yellow and fluffy. Taste the difference ... we certainly did. Nothing beats home-made.

Ah - The Great British Summer

Gale force winds and lashing rain - yes, it's another great British Summer. The weather is always unpredictable - that's why it's such a great talking point and you never know whether the three hot days you had last week is going to what makes up summer this year or not. However, even for July the weather seems to be unseasonably inclement! The Worthing Birdman Competition was washed out this year - at least on Sunday, although if it had gone ahead, I'm sure they would have had some record breaking distances covered - in fact they would probably have got as far as Brighton with a following wind.

Saturday in complete contrast (apart from the wind) was warm and sunny. Sadly the Peacehaven Carnival took place on the Sunday and those who turned up were buffeted and soaked in equal measure. I'd only intended to be there to help out for a couple of hours and that was about as much as I could take before heading back home for more editing.

Having A Digital Birthday

You know you've entered the digital age when all the forums and online groups that you've signed up for over the last year, send you an email wishing you a Happy Birthday. Well, it makes a change from the usual emails that clog up the Inbox and it did make a smile.

Fortunately, I also got some real life cards and best wishes too. :)

Superb Time Management

... or that's what I thought to myself as I cycled into town earlier today in the lovely Spring sunshine while everyone was back at work.

Although I spent all of the Bank Holiday working on my book, I don't tend to do much on Bank Holiday weekends anyway. There's nothing worse than being stuck in a traffic jam - especially on a hot, sunny day and we had a few of those over the weekend ... sunny days AND traffic jams and hoards of people. Everyone else is out and about as they don't have an option if they want to make the most of their weekend. They don't have a choice, whereas I did. I did make one abortive attempt to go into town but as soon as I hit the traffic jam at the end of my road, I turned round and came back as I had less than 30 minutes to get into town and I knew it was going to take a lot longer with all that traffic.

So today, I attended a breakfast meeting first thing this morning, spent a couple of hours working when I got back home, then headed into town on my bike to catch up with a friend for lunch and then see another couple of friends and their new baby. A gloriously sunny day. Cycling meant I got a couple of hours of exercise and avoided the traffic and agro of parking, another bonus with the roadworks taking place along the coast road at the moment making things even worse. Also being a weekday, when most people were back at work, there were a lot less people around on the seafront wandering across the cycle lane. I did have a close miss with a car that decided to do a u-turn in front of me without even looking.

Returned home to head out for my second networking meeting of the day and then a relaxing yoga session. How to mix business and pleasure without having to fit into a conventional 9-5.

Walking in the Cheviots

Back from a weekend walking in the Cheviots - a long drive there and back but worth it for a lovely Easter weekend in the snow ... and wind ... and hail. The sort of biting hail that feels like you're walking through needles and makes you realise that you need to upgrade your walking gear and that actually ski goggles wouldnt' be a bad idea.

We were staying in Mounthooly Bunkhouse in the College valley, very remote and a three mile drive into the valley down a very narrow road. No chance of driving out again if it snowed heavily unless you had a four-wheel drive. The bunkhouse was comfortable but cold. It was just as well that there were only eight of us as although it sleeps twenty, if it had been full, there would have been nowhere to sit and eat, never mind cook.

On day one we all set out to climb the Cheviot - not a mountain by mountaineers standards, in fact no more than a mere foothill, if that but it is the highest peak in the Cheviots Hills, after which they were obviously named. As we walked out of the bunk house and straight up the valley (nothing like having walks right on the doorstep) it got colder and windier the higher we got and there was low cloud over the tops of where we were headed but it was a case of see how far we get and if the weather changed, one way or the other. The weather got progressively worse the higher we got, so after sheltering out of the wind in a gully, we abandoned the walk and headed back downhill and spent the rest of the afternoon stoking up the wood burning stove, drinking tea and reading. In fact there were comments at various times over the weekend about 'the library' that developed each evening. Well, with no TV, no laptop and no mobile phone, it was an ideal opportunity to catch up on some reading.

The following day, the hills were still covered in snow and low cloud so Plan B was to head down to the coast for a walk with a short stop in the local town for supplies as we'd run out of milk already - all that porridge for breakfast and endless cups of tea from the biggest teapot ever.

Bamburgh Castle on the Northumberland coast is only a short drive from where we were staying and although the snow came down in pretty thick flurries, we made it along the B roads with only one car sliding to a gentle stop on the wrong side of the road as it took a corner a bit too fast. Wrapped up against the elements we took a short walk up along the beach. The Farne Islands are only just off shore, much closer than I'd expected and Lindisfarne is just up the coast, which was our second stop after a quick lunch in the pub to warm up. By the time we left the pub the snow had pretty much gone and although it was still cold and windy, the sun was out. Another short walk up around the shoreline across from Lindisfarne, spotting a few pairs of eider ducks in their natural habitat before heading back for more tea and cake.

On the final day, after overnight snow, there was some blue sky around, so we made a second attempt of the Cheviot and managed a good circular walk up onto the hills, through the snow and across the peat bog back down into valley. Only stopping briefly at the summit for a quick bite to eat and a warming drink as it was too cold and windy to hang around for long. It did warm up and the snow showers stopped as we walked back down into the valley. We had a great roast to look forward to that evening - roast chicken with all the trimmings and plenty of it. Food over the weekend was certainly plentiful with three 'chefs' nominated to cook each evening and everyone else chipping in to help out. Despite the walking and burning up calories to keep warm, with plenty to eat over the weekend and two course meals - the scales had gone up rather than down when I got home!

Read more detail of the trip in Sussex Nature Notes.

Off Road In The Mud

A slightly different day today as I went off-road driving for the first time. I was phoned up at short notice earlier in the week, someone had dropped out of the course. It’s part of my work as a volunteer ranger and will mean that I can drive the land rovers when out on tasks.

It did mean an early start, as the off road centre was in Kent but I linked up with another volunteer who lived just up the road in Lewes. Starting early meant we were ahead of the traffic and got there in good time. In fact such good time that having found the place, we were all set to go and get a coffee somewhere - although in the depths of Kent's orchards there weren't going to be too many Starbucks around. However, one of the staff turned up and let us in to the centre to wait in the warmth as it wasn't the warmest of days.

Well, centre sounds slightly glamorous it was a large warehouse with the workshop underneath where there was much hammering and welding going on and an upper level with the classroom, toilets, a small kitchen and offices. This was a 4-wheel driving course, would did you expect. We had to wait while the coffee machine heated up and there was a log burning stove, which once it got going, warmed the place up, along with supplies of coffee, chocolate or whatever combination you chose from the machine.

The rain from the previous few days made the 4x4 course extremely muddy! Firstly, we talked through the mechanics of 4-wheel driving - diffs, gears and learning even simple things, such as the fact that the engine drives the wheel with the least resistance - that's why they spin - on ice, mud or in the wet. Then it was out to put it into practice, in a fairly battered but working Range Rover. There were only three of us on the course which gave plenty of opportunity for driving practice, taking it turns to drive round the course and get used to the gears and the fact that even without your foot on the accelerator the engine still drives the vehicle forward - even on a slope.

Back into the classroom for more about safety, stopping and starting on a slope and the importance of momentum. Lunch was followed up with more hands-on practice this time in the mud and a variety of hills, slopes, mud, ruts and ditches, all the time avoiding the trees, which got pretty close as the range rover lurched from side to side, in and out of the trees, along the ruts and over the bumps. I only touched one small tree! It’s amazing how steep a gradient these vehicles will go up ... and down and the temptation to keep your foot on the brake, as you head down what feels like a ridiculously steep slope - results in a sharp reprimand of "Foot OFF the brake!". This is what they were made for – not driving to and from the nearest supermarket.

All in all a great day out but you're safe for the moment as I won't be allowed out on the road until I've completed the on-road and defensive driving part of the course.

Boxing Day Activities

Parents are both in bed having gone down with flu. Mum has been in bed since my arrival on Sunday but Dad finally retired to bed early last night after Christmas lunch. It takes a lot for him to admit that he's ill, so he must be feeling pretty dreadful.

Having ventured into Tesco Express - the only place currently open, I've been reluctantly feeding them Lemsip Max Cold and Flu and Mum is at least looking a little better today. She did make it down for present opening and lunch yesterday and of course neither of them can stay in bed too long without hearing the patter of feet coming down to check up on me.

Having depressed myself with my sister's present - no, the present was lovely (a set of scales) - it was just the read-out it gave which was depressing - I got out for a run round the block this morning. A lovely sunny, winter's day. Not too cold and a few people out and about with young families walking off Christmas lunch before they sat down to cold turkey for their Boxing Day lunch. Ours was soup made with stock from the duck yesterday. The good thing about duck is that there isn't masses left over the following day.

So what have you been up to on Boxing Day? Have you hit the sales for your smash and grab 75% off bargain or have you been spending the day with family or are you now trying to avoid spending time with family having decided that 24 hours with your immediate family is more than enough? There's only so much TV, crosswords and knitting that I can do, so I have to admit to opening up the laptop just to keep up with things and clear out the spam and it's a good excuse to catch up on some blogging.

Enjoy the rest of your week - especially if you're not working.

Grand Design Live 2007

I was in two minds (I am a Gemini!) but I eventually decided to have a day out and headed up to Birmingham for this event. There's masses to see and it really depends what you're after as to how much you get from it. I have to say - apart from an armful of leaflets and a bag of sausages, I didn't get much and it wasn't really worth the trip.

Although there's a whole area on Build - there was very little about the actual building aspect. There are a couple of places where you can get advice from the experts (architects and planners) and have your grand plans reviewed but most of the show is made up of companies selling their wares. If you want to look at underfloor heating, radiators, kitchen fittings, bathrooms, outdoor eating and the top-end of the market, then it's the place to go. I really can't see me ever wanting a spa pool.

I came back with a couple of leaflets from the oak-timber frame companies there and eventually tracked down a company that runs courses on straw-bale buildings. There were a few companies such as Huf Haus that produce kit form houses. I also picked up back issues of the Self-build magazine for only £1 each. Plenty of tips and ideas in these. The talk on Going Green - was pretty basic. We're all much more eco-savvy these days. There was very little around on that aspect which was disappointing. A few companies selling solar panels and the UK Renewables that have all sorts of ideas for renewables.

Solar water heating panels - will require your existing hot water cylinder to be replaced. Grants are available but the overall cost is between £2-3,500.

Solar electric panels - are expensive to install and not that efficient. £10-15,000. Although if you generate enough electricity you could end up selling it back to the grid but not for as much as you're buying it for.

Wind turbines - although you can now get these in B&Q, these need to be installed with a direct line of sight (or line of wind) to the prevailing wind. If you're built up area like mine - there's little point as there's too much turbulence from houses, trees etc.

Underground heat source - seems to be coming more popular - can't seem them allowing me to dig up the road to install one.

There are plenty of shopping opportunities if you want some art for your walls, sparkly chandeliers, ornate furniture or the ultimate in ladders or even a new drill set or perhaps a fondue. If you were the process of accessorising or wanting to choose the type of flooring for your kitchen/bathroom and have plenty of money to spend, then you might find something useful.

Some of the couples from the Grand Design TV programme where there to talk about their own projects and how things are now the cameras have gone and they've actually been living in their homes.

First find your plot.

Meteors And Satellites

Well, if even I managed to see the meteor shower from my garden surrounded by street lights, then it must have been pretty spectacular if you were in the heart of the country with a dark, unpolluted night sky. I was out late evening and spotted at least three satellites (two following each other across the night sky) and a few of the Perseid meteors before going to bed and deciding I was going to make the effort and get up early morning to see them at their peak, as this was such a great opportunity with a clear sky and a new moon and the fact that I could see them from the garden.

I guess I wasn't the only one standing out in the garden in the early hours looking skyward to spot the streaks of light as the speed across the sky and at least with enough about it on the news, anyone spotting me in the garden, seating on the bench wouldn't be thinking I was too weird ... well, I hope not. I hadn't quite made it up for 3am, when they were at their peak but was out an hour later and spotted at least half a dozen in twenty minutes. Just as the sky was starting to lighten up , I decided I really needed a couple of hours sleep and before my neck developed a permanent crick, headed back to bed.

Don't worry if you missed them. The Perseids are an annual event and can continue to be seen for another week until the 20th August. There are also regular meteor showers that occur throughout the year - you can find out more on the BAA site. Just look up into a clear night sky and if the crick in the neck doesn't get to you first, you should see one ... or two. You're much more likely to see a satellite these days, the sky is littered with them - bright points of light tracking across the sky in a pretty straight line.

What Car?

I'm a Mercedes SLK! (apparently)

You appreciate the finer things in life. You have a split personality (well, I am a Gemini) - wild or conservative, depending on your mood. Wherever you go, you like to travel first class (would like to, doesn't mean I do!). Luxury, style, and fun - who could ask for more?

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Mmmm - maybe I won't sell the car! :) Not quite but almost the same.

View From The Office

There can't be many jobs where you can sit in your 'office' watching a spotted woodpecker, long-tailed tits, pheasants and a variety of garden birds feeding outside the window.

I happened to be visiting family after the long weekend break and my parents have a study/office looking out over their garden which is always full of wildlife including a family of pheasants that appear regularly throughout the day to pick up the feed from below the seed and peanut feeders. (Even if I'm away from home I can still take my work with me - given a phone line, my laptop and a broadband connection.)

It did make me think about moving my office round or even relocating it to the spare-room but a) my suburban garden doesn't quite get the variety of wildlife and b) I'd probably get even less work done!

Guess Who?

What do you think?

I had a very lovely and totally unexpected surprise, when this appeared in my Inbox earlier today. Drawn by the very talented Simon Ellinas and just because I'd happened to mention that I was missing his cartoon blogging talent on Ecademy.

Take a look at his site for more of his fabulous cartoons.