sharonsiff

Good going Laura, you made a good choice. Next time you will remember this time no doubt, you only have to do it a few times and it really does become less of an issue.. No snow my end, not a flake, hopefully the same for you. Hope your sister had a lovely birthday evening xx

On no! Mind I checked my postcode weather and it said on 12% chance for me.. Am right by the coast. Let's hope we escape it Laura.

Here it is Rez.. I'm laughing as neither of us are particularly photogenic... Lol

Don't be deflated Laura, it's perfectly normal and to be expected that your mind will flood you with thoughts of smoking. Accept that and as long as you take the right action (NOPE, distracting yourself) then you are a champion! With time and patience the thoughts become less and less... Then zero ;)

I hope you have a good night, celebrating your sisters birthday. Drive carefully and like you say leave going out in the cold to the smokers... Brrrrrrr No snow forecast my end (Essex) hope that you don't get too much your end.

Great blog today, as ever... And I love when you said To see it as important non-smoking training instead of just stuff that has to be done. I know exactly what you mean, always the positive, and can see how that thought process can turn things around. Will look forward to tomorrow's blog ;)

Please tell her Action that I've found it's the little things that have made a HUGE difference, and have changed everything xx

Fabulous! A week already! ;)

Tracey you know what my break through has been, that helps me manage it and stop it in it's track? Is I am now able to recognise that it's a very low mood. In the past it was just normal, put up with it and just mentally hibernated till Spring. It wouldn't be that anything had actually happened, just the fact is was a Tuesday would be enough. So when I can feel it, when I wake up and know it's not right, I get to and sort out what I have to do mentally. For me it involves quickly looking at a picture of the hotel I will be going to, writing down my daily tasks then adding a look forward to task. It might be something like research such and such (could be a recipe or make up related) I can then, for the rest of my day look forward to that free time researching whatever the heck it was on my list. I know that might not sound ground breaking to many but I can't tell you how much it lifts that dark cloud feeling... Gives me something positive to look forward to. So although I can't stop the dark clouds coming, I can now accept that (helps enormously!) I am at least able to manage them very well and blow them away. You're not alone Tracey xx

Hopefully you might benefit from tips on this thread Evelyn, or have some to share xx

That's exactly right Rez..he, he, he. Lee has just got up, after a 12 hour night shift and feels as giddy as a kipper about it too. We really are two peas in a pod ;)

A whole year already! Good stuff Wiley... I hope you celebrate by either fishing or watching Bad Grandad.. ;)

Fabulous news! Well done.. You must be over the moon xx

Fabulous news, well done :)

I had to laugh the other day... One of my customers, a smoker, wanted to light one of her Yankee Candles. So she unwrapped it and immediately I could smell a tropical fruit smell. I just mentioned that it smelt like mango and pineapples and she gave me a strange (almost annoyed) response and said " but I haven't lit it yet!" To which I told her but you have taken the wrapping off and I can smell it love. Her face was priceless.... ;)

I know exactly what you mean Babs! I would dread September, and the kids going back to school in the UK, as I knew what faced me..in my mind! This September was different as , as you might remember, Del Boy died. It was during all of that, that made me dig deep..real deep! And find something, anything! To focus on that was positive. From that it just snowballed into the next happy thing, and like you mentioned December the 21st was one that I would smile about, and focus on. At the moment I am so happy as it will soon be February and the promise of Spring. Only yesterday I was in the supermarket and saw Hot Cross Buns. Now the old Winter me would have got the right hump, and thought why on earth are they selling Easter foods already! Yesterday I stopped that thought in it's tracks and instead thought.. Omg it will be Spring soon! How fabulous. I wouldn't care Babs, in the past, spring to Autumn I was a little ray of sunshine! Always a positive take on stuff, first one to smile or laugh. It always felt as though someone had taken my batteries out from Sept to February. I feel very free of all that now Barb, as I can see you do. It's actually priceless really isn't it?

Do any of you suffer from SAD syndrome? I have had my very first Winter and been able to stop it in it's tracks this year, which has been fabulous as I'm sure you can imagine. I have learnt now, when I notice the very low mood, to accept it and then do something about it. I say do something about it, what I mean is I completely focus on something positive and realistic. I see now in the past I just accepted it was part of the course for me, would dread Winter, and not really know what to do other than get on with it and wait for the very low moods to lift. I used to read that the power of the mind is a great tool, and blah, blah, blah... But I never really believed it to be honest as the SAD feeling was so strong. So although I can't stop the chemicals bringing on a low mood at least now I accept it happens but now know how to manage it. At least now I won't ever have to dread the Winter months again.. It's a very liberating feeling.

Oh I did giggle when I read this, not because I think it's funny that it effected you, but because I knew exactly the scene you were going to mention before I read it. You know even the way the music played totally bothered me too! That was classic omg, shivers down your spine stuff. Like you I slept with the light on when my fear got silly. It made it worse for me, in a way, as I knew the light was only on because I'd lost all sense of logic and reason... But just couldn't access any flipping logic and reason, that ship had sailed... Lol I don't watch anything like that now when on my own as I don't trust my mind not to play me up. I remember, once reading, that any thoughts after 10pm are just coming from the limbic and to take no notice, or not to make important decisions during that time onwards. Even though I know this, and am able to access this knowledge when I lie in bed and my mind starts racing, and I can now shut down the thoughts, I certainly don't put it to the test when it comes to horror movies!... Am not that brave anymore Jen.. Lol

Oh I can't wait Jen! Part of me doesn't want it to end, as I'm enjoying it, but on the other side it's like a good book...am dying to see what the conclusion will be.

I hear you Chrispy but I just need, after Tenerife, to miss a holiday so I can put away that money towards a run around car each for the girls... They will be 17 that year you see. Of course once that's dealt with a cruise is on the cards, or... I also fancy giving 10 nights in Barbados a whirl, right after a family Christmas...or instead of Christmas... Mmmmm.... Lots to plan and look forward to. Your advise reminds me of what Del Boy used to say to us you know, he would tell us to make plans that don't always involve the girls, to make them and to make sure we execute at least some of them. So I can totally see where you're coming from and it's very good advise- thank you xx Nancy I am soooooo excited! Today's the day :) Already planning my getting ready to go out music, like we use to do back in the day. I'm going back to old school, back to my getting ready for the school music disco music.. Duran Duran and Hungry Like The Wolf. Meanwhile Lee will be getting the next track ready...very likely to be anything by Alexander O'Neal or the Blow Monkeys... As happy as a sand boy :)

Pippa hit the nail on the heat Colleen, soy sauce. The fish sauce brings the salty element to the dish so soy, in itself, would fit the bill. I also have this info, I once bookmarked, as I once ran out of fish sauce so need a plan B. This comes from Nigella Lawson's web page...sorry I can't get it to just copy the section so will just give you the link. It explains how to substitute fish sauce in dipping sauce or as part of a curry or main dish http://www.nigella.com/kitchen-queries/view/Nam-pla-%28fish-sauce%29-substitutes/2226

Pop some of your fab cooking/baking on here too, I've seen your yummy creations xx

Pippa I would be more than happy for that to be served up to me in a restaurant... Looks fabulous!

JC this is so true! Your thoughts came from your limbic ( your emotional Center/ the I need area) so by not making the purchase you have put a nugget in the logic and truth bank of your mind and then next time your limbic kicks off, temptation, you can then hand over the though to your truth, logic and reason side of thinking. It works... I do it all the time when my emotional thinking is loud in my day to day trails and tribulations. It will be normal to have temptation anyway JC, and at times the temptation outbursts will feel very strong and can make you feel you are not going to manage them well. I think NEAT when this happens in my day to day life You can't control your thoughts but we can learn to manage then. N= Normal E= Expected A= Accepted (very important!) T= Taken Care Of... Which you did by deciding not to make a purchase. You are doing grand... A very classy quit :)

Morning Wendy How was your sleep last night? Any better?