1) Get to Edinburgh for the Comedy Fringe – Comedy is a massive passion of mine, so hopefully for my birthday in August I’ll be mixing with the best of them at the fringe. Fingers crossed on this one!
2) Dive at least once a month – I haven’t been regularly in the water for some time due to ankles and ears and their associated problems, so I have hunted down a new dive club and hope to get diving more often. It’s just a pain it’s an hour drive and then a few more to the sea – oh well!
3) Visit Barbados once more – Well, as it happens I’m going, it’s an open invite to all to come along – you can see the details here so I won’t bang on too much. They say 5 times and you are a local on the Island, I’m getting there!
4) Perform 1 stand up routine to more people than my family – Watch this space…
5) Grow my business – I had to have one sensible one in there! Plenty of plans already in motion here!
6) Visit at least 1 think visibility and 1 a4u expo and actually sit in some sessions – Hopefully see you all at some sessions throughout the year.
7) Move out of my parents house – Sorry Dad, I’m already looking at places! Just need to decide where in the country I want to be, with friends all over it’s a hard decision!
8.) Change at least 1 persons life – Although I do loan out through KIVA, sometimes you need to help in a more hands on way. I loved volunteering at hospital radio, so I’m going to find a project near by where I can hopefully help make a difference. An hour a week is not a lot to give I don’t think.
9) Lose weight (come on – it had to be there) – Yeah yeah, I know – but I do need to shed a few pounds for the sake of my dodgy knees. Too much time sat at a desk and not enough moving is not a healthy way to live, so hopefully I can find a sport that doesn’t impact on my knees too badly nor make me look ridiculous!
10) Find some love in my life – Tinker, whilst giving cuddles at night, just isn’t a great conversationalist! Watch out boys, I’m looking for love!
11) Visit Friends More – I have friends all over, I have made promises to visit Swansea, Plymouth, London, Oxford, Newcastle and more – bring on the driving tunes!
12) Aptly I’ll finish on 12. I want to learn a new word each day! There must be an app for that?

January
Car Crash
Random filming with Josh in a loft with Coronation Street Porn
Alexandra Burke

February
Ciaran had a special birthday
A gift from the Ducks
Monkey moved out
Went to see Mark Watson

March
Tinker joined Twitter
Bought a new car
Knee Xrays
A special engagement
Plymtwest

April
The Royal Wedding
Terri’s Birthday
EFR and Rescue Diver Course (attempt one)
Badly sprained ankle and chipped bone in my foot
Got hit by a reduced turkey leg
More random moors filming with Josh
Cakes from Gem

May
got dodgy knee confirmation
went to visit Krystle and others
Tinker turned 2
Watched alot of Dexter
My favourite bowl died

June
Zak came to visit
I turned blonde
#bigwedding
size 12 dress
got bitten, alot
Went out with the English teachers
Attempt 2 at Rescue Diver (bad ears)
one of mystery, cornish lands, 3 yr old squirrel killers, lobster pots, ferry’s, sheet plastic, spiders and nails…
Zak turned 2
Jacob turned 1
Handed my notice in

July
4th July BBQ at maggies
Sausages and Cider
Google+
Shit in a bin (not me)
Joined the mobile internet revolution
Packed
Sent Tinker and my belongings home early

August
A night in a pop up play tent
Surprise brownies
Had a birthday
Car died a few times
BBQ
Left work
Jason Manford
Peter Andre / worst hangover ever
Hotel room flannels
Court case

September
Business launch
Dentist
Northern sleepover
Facebook Timeline
whiteboard

October
Peter Kay
Powercut
Cheesecake
Matt Cardle
£3.99 meal
Big knives in Manchester with Josh

November
Business cards
Webinars
Sheffield Meet Up
Babies born (not mine)
WWE Sheffield
Mick Foley Stand Up Tour
Towel Origami
The Piracy

December
Christmas Cards
Grandma’s 80th
Snow
Decorations
Girly sleepovers
Wakefield Curries
Rumble Sales
Christmas
Generous friends and clients
Affiliate Getaway Launched
Christmas crap
The Rams

Here’s to an equally eventful 2012!

A month on and I haven’t looked back!!!

Things are going really well with the business, old friends are peeping out of the woodwork and I have been up and down the country so much I’m yet to really annoy the parents! Fabulous!

Here is to the next few months!

Hannah x

- I left Existem AM after 3 years
- I moved back in with my parents to Derbyshire
- I turned 26

Most importantly…

- I launched my very own business!

Bright Digital Minds launched on Tuesday 6th September 2011 after lot’s of late nights and long days with the lovely site designer Zak. Set up to help all the small to medium businesses out there manage their social media and blogs, something that should be done, but is quite often shoved to the bottom of the list due to time and resource constraints.
Specialising in training and consultancy along with hands on management, Bright Digital Minds offer a cost-effective outsourced solution to help grow your brand and increase your brand advocates online.

Official blurb over, I am loving being my own boss! I can spend time with my lovely nephew without having to be on a lunch break, I can nip out to the shop to get a paper and best of all – I can wake up at 9am and not worry!

Watch this space, I’ll be bringing you all updates as things move along! If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch!

x

So, I’m now 25, moving speedily towards 26 and I’m the owner of 1.5 cats (see previous posts for more on that). I live exactly 273 miles away from home and it seems like all of my nearest and dearest are getting married or popping out babies (or both)! Me I’m still trundling along in my singledom waiting for my Prince Charming – as I think most girls do to a certain extent! Damn you Disney!

And so – the reason for my blog post, the thing some of you may have guessed by now. I’m leaving EAM, leaving Plymouth and heading home! That’s right campers! After almost 3 years here – I decided that it was time for me to pack up my troubles in my old kit bag, and run off back to Mummy and Daddy Swift. Since I moved here I became an Auntie and have missed the first few years of many of my closest friends, childrens lives. I have missed weddings and divorces, illnesses and most of all my family.

I’m doing something that to be honest I have been quite snobbish about in the past. I said I would never move home, never go back to the small town I grew up in, but at least for the time being, that’s where I’ll be. Luckily/Unluckily for me, I had a car crash earlier this year which meant i had some cash hanging around, it also made me reconsider life. Although the crash was by no means bad, it was enough to shake me.

Work you might ask? As gutted as I am to be leaving EAM, after 3 years, it’d be hard not to be a little upset – let’s face it. I have to go! So I’m being brave/stupid and moving without any work to go to. I have a little cash set aside to pay my way, and hopefully my lovely parents will not charge me too much in rent! (I know you read this Dad, so take the hint )

All I will say for now is;

- Thanks for reading
- Keep in touch
- Watch this space!

Hannah xxx

You can buy a limited copy from Amazon at the moment and through the website and it’s on pre-order at Waterstones

The front page simply reads – Plan A. Work hard at school, secure a good job, set your sights on promotion, climb the corporate ladder, live happily ever after.

Reality check for Plan A. Work longer and longer hours just to make ends meet, being condemned to a life of wage slavery, drowning in sea of debt, the poverty of mind and spirit, existing to work.

Plan B. A simple yet revolutionary idea. Get out while you can.

Reviews include - “If you are serious about escaping the rat race, or you just want to make some extra money on the side, then I d highly recommend you buy Get Out While You Can.” –John Crickett, Business Opportunities And Ideas

George Marshall has spent the last six years excavating an escape tunnel that leads directly away from the rat race. He calls it Plan B and he thinks it’s an escape route you might want to explore for yourself. It won’t bring the wage slave society crashing down, but for tens of thousands of people just like you, it may just provide the blueprint for the life of endless possibility that you were born to lead. – Britishexpat.com

I really enjoyed the ‘live’ examples, and seeing figures, as I find case-studies a lot more inspirational and motivating than simple proof of concept paragraphs of text. – affiliaterich

There are loads more reviews out there… go look them up!

I’m not going to say too much about the book, because if I am honest, I’m only half way through. What I have read is clearly written from the heart, without agenda, in a simple, easy to read way. Knowing George, I know he wrote this to help others, to get his thoughts on paper and to complete a project he started many years ago.

Hat’s off to you George, it’s brilliant – Can’t wait to finally finish it! Thanks so much again for sending me a copy!

So What Exactly Is It?

A cotton black rectangular cushion with a set of oversized black silicone buttons to rest your laptop on to prevent slipping and to allow air to circulated to prevent the laptop overheating and your knees getting too hot!

Made from 100% cotton with a machine washable cover, this slim cushion takes up very little space so is easy to store when not in use.

I tell you what, even as I use it now, I can’t help but admire it. No more burning legs or sitting leaning over the laptop. This nifty little cushion sorts it all out.It’s got beady things in the middle like a bean bag, so you can shift them around to fit more comfortably too, especially if you sit with one leg on the sofa like me!

Thanks Jo, Andy and Co!

A duck toothbrush holder! (modelled by a sleeping Tinker) I have never seen such an amazing duck styled bathroom object! Amazing! I have taken it upon myself to take random pictures of ducks when out and about, especially in sea-side gift shops, and then tag Jude and Jason in these photos, but never on my travels have I seen one of these! Amazing!

So thanks you two – you really cheered me up after what has been a shitty few weeks! I love my surprise gift! xxx

So my resolutions for 2011 are;
1. Continue my work with Hospital Radio Plymouth - do you know what – I really love it there, such a giving, friendly bunch of people, who have fun whilst really helping people. These people give so much of their time as volunteers and it’s something I have become really passionate about, and think everyone should do.

2. See the family more - Over the last few years, I have been fairly lax on seeing the family, although i frequently phone Mummy and Daddy Swift, seeing them regularly has never been priority – mainly because they live so damned far away (my choice I know). This year I’m going to make sure I use some of my holidays, or tie in meetings in the North to see them and my gorgeous Nephew – Zak. I keep trying to steal him, but my Brother and his partner Steph keep saying no! ho hum!

3. Lose Weight - yes, I know, I say the same most years, but I’m currently in Physiotherapy and Hydrotherapy for both my knees, and losing weight will help. Although doing exercise on two dodgy knee’s is hard going! Although 25 isn’t actually that old, I do feel older, and quite often see pictures of a very petite slim me and long for those days to come back. Well long now more, 2011 is the year to slim down, tone up and not have silly knees.

4. Fix My Body – As I said above, I have dodgy knees, and a dodgy back etc etc – This year I’m going to focus some energy into taking care of myself, getting body parts fixed and using some of that girly stuff – think they call it moisturiser? I might even be seen out wearing makeup and ironed clothes, but one step at a time eh!

5. Follow Some Dreams – those close to me know I have a few ambitions that I have never really followed up on. Well this year I intend to focus some real energy into seeing whether what I want to do, can be done. That makes no sense to most of you, but I don’t want to say more just yet, as it may jinx it.

So there you go, a few things to get stuck into!

I think 2011 is going to be a big year for me, lot’s of new things in the pipelines, lot’s of new friends to make and lot’s of fun to be had!

I hope you all have a great 2011 too!

Here’s to a good AMAZING one!

Before:-

After:-

You can see Kerry’s website here – http://www.kerrybellabeauty.co.uk/ and that has all her prices and what she offers. She does parties and all sorts and best of all – she comes round to your house!!!