Highlights (and lowlights) of 2014

Wow... 2014 has been a busy year. As I haven't had much time to blog during the last few months, I thought I'd round off my posts for 2014 with a 'highlights' post as so many great things have happened this year. It can be difficult to reflect on the positives when you're constantly running around trying to get things done, so this post aims to do just that!


Our wedding
I got married in 2014! After months of stress and planning, we had a beautiful wedding day. Everything went perfectly and according to my very strict plan. Lovely weather, pretty venues, amazing food, good company and fantastic wedding speeches... what more could you possibly want on your wedding day?

Honeymoon
We went to Rome, Lake Garda and Venice on our honeymoon. Neither of us had ever been to Italy before, but we'll definitely be going back! All three locations were amazing in very different ways, and you can read more about each one in my previous blog posts. Also, in case you didn't already know, Italian food is just out of this world.

New house
We became home owners in 2014! Getting married and buying a house in the same year was a challenge (logistically and financially!) but it was all worth it in the end. We've bought a lovely little house in Penarth and it's coming together nicely. Best thing about having our own house? Decorating it for Christmas!

Award nomination
I was nominated for CIPR Cymru's Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year award earlier this year. I was also up for Outstanding In-House Team and Low Budget Campaign with my colleagues. Although I didn't win my individual award, I was so thrilled to be chosen for the final three out of so many potential candidates as it showed how far I've come during the last few years. And we won silver for the team award!

Fake Christmas
Fake Christmas is a ten-year-old tradition with my university friends where we exchange presents and eat a lot of food. We now celebrate our Fake Christmas in January as it's so difficult to find a date when we're all free in December and it's also something to look forward to in the New Year. We travelled to Minehead for the 2014 edition and ate a LOT of food. I haven't got any photos from the event which is very unlike me... I must have been too busy eating!


New nephew
My sister had another beautiful baby boy in July 2014 so I now have two handsome nephews. Owen was definitely the youngest guest at our wedding!

My hen weekends
I had two hen weekends in July. The first was with a combination of various groups of friends and involved afternoon tea and Disney fancy dress! The second was with my work friends and involved Red Hot World Buffet, cocktails and Rhys Williams masks. I felt so fortunate to have two lovely occasions with some of my favourite people, particularly as many of my friends are scattered all over the UK.

Disneyland Paris
We went to Disneyland Paris earlier this month to make sure we had our Disney fix for the year. One thing is certain... the Disney parks know how to do Christmas! The decorations were beautiful and it was great to sample some different rides as well as some of our old favourites from Florida's Walt Disney World. We also enjoyed lots of great food... can you see a common theme running through my highlights?

Cricieth
We went to Cricieth (North Wales) for a long weekend in May as we needed to recharge our batteries but couldn't afford to go abroad. We had such a relaxing time with lots of scenic walks and really felt as if we'd had a good rest when we came back. Proof that you don't always have to go abroad to have a nice holiday!

Christmas 
I couldn't possibly write a highlights post without including Christmas. Christmas is without a doubt my favourite time of year and this Christmas was extra special as it was our first one as a married couple. We spent Christmas Day at my parents' house and Boxing Day at Neil's parents' house. We also enjoyed lots of Christmassy outings as well as cosy days/evenings in during December which made it extra special. We love you, Christmas!

Lowlights

I thought I'd also feature a few lowlights from this year... I like a bit of balance. However, there are only three lowlights compared to ten highlights so that's definitely a positive thing!


Goodbye, Bobby
I had to say goodbye to my precious first car in 2014. I do really like my new car and am definitely accustomed to it by now, but I'll never forget my Bobby!

My phone 
My phone has been a constant source of annoyance in 2014 (and in 2013...). I stupidly decided to sign a 24 month contract for a Blackberry Q10 back in April 2013 as it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck with the phone since I signed the dreaded contract. I'm now desperate to upgrade to an Android phone... 99 days to go until my upgrade date!

Stressful times 
I've suffered a lot with stress in 2014 as I've been so busy and have always had something (or ten things) on my mind, in spite of all the positives. I'm hoping for a calmer mind in 2015!


What were your highlights in 2014? 

My new car!

As most of you know, I've got married, gone on honeymoon and moved house in the last few months. So imagine my consternation when I discovered that I also had to buy a new car.....

I'd owned my beautiful silver Ford KA for six and a half years and he was quite possibly my favourite possession in the whole world. He was called Bobby and I adorned him with pink stars soon after I bought him, because that's just the kind of thing I do. He was my very first car which gave him extra significance. Bobby and I have been on all kinds of adventures together and I actually thought of him more as a child/pet than as a car. Just call me a crazy car lady.

Although I'd never had any problems with Bobby's engine and he never broke down, he had been falling apart in other areas over the last few years. He was rusting terribly, the heating was broken (and permanently set to 'on'...), and it sounded as if I was driving a clunky old tractor when I hit the slightest bump in the road. However, I was still determined that I was going to get Bobby through his MOT in October to attempt to get him through one more year. 

Unfortunately, the man at the garage took one look at the car and told me it wasn't even worth paying for an MOT as the rust was all in extremely damaging and debilitating places and it would only get worse from here. The car's frame was weakening and it was getting to the point where it wouldn't be particularly safe in the event of a crash. I really appreciate the garage man's honesty as he could have just taken my money and left me none the wiser, but I was still devastated at the time. I know this sounds ridiculous as it's just a car, but he's my Bobby! 

My husband (I still enjoy the novelty of typing that) had been researching new cars for me for months as he'd guessed that Bobby wouldn't make it through his MOT. He knew I wanted a small car which was cheap to run, tax and insure so he put together a very comprehensive shortlist for me. 

The shortlist: Toyota Aygo, Skoda Citigo, Volkswagen Up, Kia Picanto, Fiat 500, Ford KA. 

We went off to test drive a few cars the very next day. I seriously felt as if I was cheating on Bobby when I was sitting in different cars and trying to get a feel for what I liked, but unfortunately it had to be done as soon as possible as Bobby's current MOT certificate was running out in a fortnight's time. I ruled out the Aygo straight away as it had the smallest boot in the world, and I also ruled out the stylish Fiat 500 as it was pretty expensive and quite cramped inside. I also decided against trying the new Ford KA as I didn't want to risk having the same rust problems on a different car, and it was also more expensive than the others to insure. 

So that left me with the Citigo, Up and Picanto. I test drove the Citigo and liked it on the whole, although the interior was uninspiring and I felt as if the brakes were very harsh... my handbag was propelled dramatically off Neil's lap whenever I slightly touched the brakes. These factors put me off the Citigo, even though it was a nice little car. I also ruled out the Picanto as it felt absolutely massive when I sat inside it and I didn't think I could get used to the size, so that left me with the Volkswagen Up. 

We went to Sinclair Volkswagen in Cardiff as we'd seen a white Up on their website in our price range. I always said I wouldn't have a white car as I thought they'd show up the dirt very easily, but the Up actually looks really nice in white. I felt much more comfortable when I drove the Up than when I drove the Citigo and everything about the car felt slightly more polished. Decision made! 

We paid the deposit and I said I'd collect the car at the end of the following week. Although it was very difficult to say goodbye to my precious Bobby (especially with the knowledge that he was off to the scrapyard), I am really enjoying the little comforts in my new car such as the air conditioning, heating that actually works, and the CD player. It's a cute little car and it runs very smoothly... it's also a lot quieter than Bobby! 

Volkswagen gave me a lovely bunch of flowers when I went to pick up my new car which was very unexpected. These went some way towards consoling me, it has to be said. 

Now that it's all official, I just need to decide on a name for the new car... I haven't been able to settle on one yet because I'm still grieving for Bobby! Russell and Doug have been suggested as they're both characters from Disney's Up film... what do you think? Let me know!