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Happy Birthday Heather!

I know you’ve been stressed recently so I hope you can take today to chill out and enjoy yourself!

You help me so much in my journey to creating my own business, just know that I am always here for you and it wont be long until all the assignments and teaching placements are behind you and you’ll be a qualified teacher! Even if you then decide, you want to become a dentist/lawyer/astronaut (I know what you’re like!).

So Happy Birthday! I won’t say lets make it the best year yet because we are saving that for next year 😉 But have a good one!

Love your big Sis xx

I’ve never really got into Twitter. It is probably the only form of social media that I’ve never quite got my head around but recently I’ve been thinking about ways I could utilize it to market and promote both my business and my blog.

I know that a lot of wedding photographers use Twitter as a way off connecting with other wedding industry vendors and potential clients whilst keeping up to date with trends and new products. Although I haven’t quite figured out the whole ‘tweeting’ thing, I feel that I follow enough photographers on the site to understand the importance of building these connections and think it is high time I stop seeing Twitter as a big, scary world of hashtags and @ symbols and really try to understand and utilize this form of social media as a marketing platform.

The Tweet Challenge

In light of these thoughts, I have decided to set myself a challenge; 2 tweets a day for a week. To some this may sound a bit simple but I really do think I will find this a challenge. I am hoping that by tweeting each day, it will not only get me into a habit of posting to my Twitter account and checking the Twitter app but it will also give me a better insight into how it all works!

So, my tweet count is currently on 11. By this time next week i would like it to be at a minimum of 25. Lets see shall we?

If you would like to follow my week of tweets and hopefully more in the future please follow the link below!

https://twitter.com/emmanelsonphoto

I’m not usually much of a walker but on Sunday I took part in the Peeler’s Challenge Hike organised by the Bury District Scouts in co-ordination with The Long Distance Walkers Assosiation (LDWA). A 15 mile walk visiting Elton Reservoir, Affetside and Peel Tower, and returning via Irwell Valley, Summerseat and Burrs Country Park. I was well up for it (mainly as I was feeling guilty having not been to the gym in over a week). It was also another chance to wear my walking boots that haven’t yet got their moneys worth.

We began the walk at the Bury District Scout HQ in high spirits as it wasn’t raining! After setting off at 9:30am, Graeme and I were at the back of the group for the most part, following them along the Elton reservoir and up towards Affetside. We almost lost the group when I came across a rope swing attached to a tree and had to have a go.

From there I battled through a lot of mud, a runny nose and rubbing boot to make it to checkpoint 2 where there were cookies!

It began to snow as we made our way over to checkpoint 3 at Higher House Farm (this was the beginning of my undoing). We were the last to make it to the checkpoint but managed to catch up to some of the others completing the challenge. Checkpoint 3 had cake! After that we were able to navigate our way up to Peel Tower by following the fresh tracks in the snow!

By the time we reached the 4th checkpoint at Peel Tower I had had enough of the snow. I couldn’t feel my hands or keep my eyes open due the wind! We retired when we saw the next Marshall at the 10 mile point. He kindly drove us back to HQ to recuperate. The hall was full of people looking accomplished after their days walk and we were able to have some hot food to warm us up

I felt like such a failure as I sat eating my corned beef hash and red cabbage even as they handed me my certificate. But I’m well up for trying again next year (if Graeme will let me join him again) Hopefully the weather will be better!
Well done to those that did complete the Peeler’s challenge especially those who braved the longer route (22 miles) in such snowy conditions!

We filmed a few parts of our walk just for fun, you can check out our ramblings below:

Tag taken from milkbubbletea

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie?

I couldn’t pick just one! The Holiday is one of my faves, Elf, The Grinch and and Love actually are definitely up there too!

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

We usually get new Pyjamas on Christmas Eve but most presents we open on Christmas morning over ‘first breakfast’.

3.  Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

Going to my Nans every Christmas morning for ‘second breakfast’, Drinking Shloer with my cousins and pretending it was wine, Waking up and finding Father Christmas had left his sack of presents at the end of my bed.

4. Favourite festive food?

I love all the foods at the Christmas market! This year I had some macaroons which were nice. I also sampled the hog roast with stuffing and cranberry sauce, a baileys hot chocolate and some cherry beer, yum.

5. Favourite Christmas gift ?

My first Nikon camera. I got it in my first year of college and it saw me through both college and university as I completed my Photography degree. Even though I have upgraded since, it is the perfect blogging camera.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Christmas candles

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

I always spend Christmas eve with my family, we either go to the cinema or for a meal. This year we’re staying in, getting takeaway and watching Christmas films in our Pajamas.

8. What tops your tree?

For a long time it was an angel that Heather made at primary school out of a toilet roll tube, glitter and some tissue paper but we retired her for a glittery red star.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

Without sounding spoilt I would say I always got what I asked for for Christmas (if I was good :p) though I didn’t  want for much and was a very easy child to please! There’s a home video somewhere from one Christmas morning where I unwrapped a set of felt tips and almost cried with excitement.

10. What’s the best part about Christmas for you?
    Spending time with my family, eating loads and getting presents 🙂

TAKING STOCK

Making : phone calls
Cooking : nothing
Drinking : a christmas tea from my advent calendar
Reading: emails
Wanting: today’s episode of Serial to go online
Looking: forward to the Christmas markets this weekend
Watching: my youtube subscriptions
Deciding: what to wear for the day
Wishing: Heather wasn’t at work today
Enjoying: that its only 10am and I’ve got lots done today
Waiting: for our ‘Mexican fiesta’ tonight
Liking: brushed cotton christmas bedding
Wondering: If i should go to the gym
Loving: my new Micheal Kors coat
Hoping: a package arrives today
Needing: to go food shopping
Smelling: makeup remover
Wearing:  a fair isle onesie
Noticing: Heather’s christmas stocking has fallen down
Knowing: its 14 days until Christmas!
Thinking: I should start wrapping presents
Feeling: excited
Bookmarking: lifestyle blogs, still
Buying: i want to buy a chromecast

Format by: Meet Me At Mikes

TAKING STOCK:
Making : lots of lists
Cooking : well toasting…croissants
Drinking : tea
Reading: my feedly updates
Wanting: some motivation
Looking: for inspiration
Watching: the news
Deciding: what to do today
Wishing: I could go on holiday
Enjoying: a morning off
Waiting: for Graeme to come back from Birmingham
Liking: Noodle asleep on my lap
Wondering: If i should go to the gym
Loving: my new milk and cookies candle
Hoping: for a productive day
Needing: to get dressed
Smelling: breakfast
Wearing:  PJs (nike joggers and a tshirt)
Noticing: the crappy weather
Knowing: very little
Thinking: about secret santa
Feeling: excited
Bookmarking: lifestyle blogs
Buying: doing some online window shopping