Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 27 Complete a Penny challenge

Challenge number 9!

27. Complete a Penny challenge 

There are loads of these around this January and I say go for it!  This is mine from last year and ‘I completed it mate!’

I did it slightly differently than intended, I didn’t stick to the running order. If I had more money, I ticked off the bigger amount for that day, so my ticks through the year weren’t uniform but sporadic! But that’s ok! 

Here’s some more info on this particular Penny challenge - 

from Money Supermarket

Happy New Year to you all and hopefully this year I’ll keep ticking the challenges off 😊

TTFN, I’ll keep you posted!

Sammy xx

Mrs. Bs Challenge 40 - 30 - Go for a spa day

Challenge number 8 completed!

30. Go for a spa day

This was back in November and my best friend and I booked as a surprise for her mums 60th birthday. We booked Old Thorns for a weekend, it was a great dinner, bed and breakfast deal / perfect for what we were looking for! Covid made things a little old, we had to book swim and spa slots, but it didn’t take away from the magic of the weekend.

We also managed to upgrade to an apartment last minute, and it was the best thing ever. It meant after our evening meal, we were able to go back to our apartment, sit in our pjs and drink bubbles!

A brilliant weekend all round ❤️

Onto the next one!

I’ll keep you posted, TTFN.

Sammy xx 

Mrs. Bs Challenge 40 - 29 - Learn a new skill

Challenge number 7!

29. Learn a new skill

So in September, after meeting the wonderful Dawn in August when I birthed my drum, I went ahead and booked in to complete Reiki 1. I have always wanted to explore healing, I’ve been told many times I have the gift/skill/calling, but haven’t done a great deal with it, except ignore it! After meeting Dawn, and hearing all about her healing journey, her teaching, her life - I knew this was the time. I was so drawn to Dawn and knew I wanted her to teach me. 

I’ve had an odd relationship with reiki, I tried it a few times and just didn’t like it, it hurt me and the person doing it didn’t even lay his hands on me.  In the last year I’ve had distance healing which has been wonderful and also hands on reiki healing with my friend Hannah. These two experiences had restored my faith in healing! 

It was the most wonderful weekend, full of self care and self love. I absolutely loved every moment. I even got to practise on a real life body and the feedback was amazing! 

My plan is to go on and complete reiki 2 next year, so watch this space! 

I’ll keep you posted!

TTFN, Sammy x

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 23 Complete a reading challenge

Challenge number 6!

23 - Complete a reading challenge. 

This year I set myself a goal of 35 books this year, this was my challenge and I’ve completed it!  

I have a ‘highlight’ on Instagram (the small dots on your profile) which contains each book and the score I gave it. I don’t score real life books, because you can’t score someone’s life story.

Now to decide if I ‘up’ my challenge for next year!

I’ll keep you posted! 

TTFN ❤️

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 22 - Get a Tattoo

So here is Challenge number 5, albeit it was back in the summer! 

22. Get a moon/witch/triple goddess tattoo

For years I have followed Samo’s work, from his gallery to his tattooing and knew he was the one I wanted to complete this piece of art for me.  

This one was a bit of a whirlwind and a case of being in the right place at the right time. Samo posted on his instagram he had a rare space for a tattoo, I was off and the universe was on my side! This was designed within hours and in 24 hours time it was permanently on my body.  I love it!

You can find Samo here…. Instagram As well as the tattoos he’s a pretty awesome human and you can keep up with his art and other news here

Here’s some better pictures! I’m sorry my self portraits of my arm can leave a little to be desired!

Thank you Samo ❤️

and there’s another one ticked off the list!

TTFN, I’ll keep you posted xx

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 8 - Skinny dip in the sea

I’ve been a busy bee this summer and haven’t really had time to write about it, so it feels like all these challenges have been completed at once!

 

So here we are at challenge number 4.

 

8. Skinny Dip in the Sea

 

I have skinny dipped in lots of places, and god only knows why but the sea has never been one of them!  I must admit, I haven’t really been much of a sea dweller and even on holiday would not really go in.  I love looking at the sea, being near it, hearing it – just not in it!  This last year has changed that and I have a new found appreciation of being in that salty water and being fully submerged!

 

I’m not worried about skinny dipping, or being naked in front of people.  We all have bodies, we all have skin, we all have bits we aren’t keen on and hopefully we all have bits we love!  I’ve never had an issue being naked, even at my heaviest weight, it really doesn’t bother me.  I come from a house hold where bodies and naked is normalised and it has definitely given me a head start with body positivity or body neutrality as I have grown up.  I’m also a firm believer that other people’s opinions are none of my business, and if people are talking about me they are giving someone else a rest!

 

Over the last year I have been meeting once a month on the beach with my moon sisters, and after our full moon ceremony/ritual we tend to go for a dip.  Until this year, it has been with swimsuits on, but this year has seen us getting more naked….

This summer, two of my friends have held public ceremonies on the beach for all to join and learn how to run their own circle.  I went along to the last one of the year and it was beautiful, my step daughter and best friend came along, as well as my usual moon sisters and some brand new friends I hadn’t met yet.  

At the end of the ceremony, once we had burnt all that no longer served us and spent some time drumming on the beach – off we went into the sea.  Skinny dipping was optional, so off I went in completely naked!  Some came and joined us naked, and those who came into the sea with their swimsuits on, soon removed them in the waves and we were a circle of women naked in the sea – perfect!  It was such a lovely evening and such a lovely experience.  

Thank you all and there’s another one ticked off the list!

TTFN, I’ll keep you posted xx

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 34 - Make a drum

So here we are at challenge number 3 and I loved this one.

 

34. Make a drum

 

I have always wanted to own a drum, but never really knew why!  Having spent the last year on the beach at full moon, chanting online and learning more about my spiritual practise – it has become clearer!  I have been looking at drums online to purchase, I’ve exhausted etsy and seen some wonders let me tell you.  But earlier this year I saw a friend and her husband birthing their own shamanic drums in a river…. That is definitely what I wanted to do!

 

Having a bit of a rough time, my husband and friend made some magic and I found myself booked in with Pauline to birth my very own drum!  

You can find Pauline and her drumming Facebook page

here

I was excited and super nervous. I’m not very hands on creative and was worried what if I messed it up!  Well, my friend who was also booked in felt exactly the same, but Pauline put us at ease really quickly.

 

We met in Droxford and made our way to the River Meon to start our beautiful day.  There surrounded by nature, the water and some beautiful souls – we got to work and what an experience it was.  We set up an altar with objects from all of us; Pauline and the three of us birthing drums.  

We meditated, breathed, gave thanks and prepared!  Our drums are made from an Ash hoop and deer skin, so we set about preparing our hoops with oil.  

We then all got in the river with our deer skins to soak them, fill them with our intention and giving thanks to the deer.  

Then the hard work started!  We hand banged the holes for the leather thonging to threaded through.

We stretched the skin over the hoop to make the head of the drum and laced them up at the back to hold it in place. 

I have two pieces of rose quartz in the handle hold of mine and I can honestly say I love it!

I am now the proud owner of a drum I birthed myself, met some wonderful friends and had the best day for my soul ❤

On to the next challenge, I’ll keep you posted!

TTFN, Sammy x

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 24 - Photoshoot with my best friends

So I'm getting on with these challenges, I'm quite proud of myself to have completed 2 out of 40 so far! 

I was going to say this was another little cheat as we already had this booked, but it's not a cheat, it was still on my list of things to do! 

We originally had this booked for my birthday, but we were rained off. A few days later and we were booked back in and I couldn't be more thrilled with the results. We spent the day trailling the most insane weather, our whatsapp group was blowing up with the constant updates, we had hail, rain, wind, thunder - you name it! But on the way there the rain was immense, but then a rainbow appeared and the sun shone from out of nowhere. 

We got there and had the most lovely time, there was the three of us 'Wine O'Clock' girls and we were joined by a special guest and an honoury 'Wine O'Clock' member. It was my friend's daughters 13th birthday the day we were re-scheduled, so she came to join us! 

The pictures were taken by 

Dimples and Daisies photography and they are just amazing. I've had lots of photos taken by their sister company Liberty photography and took the plunge and had a family shoot last year with Dimples - and loved it and the results! So when I was thinking about having pictures taken with my best friends, I knew they were the company to choose. 

We choose a sunset on top of Butser Hill, there were two photographers and a videographer and they made us feel so special and nothing was too much trouble. And as I'm a Liberty girl, I may or may not have convinced the girls to have a cheeky bum shot too! 

When I say I am the luckiest woman alive, I really and truly mean it. These girls are part of that reason. We have been friends for 30+ years, we have been through so much together, we have survived so much together and we are always there to smile together. I am so grateful to have them in my life and I thank the Universe every day for their unwavering friendship. 

This shoot was to celebrate that, to have some nice (not drunken!) pictures together and create more special memories to look back on. Thank you, you wonderful women for being the family I chose. 

Dimples and Daises on 

Facebook and Instagram

Liberty photography on Facebook and Instagram

 TTFN, I'll keep you posted! Sammy xx

Mrs. B Challenge 40 - 17 - Coaching Session

Well I'm never one to hang around! But this was a little bit of a cheat, as I'd already done this task before I published the whole list. But it was on my list and after my birthday - so I'm counting it! 

17. Have a coaching session So this is something I've thought about for a while. I am the best person ever to be 'fine' and not have anything to think about, dig deep about or talk about - I am Taurean after all! I've seen loads of people have coaching sessions and become coaches. I've also seen lots of things that don't align with me and my values from coaches, so I've always been a little wary. For a start - I'm not one to be 'challenged' or told what to do, so most aggressive type coaches would not work out for me! But still I've been intrigued - so on the list it went. 

While thinking about this, I had seen these beautiful doodle posts on instagram from Charla at The Grateful Hearts Club and they were produced from her one off coaching sessions. I have attended a few workshops with TGHC and I loved them (would recommend them to everyone!) Charla's ethos and positivity attracts me to her like a bee to a flower. I love Charla's attitude, her honesty and passion, she is one in a million for sure. So when Charla advertised the session she is running this year at TGHC, 'Tune into You', I knew I needed to sign up and give it a go. 

You can find The Grateful Hearts Club on Instagram 

here

The call was for 20-30 minutes, so I was able to do it in my lunch break which was amazing. The cost of the session was £20, which was really reasonable and super affordable. It was super easy to book, TGHC website is really easy to navigate and Charla was on hand if I had any questions, I chose the date and time from a selection available. The confirmation emails, the reminders and the journal prompts I received were all great and had me looking forward to the session. 

The time came, and I was a little worried I would struggle to open up, but I needn't have been worried at all. The prompts Charla used had me talking freely and openly. Charla's kind nature and calming tones were just the thing I needed on a busy Friday. We reflected on the last year, what happened in my life not just society or Covid, what the positives are, what changes I needed to make and what I wanted to carry through into this year. We reflected on boundaries, what I struggle with and how sometimes my brain needed a little unjumbling! 

I absolutely love my doodle!  It was a great experience and I am so glad I got to do this. I'm so gratfeul to have had the opportunity and I loved every minute of it. I would thoroughly recommend The Grateful Hearts Club to all! 

You can find The Grateful Hearts club website 

here or on Facebook here

On to the next challenge! I'll keep you posted. 

 TTFN, Sammy xx

Growing Old Disgracefully

I turned 38 this year.  I'm not worried about that, at all.  Age is just a number, one I'm proud of - definitely, because I'm grateful to reach it.  I always remind myself that growing older isn't something that is afforded to everyone, so I'm grateful I'm one of those few.  And also of course, growing older is inevitable, but growing up is optional!

As people keep reminding me... it’s the slippery slope to 40 now, it’ll be here before you know it!  I've thought long and hard about the run up to my 40th birthday.  It's one I'm so looking forward to, and of course there will be a big party at the end of it!  But also there are some things I want to do before I turn 40.  

I've thought about this list of things for a while, writing and re-writing and trying to find challenges I want to do.  I must admit my list started with things like, 'lose 3 stone', 'go to Mexico', 'visit New York', but I realised that some of those things may be out of reach and actually I need to concentrate on the small joy bringers in life too, that and losing weight DOES NOT DEFINE ME!  So I waited for the New Moon in Taurus, meditated, got real with what I really wanted and revamped the list.  Today I am ready to reveal it to the World, so here it is....

THE LIST

1. Take a life drawing class ✔️

2. Watch the sun rise at the beach ✔️

3. Watch the Phantom of the Opera on stage ✔️

4. Wild swimming/Cold water swimming ✔️

5. Go away with my mum and sister ✔️

6. Go on a ghost hunt ✔️

7. Visit the National History Museum ✔️

8. Skinny dip in the sea ✔️

9. Visit Southsea Model Village ✔️

10. Go clay pigeon shooting ✔️

11. Travel to Scotland ✔️

12. Go to an adults arty pots session ✔️

13. Axe Throwing ✔️

14. Have an Angel Board reading ✔️

15. Hit a golf ball at the driving range ✔️

16. Visit Stonehenge ✔️

17. Have a coaching session ✔️

18. Take a belly dancing class ✔️

19. Complete a paint by numbers ✔️

20. Flower arranging ✔️

21. Write something, an article/book etc ✔️

22. Get a moon/witch/triple goddess tattoo ✔️

23. Complete a reading challenge ✔️

24. Have a photoshoot with my best friends ✔️

25. Gift flowers to a stranger ✔️

26. Climb the O2 ✔️

27. Complete the penny challenge ✔️

28. Make a piece of jewellery ✔️

29. Learn a new skill ✔️

30. Go for a spa day ✔️

31. Make my own candle ✔️

32. Have a singing lesson ✔️

33. Visit Clanfield Observatory ✔️

34. Make a drum ✔️

35. Take a Wim Hof Workshop ✔️

36. Learn how to decorate a cake ✔️

37. Watch a horror film at the cinema ✔️

38. Celebrate Beltane at Butser ✔️

39. Visit a Gin Distellery✔️

40. Throw a big 40th birthday bash!

That's it.  That is the list I'm about to embark on, and it starts.... NOW!  Anyone that can help out with any of the this, or point me in the right direction, do get in touch 😊

I will blog about each one, but also post on instagram too.  You can find me here if you’d like to follow me. My account is an eclectic mix, and I’m cool with that. I will also use the hashtag #MrsBChallenge40 

I’ll keep you posted! TTFN xx