Currently: January Edition

I'm excited that it's time for the super fun monthly link-up with Anne and her co-host Jessica. Be sure to check out both of their blogs and join in the fun this month (and year!)

Gathering: Anything I can get rid of and hauling it away. Clothes, junk, unused kitchen items, you name it. I'm tired of the clutter- SO tired of it, and having a baby with lots of stuff only makes it feel more cramped around here.

Making: Stickers! Our Etsy shop took a little break over the holidays, but we are back open and I'm currently designing away. I love getting my new planner out and putting the birthday stickers in it- it's what I do first every year :) Also, how cute are these?! We released these right before the holidays so you might have missed them- but they are some of my favorites in our shop right now.

Sipping: Lots of green drinks! Jared and I are always experimenting with juice recipes. We have a couple juicing books and there are endless combinations. I have a post coming soon with all our favorites.

Following: Clean Mama on her blog and Instagram. She has some great, free printables and fun challenges for cleaning and organizing. Just what I need to start the year! 

Resolving: To make every day count. I think as a SAHM it's easy to let the days blur together and let time get away from me. I want to be more productive each day, rather than letting all my to-do's pile up until the end of a week (or whenever). If I just act on the thing that needs done when I think of it, my life probably wouldn't feel quite so chaotic.

Let's Do This, 2017.

Happy New Year, everyone!! I hope you all are feeling as refreshed and hopeful about a new year as I am. January is honestly one of my favorite times of the year. Sure, I hate the cold and snow and lack of sunshine- but the feeling of a new beginning is just the best. I'm going to cling to my motivation while it lasts and try to really kickstart some things this month.

We had Jared's siblings and significant others over for NYE. Just a low-key evening of tasty food, Hedbanz and a little Disney SceneIt as well. I don't know how in the world we managed to stay up as late as we did, but it was fun ringing in the new year with family. Some crazy people in our neighborhood were shooting off GIANT fireworks and I was shocked they didn't wake up T, but it was kinda' cool to see them right outside our window.

The past week has just been so much fun. T has been cuter than ever- sorry, it's true. The stage he is at right now is so darn fun and adorable; I can't get enough of him! It was so nice having Jared off work for a few days in a row and getting to spend lots of quality time together as a family. There have been lots of lazy/pajama days around here but we've also been getting some things done around the house.

First family photo of 2017! ;)

My big organization project I did over the past couple of days makes me feel so much better. I went through allllll of the clothes T has outgrown (a ridiculous amount) and sorted and bagged and boxed 'em up for storage. I had just been tossing them all in a container with no rhyme or reason and it was stressing me out so I'm glad they are in order now. Let's just say, we better have at least one more boy because these clothes need put to use again one day!

I'm excited to really rock this month and get the ball rolling on all these goals and ambitions I have for 2017. This past year was honestly one of the best years of my life- so I don't know how this year can top it, but I hope it will! Let's do this!

TLFG: 3-8 January 2017

Hello there and welcome to the first TLFG of 2017.

How was the festive period for you? Did you get to gorge on games? It was easily possible to see four,five or even more games over the last couple of weeks - did you manage it? What were your highlights?

Personally, I made it to the north-west London derby between Hendon and Harrow Borough at the Greens' new Silver Jubilee Park ground on Boxing Day.

Although still lacking a club shop and tea bar, the ground is compact, well kept and has a 3G surface which guaranteed the game would go ahead.

Bathed in winter sunshine and overlooked by a hill topped with an eye-catching £20m Hindu temple, the game got off to a frantic start.

Joshua Webb scores from the penalty spot for Harrow to make it 4-4

Last year's reciprocal fixture at Earlsmead saw the sides fight out a thrilling 5-5 draw and when this game saw its first goal after only a few seconds a repeat looked very possible.

It looked a near certainty when half-time was reached with another six goals on the scoreboard and the hosts with a 4-3 lead.

Boro came out undeterred and dominated the second period, scoring only another two to win 5-4.

Not only was the scoreline remarkable but it also saw Harrow record their first Boxing Day victory since 1989, while I'm told Hendon are still to win a league game at their new home during a season of struggle.

Elsewhere in London football news, Chelsea have continued to dominate proceedings in the Premier League while Olivier Giroud made all the headlines for Arsenal against Crystal Palace with what I can only describe as his fluke/wonder goal which has probably been seen millions of times since it went in on Sunday afternoon.

Apart from the two important midweek Premier League games at Crystal Palace and Tottenham, the rest of the week should be dominated by the third round of the FA Cup.

All the Premier League and Championship sides enter the draw at this stage so things start to get serious.

There are one or two cracking ties and several more average ones but tickets are still available for most of them, with prices generally far lower than normal so give it a try.

I'd also like to give an extra mention to non-league side Sun Sports who have made it to the last 32 of the FA Vase for the first time. On Saturday they host Bromsgrove Sporting who are one of the largest clubs left in the competition. It's arguably the biggest match in the Watford club's history so think about giving this some of your time if you're undecided about where to go. 

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are 70 matches in the London area over the next week with action in the FA Cup, EFL, National League, FA Vase and several minor league and county cup competitions.

However, please make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.

Details on all of this week's games can be found on the following match maps. If you've never used them before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the drop down menu at the top of the map page to make sure you get all the information. Games are listed from top to bottom in date order so Monday's games (yellow pin) will appear first and Sunday's (white pin) last. Games are also ranked in terms of status so the higher the division, the higher up the list they will appear on each day.

Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.

It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).

MIDWEEK MATCH MAP
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Magenta pin - Wednesday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Orange pin - Sunday fixtures

TLFG DAILY DIGEST

In the following section I list, by day, what are in my opinion the most notable games of the week and give some brief reasons for my choice. Check the maps above for kick-off times, ticket info and directions.

Tuesday 3 January

Premier League 
Crystal Palace v Swansea City @745pm - a huge game in the battle to avoid relegation. The last meeting, a little over a month ago, produced a thrilling 5-4 win for the Swans

Ryman League Division 1 North
Thurrock v AFC Hornchurch @745pm - an Essex derby featuring sides who have realistic title and play-off ambitions respectively

Essex Senior League
Clapton v Basildon United @745pm - the Tons are having their best season for several years and have climbed to the heady heights of third. Sadly the Ultras are still in dispute with the club over an increase in admission prices and are boycotting games which means attendances have fallen from around 350 to no more than 50.

----------------------------------------------------

Wednesday 4 January

Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea @745pm - one of the biggest London derbies going as north plays west. It also features two sides in great form, however, it should be noted that Tottenham have only won one of their last 15 games against the Blues

Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy
Wadham Lodge v Sawbridgeworth Town @745pm - the only non-league alternative is this cup match a short distance to the east

-----------------------------------------------------------

Friday 6 January

FA Cup Third Round
West Ham United v Manchester City @755pm - the third round, when all the Premier League and Championship teams enter the draw, gets underway with this great looking tie. At the time of writing, tickets still seem to be available on general sale

-----------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 7 January

FA Cup Third Round
Watford v Burton Albion @3pm - the FA Cup provides groundhoppers and visitors a great chance to get hold of tickets often at discounted prices. This game is no exception with adult tickets priced at just £10
Millwall v Bournemouth @3pm - there's another chance to see a top-flight team at The Den where tickets are £25
Queens Park Rangers v Blackburn Rovers @3pm - back-to-back league wins over Wolves and Ipswich have suddenly raised spirits at Loftus Road and struggling Rovers should be beatable too. Tickets £15
Brentford v Eastleigh @3pm - the Bees welcome one of the few non-league teams remaining in the competition so will start as overwhelming favourites. Tickets from £10
Sutton United v AFC Wimbledon @3pm - despite featuring sides from the fifth and third tiers, this is arguably the game of the day in the capital as two old rivals meet in the FA Cup. The match is generating huge interest in south London. The last few tickets go on general sale at 10am on 3 January

League Two
Leyton Orient v Barnet @3pm - it's derby day at the Matchroom Stadium where two teams in need of points at either end of the table do battle

National League
Bromley v Forest Green Rovers @3pm - the Ravens welcome title contenders FGR to Hayes Lane on Saturday but the former leaders' form has dropped off drastically of late and they are now winless in six

National League South
Dartford v East Thurrock United @3pm - these clubs look at each other, metaphorically, across the Thames with only a short journey over the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge separating them. ETU are new to the division and are holding their own remarkably well considering their relatively small supporter base
Wealdstone v Ebbsfleet United @3pm - a bigger crowd is expected at Grosvenor Vale where the Stones welcome the best supported side in the division

Ryman League Premier Division
Enfield Town v AFC Sudbury @3pm - if you haven't been to check out the Towners so far this season, now could be a good time. With only one defeat in 12, they've hauled themselves firmly into play-off contention once again

Ryman League Division 1 South
Corinthian Casuals v Lewes @3pm - the hosts suffered disappointment on Monday against Tooting but stayed in the play-off places. On Saturday they welcome the Rooks who are far too big a club to be playing at this level. Only four points separate the sides so it should be close

FA Vase Fourth Round
Sun Sports v Bromsgrove Sporting @3pm - things are getting serious in this competition where we're now down to our last 32 teams. This match is quite possibly the biggest in Sun Sports' history. Not only is it quite an achievement to have made it this far but in Sporting they face the reincarnation of Bromsgrove Rovers who were one of the best sides in non-league football in the '90s and competed in the Southern League until poor finances finished them off in 2010. Consequently, according to Wikipedia, Sporting are now the best supported side in Step 6 so should bring a sizeable following

Combined Counties League Premier Division
Hanworth Villa v Westfield @3pm - with leaders Hartley Wintney romping to the title, it's all about the battle to be runners-up with these two currently second and third

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Wembley v Hertford Town @3pm - despite numerous games in hand, a tilt at the title is probably beyond sixth-placed Wembley but they could very conceivably finish second especially if they can beat the team who currently occupy that spot

Southern Counties East League Division 1
Kent Football United v Rusthall @2pm - third plays first in this important early kick-off in the SCEFL
----------------------------------------------------------

Sunday 8 January

FA Cup Third Round
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa @4pm - until this season, this would've been one of the standout ties of the round but Villa got relegated in May and have found the waters of the Championship a little choppy. Nonetheless, this is still a sell out so there should be a good atmosphere
Chelsea v Peterborough United @3pm - on paper the Premier League leaders should beat their League One opponents with ease but they've come unstuck in similar fixtures before with Bradford notching a famous victory at Stamford Bridge in 2015. This match is officially sold out too


---------------------------------------------------------

GET INVOLVED

If you're going to see a game, whether you're a local or a visitor, please let me know what you've been up to. If you're interested in reviewing a ground within the London area for this blog then get in touch. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.

Got any questions about visiting London? Don't hesitate to ask - be they football or more general travel/touristy queries.

You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.

Hope for 2017

I hope 2017 is a year where...

...I laugh more. Multiple times a day if possible.

...I make plans with friends on a regular basis, even if we have to schedule them a month ahead of time.

...Maybe I make some new friends. I'd love to be in some type of moms group in the coming year.

...I take the time to print more photos and send them to family near and far. I don't share a TON of pics of T on the internet, so I know a package of adorable pictures in the mail just might make someone's day.

...Health and fitness are priorities for me, always. None of this up and down, back and forth stuff.

...I get into a daily routine at home. Since quitting my full-time job I've really struggled with time management; I thrive on routine and lists and need that order back in my life.

...I actually do something new/fun/drastic with my hair.

...Jared and I decide if we're going to continue going to our church or find a new one. Church shopping is tough but we want to find that place that feels like "home" to us and our growing family.

...I continue to learn how to be a mom and try to be the best one I can.

...I'm quicker to pick a book and slower to turn on the TV.

...Jared and I continue to work on dreams and goals and don't give up on them. You're never too old for a dream, right? :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe weekend. Can't wait to "see" you all on the blog in 2017. Here's hoping it's the best year yet. Happy New Year, friends!

Goodbye, 2016.

I always love writing a year-end post on my blog every December. I never feel more excited or more hopeful than I do in those few days leading up to January 1. This year has been good to me and good to our family. It's been a whirlwind at times and challenging at times, but 2016 is a year I'll never forget, that's for sure. Today I wanted to look back at just a few snippets from the last twelve months.

January- The month we found out we were having a baby BOY. I'll never forget that day or how real the pregnancy seemed all of a sudden.

February- Jared and I got a rare opportunity to check out the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. It was something we did on a whim and I'm so glad we did it.

March- Our last vacation as a twosome! We visited Savannah for a day and a half and then went to Hilton Head Island for the rest of the week. It was the best, most relaxing vacation ever and I'll cherish that time with Jared forever.

April- Got to celebrate our sweet baby boy at not just one, but two baby showers from both sides of our family. I wish I could go back and relive both of those days, they were so special and so fun.

May- We had a baby! Even though we were expecting him in June ;) And Jared and I celebrated our 5th anniversary in the hospital, haha. What a memory!

June- I don't remember June ;) Just kidding... sorta. But it was definitely a chaotic month of sleeping in 2-3 hour increments, constantly changing diapers and me just trying to recover from having a c-section.

July- Definitely still in the crazy newborn stage, but Jared and I slowlyyy were able to get longer stretches of sleep and we were settling into our new normal, as crazy as it still was. We had a fun Christmas in July date-night-in, too.

August- After the birth of our son, this month brought the biggest life change ever for us. I decided to quit my job and stay home full-time. It was such an emotional decision but I'm so thankful to be home with T right now.

September- Got a much needed girls night for the first time since T was born. We also celebrated my dad's 60th birthday and his 80-pound-weight-loss-- I'm still SO proud that he did that.

October- Bring on the fall and fun! We had fun going to the pumpkin patch with our little guy for the first time, and dressing him up as the cutest pumpkin ever for Halloween.

November- Another girls night out, this time to a painting class. Celebrated Jared's birthday. And of course way too much fun and Thanksgiving celebrating.

December- Here we are! It's been a month full of Christmas fun and as cliche as it might be to say, I am so SO thankful for the blessings in my life. This year has brought Jared and I so much joy. This year has strengthened our marriage because we have faced so many new things together. I feel closer to Jared than ever and I love, love LOVE our life. That's not to say that there haven't been challenges and changes that rocked our world (hello, I quit my job to be a SAHM and we are learning to be parents together!) but I have grown so much this year. 2016, you will be near and dear to my heart forever!

A Good Holiday

I'm not one of those people who is bummed when Christmas is over. I love Christmas and I soak in all the festiveness I can, but when December 26th rolls around? I am ready to take the decorations down and get ready for the new year. I'm ready for decluttering, new goals and high hopes for the coming year. That said, we had a pretty darn good Christmas. It was absolutely exhausting for all of us, T especially, but it was so great introducing him to the wonders of this time of year. 

T did well with the long car rides, the wayyy too late nights and even the missed naps but it's definitely taking him a few days to recover. Poor little buddy has been sleeping SO much, he just looks worn out. Anyone else feel guilty dragging their kids all over creation for the holidays? =\ I'm sure it doesn't help that he is trying sooo hard to get those teeth to come in. Can't wait for those suckers to pop through already! But the craziness of it all was worth it and I love to see everyone loving on him, especially great-grandparents. WHAT a blessing it is to have them in his life.

T with his great-grandpa Pappy! :)

It's been a good couple of weeks. Seeing my people and laughing a lot. I've eaten entirely too much fudge and watched countless movies this holiday season. I've also been bad about taking pictures of anything other than T- haha, but I guess that's to be expected. This is the only picture of the 3 of us that we snagged all weekend... Christmas Day and T had already spit up on one outfit and was getting too hot in the other one so white onesie it was. #reallife

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends over the past few days. Looking forward to stalking all of your photos and updates! I know this time of year blog word goes on somewhat of a hiatus but I have a few more posts this week I'm pumped to share. Cheers!

Christmas Time Thoughts

The week of Christmas! What a magical time it can be. Exhausting and chaotic at times, but still magical in ways big and small. I know this weekend's celebrations will be here and gone in no time so I'm looking to all the little moments that have happened this week that I want to remember. Christmas time really makes you reflect and think, especially leading up to the new year.

I finally took T down to the stadium to meet everyone and to show him off this week. Took me long enough, right? It just always felt like such a hassle or an inconvenient time. We don't exactly live right down the street either- it's a decent little drive. But oh, it was so fun to take him in. He smiled and bounced and let everyone hold him without so much as a peep. While I certainly don't miss the insane hours, I miss the people there and probably took it for granted how many great people I worked with. Needless to say, it was nice to see everyone (Hi, Anna!) and to be welcomed with open arms.

Speaking of T, this has been my favorite month with him so far. It just keeps getting more and more fun. I'll probably write a more detailed post about mom life sometime next week because things are changing a lot around here! Even though he won't remember a second of it, I'm looking forward to Christmas morning with him. It's going to be so awesome to have our little buddy joining us for early morning presents in the cutest pj's ever.

Jared and I both feel that we don't give back enough and hope to change that in 2017. We always do some year-end giving though and every December it reminds me that we should do more of it. I don't say this as a pat on our own backs or anything of that sort, but just as a reminder that it feels awesome to bless others, no matter if you do it monetarily or with your time/talents. I long for the day that our mortgage is paid off and we are truly 100% debt free and can give, give, GIVE even more abundantly to others. More to come from Sallie & Perkins in 2017!!

I guess I'm a little all over the place this week. Just reflecting on a lot of things as Christmas approaches. Life is good right now and I don't want to take one second of it for granted. This year has been so different and probably the most defining year of my life but I can't imagine it being any other way. What's on your mind this week??