75 Days to Go

That's right folks. Just 75 short little days until we get to meet our son. You know, give or take some days/weeks. I have three different pregnancy apps on my phone (don't judge) that remind me daily that our time as just a couple is quickly coming to an end. While we are thrilled about becoming parents, we've also settled into the mindset of "Let's live it up while we still can!" I mean, 75 days is less than 11 weeks and that means roughly 11 weekends of "freedom" before our family becomes three and our lives start revolving around diaper duty and feeding schedules.

I've mentioned countless times on here that Jared and I are guilty of doing the same things a lot- we are creatures of habit for our date nights and weekends, for sure. The 75 day reminder has me itching to get out and do more with my hubby though so we've devised a fun "plan" for the next couple of months. We're going to commit to one unique date/outing each weekend, and we'll take turns being the one to plan them. That way we aren't sitting around on a Friday evening scrambling to think of something to do and debating on if we should spend the money or not. Spoiler alert- that always results in us doing nothing. 

Remember that passport I made for Jared way back when? Well, we only stamped off about half of those things so we're determined to knock out the rest of them on our quest to date it up during the final countdown. There are museums we haven't seen yet, a quirky restaurant that we've always meant to try and I'm hoping the weather continues to cooperate so we can hit up some fun parks for long walks and maybe even a bike ride or two.

I love continuing to date Jared year after year. How we date each other has surely changed since our early puppy-love days and will continue to change and evolve as we become parents and enter into a new phase of life together. But it's comforting to know that no matter the phase of life, I'll always have this guy by my side and we'll always be on a lifelong date together. ;)

So let's hear it. What is your favorite date to go on with your significant other? Or, what was a must-do 'before baby' date you went on? I'm looking forward to soaking in these last couple of months and enjoying every second with my man.

Digital Photo Organization

It's 2016. I think just about every single one of us has digital clutter, correct? Hundreds (or thousands!) of pictures and videos on our phones and even more saved to memory cards, computers and goodness knows where else! It can be incredibly overwhelming and until about a year ago, my photo organization was non-existent. The wake-up call came for me while working on photobooks and realizing how much longer the process took simply because I couldn't find the photos I wanted at the time I wanted them.

I knew I needed a system in place going forward. I didn't want my computer to just become a pit of endless photos that never saw the light of day again. My system is basic, but once I got it in place my life got a lot easier, honest. A lot of people have asked me how I go about the organization as well as the creating of photobooks so I'm happy to share today!

The steps I take now to keep digital photos organized:

-Regularly upload your camera's card/phone photos.

I was guilty of having multiple SD cards laying around and would use whichever one I saw first in one of my 2 cameras. That made finding anything a huge pain in the butt. I try to keep a designated memory card with each camera now and save the other ones for back-up/emergencies. Don't let your photos sit around on memory cards forever either, upload them and proceed to the next steps!

-Cull the photos immediately upon uploading.

Culling your photos basically means getting rid of the crappy ones. You upload over 200 photos from Christmas... go through them all. Right now! You don't need 27 photos of your tree's lights and chances are only a handful of the pictures of your rambunctious niece actually aren't blurry. Delete the ones you don't need to keep so you don't waste time sifting through them later when you're ready to print or share them.

-Label everything.

Everyone's system is different but here is what I do. I have a yearly folder, then monthly and then I name each folder by the event and/or date depending on what I feel like will help me find things the fastest. Sometimes I just have random photos and nothing really to name them, but I'll still label them March 14-20 which then goes into my March, into my 2016 folder. However if I attended "Lacey's Baby Shower" in March, that folder will be titled that. 

*Note about blogger photos

I also keep a separate folder for pictures I either take specifically for a blog post OR are copies of other photos that maybe I'd edited or resized and know I wouldn't be printing at any point.

Another worry for me was losing these digital photos. Even though they are nice and organized now- what happens when your computer completely crashes?! As far as printing and what photos projects you do with photos- that's up to you. But please, prints those photos in some form!! :) I have been making yearly family photo books through Shutterfly so in order to feel like my pictures are safe and I'll never lose one I:

- Create a yearly photobook through Shutterfly. January - December every year. Special occasions (like weddings) or big vacations (like DisneyWorld) get their own separate books, too.

- At the end of my order, I can add on a CD. They'll save all the photos I used in the book to a CD and I can purchase that with my book. Yes, I COULD do this on my own but this saves a ton of time and ensures I at least have a back-up of all my favorite photos. Even though I cull my photos in advance, not every single picture I took in 2016 will make the photobook!

- Save the entire yearly folder of photos onto an external hard drive. They are worth the cost, get one.

Fun Disney friend not included with purchase

So now I've got a hard copy in a book form, a CD of the photos in the book and also the entire yearly conglomeration of photos on both my computer and my external HD. I feel like my photos are pretty secure, not to mention- organized.

I hope this helps someone else who's photos need decluttered. It's an overwhelming process to start, so break it up little by little just to be sure it gets done. At one point I had close to 20,000 photos on my computer. Yes, 20,000. I started culling them a little bit each week. Just 20 minutes here and there, deleting stuff that I didn't need until it became manageable. You can start there, and then work your way into the yearly and monthly folders. Going forward after that should be breeze! 

TLFG: 29 March - 3 April 2016

With two games attended over the Easter weekend, it's been a busy few days by my standards.

Firstly I can't remember when I last had the whole four days off and to get to see two matches as well was a real bonus.

The main catalyst for this was a visit by my Dutch friend Paul who regular readers will have heard many mentions of.

He's researching his latest book on London football and had/has a really packed schedule of games between Good Friday and Tuesday (tomorrow). 

Originally planning to watch Luton v Dagenham & Redbridge, he saw this postponed but having booked a flight to the Bedfordshire town still paid a visit to an empty Kenilworth Road on his arrival. He then jumped on a train and went, via central London, to Maidenhead United for his first game of the trip where I joined him.

A bumper York Road crowd enjoy an historic win over Bath City

Having raced past York Road countless times on express trains bound for the West Country and Wales, I'd seen the ground but never been.

Although not a London club, it's only just outside TLFG's catchment area and really easy to get to being less than half an hour from Paddington and then only a 200-300m walk from the station.

Loads of clubs also fit this description but York Road's USP is that it is the oldest ground in the world to be in continual use by the same club - Maidenhead have played here since 1871, some achievement. 

On Friday they faced Bath City, another non-league club with great history, in a National League South fixture.

Paul had arrived earlier and been given a full tour by club programme editor Steve. He joined us for the game and provided excellent company, filling us in on club history. Being of a similar vintage to myself, it was also fun reminiscing about more general non-league experiences and sharing how we had both initially got into the game and how we'd seen it develop over the years.

He also informed us that Maidenhead had never beaten Bath in the 50-odd years they had been playing each other so it came as something of a shock when the hosts ran out comfortable 3-1 winners.

As a promoter of the non-league game, it was striking that a large crowd of 899, double their normal average turned out. Encouraged by the great weather and the international break, it was great to see. The atmosphere was also buoyant and very family friendly.

I also lucky enough to meet Maidenhead's chairman after the match. Being a big supporter of Non-League Day it was nice to finally meet him after a few exchanges on Twitter. 

The following day, Paul and I headed out to Ruislip where we met my former colleague Rich. He has recently moved to the area and was keen to make his non-league debut with a visit to his new local club Wealdstone.

Playing in the same division as Maidenhead, they welcomed Kent club Margate who were new to the division.

Unlike the previous day, the weather was poor as Storm Katie began to hit town. Nevertheless, the crowd was good. With free chocolate eggs for the first 200 kids through the turnstiles, the crowd was 100 up on the average. 

The Stones made the most of the conditions and eventually coasted to a 4-1 win to leapfrog their troubled opponents who announced earlier in the week that backer Bob Laslett was standing down as chairman. His investment, rumoured to be around £2.5m over the last two years, powered them to promotion but without this things could now begin to fall apart.

With Paul achieving his goal of meeting the Wealdstone Raider, Rich also enjoyed his afternoon at Grosvenor Vale.

In contrast to Maidenhead, the Wealdstone experience is a much more 'gritty' one with several members of the crowd merciless in their treatment of certain players and officials. Although hardly unique in this respect, it was noticeably different from 24 hours before and could be right up your street if you love a bit of 'banter'.

Looking ahead, there's a special match taking place on Tuesday afternoon at Welling United. The Cumbrian Flood Friendship Trophy will be contested by the England Fans team and a side from the London branch of the Carlisle United Supporters Club. It's £4 adults, £2 concessions and £1 kids with monies raised going to the Cumbria Flood Appeal.

Also don't forget tickets are on sale for Non-League Finals Day at Wembley on Sunday 22 May. FC Halifax Town will play Grimsby Town in the FA Trophy final while Hereford face Morpeth Town in the FA Vase. Apparently Hereford have sold over 10,000 tickets already so a bumper crowd looks possible. #LetsFillWembley

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Please follow this link or click on the tab at the top of the page for all the information you need about how to get a ticket, what's currently available to non-members at London's biggest clubs and any other special offers or promotions which might be running.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 70 matches in the London area over the next seven days so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

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
Red pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Black pin - Friday fixtures

WEEKEND MATCH MAP

Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
White pin - Sunday fixtures

Next up is this week's TLFG match recommendations where I list a few games which I think could be worth a watch. If I miss one that you think should get a mention then add your own in the comments section below.

TLFG TOP 10

1. England v Netherlands - the Three Lions' recent record against the Dutch is poor with their last win being that famous 4-1 win at Wembley during the group stages of Euro 96. In the intervening 20 years England have managed four draws and two defeats against the Oranje and have achieved nothing of note on the international stage. Contrast this to the Netherlands who have made two European Championship semi-finals, two World Cup semi-finals and even a World Cup final in 2010. So England start as underdogs right? Wrong. Roy Hodgson's side are one Europe's most in-form teams and shocked many by coming from two goals down to beat Germany 3-2 in Berlin on Saturday. Danny Blind's side, however, are one of the weakest the Dutch have fielded for many years and sensationally failed to qualify for Euro 2016 trailing home in fourth behind the Czech Republic, Iceland and Turkey. In international terms this is a derby and despite the current Dutch malaise the match has unsurprisingly sold out. (International friendly, Tuesday 29 March, 8pm. Ticket info)

2. Arsenal v Watford - after being humiliated by the Hornets in their recent FA Cup quarter-final at the Emirates, the Gunners get an almost immediate chance to avenge that defeat with this league match. Since that humbling, Arsenal then exited the Champions League to Barcelona but responded well by recording a 2-0 win at Everton to leave them third in the Premier League. Aside from that cup success, Watford's league form has become decidedly iffy with three consecutive defeats reminding them that they aren't quite safe from relegation just yet. However, a repeat victory here will almost certainly secure them another season in the top flight. They know they can do it so why not? (Premier League, Saturday 2 April, 3pm. Ticket info)

3. West Ham United v Crystal Palace - we've got another derby to look forward to at the Boleyn Ground. A huge match for both teams who are scrapping for points at either end of the table. In this season of upsets, a place in next season's Champions League is very much within the Hammers' grasp with a win here potentially putting them in the top four. Unbeaten in five and very unlucky to only draw at Chelsea last time out, Slaven Bilic's side will start as favourites as Palace are struggling. Despite making it to the FA Cup semi-finals, the Eagles are in woeful league form, not winning since before Christmas. Thankfully they had a strong start to their campaign which means they have a seven-point buffer between themselves and the bottom three but they are far from safe and in desperate need of a win. (Premier League, Saturday 2 April, 3pm. Ticket info)

4. Queens Park Rangers v Middlesbrough - thanks to the TV gods we've got a bit of Friday night football to kick off a weekend of football watching. QPR's mini-revival over recent weeks had got a few supporters giddily thinking a play-off spot could somehow be back on the cards. However, a last-minute goal saw two points dropped at Preston in their last match and the gap to the top six became 11 points again. Although Rangers realistically have little to play for, they are in the best form they've been in for some time with several players looking to impress new boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as he looks to build his squad for next season. Boro, on the other hand, are very much in the title race and consequently have it all to play for. After some recent infighting which saw manager Aitor Karanka on the verge of resigning, the Teesside club recorded a crucial win over promotion rivals Hull to stay third. Aside from one aberration in 2009, QPR's recent home record against Middlesbrough is good. One of the most sensational wins I ever saw as a Rangers fan was the 5-0 drubbing in 1998 of a Boro side packed with stars who ended up getting promoted to the Premier League. QPR were pretty hopeless at the time and eventually avoided relegation to the third tier by just one point - Manchester City went down instead! (Championship, Friday 1 April, 745pm. Ticket info)

5. Fulham v MK Dons - a couple of miles south the following day, we have a proper relegation 'six-pointer'. Relegated from the Premier League, the Cottagers found life tough on their return to the second tier but they stayed up fairly comfortably in the end. This season nothing has changed, in fact things seem to be getting worse. With eight games to go they are only one point above the bottom three and are six without a win. MK Dons are the team immediately below them so they really must win. Newly promoted, I personally expected a lot more of the Buckinghamshire club but things haven't worked out and they've only managed nine wins from 38 games so far. With Bristol City and Rotherham United now resurgent it looks like it could come down to a fight between these two for the last relegation place. The stakes are high. (Championship, Saturday 2 April, 3pm. Ticket info)

6. Dartford v Maidenhead United - all our League One and Two clubs are away this week and nothing is stirring me in the National League so next we head to Princes Park. Way out on the south-eastern edge of TLFG's catchment area, Dartford are mounting a promotion challenge a year after suffering relegation. Having moved up and down quite a bit this season, they're still in touching distance of the play-off places and held leaders Ebbsfleet to a 1-1 draw in Monday's derby in front of nearly 2,500 fans. On Saturday they welcome Maidenhead who followed up Saturday's win over Bath with a 5-2 victory over Hayes & Yeading in their groundshare derby on Monday. The result moved the Magpies into the top five making them the target team that Dartford have to catch. As above, there's plenty to play for. (National League South, Saturday 2 April, 3pm. Ticket info)

7. Dulwich Hamlet v Bognor Regis Town - the match of the week in the Isthmian League sees two promotion rivals go head-to-head at Champion Hill. Dulwich were title contenders but form began to desert them in February and now the play-offs are the best they can realistically hope for. An important win over third-placed Tonbridge Angels on Monday will have restored some confidence which they will need against a strong Bognor side. Having made it to the FA Trophy semi-finals, the Sussex club are fourth with five games in hand on all those above them. Win them all and they'll be six points clear at the top. The reverse fixture in November saw Dulwich edge to a 3-2 win. (Isthmian League Premier Division, Saturday 2 April, 3pm. Ticket info)

8. AFC Hornchurch v Brightlingsea Regent - with only five games to go, the one automatic promotion place in Isthmian League Division 1 North is pretty much AFC Sudbury's. The race for the play-offs, however, is very much alive. Only a spectacular collapse in form will see Thurrock and Harlow Town fail to make end-of-season shoot-out, while fourth-placed Cray Wanderers will probably secure a place too. Which means the final place will be the most hotly contested. The Urchins are the current incumbents but are ahead of Cheshunt and Brightlingsea by virtue of goal difference only. The hosts were up in the sixth tier three years ago so are well used to bigger and better things. Fellow Essex outfit Brightlingsea have only been in existence for 11 years and only joined the Isthmian League last season so another promotion would take them to the highest level in their history. (Isthmian League Division 1 North, Saturday 2 April, 3pm. Ticket info)

9. Clapton v Tower Hamlets - while West Ham and Palace will be fighting out a derby at the Boleyn Ground, a stone's throw away there'll be an all East End affair taking place at The Old Spotted Dog - the oldest ground in London. The very antithesis of all things Premier League, a visit to Clapton is an experience most football fans never forget. Despite its history, the ground is a shabby and neglected place but it drips with character and is, in my opinion, a must visit for all lovers of the sport. I would've said this regardless of the recent rise of the politically left-wing Clapton Ultras who have added a huge amount to match day proceedings in Forest Gate. Aside from local bragging rights, there is little to play for in this match and the relationship between the clubs is cordial meaning there'll be a fun air surrounding this game. I went to the reverse fixture on a chilly Friday night in November - Clapton took well over 300 fans who sang their hearts out for the 90 minutes and beyond. They watched their side dominate but lose 1-0 and then gave their opponents a rousing reception as they clapped them off the field. Some find the whole thing contrived or simply not to their liking and can't handle it at all but I can't recommend a visit enough. (Essex Senior League, Saturday 2 April, 3pm. Club info)

10. Arsenal v Notts County - with the FA Women's Super League now in full swing, I end this week by recommending a trip to Boreham Wood for this Women's FA Cup Quarter-Final. With 13 wins to their name, the Gunners are by far the most successful club in this competition. Last year, however, they went out at this stage to eventual champions Chelsea so they will be looking for an improvement on that showing. Notts County made it to the final where they lost to the Blues but it was a tight affair with only one goal in it. It's all about women's football on Sunday in London so if this game is tricky to get to, Chelsea are playing Aston Villa in another tie at Staines Town. (Women's FA Cup Quarter-Final, Sunday 3 April, 2pm. Ticket info)

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. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. 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.

Celebrating Easter

The weather for Easter could not have been more perfect. Lots of sunshine and temperatures up in the mid 70's yesterday. Jared and I attended church Sunday and afterwards took a short walk around the trail/lake on property there. We basked in the sunshine, talked about past Easter celebrations and daydreamed about what Easter will be like next year when we have a TEN month old!! I'm so tempted to buy him an outfit for next Easter already (hello, sales!?) but I've told myself I cannot buy any more unnecessary baby stuff at this point. I always love celebrating Easter but I truly cannot wait to celebrate it next year with a little one.

Best attempt at an Easter picture this year. #neededsunglasses

I mentioned Friday that our new chair was being delivered and I love love LOVE it. It's so incredibly comfortable and looks great in the nursery. I tried it out about a dozen different times over the weekend. Jared and I were out running some errands on Saturday when we came across this whale pillow at Hobby Lobby. At 40% off, we couldn't say no! Isn't he adorable??

Lately I have been really bad about remembering to take photos, so I really don't have many from this weekend at all- oops! I did however, finish and order my Disney photobook over the weekend and it definitely reminded me I need to keep up with photos and digital organization more than ever. I might do a post on that soon, as everyone's "system" is different and I've benefited a lot from seeing how other people manage their digital stuff. The pictures are never ending but having those books is totally worth the hours they take to put together. I'm still determined to be caught up on all my books before baby boy arrives- wish me luck! ;)

Can't wait to read all about everyone's Easter weekend- Wishing you all a GREAT week!

Friday Five {Baby Edition #2}

Happy Good Friday! I am so excited to kick off this holiday weekend and spend some quality time with Jared. At the end of February I themed my Friday Five post around all things baby and that might be a theme I continue for the next couple of months. A nice, tidy little way to sum up anything that's been going on in this crazy whirlwind they call pregnancy. Since 4 weeks have passed since the last official update I feel like there is lots of news and changes going on!

{ ONE } This week I officially started my third trimester. I've been taking some bump photos here and there, mostly on my phone and mostly in the work bathroom because it's the only big mirror I have access to. By chance, I wore the same maternity shirt for my 18 and 28 week pictures. Whoa, belly! That thing is large and in charge these days. This week the doctor actually told me little man is measuring in about 2 weeks ahead currently. Yikes!

{ TWO } Glucose test- I passed! I had the orange drink which was not bad at all. Like, I didn't love it but it was completely tolerable and went down easily. I was more nervous about the blood draw and the Tdap shot I got that same day, but luckily all went well with those. They did however determine that I'm anemic so I'll be taking an extra iron supplement to hopefully get those numbers up.

{ THREE } My in-laws generously purchased the chair for our nursery and we'll be getting it delivered today! This was the last big item we needed for his room so I'm excited about having it in place. Once it's in there we can really start on the fun parts of decorating and making the room a perfect place for him. I've got some crafty ideas up my sleeve and I'm hopeful I'll be able to DIY a couple things.

{ FOUR } I got the invitations to both our baby showers in the mail last week which was incredibly surreal, but so exciting! After years of having our fridge covered with other people's baby showers invites, it's pretty cool to see your own name on one :) April is going to be a FUN month.

{ FIVE } Picking out HIS NAME. Jared and I have shared/will be sharing the name with family members, it's not a huge secret or anything but I don't know if I plan to share it publicly on the blog or not. At this point I don't know what I'm comfortable sharing so I'm keeping the name off the internet for as long as possible. It feels awesome to have a name for our little boy though! I cannot wait to see what he looks like♥

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Easter, everyone!!

Easter Week Love

It's Easter week, the temperatures are back up in the 60s again and I am just thrilled about this time of year. It's all my favorite things rolled into a couple of months and right now my calendar has a lot of fun things on it that I'm counting down to. So in honor of all the pastel colors and bunnies and sunrise church services... I'm joining in on a link-up today that I haven't joined in on before. Thanks, Jenn and Jessi for allowing me a reason to dump all the Easter things into one post ;)

Our actual plans for Easter weekend are still a bit up in the air at this point. It seems to be the case every year- we're always doing something different but I still love to celebrate any way we can. Which means I'm planning on making this tasty treat for Jared and I at some point this weekend :)

Easter Muddy Buddy Mix

There's still a chance we might be having some people over to celebrate the Easter weekend at some point, and if so I'll be utilizing this post. SO many tasty, good options for Easter menus.

I'm a sucker for cute printables, and there are always SO many freebies available out there- for every holiday. This link takes you to 14 really cute ones, but this one is my favorite for sure!

I've also been pinning and window-shopping for cute maternity dresses. I've really lucked out in not having to buy a ton of stuff up until now, but with baby showers, graduation parties and a wedding on the calendar over the next couple of months- I'd like to get a couple new items that I'll love and also that will be comfortable. Clearly I'm on a maxi dress kick ;) All of these are from Pink Blush.

Jared and I have continued our decluttering again now that we're back from vacation. Every time new baby stuff comes in our house it motivates me to get rid of other things we don't need/use/want anymore. It feels like we are getting really close to having our whole home decluttered and (mostly) organized which is exciting. Once we do, it's time to tackle the Spring cleaning for sure. There are some great checklists on Pinterest that I go-to every year to help make sure I clean every nook and cranny. If you aren't following my boards yet- please do! Happy Wednesday :)

Shopping is Productive

I had the best pedicure I've ever had over the weekend! Lacey and I have been meaning to go get our toes done for awhile and Saturday our schedules finally allowed it. We tried a new place and it did not disappoint. We got their "deluxe" pedi and for $30 they did all the normal stuff + an exfoliating sugar scrub, hot oil as a muscle relaxer, hot towels, and a warm lotion massage on our feet/legs. I honestly wanted to fall asleep in the chair- it felt so great and was just what I needed. I cannot remember the last time I treated myself to a pedicure but I'm thinking there will be at least one more before this baby arrives!

After our pampering we grabbed a quick lunch and also hit up Ikea. Yes, we braved Ikea on a Saturday and yes, it was terrifying. Luckily, we both just had a couple small items in mind we wanted to pick up there so it was a short trip. Well, as short as a weekend check-out line can be ;) I've read about these drawer organizers from no less than 10 blog/mom friends about how great they are for organizing little baby items so I snatched up two sets of them- you can't beat $5.99! Since I don't really have anything to put in his drawers yet, here's a photo I borrowed from Allison's post on organizing baby stuff.

I'd had high hopes of getting a lot more done this weekend, but I was just plain worn out. Sunday night I was feeling overwhelmed again (story of my life!) and stressed that I hadn't "done enough" with my weekend. Jared talked me out of my funk eventually and after some therapeutic coloring and a list-making session I felt better. On my to-do list I noticed there were a lot of things I needed to purchase. Various gifts, a couple household things, just odds and ends... So instead of making myself run a zillion errands in the coming weeks? I hopped on Amazon and shopped my little fingers off and crossed off a ton of "to-buy's" which felt great. Amazon Prime for the win. Shopping is totally productive, y'all! ;)

My weekend spilled into Monday when I met up with some fabulous local blogger friends at The Cheesecake Factory. I met all these women through blogging and even though they don't all blog still, I'm thankful for their friendship and for our get togethers. We laughed so much last night and swapped some crazy stories. It's nice that so many of them are new(er) mom's too- I can ask them all my pressing questions and hopefully not annoy them too much. Cheers to blogging and all the people it's brought into my life :) 

PS- How did everyone's brackets do through the first couple of rounds? I have 11 of the 16 remaining teams right, I'll take it!! Still rooting on Oklahoma all the way!

TLFG: 21-28 March 2016

It's Easter once again and with it we get one of the best weekends of the year to watch football in London.

Strangely, though, the very full programme of fixtures will be missing all of the capital's biggest clubs as there's an international break. I can't remember this ever having happened before over the long weekend but that's the position we find ourselves in.

Don't be too downhearted though as we've still got over 130 matches to look forward to over the next eight days (I've included Easter Monday in this week's blog too). There are top-of-the-table clashes, cup semi-finals, local derbies and relegation six-pointers so we shouldn't be short of drama. 

I'm planning to take in at least one non-league game with my Dutch friend Paul. He's coming over to research his latest book about London football. We're intending to go to Wealdstone v Margate on Saturday to see one of the capital's main non-league sides and chat to a few people and get some stories. He really wants to meet the Raider but if you're a Stones fan with a few funny or interesting anecdotes who would like to appear in his book then please get in touch (Twitter: @matchdaysboek). That also goes for fans of AFC Wimbledon and Millwall whose matches he will also be visiting during his stay. 

On the subject of international weekend - if you're reading this and your club are running a special offer or promotion to get new fans in then please get in touch ASAP and I'll help promote it.

Aside from this blog, my focus over the next couple of months will be firmly on helping to promote Non-League Finals Day on Sunday 22 May at Wembley.

Join us at Wembley for the first ever Non-League Finals Day

The line-ups were confirmed on Saturday with Hereford meeting Morpeth Town in the FA Vase and National League sides FC Halifax Town and Grimsby Town going head-to-head in the FA Trophy.

A joint ticket for both games is just £25 adults, £10 concessions and £1 kids and represents a great chance to spend a whole day at Wembley, seeing two finals.

Somewhat controversially, the powers that be have also scheduled an England friendly against Turkey in Manchester the same afternoon causing many in the non-league community to feel more than a little sidelined.

My response is to challenge non-league fans to step up, turn out in huge numbers and show how vibrant and important the game at our level is. Many people think and expect little of clubs and fans outside 'The 92' but they will surely take notice if Non-League Finals Day outsells the England game.

Although a big ask it is by no means impossible - the Etihad Stadium has a capacity of around 55,000 and the FA Trophy final alone drew 53,000 to Wembley in 2007. This year we have three sizeable clubs all heading to Wembley with Morpeth also hopefully attracting a few extra fans from the wider Northumbria area.

It is a time, in my opinion, to come together and celebrate what we have as a community and put partisan feelings aside for the day. Rugby fans of both codes often put rivalries aside to turn out for big matches and doubleheaders - over 84,000 packed into Wembley to watch Saracens v Harlequins last season for a league match, setting a world record in the process. Why can't non-league fans try and emulate this and produce some kind of record of our own? 

I'm up for it and will be contacting all non-league clubs in the Greater London area over the next few weeks to help me promote the day. If you want to help as a club rep get in touch and I have some official resources I can share with you and also a little something as a thank you for your help.

Some are calling it a 'put up or shut up' moment for those who've had enough of the non-league game being sidelined and overlooked and I can see where they're coming from. It is undoubtedly a great opportunity to make a point but also one to celebrate what we have and enjoy a great day out. It could be a defining moment. Be part of it.

LATEST TICKET NEWS

Please follow this link or click on the tab at the top of the page for all the information you need about how to get a ticket, what's currently available to non-members at London's biggest clubs and any other special offers or promotions which might be running.

THE WEEK AHEAD

There are over 130 matches in the London area over the next seven days so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.

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
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Red pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures

EASTER WEEKEND MATCH MAP
Black pin - Good Friday fixtures

Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
White pin - Easter Sunday fixtures
Orange pin - Easter Monday fixtures

TLFG TOP PICKS

Usually in this section I select 10 games which I think could be worth a watch. However, because it's Easter there a lots more which should seriously be considered so I've highlighted a few by date.

Monday 21 March

Wealdstone v Sutton United @745pm - London derby in National League South with Sutton pushing for promotion

QPR v Sheffield Wednesday @7pm - U21 action at Loftus Road

Charlton Athletic v Huddersfield Town @2pm  - U21 action at The Valley

Watford v Barnsley @7pm - U21 game provisionally at Vicarage Road but not confirmed

Tuesday 22 March

Enfield Town v Kingstonian @745pm - Isthmian League play-off hopefuls meet at QEII Stadium

Harrow Borough v Bognor Regis Town @745pm - Boro welcome FA Trophy semi-finalists and Isthmian title contenders Bognor

Tooting & Mitcham United v Dulwich Hamlet @745pm - London Senior Cup semi-final and big south London derby

Crystal Palace v Leeds United @1230pm - U21 match at Selhurst Park

Wednesday 23 March

Romford v Harlow Town @745pm - the hosts welcome play-off chasing Harlow in the Isthmian 1 North

Arsenal Ladies v Reading Women @745pm - the Gunners' FA Women's Super League 1 campaign gets underway at Boreham Wood

London Bees v Watford Ladies @745pm - these two local sides begin their FA Women's Super League 2 seasons at Barnet

Thursday 24 March

Charlton Athletic v Bristol City @2pm - U21 game at The Valley

Friday 25 March

Dartford v Bishop's Stortford @3pm - the Darts look to revive their National League South play-off bid

Millwall v Watford @130pm - U21 match being played at Bromley's ground

Saturday 26 March

Wealdstone v Margate @3pm - highest level match in London that day

Kingstonian v Hampton & Richmond Borough @3pm - local derby and promotion battle in Isthmian Premier, huge game at that level

Enfield Town v Dulwich Hamlet @3pm - two teams hoping to also make Isthmian play-offs, both have lively sets of fans so there should be a good atmosphere

AFC Hornchurch v Thurrock @3pm - Essex derby between sides scrapping for an Isthmian 1 North play-off place.

Ashford Town (Middlesex) v Hartley Wintney @3pm - long-awaited top-of-the-table clash between sides who have led the Combined Counties League for some time

Barking v Clapton @3pm - East End derby, hosts still have outside Essex Senior League title chance

Oxhey Jets v Sun Sports @3pm - non-league derby in the Watford area 

Glebe v Bearsted @3pm - first versus third in the Kent Invicta League

Sunday 27 March

Millwall Lionesses v Everton Ladies @2pm - first home game for Millwall in FA WSL2, being played at The Den

Monday 28 March

Millwall v Burton Albion @745pm - fifth against first in League One, late kick-off makes it ideal for combining with another earlier game like the one at Dulwich Hamlet

AFC Wimbledon v Portsmouth @1245pm - two former FA Cup winners now fighting for League Two play-off places, early kick-off means it could be combined with Isthmian League games at Hampton & Richmond Borough or Corinthian Casuals although you might miss the first few minutes

Barnet v Luton Town @3pm - little to play for but effectively a north London derby in League Two with the Hatters located just outside the capital

Boreham Wood v Dover Athletic @3pm - game between teams battling for points at either end of the National League

Bromley v Forest Green Rovers @3pm - hosts welcome National League title contenders

Dulwich Hamlet v Tonbridge Angels @3pm - Isthmian Premier play-off rivals meet at Champion Hill

Wingate & Finchley v Hendon @3pm - north London derby in Isthmian Premier

Thurrock v Cray Wanderers @3pm - second versus third in Isthmian 1 North

Chipstead v Whyteleafe @3pm - a derby featuring teams from the capital's Deep South in the Isthmian 1 South

Corinthian Casuals v Carshalton Athletic @3pm  - as above but more south-west and not so much of the Deep

Chelsea Ladies v Liverpool Ladies @2pm - the reigning FA WSL champions welcome the Reds to Staines Town for their first home game of the season

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. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. 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.

Ready to Regroup

This week has been TOUGH. There's just no way around it. I think the combination of the time-change, coming back from vacation, the crazy weather we're having and oh yeah- almost being in my third trimester alllllll caught up to me at once. I haven't slept well at all lately and if you have seen me this week- you would know that's the truth ;) Bags under my eyes and a ponytail every day this week at work... I just embraced it and hoped my coworkers weren't too scared of me.

And even though it's been an annoying, emotional week things could be a lot worse. There was a 12-car accident this week on the bridge that I take home every day. The road was shut down for hours, a car went into the river and I don't know how many people were injured (or worse). I feel very fortunate that I wasn't in the wreck or affected by it at all- and it really makes you rethink the little things you might have been complaining about an hour earlier. This life is truly a blessing and I can't take that for granted.

So I'm ready for this weekend and for some regrouping. Ready to shake off this week's slump and get on with it. Spending time with family and friends, getting things back in order and hopefully starting on a very long baby to-do list. All of the things that I've been saying, "I'll do that after vacation" suddenly feel very, very pressing. Even though I know there is still a good amount of time to get things done, I am ready to chip away at the to-do's and get a little sanity and order back in my life. Post-vacation chaos is real, folks.

At least we always have sports- right? :) Did everyone join in the March Madness bracket fun this year? The first couple of days of the tournament are generally pretty fun in our office. We have a TV in the common area just outside my office so it's on all day for score updates. Today my boss is buying everyone lunch so we can eat and watch some hoops as a mid-day break, which will be nice. I've got Kansas, Oklahoma, UNC and Michigan State as my final four- what about you all??

Daufuskie Island- The Weirdest Place Ever

Okay, okay- last vacation post I swear. Listen, Jared and I likely won't be traveling anyyyyyytime in the foreseeable future so let me bask in my post-vacationess alright? ;) We kept most of our schedule open except for a morning at the spa one day (best prenatal massage ever) and a half-day tour of Daufuskie Island another day. It sounded different and adventurous so we figured why not? This tiny island only has about 300 people living on it and had been named a historic district due to it's Civil War history.

So we booked our tickets and boarded a boat Wednesday morning to see what we'd gotten ourselves into. It was a 30-minute boat ride from HHI to Daufuskie and our captain kept us entertained with facts and information. We saw a ton of dolphins on our way over which was awesome- they were so close to the boat! The downfall of the boat ride was a man who sat right behind us clearing his throat the entire ride over. I wish you could hear Jared's impression of it... the dude sounded like a lawn mower trying to start up, I swear. Let's just say, we were happy to get to land and start the day.

Once on Daufuskie we were given keys to a golf cart, a map and told to have a good time. The only things we'd really gathered prior to the trip was that there were lots of historic things to see and some beautiful secluded beaches. So we cranked the radio in our cart and off we went. We quickly realized our golf cart was a slow one as an odd threesome of hipsters flew past us with their selfie stick. A girl and two guys... and we couldn't tell who was with who. But I'm getting off topic.

There were a few ancient cemeteries on the island which seemed so strange. Civil War era people buried on this tiny 8-square-mile mysterious island in South Carolina. They were tucked away in between homes and it's incredible that there were even still headstones in place. As we made our way down the dirt and gravel roads we passed a guy building a fence in the middle of no where. Just hammering away putting up a fence post in a wooded area with nothing around him. He waved and we waved back but I made Jared promise not to drive down that lane again. Everything was starting to creep me out!

Then we stumbled upon this little gem. The Iron Fish. Where everything on their porch is for sale and everything is based on the honor system. Take what you want and leave cash or write down your credit card information for the owner to charge. I kid you not. It was so eerily quiet yet I felt like someone was going to jump out from behind a tree and yell at us if we touched their stuff. No, we didn't purchase anything.

We trekked on and saw an old two-room school house, the buggy that belonged to the island's "famous" midwife and a church that looked JUST like the church from Walking Dead. Anyone else  see it?! I was completely weirded out by it but Jared thought it was awesome.

This post might seem like a bunch of jumbled thoughts, but that's kinda' how the whole exploration of Daufuskie was- a jumble. We didn't know what we were looking at or why so many weird things were there but it was fascinating just the same. The crazy thing is that there are also gorgeous giant homes on this island that super rich folks come to; they love the seclusion and I guess don't mind that their house is just yards away from a rotting mobile home? Such a strange dynamic to this place.

So tell me- what's the weirdest town/destination you've ever explored?

Hilton Head Vacation

After a very full day in Savannah we hopped in the car for an easy 45-minute drive over to our favorite island- Hilton Head! We spent that first day just walking on the beach, soaking in the sunshine and letting our minds switch into vacation mode. It was nice not having any set agenda for most of our trip so we just wandered where we wanted, ate at whatever time we felt like eating and took naps on the beach whenever the mood struck us! Total relaxation mode.

We stayed near the Coligny Plaza which is our favorite little spot for the two of us. There are plenty of condos to rent and you're next to tons of shopping and restaurants. Walkable options everywhere, or hop on your bikes and go a bit further to even more great places. Hilton Head is such a relaxed environment and at the time of year we went- it felt empty most of the time! Since we beat all the Spring Break/Easter/Summer crowds- we got a great deal on a gorgeous condo right on the beach. We went through VRBO.com for the second time and couldn't be happier.

It was fun getting into a routine during our short week there. We woke up pretty early most days and Jared would head out for a beach run/workout and I'd sit on the patio eating breakfast and reading blogs with the ocean waves crashing as my background noise. Talk about perfection. I could definitely do that every day for the rest of my life and be fine with that. :)

A few Shout-Outs & Recommendations:

Hilton Head Diner- Does not get enough love on TripAdvisor but we tried this place for brunch and loved it so much we ate there twice! We had breakfast food there but they've got a huge menu and everything sounded delicious. Plus, they're open 24/7 which is convenient. I may or may not have ordered a massive stack of chocolate chip pancakes. Okay, I did. And I didn't get a photo because I couldn't wait to dive in...

Frosty Frog Cafe- Okay, they are known for their adult beverages but their FOOD is so tasty! Their chips and salsa are so incredibly fresh and delicious and totally worth the heartburn. Jared and I have tried their wraps, burgers and even pizza from here and everything is yummy. Plus there are TVs everywhere so we stalked the NFL free agency drama going on while on vacation- can't miss that!!

Hilton Head Bicycle Rental- HHI is a very bike-friendly community so there are dozens of places to rent bikes for the week, but this is the one we've went with two years in a row. They seem to have the best prices around and usually if you reserve yours two weeks in advance there will be an additional discount. They deliver/pick-up right to the place you're staying so there's no hassle at all.

Bomboras Grille- This place was recommended to me by some people at work because lo and behold, this place is basically a Bengals restaurant- the owners are originally from Cincinnati. Our head coach Marvin Lewis has a home in HHI and he and wife frequent this place. Plus on Sunday's during football season supposedly it's a sea of orange and black so we had to stop in. We ate some ridiculously good lunch here and met the incredibly nice owner who greeted us with a WHODEY when he saw Jared's shirt :)

It's hard to sum up all the fun we had but it was truly one of the best weeks ever. It was fun having a few random strangers ask about when I was due or if we knew what we were having, etc. No one had asked me yet so it took me by surprise but I won't lie, I loved the attention and loved telling people we had a little boy on the way. The owner of the putt-putt place we went to was so happy for us he even gave us a free game to celebrate!

I'll be back tomorrow with just one more vacation-related post because the island tour/excursion we went on deserves it's own day. TRUST.ME.