Is online shopping taking over

It is surprising how I felt today walking and having look in M&S and TKMaxx how it felt. I do convenience rather than logic and it was good to take a break from planning and reading that I do at the Library when my son does his learning and picked up some burger buns for dinner, for Wednesday and plan to do this again on another day. I really want to buy another book from Waterstones but I have quite a lot to read, and decluttered some books I have in Wimbledon. 

When ordering online, remember that it doesn't always save you time and money and actually it can be better to buy products on the high street because of the worry of the item not being delivered and having to stay in, waiting for the delivery. 

It is good to have the high street if we need bread or milk. The only thing is it hard to find clothing for my son and so been ordering from Amazon as it seems that not many kids clothing on the high street are catering for kids 14 years above. 

I feel that the high street need to catch up, because there seems that peoples shopping habits have started to change. Yet at the weekend, taking the bus that went through Brixton and I was surprised with how lively and how many shops there were and I really want to check it out. 

Then there is Banstead another place I want to visit and walk around, in surrey and we needs towns and the stores on the high street but feel that some just can't stay open. People like to do click and Collect, order food to their doorstep and you don't even have to leave the home at all with UberEats and Deliveroo. 

In researching in Lockdown the stores on the high street suffered a lot with revenue and now you can buy items from Tik Tok, Facebook Market Place and Instagram. 

The Body shop has gone, Wilko's, Debenhams, Whsmiths, some House of Fraser stores have gone. Whsmiths have been taken over but now I prefer to get my notebooks from either TKMaxx or Amazon. 

There is Shein. My nieces buy from there and it is because it is just a click of a button. 

So I do feel the Online world is taking over and a lot will be changing in terms of shopping. 

What is your opinion? You can leave a comment below. Have a great rest of the week and, 

many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Are Charity Shops Closing down?

Today we went to see a school for my son and going passed where I would walk to his Primary School, the Charity shop that was there on route, has closed down and the same in Epsom, one in Morden and Horton Centre in Epsom and so are we losing them? 

I love a charity shop but in some aspects it still costing money and people are changing their shopping habits and like me I mainly buy online and we now in Epsom have a Primark, M&S and the big supermarkets. This is leading to many shops, like Charity shops struggling to compete and that they not affording the business costs and feeling that they will all eventually go.

Charity shops have been around from the 1800''s one being in Mayfair and was a flower shop. There was time where I wouldn't step in one as, for example Oxfam because I remember at Primary school it was seen like a bad place to shop and so wouldn't be caught dead in one. Now though it is a must to me. I like to buy books and each year like buying winter clothes and I like second hand. 

Many Charity shops are getting overloaded by stuff and not accepting donations. It appears they can't get rid of some items and over stocked with stuff that is not selling. 

I like to see what they have, but like many of us we are decluttering and I don't need anymore books at the moment or clothes so I have no purpose in going into one and will be buying items from the Charity just for the sake of it.

Will things improve I wonder? 

I am not sure because the government need to decide and it is out of our hands. It out of the people running Charity shops, hands and so to save the high street they need to lower costs otherwise Charity shops and other stores will close because the costs are too high for them to survive and have hardly any stores open, so may lead to the high streets becoming ghost towns.

I did a video about the high street. If you'd like to check it out: FL: Living On A budget, STOP Waste, Shopping on the High Street, Versatile Foods

Stores like B&M and Home Bargains will survive I think because of the variety of products they sell and TKMaxx and Homesense but I think it will effect the smaller stores like Charity shops and affording the rates to stay open. 

With the stores clothing the bigger stores will be on the high street and it is trends. 

Its the in thing to buy from Temu, Vinted, ETSY and Amazon. 

I buy a lot from Amazon because it is convenient. 

So I hope things change and there is help for the Charity shops to survive and not fade away. 

Please share your views. You can comment below.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Who Would I have dinner with if I could choose anyone

If you could have dinner with someone, anyone, who would it be?

Would it be a friend you've not seen for a long time or family member not seen for a while.

It doesn't have to be love affair but just someone you can see a possible friendship and that you have a massive interest with. 

For me I love Jennifer Anniston so I'd like to go shopping with her. Nigella Lawson would be a contender for her cookery skills and I'd love to have her pantry and I love Celine Dion because of her music and she has a massive collection of shoes. It could be a man. I'd be to star struck if it was Jon Bon Jovi and be frightened to eat. 

I would loved to have sung with Cannon and Ball and tap dance with Bruce Forsyth. I loved it when he did the generation game and did a dance routine and seeing him live at the London Palladium. He was terrific and had no warm up man and was so entertaining so perhaps Bruce. He was into Golf so not sure if he'd liked Crazy Golf or Pitch 'n' Putt. 

It would be nice to eat with Alan Carr. He helped my Auntie when at the air port with her suitcase. What a gentleman and love Amanda Holden. 

Simon Cowell I feel he is a fussy eater and Mike Nolan who was in The Fizz as they are called now so couldn't do with that. Yes my husband but I see him every day so would be someone I know of but that I would get to know. 

I love Superman but he's off the cards being a fictional character, but we can only dream. 

I watch Come Dine With me and so I'd do a restaurant for a meal as Beans on toast wouldn't cut it, but getting better at making a roast and would for safety cook a Chicken. Or I can cook Steak and chips so couldn't be a vegan or vegetarian. 

So in comments tell me who would you like to have dinner with? Or if you could swap with a someone's life for the day, who would that be?

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

 

How I feel about the new year

It is amazing how Christmas comes and now we are heading into a new year. I am not going out but plan to stay up to watch the fireworks in London and looking forward to celebrating. 

So what is next? Well it means more Radio shows. I do a two hour show on Sundays and is a charity and filming more vlogs. Check Epsom Hospital radio to listen to the radio station, if you are in the UK.

I am going into the next year with an open mind and see what happens. I am not necessarily going to plan too much as such because I just want to just go with the flow as I want more of what I had in 2025 and not set too many goals. 

                                           

Too much is too much and I need to remind myself that sometimes it is good to have low expectation. 

"It is good to go with the flow and watch things grow". 

I think I have been so lost from reality and so intense with life and so I want to let life take its course and focus on each day, more. I want to sit in the back seat for a while and I feel I no longer have to prove anything; Life is not about to do lists but what will fulfill my wellbeing.

I loved our walks we did from Putney to Hammersmith. I definitely like to do that again. It is amazing to see how Fulham FC where I first worked, has become and yes I do support Chelsea but still like to look out for my neighbours and that Fulham has become an enterprise. 

It was good to go to the cinema and the theatre. So there's not a lot I want to change and would love more pub lunches when having days out. Going to see a #rugby match and football and take Henry to his sports clubs and have days in aswell, as out.

I enjoyed Christmas and in 2026 it is about more tranquility and not rushing. I really don't like making a mad dash to be somewhere and so I get up early to read, time to get dressed, something to eat and then me and Henry go for a coffee and then he goes to his lesson. 

There is a feeling of hope, because Henry is doing an assessment at a school. He didn't get a place, so going to see what happens about that, but wait to see what happens and so feel good about 2026 and a Happy New Year to you and not able change but continuing to grow as a mum and writer. Not being so intense and I am looking forward to see what 2026 will bring. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X

Bringing back my Daily blog 2026

I am not sure if I will be blogging on this blog site each day so will be more a weekly posts. I like to try each day again but I know that that would not be a certainty. 

Thank you to those who have visited this site, it is not the end of this blogsite by any means, I just won't be daily. 

It is now Christmas 2025 and it has been a good year. A bit different as my son gets tutored because he didn't get a school placement and so been having lessons at the local library and so it has been different but his tutor is brilliant and so I have been there because my son still gets a bit of separation anxiety. He won't go to the toilet without me so I hang around and I have been doing a lot of planning and journaling. 

#today it is a bus ride to Morden and had a coffee, picked up some wine and other bits. I have some gifts to put together. 

Is Christmas overrated? 

I like the peacefulness on Christmas day and getting up when I want and not having to be anywhere. We went to our yearly trip to see a Panto. It was Snow White and the comedian Aaron James was brilliant and Robert Rinder was in it along with Lesley Joseph and the best one I have seen and I see one every year. 

Watching the Royal Variety was okay. As a kid I never missed one. This was back in the 80's and 90's but now I don't get that much joy but variety is good and as a kid hoped one day I'd be on the stage myself but that never happened, but one can only dream. I loved the magic act who won Britain's Got Talent and the balancing act, along with the bit they did about Band Aid, it just I remember as a child it was live and now its recorded. I remember many acts had been band like certain comedians and then they were reinstated. I loved it back as a kid, because I love Cannon and Ball. Artists like Shirley Bassey, who would do the end performance and is famous all over the world. 

If you ever get a chance to host, sing and dance etc. You knew you made it, into show business and glad it continues to be on and as we need variety acts. I love circus type acts, magic, mixed with comedy and music.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

The Summer Holidays 2025

What a Summer Holiday it has been. My son went to his Holiday Club, been doing lots of walking and exploring. 

Picture I took of Windsor Castle  

We have been to Windsor with my mum and step dad, and was a really good trip. We have been swimming and walking various bus routes as my son is really into his buses at the moment and did 30,000 + steps to Kingston and walking some parts back to Epsom, walked to Morden and visited Morden Hall which we love and just doing things we both enjoy. 

Summer Holidays can be such a good bonding time and my son loves my company and loves going to different places, and we have about two weeks left. 

Henry has not got a place yet, as he is now at the age to go to Secondary School, but it has been stressful. I didn't realise how hard it would be. The problem is, because he is under SEND, there are limited amount of schools, but also the handling of Henry's Case, has not been good and so we are stuck but pray that it all works out.

I have returned to Parkrun and really enjoying it, Henry will be returning to his football training and so I will be taking part in doing Parkrun again solo. Henry will be doing his Rugby on a Sunday. I took a month break from my Radio show because of the School #summer holiday, but will be returning in September.

I do a show on Sunday's 4pm to 6pm: https://www.epsomhospitalradio.org.uk/on-air/presenters/carrie-challoner

It has also been a time of a declutter and getting ready for the change of season and be doing my yearly Autumn Reset, getting some unfinished tasks done, like building my other two Youtube channels: Financial Living: 

And my Educational Youtube Channel: 

I published my book Mum&Me: https://read.amazon.co.uk/sample/B0BGSS7H9K?clientId=share and completing the first draft of another book. I feel writing is a therapy, along with walking and grateful for my legs and hands that I can do the things I enjoy and my son is funny as he likes to work on his Laptop personating me. 

So it is all systems go and more things to come. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Things you can do in Wimbledon

It is the end of the week and it is good that we have done quite a bit. Lots of walking, coffees and trips on bus and train. Today we stayed local but still walked and getting last bits done before we pack up to spend sometime in Wimbledon for a week and a bit. 

Picture I took Walking to Wimbledon Village 

There are many things to do in Wimbledon. You have the shopping center, lots of places to eat and drink. I took my son to Pizza Express on the Broadway and it was really nice, but didn't think much of Wagamma's. We went there twice this month and both times the meal was not too good. Too dry. I will had my usual, a Chicken and Prawn Soba bowl. 

Yet my son loved his meal which I can't remember what it was called but he liked it. 

We often, my son and I go to see a film in the Wimbledon Odeon, take a trip to Collierswood and yesterday we walked from Wimbledon to Morden to get the bus back to Epsom. 

There are many routes you can take from Wimbledon. It famous for the Wimbledon Tennis, there is Wimbledon park and Wimbledon Common. 

I like to take a trip to Putney and walk along the river and we did that recently. Check out this Vlog: https://youtu.be/zt60Lz6JDuU

Putney is good place to go to see the Boatrace that has been going on for years and still a popular event, with so much history behind it. You can walk to Fulham from Putney following onto Chelsea. The Kings Road is very famous. It became famous in the 60's and spent a lot of time around there, myself in the 90's, as my mum and dad's parents lived in Chelsea and spent most of my childhood around there. You can walk to South Kensington, with the Museums, then this can take you to Knightsbridge and Hyde Park and is a great place to shop, have a bite to eat and watch the changing of guard if you carry on and walk through St James park.

I do like my home town, London it can be a good place but it has changed a lot. 

A couple of weeks ago took train from Hayden's road to London Blackfriars and walked to Pimlico. 

I did a Vlog showing our walk. I love exploring especially up London so more Vlogs to come. Check this one out. This a Vlog I posted last Friday: https://youtu.be/69S4MLWamGo

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X