happy New Year! We hope that 2023 has been good to you so far. Firstly, we want to welcome all the brand new froggies who have joined us in the last few weeks. We are so glad that our Lily pad community keeps growing! You are all amazing. 

In this newsletter, we are going to briefly look back at Christmas and tell you all about how it went down (spoiler alert 🤢) but we will also discuss the year ahead and tell you a little bit about our plans! However, the most exciting thing in this whole newsletter is, in our opinion, our brand new ✨ friendship noticeboard ✨ which you can find at the end of this newsletter. As you suggested, we also added pet of the month, an important section for all of us pet lovers! 🐱

 

 

/ 1. My brother and his fiancée Rosy have moved to Romania, but they managed to come home and visit us over the Christmas period! It was amazing having them round, and luckily we saw them before the norovirus kicked off so they didn't get sick! / 2. Rose and I got our babysitter to watch Zig while we went to watch Rose's Dad play a gig at a local pub and we also went with John and Hannah, the bride and groom to be! It was amazing and we had a great night, but when we got home Ziggy started throwing up, so little did we know we were all ill... / 3.This is a picture of Ziggy on Christmas day... Even though we were puking our guts up, he was better by then and he had a great day!! He had a fab mix of being cuddled and playing with family, playing with his toys and just chilling! It was still a magical Christmas despite the illness. / 4. Here is a picture of me trying to do 'heatless curls' 😂 I thought I looked like a Gorgeous Georgian. 😂 They didn't turn out great but I think I just need to practice. / 5. Here is a picture of Rose trying to have 'alone time'. Seeing as I feed Ziggy to sleep every night I told Rose there's no point her sitting with me and she should go and chill out and watch a film. But the dogs never leave her side so she's never truly alone! 😂 But she had fun watching some films and chilling. One of our goals is to have more downtime completely alone! 6. The final picture is Ziggy after his first EVER haircut! I'm not going to lie I did NOT want to cut his hair, but I can admit it looked amazing after we did it. But I have made Rose make a pact with me that we won't cut it again! I want to grow it long!

Last month I truly believe we learned a hard lesson,and I'm glad we did as I aim to make 2023 a completely different vibe from last year. We spent all of December busy working, and we kept telling ourselves we would get to kick back and relax and enjoy ourselves over Christmas... But we ended up spending our entire holiday off work sick! After that Rose and I realized that we couldn't continue to work this way, and that we were going to make positive changes to make our lives better. We've realized we are always rushing towards a goal (like Christmas) but actually, we need to enjoy the journey more and not burn ourselves out, and I'm glad we've come to this agreement. 

 

Despite working hard and being sick, we also made some wonderful memories over December! We have been living in our house for almost a year (where has the time gone?!) And I'm finally starting to feel like this is my house and that we've made it a home. Rose is exceptional at decorating for Christmas and I loved coming downstairs and switching all the lights on. It really did feel magical and Ziggy really enjoyed all the Christmas decorations!

Ziggy has really bonded with his Grandma and Grandad which is so wonderful to see... He said "Grandad" for the first time the other day! Other words he has learned are: apple, batman, happy, poo-poo and he now LOVES telling us "No!" Ziggy has really grown up suddenly and we could hardly believe where the time has gone when he turned 18 months old on 1st Jan. During all the wedding planning we've also grown so much closer to Rose's brother John and his fiancée, and I have so many happy family memories from this period of my life. I really feel like a Mum now and that Rose and I feel like parents, which I didn't feel for ages when Ziggy was a baby! I think we finally feel like we know what we are doing with Ziggy, and we are really focusing more on our family and wellbeing this year now, rather than work. We are trying to follow our hearts and our joy rather than our fear! 

Rose: Last year I decided to buy Rosie presents she's always wanted as a child. But a stable family environment was difficult to purchase, instead I had to settle with her very first 

Barbie Doll! It was surprisingly difficult to choose! They had an ARRAY of fabulous and unique dolls... So I had to choose the one that best represented her. ADHD Barbie was sold out, so I had to go for 2022 Holiday Barbie. Fortunately, it was still a hit. 

 

I also got her another diary so she can write down her every thought and feeling, which will make excellent reading material for a long haul flight. I ate 60% of the donut flavoured Jelly Beans I got her and we're working on our 100 dates bucket list! Next up, adopting 17 puppies together. Just kidding. I think.

Rosie: My main present for Rose was a special lamp that is supposed to help with S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder) which I thought was a great idea as we are going into the new year priorizing our wellbeing! Rose loves it! She suffers terribly from S.A.D, plus it means we have an alarm clock (it's a clock as well) if we want to use our phones less. 

 

I also got Rose an 'on air' sign for our new (members only) podcast! We are so excited to start recording! We have missed doing the podcast since we stopped Parental Guidance and one of our favorite things is sitting down and recording together! 

 

Of course I had to get Rose some Reeces Pieces, and I got a special box off Etsy with some Reeces that you can't normally get here in the UK! The white chocolate peanut butter Christmas trees were INCREDIBLE!! 

 

I got her some 'shower steamers' for our new shower so we could get steamy together 😂 as a stocking filler and I got her some mindful meditation cards! These are really cool and we keep them by our bed and flick through them to relax. 

 

Ziggy: Rose got Ziggy a Woody doll from Toy Story and he LOVED it! When I was really poorly Rose put Toy Story on and he watched it while playing with his Woody! I got him a boat for the bath, because I usually take a bath with Ziggy every night. It's been a big hit and he likes to put his animals and people on the boat and watch it float! Laura got Ziggy this incredible electric truck!He is just figuring out how to ride it and when he got going he said 'WEEEE!! WHOOOOAHHH!' in delight!!! 

It sounds cliche to talk about how we are putting health and wellbeing first this year, but the truth is, Rose and I have never done that before! Honestly we've never thought about our health too much, but 2022 really pushed us both physically with all the sickness bugs from nursery, and mentally. 

 

As you all know, in Feb 2022 we moved house, and I was suffering from post partum depression and anxiety, and we had a really rough time. Looking back, a lot happened very quickly... We put our house on the market and it sold in just three days! I found all the change incredibly stressful and poor Rose had to hold everything together and be my rock while I got better. We decided we would never get to that dark place again, and that we don't want Ziggy to grow up seeing us be stressed or anxious. So we really mean it when we say we are COMPLETELY changing our lives, and going to try to live life to the fullest. 

I feel like we have been blessed in life with a wonderful family, friends and career, and we are going to make sure we ENJOY those things! We are making changes big and small, not just because it's the New Year and people make New Years resolutions, but making changes in our family, life and marriage, because it's important to evaluate what works, what doesn't, and change things up!! 

We are sad to share that Imogen Nunn, who was better known by her social media name Deaf Immy, has passed away earlier this month at the age of 25. We are sure that many of you knew her from TikTok and Instagram and were as sad and shocked to find out of her passing as we were.

 

Immy has touched the lives of millions of people on TikTok. She dedicated her social media to spreading awareness about the deaf community and mental health. Although she focused on such serious and important subjects, she had a wonderful sense of humour which she was well known for. We were lucky to have met Immy in real life. She was a lovely and inspiring person. 

 

We think that the best way we can honor Immy is to learn as much sign language as possible. She often showed us how challenging it can be for a deaf person in our society and how many obstacles there are in the day-to-day lives of nonhearing people. If you don't know where to start with learning sign language, YouTube is full of amazing and free resources. 

 

Immy was part of the LGBTQIA+ community. In this video she taught us how to say ‘happy Pride month’ in British sign language and in this video she showed us how to say different LGBTQIA+ terms. 

 

Rest in peace, Immy. ❤️

1. Disney’s new animated movie ‘Strange World’ has a queer kid called Eithan (voiced by comedian Jaboukie Young-White) and it's so cute! In the movie, Eithan is shy in front of his crush and his dad is so sweet and supportive. 🥺 Representation is important!

 

2. Noah Schnapp, from ‘Stranger Things’, has come out as gay. Welcome to the club, Noah! Check out this TikTok in which he came out! 👏

 

3. Ukraine passed a bill banning LGBTQ+ hate speech in the media. 💙💛

 

4. Barbados has officially decriminalised gay sex in a landmark ruling for 

LGBTQ+ rights. Another breakthrough for LGBTQI+ rights in the Caribbean!

 

5. The Scottish government passed a gender recognition bill that will allow people to legally change their gender through a system of self-identification.

 

We also want to remind you that in 2022, marriage equality became a reality in Chile, Slovenia, Mexico, Slovenia and Cuba!

Rose - What's better than a same sex love story between a member of One Direction and some other guy? Nothing. What an absolutely CHARMING film! I'm about 15 years too late, but I HAVE fallen in love with Harry Styles. Such an authentic performance I could watch over and over again! 

 

Sophie Kinsella books - I have REALLY got into the author Sophie Kinsella, even though her books are very heterosexual I just love an easy read and I really enjoy her main characters! The latest one I read is called 'Got your number', where a girl finds a strangers phone in a bin and starts emailing and texting all his contacts! I absolutely loved it! 
 

THIS TIKTOK literally cured my depression Rose sent it to me while I was in the bath and I could not stop laughing. As a fellow lover on an 'INDS' and also a dropper of food, we could relate on every level! 

 

I'm obviously loving the Miley Cyrus Flowers song! But I need more fresh music recommendations! Who should we listen to? I want to binge on an album!

 

First of all, many of you don't believe in making New Years resolutions and that's fair enough! Winter is tough and it can feel like there's a lot of pressure to become the best version of ourselves! However, New Years resolutions don't have to be serious!

Well we asked those of you who do believe in them what your resolutions are and we couldn't be more proud of you. So many of you are focusing on your mental health this year. 

 

 

Eating healthier is also a goal for many of you. It's hard isn't it.. 😂 

It's all about balance…and cheese! 

 

Saving money, getting into running, learning to play guitar, reading more books, stopping smoking, drinking more water. Whatever you set you mind to, we are here for it! 

 

One of you even said that they want to be gayer. WE SAY BRING IT ON!!!

We asked you ‘if you had to choose one word for 2023, what would it be?’ 

These were the most chosen words:

 

 

Mostly, you were very positive but there were some interesting words mentioned including apocalypse, chaos, crumpets, hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, and meh. 😂

Rosie: My word for the year is JOY! I am going to put Joy first, follow my joy and ask myself, am I doing something out of fear or will it bring me joy? But just so you know, I'm not a 'one word' type of person, so my back up words are PEACE and HEALTH! 

 

Rose: My word for the year is Calm. Life can get SO crazy sometimes! I'm learning how to slow things down this year so I can be as present as possible! Staying calm is one of the ways I can appreciate each moment and every detail! Being so highly strung, this is going to take practice! But meditation and positive affirmations are helping!

I've been using the 'digital wellness' option on my phone and setting timers for apps so I don't spend too long on my phone - I'd love to do a survey and ask people how long they spend on their phones daily. I was shocked when I realized it was around 8 hours and have DRASTICALLY cut back! It's hard though when my JOB involves being on my phone! 

 

No social media on weekends - this is a new rule I am LOVING! 

 

Getting outside once a day!!!! No matter the weather! It's really helped me! 

 

Focusing on 'sleep hygiene' - rose and I have a lavender diffuser, try not to be on our phones before bed and I always write in my diary to dump all the busy thoughts out of my brain and onto the paper! 

 

THE HEALTHY MIND PLATTER!! I'm obsessed with it! My hypnotherapist showed me this! Apparently you need one of each thing from the healthy mind platter EVERY DAY to be healthy and happy! 

Your self-care tips included taking baths, eating, exercising, listening to music, getting massages, moisturising, playing games, reading, watching our YouTube 

videos ❤️, sleeping, going on walks, practising yoga, meditating, doing puzzles, journaling, and seeing friends. So next time you are not feeling good, try something from this list and hopefully it will make you feel at least a tiny bit better. 

I am desperate to find new friends in south London or just the south west area in general, who love Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Paramore or just music in general! Anyone who wants to crochet together, listen to Taylor and laugh until we are blue in the face, please get in touch. Loving Rose and Rosie is essential criteria I never realised how hard it is to make new friends in your twenties, especially with WFH, so this is such a nice thing to do!!

Gay or not it does not matter. I’m looking for some old fashion thing like pen friend. Thats why I prefer a native English speaker. 

I’d like to meet people who are able to talk but don’t pressure you into being active constantly as my job doesn’t allow that. Looking for people who are interested in Grey's anatomy and are accepting of everyone regardless of gender or sexuality. 

Interested in someone who loves flying and aviation. I am a pilot from California and would love international pilot friends.

I would like a pen buddy to discuss books and politics with. If you like crime shows and Victorian lesbian stories that would be a whole plus. 
Eugenia

I am currently in the last year of my uni & I am also running my own online florist shop! I am looking for anyone who loves flowers as much as I do and someone who likes to chat whenever they r bored hahaha.

I would like to find someone who likes rock and metal, especially Metallica, as much as I do. I would like to find someone who likes to read books and talk about them. People who have a Cricut and want to share their knowledge would also be welcome.

I live in Madrid, I'm 28 years old and I work in the travel business. I am a cancer, I was born in Perú, lived my whole life in Italy until a few years ago. I'm queer and Jennifer Beals is the love of my life. Along with Tara, Sandra oh, Veronica Mars and Fletcher. I'm not very chatty and kinda shy at the beginning but then I'm just like Lorelai and I won't shut up and I do believe that she's right and God is a woman. I'm a big fan of Shonda Rhimes and I do love a good self-help book. My social anxiety won't stop me from talking about everything that I'm passionate about like series (kinda old school), marvel movies, art ( I paint and do some embroidery painting) good music and the splinter cell games. That being said, I'd love to meet new people and talk about the L Word Generation Q. 

Looking to meet a writing buddy with whom I can brainstorm ideas, exchange chapters and share encouragement to keep up with writing goals. 

I've just come out of a relationship and I'm looking to make some new lesbian friends to have a laugh and chat with!

Hey! I’m a 20 year old bi girl looking for some *drum roll* GAMING BUDDIES. I usually play on the pc, specifically steam games and i’d like some buddies to hopefully be able to game with sometime. Some of my favorites are Planet Coaster, Stardew Valley, Terraria, Minecraft, Elder Scrolls Online, CSGO, and Ark! 

ISO others who use Duolingo to friend in the app. You can follow me - Frogs Rule/FrogsRule2 and I'll follow back.

I would love to know if there are any 24-30 year old frogs in Melbourne who are looking to make friends and get out & about for some wholesome activities like hobby workshops, music, art, walks etc! I'm 24 F in the Carlton/Fitzroy area.  

In search for soul fwog with whom I can go on movie dates, travel to new places, exchange playlist of songs,explore new cuisine, get drunk and dance my heart out without being judged. A dog lover who stays in Mumbai, India is preferable.

This picture was sent to us by Erin. Naturally we love it, this cat knows how to relax!

This ginger kitty belongs to Loretta and her family. This story proves that cats are amazing.

Did you enjoy the newsletter? Let us know, we would love to hear from you.
Don't forget to email us if you want to be our next ‘Frog of the month’, have your pet featured as a 'Pet of the month' or if you want to have an ad on the Friendship noticeboard. 

We also welcome any other ideas that you might have. 

After all, we do this newsletter for you and we want you to enjoy it.