It finally feels like Spring has descended on us this weekend, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. To be able to open the windows and not fear getting pneumonia, when you step out into the garden and feel the warmth of the spring sunshine, and to be able to put washing out on the line, oh it’s such a wonderful feeling.

And with spring in the air and making everything seem a little bit brighter, I started thinking about my March favourites and also all the things that I love about the spring time. So I thought I would drop my thoughts in here, and well to be honest March was a pretty crappy month for us, with the exception of number one son’s 18th birthday, there were only a few good things to come out of the month for us. However, I can always find something positive in a negative time, yes i am afraid that I am that annoying person! One of my most favourite things, which I admit to actually having since last year, but they have been extremely useful in the current situation, is my Bath & Body works anti-bacterial gel, these smell just amazing, and of course are super handy to have right now. On my trips to both Florida and New York last year I managed to pick up quite the little stockpile and the children laughed at my supply, however they are not laughing now! That said my little haul is starting to look a little depleted now, so I am savouring what I have left as we are going stateside again until next year. 

In between damaging the nerve in my back and leg and this pandemic starting, I did manage to make it to our local cinema to see Military Wives, and oh my goodness what a rollercoaster of a film, if you didn’t get a chance to see it at the cinema, then as soon as it is available for digital download, do yourself a favour and give it a watch, you will not be disappointed I promise. This film made me cry in the first scene, I laughed and then I sobbed and then I got chills at the end, it just had everything! I cannot wait to be able to download this and watch it again, it is definitely up there as one of my all time favourites now. Next up is PostScript by Cecelia Ahern, this is the follow-up to one of her best-selling titles P.S I love you. I had been desperate to read this as I just love Cecelia’s books and P.S I love you is one of my absolute favourites, but I had had it sat around for a couple of weeks after my son very kindly bought for me, but I was nervous to read it in case I didn’t enjoy it as much. Well i honestly don’t know why I had these worries, it was every bit as good as the first, and it filled me with joy following along on Holly’s journey in the years after Gerry’s death. Yes, this wonderful author has done it again and this book had everything it needed to win a place in my heart. And I couldn’t leave out Disney+, oh my gosh my love for this has only grown since I did my previous post on it. It literally has everything, and yes I am going to say it, it is so much better than Netflix! Granted aside from Stranger Things, I don’t watch anything on Netflix, I’m just the one that pays for it, the rest of my family just reap the rewards! But back to Disney+, I just adore the imagineering series, it’s so fascinating. I have watched back to back movies, lots that I have already seen and some I have not seen before. There is still much more to discover yet, and now we have two weeks of the Easter holidays before the home learning comes back into play, where we can take advantage of lots of free time to take advantage of all the wonderful films and series that are yet to be discovered! I cannot wait.

So now I am looking forward to all the wonderful things that Spring will bring to us, granted we will be housebound for it all, however there is so much that we can take in from our own back gardens. I love having the annual tidy up in the garden, planting new seeds, repainting the fences, decorating with pretty accessories, and then of course, reaping the rewards of all the hard work the children and I put in. I also love having a good old spring clean around the house too, i have already started this, but there is still plenty to do. There is something so motivational about the spring time that just makes me want to give the house a real going over, tidying up, clearing out and freshening up the decor, I just absolutely love it! On top of that, we get some of the best flowers of the year during spring time, Tulips and Daffodils, so bright and just make the house look so colourful! What is it that you all love about the Spring time? Does this time of the year feel motivational for you too? 

As always, I hope that you are all keeping safe and well.

Much love. xx

YouTube, love it or hate it, it is now pretty much a part of our daily lives, especially if you have children, and of course whilst we’re in lockdown it is a main form of entertainment in many houses. Only a couple of years ago I remember not really knowing much about it, only that two of my children wanted to be ‘famous youtubers’ when they were older. That all changed when I booked our florida holiday back in May 2018, in the name of research my children showed me just what I needed to know and I have never looked back. Fast forward almost two years and I now have a list of firm favourite YouTubers just like my children, albeit those that I watch are of a very different genre to those that the kids watch!

So I thought I would share with you some of the channels that I watch regularly and have replaced the limited tv shows that I was watching, please bear in mind these are my own personal favourites and most I started to watch for their Disney content.

First up is L&R Dreaming. These guys are all about the Disney, I have loved and learned so much from watching their vlogs documenting their holidays to the various Disney parks around the world. They do occasionally do non Disney Vlogs which I love to watch too, but their vlogs were so insightful whilst planning our own holiday. Not only are these two chaps two of the hardest working people, they are also two of the nicest as well. And of course I couldn’t mention their channel without paying homage to Willow and Socks! Next is the Trackers. YouTubing is second nature to Tim and Jenn, again their vlogs were great to watch for hints and tips whilst planning a trip to Disney World, but even if you’re not planning to go, it’s great to watch the fun they have not just around the parks, but at  all sorts of places in Florida. They’ve recently had a little baby boy and I have adored watching them document their adventures with him, even now with shutdown happening they’re still entertaining us. I also love to watch Katnipp, again, as with the aforementioned, I started watching her for her Disney content. However Katherine offers something else on her channel, she does weekly studio vlogs too. She owns produces products for her Etsy store, her creations are just adorable, and in her vlogs she shows off her fantastic artistic skills, how she creates her products and how she manages her store. I have myself ordered from her store as both my daughter and I love her work. If you use Etsy and you love all things cute, do go over and check out her store. Next up is Jade Billington, oh my goodness Jade is just one of life’s absolute sweethearts. Again I originally started watching her for Disney, but now regularly watch the antics of her and her husband Matt, they even make a shopping trip look fun, and of course, watching their adorable fur babies Piglet and Bunny. Honestly I could continue this list and the reasons all night, but in brief some of the other YouTubers I watch pretty much on a weekly basis are: Brogan Tate, Disney in Detail, Adam Hatton, Charlotte Ruff, Get Binky, Brummy mummy of two and lastly Isabella. If you’re new to YouTube then do give these guys a view, you won’t be disappointed. 

One of the things I’ve had to address a few times, mostly with my own children but a couple of others have asked too, is why I choose to blog instead of vlog. In a time that nearly everything is visual now, it would be easy for me to just film my thoughts instead of writing them, but in the main in comes down my comfort zone. I wouldn’t say I was camera-shy, but I definitely prefer being behind the camera than in front and I also think the world is just not ready for my face in the vlogging format. But mostly it comes down to protecting my children’s identities, I’ve always maintained that I wouldn’t put their identities out for the world to see until they are of an age to responsibly make the choice themselves, and then if they want to, they can be present in any media I put out there. This of course is just my personal preference and everybody feels different about having their children in front of the camera and no way is more correct than the other.

Anyway, if you do already watch YouTube, what are your favourite channels to watch? As always, I hope you’re all keeping safe and well.

Much love. xx 

Gosh, what a week it has been, I truly hope that everyone is still in good health both physically and mentally. I know just in my little family how differently we’ve all been affected by all the goings on in the world, how the children have all reacted so differently, but I am super proud of all of my little crew have accepted the not going out rule, and with the exception of number one son going to work, none of them have been any further than the back garden. I have to ask though, as I have seen so many posts on the subject, how are all of you parents getting on with all of the home work being set? I’m very sorry but I am going to be one of ‘those’ parents and say that my youngest two have been amazing and just got on with it as if they were at school, the older two have a slightly different set up but they’ve also been super respectful to the fact their siblings are working. I’m only bragging as this is the first time in all of history that I have never had to nag them through tears to get everything done, like this never ever happens and next week it’ll probably be a very different story! 

So with the potential of having some extra time on your hands, what are you doing to keep you motivated whilst confined to your own four walls? I found that I had to have a word with myself this past couple of days, I had gotten into a bit of a slump of not getting out of pj’s and feeling a little claustrophobic, so I have made a list of things that I want to get done, things I can try to teach myself through the power of reading and the internet, and I’m hoping that I can inspire a few of you guys to feel motivated too. So the first thing I am desperate to get finished is repainting my hallway, I started it a week ago and had lost my mojo to get it finished, so that will be continued tomorrow morning, ready to start glossing when I can eventually get some. I am also going to have a bash at learning something I have wanted to learn for years now, sign language. I think it’s so important to know this, I think over the years it could have helped both myself and others if I could communicate with this, and I feel determined to try and pick up even the basics before normality resumes. I want a mass bake-off with the kids, granted we have already done some baking  this past week, but we love a good baking session in our house and of course reaping the rewards of all of our hard work too. I also happen to think that it is a great skill to pass onto the children, it always shocks me when I hear that people don’t know how to bake or cook a basic meal, these are essential life skills, so if I can pass these on to my children, then I know I have done them a good deed.  There are a few other odd jobs from around the house that I have been putting off, so I will be making sure these get done whilst I have the time to do them, I think we all have these lists of jobs don’t we. I do also want to pick up learning to draw again too, I started before I damaged my nerve and it all fell to the way side, so I will be doing that as well. And lastly, following on from my last post, we of course be having the odd Disney movie marathon, obviously this is a given.

So with all of the things I hope to achieve, have I managed to inspire any of you? Of course I fully appreciate that this isn’t possible for lots of people, whether it be due to work commitments or due to your children needing you, and I realise that I am incredibly fortunate that my own children are a little bit older now and do not need my 24/7 attention, but I do like to involve them as much as I can in the things I do, and I will be making a point of encouraging them to pick up some sign language too.

However this current situation is affecting you, and however you are spending your time, I just hope you’re all keeping safe and well and looking after one another.

Much love. xx

If you follow me on social media, you’ll have seen yesterday that Disney plus has finally hit the UK shores. It was quite literally the very first thing I sorted out yesterday morning, even before my essential coffee! You’ll know if you regularly follow my posts that my little family and I are enormous Disney fans and have been waiting for this to hit our screens as many countries had this quite a while ago, and quite honestly I think everyone needs a little Disney in their loves right now, more than ever. As a disclaimer, this is something I am paying for myself,  there are two options it’s currently £59.99 for the year up front, or as I am doing, paying £5.99 per month, this for me is the most convenient way to pay. And also, all opinions in this post are my own and judged on my using the service for the last 24 hours.

So, my first impressions on it? I adore it, the first thing we watched was The Gummi Bears, you remember that? Yes this is a cartoon from my childhood, and I was so excited that the youngest of my little crew loved it as much as me, he was hooked, and it is every bit as adorable as I remember. At this point the children realised that they could all watch it on their own devices and scarpered to their rooms to do their assigned work and watch Disney at the same time. So as you can see, we are really making the most of this service already. I have watched Mulan and all five of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, number one son has watched The Mandalorian, which I know he has been desperate to watch, my daughter has been watching various things, but I know the first thing she watched was Moana. I can see this being more used in my household than Netflix and maybe give our sky tv some competition too. The only disappointment we felt was that some of the series we have been looking forward to, that have been out for several months in other countries, only have one or two episodes available to view, which we understand the reasoning why, but none the less it’s a little frustrating. But that was the only negative we could think of as a family. As I type this Disney Plus are running a seven-day free period, so you can give it a try to work out if it’s for you or not.

If you have already signed up, let me know your thoughts, and if you’re thinking of giving it a watch, try it, in a world full of fear right now, it’s the little bit of escapism we all need.

Much love. xx

I know this is the only thing that everyone is seeing right now, but it feels only right that I address the biggest pandemic we’ve faced in recent years. Firstly can I just send lots of love to anyone that is suffering or just healing from the corona virus and even more love to the families of anyone that has so very sadly lost a loved one to this truly awful illness, I cannot even comprehend how any of you are feeling right now.

By now, most of the population will fully understand the gravity that this virus is causing, every day I am seeing more and more devastation around the world, whether it be the rising numbers of cases, the very sad rise in the death rate, the shutting down of whole countries, businesses being forced to close, households in isolation, panic buying. You’d have to be hiding under a rock to have avoided even the slightest clips of news, and even if you don’t listen to the news, it feels like it’s pretty much all anyone is talking about. Sadly for us here in the UK, it is definitely going to get worse before it gets better, it is only a matter of time before the entire country goes into lockdown. However what I am feeling even more sad about, is the absolutely disgraceful lack of notice that some of the population are taking of the words of advice from not only our Prime minister, but also the chief medical officer of England! The level of selfishness of the individuals that are swamping the shops and emptying the shelves as they’re being stocked, leaving nothing for the key workers who are limited in when they can get to shops and make sure that they have supplies in for their own families, families I might add, that they are probably isolating themselves from in fear of passing the virus onto them as they have been working on the front line. Also I am shocked by the people who are out-and-out ignoring the words we have been told, ‘Stay in unless it is absolutely necessary’. There are just too many people that are risking not only their own health, but also the health of their families and quite frankly anyone that has no option but to be out and those looking after you and your loved ones on the front line. Please please, if you do not have to leave your house then don’t, this virus can and will kill, this illness should not be taken with a pinch of salt, yes you may be lucky enough not to have any or have minimal symptoms should you contract it, however you just don’t know how your body will react to this virus, please don’t be flippant about it. 

But whilst this awful period has brought out a selfish streak in some, we are seeing some of the kindest acts being carried out. Neighbours running errands and fetching shopping for each other in times of isolation, whole communities coming together, gifts being given to health professionals, teachers going out of their way to make sure that your child is still able to learn whilst the schools are shut, the shop staff who are making sure we have the supplies we need, and of course we simply cannot leave unmentioned all people in the caring/medical setting, whether you are a social worker, doctor, nurse, carer, the list could go on, I am in absolute awe of you all, and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your hard work and the hours you are working, all key workers, you are the unsung heroes, thank you all for everything you are doing.

There are heart wrenching times ahead of us, not just in the UK, but all over the world, if I can leave you with any words, then please let it be this, do not put yourself or others at risk, home is where you are safest, and if you absolutely cannot be at home, then take all of the precautions that you can to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. We will get through this, it is not forever, but everyone is responsible for just how hard the next few months will be. 

Keep safe.

Much love. xx

Hello, I’m back in action again. My apologies for the radio silence. I have been out of action and recovering from a trapped nerve, and wow, who knew a trapped nerve could do so much damage! Without going into too graphic a detail, I was bedridden for two and a half weeks, and I’ve basically had to build up strength to do everything by myself again. It sounds pretty dramatic but even now I’m slow on my feet and have very little strength in my knee, which is making me look pretty special whilst walking up the stairs! However, I am pleased to report that I finally mostly mended now and normality has pretty much resumed, well whatever ‘normal’ is! 

Anyway, with that out-of-the-way, let’s catch up on all things life. Whilst being laid up we’ve had some pretty big events, the youngest of my babies has turned 11, this is tween territory, the youngest of my crew is a tween, and blooming heck are we ever hearing about it! It’s like overnight he ramped up his attitude 15 gears! Luckily for this little tween, he has the most awesome biggest brother who not only took him and his mate out to the cinema, he also took them for a birthday milkshake and his fantastic big sister made him the most amazing birthday cake, which meant he got to celebrate his birthday still and I had it confirmed that I have the most phenomenal kids! Not only did my youngest hit a milestone, my eldest officially hit adulthood yesterday, yes I now own an 18-year-old! Sadly thanks to the corona virus (I’ll touch on this subject also), all of the plans we had to mark this massive milestone, have been postponed. We were supposed to be watching the Newcastle United v Sheffield Wednesday game at St James’ Park and then on to watch the Script that conveniently happened to be playing in Newcastle on the same day. Alas for very obvious reasons, both events have been postponed until a later date. Fortunately we managed to still make the day great for him, we had a day spending his birthday money and wages, and then mamma treated him to lunch and popped his Nandos cherry, and then his mates gave him a memorable night which of course led to his first proper hangover, trust me when I say he wasn’t feeling so clever this morning, this will be the first of many I’m sure. 

And of course I couldn’t not talk about the major subject all around the world at the moment, the corona virus. It’s absolutely heartbreaking reading and hearing about all of the lives lost to this awful virus, the devastation that this illness is causing and of course all of the disruption that is hitting just about everyone. My thoughts are with all that have fallen victim so far. Here in the UK we’re really just at the beginning of it all, and each day that passes now it’s ramping up a gear, as a parent of children who suffer with asthma (albeit mildly), who has elderly relatives and friends and family with other health conditions, I am terrified by what is coming, I am following all of the advice that has been given to us and am putting my every faith in our government to make the right calls at the right time. To everyone reading this, from the bottom of my heart, I hope that if you’ve already been affected by it, the damage is minimal, if you’re currently poorly with it, I hope you are feeling better very soon, and to those who are in the same predicament as myself and you’re just playing the waiting game, please please be kind and considerate to everyone you come across, remember if we all stay sensible there will be enough groceries to go around. Please check up on those that are more vulnerable than yourself, but most importantly, if you show any of the signs of this awful illness, please please do as has been recommended to us, quarantine yourself for seven to fourteen days, do not put others at risk for the sake of  getting that food shop, seeing that concert, doing that errand, it simply is not worth it. Keep washing those hands and please all of you, stay safe. 

Much love. xx

 

With all the changes that Boris Johnson has made this past week, causing some upset with his members of parliament, it made me think if he can make changes to benefit how he sees our country being run, then why oh why can he not do this for the important things that are sacred to the citizens of our country! I’m talking the NHS, the police force, the armed forces, the fire service and our education system. Whilst I feel strongly about all of these services, I feel extremely passionate about the latter of these. As you’ll be aware if you follow me regularly, I have four children, all of very different abilities academically, and I have watched each of them either flourish or suffer grately under the current curriculum that is set out under a very dated and Eton educated male lead system.

In a time where it is finally being recognised that more and more children are living with special educational needs, they are still expected to follow this dated system, albeit maybe if they’re lucky enough, in a unit for kids of their academic level and to a slightly adjusted curriculum, but none the less, they are expected to reach a set expectation set by our government, and there is still an unexceptable number of  our children that are being lost in the system in mainstream school. Do not get me wrong, I think our teachers, well most of them, do an outstanding job under extremely tough conditions, I have the utmost respect for anyone in a teaching position, not only are you trying to do the very best for your students, but you’re trying to adhere to what your headteachers/principles, governing committee and the government set out for you, and all this with trying to incorporate parents expectations into the equation as well, you are amazing. 

With all of this said, it just emphasises my opinion, why oh why are our government still insistent on pigeon holing our children. When will they realise that some children just are not academic, that their gifts lie elsewhere. It is high time that they started to individualise the curriculum to suit children’s needs and levels. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t be teaching maths and English, I think it’s super important that they know the basics to get them through life, but we have to look at where our children are likely to end up in adulthood and if teaching them pythagoras theorem is beneficial to them in reality. I know my childrens capabilities, I know what is a plausible expectation for them, and I also know what they love and what paths in life interest them, so naturally with a bit of research, I know roughly what they need to achieve this, and also whether it is achievable for them. Now I know that as one person looking out for the needs of four people is different to a handful of people trying to look out for the needs of a whole country of children, but I wish more than anything the government would have a serious restructure of our whole education system to make it more individual and personal to students. I realise that it would be a massive job, but I feel it is crucial to our childrens mental health, there is a very good reason that we have one of the highest rates of teenage suicide, it’s time the government stood up and took some responsible actions to help our children rather than trying to make them all conform to their stupid expectations! 

I could honestly go on and on about this but I don’t want to send you all to sleep, so I’ll leave it with this wonderful quote that we live by “Why fit in when you’re born to stand out” (Dr Zuess).

Much love. xx

We’re pretty much half way through February already and by the looks of it our cold spell is just beginning. Is it just me though, or does it feel by this point that winter is just going on for all eternity? I mean don’t get me wrong, pre-Christmas and New year, I absolutely adore winter, but a month and half into the new year and I am crying out for spring. Give me the warm sun, the sprinkling of new flowers popping up, the blossom on the trees and lighter mornings and evenings, am I wrong? But whilst hibernating away from storm Ciara over the weekend, I started thinking about brighter things, things that make this cold miserable weather slightly more bearable and the winter more tolerable.

Obviously the biggest thing getting me through is our holiday next year, I’m not sure if you’ve worked out just how excited I am for this holiday which is well over a year away yet, but I thought I would mention it again for good measure! I know holidays are a huge incentive for most to get them through the working week and through the colder months too, and we all have such different ideas of what is an enjoyable holiday, whether it be a relaxing beach break or an adventure packed city break, whatever it is that you’re counting down, keep going, your countdown will come to end soon enough. The odd nights either out or away with friends or family. I am very fortunate to have a few of these booked in before the summer months come around, and now on the freezing cold February evening, I am eternally grateful to have these to look forward too. But it’s not always about the glam trips away that keep me occupied, it’s the small things that really help make the grim weather and dark nights a little easier, I have recently taken to painting my nails on a Sunday afternoon. This is for two reasons, 1) because I am trying to pay for above mentioned holiday and can no longer afford to have it done for me, and 2) Because it makes me feel a little prettier when I’m otherwise dealing with all the mum duties I do throughout the week. And to go along with making my nails look colourful, I also love to have a nice long soak in a steamy hot bubble bath, either with a YouTube marathon or a good old book. I cannot tell you how relaxed you’ll feel after this, and if you want to take it a step further, why not add a couple of candles around the tub too, it really helps to make it super relaxing. The last one I’ll drop in here is a personal one, and that is spending some quality time with my children, throughout the week in term time we literally rush from pillar to post and never have a chance to slow down, so come the school holidays I love nothing more than either chilling out with my little crew with a movie or a game, or going out on a trip, and we’re not talking expensive trips here, it could be just taking our fluffball out for a long walk, to our nearest city to have a peruse around the museums, a day out is what you make of it and who you are with.

So when all said and done, whilst it’s not necessarily everyone’s favourite time of year, it really doesn’t have to be as unbearable as it may seem, just a few little changes to your weekly routine, a few plans in the making, can make these long cold months seem a little bit brighter. And if all else fails, we are only a couple of months away now from the Spring blossom. 

Much love. xx

We all love a holiday, whether it be flying off around the world or jumping in the car/on a train and visiting some of the beautiful parts of the UK, for most of us our holidays are what get us through the working week. If you follow my blogs and social media, you’ll know that I have very excitingly booked to take my family to Florida again next year, and I can honestly say that whilst the countdown seems like forever away, I could combust with excitement at the meer thought of it. Whilst this is a very extravagant holiday, this is how I choose to spend my money, I don’t go on nights out, I don’t smoke, I don’t treat myself to new clothes, we very rarely have take aways, we don’t really eat out, this is our extravagance and I work super hard to be able to give this to my family so happily pay this out knowing it’s well-earned. I am also very lucky to have a few other short breaks booked in, that I’ve either been fortunate enough to have been treated too or that again, I have worked hard to pay for myself, whichever way I am so excited for each one. Two of these are city breaks which coincide with concerts and one is something I have never experienced before, yes I am going glamping for an entire weekend! I will keep you posted on all of these trips as and when they happen. 

Now I have been extremely fortunate to have travelled to some lovely parts of the world, Ibiza, Germany, New York, Crete, Ireland and of course Florida, but as we know, this world is a huge place and is filled with so many wonderful places and I am absolutely desperate to set my feet down on as many as I possibly can. I’ve made no secret with my friends and family of my desire to go travelling once my children are older, and I consider myself lucky that as they are getting older it is becoming easier to now have the odd weekend away, but it is only fueling this burning passion to want to travel. 

With all of this said, over the years, especially my time working in the post office, I have met a fair few people who either won’t leave the country or even the little town that we live in, and whilst this is their choice and I am respectful of this, I can’t help but feel a little sadness for these people that they will never set their eyes on some of the stunning and iconic views around the world. They’ll never experience that exhilarating feeling of getting on and taking off on an airplane, they’ll never feel the heat when stepping out of an airport into some tropical destination, or trying the delicacies in other people’s hometowns. As I’ve said though, this is their decision and people have their own reasons for not wanting to visit new places. 

As for my little family, well we will continue to travel as much as my budget will allow us too, and I will try my best to tick off as many destinations as I can on my ever-growing list of places I want to visit. But how about you guys, do you like your holidays? Where is the place that has captured your soul? Do you share my passion for travel? I’d love to know so please do drop a comment either on here or any of my social media accounts. And if you’re off on holiday heading off away soon, happy holidays.

Much love. xx

January gets a really rough ride with just about everyone, and I get it, Christmas is a distant memory, the weather is miserable, everyone is poor and well it just feels like it goes on for years! But does January really deserve the bad reputation it has carried with it for years? Well this blog is about my January in review to see whether it is justified for me to moan about it or not.

Now I don’t really see the point in resolutions as very rarely do people stick to them beyond week 2 of the new year and quite frankly I’d rather set myself targets and goals for the year, as I find this more rewarding and also more personal for the individual person. If you’ve read my previous posts, most of my goals for 2020 are in one of these, and things are manifesting quite nicely, and I am achieving things at a nice even pace. This said I have learned a few things about myself over the course of January, whilst extremely determined I also have come to realise that I can’t start too many challenges at the same time, for example one of the things I really wanted to achieve this year was to abstain from drinking alcohol as long as I can, mostly for the financial benefits but figured that it wouldn’t hurt my general health either, and I am pleased to say, I am smashing this goal. However I was keen to try to get myself healthier overall with diet and exercise alongside the lack of wine, but I quickly realised that cutting out all treats was not happening at the same time, and I need to allow myself time to adjust to one change before starting another one, so the snacks are still in play. The other main thing I have realised is that I need to stop worrying about things that I cannot control, which is not a new concept for me but every now and again I need to remind myself to be proactive in not stressing about things beyond my control. Lots of things have happened throughout January that made me feel a little overwhelmed but towards the end of the month I had a little word with myself and was reminded that there is nothing good coming out of worrying, it makes me feel rubbish and causes more stress in the house. I’m not saying that I will never worry again, I’d be foolish to think that, but I am keeping myself in check and will remind myself that what you put out, comes back to you.

The other thing I love and have done quite efficiently throughout January is getting organised! Now those who know me well, know I love keeping my diary and planner up to date and generally being organised in life, and whilst I haven’t always been this way, the older I get, the wiser I am becoming to how organisation can make life so much easier. And January really is the month for getting your life in order, and I definitely feel like I have achieved this as best I can in the start of this year. 

With all things considered, even the crappy bit in the middle, January has been kind to me, and taught me much, and I have come out of it stronger, wiser and happier, of course the happiness is largely down to our big family holiday finally being booked, and my organisation skills are going to help me massively to get this achieved and paid off. So with all that said, how do you feel your January went, I hope it was inspiring and motivating for you.

Much love. xx