Journeys Are My Diary

Life, Adventures, Entertainment and more - A little bit of everything blog!

How To Have A Really Successful Family Holiday

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Going on vacation with your family can be extremely stressful.  It can be hard to not only get everyone on the same page, but the communication can lack in some places.  Planning out the perfect holiday isn’t easy, and it takes patience and a plan.  Preparation is key, and you’ve got to invest some of your time to plan a vacation that is successful.

Communication is essential

When you are planning a family vacation, communication is going to be crucial.  You want to avoid a lot of drama caused by miscommunication and instead, make sure that everyone is on the same page right from the beginning.  This means that you should sync up your flights, how you are getting to the hotel and even what you are doing throughout the stay.  There are a lot of different apps out there that can help keep you organized and keep your family in the loop.

Be realistic with your money

This is another thing that can cause a lot of drama.  Money can be tight for some family members, and that is why being practical with money up front is huge.  While you are planning out what you are going to be doing throughout your holiday vacation, make sure that you incorporate some free things, as that will help offset some of the costs for those that have thinner wallets.

Pad your time

What this means it that if you are set off across the country with your family to check out different amusement parks or malls, leave a chance to explore.  You might have a list of things that you want to see and a list of stuff that you want to do but pad your time.  Leave time in the agenda for family-time too, that’s important, and it will help everyone bond and be a little closer.

Keep it active for the group

If you are not a keen conversationalist with your family, why not up the ante and plan something active?  A sporting event is one of the best things to go to with a group.  It also provides a lot of memories for your family, and it doesn’t require a lot of personal interaction.

Safety first

Whenever you are traveling with a bigger group, preparation is essential to keep the stress at bay and to ensure that everyone is safe.  If you are going with small kids, you should keep a photo of them as well as the entire family on you at all times.  The younger kids should also carry an identification card with their parents’ names, address and phone number of where you are staying.  Safety first, especially when it comes to family holidays.

Have a packing party

Packing is probably one of the most stressful things when you are preparing for a trip.  You have to make sure that you have everything and that is why coming prepared with a checklist and having a packing party is huge.  Make a game out of it, see who can pack up everything the fastest.  There are also packing hacks that you can use to understand how to pack for a longer trip without the stress.

WiFi is paramount

Finally, don’t try to fight it, WiFi is going to be vital when you are traveling.  If it is a cost?  Spring for it.  It will stop a lot of fighting, a lot of drama and it will make the trip that much better.  There are also a lot of ways that you can get WiFi for free and save a few bucks.

Now that you know some of the best ways to cut down on the stress and to have a fabulous family holiday, what are some of the tips that you have?  Share them!

Hello 2017

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On New Year’s Eve I wrote a post reflecting on 2016 and so today I want to look forward to 2017. As it’s already 3rd January I’m sure it’s probably clear that a whole “new me” is not on the horizon. I think I’ve learned from previous years, that that’s not the best route for me. Instead little changes, positive attitude and a hope for better things, is the direction I would like to go.

This Year I will:

  • Get a better grip on my finances. As I’ve mentioned on my blog before, I have a lot of debt – largely from my time as a single mum (I mean, I’m technically still a single mum but I have a very supportive partner now). For a few years, I just buried my head and the debt got worse but then two years ago it all hit me and I had to stop avoiding it. 2016 was the year I finally started to get that debt down and while I definitely managed to stop adding to it and clear one particular lump of debt, I still have a fair way to go. I have a specific target in mind by the end of the year and that will hopefully lessen my debt by about a third.
  • Work hard on my business, Closet Geek. It would be a lie to say I don’t work hard on it already as to be honest its my main focus, after the kids. I have thoroughly enjoyed working from home this last year and despite how crazy busy it has gotten at times, I wouldn’t change a thing. This year I am aiming to add at least 6 more product ranges (don’t ask me what, I have no idea yet) and hopefully more variations of the products I already sell. That said, I must remember to take time out and relax (which is hard because I often get into a flow).

  • Weight Loss is something I want to focus on this year. I haven’t jumped into any kind of diet yet as there is still a lot of bad food kicking around the house. However I am trying to regulate myself and not eat too my rubbish and when routine starts over again and I start cooking evening meals from scratch, I aim to make healthy dishes and avoid any junk. Last year I felt uncomfortable in my skin and it stopped me from dressing up, cosplaying and even feeling like I wanted to make any sort of effort. Its amazing what a knock on effect feeling overweight can have to all areas of life. I also want to try walking more often, especially as life isn’t so hectic that I need to save every minute of time by hopping in the car.
  • Last year was a wonderful change to family life, working from home instead of feeling stressed in the job I had previously (I actually can’t believe I walked out on that job 2 years ago – I’ve honestly never regretted it). I managed to attend so many of the kids events at school and I’m sure I will be doing so again this year. That said I want to make time outside of those events, to do things as a family. The kids love to play board games (we had a day doing that during holiday), go swimming and play computer games (Lily and I have played Lego Harry Potter for most days of the holidays) so I want to make more time for fun, not just scheduled events. I also want to make more time for Chris as he often gets neglected, just because he “understands more”. On evenings when he’s not at work, I need to step away from my sewing or even my computer and just be with him – doing whatever it is we feel like doing.

This year I would like to:

  • Moving house is definitely top of the list for things I’d like to do in 2017. Sadly not a huge amount of that decision is in our hands, but we need to try wherever possible. From the house going on the market last April, till now, we’ve only had two viewings. I think there has been many reasons to that but largely the price recommended by the agents is too high. We do have another viewing tomorrow so we will see how that goes but at some point this year we will have to make some firmer decisions – perhaps to change agents, sell at a loss, or whatever other options there might be.
  • During January I have a weekend away booked with the girls, to Disneyland Paris. However as much as I’m looking forward to it, I’d really like a nice week away somewhere abroad. Top choice for this year would definitely be Italy and ideally during the warm weather. Chris booking holidays at work can be a pain though as he can often only get out of school holiday time. With Megan now at secondary school I am loathed to take them out of school for a holiday, so it’s definitely going to be a juggling act – and of course available money. If we can’t get away this year, I would definitely love to book something bigger for next year – maybe a two week holiday somewhere further afield like the US.

This Year I will try:

  • Yesterday I was in a position (as I often am) where one of the girls asked if we could do something (something they had been asking for a while and have been saying “soon” to) and my immediate answer was “yes, tomorrow”. Now although that might seen immediate to you, it’s really only because it was that day or tomorrow that we needed to do it, before it was too late. But my reaction was still the latter, not the actual immediate. However after I walked away, I thought “actually, why can’t we just do it now?” and so that’s what we did. Basically I really want to stop putting things off till tomorrow and just get on with them. Because tomorrow never really comes and before you realise it, you’ve been putting everything off and never getting anything done.

  • When we went swimming, the girls and I, I was reminded of how much I enjoy it and, that despite not going very often, I’m still pretty good at it. While I don’t always want to go when they suggest it, I did realise I could take them and just watch (they’re both old enough now), but also I could go when they’re at school and just swim lengths. It would be a great way to make time for me, get fitter and even find time to shower! I don’t want to set myself a frequency but I would like to swim more.
  • As I mentioned last year, our friendship group is a little bit fractured now and so in the past 12 months I haven’t thrown any large group events. I think its probably easiest to just see each group of working friendships, by themselves, whenever there is time, rather than force everyone to get together. Last year we did enjoy a meal out as a group of friends, a cinema trip as a double date and a few times having friends around for dinner. I would like to continue that this year, making more of an effort but hopefully making time for everyone.
  • Finally I should probably give my blog a mention. At this time of year it’s always easy to say “I’ll post more”, or “I’ll post frequently” but the truth is when life gets busy, my blog takes a backseat. I also often find that I lose inspiration for what to write at times and it can become just one big life update that people probably aren’t that interested in. I’m ditching Project 52 (as I did towards the end of last year) as I always forget to take pictures weekly). Instead I might do something monthly, as I did with my round-ups (which definitely suits me better so I will be sticking to those). I’d like to keep updating about books I read (which maybe should have been another bulletpoint as I really should read more) and movies we see at the cinema but past that I’m uncertain of the direction my blog will take. I am considering various options though so watch this space!

Avoiding Debt this Christmas

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At the beginning of the year, in my Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016 post, I spoke a little about the debt I was in and how I hoped to get out of it during the year. I am pleased to say, that with almost ten months of the year passed, I definitely have less debt now than I did at the beginning but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. At around June-July, my money problems hit an all-time low, with phone calls from my bank and the worry of losing my account altogether. It really helped me pull myself together but it was a mess I could have avoided. While too much spending and not enough earning was the main route of the problem, transferring money backwards and forwards between Paypal accounts was what really caused the red flag on my account. Using a short term loan company would have avoided all the hassle I had, as that could have bridged the gap when I needed money and didn’t have it coming in till later. Instead I had money coming in and going out every few days as my Paypal transactions cleared, meaning a lot of unusual activity in my account which ultimately lead to it being put under scrutiny and all my transactions monitored.

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Having worked really hard, to get myself out of the mess I caused, it made me realise how much I didn’t want to get back into it, with Christmas around the corner. I have to admit that Christmas is actually my biggest weak spot, especially with the kids. I always want to give them the world and I know that sometimes I spend more than I have. Over the last few months I’ve found that one of the best ways to not spend, is to actually not look. Sites like Hot Topic and Disney Store, my two biggest weaknesses, are best to just avoid altogether and therefore not be tempted to spend. However at Christmas time, its all about browsing the shops – whether online or in person. To avoid getting into a mess, I’ve set my mind to a few certain things.

Making a list in advance and adding up the total, even before buying.
It’s hard to decide how much to spend on a person at Christmas, especially a child. I always see so many things for my best friends, my partner and my kids – making it hard to pick just one or two things to get and not go completely over budget. However this year as neither of the girls have much they want, I’m setting myself on gift vouchers and the odd gift as I think about it. I’ve started to make a list of ideas and eventually I will palm off ideas to relatives and keep some for myself. I’m going to set myself a budget and not go over it – meaning I will need to swap things in and out of the list, instead of just adding things on.

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Adding to a cart (or real life shopping basket) and then taking time to think about it.
It’s not as easy when you’re shopping in person, but I have been known to put the whole contents of my basket back on the shelves. I’ve definitely abandoned online carts without checking out too. Sometimes its good to go through and browse, adding the things you like but then walk away and think on it. Often I’ve come back and taken half the items out, realising I don’t really need them. Other times I’ve realised I need none of it and haven’t checked out at all.

Just because there is a voucher for it in an email, doesn’t mean you have to buy something.
Recently I’ve had a few discount codes and I know coming up to Christmas there will be plenty more, especially with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, not to mention last minute sales. I always open up the sites and see what bargains I can grab, especially with 20% off or whatever the discount might be. Just remember that if you didn’t intend to buy it in the first place, do you really need it now – just because it has discount? Also does the discount really outweigh whatever the postage costs will be, or if you could find it elsewhere for cheaper.

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Buy as and when you can afford it.
This is really the biggest one for me this year. As much as I love the idea of shopping early and getting everything organised, if I can’t afford it then I shouldn’t try to attempt it all at once. While spreading the cost is a great idea – I’ve definitely started picking up the odd bit here and there – it’s not worth getting everything in October just so you can say you’re done, if it makes you hard up for November and December (possibly even having a worse knock on effect). With my work, I have a lot of stock to build up for a Christmas Market doing. At the moment, all my spare cashflow goes on that. While I do want to get gift buying and not leave it all to the last minute, I also know I will probably be better off, after the Christmas Market has passed.

I’m sure if you were to google “avoiding debt this Christmas”, you would have loads of sites giving you some great ideas but these are just the ones that I’m aiming for. I’m hoping that by being open and accountable here on my blog, it will help me not to get all crazy and blow what little money I have and not make increase my debt back to where it was at the beginning of 2016.

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How To Refresh Your Look In The New Year On A Budget

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The “new year, new me” is a common resolution, which surely involves many aspects of your life. Taking better care of yourself and perfecting your look is often a part of it! Perhaps you want to move on and become a new you, or just change the way others see you – refreshing your personal look is always a nice step. However, you have to be financially prepared for such a big decision. This operation may require quite a lot of spending, but with our tips you should be able to find whatever you need on the cheap. Read on to learn more about the following ways to keep your threads fully up to date on a budget!

Take Inventory Of Your Own Closet

Fashion experts often speak about a “one year” rule. This means that any clothing that has not been worn within the last calendar year must be discarded. While taking stock of your own closet may allow you to get rid of items that you no longer wear, it can also help you to uncover pieces that you have been neglecting to add to your wardrobe rotation, allowing you to make upgrades without even opening your wallet!

Make A Budget

There is nothing wrong with setting aside a budget for refreshing your look in the new year, but there is something wrong with obliterating the budget you have set to purchase items that you will barely wear. Make a list of the items that you need most and decide how much you are going to spend on each of them before heading out to the mall or opening the laptop to shop from home.

Check Out The Clearance Rack

The items that are kept in the front of the store often look the most enticing, but they are not worth their exorbitant price tag. Instead of falling into the trap that retailers have set for you, by browsing the items in front of the store and working your way towards the back, reverse the formula and check out the clearance rack. Some may be afraid there’s a stigma associated with purchasing such clothes, but it is one of the best ways to get inexpensive pieces that help to round out your wardrobe. Other than that, don’t forget to search online at such websites as Discountrue.com and check for coupons for the store you’re shopping at. There’s a multitude of vendors offering great discounts such as Kohl’s or Nordstorm, so you should be able to find what you’re looking for!

Don’t Use Credit Cards

While you should use coupons as much as possible, what you should not be using are your credit cards. Using cash for your clothing purchases in the new year will keep you from falling into debt, especially since the post Christmas season can leave some of us financially tapped out. Avoid packing the plastic as much as possible and keep your shopping limited to the cash that you already have on hand.

Avoid Weekend Shopping

Did you know that you are far more likely to find massive savings when you shop on a weekday, as opposed to a weekend? It has been proven that retailers tend to offer far better deals on workdays. That happens because there is much less incentive to offer a quality deal when store owners know that there will be large amounts of foot traffic anyway.

Debt Education at School

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Though I haven’t touched on it much recently, I have previously mentioned about the debt I gained over the years of being a single mum and how its been difficult to manage and get down. I read this article in the Independent, about Students not receiving enough debt management education at school and it really got me to thinking about it. The survey mentioned was by My Voucher Codes and polled the views of 2,000 15 to 18-year-olds. Truthfully I think if you asked an older age group too, they would also agree.

I have long been an advocate of “useful” lessons being taught at school. I have never understood why weights and measures can’t be taught at the same time as how to make a loaf of bread or why daily finances aren’t part of maths. At Primary School we are taught should a wide range of topics, which leads on to even more at Secondary School. I can understand that time is limited in school and you never truly know what you want to be when you grow up, especially not at 5-10, but why do we learn some of the things we do, when we might never ever use them – yet we aren’t taught many basic life lessons.

With student loans, overdrafts, credit cards and catalogue accounts, I don’t think we really understand how dangerous debt can be. I have friends, and have been known to do it myself, who class “credit” as money they have, not money they are borrowing – and overdrafts as available money, not debt. It’s such a slippery slope into situations you can’t control and you can’t even begin to understand the worries it can cause until you’re in the thick of it.

I personally believe that school should most definitely put more of a focus on finances, daily budget, fund and especially debt. With Students Loans being fairly standard for anyone attending university now, your life is basically off to a bad start when it comes to money. Not only that, but grants don’t seem so readily available, overdrafts are quite normal and so in the first few years after school you can find yourself in a mess. And it doesn’t stop after that. Pay off your debt and 9 out of 10 times, your credit gets increased. 0% interest for x amount of time is also a killer.

The logic of sex education at school, is to help educate students about the risks of early pregnancy, STD etc. Debt can be just as detrimental to your life and as such I believe its something that should definitely be taught or educated about at school.

Student Loan Woes

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Recently My Voucher Codes spoke to over 600 students, asking them about their plans for University – if they planned to attend, if they were already there, if they had graduated etc. As part of the survey they were asked about Student Loans and they were surprised by how many people had concerns regarding them. The full article is here but it got me to thinking about my own student woes!

I attended University, after 6th form, for 2 years and achieved an HND in Travel and Tourism Management. I was lucky back then to be honest, as there was no such thing as University fees and students could get grants to help them buy books and supplies. My parents weren’t well off and to be honest if there had been university fees, I probably wouldn’t have gone. Instead I got my student loan in order to pay for my housing during the first year. As with the article above, my student loan was late one time and this caused no end of hassle with my accommodation. Mum and Dad had to lend me the money which was an inconvenience to them and student accommodation were breathing down my neck. The hassle it caused was actually one of the main reasons I traveled daily from home the following year (that and I had a boyfriend at home!).

However my Student Loan woes didn’t end there. I have, on occasion, has several other issues. One of the biggest that I can remember, is when I moved house. This isn’t really a new thing for me as I seem to move house every 1-2 years. I had informed student loans of my change of address each time and there had never been a problem – until then. I sent out a letter to Thesis, telling them of my new address. I didn’t hear anything but I also didn’t think anything of it.

A year or so must have passed and it didn’t even occur to me that I hadn’t had my annual statement or deferment. Let’s face it, we don’t think about those things until they arrive through the door, despite the fact I had been deferring my loan every single year from when I got it. However one day, out of nowhere, I got a phone call telling me I was in arrears with my student loan and that it needed paying immediately! I was devastated. I was now a single mum, struggling to bring up kids and I’m sure I just burst into tears. As it happens, the lady I spoke to was lovely but it didn’t change the fact they had no note of me having changed my address and therefore the issue fell on me. I had missed a deferment, I was in arrears, I had £600 or so to pay and I really wasn’t sure what to do about it. Not only that, but at the time I can write off my debt (which is still many years away), I can’t do that if my account is behind. In the end I set up a £5 payment per month, as honestly that’s really all I can afford, and I pay it off bit by bit. It completely sucks that despite the fact I’ve never earned enough to have to pay back my loan and have always qualified for deferment, I have this bulk amount that I’m having to pay – all because of an issue either with Royal Mail losing my letter or Student Loans not making a record of it.

I genuinely have no idea how people cope and manage with student loans these days. Mine was for less than £2000 (I think £1800) and I only got it for one year. People now are looking at £6000-8000 and for 2-4 years. University is such a great thing but sadly its going to become something that only the elite can afford. Not only that but degrees don’t seem to count for a lot over experience these days, so perhaps people will stop bothering even wanting to go!

Lending Works – Peer to Peer Lending

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Have you heard of Lending Works? They offer peer to peer lending – meaning you can either lend money or be loaned it. Lending Works have been featured in The Guardian, The Independent, the Daily Mail and the Financial Times.

So how does it work? Well Lending Works acts as a go between, for people who want to lend out their money and those who need to borrow it. For lenders it offers options like quick withdraw if you find you need to exit the loan, auto lend whereby the money can be lent out again as soon as its been paid back and probably most importantly, insurance for when borrows default. Lending Works offers something called Lending Works Shield, which insures against borrow default (as mentioned), fraud and also cyber crime. It’s actually the first peer to peer lending platform to offer this, making it quite unique.

As a borrower it allows you flexibility in the form of being able to pay back early with no penalty and also overpayments on their loans too. Lending Works offers a simple and safe marketplace, with a better rate of interest for both borrowers and lenders.

Lending Works was set up in 2012 by Nicholas Harding, who has a background in banking and Matthew Powell, who was previously an accountant. The company received a Moneywise Award in 2015 for Customer Service and has received rave reviews from newspapers and independently from users via Trust Pilot. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, meaning you know the company is having to adhere to a robust set of rules and principles.

Whether you want to become a lender or a borrower, the information is all easy to find on the website and signing up takes only a few minutes. It’s a great idea, matching those who want to lend with those who need to borrow, while acting as a safety net and go between for people.

Planning for the future – finances

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I am really terrible at planning for the future – I’m sort of a live in the moment type of person. That’s not to say I don’t like to plan and organise, I’m just not very good at it when it comes to money which is why I hired the The Children’s ISA services and started a saving plan. If you want to be financially secure, you need to start investing as early as possible. Ideally, you should #start acquiring assets in your twenties#, however it’s never too late to start.

I first started working when I was around 16, though I’d had paper rounds, babysitting and shop work even before then. My first “real” job was waitressing and it evolved from 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, to pretty much every evening from 5pm-11pm and all day Saturday. I was holding this same job when I started University and although I couldn’t do the same amount of hours, I still came home every Friday and worked the whole weekend. Eventually when University was finished and I’d met a guy, I moved away to live with him and get married. I held down a full-time position with a ferry company, then as a Practice Manager in a dental surgery. These have been my only proper jobs really – or at least my only full time jobs.

After leaving my then husband, I moved back home and gained another waitressing job. I then moved to another not long after that. This was full-time too I guess but for some reason waitressing has never felt like a proper job (no offence to anyone who does it, I’ve done it nearly all my working life!). I then met my next husband, though there was dating and stuff of course, trained for a pub ownership, only to decide on getting a business of our own. We ran our own restaurant for three years, before eventually selling up and I became a houswife and stay at home mum to our then 2 year old, with another baby on the way. Since then I have worked part-time and self-employed for Betterware, until finally getting a job about two years ago as a Kitchen Assistant. It was part time as well and a hard adjustment as a full-time mum and part-time worker. Anyway my long winded point is that I’ve never really had what felt like a proper job – certainly nothing that resembles a career. There have been times when I’ve considered re-training for a career too – even started a course at Lincoln college – but it just didn’t really pan out.

I spent 3 years as a single mum, living on benefits and wow did I get myself in a financial mess. I wanted to give my kids everything I felt they would have had if I were still with their dad – and more. Sadly, though it didn’t really seem that way at first, I couldn’t afford to do that and I got myself in so much debt. However, thanks to my mum and also to being careful, I’m definitely coming out the other side of that.

Now I’m currently unemployed again and I’m concentrating on my blog as well as launching a new business in the coming months.  I’m also decorating our house with the hope we can get it on the market and sold – meaning we can move back to Saxilby where the girls go to school, near to my mum and also easier for Megan and secondary school next year. Before meeting Chris I never expected to own my own house again (I did with my first husband but it was sold when we separated). I’ve lived in rented accommodation all my adult life and I never truly thought I would be in a financial situation whereby I could get a mortgage and buy a house.

Does it make me worry for the future? Of course it does. I think about whether or not I’m up to date with my National Insurance contributions and more importantly whether I will have a decent pension when I’m old enough to retire. I’ve been looking into a company called Nutmeg who offer both pension schemes and ISAs (my mum has one of these so again it’s something to think about for the future). They offer expert advice, which considering I know nothing about finances, is pretty important. Also, the difference between a financial planner and wealth management advisory is explained by Hawley Advisors, find out more on their website. Their website is really simple to understand and they offer an easy-to-use service. These are exactly what I’d be looking for when considering a pension scheme. Sure, if I’m self employed at that time, maybe I won’t feel the same need to retire as early as I might if I’m back in employment, but it’s all things to consider. My mum is in her 60’s and living off her pension. She worked hard all her life as a teacher and she has a good pension – she also has a widows pension due to losing my dad. She enjoys her life now and goes on holiday often, but I’ve noticed more and more that she’s beginning to be more careful with her money.

I want to be able to provide for my kids if they want to go to university. I want to be able to help them through their adult lives, like my parents helped me. I want to not have to worry where the next pay is coming from and enjoy my life now that it’s finally happy. I know I need to get my finances in order and get a secure plan. I must get myself out of debt so I can concentrate on providing for my future.

Goals and Hopes for 2015

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So its been a week since New Year’s Day and I haven’t gotten around to posting about my New Year Resolutions yet! Part of that has just been because there has been so many other things to do, but partly it was deliberate – to see how the year got going. Last year in January, I posted about everything I hoped to do during the year. I then wrote a round-up post in December, talking about how well I’d gotten on. My hopes and goals covered everything from my blog, to my weight and fitness, to keeping in touch with friends. This year I want to do the same, especially given how much life has changed in the last 12 months.

On New Year’s Day, I involved the kids in a sort of “New Year” game. As I knew I wanted to write some resolutions, I encouraged them to do the same. We then decided we’d write them all down, roping Chris in to participate as well. It only took us about 10-15 minutes but it was a nice and fun activity to do as a family. Once we were done, we sealed them all in an envelope, to open next year and see how we got on. Lily made a copy of her resolutions, to place on the wall of her room to remind her. I’ll still be interested to see how everyone got on.

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Above you can see Chris’, Megan’s and Lily’s New Year Resolutions. For the most part, Chris was just participating because we asked him to, but it was nice that he did. His resolutions included eating healthier, learning to drive and being a better boyfriend (haha!). Megan wants to blog more, start a YouTube channel and write a book. Lily really just wants to join in – writing a blog, helping Megan with a YouTube channel, and basically being a good little girl. A lot of Lily’s were her ideas, but they are based on things she has picked up around her or things she’s been moaned at for recently. Anyway, the point is, everyone wants to try and I guess we’ll see how we get on!

Put on the spot, I couldn’t really think of what I wanted to do. Above you can see what I managed. I’d like to reach my goal weight and maintain it. I’d like to work from home rather than have to look for another job. I’d like to get some of the outstanding DIY jobs done and get the house on the market for sale. I’d “like” to Vlog. I’d like to get more of a handle on my debt and money. I’d like to write a book. However, what I’d really like to do, is expand on these ideas and set myself some realistic targets for the year!

This is what I’ve come up with:

Blog Stuff
– One of the main things I wanted to do this year, was go self-hosted. It was actually something I hoped to get done last year, but what with one thing or another, I never got around to it. Since I was so determined to do it this year, I actually kick started the year that way. While I say it was a goal for 2015, I can actually confirm that I’ve already done it – my blog was officially moved to it’s own little space on January 6th.
– Last year, Amy and I organised a blog meet, best known as #LincsBlogMeet. I was really pleased with how well it went and would love to organise another this year.
– Overall I really just want to try harder with my blog this year. By the end of last year, I was posting daily, trying out new content and had gained almost 700 followers throughout the year. I’d like to continue on with this, making my blog thrive, getting myself out there and really just seeing what the blogging life will bring.

Money
– Ugh. This time last year, I’d gotten myself in quite a bad financial situation. I did manage to sort it out and get myself on a better footing. However, just weeks ago I managed to make myself jobless, so I really don’t know how I’ll end up financially. I’d love to get to grips with it all over the next year. While I can’t possibly imagine being any better off, this time next year, I do hope to have not gotten any worse.
– Sort of connected to this, I hope to be able to earn money in other ways, that don’t require actually getting a physical job. I’d love to earn money through blogging, jewellery making, clothes sewing or writing a book or murder mysteries.

Family
– This time last year, I hope to be able to save and book a family holiday. However this year we are embarking on the holiday of a lifetime – to Florida. I don’t plan to book any other holidays, because of that, but I do hope to provide everyone with an enjoyable time. I also hope to be able to book something smaller – just a few days break – perhaps around October half term time.
– I already know (and have noticed) that not working will make me a better mum. I was genuinely very miserable in my last job and I know at times it made me snappier and angrier than I should be. I hope to move forward in this year, keep my calm more, spend better quality time with the kids and really just be a happier, more pleasant mum to be around.

Friends
– I feel like I should make a resolution to ensure our group of friends continue to get together, though I’m honestly not sure what. With Florida coming up in April, we have basically said there will be no murder mysteries between now and then, largely to save on money. However already I’m itching to have a get together, so maybe I’ll have to sort something out. I guess the best I can do, it attempt to organise one event per month – be it a meal out, a games night, a quiet drink or whatever else. Ultimately money will be a very controlling factor of the get togethers this year.

House
– As I’ve previously mentioned, I really want to get on top of the house this year. We originally moved into this house in Gainsborough, in July 2013. The view was to work on the house for a year, looking to sell the following summer. However that year has been and gone and really only a few little bits have been tackled. This year I really want to get to grips with the house and maybe even get it on the market this summer. It would be lovely to be living back in Saxilby by Christmas.
– I’d love to be a better “house wife” this year. Over the last year, the house has really felt neglected. As well as actually painting and decorating, I’d like to be cleaner and tidier. Little things, even like doing the dishwasher daily, keeping on top of the washing etc. will all make a big difference to our lives.

Health and Fitness
– This is a really big one for me this year. I want to hit my target of 10 stone (that’s from 13 stone 3lb where I started last year), preferably by April and our Florida holiday. I’d then like to maintain that weight, throughout the year. I have already started to eat better, watching the calories, and I hope to actually get a bit more fit, toned and exercise. I’ve already been looking for an online self defense training course that spikes my interest. My plan is to work at home, and I’ve always been interested in learning a bit about martial arts and self defense as a whole, so it should make for a nice and useful workout. Yesterday I bought a sports bra, an armband to hold my phone and some earphones. A few days before, I also purchased an ab roller. Though I will admit I haven’t managed any fitness yet, I do hope to get myself motivated!

Creativity
– This year I will participate in NaNoWriMo. I really really wanted to last year, but it just wasn’t possible with plans for Megan’s birthday and also working. If I’m still not working by November, I will definitely participate.
– I hope to improve any and all creative skills this year. In the last few months of last year, my dressmaking skills really improved. I’d love to get more into my jewellery, try out my new Paper Panda kit, improve my cake making skills etc etc. I really hope with more time on my hands, I can definitely get in touch with my creative side.
– In an ideal world, I’d like to earn a living through one of my creative outlets. See Career!

Career
– I quit my job, literally 3 weeks ago. I didn’t plan to and I felt it was quite irresponsible of me, but I can’t deny I’m 100 times happier now. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll figure out all my finances and see where I stand. However my perfect career move at this time, would be to work from home. I have a variety of options and maybe all of them combined would be the best idea right now. However ultimately I’d like to be able to stay at home and concentrate more on being a mum, being creative, sorting out the house etc.
– While in an ideal world, I don’t want to go back to work, I know that it would be more responsible if I do. Getting a mortgage would be easier for a start, as would providing money into the household. As such, I plan to volunteer in school for some office work, to give myself experience. This to me is giving a negative situation (quitting my job) a positive outcome (getting experience). Once I have some experience, getting a job within school – in the office – would be far more enjoyable, than what I was doing before.

Life
– I wasn’t really sure where some of this stuff fit, so I decided to add an extra category. I guess a “me” category would also work. This year I would like to get a divorce and try to look for a credible divorce lawyer. I have been separated from my husband for over 4 years now and we’re still not divorced. I wouldn’t say I was in a rush to do it but I wish I could just justify £100 for one of these online divorce services.
– Vlogging. Perhaps you’re wondering why I didn’t put this in the blog section – well I’ll explain. I don’t want to vlog, in replacement of my blog. In fact, I don’t really “want” to vlog at all. What I do want to do, is push the boundaries of my comfort zone. Last year on my blog, I did about 3 outfit posts – something which a year ago I wouldn’t have thought possible. This year I’d like to vlog, even just once, just to push myself out of my comfort zone and into untested waters!
– Another tattoo.

Entertainment
– As always, something a little fun to end with. Movies, I’d love to do 52 again this year. I’d also like to have seen at least 6 movies at the cinema. I’m off to a good start, having already seen one in January!
– With regard to reading, I really want to manage at least one a month, if not more. Last year I failed miserably but that’s really because I felt like I had so much to do, that I didn’t have time for “down time”. This year I will make the most of me time and get more reading done. Target is 12 but I’d love to hit 24.

So there you have it – my aims, hopes, goals and resolutions for the New Year. None of them are “unbreakable” which is why I don’t really like to refer to them as resolutions, but I do hope to be able to stick to majority and achieve any goals. Check back in a year to see how I did haha!

2014 in Review – This Year’s Goals

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Almost a year ago, I made a list of all the things I hoped to achieve during 2014. At the end of the year, I wanted to take a look back and see what I hoped for and what I’ve managed to actually succeed in. In a few days time, I’ll be putting together a new list of goals for 2015 and maybe looking back will help me decide what it is I want this coming year!

Blog Stuff
This time last year, one of the things I vowed to do with my blog, was post at least once a week and if possible 2-3 times a week. I definitely achieved this for majority of the weeks, in fact for the last 3-4 months of the year, I was posting every day! As well as that, I said I would try to advertise myself more, mingle on Social Media and make blog friends. I’m confident to say that for the most part, I did do all these things. I know I definitely need to try harder on social media and hopefully in the upcoming months/years, make more friends too. Finally, my last goal with blogging, was to attend a Blog Meet. Not only did I attend one, but I also arranged one, so I’m pretty pleased with that! Also, though it wasn’t a goal, I started off the new year with 53 followers. Now at the end of the year, I have almost 700 more. Though the current total fluctuates a little, at the time of posting, my followers on Bloglovin’ were 735. I’m pretty proud of this!

Money
I’m sad to say, that really my money situation is no better than last year. I made the goals of getting myself out of debt – which I did to some extent – but I also know I could have been much better. I also aimed to save, by starting a saving scheme of £1 in week one, £2 in week two, £3 in week three etc. and about 7-8 weeks in, this all came crashing down. I would say I’m probably in a slightly more manageable financial situation than last year, but having just quit my job – I obviously have no idea how that will turn out.

Family
For the new year, one of the most important resolutions I made, was to shout less, keep calm and make the most of my time with the kids. I think for the most part I definitely achieved this and while working has definitely placed a strain on me, I’ve gradually got better at dealing with it. I’m looking forward to a few months without working so much and hoping it continues on calm and enjoyable like Christmas holidays have been. The other goal I set, was to plan and go on a family holiday – preferably Rome. A few weeks after making my goals, my mum announced she would be taking us to Florida in 2015 so really all savings needed to go into this. We did manage a few nights away in Berwick though, along with a visit to Edinburgh. We also had the odd day out, with visits to The Deep & Hull, Butlins in Skegness (though mum paid for this), Eureka, Adventure Farm, Harry Potter Studios, Warwick Castle, days at the cinema and other fun stuff too.

Friends
I only set one goal this year and that was to host a gathering at least once a month, to touch base with all my friends – especially the ones at a bit more of a distance. I’m trying to work out in my head if I managed this and I think I pretty much did. In January I think we had a games night, in February a Valentine’s Murder Mystery, March had both Amy’s birthday Murder Mystery and Chris’ birthday games night, with April having an Easter Murder Mystery. May had both Erika’s birthday Murder Mystery and my birthday Murder Mystery, along with a Eurovision Song Contest night. June had my brother’s birthday Murder Mystery and July had Chris Boatman’s birthday Murder Mystery. A large group of us also attended Comic Con in July and while I didn’t host it, I definitely organised it. Sadly in September, we didn’t actually hold any official gathering. I’m pretty sure we had a games night or two, but it was just 4-5 of us, which I guess still counts. October had Halloween, November had Nat’s birthday Murder Mystery and December had both Megan’s Murder Mystery (involving mostly my friends) and the Christmas Murder Mystery. Next year will probably be far quieter but I’ll need to make some effort to organise something.

House
Before I even refer back to my goals, I already know I’ll have done badly on this one. Sadly the year has just been so busy and working took up so much time, that nothing ever really got done on the house. One of my goals was to have the kitchen finished, the garden cleared and the hallway painted. In fairness, the hallway is pretty much done and the garden did get cleared, so its not as bad as I thought. Unfortunately nothing really got done on the kitchen so perhaps that’s a goal for this coming year – along with many others. Tidy and clean more was another goal and while I’ve probably done better than 2013, I know it still needs more. Just over the Christmas period I’ve got to grips with certain areas, so hopefully being off work will mean more time spent on the house!

Health and Fitness
This was a bit of a mixed bag, when it came to success and failure. Get back on track with my diet and achieve my 10 stone target, was goal number one. With the help of Weight Loss Wednesday, over at Twice the Mum, I managed to drop 22 pounds. I still have another 23 pounds to go, to obtain my 10 stone target, but I’m confident over the next 3-4 months, that I should hit that goal. I wanted to find a healthy lifestyle and stick to it, along with go swimming more and venture onto the Wii Fit. I can hand on heart say that I didn’t really manage any of those things, except in summer when we went swimming more – largely to get Lily swimming and improve Megan’s swimming. Finally I wanted to quit smoking altogether and I’m glad to say I’ve managed this one. While I will admit I’ve had the odd one here and there, I’m not smoking on a regular basis and I’m definitely not purchasing them.

Creativity
I failed miserably on my creativity goals. I wanted to write more of my book – preferably finishing it – and take part in some sort of writing competition. I didn’t add a single word to my book (though I did help Megan plan one) and while I was > < this close to participating in NaNoWriMo, life just got far too busy and it wasn’t possible. That said, I did write a murder mystery for Megan’s Birthday and I did get creative in other ways – mainly clothes making and sewing. I’m hoping that some form of creativity is going to find me a new occupation in the upcoming year.

Career
My one goal for my career, was to find a way to work at home. While that didn’t really work out, I guess since I did actually quit my job on December 17th, I can technically say I completed this. I’m unsure what the new year will bring but I do know I’m not actually looking for a job. I have several things I want to do, but everything involves staying afloat, building up a business and/or planning for a better future job.

Entertainment
Finally, in my list of goals, were some easy-going entertainment related goals. I vowed to read more books and watch more movies, even setting myself some targets. For reading, I set myself the goal of one book per month. Some months this would have been easy to accomplish, while others it felt impossible. Being out of the house between 8am and 4pm every day, definitely took its toll on my leisure time and I’m sad to say I only got 9 out of the 12 read (and even then only 6 of those were completed). I did enjoy some really good books this year, but sadly I also got stuck on some really rubbish ones too. Next year I hope to improve this figure and read a lot more. With regards to movies, I set the target of 52, working out as one per week. At one point I thought I was nowhere near, but counting up now I’ve actually watched 68 movies this year. 4 of those movies, I watched whilst being on my computer (so didn’t fully watch) but even deducting that, I still clocked in at 64, which is 12 over my target!

All in all, I know that I tried. Looking back, I’m pretty pleased with everything I accomplished. I know its a bit of a cop-out, but working (and specifically the job I worked) was definitely my main stumbling block this year. I felt constantly tired, constantly like I didn’t have time for the things I wanted to do and fairly constantly miserable. I feel very positive, moving into the new year, knowing this hurdle is now gone. I know there will be other things that cause issues this year, but fingers crossed it will be a happier year overall!