Journeys Are My Diary

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

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!

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.

Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016

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I feel like I’ve neglected my blog somewhat over the last couple of months and now that January has rolled around, I want to be motivated and post more again. My mind is bubbling with ideas for posts and I even have a few to catch up on from December. I’ve just ordered a new organiser to replace my Alice in Wonderland one from last year (sadly it’s not Disney but the  layout is similar) and I’m ready to start 2016 feeling fresh and ready to go!

2016

Normally I would look back on the resolutions I made last year and pick apart what I managed to do and what I failed at. However the truth is, I didn’t really manage many of my goals. There were plans with weight loss, with moving house, with money and to be truthful none of them really got anywhere. So instead for 2015 I want to just focus on the positive parts!

2015

All in all, the year was a good one. I don’t remember many lows (though emotionally I’m sure I cried lots as that’s just the person I am!) but at the same time there were only a couple of highs. One of the major highs was the trip of a lifetime that we had to Florida in 2015. I honestly never though visiting Walt Disney World and Universal Studios would ever be a thing I got to do. However with the help of mum, the dream came true and for two wonderful weeks we enjoyed plenty of sunshine, Disney and Harry Potter.

cinderella
Another awesome thing about about 2015 was finally setting up my own business so I can work from home. The idea sort of spun off from making the girls, Olivia and Amy all dresses to wear in Florida. It then spiraled into a working idea and Closet Geek was born in August. I’ve had so much fun getting started and more importantly having people like the things I make. I have high hopes for 2016 and hopefully this time next year I’ll be able to report that I’m still going strong!

businesscard2
Of course there are many other lovely things to note, so I will add them quickly too.
– The girls growing and changing including; Megan picking a secondary school for next year, Megan getting her ears pierced, both doing well in school plays, school reports, class assemblies, sports day etc., making a TARDIS with Lily for homework, going on both girls school trips with them, starting up their YouTube channel (Double The Geek).
– Trips away including; London, Disneyland Paris and Berwick.
– Cinema movies including; Big Hero 6, Cinderella, Tomorrowland, Pitch Perfect 2, Inside Out and Star Wars.
– Shows including; Disney on Ice, X-Factor Live, Phantom of the Opera, The Railway Children and Avenue Q.
– Randoms; experiencing a solar eclipse, losing a lot of weight pre-Florida, Chris passing his driving test, Cosplay and Comic Cons, writing and completing a murder mystery, collecting loads more beautiful Disney items – especially Mrs Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth (along with many Tsum Tsums and Disney traditions), reading some great books, discovering some new places to eat, going to the Disney Cafe in Harrods and meeting Tim, plus so much more!

2016

So that brings me onto the new year and boy do I have plans!

My blog – It’s going to take a backseat to many things in my life, but I don’t want to neglect it completely. I hope to post at least 3 times a week and I must remember to share my posts, connect on Twitter, gain more followers and follow more bloggers myself.

Money – This time last year my finances were in a mess and I had just quite my job. To be honest money is no better right this moment but I hope to work through my debt this year, especially now I’m able to work from home too. I’d love to save for a holiday but I know that moving house might take some finances too.

House – We must move this year. Megan starts secondary school in September and living in Gainsborough still is just not an option. Get the house sorted, decorated as best we can and on the market. Aim to move no later than Summer.

Weight – I’m so up and down and once Florida was no longer a motivation I’ve really struggled. I really want to try, I’m going to try. 10 stone is still my goal.

Family – Not working (especially at my last job) has made life so much more chill on the whole. I’m a nicer person and a better mum, even though we all still have bad days. I’d like to continue this, making time to teach the kids things they want help with (keyboard, recorder, bike riding etc) but also to make time for family dinners, movie nights, board games etc.

Friends – Our friendship group is so up in the air right now. Relationships have changed and the dynamics don’t seem the same. To be honest I don’t know what this year will bring for our board game nights or murder mysteries but I hope to at least see everyone, even its in slightly small groups.

I’m sure there are more things but these are my main pointers. As a family we all sat down and wrote our New Year Resolutions yesterday so I guess we’ll see how it turns out!

Like I said before, I have a few posts planned and towards the end of January I’d like to give my blog a re-jig. I hope that 2016 is a good year for us and of course I wish the same for all of my readers! Happy New Year!

Should You Have New Year Resolutions For Your Kids?

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At this time of year, we’re all pretty busy with getting Christmas just right for our children. We want them to have a memorable time and all the presents we can afford. As parents, we’re probably dreading the battle of the Brussels sprouts, though. Why is it kids just won’t eat their vegetables? Still, the tree is up, the presents are wrapped, and my shopping list for food is prepared. I’m doing pretty well!

Being this organised gives me time to think about next year. I know I had some New Year resolutions last year that I was determined to stick to. I didn’t manage it. But I’m convinced next year will be my year. I will lose that weight. I will move my life in the right direction. While I’m thinking about fixing my own life, I can’t help but think about all the things I would like to happen for my kids in 2016.

I’m not sure that New Year resolutions are the best way to encourage your kids to do well, though. I would love them to start the year full of optimism and drive to learn new things and better themselves. But I think it needs to be their choice, not mine. We’ve talked a little about some of the things they should be working toward next year. Most of the conversations end up discussing the possibility of visiting Disneyland though!

We’ve talked about learning new things. Music has been important in my life since I was a little girl. I would love the children to have a passion for it. Starting music lessons could be an option but I know they need to be keen to see the lessons through. I don’t want to be buying expensive instruments if they’re going to quit within the year. I know that you can hire clarinets and flutes. You can even take on a piano hire. It’s something to talk about.

Playing piano with small hands..

 

There is, of course, the problem of noise when you live nearby of the neighbours. When you think about most instruments, they are pretty loud. With pianos, you can, at least, choose between an acoustic and a digital piano with a headphone socket. It might be worth hiring a piano to see how we get on with it. Who knows, I might even take up some lessons too!

Dance classes and swimming classes have come up as well. Doing something active would be good for the kids to do. It can improve their fitness as well as help them meet other kids. I would have loved to take dancing classes and be elegant and graceful in that way. It’s such a creative thing to do. Will my kids enjoy it? I don’t know. Anything that they do is great at first. But like most kids, boredom can set in, and they lose interest.

Taking on new interests and hobbies is a great New Year resolution for anyone. When it comes to the kids, though, perhaps you can steer them in one direction or another. After all, they won’t know if they like it until they try it. What would you love your kids to be doing in 2016?

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.

nyr

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. 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. 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!

Week 1 – Monday Round-up

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I wasn’t sure if my Monday Round-up post was something I wanted to continue into the New Year, as I know its probably of no interest to anyone but me. However my blogging originally started as somewhat of a diary and even if only for me, I want to keep a decent record of everything I’ve been up to. I’m late making this post (as it’s actually Tuesday) but I’m going to cheat and backdate it to yesterday. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep up with my Monday Round-up posts in the future, although I have to admit that several were posted late last year!

Monday was still December (gosh that feels like a long time ago!) and it was also the last day Namu was here. We didn’t do much in the morning (the girls played on Disney Infinity), but by lunchtime we were heading off to Lincoln, in order for her to catch her train. Tragedy struck however as we got stuck in traffic, only minutes away from the station. There was nothing we could do and in the end, we missed her train by about 3 minutes! Speaking the people customer services desk, there was no chance of using her ticket on a later train and instead the only option was to pay another £45. Obviously Namu didn’t want to do this and although I felt partially responsible (since I was driving and we were late), I didn’t want to pay it either. In the end, we decided she should risk it. When she’d traveled up from London the week before, she’d been able to catch an earlier train, so we figured perhaps it would work the other day. Not to mention, her American stuck in the UK routine often seems to benefit! Luckily it all worked out and she text me to say that neither train had been a problem. I was very relieved! The girls and I had been to Burger King and grabbed some food as it was 2pm and we hadn’t had lunch. Afterwards we headed home and chilled out. We ended up watching Kung Fu Panda while waiting for Chris to get home. Honestly its so long away now, that I don’t really remember what I did in the evening – but it probably involved chilling out, catching up on all things online and maybe some TV watching too!

The next day was Tuesday and we had nothing planned at all. Chris was at work but the girls and I just hung around the house, doing our own thing. Again, I don’t really remember what we did (sadly) but the girls dressed up as that was their Disney task for the day and I’m pretty sure we tidied and sorted out the house. The only other noteable thing about Tuesday, was that it was a good post day. I got a Disney Traditions ornament I had ordered just after Christmas and also a necklace that I had bought for Amy. Again, with it being so long since, I don’t remember much more about the day! That said, I know we started to plough through Season 2 of Arrow, desperately trying to catch up.

Wednesday was New Year’s Eve and for the majority of it, Chris was at work. The girls and I went into town briefly, I had a few things I needed and also a parcel to collect. Megan also needed to buy a birthday present for her best friend, so we got that sorted too. I spent most of the afternoon, uploading pictures and sorting out my hard drive – exciting stuff! When Chris came home from work, we popped open a bottle of Prosecco and toasted in the New Year early (since we wouldn’t want to be doing that at midnight). I did however agree to wake the girls just before midnight, so we could all see in the New Year together. Chris and I spent the evening watching Arrow and eating chinese takeaway, right up until waking the girls at 11.40pm. At that point we all snuggled up on the sofa together and watched the countdown and fireworks at midnight.

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Ten past midnight and we all headed to bed. Chris was knackered and the girls had barely even woken up, so it worked out well that we all just wanted to go to sleep. In the morning I was up before everyone else. We had nothing much planned for the day again and so I hung out with the kids, bumming around till lunchtime. During the morning though we all made a list a New Year Resolutions. It was really just a silly thing that the girls and I were going to do but we got Chris involved too and we all wrote out a sheet of A4. In the end we debated either putting them up on the wall all year, to try and get as many done as possible, or placing them in an envelope. By majority vote, they all went in an envelope and we’ll be opening them on New Year’s Eve 2015, to see how we all did.

At midday we packed a bag for the girls as they were going to their dad’s. We had lunch and then put on a movie – or rather I put on a movie and both girls ended up getting sucked into it. At 2pm their dad came for them and once they were gone I finished off the movie and then went for a bath. I decided to get some more of “Allegiant” read and so even after my bath, I lay on the bed and read quite a lot of my book. While I was reading, Chris took a bath and then afterwards we watched more Arrow.

Thursday Chris was back at work and the girls didn’t need picking up until 2pm from their dad’s. As such I had a very relaxed morning before heading off to my mum’s for just after lunch. Stopping for a cup of tea and a chat, I then left to pick up the girls. We headed back via Lincoln and went to Toys R Us, only to not find what we were after. We ended up at Asda Living, where the girls got 2 new Disney Infinity characters and then we headed home. After getting some dinner, the girls and I spent some time sorting out their room. Lily has so many cuddly toys that we had to clear the whole of their drawer unit, just to make sure she didn’t sleep with them all in her bed.

At bedtime we finished off “In a Blink”, the first book in the series of Never Girls. Once the girls were in bed, I spent the evening trying to get some work done on dresses and my sewing stuff. I started by tidying out all my sewing box and then went on to google for some ideas of clothes I might make.

Saturday came around and another day of good old nothing. However we needed to make Disney themed food as our Disney task for the day and so we had waffles for breakfast/lunch. The girls dressed up (a catch up task from the day before) and I let them watch the end of the movie they’d missed a few days before. We then made Fajitas for dinner and settled down to watch Avengers as a family evening together.  Afterwards I worked on some jewellery ideas, ready to get listed on my Etsy as soon as I have time!

Finally it was Sunday and while we had nothing planned for the morning, it seemed to go by so fast. Megan had been invited to a friend’s house for the day (as a surprise treat) and was going to see Big Hero 6. I had also booked for me, Chris and Lily to go see Big Hero 6 at the same time. We dropped Megan at her friends at 1pm and then headed to my mum’s for coffee and to kill some time. At 3pm we headed into Lincoln, parked the car and headed to the cinema. We saw Megan in the foyer but tried not to interrupt her fun too much – even though she was full of how she’d traveled in a limo. We got popcorn and headed to our seats, watching Big Hero 6 in 3D – something we wouldn’t usually chose to do.

We loved the movie and I’ll definitely be writing my review of it, as soon as I get time! Afterwards we headed back to my mum’s briefly, before then heading to pick Megan up from her friend’s house (we let her travel back in the limo). On the way home, we all decided we were hungry. Chris bought us all fish and chips but we headed home to actually eat it. Once the girls were in bed, Chris went on his computer and I spent the evening on mine – getting ready for the big blog switch over! And here I am, all moved to WordPress.

I’m hoping life will normalise a little this week and that I’ll find it easier to keep track of. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

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!

2014 – things to come

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So 2014 is here and I saw it in with the exact same 3 people that I did last year, shortly followed by going to bed. In all honesty I find NYE a little overrated and if it wasn’t for seeing the year in with my partner, I’d likely just head to bed before midnight.

Anyway I’ve been thinking a lot recently – not just about the new year but about life itself. Sounds pretty deep but mostly its just been about making myself and those around me happy. I’m not one for New Year Resolutions but I have decided to set myself a list of goals, hopefully to achieve over the next year.

Blog:
– Post at least once a week, but preferably 2-3 times.
– Make more of an effort to advertise myself, to mingle on Social Media platforms and to make blog friends.
– Attend a blogger event. I’ve gotten close but never managed to actually do it as yet.
Money:
– To sort out the debt I’m in. While I won’t get into how much I have, I do intend to get on top of it and then also budget myself for the future.
– Save. I’ve seen a nice idea for saving a little every week. I think I might try it.
Family:
– Keep calmer and shout less. Now that I work I’m finding I cherish time with the kids far more than I did before. I need to try not to spend that time getting mad at them.
– Plan and go on a family holiday. I’d love to achieve Rome but we’ll have to see.
Friends:
– Host at least one gathering every month. It’s usually murder mysteries but as they often require a lot of organising and spending, we only seem to do a maximum of 6 a year. Find something else to do in the other 6 months.
House:
– I think realistically we’re all accepting the fact that we might not have this house ready to sell by summer. It may need another year here in Gainsborough. However this year I want to have the kitchen completely finished, the garden cleared and the hallway painted.
– Tidy and clean more. I’m really the only one in the house who wants to do it, everyone else just gets bullied into it. Even still, with so little storage I need to keep on top of cleaning and tidying more.
Health and Fitness:
– Get back on track with my diet. I was doing so well and then it really slipped in 2013. I want to obtain my goal weight of 10 stone and then maintain it.
– Find a healthy lifestyle to stick with permanently. Cook more balanced food and plan meals, hopefully to aid with budgeting too.
– Go swimming more. The kids love it and it would definitely help my fitness levels.
– Venture onto the Wii Fit. It’s realistically the only actual exercise I might do.
– Give up smoking. It’s not something I usually write about in a public place, but I’m determined to do it.
Creativity:
– Write some more of my novel. Preferably finish it. Big big ask. But doable.
– Take part in some form of creative writing competition.
Career:
– Find a way to work from home by either writing my book or starting a business from home. This year I have realised that being able to stay at home with my family is a top priority.
Entertainment:
– Read more books. I don’t want to set myself an unrealistic target so for now I’m going to say 12. One for each month.
– Watch more movies. This one I will set at 52, one per week. Movies are often important family/couple time so to make an effort to sit down and watch something frequently will be nice.

So its a lot longer list than I first intended as I started to write it, however I think majority are achievable. As I finish this post I definitely find myself feeling a lot more positive about the things to come in 2014. I hope you’re looking forward to things to come too!