Hello 2017

2017 is here, well it has been for a week now, and I'm finally back on the blog.  2017 started the way every year should, with a bit of a headache from too much gin and a chilly afternoon walk with family. The end of 2016 was really good and the only reason I didn't blog through December was I was simply too busy. December is a month for me that is full of birthday's as well as, obviously, Christmas and New Year and I just about had time to stop for a cuppa let alone blog, but I'm back now and that's what counts right?

2016 was a very mixed bag for me it was literally filled with great highs and great lows. I spent far too much of the year being consumed by worry over several things and looking back over the past 365 days, whenever I think about what was bad about a certain time it's because I was worrying, stressed or anxious about something. There will be a whole post about resolutions but for now I'll say going forward I intend not to worry so much and ALWAYS look for the bright side. The bright side of this realisation is that I have indeed realised and that I feel ready to change it. 

Obviously, 2016 was also a great year. I got my first proper job, me and Jack got to see some new parts of the UK, I passed my driving test and just generally had some great times. I really enjoyed revelling in the company of friends and family after two years away from them and intend to keep valuing their time and enjoying time with loved ones but also be aware that it's ok to need time away from that and time to myself. 

I have a post for resolutions and goals planned for later in the week so I'll leave it here for now. I just wanted to check in, wish you all a very happy new year and let you know I'm back. 

Until next time,

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Hello December

This time of year is so manic. It's been a little while since I posted but I'm back now and that's all that matters right?

Well it's fine of year, that time of year and we can finally start talking about the C-word. Christmas is just around the corner, are you ready? I'm not even nearly ready but I've got a few shopping trips planned so hopefully I'll get it all done in good time.

December is my favourite time of the year. Not only is it Christmas and my birthday but largely everyone seems so happy and jolly. Probably because everyone's indulging in mince pies and Terry's chocolate oranges at every given opportunity. 

No but seriously December is a great month and I'm really looking forward to enjoying this time of year and just not worrying about projects, resolutions or anything else I just didn't quite get done. This was my first year back at home after two years away and really I just enjoyed doing that, being at home. So maybe 2017 will be the year for kicking projects in the butt, but maybe not and that's ok.

I hope you all have a wonderful December.

Until next time,

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Hello November

It's the second day of November and I already have stinking cold - typical. Winter is well and truly setting in, it's dark by 4.30pm and Jack has finally let me put the bedroom radiator. I mean, it's on 2 but it's better than nothing.

October was, as October always seems to be, a lovely month. October always feel so fresh and new and I find it's always a great time to crack on with some projects, which is exactly what I did. I got underway with the Australia photo book and dug out the memory sticks with the GoPro videos on to start editing those into something people might want to watch. 

It was a busy month with a couple of birthdays and a visit from Jack's family in France. But we just managed to squeeze in carving a pumpkin and making some pumpkin spice cupcakes the recipe for which will be up soon. They're the perfect autumn evening treat.

Being a month til Christmas time November promises to be a busy, fun filled month and I'm looking forward to just taking the month pretty easy and slowly preparing for Christmas.

Jack and I are off to Center Parcs with my family next week so we've got the perfect relaxing start to the month which I think is just what the doctor ordered.

Until next time,

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Hello October

It's getting chilly! It feels like not so long ago I was getting excited about the sun coming out and the days getting warmer and longer. But here we are at the beginning of October, nights drawing in, frosty mornings starting and Halloween around the corner. 

October is one of my favourite months of the year. It always feels so fresh and new and I love the excitement that's starting to build ahead of winter and Christmas. Autumn is my favourite season and I cannot wait to dig out the chunky knit sweaters and scarves. And Halloween of course.

September was a pretty good month. After a very average August I was ready to get into the new month full steam ahead and I did. Apart from the last few blog posts which for some reason are picture less, sorry about that, working on getting that fixed, the blog feels good to me again and I'm enjoying it. I'm looking forward to ending the blogging year on a high with lots of posts planned for the next few months.

I FINALLY ordered pictures from Australia to make a start on the picture book which I want finished by the end of the year so I can do it all over again next year for 2016 photos. It feels good to be a bit creative and also to look back on the photos from what was the most incredible experience of my life. It's a project I want to make sure I do annually so my photos no longer sit on a memory stick but are something we can look back on and remember the good times we've had and all the things we've done. 

Going forward this month I just generally want to be more relaxed and put less pressure on myself. September has been really good for that and I've felt so much better for it so I want to keep it up going forward. 

I hope you all had a great September and have a wonderful, and down right spooky, October.

Until next time, 

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Hello September

Autumn is officially here and it is, as it seems with everyone, my favourite month. There's something about the in-between seasons of Autumn and Spring that I just love. It feels a lot like the calm before the storm, the build up to the excitement before Christmas and Summer. 

Having said that, it doesn't feel like Autumn is here yet in the UK. We're still being graced with lovely sunny, toasty warm days and I've worn sandals for a whole week now, which is a long time for the UK. It's nice to have a few days of sun though, hopefully it will hold out as Jack and I are thinking of taking another camping break at the end of the month. Though this one won't be followed by a month long hiatus.

I am sorry about that. I don't really like taking blogging breaks because I love blogging and more to the point, I like my blog to feature consistent and well put together posts. That was half the problem in itself. The blog posts weren't the high quality, planned and polished posts I like to feature. 

As soon as I'd taken the first week off from blogging three times a week I realised I need longer than a week. I felt the most stressed and the most anxious I've ever felt. It came from nowhere and it felt pretty uncontrollable. August felt a lot like a long tumble down a mostly downwards hill with a couple of points where I could stand up and enjoy the sun for a little whole before I'd start rolling down the hill again.

That all sounds overly dramatic but at the time that's how it felt. 

I don't know how or why but something at some point shouted 'STOP'. And slowly but surely, in the last 7-10 days of August I did. I looked for positivity in everything I could, I enjoyed the company, love and laughter of friends and family and I looked for inspiration and motivation actively rather than waiting for it to suddenly appear on my door stop again.

There were lots of contributing factors as to why I felt so down, some of them still ongoing which maybe I'll talk about another time. But there are only a few factors that made me feel better again and it made me realise it doesn't take much to feel happy and inspired. Enjoying life, seeing the positivity in it all and being grateful for all the wonderful things you have around you is almost all it takes. 

I'm not shunning depression or anxiety and saying all you need to do is look at the positive and all your problems will disappear because that's clearly not the case and it's different for everyone. But for me, those things and few other (which again I might talk about another time - probably will) really helped. 

This month I want to keep focusing on that. Everyone has down days that's part of human life. But this month I don't want to dwell on them and be consumed by them and let them go on and on all month long. Instead accept them, realise the anxiety is there and accept that but look at the positive and focus on that and focus on all the good, happy things around me. 

I hope you all had an absolutely fantastic August and have a brilliant September ahead,

Until next time,

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Hello July

In June I declared that summer was finally here but since then I could probably count the days of sun we've had on one hand, so I'm not going to say anything about the weather and the fact that it is officially summer at all. 

June literally flew past and it was definitely a good one. Jack and I took our first break since going to Australia, it was a little different to Aus but it was still lovely to get away. We drove down to Tewkesbury in the Midlands for the weekend with the main purpose of going to the Royal Three Counties Show but we also had a look around Tewkesbury and drove home via Bath. It was so good to get away for a few days and there'll definitely be a post up about it soon. 

Jack and I also moved out of the house we'd been temporarily living in back to our parents. It's confusing so I won't go into details. However, it does mean back to full time wifi so posts will hopefully be less up and down and more consistent. 

July isn't full of any plans whatsoever. It's kind of nice every now and again to not plan loads of stuff and just see where the month takes you. So that's what I'll be doing this month along with the normal stuff of keeping fit, eating healthy and trying to get my Aussie photo album started.

What are you up to this month?

Until next time, 

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Hello June

The summer months are finally upon us and doesn't it feel good? It feels like ages since I wrote a 'Hello' monthly post but it's only been just over a month. It's also mad to think that at the end of this month we will officially be half way through the year and only another six months from the big C. 

But that's enough of that. For now I'm loving the sunny weather even if it does mean sticky sun cream skin and the constant threat of wasps. 

May was a good month. Any month with two bank holiday is always going to be a good one I suppose. I had loads going on in May but it didn't ever feel like I was rushed off my feet with no time to breathe. 

I passed my theory test in May and bought my first car. Both scary and exciting. It's good to get things like that out of the way as soon as possible I think. It's a great sense of achievement and it's one less thing to worry about that. The car situation however, couldn't have gone worse but that's another story not fit for a cheery Hello post. 

I did lots of fun, relaxing summery things though which made May really feel like the beginning of a great summer. It was my mum's birthday at the end of the month and we spend the day, shopping, lunching and enjoying remembering what fruit to put in Pimms. Jack and I also took a road trip down to Bridport with his dogs on probably the most gorgeous day of summer. It's a lovely spot on the Dorset coast that is well worth exploring. 

We also finally made some headway with the Australia photos. We've yet to print any but we have started sorting through them and deciding which ones we do want to print.

The month ahead is also set to be a good one. Jack and I have a mini break to Malvern in Worcestershire for the Three Counties show at the end of the month and we're also hoping to make some summer holiday plans. 

Personally I plan to continue finding the fitness regime that works best for me and the fitness  I enjoy. I also want to actually get some Aus photos printed but we'll see because I've been saying that for six months now.

I hope you all had a lovely May and enjoy June.

Until next time,

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Hello May

May is here and that means we are officially one month away from Summer. 

April was a lovely month. Spring showed its face on the odd occasion and when it did it was nice. It definitely gave me a taste for the summer weather that will hopefully not be too far around the corner. I finally bought a scrap book for our Australia photos so Jack and I have spent many an evening trawling through them to find the best ones that we want to print and stick in the book. We've still got quite a few to get through so getting around to the actual putting together of the book may be a little while away yet. 

I've also finally got my organisation together. I've sorted out my Kikki K planner at last (blog post coming soon), I'm about a week ahead with blog posts (actually writing this on 25th April shh), and I've got into making a list at the beginning of the week and working my way through it. It's been great for feeling less stressed and anxious and for actually being productive. (Possible blog post coming soon).

But now it's May so what do I have planned for May. 

We have a couple of bank holidays here in the UK this month so I'll definitely be taking full advantage of those and hopefully we'll be able to make a couple of day trips somewhere. I love to get out as much as possible in the warmer months and enjoy the sunny days when we get them, because let's be honest we don't get many in the UK. There's plenty of places in the UK to go and visit and after spending two years travelling another country I really want to see as much of my own country as possible. 

I did get round to getting back into a workout routine and somehow or another agreed to a 10k run so training for that is underway. This month will really be the month I step up my game in that department and start making progress. 

So that's the plan for this month, I think mainly to relax and not set too many unrealistic goals but jsut keep going.

What have you got planned for this month?

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Hello April

Saying hello to April is a little late this month but I'm still getting over a lovely, long Easter weekend so hopefully you can forgive me. 

I'm so happy that Spring is beginning to show it's face. The sun is out more, even if it is still a little nippy. And the evenings are getting lighter which is my favourite thing. I always do more and am far more active in the evenings in the Spring and Summer. Spring is my favourite season, I think. It feels very calm and refreshing and I think it's a good time to really make head on goals and resolutions. 

I feel like so far this year I've been struggling to find time to do all the things and projects I want to do. I'm no nearer to sorting out a photo album esque thing for my Australian photos than I was the day I landed back in the UK and that is one of my main things I want to do. I hate the thought of those photos being forgotten about. 

Jack and I bought some vegetable/fruit plants the other day so there will definitely be a project around that soon which I'm sure will be featured here. 

I aimed to be organised with everything by the time April came around and I haven't done that either. So I guess I should say by May that will be done? We'll see.

One thing I really aim to get done this month is get back into a workout routine because I had it done to tea before and actually enjoyed it but somewhere along the line that went out the window so I really want to sort that out. 

In general I really feel April is a good month for a big spring clean. Get rid of stuff you don't need. sort out your goals and realise what you want to get done.

What are your goals for April? Let me know. 

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Hello March

Another month is here. Unbelievable really, at the end of this month we will be a quarter of a way thought 2016 and it feels like it's only just started. One thing I've notice blogging regularly and consistently does make time go a lot quicker. 

February was, all in all, a pretty good month. I had the all clear from the hospital for the next two months with regards to my eye which is a big relief, because even when really you know it's all fine the possibility of something having gone wrong is always in the back of your mind. 

Jack and I have made a good start towards saving and have been very diligent with putting some money away every now and again which feels good. We've made a couple of decisions in regards to where we want to take some time away from Sussex and work and hopefully we'll get one of those booked this month. We've decided we'll spend this year seeing a bit more of our own country both because we haven't really seen that much of it and being away for so long makes you realise that, and also financially it's better for us. 

I didn't get around to sorting out a photo album for our Australia photos but hopefully I'll get round to that soon. Maybe over the Easter break. 

Looking forward over March I'm planning on having a no unnecessary spend month. Aside from the photo book and booking a little trip, nothing is going out of the bank that isn't needed. 

I plan on making March the month I sort out some organisation. For Valentine's Day Jack bought me the beautiful large yellow planner from Kikki K. So I now have that, my personal size Filofax and my bullet journal.So I think what's going to happen is my Kikki K will be for every day planning, events, meetings, long term to do, financial tracking all that sort of thing. My Filofax will be for blog stuff, post planning and scheduling, stat tracking etc. And then I'll have my bullet journal on my desk through the day at work for work to do list, notes, things I remember and think of through the day, ideas that come to me and all that sort of stuff. So hopefully, by the end of the month I won't be a mess of paper and lists and will know where everything is. 

So here's to March.

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Hello February

I like February. February is a good month. You're back in routine, resolutions are well underway and there's that little hint of sunshine popping it's head around the curtain of cloud. 

January was a relatively good month for me aside from the odd hiccup here and there the month was successful. Hopefully February will be the same.

I haven't made any resolutions so far this year and I don't think I want to. Last year was such a good year and so far this one has been pretty good to. I think I'm just going to carry on as I have been and go with the flow. 

There is a couple of things I really want to do this month though. I really want to get on with putting some of our photos from Australia into a physical album. I really don't want our Australia photos to be one of those cases where they sit on a memory stick and never get looked at. 

I also want to try and plan our first adventure of the year. Find somewhere to trek off to and explore. The tent has now arrived back in the UK so we're ready to take our Aussie adventure experiences and mold them for the cold. 

So here's to February, it's going to be a good one.

Until next time,