Ever feel like you just keep serving up the same meals for your little one week after week? Recently I’ve noticed Florence had started to become quite fussy at meal times and I began to wonder if she was just a bit bored of what […]
You might have seen that earlier this mont I posted about the promises I’m making to myself when it comes to self care this year. If not, you can see that here. Today though, I wanted to talk about a promise I am making to […]
I didn’t make any New Years resolutions this year. Nor did I set myself any goals. 2019 started off quite uncertain for us and to be completely honest I didn’t want to set myself up to fail. However, self care seems to be the buzz word of the moment wherever we go so, now that the chaos is calming I’ve decided I need to do a few things for me. I need to find a little bit of my independence again and dedicate some time to looking after me so I’ve made some promises to myself that will hopefully give me just that.
Firstly, I really want to pass my driving test this year. It’ll open up a whole new world and so I am determined to get on the road so I am going to book myself a course of lessons and get myself driving. This has been on my list of yearly goals ever since I turned 17. I’ve failed twice and ran out of money each time so couldn’t retake straight away. I’ve got to re do my theory test as it’s been over five years since I passed that, but I feel like I need to be on the road more now than ever. Getting out with two littles is a task in itself, let alone when it involves public transport and a toddler who despises being stuck in the pushchair! And besides that, I just really crave the freedom of being able to go out without having to worry about train times or relying on someone else to drive me there.
If the end of last year taught me anything it’s that anything can happen at any time, and sometimes you just need a bit of backup. I need to start earning some money to help contribute to our house pot plus giving us a little cushioning and flexibility to plan days out and treat ourselves from time to time, so I’m going to apply for some part time / evening work and try to earn a little more through the blog too. As well as the money, I think having an extra thing to focus on / work towards will be good for my brain.
Lastly, I’m going to make a commitment to look after my appearance a lot more. I know, I know, I’ve only just had William but I am really keen to get back to feeling a little more like me… or at least be able to find clothes that sit & fit right. As well as dropping a dress size or two, I am also very aware that I need to start making healthier food choices to start feeling healthier in myself too. I am going to be returning to Slimming World this week and have already placed a Slimming World friendly grocery order to give myself a bit of a kick start. I’m also going to try and commit to getting my nails or eyelashes done once a month and try to make sure I get up each morning and put some make up on as I always find that if I feel like I look good, I get an instant mood lift.
So there they are, the three promises I’m making to myself for the rest of 2019. If you see me slacking, remind me of this post will you?
*The image used in this post was taken at a Gifted photo shoot with Red Shoe Makeovers. Red Shoe’s message is all about feeling empowered and taking the time to look after yourself mentally, in whichever way works for you. Head over to their facebook page to find out more.
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Twenty five. It sounds so grown up when you say it out loud. I’m caught between feeling way too young to be in my mid twenties and being already older than my years and it’s a really strange one! Today I’m as close to thirty […]
After what feels like the longest winter EVER, I am so looking forward to the arrival of Spring and Summer. With Florence turning one in May and already showing signs of being close to taking her first steps, I am excited to spend days out […]
If you have been following my instagram stories lately, you’ll know that I am about to be made redundant from my role as a marketing assistant. If I am completely honest, it has come as a bit of a relief as I had been feeling increasingly anxious about the end of my maternity leave looming and having to make the decision to either go back to work or stay at home with my baby, and the fact that the decision has been pretty much made for me has taken a huge weight off of my shoulders. I don’t think I would have returned to my job anyway, but at the same time I felt guilty for expecting Sean to go out and carry onworking while I chose to stay home. Anyway, my role is no longer in existence and so here we are… in the next month or so I will be officially unemployed. Of course, the planner in me has already started trying to work out what to do next and how I can contribute financially to the pot. I’ve found myself standing at a cross roads, with four potential directions to move in but I just don’t know what to do for the best. A lot of my uncertainty, I think, is fear of failing. I don’t want to fall on my arse. If I am going to make something of myself and be a good role model for my daughter, I have to choose wisely.
For a while, I thought about reopening my online baby shop and at times that still seems tempting. I met so many special people through my little business and I always got such a thrill at each sale & piece of coverage. I just wonder now if my heart would still be in it like it was before. I lived, breathed and slept Beebies, and I would hate to reopen and it not feel the same. I wonder if that business model would even work again the way it did? I closed it because I couldn’t cope with being around so many babies when I couldn’t get pregnant and have one of my own. It was personal and just had to be done for my mental health more than anything, but I wonder now that Florence is here whether we could be as successful again?
Over the last 18 months or so, this very blog has become my new corner of the internet and I am so grateful to have recorded so many memories of my pregnancy with Florence and my journey through motherhood so far. I have also had the pleasure of working with some truly amazing brands and that makes me wonder whether I could do this for a living, as so many people do. I love all of the social elements, and I have had so many lovley messages lately about how my blog as helped people with different things – be it with ways to play with their baby, weaning, gift ideas or even their health! It’s been really quite heart warming I have also become quite taken with instagram stories, and document our daily lives on there. I have found a love and a passion which I think could grow into a career if I just had the balls! Perhaps I am a little late to the party? Perhaps not? I do know that I will continue ‘blogging’ regardless of whether it is part of my ‘day job’ or not though. If you come here often, if you read my ramblings I would really appreciate your thoughts on what you would like to see more of here. And I am so grateful for your support.
I have two other options too though… two other things I think I could, maybe, somehow be good at if I could just let myself believe in them. I have / am about to dip my toe into both of them to test the water. One is to focus on my love for event planning! Over the last 7 or so years, I have organised a number of different events – parties, baby showers, charity fundraisers, product launches and at the end of each one people have always told me that I should do it for a living. I love everything about event planning, the initial colating of ideas, the endless to do lists, the chaos of the lead up, the relief and the buzz when all of your hard work has paid off, and that makes me think that maybe I should take this hobby of mine to the next level. But do people really pay for people to plan their parties? Would enough people really pay me to make this something more? I have all of the foundations, a ready made team, a shed load of chair sashes & candelabras, the ground work of a complimentary retail opportunity to run along side it. I have two wedding venue decor clients booked, another two parties in the diary. I am just struggling to make that jump!
And lastly, and perhaps the one I lean towards the most, would be to become a family photographer. Documenting Florence’s little life so far has awoken a passion in me for capturing beautiful natural moments on camera. Over the last week I have been asked by three separate families if I would mind photographing them in return for payment because they have seen the shots I’ve taken of Florence and love them! What a compliment that is! In fact tomorrow I am shooting my first ‘bump shoot’ for my sister in law & I am so honored and excited to have been asked to capture such a special time for her. I’ll be honest though, I don’t have all the fancy kit & I wouldn’t know where to even start with photo shop and that does make me think that I’m punching a bit above my weight by wanting to be a fully fledged ‘photographer.
This is a really funny time for me. Until now, I’ve always had a plan & known exactly what I wanted to do. Whatever path I choose has to be able to work around Florence, not to mention any future babies. What would you do if you were me? What would you do?
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So it looks more and more likely that rather than returning to my day job when maternity leave ends, I’ll be working from home for myself. No final decisions have been made, nothing official, but the way things are going it would seem I will […]
JANUARY After seeing in the new year with our friends and celebrating by sleeping in on New Years day, I started the year quite poorly, passing out and having to take time off from work to get myself and my then bump back to health. But […]
