New Year // Thoughts on the year ahead...

January 09, 2019


I guess I'm a bit late in writing this, most people are done talking about resolutions and goals by now. We're nine days into January already... But I kind of feel like I can't think straight over that buzzy Christmas and New Year period. It's all a bit blurry and all you've eaten is cheese and chocolate for a few weeks and you don't know what day it is. I don't want to think ahead to January whilst I'm in that bubble. It takes me a while to actually get back to normality and routine to realise what will be important for me in this new chapter. I'm not talking about all these cliched January diets or 'new year, new me' but I do want to achieve a few specific things this year, so I thought I'd share them in this blog post;


1. Minimalism - Gah, this is my biggest thing right now. Partly because we have a baby coming and I'm on this nesting, declutter drive before they arrive and bring a whole host of new things to fill the house with. But also, because we just have tooo much stuff. Boxes up our loft that we haven't opened since we moved, overflowing cupboards, wardrobes, a garage that you can barely make a path through, a garden shed that can't be used as a summerhouse because it's just full of stuff. I'm one of those tidy on the outside, but my cupboards are overflowing behind closed doors, kind of girls. So this will be the year {or actually, we don't even have a year, maybe 5 months?! And who knows how I'll feel when I have a huge bump} to get organised and clear and Marie Kondoed. Have you seen her new Netflix show?! It's so inspiring.

2. So a big part of number one will be to tick off some big chores before the baby arrives, to make our house/life feel more simple and it's the kind of stuff that we'll probably never get around to when we have even less time and will want to be spending with our new bundle. So; clear our sideway which is full of wood leftover from our extension - to be able to wheel a buggy down there easily and get through to the garden/into the boot room better, organise our shed and garage - or let me rephrase that - Ben's job is to organise those bits. So that everything has a place and we have room for toddler bikes in the future etc. Also I can't wait to start on a new project of the Nursery! We have some other jobs to finish on the house once and for all this year, including painting the front of the house and windows.

3. Install an irrigation system to help with garden watering. Again, on that simplifying/making things easier kind of drive, our garden last year suffered so badly with that hot summer, and I know it was a crazy heatwave but this year when we have a new baby I can't imagine that I'll have much spare time for watering the garden properly every few days if it is dry {or even just the pots}. Along with having to get somebody in every time we go away during a dry spell in the summer. So I'm hoping that this will be our answer! We're on a water meter so won't be having it on everyday, because it's not great for plants not to create deep roots either, but just to know that's sorted will be a huge thing for my inner gardening, flower obsessed geeky nature...

4. Be more present. I wanted to say 'be on my phone less' but because social media is a huge part of my job, I figured I shouldn't really make myself feel bad about that. BUT I do want to spend more time talking to my husband when we first wake up for example, rather than just jumping on my phone, and while I'll never stop taking photos - maybe post them a bit later instead of at set times. Or reply to instagram messages/emails in one clump rather than constantly dipping in and out of them. I guess I just need more time for my brain to switch off more, and then be more efficient when I am on it. But also, phones or no phones, just soak up all of these moments more and not be always thinking about the next or what's happening next week. I need to really enjoy the now.

5. Lastly, I guess this is more of a motherhood objective but it applies to me too, but to just take the pressure off a little and stop feeling like I need to be in control of everything or constantly doing. I can't even predict what having a newborn will be like, but I know that it won't be easy if I'm constantly worrying/feeling like I should be doing this/making lots of plans. This will hopefully be my year or just sitting back a little, being more spontaneous and not beating myself up if things don't get done as I expected. We'll see how that one goes...

5a. I'm also hoping to spend more time reading books this summer, well before the baby arrives at least, instead of just scrollllingg....

I feel like I've already mastered those typical New Year's resolutions like drinking enough water/staying active/eating well/getting enough sleep etc etc. I'm so boring like that. I should cut down on sugar but I've been saying that every year for the past five I think, and now that I'm pregnant, obviously I don't want something like gestational diabetes but equally it's not really the time to be on some crazy detox. I'm enjoying this relaxed attitude to cake more often... it's what the baby wants haha.

What about you? Have you got any thoughts on some things you might want to shake up a little this year?

R <3 xx

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1 comments

  1. Huge congratulations! I wish you well for your pregnancy and beyond... I wonder if you could tell me what you put in the bottom of your big jar to grow your bulbs in? Do you start them in there or transfer them? Many thanks, Louise

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