Read on if you’d like to know what’s included before you decide to buy… I’ve also filmed a video sharing the contents of the box. You can view that here.
How did it come about?
I’m a big fan of embracing and celebrating each of the seasons. Most of us have a favourite season and ones we don’t like as much. And sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in what we don’t like about a season. I had an idea to create seasonal kits (yes, the plan is there will be one for every season!) to help us find the good in the season.
I’m a big fan of journals and journaling (as you can see here (morning pages), here (gratitude) and here (Find Your Happy)) so I created a journal for the main part of the kit. I have also created and curated other contents along the theme of LOVE SUMMER.
So what’s in the LOVE SUMMER guided journal and self care kit?
The main element of the kit is a 20 page guided journal to help you plan and create an awesome summer. It’s an A5 journal printed in black and white – allowing you to decorate it however you wish. There are lots of suggestions and ideas to help you create your own lists and plans. It’s hand bound (by me!) and has plenty of space for:
setting seasonal goals
making plans
exploring what you love about Summer
creating a Summer playlist
writing your own Summer bucket list
and capturing your memories of the season
I wanted to create a kit to go with the journal to really help you decorate your journal, focus on summer self care and make the most of the season. So alongside the journal you will receive:
SPF30 lip balm in a summery flavour (vegan)
a heart shaped pink tea light candle – perfect for lighting while you write in your journal
Glow tea bag (individually wrapped) – Strawberry, cucumber, green tea and aloe vera – a lovely summery blend
Either: Heartea tea bag (individually wrapped) – Blackcurrant, rosemary, honey and hibiscus or: SLEEP tea bag (individually wrapped) – Spiced apple, vanilla, camomile and Passion flowers (vegan option)
Rose quartz tumble stone crystal – symbolises love and peace
Blue gel pen for completing your journal
Small roll of glitter washi tape in a lovely bright colour to compliment your journal
Small roll of decorative washi tape to match your journal
An affirmation card (I’ve created a deck of 24 affirmation cards, 1 will go in each box – like a fortune cookie type message!)
Some love heart sweets (vegan)
This will all be wrapped and presented in a pink A5 mailing box. All of the packaging is recyclable and I’ve had as much fun putting that together as I have the kits!
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So – what are you waiting for? Head over to have a look at the LOVE SUMMER Guided Journal and Self Care Kit… remember there are only 20 kits available so please consider buying as soon as possible if you do want to get one. Plus – the sooner you purchase – the sooner you can use the kit to make the very best of this Summer season.
Today I want to talk about how we can cultivate positive energy.
It’s helpful to know what activities and things raise our energy. Then when we are having a meh day we can try them to see if it helps lift us up. It may not always help and it may not always be what we need (sometimes we need to feel our emotions and not brush them aside). But it’s great to have an idea of what might help raise our energy when we want to try it.
Get to Know Yourself Better
Something that has been super helpful for me in how I cultivate positive energy is getting to know myself better.
And I’m an INFJ who can sometimes be described as “sensitive” and work best when what I am doing links to my personal values.
There are various quizzes you can take online if you like that kind of thing (I do!) to help you discover more about your own traits. I know some people aren’t a fan of labels and being pigeon-holed but I’ve always found things like this a great leaping point to understand myself better.
If you do any quizzes I’d recommend following it up with research on your “type” to see if you do feel like it fits you. And then use that knowledge to give yourself tools and help in the areas you want to improve.
Knowing I am an introvert has probably been the biggest game-changer for my energy levels. Now I understand when my battery is running low and that quiet alone time is exactly what I need to help raise my energy again.
Get Ready to Cultivate Positive Energy
If we’re having a meh day and want to try and raise our energy – that often isn’t the best time to work out what we need. What is helpful is already having a file or toolbox you can open up when you need it. So let’s look at how we can do that…
Create an Energy Toolbox
Open up a notes file on your phone or a page in your notebook to record your answers to each of the prompts below. It can become something you revisit when you need to lift your spirits.
Make a list of things that raise your energy. E.g. listen to music, dance, go for a walk, talking to friends, being creative
What one thing can you do every morning to help you cultivate positive energy? E.g. journalling, meditation, hydrate, exercise, stretch, wear something that makes you happy, put on your favourite jewellery/perfume
Make a playlist with songs that make you want to dance and sing. If you prefer podcasts to music – which ones inspire you and motivate you?
Engage your senses… what colours mean happy or high energy to you? Which scents wake up and refresh you? What food/drink revives you?
What’s your perfect break when you get overwhelmed or stressed? Do you like to get outside? Have a nap? Have a drink? Switch to a different activity?
This is a great starting point. If you know your personality traits or have answers to the quizzes you could also screenshot your answers and keep them together to refer back to.
Start creating a file on yourself – what makes you feel good and what helps raise your energy when you need to. And then open it up on those days when you need a boost!
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What’s the number one tool in your energy raising toolkit?
I’ve recently started my 36th volume of Morning Pages so I think it’s a good time to share more with you about my Morning Pages practice and how I make it work for me.
“Morning Pages are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, done first thing in the morning. *There is no wrong way to do Morning Pages*– they are not high art. They are not even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Pages provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize and synchronize the day at hand. Do not over-think Morning Pages: just put three pages of anything on the page…and then do three more pages tomorrow.”
How I make my Morning Pages practice work for me
I use A5 notebooks and aim to write 3 pages each morning before I start my day.
I do miss the odd day – especially if I oversleep, have an early appointment or feel unwell.
Some days I only write one page and sometimes it’s more than 3 pages. It’s usually 2-3 pages.
I used to write whatever came to mind and sometimes still do. But I have also developed something of a structure which I often use to keep the words flowing:
I start out writing about how I’m feeling and how I slept.
I often give myself a score out of 10 for how I am feeling. Then note down some ideas of what I can do that day to improve my score.
Recently I’ve been drawing a card from my Starseed Oracle deck each day. I write down which card I’ve pulled and any thoughts about it.
Next I write out my affirmations – I currently have a list of 9.
I write about plans for the day, things on my mind and about dreams I’ve had.
If I don’t have time to write my pages first thing sometimes I get to them later in the morning. I’ve even written them in the afternoon and evening.
It usually takes me around 10-20 minutes depending on how many pages I write, what’s on my mind and if I am interrupted by family members.
Benefits of Morning Pages
My morning pages journals are a great place to vent, express emotion, solve problems, come up with creative ideas and untangle all the random thoughts that get in the way of me getting on with things.
Writing them each day (usually in the morning) gives me that all important time as an introvert to process my thoughts and have time to myself.
They often help me wake up. I am often bleary-eyed as I begin and feel much more awake by the time I am done.
They are a commitment to myself and my self-care. By completing them first thing they often create a momentum for the day to get other things done.
I usually write my morning pages before I pick up my phone or go near a screen. They help me have less screen time. Plus I get my own thoughts out before I am bombarded with the internet and everyone else’s thoughts!
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Have you tried writing morning pages? How did you get on?
I hope my morning pages practice inspires you to give them a go… be sure to let me know how you get on!
Hello. It’s time for a 39 Before 40 Progress Report. This is a fairly long one so you might want to grab a cuppa. Read on to see how I am getting on with the 39 things I want to achieve by the time I turn 40 (in October 2021).
39 Before 40 Progress Report
1 – Blog 25 times IN PROGRESS
I’m up to 11 posts (including this one). 14 to go with just under 6 months remaining. That’s doable! I’m aiming for 2-3 posts each month.
2 – Release 3 FTGE (Find The Good Everyday) paid for products IN PROGRESS
I have something coming very soon. A Summer Guided Journal and Summer Self Care Kit. I also hope to release an Autumn themed project in September.
3 – Mindset Training IN PROGRESS
I did Sophie Cliff’s Master Your Mindset course in November 2020
I also did Sophie’s First 100 Days journaling project
And I am currently working my way through Jamie Varon’s Live with Intention course
I think mindset is a constant work-in-progress and I am grateful that these trainings have helped me to continue working on it.
4 – 39 Soundtrack IN PROGRESS
This is such a fun one. It’s shaping up to be a list of songs that hold specific memories this year rather than a collection of my favourites. Previous annual soundtracks have been a mix of both. You can see what I’ve picked so far here.
No progress on this yet. I’ve not been doing very much sewing at all lately. I am still hopeful to make a start though – perhaps over Summer.
7 – Take Reggie on “holiday” IN PROGRESS
Reggie is our greyhound. We have something booked. Just a short overnight break quite close to home to have a practice run and get him used to travelling and staying somewhere else with us.
8 – Go to Skye IN PROGRESS
We’ve got something booked for later in the year. Fingers crossed it goes ahead!
9 – Ride a Horse
I have no immediate plans to do this. It may get swapped for something else. Or I might just get something booked and do it as things start opening up again.
10 – Visit Norfolk IN PROGRESS
This one is tied in with number 7 (taking Reggie on holiday!)
11 – Plan an epic 40th
I’ll wait a bit longer before I make any plans for my 40th in October – who knows what the rules will be by then?!
12 – Spa Day
This is booked for the summer and I am really hoping it will go ahead as it’s been a long time coming. My friend and I originally had a spa day booked for March 2020 and it’s been postponed a few times already.
Hoping to do this as the world opens back up. I’d love to do something in person rather than online.
15 – Instagram growth – reach 1k and grow my community IN PROGRESS
I’m getting there with the 1k… please come and follow me if you don’t already. And I’ve been trying to share posts and stories that help people feel part of the Find the Good Everyday community. I love having chats with people in my comments and DMs there.
16 – Europe city break First 100 Days Journalling Project COMPLETE
I switched this up as I don’t think a Europe trip will happen this year. I changed it to a project I’d already started at the time and have since completed.
17 – Grow the FTGE newsletter and mailing list IN PROGRESS
I really enjoy sending my monthly newsletters. I create a freebie to send out each month. It’s usually journalling prompts or a worksheet to help you find more good in your everyday. It makes me happy each time someone signs up! If you don’t already get the newsletter you can sign up here.
18 – Visit Bury St Edmunds/Suffolk
We may do this as part of our take Reggie on holiday, on the way to Norfolk. Or it may be a seperate day out. But I plan to do it over the next few months.
19 – Reach my Find Your Happy Sales Target COMPLETE
I am so chuffed to have met my mid-range target for sales. I do still have some copies left though with no immediate plans to reprint the paper copies. You can learn more about Find Your Happy here and purchase a copy here. Every purchase makes me so very happy! I really appreciate each and every one.
20 – Be Published and Paid
I’m working on this by pitching to publications.
21 – Submit the kiddo’s high school application COMPLETE
This was done back in October and we were very pleased to find out he got his first choice school in March.
22 – Family Movie Night with a Theme COMPLETE
We watched Harry Potter, made Butterbeer (here’s our recipe!) and had HP related snacks! (M&S sell chocolate frogs and other wizard treats!)
23 – A Me Day for Whatever I like (follow my nose!)
I haven’t done this yet due to the lockdowns and schools being closed but I hope to schedule this in before the Summer holidays and take myself off on an adventure!
24 – Do some work on the house
I really want to get some work done on our kitchen but we need a surveyor/engineer to have a look because it involves knocking down a wall… the first step is to make some phone calls and find someone to come and have a look.
25 – Solstice and Equinox adventures IN PROGRESS
I made a wreath for Winter Solstice and purchased a beautiful Spring Wreath for the Equinox. And I enjoyed spending time outside on both of those occasions too. Summer Solstice and Autumn Equinox to go!
26 – Find fun ways to use glass jars COMPLETE
I ended up playing with glass jars for my Crafternoon.
27 – Host a Crafternoon to raise money for Mind COMPLETE
I did this back in November. I really enjoyed hosting and would definitely consider doing it again.
28 – Food bank donations COMPLETE
I set up a monthly financial donation to our local food bank at the end of last year.
29 – Share my RA story
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in March 2020. I’ve got a blog post drafted about this but it doesn’t feel quite ready to share yet. I might share it around the time of RA Awareness Week which is coming up in September.
30 – Read Untamed COMPLETE
I read it, loved it and recommend it!
31 – Monthly RAKs – big and small IN PROGRESS
I wasn’t as consistent with this to begin with and got a little behind. I’ve got one month to “catch up on” and will continue them monthly. Most recently I gave away a Gratitude Journal on Instagram and a Happiness Toolkit to a newsletter subscriber. I’ve done some RAKs offline as well.
32 – Try dairy free (for a week? Or month?)
Haven’t tried this yet. I think it will be a week to begin with and I’ll see how I go from there.
33 – Bring back a meat-free-day each week
I’ve got meat-free dinners on the menu plan each week but I don’t always make sure I’m meat-free for lunch as well so I need to revise the menu plan to reflect that. One of our favourites is this Smoky Chilli recipe by Jamie Oliver.
34 – Review this list monthly and make plans IN PROGRESS
I’ve not been “formally” doing this but I do have a paper version pinned up and I check/update it every few weeks or so. Plus I’m writing this 39 Before 40 Progress Report!
35 – Aim for 30+ rejections pitches and learn from them IN PROGRESS
This was in relation to pitching to publications. I realised recently that the wording was putting me off so I’ve changed it to sending pitches rather than waiting for the rejections. Part of pitching is undoubtedly receiving rejections which is why I chose the wording originally – to accept that it was going to happen. But I prefer the pro-active wording of tracking the number of pitches I send rather than the responses (or non-responses) I get back.
36 – NLP Training Taster COMPLETE
NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. I did this in January. It was interesting and something I would consider exploring further in the future.
37 – Be a guest blogger/tutor/speaker COMPLETE (but would love to do more!)
I was a guest on the Creative Productive podcast – the episode went live in November and you can listen here. I also did an Instagram Live with the host Sarah (@stationerymagpie). And I was a guest tutor for Jocelyn at The Reading Residence Bring Back Paper membership in January – chatting all things journalling.
38 – Make Hot Chocolate bombs with the kiddo COMPLETE
39 – Get kiddo ready for high school (uniform/kit, equipment etc)
I’m not sure I am ever going to be emotionally ready for this one but we will be working on this over the summer months ready for September.
Summary
So that’s my 39 Before 40 Progress Report. In summary:
I’ve completed 13 items on the list – a third complete at the halfway point.
I’ve made a start or have things planned for another 13 things.
Which leaves 13 things still to start and get ticked off.
If you’ve read this far – bonus points to you! I know it’s been long but I share my birthday projects and progress for accountability and I appreciate you, as the reader, helping to hold me accountable!
I’ll be back with another update, once I’m 40, later in the year!
This year I’ve been getting back into weekly Artist Dates and I wanted to share what they are, why I do them and which ones I’ve tried so far.
If you’ve not heard of Artist Dates or you’re looking for more information about them please read on…
What is an Artist’s Date?
The idea of an Artist Date is from a book by Julia Cameron called The Artist’s Way. I worked through the book in early 2017 and really enjoyed the process. I blogged about the book here. I’m also a huge fan of Morning Pages which is another tool that Cameron recommends in The Artist’s Way.
Here’s what Julia Cameron has to say about Artist Dates:
“The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. The Artist Date need not be overtly “artistic” —think mischief more than mastery. Artist Dates fire up the imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well of images and inspiration. When choosing an Artist Date, it is good to ask yourself, “what sounds fun?” — and then allow yourself to try it.”
Why am I making weekly artist dates a priority?
I have set myself 3 intentions this year – they are Wellbeing, Creativity and Joy. When I was thinking about how I can bring more of each of those things into my life I realised that Artist Dates can often tick two of the boxes! (Creativity and Joy).
And combined with my word for 2021 which is Curiosity it feels like Artist Dates are the right thing to do.
I talk a lot about Joy and use my creativity here for Find the Good Everyday. I do that because I want to… but I also want to make sure that I’m making time for joy and creativity outside of any commitments I have. It’s important to refill the creative well and to have some fun in our lives!
How I’ve been getting back into weekly Artist Dates
It requires a commitment – I need to make sure I plan it into my week and actually do it! It’s so easy to cast it aside when urgent and important things come up. But I really want to give myself this time to play and discover and create on a weekly basis so I’ve set aside time to do so.
I’ve marked out time on Friday’s for Artist Dates. This is changeable but if I haven’t done an artist’s date by the time I get to Friday – I am committing to doing it then.
I want to get into the habit of thinking of a couple of options each week and then choosing the one that sounds most interesting or fits best with the time and resources I have available that week.
So far, for my weekly artist date, I’ve:
1 Taught myself cross-stitch with a teeny rainbow kit 2 Watched It’s a Sin 3 Had a brainstorm about Spring and creativity and all the things I wanted to do 4 Created a Spring-time journal 5 Had a rummage in Poundland (went in for some essentials but had a look at the arts and crafts aisle while I was there!) 6 Played with felt pens and cling film to create watercolour backgrounds (which I’m hoping to turn into bookmarks!) 7 Purchased and put up some rainbow watercolour dot decals in our hallway 8 Worked on my Spring Journal – capturing the things I love most about the season
I think it’s important to keep coming back to the Julia Cameron quote above to make sure it’s about fun, mischief and whimsy rather than a chore!
When I get stuck for ideas I’ll be referring back to the ideas I’ve already shared here on the blog. If you’re looking for some fun and creative ideas check out these posts:
It’s time to share my Spring Activity List as well as some extra ideas to consider if you create your own list!
If you’ve been around a while you’ll know I’m a huge fan of celebrating each season and partaking in seasonal activities to make the most out of each one.
If you’re new here, HELLO! Lovely to see you. I hope you enjoy this post. I’ve shared more Seasonal Activity Posts at the bottom of this one. And please consider signing up for my newsletter where I regularly share seasonal prompts and other ideas to help you get more joy in your everyday!
My Spring Activity List
Some of these activities aren’t specifically related to Spring but they are things I want to achieve this season.
Get outside daily for a walk and out for a longer walk at least weekly
3 Random Acts of Kindness (one each month)
Get something booked for a night away with the doggo (and the husband and kiddo too!)
Catch up with friends that I haven’t seen for AGES!
Keep a Spring Journal…and look at creating a Summer version that people can buy and fill out for themselves
Get my hair cut, my brows sorted, a pedicure and have reflexology treatment (I’ve missed them so much during lockdown!)
Find dog friendly places we can go to eat (pubs with beer gardens, cafes with outside seating etc)
Have a Ploughmans lunch!
Finish the Live with Intention course
Leave the county to visit somewhere else (I’ve only left my county once since March 2020)
Have a weekly Artists Date/Me date – try to come up with some Spring themed ones!
Start sorting out my craft supplies
Extra Spring Activity List Ideas
If you’re keen to create your own Spring Bucket List these ideas might be fun too…
Plant flowers or seeds
Go on a bike ride
Go in search of lambs and other cute baby animals
Visit an open garden
Create a fairy garden
Spring clean and declutter
Celebrate Earth Day on 22nd April
Have a picnic
Visit a play trail / larger play area
Paint pebbles and rocks
Fly a kite
Visit the zoo or farm
Feed the ducks
Eat in-season produce
Try Couch to 5k
Write a poem or story about Spring
Redecorate a corner of your home with a fresh Spring feel
Today I want to talk about creating helpful habits. This is something that’s been on my mind for a while.
For many of us, our habits have changed a lot over the past year. A lot of us have been spending more time at home than usual and our routines have been turned upside down and inside out! As we begin to emerge from lockdown life it’s a great opportunity to be mindful about our habits and which new ones we want to create.
In my recent Find the Good Everyday newsletter (I send them monthly – you can sign up here) I chatted about deciding which way we want to ease back into non lockdown life…
So I thought I’d round up some posts I’ve already written about building habits and share some tips and ideas for creating your own helpful habits.
Tips for Creating Helpful Habits
I think a good place to start is to decide what helpful habits you want to develop (or revisit) and then work out how to fit them into your days.
You could also come up with a list of habits you don’t want to return to and come up with ideas that you can replace them with. And then what habits you had in place before lockdown that you want to return to.
And then make a plan – know which habits you want to work on, decide on a plan of action for them and find a way to keep yourself accountable.
Remember to start small – don’t try and change too many things at once. Pick 1 – 3 things to work on at a time. And once you’ve got those working start adding others.
I’d love to know if you have any tips for creating helpful habits? And please do let me know if you try any of the suggestions or books above and how you get on with them.
Best wishes for building helpful habits that make your life happier!
Today I thought I’d share some easy ways to find more happiness in your daily life.
Did you know that 20th March is International Day of Happiness? How great that there’s a day to celebrate happiness! Keep reading to find out more about it.
Easy Ways to Find More Hapiness
1. Write a happy list
It’s really important to know what makes us happy and brings us joy. If we know what makes us happy we can plan to do more of it! Spend time making a list of things that bring you happiness. Aim for 100 things!
I also follow accounts that feature rainbows and dogs because they make me happy. Try to find some accounts that suit your interests and make you smile when they pop up on your feed.
3. Do one thing for your happiness every day
It’s so easy to get caught up in daily life and being busy and to forget to take the time to do the things that bring us joy.
Come up with a list of everyday, easy things that make you happy. (If you’ve started your happy list see what’s on there). And then make a plan to do at least one of these things for your happiness everyday. Try to be ‘in the moment’ as you take this action and recognise you are contributing to your own happiness.
My list includes:
Listening to a playlist of my favourite songs
Getting outside for a walk
Cuddles with my husband, son and dog
Journaling (I write morning pages in the morning and keep a gratitude journal at night)
TIP – set an alarm/reminder to remind you to do your happy thing until it becomes a habit!
4. Practice gratitude
Speaking of gratitude – it’s a great way to recognise the things that make you happy and make your life better. Spend time each day thinking about the things you are grateful for. Bonus points for writing them down!
If you want to explore your happiness and how you can bring more joy to your everyday have a look at Find Your Happy – my journalling workbook full of journalling prompts designed to help you figure out what makes you happy and how to make your daily life more joyful.
Each prompt can be completed in 10 minutes (or take longer if you wish) and it’s available in both paper and digital format. There’s also a bonus Facebook group if you need some motivation and accountability to complete your workbook!
Happy International Day of Happiness!
The 20th of March is International Day of Happiness. It’s a global celebration to mark the United Nations International Day of Happiness and is coordinated by Action for Happiness which is a non-profit movement.
What I particularly like about this year’s campaign (which you can read more about here) is that it talks about positive ways we can look after ourselves and others during a worldwide crisis. Visit the site to download a Coping Calendar with suggested daily activities to help you feel positive. And there is also access to a 10 day email-coaching programme for happiness. I’ve signed up!
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I hope you find these easy ways to find more happiness helpful. I’d love to know which ones work for you – leave me a comment and let me know!
Come and take a peek into a day in my life March 2021. Last Tuesday I joined in with Ali Edwards’ A Day in the Life project and recorded life right now.
This isn’t the first time I’ve taken part in this project. You can see a day in the life from March 2020 here and one from February 2019 here.
Why do I do this?
I love documenting life. I love taking photos and making notes about how life looks on a day-to-day basis. Because one day I will look around me and life won’t look anything like it does now.
I am so grateful for the journals, scrapbooks, blog posts, photo books I have that give me an insight into what my everyday was like at those times of my life. I love the nostalgia and the memories that come up.
And in taking the time to document with photos and notes I find myself being more mindful as I go about my day. It helps me realise what stays the same, what changes, where improvements can be made and where I’ve been taking things for granted.
If you’ve never done anything like this I would recommend giving it a go.
A Day in my Life March 2021
Theme for the Day – Getting back to routine
Weather – Sunny. Low of 4 / High of 11
Wake up Time – 7am – much earlier than usual as the kiddo is back at school this week for the first time in 2021 (we’ve been home learning since January)
Breakfast – Burnt Scotch Pancakes with flora and jam and an apple. Is it time for a new toaster?
Lunch – Toasties in the new toastie/waffle/panini press with crisps and crudities. My toastie filling was cheese and pineapple which generated some interest on Instagram when I shared it!
Dinner – Pitta pizzas with tomato paste, oregano, a lot of garlic, ham, pineapple, cheese. Easy and simple dinner.
What I did
Grab my phone earlier than usual to start snapping photos and do a day in the life (DITL) intro on Instagram stories.
Write my morning pages.
Cuddles with my boys then get ready for the day ahead.
Let the dog out, feed everyone breakfast and load up in the car to school.
Say goodbye to the kiddo and take the dog for a walk – feels good to be walking a familiar route from last Autumn and noticing the signs of Spring popping up everywhere (so many daffodils).
Head home and spend time faffing…it always takes me a while to switch from one routine to another. I need to remind myself of my cues to sit down and start work. Grateful that I spent the last few weeks working on my intentions for the year and working out what actions I wanted to take to get there. But still need to remind myself to sit down and DO the work.
Do some reading and journaling for 2 courses I am currently working on, sort out some payments, send some emails and do some posts/updates in groups I am in
Grab the reusable bags and head out for the tescos click and collect. We’ve been doing our weekly shop online and collecting it since Summer last year. Occasionally pop into a shop for a top-up of fruit, vegetables, bread and milk but try to avoid shops where possible.
Home to unpack the shopping and try out our new toastie maker for lunch.
Chat with the husband while we eat.
Join an accountability session with fellow freelancers. Set out to get my FTGE inbox tamed. Get my unread messages from 126 down to 15. Super pleased with that. Plus archive and sort lots of read mail and even unsubscribe from a few things that are no longer relevant.
Check back in with the accountability session to report on progress and cheer everyone else on.
Carry on sorting out my emails and actioning some things that have been on the back burner during home learning.
Update IG stories with what I’ve been up to.
Leave for the school pick up, stop at the park on the way home for some exercise in the sunshine for the kiddo.
Home to supply snacks and pop on Animal Crossing to do some daily jobs for 15 mins before the kiddo plays online with friends.
More faffing – the return to school means a lot of adjustments for me as well as the kiddo – hope to use this time between school pick up and dinner for jobs around the house and finishing anything on my to do list for the day.
Husband takes dog for his evening walk pre-dinner as he has a run planned for after dinner
I make dinner and tidy the kitchen while watching some YouTube.
We sit down for dinner – we usually watch TV while we eat and the current favourite is Richard Osman’s House of Games.
Hubby leaves for his running session, doggo is unsettled with all the routine changes and has a cry.
I start reading my book, the kiddo plays some Animal Crossing.
Time for vitamins (so grateful we linked taking vitamins with the kiddo going to bed – he pulls the tub out and reminds me to take mine!) and then up to bed.
Show the kiddo all my DITL photos and read a chapter of our current family read (Simply the Quest by Maz Evans – it’s part of a series which features lots of mythological gods and creatures – it’s funny and great to read together).
Kiddo gets tucked in and reads his own book (an Artemis Fowl – he’s working his way through a series of 8). It makes me so happy that he loves reading.
Decide to put my pyjamas on early.
Hubby has an 830pm work call.
I update IG stories and scroll for a while then get back into my book.
At 10pm I sign off from my DITL on IG stories, I write in my gratitude and sentence a day journals and get ready for bed.
Can’t get to sleep so end up reading until past midnight.
I am grateful for –
1) My pre-order of The Devil Wears Black by LJ Shen arrived and I’ve started reading it
2) Another good day at school for the kiddo
3) Life feels good today
I am proud of –
(I’ve been writing 3 things I am proud of each day in my gratitude journal since November last year – it’s part of the mindset work I’ve been doing and I recommend giving it a go to celebrate all the wins – big and small!)
1) Documenting a day in my life March 2021 via IG stories
2) Getting my FTGE inbox sorted out
3) Doing the work – lots of mindset stuff this week
No. of steps – 6,629
Today’s Self Nurturing Activity – Reading!
Currently Reading – The Devil Wears Black by LJ Shen
Bedtime – Read in bed from about 8.50pm ish. At 10pm I signed off on IG stories, wrote in my journals and plugged my phone in the office. Tried to get to sleep and couldn’t. Ended up reading until around 12.40am.
And that was a Day in my Life March 2021!
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So what do I do with all this stuff I document? I shared snippets from the day via IG stories live on the day. I’m creating this blog post (which is great for comparing previous days as I tend to use a similar format each time). And I’ve also created and ordered a photo book with photos from the day and simple captions to put on our photo album shelf.
And that’s it until next time. I may take part in Week in the Life which usually happens around May time. I will see if I feel motivated nearer the time.
You can, of course, pick any day or week to document and get stuck in but I find it helpful to play along on the days that Ali Edwards suggests as there is a community of people that join in and I find that encouraging.
Let me know if you have a go at documenting a day in your life and how you get on.
I’m feeling old school right now after rummaging in my old blog archives and I want to share this post which I’m calling Around Here Right Now.
I used to love both reading and writing posts like this one. A look at life right now. And it feels like a good time to take that snapshot.
Here in England we will soon be easing out of our 3rd national lockdown. My son returns to school in March and if things go well we will start to be allowed back out into the wild again! It’s been a tough time for so many. But, for me, also a time of discovery and reflection. When you take away “normal life” you can start to see what you miss about “normal” and what you don’t. So without further ado…
Sunset and the rainbow fence – taken last night
Around Here Right Now…
Excited to have my COVID vaccination booked in for next week (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis which puts me in group 6 here in the UK). And for all the signs of Spring on our daily walks.
Grateful that I bought a big, warm, snuggly coat in Autumn when I could go to the shops. It’s earned its keep this winter for the daily dog walks. The weather is feeling much more mild this week and it’s wonderful to go out without being bundled up for the first time in months. My walking shoes were also a great purchase when the shops were open. I want to increase my walking beyond the local blocks and paths as lockdown eases and I’ve been busy wearing them in. They are so comfy.
Listening to my 39 Playlist on Spotify. I’m picking a song each month between my birthdays to create a soundtrack for age 39. I’ve done it in previous years too. It’s fun both picking the songs and also listening to the playlists (especially after the year is up).
Reading LOTS. Mostly fiction. A mix of kindle (on my phone) and old school paper books. Lots of romance (always). Books provide wonderful escapism when you can’t leave your house.
Watching New Girl on Netflix. I used to love it but haven’t seen all of them. They are the perfect length at around 20-25 minutes to squeeze in at the end of the day for a few laughs before bed.
Changing up our home office this month. Ordered a new desk (which is a sit to stand desk) and rehomed our old desk (which we bought in Palmerston North, New Zealand what feels like a lifetime ago and it came over on the boat in 2016). We had a big old sort out of boxes, books and paperwork. It’s looking good. And it makes me so happy to see all my books organised on the shelves!
Feeling mostly hopeful about the return to school on 8th March. I’m hoping it will free up some time and mental capacity to do more with my writing and the blog.
Trying to be kind to myself. Give myself grace. And not beat myself up about things I want to do but I am not getting to. It’s been such an unsettled time.
Looking forward to longer days, seeing friends, HUGS, exploring further afield, ploughman’s lunches, a meal out and time to get things done!
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How about you? What does it look like around here right now for you? Feel free to use these prompts to get you thinking/scribbling.
And if you like posts like this one check out this post from 2019 where I did something similar sharing my answers from 2010 and 2019.
