Plans and resolutions

2013 was a year of a great many changes in my life, and a great deal of adventures. 

I started the year in a job that I enjoyed but where something didn't feel quite right, and I closed the year working for a company where I can truly see myself being happy for a good few years to come. Even with all the craziness that working in retail brings.

The Boy asked me to be his wife and we decided that this is the year we buy a house, so already 2014 looks set to be a pretty amazing year.

I never got round to posting any New Years resolutions this year as, generally, I find they don't really work for me. Although, I have managed to stay off the Daily Mail online for a full twelve months, so I guess if your serious sometimes resolutions really do stick.

This year I've decided that instead of resolutions I'm going to set myself a series of challenges to try and complete before the years out - here's what I'm thinking.

A habit I'm going to break...not moisturising.

For a long time I've been getting grief from my friends for my skincare routine (or lack of it - a face wipe night and morning with the occasional scrub in the shower) whilst my bathroom cupboards groan under the weight of unused bottles of moisturiser. As the big move looks imminent I've decide that not only to improve my skin but also save my back come moving day, that it might be time to start taking care of my skin more and using up some of these pots of "magic", or so my friends tell me.

A new skill I'd like to learn...to bake (properly, tray bakes and banana bread doesn't count).
I've said this before, because baking is a skill I'd really like to have (for my future years as a fatty), but I haven't really got much further with over the past year. 2014 is the year that changes.

A place I'd like to visit...Berlin.
This is an ambition that I know for sure will be crossed off my list - as I already have a trip booked for March! I'm looking forward to exploring the city with The Boy and taking a break from wedding planning and house move paperwork. There's so many other places I want to visit but with all the added expense that moving and planning a wedding brings with them I'm really not sure if we'll end up visiting anywhere else this year. Especially as we've already cancelled our holiday to Florida, *sob*.

A book I'd like to read...The Book Thief, along with the hundreds of other books that are currently in my "to read" pile.

A new food I'd like to try...this is more London restaurants rather than a specific food, namely Duck and Waffle, Bubbledogs, Flesh and Buns, L'Entrecote, Chicken Shop, the list is literally endless.
We do go out to eat a lot but there's still so many places I want to try and with the big move happening in the next few months I really want to take advantage of exploring the capitals eateries with my girls (and The Boy).

I'm going to do better at..blogging, on a regular basis.
I love blogging, I just seem to have so many other things which take over my time at the moment. I'm trying to challenge myself to plan ahead and have posts ready to go so I can fulfill my favourite hobby (blogging) whilst keeping on top of all the other things my life brings along on a weekly basis.Watch this space.

I also want to eBay on a more regular basis, the main reason why I don't do this being sheer laziness. Plus, the very real prospect of moving house in the not too distant future has me wondering whether or not I really need all this "stuff". And I think we all know the answer to that.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen me post the image below on NYE and this statement really sums up how I plan to tackle 2014, and my life going forward.

Time for a new start

It's that time of year again when dramatic and sometimes drastic statements about new ways of living are often made, and usually swiftly broken. But not for me.

I gave up making generic and unachievable resolutions years ago and instead, now make a few smaller, more realistic goals that are easier to stick to. So, here's my ambitions and aims for 2013 and how I'm planning on achieving them.

1. Take charge of my finances
Much like my best friend Zsa Zsa, I've finally realised over the past year that maybe, rather than spending every hard-earned penny in Primark, I should have actually saved some money for a rainy day. Now I find myself in my thirtieth year, without a home to call my own - but a wardrobe bulging with, well, crap mostly. 
My spending habits have improved drastically over the past year but still, if I'm ever to fulfill my dreams, efforts must be doubled. Therefore starting from my January paycheck I will be saving 20% of my monthly wage on payday - then also saving anything that remains at the end of the month. I'm not saving up for anything in particular (apart from the dream house) but a rainy day fund never hurt anyone. The Boy will also be setting up an ISA (whether he likes it or not). 

Image by Rosie's Armoire

2. Get planning
This year I want to make time to see my true friends and family more. There were some tough times last year, people showed their true colours (both bad and good) and it really made me see who is important in my life. Last year we went to many a wedding but this year I want to visit people for no other reason than that I enjoy their company. The diary is out and I'm already planning plenty of weekends away and days out to see some of my favourite people. So, whether it's a weekend in Cambridge with the cousin, New York with my family and The Boy, Easter in Somerset or a night of Karaoke with my uni girls, 2013 looks set to be packed with fun times - I already cannot wait.

3. When an idea makes sense, do it
Ideas come in many different shapes and sizes and can lead us in many different directions, but if the past year has taught me anything, it's to go with my gut. If something doesn't seem right, it usually isn't, so don't waste your energy on lost causes. This year I will be taking charge and making decisions that I know will have a positive impact on the life I lead. Therefore, whether The Boy likes it or not, I will be buying a shredder and a blender. And a push top kitchen bin. 

4. Get back on the healthy eating bandwagon
Weight Watchers has very much been on the back burner of late but all the overindulgence throughout December has truly taken its toll and it's time to kick things up a notch. 
After only one week of 2013 I'm already 3lbs down all thanks to a touch of willpower, plenty of salads and lots of long walks - plus a little help from the Londoner's Anti Diet! The guilt free ice cream is to die for.

5. Stop procrastinating, start doing
One of my new years resolutions is to give up reading the Daily Mail online and even though it's only been a few days the changes this has brought about have been life changing (no, I'm not exaggerating). I literally feel as though I have given myself the gift of time. For example on Thursday night alone, not only did I find time when I arrived home from work to reply to two emails, make tomorrows lunch and clean the bathroom, but I was even able to put my feet up and *shock horror* relax. Who would have thought it, there is life beyond badly written gossip portraying itself as news. 

6. Support causes I believe in and push myself out of my comfort zone
In October I ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon for NDCS and I am currently anxiously waiting to find out whether I'll be able to take part again this year. The difference now is that I cannot wait to complete this challenge again, whereas last year I was absolutely terrified. I ended up raising far more than I had anticipated for a great charity and proved something to myself along the way.

Another cause close to my heart is that of Cellardoor magazine. A fantastic online read that is the brainchild of two of my closest friends, Cellardoor now has the opportunity to move into print media - so, if you're feeling generous please make a pledge here to support this beautiful magazine.

Image courtesy of Cellardoor magazine

I will keep you updated (as usual) with how I'm getting on with my new years resolutions and I'd love to hear how you've been going with yours - happy 2013!

2012, the year so far

January has been nothing short of magical. Sure, there were moments when the month seemed to be dragging on for all eternity and February would never come, but I wouldn't have missed a minute.

We welcomed in the new year just The Boy and I, a romantic evening of good food, fine wine, and unbelievably, dancing just us two. I'm so lucky, I swear sometimes it's like I live in a Disney movie, soppy I know.

I've spent most of the month being healthy and keeping active, basically trying to achieve my 16lbs in 16 weeks challenge (and as at least one trip this year will involve me being in a bikini, efforts must be doubled for February). So far I'm down 7lbs and am feeling pretty good about it. Plus, thanks to Weight Watchers, I'm still eating all the foods I love and treating myself at weekends to things like curry, or a Sunday roast and a glass of wine.

Exercise over the past few weeks has taken many forms. I have a new found love for power plate classes which, thanks to a groupon deal and an equally determined friend, I have five more sessions to look forward to this month. I have also started walking home from work in central London, which takes over an hour but lets me see sights I would miss if I were squashed on the tube. Like six herons resting in Hyde Park on a frosty winters evening (I know, I’m a geek). I’m looking forward to the lighter evenings when I’ll be doing my after work exercise in Hyde Park with my friends and then be able to walk home whilst the suns still out.

Last weekend was by far the best so far this year, fun but chilled with some of my favourite people. Work has been pretty stressful over the past few weeks so it was nice when both myself, Zsa and the branch merch teams hard work was recognised, and rewarded with a bottle of champagne from the head of merchandising. We of course cracked this open on our girls night in on Friday with Kirsty. Kebabs (seriously, not just any Kebab, THE kebab, if you're in west London check out Best Mangal, they rock), champers, my girls, and a spot of Friday night gossiping, believe me, it was bliss.

Saturday was pretty mellow, beginning with a girls trip to the market to stock up on fruit and veg, checking out some charity shops on the way. Then I met up with Amy and headed to a Hobbs sample sale (that’s right ANOTHER one) where I picked up a great NW3 dress which I’ve wanted for ages, getting round the no-shopping pledge by using the sample sale rule. We finished the evening off as the snow was starting to fall in a lovely Vietnamese restaurant in Chiswick and then on to an amazing pub called the Hampshire Hog, where it was Disaronno’s all round, good times. So far, I feel like I’m managing to stick to my resolutions for 2012 and am feeling pretty happy about it. I’m definitely living a more healthy life and am devoting more time to the people I care about, whilst making some additional cash on eBay along the way. I’m continuing with my scrapbooking, writing and sewing and soon I’ll be a student again (lord help me) so that’ll definitely get my creative juices flowing. If I’m honest, I can’t wait. Bring on the next few weeks.

New Years resolutions (simplified)

In a recent post I went over some of my greater ambitions not only for 2012 but for life in general, this post will be a little different.

A few years ago I had a feeling that my life was headed in the same mundane destination, day in, day out, always the same, which led me to make a drastic decision. For the following year I would live my life in a more adventurous way, namely if I didn't want to do anything or if something scared me I should, in the words of Nike, just do it. This decision changed my life. Not only was 2010 the year I met The Boy, with our first date being on a canoe (believe me, the Shallow Hal connotations alone were almost enough to make me scrap my new way of living and run for the hills) but it was also the year that was to be the hardest period of studying of my life. Within two weeks of new years day I would leave my job and embark on what would become my life's work, my Masters. To cut a long story short, living with a greater abandon than ever before allowed me to make choices I'd never even considered, which turned out to be some of the greatest decisions of my life.

I plan to live by a similar mantra for 2012, whilst hopefully crossing a few things off my to-do list:

1. Learn to bake bread, successfully and without the use of a bread maker.
2. Use my Holga camera (which I've had since 2009 and it still hasn't been out of the box).
3. Finish my Christmas cross stitch sampler before it's Christmas again.
4. Cook my first ever roast dinner (this fills me with fear just typing the words).
5. Go swimming at the Serpentine Lido.

6. Visit the Isle of Wight again.

7. Change internet providers at the earliest opportunity (Virgin just can’t cut it).

8. Shop less, save more.

9. Buy and use a shredder to deal with paperwork (boring I know).

10. Make a £1,000 on ebay.