So, we’re creeping toward the end of January already - which for most of us will come with a sigh of relief. I’ve never been a fan of this most grey and desolate of months. Everyone is waiting for payday, doing vegan diets and it’s all cold and miserable outside but the festivities are over - if I was rich I’d definitely spend January abroad!
This Christmas was extra special for us too, because we found out we’re expecting our second child. Theo is going to be a big brother. We really wanted to give him a sibling, so it was great news. Sometimes I panic a little about the thought of having two children though! Our new arrival is due in July.
Having Theo has brought so much joy and love into our lives, more so than I ever expected. So thinking about that doubling is incredibly exciting.
So far, this pregnancy has been a little different to my first. I had a bit of sickness at first, which I never had the first time. And whereas with Theo I was going to the gym until I was seven months pregnant I have been really lazy so far and stopped my running, although I have signed up to pregnancy Pilates classes starting soon! So 2018 really is going to be a new adventure for the family.
In the past, I’ve spoken about why I don’t think New Years Resolutions work and how to set achievable goals instead. Last year was quite a settled year for me, with some amazing moments like travelling to China and taking family holidays to Italy and Croatia, and enjoying some days out with Sebastian and Theo making lovely memories.
This year, my goals are simple. There aren’t any tough fitness regimes when you’re pregnant in this house!
1. To plan more fun family days out
We had so much fun last year just taking picnics and going to the zoo, and I’d love to plan a few more trips when the weather is better. It’s important to give Theo enough time even though the new baby is coming. I’ve bought a newborn sling hoping to be able to strap baby to me and and take them both out.2. To learn to buy less and better quality
This is something I always circle around, but towards the end of the year I bought a couple of ‘bargains’ that turned out to be badly made and were such a false economy. It made me realise that this is more important than ever. I don’t need lots of stuff, so I want to make sure that when I do buy something it’s well considered.3. To do the ‘hanger hack’
I saw this one doing the rounds on social media, and immediately thought what a brilliant idea it was. Like all the best ideas, it’s super simple. At the start of the year, you turn all the clothes in your wardrobe round so their hangers are pointing backwards. Each time you wear one, you turn it back around the right way. After six months, anything where you haven’t turned the hanger round, it's time to donate it and clear it out. I love this idea, because it makes it so clear what you’re hanging onto for the wrong reasons. However, being pregnant has thrown a bit of a curve ball as I won’t be wearing my regular clothes much this year! So I may have to do it after the baby arrives and when I finally get back into my non-maternity clothes!4. To develop the top floor of the house
You may know that, right at the end of 2015, we moved into a house that’s a bit of a project. We’ve been slowly doing smaller elements, like making over the garden, replastering and painting, and sinking loads of external electrics and piping into the walls. The biggest thing we’ve really done so far is renovating the family bathroom. But in 2018, we want to go full throttle with developing the house. We need to replace the roof and have Veluxes and a dormer window installed. We’re planning to turn the third floor into a master suite, with a bedroom, bathroom and a dressing room. It’s going to be quite challenging with having a newborn baby and a toddler, but I’m hoping we can get there.5. To get more involved with helping the local community
Where we live is absolutely lovely, and there’s a lot of community activity. Although it’s a smaller part of quite a large suburb, it’s an area that’s bounded on one side by a main road and route to the city, and on the other side by a country park and a river. So it’s never going to get any bigger and there is definitely a village feel. There are lots of community activities from fundraisers to Safari Sales, canal cleanups and pop-up food stalls, plus a really active Facebook group where people share local news and freecycle stuff. It’s one of the reasons I love living here and so I want to make more of an effort to get involved with things when the opportunity comes up this year.6. To take more baths
Okay, this one is a funny one! But when you’re working full time with a toddler and pregnant, life can be tiring and stressful. I don’t drink or anything, so relaxation on a Friday night looks more like a bath for me! I absolutely love them and make a little ritual of it with candles and face masks. I just find them so restorative, so I’ve resolved to have them more often, and not just save them for Sunday nights, especially while it’s cold outside.7. Read one book a month
I’ve always been a book lover since I was a little girl, but these days I don’t get a lot of time and I find I’ve been reading magazines more than getting immersed in a novel or a biography. There are so many amazing books out there waiting to be discovered, so I’m going to challenge myself to read at least one a month. Through the power of Twitter, I heard about BookBub. You input the sort of books you like and it sends you a daily newsletter with works in those categories that are either free or on offer for up to 1.99. Books for my Kindle can be quite expensive, so this will be a great chance to keep up with my goal.
8. To make some new friends
Okay, this one sounds a little sad, but I’m going to put it out there! I’d really like to make a couple of new friends this year, most especially more mummy friends with kids. Most of my friends don’t have families yet and they live all over the country, so now I have Theo it’s much harder to get together with them. I’d really like to meet some women who live locally that also have kids.So those are my goals for the year ahead. What does 2018 hold in store for you?
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