#diaryentryfrommyhome
2018 is my year of yes. My year of making selfish decisions for my own happiness, for taking as many opportunities as I can, for making as many last minute plans as I can, for going away as much as I can. I don't have the money or the time to take a fortnight off and go sun myself (although with this weather, maybe I'm better off staying in the UK anyway) but I have managed to go for nights away, weekends away or a few nights not at home since the year began. I have been away at least once a month pretty much for the whole of 2018 even if that's only been an hour from home and I have been loving it.
I have really enjoyed the road trips, the spending times with friends, quality time with family, with the spontaneity of it all, the 'yeah sure I'll come tomorrow', the privilege to have 20 quid in my pocket for petrol and a sofa at a pal's house. I am thriving off it I really am. It's easy to get caught up in home life, in every day stress and these mini breaks away is giving me the thinking time to clear my head and get myself back on track.
However, I have also been feeling this year like home is more important to me too. The notion of home has always played a huge part in my life and that's been more to do with family than anything else. I have always felt like 'home' has meant different things to me, like I'd refer to my childhood house as 'home' when I was in university and my flat 4 hours away as 'home' when I was back with Mum and Dad. Both those places felt equally homely to me, both the house I had for a mere 2 years with a friend and the house my parents have been in since I was born.
Last year I wrote about how my Mum and Dad's didn't always feel like home to me anymore. I stayed there whilst they were on holiday to house and cat sit and whilst I knew it was my childhood home, it just kinda felt like my Mum and Dad's place not mine? I moved into my own home with Joss in January 2017 after living with his parents for a year and suddenly, spending so much time 15 minutes down the road at Mum & Dad's just didn't feel right. It felt like being in a familiar house, but one that was someone else's. Kinda like that friend you've had for 15 years who's house you spent every weekend in.
It was then I really realised that this was home to me. The home me and Joss made together, where I sleep every night, full of all the pieces of furniture I picked out and the mish mash of crockery we both brought home from university. It made me realise this is where I felt my shoulders relax when I walked in the door, the place where the bed feels comfiest, where the food tastes the best and where the organisation of the home makes sense to me.
This home brings me peace and it comes in the absolute smallest of things. I am more motivated than ever in this kind of weather and it's made me appreciate the smallest things in life when it comes to my home. I am noticing how totally zen I feel hanging the washing out on pegs on the line. How girl boss I feel when the dishwasher is run and the laundry basket is empty. This week I even tackled the ironing pile.
I feel home here, I feel like it's mine, I run it, I manage it, I make decisions about it and I have future plans for it. I am finally getting round to tackling the garden, I have my eye on a stable door at the back of the kitchen next summer and already know what my living room redesign will look like, even though it might not happen for the next 5 years. I know where I am and I am happy, comfortable and home.
This love of my home, of sharing snaps of it, for feeling peaceful and zen and grabbing my year of yes by the balls, all from the comfort of this house gave me a little idea. I am feeling more motivated in all aspects of my life including in my blog and social media so I decided to create a hashtag.
#diaryentryfrommyhome is a space that anyone can take part in, to share snaps of your home, to share snippets of your life - to do exactly as the hashtag says....share a little diary entry from your home, about your home and even a pic of your home.
Whether it be what you had for your dinner last night or some musings over your first cup of coffee in the morning. Whether it be a poem you wrote, a REAL diary entry you don't mind sharing or a simple picture of your cosy home, I want it all.
I hope you get on board, get involved and even if you have nothing to post yourself, just enjoy seeing everybody else's snaps and comments. Don't forget to hashtag and tag me if you wanna!
