Twenty Reasons Why January Wasn't All That Bad.
Ah January. That month where half the time you're exclaiming over how you can't believe it's the new year and the other half of the time you're tweeting about how it's lasted approx 8 million years.
It's also the fated month of Blue Monday (whether it be a marketing ploy or not) and the month of new habits and maybe failed resolutions and you're skint from Christmas and it can all be a bit shit.
With that in mind I thought I'd share twenty little loves that meant this January wasn't so awful after all.
1. New Years Motivation.
I started the year with a bang for sure. I had a few lazy days at home after a busy Christmas period and I spent a lot of time working on my new bullet journal and watching TV and I hit the ground running with my new years resolutions. I did my yoga every day, I did an abs work out, I read lots of my book, I did my Welsh lessons and I ate well and I felt awesome for it.
2. Pub Quizzing.
A few of my friends had extended holidays over Christmas and were still here till the beginning of the month and it meant we got to meet up weekly for a local pub quiz. It's a 10 round quiz on a Thursday night and my brother also goes with his mates so we got to be up against them which always makes it more fun. The first week they came second and we came third which wasn't bad for our first go as a team but the second week we probs won't mention....
3. New Phone Who Dis.
Yess I finally made the leap from Apple to Android. I didn't jump so much as I was pushed but my iPhone 6 was on it's last legs and I decided to cut my losses and cash in for a Samsung Galaxy 6. I managed to get 80 quid for my iPhone which I was pleased with because it really was on death's door and I have settled into life with a new handset. I found it SO difficult to start with, I'm still not completely sold but I am living for the camera and when I borrowed a friend's iPhone last week I was constantly looking for the back button so there we have it.
4. A Week Alone.
Go with me here. The second week of the month I spent home alone as Joss was on a week's long cider course in Gloucester and I flippin well enjoyed myself. I mean sure it's nicer when he's home and cooking for one is never fun but a double bed to myself for the first time in years wasn't all bad and I got SO much done. I had a mahoosive spring clean and I cleared out the whole house whilst he was gone. I emptied all the cupboards and wardrobes and got rid of loads of stuff, rearranged all our things and generally had a clear out and it was mint.
5. Quorn Nuggets.
Sweet jesus. Hannah and Effi have been on about Quorn nuggets for ages and how great they are but it was only when fellow meat lover (oi oi) Mel went veggie for January and tried them that I was sold. She raved about them so much I went to Morrisons and popped a bag in my trolley and me and Joss tried them out and omfg they are DIVINE. Wayyyy nicer than your average chicken nugget from the freezer department and means a meat free day tick on my bujo habit tracker too.
6. Dyffryn Gardens.
Our local National Trust property is about 10 minutes from my house and as members, me and my Mum often take my niece there because we can all go in for free. It's all enclosed in the grounds so she's safe to run about, we get a wander and some fresh air and it has my favourite cacti house in the world so we always have fun. We took her there a few weeks ago when it was foggy and drizzly and had a run around to get her to sleep and a play in the muddiest play area and it was as lovely as ever.
7. Nights Out.
A few weeks back me and my Mum went to a birthday party in a local venue I didn't even know existed (but is 10 minutes from my Mum's). We had good food and drinks and they had an amazing live band there and my Mum's friends were there to catch up with and we had a cracking time. My Mum loves to have a dance so I got up with her and we had a laff and the venue was beautiiiiful and I bookmarked it for my non existent wedding.
8. Road Tripping.
Mid month my Mum and I went on a road trip to Gloucester with my cousin and his girlfriend for my other cousin's first birthday party. We had a right lol in the car and the party was super cute and we all had a great time and they bought us a McDonalds (thanks guys) and it was a really fun day.
9. Christmas Presents.
Our Christmas presents stayed in the spare room for far too long. After the big day we kinda shoved them all in there to make some space as we still had his brother staying and they just sorta stayed there...... When Joss was away I finally got round to sorting it all out and putting it all away and not only does the spare room now look massive but the new stuff has found a home to stay. I got a lot of cacti related things for Christmas this year which have been carefully arranged around the house and our Welsh Rugby duck we loooove is proud as punch on the windowsill.
10. Serial Babysitting.
I have been babysitting my niece more than ever this month and whilst I am now sodding knackered I bloody loved spending so much time with her. From having her at my Mum's to babysitting her at her other grandmother's house I've had a blast and she's been a little angel. She's had a lot of big changes in her life the past month and she's dealt with it like a trooper and I am so proud to be her auntie. I also babysat her at her new house into the night for the first time in ages and she woke up crying for her Mum but settled easily and said she loved me right before she fell asleep and I cried too :')
11. Bristol.
Last weekend I went to Bristol to see my old flatmate from uni and it was such an exciting day. It was pissing with rain which ruined our plan for a nice walk to the pub for lunch so we drove instead and then went to Ikea with seemingly everyone else in Bristol. We also did a bit of wedding shopping for her and I found the ceramics range of dreams in Asda and it was a cracking Saturday.
12. New Projects.
This being the quietest month of the year for my business is always a worry but I've actually managed to have a decent month for once. I have lined up a few commissions which will start this week and last me a little why and I also created a cute lil range of Valentine's day cards which you can buy on my Etsy (and plz do because I'm really proud of them this year).
13. Inside Number 9.
I am OBSESSED with this programme. If you've never seen it, it's on BBC and there's been a few series now but you're bound to get them on iPlayer or Netflix or summin. It's Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith and they're often fuck off creepy or have a twist or are super dark but they're amazingly written and so so clever. The latest series started at the beginning of the month but I haven't had the chance to watch them so I caught up the other day on all 4 (so far) back to back and they were as ridiculously good as ever.
14. First Book Of 2018.
One of my New Years Resolutions was to read 12 books in 12 months which is a humble task for many but seen as I read one book in 2017 was a bit of a challenge for me. Thankfully though I have managed to tick off one just before the end of the month and it was The Iceberg by Marion Coutts. I am not a happy book kinda person, my favs are often VERY sad and life affirming in a round about way and this was no different. A true story memoir of an artist who's art critic husband got cancer when their child was a toddler it's obviously a hard read, especially knowing the eventual outcome but it's incredibly written and well worth a buy if that's your kind of book too.
15. Lazy Weekends.
After a busy old time of babysitting and trying to fit everything else for life in between I was thankful for a lazy weekend this weekend. Yesterday was pissing with rain again, in fact it flooded a lot and we battled the weather to go to the shops for some grub and then spent the rest of the day pottering round at home. I deep cleaned the house, moved every piece of furniture and then made my fav sausage hotpot for tea which I could honestly eat every day. Today I had a good old catch up over a cuppa with Joss' Mum and then went for a family roast at my parents house and had a cheesy jacket potato for tea. A good food weekend.
16. New Year New Bullet Journal.
I am enjoying my bullet journal more than ever this month and am really happy with the layouts I've chosen. I am obsessed with my new mood boards for every month and have spent this evening creating my February one (very pink FYI) and I am loving my habit tracker and generally enjoying it all very much. I've also been loving Pinterest lately because of all the inspo out there and my blog has had an amazing month stats wise because you babes all loved my old bujo content again.
17. Sunny Days.
It's been raining in Wales for approx 4 million months now but last Friday we were graced with the actual sun for a whole day. It's amazing what a good sunny day will do for my motivation and my headspace and I was really really busy on Friday. I find the rainy days so sluggish and my motivation reflects that but I was bouncing on Friday in the sun. I took the dog on a walk, took loads of photos, got a shit load of work done and I felt ace even though I'd only had about 5 hours sleep.
18. Christmas Leftovers.
Isn't this the best thing about January? Everyone over indulges at Christmas and buys 10 million things and never gets through them and that's what cures the January blues amiright? Our cupboards have been stocked all month with crisps and chocolate and sweets and I am still working my way through the Dairy Milk squares that were hanging on the trees. This month we have steadily worked our way through them which has been very yum.
19. Girl Boss Nail Varnish.
When I was functioning on minimal sleep last week I tried to gee myself up in the best way I know how - wash my hair, slap on some makeup and paint my nails with my fav nail varnish. I have one of them blood red varnishes that's so dark it's almost black and it reminds me of something a sassy business woman with a briefcase and killer heels in London would wear.
20. Travel Plans.
The best part of a crap week or month is looking forward to all the exciting things you have coming up no? This month really hasn't been that bad (see list for reference) but February and March are looking super exciting for me. We have family coming home, I'm going to see my best pals in Essex and then casually going to Venice with them and we have Effi's wedding and omfg so much excite.
And there we have it - twenty little things that meant the January blues wasn't all that bad (and actually was pretty great by all accounts).
