Winter Walks and Time Together – Pictures & Prose | 01/52

8th January 2023 Family Life

I’ve been wanting relaunch a weekly update for quite some time. Years ago I used to take part in the Little Loves linky sharing all the little things we had loved that week. I really loved the format and the rhythm of looking back on the week just gone. That linky has long since disappeared but I wanted to relaunch something along the same lines just for me.

So, here is a little look back at the first week of the new year.

DID

I was back to work this week but the kids were still off school so the working / childcare juggle recommenced. It felt great to be back at work but trying to work full time around two children is never easy. Thankfully we have some amazing grandparents on both sides of our family so they were able to step in and help a little. Add in a little working from home plus a dash of annual leave and we were able to cover the week. Back to school on Monday though!

The weekend was grim with regards to weather but we did manage to capitalise on some breaks in the clouds to get outside. Our Christmas was a bit of a wash out and it rarely stopped raining during our time off so it was amazing to get back outside and stretch our legs. It came with a lot of complaining from two pairs of little legs but once we were outside, they were off!

WATCHED

I have been all about Glow Up season 4 this week and then enjoyed it so much, I went back and re-watched the other three seasons too. It’s easy background watching when you have lots of other things to do.

READ

I finished A Small Affair this week which was a NetGalley read (AD | NetGalley). The story was good but if I’m honest the characters were pretty much unlikeable. I find these kinds of books difficult as no matter how well they are written, you just can’t bring yourself to care about the people in them.

However, if you don’t already have NetGalley, it’s worth going to check it out. You don’t need to have a blog – though I think you do need an open Instagram account. It’s basically a site that authors and publishers use for early feedback. In return for honest feedback, you get a digital copy for an early look.

You can find out more on their website at: www.netgalley.co.uk (not an ad – just sharing the love for fellow bookworms!)

MADE

How cute is this little lady? I’ve been working back through my stash of unfinished projects this week and managed to finish this gorgeous fairy. I already made one for the Bear for her birthday back in September but this one has sat unfinished for a few months. She was originally going to be a Christmas gift but as that didn’t happen for 2022, I’m not sure what her destiny will be yet.

WEIGHED

Ooh now this is going to be a contentious one! It may be because I live in a social media echo chamber but my feeds seem to be full of body positivity accounts. Which is amazing but it does sometimes feel like I am swimming against the tide when it comes to the fact that I want to lose weight.

There, I said it!

Yes I know it’s January and yes I know that I am jumping on board with all the other thousands if not millions of people that jump on the health bandwagon at this time of year. But the fact is that I am incredibly overweight and it’s something that I really need to address.

Not because I am conforming to societal standards of what they believe women should look like but because I am unhealthy and – more importantly – unhappy. I also hurt!

At 40 years old and peri-menopausal, I ache in a way that I never have before. I get heartburn and make a very strange sound now when I get up off of the sofa if I have been sitting down for too long. So yeah, I will be using this space for a little bit of accountability and hopefully by the end of the year I will have a much healthier relationship with my body and how I choose to fuel it! Wish me luck…..

AND LASTLY

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I use this space. The kids are older now so it doesn’t feel right to share them here in the way I used to when they were babies and toddlers. The Bear is in juniors now and the Boy will be joining her in September. I feel like they need their privacy now I think that’s for that reason this space was neglected during 2023 because – if I’m honest – I just didn’t know what to write about.

If I am not talking about being a mum, then what the hell do I talk about.

However, when I look over what the few people who did visit my site over the past year (waves enthusiastically at the people who are still here) I can see the content they visit is mainly around crafts and creativity. In 2023 I want to write more and photograph more so maybe that is the future of this space…..