Looking to 2018….

It’s arrived, and only 3 days in, we’re officially in 2018 and back down to earth with a bump. The big two went back to school today, and god, that was a shock to the system this morning – Freddie was the only one really ready and raring to go, mainly because he wanted to check last night’s football results pre-6am. Everyone else was decidedly ‘meh’ although both F and S were really looking forward to seeing their friends again. The house has felt SO QUIET today, with kids at school, Adam back at work, so it’s just me and Arlo once again. I’m missing them, but I’m not going to lie, it’s nice to have a bit more CALM now and to attempt to get the house in order once more. 

I actually love New Year for all that ‘fresh start’-ness (is that a word?), and whilst I’m loathe to make too many serious resolutions that are doomed to failure, I always think it’s nice to set a few goals. I’ve been thinking about what I want to achieve this year. The answer, to be honest, is not a huge deal. Not that I don’t want to do anything, or that I don’t have a few ideas and plans, but I guess I just don’t want to have huge expectations as to what I CAN achieve. In my last post, my word for 2018 is ‘enjoy’, and I really do want to just enjoy this year, with the majority of the donkey work of house renovations done now (until the loft anyway). I also have to remember that I have a (non-sleeping) young baby, and that life isn’t a sprint but a marathon most of the time, something that I really need to keep telling myself as I’m totally the most impatient person EVER when it comes to wanting to get shit done. 

Most of my house/life admin goals this year are mini ones. Stuff that needs to get done to make life run smoother but has been niggling: getting photos backed up and organised on the laptop then printed out into photo books, organising computer files, switching energy providers (yawn), sorting Sasha’s oyster card, measuring up and buying shelves for the games/puzzles cupboard that is currently a disaster zone, change my email address to one that reflects my married name and not my maiden name, better storage all round in the house, organising the loft and learning how to get in and out of the bloody thing myself…

Slightly bigger ones include getting the garden finished (not too far off hopefully), submitting my picture book proposal (something I wanted to get done before Christmas but it just didn’t happen) and getting my freelance work website up-and-running. 

Work-related ones include continuing to find a balance as to when I can work on the blog, especially with Arlo around now (I really have to focus and maximise my time), continue to enjoy making videos but realising I don’t want to be a super-vlogger or anything like that, be more social on social media (the irony isn’t lost on me here!), get up to speed with everything in the cloud comms/digital world in preparation for returning to work in March, beat my blog earnings from last year, continue to work with some great brands, and finally, SEO all my ancient posts and see if this makes any difference in upping my web traffic. 

Fun goals are as follows: Go camping with the children, visit a family-friendly festival, host another bonfire party or a Halloween party, do more baking, read more books, grow more fruit/veg this year, grow sunflowers, book S and myself a riding lesson, go skiing (all going well ticking this off in a few weeks!) and save to go to Disneyland Paris before Christmas. 

There’s actually quite a lot there for a no-pressure year, but to be honest I don’t mind what I actually get around to doing, but it would be a bonus to tick a few of these off at the end of the year.

2018, let’s be having you! 

PS, slightly dubious unicorn/sprinkles mug because you have to think positively, right?!

Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.