2013

In the blogging world, some events simply cannot pass without a post being written about it. 

The new year is one such event. Whether it's a round up of the year just past or list of resolutions, it just has to be done. For myself, I've done both a round up and a list of resolutions. I'm not even sorry!

January

Pip is introduced to her first snow.

February

I return to work, Pip starts nursery and almost immediately catches the toddler plague.

March

I start my business and Pip turns one.

April

I struggle to find a parenting/working balance as any sewing can only be done while Pip is asleep. Many things are tried with varying levels of success.. I even had to re-home the chickens, I really miss those girls.

May

I spend a good deal of this month 'simplfying' in an attempt to reduce my stress levels and regain some the aforementioned parenting/working balance. It helps.

June

My BFF visits from the Netherlands and I try to convince her to never leave me again. The bitch totally leaves anyway. Next time I'll lock her in the spare room.

July

Ice creams, paddling pools, Pimms and just generally trying to stay cool. If summer was a month it would've been July.

August

Went to Wales, almost didn't come back.

September

September was a quiet one and was spent mainly working.

October

Got all autumnal with a trip with to Westonbirt Arboretum and for reasons I still don't really understand, I take up running.

November

After much planning and getting excited about the build up to Christmas, Pip came down with the lurg. Again. Followed swiftly by Dan.

December

By December we were all plague ridden once more. A trip to Wales to see my family had to be cut short and I spent most of my time dosed up to the eyeballs. Luckily by Christmas all was well again and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. 

2013 was definitely a year of lessons for me. Some trials and many errors! Since opening the shop it's been a constant battle to maintain regular sewing time.
As a parent I've discovered that it takes more than sheer will and caffeine alone to keep up with a toddler. Also (as if anyone needed confirmation) I discovered that looking after a child is almost impossible when sick.
And last, but by no mean least, I learnt that you can't wait for the work to be done before you stop and allow yourself to take a break. The work will never be done.
It's taken me a whole year of ignoring this and having it bite me quite rightly on the arse to learn that particular lesson.

And so I'll end this post on something that may cause many of you to roll your eyes. Sorry, but I like resolutions. If you don't I suggest you stop reading.

2014 Resolutions

1. Try and find more time to sew
This one really will be a challenge. As if it wasn't hard enough in 2013, 2014 will be even harder as it appears that Pip is starting to drop her daytime naps. As Gary Barlow would say, "absolutely faaantaastic".

2. Live a little more healthily
Try and keep up with the running, likewise try and eat three proper meals a day instead of grazing on crap, cut down on the caffeine, milk and anything else that leaves me feeling a bit rubbish.

3. Take a break. Give myself a treat. Relax!
This one is the most important. The efforts don't have to be huge or the treats extravagant. A hot bubble bath at the end of the day, a cup of tea by myself in the garden or just choosing to paint my nails instead of doing the washing up. Just a little something, just a little bit more often.

Will this be the last post in which I mention illness in 2013?

When I hit publish on my last post, I must admit I felt a little guilty. Not as a mum, (for once), but as a business owner. Instead of working hard promoting, selling and posting out my wares, I took the selfishly lazy route and played hooky instead. I told myself that I would make up for it next year and that I deserved it as we've both had a tough couple of months. I felt I deserved a well earned rest and what better time to do it than December, when I could enjoy the festive run up to Christmas with my family and eat my weight in cheese.

Ha!

However, shutting the shop early turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If I hadn't done it when I posted my last update, I would've been forced to less than a week later due to a rather nasty cold which soon turned into a very nasty sinus infection.

December, if I'm honest, has been a bit of a wash out. 

We did end up having a really lovely Christmas though. I finally got shot of the infection after two rounds of antibiotics, just days before Christmas and by that time, simply feeling healthy again was all the gift I needed. 

We spent it with family, I'd lost a little bit of weight over the previous few weeks, but thanks to various Christmas cheeses, managed to find them all again (and a few more to boot) in no time at all.

So while I felt guilty at first for not working over Christmas, it turns out that I didn't have a choice anyway.

Thankfully as it stands, we are all (once again), lurg free. I realise I may have just jinxed this, but I'm standing by it nonetheless. Dan's fine, I'm fine, the wee one is fine. All is fine. We are very lucky, the three of us. Our lives may be far from perfect, but we have so much that others don't. Our health being just one of those things. 

And hey, on the bright side I suppose you were saved from the inane Christmas witterings I threatened you all with in my last post. 

Next year then. Just you wait.