We're on Day 2 of the New Year and I've been both looking back over 2013, and looking forward to what 2014 will have to offer. I find the beginning of a new year an exciting time: it's full of promise, full of expectation, and good-intention. I love a clean slate - there's something about a fresh new year that gets me super-motivated.
In true NY style I've put together my list of goals/resolutions for the year ahead...I've tried to make them completely achievable, and not too time-consuming or expensive. I want to be able to look back over 2014 and see a year full of small wins, each of these are really important to me, and will help me to get the most out of the year to come.
My Aims for 2014...
- Weightloss - this is a recurring theme for me, and an ongoing journey over the past two years - I lost 4 stones for my wedding in 2012, put 3 stone on during pregnancy in 2013, and have just shifted 2 of those pregnancy stones before Christmas. After a few treats over Christmas I'm back on the wagon to continue my journey...the plan is to shift my final "baby" stone by March - and then from March onwards it is all about being at my slimmest and achieving new losses. My target is to reach a 5 stone total loss from my heaviest to slimmest by my best friend's wedding in early Dec 2014.
- Date Nights - I want to make a conscious effort to arrange quality time for Liam and I to enjoy together. As much as we totally adore being with Bert, we are both well aware how important it is to have some adult time together, away from being Mummy and Daddy. We already have some lovely things planned for 2014 including a couple of hotel stays, a meal at Heston Blumenthal's The Hinds Head pub, tickets to see Lee Mack live, and a theatre trip.
- 12 Month Baking Challenge - see yesterday's post here about my 12 month challenge to bake one new item each month of 2014.
- Swimming with Bert - this is maybe a random one, but I want to stick to taking Bert swimming once a week at the local pool with my WI friends and their children - it means a 45 minute walk each way, which is fab exercise, and gets us out and about with lovely people. It will also help to build some regularity and routine into our week, and will hopefully mean Bert will become super-confident in the water.
- Kittens! - this is the year we plan to let our little kitty have kittens of her own! Exciting times. We wanted to have them last year but figured a new baby and new kittens was perhaps a bit too much to handle. We want to do it while I'm on maternity leave and can be at home - expect many posts about Pickle's journey to motherhood!
- Crafting - My ongoing aim over the past few years has been to channel my inner Kirstie Allsopp (she is my guru!) and try to hand-make/bake/craft as many gifts as I can - I really enjoy the whole process, and especially love seeing peoples' reactions to the effort I put in to the gift. As well as crafting for others, I hope to craft for myself this year too: I want to finish knitting my stripy teal/yellow scarf in time to wear it for the last few months of winter, and also plan to make a lovely wreath for next Christmas from empty cotton reels *watch this space*. I'm sure I'll find lots of other crafty activities to keep me busy throughout the year as well.
- Organisation - I love a good bit of organisation around the home - for me, an organised home is an organised mind - and I don't cope well with too much mess or disorder. One of my goals this year is to bring some order and organisation to my mums home. She has just retired from teaching, and will be embarking on a career change later in the new year. Until then she is enjoying some well earned rest-time away from full time work, and instead embarking on a mass 'clear up' of her home. Having had no time for big sort outs/declutters over the past few years she is now concentrating her efforts, and I cant wait to help her. There will I'm sure be some lovely reminiscing as we tackle items from my childhood, and no doubt a few rows along the way about what to bin/keep. (I'm a chucker-outer, mum is a bit of a sentimental hoarder) But I'm excited about helping her feel happier in her home, and see her start to enjoy her house in a more organised state.
What are your aims for 2014?
I hope you'll join me here on the blog during 2014 - here's to an exciting year to come!
Mrs B