Self-care for a Monday

Karen shared another quiz, this time a wee quick one about self-care. It was actually quite interesting to think about so maybe give it a go yourself.

• Do you practice self-care? Is it a term you use or is it a foreign concept?

I don’t think I’ve ever used the term specifically, I usually call it introvert time, but the idea is very important to me. I can get easily overwhelmed by too much ‘input’ or spending too long around people, so my main self care is staying aware of my energy/overwhelm levels, getting out of situations when they become too much, and having non-negotiable alone time throughout the week to recharge.

At the moment I’m working on the more difficult self-care of doing hard things to make life better, i.e. sorting and decluttering my entire flat. It’s hard work (and a bit stressful), but I know when it’s done my mind will be clearer and it will lift some weight off my shoulders.

 

• How do you practice self-care in a physical way? Do you put make up on or get your hair done? Maybe get a massage? Go for a run?

Mainly powerlifting at the gym (although that’s been a bit overwhelming itself recently, what with being chock full of newbies), and running is also good when I need to get out of my own head.

They help me stay as healthy as I can, with the added bonus that everything feels and tastes AMAZING afterwards. Having a shower and putting on my big, cosy jumper straight after the gym feels like being hugged by my 10 favourite people all at once.

 

• How do you practice self-care in a mental way? Do you meditate? Do you pray? Do you sit quietly and empty your mind?

Running kind of covers this as well – if I get stuck in an over-thinking loop I go out for a run and focus on timing my breath with my footsteps, and everything else goes quiet.

Journalling can also help, as I deal better with written words than the noise in my mind, and everyone knows how good crochet and knitting are for your health.

 

• Do you consider time alone to be self-care? Or time with family? Or time with friends?

All of the above, in some ways. I miss my friends and family when I don’t see them, and visiting them makes me happy so that’s a kind of care. But alone time is definitely the number one priority for me.

I work in an open-plan office for 40 hours a week, and I have a lot of hobbies that involve other people; I NEED my alone time to recharge so I can be a decent human being. I can get really snappy when I’m burnt out.

 

What do you think?

Hannah

xXx

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A big (pre)Spring clean

At the weekend my boyfriend and I tackled the Box Room of Doom. It’s been my dumping ground for years, and had reached the point that I was reluctant to even open the door in case I saw what a mess it was.

But we (well mainly the bf – I got a migraine halfway through) smashed it:

And once that mountain turned out to be a little molehill that only took a couple of hours to sort, I well and truly caught the clear-out bug. First I sorted my CDs, and DVDs. Then my books. Then my papercraft supplies.

And then it was time to face the stash.

I didn’t realise just how much yarn I had until it was piled into a heap on my living room floor.

So much yarn!!

First of all I sorted it by fibre groups: cotton, acrylic, natural fibres, and mixed.

Then I sorted each category by weight.

And then a final sort by colour, because I can never resist a rainbow.

Then I put the whole lot into an Excel spreadsheet so I can track it.

I still don’t really have a good storage solution for my yarn so it’s mainly in cardboard boxes at the moment. But at least it’s now in cardboard boxes in some semblance of order, I know what I have in there, and I should be able to find what I’m looking for pretty quickly.

Now I just need to decide what I’m going to sort out next!

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 – end of year review

Welcome to 2019 everyone! I hope the holidays and new year were everything you hoped for.

It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by since I decided on these goals – time just goes so quickly! But a year it has been so without further ado let’s get on with my final review.

1 New blog followed per week – 7/7 (yearly total 52/52) COMPLETE!

I made it!

 

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 1/2 (18/24)

This month I figured out how to do a long dc for my African Flower motifs.

No met goal here, but I have learned a lot and developed more confidence with my knitting.

 

3 Instagram posts per week – 14/15 (147/156)

I was so sure I could meet this one, but Christmas and new year kind of knocked me off my game a bit. Still, I’m happy that I managed to post fairly regularly.

 

4 Exercise sessions per week – 22/18 (204/208)

Oooh so close!!

 

5 Blog posts written per week – 10/22 (161/260)

Wow, I really fell behind with this one. Even more than I thought.

 

6 Patterns written up – 5/6 (5/6)

I wrote up the pattern for my crochet crotchet, and then added on some bits to create a pattern for a pair of quavers.

I’m pretty pleased that I managed to get to 5, considering at the beginning of the year I believed I just wasn’t made for pattern writing!

 

7 Areas in my flat sorted – 7/7 (7/7) COMPLETE!

I sorted my kitchen cupboards and got rid of quite a lot. Vitamins and supplements that I took for about a month and then forgot about, a frying pan that was so worn out it was starting to rust, plus some tea that I’d had for over 10 years.

I don’t know if tea can go off and be bad for you, but I figured if I haven’t used it in 10 years then I’m probably never going to!

 

8 Minutes of writing per day COMPLETE! 

 

9 pm bed time – 10/31 (103/365)

Well at least I met my mini goal of 100! Clearly I need to keep working on taking better care of my sleep.

 

10% of wages saved – 10/10 COMPLETE!

I managed this every month so now I’ve got a nice chunk of savings in the bank.

 

12 Hand-written letters – 13/12 COMPLETE!

A lot of things came up around Christmas time so I didn’t get to send all the cards and letters I was planning to. Still, this goal is definitely smashed!

 

13 New recipes tried – 14/13 COMPLETE!

An experiment with leftovers led to a really tasty casserole this month, just nudging me over the goal line.

 

14 Meet ups with friends – 14/14 COMPLETE! (stretch goal 31/25) DOUBLE COMPLETE!

We all knew Christmas would make this one easier, but I never expected to smash my stretch goal quite so much!  There was singing in various pubs, archery parties, cups of tea with friends, chips for breakfast, baby snuggles, and a cheeky Nandos. I’m ready for a wee break now!

 

15 Birthdays on time – 15/15 COMPLETE!

The present for my friend in Germany went out super early this month and then my two friends with birthdays on new year’s eve pushed me over the finish line. I’m so glad I met this one; I always feel like a terrible human being when I miss people’s birthdays, so although I didn’t quite manage them all I’m still feeling good that I got so many on time.

 

16 Christmas cards made – 18/16 COMPLETE!

Done and done.

 

17 Birthday cards made – 9/17

Just one this month for my friend in Germany, although I forgot to take a photo of it.

 

18 Items decluttered – 18/18 COMPLETE!

My frying pan, tea, and bottles of old vitamins bring the total up to 18. I’m definitely going to keep on decluttering as and when the need comes up, I just love the freed-up space and the feeling of achievement that comes with it.

 

That’s 10 goals met, and a couple very nearly met, which is honestly much better than I expected of myself. It was good to have some goals to work toward and something to focus on, but I’ve got a lot of stressors going on in my life right now so I’ve decided not to do this again for 2019.  For now I shall just be all smug and enjoy my success over the last year!

 

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 August Review

1 New blog followed per week – 2/4 (yearly total 31/33)

Only a couple this month. It’s been so busy I’ve only just kept up with my regulars, never mind finding new ones!

 

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 2/2 (14/16)

Broomstick lace and griddle stitch featured this month.

 

3 Instagram posts per week – 11/13 (109/102)

A bit of an eclectic month, with masks, crochet, flowers, books, and archery making it in there!

 

4 Exercise sessions per week – 25/18 (144/136)

My Dad came for a visit last week, and of course you have to go out and do things, so my step count went waaaay up. But I also hurt my neck quite badly the week before and even the most basic movements were agony, so my exercise took a bit of a blow.

Pretty good on balance though.

 

5 Blog posts written per week – 13/22 (134/169)

Far too much doing and not enough blogging about it. But I’m still chugging along with at least a couple of posts per week so I’m happy.

 

6 Patterns written up – 0.5/6 (3/6)

I finally neatened up and finished the final draft of my waffle hat pattern. However many years later…

 

7 Areas in my flat sorted – 5/7 (5/7)

I had a very thorough sort of my bookcase, sent one box off to Ziffit for a wee bit of money, and gave the rest to a charity shop. I can fit all my books on the shelves again!

 

8 Minutes of writing per day

Pretty steady.

 

9 pm bed time – 12/31 (78/243)

An improvement on last month. The bad news being, it’s only because I hurt my neck and the diazepam made me super sleepy.

 

10% of wages saved – 10/10

Done.

 

12 Hand-written letters – 7/12

None this month.

 

13 New recipes tried – 10/13

The slow cooker got some use this month with a pork and cider stew. I went a bit overboard with the chillis, but a spoon of yoghurt soon sorts that out.

 

14 Meet ups with friends – 14/14 COMPLETE! (stretch goal 17/25)

Just one this month, a visit to my friend who hasn’t been able to get into her flat for over 2 years.

 

15 Birthdays on time – 11/15

No birthdays this month.

 

16 Christmas cards made – 3/16

Nada. Again.

 

17 Birthday cards made – 7/17

None this month.

 

18 Items decluttered – 9/18

Another load of books, and I gave away a little cat brooch that I never wear any more. My friend loves cats just as much as I do so I know she will love it and use it.

 

I definitely need to get a move on with my decluttering and card-making! Those can be my focus for September. The birthdays start up again this month so there should definitely be some movement to show in the next review.

 

How’s everyone else’s goals going, if you set any? Got any exciting plans for September? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 June review

This is getting silly now. I’m sure I only posted my May review last week!

 

1 New blog followed per week – 4/4 (yearly total 25/25)

Done. This one is going so well 🙂

 

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 1/2 (10/12)

This month I had a go at Bavarian crochet. Like most things, it’s not as difficult as I thought it would be. I’m thinking of making a cushion cover with my little test sample.

 

3 Instagram posts per week – 6/12 (88/75)

I slipped this month, but I’m still ahead of my overall total so yay I suppose.

 

4 Exercise sessions per week – 23/16 (100/100)

Woo hooo I’ve caught up with my overall total!

I’m going out on my lunch break every day, and it feels really good to be getting back into moving regularly. At the moment I’m meeting my step goal at least six days every week, which hasn’t happened for nearly two years.

 

5 Blog posts written per week – 13/20 (105/125)

Below target, but still better than I thought. One thing 18 for 2018 has taught me is that I’m actually a lot more productive than I think I am in several areas.

 

6 Patterns written up – 1.5/6 (1.5/6)

No movement.

 

7 Areas in my flat sorted – 3.5/7 (3.5/7)

No more this month. I blame the sunshine :p

 

8 Minutes of writing per day

Still not every day, but I’m certainly working on it more often.

 

9 pm bed time – 7/30 (59/181)

Another improvement on last month, but obviously I still need to work on this more.

 

10% of wages saved – 10/10

Done.

 

12 Hand-written letters – 6/12

None this month, but I’m writing one at the moment.

 

13 New recipes tried – 7/13

Nothing here either. I’ve bookmarked a few to try, but didn’t actually get time to try them out.

 

14 Meet ups with friends – 14/14 COMPLETE!

We’re only halfway through the year and I’ve already met a goal! I can’t believe it, especially as it’s this goal. I’m really not as unsociable as I thought.

This month brought it home with a night at the pub after my choir’s summer concert, and a starlight swim on the coast, which was utterly wonderful.

The scenery was amazing, the weather was gorgeous so the temperature was just right, I battered my fear of heights into submission and jumped off the 3m diving board, and spent some lovely time with lovely friends.

 

15 Birthdays on time – 11/15

Ooh I’m getting close with this one. Three friends had birthdays this month and I managed to make them all.

 

16 Christmas cards made – 3/16

Just no. It’s too hot to be thinking about Christmas.

 

17 Birthday cards made – 7/17

Three birthdays, but only two cards made this month. I’m not sure how the third friend feels about birthday cards, as she’s a professional declutterer, so I made her some fairy cakes instead.

 

18 Items decluttered – 6/18

No time this month, I really must get on.

 

I don’t like the way I pretty much missed June. Honestly, it went so quickly we were at the 2nd before I even realised it was July. This month I’m going to set aside some regular time to focus on my goals, and hopefully being a bit more mindful will stop time whizzing past me before I can properly enjoy it.

How was your June? Did you meet any goals? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 May review

A somewhat pictureless post for now, as I managed to crack my phone screen in my pocket and of course that’s where I keep all my photos!

1 New blog followed per week – 4/4 (yearly total 21/21)

A reader pointed me to some more tatting blogs this month. I love looking at the photos and wondering how long it’ll take for my tatting to be half that good 😉

 

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 1/2 (9/10)

The month whizzed by and I only had chance to learn the mattress joining stitch. It is wizardry though so I’m not disappointed!

 

3 Instagram posts per week – 14/13 (82/63)

I felt like I hardly posted at all, but I more than met my goal. Maybe it’s just because I didn’t post regularly.

 

4 Exercise sessions per week – 22/18 (77/84)

Sunshine helps so much with this one! It’s far easier to get outside for a walk when it’s not raining sideways or freezing cold.

As well as the canal, I found a public park quite near my work so I’ve been heading there for some walks as well.

 

5 Blog posts written per week – 13/23 (92/105)

Er yeah. I’ve actually written a few that I haven’t posted yet, but I still definitely fell short. I knew this one was coming though; I really lost my blogging mojo this month. I feel like it’s back again now so here’s hoping I can catch up.

 

6 Patterns written up – 1.5/6 (1.5/6)

Nada.

 

7 Areas in my flat sorted – 3.5/7 (3.5/7)

I wish I had taken a before photo of my yarn stash so you could see the difference right now. It’s even colour coded!

 

8 Minutes of writing per day

Mostly done, it just wasn’t blog-writing.

 

9 pm bed time – 4/31 (52/151)

Well. Better than last month, I guess?

 

10% of wages saved – 10/10

Done and done.

 

12 Hand-written letters – 6/12

One more added to the pile.

 

13 New recipes tried – 7/13

After nabbing some chorizo at the farmers market I found a recipe for chicken and chorizo jambalaya. Never heard of jambalaya before so I had to try it, and I’m glad I did because it was lovely!

 

14 Meet ups with friends – 12/14

My choir put on a ceilidh (kay-lee) and I only meant to go for an hour or so, but I ended up dancing the whole night away.

I also got in another birthday meet up, as this was the first date I could get in at the archery centre. I loved it of course, and the awesome thing is so did my friends! Plus I got this badass picture of me.

15 Birthdays on time – 8/15

There have been no birthdays this month, which feels odd after the first 4 months of the year.

 

16 Christmas cards made – 3/16

I whacked out a couple more, it is so strange making Christmas cards in the sunshine.

 

17 Birthday cards made – 5/17

No birthdays means no cards made either.

 

18 Items decluttered – 6/18

I had a sort out of my wardrobe and got rid of some dresses and tops that I will never wear again. It’s still pretty crowded in there though so maybe I should have another look through! I’m also getting rid of some yarn I knew I would never use.

 

Another up and down month this time, but I was never aiming for perfection. The focus for June is to sort out my flipping bed time!! I’ve set a permanent alarm on my phone for 8pm, to kick in my night time routine and hopefully get me ready to face plant my bed by 9. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

How are everyone’s goals going (if you set any)? Did you have a good May? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

I don’t have a yarn problem, I have a lack of storage problem.

So I mentioned that I had a sort of my stash last weekend. What I should have said is that I started a sort of my stash.

Three times I thought I was finished, and three times I found another box/bag/drawer full of even more yarn. It’s never ending!

The problem is the last time I thought I was finished, every box was full. So that bag of yarn I just found has nowhere to go.

In the spirit of my decluttering goal this year I’ve decided to get rid of some that I know I’ll never use, and I’m going to be ruthless. I’ve already set aside all the fluffy skeins for Rebecca, because I cannot use that stuff and I know she can. I’ve caked a few skeins of old acrylic that might go to a charity shop, and I’m considering selling on some of my natural fibre skeins too.

But it still won’t all fit in the boxes I have, so clearly the answer is a trip to Ikea this weekend for more storage! There’s no such thing as too much yarn; only insufficient storage space.

I also have about 20 more projects I want to start. Just seeing some of the yarn I forgot I even had makes me want to get on and make something with it, like NOW. We shall see how long I can resist.

So does anyone have any tips for maximising yarn storage? Just in case I’ve missed something that could make this a bit easier. Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 April review

1 New blog followed per week – 4/4 (yearly total 17/17)

I found a tatting blog! Lots of handy tips there for one of my many new hobbies.

 

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 2/2 (8/8)

This month I drafted a post (but haven’t got round to posting it) about increasing stitches in Tunisian crochet, and I’ve also started to learn some tatting.

 

3 Instagram posts per week – 15/12 (68/50)

This was definitely much easier when I had a challenge to follow. April went by so quickly I went a whole week without posting anything because it felt like just a couple of days. I caught up though after looking back over my posts and realising that I hardly ever remember to post my finished items; a few FO posts and I was back on track.

 

4 Exercise sessions per week – 16/16 (55/66)

The archery centre ran an extra session on bank holiday Monday, and that absolutely counted as a workout. 90 minutes of non-stop firing and retrieving arrows is TOUGH!

I also discovered there’s a canal about 10 minutes away from work, so on the rare days it’s not raining I’ve been going there in my breaks for a walk down the towpath. It somehow makes the work day more enjoyable.

 

5 Blog posts written per week – 16/20 (79/82)

Even though I wrote a couple of posts for my other blog as well as this one, I still fell a wee bit behind. Not too badly though.

 

6 Patterns written up – 1.5/6 (1.5/6)

I finally whacked out the pattern for my mini octos. Yes it’s the simplest pattern ever, but I worked it out for myself so I’m proud of it.

 

7 Rooms in my flat sorted – 2.5/7 (2.5/7)

I had a sort through my bookcase, but that’s not really a whole room is it?

 

8 Minutes of writing per day

I’m getting better at this!

 

9 pm bed time – 2/30 (48/120)

Oh dear…

 

10% of wages saved – 10/10

Done

 

12 Hand-written letters – 5/12

Yes, I’ve written to the same friend twice. Still counts.

 

13 New recipes tried – 6/13

The yellow sticker box actually helped me out this month, as I bought a few things and then looked up how to use them when I got home.

First up was avocado pesto pasta. I’m happy about this one because all I’ve ever done with avocado before is use it on toast in place of butter – tasty, but not really a recipe! The one downside to this is that avocado blackens even when it’s whizzed up in pesto. I took some leftovers to work the next day and it looked utterly disgusting, although it still tasted just as good.

Next up was sausagemeat pasta (or rice, if you can’t find the pasta. Ahem).

This was a happy accident, as I didn’t read the label properly and thought I was buying sausages. Somewhat disappointed when I got home and realised my mistake, but it worked out in the end because this stuff is GORGEOUS.

14 Meet ups with friends – 10/14

My birthday helped a lot with this goal. I’ve been out for meals, gone to a bouncy castle theme park, and met various friends in various coffee shops.

Me, exhausted after an hour of bouncy castle-ing

 

I also went to my cousin’s hen party and worked my way through the most enormous stand of cakes. Good times.

 

15 Birthdays on time – 8/15

Despite Easter messing with the post, my sister’s parcel arrived in time for her birthday, hooray!

It was my cousin’s birthday the following week, and her custom kindle cover arrived in plenty of time. Can we take a moment to be impressed that it fits perfectly, when I never actually saw the kindle and just worked off measurements my cousin sent me?

 

16 Christmas cards made – 1/16

I’ve actually made one! Although I forgot take a photo. Maybe I’ll update when I get home tonight.

 

17 Birthday cards made – 5/17

I am really proud of the owl card I made for my cousin.

My camera couldn’t really pick it up, but the moon behind them is gold card. The black owl really stands out against the moon and the white stands out against the purple background. I just love it.

And this was my sister’s card

Can you tell I got a Big Shot for Christmas?

 

18 Items decluttered – 4/18

I emptied the shelving rack in my bathroom, got rid of things I was clearly never going to use again, and organised everything else so it’s all in a logical order. Very satisfying.

The bookcase also received a thorough sorting out, as I was having to double-shelve some books and I hate not being able to see what I’ve got. Some have been returned to their original owners, some have been sold to Ziffit, and the rest went off to the charity shop.

 

I’ve really slipped in some areas (looking at you, 9pm bed time), but then in others I’ve done much better than expected. The 14 meet ups with friends seemed a bit ridiculous when I chose it, a kind of ‘stretch goal’, but we’re not even halfway through the year and I’m almost there.

Maybe the real goal is just to write down when I meet my friends so it stays in my mind and I don’t see myself as such an unsociable hermit.

Food for thought, anyway.

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 March review

1 New blog followed per week – 4/4 (yearly total 13/13)

This month I branched out a bit and followed a sewing blog, , as well as a couple more yarny people and a zentangler.

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 2/2 (6/6)

I’m still to write up posts, but this month I learned how to knit cables (at last!) and the very basics of patchwork.

3 Instagram posts per week – 27/12 (53/38)

Thanks to March Meet The Maker, I totally smashed this one. It’s been really fun interacting with people on there and making new friends, I’m definitely going to keep up posting (although not every day) and keep that community growing.

4 Exercise sessions per week – 7/18 (39/50)

I’m still trying to get back to running regularly, but so far I’m only managing once a week. I’d forgotten how tough it is to build up a habit from scratch, but I’ve done it before so I know I can do it again!

5 Blog posts written per week – 24/22 (63/62)

Getting the hang of this!

6 Patterns written up – 0.5/6 (0.5/6)

Turns out my waffle hat was a bit short and the shaping at the top was odd so I’m re-making it and tweaking as I go.

7 Rooms in my flat sorted – 2.5/7 (2.5/7)

I realised I had gone about this the wrong way by starting with my box room; it’s the space that needs the most work and it was really draining my energy that I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere.

So this weekend I did the hallway (the easiest space) and the bathroom. It feels so good to finally cross some of the list and I’ve got my mojo back to keep plugging away at the box room. It will not defeat me!

8 Minutes of writing per day

I’m getting much better at doing this, and it’s true that the more you use a skill the more it grows. As well as this blog I’ve gone back to my old blog and started writing stories again.

9 pm bed time – 15/28 (46/90)

Yeah, it’s a goal to aim for.

10% of wages saved – 10/10

Done at last, although my car is still doing its absolute best to bankrupt me. Heap of junk.

11 Items listed in my shop – 0/11

I’m actually putting this goal on hold for a few weeks, for a good reason. There’s a blog post coming that’ll explain.
12 Hand-written letters – 4/12

Just the one this month, which I suppose is on target. I do like writing to my friends, I really don’t know why I don’t do it more often.
13 New recipes tried – 4/13

I managed to find another keeper this month with DIY KFC. It’s so long since I had KFC I can’t tell if it tastes like the real thing, but it does taste gooooood and that’ll do for me!

This looks overdone, but it was just perfect

14 Meet ups with friends – 5/14

One of my friends had a significant birthday so she had a wee party at her flat, and last weekend we had a bestie date with Black Panther and ice cream.

I also had another friend over to my flat for a catch up, which I very nearly cancelled because I was feeling particularly introvert-y, but I’m glad I didn’t.

15 Birthdays on time – 5(or 6?)/15

The significant birthday friend got her card and present a day early, how’s that for organised!

There’s one I’m not sure of and I’d like some opinions. It was my Dad’s birthday on a Tuesday, and I posted his card and present on the Monday, first class so it should have got there on time. But it didn’t. Thanks, Royal Mail.

So do I count it because I posted it on time, or not because it didn’t arrive on time? Let me know what you think!

16 Christmas cards made – 0/16

Still none so far.

17 Birthday cards made – 4/17

I made a unicorn-ish card for my friend to go with the unicorn mug I bought for her present.

I also made and sent my sister’s card last week, as her birthday is the day after Easter and I know the post is unreliable (even more than usual) around Easter time.

18 Items decluttered – 2/18

The KFC recipe required so many new spices/flavourings that I had to sort out my current spices so I could fit them in. I had some stuff in there with dates in the early 2000’s. So I cleared those out and even alphabetised the ones I had left. Much better!

I’m making some pretty good progress so far, I think. April is birthday central for my family so all the birthday goals should jump up for next time. I just need to keep working on the others as well.

How are your goals going (if you made any)? What do you think about counting my Dad’s present toward the total? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 February review

So I meant to post this before I headed back from NZ, but I was just so busy having fun that it didn’t happen! Then came 40+ hours of travelling. Let’s not talk about that. So now I’m back on UK soil let’s have a look at my 18 for 2018 goals

 

1 New blog followed per week – 4/4 (yearly total 9/9)

Done, done, done! Mainly crochet, but I’ve also found some amazing Zentangle blogs.

 

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 2/2 (4/4)

Still going with Tunisian crochet! This time I learned the purl stitch and how to Tunisian in the round, finally making use of that double-ended hook!

 

3 Instagram posts per week – 12/12 (26/26)

I’m actually surprised I managed to meet this one, considering I posted very little when I was in NZ.  But meet it I did so onwards and upwards!

 

4 Exercise sessions per week – 16/16 (32/34)

It seemed rather optimistic packing my running gear, but I actually went for a run while I was away! There was also LOTS of walking so I’ve had a pretty active month 🙂

 

5 Blog posts written per week – 20/20 (39/40)

A confession for this one: for the first couple of weeks of February I only wrote two or three posts. The other 14-15 were zentangle posts that I wrote during my looooong stopovers in Sydney/Melbourne airport.  So I met my goal, but it didn’t really help with building a habit.

 

6 Patterns written up – 0.5/6 (0.5/6)

I was hoping to work on this during a stopover, but sadly it didn’t happen.

 

7 Rooms in my flat sorted – 0.5/7 (0.5/7)

Still plugging away at my box room, and I also had a sort out of my books and DVDs.

 

8 Minutes of writing per day

Getting better at tracking this one, but still not perfect.

 

9 pm bed time – 7/28 (31/59)

Yeah, not even a little bit. For 6 days of this month I was so busy crossing time zones I had no idea when 9pm even was. Then for half the month I was staying with a family friend and they do not sleep early. So no.

 

10% of wages saved – 0/10

Well.

After having paid quite a bit of money to get to NZ, the clutch died on my car. Then the following week my MOT was due, and you bet that hunk of junk didn’t pass first time.  And then I was on holiday, where you have to spend money to get places and do things.

So my saving for February is a big nada.

But, this has helped me realise how privileged I am. I know there are many, many people in the world who can’t even afford tickets to New Zealand, and here I was able to buy the tickets, fix and MOT my car, and still have some spending money left over. Even though I’m not ‘rich’ by Western standards, I know I’m one of the very lucky few in this world who hardly ever have to worry about being able to afford the basic necessities.  I need to remember and appreciate that more often.

 

11 Items listed in my shop – 0/11

Nah.

 

12 Hand-written letters – 3/12

I managed to get one written before I left for hols, and I sent a couple from my travels!

 

13 New recipes tried – 3/13

Things have been tight money-wise this month, so I haven’t been able to go and buy specific ingredients for new recipes. Hopefully next month will be a lot less expensive and I’ll be able to shop for what I want instead of whatever the supermarket has reduced.

 

14 Meet ups with friends – 3/14

I’ve been out for drinks with a friend, and oh yeah I flew to New Zealand for a wedding!

 

15 Birthdays on time – 4/15

My brother’s card arrived bang on his birthday, I’m so proud!

This is usually the point in the year when I give up on being on time for people’s birthdays because I’ve already missed so many (a lot of my loved ones were Winter babies!), but this year I’m feeling good and I’m determined to keep up with this.

 

16 Christmas cards made – 0/16

Still none so far.

 

17 Birthday cards made – 2/17

The only birthday this month was my brother’s, which I bought a card for, so nothing new to add on this one.

 

18 Items decluttered – 1/18

It hurt me to do it, but I’ve thrown away my old pair of converse trainers. There were holes in the soles, frayed ends on the laces, and my right little toe poked out of the side where the canvas had worn away.  I should have binned them a long time ago, but I do so love my converse.

Next up will be taking out the books and DVDs I no longer want.

 

Lesson learned this month: international travel can interrupt the best-planned goals, but that’s totally okay.  Also, always have a stash of money ready for when the car goes wrong. Again.

I need to pull my finger out and get on track with more of these in March. Wish me luck!

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018 January review

White rabbits! Here’s a look at how my 18 for 2018 goals are going so far.

1 New blog followed per week – 5/5

Done for this month, I’ve found some lovely new crochet blogs to follow.

 

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month – 2/2

You all know I’ve been getting right into Tunisian crochet this month. I can’t believe I put it off for so long. I’ve learned the simple stitch and the knit stitch (no I’m not counting my ‘mistake’ until I learn it properly).

 

3 Instagram posts per week – 14/14

When I post today that’ll be me at my goal for January. Woo hoo!

 

4 Exercise sessions per week – 16/18

I missed a couple this week and last, because I seem to have forgotten how to sleep properly. So when my alarm goes off at 6am the snooze button seems far more important than my kettlebells ever could be. Here’s hoping the sleep thing won’t last!

 

5 Blog posts written per week – 19/22

I was so close with this one. And I only slipped because my Dad came to visit for the weekend and we went to the zoo when usually I would be blogging. I’m okay with that 🙂

6 Patterns written up – 0.5/6

Still working on my cowl/neck warmer pattern.

 

7 Rooms in my flat sorted – 0.5/7

I made a great start a couple of weekends ago, but then it sort of fizzled out. I definitely work better just picking at it 10 minutes at a time, instead of one massive decluttering slog.

I’m working on my box room at the moment, and I’ve propped the door open so the mess isn’t hidden from sight (out of sight, out of mind is so true!) and I can just do little bits every time I walk past.

 

8 Minutes of writing per day

I’m really, really bad at tracking this one! I write most days but I’ve no idea how long for. Sometimes it’s half an hour or more and that’s obvious, but if I just scribble down ideas throughout the day then I have no way of telling how long I spent on it.

I think I need to set some time aside, set a timer for the 8 minutes and just focus on nothing but writing. Much easier to track, and it’ll probably make the writing better if I focus on it properly.

 

9 pm bed time – 24/31

This one actually isn’t possible 100% of the time, considering choir every Monday doesn’t finish til 9pm, and my singing group every other Tuesday runs til 9:30pm.

But the days when I’m at home, I have been getting to bed on time more often than not. It’s such an improvement and I’m already noticing the benefits so I’m keeping up with this one!

 

10% of wages saved – 10/10

My flights to New Zealand turned out a lot cheaper than I had budgeted for, so I still managed to put some money aside this month. Thank goodness for Sky Scanner.

 

**UPDATE: Is it Sod’s Law?  I think that’s the one.  The clutch in my car went yesterday, and I’ve just this second had a call from the garage to say that replacing it will cost almost £400.  At least I had my savings for a couple of weeks!

 

11 Items listed in my shop – 0/11

None yet, but I’ve taken photos of a couple of items so I just need to get them uploaded.

 

12 Hand-written letters – 0.5/12

If I wrote a letter every time I thought about writing a letter, I would have smashed this goal already.

I’ve stuck some stationery in my bag so I can add a couple of paragraphs whenever I get a few spare minutes, and I’ve made a start on a rambly letter to a friend.

 

13 New recipes tried – 3/13

The first new recipe this year was coca cola slow cooked gammon, and I have to say I was pretty disappointed with it. It tasted no different to regular slow cooked gammon so I may as well use water, which comes out of the tap for free.

I made some chicken madras using a BBC recipe, which was okay but nothing to write home about.

Then I made a cauliflower-base pizza. I am not exaggerating (or using ‘literally’ in an incorrect manner) when I say this was literally the best pizza I have ever tasted. I topped it with mushroom, gherkin, chilli cheese, and pesto, and the whole way through the first slice I was making involuntary noises. It was just. so. GOOD!

The pizza is definitely being added in to my regular menu.

 

14 Meet ups with friends – 1/14

We threw a surprise party for a friend’s 60th birthday and it was so much fun!

 

15 Birthdays on time – 3/15

I missed a couple right at the start of the month, but I got prezzies sent out on time for my not-godson and his brother so I’m proud of that! I also made a scarf for the friend who turned 60.

 

16 Christmas cards made – 0/16

None yet, but I do have a couple of ideas that I want to make before I forget them so I’ll get some done soon.

 

17 Birthday cards made – 2/17

One for my not-godson, and one for his brother.

Does anyone else get really stressed about putting numbers on birthday cards? I’m always so afraid I’ll use the wrong one!

 

18 Items decluttered – 0/18

I have a few things ready to go, but it doesn’t count until they’re actually out of the flat. I get no points for things sitting in binbags by the door rather than sitting in a bottom drawer :p

 

Overall it’s not been a bad start to the year, really. I know where I need to direct more energy if I’m going to meet my goals, and I’ve set up some systems to make it easier to work on them.

I know quite a few people set goals for this year, how are they going? Are you enjoying it or finding them hard work? Let me know in the comments!

Hannah

xXx

18 for 2018

Last year I followed a few bloggers who were doing the 17 for 2017 goal-setting challenge.  I loved the idea, but by the time I came across it the year was already well under way and I felt it was too late to join in and try catching up.

I wasn’t entirely sure I would try it this year either, but then (most unlike me) I started thinking about it in the run up to Christmas, and making a plan.

To start off I just wrote a list of everything I want to work on this year – things like making my Etsy shop more successful, getting my fitness back, and tidying up/decluttering my flat.

Then I had a play around putting them into order by priority level, and the amount of time it would take to achieve them. And finally I assigned them all to their number.

I’ll be honest; I’m not 100% convinced I’ll keep all of these goals in these formats, but it’s a starting point and gives me something to work towards. So here are my 18 for 2018 goals:

1 New blog followed per week

I love my blogging family and I’d love to grow it even more.

2 New stitches/techniques learned per month

I tend to stick with my favourite stitches in crochet, and I’d love to advance my knitting.

3 Instagram posts per week

This was supposed to be another avenue for advertising my shop, but I kinda failed last year. I’m hoping to fix that this year.

4 Exercise sessions per week

Oh I want to be fit and strong again!

5 Blog posts written per week

For more regular posting, but also to create a backlog that I can use as scheduled posts during busy weeks.

6 Patterns written up

I think this will be the year I really get into writing patterns. I’ve already made a start on one and I enjoyed the process.

7 Rooms in my flat sorted

There are still some boxes I have never unpacked since I moved into this flat 9 months ago, plus I’m just a messy person. It needs sorting.

8 Minutes of writing per day

This could be blogs, short stories, or the novel I’ve been working on for years. Doesn’t matter, just as long as I get my creative writing muscles flexing.

9 pm bed time

I need a lot of sleep. A lot. But I would also like to start getting up early enough to exercise before work like I used to, so the only answer is to get to bed on time.

10% of wages saved

My friend in New Zealand is getting married this year, and going to that will wipe out pretty much all of my savings. This goal will hopefully build them back up again pretty quickly.

11 Items listed in my shop

I was utterly rubbish with this last year. Time to sort myself out.

12 Hand-written letters sent

My friends and I used to write letters to each other regularly, but at some point we got out of the habit. I’m determined to get back into it again.

13 New recipes tried

I get bored easily.

14 Meet ups with friends

I had a looooooot of problems last year, and one of my coping mechanisms (which turned out to be hindrance rather than help) was to withdraw from pretty much everyone. I’m an introvert so I do need my alone time, but I refuse to let it slide into loneliness again.

15 Birthdays on time

Confession: I still haven’t sent a present to my friend whose birthday was in September. I’m great at buying/making the presents, now I just need to get myself to the post office and send them on time!

16 Christmas cards made

The hope being that I won’t need a frantic making sessions in the second week of December.

17 Birthday cards made

Partly ties in with 15, but I’m also hoping to build up some stock for the shop.

18 Items decluttered

I have too much stuff. Nuff said.

 

I’m a bit of a nerd, so I printed off a chart for tracking them all weekly and it’s going to be pinned to my bedroom mirror so I can keep an eye on it as the year goes on. They’re even colour-coded by weekly/monthly/yearly goals.

Wish me luck!

Hannah

xXx