2021 Goals

2021 is nearly here, can you believe it?! How are you feeling about the upcoming year? I'm feeling  a bit more optimistic, but also a little worried about what's to come! Anyway, here are my goals for 2021.

2020 Goals Recap

I honestly forgot I even set myself goals for this year, that's how much of a crazy year it's been! I think if I hadn't decided to have a flip through my planner a few weeks ago, I probably wouldn't have written this post this year!

2020 Reading Wrap Up

I still can't believe how many books I read this year! I completely expected to struggle to read 20 this year, so I couldn't believe it when I realised I've read 27! Although I easily could have hit 30+ but I decided to have a break from reading this month, until Saturday when I decided to start reading Hangman by Daniel Cole! I probably won't finish it before the New Year, but I'm enjoying it so far!

Diary Entry #12

It was Josh's 23rd birthday last Friday! We weren't able to do anything to celebrate unfortunately, as he had work and then was so shattered he fell asleep on the sofa after opening his presents! He seemed pretty happy with his gifts though. We ordered dinner in, which ended up being two hours late! We were absolutely starving, and Josh went straight to bed after eating. Not the best birthday ever, but he didn't complain, bless him.

My Minimalism Journey | 2020 Update

If you read my last diary entry, you'll know I've been decluttering again a lot lately. This sparked me to read every single one of my old minimalism journey posts and I realised I haven't updated it in over a year! I miss blogging about minimalism, so here we are again!

Diary Entry #11

We're a week into December and it started so well for me. I have been struggling with my mental health a lot the last few weeks but I am on such a high lately! I'm starting to think it's PMS. It's pretty much towards the end of every month I get like that, like clockwork. I definitely have to take a lot of time for myself when I feel that low.

What I Read in November 2020

I read a grand total of three books last month and I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself about that! So here's a quick recap and review of what I read in November.

December Goals 2020

It's officially December tomorrow and 2020 is nearly over already, can you believe it?! I certainly can't. So much has happened this year. We've spent the majority of it in some form of lockdown, my sister gave birth to her first child, my longest friend also became a mother...the list is endless! We've had our Christmas decorations up since November 15th. We started Christmas shopping in October. I'm ready for Christmas in every sense of it - it needs to be a good one this year!

Diary Entry #10 | White Horse Wood Country Park

We've been meaning to go for a walk through the White Horse Wood Country Park for months now, so on Saturday we finally decided to go. It was so lovely to get out and get some fresh air - even though we got caught in the rain!

Diary Entry #9 | Be More Me Update

It's now been a week since my Be More Me Plan & Haul went live, and I started implementing some of the changes. Within three days I was feeling so much better about myself!

October Book Haul

I have been on a book-buying ban for a good few months now. I genuinely can't remember when I started it but I do know that the last book I bought was on my Kindle during the first lockdown. But I have recently acquired some new books and I really wanted to share them with you!

Now I'm 25 | Be More Me Plan & Haul

One of my goals for October was to figure out how to be more "me" once I turned 25. I had a very basic plan/idea of what I wanted but had nothing set in stone until three nights ago when I couldn't get to sleep.

Hello November 2020

November already, can you believe it?! I certainly can't! It's Christmas next month and I'm in no way shape or form ready for it. Feels like we've only just had 2019 Christmas! I am also now officially 25. Half way to 50 as my friend kindly keeps pointing out...I just can't believe I'm going to be 30 in five years time - time to crack out the 30 by 30 bucket list?!

The Hallotober Tag 2020

Ooh, the Hallotober Tag! This is right up my street! There's nothing better than a Halloween themed post, is there? Thank you to Anne at Rooting Branches for tagging me!

Wicca is a Journey

 As I was writing my Samhain post, I kind of realised that my Wicca/Wheel of the Year posts barely even scratch the surface of the history and the meanings behind the Sabbats. I did have a little wobble, and worried that other witches may read my post and think "ugh, what a poser!" However, there is a reason behind the way I've written my posts.

October, I'm in Love

October is my absolute favourite month of the year. Not just because it's my birthday month, but it helps! There's just something about October that makes me happy.

Samhain & Ways to Celebrate

Ooh I haven't written one of these for a while! Oops! Seems only fitting that I start again with Samhain. Samhain is known as the witch's New Year. The Wheel of the Year has turned full circle and it's time to celebrate! We celebrate everything we have achieved this year, and we get to celebrate with our ancestors. Everyone knows the veil to the other world lifts at Halloween!

Diary Entry #8

A few weeks ago I decided to get us all out on our bikes for a quick evening ride. Josh had bought Charlie a balance bike, as the scooter was a no-go and he doesn't pedal his trike! I fancied attempting another go on my bike so off we went.

5 Tips for Better Sleep with Kalms | AD

I have been struggling to sleep lately. Honestly, I have always struggled to sleep. I am a chronic night owl and it's very rare for me to get to sleep at a reasonable time. But then if I do sleep early/well, I struggle to get to sleep the following night. It's a seemingly never-ending cycle. I've also noticed that the more stressed I am, the harder it is for me to sleep.

In fact, after about a week of stress-induced sleepless nights, I decided to get some Kalms Nights.  I have used Kalms Days in previous years, whenever I was feeling stressed, or anxious and they helped so much. Myself and my Mum prefer more "natural/traditional" medicines where we can, and we are huge fans of the Kalms range.

A Good Girls Guide to Murder | Book Review

"Real men wear floral when trespassing."

A Good Girls Guide to Murder was actually bought for me during early lockdown, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to pick it up! I decided to take this book on holiday with me. I wasn't sure how much time I was actually going to get to read but I figured it was worth a try.

I managed to squeeze in a chapter before bed on the first night, and although I wasn't "hooked" on it, I was definitely intrigued by it! I didn't reread the synopsis before starting it, so I couldn't really remember what to expect.

My October TBR

I only read one book throughout the whole of September and it's really made me want to read more this month! I have selected three books to attempt to get through throughout October, and I'm really excited for one of them in particular.

Hello October!

It's my birthday month! I turn 25 this October, how terrifying is that?! Where on earth has my life gone, and where the hell is it going?!

I'm starting the month fresh, I insisted on having a decluttering session last Sunday, so I'm now a few bags lighter of stuff. It's amazing how much better you feel after a good declutter and shift around. There's still plenty to sort out though, so maybe I can get another one in before my birthday!

My Morning Skincare Routine

My skincare routine has changed so much the last few months! I used to just wash my face, use a face mask once a month or so, slap some moisturiser on and that was it! Now I have a full routine with some gorgeous products and I don't know why it took me so long to get into a proper routine. I exclusively use Body Shop products as they're cruelty free and many are vegan!

Center Parcs | Longleat Forest

Our first holiday! We'd been thinking about Center Parcs for ages, and we finally thought "sod it, we're going!" Monday morning we packed up the car and headed off. We also found out that Stonehenge is on the way, so we planned to stop off there too. However once we got closer, we decided to get straight to the Parc. I did snap a photo of Stonehenge as we passed it though!

Center Parcs | Part Two

Part two of our holiday diary; click here to check out part one if you missed it!

Diary Entry #7 | Keep Calm & Pedal On

Learning to ride a bike at 24 is not something I thought I would be doing. My parents had tried to teach me when I was a kid but I never quite got the hang of it.

Self Care September

If you read yesterdays post, you'll know I've been struggling mentally lately. So for September, I'm making a point of looking after myself, and will be using my self care journal daily, as well as partaking in a self care challenge.

September Goals

August seemed to go by so slowly for me! I don't think I really did a lot this month, although I have posted a couple of lovely photo diaries. Plus I got to see my Mum and Stepdad which was a perfect day out!

Josh and I also got to have a date day yesterday. We went clothes shopping - I didn't get anything but Josh has kitted out his wardrobe with some incredibly sexy shirts - and then we went for a wander down to the beach. It was such a perfect day and it always feels so good to spend some time just us two.

Five Feet Apart | Book Review

I have to say, Queenie absolutely got me back into reading. The same day I finished Queenie, I got Josh to pick me out a new book to read from my shelf. He picked Five Feet Apart.

Wow. What a book.

Queenie | Book Review

I finally did it! After two months of not reading anything other than kids books to Charlie at bedtime, I finally read a book. Plus my final book for my 2020 reading goal!

Bedgebury Pineton | Photo Diary

Another day, another adventure with the in-laws! This time Josh was able to come along as it was the weekend - thank God! Feels totally wrong going anywhere woodsy without my explorer! Although I didn't get to take my mini explorer this time - Charlie was at his Dad's for the weekend!

This time we headed to Bedgebury Pineton, and even just the drive there was gorgeous! The village Marden is so beautiful and quaint, would love to visit there properly one day.

Cromer Woods, Sittingbourne | Photo Diary

As my mother in law (to be, technically. One day.) is now off work for another six weeks, we decided to spend a day out together! She took us to Cromer Woods in Sittingbourne. Charlie and I absolutely love woodland walks, and although it was a little odd to be doing one without Josh, it was lovely to be out!

Hello August 2020!

July was a bit of a flop to be honest. Blogging was a no-go, I only published a handful of posts and I definitely didn't double my pageviews! I did however, get more pageviews in July than I did June so I am very pleased about that!

A Weekend Away

If you follow me on Twitter or read my latest post, you'll know that myself and Josh have been struggling lately. I especially, have been struggling. I've been stressed and exhausted and desperately needed to get away. So, on a complete whim, I booked myself, Josh and Charlie into a hotel room for the weekend. 

A Much Needed Date | Photo Diary

Things have been tough between me and Josh lately. We've been stressy with each other and snapping/arguing more. So it was time for date. We haven't really had much alone time together for a while, and no I don't count laying in bed watching films or a couple of episodes of one series or another, as alone time.

Three weeks or so after I suggested a date, we finally got to have it. I dressed up, we packed a picnic and we went off to the Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park. We spent a good hour trying to find the perfect place to have our picnic, and it really was perfect.

The Body Shop Haul & First Impressions

I honestly can't remember the last time I used a product from The Body Shop. I remember going to my local store with a friend for my birthday one year, but once that shut down I rarely thought about The Body Shop again. I've seen more people talking about it lately, so I decided to treat myself and ordered some bits!

Mid Year Freak Out Book Tag

Well I am probably well behind with this blog post - oops! I was tagged by the lovely Anne from Rooting Branches. 

July Goals

Goodbye June you weird combination of happiness and despair! Hello July, you wonderful bout of hope and new motivation. 

Diary Entry #6

Been a while since I last wrote one of these! Now Josh is back at work, I feel like I've got less to write about, but here goes nothing!

Litha & Ways to Celebrate

It's the Summer solstice baby! A.k.a midsummer. Litha is the celebration of the longest day and shortest night of the year. The Sun god is at his peak and it's time to celebrate all of our achievements from the last six months and even focus in on some goals. This year Litha will be celebrated Saturday 20th June.

Healing Takes Time, Coralle Skye | Book Review

I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have only gotten into poetry over the last year or two, I hated studying it at school! But lately, more and more of the people I follow on social media have been sharing amazing poetry that I can actually understand and relate to. So when the chance came up to read and review Healing Takes Time, I jumped at it.

Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park | Photo Diary

Oake Gunpowder Works in Faversham is absolutely stunning. A little bit of history, and a lot of woodland. Not to mention the absolutely gorgeous lake! I'm already dying to go back.

What I Read in May

Goodness me I got so much reading done last month! I honestly don't know how I managed it.

Diary Entry #5 | Black Lives Matter

Well June started pretty horribly, didn't it? There has been - virtually - nothing but coverage of the protests on social media for days now. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining at all, but it's just so awful that even now, people are being wrongfully killed because of their skin colour. 

Image credit to Beevine Art.

June Goals

How typical is it that as soon as I set myself goals to go along with stuff I'd already been doing consecutively, that I immediately stop doing those things?! The main thing I wanted to do; go for a walk every day, I stopped doing. Mainly because it was so damn hot, but even so. The only goal I actually managed to stick with was read one more book. In fact, I actually read two more books. Go me. 

Daily Tasks for 14 Days

I haven't set myself some goals for a while, and it's been weird. #lockdownproblems. I had a flash of inspiration last night, and decided to set myself some daily tasks for the next fourteen days of May. I nearly waited and set them for June but...I need stuff to do now.

Diary Entry #4

In my last post I said I'd be back to posting regularly again but oops, that didn't happen. I started writing posts but I just completely lost interest in them, and wasn't happy to finish up. Now I'm just taking it a day at a time, hoping inspiration comes. I think that's partly why I'm enjoying the diary entries lately, it doesn't take too much thought to write them but they're still "me."

Diary Entry #3

I've been absolutely addicted to playing Homescapes lately, so I'm really behind on blog posts, YouTube, reading...pretty much everything I enjoy really! I have been feeling pretty down in the dumps again so I haven't really been interested in doing anything other than playing a game, but I seem to have got past that stage again now, thankfully! I'm slowly but surely getting back into other things again, and having a good blogging session so I should be back to regular posting again soon.

Beltane & Ways to Celebrate

It's nearly time for my second Sabbat celebration! Beltane - otherwise known as May Day - is typically celebrated from the evening of April 30th to the day of May 1st.

Beltane is celebrated because we're now at the peak of Spring, and will soon be welcoming Summer. Beltane represents sexuality, fertility and birth and the "eternal cycle of sacrifice and rebirth needed for the continuation of life."

Why I Started a Bookstagram

I've always had a love-hate relationship with Instagram. When I first started it, I would post everything and anything, and it was fine. Then I started blogging and it became a competition to see who could post the best photo and get the most likes. I never won.