Me, pre-babies by Ted Williams
The last couple of days have been great for me. I’ve thought about a lot of things: where I am now, where I want to be in the future, what makes me happy and how I can be the best person I can be for my family. My end of year meltdown has come at a brilliant time; I’m a huge fan of clean slates and new starts so 2013 is going to be the year I turn things around, get more proactive and happy. I think I give off the impression of being busy and fulfilled when really I think I have so much more potential, so much more to give to myself and the babies. I don’t want to feel like I’m letting anyone down anymore.
So I’ve taken the last couple of days to consider my New Years resolutions. I want to accomplish things this year, I want to look back next December feeling I lived my life, I didn’t let it pass me by. I’d like to grow more as a person, teach my children, grow my business, inspire my husband, cherish my friends and experience new things.
Find something I can do for ME
At the moment when I have alone time I either go back to bed to catch up on sleep or I work. I don’t think these are particularly good uses of downtime so it’s about time I found more ways to relax. I’d love to start horse riding again, or find a local dance class. Maybe even just make an effort to sit and read a magazine alone in the coffee shop.
Grow my blog
This blog gives me so much pleasure. Ever since I started earning pocket money from it I have treated it like a job, but I’ve enjoyed it more than any job I’ve ever had: to me it is A Big Deal. I love to write, it’s what I’ve wanted to do my whole life and I feel lucky that the Internet lets me do that. In my best month in 2012 50,000 people read my drivel and I’d love to be reaching that many people on a more regular basis. Ditto MAMA… I still think there’s a resource missing for women who feel they don’t fit in at Mumsnet-type places and I’d love to fill that space.
Video blog
When I was a kid I was really into amateur dramatics and my life goal was to be in Neighbors or Hollyoaks (I shit you not). I love to watch other people chat random rubbish on YouTube so I figure I should give it a go. I bought a camera tripod off eBay at 2am this morning when it seemed like the best idea in the world… watch out, Hollyoaks. There’s still time.
Help my mum start a blog
She’s been wanting to start one for AGES: so far we’ve registered a blog name for her and written her first post, I want to dedicate more time to helping her learn all about the wonderful world of blogging.
Get healthy
This is the year I get healthy. Luckily I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight fairly swiftly after Hux but I would like to work on my wellbeing and wobbly bits. I’ll be attending a fitness class once a week and trying to do one other physical activity per week. I also want to change my relationship with alcohol. I’m not an alcoholic but I rely on it too much: it’s the thing I reach for when I’m happy, when I’m sad, when I’m stressed. I have no off button either and have wasted too many days hungover when the night before I should have drank half the amount.
De-clutter and organize
I did FlyLady for a while last year and really enjoyed the process. I’m moving house in 10 days and I’m going to use this as an opportunity to bin a bunch of things that I never use, or are broken, and then move forward feeling uncluttered and uncumbered. I also want to continue using Evernote to be organized (LOVE this) and make use of my 2013 diary to program in baby groups and other activites to get us out the house more.
Work hard at what I love
The things I love are: family, writing, work, cooking, keeping a clean and tidy house. These will be my focuses for the year.
A brilliant plan lovely! I’m positive you’ll succeed!
Happy 2013!
Karin xx
Thank you Karin – I hope so too! xx
Happy New Year Alice! I can relate to most of those resolutions but my main aim is to change my relationship with food and alcohol for good. I need to find reward/solace in other things and I’m determined to do it this year. xx
Thanks Helen! It’s such a bloody shame that both food and booze taste SO GOOD. Grr. Oh well, over a week without booze now which is the most I’ve done in a long time. 2013 is definitely going to be the one! x
Sounds like you have a very clear plan. I reckon you’ll succeed in making 2013 everything you want it to be! Good luck!
Thanks Dawn! x
Good luck, I know you can do it :)
Stay positive!
Cx
Sounds like a great plan to me, Alice. I too need to do better things with my downtime – my brain is either at full-pelt frazzled mode, or asleep.
Here’s to 2013 being amazing for you xx
As a recent mother of two about to go back to work in 1.5 days (eeek) I highly relate to everything you’ve been writing about recently.
And I wanted to share I am on my way out to go to a coffeeshop with my book (The Gargoyle – Andrew Davidson) while my MIL watches my daughter.
It’s really good for the brain! And everything else.
Happy New Year Alice! I have loved dicovering your blog this year and ‘getting to know you’. Good Luck with your resolutions – I have made similar ones and am actually looking forward to achieveing them rather than dreading having to do them which I think is the right way round! Hannah x
oooo, you’d be great as a vlogger! And I love your hair that length. Happy New Year!
Happy to hear you are starting to feel like you can get a hold on things. Parenthood seriously challenges us and I think motherhood, whilst wonderful in many ways, can seriously send you in to a weird black hole and you can so easily lose yourself. This happened to me in the year after having my first boy and whilst I’d hope it won’t happen second time around, I am realistic to the likelihood that it will. All the best for your plans, I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for how you get on.
Happy New Year! I love your blog and love the idea of MAMA!
Happy New Year to you – wish you all the very best with all your new year’s resolutions and plans, I’m sure you’ll achieve them too and I look forward to read about how you’re getting on :-) xx
Such a lovely post! It’s good to see you being more positive and I love your resolutions. I too need to get healthy, am planning videos and want to grow my blog. I’m already planning things out in my diary in advance, for us as a family, for me and for my blog. 2013 is gonna be busy, but in the best way!
They sound like positive and fab goals for 2013. Mine are similar- I want to dedicate more time to my little family, grow my blog, develop my photography further etc. I also have just finished mat leave and there is a distinct possibility I won’t go back to work after number two so I want to try and grow my freelance business as well.
Good luck Alice and Happy New Year. Coffee in January before I’m thrown into newborndom again most definitely. X
Hi ! (I’m a little nervous, it’s the first time I leave a comment on a blog, even though I must have started my blog reads more than a year ago …) My name is Julie, I’m a 24 year old girl from France, who recently moved in Montreal (sorry for my poor English !), and I’m pregnant with my first child (a baby boy due in may) :) I’ve started visiting your blog since this last summer, and I wanted to say a big thank you for all your honesty and useful posts ! I feel a little bit scared to have my baby far away from my friends and family, but through my blog and thanks to yours, I don’t feel this lonely, and I feel like I can do it !
So I’m supporting you very much, wish you the most incredible year ever and let’s achieve our goals :)
Happy New Year, lovely! Sounds all like a plan to me. If you really want it, you can do it! Just don’t forget to rest in between. And don’t be too hard on yourself if things do not work out as planned straight away. You are still going to get there, in your own time… Dxx
Hi Alice. Sorry I’m just catching up with your blogs so have only just read back over your recent posts. It sounds like you’re on the right road, being honest, admitting things aren’t all rosy and seeking to find ways to change that. That’s a fantastic start.
I know you mentioned running before, so wanted to give you a little nudge in that direction (well I would wouldn’t I). It’s a great way of finding a little ‘me time’, clearing your mind and filling your body with those happy feeling endorphins. I know people that have used it to help them manage severe depression.
But find the thing that’s right for you to get healthy – whether it’s dancing or riding or whatever you enjoy. And you may find that helps you get happy too.
All the best and please, let us know how you get on.
Hi Alice,
This is the first time I have ever commented on a blog post, but I found your blog completely by accident earlier this year during my pregnancy, (Harriet is now 3 months). I found your blogs on your pregnancy with Hux particularly informative with you being a little further along than me and have since become an avid reader! I was saddened to read that you havnt been feeling yourself lately and just wanted to say how much I enjoy your
writing, its honesty makes it so refreshing
grr… silly phone…
i hadn’t finished!
Anyway I just wanted to tell you really as we all need a boost at times, and your writing has certainly given me many over the last few months, especially your notes on breastfeeding and guilt! Hope the new year brings positivity and joy. x
They sound like great resolutions to me. I also want to get back into some form of exercise this year. I love Yoga and did it throughout my pregnancy and pre-baby days. I also want to try a Zumba class! My main resolution this year, though, is to be happy. Plain and simple.
Alice I was sorry to read things have been difficult for you lately but it’s fab to see you standing up in the face of it all and re-finding your focus. Mama always told me to face my demons head on but it is easier said than done though the doing part is the key. Your strong spirit, humour and heart regularly shine through and resonate with me and clearly many others….keep your chin-up for all that you are and here’s to an awesome 2013 x
Hi Alice, I have never commented before but I saw this rap about motherhood and instantly thought you would like it. It is hilarious (but also tragic in that it captures many of the failures of motherhood!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNVde5HPhYo
I love your blog. I am a 27 year old londoner, I dont have any children of my own but my partner who I live with has a 18 month old child who stays with us. It was all a bit of an eye opener, the shock of suddenly having a toddler in my flat, smeering my ipod with weetabix, crying in the night and squishing bananas on my (beautiful) sofa was a HUGE shock but your blog has really helped me feel like there is someone out there (who I relate to) who can offer advice. Reading your blog was a bit of a turning point for me from ‘this is never going to work’ to ‘this could be fun’. Thank you so much. Lucy x