Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

Happy New Year!

I’ll be honest this blog post was meant to go live in 2014 to reflect on our year however I ran out of time, something that is a bit of a theme really!

Having a look back at 2014, I may have felt like we wasn’t that busy but in the end we had a pretty busy year.

In January we finally had our bathroom completed, after 6 years in the house it was a long overdue makeover but one that I love as it has made the whole room so much brighter. You can read all about our bathroom makeover here.

We also came to the end of a long battle with Kayleigh’s glue ear after they agreed to fit grommets, this was a huge relief for us and would make such a difference to Kayleigh.

February and for the most part of March were pretty quiet until we reached Kayleigh’s operation at the end of March. Having this done and knowing it was going to change her life made such a difference to ours and I’m sure she has loved being able to hear so much more and not feel so isolated in her own little quiet bubble.

April was the month we headed back to Lanzarote for our holiday and it seems like a lifetime ago now! It sort of feels like a home away from home for us and we love the relaxed lifestyle that they have out there (and the sunshine!). We are booked to head back in August for my 30th and our belated honeymoon and I can’t wait!

It was also the month I started running, it was fine in the early months as I would run before work as it was light however as the darker mornings rolled in and Daddy Vs Work had to change his hours it meant I have been unable to run however that will all change now as our treadmill arrived yesterday ready for me to get toned for the wedding!

May again became a time of catching up, I was unable to run after hurting my ankle and I was well into the wedding planning by this stage. Life seemed to be flying by so quickly however we tried to capture some of time back with family time and just getting outdoors and enjoying what it had to offer.

I loved being able to capture some of the bluebell pictures at Ashridge Estate for the first time ever, I think they are just that tiny bit magical in the way they spread across the floor for such a short period of time. I’m hoping we get to appreciate them this year too.

June came as did the sunshine and Ethan’s 4th Birthday! It seemed like the months were whizzing by and Ethan was super excited as he was almost about to start school. It was just hard to believe we were half way through the year already by this point.

In July I was dreaming of working for myself, still something that’s not happened but something I’m more determined than ever to try and get to work in 2015. Looking back at the blog last year there was lots of reviews/competitions as well as guest posts. Now I’m not going to lie the guest posts will probably stay (just being a bit more selective on what we have) simply as they are bringing in a few extra pounds for our house however I am looking at more my writing this year.

Don’t get me wrong, we are very grateful for all the opportunities we have had with reviews but they take up lots of time to produce and this means for me less writing time. So I need to proportion those in 2015 for me to be able to be me.

This was also the month when I had been blogging for 3 years already! Where have those years gone?!

August passed by in a blur pretty much, the kids enjoyed the summer holidays and I worked throughout them…
This made me write about wanting to readdress the balance when it came to work/family time. As of yet I’ve not managed to do this however I haven’t given up just yet.

In September it was back to a routine with Ethan joining Kayleigh and infant school, which he has loved every minute of it! We also got a new cooker which is amazing!

I did write that I was going to do more cooking to share however that has been a bit slacking lately but with more time to write in 2015 I intend to share our everyday family meals with you all 🙂

October overall was a quiet month for us apart from Kayleigh turning 6. She has changed so much in the last year its scary and exciting at the same time. I can’t wait to see how she grows this year.

November rolled in as did the darker mornings, cooler weather and the autumn. We loved getting out to visit a local park, although it was dry the colder weather meant it was empty!

Also leaving early for work means I have managed to capture some pretty amazing pictures.

Then there is December, the most magical time of the year. We love Christmas in our household and the whole build up to it, the good food and just time together as a family.

This year though December also brought the first visit of the tooth fairy!

So you see 2014 may not have seemed like lots have happened but it did and it was a pretty good year!

What does 2015 hold for us? So much!

• We are getting married! I may have mentioned that a few times 🙂
• I turn 30!
• We are heading back to Lanzarote!

This year I don’t really want to set resolutions, more like goals, things I want to do not have to do:

• Eat a healthier diet and work out more to tone up ready for the big day
• Laugh lots
• Have more family time – beating them all at bowling on the wii, snuggling to watch a movie or playing a board game
• Enjoy the outdoors more
• Worry less
• Aim high what I want to do for a career and go get it!
• Blog for me, not stats or scores

How was your 2014 and what does 2015 hold for you?