Life lately...

Well it's been quite a while hasn't it! 

I can't believe I haven't written a post since November, that's the longest break I have taken since starting this blog a year and a half ago. Now some might say it was a little early in my blogs life to take a break, but to them I say there are no rules to blogging that's why I love it! The reason for my little break was that life just seemed to get on top of me without me even noticing. I suddenly found that I was so busy with work that life was passing me by, Christmas was coming up and I felt like everything other than my work was suffering. Usually I am the most Christmassy person I know, but this year (last year, whatever) I just wasn't feeling it. I was missing out on girly nights out and meals because I was so tired from work I just couldn't be bothered, I was having too many nights away from my beautiful girls. So I thought it was about time I stood back and took a deep breath and get everything in order. 

I have decided 2014 is the year to break the rules and take chances, start saying yes to more things (non work related), spend more quality time with the girls and my hubby and just generally stop being so lazy and letting life pass me by. There are so many terrible and unlucky things happening to people I know that it has made me realise that life is just too short to be miserable and full of worry, I have vowed to live more and worry less this year. 

So I just thought I'd give you a quick update as what has been going on since we spoke last. Well obviously we had an amazing Christmas, one thing that usually spoils my Christmas is the pressure I feel to please everyone. With us not living close to any family we usually spend the whole of our Christmas break moving between both sets of parents. But from Boxing Day on-wards it becomes our duty to keep everyone happy and usually at the expense of our own enjoyment. This year we decided we weren't going to spend the whole time away from home and we were just going to go for a few days and I can't tell you what a difference that made. The children didn't start to get bored and play up which meant that we didn't get stressed out and argue and I think this was the first year I have actually felt refreshed after the Christmas break. 

Then I said YES to something I would have felt too selfish and guilty to do a year ago. In March I will be going on a girls holiday the Las Vegas! It's my friends 30th and she decided very last minute that she wanted to go, I said no originally as I just couldn't justify spending that much money on a holiday that didn't involve the whole family. Whenever I get the opportunity to do anything like this I always turn it down, I walk round everyday with a constant feeling of guilt, something I think comes with being a parent. It's very difficult balancing the feelings of being a mother and wanting to remain a fairly independent woman and have a career. They are two very conflicting worlds and it's all about balance, something I still haven't quite got the hang of just yet. So anyway back to Vegas, after much reassurance and eventually insistence I agreed to go and I still can't quite believe it is happening! There will be more Vegas related posts coming soon.

I have also started back on Slimming World (again)! Last year I started a Beat the Bulge series but I just lost all will power and motivation. However as I stepped on the scales on the 1st January 2014 and realised just how much I had over indulged not just over Christmas but for the past couple of months I couldn't quite believe my eyes. I am currently the heaviest I have ever been at, wait for it...13st 1lb, and I vow to try and lose 3 stone by summer and hopefully a lot of that before I go to Vegas. My weight is a constant battle and I turn to food in times of stress and sadness, and I am stressed A LOT! I hope to restart the Beat the Bulge series and keep you updated with my progress and hope you can support me in what will probably be a 'two steps forward three steps back' situation.

On the beauty side I have been on an unofficial spending ban during January, purely to try and tighten my belt through what is usually a pretty bad month financially. I think I have coped tremendously well and I think my husband would agree as he knows the extent of my shopping addiction. So as you can imagine after a month of no spending and a trip to Vegas to plan I have wish lists longer then my arm! 

Sorry this has been such a rambling post and congratulations if you have made it to end with me, but it just felt right that for my first post back after my break I update you on what's been going on and why I left for a while. I am already making very exciting plans for the rest of the year and the spending ban is almost over so I will be back with some great posts very soon...

Lots a love...