Reflecting on my 2020 Goals + A Few Goals for 2021

 I'm sitting here on this early Monday morning wondering where the heck to even begin because I literally haven't posted on my blog since late November. I have also been so undecided on whether to post this or not as it's a little late to the party, but I suppose it's better late than never, right? 

2020 was a year to remember wasn't it!? I didn't really have any goals for 2020 as Liam and I had some big things planned which we wanted to focus on, but unfortunately those plans weren't able to go ahead. However, I did mention exercise and losing a bit of weight which, with the help of lockdown, I actually achieved and stuck to, as well as actually taking exercise up as a hobby. Never in a million years would I have thought that I'd admit to enjoying exercise.

Like last year, I don't have many goals for 2021. The goals that I want to achieve are more for self-care and wellbeing, which I think sprouted from the rough year we had last year. However, I am determined to focus on them, and hopefully come out of 2021 as an even more positive person.

Take each day as it comes

Don't stress over things I can't control

Appreciate the little things in life

Take time off social media more often

Improve my skincare routine

Three of these goals have derived from the past year we've had. I'm not going to lie, I have found it really difficult at times. But 2021 is a fresh year, it hasn't started off great but I'm trying not to be a negative Nancy and more of a positive Polly and just take each day as it comes.

Since Christmas, I have taken a few well needed breaks here and there from social media, and it has done wonders for my mental health. At first, I actually thought that I would struggle because I check social media multiple times daily, even more so at the moment as I'm not back at work yet. 

I usually just randomly check social media throughout the day without even thinking about clicking on the apps. Half the time, I don't even need to check social media or I was only on it about thirty minutes prior. I found it easier during my social media break if I logged out of each social and put them in a separate folder on my phone, I didn't seem to find myself looking for the apps. Whereas, when I left them where they always have been, I just click on them out of habit, it's like a routine. I've told myself to definitely take breaks more often when I need to this year.

Lastly, there's always room to improve your skincare regime. I personally feel like I have been so slack over the past few months with my skin. I'm slowly getting myself back into a routine and I'm hoping to stick to it and try new products.

A Christmas Gift Guide For Her

 I thought having bought and wrapped everything by the second week of December last year was impressive for me, but my organisation for Christmas this year is on a whole other level. I mean, what else is there to do in lockdown 2.0? Here is this years gift guide for the lovely ladies in your life, or yourselves if you see anything you want to pop onto your Christmas list.

First up, I'm going to start with skincare. Of course I have included Charlotte Tilburys Magic Cream - more on the pricey side but an absolute staple. There's not many people I know that don't use this moisturiser, it's an actual godsend. Sticking with high-end skincare, Bobbi Brown is also a must have. My sister in-law loves Bobbi Brown products and when I saw this Prep & Prime Set, I just had to get it. It includes a 50ml Face Base (vitamin enriched primer and moisturiser) and a 15ml Eye Base (vitamin enriched primer and eye cream). I swear by Bobbi Brown skincare and a little goes a very long way with their products too!

Of course I had to add in the famous YSL Black Opium perfume. You really cannot go wrong with this gift. Do shop around for this as it is a little on the expensive side but a lot of places discount it around Black Friday and the weeks leading up to Christmas.

 My sister in-law and her boyfriend bought their first home in the Summer and I thought it would be a lovely idea to get them something meaningful for their first Christmas in their first home. I almost forgot that you can personalise Yankee Candles, and I'm so glad I remembered. Her favourite Yankee is cinnamon stick, so I went with that fragrance and personalised it with a photo of them both and a message. A Yankee Candle is such a lovely gift anyway, but it being personalised just makes it so much more thoughtful and special. (The Yankee Candle is turned for privacy).

On the lines of personalisation, another meaningful gift is handwritten jewellery. When my nanny passed away last year, I thought it would be such a lovely idea to get some jewellery with my nannys handwriting on for my mums birthday. By the time I thought of it, I never got round to doing it or found anything with nannys writing on. However, as I've had more time this year to sort through bits, I managed to find her writing in old birthday cards. So for mums birthday this year, she will be getting a dainty bracelet with her mums handwriting on which she can treasure forever.

 It was a super quick turnaround time and such amazing quality that we have done the same for Liam's mum for Christmas. As Liam's mum constantly wears her Pandora bracelet, we decided to get a charm which is compatible with Pandora. Liam's auntie went into her loft for us to dig out old photos and cards with Liam's nannys writing on and we managed to put something together. It's just so special and we can't wait to gift these. Inscripture are also able to do handprints and footprints as well as ashes and hair. I highly recommend them!

A 2021 diary/planner. Hopefully we can all make use of  a diary next year to plan things. I love this rose gold and navy Matilda Myres weekly diary. There is also a travel plan section too which, hopefully we'll be able to fill out. If you're looking for a cute, girly planner then Matilda Myres is your gal.

You can't go wrong with a makeup bag can you? They always get used, whether it's for everyday use or used as a travel makeup bag. For me, Ted Baker is the one when it comes to makeup bags. They're always fantastic quality and I find they last a good few years.

This Bobbi Brown bronzer is just gorgeous. It's such a natural, rosy, glowy product - perfect for everyday wear as it's not over the top or heavy. Another must-have makeup item is the Benefit Precisely, My Brow pencil. I only very recently purchased this for myself after my sister had recommended it to me and it is hands down one of the best brow products I've ever used. You can use it lightly for a natural brow or harder for more of a bold brow. I think everyone needs to own this little number.

And that finishes off this years Christmas gift guide - for her! I hope you found some of these ideas helpful. Are you ridiculously organised like me and finished your Christmas shopping? Or have you even started yet? Let me know!

x

Lets Have a Catch Up - Where I've Been

I've been pretty quiet for the past couple of months and it is just mainly down to my mental health and things going on in my life. I have been struggling and there has been times that have been pretty dark. But, it's ok to not be ok and go through rough patches here and there, even though I feel like the whole of 2020 has been one massive rough patch.

I finally went back to work in August, can you believe that I had a whole FIVE months off!? The first couple of months I was off work were great, but then things got boring and I was itching to get back. It was weird being back, doing the same things but so different.

Liam and I headed to London for what would've been our wedding day and we had the best time! We got a train down that morning and opened our cards and gifts on the train. We stayed in a gorgeous hotel in Tower Bridge who were kind enough to upgrade our room so we had a beautiful view of London. We had booked the London Eye, so we headed there after dropping off our bags at the hotel and just had a chilled afternoon walking around London. Then, we went to The Shard in the evening for dinner. It was so lovely, however I feel like Liam and I didn't really fit in. It was very posh haha. We booked our table for around 7pm which was when the sun was about to set so we saw the most stunning view of London during the day and in the evening. It was just beautiful.

We are trying to buy a house. At the moment, it's difficult for first time buyers and it doesn't help that I have been part furloughed at work too. But, we are really trying our best and have everything crossed that we will be able to do it.

What's happening with the wedding? I'm not too sure myself. The numbers went back down to 15 from 30 and to be honest, I don't have much hope for a bigger wedding by June. Liam and I need to decide what's best for us but at the moment, we're not too sure ourselves. We don't know whether to bring the wedding forward and just go ahead with an intimate wedding or to just postpone again until 2022/2023. The thing is, we would like to be in our own home once we're married, so I think it'll all depend on what happens in the next few months or so regarding the house situation.

Lastly, I am back on Slimming World. I have properly been on it for about a month now and I'm not gonna lie, I've had a couple of weeks where I just gave up. It's hard for me to eat clean when my mental health is low but I'll get there. I'm determined to get my body back to how I want it.

I hope you're all doing well and taking care of yourselves.

x

My Travel Bucket List - UK & Abroad

I'm not lying when I say that my travel bucket list is long. It's loooong and to be honest, I could probably add more places. I've had to turn my Pinterest travel board into separate boards for different destinations.

Manchester

Liverpool

Newcastle

Leeds

Brighton

The Cotswolds

Wales

Lake District

Quite a few big cities around the UK are on this list - Manchester and Leeds have both been my top two to visit but I have never gotten round to visiting. I've been to Swansea in Wales once for a football game, and the views on the way there were just stunning and since that day, I've wanted to go back for a weekend away. The Lake District is actually very new on my list, since constantly seeing gorgeous photos on Instagram, I will definitely visit one day. 

Iceland

Mauritius

Bali 

America

Australia

Greece

The Maldives

The Caribbean Islands

Iceland is on the top of my list, I've been wanting to visit for a couple of years now, depending on the travel situation it'll be either next year or 2022. We were meant to have our honeymoon in Mauritius, we're meant to be there right now actually, but unfortunately the world changed that, but it's still on my bucket list. Bali is another recent destination I'd love to visit one day, the whole place just looks beautiful. America and Australia have always been my dream to visit since I was little. I've still never done Disneyworld, so that'll be a holiday with our future kids I reckon.

Have you been to any of these places yourselves? Let me know your opinions or any recommendations!