On rediscovering reading.

I think for the last couple of years this little blog became more of a personal diary, which probably wasn't my initial intention but it has helped me to process some of the big changes that have come our way, both anticipated and unanticipated. But as we were out at the park today, I began thinking of ways I could make this space more of a general reflection on life and the things I'm learning. 

I have always loved reading. It's been a lifelong hobby for me, and I love nothing more than visiting a bookshop and choosing something new to immerse myself in. For the last few years, reading had really taken a backseat which on reflection was a sign that I was really struggling to switch off. I read a book that I absolutely loved just before Finn was born, and then due to all the big events that followed, I didn't pick up another one for months. Towards the end of last year, I really got back into it and it has once again become my most beloved pastime. We read with the boys everyday and Finn especially loves his books. It's been amazing to see how many words he's picked up and how he remembers the rhymes of his favourite stories each time. He particularly loves the "That's Not My" books from Usborne, of which we must have nearly every single one, and the "Tales From Acorn Woods" series by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. 

In November of last year, I decided to join a book club to try and meet some like-minded people which has been so much fun for me. I am part of an online community, and have recently found an in person one which has lots of women who are a similar ages to me. It's so nice for me to have those spaces where I can just be me and talk with other people about something I'm passionate about. I think it's fair to say that motherhood can be a little lonely, and given the fact that I wasn't born here and don't have my closest friends nearby, it's a great way to make new friends and  connections. As well as a sense of community, the clubs have given me so many new reading recommendations which I've really appreciated and it's helping me to find new genres that I like and want to explore more of. One niche I've discovered is Ice Hockey Romances, which goes along with my new found love of the sport! The beauty of reading is that you can do it anywhere. I always take a book with me in case I end up in a coffee shop (which I regularly do!), if I'm travelling for work, if I'm snuggled up with my heated blanket on the sofa, unwinding on my lunch break, or soaking up the peace during naptime! I pretty much pick up a book whenever I get spare moment! 

Although I'm trying not to set too many goals as I want to read purely for enjoyment, I have set a goal on Goodreads to aim for 30 books this year. So far I have managed 11, which means I'll most likely achieve that goal! Last year I managed 25 which I was pretty pleased with given how busy life was. I'm not really an audiobook person and prefer to read a physical copy, so I have been using Charity Shops and second hand websites to top up my "to be read" pile. My TBR pile is pretty full right now, so I'm trying not to add to it for a few months, but it's hard to ignore the temptation sometimes!! I also use the library, but we aren't geographically that close to one, so I try to use that when I know I can return the books on time. I have found a website that allows me to resell what I've read, so that has been handy for freeing up space and making a bit of money back. 

Recent reads that I've loved:

🩷 The Seven Year Slip - Ashley Poston

🩷  Blue Sisters - Coco Mellors 

🩷 The Housemaid - Freida McFadden 

🩷 The Seven Sisters (Series) - Lucinda Riley [currently read 5/7 books]

🩷 The Cosy Cottage in Ireland - Julie Caplin 

I've started a book journal too, which I think will be a lovely way of reflecting back at the end of the year to remember what books I've read and what I liked or disliked about them. Of course, I love writing too, so journalling has always helped me to make sense of my thoughts and clear my head a little. Both reading and writing really help me in several ways, so I'm glad I've managed to reach a place where it has become a priority for me as they are definitely forms of self-care. 

One of the things I'm dreaming of in the not too distant future is setting up a book club of my own as a branch of the UK wide book club I'm already a member of. I'd love to have my own in-person group that meets locally as there is definitely a lack of activities like that in our area. I'm imagining sitting in a cosy coffee shop with books, candles, cakes and 'craic.' I have already made the enquiries, so watch this space! My overall, big, lifelong dream would be to have my own bookshop by the sea... probably selling coffee and cakes...with lots of community events, launches, readings, kids events and clubs...who knows, maybe one day! 

Love,

S x

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On starting a New Year.

I have always been a big fan of New Year's. It always feels like a great excuse to start afresh, leave some things behind and look toward the future. Last year taught me so much personally. It pushed me harder than ever before, and forced me to really consider my own mental health and to listen to my body when it was telling me I needed to make some changes. I am so glad I reached out for help, and found ways to help myself cope with higher levels of stress. Towards the end of the year, I came across a job opportunity quite by accident and thought I should apply. A few days later I was invited to an interview, and then a 2nd interview. After a slightly anxious wait over the days that followed, I was offered the position and had to hand in my notice. It was a huge decision for me; I loved the team in my previous role and they had been so flexible with me during all the family changes and the sickness period we had from November onwards. Starting a new role has been daunting and quite intensive as we've had several meetings, and met up for a full day of training last week to try and understand the programme as it is a brand new team for a new youth project. My head has been spinning slightly, and it did trigger a migraine which thankfully happened in an evening and Tom was home so I could just go to bed! Things will settle down now as I start to do tasks and wrap my head around the role, but I am very grateful to have found something that is equally flexible and I know they understand the implications of having small children around! This is going to be a great fresh start for us, and it should hopefully see us through until at least Finn starts school, which is something I can't begin to think about right now!! 

Work trip to Belfast

We started off this year by getting the house back into order. I realise now that the weeks of sickness we endured between us led us to neglect some of our space, especially our bedroom, as we just didn't have the surplus energy to stay on top of things. We spent a whole day (in-between naps for the boys!) getting organised, setting up my desk space and putting things away. I felt ready to put away the Christmas decorations and just have some space back. I've worked hard all week to stay on top of everything instead of letting things pile up, and it has helped make our home feel much more peaceful. This weekend we did even more organising; I had to sort through all the boys clothes and moved Zach up to the next size which means we have a huge bag of donations and I listed a bunch of stuff on Vinted. I also went through my books and have sold a box of those through a re-selling scheme (I buy most of my books 2nd hand). This year I really want to simplify, so my plan is to tackle one room at a time and see what things we can sort through and find things we might not need anymore. 

For the past few months I've been watching a lot of YouTube content that is looking at the massive overconsumption that is all over social media, and it has really caused me to reflect on the ways I can be so easily influenced by things I see online. I have known for a while that having breaks from scrolling also takes me away from tempation of seeing things that people have bought or are trying to sell. I can see how much the 'trends' and 'viral' products are especially influencing young girls, and how expensive a lot of the products are, but they feel the pressure to want to be part of that. I think things like elaborate skincare routines are especially dangerous for younger people because their skin doesn't need it, and I worry about the long-term effects of that. A lot of the content that's pushed to me is around 'shopping hauls,' 'restocks,' 'make-up hauls,' and 'home decor,' all of which make you feel the need for more. Now that I am reading a lot more frequently, I find new content of 'book hauls,' and recommendations which can also lead me to grab another book to add to my 'to be read' pile.

A part of simplifying is also looking at what I spend my money on, and really focussing on what is necessary. That for me means doing what I can to escape that kind of content that can leave you feeling inadquate, or that fuels the desire for more. Having used skincare and make-up for many years now, I know the things that work for me and I want to stick to using those rather than being pushed to try something new. I have very sensitive skin (as do the boys), so I have found products that don't irriate me and I am going to stick to those. For Christmas I received a range of Aveeno oat skincare products and a set of Tropic skincare. Both of those ranges have been so good for my skin, so those will be repeat purchases. Other ranges that work well for me are Weleda, Simple and The Body Shop - I use those mainly for bath and shower products as they are all kind to my skin. I love Body Shop products for my hair as well, but I've ended up sharing a lot of that with Tom as it's also good for his beard! My plan is to use up what I have and don't try anything new because I don't need it.

I have always been a person who values experiences more than 'things,' so we have thought about some of the experiences we'd like to have this year, and want to put our resources into those things instead of bringing more toys and such into the house. We have a pot set aside for trips to the local soft play, and we gratefully received annual passes for the aquarium again which means we can go there as often as we'd like. Tom and I would like to go to a few more Belfast Giants (Ice hockey) games, and I'm sure there will be plenty of other local events cropping up throughout the year. To me, the times we spent together having fun and making memories are way more important than having fancy stuff, so that is going to my focus this year, as well as adding whatever we can to savings. 

Coming up in 2025

This week I joined an online session as part of my book club which was a chance to make a 'vision board.' I can't remember if I've made one before, but I found it so helpful to think about the year ahead and what I wanted it to look like. The words and scenes I was drawn to were things like comfort, peace, and cosy, and a lot of what I pictured was centred around being at home. It helped me see that I want to really embrace being home and creating a peaceful atmosphere within it. I want to enjoy slow days, especially at the weekend, where we can spent time together outdoors at parks, the beach or our favourite nature spots and come home to make a nice roast dinner and curl up with a book. I am going to join an in-person book club too which I am looking forward to and I really want to stick to that commitment, as it is so hard to meet new people at this stage in life, but I think it would be so good for me - especially if I know we have a common interest at the outset. I'd also like to start a simple book journal which will allow me to track what I've read and what my thoughts were - the beauty of book clubs is that they boraden your horizons and get you to read things you might not naturally choose. This year I want to read 40 books - last year I managed 25 which I was quite pleased with! 

Soon we will celebrate Zach's first birthday, which is actually making me feel very emotional...I can't believe my baby bear is almost a year old. He is just the most wonderful, loving, laid-back boy and he has brought so much joy to our life. I am excited to have a special party at home for him, and I've gathered most of the decorations for the theme which I will share after! We decided to get him a special teddy and some nice little outfits, but otherwise we will probably focus on saving money for future outings as I mentioned above. 

Then what follows is the biggest event of the year...our wedding is very fast approaching! Most of the planning is done, but there are a few things I want to focus on over the coming weeks. Next week we have time set aside for planning, and Tom has a plan for going suit shopping. I know everything will come together and we still have plenty of time, but every now and then I have a moment of panic about it in case I've forgotten something major! We have decided on where we want to go for our honeymoon and we just need to lock-in the dates. It will be simple and quiet which is just what we want. We can't wait to have everyone gathered with us and to celebrate together. I'm excited for the boys to finally meet everyone from England, and to see them in little suits! 

For now, I want to make our meal plan for the week and then begin my 2nd book of the year which is 'Moon Sister' by Lucinda Riley. The Seven Sisters has been the best series I've read, it is just brilliant and I can't wait to get stuck into the next one! 

Love, Sarah x

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