Well hello my blogging family I hope you are well! So apparently spring is here but we are definitely experiencing some of those April showers that we hear so much about! I can't keep up with the changes between lovely warm sun, to crazy rainstorms in the blink of an eye!
It was my birthday last weekend and it has prompted me to have a good think about myself and whether I feel another year wiser......
I had a lovely birthday. My sons birthday is the day before mine and so we always have lots of fun plans. This year we went to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, which I love, and then had a lovely meal out and a walk around the Chatsworth estate on my birthday. It was a lovely weekend. The above picture is of me looking out towards Chatsworth, I didn't actually have my phone with me all day which was very unlike me and I absolutely loved it! My friend took this sneaky pic of me looking at the views with awe. It was so peaceful, the sun came out to say hello and I felt so happy. It really was a great day!
I turned 41 and I am happy to report that this last year has been pretty lovely. I began writing this post thinking I hadn't done a great deal to tick off my bucket list but when I started to think about all the things I have done and enjoyed over the last year I am pleased to say there have been a lot of memories made!!
In September I started a new job at a new school and I have now fallen back in love with teaching, this is no mean feat, especially in the current educational environment. This move was exactly what I needed for myself and my own wellness. I love the school, the children and the families, the staff (although very few in numbers) are so lovely and supportive. Working in a small village school is a completely different challenge to that I have been used to in the past but I am embracing the change. I feel like I can tick off career happiness at the moment, I am exactly where I need to be.
I have enjoyed some lovely time with friends and family over the year. Going to the secret Cinema to watch Dirty Dancing was one of my highlights, it was an amazing day, dressing up in our 50s outfits and immersing ourselves in Kellerman's was a day to remember! So much so that we are doing it all again but this time we willl be watching Grease instead! I can't wait!
I have also rekindled my love of spa days having had two luxurious visits with friends. The relaxation and pure indulgence is so satisfying and really helps to reset my mind and body. I have another few booked for later in the year and I am very much looking forward to some pamper time.
I got on a plane for the first time since 2018 and it was brilliant! Myself, my brother and sister went to Berlin for the weekend and it was brilliant. We were taking my brother away for his 30th but due to covid it had to be postponed. 2022 was the time we were able to do it. Christmas markets, mulled wine and lots of sight seeing was just what the doctor ordered!
Our choir performed in concert for BBwithlove again in October and it was phenomenal. I sing with the Sheffield Cancer Choir a support choir for people affected by cancer in different ways and we raise funds for Weston Park Cancer Charity. BBwithlove hosts a gala event once a year in aid of their beloved mother Bev Croke who sadly lost her battle with cancer. She was a member of our choir and so we have been asked to perform during the show along with lots of other fantastic talent. Kevin Clifton, Faye Tozer and Gok Wan have been a few of the big names who we shared a stage with over the last two years! We will performing again in October 2023 at Sheffield City Hall and I cannot wait to sing alongside some amazing people. They are such an inspiration. If you are based in or near Sheffield and would like to attend this year, please visit the link below and show your support!
Other fabulous events this year have included dressing as the Queen of Hearts to attend a secret Alice in Wonderland evening, watching the sunrise in the peaks and feeding tigers at Lincolnshire Wildlife Park. It's been a whirlwind!
My health feels like it is slowly improving, I have less really high fatigue days, although it never really fully goes away. I constantly have a feeling of exhaustion that no amount of coffee can abate! I know I need to do more to improve my level of fitness and so I am endeavouring to get more of a fitness routine in. Even if it is just walking more to begin with until I can build up my ability to do more. I have been enjoying dance videos with Grow with Jo, she is an instructor on YouTube who has lots of fun dance classes to lots of different themes. It certainly gets me moving. So if I can improve this then hopefully my fatigue will become something of the past.
In terms of my blog I have reached a bit of a block, I have been over committing to blog tours, authors and have started to not enjoy reading as much as I did. I have decided I am a mood reader and really want to be able to pick a book off my shelves and read and enjoy it without the pressure of deadlines and blog posts that must be written. So with this in mind I am going to calming down on my book tours, I will only choose books and authors I really enjoy and I am going to aim to make a dent on my bookshelf TBR! Not to mention my Netgalley backlog! You may well see more different blog posts as well as I want to start writing about anything and everything really rather than focussing on just book posts. So watch this space to see what kind of things I will be writing.....
So here is to another year of my 40s, I wonder what next years birthday reflections post will include? I am excited to find out, I hope you enjoy coming along on the journey with me! Cheers!!
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