So how is your January so far?  Are you a resolutions type of person or do you prefer planning and goal setting?  I generally prefer the September new year - historically when my children went back to school - but slowly that will be shifting with my last one now in sixth form.  To enable me to plan for 2018 though I took a look back at the goals I set myself back in September to see how I am getting along and what I need to tweak.

And of course January brings the opportunity to think about summer holidays so I am including that in my planning too.

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​First of all an update - we moved our business out of the home office and into a new rented office - this has been fantastic, why did we take so long to do it?  The house is my own again now and home and work are separate.  That then meant I got to use the log cabin as a gym and storage space as well as extra personal space - a 'she shed' and it is all pretty much set up now although I'd like to do some more to it but there is no rush.

I wasn't very well during the late summer and autumn but I pressed on with my exercise and nutrition (mainly macro tracking on My Fitness Pal) but by December I had to take a break from it all, I was extremely tired, very busy and a bit fed up with the constant need to track all my food.  I needed to cut myself some slack and remove the pressure.  It definitely helped!

So my new year goals are updates of my September goals really:
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• Get back to my exercise routine, I have started with HIIT's at home in my gym and will continue seeing my friend and personal trainer once a week to do strength training.
• Find some structure and focus again with meal planning.  I had gone a bit off track although it didn't matter too much, and it is good to have some down time occasionally but I will be following recipes from the body coach which are all tailored to me so I don't have to overthink it all.  I find I am better when I have boundaries with which to work by, given the choice of 100's of recipes from all my recipe books I just give up and go to M&S but if I have a limited choice I am more likely to make better choices.  It works for me!
• Sign up for a Memory Walk and raise money for the Alzheimer's Society - still at planning stage but I will let you know more once I know more!
• Learn to change some of my habits so that I can build up a better routine and stick to the changes I want to make, I am doing this with the guidance of Bev from Floresco Fitness and Fat Loss Coaching and her Diamond habit change programme.
• I still haven't completed the online blogger course I signed up for!  I should now have time so no more excuses!
• Wardrobe de-cluttering seems to be an ongoing task and one I never quite get right.  I buy too much!  But I am not sure that will ever change so I need to relax a bit.  I am currently working my way through some unloved items though and putting them on eBay or putting things aside ready to go to the charity shop.
• I am trying to reduce my social media habit which is a bit of a problem seeing as I decided I wanted to blog!  So my main plan is to find a better balance - to look at it at certain time slots rather than being tempted to scroll mindlessly throughout the day.  I love getting ideas from other bloggers on Instagram, I love seeing what my friends and family are up to but I do find that the increase in advertising and sponsored posts means my feed is way too busy.  
• I have been unsubscribing from lots of emails recently - the ones where I bought a product once or made an inquiry once.  Not from my favourite shops or bloggers but the more irrelevant ones so that I can reduce the number of emails I have to flick through to get the ones I want.
• I also want to get a bit more organised with my home routines.  You know doing certain tasks on certain days so that I know where I am and when I can have free time to exercise, blog, meet friends etc.

And finally onto the fun bit ... holidays.

• First we are off skiing again this year, we don't go every year preferring to alternate it with a bigger summer holiday.  I am finalising the details of the holiday now.  And another reason to make sure my fitness is back up as otherwise I won't keep up with the rest of the family.
• Then I am very busy organising a trip to Sri Lanka, we have family who live there and set up and run a charity - Dogstar Foundation - do take a look, they do amazing work and their story is inspirational.  We are combining a holiday with my daughter doing some volunteer work in preparation for personal statement and university interview, we will travel home before her and she will head home a week or so later (yes I am very nervous about that)!

Love
Michelle xx
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I always love spending time with my daugther!  Skiing in Austria with the family in 2016 and a holiday in Turkey with my sisters in 2016

January sales!  Love them or hate them?

I tend to browse online these days and rarely hit the shops until a bit later in January.  Being small I find that quite a lot of the bargains are small sizes and I often do quite well.  But if there is anything I am particularly keen on then I search online.

Currently I am looking for a fur coat - I am very tempted with this Whistles one, but I really needed it in XS and it was sold out and I was looking for black.  They do still have it in Medium though if anyone else is tempted, reduced from £275 to £160.

I will also stock up on a Karen Millen dress or two during the sales.  Having a few good dresses just waiting in your wardrobe is a good tip - if I leave it until I need a particular dress I can't find what I need and then end up panic buying.

When I went to Milton Keynes before Christmas I spotted this one.  I waited for it to be reduced and it went down to £130 then £90 but when it arrived I didn't feel it was quite right for me, lovely dress though, just a bit short I felt.  Fringed Tassel Dress.

Another thing that is good to buy in the sales - winter coats and ideally this year I'd like to replace my very warm North Face one, it is a longer length and keeps my legs warms during winter walks but it is brown so not very exciting and started to look a bit tired now so I am on the look out for a replacement.  I have my eye on a Jack Wolfskin one but it is only £20 off and that isn't much of a bargain!  Something like this maybe?  Image from Pinterest.

Another retailer I like to look at during sale time is Hobbs, their knitwear is classic and long lasting and they have good reductions too.  Left to right below - Cassidy, Abbie and Cesci all available online at Hobbs.

And of course no sale post would be complete without a peak at Boden.  Really good reductions now, I always think the Boden sale is good for basics like a really classic coat or tailored jacket.

The Alberta Puffa Coat looks stylish and warm (priority)!  And there is a fairly good selection of colours and sizes available.

I'm also loving this jacket - it is available in a good selection of sizes in all colours - navy, acorn and red, Cropped Sienna.

And finally some Boden knitwear.  I've had the Grace Jumper in Chalky Rose in the past and loved the shape, there are lots of other colours too and a good selection of sizes.  The Emilie Curved Hem Jumper would make another good spring addition to your wardrobe, sadly sold out in Small but Medium upwards available.  I'm also tempted with the Avery Button Back Jumper - it is available in some sizes and comes in Navy, Silver and Pink.

Just a few ideas, some things I am considering, I have placed an order with Hobbs, I am still waiting for a coat to arrive and the rest of my Karen Millen order.  I've yet to decide whether to order a few things from Boden - however, their new catalogue arrived yesterday and they do have some beautiful items in their Spring range!

Love
Michelle xx

Happy New Year everyone!

Well I don't know about you but I am (a) delighted to be back to normal return but (b) finding all the information I am being emailed or bombarded with on Facebook a bit too overwhelming.  Everyone wants me to start a new diet or plan or book a holiday or try new recipes.  Give me a break, let me catch my thoughts please!

I've been 'unsubscribing' left right and centre these last few days.

Yesterday my husband went back to work so I am using the opportunity of a quiet house to have a good sort out, tidy up and a bit of a de-clutter.

Having taken some time off any formal exercise for 6 weeks or so I am keen to get back to a routine now.  I didn't over-indulge over Christmas but I did relax my own rules a little.

I did so well in 2016, after my ski holiday I made a firm pact with myself to get fit and eat well and I achieved so much.  I started 2017 full of determination to continue the new lifestyle I thought I had created but I just didn't manage it.  Overwhelming stress and menopausal problems meant I spent the last 6 months or so of 2017 feeling quite unwell, exhausted and certainly not healthy.

And so we come back to what my husband coined 'information overload' - I love this term and he is so right.  It comes at us from every angle but mostly via social media and email and it is too confusing.  Life really doesn't have to be that complicated.

I am currently reading The Four Pillar Plan by Dr Chatterjee (I love his TV programme 'Doctor in the House' and I am absolutely loving his book (just released).

It is simple and easy to read and sums up in very obvious terms how we can make our lives healthier and feel better.

​If you do nothing else this January - read this book.

I'm allowing myself this week to get back on top of my housework, my routine, the paperwork etc then I will be concentrating on how to fit some good lifestyle choices back into my day.

I am going to pick out from all the information I receive what I think is best for me to concentrate on right now.

I am working with Bev Thorogood who has devised a fantastic habit change and coaching programme - Floresco Diamond - I told you about it on my blog here.

I have all the information I learnt with the 8020 Lifestyle Plan last year so I will be embracing this knowledge.

But most importantly I will allow myself time to make better choices and create better habits slowly rather than rush at it and give up by the end of January!

I am not keen on January new year resolutions.  But it does still feel like a good time to re-evaluate a little after all the indulgences during the festive season.

So I think relax and allow yourself some time is the way forward.

Love Michelle xx