Hi, how are you all?  I know I popped up last week with my 'new year goals' but I am hoping that this week is my proper return to routine.  Is there really such a thing post-lockdown?  I cannot believe what has happened in 2020 ... it still feels surreal and well you couldn't make it up could you?  I have gone from mild acceptance in the early days back in March to feeling totally lost and confused and frustrated with the conflicting decisions and the inconsistency.  I really worry about the long term implications that I suspect could be far worse than the number of Covid deaths, whilst these are all terribly sad, any loss of life is, but we are ignoring the implications for mental health, for disadvantaged children, for victims of domestic abuse, for those with dementia, the lack of healthcare and testing for cancer, heart disease and the like, the rise in the number of suicides, I could go on and on.  We have virtually shut down our travel industry.  We were asked to 'eat out to help out' at the same time as the Government announcing that we had to tackle obesity.  I appreciate that any Government put in this position would have struggled but I am feeling more than a bit let down I will be honest.

From a personal perspective, my plans for 2020 changed rather rapidly!   I had been expecting an empty nest from early spring.  My son was in the process of buying his first home and then it got delayed.  My daughter was at uni but had to come home.  So a lot later than expected, some sort of normal is back this weekend.  My son has finally been able to move and my daughter heads back to Bath on Sunday.  I appreciate I had it easier than most though, although there were times when things did get pretty bad!

I will be honest, I have found lockdown and easing of lockdown hard.  I have found the work from home situation really difficult.  You can read my thoughts on work from home here.  It has been a full house with my son working from home, my daughter back from uni for longer than planned and my husband working sporadic hours.  So a few weeks ago I hatched a plan to have a couple of nights away by myself.  Its the kind of plan that often gets talked about and thought about but doesn't actually happen.  But with no girls weekend this year and no little trips to Bath to visit my daughter, I decided I needed it to happen.  So once we were allowed to book an overnight stay, I did, in Lymington in the New Forest.

My #beingfiftyandfab post this month is therefore going to be about my few days away, in diary format.  I am planning a social media break but I am going to take my Mac with me and write about each day as it happens.

How are you feeling about the changes and coming out of lockdown?  I was appalled to see the beaches so busy during the heatwave week.  I'm not rushing out myself, I don't need to go anywhere really, I am slowly seeing friends and family at home.  I've not been to the shopping centres or Waitrose yet.  My habits are definitely changing and I am getting more things from our local farm shop.  I am very confused however by the inconsistencies and I just can't understand some of the decisions, how is it that we can go to a crowded pub but not to get a beauty treatment?

So here I am with a little round up of what I have been doing in June - to live my best life and 'be 50 and fabulous' - and it is getting a bit more interesting ...now I am not just stuck at home!

​Read below to find out what I have been up to - exercising, reading, doing, wearing and beauty tips.

Hello, well what has it been, ten weeks?  I feel like my life now (the beginning of the end of the Covid19 lockdown) is so very different to my life at the start..  

We started with people panic buying loo roll and pasta (I didn't)!  Then realised there was absolutely no need to panic buy at all (I knew that).  We walked daily, spring cleaned the cupboards, reorganised rooms and planned decorating projects.  We rejoiced at having the family all together safe at home and felt excited about the money we'd save on not going out, not going shopping and not getting takeaways.

We started drinking at home again!  My tipple of choice during lockdown has been a nice chilled blush rose.  Then realised it isn't a good idea for the waist or sleep!

The weather has been surprisingly amazing, I am convinced the early heatwave was sent to us for a reason, was it down to less pollution or was it God's way of looking after us and encouraging us to stay at home?  It has felt like being on holiday, which hasn't been ideal for encouraging people to go back to work.