4 things: a conclusion

12 months ago I picked 4 things about my life that I wanted to change. I never do too well with 'new year resolutions' so the aim of this challenge was to actively address the way I thought about  these areas, essentially, teaching myself some good habits that would hopefully become second nature.

So how did I do? 

DE-CLUTTER

I hold my hands up - this has in no way become second nature. My flat is still full of stuff, stuff I probably don't need. However, on the positive side, I stuck to my one in-one out wardrobe and shoe rack policy, I sold lots of stuff on ebay, gave lots of things to charity (and Brixton's give & take), sold stuff at a car boot sale, de-cluttered my fabric stash and chucked out a fair amount of odds and ends. The impending swap of the flat for my parents' loft conversion has helped a lot in terms of re-evaluating what I really need. But, the truth is, I am a hoarder and this de-cluttering malarky will never be a completely smooth ride for me. In terms of going forward, as long as I stick to a couple of these good habits (one in-one out, selling stuff on ebay etc) and, at the very least, open and file/chuck my mail I should be able to keep my head above the clutter. 

HEALTH 

This one has been rather successful. I've given my health and my body a lot of thought over the last year. Now I'm not running marathons and living off vegetable smoothies but I've implemented a few small changes that really have made a difference - drinking more water, cutting down on coffee and tea, eating less meat and more green vegetables, and exercising regularly. Yes, I know, there's nothing revolutionary going on here but, what is revolutionary is that I'm actually taking that v.simple advice, and it's working very positively for me! And the best thing about it is: the longer you keep it up, the better you feel. No, I'm not a size 12 and no I don't really look any different but I feel great and, thanks to six months of the gym, I can now run 5K without wanting to vomit/die at the end of it. And, the more I go to the gym (or for a run in good old brockwell park) the easier it becomes and the further I get. Being able to see my progress is a massive encouragement factor for me, so much so that I'm aiming to sign up for my first official 5K run this year! Don't get me wrong, I still eat crisps, cake, pizza (a lot of pizza) and I still drink beer but because I'm actually exercising I don't have to give them up. It all seems to be about balance and I think I've finally found mine :) 

MONEY

A combination of saving, being thrifty and budgeting meant that I most certainly bucked-up my ideas when it came to my finances this year. I think the impending wedding should take most of the credit. Not only did it make me actively save every month but it also introduced me to spreadsheets and budgeting. Weirdly enough, it turns out, I really like spreadsheets and budgeting. Saving for the wedding cut considerably into my personal spending allowance (the money left over after paying rent, travel, etc) so I had to make it up elsewhere. Selling stuff on ebay and making my own lunch sound like petty amounts but it all added up throughout each month, and the cash saved could then be spent, guilt-free, on fun stuff - cinema tickets, dinner/drinks and the like. Anyway, suffice to say, with my new-found love for budgeting I have high hopes for the wedding fund and the house fund after that.

DO MORE NEW

The most successful change, probably because as soon as I started trying new things it was easier to say 'yes' to the next opportunity. I have no doubt that this has become a good habit of mine. There's no telling where something out of your ordinary will take you and after all, isn't there an excellent saying about trying everything once?

So there we have it, a year of focusing on 4 things I wanted to change about my life. Overall, I'd say that it was pretty successful - 3 out 4 ain't bad. If you find that 'new year resolutions' don't really work for you, I'd say this is a good alternative to try. I'm off to think of 4 things for this year - happy friday everyone!

festive fun in december

In true december fashion, it's been busy, particularly during the build-up to christmas. Yes, the last few days have been quiet but on the whole I've spent that time in my pjs, watching films (singin' in the rain is on as I write this) and eating my way through all the christmas leftovers - sweet and savoury. Bearing that in mind, my 4 things have taken a bit of a backseat this month...

De-clutter: Although I've still not taken the, now overflowing, bag to the charity shop, I did manage to clear out lots of my old stuff from my  old room at my parents' house.

Health: I can actually count the number of times I went to the gym this month on the fingers of one hand. Bad eh? Particularly as I've been quite merrily stuffing my face over the last three weeks.

Money: I'm not a big fan of sale shopping but having received a few vouchers for christmas I shall definitely be splurging on a couple of things - some new sports attire, fabric and clothes patterns :) Saving continues for the wedding which is now less than 8 months away (aaaaahhhhh).

Do More New: The biggest new thing, that eclipses all new things, this month was: hosting Christmas. I've cooked for large-ish groups of people before and Mitch is a master of roast dinners but cooking xmas dinner was a whole different ball game. Thankfully though almost everything went to plan and it didn't put me off doing it again :)

As you can see it wasn't an entirely successful month buuuut a pretty big change is taking place early next year which will have a huge positive impact on de-cluttering and money saving. More on that at a later date as there's only a few hours left of 2013 and I'm off to the supermarket to stock up for the celebrations this evening. Happy NYE everyone!

much to give thanks for in november

Moustache today, gone tomorrow - if you're doing movember anyway. I wasn't  but oh man, it's been one heck of busy month - markets, live gigs, fireworks, dress shopping! In amongst all the fun (namely eating and drinking lots), there I was, trying to stick to my 4 things challenge. Not a complete success this month...

De-clutter: The flat is still a tip. These short days are anything but motivational in terms of tidying in the evenings during the week or at the weekend. I honestly cannot see the flat situation getting better in December what with a mountain of social commitments on the cards to keep me out until dark... not that I'm complaining - if I'm out a lot it means I won't have to spend as much time in my messy flat! That's the adult way to deal with it.

Health: Apart from a horrendously boozy wednesday in the third week, I've not been doing too badly with the 'consume less alcohol' plan and my caffine in-take has definitely dropped. Herbal tea and water all the way! Again, what with all the social happenings in December, not to mention Christmas itself, I'd be stupid to think that this can last. Also, I only managed to go to the gym twice a week throughout the November. My defence? Ever tried getting up for the gym at 6am when it's pitch black? I have. I've tried and failed miserably, on several occasions. So, once after work in the week and once at the weekend has been the routine this month, aiming to go three times a week in December or at least maintain the effort.

Money: Although I've not been buying clothes or other frivolous things, I did spend rather a lot on going out, gig tickets specifically, so payday really couldn't have come sooner. On the plus side I've managed to make a start with christmas present purchasing and I continued to bring my own lunch to work for most of the month - this is certainly a habit I'll stick to.

Do More New: I think this is the only goal I convincingly managed to keep up with this month. I went to see two bands I'd not seen live before (Savages and Arcade Fire), spent an afternoon at Renegade Craft Fair for the first time before trying out a completely new-to-me restaurant/bar in Shoreditch, entered a design competition, went to the Wellcome Collection for the first time, tried on a wedding dress for the first time (SO much fun) and experienced my first ever Thanksgiving!

adventures in october

Apart from the storm on Monday it's been a very mild October. Can't say I'm a fan of it, I've got lots of snuggly knitwear to crack out and I'm getting impatient. On the whole it's been a positive month in terms of my 4 things challenge but the flat and its contents really need a good going-over...

De-clutter: Filing away any papers relating to the wedding is pretty much all I managed this month. The flat is a bit of a mess - clothes everywhere. It's starting to feel like no matter how many things I give to charity or sell on ebay, there will always be too many clothes in the flat, even though we haven't been buying tonnes of new things! They must be multiplying somehow...

Health: Gym attendance has been mediocre this month, the first two weeks were particularly poor - mostly due to the weekend in Snowdonia but I can't blame the mountain for everything. The second half of October has been much better - back to three times a week. Our stint of only eating veggie at home seems to have come to an end what with a few chicken dishes (and a roast dinner) taking place this month. However, the time for soups is almost upon us and, seeing as I'm not a fan or meat soups, I think my veggie in-take will soon be on the up again.

Money: I made my lunch almost everyday (apart from 4 occasions) this month and I do believe I saved myself a small fortune. This is something I clearly should have started doing a lot sooner but hey, at least the penny has finally dropped! The trip to Snowdonia left me slightly poorer than usual by the time payday arrived, but no regrets as I had a great time away from London on what will most definitely be my last holiday for some time. Saving continues pour le wedding.

Do more new: Loads of new stuff happened this month including: trying out some new-to-me pubs in peckham, meeting 6 other lovely bloggers at a get-together in camberwell, a trip to Snowdonia where I climbed (or rather scrambled) up a mountain, went to give notice of marriage at lambeth registry office, visited my friend's new flat and met his v.nice flatmates. October has been the prefect mix of meeting lots of new people and achieving something pretty awesome that was completely out of my comfort zone, thanks Snowdon.

Et toi? How did your October shape-up?

a very social september

Summer's definitely on its last legs but that didn't stop it from from being one fabulous month! PLUS I made some excellent progress with the 4 things challenge :)

De-clutter: I'd bagged up a few clothes at the beginning of the month with the intention of taking them to the charity shop. And there, by the front door, they sat all month until this Saturday when, as luck would have it, another Give and Take was taking place in Brixton. I donated a box and bag of stuff and didn't hang around for fear of picking up more stuff than I'd dropped off! Unfortunately, on unpacking all of my winter clothes and reintroducing them into my wardrobe when I returned to the flat, I found quite a few other bits and pieces which could've gone to Give and Take as well. A new charity bag has been started. Goal for October is to actually take stuff to the charity shop and stick to the one-in-one-out policy on wardrobe and shoe rack. Also, I really need to start filing the paper trail connected with the wedding - I've even got the perfect folder for it!

Health: I've joined the gym! And I'm actually going to it! Current goal is 3 times a week, at least half and hour on weekdays and about an hour at the weekend. 4 weeks in and so far, so good :)

Money: What with joining the gym and saving for the wedding, it's been a bit of a poor month and it looks like October will be much the same. I really do need to curb my spending and start thinking more thriftily about really simple things like making my own lunch everyday (not just the odd day here and there and in the last week before payday). I'm also attempting to drink less booze. It's not a cap on socialising but I'm going to try sticking to two drinks in an evening which will probably benefit my health too. I think this one will be tough but hey, Ill give it a go!

Do More New: I completed my first ever baby quilt and attended my first non-family christening. I interviewed the first man to be featured in the quilting magazine at work - and not just any man - knitter, quilter, needlepoint-er, and fabric designer Kaffe Fassett (he was so lovely and his studio in Kilburn was v.cool - so many colours and patterns all over it). My parents met Mitch's parents for the very first time and I went to my first  live comedy show at the Hammersmith Apollo. Lots of new stuff :)

August: a month of two halves

As you might be able to see from the picture, this month was v.much split in two - the first being packed full of social happenings and the second was super chilled.

4 things challenge update:

De-clutter: Apart from a few ebay sales I've not been doing so well on the de-cluttering BUT on the plus side I've totally curbed my spending (at least on clothes anyway)!
Health: I drank waaaay too much booze in August so a bit of a detox is on the cards for september - I'm not cutting it out altogether just reducing the intake. Also, I've got a free trial at the rather sexy brockwell lido gym next week which will hopefully lead to a membership!
Money: Saving is in full swing and I've created a helpful spreadsheet to keep track of all the wedding costs that we've paid and need to pay - who knew that creating spreadsheets could be so satisfying?
Do more new: We took our first day trip ever using national express and journeyed south to bournemouth - such a lovely day - AND we also went for a swim for the first time in brockwell lido (and enjoyed lunch in the lido cafe). Yup, I finally braved the unheated waters of the pretty 1930s pool and, man, I'm glad I did.

September's shaping-up to be just as busy as the beginning of August what with several drinks and dinners planned, not to mention my sister's birthday, a family reunion and a live comedy show - the start of autumn is looking good :)

july: hello heatwave!

The summer finally hit and boy has it been super sunny and hot! Lots of great stuff happened this month AND things are certainly back on track with my 4 things challenge!

De-clutter: the ultimate de-clutter took place this month with the partaking of the brockwell park car boot sale. We managed to shift a whole box of stuff and then the things we didn't sell went off to the charity shop! Even more stuff has been listed on eBay so I'm pretty chuffed with myself in terms of clearing out the flat.

Health: thanks to the heat I've been drinking a hell of a lot of water and I think all the vitamin D we've had means my skin has been feeling pretty good. Not so much good news on the exercise front mostly because I cannot bare to go for a run in the heat (poor excuse I know). But, I shall have a bit of spare cash next month so I fully intend on joining the gym.

Money: saving is again under way, thank god as we're fast approaching the time when we need to start paying deposits for wedding related shiz... 

Do more new: Obviously the car boot sale experience was a first and I also branched out and tried a new restaurant in the village AND cooked a few new recipes, all of which turned out rather well and will definitely re-created soon. Plus, tonight I'm heading to the Science Museum Lates. This month it's all about SPEED (the force not the drug) - should be fun I reckon.

June stuff

A little later than planned but here's a quick round-up of how June panned out in terms of my 4 things challenge.

De-clutter: Finally got around to putting some stuff on eBay but sadly there weren't many takers so most of it will need to go to charity or possibly the next frock swap event. I also did a rather big de-clutter of the shelves and put lots if winter clothes into boxes - perhaps a little optimistic but I have high hopes for this sunny weather.
Health: I actually started jogging again in June - twice a week - the real test is going to be whether I can now continue it after a week long holiday of essentially stuffing my face. We'll see.
Money: saving has had a bit of a set back and it doesn't look like I can properly start again until August. On a more positive note a plan is beginning to form in terms of saving for the long term future...
Do more new: I was racking my brain to think of what new thing I've done this month and then it hit me -  I met and hung out with a lot of new people in June! Sounds like I'm clutching at straws but, if you think about it, how often to do spend an evening (or a week) with a completely new bunch of people? I, as I think most people, tend to just maintain the friendships I've got. So, spending an evening down the pub with some of Mitch's work mates I'd not met before and then holidaying in Italy for a week with a group of 11 when half of them are totally new was really quite refreshing!

In other news it was also Mitch's birthday - a raucous friday night involving many many shots meant that the saturday, his actual birthday, was pretty quiet. We did manage a stroll in the park, dinner at Mama Lan in the village - they make delicious dumplings - and on sunday I made him his favourite cake, chocolate & guinness with a cream cheese frosting. Yum.

I'm looking forward to July - even though it's already the 8th(!) - there's birthdays, the lambeth country show, fingers crossed a BBQ and good few more sunny days/evenings in the park.

the highs and lows of may

It's been a funny old month - weather-wise, mood-wise, goal-wise. Just as we've had some lovely sunny days, many of my weekends have been fabulous - full of food, booze and socialising. But we've also experienced some biblical rain showers, seriously gloomy grey days and my mood very much reflected this - blog writing  has been slack, I've been eating pretty poorly, work has been getting me down and I've been feeling rather uninspired in general. You won't be surprised to know that I've not really made much effort with my 4 things challenge this month but stick with me, there are a couple of positives!

De-clutter: At the beginning of the month I finally went through my humungous paper pile - bank statements, threatening letters from Revenue&Customs, pay slips, gas bills, you name it, it was there. And now it's all sorted and I feel smug. I actually have a designated area for different types of post now. Ok, so, talking about organising my post isn't v.exciting but that's all I have to brag about this month in terms of de-cluttering - those things I was supposed to list on ebay? Still waiting to be listed :/
Health: I have a large confession - I didn't go to zumba or yoga this month. Not once. V.bad indeed. My excuse is fair but irritating - my knees were pretty achey, to the point where I didn't want to risk knackering them like I did in NYC. So I took a break. On the plus side my knees feel good but the rest of me feels very aware of the lack of exercise that's taken place over the last 4 weeks. However, I'm feeling positive for June, I may even take up jogging again...
Money: saving continues.
Do More New: This month I sent off my application to enter my first quilt into a competition! It's for one of the categories judged at The Festival of Quilts in August. Money prizes are awarded for the top three places - which would be amazing to win obviously -  but I think I'd be pretty chuffed just to see it on display!

A bit of a mix bag for May BUT I enjoyed many days/evenings out with family, friends and Mitch plus we also surged forward with wedding planning so I can't complain really. There's lots of fun stuff going down in June including BBQs, an exhibition to see and Mitch's birthday. Aaaaaand, four weeks from today I shall be by, or possibly in, the pool in Perugia!

April brought the sun!

Spring has sprung for sure - thanks April.

Aside from a very welcome rise in temperature and the appearance of the sun, April has brought a bunch a other great things too such as blossom, plenty of socialising (lunch and dinner dates with famille and friends, as well the rather successful piss-up that was mine & mitch's engagement drinks), a much needed haircut and some new clothes :) In terms of my 4 things challenge, here's how the month shaped-up for me:

De-clutter: April was the first time in a looong time that I actually had a little bit of money (thanks to the promotion) to buy a few new clothes. To stick to my 'one in one out' wardrobe policy I've already selected some stuff to sell on ebay to make room for three new dresses :) ! One thing I still really need to sort out is all my paper baggage (unopened post, bank statements etc) so I hope to tackle it in May. I'm not going to lie, I've been putting it off because the paper pile is humungous.
Health: The home cook vegetarian (and fish) experiment continues and I'm still really loving it. I did go out for dinner and lunch a few times this month and although I mostly ordered veggie dishes I also got to satisfy my burger craving.
Money: saving has begun! Also, said clothes I bought were all in the sale *smug*
Do More New: This month my friend invited me along to a yoga class. It was pretty intense, I nearly  sweated as much as I do at Zumba, only I didn't move more than 2 metres! It's kinda crazy how much of a work-out you get from holding your body in certain positions (saying that though, I am probably the least supple person in the world). After an hour and a half of yoga I left feeling elated, the next day however, I ached something rotten. It's a fairly expensive class so I don't think it'll be a weekly occurrence but I do intend to return. In April I also had a go at making a dress (or two) from a pattern. The results weren't bad so I'm keen to try others.

What's to come in May: apparently the worst hay fever season in decades :( but on the bright side I've got some fun wedding shiz occurring, tickets to see The Postal Service and there's not one, but TWO bank holidays next month - bonus!

chilly old March

This March not only saw the hottest day of the year so far but was also one of the coldest March's on record! But that's enough about the weather...

With my 4 things challenge in mind, I've been keeping up with my changes:
De-clutter: I faced my dreaded chest of drawers this month and did a ruthless clear out (and even organised some of Mitch's clothes too - I was on a bit of a mission). Brixton is staging one of it's Give and Take events this Saturday and I've already got my stuff to donate all bagged-up. I'm not planning on taking anything (it would kind of defeat the point of de-cluttering) but I may have a little look at what's what.
Health: About two/three weeks ago Mitch suggested that we become home cook vegetarians - ie we're aiming to only cook vegetarian (and fish) dishes at the flat BUT we are allowed to order meat dishes if we eat out/someone invites us for dinner. It's mainly to help us cut down on our meat consumption but it's also been quite a fun challenge to think up and try out new recipes. We don't eat out very often and I rarely (if ever) have something meaty for lunch at work so I've been very veggie (with a bit of fish) for the last couple of weeks. I feel pretty good and the only thing I miss cooking at home so far is bangers and mash.
Money: Not much to report just yet as I was uber broke for practically the whole of March but I do have some frugal plans for April...
Do More New: Towards the beginning of the month my friend came to Brixton for dinner and instead of taking him to one of our regular haunts we tried out a brand new tapas place in the village. It turned out to be v.nice - excellent sangria. I also, very excitingly, found a Zumba class in brixton. Wait, it gets better, not only is it within walking distance from my flat but it's only 5 quid for an hour (and I mean an hour, I barely have time to gulp down some water between each song)! The woman that takes the class is bloody amazing, she has so much energy and enthusiasm. It's official: I love Zumba - it's the best thing to happen to Mondays.

Other bon things that happened this month:
Went to the Spring Knitting & Stitching Show
Caught up with some friends I hadn't seen for a while
This little blog turned 2!
I got to see lots of my family for Mother's Day
My sister got published in a v.cool magazine
Got a promotion at work (eeeeeeeeeeee! - SO chuffed)
Spent some quality time with Mitch over a whole weekend! (a moderately rare occurrence)
I'm also very much looking forward to spending Easter between my family in the New Forest and his family in Essex.

Hope you all have a fabulous long weekend too!

February: short but oh so sweet

It's been a bloody good month, jam-packed full of fun things. Some of the highlights:
My birthday (the actual day and the weekend house party obvs!)
Meeting my cousin's baby for the first time (he's only a month old - so cute)
Catching up with a friend who I hadn't seen for the longest time
Valentine's Jerk Chicken
Going to the theatre with my sister
Going swing dancing with Mitch
Getting to know our flat's newest resident (more on that soon)

Also, I started up my 4 things challenge. It's only been going for a couple of weeks but I'm already making a conscious effort to change my ways:
De-clutter - I sold some old clothes on eBay (and made a tidy profit to boot).
Health - water consumption is up and I've been walking lots too!
Money - I've just payed off my silly mistake from a couple of years ago so the slate has been wiped clean. Saving can really start in March.
Do More New - as mentioned above, Mitch and I went to a Swing Dancing lesson at Drink Shop & Do on Monday night. It was v.fun but super hard. Everyone (teachers and participants) were so friendly and eager to help. They're having another lesson next month and I highly recommend it - the dance party was cool too and worth staying for after the lesson. February saw my first yarn bombing experience and I also made my first ever pie! It wasn't v.photogenic (hence lack of pics) but my god it tasted good. More pies I think...probably involving some sort of strong cheese and vegetables...

All in all Feb has been the fresh new start I needed for 2013 and it just keeps on giving, it's end is kinda like the gateway to spring!

4 things

This January I didn't make my usual 'goal list' for the year for several reasons:
1. I was in New York and therefore had much better things to do.
2. Some of the things that might've gone on the list would've been impossible to start whilst in New York (cutting down on sugary stuff? Not when I can have pancakes for breakfast EVERYDAY!)
3. Many of the resolutions I was thinking about making for 2013 no longer feel relevant. Events transpired in New York which have made me think very differently about the next couple of years or so.

Now, I'm a girl who likes a list so I'm not doing away with a plan entirely. Ultimately I just think too much pressure is placed on 'new year's resolutions', January is an awful month as it is, it doesn't need the added gloom of resolutions being broken. Instead, the plan I have is two fold and starts now:

1. Note down the things I need to change about my life in general. Not resolutions as such because these aren't just for the year, the aim is to make them second nature.
2. Each month make a mini list of things I want to accomplish, some or all of which relate to the main offenders in step one.

And those 4 things I aim to change...

De-clutter - I have SO much stuff. Unnecessary stuff. Stuff that's just gotta go. I've always been a hoarder but recently (and only recently, worryingly) it's really started to bother me. It's time to make my belongings a little more streamlined. For starters I'm instigating a one in one out policy on my wardrobe (and shoe rack).

Health - Spraining my knee in New York was not only bloody painful but huuuugely inconvenient. The fact that it's only now, 8 weeks later, feeling almost back to normal again really made me think: our bodies do a hell of a lot for us, the least I can do for mine is look after it properly. To lay the groundwork on this change I'm going to drink more water, 8 glasses a day to be precise, and walk for at least 20 mins everyday.

Money - I did something pretty stupid a while ago and now I'm paying for it, literally. So now, at 26 (better late than never), I'm going to wise-up when it comes to my finances. And saving has never been so important what with a wedding to plan...

Do More New - It's true, I totally stole Honda's tag-line but it is completely relevant. Every now and again everybody feels like their stuck in the revolving doors of life, going round and round in the same old routine. So this change is intended to jazz things up a bit!

I'm feeling super positive so let's see how I get on...