2016 Goals - Revised

Now that we're halfway through the year I had a new look at and rethink of my goals. Here they are:

• Do yoga.
• Drink more water and eat more fruit and veg.
• Pay off debts.
• Finish sorting the house (baby's room, kitchen, pantry, garage).
• Date nights.
• Keep crafting.
• Write letters.
• Keep a diary.

I'll keep you up to date.

Reading Review

Lolita - Vladimir Nobokov

This read came from the BBC book list I'm still working my way through.

As soon as I read the blurb, I knew it was going to be a difficult read. It took me a long time to wade through this one. It wasn't thrilling but I did want to stick with it.

The idea of a middle aged man having such an influence on his step-daughter is disturbing but I did want to know what happened to her.

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

I also came to this book through the BBC list. I expected it to be more like 1984 but I found that this novel took the idea to a whole new extreme.

It's a lot more surreal and unrealistic than 1984, yet strangely ahead of its time in some social respects. I found it a really interesting read that made me reflect on life and politics in general.

The Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon

The fourth book in the Outlander series was every bit as good as the first three. It sees the main characters settling in the American colonies and I love the play between past and present with the next generation. It brings a lot of action and interesting new twists to the story. Looking forward to the next.

Recipe: Paleo Energy Balls

Since we've been on Summer holidays, we've had more time to cook and bake, which means more cooking from scratch and healthier options.

As a result, we've tried some new Paleo recipes and this one is easy, no baking required, tasty and it delivers on the energy front. Try it!

Make it Monday

This was one of those projects that took longer to start on than to actually complete. Having made a similar quilt for Isabella when I was pregnant, I wanted to make one for my nephew too and he's really into Minions. My mum found me some suitable Minions bedding to re-purpose and in March, I finally got cracking.

Once I got started it went pretty smoothly. I was doing this project from memory. The Minions were the perfect size, it wasn't girly and I love the blue and yellow colour matching.

He finally received his gift in June and is pretty pleased with it. I love making things for others and this was a big project for a special little man.

Weekly Wisdom

Just start!

The Saturday Update

After our first full week of holidays, we're feeling much more relaxed around here. The house is looking better for it and having more time to cook means we're feeling better for eating fresher.

We've had a few trips this week which makes us feel better than when we're at home all day. We need to use these holidays, otherwise they fly by and feel wasted.

On Monday we went to Dodenhof - a big shopping center. It has everything under one roof. We had a nice browse and lunch.

Wednesday evening was drinks with the other parents from Isabella's nursery group. I love having time to talk to them and get to know people in our area.

Thursday was our latest scan - all good. Later we went to see some friends at their new house and took the girls to the park.

On Friday we went into Bremen shopping and for lunch. I stocked up on craft supplies to keep me busy.

Next week is Isabella's last week at nursery before her holidays start. We have a couple of house jobs lined up, her next doctor check up and a birthday party.

Hello again!

So it's been a while...

There are a couple of reasons for that. First up, I felt like I was running out of steam again. I'm an all or nothing kind of person - I like to blog every day or I get overwhelmed and give up.

I've used the break to keep my head above water at work and now that we have holidays, I feel much more on top of things. I'm going to try a more relaxed approach when I need a break or have less to blog about.

The second reason I stopped blogging for a while was terrible morning sickness. That's right, we're expecting baby number two in November. Getting out of the first trimester has left me feeling more refreshed and less overwhelmed.

With the half year approaching, I decided to review my goals and where I wanted to be by the end of 2016. Some goals fell by the wayside but I was sure I wanted to start blogging again. So as of today, it's a fresh start.