Weekly Wisdom

If you do what you always did, you will get what you always got.

The Saturday Update

We've had a great start to 2018. It was a quiet start to the new year, well, the fireworks weren't but the kids slept through them!

We've had a quiet week on the whole and my gym has been shut but we have had some nice family time, watched some films, done some crafting, cooking and reading - quality holiday activities.

I had an interview for a job teaching literacy and German to refugees and I start at the end of the month! So excited to get cracking on a new challenge! I did one tutoring shift this week too, still enjoying that.

I've spent a lot of time reviewing 2017 and looking forward to 2018 this week and it's been a relaxed but positive start.

Links!

Funny grandparents.

Ideas for spending that Christmas money.

Need to take note of this.

Beautiful photography project.

Good advice.

One way to shake up the to-do list?

And another?

This scares me but there are probably a few things I need to check out on there.

One Little Word 2018

Following the success of my year of 'create', I want to share my new One Little Word for 2018 today. It is:

Refresh!

I thought long and hard about this and 2018 is going to be a whole different set up for me. Both kids will be in daycare, I'll be starting several new jobs and it seemed to make sense that I refresh several areas of my life in the process. Here are some of my goals for 2018:

• Refresh my work situation.
• Refresh my home environment.
• Refresh my attempts at One Second Every Day video keeping.
• Refresh my crossstitch efforts.
• Refresh my diet and fitness plans.
• Refresh my finances.

By the way, although I loved and acheived last year's goals - I'm actually enjoying creating and reading much more now that the pressure is off.

Also, I've decided not to have my mobile phone upstairs at night any more and after just four nights, I'm feeling refreshed!

January Goals

This month I want to...

• crossstitch every day.
• clean / organise the house.
• organise my work schedule for February.
• get back into healthier habits.
• get our routine back.

Recipe: Chorizo Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1.5 cups risotto rice
• 150ml red wine
• 1l stock
• 150g chorizo
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 100g frozen peas
• Handful of rocket
• Parmesan
• Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Fry the onion and garlic for five minutes. 

2. Add the rice and chorizo, followed after five minutes by the wine and then tomatoes.

3. Add the stock, ladle by ladle until absorbed, stirring regularly.

4. With the last ladles, add the peas and rocket and check the seasoning.

5. Serve with parmesan.

Happy New Year!

I love the fresh start of a new year and this year is special as it marks a real new start for me with new jobs starting soon.

2017 was equally unique in that I was home with Joshua and looking back, I can't believe how far we have come in the past twelve months from that new born haze that felt like we'd be breastfeeding and co-sleeping forever.

In 2017 we bought a new car, Nico started a new job, Joshua was christened, we attended a wedding weekend in Arnstadt, I resigned, we travelled to England, Isabella turned three and finished nursery, I flew to England for a hen do and again for another wedding, I joined a fitness studio, we went to the Harz, Isabella started Kindergarten, I took and passed the C1 German exam, my best friend had a baby, Joshua turned one and started nursery and we got through the crazy Christmas season.

Amongst all of that, I kept my resolutions of creating every day and reading a book per week.

2018 looks set to be equally busy for us and I'm really excited about this new phase. This year I am renewing my efforts to try the one second per day video as a new, fun way to document our lives.

The rest of my goals and my One Little Word, I'll be sharing with you later this week.