Happy Easter to you if you’re reading this over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Whether you’re celebrating Easter or not, I hope you’re having a lovely bank holiday weekend. 

The spring sunshine is out in full force here today, although rumour has it that winter may be returning tomorrow with the chance of snow. As much as I love snow, I’m not sure I want to say goodbye to the spring. 

March has been yet another higgledy-piggledy month. Here’s my roundup of the month just gone.

Hope

We had two key dates to cling onto this month in our fight against Covid 19. Schools reopened on the 8th March for the first time since Christmas which was a huge relief to so many parents and children alike. And from the 29th March, we’ve been able to enjoy socially distanced outdoor meetups with friends and family, either in groups of 6 or 2 households. I was lucky enough to finally see my family yesterday for the first time since October (more on that in next month’s roundup). It felt so surreal, and it was hard to maintain distance when all we wanted to do was enjoy a massive hug. 

It’s crazy to think that we’ve been in and out of lockdown for over a year now. In so many ways, it feels like yesterday when the world shut down, yet it also feels like a lifetime ago. I can never quite get my head around that contradictory feeling. 

The next hurdle on the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown is the 12th of April, as this is the earliest date for retail, hairdressers and libraries to reopen. Restaurants and pubs are also set to reopen, although this will be restricted to venues with outdoor spaces. I have everything crossed for April, as it would be so lovely to go and do something as normal as sitting in a beer garden or enjoying a meal with a friend even if we do have to sit outside.

Photoshoots & The Launch of My New Biz Website

March has been a pretty full-on month for The Mindful Gingernut. 

I finally declared myself to the HMRC as a sole trader; I spent an afternoon getting my professional business photographs taken; and I launched my new homepage for my business, on top of keeping up with work for my clients.

It’s incredibly exciting stuff, but it also has this strange air of uncertainty surrounding it. It’s completely new territory for me. I’m very much reliant on the information I find online as well as my small network of fellow freelancers to help guide me down the right path. 

Having my photos taken was terrifying, despite the fact I knew the photographer who is a former colleague of mine. As much as I love a selfie, having someone else take my photo was daunting. I’m delighted with the final versions, and I feel they give my business a more professional look.

A huge thank you to Nikeeta from @nikeetapatelsnaps who was my very patient photographer. If you’d like to see more of her work, you’ll be able to find her on Instagram.

Launching my website was also far more daunting than I ever thought it would be too. Although I’ve been freelancing since January, this was the first time I had publicly put myself and my business out there. I decided to combine my blog with my business as they both go under the same name. I thought having two websites would be unnecessary and confusing, so instead of building a brand new site from scratch, I spent time creating a new static homepage instead, which links through to my blog. I enjoyed creating my homepage far more than I ever expected. I moved into the world of freelancing to write, yet, I’ve also found a love for creating visuals.

I’d love to get your feedback on my new homepage. By clicking on my new simplified menu, you’ll find a link to my homepage. You’ll also find a link which gives visitors lots more information on the services my business can provide. Feel free to have a nosey, and why not drop me a note with any feedback you may have? I’d love to hear what you think.

Bucket Loads of Fresh Air

March was a beautiful month weather-wise. We’ve enjoyed lot’s of sunshine, and the temperatures soared so high at the beginning of last week we were able to bask in a mini-heatwave as temperatures hit the early 20’s. 

I’ve managed to get out for lots of lovely walks on my own as well as with my boyfriend. We even braved hiring bikes one day and cycled along the Thames Path which was fun!

I know that going for a daily walk and getting fresh air helps to keep me sane. I make sure I get out every day, whatever the weather, even if it’s just the 10-minute walk to my local supermarket and back. With the arrival of the mini-heatwave last week, I made sure I started my working day earlier, so I could head out and enjoy the sunshine without feeling guilty for not working on client projects.

I have to say that with the sun shining so brightly, it’s making me miss the terrace in my old flat. I do have access to a communal garden here, but I haven’t used it yet. With the river so close, I tend to sit by the river on sunny days instead. I’m sure I’ll make the most out of the communal garden when the weather warms up a bit more and I can sit out there with a book and an ice cream.

These are just some of the photo’s I’ve taken on this month’s adventures around Kingston and London.

That’s all from me this week. It’s time to rustle something up for dinner and then settle down to watch Line of Duty.

Have a great week,

The Mindful Gingernut