I can’t quite believe we’re a month into 2023 already! Unlike previous years, I really enjoyed January. I eased myself into the New Year and found myself relaxed, with a chilled but positive mindset. 

Did you find yourself full of gloom in January? I find love spending time reflecting at the end of each month. It almost always gives me reason to see the month wasn’t all doom and gloom. 

I particularly enjoy looking back at my photo reel from the month. It’s a great way to remember some of the nice things I did throughout the month.

Here’s a look back at what I got up to in January.

Clearing out the old

I love starting a new year (or even a new season) with a good clearout. 

Those of you who’ve followed me for a while, will know I love the free sharing app Olio. Created to help reduce food waste, you can also give away non-food items. I use Olio to get rid of stuff I no longer need, but might be useful to others in the local community. 

Although I’m still sifting through stuff, clearing out old clutter has already freed up a surprising amount of space. And I’m not just talking about physical space. It’s incredible how much de-cluttering can also free up headspace, which in my eyes, is a win-win. 

I also downloaded Vinted in January. Vinted is a fab way of selling stuff that’s too good to give away to charity or on Olio. But be warned – buying on Vinted can be addictive with so many bargains available! You can keep the money you earn from selling in your Vinted account or withdraw it into your bank account. It offers flexibility, which I love.   

Bringing some colour into January

When I opened my drawers at the beginning of the month, I felt a sense of doom rising inside me. Over the last few years, I’ve got myself into a deeper and deeper clothes rut. I was only buying clothes when I had to. And in doing so, I’d racked up a pile of clothes that were dull. And when I looked at them in January, they made me feel ‘meh’. 

Surprisingly, when I delved deeper into my wardrobe, I did find some brighter clothing. So I brought those clothes to the front. An easy way to make sure I wore something that wasn’t black or dark blue every day in January. And I honestly think this helped to improve my January mindset. For the rest of this year, I’m on a mission. I need to drag myself out of this rut and bring more colour and pattern into my life. 

Client Book Launch

Workwise, I went straight from Christmas Market mode (I’m the Social Media Manager for a local Christmas Market) into book launch mode!

One of my fabulous clients launched her first book on 10th January. So a lot of January was spent promoting the book across social media and through email marketing.

It’s given me a great insight into the world of book publishing and all the stuff that goes with it. 

This year, I’ve increased my freelance prices. I realised I had massively undersold myself when I set up my business two years ago. But now I have an established business. And I’m armed with lots more experience and knowledge. So it felt like it was time to get paid what I’m worth. Increasing prices as a freelancer can be tricky. But thankfully, I managed to keep my clients happy, despite the price increase. Happy days!

I also had some interesting calls with prospective new clients in January. It will be interesting to see what comes of those calls. Watch this space!

Dad’s Birthday Treat

After taking Mum for Afternoon Tea at Fawsley Hall last year, Dad also expressed an interest in going sometime. 

Every year, it gets harder to know what to buy my parents for their birthdays. But they both love experiences, so I decided to treat my Dad to Afternoon Tea for his birthday.

It was lovely to spend one-to-one time with my Dad, as it doesn’t happen very often. We took a trip down memory lane as he reminisced about the travel he used to do with work. He told me stories I couldn’t remember him telling when we were younger. And it was lovely to hear him talk so passionately about it.

Fawsley sure know how to do Afternoon Tea! Even for us gluten-free folks, the cakes and sandwiches were delicious. 

It was only a flying visit back home this time, but it was great to treat my Dad and catch up with my mum and brothers for a family meal too. 

New experiences in January

January was also a month of new experiences. 

I attended a Sound Bath (which you can read more about here), tried some new restaurants, and signed up to Borrow my Doggy!

I had been thinking about signing up to Borrow my Doggy for a while, as I know a couple of people through social media who use the scheme. 

The concept is quite simple. Dog lovers sign up to the app to help dog owners find someone to give their dogs a little extra care. Whether it’s walking their dogs or dogsitting while their human owners are on holiday, you can choose whatever type of dog and situation works for you. As a borrower, you pay around £12 per year, which covers you for insurance and gives you access to 24-hour emergency vet contacts.

Having lost my cat just over 12 months ago, it feels too soon to go back into the world of being a pet mum. But the thought of looking after others people’s pets was too good to be true. I’ve also always wanted a dog, so I thought signing up to Borrow my Doggy would give me a better insight into dogs and whether I might be ready to be a dog mum in the future. 

So far, I’ve met up with two dogs and their humans, and I’ll be starting to walk them regularly this month.

Aside from getting out and meeting these lovely dogs, it’s also been a great way of connecting with people who live nearby. 

National Three Peaks Challenge Training

As I write this week’s blog post, there are just under seven months to go until I tackle the 3 Peaks Challenge.

Although Charity Challenge recommends a 16-24 weeks training programme, I thought I would get ahead of schedule and start training in January. 

It had been a while since I had been out for what I would call a ‘good walk’, so last weekend, along with my friend Rachael who will also be taking part in the challenge with me, we set off to do a local walk. 

Although it was a flat walk, we covered 10 miles which is a great distance considering we only do around 6 miles with our local walking group. My legs held up well, although I developed two blisters on one of my feet. Thankfully they weren’t too deep, and they didn’t develop until we were around eight miles into the walk. I’ve got plenty of time to figure out what’s causing these pinch points and how I can avoid picking them up on longer, hillier walks!

If you would like to find out more about this epic challenge, or if you would like to sponsor me, you can find more information here.

That’s all for this week, but if you’re feeling inspired by my ‘Look Back At January’, why not create one of your own, and share a link to it in the comments below for others to read?