Well that is April over and done with and it has been a bit of a mixture of a month. It has been a lot busier than I expected, which is some achievement as I always knew it was going to be busy. That being said though a lot of progress has been made throughout the month and a good chunk of goals have been ticked off of April's goals list. So here are how the goals I set myself for the month went...

Fashion

Sort out my Spring wardrobe

Unfortunately this is one of the goals that didn't take place due to a lack of time. I am running short of clothes that are suitable for the change in weather now though so I really do need to get working on the change over asap. 

Sort out my Spring footwear

Now this one I have done and I am quite proud of the selection of footwear I have for the upcoming months. There are a few new pairs I want to add into a rotation however, I have just what I need for now and hopefully I get plenty of wear out of the pairs I have. 

Have a declutter of all the coats we own

Well we moved and decluttered a few coats but looking at the space we are going to have available when the hallway work is done we are going to have to be ruthless and declutter even more. There are coats we haven't worn in ages that have just been gathering dust so maybe it is time to get rid of those at long last and free up some space for the future.

Start on buying pieces for my Spring wardrobe

Oh look another one that hasn't taken place, this time though it is due to us not changing the wardrobe round just yet so we don't know what we need and don't need. We want to wait until this is done to make sure we are only buying what we really need and not wasting money. Plus most of our money this month has gone on the hallway works which is a bit more of a priority.

Life

Enjoy our night away

We had the best time on our little night away which you can read all about here. It was just so nice going to explore somewhere new just the 3 of us and it has definitely made us want to do it more often if time allows. Odin had the best time exploring new places and the poor dog was shattered once we got home from all the excitement.

Plan another adventure

Unfortunately this one is going on the back burner for a while as although we loved our night away we have come home and cracked on with the hallway works which has spurred us on to get moving with other jobs around the house. Rather than another adventure we want to get cracking straight on with the dining room so we can have that done before summer and we can get saving for the big works in the living room.

Enjoy a date night at the PlayStation concert

We had the perfect dog free night at the PlayStation concert which was an unbelievable experience. We made sure to make the most of the dog free time with an earlier than planned train to Leeds so we could have a few drinks, go for a nice meal and then have a few more drinks before the show. It was a brilliant night even if it was a very late one.

Start going on night time dog walks

This one didn't get done mainly due to how busy I have been... most nights I haven't actually been home when it has been time for Odin's night time walks so I have missed out on the chance to go on the walks with him. I am determined now on those nights when I am home I will be going on those walks with him & Liam to get those steps in.

Home

Make some good progress on the hallway

Now this goal I can say is definitely completed. We got all the wallpaper off the walls and all the useless accessories we no longer needed and the plasterer has been and redone all the walls which are now looking brand new. We even managed to get the carpet ripped up and at the beginning of May we will be having all new furniture built into this space which is going to create a massive transformation which we really can't wait to see take place.

Declutter under the stairs 

We really made a difference under here. All the junk was cleared out and we have access to all the tools, gardening essentials and whatever else we store in here at long last. It just means we can finally get hold of things with ease and no longer have to fear being squashed by the lawnmower every time we open the door.

Declutter the shed

Now this one I am so glad we have got completed as we have so much space now in the shed. We have almost filled the skip with what we have got rid of there was that much junk dumped in there. We have added shelving into this space and have designated areas for gardening equipment, dog toys, football bits and BBQ bits so everything is much easier to use.

Start on the front garden

Unfortunately we just haven't had time to do this however, I am glad we didn't as the plasterers used this space for mixing so at least now we know by holding off we haven't damaged any plants we may have added in here. This is something we really do need to get around to doing though as the front of house needs a big tidy up.

Fitness

Make progress on the Couch to 5K programme

This one hasn't happened and to be honest I am questioning if I am going to continue with this or not as I am getting quite bored of it. I feel now like if I really put my mind to it I could just do a 5K even if it just a case of taking it steady and building up a pace. Maybe I will try this and take it from there.

Spend more time in the kitchen

This has been a bit hit and miss but I can honestly say that I have spent a bit more time in than usual even if it has just been making quick meals rather than ordering in. This is going to be something we keep working on though as I need to get my act together to get this weight shifted.

Get back into the gym

Unfortunately this didn't take place as time just wasn't on my side. I have since signed up to a local gym for the swimming though so going forward I want to try split my time before that gym and the home one just so that I am getting those workouts in at long last.

Hit 9k steps a day

The final goal was to hit 9k steps a day and I can happily say this has been hit by averaging out the steps over the course of the month which was the plan of how to work this out. I am very glad I got this done as I have been wanting to increase my daily steps and the 9k target did just that.

So there you go it was overall a pretty productive month in April and May is looking even better which I am excited for. Check back tomorrow to see what goals I am hoping to achieve in May...

See you soon,

Lucy

To kickstart the trip we were up nice and early to load up the car and get on our way. Our first stop of the trip was Matlock Bath, although originally we were just going to head to Matlock when we were driving past we thought Matlock Bath would be the best bet for us. We decided to park about a 25 minutes walk away from the centre just to avoid any chaotic car parks plus the weather was fine so we didn't mind that walk and Odin certainly didn't. The walk was a nice walk where we past the cable cars although we weren't brave enough to have a go. When we reached the centre we were a bit surprised as it wasn't as big as we though it would be however, we had a few walks around the place with the dog who was enjoying himself. We even went into the amusements where once again we wasted money on the claw machines but it was a fun hour or so. By the time we were done in the amusements and walking around we found a nice little pub on the waterside for some food. We got a gorgeous burger & chips each whilst Odin had his favourite sausages. 

Once we were done in the pub we were done in Matlock Bath and as it was still too early to check in we headed to a little place called Peak Village. This was a bit of an outdoor shopping centre but wasn't massive like other shopping villages so it was just right for with the dog. We ended up wandering around here a fair few times to pass the time and I ended up falling in love with a shop which sold the likes of Joules & Holland Cooper, I even found my Holland Cooper gilet of dreams but unfortunately money wasn't on my side for this visit, it has taught me it is an item I really need to pick up though. After far too many times walking around we went back out to the car park and through to the little nature reserve they had which Odin absolutely loved. After a wander around there it was time to go back to the shopping village for the best brownie and a hot chocolate.

By the time we were done with the drinks it was time to head to check in to our little cabin for the night. This cabin was in the middle of nowhere with just two other cabins in the field with it. This was absolutely perfect for the 3 of us and due to it being in the middle of nowhere we ended up just crashing out for the night with our Nintendo Switches and books. The next morning we were straight up and walking the dog around the site which was a big open field so perfect for him. Once the car was packed up it was time to head to our next destination which was Bakewell. We were a bit surprised when it came to Bakewell as it was very quiet and a lot of places were shut even in the Easter holidays. We spent a few hours here though just wandering around and we even treated ourselves to some Bakewell tarts as well as some for our family members. Our final stop in Bakewell was a pub where Odin was treated like royalty and we got a gorgeous breakfast. 

Once breakfast was done it was onto our final stop of the trip which was Buxton. This was always just going to be a quick stop off but we ended up spending a few hours here walking around the lovely park they have there which was much bigger than we expected and tired Odin out nicely for the trip home. It is safe to say we all had fun on our trip however, the fresh air seemed to knock us all out, especially Odin who was super tired for a few days post trip. We might have only gone away for one night but we all really enjoyed ourselves and it has made us realise we definitely need more trips away in the not so distant future but the question is where do we go next?

See you soon, 

Lucy

Here we go April, the weather is changing, nights are lighter and we are heading into some busy months with plenty of plans in place. That being said though I am hoping that April is going to be a super productive one with things starting to align properly for me. So here are my goals for April...

Fashion

Sort out my Spring wardrobe

I think it is now safe to remove all my big thick jumpers out of my wardrobe and transition into the lighter pieces of clothing I own. This is going to give me a good chance to have a huge declutter too as some clothing I haven't touched all winter so do I need to keep them? Definitely not especially if I am working on my relationship with clothing etc going forward. I know I have a fair few pieces in storage that are going to come in very handy for Spring so it is about time I dug them out.

Sort out my Spring footwear

I am determined to not be in beat up footwear all Spring, I have so many pairs that haven't been worn yet that I can create some great outfits with so I need to take the opportunity to create those outfits whilst I can. With us having the hallway redone in April I need to clear out my footwear too so those beat up pairs are going in the bin so I am not tempted just to throw them on. 

Have a declutter of all the coats we own

We own far too many coats and jackets and always tend to wear the same ones over and over. With us needing to clear the hallway we are going to take the opportunity to have a declutter of those coats so we can free up some space for what we are going to actually wear and for any new coats we may want to add in the future. Our coat storage space is getting massively reduced so we need to be brutal with this.

Start on buying pieces for my Spring wardrobe

Once I have done my Spring wardrobe change over I am hoping to make a list of bits that would fit perfectly into my Spring and even Summer wardrobe so that I can finally start to curate my perfect wardrobe for the upcoming weather. The pieces I am hoping for will no doubt be in my April pay day wish list so keep an eye out for that.

Life

Enjoy our night away

We have a night away booked for just me Liam and the dog which I really can't wait for and I am sure we are really going to enjoy ourselves. It is our first night away with just and the dog so let's see how it plays out. The night away means two days of adventures in places totally different for us so lets see just how much the dog loves it. 

Plan another adventure

I think this night away we have planned is going to give us the bug for just going out and about more often. I am hoping that the dog loves his time in the outdoors so we can get on plenty more adventures, the one I am thinking of planning is a nice day up in Malham, it isn't too far away and if we got up nice and early it shouldn't be too busy either.

Enjoy a date night at the PlayStation concert

We got tickets to the PlayStation concert as a Christmas gift from my parents and we are determined to make the most of some dog free hours. The plan is to hopefully get an earlier train into Leeds so that we can enjoy a nice meal and a few drinks before the concert so we are really hoping this goes to plan.

Start going on night time dog walks

With me having the dog all day at work Monday to Friday I tend to leave Liam to the night time dog walks so I can have a bit of a breather. With how the weather is changing though and how the nights are lighter I want to make sure that throughout April I am going on those night time dog walks to enjoy the time just the 3 of us and also to get those steps up.

Home

Make some good progress on the hallway

Finally it is all systems go and we are about to get our hallway renovations underway. This is a pretty big job so throughout the whole of April we are going to be chipping away at clearing out the items we store in here, stripping the wallpaper (woodchip) which isn't going to be an easy job, taking electronics off the wall and filling in any holes we discover from removing those. We have a deadline to get all this done by too as the plasterer is booked in for Easter Monday which really isn't that far away now. 

Declutter under the stairs 

Whilst we have the skip for the hallway we have decided we might as well get as much done as we possibly can. This means we can clear out under the stairs outdoors which has become a dumping ground even though we only did this towards the end of last summer. This should be a nice quick job just to give us a bit of a break from doing the hallway.

Declutter the shed

Whilst we have the skip we might as well get the shed decluttered too. This has become a dumping ground and you can't even get into it at the moment. There are old dog beds in there which were too big for the regular bin, junk and left over wood from projects we have done. The plan is to empty all the contents out into the garden, get rid of what we don't need and then add shelving and organise what is going back in so we can actually access what is in there. 

Start on the front garden

Again this is another job we might as well do whilst we have the skip as we can just throw bits in there. The plan here is to cut back the bushes in the front of the house, rip out the old trees which have seen better days and dig some borders around the edge. Even if we just get to the digging border stage I will be more than happy as the space will be all set for adding soil and plants in the not so distant future.

Fitness

Make progress on the Couch to 5K programme

I am finally in a position where I can start to run again as my injuries are healing nicely. The plan for April is to make some good progress towards completing the couch to 5k programme which I have been trying to finish for far too long. I am really hoping I can get to week 8 by the end of April but I guess only time will tell for that.

Spend more time in the kitchen

We have eaten out and got takeaways far too many times lately and it is time to change that at long last. If I want to make the progress on my weight loss journey I need to get into the kitchen a whole lot more to cook good, fresh meals. The plan is to not rely on Liam for the cooking and to actually get myself in the kitchen more often and try new foods.

Get back into the gym

Now that the light nights are back I have no excuse for not going and doing a gym session in the home gym. I know that by getting into the gym I will see the progress start to take shape so it is about time I just went out for 45 minutes to an hour a few times a week and got some use out of the gym again.

Hit 9k steps a day

I am determined that in April I am going to tick off the goal of 9,000 steps a day. I was so close in March and then I got injured. Now that is cleared up though the plan is to try hit the step target daily by getting out and about a lot more with the dog now the weather has changed a bit. I am looking forward to the end of the month to see if this is complete or not.

So there you have it those are the goals for April. It might be a busy month but it is time to be productive and finally get things moving in the right direction after putting things off for so long. Let's check back in at the end of the month to see just how good the month was...

See you soon

Lucy

It is finally time for me to start upgrading my wardrobe...

The time for less talking and more action taking has finally arrived and it is time for me to finally start upgrading my wardrobe. The plan going forward is to really knuckle down for those big purchase when I hit my goal weight but also to knuckle down and start building the wardrobe I want rather than buying items for the sake of it that I am never going to wear. The step of upgrading the wardrobe is going to be getting on top of all the washing and dragging all my clothing out to sort through, I will be getting rid of those items that don't fit and that I no longer wear. To be honest though it isn't just the clothing I will be sorting through I will also be doing the same with all my footwear and accessories, so I will basically be starting a fresh in many areas which is what I have been hoping for.

Once everything is cleared out I need to make sure that what I am adding to my wardrobe is made from quality materials as I am sick of having to replace items over and over after buying them cheap. I also need to make sure that the items I am buying are going to fit the more elegant/luxury style I am opting for going forward. I am not going to be buying items just to sit gathering dust anymore I only plan on buying what I am going to get my wear out of. The clothing also needs to suit a variety of things such as the lifestyle I am opting for with trips out, long walks with the dog and also my day to day at work where I really want to elevate my style rather than looking like a slob as I currently do. 

As I upgrade my wardrobe I am going to changing my habits when it comes to shopping which is certainly going to take some work but will stop me wasting money and make sure I am only picking up items I really want. The plan is to make a list on my phone with the items I really want on it and try to stick to that list when I shop. This list will be made up of products I know will work well with the style I am opting for and that are better quality than I usually buy. I will also be buying seasonally too rather than buying something that isn't suitable for the months ahead. With my weight loss journey I don't need to buy jumpers in April as by the time it comes to wearing them they may not fit, this should really help with keeping the clothing I own to a minimum too and I can easily swap items around as the seasons change. At the moment I am pretty bad at just nipping out on small trips and ending up wasting money however, going forward I am planning on cutting back on shopping trips curating that shopping list over time and then going out on one big shopping trip armed with the shopping list and hopefully plenty of money that I have saved up. 

I am really looking forward to seeing where this wardrobe upgrade is going to head as we finally start to change things up rather than just sitting on the idea. I will be posting all about the journey on here and on social media going forward with the bits I am getting rid of and the bits I am adding into my wardrobe. There will be try ons, mini hauls, unboxings and so much more coming to social media if things go to plan. On here I will be sharing what I pick up monthly and styling pieces so be prepared for more fashion content on here too at long last.

Now let's get that huge declutter done and make a start on upgrading the wardrobe including the footwear and accessories... it is time to level up and start showing the real me fashion wise. Let's get ready for much more fashion content...

See you soon,

Lucy

Finally it is here the first pay day after Christmas, it feel like forever ago that I was last paid so it is safe to say the money hitting the bank today is much needed. It was so nice waking up to money in the bank account and this is now where I start to knuckle down and begin my low spend year. With January's pay I have a few gifts to buy with my Sister's birthday being at the start of February and my Nephew's birthday in March, I am even starting to get bits together for April's birthday's too with Liam turning 30. The budget has been set for the gift buying though and I am really hoping I can stick to this.

The plan is to really knuckle down from this pay day though and hit the ground running with my low spend year, which I am going to be tracking over on my social media to try keep myself held accountable. Before any purchase are made I am also going to be adding to my savings to make sure they are number one priority going forward. Here is what I am hoping to pick up with my bit of treat money though...

Jeans

I really want a new pair of jeans that are going to sit better on my walking boots or in my wellies for our upcoming adventures. The baggy / straight jeans don't cut it so I think I might end up going for a skinny pair just for these adventures. I am also looking for a pair that are a bit of a different colour to what I am used to too so I will be having a good look around to see what is going to be the best option. 

Joules Gilet

I have absolutely fallen in love with this gilet from Joules and I think it would be perfect for some adventures we have got planned in the near future. Joules has never been a shop I have considered shopping at however, it is now somewhere I can't stop searching the website for. I am also hoping Liam will get a men's version of this as it would really suit him.

Slow Cooker

The more I think about it the more I have been tempted to pick up a slow cooker to help me get on top of my nutrition. I really can't be bothered cooking after the football on a weekend so one of these could be ideal to have on whilst I am out playing as it could be cooking my tea for me and I have to do the bare minimum when I get home. I could easily leave Liam in charge of meals with this too so it could be a good investment all round.

We are trying to make a good start on the outdoor jobs so that when the weather does start to get better we can enjoy plenty of time out there relaxing rather than just doing DIY like previous, which still never got done. I am hoping to use a chunk of both of our January pay to get all the wood and screws we need to get our back garden finished off in terms of woodwork. We need enough to create a bit more of a fenced area, a gate and turn some planters into benches. We are really hoping to keep costs low on this but once the woodwork jobs are complete we can get on with the tidying up of the area in general and making it perfect for when the weather finally changes for the better.

I have seen some really nice inexpensive plant pots on the B&Q website and I think the plan with this months pay is to get a few to keep in the kitchen to grow some herbs in to see if I can make it work. I am wanting to grow some of our own vegetables and these plant pots are cheap enough for me to test with herbs before I go all out and convert part of the garden at the side of the house, which is currently what I am trying to convince Liam to let me go ahead with.

Obviously I need something to go in those plant pots I have just mentioned and I just want to buy a small thing of soil to fill the pots I buy which I guess is going to be reasonably inexpensive. I also want to pick up a few seed packets of different herbs to try grow before moving onto bigger items in the future. Hopefully I can do this on a budget and actually be successful in growing some herbs for us to add to our meals.

We are, fingers crossed, getting a hot tub fit ready for the weather brightening up however, Liam thinks we need to add a bit more privacy to the area it is being added to just cover us from the neighbors. We were going to do a bit of a wooden pergola however, we are currently tempted to just get a fabric awning that stretched across where the hot tub is going to be placed. We are definitely going to be shopping around for the best option for this so let's see if it gets purchased with January's pay or not.

Snack containers

I can't believe Home Bargains are selling snack containers for only £4.99 as we nearly paid £20 for these last summer on Amazon. I think the plan is to pick up two of these to help us with our healthy eating and stop us snacking on rubbish. These will be filled with cut up fruit that we can just dip in and out of. These will be perfect to take on our adventures with us too especially camping as they will make life much easier. Even just to have when we are sat in the garden they will be a brilliant addition.

New bedding

I am wanting to add a little bit more colour into the bedroom as literally everything is beige or wood so the plan is to start small and use this months pay to pick up a new bedding set. Liam is totally onboard with it as long as the new one is as soft as our current one so it is time we got looking around. So far I have a seen a few different ones in Asda that I really like so I might need to see if they have any in stock locally to see if they pass the softness test. 

Artwork for the Hallway

We are nowhere near ready to do the hallway as we still need quotes for bits we want doing however, I have spotted some artwork that I want for the walls so the plan is if we see them in-store we are picking them straight up and storing them until the hallway is done. I am absolutely in love with some pieces from Home Bargains as they fit the theme perfectly and are so cheap too. At £12.99 we are going to get a few and hopefully when we get the hallway done they tie the space together nicely.

There you have it those are the items I am hoping to use my January pay on. As you can see there is definitely a focus on the house for a change and to be honest with how we have 2025 planned out I feel like this could be the case for a while. I am also really trying not to buy new clothing as I feel like with a focus on my fitness journey, I will just be wasting money on clothing that doesn't last me as long as I would like it to. The plan with the main bulk of clothes shopping is to wait until I have done a wardrobe edit just before spring to see if I need new bits for the season or not.

I am hoping that if I have any money left out of the budgeted spend pot at the end of the month I can add the left overs into a savings pot however, I am also toying with the idea of rolling it over to February's pay day wish list so I can spend a little bit more, I guess only time will tell if I have left overs or not.

It really is time to start saving money and stop wasting it buy only buying what I really want or need each month. My lifestyle is changing and I need to make sure my spending and purchases reflect that going forward and the first pay day of 2025 seems like the perfect time to bring these changes in. I am really looking forward to trying to have a month of very little shopping and instead having plenty of days at home either cracking on with jobs, working on content or just relaxing playing some games.

Let's see how this goes shall we...

See you soon, 

Lucy

Scrolling through TikTok towards the end of 2024 I came across people doing a vision board bingo instead of the usual vision boards and it just looked like a great alternative for me to give a go in the hopes of keeping me more motivated to hit my goals going forward. All I had to do was set up a grid, fill in my goals and work towards winning the card in the typical bingo card fashion with a prize being awarded every time a winning combination was achieved.  

Last year I did a vision board as my wallpaper on my Macbook and in all honesty I forgot about it after a few months and looking back at it now nothing worked on it. This time around though I am going to give this bingo style a go and hopefully see myself tick off a whole host of my goals over the next 12 months. I have done 3 cards for this year each one with a different area to focus on, so I have life, fitness and content goals to work on and each grid is made up of 25 goals for me to complete with some being little goals that overall lead to the big overall one for the year.

I am really hoping that by keeping these goals separate it helps me see what it is working throughout the year and what needs changing up in each aspect of life to ensure I am on track to hit the goals I have set out for myself. To make sure I am constantly reminding myself of my goals I have pinned these cards to the wall at the side of my desk so I see them and can see what I am close to achieving or that I need to work harder to get close to. 

With these cards constantly in my eye line I am really hoping I can keep on track and start putting together some winning combinations which could be a line horizontally, diagonally or vertically, 4 corners or a full house which I am hoping to hit by the end of the year. Once each of these combinations are made there will be a reward which I am still trying to come up with but keep an eye on social media as I am sure I will post a pic/reel of me completing the reward or I may even do a post wrapping up what it took to achieve the goal if a full post could be done around it. 

There is a big push towards achieving all these goals if possible in 2025 after what felt like a disappointing 2024 where I achieve basically 0 goals I set for myself and I really hope the bingo cards play a big part of spurring me on especially as a few fitness goals and content ones are going to be pretty hard to hit and require a lot of discipline. I think the content ones are going to be hard however, the fitness ones are going to be where discipline really comes into play and are honestly some of the biggest priorities going forward as fitness is one of my main areas of focus over the next 12 month.

Now let's get marking some of these goals ticked off. I am hopefully by the end of the first quarter of the year I will have a few completed so let's see how it plays out.

See you soon, 

Lucy

Here we go as my fitness and weight loss journey is going to be a big part of my year I have decided to create a new series on here where every Wednesday I post my weight to hold myself accountable and add in the highs and lows of the week to show if I am making progress on my journey or not. I am hoping this little series for the course of 2025 is going to keep me motivated to progress on my journey and will be something good to look back on in the future when I have moved on from the grind of trying to lose weight.

So here are the stats from the 1st of January until now...

Start of the year weight : 16 st 13 lbs

This weeks weight : 16 st 13 lbs

Difference: 0 lbs

This is kind of what I expected as the first week of the year has faced weather disruption and has been all about trying to find a routine once more. 

Highs of the week

Planning things out

Granted a few plans never played out due to the weather however, I am classing planning as a high as I did actually sit down and do it either if things did have to change. 

Being productive with website work

A high from the week definitely has to be getting into a good flow of creating content for the sites again. I have managed to juggle eating well and moving with also sitting down to create content, something that I had massively neglected previously. Let's hope I can keep this up going forward.

Lows

Football got cancelled

Unfortunately the weather had different plans when it came to me returning to football post injury. I am eager to get back to kicking the ball around but I guess I am going to have to wait just a little bit longer. I know that I could have potentially seen a lot more scale change if the 5 a side match and training took place but the time to get back on the pitch will soon be upon me. 

Didn't get the gym sorted to use

Unfortunately I didn't get the gym tidied up and the lights put up in time to get using the gym during the first week of the year. The day I had planned to sort it though the weather again had another plans and the doors were snowed shut. I have now managed to get all this sorted though so fingers crossed I can have a good few sessions in there before the next round up.

Favourite Meals of the week

To be honest my nutrition is where I am going to be focusing a lot on making progress as it is nowhere near where it needs to be. I have tried this week though and one of my favourite meals was as a bit of brunch where I made myself some chicken, eggs and ready to eat bacon. This got me a decent amount of protein in and kept me full for a long time. My only other favourite meal of the week has to be the giant Yorkshire pudding we made and filled with vegetables, sliced potato and chicken sausages, it was a much needed warming meal after some time in the snow and added some much needed vegetables into my day, something I really need to work on.

Workouts Complete

2 Treadmill runs

I have done nowhere near as many workouts as I would have liked as I mentioned previously however, I still managed 2 treadmill runs which means I have finally completed week 2 of the couch to 5k programme. The 2 treadmill runs are much better than nothing which normally would have happened with the weather cancelling other plans. I just hope I can say a whole lot more has been completed in terms of workouts.

I have set myself a bit of a daily checklist for tasks to complete that are going to help me along with my journey. So how did I get on with those? 

2 litres of water - I have hit this every day

Stick to my calories - I didn't track those this week but will be doing from now on

Taken all my vitamins - This was done every day

8,000 steps a day - To be honest I have barely used my watch so I am unsure on this 

Weigh in daily - This has been done daily just to see what sort of thing change the scales however, there weren't many changes at all.

Exercise - I have done daily walks but in terms of tougher exercise it was just those two treadmill runs

So how have I felt this week

I definitely feel like there is a lot of room for improvement this week as things just didn't go to plan however, I feel like it has been better than it has been lately as I did stick to the plan as much as I could rather than giving up all together like me last year would have. I have been absolutely full of cold too which really hasn't helped things but we seem to be over that at long last.

So here are my goals for the week ahead, in the hopes of really starting to see the weight drop I am longing for...

Go boxing

I am finally heading back to the hour long boxing classes that I used to attend. I saw a lot of progress when I attended these so let's see if that happens again this time around.

Play football

The weather best ease up as I am desperate to get playing football again and hit the ground running. I haven't played since September due to injury so fingers crossed this Sunday's game goes ahead and I cam get some minutes under my belt.

Go football training

Again this will be dependent on the weather but hopefully by Tuesday things will have eased off and I can get that hour of training complete. These training sessions have been something I have really missed so let's hope Tuesday is the start of things returning to normal for me.

Hit my calorie target daily 

I am going back to tracking my calories this week so I want to make sure I am tracking all my calories each day to see what is working for me and what needs changing. I think once I get back into the habit of doing this it will be like second nature.

2 more runs

I want to make sure I am still completing my runs alongside my other forms of training as I am doing a 10k in June and I really need to get prepared for that. 2 more runs would see me complete week 3 of the couch 2 5k and finally be making some much needed progress on the programme.

Lose 2 lbs

I am really hopeful that if I hit all the other goals above that this one will take shape and I will see a 2 lbs drop on the scales to really get things moving in the right direction. I feel like this is realistic for the start of things so let's see if it goes to plan or not.

So there you have it that is week 1 of the new little fitness and weight loss series. I am really excited to see just what the year has in store for me with the journey so let's see how this little series progress. 

See you soon

Lucy

2025 is going to be the year where I can look back come December and say 'yeah I definitely achieved a lot this year and smashed my goals' I am sure of it. I am trying to take the pressure off by not setting myself too many goals for a change and instead I have 5 goals in different categories that I want to focus on and improve on throughout the year. The plan as I have previously mentioned is to really elevate my life and have the best year yet so here are my goals for 2025...

Lifestyle

I am determined to elevate my quality of life throughout 2025 and these goals should all really help me along with that and bring their own little benefits. So here are my lifestyle related goals for the year...

More long dog walks

I have been rubbish at going on long walks with the dog and tend to leave these to Liam to do. I want to spend more time outdoors in 2025 though and also spend more time going on adventures with both Liam and the dog so the addition of me going on the long walks with them would be fantastic. It will also help towards my fitness goals (those are to come in another post) which will be an added bonus. There are so many nice long walks we can do without travelling too far so there's really no excuse to not be doing this.

Plenty of self care evenings

2025 is the year where I am going to be avoiding burnout at all costs. 2024 was a write off and burn out stopped me doing so much and I am determined not to get to that stage again. I will be scheduling in plenty of self care evenings where I just fully switch off and take time for myself.

Enjoy more date nights with Liam

This goal is one I definitely want to get ticked off as I feel like we really need to spend a bit more time together. One plan is to go out for more meals and drinks together exploring some of the great places around us. I also want to do more things like theatre trips, bowling, mini golf just fun little activities where we can enjoy each others company. Date nights at home would be great too maybe themed food nights and games could be on the cards a few times a month.

Enjoy the house more 

I really want to spend more time at home no matter what the weather as we pay for it so why not enjoy it. I can enjoy cosy days in the living room catching up on shows or YouTube, I can spend plenty of time in the games room getting through my massive backlog of games or I can spend time in my home office working on content and getting that room fully completed at last.

Spend more time in the garden

I think this is a big one for me as in all the time we have lived in this house we haven't really made the most of the garden and have gone out instead of enjoying what is right in front of us. Granted I feel like we need to complete the home goal I mention later on to fully enjoy the garden but with a new addition on it's way to the space there really is no need for us to go out to enjoy the weather. we can enjoy it from the comfort of our own garden space.

Finance

I have got quite a few financial goals for 2025 and they are quite important as if these don't get hit a lot of other goals will not be able to take place. So here are the financial goals I have set for myself in 2025...

Save for jobs doing around the house

There are big plans for the house in 2025 as after 7 years we are wanting to tackle some of the bigger & more expensive jobs around the house and we know we are going to need to save up a fair bit in order to make them a reality. We are confident that with the plan we have in place we can smash this goal and get all the jobs done that we are setting out to do in 2025.

Stop buying for the sake of buying

This is a pretty big goal for me and I am determined to smash it as it will mean I have really got on top of my relationship with money. At the moment I am starting to look around the house and really realise that some items really didn't need purchasing and I could have saved so much more money that I already have done which means jobs could have been done sooner. The goal for 2025 though is to stop buying for the sake of it and be more intentional with what I am buying. Every purchase has to have a purpose and be worth while now so let's see how this one plays out.

Save up for the big goal shop

I am still working away on my weight loss goals and I know that I am still along way off needing to go out and get a whole new wardrobe so whilst I am working towards the end goal weight I am going to keep on adding to my goal shop rewards pot. This has a good amount in at the moment but I am going to keep topping it up each month and stop dipping into it like I have been previously have. Currently the target is at having the savings at £2,500 by the end of the year so let's see if we can achieve this or go beyond it. 

Save for my new gaming PC

I am spending a lot more time in the games room in 2025 if it goes to plan and I want to be able to get through my PC game library however, my current PC doesn't run any of them due to the specs so I am hoping to cut back on the spending and be able to save enough to get a whole new PC. Saving for this gives me time to decide if I want to buy a pre-built PC or if I want to go the route of building my own from scratch which is currently winning as it means more content for the gaming side of things. 

Save up for some new tech

There are a fair few bits of tech I am wanting to save up for however, I won't go into this until later on in the post (content section). I am really going to have to save though if I am wanting to pick these up so the plan is to create a few saving trackers and keep add to these each month in the hopes of being able to pick up everything I have listed out as wanting to buy in 2025 alongside the gaming PC and doing jobs around the house.

Home

Alongside the fitness journey the house is becoming a main priority for 2025 as we aim to get a whole host of rooms completed at long last although they are likely to cost a fair bit which is why saving is needed over the course of the next 12 months. So here are the home goals for 2025...

Get the hallway done

We are hoping to have the hallway complete within the first quarter of 2025 but I guess only time will tell as the costs are starting to add up due to us wanting cupboards and a boot room building in so alongside the plastering, paneling, decorating and flooring costs are starting to rack up. Let's hope we can get this wrapped up sooner rather than later though so we can move onto job number 2.

Get the living room done

Thew living room is next up once the hallway is done and let's just say this might seem like a small task but we want a new fireplace putting in so getting that installed and the chimney made safe we are looking at a big cost. Add on wanting a wooden mantle fitting and new flooring putting down the cost starts to rise so fingers crossed we can save enough to get this room ticked off to be transformed into the ultimate cozy room which is what we are aiming for before the autumn rolls around in 2025.

Get the dining room done

Finally the only other room we want to complete in 2025 is the dining room again, this could end up adding up in cost however, we want to do this on as much of a budget as possible. The plan though in here is to get a little bit of a bar set up with a wine fridge and add a dining table at long last as we have missed having one. I honestly think even though it is the last job planned for 2025 it is the one I am most looking forward to having complete. Let's see how this one plays out too.

Finish the back garden

The back garden still isn't complete however, as soon as the weather gets better this year we are getting out there and getting this back garden complete so we can enjoy plenty of evenings out there throughout the year. We need to paint all the woodwork, create the benches instead of the planters, get new lighting and find space for the hot tub we have acquired. I just know that once this area is done we are going to love sitting out with a fire lit and some nice drinks.

Complete the home office

There are a few finishing bits that need doing in the home office but the main goal is to have a change around to make the room more beneficial and easier to work in. The cozy vibe needs to be made better and a huge declutter needs to take place too as it has filled up very quickly. I just know that once this room is sorted I am going to be able to spend hours in there working away.

Content 

2025 is going to be the year when I start taking creating content a whole lot more serious as I have set myself some pretty big overall goals for the year, this is for all my sites and social media accounts so I am going to need to really knuckle down and get on with things. So here are the content goals I have set for myself...

Post to the TNG Instagram 3 times a week as a minimum

I have a pretty big goal for this Instagram in the long run so I know I need to start being consistent with posting much better quality content too. The goal is to post 3 times a week as a minimum with a mixture of reels, carousels and single image posts in the hope of seeing some growth but I guess only time will tell with this one.

Show up on Instagram stories

If I want to see the growth I am hoping for then I am going to need to show up on stories rather than ghosting them for weeks at a time like I have previously done. The goal is a few stories a day with little insights into my day and how content creating is going so again we shall see if this helps with creating some growth in the long run.

Post more on TikTok

There is a whole host of progress to be made growth wise with the use of TikTok so across the accounts I have I am hoping to post multiple times a week and see growth across all the accounts which I am hoping for. These TikToks will vary from what I post on Instagram in most cases just to mix things up a little bit and they may even feature some little mini series' for each account where we work on growing and upgrading different areas of life that fit with that account.

Post Monday to Friday on the TNG & TNG Games blogs

I am not messing around when it comes to the blogs in 2025 as I have plenty of ideas for the whole year that I am hoping to work on and publish rather than having extended breaks and neglecting the sites. Throughout the whole of 2025 I am planning on having a post on each of these sites every day Monday to Friday with only the weekends free from new posts. This just means I am going to need to nail a new routine that gives me enough time to get ahead of myself with the posts. 

Buy new equipment to improve the quality of content

I mentioned earlier about saving up for new tech and well this is what it is all for... in 2025 I want to buy a new camera, some lighting and maybe a few other tech bits to help me upgrade the quality of the content on both the blogs and social media content. The tech will especially help with the social media accounts so let's see what we can purchase in 2025.

Start pitching to brands

Once I start to see a bit of growth on the sites and social media accounts I am going to step out of my comfort zone at long last and start pitching to brands. I have a list of brands I would love to work with so I am going to start being brave and reach out to them. I am expecting a fair few knock backs but I am hoping to start working with brands over the course of 2025 so fingers crossed.

TNG Media

Now I am thinking that I might do a full individual post about TNG Media and the plans I have for this in 2025 as I have a fair few plans in place for it as I want to see a lot of growth in what we do at TNG Media over the course of the year but for now here are some of the goals I have set for it...

Make a minimum of 10 sales in first quarter of the year

The first quarter of 2025 is going to be all about building up the brand for TNG Media so I am not expecting a huge amount of sales however, if we could hit 10 sales of physical products that would set the year off on a high for TNG Media. 

Release 2 new products each month

As I say 2025 is going to be all about growth and slowly but surely we want to be releasing a variety of different products physically to start having the money to put back into growing the business so we can go in the big direction we want to head in but more on that another day. 2 products doesn't throw too much out there in one go which means it is manageable for us going forward too. 

Do some fairs over the course of the year

With what we do physically for TNG Media there are plenty of craft fairs that we could look at attending throughout the course of the year. Even if we do one or two of these I will consider it a win and I will be planning what we could sell over at each fair as the time gets nearer to start signing up for them.

Be able to move into social media management 

The big goal for TNG Media is to have the physical product side of things and then a social media management side of things. The social media management side of things is going to take a while to build on but I will be experimenting with my own social medias to show what we are capable of doing before reaching out to people locally before reaching out further afield. Again there are plenty of areas we want to cover with TNG Media and this is just one of them, we will do a full post on all this I think though in the future. 

Be able to reduce my hours at my job to make TNG Media work

I would love to be able to reduce my hours at my job in 2025 to be able to dedicate time towards building TNG Media. Granted there is going to be a lot of late nights grinding away to be able to get to this stage but I am adding it as a goal for the year and it might be my most difficult goal for the year but the determination is there this year to get things up and running so let's see how it works out.

So there you have it, a bit of a longer post than normal but I just wanted to get all the goals out there to hold me accountable and as a bit of a reminder of exactly what I want to get out of the year. It is time now to get cracking though so I guess I am going to be busy for a while let's see just how many of these goals we can tick off by the end of the year.

See you soon

Lucy