I can't quite believe that we are already in August, we are finally edging closer to my favourite months... the autumn months and let's just say the countdown is well and truly on for those now. That being said though I am really looking forward to August as there is plenty coming up to keep me busy and get me ready for those colder months. August is going to be a bit of a chaotic month however, I am determined to make it a productive one too rather than being lazy and I guess the goals I have set myself for the month reflect how I want the month to go. So here are the goals I have set myself for the month ahead...

Fashion

Sort through the rest of my clothes

I am very slowly but surely working my way through my clothing to make my wardrobe more streamlined and only full of clothing that goes towards the style I am hoping for. The plan in August is to finally get through all my clothing and put some bits on Vinted that I no longer need. This is a job that I keep on delaying but now it is time to get through it and make space for clothing I am actually going to wear. 

Plan what clothing I need for autumn

Once my clothing has been cleared out it is time to sit down and go through what I need for the change of seasons. I have so many outfit ideas in mind for the new season and I also have a list of clothing pieces I would love to purchase but I want to make sure they are items I need rather than just want. I can see a few purchases being made by the end of August but the main thing for me to do is sit and plan out a list of items to buy going forward.

Sort through my autumn footwear 

As well as sorting through my clothing I really need to sort through my footwear for the upcoming season. I have a box full of autumn and winter footwear in the loft so the plan is to go through this and get rid of any pairs I will no longer wear or that are looking worse for wear. Once I have sorted through these I can identify any gaps to fill and can see just how much space I need when it comes to doing my footwear switch over at the start of September. 

Sort through my jewellery

It really is the month for sorting through things for a fresh start when the seasons change and one thing I really want to do is sort through the jewellery I own as I am wanting to make some changes to my jewellery box over the next few months. A lot of my jewellery at the moment just wont fit that style I am aiming for and is quite childish so it is time to have a clear out and get some better quality, timeless looking pieces. 

Plan and organise my outfits weekly

I am determined that August is the month where I get my act together and start building habits to carry into the rest of the year and beyond. My aim for this month is to start the habit of putting aside an hour on a Saturday or Sunday to piece together outfits for the upcoming week whether it is for work, days out, working out or football. This just means I will know where everything is and can have outfits that look good together rather than throwing on any old clothes in a rush in a morning. This organisation will help me see what works well together outfit wise but most importantly will take the guess work out of mornings going forward. 

Fitness

Play as much football as possible 

Football is almost back and August is the final month of preseason so the plan is to make the most of that and really knuckle down and improve my fitness etc. The plan is to hit every training session possible, one will be missed due to a holiday but I am also planning on adding in a few solo sessions where I can just do a little extra to build the fitness and get used to the ball at my feet again. I am also planning on playing in as many games as possible in the month too just to make sure I am getting that valuable game time under my belt.

Hit the gym 3 times a week 

I am slowly developing the habit of actually using my gym membership and I am going to be making the most of it. The plan is to hit the gym 3 times a week (apart from the week I am away) and really make some progress on my weight loss journey at long last. 3 sessions a week should be the perfect amount of time in the gym alongside my football so let's see if I can hit this goal and really see the progress in August.

Get as close to the 100 kg mark as possible

I am slowly making progress on my weight loss journey but I really want to take things up a notch in August and push for a big loss so I finish the month on as close to 100 kg as possible. This is a big ask as I ended July on 106 kg however, if I knuckle down, hit the fitness goals in this post and sort my diet out I should be able to push for the 102 mark if not the 101, just as long as I get well under the 105 mark this time around I will be happy to be honest but let's just see how much I can push to make the positive changes.

Run 1 km in under 10 minutes

In July I set myself a little challenge of seeing how fast I could run 1 km as my fitness level baseline and to be honest I have shocked myself as I started the month running 1 km in 12 minutes 45 seconds and on my last attempt of July I ran the distance in 10 minutes 47 seconds, almost a full 2 minutes taken off my time which shows that what I am doing is working for me at last. In August I am really going to push myself to see if I can get under the 10 minute mare as I am not too far off and a solid month should help me see more progress on this. 

Hit my step goal daily

There were a few times in July where I fell short of my step goal however, in August the goal is to have the perfect month where my daily steps are at a minimum of 8,000 each day. This is going to massively help my weight loss if I really knuckle down and increase my daily expenditure so let's see how this one plays out shall we. 

Life

Read 2 books

Those books still haven't been read however, that is definitely going to be changing in August. I am determined that rather than scrolling through social media on an evening I am going to pick up a book and read a few chapters before I go to bed. I am about half way through my current book and then I just need to decide which one I move onto once that is complete. I am really hoping that in the August goals wrap up I can report that this goal is complete. 

Enjoy a week away

I have a week away booked with my parents and nephew and I am determined to make the most of the week and switch off to enjoy the time with them. We are going to Torquay and have a few days booked at a theme park which will be nice. Where we staying has a pool too and with the weather due to warm up again I am sure we will be spending plenty of time in there and of course there will be plenty of walking to be done. I am just looking forward to the week off work.

Enjoy my camping trip

Another chance to switch off is when we head out camping for a few nights which is bound to be eventful as we are taking the dog on his first camping trip. This trip will be in the middle of nowhere and we are aiming to climb one of the Yorkshire 3 peaks whilst away which would definitely be a great experience. 

Get birthday party ready

As I said earlier I am trying my best to become organised in August and as part of this I want to get everything ready for my birthday party in September. This will just be a get together with family but I want to make sure I have everything I need so I am not rushing away. My plan is to get the tableware, drinks and other little bits ready so I just have to worry about the food on the actual party day. 

Home

Finish decorating the dining room

I had the great idea of getting the dining room done before my party so in August I need to ensure that all the decorating for the dining room is complete, this means plastering, painting, skirting and flooring is all done and all the furniture for this space is in place and ready to add accessories to. This is definitely going to be a big ask but I am sure we will be able to get this done.

Add all the decor to the dining room

As soon as all the furniture is in place in the dining room the plan is to get all our prints on the wall, shelves up, coffee station built and new glasses in the correct space so this room can be fully completed. Again this room needs to be done by my party so it is going to be all systems go but I can't wait to be able to enjoy this new room at long last.

Sort the trees

The trees are well and truly overgrown so before the party we need to make sure these are cut back so our guests don't have the hassle of getting in and out of the house like we currently do. Once these are done we should get plenty of light back into our house and honestly we shouldn't have to cut them again this year if we do it right. This is one of the jobs we both hate and hopefully in 2026 we can look at getting these ripped out but for now an August job is to get these sorted at long last.

Finish the back garden

We have been delaying the back garden works for so long but I am determined that in August we are going to get this done ready for that birthday party so we can have the patio doors open. The plan is to finish converting the planters into benches, give the decking a really good clean and sort out the weeds that have taken over. I am also hoping we can try build a new fence and gate so the area is more secure and if we do get chance once the plastering has been done I would love to be able to get all the decking and fence painted too but I guess only time will tell with this one.

Finish the hallway

The hallway is in need of a few paint touch ups from where we have put things up on the wall, the beading needs adding to the floor, the radiator needs piping up and we are good to go with this for the big jobs. All that needs doing then is a few little decor bits adding like a stand for a basket, cushion for the ottoman, a nice diffuser and a mat for behind the door and we are finally done with this area of the house. I really can't wait for this to be over and done with. 

So there you have it those are my goals for August let's see how the month plays out, hopefully by the time it comes to writing the wrap up post I can mark a lot of these as complete at long last and I can really see that I have made some great progress for the month. 

See you soon,

Lucy

It is no secret now that I am really pushing towards my weight loss goals and I have a lot of pretty expensive rewards I want to treat myself to when I hit that main goal (post coming up about that very soon) so I have finally realised there is no point in wasting money now on clothes that aren't going to last too long when I can be saving that money for the rewards when the time comes plus I am sick of wasting money for the sake of not coming home empty handed when shopping. 

To be honest though I am really dialing in on my weight loss journey now and my biggest priority at the moment is getting rid of this weight for good which means if all goes to plan I won't be at the size I am now for much longer and I will be dropping sizes a bit more frequently until my loss phase is over and done with. 

As I said before I have realised now I am just spending for the sake of it as I feel like if I am out I need to buy something however, I am slowly getting out of that mindset now as I am starting to realise that saving would hold a much bigger benefit for me all round. Saving would mean I could get much better quality pieces when it comes to that big goal shop and if I really knuckled down with the savings for the goal shop I believe I could realistically save just over £2,500 meaning I could have a very good shop when the time comes. It is not only clothing that I am saving for though I am also saving towards other little bits that will help me on the journey too like cooking devices.  

My wardrobe is currently overflowing with items I never wear or that don't fit right so I really don't need any other items added for the sake of it when I can just wear those items first. By not adding to the wardrobe & cutting back on the pointless shopping trips I could save so much money so from now on that is the plan The shopping trips are going to be massively cut back and I am planning on reducing those new additions until they are really needed. 

The additions are going to be stopped however, there will be some exceptions for the rules. When trousers get to the point where they look too baggy or silly even with a belt I will be allowing myself to purchase a new pair however, it will be one in one out to stop the wardrobe being full of items that don't fit. This is going to be similar with tops too when they start to look silly for being too big I will be replacing on a one in one out basis. I will also be allowing myself to buy new football shirts through this as I can't miss out on the latest ones to add into my collection as the new season begins. These exceptions will be done on a one in one out basis and will be replaced on a budget meaning there will be no more big expense purchases until I have hit those goals.

Now that the weight loss journey is the main focus in my life it is time to knuckle down and ensure that I am using my time wisely so shopping trips will be replaced by workouts and the wardrobe is going to remain as it is until those items desperately need replacing. This will give me a chance to work towards that style I am wanting too as when items need replacing I can add the new style items and begin building that perfect wardrobe. Let's see how this goes...

See you soon, 

Lucy.

It is looking like we might actually be getting a good summer here in the UK with the weather finally improving and mini heatwaves hitting. This latest heatwave has got me thinking about all the things I actually want to get done this summer, I don't want to waste the time especially now Liam is at home more due to his new job. Previous summers have been spent sat at home or playing football but this time around I want to get out and about doing a variety of things just to make the most of the weather before it inevitably changes earlier than it should. So here is what I am hoping to do this summer...

Visit Malham

I have wanted to go to Malham for the longest time possible and I think a trip here on a cooler day would be absolutely perfect. This is something we can do just the 3 of us and either spend a few hours there or the full day depending on how far we actually wish to walk. Malham is somewhere I haven't been since I was little so it would make a nice change and it isn't like it is a million miles away.

Climb on of the Yorkshire 3 peaks

The Yorkshire 3 peaks aren't actually too far away from us and it is on my goals list to walk them (individually) this year. Granted we should have done a few of these in the spring however, time wasn't on our side and I am hoping we an get up and off early one day in the summer on a cool day to climb one of the 3 peaks with the dog. Before we do this though I need to work out which one is going to be the best for me with my current fitness levels and which the dog is going to be able to handle the best.

Go camping

This summer I am going to be making time to have a long weekend camping which should certainly be an experience with the dog in tow. We have been saying we were going camping for ages but kept delaying it however, in the next few weeks we will be going out getting a tent and the other equipment we need and getting a pitch booked for a few nights. This is definitely something I am really looking forward to as it should be a brilliant experience full of plenty of entertainment thanks to the dog.

Complete the back garden work

Granted this won't be fully completed as we aren't going to pain the decking until the dining room has been plastered however, we can get the majority of the back garden finished before the weather changes if we knuckle down and crack on with it. The main things to do in this area are finish converting one planter into a bench, build a new fence & gate and reorganize the decorations whilst giving the grass and decking area a tidy up. This should be a good few days work to get it up to scratch but then we can enjoy it for the rest of the summer. There will be little additions creeping into here over time and I can't wait to see it all start to come together at long last as it has been a long time coming.

Late night drinks in the garden

Once the garden is done I really want us to make the most of it by having late night drinks in there whether it is just us two and the dog or family come around to join us. If it drops cold we can light the fire pit but either way we can just enjoy relaxing in the nice space we have created rather than being sat inside the warm house all summer.

Have a BBQ

We will need to actually go out and buy a BBQ for this one but I want to enjoy a few BBQ's this summer a few with just me and Liam and then invite the family around for some. You can't beat a good BBQ when the weather is nice and it is just a chance to eat some good food and enjoy each others company whilst enjoying the outdoors. Let's hope we do manage to have a fair few of these.

Have a picnic

It has been a long time since I have packed a picnic basket and headed out however, I am hoping that changes this summer. My plan is to combine this with that Malham trip or maybe head somewhere local with the nephew in tow during the summer holidays as I think it would be something nice for us to do together but we shall see how this one plays out.

Have a theme park trip

My nephew is getting braver and is happy to go on more rides at theme parks now so I am hoping that I can get to a theme park with him this summer & enjoy the rides with him. I am having a week away with him in August and all being well we will be having a day or two in a theme park so this is something I should definitely get to tick off the wanting to do this summer list. 

If I manage to get plenty of these things done it should set me up for a very, very good summer indeed so let's see how it plays out.

See you soon, 

Lucy

We have finally completed the hallway which unfortunately drained our bank accounts however, we are in the stage now of rebuilding the funds and planning our dining room makeover. This room has always been one of my least favourites with wallpaper coming off the walls and a fully bare wall where we had patio doors installed last year. We are hoping to knuckle down and get this room completed by my birthday party on the 6th of September which has meant we have sat down and worked out just what we want in this room going forward so we know how much we need to budget for the makeover. The plastering and decorating is going to come in at just over £1,000 so we are hoping to keep costs down in other areas, we are lucky to have received a dining table from my parents which has reduced what we need money wise by quite a bit but there is still a fair bit too pick up so here is what we are looking at getting...

IKEA Skruvby Sideboard £129

We are going to be having a bar area along one wall in the dining room and this unit is going to be ideal for the space. The plan is to use the exposed side for fancier bottles & cans whilst the draw will be used for little accessories such as straws & bottle openers. As for the actual cupboard side we will be filling this with bottles we don't want on display and glassware that will be used with the alcohol within the bar area. This will just keep everything together in one space and will hopefully look really nice once it all comes together. 

Basket 

I am going to be looking for a cheap basket that we can pop into a corner of the dining room and fill it with some blankets. The plan is to put this by the patio doors so that we can grab one with ease if we are sitting outside and it drops a bit colder. This is going to be a cheap basket as it doesn't need to be over the top but it is going to be super handy to keep things tidy.

Bar Set 

To really set the bar area top up I am wanting a nice little bar & cocktail set for on the top of the sideboard just to make life easier if I am making special drinks. I have found some really nice ones in Dunelm so I think a trip is going to be needed once work gets underway.

Tray

I love the look of trays on top of bar areas and this wooden one (maybe in a lighter colour) would look great on top of the side board with that Ralph Lauren decanter sat on top of it. I am hoping I can find one around £10 that looks as good as the one above so the hunt is well and truly on.