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