a {Life} twintastic / Newsletter {September 2020}

Hi! And welcome to a new feature I’m introducing as part of alifetwintastic.blog – a monthly newsletter! I know, I know, I should probably be using a platform like mailchimp for this kind of correspondence but then I thought why make things more difficult for myself when I have a perfectly good platform here which I can trial to see if it works as a monthly catch-up with anyone interested in our little part of the blogging world 🙂

First things first

How are you? 2020 hey, what.a.year. I mean – it’s literally been a roller coaster {and not always the good kind}. And here we find ourselves in September. The kids back in school. A new normal to navigate. The promise of autumn on the horizon. How are you feeling? I’m {personally} flip flopping between extreme anxiety and a feeling of contentment that we’re getting back into some kind of routine. It’s exhausting! Here’s a summary of what we’ve been up to 🙂

End of summer

We spent the last couple of weeks of the summer holidays at home or seeing a few friends {mainly from the boys’ school “bubble”}. We then had a short break away visiting family in Snowdonia and managed to get to the beach {something I’ve been craving!}. It was the perfect way to end our summer.

Back to school / work

The boys went back at school and I’m relieved to say that they have coped better than I could ever have imagined during this whole crisis and have gone back to school without any problems at all! They love their new class and teacher and I’m really impressed with how much they seem to have stepped up already. They will be learning about the Great Fire of London {to which Noah replied “I knnnnooowww mummy we’ve already learnt that at school” when I reeled off some facts from Google} and the life cycle of humans and animals. Their reading has already stepped up a level and they will be having weekly spelling tests – quite a change from their reception year. But they have taken it all in their stride {gleams with pride}.

I worked the whole way through lockdown from home; although projects definitely slowed down for my side business. I have now started going into the office for my “day job” once a week which has been a shift but a positive one so far {even though the experience is somewhat strange!} It’s definitely been nice to get out and about a bit more whilst continuing to comply to Government guidelines.

P was originally due to start nursery this month but we have decided to postpone until probably the spring – partly because we don’t actually need her to go from a childcare point of view and partly because we didn’t want to start her off in a new environment with so much uncertainty around whether there would be a second covid spike this autumn/winter.

Home

Like many people we made the most of the additional time spent at home getting some bits done which has been really satisfying. I’ve been busy planning away using the Notability app on my iPad and getting some projects underway/done. The only slight issue is that I’ve found myself spending money quite frivolously on things around the house which I really need to rein in. Small expenditures soon add up and I’m definitely an impulse buyer! So I’m now trying to be more mindful around my spending and instead be creative about how I use the items I already have or keep an eye out for secondhand bits. I’m constantly aiming for a simpler lifestyle so that is always at the forefront of my mind for our home.

On the blog

Last month on the blog I re-shared Penny’s Developmental Dysplasia of the Hips story and my old Early Days with Twins {the 4th Trimester} posts from my previous blog. I also wrote about my experience after one week of using the Exante diet {including a discount code!}.

This month you can expect posts about money management and how to be productive when you’re feeling a but stuck. I’ll also be reflecting on my first year of running my own business – watch this space!

On Instagram

This past month on Instagram we’ve been talking new tattoos, weight loss, P turning 2 and being in a funk and getting ready for autumn. I also shared my top tips for {toddlers}, back to {school} prep, a get ready {for work} with me and our homemade {chalkboard} command centre on IGTV – as well as having a little play with the new Reels feature!

Resources

Have you checked out the new resources page on the blog? This is a one stop shop where you can get FREE resources which help me to stay organised. The latest being a set of Budget Setting and Tracking worksheets. I also have a daily task checklist for your kids which I’ll be uploading soon.

September favorites

I definitely have a soft spot for autumn and September seems a good opportunity to start getting into that cozy frame of mind {even if we do still have some warmer days!} Here are some of the things I’m loving this month:

{From top left} 1. Slow cooker stews – like this incredible Chicken Cacciatore from Taming Twins 2. Cozy jumpers – like my absolute fave “this is my day off sweatshirt” from Minnies Boutique 3. Podcasts – the perfect way to learn, grow and get inspired – I’m currently loving Get Your Glow Back by Madeleine Shaw 4. Home decor – I’m starting early this year with some seasonal home decor. Hobby Craft has got some great bits in for autumn to use either as they are or get creative with! 5. TV shows – autumn is always a great time for TV. This month I’m super excited about the return of The Mummy Diaires on ITVBe 6. Stationery – There is something about September {and the start of the new academic year} that screams “buy new stationery!” I’ve been happily kitting out my home office with bits from Paperchase {they currently have a 3 for 2 offer on at the time of publishing this post}.

This month’s goals / focus

This month I really want to hit the ground running with the blog and my business. I feel like I’ve spent the last few months doubting myself, lacking vision and direction, over-analysing everything and generally feeling low in confidence. After a bit if a wobble earlier this week and my ears burning about some nasty {and quite frankly rude} comments I woke up this morning with a bit more of a f**k you attitude {!} To paraphrase Carrie Green, founder of the Female Entrepreneur Association

“I don’t know what I want to do, but I know the kind of person I want to be”.

Exciting plans!

I’ve got some exciting things planned which I’m hoping to be able to make some progress on and share with you soon 🙂

Until then – have a great September, come over to Instagram and say hi and stay awesome 🙂