Ready For Spring
THE WHOLE THING - Week 2
If you’re a long time follower of mine, you could be forgiven for feeling genuine shock when this landed in your inbox today. I am FULL of great starts, not so great at STICKING to things, but HERE WE ARE! Back for week 2 of the newsletter… and there will be a 3, maybe. No, there will. I’m pretty sure.
Last week felt like the end of the season. I am so ready for Spring. It’s been oppressively cold and the wind was so bitter. We’re football parents now and my face is still recovering from the wind burn it suffered pitch-side yesterday. I’m also sick of my slubby cold-weather clothes - and the feeling that there is absolutely no point in doing my hair or makeup when I’m going to be attacked by the elements the minute I leave my house. I was never a Summer girl but I have to admit, I am missing cute outfits and not needing an extra blanket in bed.
I’ve actually started outfit planning for Summer. always do this for holidays and last year I realised I should put that same effort in to my day to day dressing. I have a rail set out for all my favourite warm weather clothes and it’s also helping me identify the gaps vinted could fill, rather than buying randomly. We started booking thing for our big trip at the end of the year so that could have been the trigger. I’m going to do a longer post on how I plan holidays because there’s a spreadsheet and lots of google maps involved. it may have to be a powerpoint.
This coming week, I’m off work (yay) but it’s going to be filled with the jobs I’ve been putting off. Mostly garden and shed related but there’s a fair amount of other maintenance (painting/fixing) on the list too. I want to transform what was my shed bar in to a hangout for Milo and his friends for the Summer. My Dad bought him a dart board for Christmas so that will be the centrepiece and I’ve given him a budget he can spend on some bits from the charity shop as well as the initial stock of sweets and snacks.
I’d assumed I’d have loads of time to work on my book this week but realised pretty quickly that I will not get much un-interrupted alone time. I want to set myself a goal to get the next couple of chapters written before I go back to the office.. it feels like it will never get done if I leave it much longer. I’m losing touch with the characters in my mind and the refresher I need will take longer than just knuckling down and writing the thing.
So I’ll have something to show you next week, for my time - I hope. Whether it be the shed or the book… we’ll find out.
I enjoyed the little entertainment run-down last week so let’s do it again.
We’re going to LA as part of a larger road trip holiday at the end of this year. It’s a birthday trip for both me (40) and Ella (21) that we’ve been planning for a while. The last night we’re there, Ben Schwartz (& friends) is performing at the Dolby Theatre. I was slightly concerned about the 16+ age limit but I emailed the theatre and they confirmed it was guidance rather than enforced - phew. We LOVE improv and were going to book a UCBLA show but when this came up, it felt like the perfect thing.
Milo knows his voice from tons of shows and he’s been to see improv with us before but I wanted to give him a taste of what it might be like - so we rewatched Middleditch and Schwartz on Netflix. If you haven’t seen it (but like that kind of thing) it’s worth a watch. They’re so quick and do so much with SO little. I can’t wait to see who turns up to the show in LA.
I listened to Kathryn Ryan’ s interview with Ruby Wax this week and went down a rabbit hole. I can’t find full-length episodes of her old series (if anyone knows where I can watch them, please let me know) so these compilation shows had to suffice but they just made me want to watch the longer ones even more! I remember watching them when I was young and knew her through her work with French and Saunders but I didn’t realise just how many celebrities she interviewed. She’s a fascinating woman in her own right but those clips were so raw. It feels like another time, when you were able to get that kind of access without it feeling polished or put on. Happy not to have had my love for Goldie Hawn or Bette Midler tarnished because they were FABULOUS! I was a big fan of Roseanne Barr before she went all the way right too.. so that was nostalgic. Watch it, you’ll love it!
I haven’t heard many people talk about this and I am concerned it wont get a second season because I am really enjoying The Madison. I’ve described it as ‘Yellowstone for Girls’ which is reductive to everyone involved but it’s a Taylor Sheridan project that feels like it’s aimed at Women. Unfortunately, I think that’s why it’s going to struggle to find an audience. My husband thinks it’s BORING and if you watch it expecting cowboys, then yeah! It’s not a thrill. It’s centred around a grieving woman and her family, that’s not exactly a laugh riot, but the relationships, the really honest portrayal of the aftermath of death, I think it’s fantastic. I suspect the people who would enjoy this are unlikely to ever watch it because of it’s association with the Yellowstone universe and the people who will watch, for the same reason, are going to be disappointed by the hard left turn.
I just finished my annual rewatch of Revenge. I like to watch it in Spring because it’s set in Summer in the Hamptons and it makes me excited for warmer weather. Do you have a show you watch at certain times of year? Like, Gilmore Girls.. you can’t watch that in March, can you?
If you’ve never seen it, it’s a great premise. The main character returns to town to take her revenge against everyone who wronged her father. He was the fall guy for a terrorist attack 20 years prior and she’s spent years planning her take down of the main players, while posing as a New York socialite to get close to them. It is very camp and a bit soapy at times. If an evil twin arrived on the scene, you wouldn’t question it, but it holds up and it’s a show I will always go back to.
I’ve been actively seeking out money mindset content to watch this week. I figured the lessons would be absorbed passively if those videos and podcasts were the new soundtrack to my life.. in the same way by spending habits were impacted negatively by beauty hauls and luxury reviews in the past.
Most channels served to me are American but Vicky Smith is English, I think. similar age to me, and her advice feels realistic for my lifestyle. If you’re looking for some inspiration, take a look. She has so many videos in her archive that even I haven’t run out yet - and I am ALWAYS watching something.
I’ve always been horrible with money and this year I vowed to sort my life out. No more overdrafts, no more impulse spending. I want to live with less to reduce my overwhelm and increase my balance. That’s not something I can do overnight. It’s like learning a language or getting fit. It’s something I have to commit to and keep doing.. or I’ll just slide back in to old habits and never see results.
This week, it occurred to me that the reason it feels possible to save and pay down debts at 40 is the same reason so many of us pick up gardening in middle-age. If you’re interested in either of those subjects, you’ll enjoy Monday’s podcast episode.
I shared in a vlog that I seemed to be moving along the NHS process to get an ADHD assessment. The response was mostly positive but the couple of comments that weren’t reminded me why I stopped talking about it years ago. I was actually diagnosed privately and I have my reasons for wanting to pursue an NHS assessment but I’ve decided to paywall that journey. I will keep you updated as things progress but, as with so much, it feels like a safer space to discuss and share vulnerable topics in my members-only episode.
Speaking of finances, this week’s main channel video is a wrap up of everything I didn’t buy this month - I am truly growing… 2022 me could never! And the vlogs may signify the end of an era.
I mentioned last week that I’ve reduced the volume of content I’m posting, in favour of more considered, high quality uploads. This week I’m trying something new and I think I’ll stick with it for April to see how it lands. I want to mix the casual, chaotic lifestyle vlog I’m known for with a little more production value - and maybe edit myself a touch.
Now I have the podcast, where I can speak freely about whatever’s on my mind, I can stand to protect my peace a little more on YouTube and put out a marginally less candid version of myself. So enjoy these messy vlogs because they may be the last.
