I’ve Done F**k All Work This Month
and it feels so good
February was my birthday month and normally I would take the day off (maybe week, like last year) and do something special for my birthday. This year it has, not intentionally, become a full on birthday month of celebrations and distractions from work.
From March I have a lot to cram in - new clients, judging the British Book Awards, laying the foundations of my freelance business through the business course I’m doing, AND keeping up with posting my regular YouTube videos.
Do I regret it? Do I wish that I had maybe worked a bit more in February to lighten the load on present me? No. I’ve had a bloody great month filled with things that are all extremely high up on my general life priorities list. The things we often say are important but don’t make the time for like family, friends, leisure, and self care.
Lanzarote holiday! ☀️ the month started with crashing my parents’ winter sun holiday in the Canary Islands. I was feeling very low in December and over Christmas about fertility stuff and wanted a holiday but because of TTC I struggle to make plans far in the future. My mum and dad said they’d pencilled first week of Feb as a potential holiday and invited me to join them. Dan gave the okay to look after Rowan solo for a week and so off I went!
Melanie visiting! 💚 my friend Mel, who lives in Ireland, was meant to visit in November but her kids got ill and so that trip was cancelled. But it was all meant to be as she came for my birthday week WITHOUT her kids and so we got to do loads of fun friend things together WITHOUT our children.
Birthday dinner 🎂 I brought together a bunch of my girl friends for a week night dinner and it was so lovely seeing everyone!
Operation Mincemeat 💼 omg this musical was incredible, you can read my thoughts/review on this insta post. Loved loved loved!
Manchester trip 🐝 the birthday celebrations continued in Manchester with more family and friends (this time I left Dan at home to give him a break) and we went out to Croma (a pizza restaurant in Chorlton) as is our family’s birthday tradition.
And February is a short month so in amongst all the fun I’ve only had room for a few days of work here and there. Am I stressing about reading all the British Book Awards books in my category by the deadline? Yes, yes I am. But I will do it! Where there is a will, there is a way!
To be honest, in December and January I was feeling really down about life, work, fertility, and my birthday looming didn’t help. I didn’t know what to do. I knew I was feeling the need of love and support from my friends, but amongst all the fertility stuff and work and parenting I was struggling to motivate myself to organise anything. But holy shit I’m so glad I did. This month was a massive cup refill, it’s given me joy, energy, and love in a way that December/January me felt was lacking.
Being able to have a month like this is one of the reasons I fucking love working for myself and don’t know if I could ever get a “normal” job. Although, I am about to pay the price now in March so it all balances out eventually. Wish me luck!
Have you ever had the pre-birthday dread? What are some fun things you’ve done to celebrate your birthday? I’m hoping if people share in the comments then we can all get inspiration and ideas for our next birthdays.
📸 I got some new headshots! - about bloody time! I love the last headshots I had done but they were for my big “rebrand” that I did early in 2023 before I decided to quit sex ed so they are 2 years old now AND I had professional makeup done for that shoot so I look very made up in those photos. I look great but 99.9% of the time I don’t wear makeup so they don’t really feel like ME, ya know? So it was time for some new ones!
I reached out to the wonderful Cat Håland, who I’d seen do Ruby Rare’s headshots and they looked stunning. I did my own very minimal makeup - so I’d feel camera ready but still feel and look like myself!
I absolutely love them! And I guess now that I have new headshots with the long hair I better keep the long hair for a little while longer before donating it again!
📺 Amandaland - sorry not sorry that all my recent faves in the newsletter have been TV shows. This is a spin-off of Motherland (which I LOVE) with the character, Amanda, navigating life post-divorce and moving out of Chiswick. She continues to be completely insufferable and is joined by Joanna Lumley (!!!) as her mum, Anne is back plus loads of new brilliant characters. There is a special place in my heart for Siobhán McSweeney (she played the nun in Derry Girls) and she is brilliant in this too. Would recommend!
I had a little wobble in Zurich. Thank you so much to all the lovely comments on that video. Whilst it is sad to hear some of you are also feeling lost or struggling with decision fatigue, it is nice to know you are not alone 💛 I am definitely doing much better now since having some coaching and starting this business course which is giving me some direction and focus in my work. I’m now in the stage of having so many ideas for things it’s overwhelming and the ideas get too big that I don’t know where to start… But I feel equipped to tackle things even if it all feels a lot right now.
Don’t forget I do a livestream every month over on my Patreon! Come join us for a chill hour of chats, behind the scenes goss, and updates, and the chance to ask me any of your questions!
My birthday soon too and I'm going for lunch and dinner with friends, Im going to get cocktails and have a friend visiting at the weekend and I will have a coffee and read in a cafe on the day. Looking forward to celebrating me! 🥰🥰
So good to hear that you had a lovely birthday month! 🥳
My birthday is coming up as well and I've decided that it's time to spoil myself. 😁 I've booked an escape room with my closest friends, my brother is taking me to a surprise location for lunch, I'm going to the hairdresser and I will have a date with my husband while my parents babysit our kids. Can't wait to turn 31!