Happy (Belated) New Year, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s. We enjoyed a lovely, quiet Christmas followed by a wonderful week with Luis’s parents. While it was fantastic to have them visit, it left me little time for reflection and planning ahead for 2025. The lack of daylight and continued freezing temperatures at the roastery haven’t exactly boosted my motivation either since starting back at work!
Despite feeling a bit lost and longing for spring, I am feeling pretty excited about the possibilities this year holds. To combat the winter blues and stay inspired, I’m continuing my annual tradition of creating a Bucket List for the new year. This isn’t about setting unattainable goals, but rather a gentle nudge towards a more fulfilling life – exploring more, embracing creativity, prioritizing my well-being and being more present in the day to day.
Looking back at my 2024 list, I’m proud of what I accomplished, even though plenty of items remain unchecked. It’s about enjoying the journey and not just ticking off goals for the sake of it. (You can find my 2024 reflections in my previous blog post here.)
As I’ve been pondering my 2025 goals, I realise many are similar to last year’s. Some are repeats as they are likely to become yearly wishes, while others are carry-overs from 2024 that I’ve yet to achieve. I’ll probably also continue to add to this list as new ideas emerge. Here’s what I have so far…
- Finish My Patchwork Blanket: I’m slowly but surely knitting my way through a patchwork blanket. It’s my first big knit project but much less daunting than tackling something like a sweater as it’s just square by square.
- Conquer a Patterned Hat: I want to develop my pattern-reading skills and have started with a supposedly easy enough hat project.
- Knit a Sweater (the ultimate challenge): I want to step outside my comfort zone and eventually take on the challenge of knitting a sweater, although this will probably be done later on in the year once I’ve built up some confidence and practiced pattern reading some more.
Crochet A Blanket:I have just finished my first granny square blanket, and I’m so in love with it, I am eager to make more. I think I might like to make a few for Christmas Present this year.Granny Square Cardigan: I keep coming across these beautiful granny square cardigan patterns and I can’t wait to give one a try.Derwent Reservoir:Luis has wanted to take me for a walk there for ages. It’s only about a 35 minute drive, but I’ve always let my anxiety get the better of me as I know there’s no proper facilities there. However, it was his birthday the other week and I finally pushed myself to go.- High Force Waterfall Family Trip: Although I’ve been before, it was quite a while ago and we’ve not yet been as a family, so that’s one for this year.
- Camping Getaways: We went camping near Holy Island last year and I loved it so much I’d like to make this another yearly tradition, starting with at least one family camping adventure.
- Grow The Orchid Creative: I would like to be more organised this year, develop mu creative skills further and increase my Etsy offerings and sales.
- Tattoo Time: I’ve been itching for some new ink for ages and would like to add some new finger tattoos to my collection this year.
- Start A YouTube Channel: This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time, but have always felt too overwhelmed to do. However, I want to let go of the nerves, finally learn some new creative skills, and just enjoy the process of video editing and documenting for fun.
- A Holiday Abroad: I’d like to push myself again this year and overcome my travel anxiety to enjoy an overseas adventure.
Coastal Caravan Retreats: We’ve had a few lovely relaxing long weekends in a caravan in Cresswell up the Northumberland coast over the past year or so and love it so much that we want to make this another yearly goal.- Reading Goals: Although I only managed 17 books last year, I’m setting myself the same goal of 24 books this year.
- Cultural Experiences: Attending at least 3 concerts, shows, or theatre performances.
- Dance Lessons with Luis: This one’s been on my list for ages. I think learning to dance together will be a good laugh and a fun way to exercise together.
- Learning Portuguese: I finally want to start learning Portuguese properly so that I can communicate better with Luis’s family.
- A Holiday with my Bestie: Another yearly tradition and one I treasure – having a small getaway and some 1on1 time with my best friend!
- National Trust Explorations: We’ve got our membership till May and I’d like to make the most of it. We’ve already visited Gibside and Crook Hall multiple times, but I’d still like to visit the places in the North East which we haven’t seen yet, namely: Cragside, Seaton Delaval,
Washington Old HallandWallington.
Have you also set yourself some goals for this year? What are your top 3 Bucketlist items? Do let me know in the comments down below – I’d love to know!
I’ll keep coming back to this post throughout the year ticking off what I’ve achieved, so if you see something stroked through , it’s been completed.
simplycarinaxo.co.uk 
All of your goals sound so fun, especially the crocheting! It is my goal to learn how to properly crochet as I’ve only made a heart banner for my sister before. I hope you achieve all of your goals and more! 😊✨️💗
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Thanks Elsie – The crocheting part is definitely what I’m most excited about – I’m having so much fun with it at the moment 🙂 You should totally pick it back up again too and start another project! xo
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I found your goals post and love it! I can’t sew or knit so your top three goals put me in awe of you.. would love to see your finished work 😊
I guess we both have a new language to learn … here’s to learning new words 😉
All the best in achieving all of your goals this year! I understand how crippling anxiety is since I suffer from it too which stops me from experiencing many things and travel is one of them but somehow that doesn’t stop me from traveling because I love traveling more than anxiety loves me! Hahah.. it just means I go to the loo more often, or pack more than necessary lol
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Thanks for taking the time to read and follow along Prachi ❤
I'm still very much a novice but am finding so much joy with it that I hope to improve on my knitting & crochet skills this year. I have my first project complete and will write a blog post about it soon 😀
And indeed – here's to learning a new language 😮
Thanks lovely – I'm glad to hear you're managing to traveling despite your anxiety – well done you! It's something I'm very much till working on! I look forward to seeing where you go to this year 🙂 xo
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Here’s to new lands and languages!
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I love the mix of goals you’ve got here. Well done on accomplishing some of them already too 🥰 how did you find your reservoir trip? As to the waterfalls I haven’t seen those ones but I think visiting them in general is such a lovely experience. Wow well done for doing knitting as well as crochet too.
Im not entirely sure what would be on my bucket list as I’ve never done one before. I’d probably share the holidaying abroad one as I’ve only ever been on two day trips with school. I’d also love to visit Hampton Court & Madame Tussards. I’m curious about Kenliworth too.
Good luck & I hope you have lots of fun with these
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Thank Charlotte 🙂
Derwent Reservoir was ok. I wasn’t enamoured by it if I’m honest, I feel like there’s other places I’d rather go for a walk, so I wouldn’t hurry to go back. Saying that we were there on an absolutely icy day – it was freezing, so we only did a short walk; perhaps it’s nice in summer 🙂
Yeah High force is definitely nice for a day trip. I keep seeing other waterfalls being posted by walking/travel accounts on Instagram though and thinking I must push my anxiety and learn to travel further to explore some of those other wonderful looking places – One day 🙂
I quite like writing bucketlists – it’s a nice way to encourage myself to do a few things and not let the year slip through my fingers. But it’s also not about having to fulfil things rigidly 🙂
Where would you go if you were to go abroad? I don’t know anything about the places you’ve mentioned (Hampton Court & Madame Tussards & Kenliworth) – are they close to you? I hope you get to visit a few of them 🙂 xo
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Aww I’m sorry to hear that. I hope if you end up going again in the summer they you enjoy it more 🥰
I hope you manage to get to some of them one day. They’re are some truly stunning ones around. I totally understand though about the anxiety thing. I have social anxiety and can only get to places like that if someone’s with me and even then certain places are just too overwhelming (I’d never cope at a festival for instance).
It seems like a lovely way to try and inspire yourself and keep ideas fresh in your mind 🥰
I’ve wanted to go to Rome ever since I saw the Lizzie McGuire movie growing up so probably there 😂 Greece, Paris & Iceland I’d really love the chance to visit too though. Where would you go?
No they’re not close, two are in London and I can’t remember where the third is, just that it was at least four hours away so not really suitable for a day trip. They’ve all got historical ties that sound interesting though.
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Anxiety is a bummer isn’t it 😦 I prefer quieter places most days too.
Nice choices. I’ve been to Rome, did an interrailing trip in Italy with my sister after finishing uni, but Verona was my favourite place, much preferred it to Rome, although of course Rome has some amazing sights to see. Paris I’ve also been to with school on an exchange trip. But Greece and Iceland I haven’t – they’d be nice to see for sure! If we’re staying a bit closer to home, I’d quite like to visit Copenhagen and Barcelona perhaps, but thinking further afield Bali and Canada would be on my list 🙂
Ah I see, well I hope you get to tick those trips off your list sometime soon 🙂 xo
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Definitely. It’s so hard trying to overcome it too.
Ooh Verona sounds like a good one to visit too. I imagine it’s stunning to explore. Omg I just realised that I did technically go to Paris and completely forgot. I went with a friend when I was about five to Disneyland. I’d love to see the actual city though. Wow those sound like some fantastic places to visit. Im sure they all offer a lot of amazing sights and opportunities. I hope you get to go one day 🥰
Thank you ❤️
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