Those of you who have been following along on socials will have seen me mention that I was doing a fundraiser in July and thus I quickly wanted to give a little update now that I’ve completed it.
In July, dad and I took part in a fundraiser for Point North, which is one of our charity partners at work that supports our local communities at a grassroot level. The fundraiser was to complete 38.7 miles in July to help raise awareness and funds to support the 38.7% of children who are growing up in poverty in our wider area of County Durham and the Tees Valley.
Every mile completed helped to provide: food, uniforms, bedding, holiday clubs, lessons, and more. If you’d still like to make a donation, our fundraiser page is still open for a few days:
As proof that I did complete the 38.7 miles, I made a little compilation of all the walks and gym trips I did in July, and so I thought I’d share it as a nice round up of the fundraiser challenge.
I’m so glad I signed up for the fundraiser, as not only did we mange to raise some funds for Point North, but it also forced me to get out more. I get so nervous venturing out on any journeys which are further than about a 20 minute car journey or walk (I might delve deeper into the why at some point), but to get my steps in I have had to push myself to overcome / deal with my fears. Although my anxiety spiked at times, I overall had really positive experiences and ended up enjoying some wonderful longer walks exploring new places. Now I just need to keep pushing myself to head out and not fall back into letting my nerves get the better of me!
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 Hall and Wallington.
4. Crochet a Blanket5. Visit Derwent Reservoir19. Visit Gibside
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.
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