When I tell you I am feeling GOOD this week.. I don’t know what shifted but it was SOMETHING. I still haven’t really started the mood tracking I said I’d do at New Year but when I feel difference like this it makes me wish I had! Is it hormonal? Is it the weather? I guess I’ll never know will I!! *curses past self*

Rather than do a list as usual, I’m just going to ramble this week, if that’s okay with you? I had some great feedback on my parenthood post. I love that type of writing, when the mood just strikes and I feel like I have something to say. I’ve been trying to wean myself of arguing with strangers in the comments of other strangers instragram posts recently and it did occur to me that when I’m ‘inspired’ to respond to someones (usually) halfwitted retort to a some lovely poster, I could probably channel that in to something more productive - like a blog post on the topic.This week I’ve been in arguments about whether it’s anti-feminist to call Ariana Grande a home wrecker (I say yes - the tweens were.. unhappy) and whether it should be illegal to video people at the gym. I feel I have enough to say on each subject to chat for at least 6 paragraphs so apologies in advance for the myriad of things you may see here in future.

Mother’s Day was lovely this year - not always - and I think that was because I have finally freed myself of the expectation of it. DOn’t get me wrong, both of the kids bought me cards, Ella pre-ordered some really lovely flowers and Lee bought me some IKEA storage - which has become a bit of a theme. We went out for lunch at the local pub and the whole weekend was great but I think there has always been a weird thing hanging over me on Mother’s Days past where I feel something’s missing. I can’t put my finger on it, it’s just a feeling and nothing to do with what my family do/don’t do for me on the day/ I think it’s probably - isn’t everything? - the fault of social media. Maybe it’s because I sometimes feel I fast forwarded the baby years of my kids and have missed the opportunity to have some of the cute moments you see on instagram? Honestly.. I don’t know. All I can tell you is that strange cloud was nowhere to be seen this weekend and that was a WIN!

Speaking of IKEA storage, I put up the Boaxel system in my office and I will be doing a whole flipping post on this thing, I’m so impressed. We spent a small fortune on the Pax and if you’re thinking of doing an open walk in wardrobe.. just do this!! It’s infinitely cheaper and so much simpler to put together. I cannot recommend it enough. I now have so much more storage in the same space I used to just have a rail. We’re also having a new dishwasher fitted today after the last one broke 2 weeks ago .. maybe my mood has something to do with feeling like I’m getting my shit together?? I feel a little like that with the candle business too. I had a chat with a fellow candlemaker yesterday - we are considering starting a podcast together - and talking to someone else in the same business was really energising. I found myself almost excited to do the mundane, admin stuff I usually put off after the call. Karen and I are so much more organised at the moment and really prepared for the Spring/Summer launches so again, this is all giving me that sunnier outlook, I suppose.

I’m sitting in my office as I write this and remembering, I found a girl on instagram last night who lives in New York (the dream) and she’d taped lots of Inspo pictures to her wall. I have a ‘vision board’ for the first half if 2024 and one of the things on it is a woman pinning photos up in her office in kind of that mood board vibe and seeing someone do it in a more haphazard, temporary way, directly to a wall .. maybe that’s what I’ll do! I really need to SEE things to remember them and since this office is my space (I know - I realise how lucky I am to have it) there’s no reason I can’t do that here. Watch this space.. I will OF COURSE share because I cannot live if not to share in on the internet.

I hope you are all feeling a seasonal shift in your mood this week