Wednesday 9 January 2019

A Look Back On 2018

I know I am super late in posting this but the kids only returned to school yesterday and I did not blog at all whilst they were off school for the Christmas break. I love writing posts looking back on the year gone by and 2018 was a pretty good year for us a family, we had an amazing family holiday abroad, Jacob started school, the other half started a new job and we made so many memories and just had a lovely year. So here is a little look back on 2018. 


January 

January was a quiet month for us, it always is if I am honest as the weather is always miserable and everyone is a little bit poorer after a Christmas splurge. Most weekends in January we attended kids parties with the little two which kept them busy. We were also lucky enough to attend Cinderella pantomime for the second time (we had visited in November for press night) and meet the cast including Ray Quinn on stage. 

February 

February was a busier month for us, the kids had a week off for half-term and I always love having the three of them home. We went out for a pub lunch, done some holiday clothes shopping and had lots of lazy days at home and it was lush. We also started wedding planning by booking our main suppliers and then we promptly put wedding planning on the back burner for the rest of the year which I am regretting now! I was fairly busy blog wise working with Asda on Word Book Day, some reviews and lots of sponsored post, I had one of my highest earning months of the year which was nice but sadly short-lived. 

March 

March was a month full of illness, Sophia had a chest infection and was on antibiotics then Jacob came down with a bad case of tonsilitis which totally wiped him out and he also on was antibiotics. Then as soon as he got better Sophia caught chicken pox and a couple of weeks later so did Jacob and my teen ended up in the hospital with cold sores in her eyes. I think I had a child off school, unwell every single day this month. The month wasn't all bad though as we managed to have a much-needed date night at Chaophraya thai in Newcastle which was lush. It was also Mothers day so I had a lovely lazy day at home and the other half made a roast. We had lots of snow days off school and the girls had great fun out on the sledges, sadly Jacob was too poorly to properly enjoy the snow. It was also half-term and myself and the girls went to see Beauty and the Beast panto which they both enjoyed. 

April

April was a much better month for us as we jetted off on holiday at the very end of the month. The month was spent getting the kids better and holiday shopping. We went to review a burrito restaurant in the Metrocentre which the children actually really enjoyed and the weather was lovely and hot towards the end of the month so we spent lots of time outdoors playing in the garden and visiting the park. Sophia started girls SSE wildcats football lessons in April and she loves them and still attends now. The other half also got a new job, he still works for the same company but in a totally different job which has a much better salary and he now works Monday to Friday and seems so much happier. 

May 

May was an amazing month for us as a family, we spent the first week of May in Majorca on our first family holiday abroad at Pirates Village and we all had the best time. The children loved being in the pool every day and it was so nice to spend quality family time together, we made memories that will last us all a lifetime. Sophia also turned five this month and she celebrated with a party, we hired a local hall and had a bouncy castle and Ariel and Belle turned up to play games with the children which she really enjoyed. On her actual birthday, she was at school so we took her out for a meal to her favourite pizza restaurant. The other half started his new job role and settled in well and it has made our family life so much better. I went on a visit to the farm with Jacob's nursery school, which he loved and it was nice spending time with him. 

June 

June marked the one-year countdown to our wedding and the whole thing started to feel real, although I didn't do anything about the wedding being just a year away as I am so chilled out about the whole thing. The other half turned 29 this month, he was meant to be in le mans in France but had to cancel due to starting his new job, so we just had a takeaway at home. The weather was lush and hot with the heatwave so we had lots of days out to the local fair, parks and the beach. Myself and my teen went to see Cirque Berserk which was amazing and it was so nice spending time with her on her own. We also test drove an electric car which was something a bit different.

July

July was another red hot month and it also marked the start of the summer holidays so we spent lots of time outdoors, in the garden and visiting the beach. Jacob graduated from nursery school so I was determined to enjoy time with him during the summer before he started full-time school. We visited the robots exhibition at the centre of life which the kids enjoyed, we went on days out with friends and I took my teen to review the new Cuban restaurant in Newcastle. Myself and the other half had a rare date night and we went to the Greek which was delicious and we also give notice of marriage at the local registry office.  

August 

August was another lush month for us, Jacob turned four and we celebrated with a day out at Flamingoland theme park which he really enjoyed. We also had a family BBQ at my dads to celebrate Jacob and my brothers birthday, as their birthdays are just a day apart. We had a family staycation in Newcastle with Jurys Inn which was fun and myself and Sophia went to see Paw Patrol Live at Newcastle arena with my friend and her son. I took the kids to see the wizard of oz panto in Whitley Bay which they enjoyed and we also had a day out at Adventure Valley in Durham for Sophia's friends birthday. We went to see the Moscow state circus, reviewed a pizza making party for Jacobs birthday and were lucky enough to be invited to see Kynren in Durham. I also worked with Pets at Home, Silverlink retail park and on a few back to school campaigns. 

September 

September was a month full of change for us as all three children were now in full-time school. Jacob started reception even though he had just turned four and is the youngest in his class, Sophia started year one and Chloe is in her final year of high-school. We were invited to Frankie and Benny's to try out the new menu and made a day of it shopping in the metro centre. Sophia started Rainbows which she really enjoys and looks forward to each week. We went to a wedding fayre and had lots of family weekends together as the children settle back into the new back to school routines. 

October 

October was the month my eldest Chloe turned 16, she celebrated by going for a meal with her boyfriend (I feel so old saying that) who she has been with for about 18 months now. We got her a new Pandora bracelet and some clothes for her birthday and I also took her to Newcastle for a shopping trip and for lunch. I went to see Disney on Ice at the arena with Sophia and her friend and we all really enjoyed it. We reviewed Las Iguanas, I had no idea it was so family-friendly. We went to a fun blogger event at Turtle Bay with the kids and we had a lovely half term.  We went to our wedding venue for a menu tasting evening and have picked the food for our wedding breakfast and I also picked my wedding dress! I was dreading dress shopping and kept putting it off but I actually bought the very first dress I tried on in the first bridal shop I visited. 

November 

November was the month I turned 35, we celebrated with a lazy day at home and a Chinese takeaway. We went to visit Santa at Whitehouse Farm which was magical for the children and we also went to see Peter Pan panto which we all really enjoyed. We had an after-school trip into Newcastle to see Fenwick's window, visit the Christmas market and see the Christmas lights which the little two really enjoyed. Sophia was unwell with another chest infection and ended up on antibiotics for the fourth time this year, so we had to cancel a lot of our other festive plans. 

December

December was another month of illness and Jacob had some kind of virus which wiped him out for a week, followed by a sickness bug. So more of our festive plans got cancelled. However we still had a magical Christmas and the children were so excited, we had a lovely day at home just the five of us and it was perfect. We had a really lazy Christmas break, staying at home playing with new toys, watching films and eating yummy treats, it was just what we all needed after six weeks of non-stop illness. 


As 2018 ends I feel so grateful and thankful for a lovely year with my family, 2018 has taught me to appreciate every single day with my family as sadly my cousin lost his almost two-year-old son unexpectedly in the summer. I feel so lucky that I have my children and I am able to make amazing memories with them and I really hope that 2019 is as kind to us as we have so much to look forward to. 2019 will be the year that I get married, we will hopefully be going on holiday later in the year, my teen will leave school and I hope my little two keep being happy and having adventures. I am looking forward to seeing what 2019 has in store for us all. 






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24 comments

  1. Good luck with the wedding and here's wishing you a wonderful 2109.

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  2. What a lovely look back on the year - here’s to many more happy moments in 2019!

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  3. I really enjoy reading these 'year in review' type posts, you did so much! Amazing that you found your wedding dress and now the big day isn't long away. Wishing you all the best for 2019, Melis x

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  4. I'm sorry to hear that 2018 started off with so much illness, but it certainly picked up and it sounds like you had a lovely year filled with lots of special memories :)

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  5. It looks like you made some wonderful memories last year. I hope you have a wonderful wedding day and holiday xxx

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  6. I love looking back at the year, looks like you had a great year!

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    1. We did thank you, hope you and your girls did too x

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  7. That was a good year! I think we all had a touch of the lurgy at the start of the year (I always blame the weather).

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    1. I blame the weather too, my kids are always ill when the snow is here x

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  8. You had a great year. I hope 2019 is even better for you and your family.

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  9. Ah what a gorgeous year you have had! So many lovely photos and memories!

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    1. Thank's Laura, hope you all had a lovely year too xx

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  10. I love reading people's reviews on how their year has been, and you have had some lovely moments. I am so sorry to hear about your cousin's son x

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    1. It makes you realise how precious life is and how lucky we are to have our children xx

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  11. You went to the Pirates village....I am sooooo jealous. We also had a quiet January last year and spent March pretty much ill as well. Flamingoland is on our list for this year. Have a great 2019

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    1. Pirates Village is brilliant for children, your son would have a blast. Flamingoland was a nice day out xx

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  12. Looks like you have had an amazing year, I love looking back on what we have been up to

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    1. It always makes you realise you done a lot more than you thought doesn't it? xx

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