Christmas Reasons to be Cheerful #R2BC

It's the day before the kids break up from school and I have tons of blog post ideas in my head but to be honest I can't be arsed to write any of them. It has got to that point when it feels more of an obligation than a joy to write and thus I am downing tools and having a Christmas break.

I'm not setting myself any rules or expectations, I'm just going to go with the flow. Bar wrapping my kids presents everything is done and ready, we have a couple of Christmas parties on Thursday and Friday and my parents and brother will arrive Friday afternoon to stay in the on-site cottage for a few nights. This is just perfect as it means we get to see loads of them but they still get time to relax after the kids have exhausted them and we don't all have to fall over each other in my small house.

The August Break - A Month of Slowing Down

Back in July, I gave myself permission to have a blogging break, to dump the commitments, the guilt and the constant need to write.  My blogging mojo had been missing for a while so I figured I needed some time to just be and see if it would return.

I've enjoyed the last couple of weeks and now August has arrived I feel free for a month as there is lots of fun ahead of us. I came across the August Break yesterday on Susannah Conway's blog and I thought why not join in.

It is a slow month of August where you can take a photo a day to record your downtime over summer. I'm going to be sharing my photos over on Instagram and I'm trying very hard not to be intimidated by all the perfect images over there that are using the #AugustBreak2016. I want to do this for me though, so I'll press on and share my life in my normal real, messy, from the heart way.

Above is the list of prompts that you can use if you so wish but basically this is a no-rules kind of project, so the idea is to snap a photo every day and share (or don't share) in your own way.

I wasn't going to use the prompts but actually, both of my pictures so far have fit the theme (but not in an aesthetically pleasing Instagram kind of way!). Day 1 was morning light and whilst it was a picture taken in the evening the theme of the festival this week is 'New Day Dawning' and that seemed just perfect.

Then day 2's theme is leaf and there was plenty of those in my joyful jumping photo!

This project is open to all and a great way to find new blogs and Instagram accounts, so why don't you join in too? You don't even have to complete the whole month and you are welcome to start anytime.

Have a blessed week, Mich x

Giving Myself Permission...

I've lost my blogging way at the moment. If I'm honest it's been gone for some time and I've been trying to persevere and keep on going but I'm really not sure what I'm up to. My mojo for it has gone, perhaps it is just on holiday or maybe it is a boat that has sailed its final voyage. I don't know right now but I do know I'm out of love with blogging and it just feels like a chore. Not good, right?

The off feelings started late last year with a scary trolling episode that really sent me off kilter and my love for blogging has not returned since. It's evident as I've not accepted any paid work yet this financial year (and I now realise we are a quarter of the way into the year) and I even missed BritMums Live in June, which is my go-to blogging event each year.

I've also realised this guilt I feel when I'm not writing is not helping anyone. It's is just a millstone round my neck dragging me down. I don't feel completely ready to give it all up yet, it has been way too big a part of my life for the last eight years and I think God's hand is in this and He will use my writing somehow but for now it is time for a bit of a break.

I May be Some Time..

I'm going to be taking some time away from blogging (yes I know, again). I've explained the reasons over on my other blog Progress Not Perfection, so you can nip over and read if you like but basically it all feels a bit wrong at the moment.

After a nasty episode last December, which I actually haven't mentioned over here as yet, but you can read about it in a piece I wrote for the World Moms Blog in January, I feel I need to have this break and allow it to take its natural course and just be as long as it feels right.

I've been blogging far less over the last couple of months anyway and enjoying just having time to relax and be with my family more but I thought I'd be a bit more purposeful for this next chunk of time and plan some activities that I want to do -

So don't miss me too much. I'm still around and you can email or tweet me and I'll be happy to stay in touch or pray for you.

Be blessed, Mich x

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Finding my #IGoodThing A Day for Advent

This is Ted, Alfie & Pinkie. Today I am #grateful for Miss E listening to me. After coming home from #blogfest15 I had to chat to the kids about tidying when I'm not home. This morning my 8yo made the effort to make her bed nice before school & not even tell me. During #Advent I'm sharing #1goodthing each day to remind myself how #blessed I am. It is a great way to stay #positive in these dark, cold months. I'd love it if you'd like to join me. #epig

A photo posted by @michelletwinmum on Nov 23, 2015 at 7:13am PST

I'm having the month of December away from blogging, I've done it a few times before and I always find a bloggy break is really good for the soul. My intention is to be really present in every moment and not thinking about where I'll find the time to write my next blog post or which review we have to undertake that weekend, Blogging has bought many blessings to my family but it is really important to know when to turn-off.

I won't be completely turning off social media but to help me stay focused on what is really important to me during Advent I'll be sharing a visual diary. One photo a day labelled as #1goodthing, this will act as a reminder of how blessed I am and how grateful to the Lord for all the great things he provides to me.

Permission for leave granted

Hey blog,

It is Mich here, did I tell you I put in a request for a few weeks leave? I'm feeling a bit weathered and there is lots on my mind, so I'm going to take some time to set my priorities in order, to rest in God's loving care, be with my family, go to the gym and to have some fun.

I explained here that I need to remember who I am and to find out what it is I'm scared of.  Those chains I mentioned that needed breaking, Yep I'm gonna have a go at that as well.  It takes quite a lot of energy so I've given myself permission to be absent from the blog for a while, probably around the same time as Advent, which is perfect as it means I will focus on what should be the number one priority in my life and that is my relationship with God. I've been sad to realise this has been siding down my to-do list recently.

You know me, I find it hard to keep away, so the odd post might pop up as I'll of course fulfil all obligations that I had committed to, but in the main there will just be some silence over here or maybe some pretty pictures, we'll see how this pans out.

I'll miss you, but I know I'll get over it (in the nicest way), I always do when I have a bloggy break. Then I come back raring to go and full of beans ready to capture the world!

Love, Mich xx


You see this picture of the sea, I'm right at the foot of the picture at the moment, just pondering how I will navigate my way across that first stretch of water to reach the land you can see beyond. When I reach that land I'll be back and ready for the next chapter and diving into the big deep blue sea beyond. I'm not feeling scared, God is with me.

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Time to Look Up for a while

Have you seen the new viral video doing the rounds? I watched it on Friday morning and it was only released on 25th April but already has over 31 million views.

If you are part of this generation, the online generation (and you are, if you're reading my blog) then I urge you to watch. You might do what I did and watch the first couple of minutes and think 'yeah, yeah, you are taking it too far, it is not that bad' but as you watch the whole film you become absorbed and really think and it sure made me realise that I've not had an online break for some time. So the next two weeks at least I'm disappearing off and having a rest. My iPhone is broken and this seems the perfect opportunity to not keep checking emails, FB, my blog and twitter every time I am out and about.

I need to focus on losing some weight and that is what I'll do instead. Eat well, exercise and pray. Oh and spend time with my family of course.

You'll still see me post once a week with my weekend photo post as that is something I want to keep up all year but I hope you'll forgive me if I don't link up and comment back on other posts. This is just something I'm doing for me, not to gain comments and every now and then we all need a little break, don't we?

For me right now, I'm going to take some time offline and LOOK UP...

Go on watch it.....

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Reasons to be Cheerful - time for a change?

How can you stay down for long, when you live here?
This is the view from my front door a couple of nights ago.

Hello all,

How are things going with you? I'm in a bit of a flux at the moment, I don't know whether I am coming or going much of the time. The worlds most organised person seems to have lost some of her skills. I keep having moments of feeling sad, unsettled and turbulent. If you saw my post from yesterday you'll know that I'm in a state of discontent.

Nothing is wrong really, just the realities of living in a new place and having to make new friends, establish where my purpose is right now and come to terms with not being in paid work any more. Lots has changed in the last three months and I think I have stayed strong whilst I made sure the kids and my husband got settled and now I've remembered I've got to take care of myself too.

My instant response is that I need to take the pressure off and have a break from blogging, I know this is always a good thing for me, I've done it many times before.  I'm not imposing any rules on myself, I'm just going to go with the flow and blog if I want to but free myself to not have to be pressured to post for anything. Therefore I won't be running Reasons to be Cheerful for the foreseeable future. If any of you reading this want to host it then leave me a comment below and we can chat but I'm wondering if it is just time for a change. Maybe no more #R2BC.

So this is supposed to be Reasons to be Cheerful and I don't want it just to be me moaning, so my main reason to be grateful this week is the supportive blogging community.  I shared with some blogging friends a couple of days ago how I was feeling and I had such an amazing and overwhelming response. People said really encouraging things and I felt so built-up and good about myself and my blog. Thank you ladies for being awesome, you know who you are.

Then talking of blogging mates, I am also super grateful that I get to see Seasider Clare this weekend for Mumsnet Blogfest. We plan to have a fab time with loads of bloggy friends and some catch up time alone too, it is too long since we last got together in June.

You never know Blogfest might even recapture my love for blogging and I might feel enthused to get straight back on the horse - we will see.....

Wishing you all a fabulous week. Do link up with me for a last time with your Reasons to be Cheerful and I'll be over to visit you (probably after the weekend).

Bless you, Mich x

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!