Monthly Notes #1
Hello everyone, and Happy December 1st! I've got something a little new in store for you today. You see, usually I'd include a round-up of the month just gone in each of my Behind-the-Scenes goals posts. But I thought it actually made more sense to separate them.
One of my big aims with A Branch of Holly next year is to give you more of an insight into my life, who I am, and really, to make this space more relatable for you.
So Monthly Notes will be a monthly series telling you about my highlights of the month and some of the favourites I've been loving. Here we go with the first one - enjoy!
blog
It's been another jam-packed month on ABOH. This month was also the first full month in the #BloggingBreakthrough series! We've gone through letters A to E so far and I really hope you've been loving it as much as me.
Three Most Popular Posts Of The Month:
How To Answer The Hardest Interview Question Ever (Your 5 Step Guide)
How To Be A Pro At Scheduling Tweets
Why You Need To Add Your Blog To Your CV
side projects
My freelance work is still going well. I couldn't get as many articles for the websites written this month, because I had something HUGE to do. Some of you may know that last week, I did a guest lecture and workshop for third year and postgraduate Journalism students. It's one of the biggest things I've ever done and I loved it! I put so much work into it - created two presentations and a workbook for them to go through. Plus, they gave me loads of good feedback. Public speaking is definitely something I want to continue with in the future!
Work
Work is great. I honestly love it. I had my first Performance Management Review last week - it's basically where my line manager goes through my role with me, how I've been doing and sets me goals to achieve over the next year.
I've been given one really HUGE task to complete. It's seriously one of the biggest things the College is going to do in it's history. I can't say anymore than that, but if we pull it off it could be amazing!
I finish on the 18th for two full weeks off and I can't wait. A bit of TLC and relaxation is just what I need.
Fitness
I tried something different with my fitness regime this month - Pop Pilates. Have any of you heard of it? If you've tried it, let me know in the comments. I don't really know if it's working for me yet. I can definitely notice a difference in body and the way I hold myself. But I think instead of doing it everyday, I might do it alongside the HIIT routines I usually do.
I'm not going to take a break before Christmas though! It's time to power through. And I'm going to try and not go mad over the festive season either...but we'll see how that goes ;)
LIFe
November was really great. Busy, but still great! I made the most of everyday. One of the highlights was the trip that Tom and I made to Newcastle a couple of weeks ago. It was an early start as we went on our road trip and the snow on the mountains was enough to prove it!
The favourite thing I watched this month was...
Chvrches live at Newcastle. If you've not listened to this band yet, you must! They are easily one of the best bands I've seen live. Three people making that much noise? WOAH.
The favourite photo I took this month was...
Fireworks! We went to a fireworks display in our local town. It didn't last long, but the fireworks were incredible!
The favourite thing I wore this month was...
My chunky high neck green jumper. I am IN LOVE with this jumper. I bought it from Next last year and it's lasted so well. It's one of my favourite knits and the colour of it is now also a definite favourite of mine.
The favourite way I spent my free time this month was...
I'm going to say wrapping presents, actually! On Saturday, I lit all the candles and I wrapped all the Christmas presents I bought. This year, I've gone for brown paper with different coloured ribbons and I'm going to get some accessories to decorate them with too. I always like making an effort with my gift wrapping. It makes getting the gifts extra special.
The favourite thing I ate this month was...
Mac and cheese at Pizza Hut. Yep, I went to Pizza Hut and didn't have pizza! I just fancied it and I'm so glad I went for it. It was the cheesiest thing I've ever had and it was delicious. Next time you're there and fancy something other than pizza, definitely give it a try.
The favourite thing I had to drink this month was...
Definitely a hot chocolate from Costa. They are so tasty! Plus, I really wanted one of these cute little penguin cups.
The favourite thing I used this month was...
My new face wash from Clinique. I've tried something new and gone for the Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. This starts off as like a solid balm, then once you start applying it to your face it turns into a proper face scrub! I only have to use a little amount and I get so much out of it. It works for all skin types too so I'm going to see what it does to my skin over the next month.
And there we go for the first Monthly Notes! I'm thinking of maybe turning this into a monthly video series. What do you think? Is that a good idea? Let me know!
Thanks for reading, friends. So come on - what have been some of your favourite things of the month? Go through the favourites and write your own answers in the comments!