With the festivities over and having just got back from a lovely week's holiday in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, I'm now turning my attention to the new year in 2026. I love New Year. I like fresh starts. I don't really make New Year resolutions, but I always have an idea of things I want to pursue in the coming year.
OH booked us the holiday in Lanzarote and it was a lovely way to start the New Year and we seem to have missed some very cold weather here in the UK, although the weather there wasn't great. It was pretty cloudy and rainy for the first 4 or 5 days. Anyway, he needed a break and his sister and her husband were going there, so we decided to join them. Since booking, his sister had to shorten her holiday from 3 weeks to 1 week, as her husband had been fast tracked for an operation and couldn't fly for at least 4 weeks before. He didn't go and her daughter joined her instead, with her 4 year old daughter. It was a nice week of relaxing and spending time with family we don't see too often. The little one was lots of fun too.
I couldn't really afford it, of course, but I did have 75 euros left over from last summer's holiday and I added a week's household spending money to that. We don't spend big on holiday, we just eat out maybe once per day, eat in our apartment the rest of the time, don't shop hardly at all and go for days out in the hire car. The accommodation OH booked was very reasonable albeit very small and the car hire and flights super inexpensive, so it was probably the least expensive holiday we've had for a while. We had a lovely time though. LB didn't come with us. She's had friends round for an early birthday party instead and no doubt enjoyed having the house to herself in our absence.
I couldn't really think much beyond this, but now we are back I can focus on the year ahead, This year, it's mainly all about continuing with intentional/sustainable spending, surviving on a reduced income, keeping fit, healthy and strong (reducing my weight if I can, although I'm not putting pressure on myself), continuing to work on the house and garden (there's always jobs we need to do to make improvements, including decluttering), slowing down and being present every day. Simple things to focus on, nothing too ambitious.
I am led to believe that this year is the first in a new 9 year numerology cycle. You may or may not believe in such things, but it was 9 years ago I started working in retail. Maybe that was my retail era and this coming 9 year cycle I'm hoping that I'm destined to do something else. I loved retail, until I didn't. I feel a lot more relaxed and at peace since I left my job.
It will soon be LB's birthday. I've bought almost all of her presents already, I just need to wrap them before the day and get her some cash out of the bank.
Financially, I'm just looking to get through January, as unscathed as possible. I'm still due a dental appointment, which I now need to book. I will also need to join the new gym and start exercising again. OH has already joined and has been for his first session. He liked it. I'm hoping I will too.
I also want to get my sewing mojo back, as it has been put on the backburner since before Christmas. I'm looking forward to getting creative again and have a few projects in mind to work on, one being to pimp up a shopping trolley I bought at the tip shop when we went to Yorkshire for £5. I'm intending to use it for walking to a new Lidl store opening near us next year, and do our weekly shop there some weeks. I've already washed the bag a few times to make sure it's clean, but it will be covered inside and out by patchwork or other fabric before I actually use it. I may use the denim remnants I have left over from LB's pouffe on this project.
What plans do you have for 2026?
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