6 Goals For 2019

I’ve set myself 6 goals for 2019. I’m not usually the type to go making resolutions but I do have a few aims for this year, they are all realistic goals I hope to achieve.

6 Goals For 2019

1. Read 20 Books

I found my love of reading again in 2018 and managed to work my way through several Dick Francis books and both books by Fiona Morgan. In total, I read about 10 books last year which I’m really pleased about! The Mr helped me decide a number and we set a goal of 20 books for 2019. A realistic goal in between blogging, crocheting and life. I used to read so much that this has to be at thetop of my 6 goals for 2019.

2. Continue Learning Crochet

I still consider myself a newbie when it comes to crochet. I’ve made a few scarves, blankets, cardigans and a few amigurami makes over the last 2-3 years. Having taught myself using YouTube and Pinterest for how to’s and ideas to help, my confidence has really grown, especially in 2018. I’m proud to say I actually designed my very own Purple Crocheted Summer Cardigan. A huge achievement for me! I can’t wait to learn and make more.

3. Blog More

Over 3 and a half years I’ve created over 450 blog posts! Another big achievement for me. I’ve slowly got more confident with my writing but my personal posts have been lacking a little in 2018. Lots of lows made blogging a chore at some points but I’m determined to log more on the blog. This is my space but I let the worry of a certain person reading my thoughts hold me back. I’m determined to write how and when I want in 2019 and to write a lot more!

4. Quit Smoking

I am slowly feeling calmer and coping better so I am hoping this will help me quit smoking in 2019. I intend to buy another vape soon and hopefully, that will help. Even if I just manage to cut down to start with I will be happy!

5. Craft More

We love to craft and made a fantastic cardboard box dragon in 2018 that the girls really enjoyed. I want to do more crafting like this and share our makes on the blog!

6. Be Me

I’ve slowly started finding me again this year and I want to be more me. For years I was convinced I was a waste of space. Nothing I did would ever be good enough but with the support from the Mr, the girls and a few close friends I’ve slowly learnt I am enough. I may find it difficult to start conversations, I may be awkward, forget plans or to return messages but I do care. I’m always around if someone needs me, they only need to shout. I will always do my best to try and do the right thing even if it turns out not to be. I know I’m not perfect but I’m determined to love my flaws and just be me for 2019.

Leaving A Stressful 2018 Behind

2018 was a rollercoaster year for me, losing my ESA, nearly losing myself in the appeals process and finally losing contact with my brother. I’m determined to have a better year, my head is in a better place and whilst I am immensely gutted about my brother, it’s made me see things differently.

I know now that I am not responsible for my brother and his behaviour and I refuse to let him blame me for his own mistakes any longer. The behaviour my girls have seen from him isn’t anything I’d allow from anyone else and even their attitude and behaviour has improved without contact. They were devastated he didn’t get in touch over Christmas which led to missing certain traditions with him though.

Having gone out of my way to include my brother in everything I can over the years, I have to admit it hit hard that he hasn’t apologised but I’m determined to move forward this year and stop feeling guilty and responsible for everyone else.

There has been some positives from 2018, I’ve got some good friends around like Martyn, Hannah, Checka and a few who don’t blog too. The girls have had amazing school reports and are happy which has made me feel immensely proud! We had a lovely Christmas and for the first time in a long time I feel really calm.

This year will be about me, the Mr and the girls, it will be full of growth and lessons learnt and hopefully, I will achieve my 6 goals for 2019!

Do you have any goals for 2019?

Akai Wireless Headphones Giveaway No.2 – Our Big Birthday Giveaway

We have another Akai Wireless Headphones giveaway today! Another pair of Akai DYNMX wireless headphones is up for grabs today as part of our #BigBirthdayGiveaway! There have been quite a few entries for the first pair so we figured we’d give away another pair. 

So far we have celebrated Izzy’s 4th birthday on August 6th and the blog turning 3 on the 9th. With one more birthday coming up in just 2 days we figured another giveaway was needed! 

Akai DYNMX Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

Big Birthday Giveaway - Akai Wireless Headphones

Akai Wireless Headphones Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to check out our other giveaways! 
A Pair of Akai Wireless Headphones (First pair)
£15 Hotel Chocolat E-gift Card
Stationery Bundle

All competitions are open for 2 weeks. A winner will be announced within 24 hours of the competition ending. Winners have 72hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. 

5 Expat Blogs For Families To Follow

Living and working as an expat can be a fantastic opportunity, but if you are relocating with a young family, you may face challenges you had not previously considered. Expat family blogs can help.

Travelling long haul with a baby, adjusting to a different climate, homesickness, living without a familiar support network, education and managing finances in a different country are just some of the concerns expat parents may have.

5 Expat Blogs

The good news is, there are many expat families, living and working around the world and sharing their experiences online. We’ve chosen 5 expat blogs for families you might consider following for tips on living, working and raising children abroad:

Life with Baby Kicks

Although reluctant at first, Laura grew to love living abroad. After four and half years in the Middle East, her blog is a fantastic resource if this is where your family may be headed.

Post to check out: Expat friendships are what make expat life amazing.

What it covers: Adjusting to expat life, expat life in Dubai, expat life in Qatar and travelling with young children.

The Expat Mama

Based in Singapore with two young children, The Expat Mama covers a wide range of topics from dealing with homesickness to children’s education abroad to shopping and baking. One of the most interesting areas of the blog is ‘The Expat Mama meets’, where expats from around the world are interviewed about why they became expats, what they would do differently if they moved again and advice for others moving to their location. It is a treasure trove of reliable information if you are considering a move to an expat destination.

Post to check out: The Expat’s Mama meets….

What it covers: Expat family life, homesickness, homeschooling, food and drink, life in Singapore, interviews with other expats around the world.

Wandermust Family

This expat blog is written by a family of three, who were based in Qatar up until late 2017. There is a lot of useful content on the site, particularly for those planning to live in the Middle East. This blog also contains some great reviews of equipment for travelling with babies and young children as well as tips for travelling while pregnant and with the new addition to your family.

Post to check out: Ramadan in Qatar – your essential guide.

What it covers: Luxury family travel, expat life in Qatar, reviews of family travel gear.

Our Globe Trotters

This blog by Keri Hedrick focuses on travel advice, family life and money matters from an expat perspective. If you are wondering how much moving abroad will cost or the kind of salary to expect as an expat, then this is the blog for you and your family.

Post to check out: The Real Cost of Expat Living.

What it covers: Expat money, life in Abu Dhabi, global parenting.

Seychelles Mama

Blogger Chantelle, and her husband Mark, knew from the outset that they wanted to raise their family abroad so made the decision to move to the Seychelles only a month after marrying. They now have two children and Chantelle blogs about life as an expat in this beautiful part of the world. If you are a parent of young children living away from home then this could be the blog for you.

Post to check out: How to juggle expat life, family, and the need for sleep.

What it covers: Planning to move abroad, expat family life, pregnancy and fitness.

We hope these expat blogs will help answer some of the parenting questions you have about raising your children abroad. Ensure you protect your families health with Expat Health Insurance.

Win A Stationery Bundle – 3rd Big Birthday Giveaway!

A stationery bundle is up for grabs for one lucky winner today! Today (9th August) marks the 3rd year of Relentlessly Purple and so far we have 3 giveaways live!

Along with this stationery bundle I’m giving my readers a chance to win a pair of Akai wireless headphones and a £15 Hotel Chocolat E-gift card. Makes sure to enter each giveaway for a chance to win. 

I am a self-confessed stationery addict, blogging gives me a great excuse to always buy more! Over the 3 years of blogging as Relentlessly Purple, I’ve been lucky to review some gorgeous stationery too including a Ryman diary Old English Co and Printkick stationery bundle. Now I’m giving you a chance to win a bundle of stationery I’ve enjoyed buying over the last week!

Stationery Bundle

 

Stationery bundle

Today’s bundle includes various stationery items roughly totalling £20. We have some lovely pens, sticky notes, a notebook and more for our winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to come back each day for an extra entry for each giveaway too!

£15 Hotel Chocolat E-Gift Card – Our Big Birthday Giveaway

Win a £15 Hotel Chocolat E-gift card in today’s #BigBirthdayGiveaway. Yesterday we offered one lucky winner a pair of Akai Wireless Headphone in the first of several giveaways!

£15 Hotel Chocolat e-gift card
Image Credit: Hotel Chocolat

£15 Hotel Chocolat E-Gift Card

Anyone who follows me on twitter probably knows that since I discovered Hotel Chocolat there has been no turning back! I try to treat myself at least once a month now.

My absolute favourites are the Rose & Violet and Mississippi Mudpie. Hotel Chocolat offers a large range of mini-slabs or packs of chocolates on £3 for £10 which is a great way to try different flavours.

Enter below for your chance to win and remember to come back each day for a daily entry too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to enter yesterdays giveaway and keep your eyes peeled for the next one! 

*Please note this is not a sponsored/collaborative post. 

Big Birthday Giveaway – Akai Wireless Headphones

We’re running a big birthday giveaway with several giveaways coming up over the next week. First up is a chance to win a pair of Akai DYNMX Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for one lucky winner during our big birthday giveaway! Last year we ran a giveaway for chocolate & stationary so this year we thought we’d run a few different giveaways for you all.

Big Birthday Giveaway

Whilst we start with celebrating Izzy’s 4th birthday today (6th August), our readers can get entering the competition below! August is a month of birthdays for us, the blog turns 3 on the 9th and my birthday is the 14th too. 

The blog means a lot to us as it has given us all some fantastic experiences, we get to review some great products and places. It’s an outlet on the bad days as well as the good and we wanted to give a little something back to our readers. Keep an eye out for more giveaways over the next week for a chance to win some cool prizes!

Big Birthday Giveaway - Akai Wireless Headphones

 Akai DYNMX Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

  • Wirelessly stream music from any Bluetooth enabled device
  • Comfortable, over-ear headphones
  • Built-in microphone for hands-free calling
  • Music & volume controls
  • Up to 10-metre range
  • MP3
  • Micro SD card slot
  • 3.5mm Aux-input
  • Rechargeable by USB
  • Battery life lasts up to 5 hours of continuous playback
  • Includes USB Charging Cable & Aux Cable
  • Compatible with Android and IOS
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will be open until 20/08/18 at 12 am.
Winners will be notified within 24 hours of the competition ending. 

Good luck to all our readers & don’t forget to keep an eye out for more big birthday giveaway prizes up for grabs!

*This post is not sponsored by the brands mentioned although it does include an affiliate link.

Personalised Stationery From Printkick

Buying Personalised stationery from Printkick for businesses or individuals is quick & easy. With an extensive range of products from Business notebooks, corporate pens & even printed sweets, Printkick has your branded needs covered. You can request a free, no obligation quote on all their products.

Printkick Goody Bag


Printkick Branded Goody Bag

The goody bag I received has a cute kitty design along with Printkick’s branding on one side and a cool pattern on the other! The bag itself is super soft & squishy and feels well made. Unfortunately, I can quickly see Izzy stealing this if she gets a chance.

Patterned Printkick Goody bag

Branded A5 Notebook

Personalised stationery - Red printkick notebook

I love notebooks, I currently have 5 notebooks on my desk & I’m more than happy to add the lovely A5 leather red notebook with Printkick’s branding embossed on the front. I love that this notebook has a band to keep it shut & a page marker. It also has a pocket inside the back cover for any loose notes or pictures, a fab feature!

Pocket for loose notes - Printkick notebook

Branded Pen

Printkick branded pen

The next item, a soft touch grey pen with Printkick’s branding on is another favourite for me. I love a nice pen that flows freely & this is perfect. It has a little weight to it which I quite like too.

3-in-1 Mousemat

Printkick Mousemat

I think the 3-in-1 mousemat, screen wipe & screen protector with the cat design which is also in the bag is a fab product. It’s soft on top with a good grip on the bottom.

W Cable 3-in-1

W Cable 3-in-1

The Printkick W cable 3-in-1 is perfect for us. I use a Type C lead for my phone but the Mr still has a Micro USB so this fab little lead will make recharging on the go even easier. It will also mean carrying less bulk on days out as we only need the one cable instead of 2. It has a fast charge output of 2A and has a strong silicone flat cable that is non-tangle. The W Cable is compatible with all devices including Android phones, tablets, Windows phone, Go Pro, GPS & Apple items too.

Printed Speaker

Printkick branded portable Bluetooth speaker

On top of all these fab printed items, the goody bag also included a portable Bluetooth speaker with Printkick branding. You can either plug this handy little speaker in using the cable provided or connect via Bluetooth. There’s a backtrack & fast forward button & play/pause as well as the option to switch from Bluetooth to an MP3 connection. This Bluetooth speaker will read TF cards & also acts as a mic too!

Personalised Stationery

Most of my readers will no doubt know by now I love stationery! I have so much laying around yet I always want more. I was kindly sent a branded Printkick goody bag to review which includes a selection of high quality printed products. Printkick offer stationery, drinkware, branded bags and more. They have a fab range of giveaway items perfect for businesses or bloggers celebrating milestones too!

Ordering Personalised Stationery From Printkick

Contour Frost Ballpen
Credit: Printkick

I have a few giveaways coming up next month so I took a browse myself for personalised stationery I could include. I discovered gorgeous purple Contour Frost Ballpens & I decided to submit a quote request for 250 pens. I chose one colour with http://relentlesslypurple.com printed in the blog font, late one night. I received a quote the very next morning at a very reasonable price. I’ll be ordering some, hopefully in time for my giveaways next month. Compared to many sites I have looked at for a similar product, I know it’s a great deal for such quality.

Having sampled this goody bag myself, I can safely say Printkick will be my first choice when it comes to ordering branded products and personalised stationery. The quality speaks for itself and I would definitely recommend them to businesses and individuals alike.

Do you love personalised stationery too? What do you think of Printkick’s range of branded products?

Why you should choose Totally Blogging instead of a paid online course

I love to share blogging tips and anything that might benefit my readers and this fab guest post from Jon over at TheMoneyShed.co.uk definitely will!

If you’re thinking about starting a blog but don’t know where to begin then you’ve probably looked up blogging courses for beginners. Even if you’re a bit of a veteran in the blogging world but want to learn about making money you may have checked out courses online in the same thing.

 

Totally Blogging

Why you should choose Totally Blogging instead of a paid online course

These paid online courses are great and you can learn a lot from them but unfortunately, we don’t all have the money to go for these courses every time. This isn’t great because these courses have some great information in them and they can really help you out. But especially if you’re just starting out, you won’t necessarily have the money to be spending on online courses – even though you need them to help you out. We’ve all heard the old adage ‘you need to spend money to make money’ but what if this didn’t have to be the case? What if there was a way you could access all of this great content and information without paying a penny? Well, you’re in luck because Totally Blogging has got you covered.

Free Online Guides

Totally Blogging is a completely free online guide to everything you need to know about blogging. This includes guides on setting up your blog, choosing the right niche, advertising and marketing your blog and using social media to benefit your blog. All of these guides are written by experts on the subject but without the cost.
Each guide is compiled by people who have been there and done that, having the experience and knowledge of setting up their own blog. These people have now written their own guides for the general public to use, completely free of charge. With these guides, you will learn everything that you could ever want to know about blogging. You will learn everything that you would normally learn on a paid online course but for none of the cost.

So why pay for something that you can have for free? Totally Blogging is aware of the cost of paid online courses and is aware that not everyone can afford to take these courses. Unfortunately, this means that the internet is missing out on a lot of blogging talent just because people don’t know where to start. This means that a lot of people are giving up before they’ve even begun and aren’t starting their blogs that could be a huge success. This is a great shame and something that Totally Blogging is committed to stopping. They believe that anyone and everyone should be given the opportunity to start their own blog, and not having access to the right guides should not be a hindrance.

Step By Step Guides

This is why they have compiled their huge expanse of guides to help those who are just beginning, as well as those who are a little bit more experienced in the world of blogging. Each guide is super easy to understand and filled with helpful screenshots to ensure that you know what you’re doing. There are step by step guides to get you going and tips for beginners. They also offer impartial advice on different marketing tools and hosting platforms – which isn’t always something you get with a paid online course. So whatever level of expertise you’re at you can find a guide for you on Totally Blogging.

Never pay for another online blogging course again – let Totally Blogging help you with all your blogging needs!

Bookkeeping And Accountant Services For Bloggers

A reliable bookkeeper and accountant for bloggers is important when it comes to monetising your blog. Most of us bloggers eventually aim to monetise our blogs in someway. When we do however it can get a little confusing. There is just so much to keep track of and learn on top of what we are already busy doing.

Bookkeeeping and Accountant Services or Bloggers

Why You Need An Accountant

Keeping track of incomings and outgoings and working out Tax returns can seem very confusing! It is definitely worth investing in a reliable bookkeeper/accountant as you can save yourself a lot of valuable time. Having an accountant that knows what they are doing can help you avoid missing deadlines and being penalised. Win-win!

In all honesty I wouldn’t know where to start looking for an accountant myself. When I spotted Kaiden (A Suffolk Dad) tweet that his partner Jamie was waiting for his AAT license and asking for suggestions to get his services out there I thought I could help. Sharing Jamie’s services with my readers was a no-brainer for me. Bloggers often ask each other for advice and recommendations so it made sense to share his details.

If you are in need of a bookkeeper/accountant to help with your tax returns then check out the services Jamie offers below. Give him a message to see how he can help you keep on top of your accounts.

Bookkeeper and Accountant – Jamie Oldman*

Bookkeeping

Financial Accounting & Accounts Preparation for Sole Trader and Partnerships

VAT Returns

Budgeting and Forecasting

Management Accounts

Personal Income Tax

Business Income Tax

A Note From Jamie

If you would like to chat about how I may be able to help you, you are welcome to contact me directly on jamie91m@msn.com

Jamie Oldman MAAT AATQB

*Subject to receiving AAT licence.

Have you considered using an accountant before or do you already have one?

DIY Daddy

Looking Back At 2017

Looking back at 2017, I can honestly say it was one of our better years. Things still went wrong.. a lot. But we coped better, we have some amazing people around us who have helped in so many ways to make 2017 survivable.

Looking Back At 2017

Looking Back

2017 was stressful at times, looking back at our year we have had several expensive things break. Our dishwasher was first followed by the washing machine, the new washing machine, the Mr’s phone, the cooker, my phone and of course we couldn’t end the year without one more thing break.. the Mr’s new phone. Less than 90 days old. My good friend Slim and his lovely mum have helped us a lot this year through these issues and I am eternally grateful to them. Fingers crossed 2018 is a better year with less breaking and needing replacing!

2017 has also been great in so many ways! Realising we do have some fantastic friends, blogging friends talking me through the ups and downs and giving me something to giggle over and my confidence has at least grown enough to stand up for  myself again. I have met so many lovely people through the blogging world who have helped me see I am not alone.

Blogging Buddies

We have had some fantastic days out with Martyn (Inside Martyn’s Thoughts) who we went to the Medway English Festival and the Rochester Dickens Festival with. We also met the lovely Hannah (Cupcake Mumma), Martyn’s better half. 😉 Hannah helped Martyn put on a lovely little party for Izzy’s 3rd birthday when we couldn’t manage it ourselves. They are such genuinely lovely people and it brightened up our year. 

Izzy & Martyn

A lot of lovely bloggers chipped in and bought Izzy a replacement pirate ship too. A visitor broke hers and she was absolutely devastated but she loves her new ship even more and plays with it just as much! I actually cried over this, it was such a lovely, thoughtful thing to do for Izzy!

 

Making Progress

I have travelled out of my area via public transport to visit Martyn. A small thing for most but a huge thing for me as I struggle to go too far from home especially alone. Especially just for me to get out for a break and a catch up. I think this has helped a lot with my confidence too, knowing I can do it even with a few small wobbles on the way. I’ve stopped feeling guilty for going out. Looking back I have realised its good for the Mr to spend more time with the girls alone. It’s great for me to have a break occasionally too, something I rarely do.

I have slowly learnt to manage my chronic pain better. Whilst I still over do it at times, it happens less now. I am learning my limits! This has helped with my mood so much, I no longer snap as easily as before. I am able to speak up when I know I need a hand, maybe not all the time but compared to before it is a big change! I still spend a lot of time dosed up curled in my corner recovering from something simple like a walk into town but I know when to admit I have to stop.

Coping Better

My anxiety and depression have become slightly more manageable too. I still have awful days and anxiety still eats away at me regularly but I am recognising the signs of a big meltdown and can at least let someone know I am struggling. More counselling will no doubt be needed at some point but for now I am happy I have made some progress alone. I know my anxiety is still ridiculously out of control (not helped by nurses!) but it isn’t 24/7 now maybe more 20/7. Crocheting is still calming me when I really struggle and so is blogging, hopefully over the next year I can progress some more and try to overcome the choking anxiety I feel most of the time.

Growing The Blog

Looking back the blog has grown a lot this year. Thanks to blogging we have had the chance to review some amazing products over the last few months and visited the Rainforest café to see Santa in exchange for a review which was fantastic fun for the girls. I’ve worked with some great companies on subjects that are important to me.

I wrote about the importance of handwriting in children in collaboration with Stabilo. I shared a lovely 2018 Page A Day Diary from Ryman. There are several gift guides I have worked on and lots of lovely books too. These little things remind me that I am not stupid or lazy for not working. I am still trying to do something useful. It means the girls get a few extras we otherwise couldn’t manage. 

The blog has become a big part of our life and I definitely want to carry on growing it. I would love to review more events and days out with the girls too as we really enjoy it!

Feeling Good

A lot has changed this year. Looking back through the good and the bad, I have realised I am not alone, ever. It doesn’t matter what the issue is, I just need to reach out, someone will be there. Having people to talk to this year ( I am sure some wish I would shut up at times haha!) I’ve managed to get stuff off my chest I have bottled up for years. I honestly think that has been the greatest help. I have stopped beating myself up so much and come to accept a lot of my past. Nobody is perfect and having a group of people who admit they aren’t, who listen with an open mind and just be there (even if it’s just in emoji form) has made 2017 that bit better. Thank you to everyone who has helped make 2017 survivable!

I’m hoping for a better year in 2018 with my Mr and girls with a few good friends around us. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us! Lets just hope no more appliances or phones die 😂😂

Tammymum