2016 – The Best Bits

2016 has been one hell of a year, it’s surreal looking back at how much we have done, how much we have achieved and just how much has changed over the past twelve months. Here are a few of the ‘good points’ from the past year.

• We finally replaced the old, rusty inbuilt dishwasher with a brand spanking new slimline version.
• We got a new tumble dryer (only because the other burst into flames but still it’s new and it works far better than its predecessor).
• We finally got a new leather reclining sofa and chair which may have taken months to receive but was well worth the wait.
• I managed to source and purchase E the doll’s house of her dreams thanks to a good friend online, thanks Jayne x
• Paul managed to get a new phone following years of being plagued by his dodgy IPhone 4s
• E mastered potty training with very few accidents. She is now fully toilet trained and dry during the night. Way to go little lady!
• We got the plans drawn up and approved for our extension which was then built, completed and has provided us with a luxurious new bedroom and en suite bathroom.
• Paul and I finally got a king size bed, we had been struggling to squeeze into a standard double with the presence of our ‘little night time visitor’, since moving bedrooms however it seems E is no longer interested in joining us and we now have the space to stretch out!
• J was given a new bedroom which has since been painted and will be carpeted shortly.
• J was given a new high-sleeper bed with a desk leaving his mid-sleeper all ready for our little lady to move into in the new few weeks.
• We completed emptying and repainting E’s new room which will also be carpeted shortly.
• We had two fantastic photo shoots with the fabulous Jenna Carpenter and as a result have some beautiful canvases dotted around the house.
• I began blogging, something which I have always fancied having a shot at and which I now enjoy with a passion.
• I kissed Goodbye to Windows and bought my first ever MacBook Pro with my own moolah.
• I made my very own blog logo using hand drawn images, water paints and a bit of Photoshop. I am really proud of the result, put together with a PipDig theme I think it looks pretty snazzy if I say so myself.
• I began my first ever blog linky #TuesdayTreasures which seems to be so popular that I will be taking on an extra pair of hands in the near future.
• I attended Blog On, my first ever blogging conference and whilst there learnt a great deal and met a whole host of wonderful new friends.
• I started making a little bit of cash from blogging to put aside for those rainy days but it actually got used for new clothes and shoes for the kids as their requirements seem to be never-ending these days.
• We flew over to Spain as a family and enjoyed an amazing holiday in Benidorm.
• E officially started Pre-School which she settled into like a duck to water.
• J lost his front teeth which cost the tooth fairy £5 a shot!
• J was officially diagnosed with Aspergers, this may not seem like something to list but for us it’s a huge step in getting him the future help which he may require.
• We had an amazing day out to Greendlands Farm where E and J rode a donkey for the first time.
• I finally got my much-wanted Welsh dresser which looks divine and fits perfectly in our dining room.
• We finally upgraded the kids outdoor play area to include a snazzy, new wooden playhouse which is far sturdier than the Little Tikes plastic thing which often blew away in the gales.
• J moved up to the Juniors and seemed to gain a new-found love for School.
• J got his yellow belt in Karate, this is a bitter-sweet for us as it was awarded to him by Stuart, his late teacher who sadly passed away in August. He may be gone but he will never be forgotten as he remains as a part of us all forever more.
• I hosted my first ever coffee morning for a group of friends, this has now become a regular occurrence along with the essential baking of flapjacks for the girls to guzzle.
• Paul and I saw Limp Bizkit and Korn play live in Manchester, it was an amazing night which we will never forget.
• E had her first over night stay at my folks and after a few attempts we have finally got both J and E settled for overnight stays should we fancy a date night which we have had a few of this year which is amazing considering that we hadn’t had a night alone for almost two years running!
• I have met some fabulous new friends through blogging and working behind the bar.
• I had a wonderful day out at the races with friends where we also saw Simply Red play live. It was so lovely to be out with friends, I so hope we get to do something similar in 2017.
• I became an Auntie again to my beautiful nephew G.
• We drove down to London and introduced the kids to the big city.
• I somehow managed to pull off the perfect 60th party for my folks. It seemed to go fairly smoothly without so much as a hitch and everyone apparently enjoyed themselves.
• We hosted E’s first ever birthday party at home, the children and adults enjoyed themselves equally and many memories were made.
• We finally got a new boiler installed and now have a far more economical, safer and more effective heating system in the house.
• We finally found and purchased some new outdoor Christmas lights for the house. It looked lovely this year especially given that there was a whole extra chunk of the house to decorate.
• We celebrated our first Christmas with my parents in their new house. It was so lovely to see them both settled and happy in their new abode. Let’s hope it stays that way!

It sure has been a busy but brilliant year. Let’s hope that 2017 is as fruitful and fun-packed! I hope that you have had a fantastic 2016, heres to an even better 2017!

I have also written a separate post listing some of my resolutions the things which I would like to achieve in the form of a bucket list, here is the link should you fancy reading it.

I’d love to hear from of your best bits from the past year, be sure to either comment below, drop me an email or to get in touch by through one of my many social media pages. I’d love to hear from you!