A June To-Do List
Part of me really cannot believe it’s June and the other part feels like winter lasted approx 5435 years and I’m certainly ready for the promise of more warm days that are hopefully waiting for us this month. So far June is shaping up to be a nice month for me as it’s pretty quiet, April & May were quite busy so I’m looking forward to generally being at home and getting on with work as we all know how much a homebody I am. And this is what I want to achieve in the next 30 days…
PICK UP THE KNITTING NEEDLES AGAIN
I taught myself how to knit a couple of years ago and since then I’ve knitted a few scarves but nothing more complex than that. I find the most difficult thing with knitting is that I have no idea how to read a pattern and there are so many knitting styles to achieve a different finish. It’s something that is going to take a good amount of time for it to become muscle memory for me but I know it’s possible. There are some really brilliant YouTube videos out there if you look hard enough that really break down each knitting step with ease which when you’re a novice is exactly what you need. My mum was an incredible knitter and made all my cardigans and jumpers when I was a baby, she handed down all her needles and patterns to me so I’d love to be able to put them to good use. The biggest reason I want to push my skills a little further is that I want to start knitting for a charity Galgo (Spanish greyhound) auction as that’s such an important cause and of course, I’d love to be able to make Josie & Edie a jumper each.
DAY TRIPS TO THE PEAKS
We live 30 minutes or so drive away from the Peak District and it’s hands down one our favourite places to go and explore on our off days. Ever since we had our lovely holiday in the area it’s pushed us to want to explore it a lot more as there are obviously an abundance of places to walk as well as a plethora of dog friendly places to eat which is always a bonus if we fancy it but our go-to is to pack lunch as veggie options aren’t always there. On our list so far are;
Burbage & Hinkley
Stanage Edge
Ladyclough Woods
Mam Tor (we should be able to do this now it’s a little warmer)
Winnats Pass
Surprise View
PICK UP SOME NEW HOUSEPLANTS
I’ve been doing pretty well on the houseplant front, they’re all thriving and growing plenty of new leaves which makes me extremely happy (I’ve still not dared repot some of them though). However, there has been a couple of causalities recently which means I’ve got some empty planters to fill up and there have been some plants on my to buy list for a while. There are a few garden centres around us that have excellent house plant selections that aren’t crazy expensive but I’m aching for a trip to The Watered Garden which is in Nottingham city centre. They also have a website if not in the local area, and I'm hoping to purchase a Chinese Money Plant and a Peperomia Hope.
curb my sugar addiction
I’m a very big believer of everything in moderation but something I don’t quite have in moderation at the moment is sugar. I’ve always had a huge sweet tooth, ever since I was a child but the thing is when you’re an adult there’s no-one telling you that you shouldn’t have sweets for dinner when you’ve had a crappy day. So this month I’m really trying to minimise the amount of sugar I’m consuming, I’d never cut it out entirely as I don’t see the need but I know I need to eat a lot less of the stuff as it never does me any good in the long run as much as I might enjoy it at the time. Another habit I need to get myself out of is the two coffee routine I’ve currently got going on. I’m still not having a cup of the good stuff in the morning which was my only year-long resolution I set myself. But I'm having a couple of cups around midday which feels great for when I’m busy but I really don’t like to depend on caffeine to get my to-do list ticked off.
SHOP MORE SECOND HAND
Something that I’m really conscious of at the moment is the effect my shopping has on the world, there has been a huge push towards more sustainable fashion which is great but it’s not an affordable option for the vast majority of us. So something that I have been doing far more than ever before is shopping second hand and not only is it better for the planet but I also find it really fun and super rewarding. Finding an item that you know you want for far cheaper than you would have paid new is so satisfying and it’s nice to give something a new lease of life. I’ve always been a big fan of selling on the clothes that I’m no longer wearing but never shopped too much second hand as I’ve always found it quite overwhelming, especially in charity shops. But having something really specific in mind helps as you’re able to search the likes of eBay or Depop for that thing and you’ll always more than likely find it, especially if it’s perhaps been a popular clothing piece from the high-street.
