{"id":50998,"date":"2014-12-31T15:05:26","date_gmt":"2014-12-31T04:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypoppet.com.au\/?p=50998"},"modified":"2015-03-24T23:44:59","modified_gmt":"2015-03-24T12:44:59","slug":"hooray-for-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypoppet.com.au\/makes\/hooray-for-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Hooray for 2014!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"My
\nIt’s the last day of 2014 so naturally I thought I’d take a few moments to reflect on the year that was. Initially I was going to do a round-up of my favourite blog projects, but as I started going through my photos last night, it really hit me how good 2014 has been to me. I don’t really share much of my personal life on the blog, it’s a conscious decision that I made a couple of years ago, and I think it has helped me enjoy my family life a lot more than before. But because of that you don’t really know what’s going on behind the scenes, both good and challenging. So here is a little roundup of what happened in 2014 for me off screen.
\nAt the start of the year one of my resolutions was to live more intentionally, learn new skills and put myself out there more. I think I was partially successful, and here are some of my personal achievements this year:
\n
\nBallet<\/strong>
\nI started ballet classes, something I’ve wanted to do my whole life, and I will continue dancing for as long as my body will allow. I go to class every week and it’s been a wonderful challenge not only physically but mentally. Ballet speak is a whole new language (french mainly) but I am happy to report that I not only know the difference between a Tendu and a Tomb\u00e9, I can perform them too.
\nOf course I have a long way to go, but this year has been the beginning, and I’m loving every minute of it.<\/p>\n

Kitchen Renovations<\/strong>
\nIn around April\/May we finally finished a long drawn out renovation that left me without a kitchen for the best part of six months. It was very difficult not having basic cooking and cleaning facilities, dust on everything and workmen walking in and out of our house freely. I sort of let go of the idea of security when we had no windows or doors on the back of our house for quite a few months.
\nWe had a fridge and microwave in the lounge room, and I improvised many meals in a sandwich press, but the reality was lots of take away and fast food which left us all feeling awful. We washed our dishes in the bathtub!
\nI’m so glad it’s all over and I am really enjoying my new kitchen and baking my little heart out. I’ve yet to take proper photos for the blog, but you may have seen my spotty wallpaper on instagram.<\/p>\n

Knitting<\/strong>
\nI taught myself to knit this year, probably one of the greatest and most timely gifts I’ve ever given myself. Knitting is wonderful as a craft, but it has excellent meditative and healing properties too. Through the middle of this year I was really struggling with lack of creativity, motivation and low mood (I think I have seasonal affective disorder {SAD}), but getting stuck into a few knitted projects helped keep me refocus on creating and helped me connect with a whole community of knitters that are just awesome.
\nI’m hooked and have developed a serious obsession with yarn that I need to control, lol.<\/p>\n

Kinder<\/strong>
\nEmma has really blossomed this year and I think 2014 has been the first year that I’ve really enjoyed this whole parenthood thing. We decided to let her have another year at 4yo kinder rather than rush her off to primary school, and although it was a really tough decision at the time, it’s been 100% right for her, and I’m very pleased.
\nI was on the kinder parents committee this year, and have made some good friends that will hopefully be friends for life. It’s hard making new friends in your late 30’s and I’m looking forward to connecting with the school community next year and building a rich friendship network with other families, something we’ve been missing for many years now.<\/p>\n

Travel<\/strong>
\nMy passport has gotten quite a work out this year! We had a family trip to Japan in May, which was so much fun. We went to watch sumo wrestling and soaked in hot spring baths until we turned into prunes. And also Disneyland! It was Emma’s first visit to Japan and she asks when we can return at least once a week. I love Japan.
\nIn December the team at Nuffnang took me and 20 other bloggers to Dubai, where I flew (and crash landed) in a hot air balloon, rode a camel and hugged a penguin. Read more about my Dubai adventures here<\/a> (there will be more to come in January).
\nThen finally, after Dubai, to celebrate my 40th birthday we had a little family getaway in Bali. There was cocktails (and sadly some gastro), but Emma has a great time with us, and that’s what counts.<\/p>\n

The Big 4-0<\/strong>
\nYes I turned 40 this year, and it feels good. This decade has thrown me my fair share of challenges, but it’s been my favourite so far, and I’m looking forward to the next one.<\/p>\n

So now I’ve got to get ready for tonight’s festivities. I’ll be taking a few weeks off blogging to enjoy some family time and will be back with some exciting news in February.<\/p>\n

Farewell 2014, you’ve been memorable. Here’s to a big 2015<\/p>\n

HAPPY NEW YEAR!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s the last day of 2014 so naturally I thought I’d take a few moments to reflect on the year that was. Initially I was going to do a round-up of my favourite blog projects, but as I started going through my photos last night, it really hit me how good 2014 has been to me. I don’t really share…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":50999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[125],"tags":[19],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n