It's a new year and a new push to get on with all of those things I keep saying I am going to do! Here are my five resolutions for 2018:

☆ #1. Lose Weight ☆

I wanted to lose weight before Marianna was even on the horizon - since then I've only succeeded in putting it on. This year I pledge to eat more healthily, get in more exercise, and stay away from my ultimate downfall. (Crisps!) My goal is to lose at least two and half stone this year.


☆ #2. Break The Tots100 ☆

Tots100 is the UK parent blogging chart and my goal this year is to get into the top 100. At the end of 2016 I was ranked about #116 but 2017 was just too manic for me to keep all the plates spinning - elections, mayordom, general stress... It was enough to do just to keep the day to day going! Despite the lack of activity I ended 2017 at #140 on the chart thanks to all the evergreen content I spent the last couple of years curating. Hopefully getting back into daily posting and regular competition hosting will see a rise over the next few months.


☆ #3. Write a Novel ☆

Well, a novel's worth of words at any rate! In 2017 I wrote 510,000 words of fiction which, yeah, is probably a little excessive. This year I'm setting my goal at a much more reasonable 100,000 words.


☆ #4. Save Money ☆

It's been tough going the last few years with Anthony out of work, I can't lie, and one of the downsides of being so busy in 2017 is that my strict budgeting went out of the window. Being Mayor is such an honour but it does mean raffles here, raffles there, meal plan going up the spout because you're all over the place... You get the picture! I need to get back on top of our outgoings, and I also intend to return to comping, letter writing, and other means of bringing in a little extra money. The goal is to reduce my outstanding overdraft by half this year.


☆ #5. Redecorate ☆

Nothing fancy or anything, but the entire house needs a fresh coat of paint. My plan for the summer recess is to focus on the house and get the place spruced up. Also. I pledge here and now to use 2018 to tackle the number one pox on my existence - the garden!!


Have you made any resolutions this year?