Let's DO Something!

Being a mother is the best thing to ever happen to me. I could shout this until I was blue in the face because I'm truly made up with my little family. My Instagram is full to the brim with happiness and whilst the majority of the time, I am content; I'm only human and I do get upset sometimes, regardless of how "perfect" my Instagram life seems. It's easy to look at a strangers' Instagram account and think they have everything. Picture perfect. Whilst I cannot speak for them, it's almost guaranteed that they have struggles too.
I'm writing this blog post to reassure that we're all winging it in our own way, that I pick and choose what I share with everyone and that I do own "The Chair" in the bedroom which is almost always home to a stack of clean washing to put away. However, just because I filter out the not-so-good bits, doesn't mean I'm being fake or that I'm lying. I don't like dwelling on sadness, I'd rather move on. I don't feel a need or want to share with you daily struggles and I'm lucky enough to have a very supportive husband. I enjoy sharing the good bits because 90% of the time, I'm having the time of my life! Instagram to me, is a fun way of sharing things I want to remember. Making good memories. I frequently enjoy scrolling through old photos, reading old comments and being proud of the life I've made for myself  when just prior to signing up to Instagram, I was living by myself with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, unable to work and very, very lonely. To think, back then, that I'd ever be in the position I'm in now is unthinkable and I'll be forever grateful to Ben for doing nothing but support me since I met him in 2012. I genuinely never thought anyone would want to marry me or that I'd ever be lucky enough to have a family of my own. That has always been my goal, no matter how mediocre and average it appears to many.
That said, recently, I began to start feeling like we were just plodding along. Not really doing anything significant. I was guilty of seeing other peoples' online lives, going on day trips, going on holiday etc and realising that we weren't doing enough as a family. I wouldn't call it jealousy as such, we're just as capable of doing these things. It just made me realise that we didn't have enough "get up and go" and I felt frustrated.
I'm a class A procrastinator, I faff. I faff so much that I can easily make 9am to 1pm disappear in the blink of an eye without even getting out of my pyjamas; if I'm not careful, by the time I'm ready, it's too late to have a proper "day out". When the weekend arrives and it's "family time", any routine (very loose sense of the word!) with Bronte goes out of the window. Having Ben at home throws Bronte and I out of sync with daytime naps and feedings that I end up getting flustered, confused and we often let the weekend pass us by without doing anything. When I say "without doing anything", I'm sure you're aware that I don't mean lay-ins, relaxing and naps... I mean, playing with Bronte at home or doing a bit of tidying. These would be absolutely acceptable weekend "activities" if our minds were set on doing these things from the off. Unfortunately, the entire day passes us by whilst our minds are trying to think of exciting things to do. This means that the joy of an average day at home gets ignored and we wind up feeling lack lustre come Sunday evening because we feel like we haven't made the most of our weekend.
I'm sure others can relate? I'm not lusting over an expensive holiday or an exhilarating bungee jump, I'd just like to have the motivation to decide on a day trip prior to the day and actually do it. Once a weekend. Be it a long walk through the woods, a trip to the zoo or exploring a city we've not yet visited. Ben and I now make sure we've got a few plans in place for the weekend and we ensure that, give or take a few adjustments, it happens.
We've visited St. Fagans National History Museum, an open-air museum in Cardiff chronicling the historical lifestyle, culture, and architecture of the Welsh people. I went there as a child and we had such a nice day there with Bronte. It's set up like a little village with all the buildings set up as they would have been in different time periods. It's free entry and I totally recommend a visit if you're ever near by!
I've also booked for the 3 of us to have a night in our wedding suite for a change of scenery, a swim and some nice food. Plans went out the window this weekend as we've all been unwell but we still made the effort to go for a walk in the fresh air and go to our local garden centre to show Bronte the animals in her push along VW Beetle! It all seems so ordinary but honestly, it's an achievement for me!
If anybody has any suggestions on things to do and places you enjoy, please share as we're now ready and excited to live a little!
If you're anything like me and have been feeling like you're not making the most of your days, try writing a list of achievable things to do and places to visit. It's honestly made me feel so much better. Sometimes it's easy to let having a baby consume you and it really is a task to get out of the door sometimes, especially if you don't have anything in particular to do. Failing that, just accept that you're having a day inside and give yourself chance to enjoy it!
Remember to give yourself your own goals, be inspired by others but just view Instagram photos at face value. Roll on the Summer, the Winter months always leave me feeling a little low! I can't wait to enjoy picnics and simply enjoy warmer weather!