In my last blog How to Plan for a Good Life in 2024, I promised to eat, think, feel, and plan well for a healthier and happier 2024.
Day 4 into the New Year and so far, so good!
Off to a good start
Morning of New Year’s Eve, with hubby at work and our Son playing with his new toys, I mapped out 2024 as planned to:
- Visit family up north every 2-months so my Son spends quality time with Grandma (my Mum) and his cousins
- Visit Dad’s grave once a quarter in winter, spring, summer, and autumn
- Schedule regular lunch dates with my husband
After plotting dates into Google Sheets for a full year’s view (see template below), I moved them across to my phone’s e-calendar.
I’ve yet to book a family holiday in the sun but started my research. I will also keep up with efforts to sleep earlier and reduce time spent on social media.
Still at the starting line
The targets I’ve set myself to think well are yet to be realised. However, I am aware they take time and will happen over the course of the year.
I am looking forward to exercising mindfulness for work and my business, and saving money effectively using a tool/app like HyperJar throughout 2024.
Making headway
I’m really proud of my family’s efforts to eat well so far. We have overcome temptation to indulge in a takeaway for the new year. We have stocked up on plenty of still and sparkling water to up our intake. We have meal planned for the coming week and bought well in accordance with our focused shopping list.
I’m also super proud of our 3-year-old who riddled with allergies, eczema, and asthma has come on in leaps and bounds in recent months by developing a taste for meat protein he used to shy away from.
Now that he enjoys chicken (on and off the bone), beef (in steak form), and pork (cocktail sausages), we have more nutritious, delicious, and varied meals together as a family. Prior to this, these would be rejected in favour of minced beef in bolognaise sauce and smoked salmon only. I’m glad his love for fruit and veg is unwavering and hope this never changes!
Eating well
Over the past two weeks we’ve enjoyed tasty, healthy and balanced meals like:
- Roast chicken with home-made potato wedges and fine green beans
- Steak with cauliflower cheese and broccoli
- Home made spaghetti bolognaise slow cooked for 3-hours
- Fresh crab bisque with crab meat, spaghetti, and cucumber salad
- Oxtail stew with a medley of vegetables and barley
- Quinoa with cherry tomatoes, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and Sriracha-topped fried egg
- Air fried chicken wings, rice with peas and sweetcorn
- Chicken congee (a savoury rice porridge dish)
For dessert, we treated ourselves to Eton Mess, chocolate trifle, creme brûlée, and allergies free cake from one of my favourite brands, Just Love.
We’d also polished off the sweet treats gifted to us over the festive period including a scrumptious box of Raffaello – my absolute favourite.
But after our healthy wholesome meals and spreading consumption over days, we delightfully indulged in them as part of our balanced diet!
I will continue to move through the start of the new year as I mean to go on and update everyone x
