So, a blog, thought I’d give it a go!

A little about me…

I am a ’30-something’ woman, born and raised in the 90’s along with my two older sisters. Unlike most from my time, my parents are still together and going strong.

My dad, being completely outnumbered, was a great advocate of a woman in charge. He was keen to make sure his girls were in control of their own destiny, and while we didn’t always see eye to eye, I honestly feel he did a great job on that front (if I do say so myself). My mum had a rough time when I was born and had to essentially rebuild her personality, as far as I’ve been told, I am exactly as she was; self assured and a little feisty. Nower days she is a little more mousy but has so many creative strengths that make her the awesome person she is.

My sisters and I are, from what I can tell, a rare breed in that we are each other’s besties. I’d be lost without them, that said, despite being brought up exactly the same we are all so different! Which I think plays a part in how well we get on. Don’t be fooled though, this wasn’t always the case… I am five years younger than my oldest sister, so it took us a while to get on the level and me and middle sister were at each other’s throats for years! But as we’ve got older and made space for each other, we’ve just grown into each other.

So, a pretty nuclear upbringing, with just enough to have a comfortable upbringing with a couple of holidays, but not enough for me to take anything for granted. Through hard work and persistence, all three of us (as my dad says) have graduated to middle class; with professional careers and a comfortable lifestyle.

I would be a miss not to mention my mother in law, as for most it seems, their’s is a nuisance! While mine could never replace my Mum, and would never want or try to, she played a huge part in a crucial part of my life and I am forever grateful to have her.

Unlike my sisters, I didn’t go to university, a controversial choice at the time. I dropped out of college after my first year and went straight into working life. I worked a few retail jobs and eventually landed in Local Government, I am lucky to have a great work life balance, working from home (bar 2 days a month) and working full time over a condensed week of 4 days. My wage is more than I ever expected to earn which I never take for granted, it affords me some luxuries my parents never had and I am determined to make the most of it!

Lastly, because I am not defined by it… I am married to my childhood boyfriend. We got together when we were 15, engaged at 18 and married at 24. We make an awesome team, he is accomplished in his own right and has always been behind me, pushing me to try new things and believing in me more than I do myself most of the time. While I have got where I am today on my own merit, I wouldn’t of taken the leaps I needed to without him.

This blog…

I’ve never done anything like this before, who knows if I’ll be any good at it… But it seems a good way to share my experiences, good and bad. I am forever frustrated by the one sided view of social media, allowing us all to think that everyone else’s lives are perfect. So, as the Title suggests, this will be a no frills account of anything I think could be of interest to others, or that I just feel like sharing.

So, in the interest of being transparent and avoiding that one sided view, a few things I wouldn’t normally share…

I live with depression, I take medication and have great support from my husband. I am by no means dysfunctional and have many great days, but the bad days are there too.

I, like most in the country, am overweight. I know it’s a problem and I have tried all the usual fads but never seem to shift it long term. Body image is a problem for me and one I am trying to improve on, no doubt I will explore this further at some point.

I have a bad relationship with money, I got myself into a lot of debt in my 20s and through hard work I am almost done paying it off; but it is a constant battle not to get dragged back in!

I hope you enjoy my blog, and whoever you are, it brings some kind of interest, joy or reassurance ☺️