Hello and welcome to Word of the Week, this the first one of 2016!
So lovely to have you joining me, as I hope to welcome back old faces as well as new ones to this linky.
If you’re new here, Word of the Week is a nice and simple weekly linky, with everyone welcome to pop by and share. You reflect back on the past week and sum it up in one word. Then share your word with us in a blog post, with as little or as much explanation as you like. It’s a fun and friendly linky, so please do be lovely and visit as many of the other blogs as you can and share with them your thoughts on their words and weeks. I do comment on every entry to the linky, and if you add the Word of the Week badge to your post to help spread the ‘word’, I also tweet them out.
My word of the week this week is:
Hmm, the word implies a level of inactivity and very little happening, doesn’t it? Well, my week’s been the opposite of that, but bear with me and you’ll see why I’ve chosen ‘Slow’ as my first word of 2016.
We had a lovely Christmas, and the time together, with a break from blogging and studying was wonderful. We had lazier days (well, as lazy as they can be with an energetic 6 year old and excitable 3 year old!) as well as trips out and a fun birthday party at the weekend for a friend of Little Man’s.
It’s been back to work for the Husband, back to school for Boo, and my Little Man has started at nursery, too. His first day was Tuesday, and despite an awful drop off with him clinging, screaming and kicking whilst shouting ‘don’t leave me, mummy’ through his hysterical sobs, he actually got on OK. He tells me he enjoyed it, so I’m hoping he is ready for it now. He will be back there again today, so I’m steeling myself for a difficult goodbye again, but hoping he’ll start to settle soon. Boo was one of those kids who simply said ‘bye’ and ran off to play from her very first session, so this is a new world for me and I have to say I am not liking it!
At home, I’ve been rearranging the playroom, making fun family plans for the coming year and getting back into my studying and blogging once more.
So not all that slow? But it’s my mindset that has shifted. I feel more relaxed. I’m making more time to enjoy just being with the children. I’m feeling more efficient in how and when I get housework, cooking, studying and work done, without it impacting on family time. I’m feeling less pressure (imposed by me) to write here, and as it’s the start of the year and work is always slower now, I can see ways of continuing at a slower pace even when that changes. My planner is filling up, but in a good way, with nice activities for Little Man and I in the week, and quite deliberately, we have a free day each week to take as it comes. Boo and I have a girl trip planned and though she’s yet to actually decide what she wants us to do, she’s really looking forward to it.
I read a couple of posts this week, that helped to cement this feeling that I had coming out of the break. In the first, Penny shares 10 shortcuts to success and then Kizzy talks about Slow Living on her blog, and her time out reads – new starts post includes some helpful and inspiring links.
I feel I’m working smarter and still achieving as much. I’m letting go of distractions and removing things I need not do. Will it last? Can it last when pressures build and I do have more work to do? Well, time will tell, but do you know what? I find that I don’t care, as right now it works so right now I’ll enjoy it and make the most of it. I’ll deal with the changes as they crop up. It’s how I tend to work!
What about you? What one word sums up your week best?
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Linky opens at 6.30am Friday, to midnight on Sunday.
That shift in mindset sounds like a very good thing – so glad that you are feeling more relaxed, and under less pressure and being able to work smarter is always a good thing. Sorry to hear that the first drop-off at nursery for Little Man was such a hard one but good to hear that he did enjoy it after you left – I’ve only had that once and it is so hard to have to walk away. Hope that today will be a little easier for both of you x
It does feel like a very good thing, I’m pretty content with it right now. Oh, it was horrible! He’s not gone today as he’s full of a cold and running a temp, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be bad on Tuesday again, too – ah well, we’ll get through it! x
Hi Jocelyn, you sound relaxed and positive for the New Year. I think taking a break gives us the chance to way up priorities. I hope you manage to achieve that sense of slowness and organisation throughout 2016. Sometimes less really is best. Hope Little Man gets used to his new school routine and that Boo continues to enjoy school too.
Wishing you all the best for the New Year.
xx
I think a break is good for that, and it’s certainly helped me. I really want to cling to the slowness! x
Sounds a purposeful start to the year, and if I’m honest I’d noticed it too – not in a bad way, just that the pace on your blog had slowed. I was hoping you were ok and so I’m glad to read this post this morning, long may it continue. Thanks for hosting #wotw
Ah, lovely of you to notice and think of me – all is well here! x
Sounds to me like you’ve got a good routine sorted out which works for you. Wish I could be more organised; I tend to live in a chaotic fashion! I keep meaning to get myself sorted out but it never seems to happen, maybe this year…
Sorry that Little Man is finding parting a difficult time – here’s hoping he’ll soon settle and skip off happily as Boo did.
I think I have, I do so like to be organised. Chaos doesn’t work for me, I just cannot function! Thank you, I really hope so, too.
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Thanks for hosting the word of the week linky. I am going to make lots more effort this year to link up more often. Good luck with your studies this year xx
Lovely, look forward to having you joining in! Thank you x
I’m glad you have found a happy medium with the blogging. I too have promised myself to slow down and learn to say ‘No’ more often.
I hope Little Man settles in at nursery a little easier today and has a pleasant stay.
Have a lovely weekend and thanks for hosting as always 🙂 x
We can do this together, Jayne, we will stay strong! Thank you, you, too x
Great word and glad to hear you are more relaxed about things….
I hope your little man settles into nursery soon…It can be so hard when they don’t settle x
I’m very relaxed, thanks, and it feels good! Thank you, I’m really not enjoying the nursery thing! x
I know exactly how you feel. I had a brill Christmas too and feel way less pressured with the blogging so am posting less and not caring as much. After all it is a hobby! Hope Boo and Little Man had a great first week back and enjoy your weekend xx Thanks for hosting x
It’s good to feel more relaxed, isn’t it? Long may it last! Thank you, you, too x
Hello & Happy New Year to you!!
What a lovely, relaxed kinda attitude you have for the new year, and having that time away has given you a change of perspective and pace. I bet it feels good! But you’ve always been super organised so I know this new routine will so work for you
Sorry to hear your first day dropping off at nursery didn’t go as well as you’d hoped, especially as earlier the settling in session went so well. It’s is heartbreaking when the drop off is difficult, It’ll get easier.
Thanks for hosting the #WordOfTheWeek it’s one of my favourite linky of the week and it’s so good to catch up with everyone
xx
It does feel good, a nicer perspective. I do hope so, it’d be good if it lasts! Thank you x
I love this post Jocelyn. It’s good to see that you have found some balance to start off the new year.
I hope that Little Man gets on okay at his next nursery drop off. Xxx
Ah, thank you – getting there! Thanks very much x
Happy New Year, I too have been busy organising and planning, but I also need to work smarter as I am so easily distracted. Jack was just the same when he started nursery, I used to leave in a wreck but when I got to work and rang to check on him he was always fine as soon as my back was turned the little monkey x
It’s tricky to do, isn’t it? So many distractions around us! They do try us! x
that sounds like a good kind of slow! hoping to join in again this year, wishing you a lovely 2016 ahead. xx
It does feel good! That’ll be lovely, thank you 🙂 x
Ah slow sounds like a word that I’d welcome right now. I feel I’m living at a thousand mph and not totally in control right now!
Oh, you do need to slow it down then!
What a great way of thinking, I think I need a leaf out of your book. I do think there is so much pressure these day, quite a bit inflicted on ourselves and how the world is now. I hope your year continues at this pace x
Yes, I do wonder how much is all of our own doing? It’s certainly working for me right now x
Aww great mind set and it is good that you are doing what makes you happy. It is very common for little ones to be distraught going to nursery but once they get used to it they will be happy. Happy new year X #wotw
It’s going OK so far! Thank you x
Thank you so much for the mention, you describe exactly how I feel this year, let’s hold onto that! I’m being kind this week, and will be back on Friday to share 😉 x
I’d love to hold onto it, let’s cling to it together! Oh, that sounds lovely, look forward to hearing more x
Kaycee screamed the school down when she first went. I can still remember the heartbreak I felt as I walked round the corner of the school and could still hear her screams. I phoned the husband and I was in tears.
It didn’t take long for her to get used to it, thankfully.
I hope things go better for you both next time xx
It’s reassuring to hear that others have been the same as it is so hard to leave him like that. Thank you x
What a great word for the week, I did wondering when I first saw it was ‘slow’ but from reading it sounds like it’s been a great thing! I hope that nursery quickly gets easier – it’s so heartbreaking at times!
It has been a good thing! I do hope so, it’s so hard.
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