I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I love the holiday season and really enjoyed switching off from work and social media for a few days to spend quality time with family. We’re home now after spending Christmas interstate with family. The kids ran amok with their cousins and really enjoyed my sister-in-law’s pool (and staying up a lot later than their usual bedtime)!
It’s hard to believe that there are only a few days left of 2019. It’s that time of year where social media is rife with ‘new-year-new-me’ type posts. A new year can often bring on unnecessary pressure to re-invent ourselves.
SHOP THE LOOK
2019 was a big one for me and I reflect on the three events that shaped my year. The key events of my year were not the result of fulfilling any new year’s resolutions I had set myself on a December day, but were borne out of a continued effort to build on my goals each day. Rather than set myself impossible goals for 2020, I like to take these opportunities to keep myself in check and continue to build on all facets in my life. Being a work in progress suits me just fine.
#1 – Welcoming our youngest in February
I thought, having done it all before, that it would be easier… but it wasn’t! Granted, my recovery from childbirth was slightly easier this time round but my youngest was, by far, the worst sleeper of the lot. At the worst of times, he would be up from 2am latching on to me to feed every 40 minutes until sunrise.
SHOP MY MATERNITY WORK LOOK
He’s 10 months now, and, thankfully, sleeps through the night – but I found it very difficult to function during those first six months before he slept through the night.
It’s amazing how restorative a good night’s sleep can be! I felt like me again once he (and I!) started sleeping through the night and once the haze of newborn life began to lift, it really felt like we reached a big milestone.
#2 – Growth of my whatveewore world
After reaching the milestone of sleeping through the night – and with all the energy that I got back – I capitalised on my being at home on maternity leave and invested as much time as I could into building this blog and my Instagram.
Earlier this year, I hit 10k followers on Instagram and I was so chuffed about it! Similarly, the traffic on my blog continues to increase as I’ve got into the steady rhythm of writing blog posts. This blog gives me a chance to say something that might last just a bit longer than those few seconds of a scrolled feed and I continue to curate my little piece of the internet where I can delve deeper into my interests and share insights about things that interest me.
The most popular posts to date include my reviews of my Celine Belt Bag and my Prada Double Bag, my post on blazers (and what to look for when buying one) and my post where I reflect on why I started whatveewore in the first place.
SHOP ROMANCE WAS BORN VENUS TOPS
#3 – Navigating working mum status the second time round
After 8 months of maternity leave, I returned to work at the end of September. It was a couple of months earlier than I had anticipated but I was presented with a secondment opportunity that I could have only dreamed of a few years back.
It wasn’t easy being back in the office. I felt like a fish out of water in a new organisation and felt even more pressure to perform being a secondee. My youngest inevitably got sick from who-knows-what at day care so I had to take a few days off from work during the first few weeks of being back. It’s been a few months and I’m all settled in and really enjoying it. It has been incredibly rewarding to make a contribution again and feel like I’m making positive steps in progressing my career.
To any of you navigating a return to work from a period of extended leave, I share my thoughts about making a comeback to the office here.
What 2020 holds for me
Apart from a few achievable goals that I’ll set myself for the year (and continue to chip away at achieving the elusive work/life balance!), I’m so excited and hopeful for what 2020 holds for me personally, career-wise and for my whatveewore world.
My personal style continues to evolve and I hope to continue to shape and grow whatveewore as a place that gives a boost to every woman’s fashion confidence. I hope it has also been – and will continue to be – a compilation of inspiration for you.
Wishing you all a wonderful new year! Thanks for all your support!
