18 months after my goodbye blog post, without a clue what’s happening in the world of ‘Mummy Bloggers’, I find myself drawn to write again, so here I am!

I have no idea whether anyone still reads blogs these days, are you all too busy on Instagram and TikTok? I haven’t done one of those TikTok dance videos and I still just post random crap interspersed with soap box moments over on Instagram. But then the very reason I started to blog was to document raising Toby and Martha, it was never to gain thousands of followers or become famous, so not making viral videos and keeping one step ahead of every trend is fine by me. Since childhood I’ve avoided trends and the limelight, why would I be any different as I near my mid-thirties?!

So much has changed since I first started Budding Smiles 6 and a half years ago. Two babies, two houses, multiple freelance and employed work moves, launching two businesses, mental health illness, autism, school, death of loved ones, holidays, celebrations… Truly a rollercoaster of highs and lows, which led to me feeling like I didn’t have the capacity to keep up with the ‘how tos’ and ‘must dos’ of being a blogger.

Now?

It has now been 5 months since the world heard about Covid-19, 4 months since the UK went into lockdown. The children’s school year technically ends on Friday, and when (if) they return to the classroom after the summer, things will inevitably look and feel very different for them.

I closed down Ginger Harmony in March when the lockdown came into effect, my business and income disappearing overnight. With lockdown easing, we can all go to the pub and get pissed, yet my very hygienic, highly qualified, professionally insured work is still on hold with no confirmed date for restarting; It’s heartbreaking, but it’s not forever.

Moving Forward

Despite everything I am positive about the future. Toby and Martha are incredible little humans, their resilience, strength, intelligence, and wit blow my mind all the time. Our house is on the market, with a move to a town we adore on the cards. We are healthy, mostly happy, the children’s relationship is thriving finally, and we’re making positive plans.

Monetising the blog made me fall completely out of love with what I was doing, so I won’t be going back down that road. This space is now here exclusively for my recording and brain dumping of things that are important to myself and my loved ones.

Are you there?

Let me know if you do still read these things, just so I can say hi! I hope that anyone who is reading, is doing okay during these crazy times. As has always been the case, my email and DMs are open for anyone who wants/needs to chat.

Stay safe everyone!