The One That Started it all off . . .

August 10th 2017

Can you hear the drum roll? Can you feel the tension? Can you sense the anticipation in the air? Nope? Oh well. Must just be me then.

My name is Abi and this is my new blog. I've just started it. This particular blog comes in the wake of others that I riotously enjoyed writing during random stages of motherhood over the last nine years. Who would have thought that hunching over an ancient laptop with a hot chocolate and a pile of biscuits could offer such a sacred refuge from toddler tantrums and explosive nappies? But it did. And I've never forgotten it.

So I suppose that's why I'm back again, over two years since I indulged in the hot choc and biccy ritual. Back again but this time in the throes of mothering a nine-year-old and a six-year-old so explosive nappies are a thing of the past and tantrums, well, they've taken on rather a different form. These days I'm more likely to be steering my kids sensitively (or not so sensitively) away from an actual Playstation addiction and / or / at the same time as negotiating my way into or out of complicated homework projects.

I live in Devon now, which is rather nice. I'm from the North East of England originally and proudly so . . . I bloody love Northerners, even more now that I'm out of my native safe-space. But, well, this is Devon. It's warmer, it's beautiful, it's BY THE SEA which has pretty much been my life ambition since I realised I would, indeed, have to one day grow up and be an adult. My two lads are thriving here, what with the sea and the rocks and the sunshine. The hubby is enjoying growing his local pizza business and me, well I can pick my skills up and move them pretty much anywhere.

So I'm offering the world the following:

• My blog - the honest deconstruction of what it is to be one of half a multicultural couple, a mum to two terrifyingly raucous young boys and a woman fast approaching 40 with a penchant for chocolate, meditation and yoga (in that order)

• My mindfulness skills - teaching young people how to be in the moment with their experience and discover how that can lead to living the best possible, authentic life for them

• My creativity coaching - working with anybody and everybody to draw out creative skills that help enthuse, engage and empower

• My debut novel - Life Is Yours, which you can read about on the 'Writing' page of my website - a ten year project that I have been absolutely DETERMINED to finish no matter what 'distractions' life wanted to throw at me (you know the kind of thing - births, deaths, marriages, more explosive nappies, terrifying existential conundrums as a result of said nappies)

And if none of that floats your boat, and you happen to be in South Devon, then the hubby does a mean BBQ chicken pizza.

So now that the drum roll has faded away and the tension is no longer palpable, please consider this the first of many fun-filled, hot chocolate-fuelled blog posts. Now all you need to do is watch this space . . . .

Go well,

Abi

P.S. If you liked this blog post and want to read more, scroll up to the top of this page, click the 'Sign-Up' button and follow just a couple of easy instructions. You'll then become a site member and get a happy little message in your inbox each time I write a new post. Welcome aboard! xxx

#livingthedream