GIFTED | This post is a milestone for me in more ways than one. It’s my 250th blog post. And the first to feature my face. Well, most of my face anyway 😉 Because I’ve realised it’s time I started to publicly appreciate my achievements. And that includes putting my face out there, instead of hiding away behind flatlays and stock photos. I’ve got a lot of achievements that I’m learning to be very proud of and I’d like to share a few of them. Why they’re important and why they matter. OK then, deep breath, here we go…
Achievement one – my blog
When I first started this blog back in February 2017, I was not in a very good place mentally. Redundancy was looming, and the last few months of my employment had been a challenge in more ways than one. This blog was an experiment. I wanted to see if I was any good at writing. At that point I had no idea about WordPress, themes, SEO, graphics, or even social media. And I certainly had no idea that you could work with brands or make money from blogging,
But yet, almost three years later, here I am. I’m writing my 250th blog post, I’ve worked with some amazing brands and PRs, had some wonderful experiences, and made some truly lovely online friends. Blogging has taught me a lot. Not just the writing, SEO, social media, and graphic design skills, but also how to pitch myself to brands. And, most importantly, how not to agree to something that’s not worth my valuable time.
Achievement two – my freelance career
Freelancing was a huge step for me. I’d been in paid employment all my working life but redundancy forced me to face up to a new, harsher reality. As a rule, freelancing means you have to go out and find your own work, and I’m no saleswoman. But then I found a wonderful freelancing agency in Bath, run by a lady who is also now a client. And when I told her about my fledgling blog and social media channels, she found me my first client (who’s still with me), as well as a further four clients after that.
I’ve had to learn to network, both on Linked In, and in person. Even now, it’s not something I enjoy and but I’ve forced myself to do it. And do you know what? The earth didn’t open up and swallow me. Networking has become easier, although I’d still much prefer not to have to do it at all! So that’s another of my achievements to appreciate.
Achievement three – my new job
I wrote recently about how my blogging skills helped land me my new dream job earlier this year. Do you ever dream of a new life in the sun? If so, you’d love my new company. Kyero help you find your dream home in Spain – whether you’re looking to rent, buy a holiday home, an investment property or even relocate abroad. And we can help anyone find their sunshine: families, couples, singles, retirees.
And the best part? I got my job based on my writing skills, and recommendations from the freelance agency and my first client. So all down to the content I’ve been producing for the last few years. How good do you think that makes me feel? And how much of an achievement to be proud of is that?
Achievement four – my garden
Listing my garden as one of my achievements to appreciate would have had my mother howling, I know. But I’ve gone from a carefully curated (note the sarcasm) window box in a first floor town flat to a full blown village garden and orchard. It’s still a work in progress even after ten years, but it’s my space.
True, Flora has her patch and Alan’s done his fair share of buying random plants that I have to shoehorn in somehow. But I’m no expert, I’m entirely self-taught, as those of you who follow my garden posts will know. I’ve read a lot of magazines and watched a lot of gardening programmes, but that’s it. So, if something works, fantastic, if it doesn’t, I can try something else. My garden is my safe space where I can – and do – experiment at will, and, luckily, I’ve found Nature is a very patient teacher.
Achievement five – Flora
It probably seems self-indulgent to regard our daughter as an achievement but I’m so very proud of her, and myself. Not least because I nurtured her for nine months and nearly died giving birth to her. She’s growing up to be the most amazing, curious, intelligent, fearless, kind, loving and hilarious girl. My daughter and my pal. What more could I ask for?
And she’s also a contributor to this blog – check out our Mud and Bloom nature box reviews, and more recently our Letterbox Lab science subscription box reviews. Of course, Alan must take his share of credit for how she’s growing up. He’s a wonderful father and a great example of what treatment she’ll expect from her future boyfriends. Although God help the first one she brings home…
Lighthouse Clothing *
So, I said I’d worked with some amazing brands. And one of them is Lighthouse Clothing, whose gorgeous Florence coat * is featured in all these photos. (My very first fashion photos, so please be kind!) I’m definitely not a fashion blogger though, and when they asked if I’d like to work with them it was a real imposter syndrome moment. But, in keeping with my new decision to publicly appreciate my achievements, I took a deep breath and said yes, please. And I am absolutely THRILLED with my new waterproof coat, which had its first outing on a recent trip to a very wet and windy Scotland.
Lighthouse Clothing coats are designed in Northern Ireland – so they know all about the rain and wind! What I love about their designs is that they don’t sacrifice style for practicality. My coat looks as good in town and on the school run as it does on a wet and windswept beach. And, even more importantly, it keeps me both warm and dry.
“Look great and stay dry, whatever the weather.”
Coat details
My coat is 100% cotton outer fabric with Teflon® coating so it’s waterproof, windproof, breathable, and lightweight. (I hate getting sweaty underneath a heavy coat, don’t you?) Along with an adjustable, padded hood, it also features fully taped seams, two front pockets with side entry, and a two way front zip. So you can adjust from the bottom if you were riding a bike, for example. Not that I plan to go cycling any time, but good to know 🙂
Inside, the lining is a soft quilted chambray with insulated padding, there’s a secure zipped internal pocket, and an adjustable waist drawcord. I love coats that allow me to give myself some semblance of a waist! All this, and it’s machine washable too. Huge thanks to Lighthouse Clothing, this is my perfect winter coat. The company’s motto is Live simple, live happy and I think they’ve absolutely nailed it with Florence.
Alan
So, a few words about my husband, Alan. Whenever I’ve had doubts or wobbles about my abilities and skills, he’s ALWAYS boosted me. He’s believed in me, even when I didn’t (and still don’t sometimes) believe in myself. I would be lost without him. He makes me trust that I can do whatever I aspire to do. And he’s the fiercest champion of all my achievements. Is that soppy? Maybe. But is that true? Absolutely.
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
E E Cummings.
And this is why I’ve decided it’s time to acknowledge, celebrate and learn to really appreciate my achievements. Because I am a grown up. And I’m also a wife and a mother. While I remain proud of many different things I’ve accomplished in my life so far, these two roles are, and always will be, my greatest wins.
Do you appreciate your own achievements? If so, what are you most proud of? If not, do you think it’s time you started doing so too?
* This post features a gifted item but all opinions are my own (please see my Disclaimer).
I don’t tend to comment here, Lisa, but felt I needed to with this one because I’m a big fan of celebrating (not just appreciating) achievements. From what I’ve read here, you have plenty to be proud of. Acknowledge it often, even if it’s just to yourself.
Thank you so much, Graeme, that’s extremely kind of you to say so. And I will try my best to follow your advice too 😉
This is so important ❤️ we all need to learn how to do this more than we do! I love that you’re freelancing – I recently went full time freelancing in September and I am yet to reap any “real” reward from it yet, monetarily speaking. Fingers crossed I get something before the month is out! X
Thank you, I’m so pleased it struck a chord with you 🙂 And congratulations on going freelance, it’s a scary step but I’m sure lots of good things will come from it – good luck! X
You look pretty and surely the community will appreciate you being a great person. Also, impressed that you are in a milestone such having this much posts as I’m only close 100 haha.
Aw, thank you so much, that’s so sweet of you! And I was quite surprised myself, those posts have totted up quite quickly, so I’m sure you’ll hit 100 soon too 🙂
This is an absolutely lovely post, I’m so glad I found it! I’m a new blogger (I just started in September) and it’s nice to see someone succeeding in the blogging world. You are truly an inspiration!
Oh my goodness, thank you so much, what an absolutely lovely thing to say! And a very warm welcome to the blogging world too 🙂
These are some amazing achievements! Congrats on the job, that’s absolutely amazing that you were able to use your skills from blogging to land it.
Your garden is absolutely amazing and I love reading your posts on it monthly, so that’s definitely an achievement haha x
Thank you – I’m still pinching myself about the job TBH but that goes against what this post is all about so I’m going to aim for HELL, YES! xx
I love this! Couldn’t agree more, we need to spend more time celebrating our achievements and less time criticising ourselves! I love that your husband is so supportive!
Chloe 💕
Thank you, Chloe, we really do. It’s hard but something that I think needs to be spoken about – and thank you, I’m a lucky girl! x
I think it is a great idea to celebrate in life. Big or small achievements. Because what makes you happy and proud should be celebrated!
Thank you – and yes, I’m learning to think that way too – still a work in progress, but I’ll get there!
Great post Lisa and very well written.. you have a lot to be proud of yourself and appreciate your achievements.. congratulations on your 250th post… being a blogger I can understand how much effort, time and dedication it needs… you definitely have the the contributor who is also your daughter… and last but not the least I must say you should start fashion blogging as well..you look great in that coat… love all beautiful pics…. thanks for sharing Lisa…Keep posting and inspiring…❤️
Thank you so much, that’s so kind of you. I don’t think people realise how much work blogging takes (not that I’m complaining) but it’s definitely a rewarding occupation. Especially when I have help, haha. And thank you, my first foray into fashion blogging wasn’t as scary as I feared either! X
This is such a positive post and I love how you’re letting yourself be proud of these great achievements! 🙂
Soph – https://girlvsworldblog.com x
Thank you very much, it’s a new thing for me, but I’m trying! x
What an amazing post Lisa!! Firstly congratulations on your 250th blog post, that’s amazing! Like you, I have shied away from posting my face, I think I have put only my face a handful of times on my social media channels as I am not confident! That’s amazing you got your dream job! Your writing is great and I love reading your blog! Thank you for sharing these lovely photographs and such a great post! ❤️Xxx
Lauren, this is so kind of you, thank you. I’m not sure my face is going to be a regular feature but it felt good to put a personal photo out there, this once at least! And thank you so much for the writing compliment, right back at you for your writing and blog too! xxx
You are so welcome xxx
😍😙😍😙😍 xxx
I loved seeing this! I can imagine how warm you must be feeling inside after looking back at that long list of achievements. I hope I too can one day reach the heights of my own aspirations as you have, through writing. 🙂
Ah, well, I still have a lot I want to try and achieve, but thank you very much, this is very kind! And you are a very talented writer and poet, I love your poems too 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Oh Lisa, I really love this post!
So much positivity! We should celebrate all our achievements, big, small, life changing, they all deserve to be cheered.
You’ve done so well and you should be so proud of yourself.
The coat is gorgeous x
Thank you so much, Claire, that’s so kind of you – I’m still a work in progress, haha, but I’m trying! And yes, the coat is just gorgeous, I feel very lucky 🙂 xx
We are all a work in progress 😘
Ha, this is very true! X
This is such a heartwarming post, I feel like so many of us are far too quick to bring ourselves down and so taking time to appreciate our achievements is so important. It’s really interesting to hear about how you got into blogging- I’ve been a reader for ages but didn’t realise that it was kickstarted by redundancy (same as me!). The coat is lovely too and sounds so practical!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
Thank you, Soph, and how interesting that your path into blogging was the same as mine. I never thought I’d say this but redundancy really was the best thing to have happened to me, it’s opened up so many doors that I would never have had the courage to knock on before! 🙂 x
YES LISA. This is the sort of post I am HERE FOR. I’m all for celebrating and appreciating your own achievements – I truly believe you should be your own biggest cheerleader – so I’m so glad to see you acknowledging all the incredible things you’ve done and achieved! Hope you can carry this on into 2020, which I’m sure will be full of more achievements for you! Also, that coat looks super warm and comfy! Well done on the first fashion related post too! xxx
Aw, Jenny, thank you so much! I remember your comfort zone post and how much I loved that one. You are definitely one of the bloggers I look up to, you’re such an inspiration and one of the biggest cheerleaders I know. And thank you, I don’t think fashion is going to feature too heavily on here in future but never say never haha! XXX
I’m so here for this self-love! Our achievements definitely should be announced and appreciated. I’m super glad that you have a lot of great achievements.
Thank you, that’s so good to hear! 🙂
I love this!!! We don’t appreciate out own achievements enough, especially us women. Thanks for this post!
Thank you, this is very true, I’m so pleased you liked it!
Such a lovely post, you’ve achieved so much that you really should be proud of yourself. I know it’s easier said than done though.
That coat looks so cosy and perfect for this time of year too
Thank you so much, it is easier said than done but I’m trying 🙂 and my coat is perfect! X
Congrats Lisa, this is all absolutely amazing! Who knew that so much would come from being made redundant? Also, I love that you were able to land your dream job – that’s amazing!
Jas xx
Thank you so much, Jas! I know, I have to keep pinching myself from time to time, I feel very fortunate 🙂 xx
This is such a lovely blog post and congratulations on all of your achievements love they are all such great achievements to praise yourself on!
Ayse x
Thank you so much, I’m so pleased you enjoyed it! x
This is an amazing post. It really reminds us all to stop for a moment and be proud of ourselves and our achievements! So wonderful that you decided to share your story and empower others to do the same! And congrats on all of them!
Oh, wow, that’s so kind, thank you. I do hope this post encourages others to appreciate what they’ve achieved too, we all need to be our own cheerleaders, I think!
This is such a lovely post, I had the biggest smile on my face as I was reading it. So many of us are far too quick to bring ourselves down and don’t want to seem braggy or boastful. But it’s SO good and important to take time to appreciate our achievements. It’s really interesting to hear about how your blog has been a starting point for so many other achievements x
Sophie
That is exactly what I was worried about, that this post would seem boastful, when it wasn’t meant that way at all. I’m so glad no-one appears to have read it that way (yet!). And yes, hooray for blogging, it’s a real gateway for sure 🙂 xx
I enjoyed your post and it was very inspiring to me. I’m getting better at appreciating my achievements more too. I’m hoping to do like you are and try to earn a living through my writing and blogging. I love it and I may have finally found a complete career change for me, which I so desperately need.
Thank you and that’s so wonderful to hear, and I wish you all the very best in your career change, how exciting!
LOVE this! And, yes, you damn well should be celebrating! Thank you for all your hard work and fabulousness x
THANK YOU!!! I thought of you while I was writing this and hoped you’d approve!! X
You have so many achievements. It was very interesting to read about your blogging journey and what you achieve in your llfe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you, that’s very kind, I’m so pleased you enjoyed the post 🙂
Honestly you should really be so proud of yourself! You’ve done achieved so much!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Thank you, Amie, I’m trying! X
I just loved reading this post Lisa. You have achieved so much Lisa it is time to celebrate and be very proud of your work. I really felt all your feelings while reading this post. Absolutely Flora is growing up to be a wonderful girl. I am happy and even celebrating small achievements just with ourselves brings so much of happiness. So proud of you my dear. Keep the good work going. A big hug to you 🙂
Via | http://glossnglitters.com
Aw, Via, thank you so much, this is so kind of you! It’s only when I wrote all this down that I realised that I do have a lot to be proud of. The hard part is actually acknowledging it, but I will keep trying because it’s so important. Thank you again, huge hugs to you too xxx
You’re welcome! x
So much to be proud of! Well done on your achievements, little or big they all deserve to be celebrated. The coat looks lovely as well, the navy blue suits you
Thank you so much, that’s so kind of you – and I do think we need to self-praise more than we do, but it’s taking some getting used to!
What an important message – self achievement. Also lots of useful insights and inspiration for a fledgling blogger like me- thank you!
Oh thank you, I’m so pleased it was helpful – and yes, we all need to be more upfront about our achievements, awkward as it may feel at times 🙂
We all need to take a minute and realise our achievements, your are fantastic and I’m sure you will achieve so much more.
Ah thank you so much, that’s very kind. I’m so pleased you agree, and I hope you’re right too!
Oh I love your story it is so inspiring. Finding freelance work is brilliant!! You’ve done so well.
Thank you so much, that’s so kind of you!
Such a lovely post, so inspiring, you have achieved so much. A lovely read x
Thank you so much, that’s very kind of you! x
I’m sure you can already tell from all of the comments just how much of a chord you have struck with so many people, but I wanted to add my two cents. This is a lovely, heartwarming, inspiring article! We have much in common (although we are about 7ooo miles apart!) but you are further in your blogging journey. Celebrate all of your achievements, PLEASE, because you inspire those who are coming along behind you! Keep it up, you are amazing!!
Oh my goodness, thank you so much, that is the loveliest two cents! I’m quite honestly amazed at how this post has been received, it has been so unexpected and so wonderful. I’ve said it before but I wish I’d started blogging years ago, the community is just so welcoming and supportive, it’s a truly joyous place to be. Thank you again and good luck with your journey too!
This was such a lovely inspiring post Lisa. It’s so important to celebrate your achievements, and something I really should do more of myself. I like that you included some photos of yourself in this post – that new coat looks great on you and I love the sound of it. I agree, if there’s one country that knows rain, it’s Ireland.
Thank you so much, Kim, that’s so kind of you. Yes, I agree, we all need to remember to praise ourselves more than we do, hard as it feels sometimes. And thank you, I’m so pleased with my coat, it’s perfect for this time of year 🙂
This is fantastic Lisa! And congratulations! I really love the idea of this post. I’ve always had a hard time appreciating my achievements, and have often been my own worst critic. Whenever I would achieve something I would say, it’s not that big of a deal, or I was expected to achieve that. I would feel that not acheiving it would be a failure, but that if I did achieve it, it wasn’t worthy of praise. I think I’ve come a long way on that in the last few years though. I’ve been practicing what I call #SuccessSundays. Each Sunday, I try to sit down, and write down a few things that I was successful at each week, and things that are worth a pat on the back at least. I’m really liking this practice!
Oh thank you so much, that’s so kind! And yes, I do think appreciating our own achievements is often one of the hardest things to do. I like the sound of Success Sundays, I’ll have to look into that. Thank you again!