Yes I know I’m technically a week late, but seeing as most people went back to work today it seems as good a time as any to declare my new year’s resolutions.

Instead of listing numerous impossible tasks, I’m planning to list a few important, and attainable, goals for this year.

Plan ahead

As Winston Churchill wisely noted “failure to plan is planning to fail”, and I certainly don’t want that for MV this year.

I’m a prolific list-writer at work, so I’m planning (geddit?) to take this habit into my blogging life too.

TO DO LIST: Planning is key when it comes to work life

In addition I’ll be writing more regularly than I have been doing of late.

So instead of a bit of a drought and then a flurry of posts close together, I’ll make sure they’re spread out more evenly.

Be a bit more tech savvy

It would be really nice to be able to custom-make certain parts of my site, and for that I need to learn some basic HTML/CSS coding.

Although WordPress has some brilliant noob-friendly themes, it would be nice to fully understand how the component parts are put together, and how to tweak them if necessary.

Saying that, perhaps I need to go back to basics and learn how to organise widgets, and make the layout more reader-friendly, so baby steps!

Regardless of how far I get tech-wise, 2013 is the year MV gets a bit of a makeover… watch this space!

De-clutter 

Over the last few months you’ve shared my thrifty journey and seen just some of the goodies I’ve picked out.

But when you’ve got a large amount of stuff coming in, inevitably it’s time that some was cleared out.

DE-CLUTTER: Out with the old and in with no more… for now

This isn’t just a spring-cleaning exercise to keep the clutter to a minimum (although I’m sure my wardrobe will be happier at being able to shut), but it’s high time I gave back to the charity shops that have been so good to me.

More ‘me’ time

This one sounds incredibly selfish on the face of it, but it would be nice to have half an hour or so in a day in which I didn’t work, either on my day job or on the site.

Falling asleep on the sofa come 9pm doesn’t count, but reading, chatting to friends or knitting with a steaming mug of tea beside me does. Bliss.

Procraftinate

In-keeping with the ‘more me time’ goal, is procraftinating.

This year I’m hoping to undertake a number of vintage-themed knitting projects, but before I start anything new I MUST finish my Breton-inspired number which I started back in September!

NAUTICAL BUT NICE: Breton-inspired 1920s jumper

I have acquired a number of fabulous retro-tastic patterns in the last couple of months, and I’m hoping to get all of those bad boys made!

Keeeeeep dancing!

I started dance classes at the age of three and kept up ballet, tap, jazz and modern until I was 15.

This is something I’ve really missed, so I’m determined to get back in the saddle and take up a new dancing challenge.

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming Charleston Dance workshops  which will be held in Oldham Street, right around the corner from where I work.

TOE-TAPPING FUN: Charleston dance class in Central Manchester

For a taster of what’s on offer (and a chance to look at pretty vintage prints) take a look at the website. 

I’ve been invited along to a one-off mambo masterclass with the cast of the West End show Dirty Dancing next week which I’m super excited about.

It’ll be time to don some 80s gear and hope there’s a Patrick Swayze lookalike in our midst! *swoon*

So what are your New Year’s resolutions?

To do list picture courtesy of john.schultz, with thanks.