My first period, dog medication and deciding whether to be a parent

I hope you had a fab and restful time over the holidays and that January is treating you gently. The general mood seems to be subdued and I know I’m not the only one who’s spent the whole of 2024 so far coughing, sneezing and struggling to get out of bed 🤧. 

I don’t really have many plans this year which feels exciting and scary at the same time. Last year I knew I was publishing a book and getting married and my year sort of arranged itself around that. This year I’m staring at a blank page and wondering what it will bring. 

2024 resolutions

I’ve got two resolutions I want to take into this year (you’ll notice there’s a vibe…):

1. Rest more 

2. Choose the easy path 

Olly and I have taken on a lot of challenges in the past few years and I’m ready to have a gentler time for a while. 

My first period

I was really excited to be asked to join author and period expert Le’Nise Brothers on her podcast. She asks her guests about their first period so I really had to cast my mind back! We also talked about ADHD, mental health, work, Jess and Otto, and running. It was a lovely chat and brought up some things I haven’t thought about in a long time. I hope it will also be useful if you or someone close to you has ADHD.

Jess and Otto update

We hauled the dogs around with us over Christmas, first to Olly’s parents’, then to mine, then to my Grandpa’s for NYE. They were spectacular! Jess sometimes finds my parents’ house quite stressful but she was very calm and relaxed and Otto seems to thrive when there are more people around. It’s a big relief to be able to travel with them as we’re used to having to make our world smaller to meet their needs. This feels like a big win! It’s largely down to the medication they’re both on - we tweaked it all year and I think we’ve finally found a combination that works. 

Being “not a mum” 

I shared something on my @human.jess Instagram this week about not knowing whether or not I want to have kids. I’m 31 and lots of my friends are either parents (or parents-to-be) or they’re child free by choice. I’m neither of those things and, as someone who doesn’t deal well with uncertainty, it’s a bit of an internal struggle.

I’ve never had so many incredible messages in such a short period of time. Thank you to everyone who messaged me with a story of their own about this decision. I’m determined to keep this conversation open.

Things I’m enjoying 

My local library. I signed up for a library card last week and it’s the best thing ever! I can borrow up to 10 books at a time (ambitious, I know) and I’ve barely stopped reading for a second since. You can also borrow audiobooks for free via the Borrow Box app. Who knew?!

Charlotte’s Magic Cream. I love this stuff so much! It’s quite pricey so I was using it so sparingly but then my Mum gave me a new one for Christmas and now I’m smothering it on like there’s no tomorrow! I use it on its own as a moisturiser or mix it with my foundation for a lighter coverage.

There are lots more things I want to share but I’m on a train on my mobile so it’s a bit tricky. They’ll just have to wait ☺️. Don’t forget to hit reply if you want - here’s to lots more chatty emails in 2024!