Current Affairs Round-up: Cautious optimism

Happy new year! Can you believe it’s January? I feel like I blinked and the holidays were over – and we didn’t even get the obligatory family Christmas dinner… I know it can often be an education in tedium, but when you miss it due to half the family visiting A&E, well, you miss it.

Anyhow, unfortunately for many of you, my December and January round-up posts have fallen a while before Christmas and again just after; so I apologise in advance for doing this, but you’re going to have to humour me while I indulge myself and reflect upon the festivities…

Abi from Something About Baby wrote about a lovely festive train ride which actually takes places on my doorstep – little did I know! Next year we’ll definitely be taking part in this. Mrs H at Happy Mummy put together a nice crowdsourcing piece about what Christmas means to the bloggers who contributed; unsurprisingly the running theme was all about family, and specifically the magic seen through our children’s eyes.

Hold up – while I’m a great fan of Christmas and my family did miss out on a lot this year, the cynic in me (I brand my blog on being one) can’t help but protest at excessive tweeness. Let’s redress the balance… Debbie of Country Heart and Home penned a wry look at the holidays, a perspective which I echoed in Christmas Can Suck My Baubles, a post I published last year. However, award for hilarity – as ever – must go to the very brilliant Tim from Slouching Towards Thatcham for his parody of East 17’s ‘Stay Another Day’.

I find I have a constant battle raging inside me, cynic versus idealist, and so I posted something a little more positive on Boxing Day, written with my optimistic hat on. Also on a positive theme, Mrs H at Happy Mummy collated some contributions about goal setting for 2017, which I’m sure is something on all of our minds right now. Incidentally, I prefer this aspirational mindset to resolutions, which often seem to be a surefire way of setting ourselves up to fail – far better to set SMART objectives.

Okay, I’ve sufficiently indulged in the festivities! Bringing the post back to other newsworthy topics, Lauretta at Home and Horizon brought us an important reminder that the British stiff upper lip can often get in the way of us seeking help when we need it. Sometimes there are conversations that we need to have, no matter how difficult or awkward…

Speaking of which, Zoe at The Tale of Mummyhood discusses postnatal depression in a thought-provoking post, while Angela at The Inspiration Edit talked about her battle with red tape when it came to having a poo in hospital – in the name of all that is holy I do not know how this woman did not lose her sh… Ahem.

And last but by no means least, comes this heartbreakingly poignant post from the incredibly talented Amy – no introduction required.

I like to think this selection of posts may be representative of the year ahead: cautiously optimistic, with a dose of humour, inspiration, and mindfulness thrown in for good measure. Have a very happy 2017!