23 for 23: 23 things I’d like to do/see/achieve in 2023

Hi friends!!!

I’m writing this post fresh out the other side of what I’m calling post-Christmas-fatigue. As you’ll know if you saw my most recent home update, Oli and I moved house at the end of last year and life has just been BUSY. I took January to recalibrate, and find my feet again. And now February feels like a kind of new-New-Year. Just one month on, ha!

As I’m looking at the year ahead, I wanted to put together a list of things I’d like to do/see/achieve in 2023. Whenever I take the time to put things in writing I feel like it 1 – reminds me of what I had planned and 2 – holds me accountable. It will be fun to look back on this list in a year or so and see how many things were ticked off.

This was super fun to put together! If you’re thinking about putting some plans down in writing for the year ahead, the ’23 for 23′ structure gives ample room for goals + things, big + small. LMK if you give this a try!

My 23 for 23:

23 things I’d like to do/see/achieve in 2023

23 for 23 Monica Beatrice Blog

1 ~ get a second piercing in both ears. Anddd maybe a third in one of them.

This has been on my to-do list since my 30th when I had originally planned to get more piercings. I didn’t get my ears pierced the first time around until I was 18, so I’m a slow-mover when it comes to these things! But I reallllly love the look of multiple ear piercings. In particular I love the look of a more elaborate earring in the first piercing, and a small huggie hoop in the second/third. It makes an outfit/look feel instantly cooler. I need to book this in! I’m always inspired to do it on the fly when I’m in an Astrid & Miyu store. But invariably they don’t have space for walk-ins. This is an easy goal to implement (I think?!) and I’m hoping to do so on the earlier side of the year so that the piercings can heal ahead of summer and a few weddings Oli and I have in the diary.

2 ~ get on top of my gut health.

Around November time last year, when we were in the thick of house stuff, my wisdom teeth started playing up. I grind my teeth in my sleep when I’m stressed and I ended up with an infection. Needless to say this was painful (I cried on my dentist!) and I ended up on a course of antibiotics. The antibiotics worked a CHARM for the tooth infection. But since then my gut health has been off. I didn’t twig for a while what it could be, but I finally thought back and realised that my gut health issues followed the course of antibiotics. I have since been told that this is a common side effect of taking antibiotics, since antibiotics can kill off good gut bacteria as well as bad bacteria. As we enter February I’m planning to take this month as a bit of a gut re-set. I’m limiting gluten, sugar, dairy, alcohol – which are all inflammatory. And focusing on gut-loving foods like veggies, fermented foods, bone broth and lean protein. Alongside good quality sleep and low stress. I actually love having a re-set from time to time so I’m hoping that this will have a positive effect not just on my gut health, but my health at large. I’m also going to start taking Artah supplements to support my gut health. How chic is the packaging?!

3 ~ practice good (and simple!) morning and night time routines.

When my morning and night time routines are set, I enjoy my days SO much more. Simple morning habits include: a walk, delay my first coffee (’til at least 1hr after waking) and wait until I’ve had my ‘me time’ before engaging with social media/technology. Simple bedtime habits include: going to bed ‘on time’ as often as possible (by 10pm for me), read before bed instead of watching a show on my phone and limit sleep-disruptors like alcohol and sugar for at least 2hrs before bedtime.

4 ~ when drinking wine, try to make it organic.

I made this shift a while back now and it’s made such a difference! When I drink organic wine I don’t tend to get a headache or feel anywhere near as groggy the next day. Majestic has a large selection of organic wine. Do you have any favourite bottles? LMK if so! I’ve also generally noticed more organic wines popping up at restaurants and pubs, which makes the shift a bit easier when eating/drinking out.

5 ~ journal more.

I journaled a lot at the beginning of this year and it helped to set me up with some of my intentions for 2023. Mostly it helped me to get into alignment with what I’d like my life to look like. Journaling prompts and guides I found helpful include: The Dream Bigger Podcast, Camille Styles, Manifesting for Beginners by Victoria Jackson and Pinterest (just search for ‘journaling prompts’). Much though I love journaling prompts, sometimes I just need to use the page as a way of getting everything that’s in my mind, out of it and onto paper. I still use the ‘why x 5’ method to get to the root cause of problems. And I’ve heard great things about The Artist’s Way – have you tried it?

6 ~ sort the bedrooms in our house.

Maybe this should have been #1?! Oli and I sorted the majority of our ground floor before we moved in. But the bedrooms are still relatively untouched. We need beds, storage, side tables . . . ALL the things! We have three bedrooms in this property, so I’m excited to have a ‘proper’ guest room as well as a spare/guest/study room too.

7 ~ get a new sofa + arm chairs.

Ohhh I’m excited for this one! We’re currently using a sofa bed borrowed from my parents + our chaise longue from our previous flat. The pieces work, but I really feel like a sink-into-it light coloured sofa + two lounge chairs would be *chef’s kiss* in our living room.

8 ~ be efficient with de-cluttering.

One thing which came to light with our move was just how much STUFF we have. Admittedly it’s not like we own things which are totally useless, more like multiples of things, or things for ‘one day’. Like I noticed a box of picture frames which have been following us around ready to be used ‘one day’. I figure if they haven’t already been used, then they probably won’t be. And I’m OK with letting them go. I can feel an almost physical relief when I think of de-cluttering. This new home of ours just doesn’t have space for things in the way that our previous home did, and I’m determined to make it (and keep it!) a place of calm.

9 ~ really lean into the perks of my job.

I love the freedom my career choice affords me, and this year I want to make the most of that. There have been times when I’ve felt guilty for taking a weekday to visit a friend, or do my house chores or *insert other non-work-thing*. But I chose to work like this for a reason, and I want to enjoy the benefits of it as much as I can. Guilt-free.

10 ~ continue to create vlogs on TikTok.

I am SO enjoying this! At the time of posting I have 100 TikTok followers (woohoo!) and I’m really loving the platform! In particular, I’ve been enjoying filming and making TikTok vlogs of my day to day life. NB: you can find me on @MonicaBeatriceW if you fancy saying hi!

11 ~ remember to run my own race.

Cheesy though it sounds, comparison really IS the thief of joy.

23 for 23 Monica Beatrice Blog

12 ~ visit Greece.

Oli and I have a trip planned in spring and I’m SO excited to visit Greece together! It will be my first time. Do you have any food and drink recommendations? It’s a short 3 day trip, so we’re planning to take it easy and explore by foot.

13 ~ visit Menorca, and re-visit Nonna Bazaar.

Menorca is my home away from home and I can’t wait to revisit it this year. I already have a trip booked in with my Dad in July and Oli and I are planning to go at various intervals this year. You can read my top Menorca travel recommendations here. OH and when we do go, I’ll for sure be re-visiting Nonna Bazaar. It was one of my favourite experiences of the whole year in 2022!

14 ~ grow my own flowers.

Now that Oli and I have a garden of our own, Oli’s Mum has been advising me on how to plan and grow my own flowers. This has truly been a DREAM of mine for the longest time. I am completely clueless about how to make this happen, but I can’t wait to learn and try.

15 ~ pick my own flowers.

Alongside the flowers I’m planning to grow from scratch, there are also some established roses and other flowers in our garden. I plan to cut them regularly for arrangements throughout our home. I cannot tell you how much joy this already brings to me just thinking about it. Quick story: when Oli and I first viewed our now-new home I saw a glimpse of a yellow rose bush as the front door opened and in that moment I knew that this was the home for us. I’ve always dreamt of being able to cut fresh roses from my own garden.

16 ~ continue to cook from scratch wherever possible.

I have been blessed with a husband who loves to cook. And because of that, most meals that we eat together are cooked by him. Howeverrr I really want to get better at cooking myself. Cooking from scratch is relaxing, and I love the process of planning the meal, buying the ingredients, preparing it all and cooking. I’m by NO means an accomplished cook, but I love to throw a bunch of veggies into a roasting tin, along with some chicken or fish. Having batch-cooked home-cooked things on hand makes assembling healthy meals SO much easier.

17 ~ update my makeup.

It has been a MINUTE since I played around with any new makeup and I feel like I need a refresh. On my list: concealer, bronzer + lip liner. Lily just recommended this Huda Beauty #FauxFilter concealer and I’m interesteddd.

18 ~ re-shuffle my wardrobe.

With the house move, and the decluttering, I’m applying the same re-shuffling vibe to my wardrobe. It’s out with stuff which doesn’t fit or feel like ‘me’ anymore. And in with items I feel great in. I love the idea of a more curated wardrobe.

19 ~ Invisalign.

Ahhh this is a biggie! My front two teeth overlap. It’s not something that I really dislike but it is something which I think is getting worse. And I’d like to correct it. Invisalign has been on my wish-list for years, and if I can make it happen this year, I’d love to do so.

20 ~ get to know more people in my line of work.

Since COVID and all that came with it, lots of opportunities to meet people IRL just kind of dropped off. Events, press trips and IRL meetings, all took a pause. It’s only just now that I can feel things getting back to normal. Though a new-normal, y’know? I’d love to spend more time with other content creators and brand teams this year. It’s always fun and inspiring to mix with people who’re in your industry!

21 ~ get comfortable with saying “no” but also “yes”

Saying “no” when you really want to is such a liberating thing. But equally saying “yes” is too. I know that sounds simplistic, but I’m really trying to pay attention to my gut instinct and ‘check in’. Am I saying “no” to something because it’s outside my comfort zone, but I actually want to say “yes”? I want to use my choices wisely this year.

22 ~ grow the Health Home Hustle podcast

I have LOVED podcasting again. In many ways I feel like the Health Home Hustle podcast is exactly what I’m meant to be doing. This year I want to continue to grow the show, record with more inspiring guests. and – most importantly – share tips for living and healthier and happier life ❤️

23 ~ take day/short trips around England

I’d love to go to Bath, Frome and explore more of the coast. I’d also like to visit more second-hand markets to look for treasures for our new home.

What’s on your 23 for 23 list?! I’d love to know!

Here’s to a beautiful year ahead friends!

Love, Monica x