Blog of the Month - Sailing Calmer Waters

As the clock struck midnight my wishlist and resolutions for 2023 encouraged me to do more of the things I enjoy doing; 2022 was a year that I happily said goodbye to!

How am I faring so far?

Slowing down

Slowing things down was the number one priority, but that did not mean I intended to sit down doing nothing.
By that, I meant no more same-day changeovers in our BnB during the crazy silly season without staff; in fact no changeover at all without help! We will see how that one goes, as there are many months left to solve that one.
The year started with hubby nursing a fractured rib after a fall which I am sure was due to rushing around with guests coming and going, so he was forced to slow down!

Spending Quality Time

We threw caution to the wind when we left our one staff member in charge of the BnB, and flew up to Johannesburg to help our son and his girlfriend empty their home of the last belongings, and spend time with them before they left SA to make the Netherlands their new home. We also joined them when they were doing some of their rounds to say goodbye. Our younger son was more than happy to accommodate Mom and Dad, and take us to some of his favourite hangouts.

Food Blogging

My first love here on Hive was food blogging, something I neglected during the time Mom Lily was ill and needed caring, and it's taken a long time to recover from that, but I will be doing more of that this year. I met many kindred spirits in the foodie world, and love the challenges as they sometimes take us out of our comfort zone.

Decluttering and a New Venture

I started decluttering last year already, as we will have to make a decision in about two to three years from now on where we will move to. Running a large home requires constant maintenance, and running a BnB is a lot of work.
When I saw just how much my son and his girlfriend still had to get rid of, I realized decluttering is a priority, so those things that sit at the back of cupboards, are either being given away or end up as stock for my new venture.
My son's girlfriend was running a successful online gifting store before they emigrated, but that was a business that involved hours of work, so she sold all her stock and is busy selling her domain.
Being someone with a keen eye for quality decor items, she loved scouring thrift shops; revamping, and selling on her Yaga store, a South African online portal. This is a similar concept to Airbnb; the only difference is instead of booking a room, you're buying and selling goods, so there are no risks involved. There's no personal contact; the buyer pays Yaga, and the money is only released to the seller once the goods are picked up.
I use PUDO (Pick Up Drop Off), a super-efficient and more than affordable courier service using a locker system.
Here in SA there have been instances of thugs posing as potential buyers of goods advertised on Facebook marketplace, and robbing homeowners!
She generously offered her store and remaining stock to me as she managed to build up a good name which will make it easier for me.

February 2023 Resolutions Stocktaking

• I have managed to slow down a little, and am learning to manage my time better, so that's going kind of well so far. Sitting outside on the verandah listening to the birds and watching our newly adopted 'grandson', Poe the cat, stalking the garden birds. He's not happy when I disturb him when he's trying to hunt right in front of my eyes!

• I am spending way more quality time, so hubby and I take to the road to nowhere, sometimes with friends. This led us to some old jaunts and newly discovered little hidden gems.

• My food blogging is taking off slowly as I'm still easing into the new year, but I'm at least back to the kitchen cooking, baking, and taking photos; in my element when in my favourite playground!

• Misthrift has opened up again, and is taking off nicely; really money for jam! My decluttering is also going really well, it feels like a heavy load is off my shoulders when I've sorted out a cupboard, and even better an entire room!
  It's quite unreal just how much we collect, and hold onto, 'just in case' we will use it one day!

Looking forward to the rest of 2023

I now feel more rested, a little like this large piece of driftwood that happily lies on the beach sand, soaking up the sun after being battered by stormy waters.

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Being part of the team, I of course am not eligible for prizes, but this doesn't stop me from participating in the Silver Bloggers' contest Blog of the Month - New Year's resolutions 2023: What happened??
I hope you enjoyed reading about how the stormy waters are slowly calming down now that we're into the second month of 2023, and I'm looking forward to reading about how you're faring with your 2023 resolutions so far :)

Original Content by @lizelle
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