24 before 25

Hello best friends. I'm going to turn a quarter of a century in a few months time and since I've seen so many of these lovely little lists around, I thought I should get on the ball. I'm not exactly on the ball with there only being a few months to my birthday in November but I have some time and some time counts for something. This list will be small, achievable goals whereas the planned list of 29 before 30 will be a little more ambitious considering I'll have five years to complete them.

♡ Finish the Noughts & Crosses series by Malorie Blackman
I picked all four books up in a boot sale after seeing them everywhere a few years ago and started reading Noughts & Crosses a few days ago. I finished that book in less than 24 hours. I wouldn't say it's fantastic but it definitely left me wanting to finish and there's some very interesting themes through the book that make me think long after I closed the cover.

♡ Explore a new place
This should happen as I have Birmingham planned in October with my favourite bloggers and I've not been to Birmingham in eleven years and certainly not alone. There'll be restaurants to explore, shops to pillage, coffee shops to adore and wine to devour all in fantastic company, no doubt.

♡ Go to Techniquest
For those of you who don't know what Techniquest is, it's the stuff of school trips. A building full of fun science experiments, mirror mazes etc all centered around fun education. I loved it as a child and I haven't been back as an adult with my own children so this summer I want to hop on the train and take the girls.

♡ Go to IKEA
Now I know this sounds a little blah but IKEA is a legitimate day out for me. From the pencils to the ever so cheap and adorable stuff to walking out with armfuls of things I definitely didn't need and a craving for Daim bar cheesecake - it's an event. Plus, I need batteries.

♡ Complete a one month spending ban
This is going to be difficult for me as I am a spendaholic. I spend on cheap things so it doesn't seem like much but I could definitely save quite a lot if I didn't buy more things. So I want to go on a spending ban in September, only buying what I absolutely need and no extras so no lunch out, no take out coffee, no unnecessary make up or clothes - we'll see how this pans out.

♡ Set up a filing system for my letters
I have an accordion file with designated sections for specific letters and yet they still find their way stuffed into a cubby in the Expedit bookcase. I want to get a mailing system so I'm never lost without my important papers again.

♡ Bake three different flavours of cheesecake
I love cheesecake and I love making dessert so while this is not exactly baking, I'm not well versed in the oh-so-simple cheesecake. I'd like to be.

♡ Get a skincare regime in place
Right now I'm using a variety of products on my face and while they do what they claim to do with my skin now losing it's youth year by year I'd like to get a good preventative skincare regime in place.

♡ Watch 24
Everyone raves about the first and second season but I've never made it past the first episode. I'd like to give it a chance.

♡ Find a signature scent
Now my beloved Vanilla EDT has been fully discontinued and it's hard to get my mitts on one bottle, let alone several, I need to find a signature scent for the next few years.

♡ Get my thigh tattoo
I've planned an A4 sized thigh tattoo for seven years. Now is the time to get it since it's all been drawn up by a fantastic tattoo artist. I'd like to have it finished by November.

♡ Get my microdermal re-pierced
After the traumatic experience of my sternum microdermal falling out eight months after implantation, I'd like it re-pierced. Sadly I need to wait another two months for it to fully heal before I get to but I can't wait to have it back even though I remember the pain (especially for the first week or two afterward) very well.

♡ Sort out my health
For the past few months I've been fiddling around with my medication to see what does and doesn't work for me. I felt like I didn't know what I was feeling and needed to go back to basics to find out what needed sorting. Now I know. I need to get to the doctors and get a full MOT on this engine before embarking on a new medication journey that will hopefully help.

♡ Learn how to do a simple nail art design
I am fully shit at nail art and I'd like to be able to do something as simple as polka dots without a real foul.

♡ Stay focused
Now I have a new full time job that's starting next month, freelance work is picking up and I have my life in some semblance of order with my relationship, children and dogs I'd like it to stay that way. While I can't control everything I feel like I need to stay focused on all that's important right now to keep myself afloat.

♡ Discover a dog walking spot I've never been to
The same route does get boring (and muddy in the winter)

♡ Buy black wellies
I know this is a simple thing but seriously - I need black wellies in my life

♡ Write more
I want to finish my children's novel for the girls by Christmas and have it bound as one of their Christmas presents

♡ Make more YouTube videos
In the weeks I haven't uploaded I've really lost confidence so I want to upload at least one a week to soldier on with it.

♡ Make time for my friends
Lunch, coffee, dinner, a WhatsApp chat - I need to make more time for the people I care about rather than forgetting to reply or never making plans.

♡ Switch to green tea
Not exclusively but I aim to drink one mug of green tea from now to my birthday and see if it makes any difference to the way I feel

♡ Do a Blogilates video every other day
I'm much more active and doing these videos twice a week but I feel like it's time to step it up a little

♡ Stick with a hair colour for a month
I've been dying my hair far too often as of late so I want to stick with a hair colour for at least a month for my hair's sake. No wonder it's in such a state!

♡ Take portrait shots of the girls
I want to frame some beautiful photographs of them together so I want to take my camera and them both to a park and see what shots I can get.

So while this may not be the most exciting list, I only have a few months to complete them all so I'll keep you updated on the progress!