You don't need me to tell you that 2020 was a year like no other. It's easily been one of the strangest years that I've ever lived through. And in any one day I can basically experience a whole spectrum of emotions. I've had two holidays cancelled, for good reason. One to Rome in April and the other to New York and Florida in September. Almost all of my freelance and blog work disappeared overnight. And, like everyone else, I've had to get used to this 'new normal'. But, early on, I made it a mission of mine to write down at least one good thing that happened each day. That way I can appreciate all of the good that there is in my life.
So in a similar vein to this blog post that I shared earlier in lockdown, I want to share 20 good things that happened in 2020, to me personally. It also means that I can look back on this list in the future to remind myself that even in the toughest of times, there are always moments to make you smile and remind you that it may be a bad day or week or month but not a bad life overall.
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So here are those 20 good things that happened in 2020;
Visiting St Andrews 2 weeks before 2020 took a turn
I'll start by being thankful that I did get one little trip away this year, even if it was only overnight and still within Scotland. Me and my Mum went through to St Andrews for a spa day, which you can see more of in this blog post. And little did we know that about two weeks later the whole of the UK/the world would come to a standstill. I'm so glad that we got that little trip away since I haven't really left my neighbourhood since then.
Getting out for a big walk every single day
I already mentioned it in my other 2020 good things blog post. But getting out for a big walk every day, come rain or shine, has been the biggest change for me this year. I feel a lot fitter, have dropped a dress size and the day doesn't feel complete without getting out for at least one big walk.
Indulging in a lot of Mini Magnums
I did, however, counter balance all this walking by discovering and then indulging in many a Mini Magnum. I never even knew that Mini Magnums existed but my oh my are they good. Sometimes I have one three nights in a row after dinner. And I can happily say that I never regret it. I also never thought that I'd be eating ice cream right into the winter but here we are.
Dedicating time to SEO and seeing it pay off in a big way
I'm someone who always needs to feel like they're doing something, otherwise I feel like I'm wasting time or being lazy. Even though I know that I'm not. So I decided to use the now abundant amount of free time that I had at the start of the first lockdown to work on my SEO. And I cannot believe the amount of difference that it has made already.
To find out more about what I did SEO-wise this year, be sure to check out this blog post of mine. But at the start of lockdown, when I'd pretty much stopped blogging for a few months, I was getting around 3,000 views a month. I'm now getting 20,000 views a month and I'm not really doing anything other than publishing the blog posts. It's been so nice to see something that I put a lot of time into pay off. And now that I've optimised all my blog posts, they basically do all the work for me when it comes to showing up on Google and producing views, etc.
Appreciating family time
Even though I often feel like I'm a step behind other people my age by still living at home. I've never been more grateful to still do so than this year. I can't imagine how difficult 2020 has been if you're living on your own or in a tiny space.
On a two or three week holiday we normally bicker and fall out a few times. But bizarrely that hasn't happened yet and we're the whole way through 2020. I already got on well with my parents but this year has really cemented that. We've had each other to lean on as my Mum switched to working from home full time and my Dad went through furlough/was ultimately made redundant. I'm so thankful to have had them this year more than any other.
Finally wearing padded coats
In my teens I most likely had what we would now call body dysmorphia. I worried about the way that I looked 24/7 and I constantly compared myself to others. My Mum would also say, a bit like Trinny and Susannah, etc. that you couldn't wear certain things or it would make you look bigger.
Thankfully my mindset has completely shifted when I think about how my body looks. And this year, I did the unthinkable and ordered one and then another, big padded coat. Living in Scotland, these have been absolute game changers in the cold and wet weather. And I wish I never let people put me off wearing what I wanted for all those years. You'll have seen both coats feature in my lockdown money diaries. But I cannot explain how much I adore them and don't even think about how much padding it adds to me and my body. Other than to remark how warm I feel in them.
Actually being eligible for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme
Even though the grant amount was based on the average of my past three self assessment tax returns, when the first two years I earned basically nothing, meant that it was considerably less than I hoped it would be. I understand how lucky I was to be eligible at all. And it meant that I could exhale a little, given how much my freelance and paid blog work has been impacted this year.
Not eating a single crisp
When I was younger I could easily have eaten a 6 pack of crisps, myself, on a daily basis. So at the end of 2019, after having another disappointing packet of crisps that were greasy and left me feeling annoyed at myself for even eating them. I made an aim not to eat another packet of crisps, at least for a year. And I did it!
If you're looking to do the same, I cannot recommend Tesco's salted popcorn or Marks & Spencer's pretzel sticks highly enough. They are 100% more tastier and they actually make me feel full after I have a little bowl of them. Plus, I never regret having had them. Now that I've went a whole year without crisps, I've got a feeling that that's them out of my life for good now.
Glossier finally released a Boy Brow shade for redheads
This may not seem like a big deal to many. But as someone who loves the clear version of Glossier's beloved Boy Brow, I was so happy to have a tinted version, made specifically for redheads, in my life this year. I've been waiting for this moment and practically begging Glossier to release it in an auburn shade since 2017. To see why it love it so, be sure to check out my full review here.
Becoming more organised thanks to The Home Edit
If, like me, you watched Get Organized with The Home Edit on Netflix (see my review here) and became more than a little bit obsessed. You will no doubt have organised many a room in your home. My bedroom is now pretty much clutter free (for the first time ever!) and I have many a storage box/bin in operation. Not only did it keep me busy on certain days. But finding things and putting things back, is so much easier now.
Starting a new medication that seriously works
Without going into too much detail, a few months ago my IBS was causing me real problems again. Let's just say it was taking me over a week to have a single tiny bowel movement. That alone was difficult enough as I was crazy bloated and uncomfortable. But one Saturday when I was out my walk I just didn't feel right. Cue me having to lie down in agony on a wall on a busy main road whilst my Mum raced home to get the car to bring me home. It turned out that there was an obstruction, which meant that everything was backed up and that backed up stuff was ready to come out immediately. I was in some of the worst pain that I've ever experienced that day and it was pretty traumatic to say the least.
That Monday my GP tried me on a new type of soluble laxative medication, which is much stronger. And since then I almost feel like a normal human being, who goes to the toilet without pain or discomfort. I've been on it a little more than a month and so far so good. I've also been able to replace three other soluble medications a day with this one sachet, which makes it much easier to stomach too.
Discovering Below Deck
Captain Lee and Kate Chastain have single handedly redeemed 2020 for me in many ways. If you've not yet seen me rave about Below Deck, such as here, do yourself a favour and press play on the first episode. The first two seasons are on Netflix but all eight seasons (plus other Below Deck spinoffs) are on hayu. Kate is honestly my spirit animal and Captain Lee never fails to make me laugh either. It's reality TV at its finest!
Receiving the Drunk Elephant Trunk 4.0
I still can't quite believe that I received this insane gift set from Drunk Elephant this year! After struggling to feel motivated to blog at the start of lockdown and then slowly getting back into it, this was the sign that I needed to keep going.
It being the year of all things chocolate orange
From the return of my beloved chocolate orange Twirls, to the release of giant chocolate orange buttons, chocolate orange fingers and a white chocolate orange, 2020 was the year of the chocolate orange. And I was 100% here for it!
Getting a Kindle Paperwhite
If you read Ellis Tuesday quite often, you will no doubt have seen me talk about my Kindle Paperwhite, which I received for my birthday back in February. I mean, I even did a full blog post on whether or not a Kindle is right for you.
It's easily one of the best gifts that I have ever received. And it has been a bit of a saviour when it comes to 2020. Whenever things have been getting a bit overwhelming (like the constant cycle of doom on the news/social media). I switch off the TV, put my phone/laptop in another room and open up my Kindle. It has been really nice to escape reality in a good book. To see what I read in 2020 be sure to check out these blog posts.
And in turn, becoming a bit of a book blogger
Getting my Kindle Paperwhite enabled me to finally sign up for Netgalley, a platform where you get to read and review books before they even come out. I have discovered so many great books and authors as a result. And I now get more blogging emails about book launches than beauty releases, which has been a surprising but nice change. If you want to see what I've been reading recently, you can follow me on Goodreads, as well as keeping up to date with my book blog posts on here.
Being a Bobbi Brown UK ambassador again
I was so excited to be selected as one of Bobbi Brown's UK ambassadors last year. But sadly my six month contract with them came to an abrupt end when lockdown started, understandably. So I was really happy when they got back in touch to let me know how happy they'd been to work with me last year/the start of 2020. And if I would like to be an ambassador for another six months, starting last month.
I was over the moon and it means that I will be sharing more Bobbi Brown products on here/my social media over the next few months.
Treating myself to some travel bits that I have wanted for so long (& getting them on sale)
Even though being able to travel like we used to is a long way off, I have been dreaming of owning the Calpak x Oh Joy! packing cubes for years. But a. they don't sell them in the UK. And b. they were limited edition. Which is why I resigned myself to never owning them. That was until they came back into stock on Shopbop, where they were down to $30. I ummed and ahhed, as $30 plus the £10 taxes and duties that would be added, was a lot given the current travel climate. But during their week of Black Friday deals they had 25% off all bags, which these packing cubes came under. So I ended up getting them for an absolute steal, especially given that they are a limited edition design that I love.
And when I was browsing the Calpak section that day, I also spotted what has got to be the best travel/weekender bag that I have ever seen. And it was on sale and the 25% off discount was also applicable. The Luka Duffel is seriously like Mary Poppins' bag. It has a dedicated shoe compartment, eight additional pockets, is super lightweight and is in such a gorgeous shiny bronze-y shade, that is also scratch resistant. You have no idea how much joy this Shopbop delivery brought me when it arrived all the way from the US.
Having zero fast food
Ever since I first had IBS symptoms all those years ago, I have radically changed my relationship with fast food. When I was at school, then Uni and working part time in the City Centre, I would have several a week. But in the past few years I would probably have one every few months. And even then, it was kind of like playing a game of Russian roulette. Would I feel okay afterwards? Or would it cause a flare up?
And because of what's happened this year, I haven't even thought about going out for fast food. And I'm not a Deliveroo/Just Eat kind of gal either. Don't get me wrong, I do still have my favourite Indian takeaway every week or so. But gone are the days of fast food. And I really don't miss them.
Watching Trixie and Katya watch Netflix
If you are in need of a good laugh, get yourself onto YouTube where you can watch Trixie and Katya (from Ru Paul's Drag Race) react to Netflix movies and TV shows.
They've watched and reacted to everything from Tiger King to The Crown, The Haunting Of Bly Manor and Glow Up, many a Netflix Christmas movie and lots of horror movies to coincide with Halloween. Here is the playlist of all the videos that they've done so far and they just made me laugh and smile so much after a long day.
So there you have it, the 20 good things that happened in 2020.
What are the good things that you will take out of 2020? Do we share any of the same good things? And what are you hoping 2021 will be like?
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