To me spring is all about the beginning of new things, getting outside, taking on new projects, and putting plans into action. I have the same enthusiasm when spring arrives as I do for the start of a new year, only my focus is completely different.

In comparison winter is all about planning, reading, crafting, being inside, nurturing. Comfort food, cosy nights in, lazy afternoons by the fire, and long country drives protected from the elements.

I'm starting spring with lots of plans and I hope to see all of them come to fruition over the next few months.

Do It Myself

I'm not going to list all the things I want to do around the house, I'm just hoping that the brighter, longer days will spur me into action and out of my DIY hiatus.

Plant up container pots and hanging baskets

I love the personality and colour that some well chosen plants can add to the garden. My container pots have been horribly neglected over winter and my new hanging baskets are just screaming out to be planted up.

Complete my patchwork quilt

With the patchwork portion of my quilt finished I now just I need to figure out how to back and edge it, and make it into an actual quilt. I have lots of tutorials pinned that I hope will help me make a good job of it.

Once that's done I have more patchwork projects to tackle, although these ones are much smaller (and shouldn't take me two years to complete!).

Make a wedding album

I wanted to wait a while after we got married to do this, I wanted to take my time and chose the photos carefully instead of getting over excited and putting all 800 photos in an album, a lot of which are very similar. I made our honeymoon photobook on Photobox and was really pleased with the quality and service, so I'll be using them again.

Mend the dress

I've finally decided how I'm going to fix my dress - just in time for the lovely weather.

Alter a skirt

I found a lovely skirt at clothes swap but I want to remove the elasticated waist (yuck) and add a zip and contrasting waistband. I have all the necessary bits, I just need to borrow Mum's sewing machine and get it done (or get my sewing machine serviced and working again).

See the bluebells

Of course I can't go through spring without a trip to see the bluebells, they were stunning last year, and I don't want to miss the opportunity to see them again, not least because it means snatching a few hours with my husband. I'm planning on making this an annual date.

Hit the beach

Enough said.

Read three books

Standard issue for my seasonal lists. I have Red Rising and Golden Son by Pierce Brown lined up as soon as I finish Tears of a Giraffe, the second in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith.

Is there anything you like to do in the springtime?

I do like winter. I like cosy nights in, being warmed by a fire, scarves, Christmas, hot soups, and mug after mug of hot chocolate, but I'm glad it's come to an end. I'm ready for spring!

My winter to-do list wasn't  a long one.

Read three books - Done

Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. I have to be honest and say I didn't like it. I found it so  hard to follow. I couldn't get into the rhythm of it and so I stopped reading about a third of the way in. Perhaps it's because I read it at night when I was tired? I just couldn't wrap my brain around it.

The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.
Enjoyed this a lot. I loved the TV series and enjoyed the book even more. And the best bit? I have 4 others on my to-be-read shelf. There is a central story running through the book but most chapters are a mini story in themselves, which makes for a very easy read. The book has a chatty friendly style, with the main character being instantly likable.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed.
Really enjoyed this one, reading it in less than a week. I haven't been as captivated by a book like this for a long time. This is Cheryl's true story of how her life went off track when her Mum died suddenly. At her lowest point she was compelled to walk 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest trail alone - an epic journey, and one that I was very intrigued by.

I read the book at every opportunity, it made me want to dig out my walking boots, go camping and spend time away from everything.

I was scared for her, I willed her on, was elated by her triumphs, and strangely felt a sense of pride when she completed both her physical and emotional journey. This is staying on my bookshelf to be read again.


Progress my patchwork quilt - Done with bells on!

At the start of the year I had 241 hexi flowers sewn together. I now have 378 and the patchwork portion of the quilt is finished!! That's 2,646 individual hexagons sewn together.

One of my tasks for spring is to back it and edge it - in other words make it into and actual quilt. And I have to admit I'm a little daunted by the prospect.

Make home improvements - Not at all done, not even a little bit.

I'm disappointed in my progress here, I'm not going to go into all the things I haven't done. I seem to be stuck in the planning stages of so many little projects. I'm hoping the arrival of spring will spur me on. I'm hoping spring will see a flurry of DIY activity!

Make dumplings - Done

I made a vegetable broth with bacon dumplings which where so nice! Although I wanted less of the veg and a lot more of the dumplings, so I think it would be a mistake to make this too often. Why is it that all the really yummy foods are bad for you?


Make Jaffa Cakes - Done

Finally! These have been on my to-do list since last spring. They were delicious and not a bad match for the real thing. The recipe was pretty easy really, much easier than I thought it would be. I did learn that you can't have the chocolate too hot as it'll melt the jelly when you put it on top (oops), and if you try this recipe make the jelly first so it can be setting whilst the sponge cooks and then cools.

What were your favourite winter activities? Tell me your favourite spring pastimes...?

Last year it seemed to finally dawn on me that it's not enough to simply say 'I want to do X' or 'I'd really like to start doing Y'. I actually have to do something about it, I have to take steps to make it happen.

Some of the things I wanted to change were so simple - exercise more, eat more fruit and veg, try new recipes, set about some much needed DIY, see more of my friends and family.

These things aren't ground breaking or daring, but I felt they would make positive changes to my life and overall well being.

This isn't the first time I've tried to make changes such as these, but having failed on more than one occasion I knew I had to find a new approach.

What I came up with has been so helpful.

At the beginning of the year I wrote a list of the things I wanted to change, then I made a tick chart so I could document my progress over the course of a week. Each week I've been reviewing my progress.

And three months into the year it seems to be working.

It makes me look at the things I'm doing or not doing, I'm more aware of what's working and what isn't. Anything that isn't gets a new approach.

I wanted to up my intake of fruit and veg, fruit is no problem but I found vegetables harder. I realised that I find preparing and cooking veg really boring, and tend to cook just one variety for our evening meal to save on pots and pans. So I'm looking into a getting a steamer. Being able to pop everything into one pot and leave it to cook seems like a simple solution, not to mention that it's a healthy way to cook.

The tick chart helps me to see when I haven't done something for a few days and spurs me on to make sure it does happen, and continues to happen.

For example, I took vitamins sporadically and I wanted to take them everyday. Now when I take them I tick it off on my chart. Before there were days, sometimes weeks, when I would simply forget. Some days I couldn't remember if I'd taken them or not. Now I know for sure, and I have only missed 4 days so far this year which is a vast improvement.

Breakfast is another thing I didn't do well. But, it sets me up for the day, keeps me upbeat (no one likes me when I'm hungry), and helps me concentrate. Now I have my tick chart I am reminded daily to take the time to eat in the morning. I also have a rule that I have to eat before 9am. Again, this method is working.

Trying new recipes keeps cooking interesting and I try for a new recipe once a week, not all of them are well received, but it feels good to get into the kitchen and try. I write on my chart what recipes I've tried (and more importantly which ones have been given the thumbs up) which will help with future meal planning, help me cook to cook from scratch, and hopefully stop me cooking the same few dishes in rotation, or chucking convenience food into the microwave.

Some things on my list I only expect to do once or twice a month e.g seeing family or friends, or undertaking some home improvement but the daily reminder on my chart helps to keep it at the forefront of my mind, it nudges me into taking action, to make plans. I'm hoping that one day all of these things will become second nature and I won't have to remind myself.

This might seem a bit of an odd thing to do, what 40 year old really needs to remind herself to eat breakfast with a tick chart?

This one. Me. I do!

Anything that helps me achieve the things I want to achieve, no matter how small or insignificant they might seem, is worth my time.

How do you go about introducing new changes to your life?

I was introduced to Lend With Care when reading a post by Jo back in September last year. I thought it was only fitting to spread with word a little on my blog too.

Lend With Care offer microfinance loans to small business owners in developing countries.

Being a bit of a cynical old git I did a little Googling about the charity before delving in and found that it was run by Care International, and Deborah Meaden of Dragon's Den is an ambassador, which gave it all the credibility I needed to support it.

This is how it works - you make a contribution of any amount you like to an entreprenuer of your choosing, which goes towards their target loan amount. When contributions reach the full amount requested the money is given to the individual (or group) and they then start to repay the loan over a set amount of time.

It really is that simple.

I made my first loan to Bui van Khuyen in Hoa Binh, Vietnam. He requested a loan to install a biogas tank in his house. This is his story:

Farmers living in rural provinces like Hoa Binh always do their best to find a way out of poverty. Mr. Khuyen is a typical example. He is 53 years old and currently living with his wife and their three children aged between 24 and 29. Both of them work on the farm to make a living. Together they grow rice and rear 12 pigs. Farm products are sold to local merchant for profit.

The living area of Mr. Khuyen’s family is getting more and more polluted due to waste from animals. Seeing the importance of a clean and healthy environment, Mr. Khuyen decided to install a biogas tank in his house. Such installation will definitely reduce pollution and offer people living here a more healthy atmosphere. They will also have a chance to use renewable energy that is generated from the animal waste.

Later that day I received an email to say his loan had reached the target amount and his repayments would start soon.

That was five months ago, the biogas tank should now be installed and working, and I've been receiving regular repayments.

A few weeks ago I used the repayments to contribute towards Bui van Khanh, also in Vietnam.

Here is his story:

Mr. Bui Van Khanh is 35 years old and married with 3 children ages between 16 and 9, all enrolled in school. His parents are old but they are still healthy. The family of 7 lives in a shabby house in Mui village. Like other neighbors, Mr.Khanh’s family relies on agriculture as the main source of their income. Mr. Khanh grows sugarcane on a field of 3000 square meters, fattens 3 pigs and 20 chickens. He sells his farm products to local traders for profit.

Mr. Khanh knows that poor sanitation conditions will leave bad effects on his family’s health, especially his three young children. That’s why he applied for a loan to have a new double vault latrine built. The loan will be used to buy a septic-processing-tank, sand, bricks, cement, and hire some villagers to works as builders and complete the latrine construction.

The latrine should be being built now, if it hasn't been finished already, and I love the idea that not only does the money help Mr Khanh and his family, but the loan will also employ local people to build it.

It appears I have a bit of a thing about sanitation, but there are many different reasons why people apply. You can decide where your money goes and how much you give.

I'm a firm believer in helping others to help themselves, this scheme allows people to make positive changes to their lives by offering small loans they otherwise wouldn't have access to.

It's a great idea, wouldn't you agree?

Simple answer: I tried a different way of measuring myself and discovered that I was wearing completely the wrong size.

If you're anything like me you learnt to measure yourself from the handy guide at the back of a Marshall Ward catalogue 25 years ago. I'd been doing it the same way for years. Until now.

I'd never questioned if my bra fitted properly, I'd measured myself and purchased bras in that size. They seemed to fit just fine. Why would I question it?

Sure I had a little gaping in the top of the cups but I thought that was because, being an A cup, I didn't have quiet enough boob for the job.

Whilst browsing my Pinterest feed my interest was piqued by this pin about wearing the right size bra (apparently 80% of us don't). As I said I thought I knew my size so I don't know why I clicked through but reading the post and following the links within it, I was suddenly convinced I wasn't the size I thought I was.

I won't repeat the whole post here but I will say give it a read, even if you think you know your size.

This post about proper fitting shows examples of how a bra should, and shouldn't, fit and sit on the body. It was seeing these that first made me wonder.

So with tape measure in hand I tried this method of measuring, I popped my numbers into this bra size calculator and laughed my head off.

30DD? You've got to be kidding.

I dismissed it as nonsense and got on with the rest of my day.

The next day I went to the supermarket and as I wheeled my trolley down the aisles I caught sight of the bras. I pondered for a moment and then grabbed a 32C (30DD not being available, but if you go up a band size and come down a cup size you still get a pretty good fit - something else I learnt from the post).

Inside the fitting room I was astounded. Having used the 'scoop and swoop' method of putting on a bra, it was a perfect fit! So much better than the 34As I'd been wearing. The placement of the underwire was better, not to mention more comfortable, and there was no gaping in the cups.

My old bras had basically been squishing my boobs in an unflattering manner.

Standing under the harsh lights of the fitting room, in front of a full length mirror I would normally feel dreadful, but this time I felt brilliant.

Never under estimate the power of a well fitting bra!

Let me know if you try this method, and if you have a similar experience. What method do you use if different? There seem to be lots of different ways to do it.

I'm so pleased I read the post, even if it does mean I have to replace all my bras.

Joining in with Elise, I'm posting my clothing purchases each month in A Buyer's Archive, to keep track of what I'm buying and what I'm spending.

I purchased a random selection of items during February.

Beaded clutch  |  ebay  |  £6.49
My first pre-loved item of the year. Purchased for a ball I'm going to soon, it wasn't quite as I'd expected but it was under a tenner and it'll be fine for the purposes of the evening and plenty big enough for phone, lippy and keys (and Andy's wallet, phone, and keys).

Slippers  |  Next  |  £10.00
My old ones fell apart. The sole came away and I kept tripping on it, so they were consigned to the bin. I love these ones from Next, they're perfectly comfy and cosy and *whispers* my old ones were a gift and weren't really to my taste.

Bikini  |  Next  |  £16.00 top  |  £14.00 briefs
For a spa day. Which was silly really because I covered it up with a robe and then was covered by a sheet during my massage. We had planned to use the outside jacuzzi but it was too flippin' cold, and there were other people in it too, and y'know... other people.

Who knows, I might get an opportunity or two to wear it in the summer... *starts daydreaming of a week in the sun*

February total: £46.49

I still haven't set foot in a charity shop yet this year which feels a little odd but I have a plan forming...

Elise is retweeting the links of everyone taking part, so get following!

What have you purchased this month?