Thunder only happens when it's raining

Here I'm sat, listening to Fleetwood Mac on yet another day in lockdown. But it's 2021, this wasn't meant to carry on for so long... I sing 'now here you go again, you say, you want your freedom. Well who am I to keep you down?' Boris Johnson that's who! Keeping us in lockdown since what feels like...1920. Humour aside, how are you? Don't be afraid to address exactly how you are feeling, nobody ever got better or worse by pretending those feelings weren't there.

The sun is shining through my window as I typed and it made me want to listen to really loud, easy going music. So I paused what I was doing, blasted 'Dreams' and sang like I was back in a field at V festival. It gave me all the mood-boosting, enthusiastic energy I needed to write my first blog post for you. That was some bloody good self-care. Go try it!

Back to the purpose of my first post. Hi, I'm still here. Returning to work as a nurse in the middle of a pandemic was a shock to the system, especially with little ones and a renovation going on at home. I had a dream to create beautiful little Creative Wellbeing Workshops that sold out when they both went on sale. For that I want to say thank you, thank you for supporting me and allowing yourself to try something new like this. But of course, the workshops had to be cancelled due to restrictions. This was absolutely fine. It gave me the time to think hard about what I wanted Pencil Me In to offer and determination to deliver them at an amazing level. They will happen eventually and even if the dates that are penciled in for the Spring aren't allowed to be confirmed there will always be a time when it will happen. And when it does I know I am going to give it my all.

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you will have seen that we were so lucky to be able to deliver our NHS charity Creative Wellbeing Retreat on the 8th October. Words can not describe the way I felt throughout that day. Those feelings became that overwhelming that as I was thanking my guests at the end, I may have embarrassingly shed a few tears. I was just so unbelievably grateful that they chose to attend on their day off after the chaotic, unusual shifts they were experiencing. They were so wonderfully appreciative too and their feedback was just incredible. So again thank you to all my guests that attended my first ever event.

During the day we had a real soul-fulfilling itinerary that went so smoothly. One of the guests wrote how much she loved the slow pace of the day and that nothing was rushed. This was something I felt proud of as I have been to many events where I felt a bit rushed as I tried to absorb the content or as I tried to create something.

The day started with refreshments and relaxing music. We spoke about self-care and how important this is. One guest commented that it made them want to prioritise thinking about themselves more often. That one persons comment felt like a success to me. Once our guests were relaxed and settled Mehmuna, a qualified pharmacist and nutritionist delivered a wonderful session on nutrition. This was so well received by all. We then had light lunch and guests were able to walk around the orangery gardens, which are very beautiful. The Orangery at Ingestre is an amazing venue and the trustees very kindly donated the use of the venue for the NHS. Once guests were happily replenished Lauren from @ookie.design hosted a watercolour painting session. Some guests were a little unsure about this session as they hadn't tried it before but their feedback made me smile when they wrote 'it was addictive'. Afterwards @charlieflow delivered a yoga session that was calm and gentle and accessible to all.

I think during Charlie's session I had one of my favourite moments of the day. I sat down and allowed myself to take it all in; the smell of the essential oils as they escaped the diffuser, the sounds of the waves that played through the relaxing music, the views through the Orangery window and watching my mum and sister spend time together relaxing after working so hard in the NHS. It was definitely a moment of content. We ended the day with breathing techniques and meditation and the guests left with goody bags full of inspiration and self-care tools, as well as smiles on their faces and a relaxed body and mind. Thank you to those that sponsored our goody bags, @paperhousedesignco , @pebble_and_sage , @ESPAskincare and my sister Emilee.

The sessions that were delivered on the day were all offered for free to support our NHS. @atticbirds and @janekent_studio also supported the day by offering their amazing talent in styling and photography.

All the hard work was so worth it and it felt rewarding which was my main purpose all along for these workshops. To offer something to my community that felt fulfilling, rewarding and allowed me to focus on things that make me feel energetic and excited. Being able to share that energy and interest with like-minded people makes the planning and delivering so enjoyable. So if you are interested in more news from Pencil Me In, stick with me. I'm not one to post too much on Instagram but when I do, I hope it is well worth the wait for you and who knows what exciting news will be coming next.

Take care and I hope you find some time for you,

Aimee