Goodbye 2024 hello 2025

31st December 2024 0 By Rachael Stray

As we get ready to say goodbye 2024 and hello 2025 I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back on this year.

I started this tradition with my goodbye 2018 and hello 2019 post and my goodbye 2019 and hello 2020 post I thought I’d do the same again.

Goodbye 2024 hello 2025

And just like that 2024 is coming to an end.

We managed to spend time with family and friends and making memories which was one of my five intentions for 2024.

Back in February half term we had our first family visit to Ushaw College and enjoyed a bottle rocket making session which was a lot of fun!

We also chose our paint and wallpaper to decorate our living room to go with the new sofa we bought just after Christmas 2023.

I won a competition on Facebook for a family photoshoot at a photography studio in Darlington so we enjoyed our first family photoshoot since Elsie was a baby and the photos are lovely.

In March we had our old fireplace ripped out and a brand new one built with a new chimney breast and a gas fire installed – we love it.

Steve and I enjoyed our first date night since Elsie was born in April with an overnight stay at Derwent Manor Boutique Hotel. It was amazing and just what we needed.

In May half term we met up with friends and enjoyed a return trip to Northumberland Country Zoo. It was great to catch up and the kids had a whale of a time!

And in June I danced the night away watching Girls Aloud with my two best friends at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle – it was an amazing night and we got our tickets really last minute thank you Catherine!

At the end of June Elsie had an inset day and we went to South Shields with nanna and grandad and it was a scorching hot day!

We all had a ride on the little train in the park and enjoyed fish and chips and ice cream – it was so lovely reliving some of my favourite childhood memories with my parents and my daughter.

In July Elsie turned 5 and had a Creative Kitchen birthday party and a fabulous Octonauts cake.

Elsie and I enjoyed a week off together in the summer holidays just us two. We had a fun-filled day out in Durham enjoying lunch at Tango and watching Peter Pan & Wendy at the Gala.

In August Steve and I enjoyed a child-free week as Elsie stayed at my parents house and we even squeezed in a date night at the Owl & Otter around work.

Elsie enjoyed a week off with just daddy and they had trips to the park, the theatre at Hexham and lots of daddy daughter time while I was at work.

Then it was time for our family holiday and we enjoyed a week in Beadnell exploring the Northumberland coastline.

We had another train ride at Heatherslaw Light Railway, broomstick lessons at Alwnick Castle, lots of beach days and yummy food including the Lavender Tea Rooms.

Elsie enjoyed her first trip to the Circus and the tiny Toon in Newcastle.

We also enjoyed a playdate at Broom House Farm.

At the end of August Steve and I enjoyed a third date night this time to the Feathers Inn in Northumberland while Elsie enjoyed a week down in Skegness with Steve’s parents.

In September we enjoyed a visit to the North East Land Sea & Air Museum in Sunderland.

And Elsie started Year 1, I wrote her a letter to mark her first day of Year 1.

I also enjoyed the Climate Criminals Speakeasy event with my not so little brother Patrick at the Life Science Centre in Newcastle.

I decided to continue to invest in myself more in 2024 and I started getting regular manicures and even had my eyelashes lifted and tinted and I’ve got appointments booked in until March so far for 2025.

We both took the October half term week off as holiday and we went down to stay at Steve’s parents house. Of course we had fish and chips and went on the rides and to the arcade.

In November we went back to Bamburgh for the Christmas Through Time exhibition at Bamburgh Castle and tea at the Potted Lobster.

We went back to the Gala Durham for our first family pantomime trip to see Beauty & the Beast – it was amazing!

The day before my birthday I made my first blood donation and to my surprise I didn’t faint and it was painless!

On my birthday I headed for a day out in Newcastle with my family. I did a ring making workshop at the Glamorous Owl with my mam, checked out the Christmas window at Fenwick and then had lunch with my dad and brother too it was lovely.

And that takes us to December.

Elsie was very excited and into Christmas this year – she did lots of crafts at school and her childminders house and was signing Christmas songs around the house.

Steve and I loved watching Elsie in her second nativity at school and my parents watched her. She was much more comfortable on stage this year and joined in with all the singing and dancing and was a marvellous chicken!

For my birthday Steve bought me a glass making workshop where I made two beautiful glass Christmas trees.

We enjoyed a festive day enjoying seeing Father Christmas at Beamish with Steve’s parents.

And we had a magical time at Fireside Stories with Father Christmas at Raby Castle despite the weather!

We had a really lovely Christmas, you can catch up with my Festive favourites from 2024.

We’ve enjoyed having some time off with Elsie over the festive period despite having to work a little bit inbetween.

So all in all 2024 has been pretty good, bring on 2025!

What am I looking forward to in 2025?

I hope to spend more time with family and friends next year, making more memories.

And I’m also hoping to enjoy more family trips out and exploring with Elsie during half-term and the summer holidays as well as weekends.

Another date night or two would be amazing.

I managed to read 72 books in 2024 and I read every single day except for 11 January when I was really unwell, I’m aiming for 70 at least again in 2025.