Be your own Valentine!

Hello, Lovelies!🌹

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you who celebrate this Saint's day. Although... * reality check *...he did get his head chopped off for being an all 'round nice guy. There's a moral there somewhere but I'll leave that up to you to interpret?😊

This year is my big SELF-LOVE year, so every day is treated as a Very Special Occasion and I am, at every opportunity, reminding EVERYONE to practise some much-needed self-loving. Believe me, it's so much, much, much harder than it sounds. I don't know why so many of us don't feel deserving of self-love? I realised too, many of us don't really know what it means " to love yourself " beyond what we see in commercial media who, let's face it, are usually trying to sell us "things", or products or more services. Sure, self-love is also ( most definitely ) bubble baths, mani/pedicures, regular visits to a good hairstylist! However, and more importantly, it's about creating healthy habits that promote a sense of authentic, longlasting well being.

I've touched on various examples of this in previous posts but one I did leave out and it's the one many of us find EXTREMELY difficult to create ( and then enforce ) ...and that is...BOUNDARIES!!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this? Have you created some healthy-for-you boundaries? What were some situations that required Boundaries? How hard or easy were they to enforce, especially if it involved people close to you? You can also email me privately if you'd like to share your story but feel reluctant to expose your private boundary-enforcing experience. These are the sort of things we'd share in a Knit/Crochet Natter Group, right?

Creating boundaries doesn't have to involve people though ( although it usually does! ). It can also be how you self-negotiate your eating habits, or chores, family obligations, visitors, over-time at work, holiday destinations or staycations, spending/budgeting and so on. For example, I created a boundary between me and the 'fridge. I do not allow myself to step over that boundary to eat the last slice of Tiramisu, after 6pm. See? That is self-love at it's best!

What the above is, is a love letter to you, to remind yourself that it's nice to get Valentine's Day gifts from your SO but it's SO MUCH nicer to learn to unconditionally love your Self. There's isn't anyone out there quite like you. You are an original work. Own it, 'kay?

That's enough thinky thoughts for today! 😊 Moving on to crochet! I promised a sneak peek of the in-progress Green Tea Block but at the last moment I chickened out. I weighed up the sneak peek and the !! SURPRISE !! factors and the SURPRISE factor outweighed the Sneak Peek. I can tell you though, that the pattern for Part 1: The Block is very, very close to being released. So do keep those hooks warm. I will definitely share a little preview post about the colourway I used.

I won't keep you much longer but before I go I'd like to share a FREE pattern by Julia Hart called Sweetheart Soiree. I love all her patterns but this one is so very cute and clever.

💛Congratulations to the three lucky Winners of our last fab GIVEAWAY! 💛

You'll find your lovely pattern gift in your Ravelry Library. 

Enjoy!

Today's GIVEAWAY is 10 x copies of the upcoming Green Tea Block pattern!!! Eeeek! All you need to do to stand a chance of being one of the ten lucky recipients of this GIVEAWAY is tell me about one important boundary you created that worked out for the best. Leave your comment below in the comments section and don't forget to add your Ravelry name!

Wishing you a truly lovely weekend and enjoy spoiling yourself!
💗Jen