Balancing Everyday Routines and Christmas Preparations

Yesterday, Wednesday, felt like a turning point after a few days of feeling a little down. I woke up to the arrival of my TikTok parcels, which included a Christmas stocking filler for my daughter and one of those viral water flossers. Despite my reservations about its quality, I decided to give the flosser a try since it was only £6 with delivery. Unfortunately, it lived up to my scepticism. Almost immediately, the charging port appeared to break and fell inside the device, making it unusable. I managed one use before the battery gave out, confirming my suspicions that it didn’t live up to the hype. I debated reaching out to the seller for a refund but ultimately decided to let it go. At least my daughter's stocking filler arrived in one piece!
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Today, I was up early to start my Thursday with a workout. Sticking to my routine always feels rewarding, especially on colder mornings when it’s tempting to stay under the covers. By the time I’d finished, I felt warmed up and ready to tackle the day. Being Thursday, it was also my usual food shopping day. For the first time in about six months, I managed to keep my shopping under £100, which felt like a small victory. With Christmas only 13 days away, I’ve been steadily building up my festive supplies over the past few weeks—snacks, drinks, and a few other treats. Today’s shop came to about £70, which covered everything I needed and a few extras.

Tonight’s evening meal is a treat for me, as I’m stepping slightly away from my usual 90/10 whole food diet. I picked up a fresh baguette to pair with Italian meats, cheeses, mini peppers, and pickled onions. What we call a “picky tea” here in the UK might remind some people of a continental breakfast or balkan breakfast. I’m already looking forward to it, although it’s only mid-afternoon as I write this. I typically aim to eat my evening meal around 8pm and then wait until about 1pm or 2pm the next day before eating again. This creates a fasting window of about 17–18 hours, which has a range of benefits. It gives my body time to reset, improves digestion, and helps maintain steady energy levels. Fasting isn’t for everyone, but I’ve found it suits me and works well with my lifestyle.

Despite the frustration of the broken water flosser, the day feels productive. My shopping is sorted, and I’m sticking to my routines, which always helps me feel grounded. After dinner, I’ll probably unwind in bed, catching up on YouTube videos from some of my favourite streamers before calling it an early night.

I hope everyone’s had a great Thursday.