Today is my 61^st birthday which has made me sit down and reflect, as most birthdays do for people. I have had a hectic year and the past few weeks I have felt a bit down with my youngest daughter Julie flying the nest to go to Spain on her Erasmus year.

This gave me a giggle[/caption]   As many of you will know from reading my books Julie has been such a little miracle in our lives and we all love her so much, she is a little dote.  As a mum it can sometimes be hard to let your kids spread their wings but it’s a part of them growing up and I'm so proud to see her blossoming into such a lovely young lady. I may sound biased but everyone that meets Julie knows that she has a heart of gold and she is just a joy to be around so myself and my hubby Ger are really missing her around the house. Many of my friends I have spoken to over the past month or so have all said they went through the same feelings when their children moved away to another country or even just moved out of the house so in a way it’s nice to know I'm not the only one.

I have decided today to turn these negative feelings I have been experiencing into some positives. Now is as good a time as ever for me to make a few changes to my life and start looking after myself, something I am always telling others to do. Looking after your emotions and mental health is just as important as making sure your diet and lifestyle is on track. My eldest daughter Sarah is always giving out to me that I am constantly doing for others and need to start looking after number 1. I think at the age I am now and with all the kids having vacated the house for the moment (Julie will be back for her final year in college next year),  I'm going to take her advice. I had rediscovered yoga before Julie left, something I have practised on and off for years, and it is really helping get me out of the house and giving me some focus so I will 100% be keeping it up. I have noticed a difference in my strength and fitness since practising it regularly over the past few months and I am even feeling more toned which is an extra bonus.  Working from home can have its advantages but it can also lead to days spent alone so today I have made a deal with myself that I am going to make sure I get out of the house every day and do something positive for myself whether that’s a yoga class, a walk along the beach, meeting a friend for a green tea or even reconnecting with some family and friends I don’t see as often as I’d like.

Also lately I have been eating out with friends none stop to get me out of the house which is not always the best for your health as you rarely get organic foods in restaurants and sometimes have to go for a cooked option which just knocks me out of routine. There is nothing wrong with a little cooked food, or as I call them comfort food but when I eat too much it makes me feel sluggish and bloated so it’s time to get back on track. I'm having a small family meal tonight for my Birthday and I may head out over the weekend to prolong the celebrations but come Monday I am going to get back into my routine, as I would say many are with the end of the summer and kids going back to school etc. So I was thinking to kick off our fresh start next week I'm going to post some positivity every day on my social media pages as well as posting a shopping list on Monday for a juice fast which I will be doing on Wednesday. If you would like to join in that would be great, be sure to comment below or on my Facebook page and we can all encourage each other. I am going to fast for just 1 day to rest my digestive system and allow my body to clean itself. I have done this many times so trust me you won’t starve. If you have never fasted before you might consider giving it a go on Wednesday. It will help clean out your digestive tract, erase some of those extra pounds and get you back on track. I find a day of fasting just gets my body back in sync.

I received a lovely birthday present of a gratitude journal so I am going to fill it with all my lovely positive experiences I have in the new phase in my life. I suppose the lesson is that even the most upbeat of us experience our low points and that’s OK. The secret is to keep reminding yourself of all the fantastic friends and family you have, surround yourself with people who love and support you and get out there and do positive things for yourself. Keep moving forward, I am a firm believer that even the smallest progress is still progress and something to be proud of! Looking forward to our juice fast next week :) have a great weekend x