My Tiny Take on 2022

I’ve hit the wall with the year now and I’ve thoroughly hit pause. The kids are home, Mr Tiny is still working and I’m officially in Mum / Christmas mode! While I’ve sat colouring in my umpteenth unicorn I’ve started to ponder the year that’s just gone so I thought why not blog it and share My Tiny Take on 2022.

Shaky Start

We started out 2022 with having just come out of a massive life thing for us and 2022 felt like a little bit of a Shaky Start. It’s really hard to explain what happened but the start felt like a turning point on new Bambi legs!

The littlest had 9 months left before embarking on her school career and although I was looking forward to it I knew I really wanted to make the most of the time she had at home.

We took time together as a family most weekends taking making the most of family time as always. One thing I often think fondly of is our Family Art Workshop day where we spent time to make a piece of art as a family. It was fun to push Mr Tiny to try and be creative as I know he is but he never allows the time for him self, like I do! Here is the art we created:

I had to really take a step back at some points and let the kids take control as they have their own ideas too! A fun day had by all.

Plenty of Holidays

We have been on plenty of holidays this year considering it hasn’t felt like it! I was looking back through my pictures and we’ve been lucky enough to have some great trips away considering Mr Tiny seems to be working more, he’s bagged a few good weeks in the school holidays. Plus we’ve made the most of his weekends off too.

My particular favourite breaks have been our trip to Grasmere in the Lakes where we walked the kids up to Easedale Tarn for some wild camping. Not for the feint hearted as with the 4 and what was 6 year old. It’s a 2 mile hike but the gradient is up, up and more up, with all the sleeping bags and tent it was hard going at the 4 year old pace!

The other was a trip up to Scotland in Easter. It was still cold but we ended up finding a secluded little bit of beach out of the wind but in the sun where we ended up spending the entire afternoon digging until the tide came in. Fish and Chip supper and unplanned adventures!

There have been others too but I’ll keep those pictures and adventures for myself!!

Building a Business

I have been Building a Business, laying out some foundations of Two Tiny Makes behind the scenes that I hope will come into fruition early next year! I finished working with the Roots and Shoots programme with the Growing Club, a business start up course for women wanting to set up businesses.

A brilliant foundational course that brings up all the common pitfalls that can derail a woman in the earlier stages of business. It’s been fundamental to the belief I now have in myself and my business.

This year I have launched The Tiny House Book Club. A year long digital pattern release revolving around the Tiny House Book. A sewing pattern for a tiny house shaped busy book that uses patchwork skills to make a fun tiny house.

I’ve learnt a lot this year, about myself and how to fit in the things that I want out of life now my kids are that little bit older and less dependant on me. I’m way more clear about how I want my business to roll in the future, more than I have ever been. The kids have made it in to school full time and the first term of this has thrown up some interesting stumbling blocks for me.

The fact that they get sick and it’s me that has to put my things on hold to look after them, I wouldn’t have this any other way I might add, but it’s been a sharp learning curve when having to run a business and keep or let people down! The school holidays are the same, the amount I can achieve when they are around is almost impossible.

Towards the end of the year I have had the opportunity to work with The Growing Club again to pitch for business support in their Angels Den event. This has to be one of the scariest things I’ve done since becoming a parent. I lost a lot of who I am when becoming a Mum and the confidence I have had in myself is and hasn’t been what it was like before the kids.

Standing up in a room full of people to tell your story and ask for help is a hard thing to do, but I did it and I am proud of myself!

2023 is round the corner and I am excited about some of the things I have for Two Tiny Makes and I hope that you will be able to join me.

The Tip of the Year

Hope you liked the quick run down of My Tiny Take On 2022. I really haven’t gone into massive depth in any of it. I wanted to keep it short but I don’t want it to end in a bit of a see ya later kinda way. I wanted to leave you with The Tip of the Year….

“Take a leap of faith, give it a go, you don’t know where it will take you!“

I don’t always share my pole adventures as its my private journey. I took a 6 month break from it this last year but I was able to get back to Pole Fitness again in September. The strength and level of fitness I have gained from this is immense and I’m still a beginner.

Taking part in pole the first time round gave me the confidence to join The Growing Club, Joining the Growing Club gave me the confidence to take time to do the things I love (as well as getting fitter), and then performing a tiny routine in the Christmas showcase last week. I absolutely love this picture one of the instructors took of me during my showcase. A far far cry from the person I mentioned above.

To be able to say I am proud of everything that I have overcome this year is really special to me. All the adventures I have taken myself and my family on have and will keep strong into my hear next year… I’ll leave you there, I hope you have a lovely Christmas and I will see you in the New Year.

Karen x