Hello, readers! Thanks for patiently waiting while I dealt with some life stuff. I need to keep this blog post fairly short, so here’s a summary of what’s been going on. Changes and more changes.

Work went insane

I’m self employed so this means saying yes to basically every piece of work that comes my way. As a result, there are quietish periods where you have plenty of leisure time but vaguely wonder when the next big project is coming in. Then there are periods which are so busy that you have to survive on nights of sleep that last 2 hours or 3 hours, sometimes for weeks at a time. That’s how it’s been.

My exercise regime collapsed. Soon after, I said ‘fuck it’ to the diet and ate as much sugar as I wanted just to keep me awake and at my desk. I have gained 4 pounds in the space of a few days, making me 143 pounds and eight pounds away from my target.

Work became slightly more manageable and I realised it was Xmas

After a few weeks of working day and night, adrenaline pumping all the time and no doubt wearing out my heart, things slightly improved. I’ve completed a dozen small projects in the last few weeks and there is only one massive project left to do. This reduces my anxiety from horrendous to merely uncomfortable.

That’s when I realised it’s Xmas. It’s Xmas in two weeks. I already called my family and told them I can’t attend because I have to work, so I’m off the hook there. I’m going to have Xmas at home by myself and try to get some work done.

As you can tell, I’m not excessively sentimental over Xmas but it is the one time of year when I will thoroughly clean my house, decorate, get fresh flowers and make it look like a hotel. This year will not be an exception. I may be busy but I have to have some time off work and for the next 2 weeks, that time is going to be about cleaning.

My flat has no storage space, is cluttered and filthy so it’s going to be an epic task. I know from experience it is a task of gigantic proportions.

What we are doing about the diet

• Stop eating sugar
• Eat the vegetables in the fridge
• Clean the whole damn house in lieu of exercise

That’s it, really. I hate cleaning but I love a project and I love pop culture, so I’m going to become a fan of British cleaning superstar Mrs Hinch for the next two weeks. She’s a beautiful Essex girl, she uses a lot of products and she’s not necessarily the most eco-friendly of cleaners but she certainly knows something about cleaning the house and has enough personality to keep me interested through 2 weeks of chores (I hope).

So that’s me and hopefully I’ll have re-lost a bit of weight by Xmas.

Mrs Hinch is on Instagram @mrshinchhome

and here she is on British morning TV. This woman is my boss for the next two weeks.