This month has been brought to you by the lurgy. The kind of bug that turns your baby into a clingy, wheezy, wide-eyed koala who refuses to sleep anywhere except on your actual face. I have had nights so broken that sleep now feels like a rumour people made up to sell mattresses. At this point I am surviving on caffeine and the power of denial.
And yet, somehow, I have still managed to keep up my daily cold plunges in the garden. Yes, in November. Yes, fully submerged. Yes I know it sounds like I have lost the plot. But honestly ice cubes on the face afterwards are incredible. They tighten your skin, boost your mood and make you look like you have slept even when you have not. I highly recommend, though maybe avoid on day eight of parental delirium.
Somehow in the middle of all this chaos we also pulled off a big strategy day for Liberty Music PR and treated the team to an overnight stay at a very fancy Scandi beach house in Shoreham. Think calming wood, soft lighting and interiors that whisper, “Your life could be this serene.” If you need a place to escape real life and pretend everything is under control, book it immediately.
Back home childcare has been a game of Jenga. When you work with your other half and your family all live miles away, the logistics become Olympic level. Someone always needs something exactly when someone else has a meeting, and suddenly you are negotiating custody of the laptop and the baby.
November is also a tender month. Three years since my dad passed away. I thought the ache would ease, but it has not. If anything I get more emotional as Christmas gets closer. Grief has a way of slipping into the quiet bits. The late-night feeds, the walks on the seafront, the moments I wish I could tell him something.
Speaking of Christmas, the tree went up early – in mid November. Who cares? Joy is joy. This year I have gone all in with matching jumpers for the entire family, including the cat. No shame, full sparkle. We are also having a quieter Christmas this year, as we usually host, but everyone has plans. I’m seriously toying with the idea of booking a last-minute hot holiday somewhere. Watch this space. Although I do love the Christmas break. It’s the only time we get to fully switch off in the music business and just chill at home, with living room picnic buffets and endless silly Christmas movies with the kids. What’s not to like?
See you next month – hopefully better rested but, let us be honest, probably not.
