A Day in Oxford & Planning for 2026

Oh my gosh, that really is the most incredible view to wake up to. The sun

is rising and it's all pink and you can see it over the tops of the spires.

Oxford is known as the city of dreaming spires and I can definitely see that this morning. I also slept so well. This

this morning. I also slept so well. This

room was so comfortable.

Anyway, I'm It's like 7:30 and I'm going to get dressed and go out and get a coffee.

I'm going to head out now to get a coffee. I still cannot get over this

coffee. I still cannot get over this view. It's so much more glorious in the

view. It's so much more glorious in the morning. My gosh, can you imagine waking

morning. My gosh, can you imagine waking up to that every morning? I think I might just quickly walk around that clockw as well because Brazy's notes famously is the college that you can see the rapid camera from

Can you actually imagine coming out of your college and that being the site that you see?

I'm here in Pratt. I'm here at my favorite seat in Pratt, which somehow is available. It never is. And it looks

available. It never is. And it looks right out over St. Michael's Church. For

reference, St. Michael's Church was built between 1,00 and 1,50 CE and it's thought to be the oldest building in Oxford. It is also the church where

Oxford. It is also the church where William Morris got married in 1859, which is incredibly cool. That really is one of my favorite things about Oxford as a city that no matter where you go,

there is going to be some history attached to that object. Like so many interesting people have passed through Oxford. William Morris, as I say, was a

Oxford. William Morris, as I say, was a student here and he was absolutely fascinated by the chapel at Martin College, which he didn't go to. He

wasn't a student at Martin College, but he would often visit Martin College just so he could see the chapel. Whilst I

drank my coffee, I worked on my updated synopsis for my book. I was working on this yesterday, too. And I hand wrote some of this, like adding to what I'd

done yesterday, and then I typed it up, formalized it, and sent it to my agent.

Okay, I just about managed to get that sent. And I've now got 20 minutes that I

sent. And I've now got 20 minutes that I need to check out. So, I'm just going to go back, pack everything up, and say goodbye to the absolutely glorious room.

Honestly, I think that's one of the best B&Bs I've ever stayed in. What an

excellent idea for a B&B.

I'm all packed up and now I'm going to head off. I'm actually so sad to be

head off. I'm actually so sad to be leaving. I kind of wish I was here for

leaving. I kind of wish I was here for another night and I would definitely do a little mini trip like this again to Oxford. Oh my gosh. I then went to the

Oxford. Oh my gosh. I then went to the Radcliffe camera. I had requested some

Radcliffe camera. I had requested some books. If you have a university near

books. If you have a university near you, see if you can get a reader card for that university because it means that you can use the library and you can request books. So I had requested two. I

request books. So I had requested two. I

had requested an at highwood hall which is a collection of poems by the war poet Robert Graves. I'd never read any of his

Robert Graves. I'd never read any of his children's writing before but it was very good. It kind of reminded me of

very good. It kind of reminded me of Edward Gory and I also was reading from this book on the history of the library. This was

actually research for my novel. I was

taking some notes, but it wasn't as helpful as I was hoping it would be because I was interested to read about libraries in the 18th and 19th century,

and it was more focused on the 15th to 17th century, but still very interesting, and I enjoyed reading it.

I also wrote a quick Christmas card and added this poem by Mary Oliver inside because I thought she would like it. And

then I went to get some lunch and I went to the Natural History Museum because this is one of my favorite cafes in Oxford because you get to look out over this absolutely stunning view. Like this

is such a beautiful building. And

afterwards I had a wander and looked at some of the displays. Um I was particularly looking at the birds which are all upstairs. And this is because as

I've said before my novel features a protagonist who knows a lot about birds and she loves birds. And so this was kind of research and I was trying to

look at these birds through the eyes of my protagonist.

I also posted my Christmas cards. I told

myself this year I wasn't going to be late with it, but alas I was. And then I went to the Western Library to look at some archives. I couldn't take any

some archives. I couldn't take any footage in here, but I looked at four different manuscripts and three of them were just incredibly useful. I had to

run for my train um which I was getting into London and that is because I was going to see my writing group. So, on

the train, I was reading some writing that someone in my writing group had sent me, and I just jotted down some thoughts, some feedback on this. Um,

because feedback on your writing is so useful. And I hate sharing my work cuz I

useful. And I hate sharing my work cuz I hate getting feedback. And it just feels so embarrassing, but also it's one of the most useful things you can do. And

whenever we take that leap of faith and we let somebody look at our work, we grow from it and [music] the work can get better. I just love the idea of

get better. I just love the idea of creating a culture where we can share things that are in process. Like, I'm

always so careful to stress. This is

only a draft. This is going to be better in its final form. When of course it's a draft because that's why you're sharing it.

>> I'm actually in London. I haven't caught up with you at all, but I went to go and see some friends. To finish the evening, I grabbed a hot chocolate to drink on the train because it is on my Christmas bucket list. In the spirit of the Polar

bucket list. In the spirit of the Polar Express, of course. I realized I didn't properly explain what I did at the end of the day. So I went straight from Oxford into London because I have a

writing group. We met at Arvon in 2023

writing group. We met at Arvon in 2023 and four of us have stayed in contact since and we try at first we were meeting every month but that's become more and more difficult because one

person is living in Canada but he was over in the UK so we all met in London and spent a few hours just talking through writing projects and it was just so lovely to see them. But it's the next

day and I wanted to show you this because it's just arrived and I haven't seen it yet. Um I haven't opened it. I

haven't looked through it and um my sister unboxed it and it was waiting for me on my desk when I got home. How stunning is Jenny's

home. How stunning is Jenny's illustration. This is the yearly planner

illustration. This is the yearly planner for 2026. Um it's also this lovely like

for 2026. Um it's also this lovely like beige back with the pumpkin productivity logo. The yearly planner goes from

logo. The yearly planner goes from January to December. Start with a letter from me. And then we've got the about me

from me. And then we've got the about me page. The key

page. The key contents.

I love the self-care page. It's one of my favorite parts of the planner.

Go to meals, morning and night routines, birthdays, space for starting new hobbies. because

I think as adults we don't put time into thinking about this as much and it's a lovely thing to reflect on in the new um like at the end of the year.

Recommendations.

This is my recommendation. Demon Voices

by Philip Pullman. It's an excellent anthology of essays and speeches by Philip Pullman. I I think it's actually

Philip Pullman. I I think it's actually my favorite thing he's written to be read list. We've got the books read

read list. We've got the books read spread which is one of my favorites.

So much stuff, so much space.

And then we go into the monthly planner, the weekly planner, and then these are the daily planners, which kind of go the whole way through.

I just, oh my gosh, I love it. It's

always so bizarre holding this in my hands. I can never believe that it's

hands. I can never believe that it's actually real. I know it theoretically

actually real. I know it theoretically exists as it's being printed and as we're going through designs and then it exists. It's a physical product. And I

exists. It's a physical product. And I

did have this moment this morning where I was planning my to-do list. At the

moment, my planning routine is very strange in that I sit in bed at the end of the day and like right before reading, I would just write my to-do list in my planner in bed. Just suddenly

got this overwhelming sense of gratitude of I guess like an oddness as well. Like

I can't believe that these actually exist. Um because as a teenager, one of

exist. Um because as a teenager, one of my big dreams, one of my biggest dreams, if you'd asked me, at the age of 14, it was one of my biggest dreams to create

planners. And it's because I loved

planners. And it's because I loved planning. I just adored it and I loved I

planning. I just adored it and I loved I loved finding lovely planners, but I could never find the one that was my dream planner. And so I'd dreamt of

dream planner. And so I'd dreamt of making my own. I'd like written down ideas and in my head I had this vision of what that perfect planner would look like. And so it's amazing that it kind

like. And so it's amazing that it kind of that it exists and that I've been doing this since 2020. Um like I just really don't think 14year-old me would

be able to believe it because it felt completely unrealistic and I never had any expectation of actually making a planner like this. Anyway, I thought because I'm in the mood to do some planning anyway that I would fill out

some of the opening spreads in here, like the New Year spreads. I think I might wait to do this until after Christmas.

So, which ones shall I do? Oh my gosh, there are so many fun spreads. There are

half a dozen 2026 specific spreads, but I wanted to save those. So, instead, I filled out the about me page at the front.

Favorite movie at the moment? That's

always such a hard question. It's always

the same films. That's the problem. Um,

maybe Little Women. Always.

There is just something so incredibly comforting about planning or kind of undertaking cozy desk time. It's truly

one of my favorite things. I'm also

going to do my go-to meals.

There we go. There are my go-to meals. I

think I might actually add some stickers at the top like that.

Morning and night routine. I'll probably

do that in the new year. Birthdays are a good one. These are the people that

good one. These are the people that whose birthdays I kind of celebrate. And

I haven't added the date just for privacy reasons. But here I can write

privacy reasons. But here I can write down what I'm going to get them. So I

know, for example, when I've decided what else I'm going to get to go with that, I will write it in.

Um, but it's just a really nice way to keep track of all of your birthdays at a glance. Things I want to accomplish,

glance. Things I want to accomplish, places I want to see. Actually, maybe I will do this now. I've been meaning to do [music] a journal spread on this recently.

This is my list of places I want to go.

They're very varied. Like Prince Edward Island in Canada is my absolute number one. Bakewell, Lime Reges, but then

one. Bakewell, Lime Reges, but then Machu Picchu, Japan, Transylvania, Isle of Sky. I think that's all I'm going to

of Sky. I think that's all I'm going to do for right now because I'm going to do a proper sit down and plan for the new year and I want to use this when I do that. Anyway, I'm going to sign off the

that. Anyway, I'm going to sign off the vlog here, but the planner is available to order now and I'll leave a link down below if you still don't have a planner for 2026. Um, and yeah, thank you for

for 2026. Um, and yeah, thank you for watching this video and I will be uploading again tomorrow. Um, I've got a Victorian video going up tomorrow if all goes to plan. I haven't filmed it yet, but I'm planning on filming it tomorrow.

And it's something I'm really excited to share with you. And it involved buying some Victorian magazines, which is especially exciting. Is genuinely me

especially exciting. Is genuinely me just justifying buying more Victorian magazines cuz I definitely don't need them. But anyway, I will see you

them. But anyway, I will see you tomorrow. Thank you for watching and I

tomorrow. Thank you for watching and I hope you have more than just a productive