Happy New Year – Aussie Giveaway Linkup 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hopefully your New Year’s Eve celebrations went off with a bang last night and you welcomed in new year safely with your loved ones. We celebrated with Crown Resorts at their incredibly indulgent, newly opened luxury hotel here in Perth, Crown Towers.

We also attended opening night for Singin’ in the Rain at Crown Theatre, which made for a different New Year’s Eve experience. My review of the show, coming soon. The first of hopefully many reviews here in 2017.

How strange it feels to be writing 2017. It just doesn’t feel right. Does it? The end of 2016 seems to have disappeared in a blink of an eye. I’m not sure I achieved nearly enough last year but there were achievements all the same. I’m choosing to focus on the positives and look to the future.

2017 The Soundtrack!

I don’t usually follow the masses and select a word for the year, instead I tend to lean towards a theme song. This year though, I couldn’t find a single song that covered all my hopes and ambitions for 2017, so I’ve opted for a soundtrack. A little like the Soundtrack of my Life (shared here) but with a more positive swing to it.

Ain’t nothing going to break my stride (I’ve got to keep on moving) is on the top of my playlist as is, Singin’ in the Rain and Time is on your side…

Time is on your side
No more need in runnin’
No more need to hide
No more need to cry

Life Is what ya find
Wanderin’ on the other side
No more need to sigh
No more need to lie

Make it what ya can
No more need in wastin’
Love’s around the bend
No more time to lend

Hope the best to be
Just to make you see
Love’s around the bend
No more time to lend

Now it’s up to you
It’s all up in your head
What ya gonna do
Bring yourself true

Earth, Wind & Fire

Interestingly, more time was the number one thing my blogging friends wanted for Christmas this year. If only it worked like that.

Like most years, I have big plans for the months ahead but no real resolutions. I prefer to take January off from goal setting and new year resolutions and give myself a small pat on the back for the past year. I like to take a break of sorts from the business of being busy.

Yes, I appreciate busy is a word frowned upon. I know a lot of you roll your eyes at its mere mention. I on the other hand kind of like keeping myself busy. For me, it’s not an excuse mechanism, it’s a way of life. A habit of sorts. One that is hard to break. You might call it a bad habit. Rightly or wrongly, I call it being productive.

I’m going to touch on the business of being busy for my next and last post as part of my Business Mamas studies next month. Hopefully the final module for my Business Diploma will be available online for me to complete this month, which will finally see me finish the course. Freeing up time and energy for all I want to achieve this year.

So thank you for the music 2016… or in this case your support and community spirit this past year. It means the world to me.

AMC really is only a very small part of what I actually do online and off. While things are going to look a little differently around these parts, as my focus turns towards my Blog & Media business as well as my ongoing charity work, some things will remain the same.

My keeping it possibly too real approach when it comes to life and social media sharing, is definitely going to continue. It was no surprise that my top nine images on Instagram for 2016, included a lot of this approach.

Anyone that knows me, would know I don’t have the time or inclination to colour co-ordinate or stage shots to within an inch of their life. Unless I’m working for a client, if it doesn’t happen in a quick photo or two, it just doesn’t happen. I’m all for being in the moment, rather than behind a camera.

I must confess, I was a little surprised the Karvan Coffee viral video didn’t make the top nine but I’m assuming videos weren’t included in the count. As it was, my post was seen by over 3.2 million on both Instagram and Facebook combined.

Even now, I still get people commenting and tagging their friends most days on that particular post. I briefly toyed with starting a chocolate blog with self confessed chocoholic Em Hawker but before I could even pitch my idea, Em returned to the work force and gave up chocolate once again.

2017 will look a little different here. You can still expect to see blogger catch ups, reviews, giveaways, mystery tours, me back in the test kitchen as well as out & about at events (local, interstate & finally overseas).

As is my style, I’ll be bringing some of my favourite designer & blogger friends with me.

I’ll continue to share my worth casing favourite finds here on AMC but with a little help from my friends because you could say… I get by with a little help from my friends (YES another song from my soundtrack)!

Speaking of friends, I would now like to introduce you to our new co-hosting line-up for our Aussie Giveaway Linkup. Both Kell (All Mum Said) and Jody (Six Little Hearts) return for 2017. Joining us from this month is Felicity (The Baby Vine). You can read more about my gorgeous co-hosts, grab our official banner (optional) and revisit our linkup guidelines HERE.

Having four hosts for the linkup, means your blog and business giveaways are now seen by an even wider audience. It’s definitely a WIN WIN WIN for everyone.

As usual, the linkup kicks off on the 1^st of each and every month. The same linkup will appear on all four blogs, so you only need to link up once but it is still worth your while heading over and casing each of my co-hosts posts each month as they all tend to start the month and the linkup with a giveaway or two!

My giveaway this month, is over on Instagram. You just need to be following my page (@agentmysterycase) and keep an eye out for a giveaway post this coming week.

Right now though, it’s time to get the GIVEAWAY party started. Our first for 2017!

JANUARY GIVEAWAYS

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES HERE

What does your soundtrack for the new year sound like?  Have you had any big (or little) wins lately?

Entered any of our recent giveaways or blog awards? Winners will be emailed this week!