Welcome to the Winter 'Chilled' issue 2020

Take a deep breath... 2020 is almost over! Unless you’ve been lucky enough to be living under a rock, you’d know that 2020 hasn’t exactly been the greatest year. For many of us, it's been incredibly challenging and life-changing.

But with every glass half empty there’s a glass half full and as this bizarre year comes to an end, I wanted to recap on the good things that it has brought us and the new things we have learned.

Firstly, wearing joggers and loungewear became acceptable fashion choices all day, every day, as lockdown gave many of us the opportunity to work from home; elasticated waistbands and comfy bras became the norm.

We learnt how to use Zoom and other technologies to stay connected, proving you don't need to spend time travelling to chat with your work colleagues, friends or accountant.

Many people used lockdown to learn a brand new skill or to change career (let's not forget QueenBee Talks podcast that I launched after years of procrastination!).

We spent more time outside this year, we walked more and visited parts of the country we might not have done previously; the UK road trip is back!

Drive-in movie theatres made a comeback and who knew that drive-in concerts would ever be a thing?! Restaurants and famous chefs shared their secret recipes so we could make them at home... and yeh, we might have gained a few pounds, but we rediscovered our love for hobbies like baking, growing our own veggies and gardening.

We learned that homeschooling is HARD and recognised teachers for the heroes that they are, along with health care and essential workers.

Despite 2020 presenting some unforeseen challenges, it has also given us an opportunity to slow down, pause and realise what really matters: health, friends, family, freedom, the importance of support local businesses and the well-being and safety of our communities.

I hope you enjoy this 'Chilled' issue of QueenBee. As usual, there's plenty of inspiring articles and motivating advice from some tremendous women. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year - QueenBee will be back in Spring 2021 - here's hoping for a healthier, happier year.

Kathryn Grace, Publishing Editor kath@queenbeemagazine.co.uk

Kathryn Grace, Publishing Editor, QueenBee magazine