It’s late, late, late and I’m lying on the sofa with just the lights of the Christmas tree and the glow of my phone keeping me awake. Along with the patio doors, our internet and the toaster, my laptop gave up the ghost today ... why does it feel like 2018 is going to be expensive?

But there’s something about working horizontally (let’s overlook the obvious joke ...) that is super-relaxing. Feet up, favourite album playing, kids tucked away in their beds ... and the best part — no pressure to move the bloody elf!

If things run as normal, I will still wake up at 3am for a few days wondering if I remembered to move Chippy. Our Elf on the Shelf is notorious for forgetting to go back to the North Pole, lazy thing.

It’s probably why the kids got away with an unprecedented level of naughtiness this month and STILL got presents. That, and because I kept finding amazing stocking stuffers that I couldn’t say no to. I shopped 100 per cent local this year and I’ve never found it so easy. Kudos to Bermuda’s retailers for doing an amazing job and bringing in some really fun stuff!

The girls really needed bikes this year and their dad did a great job of getting Belle riding after just a few tries. Chloe already knew how and was off in a hot second, but Belle was hesitant.

It’s cool to watch their self-belief expand each time they achieve something new. I’m waiting nervously for the first big crash (because that’s all part of life isn’t it?), but so far, so good.

The rest of Christmas hasn’t been entirely injury free though. The girls had some really fantastic flying Santas in their stockings, which are supposed to sense your hand and hover just above it. They don’t do that though. They fly around the room at high speed, trying to kill you. At 7.01am I took one full in the face and thought I was going to have a black eye in our Christmas pictures. It turns out I was just being a drama queen, but it felt significant at the time.

Anyway, we’re now at that weird time of year where I don’t know what either the date or the day is. As we wait for 2017 to finish and 2018 to begin, we’re left a little in limbo, aren’t we?

I’m impatient to get next year started because we have so many great events lined up at Natural. It’s going to be a lot of work as usual. I’m excited but I’m nervous too, so Chloe says that makes me nervited. I’m pretty sure we should add that word to the dictionary. I think I spend 90 per cent of my time in a nervited state

This week, I was going to get you all going on ditching the sugar and alcohol that becomes such a slippery slope over the festive season.

I am so ready to move on from the bubbles and the sugar rush — pass the green juice please!

But this side of the new year I’m perhaps a little premature. Brace yourself for next week though ... start getting the Christmas crap out of your house and mentally prepare yourself for a detox!

I’ll give you plenty of tips here, or you can join me officially for the Natural Nutrition January Cleanse. Details on social media and on the website.

Thanks for reading this year, it’s been amazing to have you all follow along and I’m grateful as always for your feedback and support.

I hope you enjoy the New Year’s celebrations this weekend and that 2018 is a wonderful year for you and yours. I’ll see you on the other side!

•The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns is a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details: www.natural.bm, 236-7511 or, Facebook, Natural Nutrition Bermuda