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I Want To Learn A New Skill, And I’m Scared

Learn A New SkillI Want To Learn A New Skill, And I’m Scared

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks is an idiom I’ve always disputed. It seems like the phrase is just meant to make us all feel bad and give up learning anything new once we hit adulthood. As a child you don’t tend to face the same fears or social anxieties that you do as an adult, and naturally this makes learning things a bit easier. But as an adult you also have a whole new set of skills, knowledge, and hopefully more common sense.

I could go into a rant about politics, society and ageism, but hey, let’s leave that for another day shall we? Because I want to make this post a bit more lighthearted, and to openly talk about being an adult who wants to learn something new…but is actually a little scared by it.

I Want To Learn A New Skill, And I’m Scared

You see recently I decided that I wanted to learn a new skill – painting. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but I convinced myself I’d be terrible at it. I told myself “you couldn’t do that as a child, so what makes you think you can do it as an adult?” And for a while I pushed it to the back of my head, whilst I battled with my inner self. Then one day whilst I was shopping, I passed by some art supplies.

All of a sudden I was excited. Excited for the possibilities of what I might create. What I might learn. And none of my worries seemed to matter anymore. I realised that if I didn’t take the chance, I’d never know. Sure, I might end up being a bit crap at it, but so what? I might actually end up being half good at it. But even more importantly I might end up enjoying it immensely. And whilst I may not be the next Frida Kahlo (Queen!), at least I’ve tried, and I’ve learnt something along the way.

Even if that something new is that I should not be left alone with art supplies and an overactive imagination.

It’s an Art

I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t be held back by what people think you can and can’t do – or should do. Just because you’ve bought your first toaster and are now a fully fledged adult (totally legist measurement of adulthood by the way), doesn’t mean you can’t also learn how to ride a horse. Or whatever it is you want to do.

Ultimately this isn’t about learning to paint, or some other new skill. It’s about broadening my horizons, and continuing to learn, even as an adult. I don’t think we should stop learning. And I don’t think we should ever stop listening to what’s inside our hearts.

Read more of my lifestyle articles.

Learn A New Skill Learn A New Skill

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A Recipe for The Perfect Pamper Session | Beauty

Pamper SessionA Recipe for The Perfect Pamper Session

Whether it’s by yourself or with friends, everyone needs a pamper session every now and again. But I’m not just talking about lighting some candles, putting on some music, and chilling out. Although those are all pretty great for relaxing and taking care of ‘moi’. However I’ve got some of my own tips, and I’ve decided to share some of my favourites with you here.

Get your Nails did

I can’t get enough of doing my nails. In fact I love it so much you’ll find it hard to catch me without a pristine manicure. So it’s only natural that it’s my number one go-to when pampering myself. But not everyone shares my love – point in fact: my best friend VA (chopstickpanorama).  So my tactic is to do her nails for her. And it’s actually pretty relaxing whether you’re the one painting nails, or having them painted.

Recommendation: Nails Inc Mindful Manicure* – each polish is infused with real gemstones, which is said to intensify one’s aura, channel energy, clarify thoughts, and heal. Whether you’re a believer or not, these shades are on point right now.

Snacks, and lots of ’em!

It just wouldn’t be right to not include snacks in this list. Although when I’m having a pamper session, I do like to go the extra mile. For me that means splurging a little on food I wouldn’t usually buy. Such as nice cheeses, cured meats, high quality chocolate, and some prosecco (of course). After all, you’re pampering your body on the outside, so why not inside as well?

Recommendation: Ocelot Chocolate – not only is this chocolate ridiculously stylish, it comes in some amazing flavours too. Where else would you find Bee Pollen & Mango, or Fig & Orange? Delicious!

Face masks are the one

I have been swearing by sheet masks for years, and I can’t sing their praises enough. They’re a fun, and effective way of treating your skin to a little extra care. Whether it’s extra hydration, brightening or anti-ageing – there’s a sheet mask for everything! I normally buy in bulk when I’m in Japan, or my sister and friends send me them from overseas. However a lot of UK brands have cottoned on to their fantastic abilities, and I’ve started dabbling in the options available here too.

Recommendation: Nails Inc Sheet Masks* – I chose these because I love that they have kept their sheet masks fun! A lot of the brands selling them in the UK have chosen to go with plain designs. But let’s be serious, we’d all much rather use skincare that is effective and cute. Also, who needs a Snapchat filter when you got these?

Feel The Good Vibes

Whether it’s watching your favourite movie/tv show, listening to music, or just having a chat. All of these can help keep the atmosphere chilled yet lively. Have a laugh, and if you’re with friends, chat until you’ve run out of things to say!

Recommendation: Netflix – there’s a variety of awesome shows on there, with some of my personal favourites being John Mulaney, What We Do in The Shadows, and Archer.

Pamper Session Pamper Session Pamper Session Pamper Session

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A Self Help Guide for Taking Better Care of You

self help guideA Self Help Guide for Taking Better Care of You

Things are changing. We’re only two months into 2017, and I’ve already come across a pretty big road block. And at a time when there’s lots for me to think about, I’m being extra mindful of my mental and physical health. This means thinking about myself for once – something most of us neglect – and it isn’t easy. For me that might mean shutting myself away for a few hours to watch my favourite Let’s Plays on YouTube, or spending an afternoon in my favourite cafe with friends. Truth be told there are many ways to take better care of yourself, and that’s why I wanted to write up a mini self help guide for those who might also be in need.

A Self Help Guide

Now I’m not a doctor, and of course I’m not about to start sprouting silly advice left right and centre. Instead I’m going to offer up a few tips and tricks that I’ve tried and tested myself. My aim here is to help people take some time out of their busy schedule and take a moment to relax. This isn’t anything life changing. However if done often, it really can make a difference. Life can be stressful, and sometimes being able to take the time to look after YOU can really help.

Relax Yourself

  • Treat yourself to some good food
  • Take some time out with a friend to talk about how you’re doing
  • Read a book and transport yourself into another world
  • Have a hot drink (they’re scientifically proven to reduce stress)
  • Get outside and go for a walk
  • Meditate (if you can/enjoy it)
  • Exercise
  • Take a day off

Have some ‘Me Time’

  • Have some ‘me time’
    • Spend some time by yourself, doing what you love
  • Sit down and watch a silly movie
    • Laughing is good for the soul, and your body
  • Listen to your favourite music
  • On that note, listen to some natural sounds
  • Allow yourself a guilty pleasure every now and again
    • For me it’s a square (or two) of chocolate in the evening

Please note that you don’t have to do all of these at once (or at all if you don’t fancy it). Just doing one or two can often help bring your stress levels down. Remember, what de-stresses one person may not work for another. It’s all about finding what fits into your lifestyle, and makes you happy. Because at the end of the day, what’s most important is your health and happiness.

Check out more of my self help articles.

self help guide self help guide self help guide

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Is This The Death of Instagram & Can We Save It?

death of instagramIs This The Death of Instagram & Can We Save It?

Instagram is going through a bit a shit storm as of late, and that’s putting it nicely (sorry for the expletives). First it started with people liking old photos, then the confusing off topic comments came along, and suddenly a new algorithm. And now, well now we’ve got the constant following and unfollowing. And it’s left a lot of us feeling pretty jaded. Am I right, or am I right?

How & Why is it happening?

I’ve seen a lot of confusion on social, and people aren’t entirely certain what is going on. They’re seeing their follower numbers increase and decrease daily, whilst not actually moving at all. Big accounts have seen engagement drop (in fact we all have), and it’s left everyone asking why and how.

  • The New Algorithm Ever since Facebook bought out Instagram, they’ve constantly been adding and taking away features. The latest big addition was the new FB-feed style algorithm. Meaning we don’t get to see a chronological feed anymore. Instead we see the people Instagram thinks we want to see.
  • Follow, Unfollow Tools Yes, those people are not manually following and unfollowing 100 people a day. Well not the savvy ones anyway. For those of you that are up to date on your social tools, you’ll already know all about this. There are tons of sites and apps out there offering free or paid services that will automatically follow, unfollow, like, comment or send DMs for you via Instagram.
  • People Buying Followers This has become all too common. You’d be surprised at how many of the 10K+ crowd have actually earned their followers naturally and organically. The tell-tale sign is when someone has a lot of ‘ghost followers’. A ghost follower is an account that doesn’t have many photos, isn’t very active, but follows an awful lot of people. You can usually spot them by the lack of profile photo.
  • It’s Become Saturated There are just too many accounts now (over 600 million), which means it’s harder than ever to get yourself noticed.
  • But It’s Still a Big Accounts Game Even if people did want to get themselves noticed, it’s still pretty difficult when the big accounts are the ones being featured and mentioned.

Is This The Death of Instagram & Can We Save It?

Well this may not be the official death of Instagram, but it has definitely taken a fair few blows. It’s not safe to say yet whether it will come out of this whole, but with over 300 million daily users* it seems as though people aren’t completely tired of Instagram just yet.

Keep an eye out for my post on how you can save your Instagram account!

death of instagram

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2017: A Year of Self Help & Making Big Decisions?

self helpA Year of Self Help & Making Big Decisions

2017 has started a little differently than 2016. Last year I decided I wanted to say “yes” to as many things as possible. That actually went pretty well…well, in the sense that I did it. Unfortunately it also meant my social calendar became pretty hectic. I had to balance my social life and work. And I burnt myself out. So 2017 has seen me saying “no” to things instead.

Why? Because I soon learnt that saying yes, and wanting to please everyone was really not the way to go. Unless of course I wanted to stress myself out to the point where I knocked 10 years off my life.

A Year of Self Help

You see, I’m highly susceptible to stress. The last few years have seen me manage it relatively well, but sadly last year I didn’t give myself the time to re-energise. Something which is extremely important when it comes to keeping my sanity. Because of this, at the end of 2016 I saw my mental and physical health plummet. This isn’t entirely to do with my social life, of course. There was a death in my family, a close family member was taken ill, and other factors came in to play (again, thanks Trump/Brexit).

So I decided that this year I want to make some big changes, and some bigger decisions:

  • Take better care of myself
    • Both my mental & physical health
    • Be happier
  • Travel more
  • Seriously consider moving abroad
    • London life is a big contributor to stress
    • It’s something I’ve been considering for a couple of years
    • Amsterdam & Copenhagen are on the table
  • Think about buying a house
    • Ben and I have been wanting to buy somewhere for a while
    • It would give us a project to work on
    • No noisy upstairs-neighbours

I might mess up a little along the way. In fact I can almost definitely say I will. But if I keep my main goal in mind – take better care of myself – then I believe I can make a difference in 2017. And at least I can say I had good intentions.

self helpself helpself help

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I’ve got the travel bag…I mean bug! | 2017 Resolutions

travel bagMini Beauchamp travel bag by Knomo London *

Last year I made some travel resolutions, only they weren’t really resolutions. You see I’m not really into that. However I do like to set myself little goals and challenges throughout the year. Not only does it keep me motivated, but it gives me more of a purpose when I have something to work towards. In recent years, my main goal has been to travel as much as possible.

In 2016 I ticked off:

  1. Tokyo, Japan
  2. Osaka, Japan
  3. Kyoto, Japan
  4. Pembrokeshire, Wales
  5. Copenhagen, Denmark
  6. Naples, Italy
  7. Sorrento, Italy
  8. Barcelona, Spain
  9. Paris, France

It was pretty damn awesome, and I loved every minute of it.

I’ve got the travel bag…I mean bug!

Let’s get a little practical for a minute. Travelling, especially when you only have cabin baggage, is not easy. I’ve been trying to hone my suitcase packing skills in recent years. I wouldn’t say I’m a pro, but I don’t do too bad. Of course having a trusty travel bag that you can take on your holiday is super important too. I like backpacks because I can easily shove all of my stuff for the day inside (read: camera, snacks & phone).

However I’ve always gone towards large backpacks. These can be difficult when the airline you’re flying with only allows one cabin bag. So this year I’m swapping my big backpack, for something a bit lighter – the Mini Beauchamp by Knomo London. It has a ton of pockets, which means I can fit a whole bunch of stuff inside. It’s also small enough that no one is really going to make a fuss about you bringing it on the plane with your case. Not that I’m suggesting people ignore this rule, but a tiny backpack never did anyone any harm, right? And if you are caught out, you can always pop it inside your perfectly packed case.

2017 Travel Resolutions

So what’s in store for 2017? Well I already have plans to visit:

  • Cyprus
  • Slovenia
  • Aarhus
  • Copenhagen

and possibly:

  • Sweden
  • Norway
  • Amsterdam
  • Prague

Phew, that’s a lot. Anyone would think I’ve got the travel bug.

Keep an eye out on my travel tag for more!

travel bag travel bag
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How to Create a Hygge Home – In a Nutshell

hygge homeHow to Create a Hygge Home

What is a Hygge Home?

A home that is inviting. Not pretentious, ostentatious, or any other kind of -ious. It’s a place you can come back to and forget all your worries. It may sound silly, but it’s about creating a space where you feel safe and comfortable. Having a space where you are able to drop all of your work and social worries is tough. But I truly believe that your home can be a safe haven from this kind of stress. After a long day at work, I look forward to coming home to a hot chocolate, a comfy sofa, and some good food…with the occasional cuddle thrown in for good measure. That’s hygge.

Interiors and design obviously play a big part in this too though. If you have a home that looks good, you feel good. And no that’s not shallow or fickle. It’s scientifically proven that pretty things make us happy. They can even de-stress us! That doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy a ton of new stuff, or redecorate your entire home though. I’ve put together some some useful tips,

How to Create a Hygge Home – Tips

  • Functional, but stylish
  • Quality over quantity
  • Good food, good drink, good company
  • Craftsmanship – choose items with a story
  • Lots of plants – bring a little nature into the home
  • Lighting is very important! Keep it soft, and comfortable.
    • Yes, that means lots of candles…
  • Natural fabrics and materials
    • E.g. wood, cotton, stone, glass, wool
  • Soft furnishings
    • Go on, go buy that cosy throw you always wanted

There you have it. My how to create a hygge home…in a nutshell! This is definitely not the be all end all of guides, but it is a handy go-to for those who want to bring a little hygge into their home. Don’t forget though, it’s as much about the ‘feeling’ as any material object. And now is the perfect time of year to invite people over, and spend more time with your loved ones.

Check out the rest of my ‘How to Hygge’

Read more How to Hygge

hygge home

hygge home