I really enjoyed the last post I did like this, so I’m bringing it back for round two! It was quite a mixed bag of a week, but at least I’ll have it noted down if I ever want to look back at it in a few years.

SUNDAY

After a busy day in York yesterday, we headed home to enjoy the sunshine on our home turf. After I enjoyed a few hours in bed having a much needed nap, I played around taking a few pictures for a bit of creative play!

MONDAY

Monday was my first day back at work in over a week, so it was quite tough going, not gonna lie! But I managed to get loads done and be really productive, and then since the sun was out when I got back, I had some self-care time sitting outside reading with a vegan Magnum. It was exactly what I needed.

TUESDAY

Tuesday was another work day, but since this week I’m really trying to up my self-care, I meditated in the morning which is usually something I save for later in the day. I did really enjoy it though so maybe I should do it more often. I also did some painting after work which I haven’t done for ages, but I missed it a lot so hopefully I’ll be able to do more of that this week. I also managed to go for a run too after work and rewarded myself with dark chocolate and a hot bath afterwards, perfect.

WEDNESDAY 

Wednesday was a chilled out day at home, purely due to the fact that we were going to London that evening to stay overnight at my sisters. I spent ages that afternoon working on this photo and it ended up really well-received on Instagram, which made me happy.

THURSDAY

A London day! Mainly spent cuddling my new nephew who turned 2 weeks that very day! It was so nice to see them and spend some quality time together, and then I arrived home that evening and had the longest bath ever, and a super good sleep.

FRIDAY

London and travelling always tires me out, so I made sure I had a day at home to rest and recuperate, reunited with Harvey my best bud of course!

 SATURDAY

To be completely honest, Saturday was a bit of a day. I’m not too sure why, maybe a bit of cabin fever or over-tiredness but I felt super fed up and emotional. I managed to perk myself up a bit later on in the day and went to see my dad in the evening! I also went on my mum’s shoulder massage machine which feels INCREDIBLE! You need one, it wasn’t expensive and I think it was from Amazon.

SUNDAY

Thankfully by Sunday I was feeling much better, and I started my day with a 3k run! We headed out to see family, then went to our local pub for a drink outside, and we spent the evening in watching TV. A pretty good Sunday if you ask me!

How did your week go? Looking back I realised mine was quite cluttered, so no wonder last Monday felt like a long time ago!

I can’t believe it’s been a month since my last happy things post! I always try to do them more on the regular but sometimes life gets in the way doesn’t it? I always love writing these posts because they remind me I have so much to be grateful for.

#1 My new nephew! Of course I have to mention him right away. As your reading this I’ll be meeting him for the first time when he’s settled at home (the first time was in the hospital just after he was born). I am so excited to see him in a natural environment and see my sister as a mama. I’ve been requesting new photos every single day and I’m just lapping him up, he’s so so cute!

#2 My best friend and pup. This guy makes me smile and laugh every single day. I’m just so grateful I have him, I love him so much. Coming home to him every evening is a highlight of my day.

#3 Lush ‘Sleepy’ shower gel. This is a new discovery to me but I love the body lotion, and this addition to my bathtime routine is heavenly. Baths are a massive part of my ‘me’ and self care time, and this just makes that even better. I’m definitely going to purchase another one when this runs out!

#4 A trip to York. We spent last weekend in York, and really enjoyed it. We spent the day shopping around and enjoying the sunshine (more on that later) and had the best Indian food I’ve ever had at Mumbai Lounge for dinner. We need to go back immediately.

#5 Easter treats! Easter Eggs are the best form in chocolate in my opinion, and I love those little easter nests you get in cafes around this season too. Yum yum yum. I’m already one easter egg down but luckily I bought plenty of back-ups 😉

#6 That amazing weather we had. How glorious has this sunshine been? I’m pretty sad it isn’t going to last forever, because I honestly feel so much better and like myself when it’s nice outside. The other afternoon I sat and read outside with a vegan magnum ice-cream, and it was just what I needed.

#7 Wabi Sabi. I’ve only just started reading this book by Beth Kempton, but I’m loving it already. It’s exactly up my street and it’s really making me realise how much I need to keep prioritising time spent offline and living slower.

#8 My mooncup. A bit of a personal one which I haven’t mentioned before, but I’ve been using it for the last six months or so and I would definitely recommend one. They do take a while to get used to, so be prepared to be patient, but I totally wouldn’t go back. I’m so used to it now and I’m glad that I’m making a positive change in helping the environment.

#9 Gogglebox. Friday nights are becoming one of my favourites lately, and that’s mainly down to this programme. Me and Dan have started watching it religiously every week and it’s so funny, we love it.

#10 My new blogging routine. I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago about how I wanted to change my approach to blogging, and I’m really enjoying how it’s going at the moment. I’m not really scheduling in advance, I would like to post twice a week ideally so whenever I have an idea or something I want to chat about, I pop on and type it up to go live the next following day or so. It feels really laid back and natural, just how I like it.

What’s made you happy lately? This post has definitely ended up being a very chatty one, so I hope you liked it!

I’ve been on a massive reading kick this year, and I feel like I’ve read some really great books that I want to share with you (I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned them before but they’re good enough to harp on about again!)

The power of crystal healing

If you’re into crystals like I am, you’ll love this. It’s one I’m going to have on my bookshelf and keep dipping in and out of as and when. Filled to the brim of lots of different types of crystals and what emotion they are best used for, it’s the perfect handy guide to keep out whenever you need a pick me up and wondering what crystal you might want to get in your collection next.

Your dream life starts here

Written by the founder of Kikki K- the gorgeous stationery brand- if you are feeling a bit fed up with how your life is currently and want to dream bigger, this is the ultimate book you need! It is packed with lots of different journalling tasks, and helps you set achieveable goals (that you choose) to start working towards your dream life. After every chapter reading this I felt more positive than ever, and it’s a book I still think about regularly long after I finished it.

Eve of man

My favourite fiction book of 2019 so far, probably by a mile if I’m honest. I could not put this down and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book of the bunch later this year. A story of the first girl to be born in 50 years, it feels very Hunger Games esque, and just as good in my opinion too. If you’re interested in just picking up one of these recommendations, make it this one!

Playing big

A very popular book in the blogging world I feel, but thankfully, it lived up to the hype. This book is everything a working women needs to read. In fact, I’m pretty sure they should make it mandatory reading for girls in school, that’s how revolutionary it is. I can only imagine the amount of positive change that could happen for women. It’s a book I’d encourage every female to read, and then pass it on to your friends!

Hashtag authentic

If you’re a fellow Instagram friend, this is the book for you. Packed full of beautiful photography, thought based tasks and super helpful tips, Sara’s book is everything you need for that little app on our phones that can sometimes drive us crazy. Reading this made me remember just how simple Instagram can and should be, and how we can make it work for us, not against us. Whether you want to completely change up your grid, or just need a little bit of inspiration as to what photo to take next, this has it all covered.

The cows

I picked this one up after a recommendation online, and I’m really glad I did. It’s such an interesting read about three different women and how complex yet paralell their lives are. I totally didn’t guess the twist either which is just how I like my books to be. A great fiction read that you’ll probably not be able to put down- I certainly couldn’t!

What’s been your number one favourite read of this year so far? I would love to know!

Spring is the perfect time to clean up our old habits that aren’t serving us, and set new routines that make us feel like our best selves. Over the last few weeks or so, I’ve had a good think about what I’d like to change to my daily lifestyle, and they are (thankfully) all working really well so far.

LESS SUGAR

Ah, sugar… the thing I love a lot that doesn’t love me that much after all. Yes it tastes amazing and I feel great while I’m eating it, but afterwards, not so much! Don’t get the wrong idea here, I’m not banishing it from my diet whatsoever, I’m just trying to stick to one sweet thing a day (which is a lot less than the last recent few months). I feel so much better already after just a week, and of course I’ll be slipping up every now and again but hopefully I’ll remember just how much better I feel after I’ve cut down on it a bit.

UPPING MY SKINCARE ROUTINE

I love love love, skincare. I’m pretty proud of my skincare collection, and I take pride in looking after my skin. Over the last few weeks, I’ve upped my skincare routine, both morning and evening and I honestly notice such a difference. It probably looks the best it’s ever been, especially since I’ve added serums and hydration boosters. I find it a really relaxing part of my day, and it’s become a ritual that every week I do a sheet mask.

TRACKING MY CYCLE

I’ve downloaded the Hormone Horoscope that I forgot about years ago, and I’ve been making notes in my phone when I notice particular symptoms crop up throughout the month. I feel like by doing this I’m learning more and more about my body and how to help manage my hormones. It’s something that’s been on my mind for ages, so I’m hoping I can continue with this and learn even more.

A few things I still want to do:

• Not go on my phone before breakfast.
• Do 10,000 steps a day.
• Fall to sleep earlier.

Have you been making any positive lifestyle changes lately?

It feels like ages since I’ve sat down and chatted to you guys on here, even though it’s been barely a week! But what a week it’s been..

I turned 26 on Wednesday! Thank you if you messaged me on Instagram, it was so nice and I was so surprised by all the love on there. I had a great day and got so many amazing presents that I didn’t expect, but the best one by far was my new gorgeous nephew born in the early hours of the next day. We zipped up to London on my birthday evening and saw him the following day.

I’m obsessed with him. He’s only a few days old and I’m at home now, but I’m missing him so much already. He’s just perfection. I feel so proud of my sister that it’s quite hard to put it into words (or I’ll cry so I’ll just be quiet)

It was a crazy few days in London (especially for this home bird) so I’m just resting in this quiet time at home to recuperate a little bit. Having long baths, doing my yoga practice, meditating and reading. Plus not feeling guilty about leaving the sofa! It’s actually Dans birthday this week so I’ve booked us a surprise weekend away which will be good to spend some quality time together.

I’ve also got the week off work so I’m planning on getting back into the gym- finally, doing some stuff around the house, and I’ve got another crystal therapy session booked for this week too which I always find so beneficial. I’m currently writing this on Sunday morning where I’m hoping I’ll go for a run today, but staying in my dressing gown is rather tempting I must say. The only other thing I have on today’s agenda is to paint my nails and do a face mask- sounds pretty idyllic to me.

What’s your life been like lately?