Now that we’re in the height of summer, here’s a few ideas for those balmy summer evenings we all love.

Go for a wander, phone-free. We’re all obsessed with the internet these days (myself totally included) but sometimes it’s just so nice to ditch the phone and spend a few hours switched off. I feel like they’re the moments I’m the most present, noticing the green space outside and how lucky I am to live where I do.

Dine al fresco*

I always know it’s summer when I want to eat outside on our decking. It gives me that glorious holiday feeling, and a great way to relax after work. Thanks to the guys at J20, I now have the perfect, low sugar, low calorie drink to enjoy with my meal. The new J2o spritz comes in two flavours, pear and raspberry, and apple and watermelon. (How good do those flavours sound?) I always think it’s nice to have something a bit more exciting than water, as you know I don’t drink alcohol, and now I feel a little bit more fancier when Dan is having his usual cider.

Take your yoga outside. I’ve been doing this a lot recently and thoroughly enjoying it! Stretching with the evening sun feels oh so good, and definitely makes the best start of a relaxing evening.

Start a book club. This is actually something I really want to do with my mum and sister, I think it’d be so fun it we all read the same book every month then we can chat about it after. Plus, is there anything more relaxing then sitting outside in the sunshine reading? I don’t think so!

DIY your outside space. We recently painted our fence a pastel green, and I can’t believe how much happier it made me! Taking the time to do those small touches and putting the effort in really can transform your space into something you weren’t that fussed about, to a place you now don’t want to leave. Next up is convincing Dan that I need an egg chair (even though there probably isn’t enough room).

Have an overnight stay. A bit of a pricey one, but getting away just overnight could be just what you need, individually and as a couple. I think we’re all prone to feeling like we’re on a hamster wheel going 100mph, and it’s those little moments away where everything slows down, that gives you the momentum to keep going.

What’s your perfect way to spend a summer evening?

It’s been nearly two weeks since I posted on here (thank you for being patient with me!), and while I’m not yet quite ready to talk about why I left, today I wanted to sit down and write why I’m grateful.

Family. We are all in the midst of grief, and while at times it breaks you to your knees, we are a super close family, and together we stay strong. I feel so lucky that we all have each other and that we really care about how other people are feeling.

This weather. Guys, it is HOT. I’m eating ice-cream every single day. It is pretty glorious and I’m also horrendously sweaty, so there you go.

Podcasts. I’ve got loads of podcasts to get through on my phone, and I’m really enjoying having a massive backlog of interesting episodes that distract me and take my mind off things.

Treating myself. I’ve bought myself a few new pairs of summer shoes, and some slogan tees. Next up on my list is a whole load of new reads!

Taking it easy. Listening to myself, and knowing when too much is enough. Slowing down, and just taking it one day at a time.

Our first wedding anniversary. We’ve just got back from our overnight trip to Lincoln (would you like a post on this? Let me know and I can whip one up!) but spoiler: we loved it! I want to go back so badly.

What are you grateful for?

We are currently going through something as a family, so blog posts might be quiet on here for a while.

They also might not be. I might find comfort and distraction in blogging, but at this current moment I don’t feel like sitting down and writing from the heart.

I’m 100% sure you can understand, and I didn’t want to just gloss over this with no mention, as it’s a reality at the moment.

I’ll see you all soon x

I’m back this Monday morning with a new happy things list! Let’s dive in..

#1 My new hair cut (ironically not shown in the above picture!) I’ve had a good old 4 inches chopped off my hair and it feels so much better! I go in different phases whether I like long or short hair on me, but since it grows super fast I don’t mind switching it up every now and again. It feels super light and fresh for summer now.

#2 Good books. I’ve read some super good books lately! I’m sure I’ll mention them in a post soon so look out for that if you’re interested.

#3 Love Island podcast. If you’re obsessed with the show like I am, you need to download this immediately.

#4 Baby giggles! I made my nephew really giggle for the first time last week, and it was joy!!

#5 Ice-cream weather. I have a white chocolate Magnum the other day and it was DIVINE.

#6 Booking a trip to Lincoln for our first wedding anniversary. I’m so excited! The place we’ve booked overnight looks incredible.

#7 Spending some sister time together. She’s the best.

#8 Summer clothes. I like to wear as less clothes as possible (I have a super hot body temperate, so I’m always warm) so I’m all for summer dressing.

#9 A great weekend. I had a movie night and a takeaway with my dad on Saturday, and yesterday has just been a lovely chilled one.

#10 Gel manicures. Because to have polish on my nails that doesn’t chip for at least a week guaranteed? Yes please.

What’s made you happy lately?

This month’s goals are a little different, but we’ll get to that in a minute. First, lets recap and see how June’s went..

JUNE RECAP

Have fun! Well, June has been an unexpectedly really hard month with a lot of struggles due to family issues. Unfortunately not much fun as happened, but there has been some good days in there nonetheless.

Morning and evening meditations. I definitely did more meditation this month, but not quite morning and evening ones. For some reason this is something I always aim to do but never really manage it! It’s a shame but I have stuck to some kind of short meditation practice daily, which I’ve benefitted a lot from.

Find some new reads. I definitely did do this one! I’ve read some great books lately (I’ll share in a post soon I’m sure!) and I’ve got a big list of ones I want to read next which is exciting.

JULY GOALS

This month I’ve decided not to set myself any new goals. This is for a number of reasons, how I’m feeling at the moment with a lot going on, and another being that there isn’t anything I particually feel like aiming towards a lot in July. I’m excited to have a month off and come up with some really good ones I want to do in August, there’s no point setting luke-warm goals if you’re not passionate about them!

I’m hoping for a nice, calm and positive July, where things start to smooth out a little bit.

Do you have any goals for this month?