Pampas and Pearls

“Your mindset is everything. It shapes your world and your reality. Choose wisely.”   - unknown  I’ve often found that suiting your mindset is necessary. It can take you from insecure to a bad b*tch!  I’ll share some of my own examples of when I needed to shift my mindset and how it affected me. • Waking up exhausted: often I would find myself feeling exhausted the moment I woke up. And the first thing I would say was ‘I am exhausted’ and I would find that I felt low and groggy all day. Then I began to tell myself ‘I am not tired, I am ready to face the challenges of the day’. When I did this, my day was more productive, I got through so many tasks and errands. I also got any exercise done then too! I no longer felt exhausted but rather looked forward to the day.  • Travelling to work: when I first started at my job, I had so much travel anxiety because some days it took me 2 hours and some it took me just over an hour to get to work. I would panic as soon as something went wrong in my

Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.” — Princess Diana Top tips and how to guides are all good and well but we often need a personal perspective to see what actually works and what doesn't. Setting time aside to practice self-care and wellness is easier said/typed than done and I know that from personal experience.  Seeing titles like 'simple self-care' or 'quick and easy' often give us a false sense of security or we scoff at it knowing how busy our own lives can be so here are some practical ways that I add self-care and wellness into my weekly routine.  My selfcare often begins on a Friday...  Part One: I head to my nans and spend time with her. After loosing my grandad in 2021 I have found spending more time with her helps me feel closer to him but also means she isn't on her own. We all have a takeaway and chill after a long week, ready for the weekend! Part Two: Now this is a Saturday. I cal

“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”  - Winston Churchill  I am someone that has always had a routine. I don’t enjoy much change and I prefer life to go the same way as my plans. This year I don’t want to live like that. I want to expect the unexpected. I want to live a life of excitement and adventures!  So here are some things that I’m changing this year to make space for fun. • Saying no: I used to be the type of person to cancel plans the day before and then I would regret it. Now I want to be the person who says yes and means it. So far I’ve found that the busier my life is with work and fun, I am really able to enjoy time out with my friends. It helps me let off steam! So this year I don’t want to say no as much as I used to. Of course rest is important too but I want this year to be filled with connection and enjoyment.  • Embracing alone time: I’ve always loved spending time with myself but definitely took it for granted. Now with a busier lifestyle I do

 The weather is most certainly cold with snow on its way and the temperature not pushing above 3 degrees. The cold weather often comes with some blustery spells. These things play havoc with our skin, especially our faces.  With this in mind we need to take extra care and attention to our skin and here are a few tips on how to do that: Stay hydrated : Drinking plenty of water is one way to protect our skin from the harsh weather. This will hydrate the skin from the inside. Adding water into our daily routine is often more difficult than we first think. But keep going, increase it slowly... Wrap up warm : Now I am sure you would be doing this anyway, but any way to project you skin, especially your face, from the harsh cold and wind the better. Pull that scarf up a little higher and that hat a little lower... Cover those brows and keep yourself warm! Moisturise : Additional moisture in your skill is always a good thing and adding that little extra self care into your evening and morning

"For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned." - Benjamin Franklin If you know me you’d know that sometimes my schedule is chaotic and I don’t get the chance to write things in my diary until after I’ve attended an event. This system makes no sense to me honestly. But sometimes life just catches up so fast that I feel like I don’t get to organise it. Here are some things I do to keep my life tame and organised.  • Keeping a diary: In my diary I write all my events coming up. I also have a checklist for everyday tasks such as washing the dishes or working on a blog post. I make it fun by adding in ‘Best thing that happened to me today’ this enforces a positive mindset on my day as I am able to think on all the good things of the day. This also allows me to look forward to the next day. • Making plans 2 weeks ahead or more: Not only does this prep me but I am able to schedule any needed time of rest before a busy week. It’s great connecting with friends but making t

"Anxiety is something that is part of me but it’s not who I am." – Emma Stone Each new year comes with anxiety, for me especially a new year reminds me of everyone I've lost and experiences I've left behind and sometimes it takes a moment for me to bounce back and remember all the good things I have.  For many people the notion of something new, a change, can be very triggering and while this post could focus on all the things I'm anxious about for the next year that wouldn't make a great uplifting post. So instead I am going to tell you all the ways I have developed for coping with this anxiety.  New Year new methods....where shall I begin... These might seem simple but honestly they can be more difficult and emotion than first expected. Emotions can take over us in moments of anxiety, so finding your own methods of coping are critical.  Use the steps above to get you started, maybe take a moment before bed to reflect on the anxieties you feel at that current

"Every year you make a resolution to change yourself. This year make a resolution to be yourself."  - Unknown  2024 has just begun and I can already see people trying to reinvent themselves. Starting new diets, exercising, change in fashion etc. Honestly it makes me feel pressured to need to change myself as well.  I often hear people say "I need to stop eating chocolates this year" or "I need to lose weight this year".  The need to reinvent yourself can be strong. But just because it’s a new year, does it really mean you have to become new?  Rather than becoming "new", we could say “enhancing” or "reinventing" ourselves. Bettering ourselves and overall growing and seeing some changes in yourself. Yes that can still be done by starting a new diet, exercising and changing up your style. But it can also be done by learning new things.  Adding to your life instead of restricting yourself. Now I’m not going to make a list of things you can

 "Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering 'it will be happier'."- Alfred Lord Tennyson  New year is often a time for a 'new me' mentality and often we go big. I'm going to lose weight this year, or I'm going to stop drinking. Now while these are completely fantastic goals they are also the ones that we find the hardest to maintain and often give up on.  Breaking these resolutions down into small more manageable ones give us a higher chance of achieving them and feeling good in ourselves which will ultimately improve our wellness both physically and mentally.   If we take the 'lose weight' resolution as an example we can break this down into smaller steps and give ourselves a better mind set.  1. Drinking more water- this would be a fantastic start to this resolution as water is one of the best things we can put into our body.  2. Adding more fruit and vegetables into your meals- Fruit and veg allow us to be more healthy a

"I wish you have 365 days of never-ending joy in 2024." It’s crazy to think we made to 2024. But we made it, YOU MADE IT!  I know 2023 was not an easy year but I’m sure it was filled with lots of lessons.  For me, it was the first time I lost someone from my family, my lovely Grandmother. But it was also a year I experienced so much growth. I was given the chance to start on this blogging journey. My friendships grew deeper and stronger. I also realised as an introvert I crave connection. I’m sure there are many things you can think of that put you on the path you’re on! How did 2023 treat you? Now looking forward, I’m so excited about the journey that 2024 will be. New Year, New You? Wishing you all a prosperous, healthy and productive 2024! Love & Kisses, Imaan and Katie xxxx