Lifestyle Blogger
In collaboration with Day Lewis.
In today’s crazy-fast world, it’s easy to let our health fall to the side. Between work, family life, and the daily grind, small health issues can quietly escalate into serious problems without us noticing. One of the most common—and most silent—health risks is high blood pressure. But the good news is, there are simple things you can do starting today to take back control of your well-being.
It might not seem so on the surface, but it’s quite incredible to realise just how much our home can contribute to our wellbeing and stability. That’s not to say that a tidy house should take the place of visiting a health professional should you need further help or wish to talk about an issue that’s been bothering you.
If you don’t already know that exercise is good for you, you must be living on the dark side of the moon. All the time, we hear how we should be spending at least 20 minutes a day on physical exercise. But unfortunately for many of us, exercise is simply not a priority. Many of us have busy lives, can’t find time to exercise, and, let’s face it, do not enjoy working up a sweat. Exercise is seen as boring, despite the benefits it can offer. Not only can it help you keep your weight down, but it can help fight illnesses such as diabetes and can flood your body with happy hormones, which can make you happier and stabilize your mood. Exercise is also a excellent way to
Bad lifestyle habits you should end in 2021 and how to reverse the damage
Everyone has habits that they wish they could just kick, whether it is not drinking enough water, picking at your spots, or spending too long staring at your phone screen. Me, me & me on a bad day! Of course, being inside the house all the time means that you might have spent more time than usual picking faults with yourself. What can you do to change your habits up in 2021? These skincare specific ones could leave you glowing if you take the time to kick these habits.
Have you been thinking about taking up the art of yoga? If so, you are not alone. It is currently estimated that there are incredible 300 million yoga practitioners around the world. Due to the numerous benefits associated with this lifestyle, these numbers will undoubtedly increase well into the future. I really miss my in-person yoga and pilates classes at the moment, online is not the same!
1. Prioritise and plan
Plan what you need to do and when you need to do it by and make time for yourself to do them! Simples. If you know you need a day for wrapping your presents, plan it in and make sure no-one gets in your way. Pop it in your calendar and ensure that you won’t have any distractions.
Then, prioritise who you want to see during the Christmas period and what you want to do together. Making plans ensures you’re not going out for cocktails three nights running one week and then having three chilled evenings in the week after, balance is the key to not getting burnt out and that all comes from good planning.
2. Stay in…
Double up what you need to do and socialising and you’re totally killing two birds with one stone too. Invite your best friends round for a present wrapping party with Prosecco and snacks and then reward yourselves with a gift exchange or a festive film afterwards. Having a pyjama party is a super cute way to see your friends over the festive period. You could even use this as your gift to your friends by buying them all a pair of cute PJs and putting on a spread!
These amazing sheepskin slippers from Celtic & Co were gifted and are the pebble Knitted Mules. These would make the perfect treat Christmas gift for anyone – they’re so comfortable and incredibly warm. I’ve actually never had a pair of proper sheepskin slippers before and I didn’t realise how warm they would be. They’re also made in Britain from natural fibres that are completely renewable, sustainable and a pleasure to wear and they’re super durable and lightweight. Celtic & Co are a great brand that are making waves in the slow fashion space. Read more about them here.
This is the one that’ll make you laugh but also think a little bit. Ian Stirling is the voiceover guy from Love Island but he’s also a super funny comedian in his own right. He writes all of the voiceovers for Love Island and I think he’s hilarious on that. This podcast is to support his book of the same name and he just chats to his friends, fellow comedians, ex Love Island contestant including Olivia Buckland (who came across SO well, I thought) and even his mum. They’re great listens that are about an hour long so pop them on if you’ve got a long journey and you’ll be there in no time.
2. Anna Newton & Lily Pebbles – At Home With…
I absolutely loved the first series of this podcast where two of my favourite bloggers visited some amazing people in beauty, fashion, the blogging world, everything! And, now they’ve brought it back for a second series and it’s just so interesting to hear people’s business journeys, opinions on career choices, family life, favourite nail colours – so many things. They cover everything that’s serious and thoughtful to trivial and just as important.
A couple of my favourites from last season were Georgie Cleeve, the founder of OSKIA skincare, it was incredible to hear how the brand came about and why she believes it’s so fab, I also loved Alexia Inge, founder of Cult Beauty and legendary Lisa Eldridge. In this series they’re chatting to Thea Green, the creator of Nails Inc – she is so inspiring and also Erica Davies, the incredible interiors and style blogger. These ladies are just amazing and I love to hear them chat about everything from how they got to where they are in their careers to why they chose that colour of paint for their walls.
3. Badass Women’s Hour
The Badass Women’s Hour is a radio show but also a podcast and they talk about so much. I’ve got a tonne of these to get through but from the few that I’ve listened to I love how they cover things that you would never know about or never find out about yourself. From vaginal cancer (there are how many types?!) to visiting to doctor and going plastic free, micro-cheating and estate agency fees – they cover so much on this that I find it really educating and eye opening. This is the one I listen to if I feel like I need to be a grown up that day.
4. Grazia Life Advice
I love advice and hearing what other people would do in certain situations and what they have done. Basically, life experience is really interesting to me and this podcast covers a load of different people and their best pieces of life advice they’ve ever been given. My favourites are Alice Liveing and Gemma Cairney as they’re both such lovely women and have some really great advice. Give it a listen if you feel like you need a little fire to give you some support!
5. Jo Elvin & James Williams – Is It Just Me?
1. Beauty deliveries
Products arriving on my doorstep almost always make me happy because who doesn’t love the treat of a new lipstick or mascara? This month I was sent the Cohorted Beauty Box and it was packed with gorgeous products from Doucce (prounounced Doh-Seh), a brand that I hadn’t heard of before but I’m super impressed from first impressions of the products. They’re a New York brand with a French name that means soft and elegant. It’s all about having Parisian elegance with a New York attitude which is pretty cool. In the beautiful box was their Freematic Combo Pro Palette with 4 eyeshadows, two blush and a highlighter which is gorgeous. And, this palette is weighty, let me tell you! Plus, it came with cute little covers for all of the shades in it to keep the mirror clean which is smart. There was also a matte lipstick, a liquid eyeliner pen, mascara, lip liner and eyebrow pencil. I’ve shared all of the products on my Instagram stories and saved it as a Highlight if you fancy checking out what else was in the box. I’ll also be posting the makeup look I create with these products on Insta too so stay tuned there!
Aaaand, If you use the code #COHORTEDGIFTME first time subscribers receive a free Huda Beauty lip strobe in shade angelic RRP £17.00 with their first box! Pretty sweet. These boxes are the most luxurious beauty boxes I’ve seen. Birchbox and Glossybox are cute but this one is seriously grown up, minimalist packaging, no gimmicks – just great products.
2. Reading a magazine
Just a little luxury that I’ve been trying to use as relaxation instead of scrolling through Insta, because, let’s face it, that’s not really that relaxing a lot of the time. Women’s Health is always interesting to me and I love their recipes, I’ve already made the sweet potato falafels from this issue and they were delicious! What do you do when you don’t want to go on your phone? I love to read whatever book I’ve got out of the library at the moment, a magazine or try and concentrate on a series on Amazon Prime.
3. Glowing skin
Following on from beauty deliveries is a new brand that I’ve recently tried. Erborian is a brand that I’ve spotted in magazines and online over the years but I’ve never tried so I’d love to get to know these guys better after trialling their Bamboo Glow Dewy Effect Cream. This is a 2 in 1 moisturiser and primer and it gives awesome glow. I’ve also used it as just a highlighter over makeup to give a little extra life to my face when I’ve been travelling on trains for work and generally bobbing about the country! I love the feel of this on the skin because it sinks straight in and doesn’t feel heavy or too glittery or shiny. I also love that it’s a moisturiser and a primer in one because it saves me taking two products when I travel.
4. Nice pants
Let’s be honest, when you’ve got matching bra and pants on you feel like you’ve got your shit together and I’ve been putting off getting some new underwear for a while. Because, I want nice pants but it’s just not something I like to splurge that much on. I’m usually a M&S basics gal and that suits my minimalist mind just fine. When Beija London got in touch I thought their products looks so gorgeous. Still minimalist and simple without being fussy and lacy and blah like a lot of ‘nice’ underwear. And, I love their system of having three types of bra (the X is unpadded, the Y is a little bit padded and wired for B-D cups and the Z is a fully supportive bra for DD+) and then different styles.
I went for the Y Bra in the For Keeps Style and the For Keeps brief. The Y bra has a half pad is wired and has a teeny 3mm of foam in the bottom cup. I love the silver hardware and the fact that it also has a J hook that adapts the straps to make a racer back – so handy! These are perfect for me as they’re fancy, well made and luxurious but I don’t feel like I’ve walked out of Ann Summers – that’s just not my style. Whatcha, waiting for? Treat yourself!
5. My cute new bag
I’ve been after a straw or basket bag for ages after obviously seeing them take over Insta-style recently. They just give any outfit a little summery update and I love that. I like the tiny circular basket ones and the handheld ones but they’re just not practical for me. I’ve learnt over the years not to just buy something because I think it’s cute on Instagram. I now think about whether I’m actually going to use it in my daily life and I settled on the Miss Selfridge Natural Circle Tote Bag because it’s got those summery vibes but it’s a great size and I can use it everyday for work and not just have to save it for the weekends! I have already spilled strawberry and blueberry juice on it though so I wouldn’t recommend carrying your berries in it unless they’re in a clip lock tub. Oops.
This post contains gifted items and affiliate links.
Finally, actually chilling out and relaxing out max is becoming something that people are accepting and realising that they need. I think there was a time, perhaps late 90 mid 2010s when it was trendy to be a stressed, crazy business woman and unbelievably successful – no matter the cost. Health, family life, mental wellbeing – no-one really cared about losing these if you were running around with a French manicure and a flip phone being important AF. Obviously this was an awesome time for women in business when things were becoming more gender equal but at the cost of what? I think things are levelling out and we’re all getting a bit of work-life balance back, even if we have busy and incredible jobs. At the end of the day, for a lot of us, our jobs aren’t *that* important – I mean for me and my friends, as amazing as it is to deliver amazing results if you don’t, it’s actually OK – nobody dies.
Whether it’s taking time out for yourself to practice yoga, getting your girls together for spa experience days or simply having a bath with those fancy oils you’ve been saving for something special – we’re chilling out and appreciating that we work damn hard. This post has been in collaboration with Champneys Spa and these guys would definitely know out of everyone how to really relax and encourage wellbeing. Champneys core belief is that beauty and wellbeing are much more than skin deep and come from the nourishment of the mind, body, and soul. I definitely believe in the holistic way of looking at wellbeing, you should have it all. Why can’t we?
According to a survey that Champneys conducted that was featured in Metro, 43% percent of women have a spa break or girly weekend with their friends planned for the coming year which is amazing. We should all be taking more time to chill out with our friends. Obviously spa days cost money but if you can afford it or save up for it as a real treat, you’ll enjoy it so much.
Apparently, when it comes to exciting activities, women are keen to spend time with their friends rather than their other halves. What do you think? Would you rather have a spa day with bae or your besties? I really wouldn’t mind either way – I think it depends what the end goal is for you. If you want a full day of gossip and laughs then your besties are probably the one but if it’s having time away from the stress of everyday life with the person you love most in the world, that’s amazing too! Either way, it’s all about relaxing and generally letting yourself be happy and healthy. Basically this post is all about realising that it’s OK to stress but it’s also OK to give in to your stress and take time out when you need it. Drink that wine, have that bath and watch your crap TV if you want to. If that’s relaxing – that’s what you need!
Self-care is getting so much air time these days and it’s so great that it is. We’re all starting to realise how great it is to treat yourself, be Hygge at home, chill out, relax, stop beating ourselves up about eating chocolate biscuits and just generally be nice to ourselves. It’s all about relaxing, your wellbeing, your health, sleep quality, the list goes on. But, at the end of the day it’s all things that we should care SO much about but in this crazy modern age (lol how old am I?), we can forget about because we’re just “too busy”. Here are four of the ways that I’m trying to use to look after myself a little bit more. After all, we only gots one body and one mind, guys, might as well treat them right!
1. Switch off earlier
Instead of spending half an hour scrolling, online shopping or looking on Instagram making myself feel like crap, my New Years’ resolution is to read more before I go to sleep. This is really helping me sleep and generally chill out more. If you follow me on Instagram and check out my stories you would have seen that took a little trip to the library last week because I wanted to get some books to read in bed as well as my 3 books I’m reading this January. I love a fluffy fiction book and I didn’t have a ‘story’ book to read alongside the other babes that I’m wanting to read this month so I popped and picked up some chick lit from the library. I love to read but I don’t like to hoard books and sometimes I prefer to read an actual book as opposed to on my iPad so the library is perfect! Free books!
I have no shame in admitting that the books I love to read are chick-lit, funny, romantic, generally with shoes on the cover and just plain simple. They make me happy and I genuinely find them to be page turners! Jill Mansell is one of my favourite authors and her books are fantastic. I’m currently on My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella so if you’ve read this and you liked it, pop over your recommendations!
2. Create a relaxing atmosphere
I’ve become a *little* bit obsessed with scented candles, room sprays, pillow sprays – you name it. I just love when my space smells amazing and just feels cosy. I love scatter cushions and my faux fur throw (hands down best gift my Mamma’s ever bought me!). I just want to be snuggly and relaxed, is that too much to ask? I’ve been loving the WoodWick candles that crackle as they burn as I received a lovely cinnamon one when I left my last job and I’ve just got my first Yankee Candle and it’s also awesome. Neom Organics have gorgeous candles with scents to make you Happy or De-Stressed. 95% of people that they surveyed felt calmer and less stressed after lighting this candle which sounds perfect to me. Neom are a gorgeous brand that are caring to skin but their products also help to combat poor sleep, stress, low energy. Basically, every issue that us Millennials (lollll) are dealing with weekly! I really want to try their Perfect Night’s Sleep 3 Step Programme – it looks awesome!
Grey faux fur throw – Dunelm Natural bear faux fur throw – Dunelm
3. Eat yourself happy
Self-care is all about looking after your body as well as your mind. As much as it’s about not beating yourself up when you want to devour that gooey brownie, it’s also about nourishing your body with what it needs. We’ve always been healthy eaters but we also love a treat so I think we’ve got a good balance! We recently picked up Jamie Oliver’s new 5 ingredient meals book and it’s packed full of delicious looking recipes so I’m looking forward to cracking some of those out soon. Fitness wise, I’ve got back into working out and I’m using the Kayla Itsines SWEAT app for my workouts at the moment which has some great recipes in it too. I’m enjoying the whole home workout life for once, I’ve never really been a fan but I think the SWEAT app is really good. It does all your timings for you, shows you a video of the movement – everything. It’s so easy and only takes half an hour.
4. Make life easier for yourself
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