10 ways to be the happiest you have ever been

Sometimes I (and many other bloggers) write posts that they have no authority on. Beauty bloggers who have never trained in anything to do with beauty are suddenly explaining why painting coconut oil on your skin will change your life or fashion bloggers sit around in sweatpants with a law degree tapping away on the importance of smartening up your wardrobe. It can be frustrating sometimes for those who have trained heavily in their field to read. I was speaking with a professionally trained make up artist on the weekend and she was venting her frustrations at the fact that so many beauty bloggers are pushing things that may have worked for them but how skincare and beauty is so unique to each person. Someone else's perfect skin saviour may wreak havoc with yours or the perfect lipstick shade may make you look washed out. I think the reason we all become so fascinated with these men and women giving us advice is that you feel as though you are getting insider tricks. I know that when my friend tells me about a little bistro that opened up on the corner or about this new highlighter that makes her look like a filter, I personally love it. We spend so much time asking people 'wow you look so good how did you get in shape?' or 'where is that coat from?' and blogging invites the world into an individual's tricks and tips. I think my best posts have come from when a lot of friends have asked me for my tips on something and I have thought I'll do a little post. However, just because something works well for me it doesn't mean it will work for anyone else and there are so many topics I love to discuss that I am by no means an expert in. I wanted to write a small disclaimer that happiness is one of those topics for me. I have no authority on this subject. I have been very, very happy and I have been very, very sad. However, these are some things that work for me, I hope they may help someone else too.

1. Hey Sweaty 

So my number one and probably the one that will get the most eye rolls is exercise. This for me was the most intolerable and inexplicable way to get happy until January this year. I finally for once in my life actually stuck to my new years resolution and I am now officially one of those annoying people who love exercise. So unlike the way I would cringe when my year 7 boyfriend used to text me hey sweaty because he couldn't spell sweetie, this kind of sweaty is the best kind. The endorphins you get from exercise are undeniably the best shortcut to happiness. I know it might feel painful and like you are dying but there is nothing like the feeling you get from a hardcore workout. I think I'm going to do a separate post on how I forced myself into exercise but for now just trust me and give it a go- it's scientifically proven!

2. Embrace your inner Bookworm 

I have a very weird relationship with reading. I absolutely love it but I rarely find the time for it and when I do I finish the book in two seconds flat. There is nothing that can transport me away from my worries more than getting involved in a really good bit of fiction. When you're reading about whatever traumatic events are plaguing the main character it tends to put your own worries into perspective. Plus, it's a great way to digital detox a little. If you're not into fiction, my other favourite thing to do is to read cook books and salivate over the recipes or a self help book. I personally recommend Chrissy Teigen's book Cravings or Melody Beattie's Letting Go... Very different topics but the perfect non-fiction for feeling a little happier nonetheless.

3. Pig out

I have a theory that there are two types of people in the world. Choc lovers and the crisp compadres (not 100% sure what that word means but alliteration). I very firmly am a believer in the importance of both food groups but I am a choc lover. Whatever your poison, even if you are a clean eating machine, grabbing a big bag o' tortilla chips and some dip or a giant Dairy Milk can greatly improve anyone's day. You know that scene in No Strings Attached with Natalie Portman eating donuts and listening to Bleeding Love? Yeah sometimes you need to just delve into a bag of whatever your poison is and have a good cry. It's cathartic.

4. Just Breathe

Calming your breath is probably the most important life skill for anyone who gets anxiety. After a traumatic experience in 2015 I used to suffer quite badly from panic attacks. Whilst there is little in life that is as annoying as someone telling you to 'just breathe' it really was life changing learning this skill. Anxieties.com has a really simple three step for calming breathing:

1. Take a long, slow breath in through your nose, first filling your lower lungs, then your upper lungs.(I always literally imagine this happening so you want to first fill your chest and then your stomach.)
2. Hold your breath to the count of three.
3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips, while you relax the muscles in your face, jaw, shoulders, and stomach. (This should definitely be a loud breath out)

5. Positive Affirmations

As silly as you may feel just repeating to yourself something as simple as 'I am happy' or 'I am so grateful' can do wonders for your mood. It is literally according to science. Positive affirmations create positive connections between nerves in your brain. When you think positive thoughts, your brain releases chemicals related to those positive emotions. The same happens when you think negative thoughts.

6. Netflix and chill out

I feel like no explanation needed. Binge watching a classic improves your mood. Even the Gilmore Girls theme tune improves my mood.

7. Soak away that negativity 

I recently took a meeting at work on positivity and one of the questions I asked everyone was what are you most looking forward to this week. One of my colleagues answered 'having a bath' and whilst we all had a good laugh, it is true. Having a bath with a bath oil and candles and maybe a book/ wine is pretty unbeatable for improving your mood. Soak away those negative feelings a la Chandler (if you don't get that reference, we can't be friends).

8. Drink your feelings 

Whether it's a cup of tea or a glass of wine that makes you feel better it's all acceptable. I switch by season, in Winter it's a hot cuppa and in Summer it's a cold rose.

9. A little retail therapy 

It's called therapy for a reason. Is there anything more satisfying than taking a new dress out of a shiny bag and unfolding the crispy tissue paper. And hey if you spend enough, complaining about being poor might take your mind off your other worries and at least you can do so stylishly.

10. People (furry and otherwise)

Sometimes picking up the phone and being around people is exactly what you need and if you just want to be alone then pick someone furry because no one is sad when they're with a dog.

All images taken from Pinterest and not my own 

The day I nearly died at Barry’s Bootcamp… Fine I’m being dramatic

Last week I was signed up to ‘the best workout in the world’ by a 'friend'- I joke, I still love her kind of. My plan to attend Barry’s Bootcamp was met with ‘that’s just for athletes and personal trainers’ and ‘my friend threw up and hid in the toilet until the end’ from colleagues- lovely, very reassuring. The day before D day or should I say B day the panic really set in and I began frantically googling exactly what to expect, what should I eat? What should I wear? Should I have trained for this? The website didn’t really ease my fear with promises of being pushed to my limits and burning up to 1000 calories. I felt sick and shaky thinking about it all day. Google had told me to drink lots of water and eat bananas so that’s what I did (amongst other various unnecessary carb loading). Please bear in mind my fitness level is pretty much at I can jog for 20 seconds and then I get a stitch. Each day has a different focus at Barry’s, Tuesday was legs and bums. I was quite reassured by this, they can’t make you work out your legs that hard if you have to run on them right? Oh I was not right.

So finally the time arrived. From the minute I walked in through the doors, which by the way themselves are pretty scary- it’s like walking into a dungeon aptly labelled with the sign ‘down to hell so you look like heaven’. Well whilst I want to look like a goddess, I am absolutely not ready for hell just yet. On arrival at the reception desk I couldn’t help blurting out to everyone in earshot just how much of a beginner I was in the hope they would go easy on me. We checked in and I grabbed my towel and loaded up on deodorant and extra hair pins. My instructor invited the newbies in for a quick induction, he asked if I was okay I replied honestly ‘no I am not’. He explained how to get on and off the treadmill safely, even made us turn it to 0.5 and go for a little very, very slow walk whilst he was talking. I started to panic about the valuable fitness and energy he was expending on my behalf and did my best to turn it off again as soon as possible. He didn’t look very impressed with me so far.

When you sign in you are awarded a number which corresponds to the floor space and treadmill you will be on. Ever the non-dramatic optimist, I took my place murmuring to my friend I can’t believe I’m here I can’t do this over and over again. We were told to pick up various weights ‘5kg for ladies’ I picked up the 3kg. I looked around the room, trying my best to decipher who in here could possibly be as unfit as me- my allies. No one looked back at me, staring ahead into the highly flattering mirrors and concentrating on what lay ahead for us. The red lights shine, a colour associated with danger. I thought to myself ‘perhaps my rush of adrenaline and fear will make me into an athlete... I mean they do say people suddenly can climb a tree or whatever if there’s a bear around right?’ I started on the floor which I was rather happy about, I could suss out the treadmills before actually having to get on one. Wrong again, I would be crawling to the treadmill. 

The music started blaring and the instructor expertly organised the ‘tredders’ and floor. Tredders were running at some horrifying speed and we were doing weighted squats. It had started, there was no getting out now. The door swung shut. This was my prison for the next hour. The class is basically made up of 15 minutes on the floor, 15 minutes tread and then switching (although I have heard rumours of something called a dirty thirty). I started out with a few weighted squats and other various kicky things I don’t know the name of. I was feeling ok and sort of thinking I didn’t know what the fuss was all about. Then we started the 2 minutes of jump squats. My legs turned to jelly, my heart was bouncing about in my chest and I had that awful breath caught in your chest feeling that I got during the bleep test at school. Ummm I’m a celebrity get me out of here? We then got told to ‘recover’. Great I thought just what I need, nice little swig of water, maybe a shoulder rub, meditation? I looked over at my friend who was heading over to her sweat drenched numbered treadmill. He hadn’t just said recover at all, he had said RE cover and that meant switch with my poor out of breath treadmill counterpart. They looked relieved, I most definitely was not.

The running options are shouted out to you in different numbers 7, 8, 9 type vibes meaning beginners run at 7, intermediate 8, superhuman 9. I ran at 4.8 and it killed me. But, I didn’t get in trouble and I did go up a little when I was told to and I was dripping in sweat, couldn’t feel my legs, felt like I might pass out and at my maximum. Thankfully, I think when they see this they just think ‘poor unfit soul’ and recognise you’re doing your best. With every ‘re cover’ I thought I can’t go on, but I also did. On my final run when I was told to give it everything I had I managed to get up to 7. I did the cool down with the lights on lying back on my treadmill. I looked up at the ceiling as if it was the night sky, feeling rather profound I thought to myself I actually did it. I hobbled out and booked myself into the same class next week. I sat on the tube home sweating into my coat wondering why I felt the need to torture myself again on some weird euphoric high.

Little update: My second class went a lot better, I still feel the fear but cutting out the unknown made it a lot more of an enjoyable experience and hey who knows I might finally get fit. 

My favourite healthy week night recipe

I have one really bad habit. Okay, I have many but there is a particular one I am referring to. So it all begins rather innocently, in fact I eat like the next Twiggy all day; nut nibbling and carrot crunching galore- seriously! But then 7pm strikes, I bundle in through my front door, head straight for this odd oversized cupboard my mum refers to as the breakfast pantry and stick my sugar craving hands straight into a box of cereal. When I’m done with this I’ll grab a spoon swirl it with peanut butter and stuff my little mouth with every Ryvita, and funny dairy-free fad product I can get my hands on. Then once I’ve showered and changed into my comfies, I come down for dinner, I’ll always have seconds. This is immediately followed by a cup of tea- mint because obviously I’m not going to waste my precious calories on milk blegh! But I don’t mind a side of chocolate digestives- the thins though (you can eat more biscuits for the same number of calories and my simple brain is easily tricked into rather quite liking that).

They do say the first step to recovery is recognition and acceptance. Well, I recognise and accept I’m a big fat pig in the evenings. Whilst most things I eat are healthy they are eaten in unhealthy quantities. So I have been working on either:

• a)       Exercising in the evening – not my preferred method
• b)      Eating as soon as I come in so as not to have several ‘rounds’
• c)       Ignoring my own advice and shovelling it all in anyway
• d)      Making much more filling, healthy but easy dinners that I actually look forward to (all day actually)

So I thought I would share my current favourite easy but filling and delish week night recipe.

Mexican buddha bowl

Ingredients

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Black pinto beans

Salad tomatoes

1 packet of microwaveable brown rice

Paprika

Coriander

For the sweetcorn

I use the vegan violife prosociano because I think it tastes like Mexican queso (cotija) and I like to not eat too much dairy during the week for hormonal reasons but you can also use parmesan

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the guacamole

1 ripe avocado

1 tbsp olive oil

½ Lime Juice

¼ finely slice onion

Salt and pepper to taste

-          Thoroughly rinse the black pinto beans with water in a sieve then season

-          Cook the rice as per instructions

-          Arrange lettuce in a big serving bowl

-          Slice salad tomatoes and throw them into the bowl too

-          Microwave the sweetcorn and ingredients for 45sec on max

-          Arrange pinto beans in a bowl and the rice

-          Sprinkle paprika across the rice

-          Mash the avocado, mix with the other ingredients and place in the bowl

-          Add in your sweetcorn, top with coriander, and a big dollop of yogurt or cheese if you like!

S

Holiday Gift Guide for extra taste on basic budgets

It’s no secret to anyone- and I mean anyone- who knows me that I have a real life hardcore probably need therapy shopping addiction. No book has ever spoken to me as much as Confessions of a Shopaholic did and that is a pretty sad feat. It is also no secret to anyone that I LOVE a bargain. I am rather well known around the office as Queen of the sample sales we hold- a title very well earned. These two little not-so-secret secrets about me lead in very well to two of the great loves of my life (after my dog obviously): TK Maxx and Home Sense. As you will have seen in this little post here.

I normally rifle through the rails in my local TK Maxx or special mention to during jury duty when I discovered a whole new joy that was the Wood Green branch and nearly missed the court time. I run around the near empty store frantically pulling out J brand jeans and Acne jackets like a mad woman as if someone is going to prise them from my fingers (Monica from Friends wedding dress shopping style). The constant pangs of anxiety that I will miss out like the one time they had silk Olivia Von Halle pajamas or the perfect Stella Mccartney jacket in just my size did make me wonder if this rather stress inducing process was possible online. Whilst I do love the rush of camping outside shops circa 1996 Black Friday scenes, purchasing online would be a lot easier and adhere much more easily to the time constraints of being a full time working girl. 

I had a little peruse online and to my delight although limited, it was almost as exciting seeing the highly discounted designer goods online. Club Monaco, one of my all time favourite but astronomically priced brands had about 20 items online at 60% off the original price. And so I decided to do my little holiday gift round up this year solely through TK Maxx. I do hope you find it useful- I’ll race you to the checkout basket!

For Mums

A Jo Malone-esque holiday candle, a ceramic vase, a stella mccartney bag, cashmere club monaco cardi and a coffee table book on Grace Coddington

For your Sister

Just sheepskin slippers, coconut oil hair mask, Nars lipgloss, Maria Black earrings, flamingo and palm tree notepad and the original Stella Mccartney chain bag

For Dads

Some Soho pajamas, a Duchamp wash bag, a Jaeger scarf, Newgate watch and a formula one coffee table book

For your best friend

Some freshwater pearl hoops, a Phaidon coffee table book, peppermint popcorn holiday candle jar, some illamasqua bronzer

For your boyfriend

Some Krosno beer glasses, The Kooples scarf, wireless headphones, a hugo boss leather papers holder and a Los Angeles coffee table book. 

For your Grandparents

Italian panettone, Miller Harris fragrance and some waterford crystal champagne flutes. 

This post is not sponsored in anyway I just really, really love TK Maxx… 

The Weekly Happy Edit

   










Have you ever flicked through the Daily Mail app or switched on Sky news and thought oh my god when will they put on some good news?!

Well your wish is my command, you can now hop over here once a week for the weekly happy edit of the 5 things that you need to know that week.

1. Snow leopards are no longer endangered

Their classification has now been increased to vulnerable, whilst this is still sad the improvement is great news! If we keep up the good conservation work we should have these cute little kitties around for a long time.

2. A millionaire took in 70 kids displaced by Hurricane Irma

And in even better news for the kids the $30 million house boasts a game room with pool, air hockey and arcade games, and a Star Trek-themed home theatre.

3. Young boy saves 5 lives

8 year old Steffan of New Quay has rescued 5 stranded tourists via kayak in the space of two days- plus he's so cute! 

Jury duty: How to Elle Woods

A pink letter arriving through the door meant that I had been summoned to court. I had been summoned to perform my civic duty. I am sure I am one of the few to admit to this but for me, this was the moment I had been waiting for. The moment that I would fulfil all my crime novel based dreams and get the ins and outs of a true criminal case without the slurs of the daily mail to accompany them.

My first two panics that were not gracefully greeted in the jury welcome pack were what do I wear and what do I bring? After careful consideration, I opted for black chiffon culottes and a grey tee with black leather slip ons and a bag big enough to fit in the jury summons letter, books, my laptop, endless snacks and some toiletries. This turned out to be appropriate. Most people do opt for smart casual although this proved difficult when we suffered a heat wave in the second week.

As you walk in through tight security measures you join around 100 other jurors in a jury waiting room reminiscent of an airport. After tales of days and weeks of waiting around I was not comforted by the girl next to me informing me she was on her second week and still no trial. Wifi was £10 a day which seemed a harsh way to make money from the already disgruntled people desperate not to fall too far behind in their jobs. After around 20 minutes of reading my book the first set of jurors were called and to my surprise, my name was called. Around 20 of us headed down to court, it was smaller than I imagined but all the same the wigs and general atmosphere did not disappoint.

The whole process was very quick and before I knew it I was being sworn in with around 8 other jurors being sent away. They give the defence an opportunity to essentially ‘veto’ any jurors so they keep 8 extra on standby. Pretty quickly, the case was underway. We had several bumps in the road or court disruptions which meant we were sat around waiting but we never knew when this would be and it was never long enough to get anything substantial done. The case fascinated my fellow jurors and I. We were left confused right up until the very end. It went on for 2 weeks and 1 day, the final day being our prolonged deliberations.

What to bring?

A book

Headphones

Any work bits

Hand sanitiser

A jumper

Pen and paper

Any toiletries to freshen up

Your jury summons

What to wear?

Karen Millen, on sale

Smart casual

Layer up and wear comfortable clothes for sitting for long periods of time.

What to expect?

I do not think it would be a stretch by any means to say I found the experience completely outlook altering. Nothing can prepare you for the amount of responsibility you will feel when you are holding someone’s life in your hands. Your decision and the decision of your fellow jurors quite literal changes another person’s life. None of you are qualified for the job in the way a judge is and yet you have the power to adhere to your judgements and morals and make a decision. I had the incredibly difficult feat of being the only person on my jury to feel the way that I did. I had to stand my ground and trust my own instincts whilst under pressure. Learning about crime in such a way is eye-opening. It is difficult to comprehend the madness that goes on in the rest of the world. You will find yourself sucked into the story as if it is a film but often it is happening on your doorstep. My particular case was surrounding drug supply and seeing the effects of the demand for drugs on people who are forced to be part of the chain of supply was harrowing.

Cannes you handle it?

With the close of the film festival and the last Monaco stragglers filtering through Nice customs, this year’s much awaited starlet vacance is over until 2018. I can finally reflect on my mini break with my partner in crime, colleague and bombshell bestie Emily,

Each year, assistants pack up haute couture and glam squads get their brushes at the ready whilst celebs begin juice cleanses to look their best at the magic that is Cannes film festival. Meanwhile, in north London each year I am sat browsing asos for the best celeb style pieces and a special dress in case this year I am whisked off to a premiere (although I am still unsure about sitting in an evening gown in a glorified cinema, it’s a must do right?).

This year’s round-up of celeb style finds:

Wildfox, £145

Asos, £35

Asos, £60

Mango, £35.99

Zara, £39.99

Zara, £90 

This year as spectacular as every, perhaps even more so, we attended the parties, brushed shoulders with the most beautiful and influential, ate truffle macaroni three times in four days, drank our weight in prosecco and minute rosé and shopped boutiques for bikinis, straw and pompomed bags and evening dresses in the form of shreds of lace. My dresses got more than a few outings each and we had many a sunrise uber ride home with a special mention to being approached for a street style photo in the morning in our dresses that we had put on at 6pm the night before- suffice to say we did not oblige.

The one thing about Cannes is the sheer cost of ‘living it up’. It is near impossible to bear witness to numerous of bottles of Dom in every club, the half-eaten lobsters gracing the restaurant tables and the covetable but astronomical dresses on every leggy lady catwalking past without buckling under the pressure and Amex tapping your way around. With this in mind, I have pored through menus and hotspot guides far and wide to present you with the most budget friendly picks without compromising on the star feeling that you deserve over the film festival.

Tea at the Armani café

Perfect for people watching- a must in Cannes not only for the celebrities but also the old men in panamas with their bleached rails of wives teetering in Loubs and trailing Chanel shoppers. Having a slice of cake and tea is the ultimate luxury. Bring some big sunnies to hide your stares.

Dinner at Le Maschou

Le Maschou is famous worldwide as you may have seen in last year’s Cannes post here. There is a set menu payable upon booking so you can forget about it and just enjoy the evening. For a set menu of 49 euros, your table is laden with the signature crudités basket, fire cooked bread, meat, jacket potatoes, dips and you finish with mousse au chocolat, peaches, tarte au citron the list goes on… Be sure to book in advance as a table on the night n’est pas possible!

 A stroll or uber lux down La Croisette

Window shopping (or window licking in French and probably more accurate in my case) is not only free but deliciously satisfying in Cannes. Pick out your dream red carpet outfits and be sure to linger outside to Martinez to catch any starlets.

Hopping on a friend’s yacht

Yes I agree this is highly subjective to you having a friend with a yacht but they are hotly available if you hang around in the right places. Not only is it free but it is the best way to spend a day.

Rosé and nibbles chez vous

Although you may pay hundreds of euros for a magnum of rosé, in the local supermarkets the best is very reasonably priced. Our favourite was minute and if you pick up a bottle along with some olives and crisps, you have yourself a very civilised aperitif or ‘apero’.

Boutique shopping in Juan Les Pins

Cannes is filled with beautiful boutiques at high prices which are admittedly irresistible but if you venture 20 minutes along the main road towards Nice you will happen upon Juan Les Pins, a slightly more budget friendly but equally gorgeous town which is bursting with boutiques. They change names frequently but never cease to consist of finds that will lead to eye rolls when you tell your envious friends they are only available in South of France. We came across the most gorgeous Valentino sandal copies, lacey playsuits, handmade and hand customised denim shorts and a little boutique that weekly ships her picks from stockists in Milan.

Private concerts at Vip Room or Gotha  

Across the film festival every year, there are pop up clubs such as Vip room and guest performances from some of the biggest names, this year being Tyga, Martin Solveig, Fetty Wap and a collaboration with 1OAK. The great thing about these nights is that essentially they turn into private concerts with never more than 25 euro entry. Girls often don’t have to pay and get shoved onto tables and if you are with friends willing to buy a table then even better.

Okay so this isn’t budget friendly but…

Lunch at the Eden Roc

Not only are you sure to spot celebrities but the food is delicious, the surroundings are spectacular and it is well worth the treat. Stick to a salad and share a bottle of rosé and you won’t go too wrong. 

So after catching all the last minute sun we could, we eagerly are awaiting next year...