Lifestyle
Minimalism
Madolyn
My Thoughts On Black Friday & Being More Mindful This Christmas
I love Christmas and I always find that the build up is the best bit. I love visiting the Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, pulling out chunky knitwear and watching all of the best Christmas films.
However, one thing that I’m not too keen on during this time of year is the ever-growing expectation based around gift giving. After the wake of Black Friday and the build up to the big day, it seems as though everyone that I speak to has money, and the amount they are going to spend, on their mind.
Black Friday to me is a bit of an odd one. It originally started in the U.S.A. as a big sale event after Thanks Giving, but over the last five years or so, it seems to have become much more of a ‘thing’ over here in the U.K. as well. It seemed as though my inbox was completely jam-packed with emails from every retailer, tempting me to buy some of their Black Friday deals, and it became a little overwhelming.
I tried to take quite a methodical and logical approach to the Black Friday sales and only bought things that I actually wanted or needed. So rather than scroll the internet or mooch about the shops, I had a thick about some of the things I wanted to buy, and then looked to see if anywhere had a particularly good deal on. For example, I needed a new vacuum cleaner and I quite fancied a cordless one. I had a quick look on Amazon and found that they had a third off the one that I wanted on Black Friday.
This approach to Black Friday also got me thinking about Christmas. It’s seems crazy to me to think about how much money everyone spends on gifts for people. I know that I personally don’t really need anything and so my family and I have decided that we will buy some tickets to see a comedy show together. That way we all get something we’ll enjoy, without spending a load of money on things that we don’t really need or want.
I read a really nice quote the other week in reference to Christmas gifts…
“Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read…"
I do have a couple of gifts that I would like to buy this year, but I think that I will try to stick to this little phrase whilst I shop.
xxx
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This post contains PR samples from Femme Luxe, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post contains PR samples from Femme Luxe, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lifestyle
usa
Madolyn
Style Diaries | Getting Baked In San Francisco
The weather over the past few weeks here in the U.K. has certain helped with my post America Traveling Blues. It’s been so so lovely and I’d even go as far as to say that San Fran was quite possibly a little chillier than Leeds has been lately, up here in the north of England!!
Minus the weather however, San Fran definitely has one thing that Leeds doesn’t: A Mr Holmes Bakehouse.
I fell in love with the city by the bay when I travelled there with my family years ago. I have been desperate to go back and have eagerly been waiting for the day that I could return.
Although I was excited for all of the classic things the city has to offer (the Golden Gate Bridge, clam chowder, pier 39...) I was really looking forward to visiting one of the most Instagram worthy hot spots in San Francisco!!
We had a trip to Alcatraz planned and so we waiting until then to visit Mr Holmes’ Bakehouse, the idea being that we would stop off on our way to Pier 33 and eat our breakfast on the go. Little did we realise that the bakery was located right around the corner from our accommodation!! Now, I don’t mean around the corner like a five-minute walk away, I mean literally, walk out of our hotel door, turn around the corner and it was there!!!
If you’ve not see the craze on Instagram, Mr Holmes’ Bakehouse is a cute little bakery that sells some incredible pastry bits and bobs!! They make everything on site in the morning and when it’s gone it’s gone - seriously, if you plan on going, go early!!
I had the most incredible matcha coated croissant and a coffee served in quite possibly, the cutest little pink cup! I obviously got my classic shot stood in front of their iconic ‘I Got Baked In San Francisco’ pink, neon sign that they have inside. It truly felt as though I had reached Insta-Worthy-Goals!!
After a few shots of me posing in my classic New York tee and faded blue Mon jeans, we could finally enjoy our little treats as we walked through San Fran, down towards the piers, for another day of sightseeing.
Is it bad that I would actually consider flying back just for another taste of Mr Holme’s Bakehouse…?!
xxx
Minimalism
Madolyn
Re-Evaluating The Word ‘Enough’ & How To Embrace Minimalism
There is a constant message being shoved in our faces that we need more. We need more money; more clothes, more friends, a better car, a bigger house… and the pressure of this can feel immense. We are most certainly living in an era of “keeping up with the Jones’”, and in all honestly, it can feel absolutely exhausting.
We work harder and for longer hours, in the hope that we can earn more money, so that we can spend the time we’re not at work, shopping and spending all of the money we have just gained. We are exposed to a constant stream of advertisements telling us to buy the next new thing on the market, making us feel as though the top/sofa/tv/car that we bought the other week is out of date, out of fashion and unacceptable. So we go back to our jobs, work harder; pick up an extra shift or two, to attain more money so that we can go shopping again.
But what happens when we apply the word enough.
What if we take a step back and think I have enough clothes, I have a big enough tv, I have a good enough car, I have a large enough living space. If we become happy with what we have then maybe we can say to ourselves that we already work enough hours, we work hard enough and ultimately, we earn enough money.
Applying the word ‘enough’ into our daily lives can really change how we view our possessions. By applying the word enough, I found that I actually had too much. I found myself looking at things that I owed and realised that I didn’t need all of it. I realised that I was actually living in excess.
Once I had incorporated the word enough into my lifestyle, I soon noticed that I wasn’t spending as nearly as much money as I had previously. I didn’t spend my money on things that wouldn’t add value to my life. This then allowed me to cut back on my hours at work, which then in turn gave me more time. It gave me time to focus on the things in life that I love, for one, writing this blog.
So much pressure is placed upon our shoulders, burdening us, telling us that we should work constantly, build a career for ourselves, clime the corporate ladder. But that isn’t a lifestyle for everyone. Time is just as valuable as money, and day-to-day, it is in fact the only thing that we all have the same amount of.
If we spend all of our time earning money to buy things to make us happy, are we truly happy?
Is there a point we can reach that says we can work enough, to pay for the essentials, so that we have enough time to live our lives?
xxx
Traveldiaries
usa
You can have a read of my other travel guides from the trip: New York, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, Joshua Tree
Madolyn
Travel Inspiration | A Las Vegas Travel Guide
Vegas was the penultimate stop on our six week trip across the United States of America and it was certainly worth the wait. I have never been to Nevada before, but after watching many a Hollywood blockbuster, filmed and set in this twenty-four hour city, I was excited to explore.
We arrived after a few very chilled out days spent in Joshua Tree and then Phoenix, so we were well rested and ready to experience the madness of Vegas. It’s funny how everyone says that it is city literally in the middle of the desert, but it wasn’t until we drove across the vast, empty landscape to get there, that I appreciated just how isolated it really is.
The Sat Nav shouting out that we were to stay on one road in a straight line for one hundred and ninety three miles still blows my mind!
WHERE TO STAY
We arrived with ease and checked into our Air BnB, which happened to be a suite in The Palms Hotel and oh my, was that a game changer! We were located on the twenty-second floor and because we were a five minute drive from the strip, we had some incredible views out of our balcony window. If the views weren’t enough, we had a little kitchenette, a Jacuzzi bath with a walk in shower and a TV in the bathroom! The bed was amazingly comfortable and the hotel offered a free shuttle to the strip throughout the day. I would really recommend considering The Palms if you are ever in need of accommodation in Vegas.
THE CASINOS
Gambling – One of the first things that people think of when you hear the word Vegas, is casinos and slot machines. There is something for everyone whether you are a seasoned pro, wanted to bet big bucks on a poker table, or an inexperienced cheap skate that wants to place dollar bets on the craps machine (ie. James and I!). Either way, it’s a good laugh and definitely an experience to take part in!
Drinks – Vegas, known for it’s gambling, is also well known for its drink culture. All of the Casinos are filled with bars and it is even legal to buy alcohol and walk the streets of Vegas, drinking as you go. Whilst you’re gambling in the casinos and as long as you have credit in the machines, drinks are on the house and brought to you. This is something we took full advantage of (even with our dollar bets!) although I was often opting for a diet coke or a hot chocolate – I know, I can’t believe how crazy I am either!
Shows – There are so many shows available to go and see in Vegas, and tones of incredible acts hold residencies at many of the hotels. I really wanted to go and see Penn & Teller, the magicians, however, if there is a show that you fancy seeing I would really recommend booking well in advance. We left it too late, but still managed to get tickets to the Comedy Cellar, which ended up being so so funny and well worth a watch!
THE SIGHTS
Welcome To Vegas – The Vegas sign in extremely iconic and we knew that we wanted to head over to take a quick snap… Unfortunately, the map on James’s phone didn’t have amazing scale skills and so what we thought was going to be a half an hour stroll turned into a three hour round hike!!
Old New York – This was a really cool part of the strip that I really enjoyed exploring. After being in the Big Apple just a few weeks before, it was fun to see a little miniature version of the huge city, fully equipped with a Statue of Liberty and Hershey’s Store.
The Bellagio – From around mid-day, the fountains at the front of the Bellagio hotel put on a show to music every hour. We went during the evening and so the water jets were accompanied with lights as well as music. It was a really good show and I’ve included some clips in my Vlog, which you can watch at the end of this post.
Shopping – There are plenty of shopping options in Vegas if you fancy that sort of thing. We spend one of the afternoons walking around the different shops and stumbled upon In n Out Burger as well as Sprinkles, equipped with it’s own cupcake atm!
You can have a read of my other travel guides from the trip: New York, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, Joshua Tree
Madolyn
xxx
Lifestyle
Minimalism
Madolyn
How To Live More Intentionally With Your Money
Talking about money always seems to be a bit of an awkward topic, and talking about money problems can feel even worse. It’s funny how it can be such a hush hush subject, when it is something that we all have to deal with on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.
Something that I would like to discus is living more intentionally with money. I think that there are so many people looking at ways to earn/make/have more money in their lives, however, if we live a life filled with intention, I think that a large proportion of money issues can be dealt with.
Now, I am no financial advisor, and I am also not trying to suggest that there is only one way to look after your finances. However, I do believe that one way to ensure that you are financially stable is to be more intentional with your spending habits.
GET IN CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCES
The first piece of advice that I would offer in order to live more intentionally with money is to get in control. By this I mean, work out exactly how much money you own, how much money you have coming in and keep a track of where it is at all times.
I’m not suggesting that you withdraw all of your cash and hide it in a suitcase under our bed with a cctv camera set on it…! But what I would suggest is signing up to online banking. For example, I have three bank accounts; one current account, which I get paid into, one savings account and one account that I keep all of my blogging money in. By having online banking and the apps on my phone, I can easily keep in control of my spending habits, as I always know where my money is and how much I have.
SET UP SOME SORT OF BUDGET
Another way to becoming intentional with your money and spending habits is to take some time to work out a budget and stick to it. I don’t mean for it to sound so restrictive, but if you work out how much money is going out each month, sometimes it makes you think twice about where your money is actually going. So write a list of all of your outgoings and see what’s left.
My list for example would look like this:
Rent
Bills
Food
Gym Membership
National Trust Membership
Netflix Membership
Once all of my outgoings have been added together, I then know how much money I have to play with for the rest of the month. This way I can put some money into my savings account each month and be left with everyday spending money and I never buy or treat myself to anything until I know that I have covered all of my outgoings.
BEING FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT
This is something that I would strongly recommend if you want to make an effort to live more intentionally with your money. I believe that being in control of your own money is key in being financially stable.
James and I have been together for almost ten years and have lived together for four. We have always kept our finances separate and think that in doing so, it keeps up financially independent and it is therefore something that we never argue about. We have a joint account that we both pay into each month to cover the cost of bills/rent etc., but apart from that, the money we each earn is our own. It ensures that all of my financial decisions are my own and it allows me to spend my money in a way that I see fit. I appreciate this isn’t something for everyone but it definitely works for us.
THINK BEFORE YOU BUY
So you can create all of your budgets, be financially independent and know where all of your money is. However, living more intentionally with money isn’t all about saving, it’s about thinking before you buy.
Asking yourself simple questions such as ‘Do I need this new lipstick?’, ‘Can I wait until I get home to have a coffee?’, ‘Do I need to buy lunch for work today?’. All of these things may only cost a couple of pounds, but they will soon add up by the end of the month. Asking yourself if you need/want/must buy something before hand is living more intentionally and it’s surprising how much you say no, once you’ve taken a step back.
DO SOME RESEARCH & ASK FOR HELP
If you are really struggling in terms of becoming financially stable, or you want to find out more about setting up budgets or being more intentional when it comes to spending, the best thing to do is a little bit of research. Above is just my opinion on how things have worked for me, and it is just one way of doing things. There is plenty of advice online about finances, and there is certainly no reason for you to live in debt or have to worry about being financially unstable.
Giffgaff have recently put together a gameplan with tones of amazing advice to help you on your way to financial stability. Whether you are a student in debt, a new home owner, a married couple or just wanting to save up for a big expense, they have absolutely tones of advice available on their website.
xxx
Lifestyle
usa
Madolyn
Style Diaries | Posing In The Californian Desert
Joshua Tree was one of my favourite stops on our recent USA road trip. It was so nice to have a break from city life and spend a few days in what felt like, the middle of nowhere…
We had some amazing accommodation whilst in Joshua Tree and believe it or not, these pictures were taken just next to where we were staying. I love California and have traveled around a lot of different areas, but this was my first time visiting this beautiful place.
When we were planning our six-week road trip around the states it became apparent that we would be traveling from city to city straight after one another. Before Joshua Tree we had been to New York, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans. We thought it would be good to schedule ourselves in a bit of down time, almost like a check point, for us to chill out and recharge our batteries.
It was a great idea and we had two whole days with no agenda, no public transport, no restaurants and a shit tone of sunshine and natural beauty.
It also meant that I was able to whack on my bikini for the first time during the trip. It was so nice to be able to chill in the sunshine, get a bit of a tan and read my book with some amazing iced coffee. I literally never wanted to leave!
I took with me my trusty ladybird bikini from Debenhams, which I bought just before our autumnal week away in Cyprus last October. I teamed it up with my New York white t-shirt from Primark, which turned out to be such a good buy! It was £5 and I wore it so much during our trip as it is such a versatile piece. I literally wore it for meals out, day trips and in Joshua Tree, as a bikini cover up!
The views were truly incredible during our stay, and I would absolutely love to go back. These photographs were taken on our first day surrounded by, what we felt, was the most beautiful scenery. It wasn’t until our second day however, when we spent One Fine Day In Joshua Tree National Park, that we were completely blown away.
It was a beautiful few days but it is definitely staying on my travel wish list, as I would love to go back and explore it some more…
Madolyn
xxx
Travel
usa
Madolyn
One Fine Day, In Joshua Tree National Park
We landed on the West coast on the fourth week of our trip around the USA, and our first stop was Joshua Tree…
I blame Instagram and Pinterest for my wanderlust of Joshua Tree. It is an extremely picturesque place, completely unlike anywhere I have ever been before. The remote location added to the beauty of the place, and it felt truly tranquil to stay in such an amazing area for a few days…
We spent three nights in Joshua Tree and stayed in one of the best Air BnB properties that I have been to. The owners were incredibly thoughtful and had amazing taste. We had a beautiful garden to enjoy and on one of the nights we cooked ourselves an incredible BBQ.
After spending the previous four weeks travelling around city after city, we spent our first full day in Joshua Tree, relaxing in the garden; sunbathing and reading our books. It was something that we were both craving for, and it was such a nice feeling to have no agenda and just enjoy our beautiful surroundings.
On our second day however, we drove over to Joshua Tree National Park. The park itself is huge and I wouldn’t really recommend going unless you have a car, or are going with other people that do have a car. We stopped off at the information desk before heading in and they were so helpful. After we explained that we would only be visiting the park for one day, the guy behind the counter gave us a map and marked out a great route for us to take…
We drove in through the main entrance and down toward two sections called Barker Dam and Hidden Valley. Each of the stops had a mapped out hike that took about an hour. It was so nice to explore the areas at our own pace and see more of the park off the roadside. We then drove down to Keys View, which enables you to look right down across Coachella Valley. It was truly spectacular to just look down and see no evidence of people or man made structures. It was completely calm, and it really made me appreciate the beauty of the natural world.
After taking in the Keys View, we drove further along to the Jumbo Rocks. We had a quick little pit stop before heading toward the east side of the park to the Cholla Cactus Garden. This was a lovely section of the park, jam packed with tones and tones of cacti. By this point, we had reached the end of our mapped out route and so after walking around the Cactus Garden we got back in the car to start our journey back.
As I’ve mentioned, there was no man made structures in sight, and apart from a couple of portable loos, there were no shops, water points or petrol stations. Baring this in mind, I would strongly suggest making a pack up with plenty of food, fill up your car before you head into the park and take lots and lots of water!!
Madolyn
xxx
Lifestyle
usa
Madolyn
Style Diaries | Eating Beignets In Jackson Square
If you have a blog and you go traveling, it is inevitable that you are going to; constantly have your camera out, take 298456 pictures of the same thing from different angles and refuse to let anyone eat anything until you have ‘that’ picture…
But as annoying as it may be at the time, I am always grateful when I have a huge selection of photographs to look back on. It allows me to remember really specific things that would have become a hazy memory, if it wasn’t for me documenting everything.
Yes, I do take a lot pictures whilst I travel with the idea that I can use them in a blog post. But I often take pictures to cement a memory, which is what a lot of this collection of Style Diaries, have become.
This particular set of photos was from one afternoon in New Orleans. Weirdly, it is one of my favourite memories from the entire trip. James and I had wondered around the outskirts of the French quarter and came across a beautiful little café called Café Beignet. Although the décor was beautiful with its crisp black and white tilling, complete with the cutest little sets of table and chairs, the weather was calling us back outside…
We ordered an iced coffee and a portion of beignets, an amazing French doughnut served warm, coated in icing sugar. We took them to-go and walked around the corner to Jackson Square; a lovely patch of greenery set amongst the buildings of NOLA. The weather was perfectly warm and we sat on the grass eating our beignets with enthusiasm and merrily chatting about our plans for the rest of the day.
This tiny little snap shot felt like absolute perfection. And although it was killing James to wait to eat these little pillows of heaven, I’m so glad that we took the pictures that we did. It has made the memory more concrete and allowed me to reminisce when I may have otherwise overlooked this moment.
Madolyn
xxx
Travel
usa
Madolyn
Travel Inspiration | A New Orleans Travel Guide
New Orleans is well known for Mardi Gras, a festival vibe, The French Quarter, Crawfish, Swap Tours, Jazz Music, Beignets and everything in-between. And don’t get me wrong, I was excited for all of these things… But the main reason James and I were heading to the Big Easy?? WRESTLEMANIA!
Now, I haven’t ever really spoken about WWE on my blog. I have never really had the opportunity or the need to bring it up. However, over the last four years, I have become a bit of a wrestling fan. My brother has always followed wrestling, especially WWE, and a few years ago, he and James bonded over it, and by default I ended up watching it – and enjoying it!
James and I have been dreaming of this six week trip around the states for years, and when we worked out that we could fit it around WrestleMania week, we leapt at the chance to go and watch it live! Annndddd, we were excited that it was being hosted by New Orleans as well – winning!!!
WHERE TO STAY
Canal Street – we ended up staying in one of the most central locations that was within walking distance of pretty much everything! Canal Street is just a couple of minutes walk away from the French Quarter and we really felt like we were right in the middle of things.
Air BnB – We had a bit of a cock up when it came to our New Orleans accommodation. The Air BnB owner of our original stay ended up cancelling with less than 24 hours notice. And although we had to fork out a fairly big chunk of money for another place, we ended up getting something so much nicer and much more central. We had a beautiful apartment with a full kitchen, bathroom, living room and access to a rooftop pool.
WHAT TO EAT
By the time we got to New Orleans we had eaten a fair amount of pizzas, doughnuts and fast food. We knew that we were staying in the city for a week, so on our first night we took a trip to Wal-Mart and stocked up on food. As we had a full kitchen we ended up eating in quite a bit, had cereal for breakfast and took snacks for our lunch.
Beignets – We did however have some of these amazing French doughnuts. They are a bit thicker and heavier than regular doughnuts, served warm and covered in icing sugar. They tasted so heavenly and went perfectly alongside an iced coffee!
Domenica – One afternoon we went on a mission to find some Italian food. Not exactly the most typical cuisine to eat in New Orleans but if you are in the mood for pizza, the ones here were incredible. It felt like a very traditional recipe and the fact that there was a half price happy hour on whilst we were there was all the better.
WHAT TO DO
Hop-On-Hop-Off City Tour – The tour was around $30 each for a day pass, however for an extra $10 the pass will be valid for 3 days and a walking tour is thrown in for free. The tour in total lasts around two hours and there is a commentator constantly explaining what we drove past, providing lots of historical information. The tour went right around the city and gave us a great overview of everything New Orleans had to offer.
The Museum Of Death – Now I know that this doesn’t sound like the most exciting activity to do, but we actually found it really interesting. I love watching anything from Criminal Minds, to Making A Murderer, to Lock Up. The Museum Of Death offered a history of autopsies and doctors tool kits, to serial killer profiles and how different cultures deal with the notion of death. It was a bit of a Horrible Histories kind of vibe, but for adults.
See What Events Are On – There is always something going on in this bright bubbly city, and it has become well known as a great place for various different events. Whilst I was visiting, WrestleMania was taking place, but we were also able to get tickets for the WWE Hall Of Fame Ceremony, an induction of retired and incredible athletes that have contributed to the industry. It’s well worth looking ahead if you are planning to visit, to see what’s on whilst you’re there!
Walk Down Bourbon Street – This is where the main strip of bars, clubs and eateries are located in The French Quarter. It was filled with people having a good time and we had so much fun wondering down on a night. It is legal to drink on the streets in New Orleans so James and I would buy a can or two and just soak up the atmosphere of the street, without having to pay the major price tag in the bars.
Explore The French Quarter, On foot! – We were staying just a few minutes walk away from this beautiful section of New Orleans and had so much fun exploring it on foot. There are so many cute little houses, cafes, shops and more to wonder around. There is also a huge market filled with everything from fresh food to clothes, crocodile foot key rings and beignets galore.
Jackson Square – Jackson Square is located just outside of the French Quarter before you get to the docks for boat rides on the Mississippi. It is a beautiful patch of grass that has a lovely fountain. We spent an afternoon there eating beignets and drinking coffee, soaking in the sunshine – although we both got a little pink!
We had an incredible time in New Orleans and it was the perfect stop before heading over to the West Coast of America for the second half of our trip. You can also read all about our time in New York, Chicago, Nashville and Memphis, and be sure to have a watch of my Vlogs over on my YouTube channel, including this one from New Orleans…
Madolyn
xxx
Lifestyle
usa
Water – It is a no brainer that drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated, helps your skin as well as your fatigue levels, increases metabolism and much more. I want to become more intentional and make a conscious effort to drink plenty of water each day.
Madolyn
Ways To Get Into A Healthy Routine | Diet, Sleep, Exercise & More
They say routine is good for the mind body and soul…
Well, I’m not too sure who ‘they’ are, but I’ll stand by that notion. After traveling for six and a half weeks and returning back home to horrendous jet lag, I am in much need of a solid routine. That’s not to say that I want an hour-by-hour, structured weekly timetable, but after being all over the place, there are a few things I want to work on in a regular manner.
SLEEP
It is pretty common knowledge that a good night’s sleep can do a world of wonder. It heals your body in terms of exercise, increases your metabolism, clears your skin, makes you less hungry (or less willing to reach for sugar and high energy foods at least) and is an overall healthy practice. After getting back from the States I am slowly getting back into a regular sleeping pattern, but I want to ensure that I am getting my eight hours worth each night.
I’m very guilty of staying up and watching ‘just one more episode’ of whatever I’m currently binge watching. I’m also really bad for scrolling through social media just before going to sleep and setting unrealistic alarms just to keep snoozing them on a morning. My goal is to start going to bed much earlier, and have more of a bedtime routine. To allow myself time to take off my make up, read a few chapters of my book and fall to sleep naturally.
DIET
Whilst in America, it was hard not to notice the huge amounts of greed and processed food in all of the eateries and supermarkets. It felt pretty much impossible to avoid meat and dairy whilst we were there, as we were on a budget and not able to prepare and cook much of our own food.
I have been thinking for a number of months that I want to have a mainly plant-based diet and I have been actively doing so since the start of the New Year. It is not only for the animals but also because of environmental issues and the effects these types of products can have on our bodies. I want to have a bit of a detox and aim to make sure that 90% of my diet is vegan and plant based.
One way in which I am doing this is by having more smoothies, which
are not only full of antioxidant-rich berries, but because
of the sweetness of the fruit it is so much healthier at
satisfying my sweet tooth than chocolate. I am also making little changes like
having sweet potatoes instead of carbs. I had read that the glycemic index is
lower making you much fuller for longer, meaning I won’t snack as much in-between
meals.
EXERSICE
Being in the USA also meant that any form of exercise completely went out of the window. We were able to go to the gym a couple of time whilst we were in Memphis and we also tried to walk as much as possible, but because of our diet (hello pizza, five guys, doughnuts and Mexican food!) it didn’t really help much in the grand scheme of things…
I want to get into more of a regular routine when it comes to exercise and actually make the effort to see a change in my body. I have put on weight in America and I want to feel as confident and as healthy as I possibly can, especially on the build up to summer. My plan is to go to the gym around four times a week as well as sign up to a local yoga class that I have had my eye on since we moved to Leeds…
OTHER PLANS
Blogging – I seem to have gotten out of the swing of things in terms of my blogging and social media content. I’m planning on getting back into the routine of publishing posts four times a week, as well as uploading some more YouTube videos.
Alcohol – Although I am in no way a big drinker, and it is not as
though I will be attending alcohol rehab
anytime soon, I have been drinking a bit more than usual over the last few
weeks. I just want to become more intentional when it comes to my alcohol
intake and be more aware.
Reading – I love to read and as I mentioned above, I want to read more on an evening as a way to wind down from the day and ease me into the land of nod. Plus, my ‘To Read” pile is absolutely huge at the minute!
Socialising – On the build up to our trip away, James and I were in ‘save-like-crazy’ mode and left no money in the pot to spend on visiting friends or going out for meals and drinks. Now that we don’t have the pressure of the trip looming over our heads, we both want to make more of an effort and regularly meet up with friends and family.
xxx
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