Cute & Casual Tops For Lounging At Home

Cute & Casual Tops For Lounging At Home

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• Tuesday, 31 March 2020

Now that we’re all staying at home in an effort to keep each other safe in the brink of all of this madness, comfy clothes have become an absolute must! 

I’m a huge fan of loungewear at the best of times, but with me staying in and working from home every day, there is no way I’ll be sitting in office attire on a daily basis for the foreseeable future. 

Femme Luxe Finery have some amazing loungewear pieces that are super affordable and perfect for days spent working and lounging around the house. 

Joggers are an absolute staple for me, I find them easy to throw on and find it super handy when they have pockets. So when Femme Luxe kindly asked me if I’d like to pick out a couple of pieces from their recent collection, I chose a couple of different tops that I could wear around the house, paired with my joggers. 

I love this cute little caramel tank top paired with these baggy white joggers. I find the fit really flattering and because of the shape and hold, there is no need to wear a bra, which is always a plus when it comes to comfort. The material is so soft and silky and can easily be worn on its own or underneath a little cardigan or jumper. I really like the racer back finish, which again provides support and extra comfort. 

This second caramel tank top is made with the same material as the one above, but the cut is slightly different. The straps on this top are very thin and it comes much lower both on the front and the back with a square finish. Although it’s not quite as fitted, it still provides an element of support and so again, there is no need for a bra.

Nothing beats a classic black T-shirt, which can be worn with pretty much anything. This is a really nice tight fit, which I find much more flattering with my body shape, as an over-size, loose-fit T can drown me a little. As I have a shorter torso, I like to tie my Ts into a knot at the front to create more of a cropped-finish. I also really like that the neckline on this T is a bit of a looser fit, again creating a more flattering and comfortable fit. 

Madolyn

xxx

This post contains PR samples from Femme Luxe, but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

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Putting Your Health First & Reduce The Risk Of Illness ~ Collaborative Post ~

Putting Your Health First & Reduce The Risk Of Illness ~ Collaborative Post ~

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• Sunday, 22 March 2020

"If you take an interest in healthy living and self-care, the decisions you make now could benefit you for years to come. It’s essential to put your health first, no matter how young or old you are. Here are some simple steps you can take today to reduce the risk of illness. 

Up your activity levels

Inactivity is one of the most significant threats to good health. If your idea of exercise is walking from the car to the office twice a day, taking steps to move more will improve your mental and physical health. Start increasing the number of steps you take each day, think about activities you’d like to try, research local exercise classes and look into ways you can incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. If you're anxious about working out in front of other people, or you’re pushed for time, home workouts are a great option.

Kick the bad habits

If you smoke, or you drink on a regular basis, making lifestyle changes could have a dramatic impact on your health. Giving up smoking isn’t easy, but it will contribute to both short-term and long-term benefits. We often associate smoking with cancer, but many of us don’t really know much about cancer. If you had to answer the question, ‘what is cancer?’ what would your response be? Researching and reading articles from reputable sources can help you find out more and give you information about the reasons why smoking is a risk factor for cancer. If you’re keen to quit, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. There are community groups and online forums you can join, and you could also look into treatment options like nicotine replacement methods. 

If you’re worried that you drink too much, start keeping a diary, and try to block out most days of the week as alcohol-free. Limit the amount of alcohol you keep at home, and try different social activities. You’re much less likely to drink excessively if you go to the cinema or you meet friends for breakfast, rather than going to the pub. If you’re finding it tough to cut down, or you rely on alcohol to make you feel better or less stressed, see your doctor or contact charity helplines. 

Keep up to date with routine health checks

Keeping an eye on your health is crucial. If you’re one of those people that only go to the dentist if they have toothache, or you haven’t had your blood pressure checked for years, it’s important to keep up to date with routine health checks and appointments. Don’t ignore invitations or reminders from your GP or dental surgery and seek advice if you do develop symptoms, or you’re worried about your health. Waiting around might cause your symptoms get worse and lower the chances of treatment being successful. 

Some of us are complacent when it comes to our health, and we put work, children, friends and socialising ahead of taking good care of ourselves. To boost your health and wellbeing, try and move your body more, kick bad habits and keep up to date with appointments and checks."

Madolyn

xxx

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~ Collaborative ~ A Few Ways To Help You Break Bad Habits

~ Collaborative ~ A Few Ways To Help You Break Bad Habits

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• Tuesday, 17 March 2020

"If you want to live a healthy, happy life one, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to break your bad habits and make them history. Bad habits have a habit (see what I did there?) of interrupting your life, making your miserable, and in many cases negatively impacting your health. You would be better off without them right? But how exactly do you go about breaking bad habits once and for all?

Get professional help

If your bad habit is something serious or something that is difficult to tackle without help, such as drug addiction or smoking, you should really seek the help of a professional; it’s particularly important to seek help for addiction because you really can’t do that alone. There’s nothing wrong with needing some support, and if you aren’t confident you can go it alone, asking someone to assist you will give you the best chance of success.

Replace it

Perhaps, the most effective way to break a bad habit is to replace it with something else. Often, we indulge in bad habits because we are stressed or bored and removing that coping mechanism can make life tougher than it needs to be. By replacing a bad habit with a healthy one - say switching smoking for eating popcorn or switching nail-biting for a walk around the block - you can ensure that you have something better to do when you feel the urge to do your habit.

Remove triggers

Most people have a trigger that causes them to do their habit. For example, a lot of people smoke or drink when they’re stressed, and that is why it’s a good idea to work out what your habit triggers are. Once you know that you eat junk when you’re bored or you smoke when you’re out drinking with friends, you can start to remove yourself from your triggers so that the urge to do your habit doesn’t kick in.

Get a buddy

So many people find it hard to break their bad habits on their own, but much easier to manage when they have a buddy cheering them on. That’s why so many people go to the gym with friends or tell their friends and family that they’re dieting - it gives them more of an incentive to keep going and not let anyone down. This can work well for breaking bad habits too. The key is to choose friends who will be supportive, engaged and willing to help you out when you need it, and you them, of course.

Use visualisation

It isn’t for everyone, but a lot of people find that if they regularly visualise themselves as being healthier, happier and bad habit free it’s easier for them to get to where they want to be, so it might be worth a try.

Ditch negative self-talk

If you tell yourself you’re useless a failure, never going to give up chances are you won’t because your brain plays a big part in breaking bad habits, so try to be positive, and if you do say something negative, add a “but” followed by a more positive statement to get you back on track."

Madolyn

xxx

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~ Collaborative Post ~ Practical Advice For New Gym Goers

~ Collaborative Post ~ Practical Advice For New Gym Goers

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• Thursday, 12 March 2020

"While it’s important to feel confident in your body and to love yourself no matter what, it can’t hurt to keep yourself in shape and to enjoy the very many physical and mental-health benefits of exercise. Yet for new gym-goers, this potential new hobby or lifestyle choice can seem rather daunting. We imagine the gym to be a place filled with warriors, only the most capable and athletic heroes using the equipment all day and all night.

But of course, the gym is filled with normal people like you or me, just trying to get better and make a healthy choice in their lives. There’s no reason to be afraid. Provided you adhere to best practice, research the exercise form and curate a plan before you get there, you’ll be in safe hands. For the most part, gyms are happy to give you a starting induction if one is required. Yet for the most part, it can also be that the best practical advice is found as follows. Please, consider:

Practice Great Gym Etiquette

Fantastic gym etiquette is one of those things that we wish to see in others, so it’s best to set the example ourselves. Thankfully, most people feel this way in most gyms around the world. This is because gym staff set important standards, and users that act in this way are welcomed. Re-rack your weights. Politely ask if you can ‘work in’ with another gym-goer if they are taking rest periods on the machine you need to use. Be sure to wipe down your machine after use with wipes, or ask if someone nearby is using said item before hopping on. The more you do this, the more people will appreciate having you around, and the better the gym becomes for everyone.

Start Simple

Start simple when at the gym. You may have a plan that you wish to enact, and that’s great. For instance, you may decide to start a weightlifting program you have found online. But first, familiarize yourself with that gym equipment. Spend time learning where everything is. Ensure you have enough water, and that you brought a padlock along with you for the changing rooms. Start out with a test run on a machine if this is your first time. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your perfect body. The more you can feel comfortable in this space, the better.

Stay Hygienic

Stay hygienic when in the gym. Be sure to wash your hands before and after a gym session. Bring your own water bottle. Ensure that you have a change of clothes and shower if you need to. Asking ‘can verrucas spread?’ can also help you stay safe around the pool or shower facilities, and learn how to protect against or resolve such issues. Additionally, it can sometimes be worth bringing hand gel if you want to stay safe between certain machine uses, especially during flu season. The more we can practice good hygiene, the safer the gym will be.

With this advice, we hope you can easily follow the best practical advice for new gym-goers."

Madolyn

xxx

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