Hello,  When I turned thirty I decided to look into my finances and to design my future. Please note that I am not a financial planner and do not have financial qualifications. This is purely my own experience of my own finances and advice that I would give to myself if I was doing this again.  1) Open your wallet/Purse Take out all your cards and then go through them one by one. I know this can be a bit gut wrenching but putting things off can only make things worse. Try to break it down to doing one thing each day and be kind to yourself. Money does not define your worth and things can change. No one is coming so you can rescue and empower yourself to be in the driving seat with your finances. You can do this.  2) Source your Logins If you are like me then at the age of thirty, I had six pensions, one credit card, one current account, saving account, premium bonds and then an ISA account. It took a few months but each week I would email human resources and the pen...

 Welcome,  Trees are beautiful natural living entities that make me feel calm when I am around them. Every tree needs water, sunlight, food/nutrients and strong roots to survive and thrive. We are all like trees in the sense that we have basic needs which will enable us to flourish. If I am feeling overwhelmed or sad I will often run through a mental check list of if I have eaten/had enough water, gotten enough sleep or if I have been outside today. If any of those needs have not been met I often realise that my mood directly links to this.  Like trees we often have to weather certain conditions and adapt in order to thrive. My favourite season is autumn and I love seeing all the colours change in the trees as they change to meet the coming winter. In life I feel like we have different seasons and they will not last forever. This moment is ephemeral and all we have is the present. I try to practise gratitude for the time that I have been blessed with so far and remind mys...

 Hello,  Please see below some tips to elevate and design your space: 1) Read Read books to help learn about what will work. I purchased Right at Home By Bobby Berk as I loved his make-over's on queer eye and enjoyed hearing him talk about design. If there is someone whose style you admire follow them on their social media platforms, create an pinterest board or borrow books from the local library.   2) Wardrobe A tip from his book was to think about what you are drawn to, whether it be destinations, colours and to look at what colours/fabrics you have in your wardrobe and try to think about how you can incorporate them into your design.  3) Banish Labels Avoid having loud labels in your kitchen and bathroom. A way to make a room look sophisticated is to swap out labelled bottles for glass jars. I have used a Hand Wash and Dish Soap Dispenser in the kitchen and a black  bathroom set to hide the labels. 4) Plants, Plants Baby! As someone who struggles to k...

  Hello and happy new year! I love the possibilities of a new year and wanted to share 20 tips that have helped me have a glow up over the past year. We all have the option to make the most of our lives and I think that the key to showing up and achieving your potential starts with how you treat yourself. Glowing up is a state of mind both internally and externally. Like the lush plants and flowers in the image above we can nurture ourselves to be the best that we can be. These are products and practises that I have incorporated into my life and I hope that you find it useful.   External 1) Handbag essentials  I once had a previous partner who would always chew gum before he would kiss me and I thought that it was quite a sweet act to think about my experience. In my car and handbag I have a small box of mints, hand cream and my signature perfume so I can always give myself a little refresh before coming into contact with people. 2) Signature Perfume Experiment with ...

  Hello,  Me and my friend fancied a winter break to Dubrovnik and after doing some research we decided to also have a day trip to Bosnia and Montenegro. Here is my review of our trip in Sept 2024.  Day One- Croatia We arrived late at night and we were greeted with the soft lapping of waves as we stumbled up the steps to our apartment. We had a nice lazy lie in and managed to book in last minute to a walking tour who took us around the old town of Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik itself is small city and easy to walk around and navigate. It a beautiful place with crystal aqua water, mountains and stunning buildings. After the walking tour we treated ourselves to a lovely lunch overlooking to harbour and had some tasty ice cream. Then we walked the walls which was quite strenuous and had a few stops with a nice ice cold cola to quench our thirst. In the afternoon we enjoyed some time on the beach. I feel like one day is enough to explore the main sites of Dubrovnik. I would definitely...

From a young age I have struggled with anxiety/ obsessive compulsive disorder but during the pandemic my mental health issues were amplified. Each day felt like a gargantuan effort as my mind would be in a constant state of panic mode. During that time I researched how I could help myself and one of the main things that came up was meditation. I always thought of meditation as woo woo or just not for me, however I decided to stick with it for at least three months. After three months of consistently meditating, it is the best thing that I have ever done and it has changed my life. Please read below for five ways that it has helped. 1) Reconnect with your body The first session was challenging as I would often distract myself by creating a very busy life or with other people as I did not want to sit alone with my thoughts. Each morning I would search for a free 10 minute guided meditation and would listen to it when I woke up. By the end of the ten minutes I gradually began to notice th...