Month: November 2020

My Bubble Bath Moment

November 27, 2020

Now more than ever, self-care and prioritising our own well-being is crucial to surviving what has been a pretty rubbish year for us all. Whilst I’ve maintained a basic daily routine and kept active everyday in lockdown, I’ve also learnt to let myself rest, relax and just chill the hell out for once in my life!

When it comes to having a daily routine, it’s unattainable to be so strict and aim to live that perfect life every single day, something I’ve often expected of myself. This just results in further stress and disappointment when you’re not feeling up to it and can’t reach ambitious goals set upon yourself. Instead, aim to work towards a simple structure each day and make sure to have a little treat to look forward to too.

I’ve been loving baths lately as they aren’t something I usually have the time to enjoy properly. I set the mood with some scented candles, flowers and my Spotify ‘Chilled Tunes’ playlist for ultimate relaxation. My drink of choice is often a glass of wine as a weekend indulgence, otherwise a comforting mug of tea or hot chocolate is just perfect too.

A truly wonderful winter warmer, this is my heavenly bubble bath moment and I love every second of it ❤

What will be your self-care moment?

Lockdown Diaries; Recapturing Childhood Magic

November 25, 2020

Happy Humpday Babes! It’s halfway through the week and finally looks like there’s an end in sight for this second lockdown here in England. I’ve embraced the time off after a hectic couple of months working this summer at the hotel as it’s a perfect opportunity to rest. It’s been fun taking life back to basics and enjoying the simple pleasures of things like baking and visiting the sweet shop, just like when we were kids.

Each week I’ve been making sure to get a couple of longer walks in and exploring new places in my local area has kept it interesting. Me and the boyfriend decided to investigate a local walking trial on Basingstoke Common last week and we were excited to discover a playground with a zip wire too!

Walking through the woodlands, it was stunning as the sun low in the sky cast long shadows off the trees. This takes me back to childhood memories of Christmas time walks with my family on our local heath; life was a lot less complicated in those days.

Another local gem we visited on this week’s walk was Odiham Castle which is just a short walk down the canal. We’ve been lucky with the winter sun recently too which has been taking the brisk chill out of the air, a blessing as I really do hate the cold.

I’m so lucky to live in a village surrounded by countryside and plenty of places to explore. My mum, sister and I particularly enjoyed indulging our childhood dreams and treating ourselves at the local sweet shop after our walk the other day. Just like the traditional old school candy stores, sweeties are sold ‘pick n mix’ style in jars for you to create your own personal bag. I also couldn’t resist getting one bag purely of white chocolate Jazzles, a true bag of happiness this is to me 😀

Unlike the first lockdown in the UK when I got stuck into lots of projects and longer term jobs at home, this time I’ve been focusing more on self-care and maintaining my mental well-being. I’ve found that being a bit like a kid again by indulging in what makes me happy in mind, body and soul, keeps me sane during such uncertain times. So go on, recapture the magic of childhood and enjoy the little things which make you smile in each day.

No Guts, No Glory!

November 18, 2020

Back in furlough once again with all this time on my hands, has my brain ticking into overdrive and I can’t help but dream up my next project to keep me busy. I’ve been inspired by so many people using lockdown as an opportunity to start their own businesses from home utilising the numerous online platforms we now have at our fingertips to help build a brand. My Auntie over in Australia has even branched out alongside a work colleague to launch their very own PR consultancy. With years of industry knowledge and expertise, I don’t doubt these two powerful business women will be unstoppable as their tagline perfectly sums up –

‘No Guts, No Glory!’ (https://brangwinandmoore.com)

This simple yet punchy quote resonates on a number of levels and got me thinking about my own career path. Whilst my training in professional Dance and Acting only saw me in the industry for a short while, my move to Australia for two years led me to discover an ability to adapt my skills into many different roles. From promoting the latest skincare product in the middle of Sydney’s Central Business District, to becoming Receptionist at one of Australia’s largest brand companies WPP AUNZ, my work ethic and guts to give anything a go got me to those awesome places. Not to mention it took quite some guts to get me over to Australia on my own in the first place, undoubtedly the best decision I ever made as it helped me to grow and changed my perspective on life.

Now I find myself back in the quaint little village I grew up in about to move in with my boyfriend and working at the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire in my dream role as Events Assistant. Whilst this isn’t the path I expected my life to take, I believe it’s a gutsy attitude and need to succeed which has driven me throughout. I continue to find inspiration from those around me and feel motivated to expand my prospects and fulfil my creative passions. Then who knows, maybe one day I’ll own my very own supercar and even run my own business…it just takes some guts to reach that glory!

Winter Warmer; Pumpkin Soup

November 13, 2020

With the shorter days and cold winter nights drawing in, there’s nothing like a comforting bowl of soup to warm the soul. As pumpkins only seem to be readily available around halloween in the UK, I’ve made the most of it this year and made a large batch of delicious pumpkin soup to share with family and freeze to enjoy well into the winter months.

Using my own twist on an old Jamie Oliver recipe, I kept it simple on ingredients to let the pumpkin flavour do the work. You will need:

  • 1/2 large pumpkin
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 large carrot
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 750ml of vegetable stock
  • 200ml of soya milk
  • 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

The first step is to cut the pumpkin into large segments, keeping the seeds for roasting later, before placing the chunks on a baking tray and drizzling with a generous glug of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 170celsius for about an hour until soft and the skin caramelises.

Meanwhile chop the garlic, onion and carrot and cook in a large saucepan until softened. Once the pumpkin is ready, add to the pan along with the stock, chilli flakes, salt, pepper and soya milk before blending with a handheld stick blender.

Continue to blend and combine the ingredients until a smooth, creamy consistency is reached. Add a little more stock if required and taste to adjust seasoning accordingly. I made this batch with a little kick as I decided to add more chilli at the final stage also.

I served my soup up in a coconut bowl for that wholesome aesthetic and finished it off with a swirl of light yoghurt and more chilli flakes. Other extras you may want to try are crispy kale, toasted pumpkin seeds or even just fresh sourdough bread on the side for dunking.

Using the ingredients as listed above made a very large batch of soup enough to feed the family and freeze leftovers for later. There is so much more you can do with the rest of the pumpkin too; roast the seeds for snacking and topping salads, add the chunks of flesh to a curry, or roast up in large steak size pieces and enjoy in a wholesome salad perfect with quinoa, feta and hummus. Colourful, sweet and nutritious, I only wish pumpkins were in season all year long!

Heads High in the Clouds at Sky Bar

November 6, 2020

Happy Friday! It may not be the usual weekend ahead here in the UK as we find ourselves back in lockdown for another month; but regardless I’m sat here sipping my Friday night G&T looking back on an awesome Sunday sesh with my work friends last weekend.

With my work wife and work husband by my side, we got started early with cocktails at The Aviator from 2pm. This place has become my local favourite for an indulgent drink date with a fancy twist, a little more special than another trip to the pub.

It was the ultimate opportunity to get all dolled up for those picture perfect Instagram snaps with my girl. We were definitely channelling those 70s Clueless vibes with our outfits too, myself in the flared jeans and checked blazer, alongside Ella with her polo neck layered under a velvet mini dress.

The extensive cocktail menu at Sky Bar always makes it fun to try and test different concoctions every time I visit. I started with the Mile High Club which I’ve been lusting after for ages, as it features a soft white chocolate foam on top, yum!

A few cocktails knocked back and we were ready to get some fun shots walking down the grand staircase with its spiral art deco ceiling design. It was a long awaited day off with my work colleagues following a busy summer at the hotel, so you certainly couldn’t wipe the grins off our faces.

Our afternoon continued into the early evening as Alex kindly treated us girls to a bottle of champagne and we stayed for dinner too. A delicious spread of grub was served including chicken caesar salad and a creamy rigatoni pasta… much needed to soak up those cocktails.

What a truly special Sunday spent with wonderful company sipping stunning cocktails and expensive bubbles to celebrate the occassion. I feel so lucky to have met such awesome friends through my workplace who share my passion to work hard and play hard 😉