April’s Aim!

Happy April Everyone! Easter is almost upon us! *happy dance*

Last month I was on a mission to make each and every day count (you can read about it here), and I would say that I did that. Very much so. It was a roller coaster month, but I came out of it feeling better than ever. Let’s recap and see how I accomplished my goals. 

1. Put Myself Out There

So this month, whenever I was in a social situation, I made a point of trying to make conversation with people. Despite the fact that I am usually very shy and tend to over think everything, I talked to people and the world didn’t end. Hallelujah. 

2. Be More Active 

I was right, having an energetic puppy did help! We started running together and it was amazing. It was such an amazing feeling to run freely, and see my puppy enjoying the freedom too. Whilst running I can feel all my problems, insecurities and worries melt away. I forgot how satisfying running was, so I will definitely keep it up.  I didn’t sign up for the gym at work, however I did start yoga. I’m not very flexible, but I will get there. I love yoga. 

3. Enjoy Writing

Well I didn’t accomplish this one very well. I barely wrote this month, unfortunately. However, I did read a lot. So, no regrets here. 

4. Love Myself

Practicing self love this month was really important to me. I’ve been reading a lot of positive things this month, and drilling them into my head. Every day I tell myself good things about me, in the hope that eventually they will stick. I have taken time out to read, pamper myself and do things I enjoy, like working out, which is helping to clear my mind and feel good in general. I still have a long way to go, but I’ve made a good start!

This month, there is a lot I would like to accomplish. Here they are:

1. Read AIl 7 Harry Potter Books – AGAIN!

I have honestly lost count of how many times I’ve read each book over the years, but they are my favourites so I plan on indulging a little and losing my self in the wizarding world. 

2. Blog More

Pretty self explanatory. I neglected my blog throughout March, so I’m going to come back.With a vengeance. 

3. Save Money

I really suck at saving money and I have a lot to look forward too (like a weekend in London with Billy next month). So I would like to be able to spend money, without leaving myself short. 

4. Random Acts of Kindness

I love the idea of doing little things to make another persons day. I hope to do random acts of kindness for my loved ones, and also those I don’t know at all. Everyone deserves to be happy. 

I hope you guys have an amazing April and really take the time to love yourself, and live every day to it’s fullest. 

☀Sian

5 Reasons To LOVE Working Weekends

If you, like me, work weekends then I totally feel your pain!

TGIF!? Not really.. 

Friday Feeling!? What’s that? 

However, I think it’s time we try to be positive about working weekends. That way we, hopefully, will not dread them as much and will be a better mood once Friday rolls around! 

One bonus of working weekends is saving money. The weekend is when you would usually go out and see friends/family, and spend your weekly/monthly earnings. Well, let’s not dwell on the negatives and focus on the amount of money you can save by not going to the club on Friday night, or not being tempted into buying those jeans on a Saturday afternoon whilst shopping with friends. 

Which leads us to those hangover free mornings. Nights out seem like a good idea at the time, until you wake up with a stinking hangover. And working with a hangover, yikes. Let’s just say, you do it once and learn your lesson. Not worth it! So whilst all your friends are feeling rough on Saturday/Sunday morning, just be grateful you woke up feeling fresh with a very steady stomach. 

Working weekends, often means you get a couple of days of during the week. But instead of dwelling on the fact that everyone else is at work, let’s look at the positives. Now you can finally finish that book you started months ago, or make a start on the decorating you’ve been meaning to do. Whether it’s chores that need to be done, or an opportunity to pamper yourself. You have undisturbed time to yourself. Use it wisely!

That being said, you know how everyone dreads Monday’s? Well, Monday isn’t necessarily the start of your working week, so we do not understand everyone’s uncalled for hatred of Mondays. Monday is a great day! Especially when you have the opportunity to brag about how good your lie in feels, whilst everyone else is starting work. Pay back can be a bitch.

For some people, they have the opportunity to leave work early, once their tasks/jobs have been completed. Which is a great incentive to work harder so you can finish earlier to enjoy what’s left of your day/night. And working hard is never a bad thing. 

This list would be longer, but let’s face it, there aren’t THAT many reasons to love working weekends. However, this weekend, let’s focus on the few positives together! 

☀Sian

Self Help: How To Stop Taking Things Personally

If you, like me, are sensitive to certain things that people say or do and tend to take them as a personal insult, then you’ve come to the right place. 

Taking things personally can effect you both emotionally and socially. It can create confusion and make you question what the person has said or done, which will hurt your chances of making new friends and make you focus on the negatives in your life. 

Here I will try to help you understand and break the habit of taking things personally. 

Things To Consider: 

There are many reasons why people say/do the things they do. However, they often do not realise that what they are saying/doing is taken in a negative way. They may just be joking around or having a bad day and unknowingly taking their frustration out on you. 

By looking at how that person treats others might be a good reflection on their personality. It might be in their nature to tease people and be antagonizing, in a goodhearted way. Which means that they do not have any ill feelings towards you, they just like to joke around.

It could be that they feel threatened by you in some way and are battling with their own insecurities. Again, this is not a reflection on you. You could always help this person feel better about themselves. 

Some people, however, may have poor communication and emotional management skills. They may not know how to deal with their emotions in a mature way, or know how to reach out and openly speak about their emotions or problems. Therefore, this may be why they say/do the things they do. 

All of these don’t make the things they say/do necessarily right but it does help you understand potential reasons behind it and help you be more patient with them, instead of jumping to conclusions.

How To Deal With It:

1. As I previously mentioned, some people may not realise how what they are saying/doing can affect you, or how hurtful it can be. However, if it is really starting to bother you, speak up and talk to the person about how you are feeling. But be calm and nice, do not get worked up or imply criticism. That would only further complicate the situation. 

2. Everyone has their own opinions, and they are entitled to them. Not everyone will like you. That’s life, I’m afraid. Whilst feeling unaccepted can hurt, but you are not alone, everyone experiences it at some point during their life. I’m sure you will not like certain people for whatever reason in your life time. Their opinion really has nothing to do with you, so try to shrug it off and not think too much into it. 

3. One way of breaking the habit is to not take anything you hear personally, whether it is negative or positive. If someone compliments you; appreciate it, thank them and move on. Don’t obsess over it. 

4. Refocusing your attention can be a real help. As soon as possible. Negative thoughts and feeling feed negative thoughts and feelings. It’s a vicious circle you want to avoid at all costs. Throw yourself into something productive; whether it be something fun or a chore. This will distract your mind and help you feel happier. 

Remember, you don’t need anyone’s approval. 

☀Sian

NEW: Self Help

Today I came up with a new idea for a series of blog posts. It will be called Self Help. 

What is Self Help?

“the action or process of bettering oneself or overcoming one’s problems without the aid of others; especially:  the coping with one’s personal or emotional problems without professional help”.

What you can expect from Self Help:

Within the series, you can expect to find lots of posts relating to helping yourself in a huge number of situations, as well as personally. I have a few ideas at the moment, so I don’t want to go into too much detail about their content. They will come in all different shapes and forms, such as; top tips, important information, creative ideas and maybe even a couple of Vlogs, and will come to you either once a week or twice a week. I haven’t decided yet. 

Why I want to start Self Help: 

My reasons behind this are quite personal. As I’ve briefly mentioned before, I suffer from depression, anxiety and low self esteem. I also have a lot of trust issues and I seem to be stuck in a negative frame of mind. Whilst I do believe I am in recovery, every day is a struggle. So I have started reading self help books and online articles to see if they can help me, especially help me look at things differently. So I thought I would share what I have learnt with you guys, and hopefully help you, if you need it. 

Stay Tuned! 

☀Sian

Key To Happiness

A few days ago (20th March) was Happiness Day! I know I’m a little late, but We 365 posted a challenge and I just had to accept.  

“According to the UN, the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal. What’s the key to your happiness? Share a pic of your smiling face & 1 key to happiness”. 

I think this is a brilliant challenge because acknowledging what makes us happy is equally important. If we are ever feeling down and alone, knowing something that makes us genuinely happy could help us to overcome these feelings.

The key to a persons happiness may vary depending on each individual, however I’m sure a lot of people will have the same answer; their loved ones. This is true for me, my loved ones are most definitely the key to my happiness. 

I would like to take a moment to appreciate those who make me happy.

Billy. My lovely boyfriend. Now he may not show/say his feelings in a ‘normal’ way, but he sure does show them in his own way. It took a while for me to pick up on this, but I appreciate every little thing he does. Even if he does annoy me a lot of the time. We’ve come a long way over the years and I love him so much. He means the world to me.

 

Dudley. My beautiful puppy. He is a little terror and really testing his boundaries at the moment, causing everyone around him a lot of stress. But he is also the most loving pup I have every met. He is so funny and dopey. 

  

Jade. My baby sister. Well, as you can see, she’s not a baby. She’s actually 16 months younger than me. But she will always be my baby sister. I admire her so much, she is so head strong and independent. I’m a proud sissy. 

  

My amazing parents. They have always supported and helped me through every situation in my life, no matter how big or small. They have been amazing role models and I have a lot to thank them for. Their love for each other is also so beautiful. They inspire me every day. 

 

Jessica. My favourite little girly. Jessica is my cousin, and I love spending time with her. She is like a mini me, we have so much in common. Although I think a lot of it she says, just because I do. But I’m not complaining. She is so clever, her writing skills are better than many people my own age. Her imagination is just brilliant. She amazes me. 

I love you all. 

☀Sian

International Women’s Day 2015.

The Hobbs Collective

Today, as you may know, is International Women’s Day. And while my feelings towards this are somewhat like Mary Elizabeth’s views on the Sadie Hawkins dance in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (“thanks for the crumb”), and I think that there shouldn’t just be one assigned day to celebrate women, I still think it’s a good thing to celebrate- the only thing is, there is no way to do it- so today I thought I’d write about a woman that I support and advocate. Emma Watson. Unless you live under a rock you’ve probably heard of her.

To me, like most people in the world, I was first introduced to Watson when she started to play Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone she was eleven and my seven year old self thought she was cool and I wanted to be her. Since then Emma has built herself a…

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Happy International Women’s Day!

Today is the 8th March, which can only mean one thing.. It’s International Women’s Day! I love this day and everything it stands for. 

Personally, it baffles me that certain people would prejudice someone in any way, let alone because of their gender. Which is a real issue for so many women throughout the world. Who are not treated with the respect they deserve, or are deprived of certain rights, due to being a woman. 

Some women are:

• still regarded as second-class citizens
• still victims of abuse and rape 
• still not entitled to an education
• still being forced into marriage 

These are just a few of the problems women across the world face every single day. Which is why it is very important to recognise all that women have done and can/will do in this world.

Here is a message from the UN Women’s Executive Director:

Happy International Women’s Day to you! May you embrace your femininity and be proud of who you are! Let’s keep fighting for equal rights for women. Let’s Make It Happen, together. 

☀Sian

P.S. Please do not let a small detail of a date stop you from celebrating your strong independence and your strong impact on the world, every single day. 

Positive Changes, Random Acts of Kindness and The Road To Recovery

The other day I came across the app We 365. I don’t remember how I did or what I was searching for, but I did. And boy am I glad I did. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the app, it was created by the Free The Children charity, who work domestically and internationally to empower and enable youth to be agents of change. If you are interested in learning more about Free The Children then click here! 

So basically, once you’ve downloaded the app and signed up, you build your profile and start accepting challenges. Now these challenges aren’t dares or anything like that. They are all about creating a positive change in the world or to other people’s lives, no matter how big or small. These challenges come in the following categories: 

• It All Adds Up
• Human Rights
• Health 
• Happiness
• Global Poverty
• Environment 
• Education
• Community
• Bullying 
• Animals 

You can pick and choose the categories you wish to join. Whether it is all of them, or just one. Within each category there are a huge number of challenges. Some from the We 365 team, some from their celebrity ambassadors such as Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas, and some from the members of the app. You also have the opportunity to create your own challenges for people to accept and take part in. The app also has a section for you to log any volunteer work that you have participated in. 

There is an inspirational event called We Day which takes place across Canada, America and the UK. You cannot buy tickets to this event, you are invited by your commitment to help the cause. People are often noticed through their efforts and participation through the We 365 app. Which is so amazing, that people are rewarding for their efforts and acknowledged for their hard work and kind nature. 

The app encourages sharing progress and stories on social media, so that other people can get involved or to raise awareness of the causes. So I figured I would log my journey and causes on here, and share my stories and challenges with you guys. I’m pretty sure the app is aimed at youths, but I don’t see that as a barrier to stop me. It is a source of great ideas and inspiration. 

I believe all of the causes on the app are important, but some of them stand out more to me because they are close to my own heart. 

I suffer from depression and anxiety. I also have a really low self esteem and I know what it’s like to feel lonely, like there is no one who understands or cares. But I also know what it is like when people, sometimes strangers, do little things to help make you smile or feel better. So I want to say thank you, and give back. I want to help those in need of help. Because random acts of kindness helped me start recovering. There is still a long way to go, but I believe this app will help me make some positive changes to my life and hopefully, many other people. 

If any of you are interested, the app is free. It’s a great app with a great motto: Be The Change. 

☀Sian

Liebster Award!

How exciting! Thank you so much whimsical90 for the nomination! My blog is fairly new, so I feel really grateful. I really recommend you check out her blog and give her a follow. 

Anyways, on with the show.. Here are the rules! 

1. Link the person who nominated you to your blog post and let them know you answered their questions.
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the nominator.
3. Nominate other bloggers (11) for the award that have fewer than 200 followers.
4. Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
5. Let the nominees know that they have been nominated by going to their blog and notifying them.

Number one, ✓ 

Now for whimsical90‘s questions and my responses:

1. You started a blog because? 

I started a blog mainly because I love to write. Writing is a great outlet for me, and allows me to release my thoughts and feelings. It also gives me great pleasure to create and write something. 

2. What do you love doing the most? Any activity.

Reading. I love to read. To me, there is no better way to spend your time. Whether it’s in the garden during summer, by the fire under blankets in the winter; it is always enjoyable. Reading transports me to another place and I get lost in the pages. It’s a great escape. 

3. Your favorite writer and the book you like most.

Jodi Picoult is by far my favourite writer – even though I love Harry Potter and J K Rowling. I have read every single one of her books and find it so hard to pick a favourite. They are all completely different and make you think about the important and hard questions in life. That being said, Change of Heart is the one I go back to most often. It’s the one that really touched my heart and made me question a lot of things. 

4. Describe one trait of yours that you find silly.

Um this is a toughy. I guess I would have to say my curiosity. Because I get curious about the weirdest things. 

5. First childhood memory that comes to your mind?

I remember sitting in the pram with my younger sister, she was a baby at the time. She was snoring her pretty little head off laid down in the back of the pram and I was sitting in the front, using my book as a steering wheel. It’s only a very brief, pointless memory. But it’s the earliest one I have. 

6. You are most comfortable in what kind of clothes?

Hoody, jeans/leggings and my trusty converse. I’m a simple gal. 

7. Summers or winters? Why?

Winters. I’m not sure. There’s just something about the crisp winter air that makes me feel so fresh and happy. The opportunity to wrap up in nice comfy clothes and drink delicious hot chocolate. 

8. Something you have learnt from your parents?

I’ve learnt a lot from my parents. But the thing I’ve learnt the most is not something they told me, but something I learnt by watching them. To be selfless and help others at any opportunity. To love deeply and to be considerate to others feelings. Being a polite to people takes no effort at all. 

9. Do you think you’ll be writing after 5 years from now?

I really do hope so. I hope my creative juices flow and I can write a story or a play or something of that sort. I hope it still gives me the same outlet and joy as it does today. 

10. Best and the worst thing you find about technology?

The best thing about technology in my opinion, is having the ability to connect with people online. Like minded people from around the world, you would never have met otherwise. However, I think the worst thing about technology is how reliant some young children are on their phones and game consoles and tablets. Some don’t go out and play using their imagination as much, or interact with other children their age as much, without a device. 

11. If you had a to keep a pet, what would it be?(the ones already having can describes theirs)

I already have two pets. My beautiful Potter fur-babies. I got Neville first, my lovely little hamster. He has loads of energy and loves a good run around. And then I got Dudley, my Dalmatian puppy. He is 6 months old and I delude myself into thinking I’m his mummy. He’s so energetic and can be so mischievous. But he’s a puppy and he’s still learning. I can’t wait to watch him grow and love him all his life. 

I now nominate: courtpaigee, Little Miss Unsure, thatguythewallflower, IT’S BETTER TO BURN THAN TO FADE AWAY, DIARY OF A COFFEE LOVER, ENDEAVOUR, I write what I like, sublunar reflections, EMILY IN MOTION, VALERIE CORTES and Life as Told by an Upcoming, 20-Something 🙂

Okay nominees, here are your questions:

1. If the sky’s the limit, what would you like to do next?

2. What is your biggest problem/challenge when it comes to blogging?

3. What is a piece of advise you would like to share?

4. How did you pick your blog’s name?

5. What’s your favourite post that you’ve written? (Include a link)

6. What was your favourite place that you have visited?

7. What do you value most in life?

8. What is your dream job?

9. How much time do you spend per week on your blog?

10. What is your guilty pleasure?

11. Which three people, living or not, would you invite to dinner? Why?

Thank’s again to whimsical90 for the nomination, and good luck to my nominees. I hope you accept this if you have the time! 

☀ Sian

March’s Mission!

Happy 1st of March! I cannot believe we are into the 3rd month of the year already, it’s just flying by. But I’m on a mission to make each and every day count. So here are a few of the things I want to accomplish this month. 

1. Put Myself Out There

I’m extremely introverted and extremely shy. Not always the best combination when it comes to social situations. However, I would really like to put myself out there, make some new friends and have some fun outside of my own little bubble. 

2. Be More Active 

Hopefully, having a highly energetic puppy will help with this particular point. I can go running with him, and he can burn some energy and run freely for a while. My work place has a gym and the admission is £7 a month for members of staff, so joining is definitely tempting. Either way, I will make more of an effort to walk places if they aren’t too far away or I’m not stuck to a tight schedule. 

3. Enjoy Writing

I really love writing, hence why I am here. So this month I am going to make time to write, and hopefully I will come up with some interesting things to write about. 

4. Love Myself

Everyone needs self love. Lately I’m severely lacking and find it hard to love myself. I plan on changing that. Pronto! 

I hope you guys have a brilliant March and make the most of it! 

☀Sian