The weekly round up of good things is back! To be honest I don’t know where it went, the good things didn’t stop exactly I guess I just got too busy to actually take note and appreciate them properly. My bad. I’m hoping to get them going again though, because I really enjoy writing them and it forces me remember that the smaller moments are just as perfect as the big ones. So without any more rambling, here’s my 7 Good Things this week:

1. Driving in the sun – I know some people love driving, and some hate it, but I tend to be indifferent. I’m thankful for the convenience it brings to my life but that’s about it. When the sun comes out though, it is a whole different story. Driving in the sun with radio on just seems to instantly lift my spirits.
2. Learning new skills – my new job includes some things I’ve never done before (but that’s a whole different blog post) It can be scary and a bit stressful but at the same time I’m really enjoying growing every day.
3. Self Love – Here’s a bit of an insight into my mind: normally when I diet I tell myself I can feel the weight loss. I feel sassier, lighter, and more fashionable. All round just better I guess. Recently I weighed myself and discovered I’d put on weight and it was a bit of a shock. I guess it shouldn’t given my current diet, however it was a shock. Because I’d been feeling good, I’d been feeling stylish – I’d been feeling my best. I guess that’s the thing with practising self-love, it can take away the power from things that once got you down.
4. Cooking Together – Talking of food, one of the things that has been making me happy for weeks now is the fact me and Craig cook together all the time. OK, he does most of the cooking – but experimenting, singing and generally pratting about with food at the end is always awesome.
5. Furry Cushions – I’ve recent got some ombre, white and purple cushions for our lounge. As the house is rented we haven’t done much on the decorating front, but in the last month or so it feels like we’re finally stamping our personality on it.
6. Asda’s Cherries And Berries Squash – until I lived with Craig I never really drank cordial, however I love this! It takes like cherry jellies and makes getting enough water super easy.
7. Support From Others – I have my last uni deadline of the year on the 24^th July, so its all guns go at the moment. It can be hard to find the motivation sometimes however having extra support from Craig and my family has made it so much easier.

And that’s it, here’s to 7 more good things next week!

Self-care is a bit like that extra tenner in your bank account, the moment you need it most is exactly the moment it seems long gone.

Maybe it’s an age thing, but I’ve started realising it is so much more important than I once did. I thought it was something to fill an hour you had free when there was nothing decent on TV. Am I insightful or what?

It seems to be having a bit of a moment on social media too. But how exactly do you practise self-care? The common quote is ‘listen to your body’ but if we’re honest that sounds a bit cringe doesn’t it? Like you should mutter the line whilst breaking out the incense sticks you bought on a UK beach break a few too many years ago.

Basically though, I guess it’s just practising taking a moment to realise what you actually want to do, rather than what you should be doing. Try and break it down into three: Do something for your mind, your body, and your soul. And do it every week if you can.

I’ve started banning myself from looking at my phone/laptop right before bed and reading a book instead. I’m not going to lie, resisting the urge to refresh twitter can be a lot harder than you’d think. Or maybe I’ve just got a problem. Who knows?

What I do know though, is that 98 % of the time I tend to have a better sleep afterwards. For extra brownie points I’ve been reading whilst supping on a peppermint tea. Just call me a rock and roll star. Talking about phones though, I’ve also recently stopped the urge to check Facebook as soon as I wake up – instead I’ve been listening to a podcast as I do my makeup and generally get ready, though I am searching for a new one so if you know a good one, hook a girl up.

For the past month or so I’ve promised myself I’d do at least an hour of exercise every week. I know, what a martyr I am, a whole hour (especially as the govt now recommends a whole 150 minutes a week) To be fair though, I’ve stuck at it and it is a lot more than I normally get otherwise. Also it seems a lot easier to drag someone else along when you can promise it is only an hour.

I guess that’s the thing with self-care. It doesn’t need to be big. It doesn’t need to be expensive or instagrammable. It just needs to be something you can actually be fit into your life, that’s simple and that makes you feel better. If it’s beginning to feel like a chore, or too complicated or you begin wondering if it’s the right colour to fit in with your Instagram it’s not self-care, it’s just another thing on your to-do list. And babe, you do not need that.

I’m going to be honest, I should have written this post a long time ago. I should have read Seas of Snow a lot quicker. I wanted to read it quicker – in one long uninterrupted sitting. Probably with a quiet hour or two after to sit and reflect.  However that is not always how the world works, with some books that’s not a problem. You can dip in and out, like a piece of fruit on the go, they nourish you quickly – normally leaving a sweet taste.

This is not a book that you can pick up when you have a spare ten minutes to kill. Kerensa  Jennings carefully weaves a narrative that demands attention, whilst the subject itself demands respect. Seas of Snow appealed to me instantly with its distinctive northern voice. As much as I love Coronation Street, as a northern lass sometimes I want another northern, working class voice. Kerensa uses phrases that transport you directly into the working class world of Newcastle in the 50’s – without the need to google half the words, wondering what on earth they mean. You feel as if you too, could be leaning on kitchen counter in one of the houses, gossiping about the couple at number 6.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but let’s say this: it follows Gracie, whose normal life is violently interrupted through the arrival of her uncle, and his sudden inclusion in the household.

A lot of the time abuse, especially of women can seem fetishized at worse, or used as a lazy plot device at best. The descriptions are graphic and meant to shock then are conveniently swept away after the victim has been stripped bare. Seas of Snow takes a different track – and in a way makes it more effective. Gracie is young, very young and the writing reflects this. Again, I don’t want to let slip any spoilers – however the events in the book are made even more chilling by the innocence – and confusion – with which Gracie comprehends them.  As you progress through Seas of Snow, you know what is happening, and what is to come. Your heart aches as you see Gracie, a young girl with wide eyes – who doesn’t know what is happening, but knows that it is not right.

The book is undeniably dark, yet offers light in the most some of the smallest, everyday places. The characters find solace in friendships, sometimes current and full of laughter. Other times the friendships are past their prime, yet highlight how ties to the past can be a source of comfort even when nowadays the catchups feel more like a duty than a pleasure. Memories of everyday events and passages of poetry offer peace to the characters. The novel teaches that in even the hardest of times it is possible to find small spaces to escape.

Kerensa is not only a talented writer, she is a creative poet too. The novel is punctuated with passages of poetry that the characters read and reminisce about. As the subject is quite dark, the poetry could be seen as light relief, but it is in no way ‘fluff’ that only serves as a distraction. The verses could easily stand alone in their own right.

In a way, this book is as much about learning to find peace where you can. The world, as we’ve seen recently, can be harsh. It can be hard, hurtful and illogical but by looking at the smaller details it is possible to still find hope.

To misquote Dumbledore, this book reminds us – in the hardest hitting way – that it is possible to find peace even in the darkest of times, if only we remember to turn on the light.

I feel like I’ve almost forgotten how to blog. Not the best, when you’re supposed to write blogs as part of your day job eh?

Lately life has been pretty brilliant but pretty darn busy. Within the space of three weeks I created a strategy for introducing a new product line (as part of my degree – which meant a lot of extra research etc) secured a new house, moved in with Craig, and started a new job.

And when life gets busy, to put it bluntly my skin tends to get a bit shit. I suffer from eczema and when I get run down, it tends to resurface. Although admittedly it is a whole lot better than it used to be and is only on my arms, it’s still enough to knock a gal. It’s not too bad, and without looking looking you might not know it was there. But I do, and that’s enough to stop me from wanting to get my arms out for the world.

Luckily, I have found the denim dress of dreams. Or should I say it found me? I feel a bit like it was meant to be. I’d recently got rid of my last denim dress, when this bad boy rocked  up and snuck into my heart.

Denim dresses seem to be one of those things you see in some form or another every year. I’m about to go off on a bit of a tangent now, but lately I’ve been wanting to look after my clothes a bit better and buy more classic styles. I mean don’t get me wrong, show me a bright colour and a frill and I’m still there – but I guess I want to move away from the whole fast fashion thing. You know, where you wear it three times, it falls apart and then you bin it and move onto the next thing. Must be my age.

Anyway, back to this dreamy denim dress – I got it a few weeks ago from New Look, it has sold out on their site, but it is still available in store I think.

I love that it is a simple shirt dress style with a tie waist. The tie means you can show off your waist when you want, or leave it as a looser style after one to many BBQs and Pimms. Who said you have to be slim for summer clothes?

On the shoulders there is some cute embroidered flowers – their positioning makes me feel a bit like a cowgirl, not gonna lie. I like to think this detailing makes it a bit more current – tapping into the embroidery trend which is huge – but isn’t so much of a statement that it can never be worn again. Like them high wedge heel trainers we all bought a few years back lol.

I’d really like to wear this dress with some chunky strappy sandals but I’m yet to find a pair I like. As such, I’ve teamed this with some peep toe ankle boots in khaki that have a cut out on the heel –though you can’t see this in the photos. My bad.

Though in my defence of not having photos of all the angles, I took these photos whilst me and Craig was house sitting for my sister and I think most of the village locals were a bit bemused to see a man knelt down on a back street taking photos of me whilst our (temporary) cat cried from the side lines.