My Fabric Stash!

Hello there,

I thought I would post something a little different this Friday. As you may or may not know, for the past 19 months I have worked for a Patchwork and Quilting Company. Its based in a shop down the road from where I live and it a madhouse! It can get pretty hectic but we are like one big happy family who are always sharing laughs. I love my work and it will be heartbreaking when I have to give it up for Uni, however lets live in the moment and I'll explain what my fabric stash is all about.

I met Boris Johnson!

So I was on my lunch break from college today and as I wondered into a crowd I found Boris Johnson, yeah the Mayor of London with the funny hair cut and the cycling obsession.
I step back from the crowd just to take it all in, still shocked I walked in a big circle round the whole crowd and got this rubbish picture from behind a TV camera.

Boris from a distance 

Quote of the Week

I know it seems like a strange quote to have as the quote of the week on this blog but I just thought It was worth mentioning.

The Body Shop- consultation

Hello There,

Last Sunday I talked about my desire to get back into wearing make up, if you didn't read this post click here to read it.
So last Friday I had an appointment booked for a free Skincare consultation which covered everything from cleansing to moisturising, make-up and taking it all off at the end.
What I really wanted from this whole experience was a new set of make-up and a load of tips on how to use it and what worked best for my skin.

A Little Trip to London: Sunday post

Hello there,

Firstly, I'm sorry all my posts have been delayed by a few days, not only have I been very busy but I also haven't been feeling great, whenever I get home I have just fallen straight to sleep. However I promise that by the end of Monday night all my missed posts will be uploaded, and of course I will be linking up with #Allaboutyou on Mama- and more as usual.

Quote of the Week

Good Morning Everybody,
Happy Monday!

Recently I have been doing a lot of posts on style (capsule wardrobe) and beauty (Sunday post).
Today I wanted to reflect briefly and remember that inner beauty is the most important thing.
Style and beauty are great to have fun with and enjoy, however it is only an outer shell.

So today I want you to get up, look at yourself in the mirror and laugh! Be happy to be alive, even if it is a grey autumn morning. It sounds very cheesy but we are all beautiful in our own way so walk with pride and let everyone see.

Have a great day and a great week.
Talk Soon,
Claudia x

Beauty Makes a Come Back!: Sunday post

Hello Everybody!

Another week has passed and life is still changing.
Last week was quite a down beat post, however this one is definitely an improvement. I have seen some friends this week who are still living near me and we have half planned a few nights out. Also I had a great week in College, in fact I am now ahead in my assignments! That might just be because I am fast at typing but all I know for sure is I feel a lot happier in myself.

So the big change this week- Make up!
I posted about my capsule wardrobe on Friday (click here to read it) and have now begun shopping which means I am making more trips to town and into department stores and past all the beauty counters, which got me thinking about my own beauty regime.

Last January in a strange change of mind I stopped wearing make up. I never used to dare leave the house without it but recently you would be lucky to see me with mascara and a little lip gloss on.
Since then I have got it into my head that make up is this strange thing that goes against self confidence and oppresses us by making us think that we aren't naturally beautiful- I know it got a little extreme!

But my mind is once again changing, I don't think I will ever go back to a dependency on wearing make up and to be honest I never want to, however I would like to start wearing when I feel like I want to look a bit more done up.
There's only one problem; after 9 months of not wearing anything not only have I lost all of my make up, I also wouldn't know how to use it if I had it.

So I am now on a mission of two things:

1. To rebuild my collection with quality products that I have researched and properly tried out before buying.
2. To be confident about my beauty skills but still happily not wear make-up when I don't feel like it. 

As with anything I get into my head, I will always have a plan of how to achieve it. Make up is no different.

I started off last week by subscribing to Birchbox so I could get a selection of new products to try out each month. There's also added benefits like collecting points when you buy full sized products to get money off future purchases. I'll talk about my Birchbox in an unboxing/review post later in the week.

Some of Birchbox and BodyShop mini haul

Birchbox October 2014 Editiom

Another thing I will start doing is talking to the girls at beauty counters. I have always been cautious about beauty counters as there's no prices and I worry that I will be dragged into buying something. However they want you to love the product you get so that you come back time and time again so they will happily go through the products, try some out on you and maybe even give you the odd free sample. The most important thing for me to remember is that there is no obligation to buy anything, no one is going to force you into it.

I have found that is worth keeping your eye out for events at beauty counters and department stores as they often offer free treatments or consultations. Obviously their intention is to make a sale but if it doesn't impress you then don't waste your money.

At the moment The Bodyshop are offering free skin consultations and 5 minute makeovers. I have the consultation booked for next Friday and I will ask if they have time for the make up to because there's a BB cream I saw in there that looked nice.
Benefit are also doing free mini makeovers to promote their Christmas gift sets. I'm definitely going to take them up on this offer as I have been told that their make up is great, but I have to see it to believe it.
Finally, Origins are doing a free mini facial, I only encountered their products last week but they looked very natural which got me excited. I will be doing this when I get a chance to go to the shop.

The other thing that has got me excited about make up are the discount cards. There's loads out there but the most recent one I got was the Bodyshop one. You get loads of savings, free gifts and vouchers with it, which means I will definitely be spending when I go there next Friday!

Before I sign off I must remind myself that beauty will always come from health and within. Make-up and beauty treatments are good fun and nice to have but we must always be confident in our own natural skin that we take good care off with health, fitness and general care.
However, all this comes second to a positive and happy attitude on life.

Thanks for reading... in the comments tell me:
Whats your best beauty tip?
and
Whats your favorite beauty product?

Claudia x

Capsule Wardrobe: De-clutter and planning

Hello there!

For many years now I have have a strong belief that less being more, this has lead me to a fascination with capsule wardrobes. This time last year I cut down my wardrobe from over 80 items to just 25 in a bid to get my capsule wardrobe. However this didn't last long as there was no planning and I never went shopping properly for new pieces that would create the perfect mix and max wardrobe.

So now that a year has passed, I am once again on a mission to build a capsule wardrobe but this time I am taking it seriously. I know exactly what I want to have in my wardrobe, but before I make my shopping list I need to know whats in my wardrobe. 

Step 1- Get some space

My wardrobe is a little cupboard with a clothes rail so I just dragged it out and into my bedroom. I also cleared my bed so I have plenty of space to lay everything out.

My wardrobe before it is decluttered

Step 2- Start sorting

If you are going to dramatically reduce your wardrobe you have to be ruthless. I kept telling myself that they are only clothes, they just take up space if I don't wear them. My original plan was to only keep things that I was going to have in my new wardrobe, however some things I want to replace and update so I kept those as otherwise I would have nothing to wear until I went shopping. But I will get rid pf them once their replacements turn up.

I made 3 piles: one for my summer clothes that I will box up and deal with next spring (bottom left), one for clothes that I want to keep for lazy days but will now be living with my PJs (bottom right), and a pile for all the clothes that I am going to get rid of (top right).

If you are wondering about the Captain American top, its my sisters that I need to give back to her.

Step 3- Get rid of clothes
There is no point deciding what you don't want if you then don't make sure they leave the house.
My first point of call was my Sister, I got her to go through everything and decide what she wanted to keep.
The rest we bagged up, the brown bag on the left is for my summer clothes and the Ikea bag has got all the clothes that will be leaving.

To get rid of them I will be splitting this bag into two. Most of it will become part of a closet sale that I will be holding on Ebay, any money I make from it can go towards updating my wardrobe. The rest, plus anything that doesn't sell will go to a charity shop.

Step 4- Make a shopping list
Now all that is left in my wardrobe is my work uniform, some of my friends clothes that I need to give back to them and about 13 items of my own (not all of them are there as some were in the wash at the time)

Dramatic weight loss!

So now it is time to make a shopping list, the following list shows all the clothes that I want for my wardrobe, it can be made up of both the things I still have and stuff that I need go shopping for.

• Black skinny Jeans
• Light blue skinny Jeans
• A pair of leggings
• Black skater skirt
• Black skater dress
• Tight black dress
• Two tees- grey and white
• Two vest- black and white
• 3 blouses- sleeves, half sleeves, sleeveless 
• Plaid Shirt
• Denim shirt
• Two jumpers
• Two cardigans 
• A blazer

And that's it; apart from my work uniform, running kit and lounge wear that's all the clothes I wish to own.

So It has begun, I'll do an update once I have brought all the new clothes and I will start doing 'outfit of the day posts' so that you can see how I make a small wardrobe work!
I'm also going to go through my shoes and most of the other things I own to try and stream line everything, but that will come with time.

Thanks for reading, and in the comments tell me:
Whats the one Item of clothing that you couldn't live without?

Talk soon,
Claudia x

Marathon Challenge: Training Update

Hi There,
Thanks for stopping by, and a special welcome to all those dropping in from the Mama- and More Link party #Allaboutyou.

In last week's link up party I talked about my Marathon challenge so, along with my Quote of the week post, I thought I would do a quick update on my training. If you didn't see last weeks post explaining the challenge click here to read it. 

This weekend I reached 5 weeks of training which also means I have completed the first 5k stage. I am very proud of myself for sticking with the running come rain or shine; the rain was insane yesterday but I still went out and happily ran 2.2 miles.  

However, the running has been harder than I thought so I need to look a head and up my game. Although I have been going out on all the planned runs I have quite often skipped out on the Pilates and yoga. So here are my five goals for my next 5 weeks of training. 

1)Keep up with the running- it will improve but you mustn't give up!

2)Go to a group yoga class- I have been inspired my the YogaMamaZee yoga series on Mama-and More. I have now found some early morning yoga classes which look like a great way to start the day.

3)Start a squat challenge routine- they are all over pintrest and squats are said to be the best move a runner can do as they build up the muscles in your legs. I used to do loads of them and they definitely work.

4)Take more care of my body- I have been getting a lot of aches and pains while running so I need to take more time when stretching, cooling down and warming up.

5)Get back on the blogilaties hype- I used to love blogilaties but I have recently been avoiding it. I need to try some of her more basic videos to get back in the mood. If you don't know what blogilaties is check her out on youtube.

That's my plan, now I just have to do it!
Have a beautiful day.
Claudia x

Quote of the week

Hello There!

 I decided that this week I would make more of a deal out of the 'Quote of the week' and link it to the Mama- and More #Allaboutyou link party.

This week's quote comes from Albert Einstein because it is really helping me through my time at college and I wanted to share it's power with you all.

At the moment I am studying IT as part of an apprenticeship scheme, but the problem is that apart from blogging, I'm not really interested in IT. The course is highly technical which is not my thing, I prefer humanities and academic arts subjects like history and politics which I will be studying at University next year.

I keep getting stuck in a rut and thinking that I am stupid as everyone else can understand the course but I really struggle to grasp all the different concepts. It takes me a lot longer to finish assignments and I often get them handed back to me to do again which is a horrible feeling.

However finding this Einstein quote has cheered me up by reminding me that you don't have to know everything to be a intelligent and just because I have issues with IT doesn't mean I am not going to do well at University where I am studying a completely different subject. I'm like the fish, I'm failing to climb the tree but if you put me back in the water I can swim for miles.

Just as Einstein says, everyone is a genius but we aren't all knowledgeable in the same subjects. We are all unique, we have our own tastes, preferences and ways of learning. Therefore we should never feel down beat because we can't grasp a concept or master a skill, we all still have something amazing to offer that is individual to us. We should celebrate our skills and share them with each other, it's what makes humanity so interesting.

Short and sweet but it all had to be said.
Now go and celebrate yourself and visit all the other posts on this brilliant Mama- and More #Allaboutyou link party.

Claudia x

Times of Change: Sunday post

Hello there,

So it is now 9:15pm and I have just got back from a 5k run. It wasn't my best run as I have eaten far to much today which made me a bit ill but I still did it and that's what matters!

As always, I used my run as my thinking time and on this particular run I really took note of how much my life has changed since the beginning of September. It has really been a roller coaster of events and emotions that I have struggled to keep track of, to help me get my head round it all I am going to list all the things that have changed and then what I plan to do for the coming months. 

It can be a bit upsetting but I feel it is important for us all to step back and take a look at what is going on in our lives before it goes over our heads and we can't control it. No matter how you are feeling right now just give it a try, write down everything thing that has changed in the past year and then decide what you want to address or what changes you want to celebrate. 

So what has happened to me:

1) My friends have moved to University- I was meant to go but things got in the way so I am waiting until next year. I thought staying at home would be great for a year, it would let me relax and recharge but I just find myself feeling lonely and isolated. 

2)I'm working full time as an IT apprentice- This is both good and bad. Working and getting paid is great and I love where I work, the people are great, the customers are great, the atmosphere is friendly etc. However college isn't so much fun; the teachers are lovely and so are my classmates but the feeling of being back in a school environment scares me and I have had a few panic attacks even though the work is pretty easy. 

3)I have learnt to sew- this is a good one! I work at a fabric company so I have been meaning to learn for a long time, finally this week I picked up a needle and thread to make a very basic cushion. Now just a few day later I have made a pin cushion and I am in the middle of another throw pillow. Hand sewing is really therapeutic but as I get more and more excited about what I can make I am seriously considering making an investment in a good sewing machine. 

4)I have started planning my Mum's Wedding-good and bad. The wedding fairs, dresses, cake tasting, make up trials and spa days are loads of fun and I get to spend loads of quality time with my Mum and my Sister. However as the wedding will mean making a lot of things official such as my Mum not sharing my surname, I got over the divorce a long time ago and now see that it was for the better but there is still all that emotion. Also I want my Mum to be happy so when I see her excited about her big day I do sometimes get those happy tears we all get. 

 Those are all the big things that are happening right now. So how to fix them?

1) Go and visit my friends at Uni but also get back in touch with all the people I know who stayed behind. 

2) Remind myself that college is completely different to school and that there is no pressure because I already have my place at university. 

3) Keep sewing, but don't let it get in the way of running because nothing beats a good run!

4) Try to focus on the exciting parts of the wedding, Mum has been with her future husband for nearly 10 years now, a piece of paper will not change the situation at home. But it is an excuse to have a good party so just enjoy it!

Okay so now I have an action plan, I have taken stock of my life and I know what to do next. 

Try this out for yourself, or maybe just make room for some thinking time. It doesn't have to be as serious as mine, perhaps you are just fed up with your wardrobe so you plan to upgrade it. Simply things like that, it's all about taking a bit of time for self reflection. 

Make sure the outcome is positive and I promise you will thank me. 

Claudia x  

Mental Illness Awareness day 2014

I wanted to do an extra post for today in honor of Mental Illness Awareness day 2014.

I have been inspired to write this post by Yasmin@ twentyonepress. Please check out her post 'World Mental Health Day' by clicking here

1 in 3 people are affected by cancer at some point in their lives and thanks to awareness and research 50% more people are surviving. And yet 1 in 4 people suffer from some kind of mental illness, a disease that destroys well being and can be fatal, and it is surrounded in stigma and misunderstandings.
I'm not talking down the destruction cancer causes, it is a horrible disease and the work done by fabulous charities such as Cancer Research and Macmillan should not be halted. What I can't understand is why mental illness is almost forgotten about.

So here's the 3 things I want to tell everyone about mental illness. It is a bit personal but I don't mind being open about it, it is better to talk about it so people understand, if we stay quiet nothing will change.

1) Anxiety and Depression- what do they do?
I was diagnosed with anxiety and minor depression last February. What that means is that I often have panic attacks that can be started by anything, it feels like my brain is shutting down, I can't think, I can't speak and I can't explain whats wrong. The only thing I can do is run away and cry- that's the anxiety bit. Once I calm down I feel exhausted and scared to try and do what set off the panic attack, I often don't want to talk about it or just want to sleep. When this happens a lot I become too tired to function properly but because of the adrenaline produced from my panic attacks I am constantly alarmed, even when sleeping I only sleep very lightly because my brain is on such high alert. As a result I lose my appetite, my interests and my ability to socialise. This is the depression part, when I reach this stage I will often lie on my bed barley able to move and only able to day dream. My day dreams can often lead me into panic attacks without anything happening. I will day dream to the point where this world is no longer real to me which means I wonder round through the days but I don't really know whats going on because I have lost touch with reality.

For a brilliant explanation of this watch the Ted Talk from ruby wax.

It is important the people understand that depression is not just a matter of not feeling great one day, it is about your brain's chemical make up that can cause all sorts of problems when it is not properly balanced. 

You can't just perk up, we want to and we try but we find it impossible. 

2)There is no magic pill!
There are a number of different drugs on the market that help those who suffer from mental illness. They all have different strengths and ways of affecting you, however there is no magic pill!
Those with a mental illness will still have good days and bad days no matter what drugs they are taking. They just assist in dealing with the condition, we still have numerous coping mechanisms and are trying to be self aware so we know when we need to take care of ourselves.
My coping mechanisms include running which allows me to let my thoughts run wild without paying to much attention to them, it also helps lessen the adrenaline spike. I also try to be social and very honest with myself and those around me as it keeps me in touch with reality.

This video is quite long but this guy is doing research into beating depression without drugs.

3) We do have good days
I find that one of the worst parts is the sense of guilt you get on a good day. When you tell people you have anxiety or depression they expect you to be in a bad mood and on edge all the time. However we have good days, for example since I finished my A-levels the amount of panic attacks I have had have dropped, I still have the odd bad day but most of the time I am happy and positive. However, to people who don't understand, your good day can make it appear like you are just exaggerating your condition and you are actually fine. Of course you don't have any scans or definitive results to say that you are ill, hence you are left with a sense of shame and guilt.
We also feel guilty because we know that life could be much harder but we still can't always deal with the lives we do lead.

The good news... 
Times are changing and opinions of mental illness are moving forward, for example The Lib Dems came out this week promising to cut waiting times for those seeing mental health treatment to the same wait as treatment for cancer patients on the NHS.
There are also some amazing charities who are raising awareness and providing support. If you need advice on mental illness charities such as:

• www.mind.org.uk
• www.mentalhealth.org.uk
• www.sane.org.uk

Despite all this more can be done, raising awareness in the general public needs to be made a priority so that we can drop the stigma and work together to improve treatment and support. 

Thank you for reading and spread the word!

Have a beautiful day

Claudia x

5 Bridesmaids styles: Wedding series 1

Hello There!

I want to welcome you to the new Wedding series on Enjoying today. I'm currently helping to plan my Mum's wedding for next July so I thought I could do a few posts (one a month) on different aspects of weddings. There will be posts on dresses, decorations, theme ideas, hairstyles, fitness and diet plans and a few diy's for good measure!

This first post is all about bridesmaids, which is what we are currently dealing with. Your bridesmaids will be the main carriers of your colour scheme and style of your wedding so it might be worth sorting it out before anything else. Here are 5 exciting and interesting ways of dressing your bridesmaids:


1) Same dress different shades.

From Grey Likes Weddings

I love the idea of having one dress in different shades because each bridesmaid can have their own unique dress and it adds interest. However, having them in different shades rather than separate colours means that the bridesmaids still tie in with the style the wedding and having the same dress creates some cohesion in the bridal party. On a practical level the different shades allows for different skin tones so none of your bridesmaids are too washed out by the colour.

2) Different shades, different dress


From Ruffled

This takes number 1 a step further. I like it because it gives a more relaxed feel to the wedding while still matching the colour scheme. Also it allows for each bridesmaids to pick the style of dress that they feel most conformable in- happy bridesmaids makes for a happy bride!

3) 2 colours


From Wedding Chicks

A lot of colour schemes have more than 1 main colour so why should you have to pick just one for your bridesmaids dresses? This style is fun and interesting but can be made more formal with matching formal gowns in the two colours if thats what will suit your wedding.

4) Colour pop


From Destination wedding details

Inject some fun into your bridesmaids outfits with brightly coloured shoes and matching bouquets. You could use many colours or just the one colour that matches your colour scheme.

5)Let your Maid of Honor stand out 

 From the Knot
She has helped you out, dealt with you bridezilla moments and has run around making sure everything is perfect for your big day. So why not say thank you to your maid of honor with a special dress just for her, it will give her more freedom over what she is wearing but you can still tie it in with your style.




Thats it, all 5 ideas for dressing your bridesmaids. Look out for the next Wedding Series post on the 2nd Friday of November.

Claudia x

Mama - and More!: All About You Link Party

Mama - and More!: All About You Link Party

Marathon Training: Mama- and more #Allaboutyou Linky party

Mama - and More!: All About You Link Party

Hi there!

This is my first linky party and I absolutely love the concept; Writing about my passion was harder than I thought it would be but it has made me more enthusiastic about it. I decided to do a piece on training for a marathon, it’s something that takes up a part of everyday for me at the moment and will do so for a while. In this post I will hopefully answer some of the questions that I have already been asked about how and why I'm running a marathon, also I have left some tips at the bottom for anyone considering any distance race. So without further ado lets get into it...

What is it all about?

Okay I’m not running a real marathon, it’s the Colworth Marathon Challenge; a 3 part race over 3 days that adds up to 26.2 miles: 3.1 miles on the Friday evening, 10 miles on the Saturday and a half marathon on the Sunday. However it’s not quite that straight forward; the course includes roads, hills, fields and forests so it’s not the flats roads you get at things like the London Marathon. On top of this you have to spend the weekend in a tent come rain or shine. So no, I don’t have to run 26.2 miles all at once but I do have to have the mental strength to get out of my tent each morning and do each part of the race without the best night sleep.

Why on earth would I put myself through all that? I have a few reasons

• To get healthy- Just having ‘get healthy’ as a goal is a bit of a broad topic, so I decided to go with something more specific. To do any kind of race or challenge like this you have to be pretty fit and healthy so in completing it I should have got myself into a new healthy lifestyle that I will hopefully keep up.
• 'If they can all do it so can I’- I have been camping out and volunteering at this event for the past 6 years. You can’t help but be inspired by all those taking part; old, young, casual runners to professional athletes, it’s amazing to watch. I decided that to be like them just takes some hard work and dedication, I had no excuse not to.
• Something to focus on- this is a bit of a crazy year that I didn’t expect, with everything going on it can sometimes all be too much. Running in general has always helped focus me, so a marathon challenge focuses my mind on a set goal which is one step further than just running.

What training am I doing?

The first part is a couch to 5k type plan, then to 10k, then to half marathon. I should be done with that by next May which gives me about a month and a half to specifically train for 3 races in a row and make sure I am in the best shape I can possibly be. I wanted the plan to be pretty straight forward and for it to build up slowly. There’s no fancy workouts just running, strength training and some yoga to let my body recover. However, once I reach the 10K stage there will be the addition of some cross training, cycling and swimming every now and then.

Also included in my training are a few attempts at the actual course, it’s not too far from home and it is pretty easy to get to. I hope that practicing on the course will let me get used to what to expect and know what parts I will need to save my energy for.

Training on rugged terrain... just keep going!

What’s my diet looking like?

At the moment my diet is just healthy and balanced. There’s a lot of fruit and veg as well as cutting back on any unnecessary sugars and saturated fats. It’s not a diet tailored specifically for running but when it gets to about January I will start trying out a more specific meal plan so that I'm works best for me in the run up to the challenge.

What do I hope to get from it?

I hope to get a serious sense of achievement from it, I don’t have to be fast, finishing will be enough for me. I also hope to have improved my health and my figure (just in time for my Mum’s wedding on the following weekend).

Would I recommend it to anyone else? What tips do I have?

I would recommend running as a general past time to anyone; it's great for your mind and body and you don’t need any fancy equipment or special training as running is just instinctive. As far as training for a marathon or a long running challenge, I don’t see why anyone couldn’t but I would probably suggest  that you don’t jump straight into it, start by running casually and then consider if you really want to do it.

As far as tips go:

•    Plan out your training with plenty of time to get into shape- I have given myself 10 months which I think is enough, but that all depends on your level of experience.
•          Train on the surface you will race on- treadmills are great but make sure you get put on the road as it is a completely different feeling. My race is cross country so I try to train on roads and on fields, as well as going up and down hills.
•         Enjoy it! I love the feeling I get from a good run, don’t beat yourself down if you’re not fast enough. Just enjoying the training and the race; focus on finishing and being happy when you do.

     Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed it and maybe even got inspired to give running a go for yourself! If you want to know how my training is going keep checking back as I will have regular updates, I will also have posts on tips for new runners and some general health and fitness posts.

     Don't forget to visit the other blogs in this party by visiting Mama- andmore

Claudia x

Quote of the Week

I love this one.
Take a risk and trust yourself, it might end badly but you will learn from it.
But what if it goes well? Your risk could change everything for the better.
You might just end up thanking you past self for letting you fly!

Claudia x

The biggest burger and the best friend

Hello!

I have reached my 3rd day of being a blogger and so far so good, I have managed to get this post out to you on time and I have got tomorrow’s already to go.

So, what have I been up to? Friday wasn’t particularly exciting (apart from Enjoying Today going live), but I did manage to finish college at 12 rather than 5pm like I normally do because I got all my assignments done really quickly.

Saturday is where things get interesting. I have been pretty lonely since all my friends went off to University and I didn’t (if you want to know why I’m not at university see my about page), in fact not socialising much and not having the people I am used to around has put me on edge, leaving me very spaced out and anxious. But yesterday I went to visit my best friend, Abbie, at drama college. It had been almost a month since I’d seen her which is probably the longest we have been apart for so, as you can imagine, we were over the moon to be back together.

I decided as I was seeing her I would put the dieting, avoiding alcohol and having a good sleeping pattern to one side. To me being healthy is a lifestyle that you should enjoy, so you can let yourself have the odd day off if you are good the rest of the time. At about 4pm we went out to get some food, we thought we would just get a ‘light bite’, then go home, have a little nap and get ready to go to the pub in the evening for a proper meal and some drinks. This did not happen. Instead we decided to go to the pub there and then. It was nachos to start followed by the biggest burger you have ever seen! It was a mixed grill burger which had bacon, egg, mushrooms, onion rings, sausages, chicken and a beef burger with chips and salad on the side (my apologises for not getting a picture, it was quite a sight when it came out). Needless to say neither of us finished them, in fact I barely made a dent in mine, but what we did eat was delicious!

When we got back we decided to sleep off the food. At about 9pm we had some vodkas and lemonade and laughed together. Before you tell me, I know staying in drinking on a Saturday night is pretty sad but we didn’t have much to drink and you can’t catch up in a night club. I fell asleep at about four in the morning but thanks to my regular sleeping pattern I woke up at 6:30am on the dot. Which leads me to here, typing away in the early hours of the morning waiting for Abbie to wake up.

I really think I needed this trip, seeing Abbie has brought me back down to earth and at the moment I feel far less anxious.
So what have I learnt this weekend?
• It’s okay to treat yourself as long as you can control it.
• Seeing your friends will always make you feel better.

Before I sign off I just wanted to mention that either this week or next week there will be an extra post on top of my regular ones. I’m going to submit a piece to the #Allaboutme link up party; make sure you keep up with me on bloglovin so you don’t miss that or any of my other posts.

Also in the comments tell me what’s the biggest plate off food you have encountered and how you treat yourself.

Claudia x

Songs of the week:
• Pretty much anything by Beyoncé, but particularly Love on top (mine and Abbie’s song)
• Walking with Elephants because everyone I have listened to it with loves it.
• Iron Sky- If you haven’t heard it, you have to YouTube it now, you’ll thank me.

10 ways to wake up happy!

Welcome to Enjoying Today, this my first blog post full blog post!

Before we get into it I just want to say thank you for dropping by, I can't wait to connect with you and understand what you guys want on this blog. I hope you stick around and love the posts!

And don't forget to keep an eye on my pintrest, bloglovin and google+ to keep up to date with everything that's going on.

Anyway on to the post...
I decided to start on a high note. With winter coming, it will be darker and colder when we have to pull ourselves out of bed and fly out the door, so I have pulled together my top 10 ways to wake up happy so you can get your day off to a positive start. It includes tips for before you go to bed, how to sleep better and how to spend your early morning to help you feel awake and ready to face the day.
I hope you find something that helps you and please leave a comment telling me what your favorite tip was and if you have any of your own ideas on how to make you morning better. 

1) Plan for the next day.
Before you go to bed take the time to make sure everything you need for the next day is in your bag and lay out the clothes you are going to wear.
You could take this further by checking to see if everything you need to get ready is where you expect it  to be (towels, shampoo, make up etc), and having a quick scan of the kitchen to see what you might have for breakfast.
Whatever you do, a little bit of prep will make getting ready in the morning that bit easier so you can minimise stress and maybe even get a few more minutes in bed!

2) Get enough good sleep. 
According to the National Sleep Foundation adults need around 7-9 hours sleep. So if you have to be awake at 7am make sure you go to bed at 10pm. It seems odd to have a bedtime as a fully grown adult but if you keep this consistent your body will get used to it and you will get a better nights sleep, helping you to wake up feeling full of energy.

3) Ditch the alarm clock!
Yes this one does sound a bit crazy but I started doing it about a       year ago and it has worked wonders. Once I had a regular sleep pattern I would wake up naturally at about 6am to 6:30am which gave me plenty of time to get ready.
With an alarm clock, I find that it shocks my body into waking up and often disrupts my natural sleep and I start to think negative thoughts about my day. Without an alarm I wake up in my own time and can do so gently and I often feel very positive in the morning as a result.
If your not sure about getting rid of an alarm clock, try a sleep app that tracks when you are most awake so that it wakes you up roughly when you need to be but at a time when you are sleeping the lightest.

4) Take a moment to breath. 
Just climbing out of bed when your still drowsy isn't ever a great feeling. So take a moment to lie in bed with the natural light streaming in and wake up a bit more; stretch a bit, breath and tell yourself today will be a good day. Perhaps you could add a very gentle yoga sequence in here, either in or out of bed, just give yourself some time to embrace the day ahead before getting on with everything.

5) Let water be your best friend.
Once I finally gather up the will to get out of bed the first thing I do is get myself a big glass of water and down it all in one. Now we all know the benefits of water and how necessary it is for us to have but I find it to be a great start to the day in itself. Its very refreshing and wakes me up quite a bit so the rest of my morning is full of energy.

6)Workout!
This probably isn't everyone's idea of happiness but it does get your day off to a good start. It doesn't have to be a seriously intense workout, just 10-20 minutes just to get your body moving. If you want to push yourself, remember that a good workout will release endorphins which make you happy!

7) Eat breakfast.
This one is probably quite obvious but it is worth mentioning as so many people either skip it or don't pay enough attention to it. I will often have a lot of fruit for breakfast with a glass of milk and a huge glass of water. If I am feeling extra hungry I add a slice of brown toast with a small amount of butter. Whatever you eat, try to make it healthy, filling and take some time over it. Sit down and watch a bit of TV or catch up with your family before you all head off to work/school.

8)Make your bed
Before I leave the house I always make my bed and spend about 2 minutes doing a quick tidy up. I find that it adds to the feeling of being put together and organized. It also helps when you come home; if your day was chaotic and you come home to a peaceful tidy space then you can quickly relax and forget about the day.

9)Always leave enough time to get ready. 
If you have prepared everything the night before as it says in step 1 then this part should be easy. When you leave the house you want to feel put together and ready to face the day, if you are rushed getting ready you will find it very hard to feel calm and ready. So make sure you give yourself enough time to do whatever makes you happy about the way you look; be that make up, straight hair or just a well thought out outfit.

10)Remember that timing is vital.
Its great if you decide you are going to take your time getting ready in the morning, get in a morning workout and leave a good amount of time for breakfast. However if you are used to getting up with not much time to spare then your grand plans are never going to work. Plan a timetable in you head, it doesn't have to be rigid but it will give you an idea of how much time you have for each thing and see if you will have to get up any earlier. But don't sacrifice sleep, if you have to get up earlier don't forget to go to bed earlier.


Well I hoped that helped you have a good morning so you can go skipping out of your house feeling relaxed and happy.
If you have any other tips for getting a good night sleep or having a good morning please add them to the comments!

Claudia x

Quote of the Week

There are probably far more typical quotes that come to mind when starting your own blog; things to do with taking a leap into the unknown may be better suited.
However, I decided to use this quote from Dr Seuss because it is still important to enjoy the little moments. Staring my own blog is a big deal for me but I'm not going to remember the whole day. What I will remember is clicking publish on the first main post, getting my first page view when my blog goes live and getting my first comment.
As Dr Seuss says, we must value each moment as the create our life long memories.

Have a beautiful day!
Claudia x

ANNOUNCEMENT: Enjoying Today goes live tomorrow!

Hello!

Now I know I said that I would be waiting until the 22nd October 2014 but I decided I couldn't wait any longer. So tomorrow at 6.30am my first Quote of the Week Post will be going live and my first main post will go live at 7am. The first blog post will be '10 ways to wake up happy'.

I thought I should give you a brief blogging calender of what I will be posting when:

• Monday: Quote of the week
• Friday: New blog post
• Sunday: A little bit about me and my week. 

Of course this is subject to some slight changes and their may be extra posts for link up party posts or any guest blogging. The best way to keep up to date with all the goings on simply add me on bloglovin, Pintrest and Google+. 

Hope to see you soon. 

Claudia x