The Rise of Being Connected 24/7*

27th November 2017

Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash

These days it feels pretty much like I’m never not connected to the internet. The only time in recent memory was during the week I spent in the North West Highlands where I had almost seven days entirely free from my laptop and constant influx of emails. This really got me thinking about how much I rely on the internet these days for just about everything- from doing my day job to working at home- and with thanks to internet providers like TalkTalk Business anyone who wants to be their own boss, can be.

During that week I was away it really hit home to me just how dependant I am on having a constant connection, 24/7. After the initial adjustment period I really started to enjoy having a break and being forced to focus on other things- books were read, board games were played and the times where I did manage to grab a spot of Wifi were spent generally being more productive than when I have constant access to the internet.

That being said, it was frustrating too. Being on holiday could have been the perfect opportunity to sit down and catch up on getting some blog content written, and being able to stream music or use Netflix would have been really handy, and I’ll admit, it came as a bit of a shock to actually stumble across an area of the country that hadn’t yet manage to conquer connectivity.

A break from the online world was on the whole a refreshing thing and I do feel like I had more of a relaxing time than had I been able to update social media, keep connected with friends and family or write blog posts. It did however make me eternally grateful for the advances in technology meaning that I can go away to different places and still be able to meet blogging deadlines, respond to urgent work emails and keep updated with friends and family.

In this day and age I feel this is a bit of a divisive subject, even within my own head. I don’t like that feeling of dependance on modern technology- it feels a bit defeatist and almost a bit…sad? But on the flip side, being out of contact with my nearest and dearest (no internet and no phone signal meant no texts to my family, no face time with the cat and no catching up on the latest happenings within my friendship group).

How do you feel about being constantly connected? Do you feel like the benefits outweigh the somewhat sad fact that these days you can access a whole world of information all of the time and do work wherever in the world you might be? As you’ve gathered, I’m torn. It’s so hard to switch off when you know you’re constantly online and you feel like you might be missing out- I’ll pick up a book then get distracted by yet another notification and not return to my page for hours, or even days.

My personal solution, I think, especially over the festive period where family time should take precedence is to try and have a day or two where I do switch off, flip off the WiFi, ignore my emails and crack out the board games.

I’d love to know where other people stand on this- I feel like it’s a more and more relevant topic and technology advances, and I might starting to show my age here, but I do kind of miss the good old days whilst appreciating what being constantly connected has helped me to achieve.

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Tiny Tricks To Turn Your Home Into A Vintage Palace*

25th November 2017

Photo by Brianna Fairhurst on Unsplash

Vintage isn’t just something that consists of hip clothing– it’s a lifestyle, one that you can implement in to every aspect of your day to day living. This means that your home could benefit from being changed from a boring little apartment or rental property to a vintage palace. Lots of people rent their homes now, and so they feel that they can’t make major changes, but there are ways to turn your home into a vintage dream, it just takes a little creativity.

Maximize Wood Furnishings
To increase that vintage feel you should purchase plenty of wooden furniture. From sideboards, to bookcases- or anything else you can think of this doesn’t just help to create that nostalgic feel but it brings a lot of warmth and character to your home. And, regardless of the quality of wood whether it is single planks or board and battered any type of wood adds a very vintage appeal to any modern looking home especially with the addition of some Chalk Paint.

Go For Earthy Tones
It’s a great way to offer a timeless look in your home and by going for muted colors it helps everything to blend in rather than overshadow. It’s a very subtle process but you can even purchase accessories that although are essential to the home, still blend to that vintage style and feel. Something like a towel rail radiator you can purchase in vintage styles and is practical at the same time. The blending process is quite difficult, so, if you have guests over that don’t notice it don’t be concerned- it means that you’ve done your job well!

The Thrift Store Is Your Friend
When looking for ways to decorate a home in a vintage style accessories are going to be your saving grace. To spend an afternoon in every thrift store imaginable stocking up on quirky footstools, tea sets and tray tables, you will gradually begin to get a feel for what will benefit your home. And the great thing about thrift stores is that you are going to come back fully loaded with every item imaginable for a very cheap price! Lots of people underestimate a thrift store because the quality of items may not be at their best, but the great thing about making your home a bit more vintage is that an imperfect item can be an advantage in this case, adding to the vibes.

You Can’t Fight Architecture!
The big issue in trying to add a vintage layer to your home is that if you have a thoroughly modern apartment or house, the styles can tend to jar somewhat. Instead, don’t fight the natural architecture of your home look at how you can use this to your advantage. This means go in with a basic plan and it will benefit your home far more than if you decide to randomly swathe your home in a mishmash of styles.

Vintage is very popular right now, and the great thing about vintage styling does that it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. If you are renting a property, or you are somewhere that you can struggle to put your stamp on, try a few of these, and see how it benefits your home.

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Introducing Pablo

24th November 2017

It’s the internet’s worst kept secret that I am a complete cat loon, so it’s odd that it’s taken me so long to write this post given that it’s over a month since a new feline entered my life.

And what a month it’s been! From timid, 8 weeks old bundle of floof to (almost) 13 weeks old boisterous adventurer it’s been an absolute joy and delight having Pablo around.

Technically at the moment he is Bob’s kitten, although he tells me I have a good stake too- he lives with Bob and his brother but one day will become ours when we set up home together. I get weekend and some weekday ownership and that includes my share of vet trips, litter box duty and emergency dashes for kitten food because we can’t keep up with his voracious appetite.

Named after the notorious Pablo Escobar (Narocs fans, what of it?) this grey and white fuzz ball is turning out to be a real character and certainly keeps us on our toes as he works out how to pounce, growl and cause chaos wherever he goes. The meow is still a work in progress but he’s making his presence felt in many other ways to make up for it.

Fear not Mae fans, she’s still my main feline companion and my absolute bestest girl- getting photos of her right now is proving a challenge though, with a penchant for hiding under duvets and running the second she spies a camera…but she’s as devious and characterful as ever and I’m sure it won’t be long before she graces the blog with her presence once more.

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Christmas with Tangerine Confectionery

23rd November 2017

A couple of weeks ago, after a long old Friday at work I got home to discover a giant mystery box awaiting me. I had Bob with me at the time and we spent a few minutes speculating what could possibly be inside before curiosity got the better of us and we broke in to it.

It was with complete delight that we discovered a box packed full of sugary goodness from Tangerine Confectionery who had put together a selection of their products ideal for the festive season as well as a few games and the ultimate festive film- Home Alone. We wasted no time at all in getting stuck in.

The Sweet Champions box was undoubtedly the star of the show for us, crammed full of favourites such as black jacks, wham bars and sherbet fountains we loved everything about this. It would make a fantastic stocking filler for any sweet addict, or a great alternative to the festive boxes of chocolates that everyone hoards at this time of year. You’ll find this is all major supermarkets for around the £4.00 mark, I’ll certainly be buying a few now that quality street and roses aren’t what they used to be (sore subject around these parts).

Also within the box was a selection of stocking filler ideas such as the Vimto jellybeans and bonbons set (my favourite), a box containing princes marshmallows and chocolate covered marshmallows and another containing wham bars and cosmic sour sweets. I really liked these little boxes of fun which I’ve seen for sale in Wilko for a very reasonable £2.00.

I’m not a fan of fruit flavoured chocolate very much so the Raspberry ruffles didn’t appeal to me, but the mint ones are confirmed delicious. These are a proper blast from my past and would be good as part of a hamper gift of for offering around to guests.

Being the resourceful people we are we also utilised the big gold box all of these products were packaged in…
I’ll do a full post on the recipient soon as he is long over-due an introduction, but in the meantime check out our twelve week old bundle of trouble enjoying his new crib…

The products in this post were a gift from Tangerine Confectionary and I was under no obligation to post, all opinions are mine and Bob’s (with a little help from Pablo).

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Festive Admin: Get Through Your Christmas Checklist With Ease*

20th November 2017

The festivities seem to already be in full swing- decorations are up around the shops, and all the adverts are out and giving us that warm Christmas feeling. It’s a busy (or hectic) time of year (well, they don’t call it party season for nothing) and there’ll be plenty of places to visit and faces to see over the coming weeks. However with everything happening so fast the weeks and days seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate before the big day arrives- along with the week following Christmas in the lead up to New Year. Therefore you’ll probably have a list as long as your arm in your head with things you need to organise, complete and sort out in good time so that you can relax and enjoy celebrating as much as possible.

It can be a challenge getting through all your tasks however big or small they are with time left to spare to relax and enjoy watching Home Alone, or thoroughly let yourself go at the office Christmas party. However the more you prepare and plan the next few weeks the more you’ll (or yule) have a fun and carefree Christmas ahead of you. Ensuring that you have everything on your list is the first step; so you’ll need to make sure that’s out of the way first so that you can begin working through it methodically and effectively. The following are some tips, ideas and inspiration for the ultimate Christmas admin list and will ensure that you’re the most organised elf this festive season.

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Equipment At The Ready

When you go through the festive season you’re likely to have to decorate, wrap presents and you might even be partial to a spot of Christmas baking. Therefore there’s no time like the present to ensure that you have all you need in your cupboards to see you through each task. If you haven’t already it’s worth gathering an array of different wrapping papers, ribbons, cards, and more importantly, plenty of sellotape so that gift wrapping becomes a little easier. You don’t want to be buying one sheet of wrapping per present and running out to the supermarket to grab more sticky tape at 9 pm- this will only waste your time and money and send your stress levels up when you should be relaxing in front of Strictly. Brown parcel paper and washi tape can go a long way and create a beautiful-looking package so make sure that you have everything you need to be as creative and decorative as you want.

The same goes for anything that you want to create in the kitchen- stock up on the basics first, like flour, sugar, colouring, icing, spices and butter (you can freeze this) so that you can whip up a festive biscuit or cupcake whenever you want to. You can start looking through some of your favourite cookbooks for festive recipes- decide when would be a good time or great occasion to make things and begin to gather your cupboard and freezer ingredients so that you just have any fresh items to purchase nearer the time.

Thoughtful Gifts

When it comes to presents it really is the thought that counts, and it’s not about the size of a box or the cost of the gift that your recipients will appreciate. Therefore write your gift-giving list and have a think about what each person may enjoy and why. For your dad or boyfriend check out some unique gift ideas for men so that you’re not wrapping up socks again or aftershave. Perhaps you haven’t spent a great deal of time with your mum or bestie this year so you could book a spa day or an afternoon tea to enjoy together in January. Whatever you decide to get them make sure it shows you’ve taken the time to think of something special and meaningful.

Time To Prepare

The most crucial thing (that you might be lacking) during the upcoming weeks is the gift of time to do everything on your list. Therefore sit down for an hour or so and take a detailed look at your calendar. Prioritise social get-togethers with friends and family, utilise your free evenings and weekends to get your shopping, decorating, wrapping and cooking done and ensure that you get to see everyone you want to. Be the organiser= you can plan a couple of get-togethers with different groups of friends and visit a Christmas market or meet for dinner so that you’ve seen them all and can hand out cards and gifts. Make the most of the festivities and enjoy yourself knowing that you’ve got everything under control this season.