5 Things I’ve Learned From Creating My First Bullet Journal

I love lists, notebooks, arts and crafts, so it was only a matter of time I tried bullet journaling. This diary/planner/creative outlet is a great all-in-one place to keep track of habits, note down important dates, prioritise to-do lists, destress with doodling, and reflect on what's most important in your day-to-day life. I started my first bullet journal at the beginning of 2020 and it's been a real journey this past year. I've learned a lot of important things along the way, from the essential supply kit to discovering how a bullet journal can benefit me rather than feel like a daily chore. I hope my five learnings throughout this process will be helpful for anyone who is either already keeping a bullet journal – or thinking of starting one. 

Boxing Day and January Sales Haul

December 24th is an important day in my diary. No, not Christmas Eve... we don't celebrate that in the Netherlands (instead we have 1st and 2nd Christmas Day on the 25th and 26th), but the start of the online Boxing Day sales! Spending Christmas with my family back home means I'm never in the UK to hit the sales in the shops (not that I'd really want to during the sleep-eat-repeat routine that is the void between Christmas and New Year's, mind) so the online bargains are the ones to give me my annual shopping sales fix. I posted a Boxing Day Sales Haul on the blog last year and I thought I'd share them with you this time around as well 😊

5 Easy Ways to Beat the Blue Monday Blues

Today is also known as Blue Monday. The wonderful indulgences and relaxation of the Christmas break a distant memory, this dark and often rainy day marks the first of yet another long week at work and only the halfway point to the next paycheck. While Mondays aren't my favourite day of the week normally, today I'm feeling pretty positive thanks to receiving a generous self-care package by the lovely team at Penguin Living (publishers of beautiful and inspirational titles such as The Little Book of Hygge and The Little Book of Lykke by Meik Wiking). And that prompted an idea: why not share some quick top tips to help you beat the Blue Monday blues too?

Eye Test at David Clulow Opticians and New Glasses!

I have a confession to make. I have been living in the UK for over seven years (where has the time gone?!) but I still go to my opticians back in the Netherlands for eye checks and new glasses every time I am back home. I always find it a reassuring feeling to visit someone who has known my glasses history for many years and who I know provides quality service and products – and here in the UK the cheaper brands you see pop up on every high street never appealed to me. However, I recently discovered David Clulow opticians, which while having multiple stores across the country, felt as personal as my family-owned opticians back home.

Boxing Day Sales Haul

Throughout the year I don't tend to buy too much for myself (unless I really need it) but when the Boxing Day sales come around I'd like to treat myself to some extras. While I'm always in the Netherlands when the sales are on, there are plenty of shops that have great offers online too and so that is where I do my shopping (it means I don't have to go outside early either or queue!). This year was a little light on the clothes haul (what I usually splurge on), but I did pick up some great things at The Body Shop, Boots, M&S, Accessorize, Fat Face and Paperchase.

My Year in Review – The Best of 2016

2016 has been a sad and scary year for the world. With so much happening affecting everyone in just a single year, the ups and downs of my own life of course pale in comparison impacting few people but myself. And yet, I didn't want to let 2016 be defined solely by the political and social unrest that is rippling across the planet. In small but to me impactful ways there have been plenty of personal highlights and changes too that I'd like to stand still by.

Country Living Christmas Fair 2016

Another week, another festive event! Last weekend I hopped on the tube for the Country Living Christmas Fair at the Business Design Centre in Islington. This is the seasonal fair I've been frequenting the most these last few years (previously covering it with my Woman's World hat on) and it's still one of my favourites. The exhibitors at the event really get that Country Living brand feel across, and so browsing the stalls feels like walking into the pages of the magazine. And this year the quality and diversity of the products on offer was even higher than before, with exhibitors ranging from very affordable to the much more luxurious end – and everything crafty, fun, tasty, quirky and unique in between. 

Spirit of Christmas Fair – My Favourite Exhibitors

The first Christmas event of the season, House & Garden's beautiful Spirit of Christmas, has already finished and I'm feeling properly festive now! The fair was filled with tasty brands and unique crafts & decorations, and I had a wonderful time browsing the stalls to pick up gifts for friends and family members. I won't share pictures of my purchases as to not spoil the surprise, but I did want to highlight some exhibitors that particularly stood our to me with beautiful and high quality products. The fair may have already finished, but I included the website links for those where I picked up a business card, so you can still buy your own presents for the holidays from these talented British businesses.

Canada Shopping Haul

One of the things I was excited for on my trip to Canada was... shopping! I'm not a massive shopper usually but I do have the occasional urge to treat myself, and where better than somewhere where they have a host of shops unavailable to me in the UK? I didn't end up buying loads for myself (partly because on my very first day I had to buy a new charger for my MacBook, which was a hit to my funds, and partly because most of what I bought were actually gifts for my family), but I did find some things I loved for myself too. I mostly browsed while in Vancouver and then made my purchases in Edmonton as there is a much lower tax rate there (and the West Edmonton mall is also the biggest shopping mall in North America so I had easy access there to everything in one place). Check out my purchases below, divided by beauty, clothes, homeware, food and souvenirs.  

My Month in Favourites – October 2016

October was when two of my favourite things in life collided: autumn and Canada. Autumn is my favourite time of year; I absolutely love the colours, smells and cosiness of the season, and this year has thus far been particularly great with barely any rain in the UK. *knocks on wood* And then there was my long-anticipated holiday to Canada which was everything I wanted it to be and then some. I'm doing a weekly travel blog on my adventures so won't go into too much detail here, but of course couldn't let it off my favourites. As for tangible things I enjoyed this month, they include stunning non-fiction books, beautifully smelling products from Bath & Body works, fluffy fox socks, the best hand cream for dry autumn hands from Cath Kidston, and comfy flannel shirts I picked up in Bluenotes.

The Disney X Cath Kidston Winnie the Pooh Collaboration

I love Cath Kidston and I love Disney, so when the two brands announced their collaboration I couldn't have been more excited. I signed up for the newsletter and pre-sale, and even cheekingly emailed the PR office to see if there would be a press viewing I could attend so my blog about the products could go live the same day it launched in shops. Sadly my emails went unanswered, so on Monday 26 September I counted down the hours until my lunch break instead to rush to the shops for an impromptu photo shoot of the collection that was absolutely flying off the shelves.

My Month in Favourites – September 2016

I am going to Canada tomorrow! I bet you can guess what will dominate my favourites in October. But let's not get ahead of ourselves and look back at September today instead. This month for me has been all about getting in the cosy autumn mood with new jumpers, slippers and a comforting scented candle. I also enjoyed some new and old TV-shows, including, of course, The Great British Bake Off, and fell head over heels in love with the Disney X Cath Kidston collection.

Jewellerybox Karma Moments Launch

I talk about Jewellerybox a lot, both on my blog and in real life. So much so that I had a friend jokingly ask me if I get paid for it. I don't, but when I love something I do tend to tell everyone about it – and this brand is one of my absolute favourites. So when they mentiond their new Karma Moments range at the Bloggers Festival and extended an invite to attend the launch, I of course couldn't say no.

Highlights from the Bloggers Festival 2016

I have heard great things about the annual Bloggers Festival, impeccably organised by blogger Scarlett London, and was gutted when I was unable to make it last year. Luckily the timing worked out much better for the 2016 edition and I was able to attend and enjoy the event for myself. It was a great opportunity to meet bloggers and brands (some I already knew and some new), sample foodie delights, and find new products to fall in love with.

My Month in Favourites – August 2016

This past month has been crazy busy with work. In addition to making overtime at my day job as my holiday to Canada is coming closer and I need to get ahead of my work load for that period now, I've started freelancing for one of the big UK book publishers. It's super exciting stuff, but combined with my normal job and my blogging it does mean that I'm doing almost two full-time jobs. Busy, busy, busy. But let's get onto my favourites for August! In addition to my Canada trip only being a month away today (eek!), things that kept me sane these past weeks include: Dance Academy, Harry Potter, Pokémon GO, and a day trip to stunning Arundel Castle.

Baking Rana's Artisan Gluten Free Bread

With The Great British Bake Off having kicked off again last week, who doesn't feel inspired by Mary, Paul and the contestants to go on their own quest to creating a scrumptious showstopper? But if the fear of soggy bottoms gets the better of you, rather than attempting to create something entirely from scratch, a simpler baking adventure might be more suitable to get into the swing of things.

My Month in Favourites – July 2016

Another month has come and gone and we're now in August, wow. Where does the time go? On the upside, it's only two more months until my trip back to Canada, which in anticipation alone has been the highlight of my year so far. As for what made me happy in July? This month's favourites covers an eclectic mix ranging from a rewatch of a show that ran for eight seasons to a Harry Potter exhibition, and from a very healthy super food salad I've fallen in love with right through to some slightly less healthy but equally scrumptious (and gorgeous) treats of the sweet variety. And there is a sneaky bookish mention in there too with a thank you to a very generous publisher ♥

Highlights From the Big Blogger Expo 2016

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Big Blogger Expo at the Danubius Hotel Regents Park, organised impeccably by Lauren from LDNmeetup. Last year's Big Blogger Conference was one of the first blogging events I went to unrelated to books or theatre and made me keen to write more about lifestyle again (which I used to do as the digital editor of Woman's World). I absolutely loved the event last year and so of course I had to attend again, not only to discover even more fabulous brands to write about, but also to meet fellow bloggers in the lifestyle space and be inspired by their photos, content and enthusiasm for the industry.

Pink Parcel July Unboxing

At The Bloggers Summer Hangout a few weeks ago I met some lovely ladies from Pink Parcel subscription box and I instantly fell in love with the concept. The brand provides subscribers with a box delivered in their mail box each month that contains everything they might need to make periods as comfortable as possible; tampons and pads, of course, but also beauty and pampering treats as well as tea and snacks. Sounds pretty great, right? I was shown a sneak peek of some of the products in the July box, which looked incredible, and so of course I had to order it to try this subscription brand for myself.

My Month in Favourites – June 2016

June was a crazy busy month. I was in the Netherlands for part of it yet I still managed to pick up a new TV-show and watch the entirety of it (hi Brooklyn Nine-Nine obsessions, hi), I started rereading A Series of Unfortunate of Events in anticipation of the Netflix adaptation, I went to events such as West End Live, the London Musical Theatre Orchestra launch gala, and The Bloggers Summer Hangout, and I still managed to do lots of shopping (new favourites include stationery brand Kiki-K and two new handbags I bought) and finish all my end of quarter reports at work. It was a full-on but productive month.