Tag: All

SS15 STYLE FAVOURITES

. SS15 STYLE FAVOURITES: SUEDE FRINGING & DENIM BUTTONS .

Hell yes to the sunshine this weekend, my gosh I needed that. There’s just something about clear blue skies and warming sunshine that immediately puts a smile on my face. I spent most the weekend pottering around and relaxing in my garden which finally got a well needed grooming, and cooking up some seriously tasty food from my H&H cookbook. I also took the opportunity to give my summer wardrobe a little airtime, and not just my new pieces, some SS14 golden oldies too (stay tuned for a few outfit posts featuring these)

. WAREHOUSE DENIM SKIRT C/O . MISSGUIDED SUEDE JACKET C/O . ZARA LACE UP HEELS (SIMILAR) . ZARA CAMISOLE .

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But it wasn’t all about the golden oldies, I naturally took the sunshine as the best opportunity to debut another new little summer gem, my Warehouse denim skirt. My personal opinion is that you can never have too many of the same (or similar) items so long as you get wear out of them, and the denim skirt is one such garment that i’m definitely getting wear out of. So this little Warehouse number, a slightly more acid wash / worn denim colouring versus my Zara denim skirt, was a fab addition to the collection!

I teamed the skirt with an old nude camisole top, one of last seasons favourites, my suede jacket (now obsessed with) and my favourite black lace up Zara heels. It’s the perfect summer ensemble in my opinion and features all my old and new favourites.

Are you a sucker for buying lots of the same items, over and over, just in slightly different styles too?

June 8, 2015
SUMMER SKIN RECOVERY

. SUMMER SKIN RECOVERY: LA ROCHE-POSAY .

It’s been a while since I shared a beauty post with you all, but given the seasons are changing and we’re now entering the summer months, where that ‘naked’ beauty regime and natural glow are ever more desired, I thought i’d share a little update on my skincare, and how i’m preparing for the bare faced season and getting my skin into recovery mode.

As you will know if you’ve read my blog for a little while, in the last couple of years i’ve started suffering from bouts of really bad blemishes and scarring, it’s not something i’ve actually ever suffered with before now, but seemingly stress and my pill combined have had a rather negative impact on my skin. Thankfully in the last 6 or so months things are a lot better and I now suffer from the odd zit after too much alcohol and not enough sleep, opposed to the painful, irritated, boil like bastards that I had previously suffered with.

Whilst most definitely some prescribed facial cream helped get rid of the worst of it last year, I definitely think that my newly changed skincare routine also has to thanks for keeping them away and keeping my skin clear and more healthy. I’d been using La Roche-Posay sporadically to treat spots on the odd occasion i’d get one, but after finding the Effaclar A.I treatment cream so effective, I picked up a whole load more of the range when I was in France Skiing earlier this year. Expanding my product repertoire to include the Effaclar Duo and also the facial wash too.

I have to say, i’ve pretty much tried everything to rid my spots, Dermalogica, Origins, Perscribed creams you name it, I probably tried it, but for me this little magical cream has been the best so far. I apply the cream pretty much most nights, the A.I cream for when I have a spot (and it basically turns it into a Zit that can be gotten rid of, rather than a big blistering spot) and the Duo cream just for general use and around my topical areas. The face wash is also absolutely brilliant, and I use this every morning in the shower in replace of my Dermalogica Micro-foliant (which I still love, but I just find the La Roche Posay gel better for every day use, and the microfoliant better for when I really need a good facial scrub and exfoliation).

The products aren’t super cheap, but they are far less expensive than my usual skincare products, which makes it even more of a bonus that i’ve found them really good for my skin. Aside from the price (probably around £12 per item) the other thing I love about the products is that they’re actually quite gentle on my skin, previously i’d like the harsher products that burnt or stung as I felt like they were doing something, but the dry, flaky and sore after affects weren’t the nicest to have to try and cover up each day. The Effaclar products I use seem a lot more soft and gentle on my skin and leave it far less irritated, but still seem really effective at keeping my spots at bay, but also if and when I do get one, getting rid of it in a day or so, rather than weeks.

Whilst I definitely still do get the odd spot, it’s usually down to my lifestyle or diet, and easily manager, rather than the uncontrollable beasts I started to suffer from last year. I’m using the facial gel and A.I cream daily at the moment, in the hope that it keeps my skin healthy ahead of the summer and my holidays, when makeup really is the last thing I want to be caking on my face!

I’d love to know if you’ve tried La Roche-Posay and found it really effective at getting rid of blemishes? Or any other products you recommend I try that are worth giving a go?

June 7, 2015
5 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR SHOOTING IN THE SUMMER

. HOW TO TAKE PERFECT PHOTOS THIS SUMMER : 5 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR SHOOTING IN THE SUMMER .

I love photography, it’s one of my favourite things about blogging and the thing I obsess over the most. I love shooting pictures, editing them and just viewing them on my blog and other peoples blogs too. Having a fab set of photos (shot by you) to accompany any blog feature really brings everything to life, adds personality, character and just generally makes things more enjoyable to read I think. After all they do say a picture tells a thousand words.

I’ve already shared a whole host of photography tips posts on my blog, from mastering your DSLR, how to take great photos for your blog part 1 and part 2 , to how to edit photos and my top 5 photography tips as it’s something i’m so passionate about. But today I wanted to share my tips and advice for shooting in this new season, Summer.

The thing with photography is that to take the perfect photo you have to adapt to your surroundings, the light, the location. not just from a quality perspective but also a composition and styling perspective too. There’s absolutely no right or wrong way of doing things, but I thought i’d share some things that I think are helpful to learn and play with whilst shooting in summer.

Summer means sunshine, more natural light, but also shadowing, midday sunshine & a whole different set of shooting settings to the winter months we’re used to. So with the ambition of taking perfect photos this summer, i’m sharing my top 5 photography tips for shooting in the summer.

5 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR SHOOTING IN THE SUMMER

#1 ADJUST YOUR SETTINGS

As you will know if you’ve read any of my photography tips posts, but especially my ‘mastering your DSLR‘ & ‘top 5 tips’, shooting on manual and learning to use your DSLR, especially the relationship between ISO, aperture and shutter speed, is the number one trick to developing the perfect photo. Shooting on manual gives you 100% control to take the exact photo you’re looking to capture, and so learning how to adapt your settings dependent on your lighting, location and desired image is key.

In the summer, your shooting settings generally will need to change versus those in the dull, dark winter months. For starters with more natural light you can drop your ISO right down to around 100 – 200, which for me is the ideal ISO setting to ensure you get a crisp and sharp image. More than that, you can up your shutter speed, right up to 1000 – 1500+, this means you’ll get a very focussed and ‘no noise’ image. Given there’s so much natural light, your shutter speed can be much quicker, meaning action and movement is captured so quick, you’ll have no blurring or ‘movement’! HOORAH. Shooting in the summer is by far my favourite time of year to capturing the type of photos I love.

So bright light = drop your ISO, up your shutter speed. You can read my full photography tutorial here.

#2 PLAY WITH LIGHT

The great thing about summer is that most of the time we have glorious sunlight to play with, giving us a whole host of opportunities to capture interesting photos, playing with the light & having a little more fun than normal.

Typically I tend to find a shaded spot, with sunlight in the background to get a focussed and clear photo but with a bright and sunshine filled back drop. But you can do far more than this … standing in the direct sunlight with the sun behind you is an amazing way of getting a beautifully bright and magical looking photo (I often like to shoot this way too), but also beyond that why not try shooting facing direct sunlight too. It’s not something I often do as it takes a lot of mastery to not blink or squint in the sunlight, but you can capture some fab photos with the sunlight facing your model / product – you just need to play around with your settings to ensure your subject isn’t washed out!

Normally I avoid shadows as they can often detract from the subject or potentially ruin shots … but if you’re clever you can play with shadows to create amazing dramatic affect, shadows can create quite the magical image if you shoot them well.

The trick here is to simply play around shooting from different angles, with the light in different places and with different settings on your camera.

#3 WATCH OUT FOR SHADOWS

Now, I know i’ve just talked about how cool and magical shadows can be, but equally shadowing is something to be careful and mindful of too. If your shadows are misplaced you can create highlights and lowlights in terrible places making for a messy and unflattering photo. Shadowing is something to be more conscious of around the midday sunshine, where it’s directly above your head and therefore if you’re shooting in direct sunlight, can be quite hard to get ‘just right’.

#4 NATURAL LIGHT INSIDE

One of my favourite things about bright days outside, is that they create wonderful brightness inside too. As you’ll notice on my blog, i very rarely shoot pictures inside unless it’s for my tips posts. I find it hard to capture the beautiful bright pictures which shooting in day light allows. Despite opening all the curtains, waiting until the sun is beaming inside the house, during the winter months you can find the shots dull and lifeless.

In the summer this all changes … with bright days and beautiful sunshine, you’ll find your home is alight with natural sunlight, when this happens, shooting inside can be beautiful and actually provide a little bit more ‘story telling’ to your photos. I love reading other peoples blogs when they shoot indoors as you feel as though you get another glimpse into their lives … it’s something I’d like to try more of this summer.

#5 SUNRISE & SUNSET TOO

The final thing I wanted to share, is the potential for beautiful pictures outside of the midday sunshine, in the summer the morning sunrise and the evening sunset also provide beautiful times of day and lighting situations to shoot in. It’s also handy because the days are much longer, so if like me you juggle work and blogging, you’ve now got the opportunity to shoot pre or post work too which is a total life saver.

I find myself shooting on the weekend around 11am most weeks, but playing around with earlier and later in the day can really give you wonderful settings to really bring some atmosphere and ‘mood’ to your photos. Theres nothing more beautiful than the pinky red hues which a sunset gives, so in the summer months make most of these and try shooting at different times of the day!

So there we go, 5 little photography tips for shooting in the summer months. It’s one of my favourite times of year (along with Autumn) to shoot photos for my blog, there’s so much potential and opportunities to be a little more creative. It’s just about getting out there and experimenting, having fun and playing with your camera and your settings. If you want more photography tips and advise, you can find all my tutorials here.

Have you got any tips and advice for shooting in the summer? I’d love to know if you found these tips and ideas helpful?

June 6, 2015
DRESSED DOWN SUMMER STYLE

. DRESSED DOWN SUMMER STYLE .

Thank god it’s Friday, and if rumours are to be true, this weekend I am fully expecting a heat wave, and finally a weekend to embrace some sun kissed skin and my summer wardrobe. Everytime the sun glistens a little I get all excited about my summer wardrobe, summer holidays and summer style, so much so that i’ve already started to embrace slightly more sunshine suitable outfits, in particular a very dressed down summer style, including today’s look du jour featuring my favourite Zara denim skirt and new suede jacket.

. ZARA DENIM SKIRT (SIMILAR / SIMILAR) . MISSGUIDED SUEDE JACKET . TOPSHOP CROPPED BRETON TOP . ZARA GLADIATOR SANDALS .

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This Zara skirt is obviously one of my favourite summer purchases and I can’t wait to take it on holiday with me in a couple of weeks time (i’m off to Turkey for just over a week, hoorah). It’s the perfect summer item and looks brilliant dressed down with my old topshop cropped breton tee and lace up sandals. This is the sort of look i’d throw on for everyday occasions and weekend days out in the summer months, super comfy, simple and light weight enough to not get you too hot and bothered. For this transitional weather, my suede jacket is the simplest throw on, and actually the suede and denim combo is something i’m really loving right now too.

What’s your summer style, are you ready and raring for sunshine too?

June 5, 2015
TALL

. TALL : SHOPPING THE SUEDE SKIRT .

I’ve got a little secret to tell you guys, ever since I became obsessed with the suede skirt, i’ve been searching for the perfect one and despite investing in two of the beautiful Topshop versions, it was only when I swapped to the ‘tall’ section that the skirt finally delivered on all my wants, needs and desires. The thing with the Topshop skirt (well skirt, and skirts generally) is that it’s so go damned short. Even as a 5ft 5″ kinda girl, it was bottom skimming, and it was just so difficult to style for everyday occasions as it was simply too short … i loved the skirt too much to give it up, but this week I discovered Topshop have bought the black beauty out in a tall (and the tan version, which I actually already own in ‘tall’). So voila, same size 8 skirt, but this time in a tall version, and it’s literally all my dreams come true. Totally wearable, no longer bottom skimming & actually a perfect, very comfortable (more loose) fit. Hooray. So the secret to the perfect Topshop suede skirt … go TALL! Now I just want them to bring this version out in tall too!

. TOPSHOP BLACK SUEDE SKIRT (TALL) . TOPSHOP WHITE SHIRT . CELINE NANO . ZARA SUEDE LACE HEELS .

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Now the skirt is a slightly more modest, and acceptable length, it’s a skirt that i’d 100% where to work, and so with this new occasion, comes a new styling opportunity. Cue, the black suede work look. Simple, monochrome and chic. I teamed the skirt with my white loose blouse and my Zara lace up heels, and finished off with Lady celine, for meetings this week. The look is really comfortable, looks professional and ultimately features my favorite purchase this season (the suede skirt, duh)!

It’s been a while since I shot in this location, but this week has been a bit busy and i’ve also been suffering a snotty rotten cold, so travelling to my usual spot to shoot got put on hold … instead I went back to an old favourite. My road. It’s not quite the beautiful back drop I usually like to go for, but there’s something about the rustic brick and beautiful roses that make this little spot a bit of a delight when Springs here.

Do you ever find that clothes are simply too short, and that swapping to a tall is an easy way to get the perfect length and fit? What do you think of this work worthy ensemble?

June 4, 2015
WHY DAYDREAMING IS GOOD FOR YOU

. WHY DAYDREAMING IS GOOD FOR YOU & HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR AMBITIONS .

Today’s post is quite a funny one really, as daydreaming is normally something we’re deterred from, especially at school where it’s seen as a distraction, but today i’m encouraging us all to do it. I’ve been feeling a little poorly this week, and whenever i’m feeling run down I always end up daydreaming about sunny days & all those things I wish I could be doing. And it got me thinking, daydreaming actually has lots of positives too, it can help creativity, boost inspiration, help with career planning, keep you ambitious and ultimately help get you in a positive mood.

So today I thought i’d steer away from the hard career advice, and go a little more whimsical on you, and share the reasons why I think daydreaming could help you and your career and life ambitions, and also some things that you should start daydreaming about now, to help you on your journey to success.

WHY DAY DREAMING CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR CAREER & LIFE AMBITIONS

#1 AMBITION

One reason I think day dreaming is really good and a positive thing to do, is that it can help encourage ambition, thinking about all the things you want to do, want to achieve & want to experience is a really positive way of working out what your overall ambition is. Whether you are thinking about career, life generally or simply things you want to do this year, letting yourself daydream a little about the future can help give you a little ambition and something to start working towards.

Daydream Tip: Why not start thinking about where you’d like to be in life in 5 years time?

#2 CREATIVITY

Naturally when your mind is wandering and you’re letting yourself go a little, things can get creative. Often we get a little stuck in our day to day routine, bogged down in the mundane tasks that fill our lives & forget to spend a little time embracing our creative sides.

I went to a really inspirational talk a few weeks back, run by a company called Upping Your Elvis, and they talked in depth about the varying stages and different types of mental activity (brain wave activity), from Beta through to Delta, and how in each of these stages our ability to think creatively changes. Most of us spend much of our time in Beta, which is a really small part of our brain and deals with the more rational and functional brain activity … but it’s when we relax enough to reach Theta and Delta that the creative magic starts to happen, and often where the best ideas arise from. To get into these types of brain wave activity, you have to be relaxed, very relaxed, and this is where daydreaming comes to play! In fact, many famous artists were renowned for meditating / sleeping / or finding other ways to really relax so that they could begin work in Delta or Theta, and this is when their most successful creative work was developed.

So, daydream, to encourage creativity.

Daydream Tip: Think about briefs or tasks in a more creative light? Consider home decor changes or the more creative areas of your life?

#3 INSPIRATION

I find that when i’m most relaxed and chilled out, I am the most inspired and susceptible to inspiration. It’s quite closely linked to creativity, but giving your brain a little freedom to roam and explore will most likely end up giving your a whole host of ideas or thoughts of things to do! It’s that age old saying, that your best ideas come whilst you’re in the shower or on the toilet (for me driving or travelling) … and the reason is because you’re relaxed, you’re giving yourself a moment to think, to day dream.

As a blogger getting inspired is really important to me, getting inspired with content ideas, photography and imagery and even longer term ambitions for my blog! I find there are tons of ways to seek inspiration for blogging in particular, whether it’s browsing pinterest, reading magazines or other blogs, travelling … or simply daydreaming. The idea for this post came out of me sat on the tube daydreaming about blogging! Et voila!

Daydream Tip: Why not start thinking about your blog, what you want to write about, what you like to read yourself or simply what’s caught your attention this week?

#4 GOALS

Daydreaming, whilst whimsical and not necessarily founded in process, can actually be a really great way of allowing you to identify and set yourself goals. In allowing yourself to get ambitious, to get inspired and think creatively, you can start to define those things that really get you excited, what it is you want to achieve, and from there you can start to think more practically about what your goals and milestones may be. Perhaps you find yourself constantly dreaming about New York (ahem), well if that’s what it is that you want to do, travel to New York, move to New York, Work in New York, then embrace those daydreams and start thinking about how you can make those dreams a reality. You only live once!

Daydream tip: Think about what you want to achieve in your career? Think about what you want to do before you turn 30? What is life success to you?

#5 POSITIVITY

Finally, another reason daydreaming is so great, is that if there’s one thing that daydreaming does, it sets you in a positive mindset. And as we all know, being positive is so important in not only making you feel happy, but also helping you deal with situations better, being more open to new opportunities, dealing with challenges more easily and of course being more attractive person to other people – positive people attract positive people!

Daydream Tip: Let yourself daydream about holidays, fun times with your friends, exciting opportunities

There you have it, a little bit of daydreaming can do the world of good, so next time you find your mind wondering off to tropical beaches, or running your own business, living in your favourite city … don’t stop it. Embrace it. And most importantly … do something about it afterwards.

Let yourself get creative and inspired, think ambitiously, set yourself goals and be optimistic and positive. The world is our oyster, so lets go after our dreams!

What do you always find yourself daydreaming about? Are you a daydreamer or a more rational thinker?

June 3, 2015
SUMMER PARTY STYLE X MARKS AND SPENCERS

. MARKS AND SPENCERS: DRESSING FOR SUMMER PARTIES .

This time of year is always a favourite of mine, (normally) the sun is shining, party invites are flying in and weekends are spent socialising with friends and families over a lovely glass of Pimms and a sizzling barbecue. Summer is not only my favourite season for sunshine and summer events, but it’s also one of my favourite times of year for style and fashion. I love dressing up for summer parties, I always feel a little more excited by my summer wardrobe and there are always more occasions to get dressed up for at this time of year.

SHOP THE ‘SUMMER PARTY STYLE’ EDIT

. M&S DENIM DRESS (SIMILAR / SIMILAR / SIMILAR / SIMILAR / SIMILAR ) . M&S SUEDE LACE HEELS .

. ASPINAL BUCKLE BAG . REISS FEDORA (SIMILAR) . FRENCH CONNECTION BRETON TOP .

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One of my favourite occasions to dress for during the summer, is summer garden parties, whether it’s a big barbecue, a garden cocktail party or simple a party in the sunshine. Styling wise they’re low key enough to mean you don’t have to throw on a super fancy (and probably uncomfortable) frock with killer heels, but they’re still special enough to want to get dressed up and put on your summer favourites.

When M&S challenged me with pulling together my perfect Summer garden party look I couldn’t help but go for this beautiful denim pinafore dress … not only does it incorporate my SS15 favourite trend (button down denim) but it’s a really chic, original, midi length cut and the perfect understated style for a garden party.

I teamed the pinafore with my French Connection breton top, and accessorised with my favourite blues – my Reiss fedora, Aspinal of London buckle bag, and these fab lace up blue suede heels which are another Marks and Spencer’s number from their SS15 collection. They’re a gorgeous shade of blue and the perfect accompaniment to the denim dress.

This look ticks all my styling essentials for a summer garden party look – comfortable, chic and understated.

What are your summer party styling tricks? What do you think of this summer garden party look i’ve pulled together?

June 2, 2015
OFFICIALLY SUMMER

. OFFICIALLY SUMMER; EMBRACING MY SUMMER WARDROBE .

Today is the 1st of June and that means one thing, it’s officially the start of Summer. Whilst the weather here in London isn’t quite consistent with this statement (grey skies, blustery winds & no sunshine in sight), it is now officially Summer, and so I’m going to be firmly embracing a summer wardrobe, my sartorial summer favourites and of course ditching those winter essentials (tights, gone)! Today’s look is very much a staple summer ensemble for me … bright & light, pops of fresh colour and adding a little more white to my wardrobe.

. M&S WHITE DENIM JACKET C/O . TOPSHOP SUEDE SKIRT . MISSGUIDED BRETON CROP TOP (SIMILAR) . ZARA LACE UP HEELS . REISS FEDORA (SIMILAR) .

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Whilst i’m not quite ready to embrace white jeans yet (I definitely need to hit the gym before that time arises), I am embracing white denim in another form today, the white denim jacket. It’s actually a garment i’ve probably not worn since I was about 12 years old, but one that i’ve regrown some love for, especially given my current obsession with denim more generally.

This white denim jacket is a little M&S number from their SS15 collection, it’s the perfect add on to most summer looks, whether that be a summer shift, a printed maxi or even in this instance a classic suede mini! I love the denim and suede combination (as you probably have already sussed out) and this white denim twist on the classic staple is a welcomed twist. It worked perfectly with this little cropped breton knit top from Missguided too!

Are you ready for summer? How will you be shaking up your style now we’re officially in british summer time?

June 1, 2015
HOW TO FIGHT A COLD AND BOOST YOUR HEALTH

. HOW TO FIGHT A COLD & BOOST YOUR HEALTH : GET FIGHTING FIT .

I’m writing this post, because i’ve come to realise that this last month i’ve really been burning the candle at both ends, juggling my work and career, some more exciting blog projects, travel abroad and generally a lot more socialising and drinking.

Work life balance is something i’m always striving to achieve, and most the time I do it well, but sometimes if I end up ‘adding on’ extra activities (like going out, drinking, travelling) that I don’t do all the time, I can find myself getting exhausted, and more often than not the affects of ‘burning the candle at both ends’ only comes to your attention when you’re already down to the bottom of the candle & the wick is struggling to keep alight.

Well that’s sort of where I am now … and as a result of some very busy weeks, a little too much drinking and of course delivering my usual job & blog demands, i’ve worn myself out. So much so that I can’t keep my eyes open, my tummy is sore (I suffer from gluten intolerance and IBS, and naturally when i’m run down this gets worse), and i’ve now woken up with an almighty cold. My first in many many years.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who goes through phases like this, or finds themselves a little run down and needing some serious TLC, right? So today I thought i’d share my 5 tips for getting back to health & recovering from a period of being ‘worn out’.

. 5 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR HEALTH .

#1 TAKE A BREAK

Sounds obvious right? But honestly the most important way to get yourself back on track, to allow your body to rest and recover & generally give you the chance to recoup, is of course by taking a break. I know we aren’t all able to take a 3 day spa break whenever our body calls on it, but even just cancelling your plans on a Sunday morning to have a proper lie in, to giving yourself a night in after work to do nothing but cook a healthy dinner, take a long bath and treat yourself to an early night. Taking a break, however small or big that break needs be, is essential.

#2 SLEEP

I touched on it above, but sleep is a saint when it comes to recovery, for me, I only really find my body and mind returning to normal after i’ve had some serious sleep, undisturbed, undisrupted, perfect sleep. Sleep for me is the number one way to recover. The last few days I’ve found myself falling asleep on the sofa and noticing how much I clearly need to rest, i’ve decided for the week ahead evening plans are cancelled, and i’ll be prioritising 8-9 hours sleep each night instead.

#3 GREENS

Whenever I feel a little run down I always automatically notch up my intake of greens and healthy goodness, in this day n age we’re all totally aware how much what we put into our bodies affects how we are (you are what you eat, n all that), and so whenever I feel my health dipping (like it has right now) I make a conscious effort to get my usual healthy routines back on track – green juices each morning, fresh home made dinners and generally just a little more consciousness as to what I am putting in my body.

With my serious collection of cookbooks, I have a few I always turn to when i’m looking for a little health kick start, Deliciously Ella, Helmsey & Helmsey, Pure and The Detox Bible are all great for healthy living & inspiring you to knock up some good food.

#4 FRESH AIR

As much as you probably feel like snuggling away under your duvet for the next week, actually getting out and lapping up some fresh air, oxygen and of course sunlight is actually a really important step in recovering your body to health, and fighting off those rotten colds & flu’s! Taking a walk to the shop to pick up your veg & medicine, sitting in the garden to enjoy a cup of tea (or better, hot lemon and water), opening the windows to give your bedroom or house a little freshen up.

Even better, if you feel up to it, is to get a little active in the fresh air, sweat out and detox, at the same time as getting some well needed fresh air. Absolutely don’t push yourself too far, but perhaps a little stroll, or maybe a light jog, or little outside yoga. Anything to get your blood flowing helps!

#5 BE PAMPERED

Of course we all know what it is we really need and want when we’re feeling worn out, suffering with a cold or just generally feeling a little exhausted and that is of course being pampered. Whether its a constant flow of home made honey and lemon drinks, having your medicine ready and waiting whenever you need it, or that special treat of dinner in bed. You don’t need to have a doting boyfriend or live with your parents to do all this (although admittedly it helps), you can even help yourself a little by stocking up with all the things you need to feel better, and giving yourself a little TLC.

For me, it’s the simple things like someone checking i’m okay, making me hot drinks & generally just making sure i’m stocking up on the right things.

So there you have it, my 5 little tips for getting yourself back to health, fighting off the colds and recovering after you’ve been burning the candle at both ends.

I for one am embracing all five of these tips right now, especially upping my sleep and my greens and the next two weeks are going to be dedicated to ‘me’ … getting myself fit and healthy again!

Do you find yourself getting run down every now and then too? What are your top tips to getting back to health?

May 31, 2015