I'm thinking about making this into more of a food blog, but I don't always have the guts to take my phone out and start snapping shots. (First world problems)
When someone asks where all my money goes, I can honestly say 60% is eating out. Im close to saying I'd rather spend money on food than clothes.
Luckily, Thyme out in Didsbury, Manchester had the most beautiful patio outside where we sat and ate breakfast, so I could go wild with the camera... the Samsung did good!
I went for the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon with a mocha on the side, altogether it was around £10. For delicious organic food and a bustling vibe, it's a great place to head to for a romantic Sunday brunch or something hearty after a night out.
It is 'oh so Didsbury' but don't be put off, there's a down to earth, yet sophisticated atmosphere at this one.
Check out their website for a little more information or just go and find out for yourself!
I'm thinking about making this into more of a food blog, but I don't always have the guts to take my phone out and start snapping shots. (First world problems)
When someone asks where all my money goes, I can honestly say 60% is eating out. Im close to saying I'd rather spend money on food than clothes.
Luckily, Thyme out in Didsbury, Manchester had the most beautiful patio outside where we sat and ate breakfast, so I could go wild with the camera... the Samsung did good!
I went for the Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon with a mocha on the side, altogether it was around £10. For delicious organic food and a bustling vibe, it's a great place to head to for a romantic Sunday brunch or something hearty after a night out.
It is 'oh so Didsbury' but don't be put off, there's a down to earth, yet sophisticated atmosphere at this one.
Check out their website for a little more information or just go and find out for yourself!
I love France. The pace of life, fast in Paris and quite the opposite everywhere else. The unrivalled sophisticated elegance of all the women no matter what age, and the style of the men, both young and old make it the perfect destination for both style inspiration and life inspiration, I always leave wanting to be just like them!
The food is something else. No matter how simple the dish it always feels like a celebration, and this time it really was.
Working in Travel PR, I was lucky enough to visit Bordeaux for a couple of days and see the sights of the beautiful city, Bouliac, Saint - Emilion and the vineyards that make some of the most expensive and renowned wines in the world. I said I was lucky!!
For a luxury getaway I would recommend Le Saint James, Bordeaux, a boutique and contemporary luxury hotel located 15 minutes from Bordeaux.
We also enjoyed a tour of Saint Emilion, known as the 'French's favourite village' which attracts millions of visitors each year. It was fascinating to learn more about the history of the city and the tour guides were really passionate!
I am planning to visit France again soon, so far I have visited Paris, Chantilly and now Bordeaux, where would you suggest?
Check out my other France blog post here.
The food is something else. No matter how simple the dish it always feels like a celebration, and this time it really was.
Working in Travel PR, I was lucky enough to visit Bordeaux for a couple of days and see the sights of the beautiful city, Bouliac, Saint - Emilion and the vineyards that make some of the most expensive and renowned wines in the world. I said I was lucky!!
For a luxury getaway I would recommend Le Saint James, Bordeaux, a boutique and contemporary luxury hotel located 15 minutes from Bordeaux.
Visiting the markets in Bordeaux was a great experience, I always love to see the shopping habits of Parisians!
We also enjoyed a tour of Saint Emilion, known as the 'French's favourite village' which attracts millions of visitors each year. It was fascinating to learn more about the history of the city and the tour guides were really passionate!
I am planning to visit France again soon, so far I have visited Paris, Chantilly and now Bordeaux, where would you suggest?
Check out my other France blog post here.
I love France. The pace of life, fast in Paris and quite the opposite everywhere else. The unrivalled sophisticated elegance of all the women no matter what age, and the style of the men, both young and old make it the perfect destination for both style inspiration and life inspiration, I always leave wanting to be just like them!
The food is something else. No matter how simple the dish it always feels like a celebration, and this time it really was.
Working in Travel PR, I was lucky enough to visit Bordeaux for a couple of days and see the sights of the beautiful city, Bouliac, Saint - Emilion and the vineyards that make some of the most expensive and renowned wines in the world. I said I was lucky!!
For a luxury getaway I would recommend Le Saint James, Bordeaux, a boutique and contemporary luxury hotel located 15 minutes from Bordeaux.
We also enjoyed a tour of Saint Emilion, known as the 'French's favourite village' which attracts millions of visitors each year. It was fascinating to learn more about the history of the city and the tour guides were really passionate!
I am planning to visit France again soon, so far I have visited Paris, Chantilly and now Bordeaux, where would you suggest?
Check out my other France blog post here.
The food is something else. No matter how simple the dish it always feels like a celebration, and this time it really was.
Working in Travel PR, I was lucky enough to visit Bordeaux for a couple of days and see the sights of the beautiful city, Bouliac, Saint - Emilion and the vineyards that make some of the most expensive and renowned wines in the world. I said I was lucky!!
For a luxury getaway I would recommend Le Saint James, Bordeaux, a boutique and contemporary luxury hotel located 15 minutes from Bordeaux.
Visiting the markets in Bordeaux was a great experience, I always love to see the shopping habits of Parisians!
We also enjoyed a tour of Saint Emilion, known as the 'French's favourite village' which attracts millions of visitors each year. It was fascinating to learn more about the history of the city and the tour guides were really passionate!
I am planning to visit France again soon, so far I have visited Paris, Chantilly and now Bordeaux, where would you suggest?
Check out my other France blog post here.
Friday
The preparation for a good start on a Monday starts on Friday. Try and complete all of your tasks at work an hour before you leave the office so that you can organise yourself for Monday morning!
Make sure you have replied to any emails by Friday afternoon, so that you don't have to worry about remembering what that person wanted on Monday and so that you don't forget to reply once your inbox is flooded again on Monday morning. You can also expect a reply on Monday morning, which will hopefully help you get on with the job.
Tidy your desk before you leave so that you have a clear mind. A tidy desk is a tidy mind and its awful when you start your day feeling all over the place!
Make a to-do-list before you leave work, I have been doing this religiously and it saves you trying to remember what that urgent thing was off the top of your head. It also leaves you a bit of time to grab a cup of tea in the morning and not feel so stressed.
Sunday
Make a nice lunch to take to work. This will give you something to look forward to on Monday and also saves time and money which means you spend less of your time on Monday lunch time queueing up for food! It can also contribute towards a healthier diet, because we all know its easy to pick up that sandwich and crisps... and chocolate.
Have a pamper session and pick out your outfit the night before. This will give you some extra time in the morning and ensure a smooth start to a new week. You may also want to pack your handbag and put a few rollers in so that your hair is full of life, without the hassle in the morning. My fellow naturalistas will agree with me that wearing a silk bonnet at night is a godsend, silky smooth hair that is easy to manage is guaranteed. Check out my sunday night pamper tips here.
Have an early night. Right now I am contradicting myself as its nearly midnight and I am up writing this post! Read a few pages of that book you can't put down and try and get 8 hours of sleep so that getting up isn't soooo bad.
Monday
Leave out a few minutes earlier. Getting to work just 10 minutes before you have to be there gives you a bit of extra time to grab a drink and not feel rushed to do things as soon as you have sat down. You may even want to put on a bit of makeup or something to make a monday morning not feel so drab!
Have breakfast. I am not to great on the breakfast front, but lately I have been having a banana for breakfast everyday and I can feel the difference. It doesn't seem much but with a yoghurt I stay full until around 12! I have recently been enjoying the Muller vitality yoghurt drinks.
Read the news. Sometimes it may feel like life revolves around work and that can be quite de-motivating. Reading the Metro on the bus/train or reading the news online when you get to work can remind you that there is a lot going on in the world! It will also help you to avoid any awkward 'faux pas' if there has been a particularly controversial crisis.
How do you prepare for a new week? Thanks for reading!
Friday
The preparation for a good start on a Monday starts on Friday. Try and complete all of your tasks at work an hour before you leave the office so that you can organise yourself for Monday morning!
Make sure you have replied to any emails by Friday afternoon, so that you don't have to worry about remembering what that person wanted on Monday and so that you don't forget to reply once your inbox is flooded again on Monday morning. You can also expect a reply on Monday morning, which will hopefully help you get on with the job.
Tidy your desk before you leave so that you have a clear mind. A tidy desk is a tidy mind and its awful when you start your day feeling all over the place!
Make a to-do-list before you leave work, I have been doing this religiously and it saves you trying to remember what that urgent thing was off the top of your head. It also leaves you a bit of time to grab a cup of tea in the morning and not feel so stressed.
Sunday
Make a nice lunch to take to work. This will give you something to look forward to on Monday and also saves time and money which means you spend less of your time on Monday lunch time queueing up for food! It can also contribute towards a healthier diet, because we all know its easy to pick up that sandwich and crisps... and chocolate.
Have a pamper session and pick out your outfit the night before. This will give you some extra time in the morning and ensure a smooth start to a new week. You may also want to pack your handbag and put a few rollers in so that your hair is full of life, without the hassle in the morning. My fellow naturalistas will agree with me that wearing a silk bonnet at night is a godsend, silky smooth hair that is easy to manage is guaranteed. Check out my sunday night pamper tips here.
Have an early night. Right now I am contradicting myself as its nearly midnight and I am up writing this post! Read a few pages of that book you can't put down and try and get 8 hours of sleep so that getting up isn't soooo bad.
Monday
Leave out a few minutes earlier. Getting to work just 10 minutes before you have to be there gives you a bit of extra time to grab a drink and not feel rushed to do things as soon as you have sat down. You may even want to put on a bit of makeup or something to make a monday morning not feel so drab!
Have breakfast. I am not to great on the breakfast front, but lately I have been having a banana for breakfast everyday and I can feel the difference. It doesn't seem much but with a yoghurt I stay full until around 12! I have recently been enjoying the Muller vitality yoghurt drinks.
Read the news. Sometimes it may feel like life revolves around work and that can be quite de-motivating. Reading the Metro on the bus/train or reading the news online when you get to work can remind you that there is a lot going on in the world! It will also help you to avoid any awkward 'faux pas' if there has been a particularly controversial crisis.
How do you prepare for a new week? Thanks for reading!
I am not usually a bath bomb fan, but my Grandma bought me the 'Avobath Bath Bomb' from Lush as a gift for Easter. I am not too sure if she thought it was an easter egg, but it was a nice surprise!
The bath bomb contains real mashed up avocado which is really good for adding moisture to dry skin, and after a busy weekend I wanted to wind down and feel refreshed just in time for work.
Call me shallow, but I mostly loved this bath bomb because it was soooo pretty, it released a lot of glitter but what's even better is that it didn't stick to my skin or the bath as some bath bombs do. It smelt amazing too, a bit overbearing whilst in the packaging but it was a nice refreshing smell once it hit the water and started to do its fizzy thing. The bath bomb contains lemongrass oil and bergamot oil which is really uplifting and turned the usual depressing Sunday night feelings in to a pleasant pamper evening.
I also add baby oil to my baths as it makes your skin feel amazingly soft, so I think that contributed to me feeling super sleek when I got out of the bath, but it really did work. I am now as smooth as dolphin, thanks Grandma!
I am not usually a bath bomb fan, but my Grandma bought me the 'Avobath Bath Bomb' from Lush as a gift for Easter. I am not too sure if she thought it was an easter egg, but it was a nice surprise!
The bath bomb contains real mashed up avocado which is really good for adding moisture to dry skin, and after a busy weekend I wanted to wind down and feel refreshed just in time for work.
Call me shallow, but I mostly loved this bath bomb because it was soooo pretty, it released a lot of glitter but what's even better is that it didn't stick to my skin or the bath as some bath bombs do. It smelt amazing too, a bit overbearing whilst in the packaging but it was a nice refreshing smell once it hit the water and started to do its fizzy thing. The bath bomb contains lemongrass oil and bergamot oil which is really uplifting and turned the usual depressing Sunday night feelings in to a pleasant pamper evening.
I also add baby oil to my baths as it makes your skin feel amazingly soft, so I think that contributed to me feeling super sleek when I got out of the bath, but it really did work. I am now as smooth as dolphin, thanks Grandma!
They say 'A Sunday well spent, brings a week of content' and I completely agree. After a night out for my friends birthday and a day of slobbing around with the girls eating dominoes and watching films it was the perfect Sunday, but I had chipped black nail varnish and they also say 'chipped nails means dirty underwear' so I had to sort it out ASAP!
I started off by removing the mess on my nails with this Elegant Touch nail varnish remover that I bought in New Look, I then filed them into this square shape, I am so happy that my nails are growing strong after years of wearing acrylics but I like to keep a similar shape.
Firstly my favourite nail varnish at the moment is this one, surprisingly from H&M. The shade is Rainforest Lake and I think it looks great on darker/tanned skin because it is super bright. My wardrobe is pretty much a mixture of grey, black and khaki and now it's getting towards spring, I thought I would add a flash of colour.
Anyway, back to the nails, I change my nail varnish all the time and I have a pretty big varnish collection but I get really impatient when it comes to drying them. As soon as I saw this Elegant Touch nail drying spray I was so excited and it really does dry your nails in 60 seconds! It also leaves a really nice shine to your nails and skin.
A woman is only helpless when her nail varnish is drying.... Well no more thanks to this £3 wonder!
They say 'A Sunday well spent, brings a week of content' and I completely agree. After a night out for my friends birthday and a day of slobbing around with the girls eating dominoes and watching films it was the perfect Sunday, but I had chipped black nail varnish and they also say 'chipped nails means dirty underwear' so I had to sort it out ASAP!
I started off by removing the mess on my nails with this Elegant Touch nail varnish remover that I bought in New Look, I then filed them into this square shape, I am so happy that my nails are growing strong after years of wearing acrylics but I like to keep a similar shape.
Firstly my favourite nail varnish at the moment is this one, surprisingly from H&M. The shade is Rainforest Lake and I think it looks great on darker/tanned skin because it is super bright. My wardrobe is pretty much a mixture of grey, black and khaki and now it's getting towards spring, I thought I would add a flash of colour.
Anyway, back to the nails, I change my nail varnish all the time and I have a pretty big varnish collection but I get really impatient when it comes to drying them. As soon as I saw this Elegant Touch nail drying spray I was so excited and it really does dry your nails in 60 seconds! It also leaves a really nice shine to your nails and skin.
A woman is only helpless when her nail varnish is drying.... Well no more thanks to this £3 wonder!
Launched at the beginning of 2015, Antidote Street is a new online retailer with a mission to revolutionise access to top quality black hair and skin brands, offering a carefully curated selection of products to meet the beauty needs of the woman or man of colour in the UK.
Founded by three young entrepreneurs, Winnie Awa, Kamil Kluza and Seun Lawal, all of whom strongly advocate cutting the faff associated with black hair and skin care, antidotestreet.com was born out of a passion to improve the access and education of these products.
With the latest scandal in regards to representation of black women, this time in Cosmopolitan magazine, there is no doubt that online retailers such as this have come at the right time. Cosmo has just reminded us once again that the representation of black hair and beauty in the UK still needs to be worked on and this website aims to provide a professional yet affordable service for men and women that may find it difficult to find what they are looking for.
The Antidote Street team is passionate about being an authoritative voice on how to use the products that customers purchase from Antidotestreet.com. Since the launch, the Antidotestreet.com team have implemented a number of initiatives to promote interactivity, education and personalise our offering to the Antidotestreet.com customer. Including:
The website is also enhanced by an informative blog with content provided by some of the most prevalent natural hair bloggers in the UK, offering useful advice on how to use the products as well as thought provoking content on culture, trends and fashion.
According to the founders:
"Antidote Street is created for the frustrated customer who has had to search high and low for 'that product', travelled out of their way to find it or paid twice the amount in shipping in order to get it"
This much-needed site delivers a hassle-free user experience; efficiently delivering a carefully curated selection of the most popular brands including Shea Moisture, Mixed Chicks and Giovanni Organic Hair Care, minimizing unpleasant scenarios one product at a time. Antidote Street also seeks to form long-term partnerships with its brands, providing a strong platform for UK brands to grow In addition to stocking favourites from the US.
For further information, press enquiries or images please contact me:
T:(44) 7446919216
·
Launched at the beginning of 2015, Antidote Street is a new online retailer with a mission to revolutionise access to top quality black hair and skin brands, offering a carefully curated selection of products to meet the beauty needs of the woman or man of colour in the UK.
Founded by three young entrepreneurs, Winnie Awa, Kamil Kluza and Seun Lawal, all of whom strongly advocate cutting the faff associated with black hair and skin care, antidotestreet.com was born out of a passion to improve the access and education of these products.
With the latest scandal in regards to representation of black women, this time in Cosmopolitan magazine, there is no doubt that online retailers such as this have come at the right time. Cosmo has just reminded us once again that the representation of black hair and beauty in the UK still needs to be worked on and this website aims to provide a professional yet affordable service for men and women that may find it difficult to find what they are looking for.
The Antidote Street team is passionate about being an authoritative voice on how to use the products that customers purchase from Antidotestreet.com. Since the launch, the Antidotestreet.com team have implemented a number of initiatives to promote interactivity, education and personalise our offering to the Antidotestreet.com customer. Including:
The website is also enhanced by an informative blog with content provided by some of the most prevalent natural hair bloggers in the UK, offering useful advice on how to use the products as well as thought provoking content on culture, trends and fashion.
According to the founders:
"Antidote Street is created for the frustrated customer who has had to search high and low for 'that product', travelled out of their way to find it or paid twice the amount in shipping in order to get it"
This much-needed site delivers a hassle-free user experience; efficiently delivering a carefully curated selection of the most popular brands including Shea Moisture, Mixed Chicks and Giovanni Organic Hair Care, minimizing unpleasant scenarios one product at a time. Antidote Street also seeks to form long-term partnerships with its brands, providing a strong platform for UK brands to grow In addition to stocking favourites from the US.
For further information, press enquiries or images please contact me:
T:(44) 7446919216
·
PRs need bloggers just as much as bloggers need PRs, so how do you get this relationship going?
Well... How would you impress someone on a first date? First impressions are everything and that's how it is in business, so let's use this as a guide!
Look your best.
Make sure your blog is looking up to scratch before you approach brands and PRs. Brands have an image that they want to sustain, if it is a luxury product and your brand doesn't scream luxury -we don't have a match and it's just not going to work...
Be confident.
Bloggers are just as influential as The Sunday Times if they have the right audience. Don't doubt your abilities. Approach PRs expecting to have something come out of it!
Be consistent.
Ensure that you post regularly but with quality content. This is likely to gain you a larger following, but also gives the PR confidence that you will actually promote their brand and in good time.
Give them your number (s).
Make yourself easy to work with. Create a media kit all about your blog, stats, figures and audience so that they don't have to keep asking. This makes it easy for you but also easier for the PR person. It is also quicker way of keeping track of the success of your blog for your own reference. Make it downloadable from your website if you don't feel confident enough to send out large files to people you don't know yet.
Stay in touch.
Even if it's not love at first email this time, keep in touch as you never know when that brand may want to work with you. If you don't have 20,000 Twitter followers just yet or you don't get enough unique monthly users, stay optimistic and get back in touch when your blog is more of what they are looking for.
PRs need bloggers just as much as bloggers need PRs, so how do you get this relationship going?
Well... How would you impress someone on a first date? First impressions are everything and that's how it is in business, so let's use this as a guide!
Look your best.
Make sure your blog is looking up to scratch before you approach brands and PRs. Brands have an image that they want to sustain, if it is a luxury product and your brand doesn't scream luxury -we don't have a match and it's just not going to work...
Be confident.
Bloggers are just as influential as The Sunday Times if they have the right audience. Don't doubt your abilities. Approach PRs expecting to have something come out of it!
Be consistent.
Ensure that you post regularly but with quality content. This is likely to gain you a larger following, but also gives the PR confidence that you will actually promote their brand and in good time.
Give them your number (s).
Make yourself easy to work with. Create a media kit all about your blog, stats, figures and audience so that they don't have to keep asking. This makes it easy for you but also easier for the PR person. It is also quicker way of keeping track of the success of your blog for your own reference. Make it downloadable from your website if you don't feel confident enough to send out large files to people you don't know yet.
Stay in touch.
Even if it's not love at first email this time, keep in touch as you never know when that brand may want to work with you. If you don't have 20,000 Twitter followers just yet or you don't get enough unique monthly users, stay optimistic and get back in touch when your blog is more of what they are looking for.
It's the start of a new year and you've told yourself that you are going to get all of your assignments in on time, chuck THAT pair of jeans away and stop wasting money on takeaways, but it hasn't happened yet. So what's stopping you?
Although it is no longer January and the exciting anticipation of a new year is long gone, it is never too late to start doing the things that you feel will improve your life. Successful people don't use time as an excuse, and like they say....
'you have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyonce'
So here's a few ways to become more productive, without it feeling like a chore.
Write it down.
The best thing that I did in 2014 was buy
a diary, and now I can't imagine life without one. Write down your plans for the weekend, write down what you plan to spend on food for the week, note down your shifts at work or even just draw a smiley face on a Friday to remind you it's not too far away.
When it's on paper, it's not in your head... and that's always a good thing!
Read about it.
Read career blogs about people you aspire to be like and find out what they do to stay productive, or perhaps how they got to where they are . You may find that it's something you can do, whether you are a student, a single parent or working full time in an unsatisfying job.
My favourite is NYC PR Girls!
Talk about it.
Speak it into fruition. If you tell someone that you are going to do something it is more likely that you will feel compelled to do it. What if they ask how it went? No pressure, but if you know it will come up in conversation, better get to work!
I hope these tips help!
It's the start of a new year and you've told yourself that you are going to get all of your assignments in on time, chuck THAT pair of jeans away and stop wasting money on takeaways, but it hasn't happened yet. So what's stopping you?
Although it is no longer January and the exciting anticipation of a new year is long gone, it is never too late to start doing the things that you feel will improve your life. Successful people don't use time as an excuse, and like they say....
'you have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyonce'
So here's a few ways to become more productive, without it feeling like a chore.
Write it down.
The best thing that I did in 2014 was buy
a diary, and now I can't imagine life without one. Write down your plans for the weekend, write down what you plan to spend on food for the week, note down your shifts at work or even just draw a smiley face on a Friday to remind you it's not too far away.
When it's on paper, it's not in your head... and that's always a good thing!
Read about it.
Read career blogs about people you aspire to be like and find out what they do to stay productive, or perhaps how they got to where they are . You may find that it's something you can do, whether you are a student, a single parent or working full time in an unsatisfying job.
My favourite is NYC PR Girls!
Talk about it.
Speak it into fruition. If you tell someone that you are going to do something it is more likely that you will feel compelled to do it. What if they ask how it went? No pressure, but if you know it will come up in conversation, better get to work!
I hope these tips help!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons