This is still me ❤️

Where the hell did July go? It whizzed by in the blink of an eye. I am slowly learning that the more I reflect, the more I learn and the more I want to improve. It's like an ongoing never-ending cycle, but a good one. With each month, comes the need for acceptance in certain areas of life and I discover that there are some areas I have been focusing on, that perhaps I no longer need, or want to change. Things I Loved About July I read a lot of Medium articles, I commented and clapped for those I enjoyed and I now share 5 of my favourite articles each Thursday on various platforms and again on Sundays in my round-up post. https://thisisstillme.medium.com/5-of-my-favourite-articles-on-medium-this-week-with-a-befitting-bonus-article-c2a8c367d770?source=friends_link&sk=f1e5e4cc7239982dddde55affcddc31f https://thisisstillme.medium.com/5-articles-i-read-on-medium-that-inspired-and-motivated-me-to-keep-going-41a5314deff4?source=friends_link&sk=92a565cd3a8e3f2bf1b1788c7c22e7

An amazing weekend with friends Last weekend, we celebrated our good friend's birthday. On Saturday, a group of us went out for dinner, where there was delicious food, fantastic live singers and the best company, then on Sunday, we went to their house and celebrated some more, more food, more drinks, the live singers returned and I laughed so much. I honestly feel so grateful and honoured to have spent time with all of those people. Scheduling posts in advance Something I've been talking about doing for a while but going on holiday has made it more of a priority. 9 hours on a flight will also give me some time to write, although I do wonder how much of it will make sense after a few glasses of wine. A holiday We are taking the boys to Orlando in Florida. None of us have been before and we are all really looking forward to it. To be honest, I didn't think it was somewhere I would ever get to go so I am aware of how very lucky I am.

On the plus side, I've noticed that I have started looking forward to my nights out again. Before the pandemic, I went out a lot. Working in the city it was perfectly normal to go to the pub at lunch or after work, when the weekends came, I preferred being at home as I'd been out all week. Going out was such an everyday thing, it wasn't really fun anymore and when a big birthday event came along, I didn't look forward to It. Now, I tend to do my going out at the weekends like a normal person and I have started to look forward to those nights out again, I can think about what I'm going to wear and spend some time getting ready. On Saturday, I woke up at 7 am, excited for a morning to chill out. I sat down and looked at my calendar. 9 am - Intervals. Oh, bugger. I'm doing cardio today. My brain starts to make excuses but I ignore them. It's happening. I'm doing it. No excuses. And I did. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely not. I couldn't find my sports br

Last Friday, I woke up feeling full of cold. Great, just in time for the weekend, but I was determined not to let it get the better of me. I’ve been taking a long hard look at my to-do list and chopped it up a bit. I want to give myself the option to take weekends off from writing and learning and avoid putting too much pressure on myself. I was really looking forward to going out for dinner with our friend's birthday, to celebrate a birthday and there was no way I was going to let having too much to do or a poxy cold, get in the way. On Saturday, Toby, who I think is having an identity crisis and thinks he’s a cockerel, wakes us up yowling at the crack of dawn. There was no way I was getting up early, the cold combined with too much white wine the night, was not leaving me feeling energised. We had a wedding reception to go to that evening. Again, despite my feeling rubbish, I still wanted to go. It's just a cold, I told myself and went off to sit in the garden to get som

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough” A weekend in Broadstairs with the husband We enjoyed an impromptu weekend at the seaside, wandering the food market and the high street, popping in and out of pubs and listening to live music, all in the glorious sunshine. Lunch in London A friend took me for lunch in London. We had an afternoon of gossip and managed to find a very well air conditioned bar to have a quick glass of wine before we went home. Some downtime Although I was kind of forced into it, as I wasn’t really feeling well. Have a day of mostly watching Netflix and generally chilling out made me realise that I don’t have to try and get it all done ASAP and some time out isn’t a bad thing. What are you grateful for this week? ❤️

Learning, laughing & looking ahead Other Writers I read a lot of really good articles this week. I've learned so much in such a short space of time. I've been inspired I've picked up a lot of great tips and came away with lots to think about. An afternoon with the bestie I spent an afternoon with the bestie. We had lunch in her garden in the sun and caught up on each other's lives. We always have so much to talk about and it feels like a really fun therapy session. Rejigged my routine I took away a lot of things from the articles and some of them relate to my routine. I sat down on Friday and planned not only my content for the week but also set out a rough plan for the week. I just need to remember that things don't always go to plan and that's ok. What are you grateful for this week? ♥️

My week in a rather large nutshell Friday brings PMS. Joy. A recent symptom it has decided to bestow upon me is sore, swollen gums as well as all the usual delightful things. I also had a dream that I went back to my old job it was more of a nightmare, I woke up in a cold sweat. I was a bit rattled by the uncharacteristic negativity I was feeling, but I was determined to push through. I got up, made myself a cup of tea, did some meditation, did my morning reflection, read my daily stoic & set my intentions for the day, but I wasn't feeling my usual sense of satisfaction. It was annoying me. The ring doorbell jangled to let me know someone was approaching our front door, the annoyance that hadn't yet subsided, racing back to the surface, when I realised who it was. Charity Bag Man. After lockdown, when clearly I didn't have enough to moan about, I decided to order a no junk mail sticker for my letterbox. Junk mail never bothered me before, but I developed a passion

Finally, a week where I can stop and breathe. It's been a positive week and I feel with each new day, brings new things to learn. I sometimes feel like I have only just begun living my life as I am meant to, which is odd at the age of 41. Last week I started adding a "song of the day" to my social media pages, the intention behind these is to get everyone's day off on a positive note. I thought I would share these on my Friday posts for everyone to enjoy, by adding the link to the day of the week. On Friday I went out with a couple of friends for some Friday night drinks. We sat in a beer garden, drinking rose and chit-chatting about our lives. I had a picture taken, which I usually hate but for once I didn't. When I wondered why I noticed that I looked relaxed and not like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders, it felt good to realise that. There was a man at the pub that I was convinced was the actor who played Martin Fowler in Eastenders. I was t

An extract from this weeks Substack newsletter Quality over quantity When it comes to friendships, it’s not about having lots of people around us but having the right people around us. Always be respectful of other people’s boundaries We should all have boundaries in place, it’s an important part of self-care. Avoid toxic people Some people are drains and some people are radiators, we should go for the ones who provide the most warmth, rather than those who leave us feeling diminished. Not all relationships will last forever And that’s ok. It’s ok to disconnect from anyone who you do not enjoy spending time with. We are all human We all make mistakes at times, and we can hold our hands up to those things and learn from them. Subscribe to my free substack newsletter.❤️

Up, down and loop the loop. Last Friday, after keeping a few things to myself and letting them bubble under the surface, I got them off my chest. As usual, I felt so much better and wondered why I didn’t just let it all out in the first place. The problem I have is that I am much better with my words when they are written, I have time to go over them, think about what I have said and reword where necessary, this is why I don’t send voice notes, although I do like to receive them. I had been anxious about going out that evening, alcohol and anxiety do not mix. Thankfully, the air was now clear, and I could go out and enjoy my evening. The husband and I went out with some friends and danced the night away in a local Irish bar. On Saturday, I felt like a new woman, albeit a groggier new woman. I didn’t feel the need to eat all the food like I had the past few days and the husband and I enjoyed a chilled day indoors. I was woken up by Toby on Sunday morning, who decided he wanted to c

You can’t live a positive life with a negative mind. Today, I wasn’t feeling my best. Despite having good boundaries in place, the negative thoughts can still creep in. When this happens I have a list of go-to self-care activities and I thought I would share these with you. Meditation I always thought meditation was sitting crossed-legged on the floor and clearing your mind completely, which, quite frankly, feels impossible for me. I gave up trying to meditate for ages until it was explained to me that is not the case. The actual definition of meditation, according to Merriam-Webster, is: 1: to engage in contemplation or reflection. 2: to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one’s breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness Each morning, I make myself a cup of tea, set a timer for 10 minutes and sit in silence, letting my brain do what it wants to, which is usually worry, roll off my list of things

It’s been such a positive week for me, although mindset is everything. Some things happened this week that could have dampened my spirits, but because I was in a good frame of mind, I have managed to focus on the positives and put a positive spin on some of the possible negatives. I know that I may not feel like this every week will be like this, but I plan on enjoying it for as long as it lasts. What went well for you this week? ❤️

This week, I wanted to focus on relationships. I am always very aware of how lucky I am to have the family and friends I do. We learn so much from the people we spend time with and I am truly grateful for those that I am blessed to have in my life ❤️

After a pretty reclusive week last week, I enjoyed catching up with some friends this week, a trip into the city to meet my friend for lunch, a shopping trip with my twinnie followed by dinner with the bestie. It was just what I needed. I also made some great progress in my counselling sessions. I'm still so amazed at how much I get out of these sessions and how much I have learnt to about myself. I am learning so many valuable life tools and I feel so positive about the future. Yesterday, the husband and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary. We celebrated in our usual fashion, by taking ourselves off for a little break. What went well for you this week? ❤️

It’s been a mixed bag this week, but I have managed to turn it around. I enjoyed getting dressed up and going out for dinner and drinks with the girls last Friday. In the week, after having a really busy few weeks, I easily fell back into my usual routine, which helped turn my mood around. I finally wrote my article for publication! It only took me a month. I rewrote and re-read it about 7 times but I think I am happy with it now. What went well for you this week? ♥️

Despite being an anxious mess this week, due to certain things not going to plan, making time at the end of the week to think of the things that went well was really easy and helps me to realise what truly matters. I spent a relaxing weekend with my friend in Hereford, we lunched, we walked (me in inappropriate footwear resulting in blisters) and we lounged around, its nice to feel at home without having to do any chores. I spent some much needed time with the husband, unfortunately for him, its been a stressful week for me so I am conscious that he didnt have the best of me, but as always, he showed me love, kindness and endless patience and I am very aware of how lucky I am to have him. On Wednesday, I went to Essex to see my brother on his 40th birthday and spent a few hours with my family which was really lovely. I realise now, that all those things I have been stressing about are not as significant as I first thought. What went well for you this week? ❤

I’ve been on a pretty high vibe this week and with this, some pretty positive things are happening. As I mentioned in this weeks blog post, I had myself a little mini spa session on Wednesday and I’m pleased to report that as of Saturday morning, the nails are still look fabulous. Home spa sessions will absolutely become a regular thing now. The bestie came over for a catch up on Thursday night, we talked non stop for hours and as soon as she left I realised that there were loads of things I still needed to tell her, that are of course too long for a text message or phone call, so we will have to schedule another catch up in. At the end of the week, I joined the Medium Partnership Program. For me this is a huge step in the right direction for my writing career and I am looking forward to learning from other writers and hopefully having a bit more exposure to the world of writing. I have been blogging for over 5 years and I still enjoy it so much and I happily spend hours shut away in t