Fears - What Scares Me

We’re told to be strong, to overcome our worries and fears but let me tell you this. When I come across a spider that’s the size of a penny, I freak the hell out. I definitely think I suffer from Arachnophobia but then I don’t like anything that crawls or moves much either…

Fears are what make us human. Some choose to overcome it, some choose to let it take over their lives and some, well they just deal with it. I thought I’d list my fears and what scares me. Perhaps you’ll find something that’s relatable!

Death 

I think in the back of everyone’s minds is this inevitable thing that’s going to happen to all of us. For some it happens too soon whilst others live a long and fruitful life. In the end though, no amount of status or wealth can buy you forever so I suppose we just have to accept it and live our lives to the fullest.

Terrorism

With all the terrorism that our nation has endured this year - and I thought 2017 was going to be a good one - I’d be lying if I said I had no problem living in London. I’ve realised that when I’m in a popular or crowded area of London, I start to get paranoid, watching everyone and anyone in my vicinity. It’s only natural and if anything, it’s great that we are being more vigilant. We are certainly living through some scary times but terrorism never accomplishes what it wants to achieve and each attack has only made us stronger as communities and as a nation.

Dementia

Experiencing this first hand made me realise that dementia is such a scary illness. It’s slower and more painful to watch someone you love or are close to, lose themselves, to not recognise someone whom they’ve been married to for decades, not acknowledge them as they walk into the room. I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy and hopefully, like cancer, we’ll find the drugs or the cure to beat this soul-destroying illness.

Regrets

I think we all feel it at some point in our lives and that’s regret. Regret that we didn’t do something or that specific thing you wanted to do, has not yet been done. I think within our highly competitive world, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to stick to the status quo, or to not do something because money or other people’s views got in the way. Try not to regret too much, especially the big stuff.

What scares you? Let me know in the comments below.

Highs & Lows | Week 9

I've just touched down from a glorious five-day holiday in sunny France and I've picked up my laptop with fresh eyes after having a digital detox. Yes, I did pick up my phone on a few occasions to watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix (which I'm now hooked on) and to take a casual look at my e-mails but it was such a refreshing experience to just relax and not have to be attached to my blog or my phone. 

Highs ↑

A 'House Family' Getaway

Myself, Sam and Sean all went over to France last Wednesday for a holiday at Sean's parents. They've now retired and moved their lives over to a rustic paradise near Limoges. It's everything I'd love to have when I retire because it's so peaceful.

Digital Detox

Like I mentioned above, going away without my laptop was amazing. It was great to actually spend time doing lots of exercise from kayaking to the adventure park where we climbed obstacles in the trees. We did lots of drinking, chatting and I even learnt how to play Poker.

Lows ↓

Little Friends

So we've suffered a few infestations in our current residence and because it's a suitable location to live in and I didn't personally want to spend another deposit on a flat because hey it's London and it's SO EXPENSIVE, we've put up with it. However, our recent friends have been the soft-shelled cockroach and they've been a pain! The flat was fumigated whilst we were away so hopefully, this solves the problem.

What have your highs & lows been?!

Mr & Mrs Rendle

So I witnessed one of my best friend's get married a couple of weeks ago and whilst they are probably still on their honeymoon (they're camper vannin' it around the UK), it's still settling in that this has actually happened and that it's a very adult thing to do. I know, I've definitely not grown up at all - I feel like a child still! 

I remember all the memories we made at university, all the times we drunkenly danced in the nightclub on the Pier in Aberystwyth and all those times we shared going through the drama of university. Laura looked incredible and she had this beautiful, natural glow that could only come from knowing she was marrying the love of her life. To have been part of something so special was an honour and I wanted to share a few (or a lot) snaps of the wedding weekend. Enjoy :)

The wedding was beautiful and every detail was well thought out. I got so many ideas from this wedding for when I have my own, from the personalised hashtag game to the golden globe allowing guests to write their good wishes.

Of course, Laura's wedding dress was highly anticipated and she looked beautiful! She hadn't told us what she was wearing as she wanted to keep it top secret but the dress suited it perfectly. The lace and detailing to the front and back was just what I thought she'd go for. I also loved the fact that the top part of her dress came off to reveal a sweetheart neckline. JUST GORGEOUS!

 Of course, Laura's wedding dress was highly anticipated and she looked beautiful! She hadn't told us what she was wearing as she wanted to keep it top secret but the dress suited her perfectly. The lace and detailing to the front and back was just what I thought she'd go for. I also loved the fact that the top part of her dress came off to reveal a sweetheart neckline. JUST GORGEOUS!

The weather certainly held out for Laura and her big day, only chucking it down when we got into the marquee - perfect timing!

The afternoon tea served was so adorable and after I downed a bottle of Prosecco (because hey you can take a girl out of Stoke but you can't take the Stoke out of a girl), we watched the bride and groom cut the cake and take their first dance.

I still cannot believe that one of my friends is now married. Life is going so quickly! So who's will it be next I wonder?!

The Aber Crew.

Have you been to a wedding recently? 

Drink Responsibly With UBrew

It's that time of year where the sun is shining and it's therefore every worker's excuse to finish early and get down the pub on a Friday afternoon to see in the weekend. The British are very notorious for working hard and playing hard so it's nice to see more alcohol brands pushing the message of drinking responsibly.

UBrew has launched a new drink called Responsibly and is described as 'the beer that all the other beers ask you to drink'.

Image Source

The new pale ale is reinforcing the message of drinking responsibly and has released some pretty hilarious promotional videos to go along with it.

It's a topic that's been raised numerous times over the years and binge drinking comes with a lot of bad press, mostly aimed at our generation. Can you believe that alcohol-related harm costs England around £21bn per year and tackling crime, involving alcohol, costs a cool £11bn per year. And as the hotter weather hits, we become a little more careless with our beverages. Alcohol tends to be a casual factor in more than 60 medical conditions and it's reported that in 2012-2013, an estimated 1,008,850 hospital admissions were related to alcohol-consumption. However, with all this statistic spiel, I don't want to sound like I'm preaching because frankly, I love a good G&T. Instead, it's all about the amount we drink and making sure we don't drink too much too quickly.

With a campaign that isn't taking itself too seriously, UBrew started out as an open brewery where more than 500 members would brew their own beer. Based in London, UBrew sells a variety of beer decorated vividly with funny illustrations so you can tell they are a brand that want to stand out from the more traditional breweries. 

With courses, merchandise and membership available, UBrew is definitely an example of the modern times we live in and that big corporations are no longer the only ones in the market.

To become a member of UBrew, make sure you click here and make sure you drink responsibly this Summer. Hopefully it'll be a scorcher!

*Disclaimer - This is a sponsored post but all words are my own.

Tips To Keep Your Home Fuss Free

Sometimes our lives can be very limited for time. Those mundane chores and unexpected accidents can become a bit of a hassle. Finding ways of keeping your house more manageable with the spare time we have can leave you with more time spent with family and friends, enjoying life. Here are a few ways of keeping your home fuss free.

Invest In Wooden Flooring

Yes, carpeted halls and bedrooms keep you warm during the winter months but covering your floors with laminated wood means that cleaning up messes is a lot easier. My parents got a beige/cream carpet fitted back in our old house (I know - don't ask why) and a number of times things got spilt accidentally, red wine included. It would often drive my dad up the wall! Investing in wipeable surfaces are less of a hassle and turn out to save you a lot of money in the long run.

Floating Shelves

I love the concept of a floating shelf because they can be put up anywhere. I definitely think I'd have floating shelves around the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, as it keeps all those bits and bobs that we hoarders tend to collect, out of the way. A simple dust around them will also keep cleaning to a minimum.

Fake Plants

Fake flowers and plants, in general, are obviously easy to maintain. If you do like the smell of flowers, potpourri is a great way to fragrance a room without having to buy a bunch of flowers every week. Change the potpourri every month to keep the smell intense or to change up the fragrance according to the season.

Walls & Windows

Keep walls fuss-free by avoiding wallpaper and going for paint. Using integrated blinds within windows avoids having to dust them every five minutes and it looks super stylish and modern.

Keep Things Off The Floor

From shoes to books, keeping things off the floor will reduce the amount of dust that builds up around it. Make sure to buy plenty of shoe stands, bookcases and other storage holders to help kerb the mess.


What would you recommend to keep your home fuss free? Let me know in the comments below.

*Disclaimer - This is a collaborative post although all words are my own.