Tag: music

Relax Babe, You Deserve It

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As the stress of the Christmas period comes to an end and the stress of a  new year begins, it’s important to carve out time for yourself to relax.  As we all try to turn ourselves into better people for a new year we someone manage to forget to look after ourselves causing anxiety and – yes, stress!

I have devised my favourite ways to wind down and relax for you all, so do your body and mind a favour and tick some off the list.  The best thing is you can do some of them in less than 5 minutes so they don’t take a lot of time out of your busy ‘New Year, New You’ schedule.

Munch that chocolate.

Now, I don’t want to disturb anyone’s diet but it’s SCIENCE.  Not only is it effing tasty but eating some dark chocolate can reduce stress and anxiety.  It improves memory and is related to happiness and increasing your mood.  So, if science says it’s okay then you have that chocolate!  To avoid the guilt maybe don’t race for the vending machine for the goods but instead keep with you a few squares of dark chocolate with you.  My favourite is Pascha Chocolate *bonus – gluten free, dairy free, soy free and nut free*

 

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Meditate – ahummm.

I am telling you, once I got over the Buddha feeling this seriously helps.  From as little as 5 minutes can seriously affect your mood for the better.  The mind, heart and body can improve with regular meditation!  For me personally it grounds me and steadies my thoughts so that my brain doesn’t go into overdrive.  Meditating improves concentration and causes the pituitary gland to secrete endorphins that help elevate the mood and have a positive effect on your whole body.  So sit your ass down and hum a few bars to center yourself.  Trust me, you’ll feel better.

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Drink a green tea.

I don’t know what it is but a sense of smugness washes over me that calms me down when I drink a green tea.  It’s the same sense that you get off those that sit in Starbucks for hours writing or banging away on their laptop.  Anyway, drinking green tea helps with your metabolism but aids in relieving stress also as it contains theanine, a calming agent.  If you find it hard to get used to the taste then try another kind of tea or add in some diluted juice (sugar free!)

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Count backwards.

Come on now, I work in retail so I have had to count down from 10 several times over the Christmas period and for a little quick fix this really works.  It sounds like a test, but trust me it’ll make you feel a lot better as you’ll find that when you are counting your breathing will go in time to the numbers therefore calming you down.

Counting Hands from one to five

Pat cold water on your wrists.

Okay, hear me out on this one.  I really do mean cold water and not perfume.  When you apply cold water to your wrists and even behind your earlobes too this can calm down the whole body due to these areas being major arteries.  Sounds bizarre, but go and try it – and I do mean a little not a whole bottle of water or anything crazy.

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Find your space.

I don’t mean hide somewhere until the calm goes away like the stationary cupboard at work but I mean find a space that you can really relax in.  For me, it’s curled up in our ‘vibe room’ in my house where I can sit and listen to music.  I have my paints there if I fancy pushing some paint around.  I have a bean bag and my books.  It’s bliss and it makes me really happy. So if I am having an off day I come home and sit in there and chill out.  Ideally make this space somewhere where there are no phones, TVs, etc so you can really truly relax.

Bubble bath.

As if I even have to put this one in here.  I feel like this point goes without saying… I have never been s relaxed as when I have a bath. The only reason we are renting the house we are, is because it has a bath.  The only thing is after I am done being relaxed in the bath and I pop some pajamas on I get sweaty and stressed again from being too hot.  Worth it.  Get your sorry ass down to Lush or The Body Shop or wherever your favourite smellies place is and pick out some amazing bath stuff and get in a hot bath with a book or with Netflix and chill out.

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Turn off your phone.

I get it, it’s the 21st Century and most of our lives revolve around our phones.  Most of you will probably be reading this from a phone.  Regardless, as much as I love social media and all the things I post about, I hate how attached I am to my phone.  As soon as I put it down I pick it up again to do something else.  Even as I write this one point I have picked my phone up twice.  When my phone is off, I feel more relaxed.  Try it out, I am sure you can last even an hour and it will do you the world of good.

Have fun.

Sounds obvious, right?  But when was the last time you did something you enjoyed?  Whether it’s reading a book, going for a walk, catching up with friends, watching football, whatever.  Don’t deny yourself fun in your busy, hectic schedule.  Take that time for yourself and even plan it in advance so that you have something to look forward to.  I love having a plan for the weekend ahead so that I know my busy week has a happy ending!

So there we have it, a few of my favourite ways to wind down and calm down.  Hopefully this post has inspired you to take a chunk out of your busy life and relax.  Your body and mind will thank you for it!

Peace,

Amy xo

 

 

 

New Year, Same Me

cosmeticsjunkiee

Aloha all you beautiful people!

I am sitting here happy as a clam all toasty and wrapped up in an extra layer of fat that I put on over Christmas and just thinking about the coming year and everything that it’s going to have in store.  With 2018 just around the corner it got me thinking about all of those New Year Resolutions that we make and then worry ourselves over to inevitably not stick to and feel horrible about ourselves which is why

my new years resolution this year is to not make a resolution

I am positively giddy about the fact that I am not going to starve myself for a week in order to attempt losing weight.  I am over the moon that I am not going to beat myself up that I haven’t learned a new skill or taken up a hobby.  I am on cloud nine that I am going to continue to drink just a little too much at the weekends therefore ruining my Sundays.  I am ecstatic that I am going to have the first take out of 2018 and not feel a pick of guilt because I said I would cut down.

For years now I have busted my balls trying to become a ‘better person’ in trying to stick to these ridiculous goals and then spending the following 10 months hating myself that I never completed or stuck to them.  Well, enough is enough!  No longer will I waste my time on these stupid resolutions in order for me to feel down on myself.

Don’t get me wrong, I plan on accomplishing some things this coming year but none that I will write down and beat myself up about if I don’t change.  For example, I really ought to start driving, clear out the pile of clothes I am in denial about, eat a little healthier and maybe put away some money in a savings account.  To me those are like – life changes for a better state of mind, not a resolution that I need to force myself to change.  I find resolutions very unhealthy and a lot of emphasis gets placed on them, especially at this time of year.  It’s basically like saying to yourself ‘you weren’t good enough this year, let’s try again for next year.’  Of course there are some bad habits that we all would like to shake but again, I am not going to get myself down in the dumps about it.

If you are someone that loves making resolutions as a way of trying to ‘improve’ yourself then go for it – Godspeed – however, I am not one of those people.  I can’t wait to wake up on New Year’s Day hungover, crawl out of bed and straight for the Diet Coke and take away menu because I am not placing myself on some strange diet that requires I eat a cube of cheese three times a day.

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I am looking forward to maturing slightly next year.  I feel like the year I turn 27 I really need to get my ducks in a row.  That being said, 2017 I moved in with Joel in our cute little rented house in Belfast (my stuff takes up 95% of it, his 5%) and I have accomplished a lot this year.  Can’t wait to see what 2018 has to offer and I can’t wait to not have to force it with New Years Resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Amy xo

Me, Myself & I

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Hello Earthlings,

This blog post flies at you from my sofa where I am sitting cross legged with a large glass of wine on one side and a bag of salted popcorn on the other.  I felt the need to post about something and I am not lying to you when I say I look absolutely ghastly.  So, for fear of destroying my camera with my current state I have taken to writing another post.  Seeing as I have nothing planned regarding a post I think I’ll have a post about me.  Because, why not?  In fact, let’s get some questions and I’ll answer them… because I am drunk and lazy.

  1.  Tell me the 3 best things about you.  I knew this was a bad idea.  I guess I am creative, I am fuuun and I make really good roast potatoes.
  2. Are you single/in a relationship?  In a relationship, just had our 2 year anniversary
  3. On a scale of 1-10, how strict are/were your parents? Like a 6?  They weren’t relaxed but strict when they had to be, yano?
  4. Who was your worst teacher? Why? Miss Sloan, P1.  She terrified me and made my mum take me to the hospital for tests because she thought I wasn’t growing fast enough and was accused of malnutrition.  I was like, really small.
  5. Who was your favorite teacher? Why? Miss Lavery, P5.  She had a guitar and made times tables exciting.
  6. Which would you pick: being world-class attractive, a genius or famous for doing something great? I feel like I would be a genius, as a genius I can go on to do something great and become famous.  So two out of three ain’t bad.
  7. Who are the 3 greatest living musicians? Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Madonna
  8. Childhood crush? All of McFly.  I wrote to them… still waiting on my reply DOUGIE
  9. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Not a thing.
  10. What was your favorite toy growing up? I didn’t really play with toys, but the thing I always carted about with me was a case of art stuff.  I was always drawing.
  11. Name 3 celebrities you most admire. Julia Roberts, JK Rowling, Kate Winslet
  12. Name a celebrity you think is lame. Justin Bieber
  13. Which of your friends are you proudest of and why? My friend Jenna has conquered her fear of velvet.
  14. What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever been? I haven’t been many places but I think Ibiza is amazing.  There’s far more to the island than meets the eye.
  15. What are your 3 favorite movies? Goodfellas, Frozen and Dirty Dancing.
  16. What’s the right age to get married? Any age, so long as you are with the right one.
  17. Tell me 3 things you remember about primary school. We did Pop Idol in school and me and my friends did Steps 5678 and it was amazing.  There were gypsys that stayed in the field beside our school and we were told to stay away from the bushes. A wasp landed on my floral headband and that was one of the scariest moments of my life.
  18. What would you do if you were invisible for a day? I’d fuck with Trump and freak him out.
  19. If you could time travel, where would you go? I’d go see dinosaurs for sure.
  20. If you could live in any TV home, what would it be? Does the White House count?  I’d probably still pick Monica’s Apartment, Friends.
  21. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate!
  22. Would you rather live for a week in the past or the future? The past, but the week chosen would have to be surprised.
  23. What’s your best childhood memory? Walking around the lane with my Granda.
  24. What’s your favorite holiday? I went down to Ballybofey with my family including my Granny and Granda.  I don’t remember a lot about that holiday but I remember I had a great time.
  25. If you could eat only 3 foods for the rest of your life, what would they be? Pizza, Pancakes and a jar of Nutella.
  26. If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be? Johnny Cash.
  27. What’s your favorite childhood book? Alice in Wonderland ORR Harry Potter
  28. Who would play you in a movie of your life? Ooh, Clemence Posey
  29. If you could be an Olympic athlete, in what sport would you compete? Eating.
  30. Tell the person to your right your favorite thing about them. My wine appreciates the love I have for it.
  31. Do you ever talk to yourself? When and what do you say? ALL the time.  I couldn’t even sum it up in a sentence I say so many things.
  32. What’s your favorite smell in the whole world? Joel.
  33. What’s your favorite time of day? Around 9.30, I don’t know why but I feel a sense of calm wash over me at that time every day.  Maybe it’s because I know I can go to bed soon.
  34. What’s your favorite season? End of Summer
  35. What’s the one food you could never bring yourself to eat? Fucking brussel sprouts.
  36. What is the sound you love the most? David Attenborough’s voice
  37. What 3 famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party? David Bowie, Morgan Freeman and Joanna Lumley
  38. If you could ask the President one question, what would it be? Why won’t you delete your Twitter account?
  39. If you could pick a new first name, what would it be? Lara
  40. What’s your pet peeve(s)? People walking slow – I know I am not alone on this one.  I hate the word ‘moist’ and the feeling of a toenail catching on a duvet is enough to make me actually vom.
  41. Do you ever count your steps when you walk? When I was younger I did… I was curious how many steps it used to take me to get to places.
  42. What’s your favorite kind of sandwich? For me, you kinda can’t beat a ham and cheese sarnie?  But I love a Tayto Cheese & Onion crisp sandwich.
  43. What’s your dream job? Lady who lunches
  44. Cake or pie? CAKE
  45. What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen? I can’t remember the name of it and refuse to google, but I watched it with my friend and fucking shit my self it just freaked me.  I think it was called Sinister?
  46. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? South Africa
  47. Who’s your celebrity crush? Any Marvel character (Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth I am looking at you boys)
  48. What fictional character do you wish you could meet? Dumbledore
  49. If you could be great at one sport which would you choose? Ultimate Frisbee
  50. What’s the first thing you do when you get home from a trip? Collapse on my bed
  51. Would you rather spend five days exploring Disney or New York City? DISNEY
  52. Whose parents do/did you wish you had? What a horrid question… my own!
  53. If you could shop for free at one store, which one would you choose? SEPHORA OBV
  54. What personal trait has gotten you in the most trouble? Being a sassy hoe
  55. Which celebrity chef would you most like to fix you a meal? Gordon Ramsey, then I would judge him
  56. What is the best piece of advice you’ve received? Love yourself, no matter what
  57. What do you like to do on a rainy day? Paint or do make up
  58. What is your favorite thing about the beach? The smell.  I wish I could bottle it and sell it.
  59. What is your favorite Disney movie? Nope, too hard.  Frozen I guess because I watched it pretty much every day sometimes twice a day for two years or so.  
  60. Which of the Seven Dwarfs is most like you? Dopey 😦
  61. If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction? A comedy because I am hilarious
  62. Name a product or service you love so much that you’d happily be that company’s spokesperson. Mr Kipling…
  63. If you were guaranteed to be successful in a different profession, what would you want to do? Oh guaranteed success?  I would cure cancer, then do their makeup
  64. As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up? I wanted to be in the FBI and I remember telling my Granny that I wanted to be a sausage roll.

Okay… there were so many more questions but I am at the bottom of the bottle and I just don’t think I can go on anymore answering questions otherwise I’ll start getting too honest.  I need snacks… I might go put on lil pigs in blanket now.  IT IS CHRISTMAS.

If you enjoyed this then please do let me know and I can do more posts like this, instead of JUST make up.

Peace out xo