Saturday 28 February 2015

Madonna Schooled Us All

Well hello there!

Madonna's been getting a lot of stick recently, after she took a tumble at the BRIT awards.

Oh dear.
Even if you think this is hilarious or if you don't particularly rate Madonna, you have to give her credit. She got up like a trouper and carried on - she didn't even cringe when her next line was "you watch me stumble" (though I'd probably have winked at that point!)

What a pro. This is a lesson we can all learn from.

When life - or a ridiculously knotted cape - drags you down, just get up and carry on.

Bye for now!


Friday 27 February 2015

Cat.

Made me laugh....
                            .....because it's TRUE.

Thursday 26 February 2015

What's on My Playlist?

Well hello there!
Music makes the world go round!

Today I thought I would share with you some of the music that's been doing the rounds on my Spotify playlists. I have thousands of tracks saved and such a broad range of tastes so I couldn't possibly list them all, so I'll just share my 10 current faves.

Enjoy!

1) Asgeir 'Torrent'. I'm not sure how I discovered this - probably through suggested songs on Spotify. (If you don't have Spotify, GET IT! It's soo good if you love music!) I just think this song is quite beautiful and powerful, while remaining upbeat.


2) The Clash 'I Fought the Law'. I love love love The Clash. (I have a bit of a punk-loving streak in me - my Mum brought me up to appreciate older music as a kid. Thanks Mum!) This one is particularly good if I'm feeling a bit rebellious and having to suppress it at work. I can mentally stick up two fingers to my boss and imagine I'm going on a punk rampage. (Weird? Me? Nahh.)




3) The Cure 'Friday I'm in Love'. I've never listened to much Cure, but after hearing this I need to find out more. I love this genre of music, and it reminds me of some of the more upbeat Smiths songs, which is just my cup of tea!




4) The Do 'Keep Your Lips Sealed'. I actually discovered this through a Made in Chelsea soundtrack (confession - Made in Chelsea is a guilty pleasure of mine!) This French/Finnish indie-pop band have a really quirky, unique sound. This is my fave Do track. The drums make me want to go out and buy a military jacket and be all demanding LOL. Also enjoying the use of the organ - very dramatic!




5) Florence and the Machine 'Shake It Out'. This melodramatic tune was the soundtrack to my second year at uni, and it still gets me going today. Poetry.


6)  George Ezra 'Cassie O''. Who doesn't love George Ezra? He's quite different to anyone else I'm listening to at the moment and is a bit old-school, which I like. The play on words in this makes me smile and gets my toes tapping on the bus.




7) Hozier 'Jackie and Wilson'. I'm loving Hozier at the moment, but this is the one that's really uplifting my mood on the dreary February commute to and from work.




8) Queen 'Someday One Day'. This is one of Queen's earlier and lesser known tracks, from their album 'Queen II'. I've recently rediscovered Queen's old material (I used to love them when I was a teenager). I've also come to realise that a lot of the Queen songs that touch me most were actually written by Brian May. (I think I naturally assumed that Freddie Mercury had written some of the best, which he did, but May deserves a lot of  credit, in my opinion!)


9) Sheppard 'Geronimo'. This is a random find, and never fails to lift me up. Feelgood.


10) Washington Irving 'Holy Company'. This Scottish band is in my top five EVER. I just love them, and every song is fantastic. This is a live acoustic version of Holy Company, but it really showcases how brilliant they are. I've been lucky enough to see them live. Well worth a listen.


I hope you get a chance to check out some of these artists. There are soooo many more I'd like to share with you - maybe another time! I'd love to know what tracks are currently gracing your playlists, so comment below and share the music love!

Bye for now!

Monday 23 February 2015

Beauty Spots

                                 
Well hello there!

As my last blog post was all about the joys of walking, and I said I thought it important to discover local beauty spots, I thought I'd share some photos.

They were taken on the last walk I went on during the weekend. Enjoy!


Spring is on the way!
Woodland Trail 

I love bridges!



Canada Geese
Feeling refreshed! (With hat hair!)




Hope you liked them.

Bye for now!

Walkies!



Well hello there!

I am a great advocate of walking for pleasure. There's nothing better than getting in the great outdoors and going walkies.
Whether it's going for a quiet stroll or hiking up Ben Nevis, I love to get the old legs moving.

Channeling my Inner Mufasa at Dovestone
Here's why:

It boosts the immune system.
Walking is good for your heart and lungs, and for the overall state of your health.

It's good for your mental health.
If you're in search of a natural way to relieve stress and combat depression, walking is definitely a great way to do so.
It's one of nature's amazing mood lifters.
Attacked by monsters in the Highlands!

You get to enjoy nature!
Unlike a trip to the gym (which I also enjoy), walking has the extra bonus of soaking up beautiful scenery and breathtaking vistas.
I joined a university hiking group and was lucky enough to live in the Highlands of Scotland for a while,  so I've climbed some gorgeous mountains and seen some sights!
I think it's equally important to make time to discover local beauty spots so that on a quiet or even stressful day, you have a bolt-hole to escape to.

Peak District Toe-Dip!

You get fitter!
For me, keeping trim is another fab side effect of walking. You can also go at your own pace, so if you're serious about keeping fit, you can choose a brisker walk or a high level hike.

A bit of me time...
When things all seem to get too much, or when the fast pace of life seems overwhelming, walk. If you go by yourself as I often do, I guarantee you will feel a bit better about things. If you choose to take along a canine companion, they'll love you forever!

Snowdonia


● If you go with others or join a hiking club,  you'll have a better opportunity to bond with other people.
Walking offers a chance to meet people without the distractions of modern life, sometimes even phone signal! Talk about getting away from it all!
This takes things back to basics and helps conversation to flow. So banish loneliness and join a hiking club!



Here's a video of me and my hiking club at the top of Ben Nevis (the UK's highest mountain!)....


Do you love walking? Or would you rather be curled up in bed with Netflix and a takeaway? (Mmmm tempting...) Let me know in the comments below!

Bye for now!

Thursday 19 February 2015

Lent

Lent is a really powerful time. I was wondering what it is that makes me love this time of year so much. Why does a period of abstinence make me feel so happy?

Well,  I think there are several reasons.

Lent is full of opportunities:

To reflect upon the things in my life that aren't bringing me ultimate fulfilment.
That could be something as simple as cutting down on the frantic compulsion to check my social media apps and texts every three minutes. It could be  eliminating junk food from my diet for 47 days and starting to treat my body like the temple it is.

To take stock and appreciate. This could mean taking a few minutes each day to be mindful of all the blessings in my life and saying thank you.

To give back. Gratitude expresses itself in giving of self. When I'm feeling grateful I like to show people by saying thanks, taking time to help out and perhaps even giving a gift. There are also other ways to give back to the wider community during lent, such as volunteering at the local soup kitchen, distributing sandwiches to the homeless and visiting the elderly and sick. Doing things like this really gives me  perspective and is a massive mood lifter.

Anticipate. Lent, like Advent, leads up to something. (Easter and Christmas, respectively). These are two of my favourite times of year because they are filled with anticipation. This is such a powerful and hope-filled emotion and helps to break the year up into different moods and meanings.
Here's looking forward to Easter!

Pancakes Galore


Pancakes. Gotta love em.

I love food a LOT so I don't really need encouragement to eat, but as you can probably guess I relish an excuse to stuff my face even more.

I had a mix of ready made and home made pancakes this year. 

The ready made ones were:
 ☆Asda Chosen by You Fruity and Fluffy pancakes- Raisin and Lemon flavour.

☆Co-Op Loved by Us Good Morning Fluffy Scotch Pancakes.

I like to spread jam on mine. I stayed at a hotel recently and nabbed some delicious little jam pots from the buffet:

Wilkin and Sons Tiptree Jam in Rasperry and Strawberry flavours.

I also have sugar and lemon with my home made pancakes. 

Here's a few pics of my pancakes :)

Nom. Can't wait for Easter!


Thursday 12 February 2015

7 Quotes to Live By!

When Life Throws You Lemons....


1) "A Little Nonsense Now and Then is Relished by the Wisest Men"                                                                     - Joseph Addison






2) "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated"
- Confucius





 3) "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear." - Martin Luther King Jr.

4) "Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you. You just gotta find the ones worth suffering for."
- Bob Marley

5) "Do unto others as you would have it done to you"
Big Kids Live Longer!
- Jesus

6) "My life is my message"
- Mahatma Gandhi

7) "A Day without Laughter is a day wasted." 
- Charlie Chaplin


We all love a good quote, so why not share yours in the comments below?

Bye for now!

Sunday 8 February 2015

Sunday Walks

One of the best ways to clear the mind and get out of your own head is to go for a nice, long walk.
I love going for leisurely Sunday walks at local beauty spots. Doing so gives me a little perspective and peace- not to mention some fresh air and exercise!
Here are some pics from my latest Sunday stroll: