Feeling elated with life – Finally! #littleloves

Last updated on May 6th, 2024 at 09:47 am

Do you ever feel like you are on super drive? We were back to school this past Monday and I jumped back into the work, routines, and tackling my “to do” lists. I have to say I haven’t felt this motivated and full of energy in a long time. Last year was the hardest year in my adult life for so many reasons but I am looking forward. I feel like happy me again. It took a long time to get through my Dad’s cancer and other life challenges. I think it’s been one of those week’s of getting everything done effectively and efficiently. I don’t think my to do list has ever been empty at the end of each day and it makes me feel elated! A full week of running around was tiring but I have accomplished more this week than the last three months and feel great for it. It helped that we had a chilled out, relaxing half term the week before and I was all recharged. 

It’s Friday, time for the weekend ahead. I am so excited this weekend as we are taking our very first family road trip down south to stay the weekend with friends. My friend and I have been talking about it forever and she has now settled into her new house (it seems everyone is moving at the moment), and we are gearing up to help them break it in with some fun and laughter. I hope the kids can handle the 4+ hours drive we have and that traffic doesn’t make me lose my mind completely on a Friday evening. But mostly I hope the kids are well behaved and it goes smoothly. We haven’t ever really stayed over at a friends house before so we shall see how much sleeping is actually done. Wish me luck!

THIS WEEK I AM LOVING…

I have bought a few books contrary to my challenge to borrow more books from friends rather than buying them brand new. Oops! I started The Couple Next Door yesterday. While I won’t get a chance to properly dive into it this weekend as we are away, the first few pages already have me hooked. I love a book that just pulls you in immediately. What have you been reading?

My garden renovations are starting finally this week too. So I bought some new colorful cushions to create a reading corner outdoors for myself. I can’t wait until it’s finished and the books I will get through chilling out when the sun is shining. (Fingers crossed this doesn’t curse the weather and make it rain for the next 5 weeks until I leave for America). 

I have been listening to vlogs galore. In my attempt to do better videos myself and also to catch up on supporting all my friends in their adventures. I have got lost in Katie’s amazing travel videos lately from California to Dubai. Her filming is unique, creative, and out of this world with angles, lighting and those beautiful kiddos of hers constantly smiling and laughing. Do check out her amazing channel and subscribe!

I have been back to catching up with my favorite shows. With no plans during half term it made it easy to dive into the books I love as much as the shows I was eager to get back to. Starting with Pretty Little Liars returning in the middle of the season. It was a long wait and normally I have always watched them all back to back. Surely there has to be a big twist soon there really can’t just be the same story for that long without a good turn around right? Am I loving or hating it, verdict still out. Next on my watched list is Jamestown. Loving it! I am late to the party catching up with Nashville but I have so much love for the country stars on there. It’s fab watching it again! With Gilmore Girls in the watched pile now I am looking for something equivalent to fill the void. Is there such a thing? 

Working on my journey to becoming more confident in front of the camera and a fun fashion post for you all too as a treat, here I am strutting around the beautiful Trentham Gardens. It’s quickly become my comfort place. It’s so beautiful too it will leave you breathless. I was styling some new sandals, new sun hat, and some new styles for me including the hot trend off the shoulder flamingo top and some ankle grazer jeans. Check out my Summer Outfit for a Cooler Day and the full details here. 

Each time, I have one of these fun photo shoots I get more comfortable not just in front of the camera and my friends that help me along the way but more comfortable in my own skin. Sometimes I am so quick to judge myself when I download the photos when I get home. But I have learned that a) I need to look at them again the next day to see them clearly b) to look for things I like about the photos not what I don’t like c) stopping judging myself so harshly. It’s not easy I am the first to admit. I love fashion and I love sharing my outfits but I have never took the plunge to do many fashion posts like this one below because I just wasn’t confident enough for them. Last year, I shared a lot of my outfits on my ig feed but always from the neck down. I am learning to stop worrying about my bad skin and the things that have been nervous to share all of me. (I don’t mean that literally). I can’t thank my friends enough for helping me get to this point over the last 8 months I have been working on it. You all know who you are and I love you for it. 

I have been trying to share more recipes on this space. I kept having excuses of why I didn’t have time to bake and cook and food style but I missed it so much. It’s truly something that makes me smile so much. I also stepped back from it to take some photography courses and photoshop class. I am hoping that slowly you will see the improvements of those classes and my new skills in my recipes to come. Here is a sneak peak at this gorgeous Rustic Chicken Casserole I made this week, all free of food waste and straight from frozen. I have even took that time off from my recipes to learn how to create some fun video recipes for you. I can’t wait to share that with you soon too. I am learning as I go along. 

Let’s shout out for pink this summer! I am loving all the summer fun, vibrant pinks, and gorgeous snaps on #lifecloseup. Here are my favorite features for this week! I love my little community that isn’t so little anymore. We are about to hit 70K tags. I feel so grateful for those that continue to use the hashtag and really get involved in the community and support each other. I am finding so many NEW INSTAGRAMMERS each and every week to follow and lust over their feeds. These lovely ladies are no exception below. Click the badge to follow me or the photo to be taken to the community instead and engaged with us all.  

Linking up to Coffee Work Sleep Repeat for #LittleLoves Linky.