The New Normal

The UK is coming out of lockdown and things are quite different as we enter a new normal. With safety and the public's health being a big priority we are seeing a lot of changes to daily life in order to keep us safe.  The latest change is the new rule making face covering mandatory when in public places like shops. 

When I first heard this rule I wasn't sure how to feel, I had worn a disposable face mask a few weeks ago when going to the doctors and if i'm being honest I didn't like it.  It made me more aware of my breathing, made me feel a little claustrophobic and it was so big it nearly covered my eyes making it hard to see.  But, with the new rule in place I ordered myself a few different masks and wore them around the house to get use to it.  Although it is not the normal we are used to, wearing them around the house defiantly helped and I feel more comfortable wearing one.  

So, if you are a bit nervous about wearing a mask here are some tips: 

• Get ones that reflect you - There are so many places out there selling masks, so you don't just have to get a boring one.  You can get lots of cute prints and colours to match every outfit or you can make you own! 

• Wear them round the house first - I found by doing this I could get used to the feeling of wearing a mask so it doesn't feel as claustrophobic anymore. Just make sure you wash it before then wearing it in public. 

• Get one that fits you - When wearing a disposable mask at the doctors a few weeks ago, it was so big it made it more uncomfortable.  So, if you have a slightly small head like I do, you can either make your own or I would recommend trying a children's one.  I found these are much smaller but still cover my mouth and nose meaning it is protective and I can see too! 

• Don't worry about what people think - Now this is a mandatory rule, everyone will be wearing one so you won't be the only one.  We are all in this together!

I thought I would share with you some of the masks I have bought to wear: 

•  This one is from Boohoo and it is a super cute rainbow one!

• This one is also from boohoo and is a tie dye affect with pink, green, blue and white making it great for any outfit. 

• This one os actually a children's mask from GAP.  You can see it is a lot smaller than the other two which is more comfortable as it doesn't cover the bottom of my eyes.  This one was from a pack of three, however I gave the other two to my sister as she is like me and has a small head! This one is my favourite as it is blue and white with a tie dye/ cloud affect. 

To keep them all in one place I have simply put a command strip on the inside of my wardrobe door and they all hang nicely there.

I hope you found this weeks blog post helpful, especially if you are feeling anxious about wearing a mask. I would love to see some of the ones you will be wearing! 

Looking into my star sign

I have never really looked much into horoscopes and zodiac signs except the occasional skim through in a magazine.  But, this week news broke out that our zodiac signs may have changed as a NASA blog post announces a 13th zodiac or star sign and some people have gone crazy about it! 

So, having more spare time on my hands, I have done a bit more research into horoscopes and what they are whilst looking at mine in particular and any changes to it. 

According to the NASA blog post, horoscopes were created 3,000 years ago when the Babylonians divided the sky into 12 different sections to represent the 12 months of the year.  They then chose 12 constellation one for each section so that as the earth orbits the sun, the sun would be seen to pass through each section of the sky, creating star signs. However, the Babylonians were soon aware that the system they had created did not quite match with the rotation of the earth, so they chose to remove the 13th sign called Ophiuchus. Since then, the Earth's axis has changed and does not point in the same direction meaning the sky has shifted.  This means people may have a different star sign. 

My birthday is on the 14th November so I have always said I was a Scorpio, hence the necklace. But now I am apparently a Libra!  

I have looked on a few different sites that show personality traits for both Scorpio and Libra and it was interesting seeing what traits fit with my personality and which zodiac sign I relate to the most.  

I believe I have the following traits of a Libra: 

• Idealistic - I always try and find the best in every situation or person

• Non confrontational - I hate arguments and always try and keep the peace, which does mean I can sometimes put off difficult discussions for a long time.     

• Indecisive - At times I can be bad at making decisions as I weigh up the pros and cons of even the smallest of things.  I think this also links to my hatred of confrontation so I want to try and please everyone making it hard to make decisions.

However, I found when reading through the traits of a Scorpio I feel I have more of these traits.  Such as: 

• Determination - Once I set myself a goal I won't hold back and will try everything I can to reach it. 

• Ambitious - I set my goals high and am not afraid to do so!

• Loyal - I don't want to sound big headed when I say this, but I like to think once I commit to someone or something I stick with it and although it can be hard to earn my trust, once you do I will not give up on it. 

• Honest/Secretive - I know what your thinking, how can you be honest and keep secrets at the same time? A key trait of Scorpios and something I see in myself is that they are honest and hate dishonesty.  However, they don't like to reveal too much, especially when it comes to displaying vulnerability and with people they don't trust.  

•  Resentful - As well as getting slightly jealous, I can hold a grudge and take betrayals or setbacks very personally.

• Controlling - I do have a bit of OCD and so this can mean I get controlling in certain situations, especially if it is something that will help me achieve my goal. 

• In terms of relationships, I prefer serious commitments and give my loyalty and love in them. I like to connect with people on a deep emotional and intellectual level and if you are honest and true, I will always be there in a time of need. 

After looking more into the star signs and traits they have, I think I can say despite the change in star signs, I will forever be a Scorpio.  I may have some Libra characteristics in me, but I will continue to wear my Scorpio necklace with pride!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post.  I would love to know if your star sign has changed and whether you fit better into your new or old one! 

Let's Chat How I've Really Felt

I started this blog about 2 years ago with the idea that I could document my life as I entered my 20s to share the good the bad and the ugly sides of growing up, sharing tips and tricks along the way.  I have always loved doing it and over the past few months in particular, I have found it a HUGE help in distracting my mind from the crazy situation we are in and I hope it helped do this for others as well, even if it was for only a few minutes. 

However,  I do feel with blogs and social media, people can get lost in what is really going on and what people really feel.  Just because that is what you see or read, doesn’t mean it is the whole truth.  I mean do you really think for the past three months I woke up every day and had a full face of makeup on, a cute outfit and went on a run every day..... no chance haha! The thing to remember with a lot of social media and blogs is that people share what they want you to see, including me. 

You may have noticed that I have not spoken much about the current situation and if I’m honest it’s because I didn’t know what to say....I didn’t want to think about it.... I was in my little bubble of baking, reading and sunbathing in the garden, so that is what I shared with you.  I guess you could say I was distracted and trying not to think about what was going on outside my front door and in a way I wanted to help distract some of you from all of the crazy.

For us in the UK this week in particular has seen lockdown restrictions ease.  As this has happened, I have found myself reflecting on the past 3 months.  Like I said before, I started this blog as a way to document my life and share this with you in the hope that it helps some of you whether that be with tips, recommendations or even to reassure you that you are not alone.  With that being said,  I wanted to share with you how I really felt during lockdown and how I am feeling now we are coming out. So, grab a cuppa tea and a biscuit.... this could get deep!

When the virus first began to hit the UK, I remember feeling very scared and anxious as people began to panic, supermarket shelves were bare, restaurants were empty and retail shops closed their doors. It all seemed to happen so fast and I couldn’t wrap my head around what was going on.  When we first went into lockdown, I remember leaving my office at work a few days prior thinking we would be back to work after a few weeks. I remember seeing my boyfriend saying we would see each other soon thinking we would be reunited in a few weeks.  Not once did I think 3 months later and I would still not be back in the office and only allowed just allowed to see my boyfriend.  I was upset and frustrated that this was happening and I had no control over it.  That along with the fear of the unknown did not help my anxiety.  After spending the first week in bed in tears, I finally decided I had to get up and do something to distract myself.  So, I kept myself in a little bubble where I would bake, paint my nails, sun bathe and work on my blog and Instagram.

Some may think I’m crazy when I say this, but once I got myself out of this dark place I did enjoy being in my little bubble.  I got to do things I don’t normally have time for and I liked that I had more time to focus on me. I learnt a lot about myself and those I love and there are many things I would like to continue doing now we are coming out of lockdown.

When I say I was enjoying time in my little bubble, that isn’t to say I wasn’t aware of what was going on outside my house.  I found myself almost addicted to the news watching it every day at 5pm to see what announcements came finding my tummy tighten more as the days went on.  I couldn’t and still can’t believe how surreal this whole this was and still is.  At times I still find myself asking if I am dreaming.   I did have my bad days, we all did!  I found distance from my boyfriend difficult, I lost a family member and my job. There were times where I found myself focusing on the negatives and had days where I didn’t get up and didn’t do anything. But I have tried not to let those feelings consume me, and I tell myself to have the down day (get it out my system) then I picked myself up and get on with it trying to focus on the positives.

If I’m being 100% honest I think I have found coming out of lockdown harder than going into it. I was very anxious about the whole idea as I knew things would not be the same but I didn’t know what to expect. When first seeing people for social distancing meet-ups it did feel very strange at first, but we soon forgot why we were sat 2 metres apart and just accepted it as conversation and laughter filled the air. It took a few trips to shops to get used to the new normal of queuing, one way systems, masks and sneeze screens.  But as the days have gone on, I have found myself doing things such as 2 metre social distancing, queuing and hand sanitising without even thinking about it - so I guess you could say I am getting used to the new normal.  

This whole thing still isn’t over and anxiety with the fear of the unknown is still there, some days better than others.  But I am trying to take each day as it comes as that is all we can do right now.  I have learnt to accept that not every day is going to be great and that is okay.  We all experience things differently.  So, I just wanted to be honest with you all and let you know what has really been going on the past few months as Instagram and past blog posts are just a snippet of my life.  We all have our good and bad days surrounding the current situation and that is okay. I hope this post has helped some of you, I am always here for a chat if you need!