LIFESTYLE
NEW FOUND CONFIDENCE
I've always been a happy character which I use to help people around me. I'll be the friend that helps cheer them up, holds there hand or lets them cry. I'm not afraid to hear stories of people's past, and I certainly don't hold it against them. People haven't always been there for me, but I can put that down to myself, I'm stubborn and rarely reach out for help.This is because I know what it's like to change and go through difficult things. It really puts life into a new perspective and opens your eyes to things you could never even imagine. Keeping in mind, every individual person is different, lives a different life and deals with things in their own unique way.
Starting with a positive mind. Erasing the negativity and putting myself and only myself first. There's only one thing that's been in my way - self doubt. And a rather large amount of it. Only in recent months have I realised that only I can change it. I am this way due to my lack of self-belief which is all in my mind and I've figured out a few ways which have helped me improve my mentality and become happier and more confident. A lot of people struggle with a lack of confidence and it can trigger things such as depression and anxiety.
Ways To Erase Self Doubt:
- Become more educated with food. Eat better, and know that a treat is a treat - By this I don't mean eat to a strict diet, but to know that different foods can benefit you for certain things and that can play a huge part with your health, both mentally and physically. I love snacking, and binge eating and filling myself up on loads and loads of 'bad' food! But, that usually means I am sat feeling completely guilty and therefore makes me feel annoyed or upset with myself. So, I have decided to stop snacking so much, and treat myself when I deserve it, so I feel like I have earned it.
- Organise my life better - This probably seems irrelevant but it makes up a lot of my stress which can really bring my whole self down! I find that writing down all the things on my to - do list helps me to utilise my time more, and feel like I have accomplished things successfully rather than overwhelming myself too much. It leaves me with space in my timetable for things I enjoy, and make me feel happier which allows my mind to run at a suitable speed for me. I also really love stationery so buying new folders and notepads made me happy and more motivated!
- Having a hobby - (Seems obvious, but only recently have I realised how important it is). Something to keep me busy, and help me to appreciate time more. I usually spend my 'spare' time scrolling through social media and getting myself down with the idea of what I should be looking like, what I should be doing and what I should be eating. Finally, I realised - it's all crap. I started thinking about what I want to do, then I started this blog. I write a blog post when I feel motivated and have the time to do it. I also watch a lot of YouTube videos which takes my mind off any current stress in my life. Being able to do something you enjoy, whether that is exercise or watching videos, it allows you to refresh your mind and improve your mentality because you are keeping happy!
- Wear what the hell I want - I worried (past tense) way too much about what I was wearing compared to other people. When I was younger (between 9 - 13) I used to have my own style and put together an outfit of my choice and feel so confident and happy with myself - which any person, especially a kid that age should feel. I would totally rock it, and feel inspired by so many things. People would compliment me and be amazed at how happy I was and that Then as I went through secondary school, I began to hide away my style and follow what everyone around me was wearing (not the exact same, but similar style) and it just became a routine, but I never felt inspired. In the past few months, I have started to buy clothes that I love, that I think are cool, and that suit ME. I gather inspiration from Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and just by seeing people walking around, especially in the City where there is such diverse fashion. This has made me so much happier because I am myself again, and the people around me are supportive and I just feel so much better looking at my wardrobe and feeling inspired every day!
- Talk to people that want the best for me - There are A LOT of people in this world, and everyone that you know will have different intentions with you. As I've got older, I have met people who support me, and others that do the opposite. Those people who make me feel in any way negative, I don't spend time with or associate myself with any more. It's not about popularity, it is about having good people surround you. I wish I realised and understood this sooner in life. I am lucky enough to have such loving people in my life (even if they do live on the other side of the world to me) who keep me going every day and have my back 100% of the way! This is an extremely important factor in remaining happy and erasing self doubt!
I hope that if you are facing a tough time, or are lacking self love that you find something that will make you happy, or improve your negativity. Your quality of life will be better when you're positive and the people around you will feel it too. Stay happy, stay strong and know that it is okay to feel down and okay to stress. But it isn't okay to beat yourself up about anything and get yourself down. You are beautiful inside and out and that should shine through you, always.
Love, Abby x
GET ORGANISED
If you've read my '2017' blog, you will know that one of my new years resolutions is to organise my life better. SO, I thought it would be super cool and helpful (hopefully) to give you some of my tips and ideas on how to organise and plan your days or any busy periods you have coming up.
I am a HUGE sucker for all things stationery and always enjoy shopping for pens, pencils, notebooks and whatever else I can use to write or plan ahead with. Even though I never use it all, or I lose half of it, I love to buy new bits and bobs to keep me motivated.
Here is a list of products I have picked up and think will help me in being successful with organisation:
Daily Diary
Also featured in the 2017 blog is my diary. I absolutely love this diary, it is a simple stripe design that looks awesome. It was actually a Christmas present so I do not know where it is from... If I find out, I will update this blog! Anyway, this is the PERFECT diary as the lay out allows each day to have it's own page. This means there is a lot of space to write down all of your plans and not have to leave anything out. In the front page there are a sheet of stickers including; holidays, meetings, work, to-do and dates. It just really helps to keep up to date with things you want/need to do.
My Tips:
- If you work, write down the hours that you have worked so you can refer to them for pay references etc.
- Colour code each task you plan to do - work, homework, meetings, trips, activities,
- Write down a quote (if you remember) on each page, to motivate yourself and lift your spirits,
- Go to a deadline you have, and then count down for the days leading up to it so that you will not forget!
Notebooks
These notebooks were a pack of three from KMART, each are 64 pages which is really handy to use each one for individual things. There are so many choices for notebooks; sizes, colours, thickness etc. and they cool too. I never really use all of the notebooks I have, however I am a lot more motivated when I have new, pretty notebooks waiting to be written in!
My Tips:
- If you are at school or currently studying this is the best way to separate your subjects and split up topics that you need to study.
- If you are a blogger, these are amazing to use to organise all of your ideas, for example; one book for baking ideas/plans, one for beauty, and the other for lifestyle blog ideas.
- If you enjoy writing stories, poems or letters, these are good to use for writing paper so you can keep all of your pieces in one place.
- If like me, and you love stationery... you don't even need to justify it. Just get them because they look cool and make you look more organised. (Not so much a tip, more of a reason to buy them).
- If you love to cook or bake, it is a cool idea to use each book for a food category i.e. cakes, cookies, lunches, smoothies etc.
More Notebooks
(From TYPO).
I like this one because it is a thicker than the other notebooks I have which means I can use this for something that requires a lot of writing, or ideas.
My Tips:
- You can pretty much use this for the same reasons as the other notebooks, however you can write with more depth or if it is a subject that you need to write a lot for, then this is perfect to cover all the space you will need.
- I also like using binder books because they are lot higher quality and less likely to fall apart. So if you use a notebook all the time, I recommend a binder book.
- If you enjoy jotting down random notes or writing down inspirational quotes to read back on, I find bigger books work perfectly as you can write much more down!
- As the pages are easier to rip out of binder books, they are good to write down daily to-do lists.
A5 Binder Notebooks
(Also, from TYPO)
Smaller notebooks are THE BEST for popping into your bag, and will always come in handy if you are out and about. These I use to jot down things when I remember and then transfer them as neater version into the bigger notebooks.
My Tips:
- These mini notebooks are perfect for taking on a day out or for travelling as they fit in most bags, without taking up too much room.
- If you are a creative thinker and your mind runs at 200 miles per hour (like mine) then it's great to have a notebook at hand whenever you think up the next awesome thing so you can quickly jot it down for future reference.
- Again, you can use these for the same reasons; school, blogging ideas, recipes, to-do lists etc.
Mini Memo Pad
(Again...TYPO)
I always find that when I'm in the middle of doing something, I will all of a sudden remember something important and NEED to write it down before I forget again. (It is SO frustrating when you forget!). Mini memo pads, similar to post - it - notes but without the sticky bit are AMAZING for people like me! Especially when you gotta write it down quick because you know your mind will move on to something irrelevant!
My Tips:
My Tips:
- Make them easily accessible - pop them in a place you go to quite often in your home, or room. I find that either a desk/study area or in the kitchen are perfect places to keep them.
- If you don't like using a big, bulky bag, these are a good little size to keep with you at all times... you know, just incase.
- Write down all the things you need to remember - make a doctors appointment, pay a bill, empty the dishwasher before mum gets home etc. and leave it somewhere you know you'll see.
- You can use them for quick bursts of inspiration, or ideas that you want to write down for future reference .
Colourful Pens
(Trusty KMART again)
Coloured pens are ALWAYS a good idea and ALWAYS lots of fun. I find that when I am trying to get myself organised, or when I am struggling to find motivation. Having cool pens, makes me want to write more.
My Tips:
- Colour Co-Ordinate - use different colours to code each category of things you need to do/have done. For example; blue - work, purple - chores, green - meetings, orange - seeing friends, pink - study deadlines.
- Make it pretty - doodle on the pages so that you feel excited to get organised, and it's fun to do too!
Black/Blue/Red Biro Writing Pens
Pretty self explanatory but if you don't know why they a necessity with organisation... I'll tell you. Basically, they enable you to write down everything that you need too. They tend to be more professional ink colours to use.
My Tips:
- When writing in a diary or notebook, I think that it is good to write down the majority of your work in blue or black ink and then highlight over, or write in a different colour to make specific words or phrases stand out.
- if you are writing formally, for work or school, it is more professional to write in blue or black ink.
It helps to work in an open, clear space to clear your mind and calm you down. Nothing worse than trying to be organised when you are feeling cramped and stressed. I really hope that the ideas I have written about inspire you to get organised and have helped you realise it's not too hard to do! I know some people naturally have a nick for organisation. Although for the few of you like me - it can be hard, it can be done!
What do you find useful when it comes to organisation? Do you have any top tips?
Love Abby x
2017
wowowowowowow this takes me back to when Troy and Gabriella first met on New Years Eve!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
New year - the perfect time for self reflection.
Not that I particularly want to reflect on 2016, it wasn't my year by any means. However, it sure did teach me a few important life lessons.... and I guess there's no better time to get started than the start of a new year.
This is why I am starting this year with a fresh mind, it is important to be optimistic and hold your head up high. I KNOW 2017 is going to be my year. I WILL make it my mission to achieve my goals. But HOW will I make myself stick to it? Do you set goals every year? Month? How do you keep yourself going? TEACH ME PLEAAAAASE!
I think I'll do it this year. For real. I have surrounded myself with people who only want the best for me, and keep me happy. It's the comfort and support I need, however I know that only I can help myself.
So - Goals...
1. In a (2017) diary write down what I do each day.
Why - This will help me look back and realise how fulfilling my year was, the amazing people I spent my year with and to look back on the (probably) awesome things I will do. I also could do with more organisation in my life. As you can tell my new year post was a week late. I'll learn soon.
2. Do what makes me happy.
Why - The only person I have all the time is myself. So surely I should be the best person I can be. And that is my aim - to keep myself happy, lift myself up and know that it will all be okay. This will then make me think more positively and I can reflect that on to people I hold dearly.
3. Travel - Near and Far.
Why - I love an adventure. The packing, the journey, the once in a life time opportunities, the "I've been here before', The awesome pictures, and the feeling of taking time away from reality. All these aspects are important to me and to keep my mine fresh and constantly growing I will travel.
Sydney - February, England - (August?) Margaret River - once or twice!
4. Moving Out - Robert and I will move in to our first home together.
Why - I am ready for the next chapter of my life.
5. Confidence - Do NOT put myself down.
Why - I do it waaaaaaaaaay too much! I am always doubting myself, and comparing my features with what I think they should be like. WELL STUFF IT - I AM ME. I will learn to love myself and then, nothing will bring me down.
I have mini personal goals as well, like saving money and maintaining a healthy lifestyle - but I don't want to overload myself with pressure.
If you set yourself goals and feel overwhelmed or afraid that you will not achieve then break them down. Make it EASIER for YOURSELF. Break them into mini goals, step - by -step to how you will get there. Because you will.
Good Luck,
Love, Abby x
ABSENCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER
Cry, cry, cry.
Then stop.
(If you cannot cry, or do not want to - that's okay too, you're one step ahead than the rest of us).
I don't know whether anyone will want to read about who I miss, sometimes it can be hard to read stories about this topic, and I understand why. Although if anyone has a story of their own that they would like to share or a tip to staying happy and positive, I would love to read them as I feel it can be comforting when you know you are not the only person feeling alone and getting advice from other people can really help.
Although being apart from someone you love or someone you cherish can feel as though you are missing a part of yourself. You should be thankful you have had someone that means so much in your life that is worth feeling this way over.
I just want to say, I am not a therapist nor do I have any professional advice to offer you but what I can do which may bring someone out there comfort, is give my personal experience and share my views and ideas on how to deal with the heartache caused by missing someone or something.
- Missing someone who is just down the road or a drive away -
If the person that you miss is a friend you don't see as much as you used to, or someone that you've just spent four hours with, that's okay, sometimes I feel like this too. When you build a friendship or relationship with someone that you just connect with so well, they seem like the missing piece of your puzzle or they simply just make you feel happy whenever you are around them, firstly feel grateful and secondly think to yourself, why? When you first meet someone that you instantaneously click with, it's easy to become attached and give them all of your time and dedicate all of your thoughts to. You do everything together and create awesome memories to be cherished for a lifetime and they become the most important person in your life. Then all of a sudden you drift apart and things start to change, you either see each other less or realise that you don't have as much in common as you initially thought and it can get you down and you don't do as much as you did with them.
This is when you need to think about what you did together, the things that you learnt from each other, look through any pictures you took whilst you hung out and smile. I always find that printing out pictures or keeping any tickets from places you visited is a good way to hang onto memories. I've made scrapbooks in the past and got really creative with it. I feel like this is a great way to always remember what you've done and helps you to cherish everything you did together (I'm just a super sentimental person) in a way that you can revisit any time you like. Sometimes people enter your life, make their mark and move on. Accept this and admire it. You can learn a lot from different types of people, and this amazes me.
My tip: When you meet people take as many pictures as you can, of them (if they don't mind) or the places you visit. If you are missing someone you used to know then when you've got some spare time, write down the things you did (what you can remember) and also write down why it meant so much.
- Missing someone who is a plane ride (or two) away -
Now, this is something that gets me down on a daily basis. As you may or may not know I grew up in England, I lived there for the first sixteen (just short of seventeen) years of my life and I loved it there. Then I moved to Perth, Australia with my mum, her husband and two of my siblings and have been here for the last two and a half years. Although is place is amazing and oh so picturesque, I can't help but feel so empty having left behind my dad, granddad, best friends, cat and many other people I hold dear to me. When it comes to special occasions, being their birthday's, my birthday or Christmas and new year, I feel so out of place and rather lonely.
BUTTT.... this doesn't stop me putting a smile on my face when these times come around I celebrate with the people that I have around me and have so much fun with them. (I feel like I owe a majority of my happiness to my amazing boyfriend who I am so lucky to have met at this point in my life). If like me when I first moved here, you struggle to let anyone get close to you or you don't know how to meet people. I will just say this; If you meet someone who comes across genuine and friendly, give them a chance. what have you really got to lose? One of my fave things to do is go for coffee (or tea if you'd rather) and sit and have a chat or do something a bit more out there like bowling or how about watching a movie and bonding over your shared interest in genre or actor/actress? As you might have read in my first blog, watching movies is how I became best friends with my best friend (obviously).
Once you've met people you find that your time starts going faster and you become involved in more which stops you feeling so alone. However sometimes the feeling of emptiness never really leaves you when you're so far away. Which is, I think, absolutely normal! It just means you have people so special in your heart that are worthy of your time or tears (I've cried a lot because I miss people, sometimes that's just the way I deal with things - SO WHAT?) and that counts as you being an extremely lucky individual. Sometimes it will feel easier to be far away compared to other times, it just depends who you are now surrounded by and what takes up your time there.
My tip: Try to say yes to as many things as you can (stay safe and sensible please!) to keep you busy, but also stay in contact with the people you are so far away from. (Thanks to today's advanced technology, this is a whole lot easier).
- Missing someone who is no longer with us -
First off, I am so sorry, and I hope you're doing alright, keep your head up high and remember the times you had together. Remember it is normal to be upset, and everyone takes different amounts of time to feel okay.
I know this feeling never goes away, sometimes it doesn't get any easier either, but the main thing to do is appreciate the memories created. Whoever has been taken from you, and those that you miss, I'm sure you miss them and feel so empty because they had such a positive impact on your life and they have touched your heart in a way that no one else you will ever know can. This to me, is the most beautiful thing that anyone can do. They would have given you a reason to miss them and throughout their life, I can only imagine the kind of impact you would of had on them too.
A few years ago, I lost one of the most amazing men that have ever been a part of my life, my great granddad. (I can feel myself going into a state of sadness but I'm smiling because I can only picture the amazing memories he has given me). I was extremely close with him, to the point that my child will have his name (Ernest) as their middle name so that he can continue in my children's life along with the stories I can share with them. I used to visit him a couple times a week and we used to bake cheese straws with way too much spice (to me, they are the perfect cheese straw) and spend hours watching black and white films. Even though I was young when he passed (around nine years old) I remember him so clearly and am so grateful I had the chance to meet him. For the early years after he passed I cried a lot, and eventually as I grew up, I came to realise that unfortunately this is part of life and I should appreciate what I remember.
The memories that I carry with me every day, comfort me and make me thankful for the experiences and people that I come across throughout my life. I hope that one day, you will feel okay and instead of crying because you miss them, you will smile because you knew them.
My tip: Cry, and feel angry at first, shout if you need to, scream that it is unfair. When you are done (no matter how long that may take) or when you begin to cry less often, write down the memories or mentally go over them, pick out a few that make you the happiest or made you the happiest and think about them often. Look for pictures you had together or anything you have that reminds you of them, and appreciate that you have something worth so much.
Never forget that is is okay to miss someone, or lots of people. Whether they are a friend, family member, a pet or even a stranger who made you feel good. They were a part of your life for a reason, and for that, say thank you.
Tell the people that you are surrounded by that you love them and remind them that they are loved back.
Everything will be okay, stay happy.
Love, Abby x
20 FACTS ABOUT ME
1. I was born on a Saturday
2. My middle name is Clare
3. I was raised in Bedfont (A small town in England)
4. I now live in Perth Australia
5. I prefer the winter weather (which doesn't bide well with living in Australia)
6. I also love laying in the sun and reading books (I prefer doing this on holiday)
7. My lucky number is 7
8. My Parents split when I was 4
9. My most fave time of year is Christmas (the build up to be precise)
10. I support Liverpool FC and Perth Glory FC (if they went head to head id pick LFC)
11. My dream is to own a Golden Retriever
12. I despise bananas
13. I have a tattoo of the infinity symbol on my left wrist
14. Baking is therapeutic to me
15. IKEA is my ultimate fave place to go (I do love assembling the flat packs)
16. I have 2 half brothers, 1 half sister and 1 step sister
17. I love having hot baths (It's got to include a lush bathbomb)
18. Most of my possessions are with me due to sentimental reasons
19. My star sign is Aquarius
20. I read my horoscope everyday
NOW IS THE TIME
Hi there,
My name is Abby, I am turning 20 soon and finally I am starting my first ever blog. I am new at this, and I have no idea where to start. I have always wanted to blog but always found that I was too put off by what other people would think and whether I would be good enough. After 'umming' and 'ahhing' about it... here I am!
It's all pretty exciting, not knowing where this will take me, and just being able to type what I want. I wonder if anyone else feels like this.. just kind of guessing their way through?
Before starting I put a lot of thought into my blog name, my first post and what type of blogger I would like to be. It's definitely not as easy as I initially thought...but it's all fun and games! I will use this as my escapism, my happy place and 'me' time. (Which is SUPER important to have!)
I was born in England and lived there for the first 16 years of my life. Now, at nearly 20 I am living the next chapter of my life in Perth, Australia. I work in retail and have no experience writing, well except at school, but I was never the top in class.
Most people would call me crazy...I'm the type of person to be quiet at first and then once you get to know me I am waaaay out there! Although I appear happy to people I meet, I have struggled a lot with depression and anxiety (this isn't me looking for sympathy, I just know what it's like and hope that I can show people they are not alone) which has really got in my way in the past. Enough is enough! Now is the time I move on, pick myself up and focus on goals I really want to achieve without anything bringing me down!
As of yet, I am not entirely sure what direction this blog will take.. only that I will write about things I like or dislike and put them all here (hopefully in some kind of order tho) for myself to look back o and if anyone out there would like to read it too.
I hope that if anyone else has had doubts in the past about starting blog that you just go for it. HECK, we only live this life once and you should have no regrets!
I'm looking forward to this,
Love, Abby x
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