A Hand Written Letter.

Too much of our lives are spent online and avoiding contact with people. We send a text, an email or post on a Facebook wall rather than getting up and going to speak to whomever it may be. It's a shame really, human interaction is a beautiful thing! 

When my friend went off to uni we made a promise to send each other hand written letters, it was a way of keeping in touch and having something tangible to keep rather than just always calling, Skyping or texting each other. Don't get me wrong, we do that too! But by sending a letter, its a way of sending something more personal and my friend always tells me how lovely it is to receive something from home.

We've been keeping up with it for some time now, we go through phases of sending a few a month to not receiving or sending one for a few months. It will all depend on how busy we are and what else is going on in our lives at the time. But we will always reply to the last letter. Even when there isn't a lot to say. 

Me and my friend often make more of the letters by including different things in each one, it makes them even more exciting. I sent my friend a calligraphy/typography sketch I did in my last letter and i'm sure I will come up with something Christmassy for my next one! It can be as simple as an old photograph to a little present like sweets or chocolate!

It's difficult to understand the feeling of receiving a hand written letter until you get one. It's one of the best feelings, it's an instant mood booster and will put a massive smile on my face every time! I got home from work today to receive a letter from said friend and I instantly went from "I had a crap day" to "ooo a letter from my friend". 

So, I challenge you to send a letter to your best friend, a family member or someone you just haven't spoken to in a while. Make their day. 

If you're worried about what to write, trust me, it really doesn't matter. Me and my friend can go absolutely ages without having anything interesting to say but you'd be surprised what you come up with when you start writing. Just tell them about your day, it's more interesting that you think and it could spark a really interesting conversation, you never know! 

Let me know how you get on in the comments. Do any of you already have a penpal?

20 small reminders.

I can't remember where i saw this list but it's one i really like (i'm pretty fond of lists!) and i think you guys will be able to take something away from it too. Let me know in the comments what you think. 

1. Be thankful for what you have before asking more of yourself and others.
2. You will only regret the things you don’t do.
3. Forgive AND forget, not letting go of the past will fester into bitterness.
4. Eliminate negativity.
5. Eat well.
6. Have a consistent sleeping pattern.
7. Stop worrying so much.
8. Say ‘yes’ more.
9. Read more, you can never learn too much.
10. Why walk when you can run?
11. Dance like nobody’s watching.
12. Love fiercely (and fearlessly)
13. Take more photos.
14. Swap excuses for apologies, even if you’re right it doesn’t hurt to be wrong.
15. Spend more time outside.
16. It’s never too late to learn a new skill.
17. Do what you love and love what you do.
18. Listen to criticism but don’t take it personally.
19. Quality not quantity.
20. Talk about your blessings more than you talk about your burdens.

Pinterest Top 5 Favourites | November Part 1

Okay so i totally blanked on doing October Part 2! 

Can you believe it's November already! I don't know where this year has gone and i definitely don't feel like i've achieve as much as i could have done. Maybe that's something i'll aim to work on next year. I've got my New Years Resolution sorted already..

Here are my Top 5 for November Part 1:

I love how thin the lines are and how simple this is.

I adore white/cream coats this year.

Start a fresh one tomorrow.

mmmm... Mustard knit. 

The perfect winter night in a picture.

5 ways to can those cravings.

Right now, i'm sat at my desk trying to avoid the temptation to grab a packet of crisps and a couple of biscuits from the kitchen. I'm as guilty as most for feeling as though it's okay for me to indulge because i went to the gym this morning. Which, don't get me wrong, it totally is. But, within reason! 

That's where i go wrong. 

I suffer with the incessant desire to feed my boredom most of the time my food of choice is biscuits or a very sugary tea if biscuits are unavailable. That's why, after this mornings gym session, i rushed to Waitrose and grabbed some healthy choices. Green tea with Cranberry and some bananas were my chosen options.

The benefits of green tea is a post in itself but i'm definitely starting to drink more especially in the build up to Christmas. It's essential to clean out the body before filling it with more sugar and twice the food you normally eat. (don't deny it, we all do it)

So how do i can my cravings? Don't worry about it. It's pretty easy really.

There's a couple of things you can try:

1. Put if off. 

It's a known fact that cravings don't last forever, in fact i think statistically they only last about 10 minutes. Therefore, if you put off the craving and do something else like make a cup of tea or tidy your make-up draw (we all need to do that too!) then the chances are you won't feel the desire for the sugary snack. 

2. Have healthy snacks to hand.  

I always make sure i do this, at work especially. If i want a snack at work the chances are i don't have a lot of time or resources to make something lavish so the obvious choice is to raid the biscuit tin. 

If you make sure you have some healthy grab-and-go snacks you'll be fine, they might not be what you really want but you'll soon forget about the craving you had before.

3. Sleep.

Willpower is significantly reduced the sleepier you are, hence the late night binging! 

Make sure you get enough sleep to avoid giving in to the nasty cravings throughout the day. The evenings are down to you to be strong though - try a green tea in the evenings rather than the biscuits you think you really want. 

4. Reward yourself right.

Doing a workout in the morning doesn't mean you can then eat whatever you want and however much you want. However, it doesn't mean you can't reward yourself for getting up and going to the gym. That's a feat in itself if you ask me! 

Rewarding yourself with the right things will boost your willpower and desire to stay on track with your healthy lifestyle. Try giving yourself a new nail varnish for going to the gym or rewarding yourself with a day trip after 10 workouts.

5. Exaggerate.

It's not very often us women are told to exaggerate but in this instance it might work in our favour. Try overestimating the fat/calories of the snack you're craving, that way you stand a better chance of resisting the temptation.

Let me if any of these tips help you resist the temptation to have just one more slice of choccy cake.