Make Every Day Beautiful

Going back to my scary turning 30 moment I mentioned a list I was making.  Well that list is not complete yet - I have a few months to go then I will be ready to publish it in it's entirety.  'Make every day beautiful' is on there and I decided that now I need to go full speed ahead and get started! It's my ethos, it has been loitering around my mind on and off, but it now needs to be set in stone, explained and a plan made.

So I suppose the first thing to deal with is what does it all mean? Well according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ethos means:

So basically, it's part of me, my attitude, my thing! In my mind it's a positive word, which I like - a lot!

Why? 

We live in a world fueled by negative news, a blame culture and sadly thriving in other peoples misery and misfortune.  It sounds pretty grim, and lets be honest, it is! We don't need to be like this, so pessimistic, sometimes totally negative, but they do say that that 'bad news travels fast' and 'good news doesn't sell papers', but each and every one of us shouldn't live by that, you are your own person, so why not turn it around?! Well that is what I am trying to do; see the beauty around us, appreciate the world we live in and try to add a new positive thought each day to lift a mood!  Sounds a bit crazy? Try it, you might just like it! :)  

What is Beautiful?

Well it can be whatever you want it to be; a person, place, object, sound, even a 'plastic bag dancing in the wind' (especially if you have seen the film 'American Beauty'). It can be everyday things, that you, personally find beautiful! Even rain can be beautiful when it bounces off leaves etc! Just open your eyes and see it.  

So how does it work?

I have mashed it up a little, as there will be something every day, which is beautiful, we just need to see it.  But I like the idea of making every day beautiful by adding my creative twist on it!  For example adding a ribbon to a vase to add an extra beauty. taking a photo of something beautiful, like the flower above and having it as your phone background for a day.  Even properly making your bed, cushions and all (if you don't do it every day)!  It's all about highlighting the little, pretty things, increasing your awareness and appreciation and adding a smile to your day! 

#100BeautifulDays

I kick-started myself by going over to Instagram yesterday and starting off my #100BeautifulDays challenge! My target is to add a photo with the hashtag every day of something which has made my day beautiful!  Day one was a beautiful, just opening, gerbera which my Parents bought me a few weeks ago,  As one of my favourite flowers, I know they are beautiful, but this one was only just blooming, not fully open, delicate and yet bold!  I just had to take a photo, a creative, beautiful photo!  Day one happened!  It didn't cost me anything, it wasn't difficult! Yippee! It has begun!  

Why not start now, make today beautiful!  Pop over to Instagram and get going  - I will see you there! 

And remember (to add another quote) 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder', so you can play it however you like!

xx

PG Tips Green Tea with Juicy Raspberry!

I'm a BzzAgent, which is fab, I basically get sent products to try for free, in exchange for my opinions on them once I have given them a go.  The campaigns are carefully chosen based on continuous surveys, so they are tailored to me.  This doesn't mean I always like the products though,  My reviews are honest and if I don't like something, I will say.  Now I thought the product I have recently been sent might have been a no no.  Lets see...

So, I am aware of all the alleged benefits of green tea, but lets face it, it not only smells disgusting, but it also looks like swamp water! When tea is such a wonderful, magical thing, with the mug and the hug and the milk... mmm, it's just too much stress to put myself through foul smelling swamp water.  But hang on, what's this?.... Welcome PG Tips Green Tea with Raspberry! Ta da!

Wow??

It started with the box... the raspberry aroma was out of this world.  Now at this point I was a little skeptical - fruit teas always smell good, but I find with little substance in the taste department... could this be the same?  Was it still going to be more suitable for a crocodile than Monkey?

PG Tips Green Tea with Juicy Raspberry

Inside the box were perfect, soft, pyramid bags complete with individual strings and a Monkey tag.  So cute! I was sold - but the taste? Well, lets see - the box said to brew for literally 1-2 minutes, not to leave the bag floating around looking grubby, so that is what I did, I also used water which was slightly off the boil (read that was better for this type of tea) and voila! I have Green Tea in front of me, in my amazing Big Tomato Company Classic mug!! It still smells good, it doesn't look too swampy and after cooling for a bit (not tongue burning here), I'm off!

Hmmm to mmm!

Brewing in  my favourite mug.

Now, it took a bit of getting used to, but I have to say (surprisingly) I'm in, I get it!  It was a little silty at the bottom, but the tea was clear apart from that, not swampy at all. I added a little honey (after a Twitter recommendation from PG Tips themselves), and I have to say - good call!! It was really fruity, juicy and crisp in flavour and the scent really was divine and complimentary to the flavour unlike some fruit teas can be .  Quite refreshing on a warm day, which is a real positive above a tea with milk which, I find, is more of a warming comfort drink.

Here's the maths... They come in a box of 20, individually stringed, pyramid bags with a standard price of £1.29 so it's only approximately 6p per bag. In comparison with Clipper Green Tea,  they come in a box of 25 at £1.29 so only 5p per bag, Twinings work out at 9p per bag and Tetley only 4p per bag (dependant on retailer and current offers, prices are of course always subject to change).  So they sit in the middle really, but have the added fruity flavour!

Also, Pure Green, Zesty Lemon, Vibrant Mandarin Orange & Fragrant Jasmine

Now I just need to try all the other flavours! Thanks BzzAgent and PG Tips! And I dare you, put the swamp out of your mind and join Monkey for a big tasting, reasonably priced, healthier tea and let me know what you think? It's of course a matter of taste, so the proof has to be in the drinking!

30 really is just a number!

Sometimes the build up is more scary than the event itself!  

It's made into a joke by others, you get told you are "being silly" it "really is fine", but when you have lived in your 20's for 10 whole years, it is understandable that leaving it all behind can make you feel a little apprehensive.  I'm sure the same applies to other milestones too.  There is such a big fuss, and then when it comes, it really is just another day, a day that is gone in a flash!!

Well I made it!

In January, I turned 30.  It happened.  I had a quiet gathering with my closest friends, my hubby bought me a gorgeous Modalu  handbag, one of my best friends booked me tickets to see my boyband hearthrobs 911 in concert, I drank some wine and it was all good.  I survived. No tears. No tantrums.

The next day (after the, I'm no longer in my 20's hangover, had surpassed, I Googled various things about turning 30, found numerous ideas a thoughts on Pinterest and quite frankly was shocked!  Why, because I am now 30, would I like to bungee jump?  Erm...no!  If In didn't want to do that 10 years ago, why now?  But I did like the idea of a wish list of achievements.  Not a bucket list, just some personal goals, skills and ideas I would like to discover over the next 10 years.  Preferably ones which can be developed and incorporated into everyday life into my 40's, 50's and so on, so it needs to be realistic!

Time to get to work.....