Wednesday 22 April 2020

An open letter to my TV.

Dear TV,

I am writing this open letter to tell you how much I am forever grateful to you and the service you provide for me and my family.

You are the backbone of our home, no joke of a lie especially during these hard times at staying at home during the Corona Virus. 

I don't think I needed anyone quite like you in my life especially now that I am a mother, you are basically another member of my family right now. You bring me so much joy along with my husband and children. 

You are central to our family, I class you as a helping hand. When I am in need you are always around to be available in my hour of need and help keep me calm before I lose my rag.


TV you're so important because without you we would feel lost. You allow me to have that break to do things without the need to think about how I am going to entertain children. 

If I feel my kids need education you still provide with having the subtitles on the box for my little darlings to read, that means they are learning right?!

I can get s**t done such as doing my cleaning like the washing or do the vacuuming without interruption from the kids. 

This may seem like a bad thing for a parent to do but you know what things need to be done or else the Social Services will come knocking on our door asking me why my home such a pigsty.

Not only do you help me in my hour of need but you bring us together as a family. When we watch movies when it's cold outside and we're cuddling on the sofa munching on popcorn. 


During this hard time with the broken world we live in with the Coronavirus, therefore, you have been a useful tool to help escape when life seems pretty stressful. I can wind down, close the curtains forget life for a while, which is much needed right now. 

What is really good about your TV is the variety of shows so that means everyone gets to enjoy your services at some point in time. Your variety is what makes you glorious from serious news updates right through to silly videos on You Been Framed, you got it covered for all of us to enjoy you at some point.

At times life can feel lonely but watching TV and talking to others about shows gives us connectivity where common ground can be met. It can be challenging or funny but the most important thing is it makes us think about the ideas your project which can only be a good thing. 

The TV gives us time as a family to bond which we enjoy watching Dr Who and being together as a family. This is a simple pleasure and probably may end up being a cherished one years later for my sons. 

Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, I love you my little 42-inch tv you will always have a spot in the middle of my living room and be part of my family.

Cheers for reading  x

Monday 20 April 2020

59 things to do after lockdown ends.


Hey readers,

I know it is hard to imagine a time when the lockdown will end but we can all dream right?! So, in this post, I am going to reminisce on the good old days before Coronavirus and without restrictions. Here are 60 on the things I will enjoy once this lockdown will end.




1. Going out for a walk more than once a day.

2. Going to the pub.

3. Sitting in McDonald's.

4. Grabbing a coffee.

5. Going for a picnic.

6. Going for a long drive.

7. Checking out a theme park.

8. Visiting family.

9. Enjoying the sunshine outside.

10. Not feeling paranoid.

11. Not having to check regularly government guidelines.

12. Going to the beach.

13. Staying at a hotel.

14. Go on holiday for a few days and getting away from the day to day life.

15. Hearing the ice cream van reminds me of summer.

16. Buying ice cream from the ice cream van.

17. Buying a pic n mix.

18. I know a lot of Chinese takeaways are open but my favourite one where I live is closed during the lockdown so I enjoy a good old takeaway when lockdown ends.

19. Visiting a museum and taking your time to explore the exhibitions available.

20. Pass within two metres of someone.

21. Impulsively go to the shop without thinking about it.

22. Get a haircut.

23. Watch the Labour Party tear each other to pieces.

24. Visit Primark for a bit of retail therapy.

25. Taking my kids to school 😉

26. Grateful for the work teachers do.

27. Being thankful for not having to homeschool anymore.

28. Enjoying the peace to have an adult conversation.

29. Going to see a film at the cinema.

30. Being able to get food supplies without struggling.

31. Seeing a Doctor.

32. Not have stress about my long term medication running out.

33. Not feeling frustrated being trapped.

34. Visiting the garden centre.

35. Going for a swim.

36. Using the outdoor gym in the park.

37. Sitting down when out for a park.

38. Seeing the economy grown again.

39. Not constantly think about snacks.

40. Grabbing a sausage roll from Greggs.

41. Asking the taxi driver, 'so is it busy tonight?'

42. Cloud spotting in the park.

43. Go to another city and being a tourist.

44. Just freedom to have a choice.

45. Just sitting and watching the world go by.

46. Go watch a live concert.

47. The feeling of your teeth clean when visiting the dentist.

48. Not being terrified if you need to go to A & E.

49. Checking out charity shops and finding a bargain.

50. Petting random animals in the street.

51. Going window shopping with actual shops.

52. Having a barbecue.

53.  Remember to check your child's bag after school.

54. Remember to fill out school letters.

55. Being more thankful for what you have.

56. Enjoying doing the small stuff.

57. Having a good night sleep again.

58. When the government says it is all over.

59. Sunbathing in the park.


What are you most looking forward to when lockdown ends? Love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Cheers for reading X






Sunday 19 April 2020

My Sunday Photo 19/04/2020


Bubble Beard!

Friday 17 April 2020

Quick and easy chocolate sponge cake recipe


Hey readers,

Looking for a simple effect chocolate sponge cake. Then check out my recipe below.



Ingredients.

* 150g milk chocolate.

* 6oz self-raising flour.

* 6oz sugar.

* 6oz butter.

* 3 eggs.

* 7-inch cake tin.

Method

1) Preheat the oven 170c and grease the sandwich tin and line with parchment paper.


2) Put all the sugar and butter into a bowl and mix together with an electrical whisk.

3) Crack all the eggs into a jug, then slowly pour a little egg into the mix and whisk. The consistency should be creamy.


4) Next, gradually add the flour and mix into the mixture until the flour is all mixed in.

5) Melt the chocolate in the microwave for a minute and then mix into the mixture.

6) Pour the mixture into the cake tin.




7) Place in the centre of the oven. Cook for 25 minutes then checks the cake with a toothpick to check if the cake is cooked. I had to constantly check it a fair few times (5-minute intervals) until the stick was clear.

8) Take the cake out of the tin and place it on to a cooling rack to cool down.

9) Enjoy.


Cheers for reading X

Wednesday 15 April 2020

Reality

Everything is falling apart,


I want to hide, 

But reflections of reality 

Are at every corner I turn. 

Positives about lockdown and autism.

Hey readers, 

So I was thinking about the Coronavirus and the whole situation of lockdown in terms of the benefits of the restrictions we currently have to face regarding being autistic like myself.

 Of course, there are lots of elements that heighten my anxiety regarding lockdown. However, this post is focusing on the positive aspects of the lockdown and autism. 



Whilst walking on my daily walk (for mental health cause I need that fresh air) how lovely it was that there was fewer cars and people about.

There feels like a relaxed atmosphere whereby people aren't rushing around in a chaotic manner like pre-Corona times.

 It feels calm even though yes it is totally uncertain and it sucks being told to stay at home under certain conditions. However, I believe there is always good and bad elements in any situation. 

So, I think lockdown can be helpful for people who are autistic like myself. For one reason fewer people are going out meaning quieter times, less noise and more ability to think without loads of busyness occurring around me. 

Going shopping (because there is no chance of getting a shopping slot where I live) therefore I have to go out. However,  I do aim to go out in quieter times so that means fewer people in the shop anyway, therefore, meaning I can focus more on what I need to do. 

Let's not forget the 2-meter rule in the shop which means that people are keeping their distance. It is much better for me as there is a space between people which pleases me because I like my space.

 I don't get as anxious because there are fewer people about in the shop which makes it is so much easier to handle doing the task of getting food when needed. 


If I have to get a bus it is often empty and my God is it something I hardly ever before experienced especially during the day. 

It is so much more relaxing because people don't get in your personal space or try and sit next to you on the bus. With the social distancing makes me feel less dread going on public transport because I get my personal space and people keep their distance. 

Therefore, I don't need to worry about social distancing as I don't like closeness like that anyway so for me I don't need to change my behaviour in regards to that. 

I feel more relaxed going out and when I come home I don't feel as tired because there is fewer things in the outside environment that are triggering for me. 

Before the current situation we are living in at the moment I would have to have some time alone after going out to bring back my anxiety levels down.

I am not as anxious going out because I know it is a lot quieter with fewer people around. I don't have to feel so paranoid when it comes to catching someone's expression because no one is around or people don't like making eye contact during this Corona period I have noticed.  

As I am more relaxed, I am able to do shopping correctly without forgetful or dropping items on the floor because of my shaking hands.
I can focus without my mind chattering 90 miles an hour to the dozen because of the heightened anxiety. 

So as you can see due to the quietness of the impact of the Coronavirus lockdown this means in some situations it can actually help me with my autism. 

Thanks for reading X 


Monday 13 April 2020

7 ways to find blogging motivation

Hey readers,

I think after a while of blogging you may stumble and find yourself struggling with ideas to write about and have no motivation. 

One of the reasons in my personal experience as a blogger when I struggle is with finding my mojo, which made me feel so demotivated. Every now again I just lose motivation and all interest to simply just write.



So, in this post, I am going to explore ways to overcome the feeling of demotivation and how to motivate yourself to get that sparkle back to continue to write. I hope then this will be useful for when you need to co

Routine.

This may not be for everyone but having a routine can be helpful for some. I find having time set aside each day to do all blogging stuff really helpful. 

If I do it every day have that time set aside then it can create a positive habit to get into the mood and know that at that time is when I am going to do blogging.

 I like order and structure, I find forcing myself sometimes can trigger a response to get sh*t done.

Go out in public.

Sometimes, there are just too many distractions at home when you are trying to find time to do some content writing. 

I find that staying at home can lead me to not do a lot and spend far too much looking at memes rather than blogging. 

That is why my next suggestion is to go outdoors in public, whether it be in the park on a sunny day or a coffee somewhere.

 You can take your electronics, pen, and pad and do the work away from home. Being in public there are fewer distractions.

 If your in a popular place where there are others working then that can motivate you to take action and do some work.

Take a blogging break.

I have written previously a blog post about the importance to have a break and not quit. 

I do think blogging breaks can be really beneficial if you are struggling to get motivated. It allows you to have that break and reconnect with creativity.

Read other blogs/articles etc. 

I find the idea of reading blogs, articles, newspapers etc a great way to explore topics that you find interesting and can really inspire or make you come with other ideas to write about. Knowledge is power and it is a brilliant technique to come up with new ideas.

Mindmaps. 

I love mindmapping where you use colour and visuals to create ideas that connect to the main theme in the centre of the map.

 I find colouring and doing something therapeutic with my hands instead of hitting the laptop first can inspire me greatly. 

Just focusing on a theme such as relationships and exploring the subgroups that are associated with relationships such as sexual/personal/ work/ business/school. 

Then exploring deeper into the sub-categories to come up with further related issues can pull together ideas that can be brilliant content for your blog.

Just go out and live.

Most of the best ideas come from the experience of my life and what I have personally done, seen or heard. 

There are many different angles you can write a blog post on from your own experience whether that be a rant, a letter to someone who has touched you or even a review that you want to tell the world about what product or service that has been beneficial in your life.

I hope this has been useful to learn how to be better at getting that motivation back when you lose that get up and go.

How do you get motivated when you're uninspired?

What is your blog writing tips?

Cheers for reading X

Sunday 12 April 2020

Theme Planet is the perfect place for website designs. **AD**


Hey readers, 

One fun element of setting up your own website is the design element and there are so many sites where you can get a variety of different themes to use.

 One such site is www.themeplanet.com which provides customers with affordable website themes with a variety of designs. 

Tech Apple has a brilliant clear review of why you should check out Theme Planet and the great offers that the site has to offer. 




Whilst browsing on Theme Planet looking at themes it is so easy to navigate around which makes the job so much easier in finding the perfect design. 

I looked at a variety of different themes that took my fancy so you could see the quality and variety that is available to you on Theme Planet. 

I have selected three of each in different categories - Wordpress, Shopify, html5 and Woocommernce so you get an idea of the varsity of services the Theme Planet can offer someone.  

WordPress themes.  

The website has a variety of different Wordpress themes from business to feminine to meet the taste of your needs. 

Each Wordpress theme package covers everything that you will need to set up the design of your webpage. 

The packages include such items like making your site SEO optimised, stylish widgets too customizable navigation menu with optional drop-downs to name a few.

 Therefore everything is all sorted so all you need to do is download and set up on your site making it pain-free and enjoyable experience getting the right design for your blog. 

Stylist blog Wordpress theme.


This Stylist theme is a clean and sleek look. It is e-commerce ready, easy to install and would be perfect for any fashion, beauty, travel, home decor or any other lifestyle themed blog.

Gabriela - crafted blog Wordpress theme.



This modern theme is brilliant for any blogger to share thoughts with the world.

It is easy to navigate with a variety of features such as widgets, header theme and all the other elements in creating the perfect Wordpress theme for you. 

Shopify themes.

Not only can you get Wordpress designs from Theme Planet but also from Shopify so check out of a couple of examples down below. 

Luxembourg Shopify theme.



This example is brilliant sophisticated designs for a shoewear site which is ideal to get people attracted to their online shoewear store. 

The stylish city design and catches your eye. The beauty fo this theme is that it will be easy to navigate with the menus and on the home page. 

Along with the option of added a blog making a more interesting connection with the customer. 

Istanbul Shopify Theme.



This design called Istanbul and it is a minimalistic feel to the theme. The large icons capture you instantly with easy sidebars to find what you are looking for. 

Perfect for any age to enjoy browsing. There is also a customise tool making it easier to find the right product for the searcher. 

HTML5 themes.

If you're looking for HTML5 themes then Theme Planet have a mix of choices to meet your needs.

Interiorvale - Interior Design HTML5 Template.

 



This HTML5 design is perfect for interior and furniture factory template. It has many pages you can add about different team members, services, projects and even blog posts.

 Not only that it is suitable for a variety of different platforms such as desktop and mobile. It is also easy to customise on your request should you need it. 

Albert - UX Designer Portfolio HTML5 Template.




Albert template is ideal for a personal website to showcase you around the world. The design allows others you, your portfolio and projects that you are doing. 

It is built in HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap framework, and Jquery with well-structured code and clean design. 

Woocommerce themes.

WS Tech Store WooCommerce Wordpress theme. 



WS Tech is a Tech Store WordPress theme based on WooCommerce plugin that intended to Hi-tech Store websites. 

This modern theme is a great way to showcase the products that you offer with detailed information regarding them making it easier for the consumer to make the right decision for them.

 The theme is easy to set up and navigate around for the consumer. 


WS Sobafa Responsive Shoes Store WooCommerce Wordpress theme.






WS Sobafa is a  Responsive Shoes WordPress themes which are based on the WooCommerce plugin for Online shoe store to promote their best products/ service in this industry.

 This site helps the consumer to find products that are suited for them and making it time and cost-friendly, 

As you can see I only have a few selections. However, there are many more designs so do checkout Theme Planet if you're looking for templates for your website, you won't be sorry. 

Cheers for reading. 

This is an ad for Theme Planet. All opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. 













My Sunday Photo 12/04/2020

Friday 10 April 2020

What Mindfulness Can Do For You


Hey readers, 

You may very well have heard of mindfulness before. The word alone might make it sound like just another wellness fad that sounds good but has no real effects. 

That couldn’t be further from the truth, however. It’s more a tool than anything else, one that can be used in a variety of different ways. 

It helps you become much more aware of what’s happening at the moment, including what’s going on around you but also your own immediate reaction to it and the kind of actions that certain situations encourage you to take.

 Here, we’re going to look at how this can really help you.




How do you use it?

As a state of being or a cognitive tool, mindfulness isn’t easy to simply “switch on” whenever you need to. At least, not a first.

 There are different ways to help yourself achieve. Taking part in a repetitive activity that focuses on concentration, whether it be yoga or colouring, can help you get to a mental state where you’re much more aware of the body and the world around you.

 Meditation can help you become much more mindful of your thoughts and your past responses to certain situations.

 Even physically, breathing exercises and focusing on the part of your body causing you pain can help you control your mental response to that pain, making it feel much less unbearable.

Reduce your distractions.

We all have distractions that get in the way when we’re trying to be productive. Whether we’re at work, trying to relax, or focusing on a hobby at home, our mind can be pretty cluttered. 

Mindfulness can help you grow more aware of what issues are plaguing your mind. Deep breathing exercises can help you remove mental chatter by taking a short break to become much more focused on one thing and ignoring the background noise.


Improves cognition.

Mindfulness can even potentially make you smarter. As you become more used to meditation and achieving mindfulness at the moment, it can have much stronger long-term effects.

 This includes the ability to use that sense of distance from a problem in real-time. 

Rather than stress in response to a difficult question or situation, you’re more likely to take a mental step back, look at it from afar, and try to gain a new perspective on it in order to find a solution. 

In scientific terms, mindfulness meditation has been known to show serious growth in grey matter, particularly in the hippocampus region which plays an important role in learning and memory. 

You’re more likely to be able to focus at the moment, think creatively, learn new skills, and recall information much more easily.

Changing your most destructive habits.

One of the reasons mindfulness is most often used in therapy is that it can help you become much more aware of what causes you to engage in self-destructive habits. 

From self-harm to dependency on substances such as alcohol or drugs, you can become more aware of the mental processes that lead you to engage in such dangerous behaviours. 

 Beyond helping to separate you from the temptation of those habits, you might want to ensure that is cognitive or mindfulness therapy that can help you identify the steps leading to them.

Learning why you do what you do.

Whether it’s engaging in the destructive coping mechanisms mentioned above or simply learning why you might have an emotional overreaction as a response where it isn’t warranted, mindfulness can help you become much more aware of why you do what you do.

These are becoming much more widely known as emotional triggers. By practising meditation, therapy, breathing exercises, or other mindfulness methods, you are likely to become more mindful in real-time. 

This can help you work backwards, whenever you feel a craving for a certain habit or a strong emotional response, you can identify and start to recognise the triggers.

 This can help you avoid said triggers as well as learning to anticipate them and to have much more control over your immediate response.

Taking yourself out of your emotions.

When you’re looking to quickly relax, having practised mindfulness in the past can help you get out of your own emotions and take a much calmer look at a situation.

 One of the reasons that deep breathing is so effective in helping you calm down isn’t just that it slows your heart rate and physically relaxes the body. 

It encourages you to take a mental step back. You can gain some perspective on the feelings of stress or anxiety you’re having, including what triggered them in the first place. 

Instead of being in a “doing” mode where you are focusing on your immediate response to stress, you are in a “being” state of mind, where the inactivity can help you better manage your emotions.

Look back with a new perspective.

As mentioned, mindfulness isn’t just good for managing your emotional responses at the moment. 

It encourages you to take a relaxed step back in time to better study your own behaviour and responses. Often, dwelling on the past can come with a sense of regret of unease, because we have the urge to “correct” the mistake.

 Using mindfulness, whether through meditation or through apps, allows you to take a more objective look with the aim of simply better understanding yourself rather than trying to actively do something about it. This helps you respond a little better the next time you face a similar situation.

Mindfulness encourages you not only to become more in control of yourself but also to recognise why sometimes you might engage in behaviour that you know isn’t healthy.

It’s become much more widely used in the world of medicine and therapy, but you can take steps to make your own personal life more mindful, too.

Cheers for reading X 

Wednesday 8 April 2020

Ways to find axiety relief.

Hey readers.

If you are a regular you will know that I suffer from anxiety and depression for a number of years. 

I have explored many ways to help reduce the mental distress that these conditions cause me. I thought I would share some of the successful ways that have helped reduce my anxiety.




Laugh - such a fun and easy way to make you feel good. I love a good stand up DVD or someone funny that you can get off  Youtube really put me in good spirits.

Have a bath - it can help you relax and soothe your pains away. If you are like me then with my anxiety I tense my body, so much so at the end of the day, my muscles are aching.

 I love a hot bath and something soothing in it to help relax me. It is perfect to help with getting a good night sleep.

Sleep - sometimes life can get too much with all the worry that anxiety brings. I just take myself to bed early, close the curtains and just put some relaxing music on to help make me drift away. I feel so much better in the morning because I have allowed myself to switch off and just relax.

Talk to someone - it doesn't have to be someone you know could be a helpline or talking anonymously to someone on a forum. It is a massive relief just getting things off your chest even if you find no solution.

If in doubt at all go to your doctors and seek professional help. Don't be ashamed as you are not alone, many people suffer from mental health issues.

Sometimes, I don't always have the vocal skills to express what is on my mind so a good way that has helped me is to write down how I am feeling. 

I feel that once it is down it stops getting messy in my mind. With my thoughts been written down on it feels more concrete and a lot easier to understand.

A brilliant anxiety technique to do is try deep breathes. At first, it feels funny but the more you practice the more it will feel natural to you.

 It is brilliant for getting more air into your lungs and using them to your full compacity rather than just doing quick and fast rapid breathing.

 Breathing more oxygen exchange meaning release of the hormone cortisol which helps with destresses. There are plenty of videos of guided how-to videos o it on youtube.

Sometimes we can feel that whatever we are thinking must be true, but reminding ourselves that actually, not all feelings are facts

They can be illogical and biased. We chose what we want to believe in, there are so many thoughts that we produce but we get stuck on all the negatives one that we let slide the other side of the argument.

Finally, one that I do regularly as I find it so beneficial but it is the most difficult and that is a change of scenery. It can be so easy to just stay indoors when it feels safe.

Cheers for reading X

Monday 6 April 2020

6 ways to keep sane during a lockdown.


Hey readers,

We are in the mists of the Corona Virus outbreak impacting on everyone's life resulting in having to spend more time at home. 

But it can be tough especially when the boredom kicks in so here are my top 6 tips on how to keep sane during the lockdown.



1. Walk.

As the government have stated it is ok to go out once a day for a walk or bike ride. 

Fresh air can do the world of good (just make sure that you keep your 2 metres distance from people and avoid busy areas). 

Not only does this help with physical health but mental health too which is equally as important. When going outside it can help to break up the scenery of the day so you're not stuck 24 hours inside the four walls.

2. Exercise.

Exercise is so good for you, it can relief frustration and increase the number of positive hormones being secreted such as serotonin (associated with happiness) and reduce negative ones like cortisol (which relates to stress).

There are so many choices online via Youtube and virtual gyms that you don’t have to feel stuck in what you do. 

You don’t even have to do gym type exercise there are kitchen discos you can join in via Tic Tok or take part in Yoga.

Of course, if you have children you can join in with PE with Joe Wicks. 

Therefore as you can still load of positive ways to incorporate exercise in the home.

3. Organisation.

Now is a great opportunity with the spare time on your hands to sort out your home and put some organisation whether it is cleaning out your make draw or sorting out the kitchen this time is fantastic to get stuff done.

4. Reach out.

Just because we are self-isolating doesn't mean you have to stop all forms of communication.

 We are blessed with technology with the likes of House Party, Face Time and What's App to name a few where you can still speak to people at a distance.

Some people set up groups where you can hold a virtual book group for instance with friends. Where you can get time to read and connect with others with what you have read. 

This can make you feel less isolated and get social contact all within your home.

5. Escapism.

Dig into a boxset whether it is a comedy or a thriller say take that time out. 

This is the time to enjoy something on the box that takes your mind of the current situation we are living in at the moment for a while.

It is good to have a rest and watch something that gives you enjoyment.

6. News.

Don’t focus on the news 24/7 because that will send you quackers. Setting a certain amount of time watching the news such as the 6pm news headlines or the daily conference the government holds. Putting up barriers on how much news coverage will help keep you sane.

I know these times are scary and there is a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment. However, like always the press love to scaremonger and with how big Corona Virus is they are going to use that a lot in the media.

 Yes, it is serious but you can’t just sit in the corner scared, use common sense and protect both your physical and mental health.

Cheers for reading X