My Self Care Pact

 

Hello guys,

Well its been quite a week here at Little Mis-Fit HQ .  Last week my boiler was condemned – they actually stuck a danger – do not use sticker on it! . To be fair the fact I had to give it a whack every time I wanted it on , did give me a small clue that it was on its way out.  But still a new boiler eek! The up side is I don’t have to whack this one, its much quieter than my old one , which used to sound like it was taking off and also my house is once more nice and toasty – hurrah!. 

Last weekend I took a trip to Busy Bee studios in Durham https://busybeestudio.co.uk with my friend Erin – it was so pretty! . she had some gorgeous things. I got some gorgeous smelling Orange Cinnamon candles  – they smell divine and  very festive!. 

I did have a little trip up in the loft this week aswell to get some of my autumn/Halloween things down so I could start decorating in the house  .  I’ve also been using my halloween mugs from Tk Maxx – loving those!. 

What with boilers , dental check ups – does anyone else get Dentist dread?? 😳.  I had meetings ,  aswell as trying to keep on top of housework , and still juggling the  two jobs  alongside doing a business mentor programme  , it is so easy to get a little overwhelmed –  and I know a lot of you guys are the same – juggling Work/kids/looking after elderly parents –  our own self care does seem to go out the window at times.  So I am making a huge effort  to make sure I am prepping and organising food and eating healthy meals , aiming to get enough sleep ( a work in progress) and fitting in my own workouts aswell as taking a little time out in my week to just be.  I do find though that when I do take time out – my creativity increases and the ideas flow so I know – when I think I am too busy to stop and take a breath and get some time out , that is actually when I need it more than ever!. 

Some of my favourite ways to get some self care time are below. I would love to hears yours too!.  Add them in the comments!

πŸ’• Getting outside – I think fresh air is a brilliant tonic for the mind and soul. going for a run or walk or just taking my book in the garden instantly soothes my spirit. 

 

πŸ’• Take time to relax before bed – I am terrible sometimes for working late into the night , but I am trying to cut off by 9pm and doing something other than work related – watch some youtube videos  – loving Grace Denny’s channel – if you love makeup, clothes and TK Maxx and drinking tea – her videos are brilliant! . plus She loves Halloween and Christmas so combined with her love of makeup – I love her ha.  I also love to listen to podcasts too.

πŸ’• Curling up with a book  – I love to read and have done since I was a little girl . So taking time out to curl up and lose myself in a book is heaven – especially if we add a large cup of Lemon and ginger or peppermint tea and a bag of chocolate buttons (shh).  

πŸ’• Meeting up with friends –  This is a big one, I think all of you fellow Girl bosses running their own business’s will agree that it can be a lonely journey at times and sometimes  you do get so caught up in work and getting overwhelmed with your to do list and sometimes just talking things through with someone on a similar journey can help you feel much better. 

πŸ’• A good Netflix binge –  Or a boxset or Movies 24  – especially when it becomes Christmas 24 (can you tell I’m a bit of a Christmas elf)  . We are currently watching Making a murderer on Netflix  – It is so good!.  if it is just me watching though, I love Good girls – amazing!!!! and Cheasepeake Shores.  

πŸ’• Working out – something that often slips down the To Do list when we get busy . I promise though taking even 15 / 20 minutes in your day to get moving – doing a workout – hiit, yoga/pilates,  Dance around your living room, taking a walk – I promise you will feel so much better for it! . exercise really is a brilliant mood booster, it will also help boost your energy levels so you can tackle that to do list more efficiently .  It also helps boost your immune system – something that lowers if we run ourselves down too much.

πŸ’• sleep!.  Making sure we get enough sleep.  Aiming for a good 7-8 hours a night.  It’s when we sleep , that our bodies repair themselves , our cortisol (stress hormone ) levels lower and our energy levels replenish.  

So I am making my Self care Pact here – to make sure I look after myself so I can continue to make sure you guys are all looking after yourselves too. Especially as we head into this last quarter and probably the busiest few months of the year!  Comment below with what you are going to aim to do for your own self care pacts! 

Joanne x

February favourites

Wow can you believe its March!, I mean seriously, I thought 2016 whizzed by, 2017 is doing the exact same thing.  I’m so happy that little hints of spring are appearing though, lighter mornings and evenings , tulips , (slightly) milder weather, yippeeeee.

February was a really crazy busy month.So I thought I would do a little round up of things I was loving in February so here we go! 

 

Weekends Away! 

I  actually had a couple trips away this month, me and my little Moo Cow suitcase were loving being on our travels.

 First off I travelled down to Manchester to do a live workshop day as part of my Orthopaedic Pilates course.  The course is on going but I’m hoping to finish and qualify by the summer, so I’ll have my nose in my text books for the next couple months. 

 Last weekend, I also travelled to Liverpool for my friend Lauren’s hen do. We had a blast! . I think I could probably write a whole blog post just on the Hen weekend – we did a Murder Mystery night, cocktail making and of course we visited the Cavern club!. There were loads of Live music bars which were just amazing. I definatly need to go back to Liverpool though and see more of the city. I’ve been twice now but both times were for hen do’s and I would really like to see the City itself and walk around the docks. 

Books, Books , Books! 

So by now you guys know I’m a bit of a book worm. These days I often have a couple on the go at the same time.  Usually a Text book as I try and arm myself with knowledge that will help me develop as a fitness instructor and help my clients., Then of course I need a  Book I can curl up and lose myself in  and often a Girlboss book to inspire me to keep building the Mis-Fit empire .   I just thought I could maybe share the books  I love each month and if you guys do the same, we can discover new reads!. 

Last  year my sister introduced me to the blind date book company- https://theblinddatebookcompany.co.uk.  

They are a fellow small business and  they sell books , that are wrapped in brown paper and with just 4 words on the front to give you a teeny clue about the book. The aim is to not judge a book by its cover, and therefore maybe try a book, you might not otherwise have read.  I have a few book worm friends , and I have gotten a couple of them a blind date book for their birthdays and they both loved the books they received- phew! . I just think it’s a BRILLIANT idea!. They post regular on their Instagram site. This is not a sponsorship pose, I genuinely just love the idea behind it and found it a fab present for my fellow book worm friends. 

The books I read for fun in February   were Ellie Dean’s  – Until you come home . My sister and I are loving the  Beach View Boarding house series from Ellie Dean. Its based during the second world war and the  residents of a boarding house in Cliffehaven, located in the South Coast of England . The boarding house is ran by Peggy Reilly and her family. The First book in the series is there’ll be Blue Skies which starts us at the very beginning of World War 2 and as the series unfolds , we meet various characters who come to take refuge at beach View amid life in a country at war  . Ellie publishes two books throughout they year – January and August . Its now up to book 12, which is the one I just read, definitely  check them out . 

Now please don’t judge but my guilty pleasure is Danielle Steel books – they are just so easy to read and I can just curl up and completly lose myself in the story. I used to pinch my mam’s copies when I was younger, now it’s the other way round ha. This Month The Apartment came out in Paperback , and I just finished reading it, it was so good plus it had the bonus of being set it one of my favourite cities – New York!  . This was based on a group of girls, who started out as flat mates but became best friends and navigating their way through life as a twenty something . 

I’m also still working my way through the Universe has your back by Gabby Bernstien. It’s one of those books you can pick up and work through at your own pace. I have a few of Gabby’s books and I love them. This one is based on , that if you want something and everything is aligned , then you just need to ask the universe and if it’s meant for you, it will not pass you by. 

Netflix favourites 

The Client List – OMG , does anyone else watch this?. I am totally hooked on this show. 

Beauty Favourites .  

I can while away many a happy hour watching Make up and Beauty tutorials on Youtube and one of my current favourite vlogger/bloggers is Lydia Elise Millen. She was talking about a fake tan she had been using called Bondi Sands. Boots sell it, so off I went armed with my Boots Advantage points and I bought the gradual tanner to give it a whirl. Guys I’m really loving it. it has, Aloe Vera, Vitamin E  and  cocoa butter in it so though it has a faint hint of that fake tan smell , its more the Cocoa butter you can smell, and it is really moisturising.  I’ve been going in the shower, using exfoliating gloves, then once I get out the shower , and dry off, I then apply the lotion with a mitt in circular motions. I’ve been using it a couple weeks now and so far no streaks and its a really natural tan. I actually just applied it this morning as I write this and all I can smell is Cocoa Butter!. it has me dreaming of summer days :-). 

Cinema Trips

 I also went to see LaLa land at the cinema and I actually really enjoyed it. I love old movies though and I think if you do too, you probably would love the it too. Have you guys seen it?, did you like it or was it not your cup of tea?.

What have you guys  been reading /watching/loving  this month? . Do let me know in the comments below , I love hearing from you guys. 

Joanne xoxo

 

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