1. My blog is just a hobby. I write and take photographs for fun. But what most people don’t realise is the countless amount of hours and scheduling that goes into creating individual blog posts. Trust me when I say it’s more than just uploading photos and writing sentences. There’s the preparation, the photography, metadata, tagging, SEO, social media for promotion… it’s fair to say blogging is a ball of stress sometimes. I’ve received some lovely messages as of late from other readers asking me how to start a blog. What are the best things to write about? How do you write sponsored content? The truth is, blog preparation is key. Most importantly, you have to love what you do to make it work. I keep motivated by planning posts in advance but that’s all part of the fun on working with brands. I’m so grateful I get to work with so many wonderful companies on a weekly basis and here’s hoping 2016 is the most successful year of food blogging yet!
2. My boyfriend and I were both invited to the Birmingham Club and Spa and for Josh to experience a Manspa treatment day. We were spoiled with treatments and lazed by the pool for a few hours before being whisked off to the 25th floor of the Cube for Afternoon Tea. The Marco Pierre White restaurant overlooks the whole of Birmingham and what a sight to see! As a group of bloggers, journalists and writers, we were all invited to sample the four different types of Afternoon Tea MPW are currently promoting. We left with bellies full of champagne and sweet treats. Have you visited the MPW before, what did you think?
3. Mini Golf isn’t my strong suit but it was worth a shot. A double date with my best friend and her boyfriend a few weekends ago led us to the crazy golf course in Cannon Hill Park. Living a stone throw away from The Mac, Birmingham has its perks and we later came back and demolished a Sunday lunch with a few bottles of wine. Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy lazy Sundays full of food, movies, great company and bubble baths. I’ve been wrapping up warm lately in my fur coat and fedora as it’s bitter cold right now. It certainly makes me feel less guilty for wanting to hide under my duvet all day long.
4. Aldi sell the most gorgeous flowers. A girl has every reason to spend money on herself and I recently found these pink roses for just £3. I usually treat myself to a beautiful bunch every Sunday during our weekly shop to brighten up the flat. I learned that if you sprinkle a pinch of sugar into a vase and then place your flowers into room temperature water, the flowers seem to last longer. Who knew? What is this wizardry?
5. I’m a sucker for a motivational quote, they’re spreading like wild fire on my desk at work. During the day, I try my hardest to increase my productivity between the hours of 10-3pm (with the odd instagram break now and again). I somehow feel the day passes by so much quicker when I’m stuck into a piece of work I’m really enjoying. As part of my job, I get to liaise with journalists and work with our local fire team. Building contacts and knowledge is something I crave. I don’t know many people who can genuinely say they enjoy their job. This is why I feel incredibly blessed and grateful to be in the work I am.
6. I came home from London last weekend on Valentines Day to a wonderful bunch of tulips from Josh. Self-care and looking after myself is number one priority these days. I visited a club in Chelsea last weekend for a friend’s birthday but enjoyed coming back home to a hot bubble bath and a glass of champagne. I’m nosy and love knowing what people get up to on their weekends. I might start writing these Life Lately posts more frequently as of now… I do run a lifestyle blog afterall! What things have you been enjoying lately?