Tips for staying motivated while working from home

Tips for staying motivated while working from home

Wow, it has been a hot minute since I have posted on here. There has been so much going on in the world which has left me feeling a bit unsure as to what to post/share but I didn’t want to completely give up on my blog so here we are.

Like a good few of you, I have been working at home for the last few weeks and while it’s been great to roll out of bed, throw on some loungewear and be good to go, I do find it a lot easier to lose motivation then I would if I was working in the office. I do however have a few tips to stay motivated and make sure the days are productive as possible.

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Get up and dressed – while the temptation is so real to stay in your pjs in bed, the simplest thing to do is to get changed. I find that this completely changes my mind set and gets me ready for the day. Although has anyone noticed they don’t own nearly enough loungewear pieces. I also make sure that I make my bed and do a good skincare routine before setting up my laptop.

Take regular breaks – I find it so easy to just continuously work but to make sure that you don’t burn yourself out it is important to make sure that you take regular breaks and give your eyes a break from the screen. I usually use my lunch breaks to go for a walk or do a workout video. I have really been loving RWL and pure gym’s ones on Instagram as they are only 30 minutes but make me feel so good and keep my going for the afternoon.

Log off when you normally would – Okay, this one is difficult because there are times where I will work a bit longer to get something finished but it is vital to log off from work in the evenings so that your mind can focus on something else and it means that you have had a long enough break for the next day so you can give it 100%

Stay connected with colleagues – I work with the best bunch of people and we always make sure that as a company and within smaller teams we have regular video calls. It’s a great way to keep communication going throughout the business but also a good chance to check in with everyone and make sure they are okay. It also breaks up the day and brings back some kind of normality to see their faces.

What have you been doing to stay motivated and productive? I’d love to know!

Hannah X

Can’t travel? Sell your holiday and get your money back!

Can’t travel? Sell your holiday and get your money back!

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Travelling is something everyone looks forward to- the new culture, the history you’ll learn, and the food, of course! We neglect to believe that, sometimes, plans change. Sometimes you even have to cancel your whole trip. It happens more often than you think. You’re left feeling disappointed that you missed a vacation, in addition, you’re left frustrated that you’ve paid for a trip you couldn’t attend. Countless times, travel reservations are non-refundable, so if you can’t go…that means you lose the money you’ve paid.

It looks like you’re not alone. Millions of people have found that they have lost money on unused travel bookings, usually for non-refundable flights or hotel reservations. However, there is one thing they fail to realize; there are ways they can sell their non-refundable travel reservations safely and easily!

How to get a refund for your non-refundable travel reservations A much-needed solution has been created by SpareFare.net. The company has created a secondary marketplace for travel reservations. SpareFare connects people who have bought flights, hotel rooms or even complete holiday packages, but have found that they cannot use them, with those that are looking for a chance to take advantage of discounted travel.

By utilising the service, those who originally bought the holiday can recover at least some of the money they paid, whilst the people buying can often save as much as 50%-60% of what they would originally have paid. It is a win-win situation for both sides! Not only do you receive a great discount, but as a trusted platform, both buyers and sellers are protected from fraud. Moreover, SpareFare acts as an intermediary, making things progress smoothly throughout the whole process.

Now that the basics have been presented, how does the reselling actually work?

Selling an airline ticket

Before you can consider transferring your flight, you must check that your airline allows name changes of the ticket holder. More often than not, it is allowed – over sixty airlines allow for name changes! The change takes 1 minute and is done through the passengers’ online account. Usually, there is a fee for the name change, and this varies by airline and fare type. If you find that a specific airline’s policy does not allow for ticket name changes, then it may be worthwhile contacting them to see if you can get further details. A full list of all airlines which allow changes can be found here.

Selling a hotel room

Hotel reservations are even easier to sell! You’re usually asked to call the hotel with whom you have a reservation. From there you can inform them you need to change the main guest name within the reservation. More often than not, there will be no fees to be charged with this, however, you should always check with your hotel, just to be sure. If you have booked through Expedia or Booking, you can change the guest’s name through your online account

Selling a package holiday

A package holiday usually comprises of flights, transfers, hotels and any other extra features associated to your holiday. In this case, you will need to speak to your personal travel agent. The option to transfer your holiday will either be a part of their terms and conditions, or, if you cannot see it in there, you could always speak to someone to find out whether or not it is possible and if there will be any fees to pay. Please remember that if the travel agent is based within the EU, then they must give you the option to change the name on the reservation, by law.

The process as a whole

One of SpareFare’s many perks include protection to both the buyer and the seller. Not only do they make sure that the process is safe, but they also help to ensure that the price is fair too.

The process of selling or buying through SpareFare is:

1. The buyer will put forward a price that they are happy to pay.

2. The seller then decides whether or not they want to accept or decline the offer. The bidding process will take into account the current price of holidays and flights, all to make sure that a true discount is applied and that an over inflated price is not charged.

3. The seller will be responsible for changing the name on the booking, only once the buyer has sent over the money.

4. The buyer confirms that everything has been received and is correct.

5. The seller will then receive their money once the time of the travel reservation comes. This is to ensure that they do not change the names back on the booking and cheat their way out of money.

Of course it’s upsetting to realize you cannot attend your holiday, however, with some help from SpareFare, you’ll soon forget about your inconvenience- you will have redeemed some of your money from the unused trip which you can use for your next holiday!

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*This is a guest post written by SpareFare but no payment has been received for this*

 

-Hannah X

Let’s Talk About Smear Tests

Let’s Talk About Smear Tests

The 2 words that make every woman squirm; ‘smear test’.

Growing up, I dreaded the day I hit 25 because I knew it would mean having a cervical cancer screening or a smear test. You hear so much negativity about how it’s painful or uncomfortable and the amount of woman getting them is at an all time low and to be honest I can’t blame them. The thought of laying on a bed, naked from the waist down having a stranger investigate you is a daunting experience and one that I wanted to put off forever.

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In the Uk, you receive a letter inviting you for a screening and once you have had it done, you don’t have to re-do it for another 3 years. I received my letters; yes I had received 2 before I did it; last summer and immediately folded them back up and hid them. Out of sight, out of mind and all that. Fast forward to last Monday and I was on the phone to my GP’s booking an appointment. I don’t know what came over me but I finally plucked up the courage to have it done in the week and I wanted to share my experience because I genuinely do believe there needs to be a bigger conversation about it because they can literally save lives and really aren’t as bad as everyone thinks.

So flashback to Wednesday, I arrived at the doctors and followed the nurse down the corridor into the room. There it all was; the form of questions, the bed, the curtain and the swab. Trust me, if I could have left at that moment I would have. The nurse was so lovely, she sat me down and went through a few questions about my last period and when I received my letter etc. She then explained what was going to happen and took me through the curtain so I could get unchanged and in place.

Sitting with your ankles together and your knees apart is never a good look for anyone but believe me when I say nurses do this every day and they genuinely don’t care what it looks like, they are just there to do their job. I’ll be honest, I am the biggest wuss and have no pain tolerance at all so I was expecting the worst. I’d be lying if I said you couldn’t feel anything but it was about a 1.5/10 and it was more discomfort than pain as you could feel the bristles of the swab but that was it. I couldn’t believe how quickly it was over.

The results usually get sent to your home about 2 weeks later. It’s really that easy. I think I was in the room for about 5/10 minutes and most of that time was spent not being prodded; so please, if you haven’t and are of the right age go and get your smear test done. I felt so proud after and it is there to potentially save your life and stop anything cell changes becoming too nasty.

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If I can do it, then you definitely can.

– Hannah X

The Perfect Night In

The Perfect Night In

After an amazing heatwave, the weather here in the UK has taken a turn for the worst as it’s starting to become colder and much more autumnal. I am still desperately trying to hold on to summer and the warmth but I need to accept the inevitable, ‘Winter Is Coming’. To get me in the mood, I have been thinking about all of the cosy nights in and what makes them so perfect.

 

Films and Netflix

What is any night in without a few films or binge watching Netflix. There have been so many good shows out at the moment, my favourites being Power and Somebody Feed Phil (don’t watch if you are hungry, you’ve been warned) and of course To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. What better way to watch anything than on a new HD televisions from Panasonic

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Clean Pyjamas 

This is self explanatory. Honestly, is there a better feeling than getting out of the bath or shower and putting on a clean pair of pjs? It’s honestly one of my favourite things to do.

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Hot Drink and Snacks

The essentials for any night in; snacks and all the hot drinks! Popcorn or something savoury like crisps are usually my go to snacks, but if you’re also like me and have a sweet tooth, a bit of chocolate always goes down a treat too. When it comes to hot drinks, if its getting a bit miserable outside I usually go for a hot chocolate or a cup of tea. As well as being tasty, they also warm you up and make you feel so snug.

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A Bubble Bath

Usually, this goes at the start of my night but what is a night in without a bubble bath. I love nothing more than grabbing a Lush bath bomb or bubble bar, a face mask and some candles to really set a relaxing atmosphere. I could sit in the bath for hours as it’s the perfect place to destress and stay calm.

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And there you go, my ‘go-to’s for having the perfect night in, whichI probably do at least 3 times a week. What makes up your perfect night in?

-Hannah X

**Disclaimer** This is a sponsored post by Panasonic. Read my full disclaimer here

Do You Need To Post On Social Media Daily To Keep Your Blog ‘Relevant’

Do You Need To Post On Social Media Daily To Keep Your Blog ‘Relevant’

Usually when I post a new blog, I always share it to my social media channels but as soon as it’s been shared once, I typically forget to advertise it again and then wonder why my DA gently drops. This got me thinking about the correlation between posting on social media everyday and the amount of views your blog posts get. Sometimes life gets in the way and it’s heartbreaking that it affects engagement levels and the way our blogs ‘succeed’.

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Seeing that I sometimes go for spats of not posting (I’m trying to work on it, promise!), I have been trying to get some kind of content out on my socials and I definitely find that it has been driving views to my blog for the days that I don’t have a post to share.

Instagram can always be a little hit and miss, especially with the ever changing algorithm that makes it impossible for people to engage with your snaps; but it is great for quickly getting something online. I have been obsessed with Instagram stories lately and I use a few apps to change the layout of mine so that they stand out a bit more. I try to post something on there everyday and always make sure that I spread the love with comments and likes. The best thing about instagram is the fact you can add links so that people can click straight through to your blog without having to search for it, definitely something I love because let’s face it, I’m waaaaaay to lazy to be googling. Of course the odd few hashtags always helps too!

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Scheduling tweets is definitely something that I need to do more, I always forget and then suddenly remember and go into over-drive of posting a tweet about every blog post and scheduling them for multiple times a day. I do however, find this to be a lifesaver if I am travelling, have a really busy week or when I am feeling a bit down as I don’t have to be clued to my laptop or phone for my content to be shared. It’s great because you can chose the days and times which you can match up to your blog stats to select the best time to post and having something posted on Twitter definitely keeps those views up.

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To be completely honest, I don’t care how ‘successful’ my blog is and I try not to get caught up in the number game of how many followers do I have vs how many people am I following. I blog because it’s something I love and am proud of and if people read it and enjoy it, than that is an added bonus but it seems that without continously sharing and updating it, it can get lost in the big blogosphere.

-Hannah X

April Favourites

April Favourites

I can’t believe that it is the end of April; where is this year going? Although, I don’t mind because I have so many exciting plans coming up this summer that I can’t wait for, so I’m happy to speed up time a bit. Also, speaking of summer, I can’t wait for it to get warmer, last week was scorching sun and now it’s rainy and miserable. Anyway, without further ado, here are some of my favourite products that I have been loving throughout April.

1. Gel Nails

I love having gel nails but unfortunately gel nail polish doesn’t really love me. With the brand I was using before, it would really irritate my nails and would make my fingers so sore and itchy, so I bit the bullet and treated myself to some proper CND Shellac polish including; base coat, top coat and a red shade. I only got one to give it ago incase it reacted badly again but it didn’t and I am so happy! There is nothing I love more than having perfectly painted, shiny nails so you can bet that I have raided Amazon for so many new colours.

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2. Aldi’s Hot Cloth Cleaner

If you read my last post, you will know that I have been raving about the hot cloth cleanser from Aldi – the perfect Liz Earle dupe; and April has made me love it even more. I have been using it every day since I got it and I have noticed such an improvement in my skin and even the way my make up applies in the mornings. I honestly could sit here all day raving about it but that would be pretty boring to read.

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3. Lush’s Eau Roma Water Toner

Toner is usually a step that I forget in my skincare routine but recently I have rediscovered my love for it and in particular the Eau Roma Water from Lush. It has rose water and lavender in it so it is really moisturising and calms my skin which is great, especially when I use it before bed – the lavender also helps me to sleep and stops me getting so anxious. It is a newly added step that I don’t plan on forgetting again.

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4. Makeup Revolution Pro’s Supreme Matte Lip Pigment

This is actually a product that I was gifted back at the Makeup Revolution birthday party and it’s now become a staple for everyday of the week. I don’t usually like matte lip products because my lips get really dry but this has been amazing, it doesn’t leave my lips feeling flaky and the colour is so pretty – a dark nude which is perfect for everyday looks but also for nights out if I have a darker eye.

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What products have you been loving recently?

-Hannah X

The Perfect Hot Cloth Cleanser

The Perfect Hot Cloth Cleanser

For years I have been a lover of Liz Earle’s staple ‘Cleanse and Polish’ and I find most cleaners, especially hot cloth ones just aren’t the same. Well *drumroll please* I think I’ve found a very strong contender for my new favourite and it comes from Aldi!

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Aldi have been very successful with their skin care line; Lacura, providing a range of products from Caviar face creams to charcol mud masks and now, your new best friend, the hot cloth cleanser.

The product itself comes with an extremely generous 200ml of cleanser and a muslin cloth, all for under £5, a complete steal compared to Liz Earle’s £20 price tag.

Usually, I use this after I’ve had a bath or shower and it works an absolute treat. I take all of my makeup off with some micellar water, let the steam of the hot water open all my pores and then apply the cleaner before removing it with the muslin cloth. The best thing about it is, that a little bit goes a very long way so I know I am going to get a lot of use out of it which is the best feeling because honestly, I love it so much, I’m dreading the day it runs out.

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It’s so gentle that you can use it everyday and since I’ve been using it, I’ve noticed such a difference in my skin; it’s softer and not as dull looking which is partly due to the muslin cloth being slightly abrasive which gently exfoliates the face and removes any dead skin.

Have you tried the Lacura Hot Cloth Cleanser? If not, I would definitely recommend getting yourself a bottle because it has become my staple skincare item and I actually look forward to cleansing my skin over night.

-Hannah X

Barcelona Style Diary

Barcelona Style Diary

Hola!

Over the New Year, I spent a week in Barcelona with some of my favourite people. I completely fell in love with the city; the beach, the food, the weather, the little-cobbled side streets and of course the sangria!

Obviously being December/January time, I prepared myself for cold, rainy days but was pleasantly surprised to be greeted every morning with blue skies and sun…I actually forgot what sun on my skin felt like. I spent every morning trying to strategically throw some outfits together and I’m here today to share those with you.

Day 1: For the most part; day 1 was spent travelling, doing a food shop for the apartment and having a walk around before dinner. I spent most of the day in jeans and a jumper, which was pretty boring but I did freshen up and change my outfit for the evening.

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Shirt: Primark Skirt: Lipsy Chelsea Boots: ASOS

Day 2:

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Top: Boohoo Skirt: Lipsy Chelsea Boots: ASOS
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Jumpsuit: New Look Clutch: Topshop Shoes: Primark

Day 3:

 

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Shirt: Primark Skirt: Lipsy Chelsea Boots: ASOS
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Dress: Lipsy Chelsea Boots: ASOS

 

Also – Massive thank you to my best friends Zoe and Amy for being the best and taking all these photos.

-Hannah X