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Taking Care of Me

I’m one of those gals who believes that taking care of your own well-being should be a pretty high priority. I haven’t always been good at looking after myself but as I get older – and a little bit wiser  – I choose to be nice to myself as if I were my own best friend, and that includes learning to realize when I need a little help. Whether it’s help with something practical, or acknowledging that I need to take some medication when I’m feeling really bad with a headache, I’m getting much better at accepting help. I used to plough on and push through headaches in fear of letting anyone down, or, if I took a break to sleep it off I’d get wracked with guilt over taking time out. I get thunderous migraines, I always have. Ones which render me useless for work, dizzy and despairing. I get lots of milder tension headaches too, and often with those I can tune into my body and notice that I need to breathe deep, do some yoga and H Y D R AT E, which most often moves a tension headache on. But when I’m floored by a migraine, those horrible ones that leave you feeling sick and shying away from bright lights, oh man, those ones are so hard to ignore. It used to be that you had to summon the energy to get down to your doctors to get a prescription for something strong enough, but I’m really pleased that I found the perfect prescription strength migraine medication Sumatriptan, which I buy online at The Independent Pharmacy. It’s the only thing that packs a punch when it comes to my migraines and I make sure I have some in my medicine drawer for when one hits, and dang do they hit hard! It makes sense in its science; it effectively stimulates serotonin receptors in the brain, which cause the muscles surrounding the blood vessels in the brain to contract, and ta-daaah, I feel better in pretty much half an hour, which means I can carry on with work, or play, if it’s a day off! I like to use traditional remedies as often as I can and I have learnt that a lot of physical pains are due to me rushing around being stressed and not taking on enough water, but, migraines are in a different league and Sumatriptan means I don’t have to surrender to the symptoms. Looking after you is so important, and sometimes we all need a little help. Shiatsu, Yoga, a nice clean diet, and listening to my body are what helps me, as well as knowing what medicines can get me back to my best when I really need them. Keep a stash of your favourite relaxing bath salts on standby, keep your yoga mat within easy reach at home, and pay attention to when you need to tend to yourself; it’s not selfish, it’s self care.

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Finishing School Advice The Women Of The Past Lived By

For the most part, finishing school is now considered a pretty outdated concept. Of course, there are still finishing schools situated across the UK and the wider world, but only the socially elite attend them. But, if you were to travel back in time 60 years, you’d find that the majority of women go on to attend finishing school after their formal education has been completed, wow!

The concept of finishing school is simple: to teach women how to be polite, well mannered, and socially accepted members of society. Back in the 1940’s and 1950’s, if you didn’t know the importance of picking up a champagne glass from the bottom of the stem and offering desserts from the left, you were considered unforgivably rude and uneducated. Today, luckily, such customs are no longer considered to be important, phew! Just because finishing schools aren’t a popular concept in 2017, that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn some things from them though. You see, the things that they taught, were things that the women of the past lived by – it wasn’t just about being a good wife (that was part of it though if you can believe it!) but also about being the best (and happiest) that you could be, ace! It sounds like we could learn a lot from the tips that the women of the past were taught in finishing school and lived by. So, here are some of the tips of social etiquette that the women from the 40’s and 50’s lived by….

Tip 1: Always look your best

One of the first things that women were taught in finishing school was to always look their best. According to a finishing school handbook this meant ensuring that their hair was neatly styled, their nails were perfectly manicured, their makeup was beautifully applied, and their outfit – day or night – was picture-perfect. Looking their best was to do with social etiquette. Part of the concept of always looking their best was about feeling confident in their appearance, as a confident woman is a happy woman, right? We might have mastered looking our best during the day with pretty hairstyles, gel manicures, and smart, stylish clothing, but what about at night? Far too many of us simple pop on an oversized t-shirt and get into bed – it might be comfy but does it make you feel good? To feel good in what you wear to bed, something pretty, like a neglige from the Vanilla night and day range, could be perfect. It’s not about looking good for anyone else; it’s about being happy in yourself and feeling good about what you’re wearing.

Tip 2: Don’t slump

For the women of the past, good posture was seen as being the key to charm, beauty and social success. Look back at old photos of women from this time period, and you will see that in each and every photo, people stand tall with their head held high. Walking along with a straight spine, squared shoulders, and your head held high gives you confidence. Don’t look down when you walk, keep your head held high – you will look better for it, as well as feeling more confident. Posture isn’t just important when walking; it’s also crucial when standing still. Instead of popping a hand on your hip and bending one knee, stand straight with your shoulders back and head held high, and place one foot slightly in front of the other. Finishing school also taught women that they looked more attractive when sitting gracefully – another thing that we can learn from today. When sat, whether at home, while out for dinner, or at a social event, always sit with a straight back, your shoulders held high and your head up, it’ll male you feel more positive and alert, and it’ll help ease backache too!

Rule 3: The E’s of beauty

The three E’s of beauty are things that women of the past swore by when it came to looking and feeling good throughout life.

Early to bed: By getting a good night’s sleep, your entire body is happier and healthier, including your skin. When you don’t sleep well, it’s visible on your face, so getting a good night’s sleep every night is pretty important.

Eat well: Eating well means eating for beauty. This means avoiding processed sugar as much as possible as processed sugar is bad for the skin and your waistline. It means eating clean, wholesome foods and drinking plenty of water.

Exercise regularly: Exercising regularly is important not only for your waistline but also for your mind – a woman who exercises regularly tends to be happier and less stressed than a woman who doesn’t. I do Yoga every day and it helps me enormously.
So, there you have it, a guide to the advice that the women of the past learned at finishing school and lived by! The overall idea of finishing schools is an old fashioned one but, we can take the best tips into our modern lives to feel better and more like we are being our best selves. How wonderful.

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Be The Most Beautiful Bride Ever With These Top Tips

Your wedding day is the day when you should look and feel your most very, very beautiful. You’re getting married to the big ole LOVE of your life, and natch, you wanna look your absolute best, right? How you look on your wedding day often relies on how much preparation you put in beforehand. The majority of brides decide to do a little diet to help them look incredible on their big day, to be in their best shape possible. But there are heaps of other things you can do too. If you’re eager to turn heads on your big day, here are some top tips to maybe follow.Eat in moderation – While you understandably want to look your best, extreme diets and skipping meals is not the way to do it, NOPE. But you wanna feel fit and strong and healthy on the day. Not eating enough of the right foods each day can affect your health and make your skin and hair look dull, I really notice it myself. It can also make you feel drained and unmotivated to continue with your wedding plans. While you probably should cut out junk food, don’t cut out whole food groups altogether. You should be eating appropriate portions of well-balanced foods each day. Each food group gives our body the nutrients it needs to work efficiently. While also helping it look it’s very best. Good healthy food will make you glow for sure. So make sure you eat in moderation and make healthy food choices in the run up to your big day.

Get plenty of beauty sleep – You’re never going to be your most beautiful if you don’t get enough quality sleep at night. While planning a wedding is notoriously stressful and time-consuming, it’s essential that you rest too. It’ll help you look beautiful, but it also improves concentration and helps you to feel energized. Regular exercise, meditation, I like yoga, and changing your bedroom’s layout can all help you sleep better each night. You can also create a sleep schedule where you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This will ensure you get the recommended 7-8 hours sleep you need to function at optimal level.  No matter how busy you may be in the weeks leading up to your big day, always make your beauty sleep a priority, you don’t wanna look frazzled, you wanna look relaxed and rested to be your best!

Quit your bad habits – Wrinkles, dull skin, and breakouts are every bride’s worst nightmare. While stress and the weather can contribute to these issues, bad habits can too. Overeating and smoking are just a few habits that all brides should try quit ahead of their wedding. Start researching the best way to combat your bad habits quickly and effectively. You could search for an e-liquid UK store online or talk to your doctor, my boyfriend has recently quit smoking and switched to vaping and he feels much cleaner and fresher. You could also start a new hobby or use your wedding planning as a distraction to refocus your mind. Stopping your bad habits will help improve your looks, while also increasing your energy levels and allowing you to stay trim. Win.Pick one or all of the tips in this guide and you are guaranteed to walk down the aisle with your head held high, showing off your glowy and smiley face. This is pretty much the biggest day of your life, and, I would imagine you wanna feel like the prettiest gal in the room!

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