5 Things I Am Loving Right Now!

More often than not, my blog posts tend to focus on a very specific product or theme, whether that be skincare, makeup or home interiors.  For a change, I thought it would be nice to just discuss five everyday basic things that I have been loving over the past few months.  Sometimes when writing a blog post, there is the pressure to write about something that is current or trendy, like a new makeup product or skincare brand.  However, when it comes to reading other people’s blogs, I personally love the ones which are little bit more personal and focus on ordinary everyday life.  Hence, I thought I would make this post a little bit different to my usual style of posts and strip back to the basics…..

My iMac

Being eight years old and extremely overworked, my poor little Dell laptop finally gave up a few months after I started my blog.  I don’t know whether it was the ridiculous number of assignments that were prepared and saved on it during the year I did my masters, or the sheer pressure I put it under once I started the blog.  Hours of usage and numerous new bits of necessary blog software completely pushed it to its limits and one day it was time to say RIP to the laptop :(.  Devastated as I was at the time, this was definitely a blessing in disguise as it resulted in Dan and I purchasing a beautiful Apple iMac.  We had both wanted this computer for as long as we can remember, so once my laptop died it seemed like the perfect time to finally get it.  This was definitely an investment, but one that Dan has convinced me will be worth it (apparently the latest imacs are kind of upgradeable, meaning it will last for much longer than some of the previous versions).  I definitely don’t have the technical vocabulary needed to explain this, but I trust Dan’s judgement as computers and techy bits are his thing!  The difference between the iMac and my old Dell laptop is night and day, to the point where I can’t actually believe I ever managed to achieve anything on my laptop, let alone use it to write a blog! Gone are the days of waiting 30 minutes for my computer to start, and I couldn’t be happier about that.

My Meditation App

I know this sounds like a strange favourite, and it is one that you will either really associate with, or one that you really won’t understand (and that’s also fine). Meditating is relatively new to me, but it is something that I am thoroughly enjoying and intend to continue.  I had my first ever meditating session when Dan and I were on our honeymoon last year.  Pangkor Laut Island has its very own meditation teacher who lives on the island and carries out meditation classes for guests every morning and afternoon.  Given that it was free, and I hadn’t done it before, I thought this would be a good opportunity to try something new, so I went ahead and attended the class one afternoon.  There are so many different levels / stages of meditation – of course I was practising as a beginner but I absolutely LOVED it.  We sat on the ground in a dimly lit room of the island spa as the teacher guided us through the meditation session which lasted for about 30 minutes.  I’m sure the fact that I was on a beautiful private island, on honeymoon and could hear the ocean in the background helped with my mood and state of mind, but I left the meditation session feeling so relaxed, positive and completely in control of my own feelings and thoughts.  From that day I promised myself I would continue to mediate, but of course, as soon as I returned home, I forgot all about it! When I left the meditation class on Pangkor Laut, the teacher give me a small sea shell, which she told me to bring home with me as a reminder to do my meditation.

Last month I randomly found the shell in a trinket pot, where I had obviously put it for safe keeping and forgot about it lol! It did its job however, and encouraged me to start meditating properly.  I don’t go to a class or anything like that to mediate, I actually prefer to do it at home and that is the beauty of the technology-filled world we live in today.  There are thousands of guided meditation videos on youtube that you can follow, or you can do what I like to do and download a guided meditation app on your phone.  There are lots to choose from but I use one called ‘Insight Timer’ and it has hundreds of different guided meditation practices to choose from, depending on the type of meditation you want to do. The options include:

• Mindfulness
• Visualization
• Gentle repetition
• Movement
• Sound
• Concentration
• Self-Observation

You can pick and choose between them, or you can start a course that lasts for a certain number of days.  I like to follow a course as it encourages me to do it each day.  You can meditate for as short or long a time as you please and it is entirely up to you what time of day you decide to do it.  I like to spend 10 minutes following a guided meditation each morning if I can.  I like to do it in the morning because I find that it is a good positive way to start a day off.  Alternatively, it is nice to do a relaxing evening meditation at the end of a busy or stressful day.  Just fit it in around your lifestyle in a way that works best for you.  I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do if you try it.  You could be surprised.

My Nanny’s Homemade Fudge Recipe

When my sisters and I were growing up, we were lucky enough to have our lovely nanny live with us.  One of our fondest memories is of the amazing homemade fudge she used to make every now and then.  She would surprise us with it when we would come home from school, and we could literally smell it from the door! She would make it in a massive heavy bottom pot on the stove and it literally only requires four ingredients and lots and LOTS of stirring and beating until it gets to the right consistency. She would pour it into a tray, put slice marks in it while it was still soft so that as it hardened it was already in perfect bite-sized chunks.  Our mum continued this tradition and now me and my sisters and cousins still make the very same fudge today.  It is a true family favourite and always will be.  It even featured on my wedding day thanks to my sister for making it :).  Two of my cousins visited me last week here in Abu Dhabi and of course I made fudge in preparation for their arrival. When they saw it their eyes lit up! 🙂 I think the old school recipes are definitely the best!  Here is a picture of a batch I made a few months ago.  We were so busy enjoying last week’s batch that I forgot to take a photo of it! Lol

Spotify

I know, I know! I’m so late to the game with this one.  For some reason, I was always so against Spotify.  I just thought it was a bit unnecessary given that I could listen to whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, on YouTube so I had been putting off getting a Spotify account for ages.  BUT…….. I finally caved in and joined the 21^st Century last month, got myself a Spotify account and now I am absolutely HOOKED! To say I am embarrassed that it has taken me this long is an understatement! There is nothing more satisfying than being able to make a playlist of songs that you actually like, rather than just putting up with whichever one YouTube decides to play for me after the one song I chose is over lol.  I love that I can play it from my, desk, my phone or from my Amazon Echo (“Alexa”).  If you are like me and are questioning whether or not to get an account, then stop right now! Just do it!

My House Plants

House plants are definitely something that have always been very hit or miss with me! Despite my love for them, there have definitely been a few that didn’t make it to their second birthday (and I mean months not years!).  I find that some plants are pretty easy to care for, while others are almost impossible, and one day they might look in perfect health and the next day they are 100% dead :(.  However, I am feeling pretty content with my current selection of house plants, and I am proud to say that they all appear to be relatively healthy and happy.  Well, they are green – so I am assuming that’s a good sign! I think I have finally figured out how much water each one of them needs and how often they need it.  Whereas before, I would literally just go around on any given day and supply them all with the same amount of water regardless of the size of the plant lol.  Clearly that strategy doesn’t work! It takes time to figure out the needs of each one.  I have also been more attentive to them since I got my gold watering can from H&M home which I mentioned in a previous blog post.  It’s a lot more fun watering plants when you have something cute to do it with lol.

Those are five things that I have been loving consistently in the last few months.  A bit random I know, but like I said, these are the kind of things I like to read about other people, so I hope you have enjoyed it too.

Let me know what you have been particularly enjoying this month too. Even if it is just a Netflix series or a particular food, I’d love to know :).

P.s I am going back home to Ireland for a couple of weeks so there will be no blog post while I am there.  I hope everyone has a great weekend!