I'm looking at these images of the beautiful island of Crete and thinking: was it really three months ago that I was padding across the sand?!  Yes, yes it was.  However, it was cold then and it's cold now and so now seems like the perfect time to discuss some winter sun.  Tomorrow has become renowned for being the most depressing date of the year thanks to a decade-old study, earning it the name Blue Monday, and so consider this post an injection of Vitamin D into your world!  If you haven't already booked a dose of sunshine for the remaining months of this winter, now is the time.  Alternatively, look ahead and schedule a week in a tropical climate for later in the year; preferably around the time when the temperature drops where you are and you're left pining for bikinis...

It's a common complaint amongst those in their twenties/thirties that the pressure is on.  This is partly imposed by others, and partly self-imposed.  Career progression, falling in love, starting a family, buying a home and the list goes on and on.  Amidst all of this - as wonderful as all of the above can be - we can often lose sight of how much we already have to be grateful for.  We chase the next thing, appreciate it for all of a second, and then move on to the next life improvement.  With a fresh new year ahead of us to play with, I challenge you (and myself, because y'girl needs to practice what she preaches) to practice gratitude.  Day-in and day-out.  So, while you're busy seeking and achieving this year (take a peek at my guide to setting goals and rewards), you don't find yourself climbing endless mountains without ever feeling satisfied...

Happy New Year!  The sun is shining, birds are tweeting and we're all jumping out of bed ready to seize the day!  Okay, perhaps not the last one.  But we wish we were seizing the day, right?  January is the month that sees most of us plot and scheme for the New Year ahead - and even more so with this being the start of a new decade.  The question is: where to start?  Personally, I love to create reward schemes for having set and achieved goals.  Sure, it's not the be-all and end-all, but there's no denying it's fabulous performance as the cherry on the cake!  So, with a fresh twelve months ahead of us, let's think about how we can encourage ourselves to get up and go, go, go... 

.... and it's time to kiss goodbye to Christmas!  I know, it's tragic.  I've literally forgotten how to listen to music that isn't festive and I'm not sure how I feel about not waking up and having chocolate for breakfast.  However, when one door closes, another opens and in this case it means the arrival of a fabulous new year - and decade!  Personally, 2019 was a brilliant year for me that brought about a lot of change and I mean a lot of change.  Most significantly, a move to London and a new job.  How was this past year for you?  It can be hard to determine, but thankfully when it comes to shopping it's muuuch easier to determine what has performed well.  As a festive surprise, a few days before Christmas Day, Charlotte Tilbury sent this fabulous box brimming with goodies to my front door!  It contains a curated edit of their bestselling products of 2019.  The question is: what have my fellow Charlotte Tilbury obsessives been loving lately?

It's been a couple of months since my last visit to Amsterdam, however I'm almost certain I'll find myself there sometime very soon again thanks to my partner being Dutch.  While he was on a business trip to Amsterdam, I went along and took off a couple of days of work to explore the capital - camera in hand!  Throughout mid-late November, the festive displays were starting to creep up the fronts of buildings and the temperature was quickly dropping. Thankfully, I'd packed carefully.  Although that's pretty much where my planning stopped, meaning all of my experiences were entirely by chance - a pretty easygoing, organic way to explore a city.  With this in mind, I've put together a guide to exploring Amsterdam, should you ever find yourself in the city on your own and with some time on your hands.  Pens at the ready... enjoy!