Ok, it’s time for us to talk jewellery and how to curate a timeless and sustainable jewellery collection. 

For this, I have paired up with the amazing jewellers Winsor Bishop for a series of posts here on the blog and on Instagram.

As I’m hoping you have noticed, I don’t do a lot of collaborations. Mainly because it’s hard to find brands that fit both my style and my ethos. It’s not that I don’t get asked, I just turn a lot down. (More than I can afford, but integrity is priceless).

The reason Winsor Bishop is such a great fit for me is not only because they make the kind of jewellery I actually want to wear. They also source their diamonds sustainably and ethically.

On top of this, they are a family-owned business, founded in 1834, with a female managing director. If you have been in business for that long, you must be pretty great at what you are doing. So to have the opportunity to do a collaboration together is really empowering.

Over the next couple of months, I will show you a few of my favorites from their collections and of course look at how we best put together a jewellery wardrobe that is wearable, timeless, has great Price Per Wear* and above all is sustainable.

If you have followed me for a while, you know my husband Garth is from Zimbabwe and still has family and friends in the country. So we have spent quite a bit of time down there. We even got married at a lion sanctuary in the middle of the bush close to Gweru on New Year’s Eve 2014. (What a night!)

Zimbabwe is a big diamond exporter and having had a glimpse into the diamond industry, I truly care where my own are from. So the first step when I look for jewellery is to make sure the company is ethical and sustainable. There is too much money involved in this industry and you have no idea what you might inadvertently support when you purchase something.

Winsor Bishop only works with diamond suppliers who are a part of the “Kimberly Process”, whose purpose is to reduce the flow of conflict diamonds.

I’m the first to admit I don’t own a lot of jewellery, but the things I do have are exquisite.

I basically wear one necklace, my engagement and my wedding rings, little diamond studs in my ears and my watch. Not much, but all of these things are truly special. They might have cost a little more than your general high-street dingle dangle, but the Price Per Wear* is outstanding. It’s quality over quantity all the way!

I’m really conscious when I choose what to get. I try to stay away from the big famous jewellery brands since I don’t want to wear something that lots of other people will have. I see my jewellery as my signature and I want it to be personal and special to me.

So I rather go to a jeweller and either get something made or find a truly unique piece. This way I end up paying for what I’m getting and not just a name and the image attached to it.

Jewellery is meant to be personal and timeless. If you spend lots of money on something that you will either get bored with quickly or that might go out of style, then you are losing out. It’s not about getting 10 trendy things, it’s about finding that one special piece that really speaks to you.

Like this diamond and enamel ring.

Winsor Bishop sent over a few pieces of jewellery for me to pick my favourites from and this ring just stood out straight away. I’m completely head over heels for it. I have been looking for a ring for my right hand for a couple of years now and this is the first one I have found that I truly love.

…and even though I have just borrowed it for a while, it feels like it’s already mine. So I’m not sure I will be able to part with it, to be honest.

It suits me incredibly well. It’s unique, a little bit of a statement and a conversation piece. It also aligns perfectly with my light pastel-heavy wardrobe.

If I would buy this ring, it would be a great addition to my small timeless and sustainable jewellery collection. Yes, it is a little bit of an investment. But since I don’t buy any jewellery from the high street, I probably actually end up spending less all in all than what most people do. I just put it all into one purchase instead of several.

And I would feel happy knowing that I’m supporting a great sustainable company with lots of heritage and heart when I bought it. 

You can find this stunning enamel ring on Winsor Bishop’s website here. Their beautiful shop is Norfolk based, but you can find all their stock online too.

No matter if you are rewarding yourself, hoping to receive a gift from someone special or want to give them something really nice, Winsor Bishop has lots of beautiful, unique and sustainable jewellery to choose from.  

Photos – Rosalind Alcazar. Location – Minnow. 

*Price Per Wear or PPW is the idea of judging an item’s expense not just based on the purchase price, but divided into how often it will be worn. So an expensive item can be really cheap if you wear it a lot and a cheap item can be very expensive if you only wear it a few times. 

This post is presented in collaboration with Winsor Bishop. 

Have you ever looked yourself in the mirror, liked your outfit, but then changed anyway because you didn’t think other people would get it?

If not, good for you!

But if you have, don’t worry, it’s really common. Most of us are sensitive to judgment from other people. And people do judge, so it’s not strange to have their ideas in mind when getting dressed.

However, it’s all originating from a massive misconception. For some reason society has decided that there are certain rules we should stick to when we get dressed. And if you ask anyone who made this rule, they would probably say it’s “common knowledge” or refer to a fashion magazine. No one can really pinpoint who this all-knowing fashion god is.

I’m going to share something truly wardrobe-changing with you now – THERE ARE NO RULES IN FASHION!

There is no higher power that is deciding what we should or shouldn’t wear. It’s is all up to us. Fashion magazines are there as inspiration, not for judgment. There are stupid ideas that stuck in our heads that is hindering us from experimenting more.

FASHION IS ART! And there is no right or wrong in art, so why should there be in fashion? It’s your expression to dress the way you like. It tells the story on the outside of who you are on the inside. It’s your right to wear whatever you think expresses your creativity and inner and outer life the best. There are no rules in fashion.

Of course, there are suggestions like dress codes, that we can choose to follow, or not. And I would stick to decency laws to not end up in legal trouble. But what shapes or colors that go together, what certain body types or ages “should” wear and all other kinds of personal preferences are just that, personal preferences. Nothing more or less.

It’s often insecure people trying to exercise power by being judgemental. They are sad, you are amazing. That is the truth. 

It’s once we break down those walls of insecurity when the real magic happens. How will anyone ever come up with something new if we all are forced into the same lane?

I put a little video clip of this outfit on Instagram and straight away someone asked why I would tuck my trousers into my boots. And the answer is – because I feel like it! I love the silhouette and it’s an unexpected touch. It amuses my creativity to experiment and not wear everything “the right way” all the time.

…and I will most likely do it again and again. It doesn’t mean that you have to do it. THERE lies the charm in fashion. It’s not just about what we wear, it’s also about how we wear it. It’s meant to be fun!

Now when we have determined that just like all art, there are no rules in fashion. Will you change the way you dress? 

Photo – Ida Zander.

You can find my outfit and similar styles below (affiliate links). My necklace and ring are a part of a future collaboration with Winsor Bishop.

Hello my lovelies, how are you?

I’m loving my work-life balance right now. I have just enough time at the office, at home on my own with my own influencer work and with Ace. He goes to nursery 2.5 days a week and has a nanny for 4 more hours. And in that time I have an almost full work life. Also, our house is finally tidy and clean again

…except for the hole in the wall… Ace pulled down one of our glass shelves last week. Luckily it didn’t hurt him, but it was glass everywhere and we now have 2 matching cute little holes in the wall.

When I closed my Swedish blog it felt like I was giving up on something I worked really hard for. I thought I would regret that decision, but if anything I have only felt like I should have done it sooner.

Now when I have time to do what I need to do and my balance finally is there, I’m enjoying blogging and creating a lot more. It was a hard thing to do, but the right thing for me.

I miss my Swedish followers of course, but I still talk to a lot of them/you on DMs on my Instagram ( I ALWAYS answer!)

This is my inspiration, dream, focus, and mantra this week;

My mantra this week  – “I’m no longer available for things that make me feel bad”. I don’t know why I ever was, to be honest. These days as soon as something takes more than give, I’m out. There is no need to suffer, life is too short. It took me way to long to not only realize this but also put it into practice.

My affirmation this week – “I’m happy, relaxed and excited for the future”. I’m feeling really great at the moment and I want to keep riding on that wave. So I will remind myself as often as I remember.

My goal this week – Is to make it to Sweden on Thursday in one piece. I’m going on my own with Ace and Garth will come on Friday. It’s the first time Ace will have his own seat on the plane!

My dream of the week  – I dream of spending more time with my family back in Sweden. I never feel like I get enough time when I’m there to check in even with my closest family. I have 4 younger sisters that all live away from home, divorced parents with separate lives, stepparents, former stepparents, a great-grandma, you name it. There is never enough time to really spend time with all of them.

My focus this week  – Is to only take on 75% and do it all really well.

The event of the week – Going to Sweden on Thursday and my stepmom’s 60th Birthday Party on Saturday. They have hired a small castle for the event!

My lesson from last week – Don’t leave laptops on the table when toddlers are eating. My poor Mac book got a milk-infusion and my screen went black. Luckily the lovely people at the Apple store sorted it out in 20 minutes and charged my absolutely nothing. You can’t beat Apple!

My little luxury this week – I’m going to meet up with my lovely friend Masha on Wednesday for a coffee. He is an influencer too and I just love her Instagram account. We are going to my favorite no-waste café her in Clapham called “Common”.

My inspiration this week  – The phrase “What if it’s not a problem?” stuck with me this week. I don’t know where I read it, but it changed something in my way of thinking. Is what I see as a problem actually even a problem? A lot of times it’s not! Life-changing!

What is your inspiration, dream, focus, and mantra this week?

My shirt is by Ralph Lauren,  Organicjeans from Theo and George (gift + adlink) and my beloved pre-loved Chanel shoes.
Photo – Ida Zander

…yes you read that right – preloved Chanel pumps for £100!!

How on earth??

The answer is Vestiaire Collective + vintage + a trip to the cobblers.

These little guys needed a tiny tad bit of love in the shape of a new sole..that’s it! I always find it crazy that people shy away from buying something with such an easy fix as a new sole. But I really don’t mind because it means more bargains for me.

These beauties are vintage from the 80s/90s and barely worn. The heel needed to be re-done and for some reason, the old owner didn’t invest the £15 before they put them up for sale. Most designer shoes need a re-heel pretty quickly, I have even had to bring a pair of boots in that I had only worn for half a day before the little rubber bit on the heel came off.

They are very similar to the Chanel pumps you can see in shops now, only the heel is thinner and they have a tiny little platform (great for slightly vertically challenged people like me). They are timeless, very comfortable and make me feel like a chic Parisienne.

Coming in at £100, November’s shopping is a fairly frugal one. I guess it will leave me more budget for my December item…or Christmas gifts.

It is my birthday in December, so I haven’t really decided if maybe I should treat myself to something really special? I will also have gone a full year only buying one single item each month.

I’m trying to think of something a little bit more indulgent that I might need. But to be honest, my wardrobe is pretty well-rounded by now. So it would be more of a want than a need… but that’s ok now and then too.

Ha, it really hits me how far I have come when I read the above sentence back to myself. If you would have asked me a little over a year ago, I would have been able to give you a list of at least 10 things I was dying to purchase. And now, I’m just content. It’s like I finally found my way around my own wardrobe and fashion. All the pressure is off, it’s only fun, creativity and expression left.

I don’t shop to feel good anymore. 

I have other ways of making myself feel great instead. My self-care routine is way better and these days I enjoy the process of deciding what I will buy each month more than the actual purchase itself.

…except for maybe this one. Since it was a bit more of an impulse buy. (And I did do a really ugly happy dance in my kitchen once my offer at Versitiare Collective was approved).  I mean a pair of preloved Chanel pumps for £100… It is a find of a lifetime.

It’s all about making a small wish list of truly tieless pieces that you don’t mind waiting possibly even years to own. But keep on checking in on pages like Vestiaire Collective (Europe + US), The RealReal (US) and similar, where they authenticate products for you. And when you find that special item, be quick and celebrate accordingly.

What is the ultimate super bargain to you ? A Max Mara coat? A Saint Laurent bag? Maybe a piece of fine jewellery? Preloved Chanel pumps for £100? Please share in the comments!

I’m wearing a timeless Blazer from Avie , organic cotton jeans by Theo+George (gift + affiliate link), pre-loved Saint Laurent belt and Chanel pumps from Vestiaire Collective and jewellery by ethical jeweller Winsor Bishop. 

Photo – Ida Zander.

It’s good to be really busy right? To show that you are having and doing it all? If we aren’t overwhelmed with the number of things on our to-do list are we even worthy?

Well, I don’t agree. At all.

There is this misconception in society that the “best” people do the most. You win in life if you can juggle it all. That there is some kind of a reward at the end of the tunnel.

I can tell you what the reward is. It’s stress, anxiety, feelings of not being and having enough and general unhappiness.

Is that what we want in life? To stress and work and run around like headless chickens until we die? To live to work instead of work to live?

The truth is, the happiest people are those who know how to prioritize and say no. Those who switch off their phones and put away the to-do list and play with their children. The ones who take a second to smell the freshly cut grass and that knows what it feels like to be truly carefree.

This is why I only take on 75% of what I can handle.

Because nothing is ever as smooth or easy as we imagine it to be. The 25% left will be filled no matter what. We always overestimate what we have time and energy to do. So, in the end, I’m actually busy 100% of the time.

The difference is that I actually get everything done.

If I took on 100% I would end up having to do 125%, ie I wouldn’t be able to finish. And this would make me feel unaccomplished and never good enough. I would always feel behind and stressed.

So when I only take on 75% of what I can handle, it is how I win in life. It’s the only way to actually get everything done and feel good about it. So I can truly enjoy the time we have for ourselves and the good things in life.

Do you always feel stressed and like you have too much on your plate? Give my 75% method a try and see how much better you will feel. I promise you won’t feel lazy or left behind. If anything the absolute opposite!

Photo – Roz Alcazar

My dress is unfortunately sold out, but I have linked a few similar ones. You can still find my amazing boots for sale, I can’t recommend them enough; (affiliate links)

It’s a bit daunting taking a photo with a supermodel, I have to admit. I’m wearing a suit by Dea Kudibal. 

“I have a date with a Victoria’s Secret angel” – a sentence many men and probably a few women wish they get to say at one point in their life. Myself included.

…a big fat check on that one ✔️

You see I got invited to Selfridges the other day to meet our favorite angel – Candice Swanepoel to have a chat about sustainability and her new swimwear brand Tropic of C. Maybe not a date date, but enough for me to get seriously excited.

Are Victoria’s Secret angels as beautiful in real life as they are on tv? Will she be nice? Does she actually care about sustainability and will I get to talk to her about it?

YES to all the questions above.

She is drop-dead gorgeous and even though she just had two kids in quick succession you would never know. Me being me (ie quite forward and with a sustainability agenda) I took my chance to ask her a few questions about the brand. And to my delight, she is not only truly lovely, but she is also knowledgable in the space.

She explained that it was hard to find a sustainable fabric that would behave well both in water and on dry land. But once she found it, she was surprised that it actually held it’s shape better than more common swimwear fabrics. Econyl is like most popular sustainable fabrics, recycled plastic. Candice explained that the long-term goal for Tropic of C is to do a send-back and recycle program.

Until then she focuses on working with artesian women from around the world and she works closely with organizations like mothers2mothers.

I love it when a brand doesn’t just think about the product, but the packaging too. The labels are all woven, packaging recyclable, tags by bamboo and even the hygiene liner is compostable. You can read more about the sustainability of Tropic of C here.

I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely actress Georgia Hirst and her model brother Horatio. You might recognize her from the show “Vikings”. 

The style of the Tropic of C swimwear is inspired by Candice’s home country South Africa and is a homage to nature.

As a woman with boobs, and not a perfectly flat stomach, there is definitely some bikinis I wouldn’t be able to pull off. But I fell in love with the high-waisted bikini briefs with a slightly more supportive underwired bra. Especially the one in leopard will be on my wish list for future holidays.

Here in the UK, you can find Tropic of C at Selfridges both online or in-store if you fancy a little try-on session.

You can find my personal favorites from Tropic of C below (affiliate links);

Photo – Daniel Bruno Grandl

I’m having a bit of a crappy day. Nothing big, just one of those days when all the small things go wrong. 

The tube was delayed this morning, people are not answering important emails in time, I can’t get the information I need before a certain time, my sushi at lunch was off and I make a complaint, I got a little cold brewing, I’m behind on the blog email and it’s really dark when I pick Ace up in the evening and it makes me feel like a crappy mom.

But I really enjoy writing my Mindful Monday post, so I’m hoping it will make me feel a bit better.

This is my goal, dream, focus, and mantra this week;

My mantra this week  –  “We need the lows to appreciate the highs”. Life can’t be all peachy all the time. If it was, we wouldn’t care about anything. It’s the contrasts that make life interesting to live.

My affirmation this week – “I can never be better than my authentic self”. We are at our best when we are 100% us. Not trying to be someone else or to change ourselves to please others. The trick is to figure out exactly who that authentic self is and it’s a process that can take a lifetime.

My goal this week – To make a super cute Halloween costume for Ace. I have a couple of more things to buy and I’m toying with the idea of matching him and Olive. You will see the results on my Instagram stories. 

My dream of the week  – I dream of being able to go to the gym properly again. I have bad diastasis recti and it affects my life every day. But all I keep on being told by doctors is that I need to have surgery …once I’m done having kids. And I’m not done yet. So until then, I have to live with it. I wonder if they would have said tha same if I was a man…?

My focus this week  – This week I’m focusing on planning my calendar up to Christmas. I much rather start now and space out all the things I have to do than do it all in a rush in the end.

The event of the week – Halloween on Thursday of course! We won’t let Ace go trick or treating yet (He is not allowed sweets), but he will get to hand out sweets to other kids. I want to make it fun and a tiny bit spooky, but not scary for him. He is only 2 after all.

My lesson from last week – Other people aren’t perfect either and that’s ok. Some things are not personal, but more of a reflection of how their day is going. If I’m going to allow myself to have bad days, then I have to allow everyone around me to have them too.

My little luxury this week – It might not sound too luxurious, but I want to take an hour to go through my wardrobe and pull out all the clothes I wear most at the moment and hang them on a rail in the bedroom. It makes it really easy for me to dress in the morning.

My inspiration this week  – This week I’m inspired by Quigley. She runs a proper feel-good account on Instagram and if you aren’t already following her I think you should.

What is your goal, dream, focus, and mantra this week?

Photo – Rosalind Alcazar

Shop the post (affiliate links);

First of all, what is the difference between thrifting and second-hand/pre-loved?

When something is sold in a second hand or consignment shop, online or in-store, it’s usually being sold on behalf of a client. The shop has taken on to sell the item for a commission and the original owner is expecting a certain return on the sale.
This is why pre-loved or second-hand clothing usually costs quite a lot more than clothing that is thrifted.

So what is thrifting?

Basically, it’s clothes that have been donated by the owner to a charity. They are not expecting any money from the sale and the profit will go to the charity themselves. Since there isn’t an expectation to make a certain amount, this will keep the price lower.

Of course, if you have a lovely item and know it’s worth a bit of money, you will most likely want something for it. So when you shop second-hand you kind of get served the good stuff on a plate. It will be a lot cheaper than buying it new, but it can still be pretty pricey.

When you go thrifting, it more hit and miss. You can find something absolutely amazing, or you might spend hours and still walk away empty-handed. Some see it as a negative, to me, it’s part of the fun!

 There are different items I look for when I go thrifting compared to when I go to a charity shop.

With the latter I can be a little bit lazier, usually, the items will be whole, clean and authenticated. When I thrift I have to be a lot more diligent at really making sure I have examined any clothing properly before I buy it. ( Old sweat stains from the 70s anyone?)

I also have to be prepared for a small input, to get a great output. Like the light blue Eric Bompard cashmere jumper I’m wearing in these photos. I found it for £30, and it’s advertised on their website for £220 – score!

However, it did have a small hole under the arm.

So I got myself a £1 sewing kit from Sainsbury’s and sewed it back up on the bus on my way home. Simples!

As long as we are aware that thrifted clothing takes a bit more time to find and might have a fixable (or non-fixable… watch out for those!) flaw. Then it’s a great way of getting some really amazing items for our timeless sustainable capsule wardrobe.

 These are the 5 items I look for when I go thrifting;

1. Cashmere
   Once you know what cashmere feels like on your skin, you don’t even need to actually look at the clothing to find it. I just let my hand run across all the jumpers and stop when I find one that feels right.
   There are loads of great cashmere pieces in charity shops and you would miss a trick if you didn’t check the jumper section.
2. Jeans
   One thing that tends to keep it’s quality really well is jeans. I go for the ones with less stretch since they are more likely to be in better condition. I have found some really amazing Levi’s 501 originals in charity shops. And if the waist is good, but not the length or the style, I cut them off and use them as jeans shorts in the summer.
3. Leather
   Most leather pieces will age really well. So it doesn’t matter if they have been used loads already. If anything, they will probably look better for it. However, make sure the leather isn’t dry or crusty and that there are no holes in the seams. Leather pieces are harder to mend. They are also more expensive to have washed, so check linings for sweat stains or general bad smells and don’t buy if it’s broken or if it has a funky odor.
4.  Silk and satins
   Similarly to cashmere, it’s pretty easy, once you get a hang of it, to judge the quality of an item just by touching it. And if you are not sure, check if it has a label. Just like with leather you want to make sure it’s clean, in one piece and not smelly. You can dry-clean delicate fabrics like these, but I wouldn’t risk it when it comes to smells and stains.
   Many items in silks or satins tend to be in a classic cut. So I look for dresses, blouses, shirts, and skirts.
5.  Designer bags
   My friend Josefina found a Gucci bag and a Chanel bag for about £5 each in one week when she went thrifting not long ago. She is literally the thrifting queen! Yes, they both needed a bit of leather care and the Chanel bag was missing a tassle. But for £5 you can afford to sort that out.You might wonder why someone would donate bags of that caliber and truth is that not many people always know what it is they have got. The day I die, I will itemize what I have in my closet, so my kids know what to sell and what to give away, it might sound morbid, but a lot of really good finds are there because relatives haven’t done their homework.
   Also, there are loads of fakes around in charity shops. So make sure you do your homework!

If you haven’t visited your local charity shop yet. I really suggest you do. After the whole Marie Kondo trend, they are basically overflowing. Lots of people don’t have the patience or time to list things on eBay or sell trough charity shops, and that is when charities and us thrifters win.

So is thrifting dirty and only for those with no money?

I would say that I’m a pretty classy lady. I make a good living, have some great pieces in my wardrobe and can afford to buy most of these items new. However, I’m way too frugal, environmentally conscious and generally clever for that. Why buy something new full price when I can get the exact same thing cheaper and at the same time give an item of clothing a longer life span? Especially when I’m building my own timeless capsule wardrobe.

So are you inspired by my items I look for when I go thrifting? Are you going to give it a go yourself? Or are you already a thrifting queen (or king)?

Photos by Roz Alcazar

Below are some of my favorite items from Oxfam online (affiliate links);

Even though you probably have seen them on me quite a few times already, I have completely forgotten to actually make a post about my October #OneItemAMonth purchase – My beige leather leggings from Joseph.

I bought them already in the end of September on a sunny day walking down the King’s Road. If you don’t already know about this little gem, Joseph has an outlet shop there. It’s brilliant, I have bought several items from them, all in great quality.

Outlet shops, sales and bargain corners can be really bad for your wardrobe. Or amazing.

It all depends on what you are looking to buy. I always search for items with a classic cut in a great material. The best things to buy on these occasions are wardrobe basics. Things that you already know you will love and use for a really long time.

If you find something trendy in an outlet shop, it’s most likely not going to be on-trend for much longer.

It’s also really easy to get sucked into the discount instead of the actual piece of clothing. So I always decide how much I think an item is worth before I check the price tag. That way I never get seduced by the price.

But are beige leather leggings really a basic?

It is for me! You see, I already have a black pair of leather leggings from by Malene Birger and I have used them so much that I need to take them to the tailor because they are actually falling apart.

So a beige pair was quite a sure bet for me. I’m all into pastels and nudes, so they instantly mixed with almost everything in my wardrobe. I can dress them down with sneakers or up with heels and they are super comfortable too.

Leather is one of those materials that will last, it might stretch, but the leather itself won’t break. Possibly at the seams, but that can be fixed. That’s why leather jackets tend to stay in our wardrobes for our entire lives.

Leather is also warm, so for autumn and winter, leather leggings or trousers are a great option to jeans.

In December I will have been buying only one item each month for a full year. When I set off to do this challenge, I thought it was going to be hard.

I had just done a big Marie Kondo clear out of my wardrobe and got rid of 75% of all my clothes. I was addicted to shopping from the high street and I always bought things on impulse. If I felt good, I went shopping to celebrate and when I felt bad I went shopping to cheer myself up. No matter the question, the answer was always new clothes.

So at the time I honestly never thought I would be able to keep it up for a whole year. Only buying one thing seemed so restrictive but also the big challenge I needed in my life at that point.

But I realized quickly it wasn’t hard at all. Instead, it changed everything for me. I stopped self-medicating with shopping and got rid of my addiction to fast fashion. I started curating instead of collecting and that spread to all other aspects of my life.

This challenge made me grow as a person and I’m so happy I took it on. My wardrobe and my life will never be the same again.

If you like my beige leather leggings, you can find them on sale here. (affiliate link)

Hi guys, how are you?

I got one of those annoying head colds brewing. Autumn right? I’m taking all my vitamins, drinking lots of tea and trying to stay warm.

The thing is when you are a parent. You can’t be sick. A 2-year old cannot comprehend that someone else isn’t feeling well, especially not a parent. So you get really good at sucking it up. No more spending the day on the sofa wrapped in a robe. No self-pity and no daytime naps (unless your child is napping, then it’s game on!).

Being a parent and not feeling well is when you know you are a grown-up for sure. Not even a young adult, more like an old-adult. It’s comforting and depressing at the same time.

But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. (I mean that sentence with 98% seriousness and like 2% take-me-back)

This is my affirmation dream, goal, and lesson this week;

My mantra this week  –  “I’m listening inwards”. Sometimes the noise on the outside is so loud that I can’t hear what is going on inside anymore. This is when I am at risk of getting overwhelmed and need to take a moment to turn my focus inwards. It’s only when I am  100% transparent with myself that we can be my absolute best on the outside.

My affirmation this week – “I am allowed to feel”. Especially when we have anxiety, we often try to “switch it off”. It never works. Instead, I try to focus on allowing myself to feel crappy, to feel the feeling and know why. And by removing my anxiety over my anxiety (yup, it’s a thing) I actually feel a lot better.

My goal this week – This week my goal is to catch up on some blog admin. I have a few emails to send and loose ends to sort out before Christmas. I always try to keep my content calendar for my socials 3 months ahead. So I know what I have got coming up.

My dream of the week  – This week I dream of a sunny holiday. I want beach, I want warm turquoise water, I want palm trees, I want delicious food and I want a naked little baby butt having the time of his life with a bucket and a spade (and lots of SPF).

My focus this week  – Focus this week is on inner and outer health. Whenever I feel a little low I take extra care to make sure I stay on my routines, go to my yoga, eat well, meditate on my spike mat and try not to stress.

The event of the week – I got a date with a Victorias Secret angel on Thursday. Yes, you read that correctly. I just wrote a sentence most men dream about saying their whole life. And I’m almost as excited. Follow me on my IG stories on Thursday to find out more.

My lesson from last week – I wrote about my life long struggle with anxiety both here on the blog and on Instagram last week. And it showed me that I’m far from alone and that I need to share more. I’m always a little bit worried about getting judged based on the limited amount of information that a blog or Instagram post contains. But after all the amazing support I have had from you guys and all the stories you have shared. It really showed me I got nothing to be afraid of.

My little luxury this week – Garth is away a few days this week, so my luxury is going to be to order a takeaway tomorrow. Probably pho, I love pho!

My inspiration this week  – This week I’m inspired by I_weigh on Instagram. It’s the amazing Jameela Jamil who is the founder it and it’s all about lifting each other up.

What is your affirmation dream, goal, and lesson this week?

Photo – Rosalind Alcazar.