Quick note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links; if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.
We are The Grumpy Olive, a team of three sisters blogging from London. On our blog, we write about all the things we love and including food, coffee, beauty and books among many things. You can expect to find easy but tasty recipes, the latest in books and also some talk on beauty and travel because we may fancy that here and there. But most of all, The Grumpy Olive is a little corner of the internet where everything is just fun, new and upbeat – just what the doctor ordered!
Sensory Retreats make fantastic self-heating eye masks – the perfect gift!
I absolutely love eating Tiramisu. But what you will find on The Grumpy Olive blog is a unique and quirky writing style. It keeps you entertained and also makes you feel like you’re chatting over coffee with a friend. This isn’t just a recipe, it’s a catch-up.
I am personally not a huge fan of mushrooms, but I would follow this recipe and maybe change the ingredients slightly. I do love that the blog offers lots of vegan options.
Another thing I absolutely love about reading recipes on The Grumpy Olive, is the detail. You get to learn about the science behind cooking or the history relating to food. And you genuinely feel like you’ve learned something new.
These rolls look absolutely amazing. So yummy and the dipping sauce is the perfect edition. Again, you get lots of information on where to buy the ingredients and how to store them.
Please go check out their posts, give them a follow on Twitter, or support them by commenting on and sharing their blog posts, You won’t be disappointed when you have a browse through the blog.
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The post is full of honesty. I feel like it’s time to be brutally honest about my mental health struggles…
Just imagine for a second, years of being ruled by fear. The reality is most of the people close to me are unaware of the extent to which fear previously ruled my life. I hid it well.
Then my mental breakdown happened. A final meltdown, shutdown. I was in hysterics talking gibberish to my hubby on the phone. It felt like someone had switched me off to reboot the system. However, they couldn’t get me up and running again.
It would be months before I was anything like the former person I was. Throughout the recovery process, I realised I didn’t want to be the same person ever again. I needed a new improved version of myself. Someone who wanted to prioritise mental health, above all other things in life.
And so it began. My brain turning everyday life situations into the worst thing in the world.
To clarify, I believe this family arguing was the beginning of me having an abnormal reaction to a normal situation. I believe to this day, my anxiety issues are related to brain chemistry and my personality. Not outside factors or the behaviour of others.
Years of being ruled by fear meant I was a shell of my former self. I was the organiser in the family, now I couldn’t stand to hear about the holidays we had planned. I previously managed money in the house. I was now ignoring letters and phone calls about our financial difficulties. I’d succeeded in my current career for 10 years and worked since I was 15 years old. I was shaking at the thought of opening my work laptop.
My breakdown was literally an adverse reaction to everything I’d ever known in the past.
I’m on the road to recovery now, but in order to understand what catastrophe took place on this average workday, we need to first go back in time to where I believe the decline in my mental health began.
Triggers
Being ruled by fear began when I was 18 years old. arguing with my dad. The feelings of anxiety related to this incident triggered something in me. A knot in my stomach, a dislike of arguing. Feeling like I wasn’t good enough. I actually asked my mum at the time whether my dad hated me. That’s how I felt. Why would this person so close to me be shouting at me otherwise? And so it began. My brain turning everyday life situations into the worst thing in the world.
I have a constant ‘it’s the end of the world’ complex. This makes it incredibly difficult to look at the positives aspects of life. I have to work so hard each day and force myself to think positively. My default setting is the worst-case scenario. There is no in-between.
Therapy
Throughout the years, I’ve tried numerous different forms of therapy and I must say, all have worked for that period in time. At this point in my life, I need an overall reset. To look at the bigger picture and put tools in place to avoid depression moving forward.
It was an EFT therapist who discovered this argument between my dad & me. It seemed to be the beginning of my decline in mental health. This was only discovered after several sessions and money spent on private therapy. It came as a shock to me this was a catalyst for the grim future I had in front of me. Living under the grip of toxic anxiety.
To clarify, I believe this family arguing was the beginning of me having an abnormal reaction to a normal situation. I believe to this day, my anxiety issues are related to brain chemistry and my personality. Not outside factors or the behaviour of others.
Parents argue with children, especially teenagers, but my brain filters a normal, everyday situation and transforms it into something different.
If I had one wish it would be to let the people closest to me have a glimpse inside my head for two minutes. I don’t expect anyone to understand fully what living in fear for so long does to you, but understanding the severity of my anxiety issues, to some extent has already helped our family relationships.
Delving deeper into the trigger
When looking back over my years of living in constant fear, despite what the EFT therapist discovered, I genuinely don’t think this was the factor that exasperated my condition.
Arguing with anyone was an uncomfortable situation that led to other uncomfortable situations in life, because of the way I reacted to those scenarios. And the destructive activities I was partaking in to quiet the negative voice in my head didn’t help things.
Self-medicating
Fast forward to my early 20’s. I was out clubbing, with people I didn’t really class as friends, taking recreational drugs for the first time. Obviously, I had a blast (or thought I did!) and clearly switched off the doubting, self-critical, toxic voice in my head for a while – what wasn’t to love?
I spent those partying days, outwardly having the best time of my life, but inside I was always accountable to my instincts. They told me this was wrong, unethical, not what I should be doing. I am a homely person who prefers a glass of wine on the sofa, with a blanket, reading a book. Partying and lack of sleep just wasn’t me at all. I was living a lie!
You can see how I ended up in a dead-end relationship with a narcissist for 7 years of my life, who was also the one who facilitated the partying, encouraged this destructive behaviour and I think was incapable of valuing anyone, even himself. Deep down, I knew I was in the wrong situation in life, but kept plodding along, mainly due to fear and lack of confidence. Who else would want me? What if I was walking away from the wrong person? In hindsight, I was so dependent on this person for adding value to my life, it would take a lot of energy I just didn’t have to walk away.
For years I’ve believed my family disliked me, disapproved of me, people were talking about me, spying on me, there is a conspiracy. For no other reason than a voice in my head told me this over again, until it became my reality. My family is the complete opposite of the picture I’ve described above. They are loving, supportive and I see them several times a week. How ironic, you have the most loving supportive family, but you believe otherwise!
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Why did it take so long to walk away from the destruction?
Due to years spent living in constant fear, it meant this became a way of life. You cannot change your behaviour overnight. Several pretty shocking events happened as a result of my destructive behaviour and one day I may talk about them. There are rebellious youngsters who make mistakes, but I would say some of the situations I put myself in were crossing a line. I learned my lesson and I am lucky to have the life I lead today. However, I probably would take back some of the things I did whilst my mind was altered.
But we live and learn. As human beings, we make mistakes and some people believe this makes you stronger.
Did I hide it well?
My anxiety issues were obvious to me at, living in my own head. But my mum’s own recent admission, that she including everyone else would “never have known” it was this bad, made me think I need an Oscar. But did I hide it well?
I did many abnormal things over the years, but they were clearly normal reactions to my circumstances and the situations I was putting myself in. I once broke down in front of a manager at work and was unable to talk for ages, after a fallout with the toxic boyfriend. This was just one of the out-of-control situations I put myself in.
To this day, I think people just conclude I’m a difficult person to be around. If I had one wish it would be to let the people closest to me have a glimpse inside my head for two minutes. I don’t expect anyone to understand fully what living in fear for so long does to you, but understanding the severity of my anxiety issues, to some extent has already helped our family relationships.
The person I was in the past shortchanged herself, undervalued her worth and it’s time for that to stop.
Isn’t this how everyone feels?
When you suffer from severe anxiety for so long, it becomes the norm. For years I genuinely believed everyone felt like this and it was a shock to me when I discovered everyone didn’t.
For years I’ve believed my family disliked me, disapproved of me, people were talking about me, spying on me, there is a conspiracy. For no other reason than a voice in my head told me this over again, until it became my reality. My family is the complete opposite of the picture I’ve described above. They are loving, supportive and I see them several times a week. How ironic, you have the most loving supportive family, but you believe otherwise!
When you are being ruled by fear, your thoughts tell you something completely different from reality. You can see why it can eventually result in a complete mental breakdown.
Thoughts are just thoughts
Part of me knows my thoughts are just that, thoughts. But it doesn’t help to tell myself this when I’m in the midst of a panic attack or bout of depression. Something which isn’t me takes over, another, darker side. I become the opposite of my personality. A shadow of the person I am. A weakened, frightened person.
During my recovery, the most ridiculous thing I’ve dealt with is openly not regretting a single second of my anxious past. It sounds silly to say you would torture yourself in your own head for 15 years until you literally break into a million pieces and have to put yourself back together again. Camber out of the dark, dingy pit you were in and slowly learn to function again. Why would someone want to do that to themselves? The answer – because I wouldn’t be where I am today, hopefully helping other people.
I figure it’s pointless going over the past, regretting the opportunities I didn’t take, and better spending time focusing on the future and being thankful for the lessons I’ve learned.
The person I am today is a great mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, work colleague, writer, blogger, content creator, and mental health advocate. My failures struggles and regrets made me the person I am today. Including the anxiety voice, I still carry around with me.
Because of my struggles over the last few years, I am confident in using all the labels above to describe myself. I am seeking opportunities that align with my personality and purpose in life. I am determined to carve out a path to a great work-life balance. I am me again. Whoever I was supposed to be before my brain started turning on me all those years ago.
During my recovery process, I’ve had a hard time deciding where my personality ends and anxiety starts. But maybe the anxiety is a symptom of my personality. My personality traits involve being driven and determined. I guess this can easily lead to me putting pressure on myself to get things done. I’m highly creative, so I face burnout trying to record all the thoughts whizzing round in my head.
The person I was in the past shortchanged herself, undervalued her worth and it’s time for that to stop.
I have a new tool…
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I am in the process of putting tools in place for managing my anxiety.
You can find details below of another tool I will be using. I am recommending it because I think it can also help other people.
World Mental Health Day offer
#AD #GIFTED
I am excited to share with you a free 21-day membership offer for The Anti-Burnout Club app.
The offer is valid for 24 hours from today. Please visit this dedicated page to sign up.
The Anti-Burnout Club is giving everyone free access until the end of October, to help make self-care more accessible.
Final thoughts
I hope you liked my post. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and thinkwould be useful for you.
Where do you look when you want to check out a product? Or find a quirky and unusual gift? Google of course. I don’t know about you, but I trust what I read online, mainly when it comes from bloggers I know and love.
Do you want to know why? We do our research! In order to write a blog post, you need to know what you’re talking about. Check out the products for yourself and do a lot of scouring the internet. That makes what we write an amazing resource. We put the hard work in so you don’t have to.
I mainly write about the products I buy as a customer. Some of them, like No7, I have bought for years and therefore know all about the range. It is about sharing this knowledge with others to make their online purchases easy.
Here are some of the gift guides I have written previously
Feel free to check out any of these gift guides for inspiration and ideas. When shopping for a loved one, we often think about a gift that suits their preference and personality. I personally love a unique and quirky gift, with a special touch.
Some of the unique and quirky small brands I have worked with
I love supporting small businesses and discovering products people may not know about. Especially hand-crafted products. The kind you would find at a small craft market, or the little gift shops on holiday. When a purchase resonates with me, or I feel like I would gift it to someone, I feel obliged to share my knowledge with other people.
I have two exciting gift guides coming up on Thursday 28 July 2022 and I am also in the process of organising one for August 2022. I genuinely love working with these brands and putting the information together.
You will also get to see more video content. keep an eye on Instagram and TikTok for details.
If you’re struggling with gifting ideas
We all have that one person who is really difficult to buy for, don’t we? In our family, it’s my dad.
If after reading these gift guides, you’re still looking for the perfect gift or something extra special, check out these ideas below:
Why not give the amazing gift of a special book, journal, diary or any of the other amazing products from Waterstones?
An English Heritage membership is the perfect gift for anyone who loves exploring. Maybe you have a loved one who enjoys reading about history? The great news is, that you can also take six children with you when purchasing an adult membership!
CAN I INCLUDE MY CHILDREN IN MY MEMBERSHIP?
English Heritage membership allows every Member to take up to six children under 18 within the family group into any of our properties at no extra charge.
Silly Sentiments is an independent UK-based greeting and gifting company that specialises in personalisation. We’re located in the Midlands and control all elements of production, from design to print, passing savings to our customers.
Some other quirky mentions before we wrap up (hehe)
Our service is about making it easy to deliver happiness direct to someone’s door
The Gift of Cake is a family business based in the South West of England.
We wanted to provide a service for ordering a cake online, including a personalised message and sending it by post as a lovely gift for the lucky recipient. But it’s not that easy to send a cake through the post. So we’ve invested time, money and hard work to provide a great solution.
Celebrate Gifts Ltd is the UK’s leading manufacturer of Chocolate Bouquets, Yankee Candle Bouquets, Alcohol Bouquets and Hat Box gifts.
All Celebrate Gifts are handmade by our team of qualified florists and come with the option to add a complimentary gift message. Our gifts also arrived fully assembled so they can be taken straight out of the box and enjoyed!
Inspiring lessons, workshops and experiences that make brilliant days out and unusual gifts for any occasion.
From Hula to Harmonica classes, Gin Tours to Paddleboarding the Indytute offers unusual gift experiences in London.
Founded by Calypso Rose in 2013, the site has grown in popularity ever since and now offers over 160 unique and unusual experiences.
Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading my gift guides and why I think they are important when shopping for special occasions. An amazing resource we can tap into to make our busy lives much easier!
Have you purchased from any of these brands before? What’s your favourite? or do you have someone who is difficult to buy for?
I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
PR Products – these gel wax melts were kindly gifted in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own and I would never recommend something I wouldn’t purchase myself
I was thrilled when Village Wax Melts agreed to send me their new gel wax melts to try. I hadn’t heard of this latest trend, but I am always hunting for melts packed full of fragrance.
I frequently talk on the blog about using self-care purchases to improve my mental health. Going through a mental breakdown highlighted how much I need this daily self-care. Buying a candle or wax melt and burner, is now on my weekly shopping list. Whilst I am working from home, it brightens my day. And depending on the fragrance, it can also calm stressful moments. What a revelation to try out a gel wax melt. I was also kindly gifted some other products, which I will discuss throughout this post.
I was so excited to try these and they did not disappoint. Before trying out this new product, I previously had to put my used burners in the freezer to remove the leftover wax. You don’t have to do this with the gel. It just peels out after use.
They are also more highly scented and you can smell the fragrance as soon as you open the tub. I wanted to take some great photos and videos for the blog, but I was genuinely mesmerised by how it melts. And I found myself sitting there are ages watching the process. Doing this is calming in itself. Definitely, something I would purchase in future, instead of the usual wax melts.
Wax melt selection
Village Wax Melts also kindly sent me a range of normal wax melts to try. I loved the shape and the fragrances. I will be honest and say I was previously put off buying scents which mimic perfumes and aftershave. But I have to say that the savage (wax melt and gel wax melt) was so refreshing. I am sure we all wear perfume for a night out. But having that same smell burning in your home makes you feel fresh. Like you’re on holiday, in a busy bar, living life. The scent isn’t as overpowering as someone wearing it, but it’s lovely to brush past as you walk to the kitchen. I am now sold on perfume and aftershave-related scents and love also loved the Aliens scent they included for me. Scents which transport you to another familiar situation, are excellent.
The scent I loved the most
Out of the wax melts I was sent, my favourite one has to be Aperol Nights. Because I love them so much, I have nearly used them all. I suppose we all have different tastes, but this one is my go-to and I will be ordering it again.
I took part in the blogtober challenge last year. It was an extremely busy month, but I also managed to release a lot of blog posts, which massively helped my engagement.
In October 2021, my blog was only three months old and therefore I was still in the growing phase.
The post will outline how the challenge can help you engage more with other bloggers. Therefore increasing page views and how many people view your writing.
Halloween is my favourite time of year and I secretly spend the summer waiting for a scary Halloween party and some spooky fun!
What is blogtober challenge?
Blogtober is an annual event held every October. It involves posting one blog per day, every day of the month. Because I was brand new to blogging when the blogtober challenge came up last year, I only made it part way through. However, I was proud of the progress I made.
As you can see from the archive on my website –
October 2021 is still the month in which I released the most blog posts. And I managed to release some pretty important content:
it is completely up to you whether to have a Halloween-related theme or use this month to talk about a range of subjects on your blog. You will see from the posts above, I did a bit of both. It was also Mental Health Awareness Week, which I believe is a great time to raise awareness of the issues I discuss on my blog.
How to get involved
You can get involved by searching the blogtober hashtag on Twitter. If you are part of the blogging community, get involved with fellow bloggers. You could participate in a blogging tag, and nominate other bloggers to join in. It really is a fun month and I cannot wait for it to come around again.
Due to my mental health struggles during and following the birth of my baby, we needed to form a consistent care plan for my little one. It was imperative we built a great parenting team. My hubby was fantastic throughout and we also have the support of my parents. For this, I am incredibly thankful.
Following this experience, I wanted to share my tips on looking after your mental health during and after pregnancy.And also the things to remember when creating a great parenting team.
Quick note: Mummy Conquering Anxiety is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and thinkwould be useful for you.
I am no expert on parenting, but I hope my experiences help you with the mental health side of things. Your feelings are completely normal. If you’re struggling mentally, I want you to know I felt the same for at least a year post-pregnancy.
In this post I will discuss my top tips for ensuring you parent well as a team
1. Consciously work as a team
Since having a baby, we thrive when we parent as a team, support one another, and both muck in (reality check – it isn’t always like this. We sometimes get annoyed with each other but we try our best!). Creating a great parenting team can be difficult.
During the worst times of my birth story, my hubby was the only one who could understand me fully. Having this one person there you can rely on showed me sticking together was the best option.
My instincts have always been strong and sometimes it’s difficult to tell the people around you something must take place. I came across like an unhinged, irrational expectant mother when trying to make everyone see a c section was the only option for delivering our little one safely. And guess what, the surgeon confirmed I was correct to choose this option. I just knew. I dread to think what might have happened if my hubby wasn’t there, on my side. We use this bond in our parenting now.
These days, we openly remind each other mid-argument that we work better when we are getting along and most of the time, it diffuses the situation.
2. Take time for yourself
If you follow my blog, you will be aware this is pretty much my ethos! I now understand we must take time to look after ourselves, or it will be chosen for us. Creating a great parenting team allows me to take the time I need to recharge my batteries.
I get it, self care is way down the priority list. Before my mental breakdown, this is what I told myself. Taking time for myself was something I neglected to do, especially when I returned to work following maternity leave. This resulted in almost five months off work. Now I realise I can’t care for my child unless I look after myself.
These are some of the things we both try and do to practice self-care:
Get out of the house
Enlist the help of grandparents, a nursery, friends
If you’re looking for the ultimate self-care accessory, check out Sensory Retreats for a touch of luxury.
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3. Ask for help
For those who don’t have much support, there are some amazing support groups out there and classes you can attend. I recently wrote about an amazing support hashtag I discovered on Twitter. Social media can be a great resource for people who may be feeling lonely and want to speak to like-minded people.
It’s healthy for you and your child to spend time apart and come back to each other refreshed, or both get involved in a social setting where the pressure is taken off your shoulders for an hour. As difficult as the first drop-off at nursery is, it’s beneficial for your little one in the long run. Get over parent guilt and start carving out some child-free time.
Boots have an amazing section on self-care resources if you’re looking for some tips and tools to occupy your child-free time. In addition, it never hurts to get some professional help as well. Whether it be a lawyer for birth injury claims or a lactation consultant, help in any form is also a good idea. At the end of the day, it really does take a village to raise a child, and the more help you have, the more help your little one has as well. There’s no shame in admitting you need an extra hand, so give yourself a little credit and surround yourself with helpful and genuine people.
4. Be kind to EVERYONE
It’s a difficult job and it’s likely everyone is in the same position as you (I hid my anxiety condition for 15 years, it’s possible someone may be too embarrassed to share their reality with you). Show another parent at nursery drop-off you understand, and don’t be too harsh with family members on parenting issues, such as discipline.
Be kind to yourself, your spouse, family members, and every person you meet. You never know the internal struggle someone else may be facing.
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5. Be realistic and give yourself a break
Creating a great parenting team means you have to relax your own standards slightly and learn the art of compromise.
As a confessed perfectionist, reality was sometimes a difficult concept for me. I still have to try hard each day to avoid burning myself out in the name of getting everything done right here and now. But why did I set such an unachievable target for myself?
One of my lovely friends and I have an agreement to cancel plans if you need to. As a busy parent, I forget to text people back, attend appointments and you know what? The consequences aren’t so severe and tasks get done eventually.
Give yourself a break and stop setting silly, unrealistic expectations for yourself. It’s about lowering your standards and not trying to fight against the fact there will be a mess with a feisty toddler running around. Go and play with the toys, join in the fun, and have a laugh instead. It’s a much better way to spend your time.
Final thoughts
Have you experienced any parenting issues? What did you do to solve them? Have you managed to create a great parenting team?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
If you’re looking for the ultimate self-care night away or spa day, look no further than Village Hotels.
When I first started my blogging journey, I was overwhelmed and I didn’t have a clue. Naturally, I made mistakes. I haven’t repeated these mistakes with my second and third blogs. Simply because I now have experience.
Using this logic, why not tap into the vast knowledge each blogger has? You should absolutely treat other bloggers as trusted sources because they do this job consistently. They have lived through mistakes and genuinely want to help other people with the products they create.
I only wish I had tapped into some of these amazing resources, from fellow bloggers, earlier on in my blogging journey.
Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and thinkwould be useful for you.
Throughout this blog post, I am going to talk about some of the fellow bloggers I have come across and why their products are a must on your blogging journey.
Izzy Matias
I first came across Izzy when I won a giveaway for her blogging course and can I just say, I am loving working through this at the moment.
#AFF – I am working through the ‘How to Make a Money-Making Blog’ course & I honestly feel so motivated. Wish I had done this when I first started my blogging journey!
— MummyConqueringAnxiety | Blogger (@Mummyconquerin1) February 26, 2022
I’ve just won a second giveaway with her – how amazing!
You will not be disappointed by her products and it may just provide you with the concrete foundations you need to stay motivated on your blogging journey.
Blogging isn’t easy and at times you can feel like giving up. Outlining your purpose and your goals is essential, to keep you motivated. Izzy will help you do this.
Reinventing Neesha
Another absolute trusted resource is Neesha. After years of blogging, she definitely knows her stuff and I find her eBook and money-making emails so helpful.
— MummyConqueringAnxiety | Blogger (@Mummyconquerin1) February 25, 2022
If you’re starting out on your journey and you are interested in using affiliate marketing to make money, buy and read this eBook. Buying this book will literally change the way you think about writing your blog posts. It is also encouraging me to be selective about the products I promote, in order to get the best return for the time I spend working on the content.
Lynn Mumbing Mejia
Lynn’s content is so inspirational. It’s like looking at those perfect interior design Pinterest photos. Her blogging templates are no different!
I will be honest and admit when I first started blogging, I thought I could do everything myself! It soon became apparent there was limited time for all the wonderful ideas swirling around in my head. Whilst I intend to eventually create my own Gumroad shop, creating social media templates is time-consuming and I just cannot fit it in. Therefore I have purchased templates for each one of my blogs. And they are so easy to use.
We all want amazing Pins which will draw in readers to our blog. Pinterest is a difficult game anyway, but then creating your pins from scratch, adds even more stress. These beautiful templates will take away the added stress, leaving you to write, set aside some time for self-care, or whatever you love doing in your spare time.
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I didn’t use Instagram highlight covers initially, but let’s be honest, the profiles with them look more professional, dont they?
Because I love seeing them, I have purchased highlight covers for each of my blogs, and I am so glad I did. This post is motivating me to finally add them to my social media accounts. They are so cute and I can’t wait to see what they look like.
We all need a media kit. If you want to monetize your blog and impress brands, it’s a must. You can view mine here. The best resource I can find about why it is vital is from Rosie. Please take a read.
Should you want to create a media kit, look no further than this amazing template by Lynn.
Sign up for my freebie library. Each week there will be a new freebie added to help organise your life and take away some stress!
Gemma Jayne
There is no denying, starting out on your blogging journey can cost money. At first, I was worried about the amount I spent and whether I would ever get this back. However, if you don’t start, you will never know. You just have to go for it.
After struggling with money myself, this Step by Step Guide to Budgeting eBook is a useful resource for anyone who wants to take control of their finances.
Given my own struggles with money, I set up my second blog about budgeting and making the most out of the money you earn.
Eleanor Jones
If you’re looking to improve your writing, both within your blog posts and social media copy, look no further.
Check out Eleanor’s blog and you will see she clearly knows what she is talking about. Check out her amazing, affordable eBook here.
Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading my post.
Do you use templates or take training courses from fellow bloggers? Let me know in the comments below.
Pin it for later
Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
However, please rest assured that I would only recommend brands I would buy from myself
We all love a slogan T-Shirt, right? I have many, And something I love to represent with my style is the topic of mental health and helping the environment. If you also want to represent these important issues and let everyone know it’s okay to talk, then you’re in the right place. I am an advocate for great causes!
I’ve wanted to write a guide on unique businesses offering these products for a while. And now it’s here. And, I have some fantastic brands lined up just for you.
We’re based in Portishead with a view of the Severn estuary and the Welsh hills! So, seaside air and a sense of light and space surround us. Sustainability and not contributing to a world with too much waste and stuff are really important to us, so the organic cotton and sustainable printing and manufacturing processes used to make our clothes and accessories are key.
I’m a mum to two and in our family, we have a great love of nicknames. Names get mangled until they are unrecognisable. It’s how my husband’s mum became Moo – I call her that too! And my kids call their gran, Gran Moo. Like all mums, I lose my cool sometimes and think of myself as going into Angry Cow mode, so when my 5-year-old brought home a picture she’d drawn of a cow that looked so adorably angry – the name of the Angry Cow store was born!
It’s a place to be creative and my 5-year-old has a hand in some of the designs as you might notice!
Sarah kindly agreed to send both me and my little one our favourite design so we could create some fun content for you all. I love the shirt so much, that I am even wearing it for work. And everyone loves the design. I patricianly loved the slit design at the side, which makes it more comfortable for me and it hangs better.
You can also get free shipping from Friday 29th July to midnight on Sunday 31st of July, when ordering through this store.
I created my t-shirt brand in January 2018 and launched a website alongside to showcase my t-shirt line. The birth of Teela Jam came about from the acronym T.E.A.L which means together express and love. I was feeling stuck after having my son, suffering from postnatal psychosis, and I wanted more out of my life. Teela Jam gave me a way forward to put out positive messages, get creative and advocate on issues such as mental health and many others including sexual health, healing holistically and parenting. Teela Jam focuses on three themes which include self-love, personality and confidence. Its overall aim is to support people to be themselves in a world that tells them not to be and as well as that to not feel stuck by the hard times.
PLEASE NOTE – I am recommending Mind, Body & Sole because they do amazing charity work. They did not sponsor this post
You may have seen me promoting this charitable organisation on Twitter. If you missed, it please check out their posts.
This evening we have been in touch with the police to help support an individual in crisis and worked with the police to make sure this person got the right support and to safety.
I purchased a T-shirt a while ago and I wanted to include the brand here today, simply because they do such fantastic work helping people in need. I personally want it to continue and I will do what I can to help the cause.
Check out their online shop. And help someone in need.
I am so excited to be working with The Spark Company and I love their mental health-related T-shirts.
A bit about how The Spark Company began
Welcome to Spark, a community for anyone who believes in the radical notion that everyone should be treated equally.
We’re what people call feminist killjoys, a term that we’re actually quite proud of. We’re here to put our money where our ‘loud feminist’ mouths are, creating apparel and accessories that scream feminism + equality while whispering quality + sustainability seductively (and consensually) in your ear at the same time.
We know that ethical shopping is important to our community, and we ain’t no pump and dump brand. We’re all in, meet your parents, stand outside in the rain with a speaker above our head kinda into this, and we want you to be too.
Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading all about these wonderful brands.
I think you will agree we have a great list of meaningful apparel sellers:
Businesses born out of tough circumstances
Small businesses – which I love promoting
Mental health advocates
Advocating for women’s rights
Sustainable clothing
What are your favourite designs?
And will you be ordering any of these amazing items?
This post is full of great quotes to help distance yourself from negativity. We’ve all been in a situation like that in our lives and I can definitely relate this to past situations of mine.
The post will help anyone who is currently on that journey. If you know someone who would benefit, why not send the post to them?
I love everything about this post. It’s a practical guide to talking to yourself positively. The post discusses the use of affirmations to cement the idea you are worthy. And most importantly, ditching negative thoughts.
I love this quote. And it is so true! I slowly changed my life by taking small steps each day. It took over a year, and I am still on a learning journey.
This post reinforces the message that we are all unique and nobody else has your qualities. This is what makes you amazing. Rather than apologising to people and dealing with low self-esteem, start to see yourself as worthy.
After hitting rock bottom and realising that there was only one way to go from here, I looked for ways I could turn my life around. Positive Thinking kept showing itself to me through books, TV, conversations, and everywhere I went. I eventually looked into it and realised that I would need to start right at the very beginning, learning positivity and unlearning negativity. My life looks very different now and I created Positive Thinking for Beginners to help others begin their journey.
Have you already checked out this amazing blog? What are you doing today to welcome positive thoughts into your life?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
ADVERTISE ON THE BLOG
When I started this blog, it was the blogging community that helped me progress. I did several guest posts and advertised every month with my fellow bloggers. This helped me get organic search traffic to my blog.
Based on this, I would now love to help other bloggers improve their DA scores and promote your wonderful blogs, so more people can read your work.
If you would like to advertise with me, drop me an email. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Want a special offer?
I am offering a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for the remainder of 2022. Book three months on the silver package for £10.00, instead of £12.00. (this applies to existing bookings and new ones, and you can select any of the remaining months of the year as three months!)
Before children, we used to date each other a lot. We had endless date night ideas. We went on a 5* holiday to Mexico, had numerous hotel stays. Nights out and shopping trips were a regular occurrence.
We would regularly go out for Friday happy hour and I would leave my work colleagues to go ‘date’ my now hubby. I classed it as being more important. We would order bottles of wine in a fancy wine bar, along with tapas. Sometimes I would go get my hair done first. Wonderful memories.
We had fun. I have no regrets about the lack of social interactions we have now.
Because we both lived life to the fullest at University, then together, we have no regrets. There isn’t a single day I’m resentful for the life I have now. It’s just another amazing chapter, which is different from the social life we had before.
Undoubtedly life has now dramatically changed. We have to be a little more creative with our date night ideas. There is no avoiding the fact we can’t just go out when we want to. Even on days off, we have nursery pick-ups to sort out, and responsibilities that come along with looking after a toddler.
Because we both lived life to the fullest at University, then together, we have no regrets. There isn’t a single day I’m resentful for the life I have now. It’s just another amazing chapter, which is different from the social life we had before.
Whatever life throws at us, it is important to fit in some time to still date each other. Anyone who’s experienced the full force of a toddler will know you can’t even have an adult conversation in their presence. They get angry at not being acknowledged. And sometimes this could mean toys being thrown at you. A ‘date’ for us could be as insignificant as an hour-long conversation, without ‘toddler’ interruptions.
We get time to just be adults, which is very important to being a successful parent.
Here is a rundown of the practical alone time we’ve managed to fit into our hectic schedule recently:
Walking
We love walking, but with a toddler, we are limited as to the walks we can go on until she is a little bit older.
On a recent rare weekday together, when she was at nursery, we walked together and it was lovely. Just the two of us, talking, taking pictures, and saying hello to the other walkers. Because it was a weekday, it was fairly quiet and we had a beautiful landscape with bluebells and a lovely river all to ourselves.
We did this walk when I was newly off work following my breakdown and it helped me. I still look back at the pictures and think I’ve come a long way since then. During the walk, I thought I would never feel better again.
Watching films
The perfect date night idea. We can now only do this when we have a night together, without a toddler running around. Because we can, we usually end watching a three-hour film.
For me it has to be epic, otherwise, I am wasting my time. I am very picky when selecting films.
Who knows, we might even make it to a cinema soon!
Wandering around the supermarket
It may sound simple, but wandering around a supermarket, a shop, walking with a coffee, is amazing when you don’t have to chase after a toddler or carry three large bags of supplies around with you.
There is also the element of doing something for ourselves. When we visit a shop as a twosome, we might purchase an item of clothing for ourselves, a scented candle. Instead of thinking about buying for the little one.
We get time to just be adults, which is very important to being a successful parent.
Going for a coffee
The ultimate date night idea. COFFEE DATE!
We recently popped into a brand new Starbucks drive-through and sat outside in the sunshine with a lovely coffee together, before a nursery pickup.
It was amazing, to have time to chat and be still for a while. Nowhere to be and not a care in the world. we all need this!
Jump in the car and see where it takes you! The benefit of doing this without a toddler, is loud music, car chatter and not thinking about nappy changes, potential car sick of retrieving the dummy which as just thrown on the floor!
Final thoughts
Do you have any creative date night ideas? I would love to know in the comments below.
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