tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47278764285963723232024-03-13T08:49:46.703-07:00MillyMaggyA lifestyle blogger with a love for Yoga, Interior Design, and the fresh outdoors MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-69839211057877023932016-04-24T08:38:00.001-07:002016-04-24T23:40:27.443-07:00Hold Onto Your Dreams<div style="text-align: center;">
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For today's post I am going to be telling you a little about struggles I've had over the years with reading. You may wonder why on earth I'm writing a post on something that for some people is such a basic thing, and I'm hoping the reasons as to why will all become clearer as you read through this post.<br>
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From the first time I was able to pick up a book reading hasn't been at all easy, basic or a simple task. In fact I've only been able to read properly, and more importantly - enjoy it for just over a year.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">With almost being 20 I do feel a little behind on the band wagon with it, but throughout my childhood reading had always been a huge struggle due to a number of reasons (which I won't be going into much detail on today). However hard I tried to read a book I just found it to be too difficult; too much of a chore and gave up before completing even the first chapter.</span></div>
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I know that I'm not alone with the matter of finding reading something of a challenge, and I hope that me sharing my story with getting to a place where I can delightfully say "I enjoy reading", may help those who perhaps are going through something similar. I won't say that I find reading super easy now, as I do still struggle with it but overall I am a lot better and as I said above, I do enjoy it.</div>
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When growing up I remember often seeing my Mum and Sister at weekends or in the evenings chilling on the sofa, or on holidays relaxed by a pool, or on the beach, enjoying their book and secretly felt quite jealous of them - however silly it may sound.</div>
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Whenever I picked up a book and tried to read it I just couldn't find the concentration within me to continue it, whatever type of book, be it fiction, non fiction, or even articles in magazines, however hard I tried I honestly felt I couldn't. </div>
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I was able to read well enough at school to pass my exams (just), but it wasn't easy. Studying and revising is already a difficult task for the majority of us, then with the challenge of reading on top of this made it a lot worse. Lets just say, I'm over the moon that my exams are now in the past and out of the way!</div>
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But even so, reading for pleasure had always secretly been a dream of mine, and I hoped that one day I'd be able to enjoy it - just like my Mum and Sister do. With growing older the determination within me also grew and around a year ago I felt if I really did focus on the task I could do it.<br>
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Now having worked on my reading for a year or so I can confidently say it has become one of my favourite things to do. I love how its such a lovely, simple way to wind down, to feel relaxed and calm also. This being in the comfort of home, or travelling on a train, plane or similar. Or when on holiday and so much more. Reading is something that can be done almost anywhere and at anytime which makes it even more wonderful.</div>
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So you may be wondering, how did I achieve this; how did I change a 'no-can-do' to a 'can-do'? </div>
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I worked myself slowly into it, firstly with reading the articles in magazines...instead of just looking at the pictures and quickly flicking through the rest. Then I took my six month stay in the U.S as the perfect opportunity to start reading some 'real' books.</div>
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I started with non fiction books such as 'to do' and 'how to' books, on topics I felt particularly interested in and wanted to learn more on. For example Meditation, Yoga and Self Help books, as well as books on Interior Designs.<br>
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For the first time ever I was reading and completing books. And the more important thing - I was enjoying it too!</div>
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I feel the main reason I was able to do so was because it had been the first time ever that I could put a huge amount of focus and effort into it. I'd finished school and exams; I was away from home, on my own and could take the time out to focus on the simplicity of reading. I'm thrilled I did as I've always secretly dreamed of being able to cosy down under a blanket with a cuppa to read a good book. That little dream of mine has come true - wooho!<br>
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I wanted to share this with you basically as an example of a dream I held onto; even when I wanted to completely give up, I didn't, I still carried on trying; I still held onto my dream. This dream has now come true - it wasn't easy, but I eventually got there.<br>
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I do understand that there are a lot more substantial and significant dreams in life than the example I've written about here with reading, but that doesn't mean they can't be achieved.<br>
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Each and every one of us have dreams, ambitions, and things we'd like to work towards. As long as they are realistic, with enough focus, drive and determination you are all so capable of accomplishing your dream. However small (like me with my reading) or big (such as wanting to start your own business). As long as you hold onto your dream, as long as you keep on believing you can, and as long as you use your determination, you can get to where you want to be.</div>
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Sending you all my love xxx</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-12395417036545165132016-04-21T09:41:00.000-07:002016-04-21T03:28:05.267-07:00The Royal Pavilion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today I'm delighted to share some photo's I recently took of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.</div>
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Surprisingly although I've now been living in Brighton for just under 5 months I hadn't properly been to have a look around the Pavilion grounds. In all honesty the reason for this is simply down to the long Wintery slog and cold weather we've had in the UK. </div>
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I know its such a silly excuse, but I am someone who tends to hibernate as much as possible in Winter, and although I did go out and about a bit - such as the odd Seaside stroll and popping into town. Overall when its cold outside I'd much rather stay in the cosy warmth of my home (I'm sure some of you feel the same!)</div>
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Anyway, its now Spring - whoop whoop! I know I've been rambling on in quite a few of my recent posts about how lovely it is to finally be getting warmer and brighter but I just love, love, love this time of year as we're edging closer to the Summer. I am a huge fan of Summer...for starters my Birthday's in July, and of course the warm weather is a favourite of mine as it means I can spend most of my time outdoors which is just great. </div>
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So with spending more time out and about I finally made the decision to head to the Royal Pavilion for a proper wander around, with my camera to take some shots of the surroundings. I really enjoyed my time and am now delighted to share it with you here on my blog.</div>
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The day I choose to go was a gorgeous one, as you'll see. With a beautiful bright blue sky, and the warming Sun making the Pavilion look even more spectacular than it already looks. The design and architecture of the building itself is incredibly interesting and intriguing, so of course I was in complete awe as I love design. </div>
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There weren't many other people out as it was a week day, so the grounds were calm and peaceful, with the addition of a few birds out singing, chirping and flying around, as well as a few squirrels foraging on the grass and amongst the trees.</div>
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Before sharing my favourite photos of my outing I'll give you a little bit of background information about the Royal Pavilion as it's got an interesting history. It was originally built as a seaside retreat for George IV in 1787. It was then extended and designed to the Indo-Saracenic style (a style movement by British architects in the late 19th Century) in 1815 by John Nash.</div>
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More recently the Royal Pavilion was purchased from Queen Victoria by Brighton in 1850. Following this the adjacent royal stables were converted into a concert hall - now known as the Brighton Dome. Both are now popular attractions for tourists, drawing in around 400,000 tourists each year. Thanks to the renovations of the building over the years the Pavilion is filled with the original furniture, fixtures and fittings so when inside it feels like being inside a time capsule. If you'd like to read up more on the Pavilion, click the following link which will take you to the website: <a href="http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/">http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/royalpavilion/</a></div>
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Now onto the rest of the photos...I hope you like the handful I've chosen to share with you!</div>
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See what I mean when I say the bright, beaming Sun along with blue sky make the Pavilion look even more so spectacular, in fact quite magical too...</div>
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The architecture of the building is just incredible. All the attention to detail is outstanding, the years of hard work has definitely paid of...</div>
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The detailing in the roof and more along with the great light from the day together create pretty interesting shadow and highlight effects...</div>
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I love the curvature and shapes of the building, it's so different to other traditional British Palaces...</div>
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Above is a statue of George IV which is just outside the Pavilion...</div>
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I like the silhouette effect here from the Sun behind...</div>
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I'd love to know what you think of the photos I've shared with you - be sure to leave a comment below :) </div>
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As always, thank you for taking the time to have a browse through this post, and if you haven't read my previous posts feel free to check those out too!</div>
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All my love xxx</div>
<br />MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Pavilion Parade, Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove BN2 1RA, UK50.822869399999988 -0.1362824000000273450.820361899999988 -0.14132490000002734 50.825376899999988 -0.13123990000002733tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-27349144786839473442016-04-18T10:53:00.001-07:002016-04-18T22:53:31.407-07:00Easy Peasy Chocolate Chip Cookies<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm pretty excited to be writing today's post, this is because it is the first of my baking posts and if you've read my last post: <a href="http://www.millymaggy.com/2016/04/its-time-for-update.html">http://www.millymaggy.com/2016/04/its-time-for-update.html</a> you'll know that I've recently started baking again which I'm loving and enjoying a lot. </div>
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So with enjoying my baking so much at the moment I feel now is the perfect opportunity to share some of my favourite bakes here on my blog. Not only will this be great for me to look back on over time, to hopefully see my baking progress and evolve. But I also hope that you reading this will be able to take something from these posts too...perhaps after reading this post you'll feel inspired to try out the recipes I share; or you simply take joy in having a little look through these sorts of posts. </div>
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Personally, I think it's such a nice topic for me to add to my blog. I'd be delighted if you like this post and look forward to my future baking and cooking posts as I'll be sure to add more.</div>
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I'm only baking quite simple things at the moment, just to slowly ease myself into baking again. This chocolate chip cookie recipe is one that has worked for me time and time again over the last month or so. It's very quick, simple and easy so you'll without a doubt make a gorgeous batch of cookies if you do use this recipe.</div>
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Below is a photo of my finished batch, with my cup of tea, my current favourite candle and bunch of flowers (just to look pretty for the photo).</div>
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This recipe makes 12 to 16 cookies, and will take approximately 15 minutes to prepare, 10-12 minutes to bake, then a further 15 minutes to cool. </div>
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The ingredients you'll need:</div>
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1 egg</div>
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175g plain flour</div>
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175g caster sugar</div>
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115g butter</div>
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100g chocolate chips (can have more/less whatever looks right for you)</div>
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A pinch of salt</div>
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Teaspoon vanilla extract</div>
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Teaspoon baking soda</div>
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Extra bits you'll want:</div>
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Bowl</div>
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Mixing spoon</div>
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Teaspoons for measuring</div>
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Weighing scales</div>
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Fork for mixing the egg</div>
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Greaseproof paper</div>
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Baking tray</div>
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That should be everything...</div>
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Before you start you'll want to preheat the oven to 175°C and line the baking tray with the grease proof paper.</div>
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I'll now take you through the simple steps to make yourself a lovely batch of cookies...first you'll want to measure and weigh out all of the ingredients.</div>
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I like to weigh my ingredients into separate bowls before mixing them altogether (you can just add them straight to the bowl if you prefer). </div>
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Use the fork to mix the egg; then mix together the egg, sugar, flour, butter, baking soda and vanilla extract in the large mixing bowl with your mixing spoon until the mixture turns to cookie dough.</div>
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Mix in the chocolate chips.</div>
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Once the cookie dough is nicely mixed with the chocolate chips, place about a heaped teaspoon of the cookie dough onto the lined baking tray, leave a couple of inches between each heap to give plenty of room for when they expand in the oven.</div>
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Place the tray in the oven (at 175°C) and leave to bake for 10-12 minutes; making sure not to over cook them. </div>
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Once the 10-12 minutes is up, take the cookies out of the oven and leave to cool for around 15 minutes...and there we have it - easy peasy chocolate chip cookies :)</div>
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I'd love to know what you think of this post, especially with it being my first baking post!</div>
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Lots of love xxx</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com1Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-15176624527815852002016-04-14T03:53:00.000-07:002016-04-14T03:53:22.615-07:00It's Time For An Update<div style="text-align: center;">
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It's about time I gave you all an update...and I'll warn you now, this is going to be a long ol' post...so perhaps grab yourself a cuppa and get comfy :)<br />
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Right, here goes...I want to start this post by sharing some recent thoughts I've had that involve this blog. Of course I adore my blog...writing about the things I get up to, sharing my photos and my thoughts and so on. I mean if I didn't, I wouldn't be continuing to do so. This blog has become a huge part of my life; it has been and is still really great for me, I can't stress that enough. Then, what makes this even more incredible for me is knowing that there are people, such as you who actually read this little blog of mine.</div>
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With that said, over the last month or so I've unnecessarily put pressure on myself with wanting to post really interesting, exciting and different new posts as much as possible which just isn't realistic for me to do, especially not at the moment.<br />
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In fact, if you're a regular reader you'll know that my current focus is to live my life as simply as possible; to stay calm and to enjoy living in and getting to know Brighton, as thats what is best for me right now.</div>
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The worry I have is that I'd hate for you as my readers to find my posts repetitive, or boring. For example with the photos I share. I absolutely love taking photos, and will inevitably continue to, especially now the weather is finally getting better, warmer and brighter. Then of course I love sharing my favourite shots here, on my Blog.<br />
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I'd find it useful to know your thoughts on this...do I still share my photos, even if they are mostly of the Seafront, and of around Brighton and Hove? Will this still interest you? </div>
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Although I've had this worry at the back of my mind 'are my readers finding my blog repetitive'. It made me think back to the reasons for making my blog in the first place...which was and is still to use it to help me get through tough days, to perhaps channel any negative energy I find myself wrapped up in, into positive use, such as with writing, with sharing photos and more.<br />
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Saying that, I do want to touch on the fact that I didn't create this blog purely for myself, but also, hopefully with some posts, to help others. Such as where I write about challenges and experiences I come across in my day to day; letting those that find themselves going through similar that they are not alone. As well as sharing my interests and things that I'm inspired by such as art, design and more to give a little bit of inspiration and positivity.<br />
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Basically, I want to take you, my readers along my journey of moving forwards, getting through challenges, and learning and working towards better wellbeing, health, happiness and so on. So, yes I'm living as simply as I can at the moment, which is doing me a lot of good. And although I've been having a few rough days here and there, overall I am feeling a lot more positive and enjoying things; I'm feeling more at home being in Brighton than I've felt in a very long time and sooooo much more calm and relaxed too which is great.<br />
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Now I have that silly worry off my shoulders (let me tell you I'm feeling so much better for doing so!) I'll tell you a little about what I'm currently up to - starting with the most complicated thing going on for me right now...moving house.</div>
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My Mum and I are hoping to move into our new home pretty soon (hopefully this month). The whole moving process is very complicated, stressful and a difficult task. I'm sure those of you who have been through it will agree...Mum andI have felt this strain through the many months of looking, and now we have all our fingers crossed that the final leg of the move will go ok, and I'll be sure to keep you updated with this.<br />
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This brings me onto something exciting coming up...once we're moved in a lot of my time is going to be taken up with the renovation and decorating of the new place. I'm hoping to do some before and after photos, as well as sharing my DIY and interior design ideas and more...so watch this space if you like that sort of thing!<br />
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Now moving onto Yoga and Meditation, which I seem to love more and more everyday. In fact both have become my favourite thing to do daily. I find I love to start and finish my day with either a Yoga or Meditation practice at home, and I use a couple of different Apps to guide me through my at home practice which I highly recommend. These being 'Yoga Studio' and 'Calm' (you can get both in the App Store on your phone); both are great for beginner to advance practices, so definitely give each a go if you fancy trying some Yoga or Meditation in the comfort of your own home! I also still love going to classes at the great little Yoga Studio thats just a 10 minute walk away from me, the teachers are all so lovely and it has become very special to me.<br />
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Another current favourite of mine is reading, which in my last update I said I wanted to try and do more of and since that post I've definitely done just that. At the moment I'm reading a trilogy series of books, called the 'DIMLY' (Did I Mention I Love You) series by the author Estelle Maskame (click the link for more info: <a href="http://www.estellemaskame.com/dimily.html">http://www.estellemaskame.com/dimily.html</a>). I won't give too much away about the story as I don't want to give away any spoilers, but as you've probably guessed by the Title, its a love story. The reason why I was drawn to read this series in particular is the fact that the first of the books is set in Santa Monica which is like second home to me so this intrigued me. I'm now to the end of the second book which is just as good as the first and set in New York which is fab and I'm very excited to get started with the third!<br />
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Something I've recently gotten back into, and am enjoying a lot is baking. I used to be such a keen baker throughout my childhood, so of course I'm so delighted I've rekindled my love for it. I may even do a few posts on baking, including recipes and photos of what I like to make; so thats another thing for you to look forward to if you like baking :)<br />
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Finally, I must mention Spring! I'm delighted that it definitely feels like we're in Spring; although there are still some cold, windy and rainy moments, the days are getting longer, the Sun is out more, making outside feel brighter and warmer too. This instantly brightens my mood as I'm sure it does for many of you too! I just love it, and I plan to spend my time enjoying the fresh outdoors as much as I can, with time at the beach, reading, having picnics, going for sunny seafront walks. As well as spending my Spring/Summer time in Brighton I also plan on exploring the Sussex countryside which I haven't yet seen much of, so this excites me greatly!<br />
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The positives I've mentioned above are most certainly helping me keep me progress along my journey to better wellbeing, health, happiness. Having things to forward to, if its something I do daily, such as Yoga and Meditation, or something I'm looking forward to doing in the weeks, and even months to come, such as exploring the Sussex countryside really do help me keep my positive momentum, which I guess is what interests and hobbies are there for, ey? :). Plus, on the days I feel not so great I can think, "hey, I can look forward to this or that...", which can help to turn a frown into a smile.<br />
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To end this post I want to express my feelings on how important it is to make sure you do find time to do the things you love; such as your hobbies, interests, spending time with friends and family as well as taking that oh so important 'time out', or 'me time'...What ever makes you feel positive and happier inside - make sure you find the time to do it! I know its easier said than done sometimes, but taking time out for yourself is so important, and beneficial in many ways.<br />
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Now, before I go...one more thing - a hugeeeeee thank you, to each and every one of you who read this little blog of mine!<br />
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MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-39233232923730806482016-04-04T11:43:00.000-07:002016-04-05T08:34:14.763-07:00Easter Continued...<div style="text-align: center;">
For this post I'm going to write a little more about my Easter, and share the rest of the photos I took with you.</div>
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If you've read my previous Easter post you'll know that Easter for me this year was a wonderfully relaxed time; the first Easter in a while that I've been able to completely enjoy. For the last five or so years things have been pretty chaotic for me and my family, and looking back Easter just whizzed by in a flash without me even realising or being able to enjoy.</div>
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For many of you reading this, you may be able to relate to me not being able to make the most of the Easter weekend. A lot of us live an extremely fast paced life and with work, school and other commitments it is incredible difficult sometimes to stop and fully enjoy such moments.</div>
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Over time I'm realising more on how important it is to make the most of special times, such as Holidays, Celebrations, and the times we spend with loved ones. Also, taking time out for ourselves; for you reading this, to acknowledge all that you are working towards. All of us are going through a heck of a lot all of the time and we often forget to give ourselves some self respect and a much needed pat on the back. </div>
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Something that I find is great to help me with this is staying in the present moment; to make sure I do find the time to stop and savor such special moments. This doesn't necessarily have to be during a Celebration or a Holiday such as Easter. But dedicating a day in the week to slow down, to relax and to enjoy; if not a day, perhaps an evening.</div>
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Doing so is guaranteed to help refresh the mind, to help with feelings of stress, or a low mood, and is the perfect opportunity to acknowledging all the great things there are in life, especially at this time of year when its getting brighter outside, with longer, warmer days and the world is finally waking up from the dark, gloomy Winter slog. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Right, so now I've gotten that </span>ramble out of the way (and thank you if you've read this far!!) I'll go<span style="font-family: inherit;"> back to Easter Sunday...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I spent the day with my Mum, we had a very relaxed day; starting off with waking my Mum up with Easter gifts in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other and later grabbing a stack of magazines to flick through. </span></div>
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Then, after having this much needed slow morning we headed out for a lovely yet rather windy morning walk along the seafront, followed by a wander along some of the back streets of Hove and Brighton, the Sunlight on this morning was great for taking some photos, so of course I did just that. I'll now share some of my photos of the buildings and surroundings.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This was a little Mews off on of the streets in Hove. I love the shadow effect from the bright sunlight bouncing off the Terrace houses. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This walled, gated house and courtyard garden at the end of the Mews really fascinated me. Although it was difficult to see much of the garden I quite like the feeling that I know there must be a beautiful little courtyard behind the gate. The fact that its kept so private and hidden away adds to the beauty and fascination and keeps the mind thinking of what may be behind the closed doors.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I felt quite inspired with the lighting for this shot. There was just something about the Sunlight on this Easter Sunday that made me want to take photos of everything! Does this photo make you wonder what 'La Cucina' is? I'll leave you guessing...</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Here, the clouds started cast over the blue sky and the only Sunlight was shinning on the Sea, glistening brightly which formed a silhouette of the Church. The tall, long pole thing standing out to the left of the Church is the i360...a new viewing tower currently being built, what are your thoughts on it?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After our wander we headed for a cup of tea </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">at a cafe called 'Verano Lounge'; my Mum recommended to go as she'd been a couple of months ago for a work thing and has been raving about it ever since. I can now see why she raved about it so much and we both really enjoyed our time chilling, sipping tea and coffee, chatting and reading. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The staff are very friendly, and the cafe itself is quirky, </span>spacious and grand, having plenty of room for dining tables when there for a meal, as well as huge comfy, leather sofas and arm chairs if there for a more relaxed coffee. Even though its pretty big and airy the atmosphere still feels <span style="font-family: inherit;">warm and inviting. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">We both now agree its our favourite nearby cafe and </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">I can guarantee we'll be going back in no time which I'm very excited about!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You can now see what I mean about Verano Lounge being quite grand.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CzNxm6Fz1zI/VwJ73aBm5RI/AAAAAAAABgo/PZwz9-WHM1wmHISyhBOJ8mX-UL35-F-LA/s1600/P1010880.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="606" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CzNxm6Fz1zI/VwJ73aBm5RI/AAAAAAAABgo/PZwz9-WHM1wmHISyhBOJ8mX-UL35-F-LA/s640/P1010880.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Cafe is filled with all sorts of works of Art which as a lover of Art myself, I definitely enjoyed admiring and looking around at them.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I adore the fact that they allow dogs into the cafe, obviously only well behaved dogs, hehe. But yes, I just thought it was lovely. Plus this dog in particular was incredibly cute. He even had a little teddy to play with - bless.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once back home we spent the afternoon preparing Easter Dinner and as soon as we got all the dishes cooking I prepared a little Easter egg hunt to do for a bit of fun and giggles, which we enjoyed a lot, and I felt like a little kid again :) Finally after Dinner we fell asleep in front of the TV whilst watching films. It was the best day I’ve had for a while and a memory I’ll remember forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for taking the time to read this post, it means a lot! </span>I'd love to know your thoughts on it, so make sure to leave a comment or private message me - I'd love that :)</div>
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Lots of love xxx</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br /></span>MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com1Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-28254295759794696242016-03-30T08:09:00.001-07:002016-04-05T08:34:14.754-07:00Decorating For Easter <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hello lovely readers! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I thought I'd share some photos I took of the decorations I put together for the Easter Holiday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This years Easter celebration in particular felt quite special; it's the first Easter in my new home City - Brighton, and with now having lived here for almost 4 months it definitely feels very much like home, which fills me with delight. With this along with some other reasons it’s been the first Easter for a long while that I've actually been able to fully enjoy, celebrate and relax through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By now, you’re more than likely to know that I love any excuse to plan, organise and display decorations, so of course with Easter being a celebration I took this as the perfect opportunity to put my love towards decorating to good use for my Mum and I to admire and enjoy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t want to go too over the top, or spend too much money on the decorations. So I reused some I already had such as from my Mum’s Birthday and Christmas. I then set myself a budget of £15 to spend on a few more items. I’m extremely chuffed with what I managed to achieve for this, and of course I took photos of the final look which I’m very excited to share with you. I hope you like my ideas and how it all came together; I’d love to know what you think!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I reused the table mats and copper ball lights, I then bought a few extra bits mainly from the store - Tiger. I particularly love the colourful bunting; other items from Tiger include the tea lights and holders, napkins, table cloth, the little chicks and decorative grass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the table I scattered golden confetti and some party poppers I had left over from Christmas (as you can imagine, the confetti is now everywhere hehe But thats part of the fun, ey!</span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8-oQ-EBzUo/Vvp8InwVdZI/AAAAAAAABcU/yL4uorQdwSMbxLeKTQV_0sFGe-137800A/s1600/P1010862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8-oQ-EBzUo/Vvp8InwVdZI/AAAAAAAABcU/yL4uorQdwSMbxLeKTQV_0sFGe-137800A/s640/P1010862.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The beautiful flowers were a gift to me from my Mum, I absolutely adore these, and they've lasted for quite some time now - thumbs up to my Mum!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Hot Cross Bun Tea is from a lovely Tea shop called Bluebird Tea Co. in Brighton - they do a huge variety of all sorts of teas and this was one of their Easter specials!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My Mum and I filled the table with lots of Easter treats and later in the day we set up a little Easter egg hunt around the apartment which was very fun, even with just the two of us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The decorative eggs and the orange paper fold-out decorations were both from Tiger; I'd definitely recommend you take a look around Tiger if you're in need of some affordable decorations. They sell all sorts of other things there too, from kitchen essentials and home furnishings, to stationary and of course great party decorations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope you've enjoyed having a little sneak peek at my ideas, and as always thank you so much for taking your time out to have a read - it means a lot!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I do hope you all had a lovely Easter time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sending you lots of love xxx</span></div>
<br />MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-50242635435690185802016-03-23T09:59:00.000-07:002016-03-23T12:18:39.993-07:00Patience, Acceptance, Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Right from the very start of creating this blog I expressed that I've wanted to be completely honest. I want to do so to hopefully help those who read this in one way or another; as well as to help myself, especially when faced with difficult times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I am going to write this post from the centre of my heart. I'm going to be completely and utterly honest with how I am currently feeling, and I'm going to say straight away that at the moment I'm feeling a bit rubbish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There isn't one specific reason as to why, just lots of little reasons bundled together like a big dark cloud overshadowing me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm pretty sure we all have times like this, and don't get me wrong, I do believe that I will get through it, but that doesn't mean the 'getting through it' bit is ever easy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So why am I writing this post? Well keeping honesty in mind, I honestly needed to let out how I'm feeling. I want to speak out to help those who feel how I currently feel, and if you do to let you know that together we will get through the tough times. We will. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I want to write specifically about the 'getting through it' transition, which is an incredibly challenging process. For me, t</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">here are some days where I feel trapped in this transition, which is how I've been feeling recently. I just want the big dark cloud overshadowing to back off a bit, to give me some space, to leave me alone and just let me breath...you know what I mean?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whilst</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> thinking about the struggle I'm currently in, and with there not being one particular reason for why I feel how I do, I'm just not feeling in very high spirits. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I really want to channel some of my low feelings into something that'll help me get through, and I've found myself thinking of three words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Three very simple words, which I came up with off the top of my head. T</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">o me, these words have great meaning and now sum up my present focus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The words being patience, acceptance, time.</span></div>
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I came across a quote and thought it fitted in beautifully with this post and wanted to share it with you...</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For a long time I've struggled with keeping calm, with being patient and with accepting that some things just take time. We all have such moments where feelings of aggravation, frustration and the urge of wanting a quick fix takes over our minds and becomes overwhelming and unmanageable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Right from this very second I am going to put all of my power and strength into turning my frown upside down, and to try my absolute hardest to focus on being patient and to accept that however long it may be until I'm out of this tough patch. I will get through it and I will be ok. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Learning how to cope and manage such negative feelings isn't easy, but nor is it realistic to live letting such feelings take over. This was the case for me some years ago, and it wasn't doing me any good at all. I knew I needed to change things around and get onto a better path, to progress rather than regress.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The biggest and hardest step is making that decision of positive change and sticking to it. For me, now that this want for positive change is embedded in my mindset, I feel I have opened up so many closed doors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am learning incredible strategies and coping mechanisms all of the time and I'm finding out more on how to better manage my not so good feelings and to be patient with myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the beginning I found it extremely difficult to accept that with some problems there is no quick fix. I do have days where this still upsets me, taking these last few days of me feeling not so great as an example. But with keeping the three words 'patience, acceptance and time' in my mind and using these as a focus helps calm me and ease the frustration. With keeping to this simple focus I feel my mind is clearing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Going back to the reason for why I'm writing this post, I'd like to invite you to perhaps try out a simple focus - maybe like me with patience, acceptance and time or make up one of your own. Then, whenever you find yourself lost, frustrated, feeling down or similar remind yourself of your focus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For example maybe you're finding your workload too much and the amount is causing you to feel demotivated. Or perhaps you're in a similar situation to me where you feel a little stuck, and unsure of whats next, or what you'd like for your future. Or, you're just having a bad day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever it is, whatever may be getting you down, stop, just for a moment, take a step out of the negative spiral you're in. Remind yourself of your focus, smile, breath deeply and repeat it to yourself a few times. Remind yourself that tough times never last and that the best things in life take time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For me, I am learning that if I give myself the time, if I am patient and accept that the best things to come are often those that take the most time. As long as I stay calm and motivated, I just know that I will get to a better place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For many years people said to me "Em, be patient with yourself" or "Em, this is how things are at the moment, but if you give yourself time you will get to where you want to be".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For a while I didn't listen. But then one day, I just simply started to listen to these wise words and since then, I can definitely say that I feel positive changes happening all the time - even on my not so good days. Now with using my new three word focus, the more I think patience, acceptance, time the calmer and stronger I feel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why not try giving yourself a focus starting from right this second? Just think, what is there to loose? Better still, think of what you can accomplish with this simple focus in mind :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And remember...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you so much for reading this post.</span></span><br />
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MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-10421105568664713122016-03-15T09:56:00.001-07:002016-03-15T10:01:00.943-07:00A Misty, Enchanting Sunset<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I feeling as though I can now say that Spring is certainly starting to make a show, yippee!! The days are getting longer, brighter and warmer...the flowers are blossoming beautifully, the birds singing joyfully in the mornings and more. I am a huge fan of this time of year, and with this I find myself spending more time out and about with my camera. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am delighted by this in fact, as if you've read my previous post </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (</span><a href="http://www.millymaggy.com/2016/01/ideas-plans-and-moving-forward.html" style="font-family: inherit;">http://www.millymaggy.com/2016/01/ideas-plans-and-moving-forward.html</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">), </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">you'll know that using my camera more is something I've wanted to achieve in 2016. Which so far has definitely been the case and I'm enjoying every single moment!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Doing so of course means that I have a growing number of photos I've taken to share here on my blog; and so hopefully you reading this will enjoy having a browse through this post as well as the others to come!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I feel incredibly lucky to be living in Brighton, and especially to be living right by the sea here. The sunsets over the sea are wonderful and definitely my favourite moment in the day. With the sunsets being especially stunning at the moment I've taken the opportunity to spend my evenings out at this of day to head to the seafront, to take in the beautiful surroundings and of course to capture some photos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will now share with you some of the photos I took one evening last weekend. On this day I found the sunset to be particularly picturesque. There was a slight mist over the seascape which I feel gives an enchanting and fascinating effect. As it was the weekend and probably the warmest evening we've had so far in 2016 there were many others out enjoying the evening which made the evenings atmosphere feel even more charming! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope you like having a look at these photos! If you do enjoy this insight into one of my evenings spent admiring the sunset, and you haven't yet seen my other posts of my times by the coast click this link and you'll be able to view them all together: <a href="http://www.millymaggy.com/search/label/Coast">http://www.millymaggy.com/search/label/Coast</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz8PHrtMYaI/VufrIZi6hxI/AAAAAAAABXQ/3J2B2qDB9I0MF5M_JlWYh6TDjiGzQKboA/s1600/P1010759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dz8PHrtMYaI/VufrIZi6hxI/AAAAAAAABXQ/3J2B2qDB9I0MF5M_JlWYh6TDjiGzQKboA/s640/P1010759.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love the silhouettes formed by the light and the contrast between the light and dark here...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The glistening golden colours bouncing and glowing off the sea fill the photos with so much warmth...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The sun starting to fade here, behind the blanket of mist which I found created a cool and calming feel to end this lovely day...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Wishing you all a wonderful start to Spring; we can now definitely start to look forward to the longer, warmer days - yay!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All my love xxx</span></div>
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MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-71393539482334613072016-03-07T09:10:00.002-08:002016-03-07T09:10:38.919-08:00Taking Time To Reflect<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You may have noticed I haven't published a post in a couple of weeks, and there is a reason for this. I decided to take some time out, not just from my blog but from using my laptop. I did this mainly to give myself space, to clear and refresh my mind. To be honest I was just feeling as though I needed a complete break from my laptop.</div>
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By doing so I've been able to carefully and deeply think about things, from what I've recently loved and enjoyed...such as reading, my seaside walks and continuing to learn more about yoga. Also to acknowledge and reflect on what I've achieved over the last year or so, as well as to think about what I'd like to see myself doing and achieving over the next few months.</div>
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Even though I did really miss writing posts for my blog I do feel my break has helped my mind feel refreshed, revived and clearer. I can now see how my mind became ever so slightly clouded without me even realising, with multiple spiralling thoughts; from everyday to-dos, to unnecessary stresses and although this wasn't necessarily because of using my laptop, I felt it was the right thing to do for myself.</div>
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Something that I'd really love to share with you, are my thoughts on the importance of taking time to yourself to reflect. Now I know I've written similar posts in the past on taking time out; but I feel that taking time to reflect can be slightly different but just as important. Which is why I'm writing this new post on it.</div>
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To take time to reflect on something in the sense of to think deeply and carefully can help in so many situations. Its a great tool to use in our everyday lives and can often be forgotten about. </div>
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Lots of us live in a very hectic lifestyle where it almost feels impossible to stop and think carefully, even just for a minute. The constant tasks from work to house chores, and so on can sometimes seem endless and like a continuous balancing act.</div>
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If you find yourself getting worked up on a task or you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and stressed, then at that time is the ideal opportunity to stop, even if its just for a couple of minutes, and take some time out to reflect on the situation. </div>
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To give yourself a little bit of space and time; to let yourself breath and think carefully about what you're feeling stressed about and the best way to conquer your tasks can be easier said than done for many of us. I for one used to find it incredibly difficult to simply stop and think, but now having learnt various strategies such as the few below I'm about to share with you I can now truly see and feel how important it is to do so.</div>
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Sometimes when I feel overwhelmed by my thoughts I like to take out a few minutes out, I grab myself my notebook and pen and write down exactly what is stressing me out. There is something incredibly pleasing and therapeutic with writing down a list (I know I'm not the only one who feels this) and afterwards I feel a weight lift off shoulders. I can then prioritise the important things, do them first, then work my way through the rest. I also love ticking each task off, and the "ahhh" feeling once the list is complete.</div>
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Another thing I like to do if I feel myself getting stressed is to do some breathing exercises using my meditation app on my phone, which helps me regain a sense of calm and focus. There are so many incredible apps these days; the one I use is called 'calm' which I found on the App Store. There are meditations from 2 minutes as a quick pick me up, to an hour, or even longer if you have more time. There's different music and soothing noises to choose from; you can have the option to listen to a person guide you through the mediation or not - your choice. I definitely recommend you give it a go! </div>
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There are so many other ways to take time out to reflect. If you're lucky enough to take a day or even a week out of your busy schedule, and focus on having a real break to yourself, to distress and regain a sense of peace, focus definitely do so. Although I understand this isn't realistic for a lot of people, in which perhaps try one of the strategies above :)</div>
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These tips are only from my experience and may not work for all of you, but if you're up to it, give one of them a go and let me know how you get on - I'd love to know!</div>
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I hope you liked todays post, and I look forward to getting back into writing on my blog!</div>
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Lots of love xxx</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-75189947434632049672016-02-24T05:40:00.000-08:002016-02-25T23:56:54.712-08:00Follow My Blog With Bloglovin!<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14726183/?claim=cz4qvn8vhne">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
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I've added my blog to Bloglovin!</div>
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So now if you've already signed up to Bloglovin just click the link above to follow and get updates every time I publish a new post!</div>
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If you haven't signed up to Bloglovin and would like to, click this link: <span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.bloglovin.com/login"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">https://www.</span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap; widows: 1;">bloglovin</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">.com/login</span></a> to sign up.</span></div>
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Alternatively if you don't want to sign up to Bloglovin, but you would like to follow my blog to get post updates, you can do so by entering your email in the 'Follow by email' box in the right side column.</div>
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I want to finish this post by saying a huge thank you. Thank you to my family and friends, and to all those who have supported and believed in me through my toughest times.</div>
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Thank you to those who have stuck by me on my path of recovery and working towards getting myself to a better, happier, healthier place.</div>
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Thank you to all of you who take the time to read my blog; those who have read right from my first post, and those that have started with this one. I couldn't be more grateful.<br />
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Finally a massive thank you to my incredible Mum, who has been there to put a smile on my face when no one else could, to give me endless hugs and to tell me that things will get better. Mum, if you're reading - you're my rock and I will never be able to express how much I appreciate the love and support you give me.</div>
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Now looking back to this time last year, or even to a few months ago, I feel such a wonderful, positive change in myself, and I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for the love and support I get from those around me. I've still got some way to go, but I just know that if I keep on my positive path, I can only go up from here; and as long as I take small steps each day I will get there.</div>
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Sending you all my love, and remember...</div>
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xxx</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; white-space: nowrap;"><br /></span>MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-61841347814033827312016-02-22T06:18:00.001-08:002016-03-02T23:05:06.046-08:00Photo Update - A Stroll By The Beach Huts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Today I thought I'd share some photos I took last week when out for a nice stroll along the Seafront from Brighton along to Hove.</div>
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It was a lovely sunny day, the air was chilly, yet the sun lovely and warming. I'd definitely say I'm a summer girl at heart - I love the warmth and the long days, I especially love the Sea in the Summer and being able to go for a dip is just bliss. </div>
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However I also love the winter sun; take this day for example. Although the air was cold and there was a slight chilly breeze, it felt refreshing. The sun shinning brightly giving out warmth and bouncing off the Sea, glistening beautifully. By simply acknowledging and admiring the stunning atmosphere around me I felt completely calm, peaceful and divine. </div>
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So with this, of course I wanted to take some photos, to capture the wonderful moment I was experiencing. I love this about photos - how they can act like a visual diary. I will be able to look back in months and years to come and remember what a lovely moment this was for me. </div>
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The other thing I love most about taking photos is being able to share them, with you reading this; with family, and with friends. </div>
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I hope you like having an insight into my stroll by the beach huts - enjoy :)</div>
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I love the bright, vibrant colours of the beach huts. Somehow they help to remind me Summer is soon to come...</div>
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How gorgeous does the Sea look? Even better with the man paddle boarding giving a focus to this photo :) </div>
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Again...loving the vibrant colours :)</div>
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There's always lots of joggers on the Seafront so I thought "why not get an action shot of someone for a change"...</div>
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A last glimpse of the days sun, as the paddle boarder floats into the distance...(he did come back to shore eventually!)</div>
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Thank you for reading! </div>
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All my love xxx</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-15661041235282954742016-02-18T05:03:00.000-08:002016-02-22T06:36:04.658-08:00Standing Up To What You Believe In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are all very unique individuals, no one is perfect but that is the beauty of us. One of the components that makes us as unique as we are is the fact that we all have different opinions, and beliefs; we all have different things we stand up for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Standing up to what you believe in is so important; as long as you have good reasonings behind your point and as long as you're not negatively impacting someone else then don't for one second let anything, nor anyone for that matter push you down, or make you disbelieve in what you stand up for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I am going to with a post on a situation that I was in last weekend as an example of why it is so important that we stand up for ourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, last weekend I bought myself a new pair of small, gold, dainty hooped earrings from Topshop. When getting home, I went to put them in, but after several attempts and about half an hour I gave up as they were never going to fasten. A pair of earrings shouldn't take that long to try (and fail) to put in, and because of this I came to the conclusion that they were a faulty design.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, the next day, I went back to Topshop and explained this issue with them, and that I wanted a refund as they weren't fit for purpose. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The sales assistant at the counter said I'd need to speak to the Manger and called him over. After explaining the situation with the manager he was reluctant to give me a refund. His reason was that as the earrings are delicate thats how they've been made, the manager was even unable to fasten them himself (his excuse as to why he wasn't able to fasten them was that he is male, and doesn't wear earrings)...Seriously, is that really a reason? So even with his multiple failed attempts he still said to me that the earrings are fine, thats how they've been designed and therefore I am not eligible to a refund.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, I understand the earrings were very delicate and dainty, but my point was and is, that earrings are made to be worn and I wouldn't have been able to wear them as they were impossible to faster. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Manager somehow ended up turning the situation around on me, saying for example, "don't you have friends or family that can help put them on for you" in an extremely patronising way, which I thought was completely unnecessary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes...I do have friends and family, but I'm not going to ask them to come and help me put a pair of earrings on every time I'd like to wear them?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The manager then said I could call customer services if I wanted to take it any further. Which I did, in the shop. Customer services asked me to hand it to the manager, the manager went to the back room to talk, came back and said "the customer service team have left the situation in the shops hands, and we're sticking to our decision that we will not be happy to give you a refund".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">By this time I was feeling quite patronised and humiliated as it started to feel like I was being questioned in court, when in the first place I was the one complain about a faulty product they are selling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before leaving the shop, feeling upset and let down, I asked if the sales assistant could perhaps show me how to put the earrings on. I knew she wouldn't be able to physically put them on for me (due to health and safety reasons). But I thought maybe I wasn't putting them in right. So, she took me over to the mirror and again, even with her instructions the earrings were impossible to fasten. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I left feeling very let down by Topshop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I got back, I explained the situation with my Mum who was incredibly understanding and after speaking about it she had an idea. She got out her iPad and after typing for a few seconds she showed me a website page - '<span style="font-size: 15px;">Consumer Rights Act 2015'.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The website shows that under section 10 of the Act goods need to be fit for the purpose for which they are sold. Seeing this website in black and white helped me see that I wasn't in the wrong and that I do have the right to return the earrings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With the information from the website my Mum and I came back to my initial decision. The earrings are not fit for purpose as it's impossible to fasten them without a time-consuming struggle, and under section 19 of the Act, I had the <span style="text-indent: -18pt;">short term right to reject the goods (30 day limit).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I understand going this much into the situation, just for a refund for a pair of dainty, hooped earrings costing under £10 may seem a bit ridiculous. But I was genuinely feeling pretty upset. Surely it isn't right for a shop Manager to make their customer feel so patronised, humiliated and upset.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">After a good night sleep, the next day I used the small bit of confidence and bravery in me to go back to Topshop, this time with the legal information, and I did just that. I spoke to a different manager who was in fact very understanding, she could see exactly where I was coming from and apologised for what happened the previous day, and hooray...s</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">he gave me the refund!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not only was I delighted by this but going back the next day, and standing up for myself helped rebuild the confidence I lost and reminded me to believe in myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So the point of me sharing this (perhaps silly) experience on my blog?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To remind you reading this, that if you have something you believe in (even if its something as silly as this example), hold on to that. As long as you have points backing you up, don't let go of your belief and don't let someone or something make you feel you're in the wrong. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You deserve your individuality and your uniqueness which is built from what you stand up for and what you believe in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you don't give up and you continue to believe in yourself </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">your confidence will </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">inevitably</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> grow in time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I didn't have the little bit of confidence and bravery left in me to go back to Topshop the next day I just know that the negativity from the situation would have caused me an adverse effect. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I held onto my belief; I stood up for myself and I'm so happy I did because the final outcome really helped boost my confidence which is always a positive in my eyes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ou_wZsEou5E/VsXAdo8KZJI/AAAAAAAABVc/_a1xudgyEqQ/s1600/c18574a855ff4de776d1259b9f74c540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ou_wZsEou5E/VsXAdo8KZJI/AAAAAAAABVc/_a1xudgyEqQ/s640/c18574a855ff4de776d1259b9f74c540.jpg" width="425" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you for reading :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm so grateful to those who carry on following my blog and reading my posts - it means the world!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Make sure to leave a comment below letting me know what you think, or if you've ever had to deal with a similar situation! I'd love to know :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love you all, millions!</span></div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-66806898276694934242016-02-15T07:40:00.000-08:002016-02-23T03:20:53.693-08:00A Trip To Yorkshire <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today I am going to write about a trip I took this weekend to Sheffield, Yorkshire. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I went to visit one of my closest friends Gemma, who is currently studying at the University in the City. Then met up with my cousin Beth who lives close to Sheffield near to York.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I get into writing about the lovely time I had with them both (which I really, really did!!) I want to touch on the struggles I faced up to, coping with and managing my anxiety, panics and feeling nervous. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In reality, we all have to face struggles and hard times, as well as having the good, enjoyable and lovely times. There are times where we feel the struggles are all too much, and it isn't easy getting through them, I know that for sure. But if you, like me do struggle with, or know someone that struggles with anxiety, panic, nervousness or similar (which, lets face it, a lot of us do, or will at some point in life). Then I am writing about my experiences to help show you that there are ways of coping, and you can learn to manage such difficulties. It's not easy, and its not all plain sailing, but it is possible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've learnt that my anxiety is strongest mostly when in situations I feel trapped or unable to get out of; or situations I feel I am being a burden on, or a nuisance to others. This includes a number of scenarios such as being amongst a crowd of people when out and about, in a busy shop, on public transport, and even when out for a coffee or a meal with loved ones, and more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, basically, a lot of the time I tend to feel anxious, and because of this I find it extremely difficult to plan things to do, especially things in advance as I worry I won't be up to what I have planned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are a number of reasons as to why I now feel this way, this hasn't always necessarily been the case. If you've known me for a while you'll know that I was an incredibly outgoing girl and on the surface I did seem confident. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But, mainly throughout the years of high school, this slowly started to change (on the inside to begin with). I started to feel less confident in myself, and over time this got worse. Certain experiences at home and in school caused the confidence within me to plummet, eventually causing me to be mentally and physically unwell. This is something I will have to work on for years to come now. But I can definitely say I am on my path of recovery, and with time, patience and determination I will get to a much better place, and now, when looking back I have already come an extremely long way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, getting back to my trip...if you've read my older posts, including the posts when I was away in America, you may be thinking - but Emily, you planned yourself multiple things to do, trips out and so on...and you did them too; so surely you'd find it easier now especially being back in the UK?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, I know I did plan and do some great things in America and I am over the moon with my achievements and the experience I managed...but they weren't all easy for me. Each day, let alone each trip out was a challenge for me. Learning to manage anxiety takes time, and there are ups and downs. One day I can be feeling super confident and up for almost anything, the next not so much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am continuously facing challenges, but I won't lie and say, yes...after each challenge I face I feel things are suddenly a lot easier - that isn't the case. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I will say however, is that after each challenge I conquer I feel I learn more and more about myself and how to manage my feelings, which is definitely very positive.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A huge help will such struggles is having great supportive friends and family around, it really does make a massive difference being surrounded by wonderful people, positive vibes and helpful advise. I am fighting my way through and step by step I am definitely finding my way to better cope and manage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So travelling to and from sheffield, getting on two trains, for over 3 hours, both directions (so four different trains and over 6 hours), and staying on each train was a massive achievement in itself for me. D</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">oing so was most definitely worth it as my time with both Gemma and Beth was pretty magical. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">On day one, with Gemma, I was treated to a great pot of good ol' Yorkshire tea at a very lovely, rustic little coffee shop on a pebbled street, in central Sheffield called 'Marmadukes'. </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had a much needed catch up talking about anything and everything, a</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">fter our tea and chat she took me for a lovely wander around the City. I</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">t was so lovely spending this time with Gemma, we spent lots of time together in school, but now that we're in separate counties time like this together is a rarity. This also makes our time together that even more special, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">and Gem, if you're reading - thank you so much, I </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">love</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> you!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was very sad having to say bye, b</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">ut after such a great successful trip I just know I'll be going back to Sheffield in no time!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then, my time with Beth was also very special - I hadn't seen her in such a long time either (I think it must be about 3 or 4 years since we last met up!); we really did have so much to catch up on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, the next day, as I loved the coffee shop Gemma took me to so much, I suggested it to Beth and it was just as lovely the second time! </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was great getting to know one another again and finding out about whats been going on in each others lives over the last few years!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We then headed to the Peace Gardens, which is a pretty courtyard area with a fountain in the middle; also to the Winter Gardens which is a little indoor garden sort of like a greenhouse (see photos below).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's something vey special about time with family, and it's even more special when you get on so well, which is definitely the case for me and Beth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Saying bye to Beth was just as sad as saying bye to Gemma. But I know that we'll meet up again again sometime this year which is definitely something to look forward to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With having a successful time in Sheffield I feel I'd love to take small trips out and about to see more of my close friends and family. At the beginning of this post I mentioned how after each challenge I face there isn't the instant feeling of "BOOM I can conquer the world". For me, it's more a feeling of, "wow, I actually achieved that with no major problems, and if I can manage that I could in fact manage it again; I can manage it again, and I will manage it again." This trip is an exact example of that; I have the confidence and knowledge in me now do a similar trip again, which is exciting! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What do I say, ey...its a step by step process that takes determination, and time. I can do this! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, of course I'd love share a few of the photos I took...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The lovely coffee shop...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Peace Gardens...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Winter Garden...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Inside the Winter Garden...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> (Pink water for Valentines day!) fountain by Sheffield Train Station...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As always...thank you for reading!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't hesitate to comment, and let me know your thoughts on this post :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Make sure you check out my previous posts, if you haven't already!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Love you all xxx</span></div>
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<br />MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK53.381128999999987 -1.4700850000000453.078144999999985 -2.11553200000004 53.684112999999989 -0.82463800000004006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-57030007245326539892016-02-02T07:59:00.003-08:002016-02-02T08:00:36.534-08:00Note To Self - Tough Times Never Last<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've always wanted to be completely honest on my blog, so today I am going to write about something I am finding a little difficult at the moment. In turn this will hopefully help others who perhaps feel in a similar position, and also help me out a bit by "getting things off my chest".</div>
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As you'll know if you read my previous posts such as "Ideas, Plans and Moving Forward', and 'New Year, New Resolution?', something I'm currently working towards is deciding what I want my next step to be, in regards to a job, work experience, further education or similar. I am very lucky to be in a position where I haven't a need to rush with this as I have incredible support from my family and friends. For this I feel very grateful, and if you are reading - thank you.</div>
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Nonetheless, at the moment I feel I am in an uncomfortable "limbo" type situation, with feelings of uncertainty, and in a time period awaiting a decision, or resolution. I am continuously thinking of possibility upon possibility, worrying about the future, that I'll never find 'my thing', and yes, the list goes on.</div>
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For the last couple of years, and especially since travelling to the U.S. I have learnt to focus on minimising pressure, stress, and anything that will impact my health negatively; to stay as calm and positive as possible. Of course the odd occasion of feeling not so good is only normal and thats fine - no one can be completely jolly, calm etc 24.7, we only human, ey! But over time I've learnt a great coping mechanism when feeling down, or under pressure etc. This being to acknowledge and accept these times, then to remember to breath, to let go and eventually move on. Since learning this I have definitely improved with managing my feelings. Don't get me wrong, over all I do feel a lot more content happier, and better in myself, and those close to me can see how much so. </div>
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With that said, recently I have found myself worrying and stressing etc more so than not. Therefore making my focus on keeping calm and not rushing to make any decisions for my near future is currently proving to cause more negatives than positives, and I find myself in a counterproductive position.</div>
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This is annoying, and unnerving, but instead of letting the feelings of not knowing, of worry and of upset get me down from right this second I am going to start looking at the situation from a different perspective. </div>
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Let me explain...maybe, this counterproductive position is a way of telling me my next step is nearing closer, and soon awaits me. And maybe this is that time just before; like when boiling a kettle, the bit where the water starts to bubble and the kettle starts to shake a little, right before the water is ready to pour. So what I'm thinking, is that that's where I am - at the shaking and bubbling stage, and like with the kettle, its right to wait just that little bit longer until it has settled down again. </div>
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As well as writing this to share with you reading, this post is also here for me as a milestone to show me how far I have come, and to look back on once I get past this unnerving yet slightly exciting time. I feel I am edging nearer to that next step, and I needn't stress as I will find my way at the right time.</div>
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The worst thing to do at this stage is to try and rush anything; although I must say I think I am almost ready. For now, perhaps in the meantime I can start looking at more ideas, and possible options. Then when I find the 'shaking and bubbling' has stopped, that will be my time. That will be when I'm ready. Keep your fingers crossed for me!</div>
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As always, thank you so much for reading! Especially today as I know its been a long one!</div>
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I'd love to know your thoughts on this post, as well as the other posts on my blog :)</div>
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All my love x</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-9851337401241388002016-01-25T04:11:00.001-08:002016-01-25T13:19:30.716-08:00Ideas, Plans and Moving Forward<div style="text-align: center;">
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Over the last week or so I've be thinking of what to write for my next post; today I woke up with a decision in mind, this being to write a little update on my thoughts and feelings over the last few weeks and for time ahead.</div>
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As you'll know if you've seen my "New Year, New Resolutions?" post, since the beginning of the new year my focus has been to on continue with the things I love and enjoy most. Which is helping me settle into my new surroundings and to help with my health and happiness, and at the moment this is the best thing for me to do. Over time doing so will inevitably help me with growing stronger, more confident and ready for my next big step (perhaps work, work experience, college or similar).</div>
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I am pleasantly surprised that I have managed to continue a similar routine to the one I adopted when in America. My love for Yoga has definitely expanded, as well as making sure not to worry so much, to live in the moment and to keep calm and positive. Of course I have my moments of feeling slightly down or aggravated, don't we all? But in such times I like to tell myself "this will pass, breath and let it go". Which in fact helps me more than I'd ever have thought, especially in times of anxiety or panic.</div>
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Now onto something kind of new (or rediscovered)...A couple of weeks ago I started painting again! My sister asked me to create her a painting of Rome to display in her new house, of course I was delighted and extremely excited by her request. Although I was also a little nervous with not having painted for about a year, now that I've made a good start I can say that I am thoroughly enjoying it.</div>
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I am also trying to pursue my love for reading which I got into in America; however, this is something I've found a little harder to continue. I've struggled with reading my whole life, and I know its not going to suddenly be easy for me. But I'm up for the challenge, so even if its just a chapter from a book a day; now on I am going to make sure I do it :) (I'll let you know how I get on with this!!).</div>
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Of course, I still completely adore taking photos whenever possible as well as seaside walks. When putting the two together this is such an inspiring and pleasant time for me; as I get to know Brighton a bit more I will definitely take lots of photos in different places, which I will be sure to share on here!</div>
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I am extremely excited for the days to lengthen and for Spring to arrive. Spring is a wonderful time of year - a time to really get a glimpse of the New Year ahead. The whole world seems to come alive after the cold, dark and dull Winter. New life and growth is all around; blossoming colourful flowers and greenery, baby animals out and about, late evening walks watching the warm sunset and more. </div>
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This year for me is more of a fresh start than ever before; its a new beginning, and I look forward to collecting new ideas, knowledge and plans for my time ahead. I am growing stronger in mind and body each day (which is incredibly exciting).</div>
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As long as I mainly keep positive and calm I will continue to move forwards on my path. I understand I won't instantly find myself at the top of the mountain, but thats alright - I've been told and accept that time is the best healer; with time comes patients, knowledge, understanding, strength and so many other wonderful tools for life.</div>
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I hope I haven't bored you too much with blabbing on a bit and that me writing this helps you understand a bit more about my thoughts, ideas, plans and so on. Perhaps this may even help you get excited and eager for the Spring to come around; or to think about what you're currently enjoying/what you may want continue with and so on.<br />
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Thank you so much for reading :)</div>
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Sending you a big hug! </div>
<br />MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com1Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-77333155458405543962016-01-17T09:47:00.000-08:002016-03-02T23:05:06.051-08:00A Stroll Along Brighton Seafront<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love the Sea...a lot. If you know me well, or you've been reading my blog from the beginning you'll definitely know this about me. </div>
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With being back from my travels for just over a month and feeling a bit more settled in my new home town Brighton I've found one thing I enjoy tremendously at the moment (when the weather's nice), is going for a stroll along the Seafront with my camera. </div>
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I adore the therapeutic Sea air, the excitement I feel from the waves crashing against the shore and the stunning panoramic view. </div>
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There's often a few other people out on the sidewalk, out on dog walks, or couples enjoying the surroundings together, parents out with their children and so on, which adds to the sublime atmosphere. </div>
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So, as I like to take photos whilst I'm out and about along the Sea front, of course I'd take the opportunity to share some of my favourites with you here on my blog! </div>
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I hope you like them :)</div>
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This was such a stunning morning...with a blue sky all around...</div>
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I love the rustic, old, rusty railings in contrast with the blue sky...</div>
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Here, the sunlight helps to form shadows from the railings creating an array of patterns on the path...</div>
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The glistening sunlight on the Sea instantly fills me with warmth and happiness...</div>
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I love the different patterns, textures formed by the waves and sunlight here...</div>
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Then, of course the splashing and crashing creating an instant feeling of energy and excitement...</div>
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Every time I see a Dog, I want to take a photo...I try to stop myself as I'll end up with filling my camera memory with them. The odd one doesn't matter...besides...look how cute and fluffy he is! </div>
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I couldn't believe how gorgeous the weather was on this day; although with being winter it was a little chilly, the warmth from the sun and the blue sky were heavenly.</div>
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The next few photos are a little later on in the day. The weather started to make a change for the worse, the wind picked up, the clouds started to shadow over and I could see that it was about to pour down with rain...Nonetheless, I thought I'd take a few last photos to capture the dramatic change!</div>
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Thank you for looking :) </div>
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Lots of love!</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com1Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-87271869917791498672016-01-11T08:17:00.001-08:002016-04-05T08:34:14.777-07:00My Mum's Birthday Surprise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
For my Mum's Birthday this year I decided to surprise her by filling our home with party decorations.</div>
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I started planning at the beginning of December to give myself plenty of time to prepare and get everything together, and as I absolutely adore decorating, planning and collecting ideas together I found this a lot of fun!</div>
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Looking back at the set up and how I decorated the space I am so delighted with the overall look; my Mum was definitely very surprised and said she loved it (which of course was the most important thing!) </div>
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I'm very excited to share my ideas with you with you - I hope you like the finished look!</div>
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Yes, I've left the wreath up after Christmas...I just really like the one we got this year!! I hung this "Party this way!" sign from it to start the surprise off right from the door way!</div>
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I kept everything to a gold/grey/white/silver colour scheme, with the added pop of colour from the inside of the paper chains.</div>
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My Mum's favourite cake is coffee and walnut cake, which is the cake I baked for her Birthday and of course she was very happy about it!</div>
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The napkins and napkin holders were bought in the sales after Christmas as well as the "s" trinket on top of the gold box of chocolates.</div>
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I already had the fairy lights (which are in fact the same lights I used around the Christmas tree). For the Birthday celebration I placed them around the door frame - I love the warm cosy effect.</div>
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Again these copper ball lights I already had, which were bought from a little independent shop in Brighton.</div>
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I hung a few of these gold decorations around the room to add a touch of sparkle.</div>
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My favourite additions to the decorations are the large paper pom poms in god (above), cream (below) and silver (two below). I found these in a lovely little shop in Hove - they are so easy to put together and I think they really help give a party vibe.</div>
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Before getting these paper chains I was actually looking for some "Happy Birthday" bunting, but no shops seemed to have any apart from the odd few tacky looking ones which didn't go with the theme. At first, when I saw these paper chains I wasn't sure about the bright colours on the inside. However, I went for them anyway and in fact love the pop of colour.</div>
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Of course I had to get some balloons! I got 6 of these silver ones from Card Factory where they fill them up with helium for 35p each which I thought was incredibly reasonable.</div>
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I hung some of the paper chains from the ceiling and tied on a gold delicate ornament onto the end for some added sparkle.</div>
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Finally, I bought my Mum's some beautiful roses (bottom right corner). I always love how flowers bring so much warmth and beauty to a room.</div>
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Thank you for reading and taking a look :) </div>
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Lots of love x</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com1Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-78119199580462054862016-01-07T07:58:00.001-08:002016-04-05T08:34:14.773-07:00New Year, New Resolutions?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, it's the beginning of 2016 and now is the time most people tend to make New Years resolutions; things they want to start, to change, to improve, to focus on and so on.</div>
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With Christmas and New Year celebrations now having come to an end, and with most people being back at work, school, university or college January can already be a very tough and draining time of year. In fact for me, if I were to pin point a particular month as being my toughest, that month would be January; and I know several others that feel the same. With that said, I often think - why make the beginning of the year even tougher by creating more pressure to feel the need to do or be better in some way? </div>
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Don't get me wrong, I do love the idea of making New Years resolutions in retrospect, but sometimes it can seem quite pressurising, don't you think? Making a demanding list of things to improve on or to get better at for the year ahead can seem quite a daunting thing when looking from the start. What happens if some things on the list are perhaps unachievable or just too much? Does that mean failure and possibly cause feelings of frustration, disappointment, defeat, upset and more?</div>
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For those like me, who find making New Years resolutions quite a demanding and scary task, there is in fact another way to look at the idea which I have recently learnt coming into 2016 from my lovely Yoga teacher.</div>
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This being, instead putting yourself under a lot of pressure and feeling you must succeed in the goals you have set yourself for the new year, you can use the term 'planting seeds' instead.</div>
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Now let me explain...with this idea in mind, for example you might choose to plant a seed for the year to find a better work/life balance for yourself. For seeds to grow all they need is a little nurturing, or 'TLC', and with this will inevitable start to develop over time. In this way, the 'seeds' (intentions) you plant don't need your full attention 24/7. You can come back and fourth to them every now and then, and as long as you don't completely neglect them they will, in time, grow. </div>
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I think the key elements to this idea that I really like are firstly the feeling of time as well as the fact that the seeds (intentions) you set don't need your full attention all of the time. Remember, with taking small, manageable steps, taking the pressure off and giving yourself the time you need you will get to whatever you set your heart out to achieve give yourself the time you need.</div>
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Obviously, this is only my opinion. There are many people that can set themselves New Years resolutions without feeling under pressure, and there are others that don't feel the need to get involved at all. I'd like to reiterate that it's not that I don't like the idea of setting new goals, achievements and so on...because I do. I just find it quite overwhelming thinking about it all at once, at the start of the year.</div>
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I am incredibly delighted to have learnt a new way of looking at setting myself intentions, or 'planting seeds' for the year ahead, and to me this way feels less pressuring and more flexible.</div>
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I thought it'd be great for me to share the idea on my blog, and if you reading this are like me, maybe this could help you in starting 2016 with a smile and plenty of positive vibes!</div>
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Sending all my love and wishing you a wonderful start to the year! x</div>
<br />MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-32502603419617286092015-12-30T09:27:00.001-08:002016-01-07T13:32:40.887-08:00A Winters Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I have always loved the countryside, I find there is something so special and therapeutic about the clean, fresh, crisp air, the countryside surroundings and the views of the landscape.</div>
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As it's the holiday's and my Mum has had some time off work we decided to go to a country estate just outside of Brighton called Stanmer House. It was lovely, very peaceful and calming. As I knew the estate would be very picturesque made sure to take my camera to capture the beauty.</div>
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Here are some of the photos I took - enjoy!</div>
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Stanmer Tea Rooms...</div>
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Cute cottages...</div>
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Private farmyards...</div>
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Lovely ponds...</div>
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Stanmer House Garden...</div>
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The festivity is still among us...</div>
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Thank you for reading :) lots of love x</div>
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<br />MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Stanmer Park, Lewes Rd, Stanmer, Brighton, Sussex BN1 9SE, UK50.8650832 -0.09638649999999415750.8649262 -0.096701499999994153 50.8652402 -0.096071499999994162tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-36799689118147616022015-12-28T08:58:00.000-08:002016-04-05T08:34:14.758-07:00Christmas Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I spent Christmas Day this year at my Sister, Anna's new home with both Anna, and my Mum. My Sister's home is lovely, very warming and inviting; she made my Mum and me feel extremely comfortable and happy when staying with her. </div>
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As Anna is a wonderful cook she was in charge of making Christmas Dinner, which she organised very well (even setting up a spreadsheet for the timings!) My Mum helped my sister with the cooking, but she really enjoyed spending her time relaxing and letting her kids (Anna and me) take a lead in organising Christmas!</div>
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So, with the task of making Christmas dinner in great hands of my sister, I made the most of organising the decorations, setting the table, and making the place feel a little more festive. I also decided to take on the task of making and decorating the Christmas cake, which I really loved as I am quite a keen baker! </div>
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Of course I took this as an opportunity to take some photos of the table decorations and the cake to share on here - enjoy!</div>
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Thank you for reading, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year! </div>
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All my love x</div>
MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com2London, UK51.5073509 -0.1277582999999822351.1912379 -0.77320529999998222 51.8234639 0.51768870000001777tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-53109080663368906732015-12-17T09:51:00.001-08:002016-04-05T08:34:14.768-07:00Preparing For Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Christmas is quickly approaching and I am feeling more festive than ever. From day one of being back in England from my travels I have wanted to start decorating my Mum's place to get it feeling nice and festive. </div>
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If you know me well, you know I am a huge fan of Christmas and over the years I have also become a lover of interior design. So, come Christmas time and all I want to do is decorate, decorate, decorate! </div>
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With this, over the last week or so I have spent my free time wandering the shops in Brighton and collecting a few decorations together; as well as getting a small Christmas tree, and then adding some finishing touches with a few ornaments I bought whilst in the U.S. </div>
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I didn't want to make my Mum's apartment too over the top in festivity, but I wanted to decorate it in a way that it would feel warm and cosy, with a slight Scandinavian touch, and of course with a little special Christmassy feel.</div>
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I now happily feel I have achieved this, and thought I'd quite like to share my ideas on this blog.</div>
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Hanging from the door handle is a small Christmas tree ornament I got from Starbucks in Santa Monica; which was in fact too heavy for the tree but I quite like it hanging from the door handle like this.</div>
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This bowl is filled with some lovely Frankincense scented potpourri from Next. The succulent I brought back with me from the U.S, as well as the jug containing Gypsophila decorated using a sprinkle of glitter for a festive touch. </div>
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I love hanging decorations from anywhere possible - for example the light switch in the top left of this photo, to give a small festive touch. The cute Christmas jumper draped over the chair is from H&M. A Christmas jumper is a must have every year, and this one is very cosy with some added sparkle! </div>
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Another favourite of mine, and especially at Christmas time is fairy lights. I am over the moon about these I found (hanging from the mirror) from a small independent shop in Brighton; which tie in very nicely with the candle holder in the centre of the table.</div>
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Candles are wonderful all year round, and definitely so when its cold outside at Christmas time. They help to create a cosy, warming atmosphere to any room. The scents for candles this time of year are my favourite - from pine and gingerbread, to almond and sugar cookie...I love them all! I currently have a small yankee candle burning called 'snow love' which smells incredible! I also always like to have an advent candle (to the back of the table). Then to finish I've put some cinnamon sticks in a small trinket jar; cinnamon is another winter scent I love.</div>
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This mirror is an addition I brought back with me from America, and placed above hangs some decorative mistletoe - a very traditional ornament for this time of the year (bought from M&S Home).</div>
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Now to the tree! This year my Mum and I decided we only needed a small tree, which we wanted to keep quite simple. </div>
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I used the fairy lights I bought back with me from America and bought a selection of mix and match decorations from Zara Home - I love the home-made feel to them. I also got a simple white star for the top which I decorated a little more by wrapping around some grey ribbon; I feel this helps it stand out.</div>
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I covered the base of the tree using some hessian material which I then secured tying a bow using the left over ribbon I used to decorate the star. I used some more cinnamon sticks in another little trinket jar here and added a dusting of christmas confetti around the bottom of the tree.</div>
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Above shows the pretty Zara decorations that I love a lot.</div>
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As well as the interior decor, I've also started wrapping some presents which I also enjoy very much and get quite excited about in fact! I wanted the style of wrapping to keep to the simple Scandinavian style similar to the decorations around the apartment. The stockings above are from a small independent shop I found in the Lanes in Brighton. I've reused some gift bags I collected in America and finished off using plain white and brown paper, then some grey, cream and silver ribbon.</div>
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I added some candy canes to the smaller gifts for a cute finishing touch.</div>
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The gift tags I bought from Paperchase which I feel is another lovely finishing touch!</div>
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Thank you for taking a look at this post on my decorations and preparations for Christmas this year. I hope you've enjoyed this little insight and that this may even help inspire you with getting ready for Christmas!</div>
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Wishing you all a very merry Christmas! </div>
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All my love x</div>
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MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-84838668126503854372015-12-15T04:16:00.000-08:002016-01-11T08:18:39.829-08:00What's The Next Step?<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
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For this post, I'd like to write a little on the subject of making decisions and deciding "whats next". Having finished A Levels, and now being in my gap year; I do often think about what my next big step may be. I don't have an exact path on what I'd like to do in the years to come; but that is okay. There are very few people who know exactly what the want for their future from my age of 19.</div>
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The most important thing for me at the moment is to ensure I continue with the focuses, changes and new interests I made and discovered whilst away in the U.S. To continue with Yoga and Meditation; with reading, blogging and taking photos. Also to continue working on my health in a positive way and to live a calm and simple life and so on. I have learnt an awful lot about myself over the last 6 months especially, and to this day I'm still finding out more...aren't we all? </div>
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There are people who know what they want as a career from a young age...sometimes even before they've started GCSE's! This percentage of people is very small, and if you are one of those people...you're very lucky! Others have a rough idea from high school, and go onto sixth form or college with that idea of a career in mind and later on may go to University to get a degree in the area they're particularly interested in. Some decide they'd like to take a year out to go travelling, or to go straight into the world of work, to do an apprenticeship or similar.</div>
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Then there are others that find it difficult to decide exactly what they want to do after school; to decide what their next step may be. Constantly thinking of all the possibilities, such as...Do I go to uni? Do I go travelling? Shall I continue my part time job, until I've decided? Then, with feeling stuck, and indecisive they may choose one of the above but later think, was that the right decision? </div>
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Making decisions can be so difficult and one of life's challenges, I feel that there often isn't one correct way, no exact path, no simple answer. With making a decision and therefore trying something new and different is always positive in one way or another, even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. Sometimes there is no easy way, but even small decisions will inevitable mean small steps forward. We learn new things all the time, about ourselves, about life and so much more; everyday is a new page to our story.</div>
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I am one of the people that isn't quite sure what my next big step is, before I became ill I was planning on going to University, but I'm no longer planning on that; I find the thought of the whole idea too stressful. Not going to Uni is ok and University isn't for everyone; the difficulty I find myself in is figuring out what I do want.</div>
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Saying I've been completely stuck for any idea would be a lie as I did make a decision, a pretty big one in fact...that being to go to America for 6 months for the reasons I've mentioned in previous blog posts. To take some time out, to recuperate, to find my independence, to gain confidence...basically, "to find myself".</div>
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Making the decision to go to the U.S. on my own with the many everyday life challenges we all come across, and to do so with being an already very anxious person; not only that but also with being in recovery from my illness...if I'm honest, to say a big step would be the least.</div>
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Luckily, my time time in the U.S was incredibly wonderful, it helped me grow with confidence, independence, strength and I was able to really relax and learn so much about myself, about life, and so, so much more, which I am over the moon about. However, it wasn't all easy, oh no. But I was prepared for that, and having been through the difficult times whilst away I can now see such times helped me grow even stronger.</div>
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So now being back in the U.K I find myself still unsure about exactly what I want for the times to come, but I'm only young and have time. There's no point in rushing and making an irrational decision. But in the meantime I will continue with what I mentioned above...Yoga, Meditation, writing this blog, taking photos my health and so on; which is more than enough for now.</div>
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What I want people who read this to understand and to take away is that wherever in life you may be, whatever age it is okay to not know exactly what you want for the times ahead. However, if you do find yourself feeling stuck, maybe try making a small change, a small decision, a small step forwards; what's the worst that could happen? If you continue to feel you're struggling or you feel as though you'd like help with decisions then seek advise, speak out. Bottling up feelings, emotions and questions does no good.</div>
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Remember to take time out every now and then to overlook your accomplishments, your interests and what you're looking forward to, etc. Also, to acknowledge the things getting you down and the things that aren't working out for you. When looking at both the good and bad you will hopefully be able to make some small changes in order to help yourself focus on the good; and if its difficult to change the bad stuff, maybe this is the time to seek help.</div>
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Thank you for reading, lots of love x</div>
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MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com2Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-89361949520106044642015-12-09T09:17:00.001-08:002016-04-05T08:34:14.782-07:00Festivity In Santa Monica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A lovely end to my time in America was being able to enjoy and join in with some of the preparations and celebrations for the Holiday season. Spending my last weeks in Santa Monica during this time I was able to soak in the festive atmosphere. From talking to a few of the locals in Santa Monica I found out that Thanks Giving is in fact a bigger celebration than Christmas for many in the U.S. So for me, the Thanks Giving celebration felt a bit like an early Christmas, which was great! </div>
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I've always been a lover of Christmas; I find it a wonderful time to celebrate with family and friends. I love December especially, and the lead up to Christmas Day as I find many people are too feeling very merry and festive, and sharing the cheer and joy is wonderful. </div>
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I love wandering the streets filled with lights and decorations; on one of my last evenings in Santa Monica I went for a stroll with my camera to capture some festive photographs, and now that I am back in England and feeling more festive than ever I thought now would be a great time to share these with you! I hope you like them :)</div>
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Walking along Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica...while enjoying the Guitarist and of course, the beautiful Christmas lights.</div>
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A very festive coffee shop along Third Street</div>
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I love how the trees are decorated with fairy lights all along the Street - so pretty!</div>
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Fairy lights make everything look pretty :)</div>
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Finally - the massive Christmas tree in Santa Monica Place - and wonderfully decorated!!</div>
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Thank you for taking a look!</div>
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Lots of Love x</div>
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<br />MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Santa Monica, CA, USA34.0194543 -118.491191233.9668118 -118.5718722 34.0720968 -118.4105102tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-8117516831124879612015-12-06T10:57:00.000-08:002016-01-07T13:34:41.688-08:00America - An Inspirational Interlude<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; line-height: normal;">
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My 6 month stay in the U.S. has now come to its end, this time away has been life changing, a once in a life time experience, an opportunity I feel blessed to have had. I feel a changed person and so much happier in myself. I feel more confident, independent, calm and content and so much more.</div>
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Now that I am back in good ol' England I feel some questions may arise, ones I am thinking; as well as ones my family and friends may ask.</div>
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So, the first of these being something like...will I miss Santa Monica? </div>
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Yes, I will for sure. Santa Monica is somewhere I have grown to feel very close to, I felt very comfortable there; it was a magical time for me and I am extremely lucky to have been able to spend several months there. </div>
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With that said, although my time away has been a fantastic experience over all and has helped me in so many ways. That doesn't mean it's all been easy, I've had down days, I've faced up to difficult fears and challenges...I've had to deal with homesickness and being completely independent...not only that, I've had to do all of these things on top of still recovering from my illness.</div>
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I feel the several months I had away was the right length of time for me and I'm excited for the times to come now back in England. </div>
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How has this time in California helped?</div>
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My time aways has helped in more ways than I could have ever hoped for, with the main being in helping me understand 'me'. This space away has enabled me to clear my head and to start a fresh; I've gained interests and hobbies I never thought I'd like, such as reading, meditation and yoga. </div>
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I've found that I really enjoy the simple things, such as spending time in a coffee shop with a nice cuppa, watching the passers-by, or reading a book. I love going to the farmers market - a time to join the community. Another special time was just simply heading to the beach and watching the sunset; I love this peaceful moment; a time of calm and tranquility, a time to collect thoughts on the day.</div>
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What lifestyle changes do I hope to continue with?</div>
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A main change I feel in myself and will continue learning about and practicing is living in the moment, and to worry less about the past and future - to be with what is and live a much calmer and peaceful life. Learning to live in the moment is a journey, and with practicing comes knowledge, ability and understanding.</div>
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I will of course continue with my passion for yoga and meditation and I hope to find a Yoga and/or Meditation studio new to where I now live. Both of these practices have played a huge part in helping me grow to understand myself for who I am and have helped me an incredible amount with my recovery too.</div>
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Keeping pressure, anxiety and stress to a minimum and to continue with what I love most; with the time to come being as simple, calm and peaceful I hope to find myself feeling up to trying some sort of part-time job. Perhaps sometime next year I could see myself working in a coffee shop, or being a dog walker, or similar - a job that isn't too demanding and one that I feel I am helping others - that would make me very happy.</div>
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Will I continue with my blog, now that I am back in the U.K.?</div>
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Of course, and I look forward to sharing the times to come! </div>
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Hopefully, I have helped answer some questions, or helped you reading this understand more about what I'm thinking about with now being back from my travels :)</div>
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Thank you for reading :)</div>
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All my love x</div>
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MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Brighton, The City of Brighton and Hove, UK50.822530000000008 -0.1371629999999868250.742308000000008 -0.29852449999998681 50.902752000000007 0.024198500000013168tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4727876428596372323.post-49528416360242583082015-12-01T19:35:00.000-08:002016-01-07T13:34:57.040-08:00Pressure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Pressure is something I find very difficult to manage. Feeling under pressure causes me a lot of stress and anxiety. It is something we all have to cope with everyday...from dealing with exams, work demands, time pressure and so on, it is always among us.</div>
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If you're like me, and find being under any type of pressure very overwhelming to comprehend there are strategies that can be learnt to help manage and cope with being in situations of feeling under pressure.</div>
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Whilst being in California I've wanted to conquer certain goals, I've wanted to take time to face up to challenges and to learn more about myself. To learn what works for me and what doesn't. This goes from finding what hobbies I enjoy, to realising what causes me stress and anxiety. </div>
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Pressure in my eyes is something that isn't needed. When I look back on circumstances where I've felt under pressure, it has only caused a negative effect, making me feel distressed, anxious, panicked and so on. As I can now see how badly pressure effects me I've started to work on learning how to manage such times; to acknowledge and to accept the feeling and to let it go. </div>
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We all have good and bad moments...I used to find myself getting extremely frustrated when things didn't go completely to plan, therefore putting pressure on myself and ending with feeling even worse about the situation. But I am now learning to stop worrying so much, to not put pressure on myself, to keep calm and to stay in the moment.</div>
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Moreover there are some situations where it is possible to minimise feelings of pressure. For example with time pressures, say if you need to be in a certain place at a certain time, mange your time effectively and schedule your timing so that you arrive early. </div>
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I understand that some feel pressure can be a good thing. They feel it can help with motivation, determination, and staying focused. I do appreciate those who believe this - for my opinion isn't necessarily correct; it comes from from my life experiences, from learning through reading a few books and with speaking to others around me. </div>
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For me motivation, determination, focus and so on, all come from within me...I feel motivated most when I feel good about myself, when I feel confident. I feel focused most when I am in a good mindset and can set myself an achievable goal. Pressure comes from outside situations and only causes me negative effects.</div>
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With having learnt this about myself, I can see where in the past pressure was unhelpful and often not even necessary. So it is best for me to stay clear of any situations where I may feel under too much pressure. Of course I will come across times where I find myself feeling under pressure for something I have no control over (for example, running late for something). In such situations I can use what I've learnt - to acknowledge, to accept, and to let go.</div>
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I hope me writing this helps in some way. If you're like me and struggle with feeling under too much pressure, just know you're not alone; there are ways to learn to manage and cope with such feelings.</div>
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Remember to follow your heart and believe in yourself, you can do it!</div>
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Thank you for reading, all my love x</div>
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MillyMaggyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830858440776578074noreply@blogger.com0Santa Monica, CA, USA34.0194543 -118.491191233.9668118 -118.5718722 34.0720968 -118.4105102