sweetpeas-and-herbalteas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Self Care Saturday

Me good aspect about being back at my mothers is that Self Care Saturday is officially back! I forgot how much I needed this wind down day to balance myself at the end of the week. 

I’ve had a super long hot bath and done quite a few different masks already today. I did my usually weekly hair ask using the Soap and Glory Wonditioner - I love the smell of this mask and it leaves my hair looking and smelling so much healthier. I’ve also invested in a new face mask - the Revolution Skincare Detoxifying Pink Clay Mask - I’ve only used this a couple of times but I have noticed how beautifully soft it leaves my skin. Yesterday I picked up a cheap little foot mask from B&M that is infused with almond and honey - I love the little booties as it makes it so much easier to move around and get jobs done whilst it soaks in. Finally, I’ve got a new lip mask on that I received from a Birch Box a few months ago - Vitamasøues plump and repair mask with Hyaluronic acid and Collagen. It’s quite big and hard to pop on but it does the job!  I’m going to carry in the rest of the day by slapping on some tan, drying my hair and maybe starting a new sewing project! 

What a happy, sunny Saturday! 

#saturday #self-love #self care #skincare #mask #lipmask #Soap and Glory #Vitamasøues #footmask #facemask #hairmask #love #Revolution #Revolution Skincare #positive #happy #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

New Beginnings

Despite the current climate, things seem to be looking up. My work place is open again and, although the new precautions are scary and daunting, I finally feel great to be back into a routine. 

I’ve moved back to my mothers after isolating with my other half and his family for three months as it’s more convenient for work. It was pretty hard to be truthfully honest, it felt like a break up without being broken up. We’re all good though despite going from seeing each other every day to only once a week. its nice to be back with home comforts and my own family.

 I’ve managed to redo my room, chuck away some clutter and deep clean which was great. I’ve treated myself to some new skin care and I even cut my own hair - eek! I feel like this is the new start I’ve been waiting for and I feel like I’m very much on my way to an even more positive mindset! 

#new beginning #fresh start #positivity #self care #self-love #self-discovery #self love #self help #home #lockdown #quarentine #COVID19 #coronavirus #recovery #work #life #love #family #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Love, Aubrey

The latest book I’ve read is Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur. I had this book when I was in my early teens but lost it half way through reading (my sister probably stole it), so I finally managed to grab myself a new copy! 

Despite being a book for young teens primarily, iris a very deep story that stays with you once you’ve finished. I did find it a little hard going at times and did struggle to concentrate on the chapters but once you have finished and really think through the events I  the book, it can feel slightly haunting.  PSA: I am going to be returning to work as of the 1st of June, meaning sadly I won’t have as much time for books, crafts and updating my blog but hopefully i’ll be able to find a balance!

#Love Aubrey #Suzanne LaFleur #reading #reads #read #books #book #bookworm #young adult #lockdown #COVID19 #coronavirus #isolation #loss #love #family #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Catching Dreams

I’m so happy to have had the time to dive into my cross stitching during lockdown! I find sewing so soothing with the swift, graceful action of pulling the needle and thread through the material to create a beautiful pattern. It’s very calming and makes the time stuck inside slip away as well as being productive. I find a lot of free patterns to follow on Pinterest which opens up endless possibilities! 

It took a couple of days ad I am a bit rusty but I made this beautiful dream catcher, swapping out some of the colours to make it my own! I love dream catchers, I have many in my room at home. I understand they are meant to collect bad dreams and trap them? (From what I can remember) I don’t know whether it’s psychological, but I struggle to sleep in a room without one, even if mine has just fallen down. So now whilst I’m not at home where mine hang, I have a little stitched one to make me feel better until I return! 

#crosstitch #craft #sewing #stitching #colourful #art #dream catcher #dreams #love #homemade #hobbies #lockdown #quarentine #self-discovery #life #SweetPeasAndHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Me Before You, After You and Still Me

Over the past two weeks have have finally finished reading this trilogy of books by Jojo Moyes. I am aware the first of the three has been made into a film which, after reading the novel, I am very excited to order and watch for the first time.

I found these books extremely wonderful. It was magnificent to see such massive character development across the three books with little changes to the character throughout making you feel as though you’ve been through the journey with them. I love how you grow with the main character - Louisa Clark - and how you you don’t fully comprehend how much she has blossomed until the end of the third books. Not even just her but the other characters too.

I was very glad that Louisa Clark finally lost her heroine complex by the end of the third book as this was begging to wear very thin on me. However these books have really influenced me in a positive way to make changes to my own life. It has taught me to live fearlessly, make changes and discover yourself. These books have been the inspiration for me to travel, maybe not too far but to experience life through new eyes - once lockdown is over. This lockdown has helped me realise I’m not living my life but merely surviving and these books have helped me plan to change this once the world is at peace again. 

I highly recommend this series for those who enjoy an emotional rollercoaster of love, tears and laughter. Quiet possibly my favourite reads this year!

#jojo moyes #me before you #after you #still me #books #book #trilogy #reading #reads #read #bookworm #film #life #love #humour #tradgedy #romace #romcom #comdey #lockdown #quarentine #self-discovery #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Making Time

Despite the disconcerting circumstances, I have been so grateful to have time to jump straight into some of my favourite hobbies - although not all of them with the majority of my resources still being at mums.   It’s Ben wonderful to be able to read so many books back to back again and be able to start new sewing projects meaning I had time t make this sweet little bookmark so I no longer have to fold my pages. 

I hope that when this is all over I will remember to purposefully make time for the things I love doing whether that be my art, sewing, Reading, knitting or anything else I can think of! 

#craft #sewing #crosstitch #books #book #reading #bookmark #bookworm #hobbies #love #life #isolation #quarentine #coronavirus #COVID19 #self help #self-discovery #self care #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Girl Online - Going Solo

My book order finally arrived, meaning I finally managed to read the last instalment of Zoe Suggs’ book series - Girl Online. I was very excited to dive into this one, having finished the previous two so quickly. 

I love how each book shows so much character progression as they work through their struggles, cope with growing up and build their relationships as well as achieve their goals. I love that this book is littered with details on how to cope with anxiety which still remains a constant theme throughout the series - another reminder that this isn’t something you can just be “cured” of. This is a really good addition to the series, although the first book is my favourite! 

#zoella #zoe sugg #girl online #girl online going solo #going solo #reading #read #book #books #bookworm #family #relationship #friends #love #life #positivity #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

A Little Bit of Hope

Last night during our ““Clap for Carers” in the UK, (which happens every Thursday at 8pm throughout lockdown), a beautiful double rainbow appeared - although I only managed to capture half of one.

Within the UK a lot of children have painted or drawn rainbows to display in their windows and the rainbow has been used as a symbol of hope. This seemed very fitting last night during our clap when two appeared at once.

I love to see rainbows at the best of times but yesterday evening this really instilled a ray of hope into my heart. We will get through this. This won’t be forever. We all reunite with our friends, families and colleagues soon. We just have to hang in there, stay strong and remain positive. 🌈

#rainbow #colours #lockdown #uk #united kingdom #england #hope #coronavirus #COVID19 #pandemic #love #hopeful #positivity #NHS #carers #clapforthenhs #clapforcarers #strong #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Girl Online On Tour

As soon as I had finished Girl Online, I quickly went to grab Girl Online On Tour by Zoe Sugg from my pile of books to start reading. I just had to know what happened! Much like the first book, I was gripped and read the story within a day. 

Again, much like the first book, I do feel like the story moved very quickly but I enjoyed it all the same! I loved to see the following on of the characters lives and how far they have come from the first book. I am waiting for the final instalment of the the trio logo to arrive as it is in the post and due to arrive Friday ready to read! I also enjoyed how the continued the running theme of anxiety throughout the book rather than leaving it in book one and never mentioning it again, making a true reflection of how Mental Illness does not just suddenly stop.

#girl online #girl online on tour #on tour #zoe sugg #zoella #reading #read #lockdown #books #book #bookworm #anxiety #panic attack #mental health #positivity #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Girl Online

This is a book I’ve been putting off reading for a while and has collected a lot of dust over the years - Girl Online by Zoe Sugg. In hindsight, I have no clue why I had put it off for so long! It was such an enjoyable read full of suspense, twists and romance. I read this within a matter of days, immediately falling in love with the title character. Yes, some elements are rather cheesy and the story does feel a little rushed but on the whole, I loved this book and quickly started reading the second instalment as soon as I could.

I’ve been a fan of Zoe Sugg for many years but I found it much easier to read by detaching myself from the author, imagining it in a different voice. As someone with anxiety, I found it easy to relate to the fears and panic attacks the leading character Penny presents. I also found a very useful tip to combat my anxiety within this book:

🌷Visualise your fear/panic, giving it a shape and colour or even a name

🌷 Don’t try to stop it, let it be. Tell yourself it’s okay to be feeling this way and it will soon pass

🌷 Watch your fear slowly shrink, fading in colour and getting smaller until it finally disappears

This may not work for everyone, but I definitely found it worked for me!

#girl online #zoe sugg #zoella #book #books #bookworm #reading #read #anxiety #romance #panic attack #tips #mental health #self help #positivity #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

The Blogging Bug

I feel as though I’ve got what I call “the blogging bug” lately. This is when I feel the need to constantly attach myself to my blog, sharing my thoughts, feelings and interests with the world - no matter how insignificant they may be! I have so much I want to be able to post but due to this lockdown, I don’t feel like I am getting very far. It’s like having the Blogging Bug and Blogger Block all at once! 

My blog has become a diary for me, being able to outsource my emotions whilst also remaining anonymous to an impartial crowd. It’s a lovely feeling to be able to express myself in this way but lockdown is making it very difficult as I am struggling with content. I seem to follow the same routine most days and the only exciting part of my days is being able to snuggle up and get lost in a book, finding myself in an imaginary world far away from the current troubles that are surrounding us. Is that crazy?  I have luckily managed to order some of my sewing stuff off of the internet, as all my crafts such as my knitting and cross stitches are at my home with my Mother and I’m staying at my boyfriend’s for the foreseeable. So hopefully I will be able to update with more than just books and my rambling! 

#rambling #blog #blogger #blogging #content #self help #self-discovery #self care #self love #lockdown #books #sewing #crosstitch #positivity #blah blah blah #reading #diary #bookworm #mental health #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

Peter Pan

One of my most favourite books to read has been Peter Pan by J M Barrie. My brother was thoughtful enough to by me this beautifully illustrated copy for Christmas as it is my favourite book in the world.

I adore Peter Pan. It was my favourite childhood book, one of the few my mother ever read to me. She read Peter Pan every night to the point that by the age of five, I could retell the story for myself word for word and ended up correcting my mum should she read something incorrectly. Eventually my mum bought several varied versions of the book just to keep herself entertained whilst reading to me, although I always had a favourite.

I find so much joy within the story, the thought remaining young and innocent forever always appealed to me - although it is said that Peter was really an angel that held the hands of children as they made their way to heaven. The thought of being able to escape to a magical world fills me with so much hope as I wish that some day I can do the same.

As a child I thoroughly believed in Peter Pan, much the way a child would believe in Santa or the tooth fairy. I would sleep with the window open, no matter the weather, and try to stay up as late as possible or wake in the night and sit in my window ready for his arrival. But of course that never came. I feel as if on some subconscious level, I do still believe in Peter as, although I am an adult, I still sleep with the window open slightly - just incase...

#book #books #bookworm #jm barrie #Peter Pan #love #story #life #childhood #wendy #believe #imagination #illustrated #neverland #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

This is the fourth book I have managed to read during isolation: The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I adore this book as well as the film having read it first when I was in my mid teens, just before the film adaptation came out. 

It’s a wonderful thought provoking story dealing with the real issues of everyday life for some people. It tackles many themes such as loss, trauma, homophobia with many life changing lessons hidden inside. It’s written in the style of letters which I feel makes the book more personal, feeling as though the main character is talking directly to you, making you feel part of the story. 

I really, really relate strongly to the main character with themes such as mental health and childhood trauma. It’s a book that is very difficult to put down and stays with you long after finishing it. 

#the perks of being a wallflower #tpobaw #book #stephen chbosky #books #bookworm #mental health #trauma #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

“Don’t Get Any Ideas”

So recently my sister had a baby - my wonderful nephew was born on the 24th of April! Everything went swimmingly given the current climate and all are healthy and well. I am over the moon with his tiny fingers and chubby cheek, I can’t wait to meet him!

In all the excitement, I showed my boyfriend a picture of the baby only to be met with “Don’t get any ideas”. And this struck a nerve. I know nothing was probably meant by this comment but I still felt it to be rude? When the one thing you want more than anything is to be a mother and to have the person you want to share you’re life with say “Don’t get any ideas” when it is already all I think about?

It’s not like we’re in a new relationship- with just celebrated three years together. But I did feel like he stamped on my dreams? The one thing I truly strive for? I don’t know if I’m over reacting but I am really upset by the comment.

Maybe it’s a sign? Maybe our relationship isn’t heading where I thought? Or maybe I’m overthinking this? I don’t know.

#help #advice #relationship #boyfriend #baby #family #love #life #overthinking #anxiety #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

The Women Who Went To Bed For A Year

This is the third book I have read since being in isolation- The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year by Sue Townsend. This book was a very easy read from the first page to the last, I even managed to finish it in 3 days!  Some points are deep but overall it’s a very lovely, light hearted and funny book! I really empathised with the title character as I often feel the need to crawl into bed and shut out the world and I think this story really captures how it can feel when you find yourself in a rut or depression slump.

I really recommend this read!

#The Women Who Went To Bed For A Year #Sue Townsend #reading #read #book #bookworm #books #funny #depression #lockdown #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

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The Shining

Another book I have managed to read fairly recently is The Shining: yet another extension of my Stephen King collection. This book further cemented my love for Kings novels with a very gripping storyline - I found this book very hard to put down and when I had put it down, I could not stop thinking about it. 

Unlike many others, I am yet to see the film, as I wanted to read the book first due to many saying the film is not a true reflection of the story. But I am yet to give my opinion. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the books with many different turns and subliminal messaging. It also took me an embarrassing amount of time to work out REDRUM spelt backwards! Oops! 

Yet another good read from my time in Lock Down.

#reading #read #book #bookworm #stephen king #the shining #horror #thriller #lockdown #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas

[sweetpeas-and-herbalteas]

The Green Mile

This isolation has been doing wonders for me as a bookworm who hardly has the time to read. As part of my self care, I’ve made sure to read every day in order to take myself away from the stresses going on the world. I love to read. There is nothing more comforting than being able to open a book and escape the world, diving into an imaginary one. I have tons of books I’ve been meaning to read but did not have the time for until now. I started with The Green Mile. I adore the works of Steven King. I love the thrilling storylines with twists and turns. I have seen the film several times but had never had the opportunity to read the book until my sister bought it for me on my birthday. With Carrie and Misery already firm favourites of mine, I knew I couldn’t go wrong with The Green Mile.  I enjoyed reading this thoroughly, finding it hard to put down. Although throughout I did imagine Tom Hanks voice throughout the pages, making firm image links with the film. I sympathised deeply with John Coffey, feeling his situation was unjust, but I will not spoil the rest of the story for those who wish to read it. i highly recommend this book for those who enjoy an unexpected ending. 

#self care #reading #read #book #books #isolation #bookworm #the green mile #stephen king #horror #thriller #supernatural #fiction #fictional #SweetPeasandHerbalTeas