I'm sure you've seen the latest challenge hitting social media, the 10 Year Challenge. To join in you share a photo of yourself now and one from 10 years ago to see how much you've changed. After seeing everybody else's pictures I was eager to join in but whilst hunting for a picture I came across Katie Piper's challenge image which derailed me. Not only were her pictures incredible and also shocking but her words struck a chord with me, 'growing old is a privilege.'
Hmmm I thought. I am a total moron. That morning I had spent a solid 15 minutes moaning about the wrinkles on my face and the mum bags under my eyes rabbiting on about various night creams, eye creams and wrinkle serums.
As I stared at her pictures I realised how lucky I am to be growing old. If you're not aware of her story, she suffered an acid attack which permanently damaged her face. She is in an incredible, strong, inspiring woman who has been through hell and back. She's had multiple surgeries to her face and what she has had to endure has been an emotional and physical battle for years. It made me realise how lucky I was and how the ageing process is completely natural.
Not only did her images have such an effect on me but those words, they cut deep. Growing old is a privilege. It served as a reminder of the family and friends that haven't survived those last 10 years. In the last 10 years death has hit us with a hammer especially when we lost my mother in law who battled a brutal brain tumour, just days after Ophelia was born. That almost tore our family apart.
We also tragically lost my beautiful cousin who ended her own life after struggling with a mental illness. If you've read my blog before you will know that I have suffered with postnatal depression for years and her death had a huge impact on me. Those words certainly ring true for her. Growing old is definitely a privilege and one that she will now never experience.
So this challenge has made me sit back and realise how lucky I am. Therefore I have looked back at what I have achieved in the last 10 years and honestly I can be proud. From 2008-2018, I did a lot and I can smile about all of it.
So here goes, everything I have achieved in the last 10 years, in the order I did them.
I qualified as an Operating Department Practitioner
I bought my first house which was with Arwyn
We climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
I got engaged in Kilimanjaro
I got married
I had an amazing honeymoon in Las Vegas, Hawaii and Los Angeles
We got our first joint pet, Alfie
I had my first child, Eva (an awful birth)
We did lots of travelling
I started blogging
I had my 2nd child Ophelia (another traumatic birth)
I lived in Australia for 3 months with my girls
We had our first family trip to Walt Disney World
We renewed our wedding vows in Walt Disney World
I conquered (well I tried) my fear of heights whilst doing the Ultimate Xtreme underground challenge with Go Below. This included a 70 foot freefall jump
We did lots more travelling
I got to interview Emma Bunton thanks to my blog (childhood idol)
We became annual pass holders at Disneyland Paris
I set up my own small business, Magically Jasmine.
Looking back I have had a blast. I may have wrinkles on my face and the biggest mum bags under my eyes but what a privilege that is when I see everything I have done.
Hmmm I thought. I am a total moron. That morning I had spent a solid 15 minutes moaning about the wrinkles on my face and the mum bags under my eyes rabbiting on about various night creams, eye creams and wrinkle serums.
As I stared at her pictures I realised how lucky I am to be growing old. If you're not aware of her story, she suffered an acid attack which permanently damaged her face. She is in an incredible, strong, inspiring woman who has been through hell and back. She's had multiple surgeries to her face and what she has had to endure has been an emotional and physical battle for years. It made me realise how lucky I was and how the ageing process is completely natural.
Not only did her images have such an effect on me but those words, they cut deep. Growing old is a privilege. It served as a reminder of the family and friends that haven't survived those last 10 years. In the last 10 years death has hit us with a hammer especially when we lost my mother in law who battled a brutal brain tumour, just days after Ophelia was born. That almost tore our family apart.
We also tragically lost my beautiful cousin who ended her own life after struggling with a mental illness. If you've read my blog before you will know that I have suffered with postnatal depression for years and her death had a huge impact on me. Those words certainly ring true for her. Growing old is definitely a privilege and one that she will now never experience.
So this challenge has made me sit back and realise how lucky I am. Therefore I have looked back at what I have achieved in the last 10 years and honestly I can be proud. From 2008-2018, I did a lot and I can smile about all of it.
So here goes, everything I have achieved in the last 10 years, in the order I did them.
I qualified as an Operating Department Practitioner
I bought my first house which was with Arwyn
We climbed Mount Kilimanjaro
I got engaged in Kilimanjaro
I got married
I had an amazing honeymoon in Las Vegas, Hawaii and Los Angeles
We got our first joint pet, Alfie
I had my first child, Eva (an awful birth)
We did lots of travelling
I started blogging
I had my 2nd child Ophelia (another traumatic birth)
I lived in Australia for 3 months with my girls
We had our first family trip to Walt Disney World
We renewed our wedding vows in Walt Disney World
I conquered (well I tried) my fear of heights whilst doing the Ultimate Xtreme underground challenge with Go Below. This included a 70 foot freefall jump
We did lots more travelling
I got to interview Emma Bunton thanks to my blog (childhood idol)
We became annual pass holders at Disneyland Paris
I set up my own small business, Magically Jasmine.
Looking back I have had a blast. I may have wrinkles on my face and the biggest mum bags under my eyes but what a privilege that is when I see everything I have done.
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Being healthy is one of the challenges that we face every day. When you have a hectic schedule, it can be difficult to find the time to do everything that you need to be doing to reach this goal. In fact, you might not have even got to the point where you have planned out what you need to do yet. This is going to be important, as planning is the first step towards doing. In this article, we have come up with some of the things that you can do to keep yourself in the best health possible.
Drink, Drink, And Drink Some More
Hydration is always going to be vital when it comes to the human body staying healthy. You need a specific amount of water to make sure that you and your body are working at optimum levels. However, some people don’t like water. You might be thinking, but it doesn’t really have a taste? Well, it does and some people don’t like it. If you are one of these people, then why not try something like h2coco where you will get some refreshing coconut water instead of plain. Your body will still be receiving all the hydration that it needs, and you can enjoy what you are drinking!
Eat The Right Foods
Next up, you need to be eating the right kind of foods. Are you always eating processed fats and sugars? Well that time has come to an end because you need to start eating your greens, fruits and vegetables. You are never going to get anywhere in your health journey if you are not willing to change what you are currently doing. For example, if a typical dinner for you is pizza, or chicken nuggets then this needs to go. Of course you can still have these on occasion, but not every day.
This is going to be hard at first so if you are struggling, try just adding vegetables to your meals. This way, you will build up a liking to them, and it will be easier to cut the processed food out when the time comes.
Take Time To De-Stress
The last thing that we are going to talk about is taking the right amount of time to de-stress. Work, kids, family, life and so on all have the ability to stress us out and we need to take a step back and relax. Taking up yoga is a great way to do this, or taking up some sort of martial art. While yoga calms you down and helps you relax this way, martial arts let you take your frustration out in a safe and controlled manner. If either of these options sounds appealing to you, then it will help you to de-stress after a long day.
Hopefully you now know some of the ways that you can keep yourself in the best possible health. Keep up with all these things and you will find that you are in great health in no time.
*This is a collaborative post*
Last year I attempted Disneybounding for the first time and I loved it. To see some of my outfits, head over to my instagram account. This year I have quite a few Disney trips lined up so I am starting to look for inspiration for outfits. First up is a Pocahontas Disneybound.
Pocahontas's outfit is all about nudes with a splash of turquoise and with spring/summer fashion hitting shops soon, we should be spoilt for choice on that colour palette.
Bounding can become quite pricey so I try and find items that I would wear anyway and not just for dressing up.
The dress I've featured is from Nastygal which always has a great selection of clothes. Their website is reasonably priced with this dress coming in at £20. The dress would be a great buy for the year as it has a hint of utility about it which is set to be an upcoming trend.
The shoes are also from Nastygal and at the time of this post going live, they are in the sale. A wedge is a lot more comfortable to wear around Disney then any other kind of heels although it may be better to find some flats.
The necklace was kindly sent to me by Shoppe Minuette and it's perfect for this Disneybound. It definitely reflects the colours of the wind. It's handmade from acrylic and laser cut which makes it unique and it's sure to make the outfit pop.
The bag is from Forever 21. I think the fringe trim reflects the bottom of her outfit so it's a great match.
Last up are these Disney Princess feather earrings from Couture Kingdom. They are Pocahontas inspired and at the time of publishing, they are on sale.
You can read my other Disneybound posts below:
I'm going to feature bound posts throughout the year of me in actual outfits and also inspiration outfits. What characters would you like to see me do?
Koh Samui (Samui Island) is often known as Thailand's luxury spot offering everything you could possibly wish for from a relaxing, idyllic stay to plenty of nightlife. However, it's not often somewhere you would think to travel with children. Here are the best ways to explore Koh Samui with children.
Accommodation:
A villa would be a great choice of accommodation for a family visit. A villa can often be a home away from home and it's also private so you can run around and make as much noise as you please. It also has a lot more space then a hotel. Even though we travel often we still can't seem to pack light, so any extra space is always welcome.
There are some beautiful villas available on Koh Samui Villas and what is fantastic about their site is that for every villa that is booked they will plant a tree in Sumatra in Indonesia. They also have a concierge service available as soon as you book to help provide the personal touch and to assist with any of your families needs.
A villa can often save you money as you can cook your own meals if you wish. Although you could speak to your concierge before you arrive to arrange BBQ nights and more.
They can also arrange for pool toys and other games to be provided which is wonderful as you don't have to worry about packing your own.
What to Bring:
Mosquito spray is essential as is sun tan lotion. Also make sure you have some toys and entertainment in place for any tropical rainy days. You could always make the best of a bad situation and jump in the puddles.
Things to See and Do:
Head to the Beach-
There are many long and beautiful beaches ready to be enjoyed in Koh Samui such as Maenam, Choeng Mon Beach and Thong Takhian Beach.
The Secret Buddha Garden -
This is also known as the magic garden as it a fab place for exploring. It's set in a lush rainforest and has lots of little houses and sculptures to explore.
Coco Splash Adventure and Water park:
This is a good sized water park located in Lamai. As well as slides for all ages there is also a mini golf course, bungee trampoline, bumper boats, a bouncy castle and pedal go-karts.
Lamai Sunday Nightmarket-
The night market is very interesting and is a great place for foodie loving families. There are plenty of different types of stalls to discover.
Aquapark Samui:
This is located on Chaweng Beach. It has various inflatable floating devices for all the family to try such as pyramids, bridges and trampolines.
What to Eat:
There are an array of family friendly restaurants in Koh Samui which you can search for online. Most restaurants provide authentic Thai food along with other cuisines to satisfy everyones tastes.
Have you been to Koh Samui with children? What would you recommend doing?
*This is a collaborative post*
Accommodation:
A villa would be a great choice of accommodation for a family visit. A villa can often be a home away from home and it's also private so you can run around and make as much noise as you please. It also has a lot more space then a hotel. Even though we travel often we still can't seem to pack light, so any extra space is always welcome.
There are some beautiful villas available on Koh Samui Villas and what is fantastic about their site is that for every villa that is booked they will plant a tree in Sumatra in Indonesia. They also have a concierge service available as soon as you book to help provide the personal touch and to assist with any of your families needs.
A villa can often save you money as you can cook your own meals if you wish. Although you could speak to your concierge before you arrive to arrange BBQ nights and more.
They can also arrange for pool toys and other games to be provided which is wonderful as you don't have to worry about packing your own.
What to Bring:
Mosquito spray is essential as is sun tan lotion. Also make sure you have some toys and entertainment in place for any tropical rainy days. You could always make the best of a bad situation and jump in the puddles.
Things to See and Do:
Head to the Beach-
There are many long and beautiful beaches ready to be enjoyed in Koh Samui such as Maenam, Choeng Mon Beach and Thong Takhian Beach.
The Secret Buddha Garden -
This is also known as the magic garden as it a fab place for exploring. It's set in a lush rainforest and has lots of little houses and sculptures to explore.
Coco Splash Adventure and Water park:
This is a good sized water park located in Lamai. As well as slides for all ages there is also a mini golf course, bungee trampoline, bumper boats, a bouncy castle and pedal go-karts.
Lamai Sunday Nightmarket-
The night market is very interesting and is a great place for foodie loving families. There are plenty of different types of stalls to discover.
Aquapark Samui:
This is located on Chaweng Beach. It has various inflatable floating devices for all the family to try such as pyramids, bridges and trampolines.
What to Eat:
There are an array of family friendly restaurants in Koh Samui which you can search for online. Most restaurants provide authentic Thai food along with other cuisines to satisfy everyones tastes.
Have you been to Koh Samui with children? What would you recommend doing?
*This is a collaborative post*
Being fit and healthy has always been important to humans. When you don’t pay enough attention to this side of your life, it’s very easy to find yourself going downhill, and a lot of people never recover once they’ve let their fitness slip. Of course, though, this isn’t something you want to go through. Instead, you want to be on the route of improvement, always searching for new ways to make your body better. To give you some inspiration, this post will be exploring four of the best ways to boost your body without having to hit the gym or tighten your diet.
Sleeping
Not a lot of people think about sleep as something which can help with their fitness. When looking at this element of life, it can be easy to assume that getting as little as possible is best, as this gives you more time during the day. Taking this approach will quickly make your unhealthy, though, making it harder for your body to control its weight, while also damaging your fitness in the process. Most people need at least 7 hours of sleep each night to stay healthy.
Socialising
Emotional and affectionate displays come in loads of shapes and sizes, ranging from a simple smile to sharing your bed with someone else. These acts all burn a huge amount of calories, while also improving your mental health, and are great things to seek when you’re trying to live a healthier lifestyle. It can be easy to neglect this important side of life when you’re busy with work or school, but it isn’t worth it.
Supplements
Over the last few years, natural supplements have come a long way. With options like CBD oil on the market, you have a great chance to give your body a boost without having to do much in the process. Of course, though, in case you’re wondering whether CBD is legal or not, it will be worth doing some research before trying things like this. As time goes on, loads of companies are coming out with products like this.
Sunshine
Everyone knows that the sun holds a lot of power, especially seeing as it heats up the entire planet. Not a lot of folks know that spending time in the sun can be very good for their health, though. As long as you’re protected with sunscreen, spending time outside during summer is a great way to soak up all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. Without any sun whatsoever, you would start to get quite sick.
With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to get started on looking for ways to improve your body without having to exercise or going through a diet. While this sort of effort may sound too good to be true, a lot of people take this approach to their health, and it can have a big impact. Of course, though, nothing will beat doing this alongside an already healthy lifestyle.
*This is a collaborative post*
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