Is April Fool's Over Yet?


Well, I'm now into week eleven of lockdown (thanks to a badly timed and very drunken stint in Pisa back in February). And while it's definitely had its fair share of wobbles, I gotta be honest, on the whole I'm kinda loving it. Like McDonald's level, baby. Makeup free, no alarm, no commute, #BikiniLife in full, weather-dependent flow...yep, it's been pretty good. So here are a few things I'm grateful for...

Routine. For our daily routine of coffee and orange juice every morning (cos sometimes it's the littlest things).

The kindness of others. For a £40 Just Eat voucher from Matt's boss which resulted in a kickass kebab coated in my absolute fave ever condiment (if not overall food full stop); burger sauce. Secondly, for the neighbours who left a 'help yourself' book box outside on the day I ran out of books. And thirdly, for the people in my life being complete and utter babes; supportive, adorable, and always full of enthusiasm. 

Sunshine. For being able to work outside in the garden, which subsequently means I'm probably the most tanned I've ever been in England (and definitely almost as tanned as France a few years ago). Cheers, UK, really nailed it with the lockdown weather, babe.

Alcohol. And lastly, but most importantly, I'm grateful for gin and red wine because they've helped make this shit show of a situation more bearable with saucy juniper notes, full-bodied flavour, and high alcohol content. I would be certified insane without them both.

grateful heart #3


Five small things I'm grateful for (because I think we could all do with a little reminder of some good stuff right now): 

  1. For enjoying a really, really, really good book recently. 
  2. For finally starting to feel the benefits of daily meditation (or, as I like to call it, sitting in silence for 15 minutes, consistently and largely unsuccessfully trying to bat away the one million and one thoughts that fill my head). 
  3. For a very long, laughter-filled phone call with my best friend. Funerals, global pandemics, and temperamental mental health chatter packed into one of our usual, insanely unfiltered and largely unintelligible to everyone else girl chats.
  4. For the absolute best purchase I have ever, ever, ever made to help get me through this shitty isolation period.
  5. And lastly, for these daffodils. Because they really did put a smile on my face the other day. 

grateful heart #2


I've dipped in and out of gratitude journaling for the past few years — never quite managing to nail it for any prolonged period of time despite always finding it helpful and kind of uplifting. HOWEVER. The only New Year's Resolution I made to myself with any sort of conviction this year was that I would write ONE thing, every single day, for an entire year, no matter what. Even if I'm so hungover I can't hold a pen. Even if I'm the most miserable, moody, hormonal cow on the planet and can't easily think of any obvious glitter from my day. Even if Channing Tatum came down from hunky heaven and told me I could dance in Magic Mike Live XXL if I purposefully skipped a day — I'd look him in his sexy potato face, and decline. Yep, I really meant it. So here are a few highlights from January: