Today I skipped out on Jonelle's 9:45 class in Peckham. I should have gone but feel disjointed not getting ready for work at home!
I went to the gym with Mum instead - It's nice too when she's on summer hols!
30 mins cardio and some leg weights today. Am feeling achy from arms yesterday actually.
Late shift again today. C4 and NaT.
The weather is still showery...

My first day back at work after pretty much a week off...
Supposed to have a weights session with Marie at the gym but it was her day off so I did 30 mins of cardio and took on some arm exercises alone. Brave! But now I've done it once I have no excuse to try 2-3 times a week.
C4 and NaT were drama free. Only thing that tried to ruin my relaxed first day back mood was the rain!
Summer in England.

My final day off of work.
I went into Croydon and went to the new Five Guys.
We saw Girls Trip again - honestly so hilarious.
Then had a couple of drinks in Turtle Bay before getting the bus home.
Spent the evening relaxing and watching videos on YouTube.

Drove home from Cardiff.
Worked out. Cardio - Cycle.
Picked up Laura Don from Gatwick and went to hers for wine and nibbles + catch up

Cardiff. Be at One, Soda, Sunday dinner at The Exchange Hotel. Exploring Cardiff Bay.


Cinema to see Girls Trip. Dominos.
Top time with my bestie in her home town.
LOVE my little trips to Wales!

Saturday was a bumper day. It was Francesca's Birthday - Jonelle cooked and had Caribbean food. Fiona made cupcakes!
Stevie is home from travelling so the Gibbs' did a get together for her too.
Then I drove to Cardiff for mine and Laura's Summer night out!

Friday the fun continued at Blue Cow Yoga for Jonelle's lunchtime flow class and then we went onto late lunch at the new Ivy Tower Bridge.

Today was the start!! I went to Breakfast in Peckham with Jonelle.
Practiced Mandala at Yogarise.
Drank Matcha Milkshake in Soho and Doughnuts at Crosstown.
Success!

One of the biggest struggles for young people is getting on the property ladder. I've lost count of the amount of times I've imagined winning £1million on the lottery and buying a swanky pad on the river in London. Then I come around to the harsh reality of literally only being able to afford a 2 bedroom place in Croydon - and even that's gonna be a push!

Since putting more time aside to look after myself I’ve felt significantly more motivated. So I wanted to talk a little bit about what I’m actively doing in order to remain positive and upbeat day to day.
It’s been really important to manage my time effectively and find a good balance between work and my social life. Especially as I changed jobs recently and I’m finding a new ‘normal routine’. I’m working in a high pressure environment doing specific shifts, sometimes the hours can be unsociable and towards the end of last year work really consumed me.
A key change I’ve made is to take a little bit of time on (usually) a Sunday afternoon map out my week. Breaking it down day by day and finding a nice work life balance. Using a diary I made on Photobox, iCal and google spread sheets I create milestones for myself. Things I do for me, things to help others or things that have needed to be done for a while and it’s so rewarding to tick them all off and look back to see what I’ve accomplished.
Whether it’s going to the gym three times a week, cooking a new recipe and prepping meals for the week or visiting my Nan before I start a late shift. I’ve found that mapping out my week in has helped to improve my energy levels and moods because I’m not feeling so bogged down in a routine that only consists of getting up, going to work, sleeping and so on for 5 days.
I’m more organised. I’m making time for myself and as I’ve decided not to go away so much this year, I’m seeing a lot more of my family. I’ve booked lots of little things with them to look forward too. Like days out to the coast or an afternoon tea. Plus I’ve already taking more roadtrips to Cardiff to visit Laura than last year and it’s only February! I’ve also got a few concerts and football matches booked in before summer! It’s really made me appreciate being home. Hopefully I can keep my head down and keep on saving for that house…

Learning to love yourself – this was one of my intentions this year, but first of all I actually needed to make time to look after myself. Its hard for me because I do shift work, sometimes at not very social hours so I really have to box off down time. Time management is something I need to consciously work on this year. It’s easy to get fully consumed by my job, constantly feeling like I’m on the commute or sat in a gallery with no windows!
Without realising I do little things for myself throughout the month. I know it’s a treat going to get my eyebrows and nails done but to me they seem more like maintenance! The real luxuries are massages or pedicures.
There isn’t really a better feeling though than a long hot bath on a lazy Sunday. One where I do a full body scrub, hair and face masks allowing myself to zone out with some music and maybe light a few candles with a nice glass of wine or a chamomile tea – depending on what mood I’m in.

For me this is the perfect way to sit and evaluate my week, look back and appreciate all the nice things I’ve done and recharge and reset. I can forget about all the things that bogged me down or stressed me out and just let it all go like a little weekly detox!
We’d all love a spa day once a week, but for people with a full time job it’s just unrealistic. So if some ‘me’ time on a Sunday, a sheet mask and a bit of diary planning can help me start the week with a clearer mind and set a nice positive tone I’m going to really try to stick to it.

I’m still eating right, meal planning and taking lunch and dinners boxed up to work. This is ensuring I’m eating a nice healthy, balanced diet and saving me money.
Something I do want to work on is getting a solid 8-9 hours of sleep a night. I’m going to use my sleep cycle app to monitor the quality of my sleeping too, so stay tuned, I’ll check back in later in the year with an update on all of these things I’m doing to ensure I’m living a healthier day to day life!

I feel like the start of 2017 is the perfect time to gain a little more responsibility over my life. I run I take every opportunity to adventure but.... I have a wonderful job. I need to save some money and work myself into a nice routine whilst doing so.

 1 Budgeting - Treat of the week Living within my means, cut up credit cards. Contactless dangerous! Coffee/Tea Tea? Have it when I get to work! Lunch, bring it! Dinner? Left overs. I’m intrigued to see how much money I’ll have left at the end of the month to pay off my credit cards/ save.

 2 Time Management I want to have more discipline with my time. Time management links everything. Getting up and going to the gym. Returning straight home after work. Making a proper workout plan. Eating right. Sleeping cycles of 90 minutes. Having the right food at the right times. Fuelling my body to be healthier and getting through the day with plenty of energy. Not feeling tired and lethargic will keep me motivated and want to blog more. Blog personal diary FI 3.0 I want to blog more. I’m side tracked by Youtube or someone else’s life. This comes back to focusing on what I have not others.

 3 Improving myself. Learning to love myself. By maintaining a healthier lifestyle I hope to look after myself. I must find happiness in myself if I hope to attract someone else to share my life with. Happy, healthy, rich, energetic. But also reward. Instead of running and booking so many impulsive trips, this year I’d like to go to Jonelle’s Yoga retreat in Morocco and visit family in India. I fully intend to go to Paris, Barcelona, Ibiza and Boston too.

But right now I want to focus on improving myself in order to live happier and keep a positive mentality. No more impulsive spending! No more laziness. Food Prep, Budgeting, Rewards.
 Keeping a diary of my week. My achievements and goals. A montage each week of meals, workouts, sleep charts and rewards.

Week 1. Let’s go!