Distract Yourself When Waiting For A Call!

Over the past ten-ish years, I have spent more time than I’d like to admit waiting for some guy I was dating (or wanted to date) to call or text me back. I know I’m not alone. Most women are all too familiar with hoping a guy will call, wondering if he will and worrying that he’s just going to vanish because he wasn’t really interested in the first place. Which is to say, waiting for a guy to call is a special type of hell, right?  One guy I dated used to go weeks in between phone calls or texts, only to seem baffled when I was less than enthused to finally hear from him when he’d magically reappear.

Since you’re way too awesome and hot to stare at your phone all day, here are 20 semi-productive things you can do while waiting for a guy to call.

Send a text message to your best friend or your mum. Someone who would never dare ignore you!

Write down ten things about yourself, inside and out, that you love. Yes, it’s cheesy–but I bet you feel better after.

Take some ridiculous yet oh so HOT selfies.  

Change into workout clothes and think about going for a run, to the gym or just dancing around your house. Bonus points if you actually do it, but no pressure, seriously. It’s the thought that counts!

Do a quick purge of your Facebook friends. Do you really need to know what 1200 people ate for dinner?

 Turn your phone off! It’s not the boss of you.

Pour yourself a drink. Repeat. Cheers!

Go on a date with someone else. Distract yourself with someone else!

Makeout with someone else. Quite the distraction.

Pick the one task on your to-do list that you’ve been putting off the longest, and DO IT. You will feel amazing after, whether your phone is ringing or not.

 One word: Vibrator. Who needs a guy anyway?

Stay busy. Accept every happy hour, blind date or dinner invitation that comes your way and throw yourself into your job.

Go to sleep early. Not because you’re depressed, but because sleep is awesome.

Scroll through his past text messages…and then delete them.  

Banish anxiety. Whether you take a bubble bath, meditate or talk to a friend, try not to freak out. You can’t control if he calls or not, but you can control how you handle it either way.

Get lost in your Netflix queue for a while. New OITNB, anyone?

Find a cute puppy or child to play with. Kids and puppies have a way of reminding us to live in the moment. See also-Adorable!

Treat yourself to your favourite indulgent food. It is virtually impossible to worry about some dude when you have all your favourite foods.

Lightly internet stalk him. Just a little bit and proceed with caution! This one can backfire, but you might find yourself reading the inane or annoying status updates he’s posted or selfies and over emoji use and realise that you’re not really that interested in him, after-all. Of course, you might end up liking him more, but hey, 50/50.

What is your favorite way to distract yourself while waiting to hear from a guy?
 

How To Survive New Years Eve

It's a fact few people care to admit, but New Years Eve is one of the most over rated and stress induced dates in the calender. The only way to be able to survive it is with forward planning. Spontaneity collapses on New Year's Eve as most drinking holes and clubs have cottoned on to this 'event' and sell tickets in advance, so here are our options for you! 

Plan ahead and get all your friends to buy tickets for the same place on the night and go together. Or avoid hassles and debates by giving them all tickets to the venue that you want to go to for Christmas. Sneaky yes! 

Glam up and if you're feeling energetic throw a dinner party. 

 

Book a Cottage or go abroad. 

 

Or you can watch the obligatory reruns on television, make a list of New Years Resolutions, stay up to hear Big Ben and go to bed sober. Wake up fresh as a daisy and ready to  start the New Year as you mean to go on: hitting the sales. 

Dealing With Cyber Bullying

Technology means that bullying is no longer limited to schoolyards or street corners. Cyberbullying can occur anywhere, even at home, via email, texts, mobile phones, and social media websites 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with potentially hundreds of people involved. For those who suffer cyberbullying, the effects can be devastating, leaving you feeling hurt, humiliated, angry, depressed, or even suicidal. But no type of bullying should ever be tolerated. These tips can help you protect yourself or your child online and deal with the growing problem of cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying occurs when a child or teen or more worrying adults use the Internet, emails, text messages, instant messaging, social media websites, online forums, chat rooms, or other digital technology to harass, threaten, or humiliate another person. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying doesn't require physical strength or face-to-face contact and isn't limited to just a handful of witnesses at a time. Cyberbullies come in all shapes and sizes—almost anyone with an Internet connection or mobile phone can cyberbully someone else, often without having to reveal their true identity. cyberbullies can torment their victims 24 hours a day and the bullying can follow the victim anywhere so that no place, not even home, ever feels safe, and with a few clicks the humiliation can be witnessed by hundreds or even thousands of people online.

The methods people use to cyberbully can be as varied and imaginative as the technology they have access to. It ranges from sending threatening or taunting messages via email, text, or IM to breaking into your email account or stealing your online identity to hurt and humiliate you. Some cyberbullies may even create a website or social media page to target you.

As with traditional bullying, both boys and girls cyberbully, but tend to do so in different ways. Boys tend to bully by "sexting" (sending messages of a sexual nature) or with messages that threaten physical harm. Girls, on the other hand, more commonly cyberbully by spreading lies and rumors, exposing your secrets, or by excluding you from emails, buddy lists, or other electronic communication. Because cyberbullying is so easy to perpetrate, a person can easily change roles, going from cyberbullying victim at one point to cyberbully the next, and then back again.

Any type of bullying can make you feel hurt, angry, helpless, isolated, even suicidal, or lead to problems such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. In many cases, cyberbullying can be even more painful than face-to-face bullying because:

• Cyberbullying can happen anywhere at any time, even in places where you normally feel safe, such as your home, and at times you'd least expect, such as at the weekend in the company of your family. It can seem like there's no escape from the taunting and humiliation.
  
  
• A lot of cyberbullying can be done anonymously, so you may not be sure who is targeting you. This can make you feel even more threatened and can embolden bullies, as they believe online anonymity means they're less likely to get caught. Since cyberbullies can't see your reaction, they will often go much further in their harassment or ridicule than they would do face-to-face with you.
  
  
• Cyberbullying can be witnessed by potentially thousands of people. Emails can be forwarded to hundreds of people while social media posts or website comments can often be seen by anyone. The more far-reaching the bullying, the more humiliating it can become.

 

If you are targeted by cyberbullies, it's important not to respond to any messages or posts written about you, no matter how hurtful or untrue. Responding will only make the situation worse and provoking a reaction from you is exactly what the cyberbullies want, so don't give them the satisfaction.

It's also very important that you don't seek revenge on a cyberbully by becoming a cyberbully yourself. Again, it will only make the problem worse and could result in serious legal consequences for you. If you wouldn't say it in person, don't say it online.

Instead, respond to cyberbullying by:

• Saving the evidence of the cyberbullying, keep abusive text messages or a screenshot of a webpage, for example, and then report them.
  
  
• Reporting threats of harm and inappropriate sexual messages to the police. In many cases, the cyberbully's actions can be prosecuted by law.
  
  
• Being relentless. Cyberbullying is rarely limited to one or two incidents. It's far more likely to be a sustained attack on you over a period of time. So, like the cyberbully, you may have to be relentless and keep reporting each and every bullying incident until it stops. There is no reason for you to ever put up with cyberbullying.
  
  
• Preventing communication from the cyberbully, by blocking their email address, cell phone number, and deleting them from social media contacts. Report their activities to their internet service provider (ISP) or to any social media or other web sites they use to target you. The cyberbully’s actions may constitute a violation of the website’s terms of service or, depending on the laws in your area, may even warrant criminal charges.  

If you are being cyberbullied, remember:

• Don't blame yourself. It is not your fault. No matter what a cyberbully says or does, you should not be ashamed of who you are or what you feel. The cyberbully is the person with the problem, not you.
  
  
• Try to view cyberbullying from a different perspective. The cyberbully is an unhappy, frustrated person who wants to have control over your feelings so that you feel as badly as they do. Don't give them the satisfaction.
  
  
• Don't beat yourself up. Don't make a cyberbullying incident worse by dwelling on it or reading the message over and over. Instead, delete any cyberbullying messages and focus on positive experiences. There are many wonderful things about you so be proud of who you are.
  
  
• Get help. Talk to a friend , teacher, counselor, or other trusted person. Seeing a counselor does not mean there is something wrong with you.
  
  
• Learn to deal with stress. Finding ways to relieve stress can make you more resilient so you won't feel overwhelmed by cyberbullying. Exercise, meditation, positive self-talk, muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises are all good ways to manage the stress from cyberbullying.
  
  
• Spend time doing things you enjoy. The more time you spend with activities that bring you pleasure—sports, hobbies, hanging out with friends who don't participate in cyberbullying, for example—the less significance cyberbullying will have on your life.

Find support from those who don't cyberbully:

Having trusted people you can turn to for encouragement and support will boost your resilience when being cyberbullied. Reach out to connect with family and real friends or explore ways of making new friends. There are plenty of people who will love and appreciate you for who you are.

• Unplug from technology. Taking a break from your computer, tablet, iPod, video games, and cell phone can open you up to meeting new people.
  
  
• Find others who share your same values and interests. You may be able to make friends at a youth group, book club, or religious organisation. Learn a new sport, join a team, or take up a new hobby such as dance, art, or music.
  
  
• Share your feelings about bullying. Talk to a friend, counselor, colleague, religious leader, or trusted friend. Expressing what you're going through can make a huge difference to the way you feel, even if it doesn't change the situation.
  
  
• Boost your confidence. Exercise is a great way to help you feel good about yourself, as well as reduce stress. Punch a mattress or take a kick boxing class to work off your anger.
  
  
  Stay strong!

He Loves You Not

He has a girlfriend. And that girlfriend is not you.

There are certain things that we don’t really question in life: red light means stop, Coachella is hella overrated, One Direction fans are bat shit mental and so on.  But for some reason, when we really like someone, we question the shit out of their relationship status, even when it’s right there out in the open. Social media doesn’t lie; Man of your dreams is IN A RELATIONSHIP with some stupid girl who doesn’t even look THAT pretty in her profile picture…

 

 

Bottom line: sitting around, pining and day dreaming of the day he confesses that his girlfriend is in fact some sort of cover up story because he’s in witness protection and you are the one he truly loves (or just that he dumped his girlfriend and wants to be with you) is not going to do you any favours. Best case scenario? His relationship crashes and burns, enough time passes so that you are not his rebound, and something beautiful kindles between you two. Worst case scenario? You murder the girlfriend and are sentenced to life imprisonment. Most likely scenario: you are going feel lonely and binge on Netflix, turn down opportunities with people who are actually available, and drive your friends nuts with how often you analyse his text messages.

Do your best to limit your time around him and maybe think about hiding his activity from your newsfeed. Nobody wants to see their dumb trip to even dumber Paris…Fear not, with time, feelings will fade if you do your best to not feed into the fantasy. But seriously, it just sucks. It sucks a big one. Always be cautious around the handsome boy with the clever jokes when he already has someone to hold.

 

 

Creating More Magic In Your Life

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein

This quote is so simple yet so powerful for it’s absolutely true: Happiness and seeing the magic in even the smallest of things is a state of mind, and everyone has the power to switch their own “Magic Button” on at any time they want.

The truth is: we are all born with this “Magic Button” switched on. As kids we find joy and happiness in the simplest of things. We can run around, play with flowers, make necklaces out of daisies and feel like a princess when we wear them. We make our wishes when we blow off the seeds of a dandelion and know they will come true. We climb on trees, fall off again, lie on the grass, gaze up to the clouds and marvel at their forms and puffiness. We imagine what it would be like to sit on a cloud or dance on one. At night we look at the stars and imagine living on one. Our parents think we have imaginary friends but we know so much better.

When does all this stop? Once we start worrying too much. Worrying destroys every magic we have in our lives. Let’s not worry, let’s be who we used to be. Let’s keep our inner child happy. Let’s all be like Peter Pan! But how can we do that?

Believe in yourself

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.”

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Sounds very basic but it’s so true. How can you look for beauty outside if you don’t see the beauty inside of yourself? You will always be looking for external approval and you will be wasting precious time. Time where you could be day dreaming about your next big project or a new hobby you want to learn. Fact is, when we believe in ourselves and our abilities, possibilities become endless. We become creative, we dare to dream, we dare to grow, we dare to share our visions and not being scared of being ridiculed for them.

 Magic of Synchronicity

The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, defines synchronicity as "a meaningful coincidence of outer and inner events that are not causally related."  In fact it was Jung who coined the word synchronicity. Jung speaks of a collective unconscious, a universal pool of knowledge, independent of culture and belonging to us all. Picture it like this: We are all swimming in the same waters and can feel the reverberation of each other's movements as we are all riding the same waves.

What I want to say here is: you can live your life and take everything and everyone for granted. Or you can see the magic behind each and every encounter in your life. The way I see it: we all meet for a purpose. We all have a message to share, a lesson to teach or a lesson to learn. When I meet someone new I always know I will either learn something or teach something. And those people who hurt us the most are ironically the best teachers in our lives and I’m grateful to each one of them for without these lessons I wouldn’t be who I am today. So, as you can see: every encounter with someone new is truly magical.

The magic of Love

 “There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved: It is God's finger on man's shoulder.”

Charles Morgan (English novelist, 1894-1958)

Let’s be honest: is there anything more magical than loving and being loved? I’m not only talking about romantic love but about any form of love. All we need to do is open our hearts fully and not being scared of loving someone or showing who we really are deep down.

Magic in the HERE and NOW

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.”

Dale Carnegie (American author, 1888-1955)

A lot has been written on this topic. There is a whole new trend emerging about living in the here and now. There is mindfulness meditation, there are famous books, like “the power of now” by Eckhard Tolle and an endless information pool on the internet about it.

But still it seems most of us just don’t know how to live in the moment. We don’t know how to stop worrying about future events or regret the many mistakes we committed in the past. We constantly believe the grass is greener somewhere else and that everybody else has more luck than we do. But why is is so difficult to just stop for a second and realise that what we have right now is more than enough? Why can’t we be grateful for the little things we already have and above all for being alive right now. Why can’t we get up each morning and sing and be happy that a new day has started?

Believe in magic

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”

Roald Dahl

I would like to end this blog entry with the above quote. Of course you can try to have more magic in your life, but if you don’t believe in it, you will never find it! I hope that with this blog entry you will find your own magic moments and start seeing this world from a magical state of mind. It is an ongoing process for me too, but tt’s time to switch our “Magic Buttons” on now!

Have a magical day everyone!

Dealing With Anxiety

We are in no way giving you any kind of medical advice, but at some point in our lives we all (unless lucky) suffer from anxiety. Now if you suffer it worse than others, we have researched some tips we think can help you deal with it. We hope they help!

Break the habit

For some people, anxiety is a pattern of behaviour – they become anxious about everything and anything. They’ve learnt it from their childhood, sometimes as a result of parenting. The first thing to do is realise that you are the sort of person who gets anxious and be open to make changes. Dealing with anxiety isn’t all about taking pills; it’s about dealing with your lifestyle.

Apply some logic

If you are a very anxious person it’s easy to take a single fact and build into a whole frightening scenario. As soon as you start feeling anxious about something, remember what the facts are and that you’ve probably worried about it a lot before, unnecessarily. If you’ve got a worried circuit set up in your brain, what you need to do is to try to set up another system, which is more rational. Eventually this does work because your brain is very clever and 'rewires’ itself every night .

Is your diet making you anxious?

When stress hormones build up they turn on the worry centres in the brain. Sometimes simple things can contribute, such as hunger or a particular diet. It’s very important for the human brain to have proper nutrients. Many people who suffer from anxiety are deficient in magnesium (a trace element found in green leafy plants). A daily supplement of magnesium citrate, which you can buy in health-food shops, can help enormously. Cutting out alcohol and caffeine from your diet will reduce anxiety, too.



Remember to breathe!

Exercise is very important. Try to sign up for yoga or t’ai chi classes, which are both very calming for the mind and will teach you proper breathing. Even if you don’t want to do yoga, do try diaphragm breathing – put one hand over the other just below the belly-button and breathe so that your hands go up and down; repeat 10 times. Also try systematically to relax, because your muscles will be tense if you’re anxious. Starting with your feet and gradually working your way up your body, think about each muscle, imagining all the stress going out of the top of your head.

 Live in the moment

Mindfulness is a technique that helps you to live in the now, rather than keep worrying about the past and the future. For example, you might concentrate on your 'in’ and 'out’ breaths, or try a walking meditation, whereby you concentrate simply on putting your feet down and lifting them up and their contact with the floor.

Do you have any tips for Anxiety? 

How To Survive an Occasion...

There are the good ones, the bad ones, and the down right ugly ones. But occasions we have to attend are inevitable. Being the start of the year, we are going to give our tips on how to survive them! Birthdays are fairly predictable, Funerals, though not pleasant are fairly straight forward. The hardest thing to navigate is the wedding. 

Weddings

What to wear. 

 Comparatively simple for the bride, utter nightmare for everyone else. Have a look at what the bridesmaids are wearing, or what the colour scheme is for the wedding or the flowers. A good tip is to stock up on summer/evening dresses in the January sales (so now!) Because you know that it's always the way, none for years and then six in one summer! 

 Go for pretty, delicate, non slutty, unagressive styles like the above. If you struggle in heels make sure you are wearing something comfortable. You will most likely be on your feet late into the day and night.  

Play fair: don't try and upstage the bride, and although you can wear white and black to weddings, it's bad form to do so. You don't have to wear hats to a wedding, but it is a good excuse to. (See our post on hats here!)

RSVP

You really need to RVSP promptly and politely to wedding invitations, whether you want to go or not. When replying to the invite casually call and find out a little bit more about the wedding. This can influence your dress code, do you take a shawl? will there be grass, cobbles etc to navigate in heels?

Wedding Lists

If they have a wedding list, go for it. Give them what they want, and save yourself hours of agony. If all you can afford is a sugar bowl lid, so be it. 

 Food
Have a full english breakfast in the morning as you don't know when you will see food again. There is the service, the photos, the line up, all manner of rituals and alcoholic moments to get through before you taste a morsel. Line your stomach. 

Being Single

For some reason being single at a wedding is SO much worse than being single at any other time. Never go to a wedding alone, seriously. Traditions say that this is the place to meet your potential partner, and if this is the case you don't want anyone cramping your style? I would take your best boy friend, your gay best friend, SOMEONE, honestly. Make sure however you have a plus one, often weddings are extremely tight on seating etc, so don't just roll up with a guest. So why not go alone if you want to meet your mate? well a friend will make you seem much more approachable, and you can have a partner in crime for the day. If you are alone you will have to nurse the obligatory flute of champagne, standing alone and a bit like a deer in headlights.

Think Of Others

If you do see someone of their own, go up and say something to them compliment their dress, etc. Make them feel better about being alone! 

Exits 

Know when to leave. It is considered bad luck to leave before the cutting of the cake. Always pre book a cab, why do you think Cinderella caused such a sensation at the ball? She left early. Always leave people wanting more. If you arrive knowing when you are leaving you can calculate how long can mingle, how long you can drink, how long you can charm etc! 

 What to Say...

In case you get tongue tied, glazed over, or are really quite drunk, have a prepared conversation opener in your mind:

Bride: You look beautiful, who made your dress?
Groom: She looks beautiful, where did you get her ring?
Best Man: Great speech, got any friends? 
In laws bride side: You must be very proud
In laws grooms side: You must be very relieved. 

Funerals

A solemn, sad and much more straightforward event. Wear black day wear not evening wear, and not too tarty. Think demure rather than black widow. Think soft make up, think water proof mascara. 

Think hats, or a black tulle side veil. 

Take inspiration from Jackie O at JFK's funeral, think Princess Diana at Gianni Versace's funeral.

Take tissues; if you don't need them someone else will. 

Pre order flowers. 

Never turn up late. 

Wakes: Go - but not for long. 

Don't mention money, or settling old scores.

 Birthdays

Men carelessly forget the, while women try to and cannot. Birthdays herald another year has passed, another wrinkle, another wealth of experience, another chapter in life's rich tapestry. On your birthday write a list of things you want to achieve in the coming year - and review it on your next birthday to where life has taken you. 

Write down all you friends' birthdays in your address book, as not to forget (facebook may tell you, but send a card!) Send it with diamonds, send it with cake, say it with meaning! 

Anyone can remember Christmas. Birthdays are for the individual so that day must be special for them. 

'Tis better to give than to receive. Try to give something unique and reflects how you feel about them. Cakes and candles are always essential. Other than the early years, 18, 21, 30, 40, 50, and 60 are the only birthdays that really matter, the only ones that really need the big party etc.

You are only these ages ONCE, PARTY! 

Hope our tips help you a little!






 

Things NOT To Do After A Break-Up

Don’t listen to Beyoncé’s “I Miss You”

There are a whole slew of songs you should steer clear of during a break up. Like, I don’t know, ANYTHING ever recorded, EVER, by Celine Dion? Or “All By Myself” by Eric Carmen—that’ll do a real number on you. “Thinkin’ Bout You” by Frank Ocean, “Everytime” by Britney Spears, the list goes on. But perhaps the worst song you could ever listen to is Beyoncé’s “I Miss You” (re: “I thought that things like this get better with time / But I still need you, why is that? / You’re the only image in my mind / So I still see you…around / I miss you like everyday / Wanna be with you, but you’re away / Said I miss you, missing you insane / But if I got with you, could it feel the same?”). Instant tears. Don’t do it.

 Avoid third wheeling

Which, let me tell you, gets harder and harder with each passing day as all of your best friends get plucked up like little lilacs out of dirt. Still, you’re going to want to avoid this if, for nothing else, than to shroud your poor ears from cutesy nicknames or from the song that they plan to play at their unplanned wedding. Which brings me to the next one...

Don’t go to weddings

Do I really need to explain this one?

Don’t go cray cray on your ex

Easier said than done, but still worth reiterating. If you’re about to send him a I NEED YOU I LOVE YOU, I HATE YOU in text message form, send it to your best friend instead. It’s much harder for a friend to break up with you.

Don’t wallow…especially in his clothes

If you happen to have sartorial remnants of your ex scattered about your home, you’re going to want to gather them all up and put them in a safe, yet unreachable spot. The urge to wear his underwear and t-shirts around the house—to casually roll around with them in bed and smell them until your nostril hairs are burned off—will be strong. Exercise restraint.

Don’t force yourself to have casual sex

Because chances are you’ll start crying, try to spoon him after, or something weird like that. Not a good look.

But also, don’t dive right into another relationship...

The pleasure and sense of relief you might get by doing this will be strong, but fleeting. It’s like the whole band-aid solution—you’re not allowing yourself to fully heal from the break up.

Don’t stalk him

That means on social media or in person. After a break up it’s easy to slip imperceptibly into Swimfan mode without even realising it. Well take note—DON’T. Don’t get into the habit of checking his Facebook page every time you sign in, because this will soon become second nature and, eventually, an impulse you’ll perform like clockwork. But also, don’t underestimate the weirdness of stalking in person too. Don’t be that girl who shows up to a party he’s at and stands in the corner the whole time watching his every move. Know why? Because it’s creepy.

Don’t sift through your old photos

There’s a reason for the phrase, “A picture tells a thousand stories.” Pictures are able to tell a ton of stories because you can extend your imagination and suspend disbelief. Looking at old photos won’t bring to mind that time he cheated on you. Looking at old photos of you and your ex will help you forget the bad times, remember the good times, and cloak all of your memories in illusions.

Don’t try and show off “how happy you are” via social media

You might not think it’s transparent, but trust me, it is.

 

Don’t “oops wrong text” him

Girl, I KNOW I didn’t just hear what I think I heard. That you intentionally sent him the text message that was meant for your best friend. I know right now it seems like a great jealousy-inducing ploy, texting him, “Hey, you on your way?” followed by a “oops wrong text,” but in actuality, it’s not. It is obvious.

Don’t expect any grand gestures

Again, with the whole suspending disbelief thing—just don’t do it. After break ups it’s easy to let yourself slip into romantic mode and be consumed by fantasies. Well, snap out of it. When you open your front door tonight, do you know what won’t be at home waiting for you? Your ex, with a bouquet of flowers, a hand-written sonnet and a bathtub filled with fluff. Don’t get it twisted.

Tale as old as time.

Clichéd, annoying, and frustrating. Time heels, the above things help speed the process. You will be OK, you will love again, and you will happy.

How To Deal With A Shit Week.

Sometimes we have those weeks that REALLY, REALLY suck. You know the ones I mean, where nothing goes right? Literally nothing. This past week, I have had one of those weeks, and as try as I might I cannot wait for it to be over. 

 Yesterday I cracked the screen of my phone for the 3rd time in so many months, I noticed a stain on my very expensive bag, a stock order is very late - and so is another which adds to stress which does not help the week! I decided to cheer myself up with a Vanilla Latte which I proceeded to pour all over myself, and men, well they generally just suck but my week was shit already. While these events may not seem very significant or even that bad, they have made for an absolutely miserable week in the life of this melodramatic adult. 

 (How I want to react)

Usually, if this string of events were to happen, I'd react with the typical quick fix: mope and whine and make angsty tweets about my misfortune. This approach, while cathartic, is not a very healthy way to deal with the effects of a bad week. So this time, I have not let my unhappiness get the better of me, and I have come up with three key ways to keep your cool.

 1) Gratitude. If you stop for a moment and force yourself to feel genuinely thankful for everything you DO have in your life, the small problems will seem even smaller. A great example of this is Gratituesday!

2) Unwind. Now this is where I want a large Gin and Tonic and a comedy film. But as I am abstaining from alcohol for the time being, this ends up being crisps and full fat coke! 

3) Laugh at yourself. I mean, it just gets comical eventually. You trip and fall on your face, realise you emailed your mailing list about that bad date and not just your best friend, spill all of your lunch on the ground, work super hard for no return.. After a certain point, it seems like you're starring in a remake of "Just My Luck," except Chris Pine isn't your boyfriend. 

The bottom line is that we all have bad days. There is always a day where everything goes completely against your will, and you can't help it. But we all have good days as well. What makes the biggest difference is staying level-headed and keeping perspective, so that you don't lose sight of those good days that already happened and the ones that are to come. I'll end with a quote from the wise Lemony Snicket, who wrote, "At times, the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough." So look hard!

Help Me! I'm Poor

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OH DEAR. WOE IS YOU, WOE IS ME. There are times in our lives where we all fall short, possibly through fault of our own, but possibly not - you are officially poor, flat broke. Now this where as much as you might want to bury your head in the sand, it's the time to get your organised hat on and get your financial organisation into play. If you are aware that tough times are coming, then be aware and prepare, if it's just crept up on you? Here are my tips for dealing with it. 

List (as horrible and terrifying as it can be) all your expense - this includes going out, bills, shopping, travel etc etc. Then lsit all your incoming funds - do they tally? are you in profit? do you need a second job? One thing I am always wary of is direct debits - they are great and useful. However do the colour blind rabbits in Tibet really need £50 a month from you currently? This is a great budget guide!

Is there anyone you could borrow money from? (HEY MUM!) Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Are there any favours you can call in? boyfriend? family? friends? Or do you really need all those clothes hanging in your closet with the tags on? Ebay can be your friend when in real need, or depop. 

Stay in, and cut down on meals out, transport, taxis, and international calls on your mobile. Get friends to take pity on you and take you out - this will also shed light on who your real friends are. Also try and eat at friends houses, dates etc as much as possible! READ more, honestly staying in (especially this time of year) is lovely with a big mug of hot chocolate and a good book. Libraries are FREE - we often forget they even exist! 

If you have to make purchases, make shopping trips budget friendly. Shopping is fun and makes you feel good - but don't make matters worse. Set yourself a budget, for example the perfect LBD for just £15 - make it a challenge! Sales, and places such as Primark can be genius in these times! 

Get creative in the kitchen! This link gives great cheap meals, and you would be surpised how much you can make from your cupboards. Jacket potatoes with a tin you found in the back? dash of mustard to baked beans? honestly you will be amazed!

Finally no matter how bad it seems, there is a way out! Open the red letters, phone the bank - more often than not they will be happy to help and you will feel SO much better getting it out in the open! 

Do you have any money saving tips?