A to Z Blog Challenge

O is for Outfit of the Day

| Suzi Stamp

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

It’s starting to get warmer and that means that I can start to break out my summer clothes finally!  And with today’s Blogging from A – Z post being the letter O I thought that there would be no better opportunity than to share with you my Outfit of the Day!

I work in an office that is open plan and can either be really chilly or can be pretty hot depending on what the heating decides to do that day so layering is a must for days when I am in work.  And, even though the weather is starting to get warmer, there are times when the day is still pretty cold with a breeze that feels sub-zero in the mornings but by the afternoon can be fairly warm and pleasant.  Today’s outfit is perfect for the weather we are currently having.

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I love mixing summer dresses with items that are meant for cooler weather and today I have picked my favorite summer dress, a lovely tie dye strappy piece, which in summer I wear with bare legs and shoulders.  Today I am teaming it with tights, a t-shirt from Primark, a long cardigan from Asda and my favorite, sparkly sandals (which are jelly shoes!).

I love this outfit, it is bright and fun but comfortable at the same time and pared with my black cardi isn’t ‘over-the-top’ bright for work.  I am a huge fan of open cardigans too, they are the perfect item to layer and add to many outfits.  I like to wear mine over shirts and leggings, jeans and t-shirts, dresses, cute skirts and tops, the list is pretty much endless!

I bought my dress at a festival several years ago and wear it each and every year.  I have worn it with a turtle neck top underneath and thick tights and boots in the winter, and can transition it to summer wear by adding either a long sleeve top, t-shirt, vest top or nothing underneath it.  It works really well with several different cardis over the top too, from my chunky arran knit cardi to a pale pink chunky knit cardi that I own.  I love the colours of it as I can mix it with pinks, blues, purples and black and it still looks lovely.  I can dress it up or down depending on where I am going too!  It really is the perfect dress for me!

I got my jelly shoes in a charity shop last year.  They were brand new with the tags still on and cost me £2.00 which I thought was a complete bargain!  I love how comfortable they are and I have worn them with black skinny jeans and socks, shorts and dresses.  They look really nice with bare feet or with socks.

What are you wearing today?  Let me know in the comments!

N is for Netflix

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

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Todays post is bought to you by the letter N and the topic Netflix!

I don’t really watch tv, I haven’t seemed to even switch the box on for such a long time so when I got an offer sent through to my inbox for a 30 day free trial of Netflix I didn’t really see the point in signing up for it.  This was 4 months ago and I now subscribe to the service monthly.  So, “what changed?” I can hear you all ask… well, one evening I didn’t really have anything to do and fancied sitting and watching something, anything and couldn’t find anything that I fancied watching on “normal” telly so I had a look on-line at what I could find on Netflix, saw that they still had Gilmore Girls on there (which I had watched parts of previously) and decided that I would use my free trial to watch the show from the beginning, then the plan was to cancel.

I watched the whole of Gilmore Girls (all 7 Series, 153 episodes) and then I saw that they had an extr a seriesfor the Gilmore Girls called A Year in the Life.  By this point I was nearing the end of my free trial so decided to stick with it and finish watching this show.

In work one day I overheard someone talking about The Umbrella Academy (on Netflix) so I then thought I’d watch the first episode to see what it was like… I was hooked and have since completed the first series and am anxiously awaiting the next series.

And now I have watched the following…

  • Pretty Little Liars
  • Orphan Black
  • Black Mirror
  • Consumed
  • Girlboss

And I have a to watch list that keeps on growing steadily….

What series have you watched on Netflix?  Do you have any suggestions of things I can add to my list of things to watch?

M is for Morning Skincare Routine

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

Today, as part of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge I am sharing my Morning Skincare Routine.  I wrote about my Evening Skincare Routine at the start of this challenge (as my letter E post).

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My morning skin care routine is a lot different to my evening routine and I like to focus on cleansing and preparing my skin for make-up preparation if I am going to work, or just cleansing my skin when I am at home.

I like to start my morning by applying a creamy cleanser, I find the Soap And Glory Peaches And Clean Deep Cleansing Milk to be really good for my morning routine as it doesn’t dry my skin out and leaves my skin soft.  I usually apply this product to damp skin with my hands and use my Facial Brush if I need extra exfoliation.  I remove the cleanser with my facial sponges.  I will use a flannel to remove if my skin is looking a bit dull as it can help to boost the skins circulation and help to further aid in exfoliation.

I use B Pure Micellar Oil to remove any residue left on my skin from the cleanser.  As this is oil based it really helps to moisturise my skin while removing any impurities.  I use tissue to blot my skin to remove any excess oils that are left over from the micellar oil.

Once I have finished cleansing my skin I then use this moisturiser from Tesco, it is a light moisturiser which absorbs well into my skin and contains an SPF.  This moisturiser doesn’t leave my skin greasy or any residue on the surface of my skin which is perfect for days when I want to wear makeup.

If my skin is starting to look and feel dry I follow my moisturiser with Superdrug Calm Skin Hydrating 2 in 1 Serum and Moisturiser, which I tend to apply on weekends rather than work days.  If I do use this on days when I intend to wear makeup I will apply the serum and then let it sit for around 10 mins (perfect coffee drinking time!!!) then I will blot my skin before adding a primer to my skin.  It’s not that this serum is oily or leaves much of a residue but in the past, when using different serums I have learned that my makeup doesn’t last as long if I skip the waiting and blotting step.

What is your morning skin care routine like?

 

L is for Life (A Day In Mine…)

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

Today’s post topic starts with the letter L and today I will be sharing with you what a typical week day in my Life looks like!

7:00am.  I wake up and reach for my phone to catch up on some blog posts from my favorite bloggers, respond to any comments I may have received and check up on my Instagram and Twitter.

7:30am.  I get up and start getting ready for my day.  I wash my face, brush my teeth and decide what I am going to wear for the day if I haven’t picked out an outfit the night before.

7:45am.  I put on my makeup and sort my hair out and spritz myself with my favorite perfume (incase you are wondering its Yardley English Rose!)

7:50am.  I wake Roxy up.  She’s a typical teenager trapped in a dog’s body and hates the mornings!  She would stay in bed if I’d let her.

7:55am.  We head downstairs and I let Roxy out into the garden to do her thing.  I put the kettle on and prepare my lunch for the day.  Once the kettle is boiled I make myself a coffee and fill my flask with coffee to take with me to work too.

8:10am.  Usually by this time I am ready for a hit of nicotine (I know, it’s bad and I’m slowly weaning myself off of cigarettes and onto a vape…)

8:20am.  I drink my coffee and start the hunt for my car keys and other things I will need for the day.

8:30am.  I say goodbye to Roxy and head out of the house and to my car to start my journey to work.

8:45am.  I arrive at work and park in the usual spot.  At this point I will have another nicotine fix before heading in.

8:55am.  I get to my desk and fire up my pc and log myself in to the system.

9:00am.  While my pc is loading all the software I use I check what work has been allocated to me, sort through it all and place it in piles from highest priority to lowest and in order of geographical areas.  (The work I do covers the whole of Wales and gets processed in order of area types.)

9:10am.  Once I’m logged in to my pc and all the software has loaded I check my emails and respond to any that I need to, otherwise I read and file them away into their relevant folders.

9:20am.  I start the work that has been allocated to me.

10:00am.  Breakfast!  I bring Weetabix to work with me that I eat at my desk as I work as I really struggle to eat breakfast any earlier, it makes me feel a bit sick if I eat too early.

11.00am.  Break time!  We don’t have a proper break allocated to us except for a lunch break but we are allowed to make coffee/tea whenever and at this time I tend to make myself a coffee and have a snack (usually a piece of fruit) at the same time while I work.

1:00pm.  Time for lunch.  I bring sandwiches with me and will eat them while I read something I have downloaded to my Kindle or I go out for a walk with a friend.  I find that this “time out” can really help me to re-gain my work focus and boosts my energy for the afternoon.

1:30pm.  Time to return to my desk.  I re-check my emails and respond if needed and then I re-check my work allocation to see how well I have progressed and to alter my priority if needed.

3:00pm.  Coffee time.  By this time I really need a caffeine hit and I will treat myself to a snack of some description, sometimes this will be a yoghurt, other times crisps or a piece of cake.

5:00pm.  I work through until 5pm most days, though we do have flexi time available to us which means that I can accrue time if I work earlier or later which enables me to leave work from 4pm onwards.  Usually, though, I work from 9 – 5 as I find these hours suit me the best.  I close down all of the applications that I have been using and log off from the system, gather my things and start to walk over to the car park to retrieve my car.

5:05pm.  I reach my car and start my journey home.

5:25pm.  I arrive home.  Roxy has usually only just woken up and will greet me at the door stretching and yawning.

5:30pm.  I get changed out of my work clothes and into home clothes (jeans and a hoodie or t-shirt).

5:40pm.  I let Roxy out into the garden and put the kettle on to make a coffee.

5:45pm.  I make a start on tidying the house and wash up my lunch box and flask for the next day.  I might put a clothes wash on at the same time and put the hoover around or sweep the floors if needed.

6:00pm.  I drink my coffee and sit down to catch up on the blogs I follow, respond to any comments and work on my blog schedule and any up-coming posts that I need.

7:00pm.  Dinner time!!!!  Both Roxy and I eat at the same time, she has her food while I have mine.  I usually opt or something easy for me, usually something with toast, pasta or rice.  Roxy always has the same food she always does, dry kibble!

7:30pm.  I clean up from my dinner and make another coffee.  I then head to my front room and settle in for the night with a tv programme or Netflix.

9:00pm.  Shower time.  I like to have a shower at this time as it means my hair can dry naturally, I find that it is easier to style if it air dries rather than using a hair dryer.

9:20pm.  If I’m not in my pjs by now then I normally climb into them now!

9:30pm.  I head back downstairs and will make another coffee or make myself some squash.  I will work on my blog a bit more or continue to watch my tv show.

10:20pm.  I let Roxy out into the garden so she can do her biz while I check the fridge for sandwich options for the following day.

10:30pm.  I’m head off upstairs and check out my clothes for the next day.  I like to have an idea of what I could wear before the day arrives.  This little habit stops me feeling anxious in the morning and having a panic about what to wear!

10:40pm.  I’m ready for bed.  I like to lay and read for a bit before lights off as it helps me to sleep.

11:00pm.  I check that my alarm is set for the morning and turn out the lights, snuggle up to Roxy and we both drift off to sleep.

What does your typical day-to-day life look like?

I is for Interviews

| Suzi Stamp

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

Today is day 9 of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge and todays topic is Interviews.  Interviews can be fairly daunting things to attend, let alone prepare for, there are so man things to consider from what to wear, how to greet the interviewer, what questions will be asked, how to prepare answers, even things like how should you sit and how to present yourself.  So, in this post I am going to share some help, advice and tips that I have learned along the way and from the many, many interviews that I have attended.  Hopefully, by applying some of these things you will feel less anxious about the interview and maybe, even, enjoy the whole process.

  1. Research the company.  These days most companies have a website and various other social media channels which make it easy to research just what the company does.  Look for information about its history, when it was set up, it’s core beliefs and values, how many employees it has and which sector it sits in.  Having this knowledge is useful as it shows that you have an interest in the company from how it started to how it got to where it is now.
  2. Research the job role.  While the job role may be generic, for example administration assistant, find out exactly what that means to that company.  Job roles can vary greatly from one company to another so it is vital that you research just what the company expects from you in the role you have applied for.  More often than not, you should be able to find out this information from the pack you received when applying for the job, however, looking online and doing a search should give you an idea of the types of activities you will be expected to carry out on a day to day basis.  Knowing this information can help you build some relevant questions to ask your interviewers.
  3. Research your interviewers.  Often, when you get invited to attend an interview, you will be given the name or names of the persons interviewing you.  It is worth spending some time looking into who they are and what their business backgrounds are, where they started, how long they have been with the company and any other useful information.  Not only will this give you an idea of who the interviewers are but it can help you to generate some interesting questions to ask them.  You should be able to find out information about your interviewers via the company website or from their LinkedIn profiles.  This step will also show that you are not only interested in the company and the job but in the people who you will be working with.
  4. Write down any questions that you may have from the first 3 points.  This is essential.  Do not rely on your memory to try to remember any questions.  have a notepad or paper beside you when researching the first 3 points and make note of questions as you go.  You can always go back and review or change the questions afterwards.
  5. Find out the dress code for the company.  Knowing the dress code for the company will help you in your choice of attire for the interview.  Have a look for the company on Facebook and see what images have been shared of their workers.  Make a note of what they are wearing, is it super formal and mostly black and white or are the clothing choices bright, modern and cool?  Once you know this you can incorporate the companies overall style into your interview outfit.  I would always suggest dressing smart but adding a hint of the company style into your outfit too, for example a skirt and jacket but instead of a shirt, maybe a bright, plain fitted t-shirt under the jacket, or a patterned dress under a formal jacket.
  6. Prepare your outfit and accessories.  Make sure that your outfit is clean and freshly laundered and pressed.  Check that your shoes are clean and any scuffs are fixed, and if necessary get them re-soled or re-heeled.  Check that your bag is clean, dust free and empty!  Write down any questions you have into a smart notebook, and make sure that you have a pen that writes.
  7. Pack your bag with interview necessities.  I like to pack my bag with only the things I may need for the interview.  My packing essentials are mints, tissues, deodorant or perfume, lip balm, hair brush, bottle of water, smart pens, notebook, spare tights.  Your list may differ slightly but it is best to only pack the things you may need, there is nothing worse than reaching into your bag for something and pulling out a load of unnecessary items, or worse, spending valuable time rummaging around to find one thing.
  8. Show up early.  I like to arrive to an interview around 15 minutes early.  This gives me time to park my car, find the interview place, go to the toilet, carry out any last-minute appearance touch-ups and gives me time to breath and calm myself.  These 15 minutes can make all the difference to your demeanour in the interview.
  9. Match your interviewers body language, posture and voice.  Watch how your interviewer sits and moves and mirror those gestures and postures.  By doing this you are encouraging feelings of trust and understanding.  Keep the same tone of voice as your interviewer, match the speed at which they talk, and talk clearly.  Try not to be too lengthy in your answers, shorter and more concise answers are easier for your interviewer to follow and remember.
  10. Ask Questions.  In all interviews I have ever attended I have been asked if I have any questions.  The worst thing to do is not have any at all which is where our research from the first 3 points comes in handy, this is your time to show that you have an understanding of the company, what is expected of you and about your interviewers.  Try to ask at least one question from each – 1 on the company, one on your role and one about your interviewer or interviewers.
  11. Maintain eye contact.  When the interviewer is speaking try to maintain eye contact, and use open body language which will help you seem focused and interested.  When you are speaking try to maintain eye contact or look from interviewer to interviewer.  This shows confidence and helps to build a bond of trust with your interviewers.
  12. Say thank you.  once the interview is over remember to thank the interviewers for their time and the opportunity to have an interview/be considered for the role.  Shake hands and, if not already mentioned, ask when it is likely that you will hear from them.

Do you have any other tips that you could add?  Have you used any of the tips I have listed and how have they helped?

H is for Hair

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

I always dye my hair bright colours, I’ve been pink, blue, green, orange, turquoise, peach, red, magenta, purple, lilac and all shades and tones in between.  I’ve been dying my hair for around 20 years, and over that time I have had lots of questions about caring for coloured hair so, as todays Blogging From A to Z letter is H, I thought I would share a bit about my hair, dying it and caring for it afterwards.

***I am in no way a “hair expert” and these hints/tips are what I have learned through research and my own trial and error.***

***Please always read any dye or bleach instructions fully before attempting any home colouring and ALWAYS perform a skin and hair test at least 24hrs prior to using.***

When I decide to dye my hair I like to start with a base tone as light as possible so I always start with hair bleach.  I use Jerome Russell Bblonde Powder Bleach and 40 Vol 12% Cream Peroxide from the same range to lighten my hair.  I add the peroxide to the powder and stir through using a plastic tint brush in a glass bowl.  Before applying to my hair I add a generous amount of cheap hair conditioner to the prepared bleach.  I find that adding this in stops my hair from getting overly dry during the lightning process.  As my hair is naturally dirty blonde it doesn’t take long for the bleach to start working its magic and I find that after around 15 minutes it is ready to be rinsed off.  I would recommend checking on your hair every few minutes to see how well it is processing and never leave it on for more than 20 minutes.  Always follow the manufacturers instructions.

IMG_3464 Once the bleach has lightened my hair to the desired level I then rinse off the bleach with cool water.  I towel it dry and then apply Bleach London white Toner which helps to even out the tone of my hair to an almost platinum shade.  Once this has been left on for the time stated in the instructions I rinse it off, again using cool water and then towel dry.

Now comes the fun part, putting the colour onto your hair!

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I tend to use Bleach London Super Cool Colour dyes as it comes in an array of colours and take well to my hair and last quite a long time too.  They are semi-permanent colours and will fade over time but I have found these to fade evenly all over and the colour still remains pretty.  I have also used a few Pick & Mix Colours from Superdrug which also fade down really nicely.

The easiest thing I have found is to squeeze an amount of dye into a glass dish and apply to the hair-line with a dye brush before adding more dye directly to the hair using gloved hands and working through.  Once your hair is saturated with dye then get a length of cling film and wrap it over your head and hair before covering with a towel.  Leave it to sit for as long as is recommended in the manufacturers instructions before rinsing off with cool water.

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Once you have rinsed and towel dried, apply a deep conditioning treatment such as Bleach London Reincarnation Mask or a hair oil like Superdrug Coconut Oil with Argan and leave to sit on the hair for as long as you want.  Personally, I aim to deep treat my hair for around an hour.  This step will ensure that your hair is soft and manageable and will retain the colour for longer.

Tips to make your colour last.

  • To make the colour last longer I recommend always buying a second bottle of colour and each wash, add a bit to both the shampoo and conditioner as you use it.
  • Deep condition your hair once a week, again, adding a bit of dye to the conditioner, this will prevent your hair looking dry and becoming unmanageable.
  • Dry shampoo is your friend, where possible, use dry shampoo instead of washing.  I try to wash my hair twice a week when it has been coloured.
  • Use shampoo and conditioner formulated for coloured hair or use baby shampoo.
  • Try to avoid styling products.  I have found that hair spray especially, seems to suck colour from my hair.

When you want to change your hair colour it is important to fade your hair as much as possible before bleaching or re-dying.  In order to fade the colour you will want to wash your hair as much as possible, anti dandruff shampoo is really good at helping to fade dye!  By fading the colour as much as you can it will mean that, should you use bleach, you shouldn’t need to leave it on your hair for long.

If you want to change your colour without bleaching then think about what colour your hair is now and what colour you may want to end up with.  Transitioning from similar colours can be fairly easy and I have gone from pink to purple to turquoise without any need for bleach.

Here’s a few pictures of my hair over time!

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G is for Gemstones (and crystals…)

| Suzi Stamp

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

Today’s Blogging From A to Z letter is G and today I am sharing about my love of gemstones.

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I’ve always loved gemstones and from an early age I have been a collector of them, I was fascinated with how they looked and felt to hold.  My first gemstone was a piece of moss agate which, when you peered at it you could see formations that looked like trees and bushes.  My imagination used to run riot and I’d spend hours dreaming up scenarios involving being under water and of ethereal landscapes trapped in time, making up stories about the people and animals that could have lived in such places.

Over time, and as I grew up, my collection grew to include, not just tumbled stones, but several pieces of jewellery that incorporate gemstones (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings) and I started to read about the healing powers that the crystals held, how to care for them and cleansing and charging of them.

I find it really interesting how such a small stone can hold so much power and can help in so many different ways.  I carry around a piece of moonstone, hematite, amethyst and rose quartz with me daily, and wear a bracelet with turquoise beads on it, a moonstone ring and a necklace that houses a ball of rose quartz.

Moonstone is a really calming stone, and even when I can’t see it, knowing that I have it with me seems to help me to feel less anxious.  I carry a moonstone tumble stone with me in a small pouch and also wear a ring set with moonstone daily.

Hematite is a grounding stone which is also calming, it can aid in concentration which is really helpful for me as I find that at times my concentration is really low because of the medication I take.  I carry this stone in a pouch with me daily.

Amethyst is another calming stone which can help with headaches too.  It can also help to reduce stress and I like to hold this stone and sit quietly for a few minutes when I can feel the stress levels in my body starting to rise.  This is another tumble stone that I carry with me daily.

Rose quartz is one of my favorite stones.  It is the stone of love and can help to reduce any ill feelings you may have.  I wear this stone daily in a necklace and carry it in a pouch with me daily.

Turquoise is known for its healing properties but is also the stone of protection and communication.  I wear a turquoise beaded bracelet daily and it seems to give me more confidence when speaking and the ability to explain myself in a better way.

Below I have included some images of different gemstones that I found on Google.

If you are interested in gemstones and crystals let me know in the comments!

F is for Fountain Pens

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

Today marks the 6th blog post as part of the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge and the corresponding letter is the letter F.  The topic for this post is Fountain Pens!

I can remember learning to write in school with a HB pencil and the promise of writing with a “real pen” once our handwriting was good enough.  While most kids in my class just dreamed of becoming one of the big kids and writing with any old pen, I always had ideas of owning my own fountain pen and writing with that.

The idea of having my own fountain pen came from my Dad and Grandad who both had beautiful handwriting and wrote with fountain pens, my Dad still, to this day writes with his trusty Parker pen.  Somewhere along the way, I came to believe that the key to beautiful handwriting was a fountain pen.

I can remember the first fountain pen I owned, my Dad presented it to me on my first day of Secondary School when I was 11.  It was a brushed chrome Parker pen, my Dad had bought a refillable cartridge for it and bottles of Quink Ink in Blue and Black and I felt so grown up.  The pen was a dream to write with and made my handwriting look so neat, I’m sure the belief that I’d had when I was younger was true.

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I don’t have that pen anymore but I do have several others in my collection which I love.  The latest addition is a Lamy Safari in Neon Lime which I use on a day-to-day basis for making notes in my planner and when I am at work.  I use the Lamy T10 (Special Edition Petrol Blue) cartridges in it.

My other go to pen is my Parker IM series in Dark Espresso.  This pen reminds me of the one my Dad gave me both in the way it writes and how it feels in my hand, though the look is totally different.  I use Parker Quink cartridges in this, usually the blue/black ink but I have been known to switch to black on occasion.

I know that fountain pens are not the most practical to use every day, they can be leaky, feather, shadow and a whole host of other problems, and I know, for certain tasks, there are other pens that are more worthy of the job, but for me there will always be something very special about writing with a fountain pen.

Do you use a fountain pen?

Just a reminder that there will be no Blogging From A to Z post tomorrow, Sundays are the only day the challenge does not run!  I will be back with the next post on Monday!

 

A is for Apps

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You can find information about the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge here or read the rest of my A to Z posts by following this link.

A is for Apps

Today kicks off the April A-Z blog Challenge (you can find all other related posts of mine here (for all related A-Z posts) and here (for all blog challenge posts)).  I have chosen the topic of Apps for this first post.

I’ve not long upgraded my phone from an iPhone 6 with a memory capacity of 16gb to an iPhone 8 with 64gb of memory space and what a game changer that has been!  I found, with my 6 that I was always having to back up my photos and delete things from my phone as it was constantly full, usually it was images that took up all the memory space.  I hardly had any apps as I didn’t really have the space for them and only had basic ones that I used constantly on my phone.

I have so many apps now, I don’t really want to count how many… but today I’m going to share with you some of the ones I have on my phone and let you know what I like or dislike about them.  I shall place them in the categories I have them in on my phone.

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  • Readercoin I downloaded this a few months ago.  It is an app that you can read books or listen to audio on, and you earn “coins” by reading or listening and giving feedback.  I like the concept and really enjoy reading but, the books available on the app are either really old books or they are not very well written.  And I’m not that keen on reading on my phone.  That being said, I like having it on my phone incase I forget my kindle at any point or have some extra time to kill.  I’ve not used the audio part of this yet so I can’t comment on that.
  • Weather Live  I use this app, not particularly regularly as I’m mostly indoors, but if I have plans to go out for the day or want to do something outside then this is weather app is the one I use.  It seems to give the most accurate weather for where I am.  I really like that there is a section on the app that lets you report what your weather is doing if it is different to the weather report.  I’m not so keen on the pop up ads, and to get rid of them you have to pay which, for the amount I use it I’m just going to put up with them.
  • Bitmoji  I downloaded this last month and wish I had downloaded it a lot sooner! If you don’t know what Bitmoji is, it’s an app that lets you make your own avatar.  You can customise hair, accessories, clothes and loads of other things too!  It makes sending texts and WhatsApp messages more interesting!

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  • Enlight This is a photo editing app that I have used for several years.  It is a fairly simple app to use and I like the different effects you can add to images and that there is so much creativity in this app, such as blending 2 images together.
  • PS Express Another photo editing app that I have used for years.  I tend to use this app for fine details such as red-eye reduction and blemish removal as the control in the app is really good.
  • LogoScopic  I’ve had this app since just before I started this blog.  I downloaded it as I wanted an app that was easy to use to create logos with.  This app was probably the best one that I downloaded out of several and the one that I have stuck with.  It is really easy to use and you are able to create custom logos quickly.  The only thing that I don’t really like is that there is no feature to view all logos, each category of logo has several folders of images that you can customise but you need to scroll through them all which can be a bit annoying.
  • Canva  I only recently discovered Canva but it’s now one of my go-to apps for creating Instagram pictures and all sorts of other graphics for the internet!  I’m still learning all about this app and what it can do but so far I have not found anything to dislike about it!
  • ColorStory  I’ve yet to use this app but I downloaded it after reading about it in a magazine.  I was intrigued as the app has been designed by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman who created A Beautiful Mess (which I used to love for the filters!) so I thought I would download this and give it a go at some point!

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  • Calm  This app is really useful and I like to use it when I can feel stress, anxiety and panic starting to build.  I put my headphones in and use the breathe section which helps to regulate breathing and just focus on the breath and really helps to control those panicky feelings.  I also really like the scenes section where you can choose different background nature sounds to play, and if you go back to the home screen of the app a video will play the chosen scene.
  • Insight Timer  Insight Timer is something that I downloaded after undertaking a mindfulness course around 2 years ago.  Though I don’t use this app much anymore I do like that you can choose length of meditation, what sort of meditation you want (spoken word, sounds etc) and there is a vast number of different meditations to choose from.  For me, the only problem is the sheer amount that you can choose as I can take forever to select a meditiation and I waste more time looking for a meditation to follow than actually meditating.
  • Breethe  I’ve not used this app for a while but still keep it on my phone as the free meditations are really good.  I used to like listening to the “Wake Up with Intention” meditation in the mornings but got out of the habit when I was off from work.  There are a few good free things with this app but I found a lot of the content you have to be a subscriber to access and for me that cost is way too expensive.
  • Headspace  This is another app that I’ve not used since switching phones.  I did love that it would send through little notifications in the day called “Mindful Moments”, I chose to have 4 sent through a day but you could set it for as many as 5 times a day.  I also liked that you could set a reminder for meditation at different points in the day too.  Again, the only thing I’m not too keen on with this app is that there is a huge cost involved with unlocking all the content which I just can’t afford.
  • MoodNotes  I’ve been using MoodNotes since November.  It is a kind of emotions journal where you can record how you are feeling along with a diary entry.  You can then choose to add further emotions to your entry, both negative and positive.  There is a section with questions that you can use to “enrich” your entry and helps you to look at things from a different perspective or analyse your thoughts and feelings surrounding journal events.  I find this app really useful as there are analytic sections that show data including mood trends and insights that cover mood over time where you can see percentages of how your mood has been.

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  • TouchNote  This app makes sending your own personalised cards and postcards really easy and quick!  I downloaded this a few years ago before going on holidays as I wanted to be able to send postcards to my family and not have to worry about finding a post box or stamps on the way!  This app made sending postcards so easy and it was lovely to take photos specifically to make into postcards too.
  • Thortful  Another card sending app, this one supports artists who have designed the cards.  There are so many to choose from which would suit anyones taste and style.  The cards are printed on really lovely quality cardstock and can be sent straight to the intended person or sent to you to give to the recipient.  I use this company fairly regularly and am always impressed that the cards turn up on time and are really good quality!

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  • Forks Over Knives I use this app when looking for new recipes to try out and there are so many to choose from!  The layout of the app is really easy to navigate and the recipes are broken down into type – breakfast items, sides and salads etc, so you can always find appropriate dishes for each meal time!  I’ve not yet used the resources section where you can find things like meal planning and a Cooking School.  I have used the shopping list section which is really useful when you have decided on a recipe and can add the ingredients you need to the list.
  • Foodsaurus  I’ve yet to use this app but it is a translation service for ingredients into different languages.  I can’t remember why I downloaded this app but I remember thinking that it may come in useful one day.  The time has not yet come to find out though….
  • Olio  This is such a good idea.  It’s a bit like freecycle but for food items that you may have overstocked on, tried once and didn’t like or items that are close to their use by date that you are not going to use or items in your food cupboard that you know you won’t get around to using.  You can advertise the food on this app or find food in your area that may otherwise end up being binned.  And with so much food waste going on worldwide I really think this is a fab idea!  Unfortunately, not many people in my area seem to know about the app or use it so it’s been a bit hit and miss but I totally recommend it and is something that I really would like to see people using more!

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The above apps I have not really used yet but downloaded as I wanted to explore ways of scheduling my content to go live on Instagram and Twitter and getting more creative with my Instagram feed.  I did schedule a post from Tailwind but even though it said it had posted to my Instagram it hadn’t and I’m not sure why.  These are apps that I’m interested to have a play around with and find which one works best for me over time.

  • Wunderlist  I used to use the Notes app to keep a running list of things that I needed to do, usually all the different things I needed to get done were all bundled together into one note and it was really disorganised.  I found Wunderlist through a friends recommendation and love that I can make lists of differnt things and switch from one list to another so easily and add subtasks too, for example I can add “write beauty post” to my Blog list then add subtasks for that particular thing like “research moisturizer, take photos of products” etc rather than list them as individual tasks.  It really helps me to keep on track with what needs doing for each big task.

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  • The Moon Calendar  I’ve had this on my phone for ages, so long, in fact, that I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t have the app.  I love this app, it tells you about the moon cycle on a day-to-day basis, gives you ideas for self-care and different rituals, has a to-do list, intentions that you can add your own things to (like quotes and photos) and a journal section.  (I did pay for some of the functions on this app through a gift card I had for my Birthday).
  • Countdown!!  I use this app pretty infrequently but I do have count downs active on there as I really like knowing how long until or since certain events (like my Birthday, how long I’ve had this blog, how long I’ve been in my home, how long until Roxy’s Birthday etc…).  I find this app super interesting and easy to use and it adds a sense of excitement to events that are coming up too!

What apps do you have on your phone that you would recommend?  What are your thoughts on my apps?