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The Wind Down

This week has been crazy. Good crazy, but serious micro-nap snatching stuff. From The Brits (GRWM coming your way), to putting the finishing touches on a very special trip that I’m heading out on next week that lead to me having to be pierced with a needle for the first time in 11 years for vaccinations. Heck, I even had a driving lesson for the first time since being a teen (by the end of two hours my sweat patches had reached my waistband). But I ain’t complaining I’m just looking forward to a long and lengthy wind down today. Aren’t they just the best? A chance to organise your thoughts – and you know I love my organising – reminisce, relax and get down in those comfies. Here are some suggestions to take on board if you’re in chillax mode today:

No tech. Simples. Switch it off, or at least on silent. Close laptops, turn off the TV and ignore all social media urges (no matter how much you want to share with the world that kick-ass dinner you just ate). We can wait to salivate.

An Internet-free hobby. At the beginning of the year when I was putting my resolutions together I realised I didn’t really have a hobby. Buying and hoarding ridiculous amounts of makeup isn’t really something you could put on a CV, so I set about finding something new to turn my attention to that didn’t involve tap or scrolling away on my laptop. What I came up with? Album-ising and printing off pictures that would have been long forgotten on in the depths of my iPhone, along with the promise to take more pictures on my Fujifilm Instax – I’m going to go though a lot of photo paper this year.

TUNES. I must preface this section by saying that I have an awful, awful taste in music so whenever the question of what bands I’m feeling at the moment comes up I’m always a little lost for words (my phone holds a range of tunes from Blue to Arctic Monkeys). But when I’m in the mood for relaxing there are a few options. Firstly, whatever the latest BBC Live Lounge volume is. You can’t really go wrong with it. The Lorde album is a good one too, but I love the Lana Del Rey Born to Die album. I know it’s an oldie, but it’s a goodie. I know all the words and it reminds me of when my sister and I used to both live at home. She used to sing her heart out to this in the shower and it always made me laugh. Hello, hello – can, can you hear me?

Set the mood. Ah common’ you surely knew that candles would get a mention in here somewhere, right? At the moment I’m a huge fan of Jo Malone’s Lavender and Lovage scent; fresh and herby, I can’t get enough of it and store it on my bedside table with the lid off so I pick up the odd waft of it while I sleep. Their Red Roses one is lush too if you fancy something more feminine. I also like to get my This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray out and spritz it all over myself – stuff the pillow getting all the special treatment, eh. We’re trying to create an ambience here.

PJ’s Rock. I’m one of those people who the minute I get through the door have already unbuttoned my jeans and are primed to whip them off. Normal clothes be gone and PJ’s go on. In fact my pyjama drawer is the one that most often needs re-organising for the simple fact that I’ve got so many sleepwear options. Personally I’m a fan of H&M when it comes to the comfies. It’s cheap, washes well and is super soft across the jersey board. My most recent additions are these mint green comfies from them and a ridiculously cliché French Connection #Selfie T-shirt which I loathe myself for buying (but I secretly love – shhhh).

Check, check, check? Now it’s time to chill.

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