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Let’s Chat – April 2020
We’re not going out, so you’d think they wouldn’t be much to report on this month. That’s kind of true, buutttt…we live in an age where we can do lots from home thanks to modern technology, so I’ve been pretty much living my life but in a slightly smaller space.
April Jenny still repped a lot of PJs and loungewear, however she also got dressed in some nice frocks for being in the garden or for the couple of occasions she had to go out of the house (If anyone wants to know where any of the items are from, leave me a comment at the end)
- American Pie movies: the Mr had an urge to watch them again so out they came. They’re in that nice ‘easy, funny, escapist’ category which is needed right now.
- Gogglebox: how have I NEVER watched this before? It’s so funny! I’m nosey and like peeking in to other people’s lives, and it’s also kind of reassuring to know that other people have the same kind of chats about programmes as we do at home.
- Tiger King: I wasn’t going to watch this but social media chat got the better of me. It was definitely a watch! And (don’t @ me) I dont think Carole Baskin killed her husband….
- Inform Overload: this is a YouTube channel that I’ve just discovered. They do a lot of videos about influencers and celebs that help to provide body positivity/reality (sometimes with a little bit of shade thrown in, full disclosure) which I’ve found both interesting and comforting.
- My lockdown 2020 playlist: I made myself a little playlist on Spotify – it has everything from songs I love to cheese to those poking fun at the situation
- Katherine Ryan, Telling Everybody Everything: This is the brand new podcast by ‘TV’s Katherine Ryan’ about a variety of topics including first love and pregnancy loss. She does it by herself which is kind of unusual for a podcast, but it’s no different to her doing a stand up routine
- Said goodbye to my lovely nan: my nan’s funeral was held early in the month (which my family scheduled around mine and the Mr’s self isolation so we could attend). It was a very different kind of service as you can imagine, we did it all ourselves as there was no celebrant. I also went the to go see her in the funeral home, something I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do but I found huge comfort in.
- Messing about with makeup: I’ve either been bare faced with gross hair or in full glam. I was hoping my skills would improve but sadly they haven’t!
- Exercise: either for a walk outdoors or a dance fit workout at home. I will say that I haven’t done something every single day, there have been a couple of occasions where I’ve barely moved for a few days in a row.
- Dyed my hair Rihanna red: I tried light pink, then purple but neither worked, so I tried red and that worked a little bit too well! If I’d had my roots sorted it probably would’ve looked better, but I got over the look very quickly and am still trying to fade the colour out.
- Drinking: I dont drink often but I’ve enjoyed a few tipples at times of the week where I wouldn’t normally…my most popular blog post at the moment is Make your own Pomada so other people are definitely doing this too! I’ve also been drinking a helluva lot of tea and coffee, but still not enough water.
So, that’s April done and on to May. We’re well into spring, let’s see if that brings us closer to beating this thing.
Thanks for reading, J xx
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Things people who grew up in the late 90s/ early 00s can relate to
Most of these are night out related, but that’s basically all that happened…enjoy!
Going out ‘clubbing’ as a 16 year old and being able to do little more than flirt with the bouncer to get through the door of a pub (I feel bad for kids of modern day society who can experience this)
Rocking barrel curls as a special occasion/night out ‘do, if it didn’t give you a massive headache and last for days afterwards then it wasn’t good enough.
School Disco nights.
Tattoos of Chinese symbols.
Wearing low slung combat trousers with high heels (thank you Girls Aloud)
Going to the phone box outside Burger King and ringing for a taxi, it turning up 15 minutes later and costing elss than a fiver.
Ripping the waistband off your jeans to make it low slung, cool and frayed.
Dawson’s Creek.
Blonde highlights, no purple shampoo.
Unruly hair, no straighteners.
Thanks for reading, J xx
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Why it’s better to learn to drive when you’re a bit older
Toot toot beep beep! I don’t admit this often, but I’m glad I can drive now. I passed my dricing test at age 32, so I was almost twice the age most people are when they first hit the road. And for me, that was absolutely the best decision.
Learning to drive is not always a young person’s game. In fact, I think for some people it’s a far better experience to wait learning to drive when you’re a bit older, and I’m going to tell you why that is.
You can approach it with a more pragmatic attitude. Later in life you’ve probably accomplished a few things – perhaps a degree, a family, progressed in a career you enjoy, maybe even a Nobel prize. The point is, you know you’re capable of achieving good things when you set your mind to it, and this is not different. I started learning to drive right after I graduated (also as someone a bit older) and thought to myself “if I could do that, I can do this”
You fully understand the implications of driving. You’ll be just that bit more mindful that you’re in charge of a machine that has the potential to both help and hinder yourself and others. That should help to ensure that you remain vigilent and consciously competent throughout your driving life. To this day I remember stock phrases and nuggets of wisdom that my instructor gave to me.
You already know that a large majority of poeople on the roads have the potential to be dangerous dick heads. You may have been just a passenger until now but I bet you’ve seen it! I’d say the most important part of driving is to ensure you’re aware of other people’s mistakes and bad habits above your own.
The end result will make you feel just that bit more smug. You’ve probably been a public transport user your whole life (unless you’re lucky and have a very flexible partner/family member or paid chauffeur) that means working to someone else’s schedule, setting off even earlier and, delays and contending with waiting outdoors in all seasons. When you have your own method of transport and rely on yourself after so long, it means that little bit more. You don’t have to share your space, you can stay warm and dry, you drive to the exact place you’re going instead of the closest stop…
It opens even more doors and makes you feel even more valuable. When I got a call to say my grandparents were ill, I could immediately jump in the car and help them. I could do the pick ups/drop offs at hospital and take them food shopping every week. I have been able to go off to work meetings and events around the UK by myself, proving I am capable of doing things to my own initiative. Hell, I’ve even been trusted to drive a transit van with delicate perishables in the back! Rather than worrying about how ill be able to do all of that driving, I’ve worried about how I wouldn’t have been able to help or become an asset in those circumstances.
If you’ve been on the fence about driving, this post may give you a little push to give it a go and see what you think. Of you’ve never thought about as someone older than a teenage, I would wholeheartedly encourage you to consider it. Like me, it could be the best thing you never wanted to happen!
Thanks for reading, J xx
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I couldn’t help but wonder – could I become East Yorkshire’s answer to Carrie Bradshaw? Finding a niche that fits
I’m not the ultimate sassy singleton with a Manhattan apartment, a fabulous wardrobe and a great social life. BUT – I have found my Mr Big (without the on and off bits), I’m in my mid thirties and I’ve had a decent bit of life experience. Also, I’m a writer. Whereas Carrie Bradshaw had a somewhat aversion to technology (no e-mail, no online shopping, I can’t relate) and was a published columnist in a newspaper, I am a slightly more technology friendly (shop online, send lots of e-mails, bit behind with tools like SEO and PPC) who publishes blog posts in a little corner of the internet. Same shit, different day.Something that differentiates us further as writers is that Carrie writes about one pretty specific topic – Sex. Well; sex, relationships and NYC. That’s her USP. She has a wealth of experience in dating and sexual encounters from a young age, and has a group of friends around her who have the same experience that she draws on as inspiration. As a result each column appears relatable and thought provoking. The gal found her niche.
When I first started my blog, my sole focus was fashion content (with the odd bit of food thrown in) because that was the interest that ignited my passion. I was going for a kind of style diary vibe. As my interests developed, my content and posting schedule kind of went a bit haywire. There was less cohesion and at times a lot less frequency. And, let’s be honest, the world and her Instagram husband were doing fashion blogs at the time so it wasn’t exactly a niche market I was trying to hustle in.
So now, I’ve found myself wondering “do all writers, or bloggers, need a niche?”
I’ve decided that they don’t. I believe that if you’re passionate about writing you can write about most things – in my day job I work within an industry that doesn’t interest me on a personal level but I enjoy the challenge of writing from a different perspective and to a different audience. However, I do think that as a blogger these days it helps massively to have a bit of a USP so that people choose to read your content over others. That doesn’t necessarily have to be WHAT you write about; it could be the way the style you write it in, or a common theme that ties each post together.
So, that poses another question “what could MY niche be?”
Over the last few weeks I’ve found that the best way for me to feel in control of my posting schedule is to commit to just one post per week. That way, have plenty of time to plan/generate content and it’s kind of like a weekly column, a la Carrie. I’ve also noticed that the inspiration behind what I want to write has shifted. Something as simple as a quote on the TV, an online article or a chat with friends has sparked a different kind of creativity, one that has taken me into more real life topics and sharing my perspective on them. And you know what? I’m here for it.
So I finally, I feel I have found a kind of niche that fits – a weekly chat about a topic on which I have experience, those around me have experience and that (hopefully) has an element of relate-ability and usefulness to those who choose to read it. Just like Carrie.
Does that make me East Yorkshire’s answer to Carrie Bradshaw? Nope. She her her niche, and I have mine. Both great, both valid, but never likely to meet over a cosmo.
Thanks for reading,
J xx
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Let’s Chat – March 2020
Well, I think I can speak for the majority of us when I say that I didn’t quite expect the month to go down like this! It really just goes to show that bad things happen close to home that we care to realise sometimes. I hope you enjoy the ‘wearing’ section, outfits are mainly Next and Primark.
- I’m That Bitch, Rupaul Drag Race Season 12 Queens: “I-I-I’m that bitch, that’s the way it is..” this is such an ear worm of a tune! It’s a great distraction from the outside world
- Wasabi, Little Mix: How have I only just discovered this banger?!? I think it may be my favourite LM song
- Gone Girl: First time I’ve re-watched since it came out at the cinema and I enjoyed just as much
- Rupaul’s Drag Race: I’ve been catching up with season 6 re-runs and the new eps on season 12. There are too many Queens I’m living for at this stage, and I can’t get those challenge songs outta my head!
- Man With a Plan: This series has just come to the UK and stars Matt le Blanc as a dad of 3 who has to take a more active parenting role when his wife decides to go back to work. It’s a typical cheesy American sitcom, just an easy breezy watch
As you can imagine,I had quite a different month from the one planned. Whilst it was still deemed safe to do so at the beginning of the month, I went back to Lesley Wilks for my annual nanoblading top up. I went a couple months early because I wanted them to be super fresh for my big holiday in April, which has now been cancelled. If you’re thinking of getting nanoblading have a read of the post I wrote on it last year
Other than that, I was simply working until the middle of the month when I started to feel knackered for no apparent reason. Then I started to feel hot all the time, which I put down to wearing jumpers and drinking hot liquids. The day after that I started to get a sore throat that worsened as the day went on, so went straight into self isolation ever since. My symptoms continued but didn’t develop and were manageable, but I have no idea if this is THE illness (no testing offered due to symptoms not being too severe) or another illness with hugely unfortunate timing.
Like everybody else in the world, this has meant that I missed out on some stuff in life, really big stuff at that. My dream holiday that I’ve waited a decade to take, celebrating our 10 ten year wedding anniversary and (most heartbreakingly) not being able to visit my nana in hospital just before she passed away. Or being able to be with my family to give and receive comfort during this difficult time. I feel guilty, upset, angry, numb and poorly. I’m not trying to play a game of who has it worst, but this has been my experience.
At difficult times, we HAVE to trust the people in charge to give us the best advice to keep us safe. We just have to. If we don’t have that hope, the world will continue to go to shit and I can’t face the prospect of that. We all know what we’re supposed to be doing, so let’s just do that and hope we can come out of this as quickly as possible. We’re so lucky to have technology that helps keep us in touch with people across the whole world, so we need to use this to it’s full and most positive potential.
Thanks for reading and wishing you all the very best for the weeks ahead,
J xx
About Me
I’m Jenny, nice to meet you. I’m a thirty-something who likes fashion, holidays and wondering about life. A lot.
