Life

June to do list

June 1, 2021

June. We’re not far from being in the middle of the year and that’s a scary thought. I’ve been really distant from my blog recently for no particular reason if I’m being honest. I’ve just been taking some time for me.

Even though I’ve been fairly distant from everything blog related, I feel like now is the right time for me to get back into writing and I just feel I’m back in the right headspace for it. I wanted something pretty simple to start back with and a little to do list sounded like the perfect post.

June is the month where I’m heading down south and taking a little break away to Cornwall which I’m so excited for. Going abroad is not an option for me health wise and just wouldn’t feel right even though I would love to get some Mediterranean sun but we booked this well over a year ago (near enough 2 now) and have had to postpone due to the pandemic. I know a lot of people will need a much needed break away this year and I’m very much counting down to mine.

Start making the most of the mornings | Lately I have been so bad with waking up later than normal and usually I like to get on with a lot in the morning, I just find I’m more productive and always lose motivation and become more tired as the day goes on so I just seem to nap or completely stop working about 4pm. Thats just my body saying nope you’ve done too much and I’m done, I really have to be careful and plan my days more sensibly now to make sure I can get lost of my work done in the morning before I lag so I’m planning on setting alarms for a few days a week to see if that helps.

Plan ideas for reels on instagram | I’ve always wanted to become more creative on instagram and I feel reels is the way to do it and connect with my followers more although it’s a lot more work than photo’s and takes so much more time which is why I want to try and plan a few ideas and then not rush in shooting them. At this point I only have 5 reels on my instagram account and honestly I feel disappointed in myself but they are hard work. A lot of people I know create them constantly and I honestly don’t know how they do it but I have noticed from tiktok they do help you grow so I’m going to try and see what happens.

Start to organise packing for Cornwall | I am one of those people that start to think about their trip a couple of weeks before, for example making sure my camera battery is charged up and getting the stuff ready I don’t normally use in daily life put in a bag all ready for when I’m packing. I also have lists for most things, I think it comes from forgetting my swimming costume once when going on holiday and from then on I’ve always wrote everything down to make sure I don’t forget anything. Thankfully going away in this country is a lot easier but I always like to be organised.

Update my jewellery collection | My style has changed quite drastically in the past year or so, I now only wear gold jewellery apart from my pandora bracelet. My style is a lot more minimal and I feel like my jewellery should match my style and wardrobe, I like to keep things cohesive. I have got my eye on a couple of brands including Mejuri but if anyone has any recommendations for minimal jewellery brands then please send them my way.

Have a social media clear out | One thing I love to do every few months is go through my followers and remove one’s who aren’t active and haven’t been for 6 months or more and those who I just don’t interact and vibe with anymore but I’ve been slacking with this and haven’t done it in a good while which is why it’s on my to-do list this month. I always find it helps my mental health and any sort of organisation is a good thing.

That’s my June to do list. What’s on yours?

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The products you need from Ideal of Sweden this season

April 20, 2021

This post is in collaboration with Ideal of Sweden.

I feel like when every season comes around especially spring/summer there’s a need for change and I always love changing up my phone case as well as my accessories in my wardrobe.

Ideal of Sweden are a Swedish fashion and lifestyle brand for phone accessories. They have such amazing high quality products which I have loved now for a while and their new season products are no different.

Ideal of Sweden do so much more than just phone case accessories though, their mini bags and handbags are just the cutest. I honesty never thought I’d own a mini bag until I saw their green snake wallet mini bag and I just was so obsessed. It’s now a staple in my wardrobe and style.

All the colours and styles from the new collection are just so perfect for hopefully the nicer weather in the UK this spring/summer and would totally compliment any outfit.

Black Satin Case

The first product I want to share is the black satin case and I think we can all agree when I say black is always a good idea. I mean it goes with everything. The case itself is glossy and has the most beautiful texture pattern across it. You might think black in spring/summer though? but I think it’s a great alternative to the bright and pastel cases and really does stand out.

I regularly change up my phone case, twice or maybe even three times during the month even more if I’m just feeling it and I think having the choice of which case to choose is such boost for your mood and style even better when they’re as pretty as these one’s.

Rose Pearl Marble Case

I pretty much fell in love with the rose pearl marble case right away when scrolling through the Ideal of Sweden website. It caught my eye so fast and it kind of reminds me of clouds in the sky. This case is permanently on my phone right now as I think it’s so ideal for spring.

Such a perfect design with pearly whites and creamy rose shades creating and capturing the essence of marble stone and pearl. It goes so well with my white iPhone and really compliments it.

Neo Noir Croco Padlock Satchel

I have to be honest here and say that this bag isn’t actually from the new season collection rather from their Autumn/Winter collection but how could I not include it. I mean I’m just totally in love. I just think the croco design and black work so well together and brings back the modern design and the look. It really is the one bag I needed in my wardrobe (well I say needed) but..

The Noir Croco Satchel comes with a gold chain strap which allows you to wear it crossbody, over the shoulder or just carry in hand. Personally I like to wear it crossbody but that’s just my choice. The chain also comes off if you didn’t want to leave it on for any reason. Even though the bag is small I can fit my phone in easily and the bag also comes with two other compartments including a zipped part in the middle.

Rose Croco Atelier Case

I *think* this is my favourite phone case from the new S/S21 collection. It just screams summer and I’m a sucker for the pastel colour. The gold edging really does compliment the whole case and is so gorgeous. The croco atelier case also comes in two more colours including mint and lemon which are just so lovely.

There’s one little problem with this case though, it seems as if it’s a little too big for my phone.. It looks like there’s a tiny gap at the bottom and my phone doesn’t fit flush within which isn’t a major problem, it can just get annoying sometimes other than that I love it.

I just can’t get over the quality of the phone cases. I’ve brought some cases in the past few years and I’ve had to throw them away with just how they’ve deteriorated over time but these are just something else and I know will last me until I change my phone that is, although I’m not going to want to anytime soon with how pretty all these cases are.

You can get 15% off anything on the Ideal of Sweden website with my discount code ‘samanthajblogs15’.

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My covid vaccine experience + side effects

March 11, 2021

It’s finally happened, after what feels like forever I’ve had my first covid vaccine. I can’t tell you the relief I felt after having the injection. It feels like such massive weight lifted and I don’t have to worry every single day about my health.

I’m so happy to have had my first covid vaccine and I know some of you might be wondering why I’ve had it, well that’s because I’m classed as clinically vulnerable and that puts me into group 6 which they started vaccinating a few weeks ago now I think. The relief when I’d heard I could get it, I can’t explain honestly.

Every single day since i’d heard they were starting to vaccinate group 6 I was one edge, waiting for the phone call, text, letter.. anything to say I could book my vaccine but that never came and after I saw on twitter that the NHS website had been updated so clinically vulnerable people could book I was straight online. On the 2nd March I managed to book both my first for Saturday 6th and 2nd vaccine for later in May, the process wasn’t the most straight forward after I thought I’d booked my vaccine and then got to the end only to find out the slot I wanted had been booked so had to start over again and find a different venue but eventually it was done and my heart went back to a normal heart rate. I think if I had waited to be contacted i’d still be waiting now and probably would be waiting for another good few weeks.

After booking, I got a confirmation email and text with all the details I needed on including the venue address, what I needed to bring and two reference numbers that I needed to keep safe for when I went to get my first and second vaccine. I actually took a screenshot of the reference numbers to be sure, I made sure to cover all the bases, I didn’t want anything to go wrong.

The few days between booking and the day felt like forever and when the day finally arrived I was actually quite nervous. I mean excited to get it but nervous about how I was going to handle it the vaccine itself and the side effects. My appointment wasn’t until 5:20 in the afternoon so I had all day to think about it. When the time came I actually had my mom to drive me as I didn’t know how I was going to feel after so just thought this was the safest option but in the end I was actually was okay to drive myself home but it was nice to have someone with me.

Vaccine experience

We drove into the busy vaccination car park to be greeted by a volunteer holding some forms and asked me to fill one in with my name, address and doctors details etc. and then was I was ready to head into the venue myself, the venue was classed as a dentist/pharmacy and was quite small so your experience may be a little different to mine. They had a tent outside with another volunteer to make sure you had sanitised your hands and were wearing a mask and then she checked my form to make sure I had filled in all the right details. Then she explained where to go and that there would be someone to take my temperature as I entered the building.

The volunteers were amazing and so friendly, I couldn’t praise them enough. After having my temperature taken I was asked my name and date of birth and then was told what vaccine I would be having, it was the AstraZeneca (Oxford) one then they asked if I was happy to have it. I just waited for a couple of minutes before being called through to have my vaccine.

The vaccine experience itself was so quick. I sat down and was asked if I had any allergies and if I was on any medication. I was waiting to be asked which arm I wanted it in but I was never asked the question but normally you would thankfully the nurse injected me in the left arm which is where I would have asked to have had it done anyway. The injection itself was painless and even though I did feel it going in it lasted for literally 2 seconds and that was it. I mean of all the needles I’ve had in my life and there’s been a lot, too many to count it was probably one of the best needle experiences I have ever had and that’s saying something. It was so quick and easy.

If I had drove by myself then I would have had to have waited 15 minutes in my car before driving off to make sure I was okay but I felt absolutely fine after having the jab and walked out with my coat on and with a smile on my face even though you couldn’t see it under my mask. I couldn’t have been happier. My mom drove us home and the relief I felt was amazing. I’ve now just got to wait 11 more weeks for my second jab.

Side effects

Now, before I get into the side effects please remember that everyone is going to react differently and side effects are going to happen but they won’t last long. You could be really lucky and only have a sore arm but it wasn’t like that for me. I knew with my history and immune system that I was going to have side effects but didn’t know how bad.

Last Saturday, the night I had my vaccine I was actually in bed by 10pm, not even 4 hours after that at 2pm I woke up and I knew that was the start of my side effects. I woke up with chills everywhere, I couldn’t get warm at all even with my duvet and blanket over me. My whole body felt in pain. The feeling really took me back to my chemo days. I didn’t sleep at all from 2am until 7am. I pretty much got 4 hours sleep, I was exhausted the morning after.

On Sunday, I was in bed all day, I only got up to go to the toilet and that was it. I just felt exhausted and felt like I had been bit by a bus. I checked my temperature and it was at 38.9 so it was high. I lay in bed with a cold flannel on my head with some paracetmol, I felt dizzy, had the worst headache, my whole body just like no, so i basically slept the day away. I woke up every few hours checking my temp to see if it changed and thankfully by mid morning it had come back down to normal but by about 5/6pm it had spiked back up to 38.9 again. I knew because I felt so bad though the vaccine was working. Oh, nearly forgot to mention and my arm.. omg. The achy arm is the absolute worst thing ever. I swear I couldn’t move it all day and the worst thing about it was I sleep on my left side, I didn’t think about that when I had the injection did I.

On the Monday I still felt ill and although my temperature had come right down again I didn’t leave my bed unless I wanted food so again spent most of my day sleeping on and off and watching a film on Netflix. I kept having random pains, my chest felt tight but to be honest this is normal for me anyway and again just felt so exhausted to the point getting up and out of bed really took me quite a while and took my breath away.

Thankfully now a few days on, I’m a lot better. Still tired and my arm is achy and even though having had 70% of the possible side effects I’m still so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to have had my first vaccine. I just want to say though this is my own experience with the covid vaccine and your covid vaccine experience and symptoms could be totally different to mine, they probably will be. Nobody reacts the same and everyone is different wether you have the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine.

If you’re really unsure about the vaccine and the process I hope this post has helped put your mind at ease a little and you can always find me over on my socials if you ever want to chat about it! Please send me a DM and I’ll always get back to you.

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A staycation in Devon

November 9, 2020

Long time, no speak? Well I say long time but it’s only been just over a month since my last post but it does seem a lot longer in my mind. I lost all motivation and hadn’t logged into my blog for a while that was until a few days ago when I suddenly got a little burst of motivation to actually get my MacBook out and write.

You may have seen on my instagram stories I recently took a little staycation in Devon more specifically Bovey Tracey which is just outside Dartmoor National Park at the end of October. It was the perfect little getaway. We had planned Paris but obviously because of the covid restrictions that couldn’t go ahead although Devon was just beautiful and was truly needed after this year.

We stayed in a lodge overlooking a beautiful lake, the views were something else. I knew Devon was pretty from holidays as a child but I just couldn’t get over just how beautiful it was. Just waking up everyday and seeing all the wildlife while drinking a cup of tea was just so perfect. It felt like a dream place to stay to get away from it all.

We actually didn’t do too much as the whole point of the staycation was to relax as much as possible so we did a little shop for essentials and when I say essentials I mean cake and because we couldn’t get in to the lodge at Bovey Tracey until 3 we stopped at the little harbour town of Brixham which was the cutest, we stopped for fish and chips and had them around the harbour with the seagulls looking down at us and then took a walk around the sweetest little shops. We stopped at the beach so I could take a few photo’s and then headed back to the car for a shortish drive to the lodge.

The drive up to our lodge was actually really pretty and although we couldn’t park right next to our lodge it was only a short walk. We did have quite a bit of luggage for just a few days though so it wasn’t easy with just a wheelbarrow to tow everything. It took a couple of trips to be honest. We then just unpacked and relaxed for the rest of the night.

The next day we traveled to a place called Trago Mills which is basically like a massive shopping district. To be honest we were a little disappointed as we’d been to one before but in Cornwall which we loved but this one seem a bit old and run down even though it was much, much bigger. I did manage to pick up a cosy throw though which I’ve used everyday since, I’m all for those comfort items and some food. We spotted they had a go-kart track and couldn’t pass up the opportunity, I loved being a big kid. We then grabbed some lunch and took it back to the lodge as we were only a 15 minute drive away.

We had a pretty relaxing afternoon enjoying the hot tub with a glass of champagne that was left by the owners of the lodge as a welcome gift and a nice little walk around the grounds of the lodge, we then just slowly started to get ready before heading out to dinner at The Imperial in Torquay. The food itself was lovely but it lacked atmosphere, there was no music and it was really quiet, it was just a bit awkward but overall it was a really lovely day.

On the Sunday we headed to the seaside town of Paignton. It was a little windy but the weather overall for out trip was actually amazing, we had no rain which we were expecting so it being dry was a bonus. We spent a little time by the sea, I find it so calming just watching the waves, then we spent time exploring the pier and amusements. I mean can you ever go to a seaside town and not go in the amusements? I think not.

Walking back down the beach we spotted mini golf so obviously that was the next stop. I didn’t win which I’m still not happy about fyi. We had some lunch and looked around the few shops Paignton has and picked up some hot doughnuts on the way back to the car. I think once we’d got back to the lodge we were all pretty tired so spent the night watching The Greatest Showman with a few snacks.

On out last day we had to be out of the lodge by 10 so it was a pretty early start with packing up etc. As we had some time on the way back home we stopped at Glastonbury to see the Abbey but we soon realised it was closed on Monday’s, yeah we probably should have checked before we got there but we didn’t so we had a quick walk around the town and decided to get back in the car and go to a designer outlet we had passed on our way into Glastonbury.

We spent a good couple of hours looking round having lunch and I picked up a new Calvin Klein set so it was a pretty good afternoon. I’m pretty sure we got home around 6/7ish so it was a longish day.

It was a lovely staycation in Devon and I would definitely recommend where we stayed, it was in such a quiet location and I couldn’t fault the views from the lodge. The lodge itself was beautiful and I wouldn’t hesitate in going back but maybe staying in another lodge for a different perspective of the lake.

Have you ever been to Devon for a staycation?

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A/W style wishlist

October 1, 2020

This post contains affiliate links.

One of my favourite things about autumn is switching up my wardrobe. For me, autumn is the best season in terms of fashion. The big scarfs and chunky boots and endless jumpers, there’s nothing better. A/W fashion never fails to make me feel all cozy and warm.

It’s that time of year where I feel the need to sort out my whole wardrobe for the upcoming season and just fill it up with all the new season staples that I’m sure will last me for a good few years. I’m always about good quality knitwear.

I’m always one for wearing too many layers but can you ever really wear TOO many? I don’t think so. My style in autumn is a lot of big cosy jumpers, a long scarf and a pair of chunky boots, if I’m ever stuck with what to wear in the autumn months that’s always my go-to style.

I have brought a few items for the new season but I do have my eye on a few more items including this oversized shacket from H&M who are killing it with their autumn season items and some boots. I’m always very neutral with my style but definitely want to start adding a bit more variety to my wardrobe.

There’s quite a few pieces from H&M on my wishlist as you can see but they have really stepped up this year so I’m hoping to make an order very soon for a few pieces I/m currently lusting over.

What’s your fashion staple for autumn?

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Life lately 3.0

August 19, 2020

I had a little mild panic yesterday as I realised I hadn’t scheduled a post for today and I thought as I haven’t done a life update since last August (yeah it’s been that long) I would give you all a little insight into the last few months of my life.

As I mentioned, my last little update was back in August 2019 when life was a little more simple and relaxed without the threat of covid-19 around. Obviously not a lot has happened since the beginning of the year with lockdown from March until June ish? I think it was around June when they started to ease lockdown anyway. I swear the last few months have all merged into one.

In two weeks we’ll officially be in September and near enough Autumn will start to arrive but I am so ready for it. I have already started to plan some content for my blog and instagram. I’m getting organised this year. Oh and I’ve been sorting out candles ready for the season, that’s how excited I am. I’ve never really been a summer person to be honest, I always love the colder months and being able to wrap up under all the layers.

Obviously plans for holidays have gone out go the window for this year but we have just booked a little staycation for the middle of October for my birthday which I’m very much looking forward to and it’ll be nice to just get away from home for a little while and to see different surroundings. The lodge we’ve booked is in Devon and overlooks a lake with a hot tub, it looks so beautiful and I can’t wait to just explore and celebrate my birthday in the most gorgeous place. I’m thinking I’ll do a little IGTV and a post about my few days away.

You might have noticed that I recently took a 4 week break from creating content for instagram, I just didn’t feel like posting even though I was still active on the app with commenting and uploading stories I wasn’t enjoying what I was putting out so took a break. If you’re feeling the same I’d honestly recommend just taking some time out it does wonders for not only your mental health but refreshes exactly where you want to take your feed. Creating content felt like such a chore which it shouldn’t fyi but I’ve now come back with a new direction for my feed which is very neutral toned and more simplified and I’m enjoying taking photo’s so much more now.

Something that’s a big part of my life and that I talk about a lot on social’s and on here is running. You’re probably bored of me mentioning it by now so scroll down if you are but otherwise keep reading. Basically all my races for this year have been either cancelled or postponed until next year which I’m obviously a little gutted about. The 10K that I was doing in September gave the option to do it virtually so you still get to take part but run it by yourself and submit your result to get the medal which I was happy to do but with my knee still not being 100% i’ve not been training as much so I’ll have to see how it works out.

With my training taking a little step back I’ve been getting into more home workouts to try and take the strain off my knee and I’ve actually been really enjoying them. I normally just search YouTube or tiktok for hit workouts and abs and try and do one every couple of days but depends how much time I have. it’s important to take rest days! In regards to getting back into my full training again I think I just need to take it steady and just do a couple of miles 2/3 times a week and see how I get on.

Even though I’ve been slacking with my organising my blog content for this month I’ve still managed to get posts out on time and I have been enjoying posting every week which is a bonus because I thought it could go either way with me putting too much pressure on myself to be putting out content that I wasn’t happy with but just so I could get it out every week but honestly I’m so happy I made the change and I’ll definitely be continuing this for as long as possible.

On the other hand I have been v e r y lazy with working/reaching out to brands but I actually think that’s a good thing for me right now. I need to get MY brand in order before thinking about working with brands again. I have been doing a few things in the background ready for when I do want to get back in the game but for now I’m just happy that I’m creating content that I love.

That’s my life for the past few months. What’s been happening with you?

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The simple joys

May 13, 2020

It’s a weird time right now. Were still in lockdown due to Covid-19 and everything just doesn’t seem like real life. Everything seems to have changed.

Like a lot of us right now my routine has changed drastically in the past few months. Not being able to see my family or got out to the shops without keeping a 2 metre distance. I’ve been self isolating since march as i’m classed as vulnerable so I haven’t left the house except for daily exercise and even that’s a struggle.

I think in times like this it’s important to realise the simple joys of life and enjoy them.

Animal Crossing New Horizons

Yes. I brought into the hype. I played Animal Crossing when I was younger on my Nintendo DS so when lockdown was announced I ordered a switch lite and animal crossing and it’s been the best purchase of this year, maybe even the last two years. I’m not sure how I would have coped without the game to be honest, that may seem really weird to say but it brings me so much joy and really makes you forget about everything for a while when your in your own little world.

I’ve been really enjoying getting into the game and making my island all cute. My biggest accomplishment of 2020 is that I finally reached 5 stars after 200 hours of playing. It’s a pretty big deal, guys. Oh, If you also play AC then lets be friends: SW-4069-3692-9309. As you can tell I pretty much just play Animal Crossing most days.

Simple Joys. Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Baking

Baking is always something I’ve loved but just don’t do it often enough, there just seemed like there wasn’t enough time in the day for it so when I knew I was going to be at home for months I was excited to actually bake.

I’ve been spending time with my sister baking cookies and muffins and it’s been so nice to spend time getting back to doing something I love although the muffins did not go to plan.. They turned out alright in the end. I’m hoping to get a couple more bakes in before going back to work (whenever that may be).

Looking after my skin more

My skin wasn’t the best a couple of months back, it was super dry and nothing seemed to be working to give it moisture. I was recently gifted a couple of skincare products from Antipodes and they have been really helping and given my skin back the moisture it needed. I didn’t know how my skin was going to react with me not wearing makeup while at home during lockdown as sometimes I’ll get bad breakouts but thankfully that hasn’t happened yet although I am starting to put on makeup maybe once a week now just go get into more of a routine.

As well as using the Antipodes products, I’ve been making sure to keep up with my skincare routine using different and new products and getting outside more in the garden to get that vitamin c.

Spending more time outdoors (at a 2 metre distance of course)

Getting that 1 hour of daily exercise before Boris lifted the exercise rule was something I looked forward to every day, going for a walk really cleared my head and got me ready for the day. Before lockdown happened I rarely went for walks, I always just did my running but going for a long walk by myself was something I really needed one day. We have some really nice routes and fields where I live so I’ll definitely be taking advantage more.

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Why I’m putting myself through running 13.1 miles

January 26, 2020

Update May 2020: The London Landmarks half marathon has been cancelled because of Covid-19.

It’s crazy to think I’ve actually got to run 13.1 miles at the end of March. Yeah, if you haven’t already see my training runs all over social media I signed up to run the London Landmarks half marathon on the 29th March this year and now I’m writing it down I truly can’t believe it’s happening.

SO, I’ve signed myself up to run the London Landmarks half marathon.. I know I can’t believe it either and it’s in 9 weeks. I’m writing this like I’ve just signed up, I officially registered in June last year unfortunately I wasn’t successful in the ballot but I brought a place to run for charity and that charity is Blood Cancer UK If you didn’t know I’m a patient ambassador for them and I wouldn’t have wanted to run it for anyone else, I feel so proud to be running for them.

The question is though why am I putting myself through all the training and 13.1 miles? Well there’s a few reasons.. I have always wanted to run the London Marathon so this is a good starting point, right? It’s always been a dream of mine to run through London taking on the 26.2 mile course, I’ve watched it on BBC1 for years and years and every time I cry at everyone running, I just find it so inspirational. I mean just imagine crossing that finish line knowing you’ve just ran 26 miles. Hopefully one day that will be me.

Obviously the London Marathon is a couple of years away yet and it’s not the only reason why I’m running. It’s mainly because I want to raise funds and awareness for Blood Cancer UK and challenge myself. I honestly didn’t know how much work Blood Cancer UK did until I was diagnosed with blood cancer in January 2014 which seems like a world away now. They put so much funding into cancer research. Their research for blood cancer helps find a cure for other cancers as well, saving the lives of so many people.

When I started running regularly around the end of 2018/beginning of 2019 I would never have thought I’d love running like I do, it’s brought me so much and helped in my recovery a lot. I don’t think I’d be as healthy or as fit as I am now so I’m running for me, I want to challenge myself and my body to see what I can do. My body has been through a hell of a lot in the past few years but I’m now in much better health than I have been for years and years taking into account all the months of chemo and surgeries I’m doing better than ever.

I know running 13.1 miles isn’t going to be easy but after going through something like cancer not once but twice, having my hair shaved, being pumped full of drugs daily making me violently sick, having a central line fitted right next to my heart and watching friends lose their cancer battle is heartbreaking and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried over the years. Why did I make it when they didn’t? The survivor guilt is real and raw. When I’m running through those hard parts in the race, I’ll be thinking about them and I’ll make them proud. I won’t give up on them or myself.

How’s my training going?

Oh yeah.. Training. Well, actually it’s going okayish. (I know that’s not a word but that’s how I feel about it). I’m following a half marathon training plan but as I wasn’t well at the start of January I technically missed the first week and to be honest I’m not strict on myself if I miss one day because I’ll just make up for it and do a few more miles on my next day of running. My plan is 4 days of running/cross training and then 3 rest days, I do my long runs on a Sunday which are actually going better than expected. I don’t know what it is but I always feel like I run better on a Sunday, maybe it’s just me.

Training in the winter months isn’t easy, guys. The cold is just horrible. The other day I had just got ready to go out for a run only to find the weather had turned and it was tipping it down. Normally rain doesn’t bother me but this rain was torrential so I had to change my plans and do 6 miles on the exercise bike instead which I didn’t mind obviously, I’d just got my head into running mode so I was disappointed. Me? Disappointed about a run? Yep. I know I’ve changed.

The longest run I’ve done is 4 miles on my training plan but it went well and I felt alright. Considering I spent half of last year injured and lost most of my fitness I don’t think I’m doing too bad. I just need to keep putting the miles in and I’m sure I’ll be fine. If you want to keep updated on my training runs I normally post them all over my social media.

Yeah so I’m running the London Landmarks half marathon & when I say your donation makes a difference I really do mean it. Without people supporting what Blood Cancer UK do, I wouldn’t be alive today giving back to the charity so I would love any donations wether that’s £1 or £10 ANYTHING helps. Thank you!

DONATE HERE

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Ways that you can give back this Christmas

December 17, 2019

It’s the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be the toughest season to get through for those less fortunate which is why Christmas is the perfect time to spread the Christmas cheer. Kindness goes along way especially during the holidays.

From something as little as buying a coffee for a homeless person, anything can really help at this time of year. Here’s a few meaningful ways you can spread some festive cheer this Christmas.

Support your local high street

I always love buying from independent stores so why not support your local businesses this year by remembering to buy your Christmas gifts from them! It means so much more to them and you could be helping them buy presents for their children etc. They appreciate it so much.

Buy charity Christmas cards

Supporting a charity by buying their Christmas cards is something little but will help support them. It’s such an easy way of supporting the organisations that mean the most to you and when people notice that it’s a charity Christmas card maybe that’ll make them think to buy them next year? Sometimes it’s the little things that matter the most.

Donate a small gift

There’s a lot of people struggling right now, wether that be homelessness or just financially, I know Christmas is such an expensive time and if your in a position that you are able to pick up an extra gift and donate it then please do so. The Salvation Army do some amazing work or maybe just donate to a local charity, it will make such a difference to someone’s life at Christmas.

Just contact your local Salvation Army centre or take a look on their website.

Volunteer

Volunteering is free and you could spend the whole day or just a few hours, it’s completely up to you. Why not volunteer at a local soup kitchen for homeless people or support someone with dementia. The Alzheimers Society runs a year round initiative called side by side which you can spend time with people living with dementia, you can help them out with doing activities that they love, this could be a walk in the park to a shopping trip and won’t cost you anything. I just think it’s something so little which will make such a huge difference & they would appreciate it so much.

Grab a couple of extra food items

Did you know you can donate non-perishable food items directly to your local food banks and also quite a few collection points in supermarkets? Just picking up a extra couple of items on your food shop which you probably wouldn’t notice anyway would make a huge difference to someone battling hunger. Just pick up cereal, pasta, rice or a tin of soup which you can get for relatively quite cheap and donate.

Find out where your nearest food bank is on the Trussell Trust website.

Spare change Christmas jar

Throughout the year (start in 2020 obviously) why not start a spare change jar and encourage everyone in your family to chuck in their spare change in the Christmas jar and just let it build up. Then when it gets to the end of the year take a vote on which charity or cause you would like to donate to. I think this is such a lovely tradition to have and it will remind you to think about giving all year round.

Check out my other festive posts this December:

42 festive blog post ideas

The best Christmas jumpers out right now

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Ways that you can give back this Christmas - Samantha. J

AD | The hidden costs of a cancer diagnosis

November 27, 2019

This post is in collaboration with Insurancewith.

No-one expects to be given a cancer diagnosis. The chemotherapy, surgery, sickness, countless hospital stays aren’t the only thing you have to deal with, there’s physically & mentally a lot more that goes on behind the scenes. During my own battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma there were a lot of hidden costs I had absolutely no clue about, some personal and others more financial, it wasn’t easy as well as battling for my life I had to deal with all the uncertainty of everything else.

Once I was diagnosed I was also given the news that I had lost my job as they had gone into administration so the financial impact started straight away, I had no income coming in and actually had to dip into my savings now and then to keep on top of everything which obviously wasn’t ideal. Most of the hidden costs were financial like you would expect but more personal things like losing friendships were a big part of my cancer diagnosis.

Travel and Insurance

One of the biggest things for me was travelling and holidays. It was one thing throughout my cancer fight that kept me going. Knowing that once all my treatment was over I could go somewhere new and explore but it wasn’t that easy, cancer takes a lot from you including your ability to be well enough to be able to fly. Being diagnosed with a long term illness like cancer and being pumped full of drugs, feeling so weak you need something to look forward to and for me it’s always a holiday, it’s that feeling of stepping off a plane and having the heat hit you, you just can beat it.

When I was going through my first lot of treatment about halfway through we decided to book a holiday abroad for when I knew I would be finished with treatment so I had something to look forward to, I remember I kept looking at the hotel on Trip Advisor on my bad days knowing I would be there soon. The only thing I knew that was going to be a problem was insurance..

I spent hours looking online for different companies for holiday insurance, filling in my details over and over to get a quote but they were all coming up with stupid premiums, some more than the actual holiday which was in the thousands. Being turned down for insurance is something I didn’t think would happen in my 20’s. I felt pretty down about the whole situation and I just remember thinking we were going to have to cancel the holiday if I couldn’t find insurance.

Thankfully I came across Insurancewith while looking on a couple of cancer sites and I just knew from the moment I saw their website I was going to be able to get cover. The quote process was simple and the questions were more suited to me, nothing like the others I had been trying. They just seemed to understand what I needed from an insurance policy as a cancer patient. I felt so comfortable and safe having my insurance policy from them because it just seemed a lot more personal. Insurancewith made it super simple and the quote premium was a lot more affordable which meant a holiday in Egypt could happen which after my treatment was very much needed even though I got very badly sunburnt, oops.

Insurance is something as a cancer patient/survivor can be so overwhelming and stressful and can sometimes take away the fun of the holiday but Insurancewith make it super easy. Cancer shouldn’t stop you from travelling.

Friendships

You lose friends following a cancer diagnosis if you didn’t know, something I thought would never happen. When you start your treatment everyone is very much behind you and honestly can’t do enough, well in my experience anyway but as time goes on you start to lose a few friendships that you may have had for just a few months or even years, it may be that they can’t handle it so they become distant. It’s sad to lose friends at a time when so much else is falling apart in your life but on the flip side, cancer often brings new friends into your life and I can very much vouch for that as I now have so many amazing friends from all over the world who support me and if it wasn’t for cancer I wouldn’t have met them.

I had a close friend who I knew for a good few years and one day they stopped replying to my texts & calls and straight up blocked me on all forms of social media. To this day I have no idea why. I understand that life can get busy and I really don’t expect that much off someone but I’ll never understand why someone will let a cancer diagnosis tarnish a good friendship. You don’t want friends that will just drop off the radar when things get tough and then reappear when things are good again, it just doesn’t work like that.

Wigs

Losing your hair after going through chemotherapy can take a massive toll on your self-image. I felt so uncomfortable going outside during my treatment without a wig or some kind of head scarf. Looking back now I wish I could have embraced my bald head but at the time I couldn’t do it but that’s where wigs come in, they help you feel more like yourself and it’s like you’ve got your safety blanket back, for me it felt like that anyway.

The cost of wigs cant be super expensive, especially a real hair one but there are other options. On the NHS you can actually get a synthetic one for free but they only usually last 6-9 months and actually are quite uncomfortable to wear but because I went through my treatment in some of the colder months I tended to wear a beanie over mine and it definitely helped me feel more confident as I always feel like you can tell a synthetic wig to a real one, they are always more shiny (pro tip: Use dry shampoo to make the hair more dull). You can get real hair wigs which have come from people donating their own hair for cancer patients but they can cost up to £2,000 which is a massive cost for someone undergoing treatment.

I think for me it was a confidence thing as cancer does take a lot from you and your hair is a massive thing to lose but not only did I lose mine once, I lost mine twice because I relapsed and even though I was more prepared the second time nothing compares to losing your hair to cancer and the feeling of having your hair shaved off is something I will never be able to forget.

Transport and fuel costs

Travelling to different hospitals every few days for tests can become very expensive because of the fuel you use and of course the car parking charges but don’t get me started on those.

As I relapsed not too long after my first lot of treatment I didn’t exactly have a choice of what hospitals I could go to as there were only certain ones where I could have the treatment, thankfully one of the hospitals was only a 15 minute drive from home but the parking was horrific, you could drive around for a good hour and still not find a space and the other one was a good hour and a half drive. I was an inpatient for about a month and my family took turns everyday to come and see me and as you can imagine the fuel costs would have been a lot. Some people aren’t as lucky as me though and spend a lot of their time driving to and from hospitals way further than an hour and a half so you can imagine all the costs from parking to fuel.

I felt so gulitly for asking my family to come and visit knowing they would have to pay a lot and to be honest I think it’s wrong you have to pay out so much when you are literally fighting for your life but there’s nothing you can do, you need the treatment.

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October to do list

October 3, 2019

It’s October and the start of the best few months of the year let’s be honest. This month is my birthday month was is very exciting as I’m going away for a couple of days and even though the days have started getting colder and darker I’m okay with it. I just think Autumn nights are super cosy and even though my productivity seems to be at an all time low it’s my favourite time of the year.

Speaking of productivity, I always find I do more when I make lists, I love ticking things off then making new goals. Is it just me that does that? I want to make the most of everything this October including autumn and halloween.

01. Enjoy my birthday

In exactly 2 weeks it’ll be my birthday and every year I’m so grateful to be able to celebrate another year older. This year I’ll be spending it in London with family for a couple of days and seeing Wicked in the west end and I couldn’t be more excited to get away for a couple of days to one of my favourite cities. I’ll be sharing it all on Instagram don’t you worry!

02. Create content I’m proud of

As it starts getting to the end of the year especially October I tend to look back on the content I’ve created and even though I’ve loved everything I have put out this year on my blog and instagram I feel I can do better so that’s what i’ll be trying to do for the rest of the year. Make better content for me and you.

03. Go and pick a pumpkin or three

It’s that time of year again. This is the second year I’ve said I’ll go to a pumpkin patch as last year I never made it but I am determined to go to my local farm shop this year (I have a reminder on my phone) to pick up a few pumpkins and take some content for instagram while I’m there. I mean it would be rude not to, am I right? I don’t know the last time we had pumpkins in the house and actually carved them..

04. Get some more autumnal peices

.. & before you ask no I don’t need anymore clothes but I do need a few more staple autumn clothes. I wear the same jumpers every single year when the weather gets colder, I definitely want to pick up a couple more jumpers and I noticed some boots in H&M a couple of weeks ago, tried them on but decided to not buy them and now I regret it so I’m going to go back and get them (I’m hoping they haven’t gone). I might just pick up a new scarf and jacket as well if my budget can stretch that far.

05. Carry on recovering from my injury

It’s been a LONG 12 weeks or so since I had to stop on a run because I had the most horrendous pain in my hip. Fast forward until now and I’ve had a few sessions at sports therapy and couple of very short runs. It’s not been easy with doctors pushing my symptoms off and refusing me treatment meaning having to go private but my inflamed tendon is definitely feeling better to what it did weeks ago. I had to pull out of one race I had booked but I do have another one booked for the end of November which is just a 5K, fingers crossed I’ll be sorted and back up to fitness for that!

What’s on your to-do list for October?

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Life lately 2.0

August 13, 2019

Here comes one of those life update posts again although it’s definitely needed. My last one was back in April so I thought it was time to update you on things that have/are happening in my life. To be honest it’s not that interesting but I always love reading catch up posts, they always seem to be my favourite ones to read mainly because you can get to know the person behind the blog if that makes sense?

First. Can you believe we are in August? Like where the hell has this year gone and how are we closer to Christmas than January.. Is it too early to be thinking about Christmas content because I really want to up my game this year and I’m e x c i t e d.

Okay, back to the present.. The last few months have been challenging to say the least especially the last few weeks. I’m not sure wether I have mentioned this enough times but I run, yes and in my last life update I mentioned that at the end of may I was looking forward to running a 10K and my goal was to beat my PB, well that didn’t happen but I wasn’t far off. I was just under a minute short but the course was probably the toughest course I have ever ran with never ending hills so I was pretty happy with my time.

Fast forward to the beginning of July and I have a place with Bloodwise to run the London Landmarks half marathon in March next year, Yes you read that right a HALF MARATHON. I can’t believe it either but I can’t think about that just yet because I have another 10K coming up on the 1st September which is just over 2 weeks away and I wish I could say I’ve been training hard because the course is a flat one and I could easily get a PB but I can’t say that.

It’s not that I just haven’t gone out it’s because I physically can’t. About 3/4 weeks ago I felt a little niggle in my right hip and didn’t think much of it, just that I’d been running and doing more exercise than usual. About a week went by and I was on a Sunday morning run when I had this massive pain in my hip which made me stop and took my breath away, it was super painful and then I just managed to walk home thankfully It wasn’t too far.

I knew I didn’t have much time until my next race so I booked in with a sports therapist and basically my tendon is inflammed so that’s why I’ve been in so much pain. I’ve had two sessions and my hip does seem to feel a little better, I’m still yet to go for a run but I did do a 12 mile charity walk last week (which made it worse), I think I’m just putting it off because I know if I get pain again it’s 99% certian I won’t be able to run my 10K at the beginning of September. I know I’ve got to push myself and get out, it’s just the mental barrier.

Enough about running or this will turn into a running diary. Hey, that’s a good blog idea.. Maybe when I start training for my half marathon I’ll do a little series.

I went to Cornwall at the beginning of May and oh it was so needed and I was such a lovely break away and we stayed in the most beautiful house looking over the sea, we were literally a 30 second walk out of the front door onto the sand and it was heaven. I loved waking up and hearing the sound of the waves, it was just the perfect wake up call.

We just spent the week exploring all the cute little towns and villages where I used to go as a child but now I could really take in just how beautiful they were and of course my camera wasn’t far behind.

See all my Cornwall posts here..

A week in Cornwall part I / A week in Cornwall part II / Photo Diary: The Eden Project

Oh. I brought a MacBook Pro. It’s been on my wishlist for years and I mean years but I really couldn’t justify the price tag but then one day I just thought why not? Let’s go and buy a MacBook. Even though my bank balance was crying I couldn’t be happier and it’s the best decision I’ve made all year & I also thought I’d throw in that I brought a couple more plants but who’s surprised? I’m not.

Not only that through I have joined Vix’s Grow and Glow community! The community is designed for bloggers & creatives, and it’s a hub crammed with advice, resources and tips to help grow your blog. I was so undecided wether to join or not but I want to take my blog to the next level so this just seemed like the perfect step. Although I love my content I just need some guidance and even though you may see some changes happening it’ll be for the better! I’m super excited to jump into the hub and make my blog the best it can be.

I got a very exciting message last week from one of my favourite brands and no I’m not just saying that, they actually are. I can’t believe it but I’m actually working with Hotel Chocolat for the next few months. You read that right I’m working with a CHOCOLATE brand. Isn’t that just the dream collaboration? All the content will be over on my Instagram and I’m so excited to get creative and see what I can come up with. Forever grateful for these opportunities.

I can’t believe I’ve left the best till last. A couple of weeks ago I went for my 4 year cancer check up and was declared still in remission! Check up days never get any easier, the waiting, the anxiety, the sickness feeling but once you hear your consultant say everything still looks good all those thoughts and feelings fade away. I may do a little cancer update post to let you all know what’s been happening and how I’ve been feeling soon but it’s all good news on the cancer front and next year hopefully I”ll be able to say “cured”.

Talk soon.

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