tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18709107771627244802024-03-10T10:42:07.103-07:00DellaBellaBlogDellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-34412284287831793202016-02-11T02:15:00.001-08:002016-02-11T02:15:14.145-08:0022 Things I Learnt in my first 3 Months of Blogging<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been writing things on this little blog for just over 3 months now. That's not very long at all, I know, but I've learnt lots. Here are 20 of the first things that came to mind (kind of...)<br />
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<li>Sticking to a schedule is hard</li>
<li>Having a schedule is good</li>
<li>But, producing quality content instead of content for the sake of a schedule is best.</li>
<li>There's a corner of the internet dedicated to blogging</li>
<li>& those that spend time there are super friendly</li>
<li>Even though, it can feel a bit intimidating to just "get involved" at first</li>
<li>Twitter chats are the perfect solution, the entire point is to jump in on conversation</li>
<li>It's hard not to focus on the numbers</li>
<li>This is especially hard as there's no point of reference, what's the average views for a 3 month old blog anyway?</li>
<li>You should update your settings to make sure you'll get notified when someone leaves a comment. You'll miss lot's of things that make you smile otherwise.</li>
<li>Notebooks serve more than one purpose, though the main one is looking pretty as blog props</li>
<li>Blog props really are a thing</li>
<li>Crucially, you can order marble sticky-back plastic from Amazon</li>
<li>Twitter feeds move pretty fast</li>
<li>So does your phone battery</li>
<li>You shouldn't worry when someone unfollows you on Twitter - it's usually just a small brand you didn't follow back (cheers, Crowdfire)</li>
<li>People who send automated DMs are annoying (cheers, Crowdfire)</li>
<li>Basic SEO doesn't need to be scary</li>
<li>But you should probably still add it to your CV</li>
<li>You don't need to know what you're doing, Google has all the answers</li>
<li>You can honestly write about whatever you like</li>
<li>Mostly, I've learnt that carving out my own little spot on the internet is pretty fun.</li>
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-88638519729118466092016-02-08T12:36:00.003-08:002016-02-08T12:42:45.055-08:00The Benefits of Depression<div class="MsoNormal">
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For many, the very concept of depression having benefits is absurd, however, I'm a firm believer that not everything about depression needs to be depressing.<br />
<a name='more'></a>As with any challenges life throws at you, you learn. Having depression is no different. At work I manage a peer support project for young people with depression, we often talk about the benefits. We often laugh. Often, we don't talk about depression at all. When we do, here are the most common benefits to come up:<br />
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<b>Strengthened relationships</b><br />
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Talking to people about your depression can be particularly difficult and nobody will have "the answer" for you, but, love, understanding and compassion from those that are important to you can be the key to recovery. People who are there for you when you don't even want to be there for yourself are special, hold on to them.<br />
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<b>Strengthened values</b><br />
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Although for many, there is no one cause of depression, this doesn't stop you from obsessing over the different reasons why you might be going through it. In this sense, depression forces you to analyse the different aspects of your life and whether they're contributing positively or negatively to your wellbeing, This is not to say that you'll always be right, getting a new job for example might not affect your mindset in the way you thought it would. The benefit here is not knowing the key to happiness, but rather, it's the time that depression gives you to work out your values and what really is important to you.<br />
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<b>Increased self awareness</b><br />
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Techniques learnt through CBT, counselling or simply being locked inside your own mind improve your analytical skills (well, at least I think so...) Again, depression offers you the time to/forces you to focus on your thoughts, as a result you might start to recognise patterns you' never noticed before - for example you might notice that every time you don't exercise for more than 3 days, or don't socialise with anyone for a while, your depression is heightened and your thoughts more self critical. This insight it really powerful and can be used to aid recovery and maintain a strong wellbeing afterwards.<br />
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<b>Regularly pushing your comfort zone</b><br />
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There's no "one size fits all" cure for depression and as a result, you'll probably need to try lots of different things to find what works for you. For me, it's always seemed like the cruelest part of depression is that in order to work your way out of it, you could really do with all those things that depression takes from you: confidence, self esteem, motivation, focus. That said, it doesn't mean you can't get out of it without those things, but, let's be honest, joining that self help group, going for a run and even seeing your GP would be a whole lot easier with them. As a result, every time you do something that depression tells you you can't, you're actually stretching your comfort zone and slowly claiming back those traits that were stolen from you. Give yourself credit for this, it's massive.<br />
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<b>Empathy</b><br />
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We learn from negative life experiences, maybe even more so than positive ones. Experiencing depression deepen your ability to empathise with others who are in similar situations. Like we said earlier, people who understand can be the key to recovery. Your ability to "get it" is perhaps the greatest benefit of depression, and is definitely the one that can have the greatest impact on others.<br />
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<b>Strength</b><br />
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As with any illness, living with and recovering from depression takes an enormous amount of strength. Strength in quantities you didn't know you had. I feel like this quote perfectly sums it up:<br />
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"on particularly rough days when I'm sure I can't possibly endure, I like to remind myself that my track record for getting through rough days is 100% and that's pretty good". (found on Pintrest, so obviously no idea where this comes from..)<br />
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So, there we have it, the not so depressing side of depression, You're doing great.</div>
DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-20264771292996376602016-02-02T12:12:00.001-08:002016-02-02T12:12:36.800-08:00January Favourites<div class="MsoNormal">
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Breaking the mold here, for me, January was pretty decent.
As a result, I have a variety of favorites covering travel, lifestyle and the all-important
blusher remit.<br />
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<b>Iceland<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Because he’s a dream, my lovely boyfriend James took me to
Iceland for my birthday. We saw the Northern Lights, stayed in the cutest
little log cabin and, literally froze. <a href="http://www.dellabellablog.com/2016/01/4-nights-in-iceland.html" target="_blank">There’s an entire post dedicated to the trip here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Rifle Paper Co To-Do
Pad<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I am the worst at organisation, seriously. This little
beauty has been an absolute lifesaver recently. I use it both at work and at
home and never has ticking something off a list felt so satisfying. <a href="http://www.dellabellablog.com/2016/01/stationary-haul.html" target="_blank">(Full Rifle Paper Co haul here)</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Freedom Highlight:
Ambient<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I have never really been into highlight, but, since coming
back from Iceland my skin has been looking a bit dehydrated and generally dull
so I picked this little number in Superdrug without expecting too much from it
to be honest. I have literally worn it everyday since. This is the definition
of groundbreaking (for me, obvs).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Mac Blush: Pinch O' Peach<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is something I’ve had in my collection for about 3
years and have reached for on less than a handful of occasions. Until now. This
month I’ve been wearing it non-stop on top of the Freedom Highlight. They’re
the dream team.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Nuxe Reve de Miel Lipbalm<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I’m not sure if I mentioned, but, it’s cold in Iceland (like
-10 cold). My skin definitely suffered and so did my lips. This Nuxe lipbalm was
a total lifesaver, it lasts so long and definitively stopped my lips from
becoming too chapped. Eagle eyed readers will see that James and I literally
scrapped the barrel with this one and I’m now totally out. It’s currently
sitting pretty at top of my to-buy list.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Maybelline Colour
Tattoo: Pomegranate<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I’ve been “shopping my stash” this month and rediscovered
this too. I brought it AGES ago because YouTube made me, but, never really knew
how to wear it. This month I’ve been using a small amount to create an opaque
but light base and placing Mac’s Star Violet over the top. It’s a really pretty
winter eye look.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Book of Mormon<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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For Christmas, James’ sister and her husband brought us Book
of Mormon tickets. We’ve wanted to go for ages so we were super excited. It is
hilarious. I’ll be honest, I had braced myself for the jokes to be really
shocking…and I mean some of them were, but, it just wasn’t as outrageous as I’d
prepared for. That’s definitely not a bad thing and if anything I was glad! The
cast were super talented and it’s totally unlike any other musical I've ever seen!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Making a Murderer<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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TV binging at its best. There’s definitely something about
real life trauma that makes me a little uncomfortable with the entertainment
aspect of true crime stories, but, I thought this was really well made and
hopefully shone light to some serious issues within the US justice system (and
beyond!). That said, the show was obviously biased and presented a heavily
one-sided account of the case, if you know of any follow up podcasts or
articles discussing both sides I’d be super keen to hear about them! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>The Girl From The Train</b><br />
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Somebody on Twitter recommended this to me and I was obsessed!! I love a psychological thriller, but, had put off reading this one because it was constantly sold as "if you liked Gone Girl, you need to read this" and, brace yourself, I didn't like Gone Girl. I liked the first half, then I felt like they gave up the twist and the last 50% was unnecessary and no real info was gained. Just me? Yeah probably. Anyway, this one, not the same. I loved this book and if you're looking for a real 2am pageturner, look no further.<br />
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So, all in all, not so bad. Good effort January!</div>
DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-49912580755274983982016-01-18T15:36:00.001-08:002016-01-18T15:36:05.390-08:00Volunteering Abroad: 7 Unexpected Cravings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, you’re off to change the world, or, more realistically,
your world. Good for you. You’ve done your research and brought a mess tin. You’re
so ready for this.</div>
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Of course, you know that volunteering abroad is not a
holiday. You know it will be hard work and you know it will be worth it. You’re
probably also anticipating some homesickness. You might be surprised to hear
that whilst volunteering on the ICS programme it
was not wifi, Netflix or makeup that I craved the most. These, more unexpected
cravings, hit me hardest. If you’re off volunteering soon, take note, your future self will thank you for it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>A pillow<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Sleeping on the floor for 3 months is not the issue here.
The thing you’ll miss is not the bed, but, the pillow. Don’t believe the
marketing, a travel pillow does not cut it. Do whatever you can to take your
pillow with you. Seriously. It’ll be the best thing you’ve ever done. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>A running tap<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is probably the most humbling craving you’ll ever have.
Washing your hands? Brushing your teeth? Having a shower? Get yourself to the
borewell and start pumping. The day your team build your first tippy tap will
be a great one. Don’t know what a tippy tap is? Going volunteering soon? You’ll
find out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Food you don’t
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You’ll find that food is the key player in roughly 95% of
all conversation. Sure, your cook is a total sweetheart and the rest of your
village are complete feeders, so, you’re not hungry. Just craving food that’s
different. So different in fact, you probably don’t even eat it at home. I
spent about 6 weeks fantasizing over bangers and mash. I genuinely don’t know
the last time I ate bangers and mash, but, if I had to make an educated guess, I’d
say it was about 7 years ago. To compensate, you have developed a genuine addiction to Maggi and Parle-Gs. They're now your most prevalent craving in the UK. It's a cruel world.</div>
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<b>Post<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Second only to "what would you eat if you were at home right now?" "when will the loop come?" has got to be the most asked question on a Raleigh ICS placement. What's "the loop" I hear you say? Well, once every three weeks someone from the organisations head office (in the country you're in!) will come and visit you, if you're the Team Leader, they bring someone to vent to, but, more importantly, they bring letters from home! If you're doing it properly, you won't have a phone or internet on ICS so this will literally be the only contact you have with home. You'll spend weeks wondering which of your friends has written and whether they'll have sent the goods in time to be on the next delivery. That huge ASOS order you placed? Nothing on this.</div>
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<b>Staying in your towel
after a shower<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Niche, right? This one might just be me but I just wasn't a fan of always being sliiightly damp when getting dressed. There's no time for a leisurely morning routine here. You've thrown two buckets of cold water over yourself and have a tinsy towel but have to work quickly. There are 10 other people waiting to use that "bathroom". <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Fabric softener</b></div>
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Cleaning your clothes is absolutely no problem, in fact if some of your in-country volunteers/lovely villagers teach you their trade secrets, your whites will have never been whiter (tip: don't bring whites). We were lucky enough to be a 30 minute walk from a shop and I picked up some fabric conditioner one day, you know, just because. (You'll be surprised how much joy you get walking around a small convenience store). That afternoon, I put the fabric conditioner to the test. It's not that my clothes felt any different, really, but that washing line evoked the strongest smell of "home" it was just the most comforting thing (see what I did there?)</div>
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<b>A western toilet<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The ultimate! Today marks two years since I set off for ICS. I’m still grateful for a western
toilet, every day. Honestly. Think I'm crazy? Get back to me in 3 months.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My ICS placement was without a doubt the best experience I’ve
ever had. I made some lifelong friends and left a piece of my heart in that
tiny village, but really, when <i>will </i>bangers and mash catch on in
India?<o:p></o:p><br />
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-13141013406594636342016-01-18T02:09:00.000-08:002016-01-18T02:09:07.890-08:00Stationary Haul<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In a bid to get more organised I spent a silly amount of money on stationary recently. Okay, I lied, it's not really anything to do with being organised, it's just all so pretty.<br />
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I love pretty much anything from Rifle Paper Co and picked this beauties up from the stockist: <a href="http://www.northlighthomestore.com/" target="_blank">NorthLight </a>which seems to be a pretty lovely store all round.<br />
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First up, the flamingo/swan number that I've had my eye on for a while. These books are blank paged so whether you're a writer, doodler or combination of both, these prettys can provide. They come in a pack of two for £11 - you can pick them up <a href="http://www.northlighthomestore.com/Rifle_Paper_Co_Birds_of_a_Feather_Notebooks_Pac_p/jmm003.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WDCAb8CUavacDBDUhnlZsllCx5B_zBfw_mRysHM82gFvmeMU1ANrr0vseApuSRg2kWpX1ZXldM2Ftf90xJmVdR41WmEemZBvCbAAbinhVlR_EZ3pybxwZH8ZuiEX0c1CDu3kls0WgQI/s1600/flamingo+notebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WDCAb8CUavacDBDUhnlZsllCx5B_zBfw_mRysHM82gFvmeMU1ANrr0vseApuSRg2kWpX1ZXldM2Ftf90xJmVdR41WmEemZBvCbAAbinhVlR_EZ3pybxwZH8ZuiEX0c1CDu3kls0WgQI/s640/flamingo+notebook.jpg" width="625" /></a></div>
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These super pretty beauty themed pocket notebooks are the ultimate blog prop, and let's be honest, that's pretty much the primary purpose of stationary these days, right? I love that they're double sided, because, well, double to blog looks. You can pick this duo up for £7.85 <a href="http://www.northlighthomestore.com/Garance_Dore_Beaute_Pocket_Notebook_Set_p/djpm02.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqJ_hChjE02drBFL6nLuppRadzN3iXkg8XJhw0ISedbawQax76_yTqXCoZZ5x9u-n-3z649ggLLsuMkQXgchpzLdty3RYp_XHdTlx5xJhpmqdqEgf6tASiHN52fpGU4YVJHtNzBLsxuI/s1600/notebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioqJ_hChjE02drBFL6nLuppRadzN3iXkg8XJhw0ISedbawQax76_yTqXCoZZ5x9u-n-3z649ggLLsuMkQXgchpzLdty3RYp_XHdTlx5xJhpmqdqEgf6tASiHN52fpGU4YVJHtNzBLsxuI/s640/notebook.jpg" width="497" /></a></div>
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Finally, I love a list and this super pretty to-do pad is just my favorite procrastination aid. You can waste time yourself by picking this up for £6.80 <a href="http://www.northlighthomestore.com/Rifle_Paper_Co_Paper_Crown_Desktop_Notepad_p/pnpm01.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHlapcNuB3DF1wMIGphCri8idfH0k1ZZvc3TbWSuZnI3i6lWePDe7EDmr4krruWk5xX1nL86VkFAaAH7bXWbEJgFV0ToO1OWe4VaK9e_wMGD5ZN9XQHIh7Es66Cgj_PzJUbmPugrE6mg/s1600/rifle+paper+co+to+do+pad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHHlapcNuB3DF1wMIGphCri8idfH0k1ZZvc3TbWSuZnI3i6lWePDe7EDmr4krruWk5xX1nL86VkFAaAH7bXWbEJgFV0ToO1OWe4VaK9e_wMGD5ZN9XQHIh7Es66Cgj_PzJUbmPugrE6mg/s640/rifle+paper+co+to+do+pad.jpg" width="624" /></a></div>
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There's still so much on my stationary "to buy" list, but, I guess this'll do for now!<br />
<br />DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-4677424854940863922016-01-17T06:16:00.002-08:002016-01-17T06:43:12.543-08:004 Nights in Iceland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-65SxaEejOtkCn0PKX2gSQjMdqdt7pcROgt5VNOy39vw7fN8dGrG5lpQUviX52xUB57BCEtVRKd2JJ9kgeo0JbHlyoa5WmDXm-148UqKnkut2op9YERHOOfgydGHTOvbNZUJgCMnK-s/s1600/Iceland+Itinerary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="4 night Iceland Itinerary" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-65SxaEejOtkCn0PKX2gSQjMdqdt7pcROgt5VNOy39vw7fN8dGrG5lpQUviX52xUB57BCEtVRKd2JJ9kgeo0JbHlyoa5WmDXm-148UqKnkut2op9YERHOOfgydGHTOvbNZUJgCMnK-s/s640/Iceland+Itinerary.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Because I'm pretty much the luckiest person ever, my boyfriend took me to Iceland to go Northern Lights hunting for my birthday this year. Here's what we got up to.<br />
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<b>Saturday Night: Northern Lights</b><br />
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We arrived in Iceland around 6pm and got the GreyLine bus from the airport to our hotel in Reykjavik. Luckily for us unorganised folk there's no need to book a transfer in advance as the buses seemed to be leaving pretty regularly. We got to the hotel about an hour or so later, checked in and booked onto a Northern Lights tour for that evening. We had already planned to hunt the Northern Lights on the first night as you get a free ticket the next day if you don't manage to see them, but, we were tired and the forecast was really low (2/9) so we didn't think we had much hope of seeing them. James was pretty close to bailing but I managed to persuade him against it and I am SO glad I did.<br />
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On the tour, you pretty much pile into a bus with a bunch of other tourists and drive away from the city. Essentially, you want to get away from the "light pollution" so, you know, get somewhere that's pitch black. The lights are technically there all the time, it's just the conditions that stop us from seeing them, either it's not dark enough, the sky isn't clear enough or, the aurora just isn't strong enough. We drove around until we got to a dark spot where we could see the stars (clue that the sky is clear!) annnd then we waited. In what was essentially a car park, in pitch black, in -7degrees, with no real hope of seeing the lights. It's in this moment that you really have to just appreciate the fact that you've probably never seen so many stars and that alone is just SO beautiful. In itself, that might be enough...if it wasn't just so cold.<br />
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Then, everything changed. Our bus drivers busted out the hot chocolate and donuts annnd spotted a very faint green line in the sky. We all stared at it, just willing it to move, to brighten and by some miracle it actually did. Pretty soon we were standing in a pitch black car park, clutching cups of hot chocolate and ticking off our mental bucket lists. We had seen the Northern Lights, and they were beautiful (but annoyingly hard to photograph).<br />
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We got back around 1am feeling sleepy, but, smug.<br />
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<b>Sunday daytime: Reykjavik</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJd61WuRqK7UMgyKa1bHTiOHta-kp70umytaak7IWD6HIEJGoRg3EbCPgr-x_XXitGv1wgmGTV_jpdP-vNdTtq5_lX0rCCAzI2f4tZ9lXkUmdOQSeA_LrWnJQWSxF61KNVG5f1w8VMCAo/s1600/what+to+do+in+reykjavik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Things to do in Reykjavik" border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJd61WuRqK7UMgyKa1bHTiOHta-kp70umytaak7IWD6HIEJGoRg3EbCPgr-x_XXitGv1wgmGTV_jpdP-vNdTtq5_lX0rCCAzI2f4tZ9lXkUmdOQSeA_LrWnJQWSxF61KNVG5f1w8VMCAo/s640/what+to+do+in+reykjavik.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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Off to explore Reykjavik. First stop, coffee, obvs. Then we went to hunt down Hallgrimskirkja, or simply, "the church". It's such a striking building and offers stunning views of the entire city at the top. We were loosing the light a little because we spent too long faffing with our hire car earlier so were in a bit of a rush after this. We headed to one of the citys amazing outdoor swimming pools, or "thermal spa" if you're feeling fancy. It was so relaxing and pretty cool to be chilling in a heated pool, watching the sunset whilst it's -6 degrees. I would seriously recommend!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.12px;"> </span><br />
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<b>Sunday Night: Northern Lights</b><br />
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The forecast for the lights wasn't looking to great for this evening either, but, we had a car and the forecast had lied to us yesterday so, we didn't really trust him anymore. Now, fully equipped with the tour guide trade secrets (find the dark, clear spot) we went hunting, We ended up in Thingvellir National Park and, whilst the lights weren't as good as the night before, they were there. Success,<br />
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<b>Monday Daytime: The Golden Circle</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNk-AFTXytDyAgKAAWZ-6SVv8EK1czF1cSCcnKRvYhFBb28WMGSBNFasYqT_MTLOQoSJTByKdT3GLu-pngmUwDVb84-icEYFVVGIbxmLqDYZyWRYT_ENxgEKhXIxCS-nHyjHQCHWNwtY/s1600/Iceland+Golden+Circle+Winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Iceland the Golden Circle" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyNk-AFTXytDyAgKAAWZ-6SVv8EK1czF1cSCcnKRvYhFBb28WMGSBNFasYqT_MTLOQoSJTByKdT3GLu-pngmUwDVb84-icEYFVVGIbxmLqDYZyWRYT_ENxgEKhXIxCS-nHyjHQCHWNwtY/s640/Iceland+Golden+Circle+Winter.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Golden Circle. The big one, right? We had the car so didn't need to book a tour for this, there aren't any entrance fees on the tour and all the spots were pretty easy to find. Driving also means you can move at your own pace and don't have to rush off if you want to spend more time somewhere.<br />
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Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park where we'd seen the lights the night before, it was just the most beautiful place. I have to admit though, I am not the best with walking on ice, and it was pretty icey! James ran off exploring like the inner 6 year old he is, whilst I hung back listening to a tour guide that we'd gatecrashed and admiring the beautiful scenery.<br />
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Next up, the Geysir, a "geothermally active valley". Sure, I don't really know what that means, but, I know it was impressive. Photo-wise, it's the middle one above. It was slightly disappointing that it was snowy here because the camera just couldn't capture the full beauty of the eruption.<br />
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Final stop on the Golden Circle is Gulfoss an incredibly beautiful waterfall. Again, James was off maximising the danger he could get into whilst I hung back and admired the view safely from the designated viewpoints. (James definitely wins the life points, but, I'm just too much of a wimp..)<br />
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It's worth pointing out that it was snowing, pretty heavily. This obviously affected some of the views but in a way I think it made everything look so pretty. I'd definitely be keen to see Iceland in the summer though, I think we could do this exact tour again and have a completely different experience.<br />
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<b>Monday Night: Selfoss</b><br />
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We drove further South and checked into the cutest cabin in Selfoss (<a href="http://www.gesthus.is/" target="_blank">Gesthus</a>) It was literally something out of a Christmas card. We chilled in the cabin for a bit and then headed out for some food at Surf n Turf - I mention the specific restaurant because there isn't that much going on in Selfoss and if you find yourself there you should check it out. Afterwards, we walked back in the snow, which was now knee deep so, well, it took a while.<br />
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<b>Tuesday Daytime</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh283_hiO45jrrCC6uEyHjvc0458DWdDvQE9AeU9qymaImMXsXkRBtWlpNhYz0RVj1T8Q2KMWFs3i1Lk2gErGyEOJebw8Cb48gzOW6mjUi_cM4LZoQIE7R0Ciprmt3ufWye1S1cf9XX4uM/s1600/Selfoss+Iceland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="things to do in Selfoss" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh283_hiO45jrrCC6uEyHjvc0458DWdDvQE9AeU9qymaImMXsXkRBtWlpNhYz0RVj1T8Q2KMWFs3i1Lk2gErGyEOJebw8Cb48gzOW6mjUi_cM4LZoQIE7R0Ciprmt3ufWye1S1cf9XX4uM/s640/Selfoss+Iceland.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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We didn't have a plan for Tuesday daytime, so were pretty flexible in what we saw. We went for a drive which in itself is such a lovely thing to do in Iceland. Everywhere is just so beautiful. Speaking of driving, if you're planning on staying in Reykjavik for your whole trip you definitely don't need a car, but, if you want to get out and about I'd highly recommend it. We got to maximise our changes of seeing the lights and could work to our own itinerary.<br />
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We ended up at Skogafoss waterfall which was, again, beautiful. Now, I know I sound like a broken record, but, it really is cold here. What I mean by that is, I went up close to the waterfall to take some snaps, the mist made my coat really wet, within 2 minutes, my coat was frozen, and I really do mean frozen, not cold, but, actually turned to ice! So, I know it goes without saying, but, if you're going, pack the thermals.<br />
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Next up, Glacier walking. Now, we hadn't booked a tour or anything for this (if you want to do it properly you really do need to). We just hunted down a glacier and walked to it..sounds simple enough but, remember what I said before about not liking the ice? I kind of downplayed that there, what I mean is, I have a genuine totally irrational phobia of ice and open edges. That really doesn't make me the target audience for glacier walking. Especially when "glacier walking" is just James and I walking with no equipment, totally on our own, when the sun is setting, I was genuinely terrified and had a bit of a breakdown BUT you probably aren't as crazy as me and will most likely love it. Like all of Iceland, it's spectacular to look at.<br />
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We headed to another waterfall (Seljalands-Foss) and for something to eat to plan our final hunt for the Northern Lights.<br />
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<b>Tuesday Night: Northern Lights</b><br />
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It was our final night and the aurora forecast told us the Lights were a 4/9 and Active. This was very exciting and we headed into the car on another hunt. The roads were pretty icy and we stopped at one point to admire the faint lights and got stuck...we had to wait until a passing car came (of course, we'd hunted down a super dark spot so nothing was going on there and it took a while for someone to come get us) eventually, the nicest Icelandic guy stopped and drove the car while James pushed - we were free and ready to hunt again. Later that night we were in Northern Light heaven. When I say we were surrounded by bright green, dancing lights I completely mean it. It was so special and a memory I'll treasure forever. It was also...so cold!<br />
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I had the best time in Iceland and would totally go again (this is big for me, as there are so many places in the world I want to see, I don't usually want to go to the same place twice). I am so grateful to my lovely boyfriend for being the most generous person in the world for the best birthday present ever <3 He is such a keeper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcBCWR1iOezfDalNC302A4W3xe31o5UUUHQeuMuNfM5GfrTvjMxrRBelIrVuX4WYGGkWBmi-m2UnLWXL9feXVPxRR0QXS_Umen3sFTIJBbZPdl2KvXC6f8pOjkBu11DAPRkqv4cI6EG4/s1600/james.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Iceland 4 day itinerary" border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcBCWR1iOezfDalNC302A4W3xe31o5UUUHQeuMuNfM5GfrTvjMxrRBelIrVuX4WYGGkWBmi-m2UnLWXL9feXVPxRR0QXS_Umen3sFTIJBbZPdl2KvXC6f8pOjkBu11DAPRkqv4cI6EG4/s640/james.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-48293659342280523072016-01-16T10:13:00.002-08:002016-01-16T10:23:49.299-08:00Everyday Makeup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsscyq76ByivYv_QxyWMCiwJfhhps4AFfE5oL2cNQ1tlFNJLoZu51kLpxjjytUJlJxMYwgD0UGghQhHr1-_n7cD60OYDQ73Tv2DwskIEAxJS6QH5fVAJCXKqzbQDsyQ2AeRjrZltkhqg/s1600/Everyday+Makeup+Routine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsscyq76ByivYv_QxyWMCiwJfhhps4AFfE5oL2cNQ1tlFNJLoZu51kLpxjjytUJlJxMYwgD0UGghQhHr1-_n7cD60OYDQ73Tv2DwskIEAxJS6QH5fVAJCXKqzbQDsyQ2AeRjrZltkhqg/s640/Everyday+Makeup+Routine.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
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Most days, I put things on my face. Usually they're kind of the same things. Here they are.<br />
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<b>Base</b></div>
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At the moment, I am totally in love with the<i> L'Oreal Infallible 24h-Matte foundation</i>. It applies so smoothly and genuinely lasts all day - even when I cycle to work. That's a massive win in my books.</div>
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The thing is, I have dry skin so you know, not exactly the target audience for a mattifying foundation. To add a bit of glow, before applying the foundation I use a bit of <i>Freedom's Strobe Cream</i>. It smells lovely and really does combat the dreaded "flat" look.</div>
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<b>Cheeks</b></div>
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I pretty much contour everytime I wear make-up which might seem extreme to those of you blessed with chiseled cheekbones, but, before judging, spare a thought for us hamster cheeked babes. My go to is the <i>Sleek Face Contour Kit</i>. I rarely use the highlighter (it's nice, I just rarely use highlighter in general.) The bronze shade is totally matte and the perfect shade for those of us on the paler end.</div>
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I switch my blusher up on a regular basis and rarely use the same shade for more than a few days on the run. That said, my faves at the moment are <i>Mac's Pretty Peony (</i>which I got in Vietnam). It's a beautiful pale pink shade that gives just the right "been out in the cold" look without you having to actually get cold. Next up, <i>Mac's Coppertone</i> which, surprise surprise, is a slight copper-brown shade and super lovely. At the more budget end, <i>Natural Collection </i>blushers are insanely good for £1.99 and you can obtain a similar effect as these two Mac numbers with: Pink Cloud and Peach Melba.</div>
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<b>Eyes</b></div>
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Much like the cheeks, I switch my eyeshadow up on the regs. That said, I pretty much always gravitate towards a copper/bronze/gold shadow. Without a doubt my most used shadow of all time is <i>Mac's Sable</i> (which I also brought in Vietnam!) I also love<i> Indian Wood painpot</i> (also from Mac) for a quick and easy golden bronze lid that looks way more put together than the effort deserves.</div>
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I'm a big fan of drugstore mascara and typically find it to be better than most high end one's I've tried. Despite that, I'm not usually that loyal when it comes to repurchasing. At the moment I am using <i>Maybelline The Falsies</i> and it's a firm favorite. I do have naturally long lashes so I find it easier to get mascara to work for me, but, this one is particularly good. It just does what it say's it'll do and what's not to like about that?<br />
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I've been wearing liquid eyeliner for aboooout 12 years. That makes me feel super old, but, it's a necessary evil as I feel like you should know just how long I've been using the <i>Collection fast Stroke eyeliner. </i>it's easy to use, super cheap and stays black all day. I've tried others, sure, but this is one I will always come back to!</div>
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<b>Brows</b></div>
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Since I brought the <i>Freedom Brow Pomade in Blonde </i>I have not used a single other product on my brows and honestly can't see that changing for a while. I'm a bit rubbish with my brows and before this little £5 beauty came into my life they used to be the part of my face that took the most time to fix. Now, they literally take seconds and stay put all day. This is a game changer.</div>
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<b>Lips</b></div>
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I find I do actually stick to one or two lip shades according to the season. At the moment I've been loving <i>Mac's Brave</i> and <i>Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush</i> (which, despite the annoyingly long name, I have dedicated an entire post to <a href="http://www.dellabellablog.com/2015/11/holy-grail-autumn-lip-colour.html" target="_blank">here</a>).</div>
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So, there you go, all the things I put on my face most days. Oh, and in case you're interested, here's my face:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgwokMNxSFDhxVBGSB-P9J4qbTiEV8AqZk02NWehTQizOCaXlBpV2mm8VqSxCxCLJTZl8SgVUSL37sf687gZ5dqWqkNy-89SsmhFmNgtCSaGGPwz5qoVjWblZD62-6WnipGhLzpzgxkE/s1600/Everyday+makeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgwokMNxSFDhxVBGSB-P9J4qbTiEV8AqZk02NWehTQizOCaXlBpV2mm8VqSxCxCLJTZl8SgVUSL37sf687gZ5dqWqkNy-89SsmhFmNgtCSaGGPwz5qoVjWblZD62-6WnipGhLzpzgxkE/s400/Everyday+makeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-22574185604828098242016-01-05T07:25:00.004-08:002016-01-05T07:58:09.464-08:002015 Travel Roundup<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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In 2014 I went travelling around Asia for 6 months, so, naturally
2015 had big boots to fill. Working full time meant that months wondering
Vietnam were a distant memory, but, I’d caught the travel bug and had an urge
to see more of Europe in particular, so, how did I get on?</div>
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If you like, I can do individual blog posts on each trip, with more details of what we did, where we ate, you know, the important stuff. For now though, I'll keep this short and sweet.<br />
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<b>Berlin<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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My birthday is on New Years Day, which, let's just all agree, is pretty lame. For my birthday, James wisked me off to Berlin to see my best friend who's lived there for a few years now. It's such a cool city, chilled, hipster, like a less pretentious Shoreditch. We went to the wall, drank mulled wine, laughed til it hurt and was sick on the tram line. So, all in all a success.<br />
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<b>Barcelona</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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James was working over in Barcelona mid week so we thought he may aswell hang around and I'd meet him for the weekend. I'd been to Barcelona before, but, I was 15 and on a school trip, so, let's be honest, zero culture was absorbed that week. This time around, I totally fell in love with the place. We did a LOT of walking, ate tapas and watched a horror film on silent in a bar...<br />
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<b>Portugal</b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIwY40qa7BMJhb-FShQLmGqdgUauFd_tpfWCnfUczUeE2yeCFCh3bfbc0Bi_nFmh4jqp36_rBYa9rtKKZ6NnRdHv3-_22PGS1vRH57hHKq-sp0CwezCqYtx3YRv_L5erUkTxqaYEyyPM/s1600/portugal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIwY40qa7BMJhb-FShQLmGqdgUauFd_tpfWCnfUczUeE2yeCFCh3bfbc0Bi_nFmh4jqp36_rBYa9rtKKZ6NnRdHv3-_22PGS1vRH57hHKq-sp0CwezCqYtx3YRv_L5erUkTxqaYEyyPM/s640/portugal.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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James' Dad lives in Portugal (can we spot the theme here? James is a travel enabler - and I'm totally fine with that!). We went over to the Algarve to see his family. We also managed to fit in a perfect afternoon of dolphin watching, sat at a beach bar listening to a cool band and, surprise surprise, at some decent food! I was pleasantly surprised with how lovely the Algarve was, If I'm honest I was expecting it to be pretty "Brits abroad" which I hate, but, actually it was rich with culture and really beautiful.</div>
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<b>Glastonbury</b></div>
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So, it's not exactly "travel" but you're there almost a week so I'm going to include this. Simply put, Glastonbury Festival is the happiest place in the world. If you've never been, go.<br />
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<b>Amsterdam</b></div>
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One of my lovely friends got married in September and we headed to Amsterdam for her hen do. We did all the classic tourist things and none of the cool stuff, but, like I said, it was a hen do. Amsterdam is another super chilled city which I really loved. Highlights include the hen/stag classic "beer bike" not so great things include the attitude of British tourists at the Red Light District, really quite gross.<br />
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<b>Somerset Yurts</b></div>
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We headed back down to Somerset for a long weekend of Glamping at the Somerset Yurts. The site holds about 5/6 yurts, all of which we hired out but you might end up sharing the area with others if you just need the one. There was an on site kitchen, indoor showers and toilets. Whoever came up with the word "glamping" is onto something. I'd really recommend checking this place out!</div>
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<b><b>Gambia</b></b></div>
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Gambia had everything I wanted from a holiday. The people are exceptionally friendly, it's beyond beautiful and the culture is everywhere (by that, I mean it's not ruined by tourists, obvs). I'm pretty sure I'll be writing a whole post on Gambia soon so keep your eyes pealed for that.</div>
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2015, I wasn't expecting much, but, you didn't do too bad, babes.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-81894201166741729542015-12-30T08:13:00.002-08:002015-12-30T08:32:17.037-08:00New Years Eve: Expectations Vs Reality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's here, the night of year! You're so excited, and rightly so, you've been waiting for this since Christmas! How's it gonna go?<br />
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<b>Expectation:</b></div>
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You’ve made no plans yet, you’re keeping your
options open, someone will definitely have a last minute house party<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reality:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Your friends all have babies. There hasn’t been a proper
house party in years. There will be no last minute invite. You have no option
but to host said last minute house party. But who will you invite? Your friends all
have babies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Glamour. All the glamour<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reality:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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You spent too long “keeping your options open” and now even
an emergency next day delivery ASOS order won’t save you. Everything went into the sale. Last week. Your size is long gone babes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The best night out of the year surrounded by your absolute
faves<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reality:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Sweaty bars that are so packed you won’t be able to find
your faves, even if they do score a miracle babysitter.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Expectation:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Worst comes to worst, you can head into town, you know it
there, they’ll have a DJ. It’ll be fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reality:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Even the dodgy Weatherspoon’s is threatening to charge £20
entry. Sure it <i>was </i>£10 but those advance tickets sold out months ago. Soz.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Expectation:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We’ll get really drunk and laugh the night away<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reality:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The lucky ones with advance tickets for Wetherspoons
actually turn up. Now you’ve spent £20 and can’t even drown your sorrows with a
£5 bottle of Rose. Well, you can, in 50 minutes once you get through that bar
quee.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Expectation:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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A romantic kiss with the love of your life at midnight<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Reality:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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An 18 year old living the absolute dream is sick on your
shoes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Lets face it, NYE is always a liiitle bit disappointing, but, at least deep down we already knew that. Whatever you're doing this year I hope nobody is sick on your shoes. </o:p><br />
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<o:p>*Some snaps of me having the time of my life, at least one of which may, or may not, have been taken at a NYE house party.</o:p></div>
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-51739110889557032262015-12-13T11:41:00.001-08:002015-12-13T11:41:33.290-08:00Reasons Why You Should Travel Solo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Dream of quitting your job & packing a 60L backpack full of dry shampoo but not sure you can convince anyone to do it with you? No worries, you don't need them, you got this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Taking the plunge and booking yourself a one way ticket to somewhere cliché yet exotic could be the best decision you ever make. Here are some of the reasons why you should (politely) say no to that friend-of-a-friend's-friend who wants to tag along.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. You can do what you want</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The best way to travel is simply to wing it. I mean, sure, do all your research beforehand, but, don't be that person who's booked all your flights and hostels for the next 3 months. I promise you'll regret it. Travelling on your own means that you have the freedom to fall in love with places and extend your more time there, change your route halfway through and embrace your own highlights.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. You’ll push your comfort zone to the max</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not going to pretend that the first hostel dorm you arrive at on your own isn't scary. It absolutely is, for about 2 minutes. By then you'll have surprised yourself by how friendly other travellers are and most of all, how confident you are/seem! Look at you, just 2 minutes ago you thought you'd end up wandering Asia like some Tom Hanks Castaway reject, but, your confidence has already grown and so has your Facebook friends list. Time and time again you'll surprise yourself by how many scary things you can achieve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. You can travel according to your own budget, not someone else’s</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is equally important whether you're on a flashpacker or shoestring budget. Want to splurge on that sky dive? Rather spend £1 on a street food dinner over a sit down meal? That's cool, when you're travelling on your own you just do you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. You’ll avoid all the drama!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Travelling is probably as close to living the dream as it gets, but, don't be fooled into thinking that mean's it isn't stressful. All those super early mornings and unbelievably long bus journeys can make you cranky. When you've spent months (sometimes even weeks) with the same people, arguments aren't just likely, they are guaranteed. Me? I'd rather spend my time travelling the world without the playground spats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5. You’ll get to know yourself. Truly</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This one needs no explanation, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, there we have it, my top reasons why travelling solo is an absolute must. I guess the most important thing to add is, the amount of time you actually spend on your own is entirely down to you. You WILL make friends everywhere you go, you'll just have the freedom to get everything you want out of your trip without answering to anyone else. I know that sounds selfish, but, it really is the only time in your life you'll get away with it! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the words of two of my travelling faves Dave & Wilf "#nocommitmentsnoregrets" (and yes, the hashtag is important!)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZbrB25mPzJSNdBkkLz3_3BLYpUZMD84KqcmswyZI8jpojdx1OM3VvZiKm4Gd2HWXaXZGDuIF6TW_rJUNVijnygE8sbDrG_GzqCCAPAl59KQbJ2p01tFXQy-qzL7HYJA-4SB5-j9uXKI/s1600/5+Reasons+why+you+shoudl+travel+solo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZbrB25mPzJSNdBkkLz3_3BLYpUZMD84KqcmswyZI8jpojdx1OM3VvZiKm4Gd2HWXaXZGDuIF6TW_rJUNVijnygE8sbDrG_GzqCCAPAl59KQbJ2p01tFXQy-qzL7HYJA-4SB5-j9uXKI/s640/5+Reasons+why+you+shoudl+travel+solo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-71931638758694115782015-11-27T08:03:00.002-08:002015-11-27T08:05:03.910-08:00The Ultimate Moisturiser For Dry Skin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivThn8KUKI3idrXs1vTHSjgS2Le3py81q_e0P0AvjnVC8N87TiDIGxheQIV4Go-DcMQRfxOXa4uFSwNaK7SInlysVsZcBYFhD6gI6H1UrTWAlMkOyvrkijc6sumhDvKaxrJ2M7CULve-A/s1600/2015-11-11+10.06.40+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivThn8KUKI3idrXs1vTHSjgS2Le3py81q_e0P0AvjnVC8N87TiDIGxheQIV4Go-DcMQRfxOXa4uFSwNaK7SInlysVsZcBYFhD6gI6H1UrTWAlMkOyvrkijc6sumhDvKaxrJ2M7CULve-A/s640/2015-11-11+10.06.40+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Strangely, I discovered this lifesaver through my ex-boyfriend
who swore by the stuff. Whoever said you don’t learn from failed relationships,
hey?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I have dry skin all year round but these windy times are
doing me no favours. For me, my problem areas are my face and my cheeks and
forehead in particular. My skin is both tight and flaky (FIT!) and a lot of moisturisers
I’ve used in the past have combated one of these problems, but, rarely both. Until
now.</span></div>
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The Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotion works wonders for me.
It can be used all over the body and has even worked overnight miracles on my
feet (again, FIT). There’s no sent which is good news for me as my skin is also
pretty sensitive but I’ve had no adverse reactions at all.</div>
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You can pick this us at pretty much any “drugstore” and I
got mine in Superdrug a while ago when it was on offer. Full price its £7.65
for 330mls and I’d always been tempted by slightly cheaper alternatives in the past
although I wouldn’t think twice about paying full price for a new one when this
runs out – if it ever runs out that is, this thing seems to last forever!<o:p></o:p></div>
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-75920920595405896932015-11-25T09:06:00.001-08:002015-11-25T09:25:54.576-08:00How to be Happy (For Real)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Jnxd5VD9MRKPhZ1PTFPC8RklNVVhyf6pi_yiGgJ5AHch8yRGkVwB0R4WcnpY7kVFzOXxYxC2J0kC2QiOnHZlRSJIx0vk1RJvJYZNu12cXaCRn9WR8ndoCPTKGVOlKYEDYHY5URAr1Zs/s1600/how+to+be+happy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="how to be happy" border="0" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Jnxd5VD9MRKPhZ1PTFPC8RklNVVhyf6pi_yiGgJ5AHch8yRGkVwB0R4WcnpY7kVFzOXxYxC2J0kC2QiOnHZlRSJIx0vk1RJvJYZNu12cXaCRn9WR8ndoCPTKGVOlKYEDYHY5URAr1Zs/s640/how+to+be+happy.png" title="How to be happy" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Like so many
other blog posts and YouTube videos I've seen on the topic I could tell you
that the key to happiness is in the smell of a new mac lipstick, a Diptique
candle and a Lush bath bomb. Although, if I did that, all you'd get is a list
of things that make me "happy", not things that are actually conducive to happiness in general.
Today I'll be letting you in on some trade secrets and showing you how you
can achieve actual happiness (without buying a thing!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I say “trade
secrets” but the information I’m giving here is no secret, thanks to those
clever people at the New Economics Foundation this information is out there in
the world for all of us to find. Let me condense it a bit for you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The theory
(and evidence) goes that there are 5 things you can apply to your everyday life
which will improve your overall wellbeing and make you happier, at work I call
this “the 5 ways to wellbeing” here, I’ll call it “how to be happy” because I
like to mix things up like that. So, let’s get right into it.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Connect</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The people
in our lives make up so much of how we feel about life. When we don’t feel good
it’s so tempting to lock yourself away and isolate yourself. Connecting with
others is crucial to a strong overall wellbeing. It doesn’t have to be too
intense, just reach out, make that phone call, arrange that night out and spend
time with people you love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>It only
takes a minute:</em> Send a text to a friend you haven’t seen in a while without
overthinking it. You want to know how they are, maybe you even miss them – just
say that.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Take notice/be mindful</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Have you
ever walked a familiar route and seen something that’s been there forever, but,
you’ve just never noticed? Me too! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re
all so busy that sometimes it can feel like time is just running away with us.
It’s really surprising how much difference it can make to your mood just to
take notice of what’s going on around you. So go about your usual routine, just
look around, see things you’ve never seen before and pay attention to how you’re
feeling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>It only
takes a minute:</em> Download “Calm” the free meditation app and take notice of the
simplest things.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Give</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Giving feels
good. You don’t have to give money either (although you could!). You can give
someone your time, advice, knowledge or simply attention. It’s easy, you get
goodness from it and so does somebody else what’s not to be happy about?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>It only
takes a minute:</em> Thank someone for something they’ve done that you appreciate,
even if it’s just the guy in the corner shop who’s always so smiley.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Be active</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As an inherently
lazy person when it comes to exercising, I wish this one wasn’t true, but, it
so is. The benefits that exercise can have to your wellbeing go way beyond being
able to justify that extra biscuit because you’ve spent an hour in the gym. Since
I’m not a huge exercise fan I recently brought <u>a </u><a href="http://www.dellabellablog.com/2015/11/vintage-style-bike-review-mango-ladies.html" target="_blank">pretty bike</a> that tricks me
into exercising when really I just need to get to work. There’s also the
classic “get off the bus a stop early” you’ll be surprised how much difference
it makes!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>It only
takes a minute:</em> challenge yourself to see how many sit-ups you can do in a
minute. Tomorrow, do it again. Or you know, just get off the bus a stop early!</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Keep learning</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Learning something
new is the ultimate confidence boost and a great way to challenge yourself and
your comfort zone! If you end up attending that workshop or going on that
course, guess what? You’ll probably meet some like-minded people to connect
with, bringing this whole thing full circle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>It only
takes a minute:</em> find a YouTube tutorial for that thing you’ve always wanted to
learn – even if it is just how to achieve Adele’s perfect winged liner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So, there
you have it, 5 easy things you can do to increase your overall happiness. Think
of these less as “life hacks” with instant results but more like lifestyle
choices. The more you incorporate these things into your everyday routine, the
stronger your overall wellbeing and the happier you will be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In this
crazy-busy world we live in, take some time out to look after yourself and prioritise
your own happiness, as you can see above, happiness is just 5 minutes away
(sort of.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Have you tried any of these things? What are the easiest ways you can incorporate the 5 ways into your everyday routine?</em></span></div>
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-58929781238097116102015-11-23T10:31:00.000-08:002015-11-23T14:32:03.644-08:00Travel Talk: India<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCw5kjQg00XgmqnkUekDWMQRQ-6YpAaAUSsAlPNaGXGLmQPkoKH5zXYfRoO9Iyh5J0WXNWbcKCAMgnECvGCjzHSHHTtueixD8SyRkaOnzC_-voxGa7ZKZmrYDHphYXiRccnqeuJIRNea0/s1600/India+travel+itinerary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCw5kjQg00XgmqnkUekDWMQRQ-6YpAaAUSsAlPNaGXGLmQPkoKH5zXYfRoO9Iyh5J0WXNWbcKCAMgnECvGCjzHSHHTtueixD8SyRkaOnzC_-voxGa7ZKZmrYDHphYXiRccnqeuJIRNea0/s640/India+travel+itinerary.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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country in the world. I have never met anybody who's on the fence about India,
it's the Marmite of countries and you either love it or hate it. Me? I'm
obsessed.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In today’s post I’ll be sharing my route, some tips
on how to get around whilst wishing I was writing this from a 2ac sleeper. Not
sure what that is? Keep reading!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Route</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">During this trip, I had about 5 weeks to explore so
everything was pretty whistle-stop. The thing about India is: IT’S MASSIVE.
I've met people who've spent 6 months there and still have places on their
“to-see” list. Choose your must-see places beforehand, accept that you might
not get to see it all and, make sure you hit the essentials.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Earlier in the year, I had spent 3 months living a
volunteering in a tribal village in Southern India (an individual blog post on
this is coming soon!). This is where I totally fell in love with the place and
I’d been counting down the days til I could make my return! I was desperate to
get back to my little village so my trip was largely based around that. The Taj
and Varanasi were also a must. Here’s my 5 week India Itinerary:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I cannot explain how “at home” I felt as soon as I
came out of Delhi Airport. This will sound ridiculous to so many. Let’s be
honest, Delhi is an intense place. If you've never been to India before and are
feeling nervous about the adjustment, I’d suggest flying into Mumbai instead,
it’s still very much “India” but just less overwhelming.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I spent my first day in Delhi wondering around The
Old Town before meeting up with my good friend Daniel who I'd met in Vietnam
and convinced him to put his nearly expired Indian visa to use. We spent about
3 days in Delhi and a personal highlight was the lights show at The Red Fort,
it really did add to the magic of the place. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryKEIBaqoW0bM75oKOkvIJzbYr83wZxMTHWV3qDBr2LLFzKbrHZknVLhyRf5H0cf_D3s56QqEuCT6IkdI-wkFgXeTJQmvg5vX5lEyF7-2gyCDWS1XyUuPXsCIXm22jnPmtjoZjv2lb-8/s1600/india+itinerary+delhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryKEIBaqoW0bM75oKOkvIJzbYr83wZxMTHWV3qDBr2LLFzKbrHZknVLhyRf5H0cf_D3s56QqEuCT6IkdI-wkFgXeTJQmvg5vX5lEyF7-2gyCDWS1XyUuPXsCIXm22jnPmtjoZjv2lb-8/s640/india+itinerary+delhi.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Agra</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Taj Mahal. Place of dreams. Obviously, this is
an absolute must for anybody travelling in India. For me, it certainly
didn’t disappoint and for the first time ever, I felt myself get goose bumps at
the sight of an inanimate object (if we can call the Taj Mahal an “object”…). Afterwards
we went to Agra fort which I was pleasantly surprised by, I mean, following the
Taj is no easy task but this place was a beauty. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Agra is one of those places that people reference
when talking about the obvious wealth disparity in India. As a city, it’s
totally derelict, it’s dusty and dirty but it’s also home to what’s quite
possibly the most recognisable piece of architecture in the world. It’s a
strange city for that reason, but, it’s an absolute must see.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ovTjK4dbkM8R2qHpgitx4xYCg7SooYHKgzKPZUkm4rdSB804lxMRjoVglBg2JsCmhn_uHy05fdCXielpM2XGcZ2XhzcyN9xVE1uLP6tvLw90Ra4IsNZwcYkcn1T5lC_1Jrar5imu4Hc/s1600/india+itinerary+agra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ovTjK4dbkM8R2qHpgitx4xYCg7SooYHKgzKPZUkm4rdSB804lxMRjoVglBg2JsCmhn_uHy05fdCXielpM2XGcZ2XhzcyN9xVE1uLP6tvLw90Ra4IsNZwcYkcn1T5lC_1Jrar5imu4Hc/s640/india+itinerary+agra.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Varanasi<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Another must. This place
is unlike anywhere else in the world. Honestly. Known as The Holy City,
thousands of people make the pilgrimage and bathe in the river Ganges. In
addition, it’s considered an honour to be cremated on the banks of the Ganges
after you’ve passed. There are funerals held 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That’s
right, open air cremations on the river banks. I’m sure some of you would be
asking why on earth anyone would want to go along and see that, but, it’s
actually really quite something. Respectful and colourful, this wonderful city
was a highlight of my entire trip. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNX0hsWGdf0_dDG9yAGyfTpaD7JxG8aAjUi0jF9Wr-6EoHz2ewzPRbeVc_DfyuJKZ8EYOy6NZhfN0EHyxSklOTkX7aNfnt6o86uiw4tcz8rrpg183GILQiXAyWcyZefBNOZ_7lS5B_Ww/s1600/india+trael+itinerary+varanasi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNX0hsWGdf0_dDG9yAGyfTpaD7JxG8aAjUi0jF9Wr-6EoHz2ewzPRbeVc_DfyuJKZ8EYOy6NZhfN0EHyxSklOTkX7aNfnt6o86uiw4tcz8rrpg183GILQiXAyWcyZefBNOZ_7lS5B_Ww/s640/india+trael+itinerary+varanasi.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Delhi<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Back to Delhi where
Daniel was catching a flight to Jordan. We spent one more night here before his
flight eating good food and (attempting) to watch the world cup.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNxjp4AL1CgYxxNHbUn-NlW4xY5uOAmaPT803DSM9qJSuA90aOAqWxBibjaSLYCcQPmbUGzZKhAqrv6flvQwFCFf0ZW7MXc7W4oJMfmuf63Z7MZZelwp0uokpNdpzmfDoTcRuYbKHY_s/s1600/delhi9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNxjp4AL1CgYxxNHbUn-NlW4xY5uOAmaPT803DSM9qJSuA90aOAqWxBibjaSLYCcQPmbUGzZKhAqrv6flvQwFCFf0ZW7MXc7W4oJMfmuf63Z7MZZelwp0uokpNdpzmfDoTcRuYbKHY_s/s640/delhi9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Amritsar<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This was the first city I
ventured to totally alone. After a bit of a nightmare at the train station
(just trying to find the tourist ticket office, nothing too major) I headed to
my hostel had a shower and headed right for the Golden Temple. This place was
unbelievable. This is the thing about India, everywhere is just so beautiful it’s
hard to take it all in. There’s so much colour and life everywhere that
sometimes you just don’t know where to look. This place was no different, the
detail was mindblowing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2jChQv7rQ2xqVFfM4f7x5b61-hX7F88pk2ndlCyLUqUiQ0VYZftl4yVX9AS-X55Ai1EBoIkUAiaB714dKNQ65r-Z6gNP3llj5vqruE6rVQQqLLV3wDtt-Ixye2QTpX0yfp2CmFkTQ8g/s1600/india+itinerary+amritsar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI2jChQv7rQ2xqVFfM4f7x5b61-hX7F88pk2ndlCyLUqUiQ0VYZftl4yVX9AS-X55Ai1EBoIkUAiaB714dKNQ65r-Z6gNP3llj5vqruE6rVQQqLLV3wDtt-Ixye2QTpX0yfp2CmFkTQ8g/s640/india+itinerary+amritsar.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Jaipur</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In Jaipur I met Ali, a
rickshaw driver outside the train station, he took me to my hostel, waited an
hour for me to shower and eat after a night train and then we headed out
exploring. Ali was just the nicest person I met on this leg of my trip. He took
me to all the places I wanted to go, waiting dutifully outside for whenever I
wanted to see something else. Jaipur, India is also the place where I drove my
first ever vehicle on the road. So err, thanks Ali for letting a non-driver
drive your rickshaw on an Indian road. We’re both lucky to be alive, don’t try
this at home!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2GYnOBZgxiZ4sNMjWhJtrme1jwEUcccBqp9T3JuniLf14HtXm4LYQmFANjMTsVe0q7CY_e5PyG0Z8Vut-7zoc0D-DHsXMcTWCwkjBBKgOBkjA2LxTfK3pBOrcbQX7SmnfY0-G84DgRQ/s1600/india+itinerary+Jaipur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2GYnOBZgxiZ4sNMjWhJtrme1jwEUcccBqp9T3JuniLf14HtXm4LYQmFANjMTsVe0q7CY_e5PyG0Z8Vut-7zoc0D-DHsXMcTWCwkjBBKgOBkjA2LxTfK3pBOrcbQX7SmnfY0-G84DgRQ/s640/india+itinerary+Jaipur.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Mumbai<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I’d been travelling in monsoon season, but, to be honest this hadn’t
affected my trip at all so far. If anything it’d been too sunny (47 degrees at
the Taj, ouch). That is. Until I got to Mumbai, when people tell you that it’s
rain like you’ve never seen, they aren’t lying. Think, power shower on full
blast, everywhere you go. I was here for a few days so day one was pretty much
spent in Leopold’s reading Shantaram like an absolute tourist <a href="http://www.dellabellablog.com/2015/11/off-backpacking-ultimate-travelling.html" target="_blank">(FYI you can checkour my ultimate travel reading list here)</a>. The next day I was off to </span><em><span style="background: white; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dharavi</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; widows: 1; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span>which is one of the largest slums in
the world. I really didn't know what to expect and had braced myself for utter
heartbreak, what I found was entirely different. Don’t get me wrong, it’s sad,
yes, but what I felt more than anything was inspired. The people living here
were entrepreneurs, making something from nothing at every turn, they were hard
working, bright and so friendly. We could all learn a thing or two from them.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfMcFlCCkENBMRYUKZxNPjsyxcsCMWjp3zfhFUA8dZKnAyoRdhpAUsJI6887JvMWFNjAk4A5rXXxVrWX6LTz4AaiT5aHsKtvYb6yl0zR83QwqVvWOl5Y-plgj8KhwYifrcQa6eGPev50/s1600/india+travel+itinerary+mumbai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfMcFlCCkENBMRYUKZxNPjsyxcsCMWjp3zfhFUA8dZKnAyoRdhpAUsJI6887JvMWFNjAk4A5rXXxVrWX6LTz4AaiT5aHsKtvYb6yl0zR83QwqVvWOl5Y-plgj8KhwYifrcQa6eGPev50/s640/india+travel+itinerary+mumbai.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Mysore<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Probably not the most
obvious of choices, but, for me it was a must. Mysore was the city in which my
volunteer placement was held a few months previous. I knew my way around, the
best places to eat and where to stay. I felt 100% at home and was over the moon
to be able to catch up with some of the friends I’d made the last time I was
here. I’d been waiting for months to get back and as soon as I was, it felt
like I’d never been away.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAuB0GWQfR_CCwuwRMFoTpN88997DmffsiZhD6dlmgc6Ru6QTCo8fymdRkJSC_5qgwpD9_XqYwygj9dJ8yLky4phSiLIrrytPYplH109fz4H5SCbSx1EOJlQ6q_sk5o7L4VEgMv0wjK8/s1600/india+travel+itinerary+mysore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAuB0GWQfR_CCwuwRMFoTpN88997DmffsiZhD6dlmgc6Ru6QTCo8fymdRkJSC_5qgwpD9_XqYwygj9dJ8yLky4phSiLIrrytPYplH109fz4H5SCbSx1EOJlQ6q_sk5o7L4VEgMv0wjK8/s640/india+travel+itinerary+mysore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Mahadeshwara< 3<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The reason I came back.
This tiny little village is my entire world. My family live here and I cannot
justify just how magical it was to go back. A full post on my experience living
and working in this tribal village will be up soon and check the end of this
post for some photos from my second visit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I’m going to leave this
part here otherwise I’ll be rambling forever and this isn’t somewhere your travels
would take you so I guess you don’t need the details, but, this place is my
wonderland.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AJJmkGDbeoui2Zra1waYrPnmpHXxbwut6PDKei0UsPRaDAmKBpF-EqLIAMZGUHptNyJmvuFhnPGKamx3KZH4p7anVONx55ThYTIvfFyy2ZWFSwk-M-Q_O6WmAKtHVH8eqkf8nhegQvg/s1600/india+travel+itinerary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7AJJmkGDbeoui2Zra1waYrPnmpHXxbwut6PDKei0UsPRaDAmKBpF-EqLIAMZGUHptNyJmvuFhnPGKamx3KZH4p7anVONx55ThYTIvfFyy2ZWFSwk-M-Q_O6WmAKtHVH8eqkf8nhegQvg/s640/india+travel+itinerary.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Bangalore<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">After a couple of days
spent staying with my friend Manju’s family I was off to Bangalore to fly home.
India’s technology hub, Bangalore is worth a visit but probably only if you’re
flying in or out from there, my friend Daniel went before we met up, but, found
it difficult to meet any other travellers so bear that in mind if it’s an
important element of your trip.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Getting Around</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Within the cities I most got around by walking, or
rickshaw. If you have a few places you want to go to a rickshaw driver will
likely take you to all of them and in most places they'll already have worked
out the most popular tourist destinations and will sell their journeys on a
package basis, usually, this is a good option but you'll definitely have to
drive them down on price!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
Getting from city to city, I travelled around by train. Top tip: under no
circumstances should you convince yourself you want to experience the “real
India” and travel by general class. I’ll say that again, under no
circumstances. Trains in India are notorious for overcrowding (think the
Victoria line, Monday morning, 8am, when the last 10 tubes have been
cancelled.) That said, if you get a ticket with a seat reservation (all but the
dreaded general) you'll be just fine. The train system can be confusing, this
guy’s got your back: <a href="http://www.seat61.com/India.htm"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.seat61.com/India.htm</span></a>
</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As we’ve covered, India is a huge country, the
train journeys are likely to be long, wherever you’re going! Night trains were
always my preferred option as it meant saving money on a bed for the night and
with such a short amount of time in the county, it kept my days free for
wandering. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Safety</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">For the majority of my trip, I travelled solo and
because it was monsoon season there were significantly less backpackers than
there would have been otherwise. When people hear me say this, they often ask
in one way or another, how safe it was. Personally, I always felt totally safe,
but, there were a few things I would recommend.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Choosing somewhere to stay: I lived and died by The
Lonely Planet throughout my trips. Try and get the most up to date one
possible, choose your hostel (at least in your mind) before you arrive in your
next location so you know where you’re heading and (importantly) look it up on
TripAdviser beforehand. Word of Mouth is also a great way to find safe, clean
hostels, trust your fellow travellers who’ve been there.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Clothing: this is massive. Rightly or wrongly, it’s
considered very rude for women to be out and about in India with their knees
and shoulders on display. Ditch your vests for tee shirts and invest in a bunch
of harem pants. You’ll be super comfy your entire trip and won’t be offending
anyone along the way. There are so many beautiful clothes you can buy whilst in
India at a super cheap price so don’t worry too much about packing a full
backpack beforehand, take enough for a couple of days and buy as you go. Note:
As you’ll see from the route, I never made it to Goa, I hear the rules are
slightly more relaxed down there.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Alcohol: Whilst I was solo travelling, I didn’t
drink in India, nor did I go out on my own in the dark. I know this might seem
crazy to some of you backpackers, but, if I’m honest, there is SO much to see
and do in India during the day that by the time it was dark let’s face it, I
was knackered anyway!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">
-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So, there we have it, my India. Not sure if you can
tell buuut, I absolutely love the place. He’s a quote I found once that I don’t
think has anything to do with India, but, to me it sums it up perfectly: <em>“she
never looked nice, she looked like art and art isn’t supposed to look nice, it’s
supposed to make you feel something.”</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Tell me, have you been to India? I absolutely intend to go back so please let me know where I've missed (Goa and Kerala for sure!)</span></div>
</span></div>
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-67064812944079539172015-11-17T00:33:00.000-08:002015-11-17T00:39:56.681-08:00New blogger "Essentials"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjC7kWJL41dtiSoXm_HCBFTGcEWbvoN_0yx5igeFjXbj-uN2eQdAWc3whJucOCyCqzXq4TSe6-FExydDKHJXg_RQwBrLLHilJ6IXQTMhZYyQel8ywsXUxdHY_VUXp3YJVPxysnO1GjV5k/s1600/new+blogger+starter+kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjC7kWJL41dtiSoXm_HCBFTGcEWbvoN_0yx5igeFjXbj-uN2eQdAWc3whJucOCyCqzXq4TSe6-FExydDKHJXg_RQwBrLLHilJ6IXQTMhZYyQel8ywsXUxdHY_VUXp3YJVPxysnO1GjV5k/s640/new+blogger+starter+kit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As a new blogger, today's post is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek insight into all the things I've told myself I need in order to run a successful blog (but know I don't really!)<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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1.<u> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-EOS-700D-Digital-Camera/dp/B00BYOY9AS" target="_blank">Cannon 700d</a>.</u> I confess, I have no idea whether this camera is any good, or how to use it, but, it's a DSLR and it has a FLIP SCREEN. I think I need it.<br />
<br />
2.<u> <a href="http://www.oliviaburton.com/the-hackney-c26/the-hackney-black-and-gold-p192" target="_blank">Olivia Burton The Hackney (Black and Gold)</a></u>. Okay, this is beautiful. I don't need it to tell the time though, I have a phone for that. What I really need is to use it as a prop whilst I take a picture of a blusher, obvs.<br />
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3.<u> <a href="http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/70245377/" target="_blank">Cacti</a> </u>because did I tell you I'd started a blog?<br />
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4.<u> <a href="http://www.apple.com/uk/macbook-air/" target="_blank">Apple Macbook Air</a>.</u> I know this isn't essential, I know I can blog from a PC buuut I do genuinely think I need this in my life. It really is at the top of my wishlist.<br />
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5.<u> <a href="https://riflepaperco.com/shop/journals/birds-of-a-feather-everyday-notebooks/" target="_blank">Paper Rifle notebook</a>.</u> All the notebooks. Especially those with flamingos on.<br />
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6.<u> <a href="http://www.masking-tape.jp/en/" target="_blank">Washi tape</a>.</u> Those plain backgrounds have never looked so good.<br />
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7.<u> <a href="http://www.hm.com/gb/product/29050?article=29050-A" target="_blank">The Marble Tray</a>.</u> I capitalise the letters there because this infamous H&M beauty deserves it.<br />
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8.<u> <a href="http://www.hm.com/gb/product/24937?article=24937-E" target="_blank">Copper basket</a>. </u>To put stuff in and then take photos of my handiwork. You know, like Lush bath-bombs.<br />
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Tell me, what are your non-essential essentials? xDellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-5547813283360099412015-11-16T07:26:00.000-08:002015-11-16T09:53:29.556-08:005 Things to Say to Someone with Depression<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHco9m7iz3fLap7rf38v6oTKukDTjAB9WTRHVA8Ti7sHkanI6iLgtzTXHmlZiHIpuQHZu_-gEIb-UJRv_-Kmv2DYpPdxH2JHtH9SjPkG-LOQMH08LDBVsmOHiv2PPsbguV4jpbSrhqpQ/s1600/Supporting+someone+with+depression.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrHco9m7iz3fLap7rf38v6oTKukDTjAB9WTRHVA8Ti7sHkanI6iLgtzTXHmlZiHIpuQHZu_-gEIb-UJRv_-Kmv2DYpPdxH2JHtH9SjPkG-LOQMH08LDBVsmOHiv2PPsbguV4jpbSrhqpQ/s640/Supporting+someone+with+depression.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In our
lifetime so many of us will experience a common mental health problem like
depression. This means, you are pretty much guaranteed, at some point, to find
yourself in a situation talking to somebody about their mental health.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In
itself, this is massive. Even just 5 years ago we would not be able to say
that. In general, people seem much more open to talking about how they’re
feeling, but, that doesn’t take away from how difficult it can be for them.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So,
your friend/partner/sibling/insert as appropriate has told you that they’re
struggling with depression. Since you’re highly intelligent and generally
awesome you know that this has taken a lot of courage annnnd, you’re nervous.
What should I say? Will I make things worse? What if they think I’m not helping
and don’t talk to anyone about this again? Ahh PRESSURE.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here’s
the golden nugget: if someone has told you they’re experiencing depression, you
have already helped! People don’t expect you to have the answers, they just
want to talk about it, that being said, here are five things you can say to
show your support.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1.</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <b><!--[endif]-->“I’m
so sorry, I have no idea what to say”<u1:p></u1:p></b></span><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Be
honest. If you don’t know what to say; say that. They’ll appreciate your
honesty and pretending to know how to “fix it” isn’t going to help, just being
you will.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2.</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <b><!--[endif]-->“Fancy
going for a drink/dinner/a run/anything else you’d usually do together”<u1:p></u1:p></b></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So
many people avoid telling their loved ones about their depression for fear that
they’ll be treated differently. Chances are, last time you went out for that
drink they were also battling depression, you just didn’t know it yet – and you
had fun didn’t you? Having depression doesn’t mean that everything in your life
needs to be depressing so, meet up, catch up, and laugh. It could be exactly
what they need.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3.</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <b><!--[endif]-->“Is
there anything I can do, really?”<u1:p></u1:p></b></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sure,
most people will have an automatic response to this question “no, it’s fine”.
Persist. Do they need company walking the dog? Washing up? Someone to call them
in the morning to make sure they’re up? Ask, you might be surprised at just how
much you can do.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">4 4.</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<b><!--[endif]-->“How are you
sleeping?”<u1:p></u1:p></b></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-indent: -18pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Problems with sleeping are extremely common symptoms of depression. This
is also a practical question, find out the answer and you might be able to
provide practical advice.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5.</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <b><!--[endif]-->“Have
you spoken to your doctor?”<u1:p></u1:p></b></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Many
people self-diagnose depression and never seek medical support. Seeing your GP
can be a real turning point in recovery (and it doesn’t always lead to
medication!). If your loved one is yet to see their GP, encourage them to do so
and offer to go along with them. Talking about depression can be hard, ask them
to write down a list of their symptoms to bring with them to the appointment,
it can be much easier to show this list to the GP as opposed to having to say
it all out loud. If they have seen their GP but found them to be unhelpful,
encourage them to request to see somebody else, keep doing this until they have
a beneficial experience.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
</span></b><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5.5</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Courier New"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“I
love you and I’m here” </span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Okay, so I cheated, that's actually 5 and a half things to say. What do you think? Do you suffer from depression? What's the most helpful thing somebody's said to you about it?</span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Take care all!</span></span><br />
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-77665898630088780402015-11-11T14:39:00.002-08:002015-11-12T01:20:59.373-08:00Off Backpacking? The Ultimate Travelling Reading List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTcqwiHxP4NzosLTtzeO_4c1_lUq97TcnGgCc34_ijCu_-BcX1aS7PdNEqSSSAA5SwD1xKOHlba-HB6USsjdO6LX30EaV8tPQujwNd5xg5shlny8UtJCcDwXgj4vpcEHEAorAQfWtlys/s1600/Ultimate++backpacking+reading+list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTcqwiHxP4NzosLTtzeO_4c1_lUq97TcnGgCc34_ijCu_-BcX1aS7PdNEqSSSAA5SwD1xKOHlba-HB6USsjdO6LX30EaV8tPQujwNd5xg5shlny8UtJCcDwXgj4vpcEHEAorAQfWtlys/s640/Ultimate++backpacking+reading+list.jpg" width="584" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So, you’ve booked your ticket, brought a Lonely Planet and
invested in a lifetime’s supply of DEET. That’s the essentials covered, now all
you need to work out is what the hell you’re going to read whilst lying on that
beautiful beach or, waiting for hours for that bus that’ll likely break down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In today’s post I have put together a list of my favourite
travelling reads, the one’s you’ll see a stranger reading on their hostel bunk,
immediately bond over and end up travelling the rest of the country together
vowing to be friends forever (that really is how it works!)</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I’ll say it first, books are heavy. You might want to invest
in a Kindle. If you’re like me and can’t bear not to display your cultured
taste on your bookcase, you can always buy the ”real thing” once you’re back.
You’ll need the space in your backpack for all that DEET after all…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shantaram-Gregory-David-Roberts-ebook/dp/B008B8DY2O/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447255654&sr=1-1&keywords=shantaram"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">Shantaram
– Gregory David Roberts</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is my ALL TIME favourite book. It’s wordy and long but
SO beautiful. If you are travelling to India read this. If you have ever
travelled to India, read this. If you aren’t planning on travelling to India,
read this, then, book that ticket to India.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Amazon says: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">A novel of high adventure,
great storytelling and moral purpose, based on an extraordinary true story of
eight years in the Bombay underworld.”</span></i></span><o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho-ebook/dp/B00U6SFUSS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447257884&sr=1-1&keywords=the+alchemist"><span style="color: blue;">The
Alchemist – Paulo Coelho</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is a must read for any backpacker who is in search for
the “I’m so thoughtful and profound” feeling. It’s perfect sunset reading and,
unlike Shantaram, you can finish it in a few sittings upgrading your feeling to
“I’m so thoughtful, profound <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i>
productive!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Amazon says: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an
Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure.
His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he
ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of
listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the
omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.”<o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Backpack-Emily-Barr-ebook/dp/B004ULX5SE/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">Backpack
– Emily Barr</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This one is slightly different. I love a psychological
thriller and this is up there with some of my faves. Something not so intense
and profound (see above) but, an easy engaging read. Perfect for long bus
journeys!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Amazon says: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Like a
lot of travellers on the Lonely-Planet-led Asian Grand Tour, Tansy is intensely
irritating at first. Always on the look out for the "real"
Vietnam--the one in which she can walk around "like a model, fanning
myself gently, strolling into ancient temples and learning about inner peace"--she
is opinionated, narrow-minded and remarkably naive (for a supposed media
luvvy). Once she has shrugged off her addiction to lines of coke, skinny lattes
and Nicole Fahri jumpers, she becomes more appealing. So by the time she's
fallen for Max, a fellow traveller, she'll have won you over and you'll be just
as worried as she is about the serial killer who appears to be on her trail.”</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-White-Tiger-Aravind-Adiga-ebook/dp/B002ROKQJM/ref=pd_sim_351_5?ie=UTF8&dpID=51tGo3HoOEL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=1SC7N7N5N0C2J6QGA4DM"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">The
White Tiger – Aravind Adiga</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is another that’s set in India (I’ve really had to restrain
myself here by choosing just two!). It manages to be an easy read without
loosing any beauty or character connection. It’s just lovely. Did I mention it’s
set in Southern India?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Amazon says: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The White Tiger </span>presents a raw and
unromanticised India, both thrilling and shocking - from the desperate, almost
lawless villages along the Ganges, to the booming Wild South of Bangalore and
its technology and outsourcing centres. The first-person confession of a
murderer, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The White Tiger</span> is as
compelling for its subject matter as for the voice of its narrator - amoral,
cynical, unrepentant, yet deeply endearing.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thousand-Splendid-Suns-Khaled-Hosseini-ebook/dp/B002R88G5E/ref=pd_sim_351_44?ie=UTF8&dpID=51-FdnfluGL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR105%2C160_&refRID=1SRX0501D1995TEZYM1K"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">A
Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You’ll find “expertly” photocopied versions of this on every
corner of backpacker Asia, and for good reason. Download this to your Kindle
before you go so you don’t have to risk buying a cheap copy that turns out to be
the same chapter photocopied over and over…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Amazon says: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Mariam
is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed. Nearly two decades
later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong
as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban take over, life
becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love
can move a person to act in unexpected ways, and lead them to overcome the most
daunting obstacles with a startling heroism.”</i></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There are SO many other great reads that I could recommend,
but, in an effort to be concise I’ll stop here. Do you have any recommendations
of great backpacking reads?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRrH3RMthSbyF0VUkXrdvJAXaSSweg8juRH4B3Xw94jue7RmhLMnvFGqbOksONpc60uoBz0KBNp15djz6CsBMFgREr1l7id-05b6DPaZXq4rPfMMg2WW_wiRVdXCqsj9ekbiyL23PB2c/s1600/1689265_10153903590610113_2006497659_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRrH3RMthSbyF0VUkXrdvJAXaSSweg8juRH4B3Xw94jue7RmhLMnvFGqbOksONpc60uoBz0KBNp15djz6CsBMFgREr1l7id-05b6DPaZXq4rPfMMg2WW_wiRVdXCqsj9ekbiyL23PB2c/s400/1689265_10153903590610113_2006497659_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-38999147747309912762015-11-11T14:39:00.000-08:002015-11-12T01:20:43.360-08:00Holy-Grail Autumn Lip Colour<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lmYbxmYUy4DYXxcLMdiogQynIZ97SPP1Vuxs_39B4n2VqmnTRWNUX3f8Ac7PUpscRYZ_PAEBS7H3FysokJMg02IdbJjitldAZosx_ku6EwVE84dYpCRGLvtwRBRQDHyzu6qI6_Ut2fY/s1600/holy+grail+autum+lip+revlon+just+bitten+kissable+balm+stain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lmYbxmYUy4DYXxcLMdiogQynIZ97SPP1Vuxs_39B4n2VqmnTRWNUX3f8Ac7PUpscRYZ_PAEBS7H3FysokJMg02IdbJjitldAZosx_ku6EwVE84dYpCRGLvtwRBRQDHyzu6qI6_Ut2fY/s640/holy+grail+autum+lip+revlon+just+bitten+kissable+balm+stain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This little beauty has been my go-to autumnal lip for about
3 years now. I’m going to go ahead and say that’s enough groundwork to have
earnt it’s “holy-grail” status.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Revlon’s Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush is (extra-long
name, aside) perfect. Initially, I was weary of the balm characteristic as, to
be honest, I’m pretty unreliable when it comes to reapplying my lip colour.
Bold dark lips probably shouldn’t be my thing then, right? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Alas my caution was unwarranted, this stuff is balm-like in that it's moisturising and smooth to apply, that's it. 'Stain' really is the key word. I am able to apply this once, go about my day and still be channelling those autumn vibes by dinner time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In fact, a few weeks ago I was out with my boyfriend's family for the day. We ate, drank and talked for hours and hours. At times I felt a bit <em>aware</em> of the bold colour on my face but there's something that strikes me as a bit vain about pulling my mirror out mid convo to look at myself...even if only to check the damage! So, mirrors avoided I just hoped for the best and when time came to say goodbye someone said "I am just so impressed by your lipstick, it's stayed on the whole day". Once the crowd had left and I was brave enough to pull out the mirror I noticed that she was right - it looked pretty much exactly the same as it had hours before. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Great work, Revlon, have a PSL on me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What's your favourite autumn/winter lip colour?</span></div>
DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-4972183590371168122015-11-11T14:37:00.001-08:002015-11-17T00:48:32.639-08:00Vintage-Style Bike review: Mango Ladies Classic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ix5Q0ZsxZqwBE_WBaMhCNUlfOfMMb_gm3zUU2t7PKoJGiDINGD1-W6HZM7CTdNpK5Sq3kccrz5U1CXTT4qjvtBAAcJttDTSSgF2bwFQzSFoA65gS3yvwSv47CUGQlHeJSJTcDEGb-7M/s1600/vintage+bike+review+mango+ladies+classic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ix5Q0ZsxZqwBE_WBaMhCNUlfOfMMb_gm3zUU2t7PKoJGiDINGD1-W6HZM7CTdNpK5Sq3kccrz5U1CXTT4qjvtBAAcJttDTSSgF2bwFQzSFoA65gS3yvwSv47CUGQlHeJSJTcDEGb-7M/s640/vintage+bike+review+mango+ladies+classic.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">First off: HOW PRETTY?! </span><br />
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I've had this little lady for about 3 months now and thought I'd write a review of our time together so far. Just as a heads up the "she" that I'll refer to throughout this post is in fact, the bike.<br />
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<strong>Where from & how much?</strong><br />
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She's the <a href="http://www.mangobikes.co.uk/bikes/ladies-classic" target="_blank">Ladies Classic from Mango Bikes</a> in sky blue and set me back £329.99 including the basket but you can get one for £299.99 without a basket (though I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't want the basket!). I absolutely love the colour but there are other options, she also comes in: cream, black, pastel green and raspberry pink (which is on sale for £269 atm!). I was actually pretty tempted by the black which just looks so stylish and the green is lovely too but my friend has that one so that made my decision easier! In real life, she's a little darker than she looks on the website, but, nothing major and still super pretty - the pictures at the end of this post are a bit more true to colour!<br />
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In terms of the price, I think it's a pretty good deal. I had my eyes on a Tokyo Bike or a Bobbin before I saw this one and even with a basket she's wayyy cheaper than either of those. I've also been cycling to work now so I've connived myself that I will have made my money back in 3 months (so, now!) because I won't be buying a travel card. This would be entirely true if I wasn't also topping up my oyster card for those journeys that are just a bit out of my fitness range, but still, money has been saved people.<br />
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<strong>Building the bike </strong><br />
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Before the bike's shipped to you, it's built and quality checked which is good news, the bad news is: it's then taken apart and sent out to you to build again when you receive it. I mean, I'm sure there is some logical reason for this, but, the box it arrives in is so huge it almost tricks you into thinking it's already built, but no. There is a helpful youtube video showing you all you need to know featuring some guy called Pete. Heads up: you'll feel you know Pete so well you'll probably want to invite him over for Chrismas by the time you actually build the thing. So, you know, at least your social circle is widening!<br />
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Building it was actually not so bad though. I say that, but to be honest, James, my boyfriend, was the designated builder. I had the important job of holding the bike still whilst he attached all the pieces. I do think it would be difficult to assemble on your own, but, definitely not impossible as proven by my friend, the proud owner of the pastel green lady. <br />
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During the build I was super sad to see that part of the frame had been scratched and a chunk of the paint was missing. That sounds way worse than it was, but, there was a chip and it made me sad. I contacted the guys over at Mango and they were really nice and offered to send me some touch-up paint (and a 10% refund after a few emails...). I mean, sure, I still haven't received the paint but they did say it was currently out of stock and, ever the optimist I'm sure it'll be on it's way to me soon.<br />
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<strong>Things to consider</strong><br />
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Sizing. she comes in two sizes small (4ft11-5ft5) and large (5ft5-6ft). I am 5ft4 and opted for the small, naturally. Interestingly enough when I ordered mine the small size was listed as 4ft11-5ft4 so I was on the cusp of small and large. Now, there are lots of things wrong with my body, sure, but I'm fairly sure I'm evenly proportioned and this bike is so big that I could *just* about touch the floor. With the saddle pushed as low as possible! I'm a new cyclist and not so confident on the road so this was a concern for me. The more I used her the easier it did become although, because the saddle was so low down, my legs never fully stretched when cycling. This meant that after even a short amount of time it became quite uncomfortable. Despite my objections, James recently raised my saddle a tiny bit and it has made a big difference (don't tell him that!). I still can't completely straighten my legs but the improvement is definitely noticeable.<br />
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Wear and tear: I think we can all agree that the main attraction to this bike is how she looks. That said, it's even more important to me that she stays looking nice for as long as possible. I'd definitely say this bike is best stored inside. I leave her locked outside my office when I'm at work and, obviously it's rained a fair bit in the past few months. The chip that she arrived with has started to rust and so have other parts of the bike where the paintwork has come away slightly (the pannier rack). Again, this sounds worse than it is and most of the rust can almost be rubbed away, but, it is a little annoying. <br />
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The basket is also best kept inside, it's made of wicker and I (perhaps stupidly?) leave it on my bike. In the rain it's been damaged a little. Still completely functional, just a tiny bit dirty looking. <br />
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<strong>Overall</strong> <br />
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In spite of the above, I adore this bike! It's just SO lovely. I mean sure, it's not perfect but I feel great when cycling, she's cheaper than other pretty bikes and she <em>almost</em> makes me excited about the extra 40 minutes of exercise I've just added to my daily routine. <br />
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What do you think? How have you incorporated some fun exercise into your daily routine?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj693EvUzXkrJlWPMHXIVAF1Gyv2t3aNlk_SQNaVjpWR7WGTg5V8n4kjW8dErCALTvf5zii0eWs2LlofPnoqWigmpsWfdk8V3A3xGhLhwTpU8cefKQOQXsBvWUAx5qo7gLpxP8COPmecmc/s1600/mango+ladies+classic+vintage+bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj693EvUzXkrJlWPMHXIVAF1Gyv2t3aNlk_SQNaVjpWR7WGTg5V8n4kjW8dErCALTvf5zii0eWs2LlofPnoqWigmpsWfdk8V3A3xGhLhwTpU8cefKQOQXsBvWUAx5qo7gLpxP8COPmecmc/s640/mango+ladies+classic+vintage+bike.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870910777162724480.post-35853819303496885672015-10-22T11:00:00.000-07:002015-11-12T01:19:56.877-08:00What is Depression (really)?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GGukCGewwBxNoUTHc5MH3YY7JOR17Bg8huTFvnIxE0wDu9ONJXmUFYLqAOlfW453g9IBWLZm8mXtu0yXeZiqfmPV5RSDob8-AeIxHGT0x1Cu66Qt8UtfpTTHzUiBUrt7rELwOaRaFBk/s1600/What+is+depression.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GGukCGewwBxNoUTHc5MH3YY7JOR17Bg8huTFvnIxE0wDu9ONJXmUFYLqAOlfW453g9IBWLZm8mXtu0yXeZiqfmPV5RSDob8-AeIxHGT0x1Cu66Qt8UtfpTTHzUiBUrt7rELwOaRaFBk/s640/What+is+depression.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">“Oh my God <i>*insert
first world problem*</i> I’m so depressed!”</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">‘Depression’ is a bit of a media-buzz word at the moment,
which on the one hand is great. This means: increased coverage, more investment
in services and a greater understanding amongst the masses…right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In today’s post, I am going to talk about what, in the
simplest terms, depression <i>actually</i> is
and why you shouldn’t be so frivolous with The D Word.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Most importantly, depression is an illness. It works in
exactly the same, cruel, way as any other illness. It does not matter to
cancer, crohn’s or arthritis how rich, popular or pretty you are. Depression is
the same. Really.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">So, what does depression actually look like? How do I know
if I have it? Here’s a list of the most common symptoms of depression. It’s
obviously worth noting that this is not an exclusive list:</span></div>
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</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tiredness and loss of energy<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
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</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Persistent sadness<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Loss of confidence and self-esteem<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Difficulty concentrating and making
decisions<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Avoiding others and becoming isolated
and lonely<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Not being able to enjoy things that are
usually pleasurable or interesting<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Undue feelings of guilt or worthlessness<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Feelings of helplessness and
hopelessness<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sleeping problems - difficulties in
getting off to sleep, waking much earlier than usual or, oversleeping<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Finding it hard to function at
work/college/school<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Change in appetite<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Loss of sex drive and/ or sexual
problems<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Physical aches and pains<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thinking about suicide and death<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="background: rgb(252, 250, 245); margin-bottom: 3pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Self-harm<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul type="disc">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></ul>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you have noticed that you’re experiencing 4 or more of
the above, for the majority of the day, almost every day, for at least 2 weeks,
it might be time to consider talking to somebody and booking an appointment
with your GP.</span> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is not to say that if you are not experiencing the
above symptoms, or are simply in a bad place at the moment that you shouldn't talk to somebody about it. You absolutely should and I urge you to do so. What this
does mean, is that depression is very real and very common. In fact 1 in 5 of
us will experience a mental health problem this year; depression and anxiety
are the most common. So maybe next time you’re complaining about your iPhone battery
only lasting half a day, choose another adjective because crucially, depression
is an illness, not an emotion</span>.</span> </span><br />
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DellaBellaBloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994812140243600344noreply@blogger.com2