Daily Archives: March 12, 2018

Kick-Starting Your Career

March 12, 2018 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , 29 Comments

Is your career stuck in a rut? Have you stopped enjoying your job or are you struggling to gain a promotion and move forward? This happens to most of us from time to time, and many people lose hope and give up. They stop pushing themselves and start going through the motions, knowing that they’ll never get promoted. Or, they give up completely and spend their whole working life moving from job to job every time things get tough. Never really getting anywhere and never settling down into a role they love. Don’t make these mistakes, instead, try giving your career a kick-start.

 

Career Image

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Take a Look at Yourself

Presentation is everything. One reason that you’re being overlooked might be that you don’t look the part. If your managers don’t see you taking pride in your appearance and looking after yourself, how can they trust you to do a good job? Looking scruffy, or poorly presenting your work can make a poor first impression, and it can also knock your self-confidence.

So, take a good look at yourself. When we first start a new job, we wear our smartest suits, spend time grooming and stand tall. All of our work is perfectly neat and well presented. But over time, things can slide. Get back to basics and brush up your appearance.

 

Learn More

Another thing we do when we start a new job is rush in and learn as much as we can. Over time, this stops. We know what we need to, so we stop seeking extra knowledge. But, things change all over the time. Your industry will have developed, and your knowledge needs to as well. Apply for a training course and read as much as you can. An alternative can be taking a course like masters in mental health counseling. Even if it’s not directly related to your industry, a course like this can give you more options and help you develop skills like organisation, time management and communication.

 

Make Your Intentions Clear

One reason we get overlooked when it comes to promotions is that our superiors don’t know what we want. If they think you just see your job as a short-term role that’s going nowhere, they won’t think of you or put their time and effort into training you. So, sit down with your direct superior and make your intentions clear. Tell them where you want to be and where you see yourself in five years. Then, ask for their help and advice. Make a plan together that will get you to where you want to be.

Then, apply for things. If a job comes up in your company, even if it’s a few steps ahead of where you are now, apply for it. You might not have much chance of getting it, but it will highlight your intentions, give you interview experience and help you gain some insight of what they are looking for.

 

Go Back to Basics

Read your job description. Are you going it? Take it back to basics and strip everything down. Before trying to move forward, make sure you are doing your core job as well as you can.

 

How are you kick-starting your career this year?

 

*Collaborative post.

Tops That Every Woman Should Have In Her Wardrobe

March 12, 2018 By in Fashion Tags: , , , , , , , , , 42 Comments

When it comes to clothing, many of us simply pick up items that catch our eye as and when we see them. We don’t put all too much thought into what we’ll pair the individual items with or how we’ll wear them. This all too often results in wonderful items going to waste, hanging in our wardrobes untouched. Ever wonder why so many of us seem to constantly shop but still have nothing to wear? This is the cause. We do in fact have things to wear but they just don’t gel well with the rest of our look and overall desired aesthetic.

 

Fashion Blog image

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So, it’s time to start curating your wardrobe. This means having a clear out, selling, donating or recycling the items that we get minimal use from and stocking our wardrobe back up with carefully chosen garments that we’ll regularly wear. Let’s start this journey from the top by looking at, well… tops! Here are signature tops that every woman should have in her wardrobe.

 

Graphic Tees

Plain t-shirts are great, but graphic tees are where you can really make a statement with your outfit. Now, we’re not saying you need to sport t-shirts with cartoon characters or superhero logos on the front. What we are saying is that you can incorporate some cool Wrangler shirts, Levis tees, and social statement t-shirts into your wardrobe to take the emphasis off practical but dull, plain options. Keep an eye out for designs printed on ringer tees in particular. The contrasting colours on the ribbing around the neck and sleeves make for a desirable vintage look!

 

A Silk Blouse

Now, silk is expensive. This is why we say you only really need one. But with the larger price tag comes an assurance of quality. Not only does it look more expensive and haute couture than cotton or polyester… it feels it too! This staple can be incorporated into a variety of looks. If you have an important meeting coming up, it should be a go-to piece. However, it can also be paired with high-waisted jeans for a sleek, Parisian look, or tucked into a long pleat skirt for a stunning evening outfit.

 

Batwing

Batwing tops see the fabric from the body of the design taper to the arms, so that if the individual wearing one were to stretch their arms out full length, they would appear to have a silhouette similar to that of a bat in flight. This style originates in the eighties but has proven popular over the years. It’s great for when you want more extended sleeve coverage, but a loose fit around the chest and armpits.

 

A Kaftan

While Kaftans traditionally reach the floor, many designers are shortening the length and transforming this loose-fitting piece into a top. They come in a wide range of colours, cuts, fabrics, and designs, but the most popular tend to be made from soft, light materials such as chiffon or silk and drape over the shoulders, coming about three-quarters of the way down your arms. They’re great for summer wear when other tops may cling or feel excessively heavy.

 

Hopefully, these popular styles will get you started on the right foot! Remember you can almost always try garments on before buying, so try them out and see what suits you best!

 

*Collaborative post.

How I Got my Pre Pregnancy Body Back

March 12, 2018 By in Lifestyle Tags: , , , , , , , , , 24 Comments

I have spoken a few times about my pregnancy weight and post pregnancy body. I didn’t add on too much weight whilst pregnant with my twins, but I wanted to get rid of the extra pounds. It was not difficult to lose the weight. It just fell off after some months but I needed to tone my body back to shape, especially my tummy. A question I always asked myself is “how many pushups should I be able to do?” I needed to get my body back into shape quick and I was not sure how to go about it.

 

 

pre pregnancy body image

 

The toning bit was hard and it took ages. I tried all sorts to get my tummy and body back to what it was pre pregnancy. It is not quite where it used to be but it is almost there. I feel I can (kind of) say I got my pre pregnancy body back. You never really get your body back after having a baby. It is one of those things that I don’t see ever really get back to normal. Not the inside or the outside. Bringing life to the world takes a lot out of us mothers, whether we see it or not. Forget the good jokes about how easy celebrities snap back into their pre baby body, with their abs and all weeks after delivery, that is not the reality for majority of us.

So how did I do it? Here are some changes I made in the pursuit of my pre pregnancy body.

 

I stayed active

I must confess, this was easily done with twins. I had no choice but to stay active. Being alone with the twins for majority of the day meant I had to be up and about, which left me feeling drained but helped to drop the extra pounds. Fitness workout videos on YouTube was my friend. All I had to do was pop a sports bra and some shorts and trainers, and I was ready to exercise from the comfort of my home.

 

 

Fitness image

 

 

Fitness kept me energised and sane. It also helped me stay fit and active which was good for my physical and mental wellbeing. I would have been lost without those fitness videos and I am thankful they exist. Going to the gym was not impossible for me, so this was the only way I could workout. And I could do almost every type of workout. From lifting straps to pushups to tone my tummy.

 

I walked

Prior to having my kids, I was not a huge fan of walking. That changed as soon as I had them. I found it easier to walk to many places. Pushing the pram on long walks also helped me get some fresh air and get some steps on my Fitbit. The twins loved it too so it was a win-win really. Going for walks wearing a pair of leggings with side pockets, meant I was able to listen to some of my favourite tunes too, with my iPhone tucked away safe.

 

I watched the calories

I have never needed to be on a. diet before, since I never put on weight easily. But I had to keep a watchful eye on my calories intake once I became a mother. I noticed I added weight a lot easier since pregnancy, so I had to cut down on the ice cream and the junk food. I found this easy to do because I knew I didn’t want to be overweight. Having the extra pounds on didn’t feel healthy at all. So it was a no brainer for me. The weight had to go, which meant there was no room for junk. It may sound vain, but I had a wardrobe filled with cute fancy outfits I needed to keep wearing.

 

 

Fitness routine image

 

I drank more water

I have never been a fan of drinking water. I know all about the benefits of drinking water but before my pregnancy, I rather drank Coke to be honest. However, once I got pregnant, all I wanted to do was drink water. I drank more water in my 9 months of pregnancy than I have ever done in my life, for as long as I can remember.

After having my kids, I decided to continue to drink as much water as I can and cut down on the fizzy drinks, and I have done exactly that. This has definitely helped me lose the extra pounds.

 

Are you struggling to get your pre pregnancy body back? Or have you snapped back already?

 

*Collaborative post.

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