A Wonderful World

                                                     'A POWERFUL TALE OF A MOTHER'S SURVIVAL' Netflix have returned with another hit series ‘ Maid ’, which follows young mother Alex as she fights to care for her daughter Maddie while experiencing abuse, lack of support and income. Although it’s extremely hard hitting, covers some sensitive topics and has some very raw moments, it’s a beautiful and very honest portrayal of the reality of the circumstances for many and provides light and hope for those who may have been affected by similar situations.   It’s inspired by Stephanie Land’s 2019 Memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive , in which she shares about working as a maid while raising her daughter. It’s ‘inspired’ by rather than ‘based’ on, as many of the characters, happenings and storylines have been created for t...

      Our minds are extremely powerful. Our brain and body are connected, it’s an energy, and we can change our physical world by changing thoughts and beliefs. It begins with what our brain perceives and because we are in control of our thoughts, we can control our perception. How we perceive things directly effects how we think, which then effects how we respond and behave. It’s a cycle. Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create behaviour. Behaviour reinforces thoughts. Our bodies are direct products of our minds, though we can often mask it externally, our body holds on to and is effected by how the mind thinks. So if we take care of the thoughts, the feelings and behaviours can be altered as a consequence. This is the strategy behind cognitive behaviour therapy. We’re able to take back control of our whole being. One of the thoughts or feelings of course being ‘stress’, we often feel stressed because of how we think about something rather than how things actually are...

                                                        APPS FOR THE MIND ‘USEFUL APPS WHEN CARING FOR ONESELF AND MENTAL HEALTH’ Amongst the social media, music streaming, fitness and popular gaming apps that we can download onto gadgets or phones, there are also many apps that have been created to help us keep our minds in check and continue to ensure our mental health is cared for and a priority. HEADSPACE: A simple mindfulness and meditation app. Accessible techniques available so people can experience the benefits of meditation anytime, anywhere. It includes and shares guided meditations, animations, articles and videos. Sharing the message that meditation and mindfulness isn’t about switching thoughts off, but about acknowledging them and letting thoughts pass by in order to bring the attention back to the breath. Settling and quietenin...

MORE OF MY FAVOURITE PODCASTS ON THE BLOCK. I’m back with another 5 of my favourite podcasts, their hosts, what they cover and why I’d recommend them to others. 1)   1)  BOBO AND FLEX: This is a vital listen, important and educational but also equally fun and inspirational. Hosted by friends Bobo Matjila and Lillian Ahenkan (Flex Mami) they bring us a psychology and lifestyle podcast. It’s particularly fascinating as it’s cross-continental, Bobo was born in South Africa and raised in New York and Flex is Ghanaian-Australian. They’re passionate about bringing conversations surrounding identity, intersectionality and mental health to podcast platforms and every episode challenges your beliefs, perspective and what you know. They’re constantly teaching me something new and encouraging listeners to question the way we function, behave and think in the world we live in today. They facilitate discussions on taboo subjects, sexual liberation, dating and critical thinking, huge top...

       'VIEWING FAILURES AS LESSONS' ‘How to Fail With Elizabeth Day’ is a podcast that celebrates the things that haven’t gone right. Every week, a new interviewee explores what their failures taught them about how to succeed better. Available on Apple, Spotify and various other podcast streaming platforms. Over the last year my love for Podcasts has grown exponentially. Whether I’m getting ready or going on a walk, it’s a comforting way to remain present, learn more and be in the company of others. I particularly love Elizabeth Day’s as it’s always a reassuring listen. A metaphorical hug and motivational boost. At the age of 38, an award winning novelist and journalist for The Observer, Elizabeth claims “it was not an age which I had anticipated being single, childless and facing an uncertain personal future”. She made the decision to begin using her seventeen years of experience interviewing to start a podcast where she could talk to people about what they’...

CHANGES TO FASHION, CHANGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT Do you think about where you buy your clothes from and the process of how they get to you? Sustainable fashion  is a movement and process of fostering change to fashion  products and the fashion system towards greater ecological integrity  and social justice.  Sustainable fashion concerns more than just addressing fashion textiles  products. It addresses the whole system of how clothing is produced, who produced it how long the life span of a product is before it reaches landfill. This means dealing with interdependent social, cultural, ecological, and financial systems. Put simply, it's   an approach towards sourcing, manufacturing and designing clothes which maximizes the benefits to the fashion industry and society at large, while at the same time minimizing its impact on the environment. Sustainable fashion is the recommended and preferred alternative to fast fashion as it has less negative implications and...

                                                  3 FAVOURITE RECENT TV SERIES 1. 'THE PACT' - BBC 'An unexplained death - and five friends bound together by a fragile pact of silence. What really happened that night in the woods?'  If you like a drama, this series is for you. Crime thriller, six one hour episodes. The cast alone makes it worth watching, starring the likes of Julie Hesmondhalgh, Eddie Marsan, Laura Fraser and Gabrielle Creevy. As the story unfolds you're left on the edge of your seat, holding your breath or gasping in shock. Faced with hair raising twists and turns, the journey follows four female employees at a Brewery in Wales, exploring the overwhelmingly suspicious circumstances surrounding the murder of their boss Jack Evans.  At the start of the series, boss Jack organises a party, but after crossing the line with one of the worker...

                                                                         THE BEST BROWNIE'S ON THE BLOCK. We all love a brownie. Who doesn't? Especially a homemade one. Even better if it also has our favourite chocolate in the mix.  During the first lockdown it became a common occurrence within households to experiment with baking, particularly banana bread. Conversation grew across social media platforms as many shared their banana bread adventures and documented the finished product before enjoying and tucking into their creation. As a nation, baking has also grown in popularity with shows such as 'The Great British Bake Off' airing, it's helped inspire aspirational bakers to pursue their journey, tempt those who may not have baked much before, and tickle the taste buds of all viewers... ...

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT PILATES? Over the past few decades, Pilates has grown in popularity. A form of exercise that focuses on improving posture, flexibility, strength and rehabilitation post injury. The core is the central focus of all movement. Some forms use mats and others use equipment, including reformer Pilates which provides added resistance. Since it originated, it aims to focus on 6 elements: Concentration, Centring, Control, Breathing, Precision and Flow. It's very similar to Yoga, but traditionally yoga is the practice of connecting the mind and body through breath, whereas Pilates is a system of exercises that emphasise core engagement to promote functional movement of the body. With the rise in conversation and hype around certain fields of exercise across the media and social platforms, there's been an increase in exposure to things like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and over lockdown, running. Despite the benefits of incorporating these styles of training ...

                                                             JW 'Creative' Development should be JW 'Essential' Development. 'Without each other, discussion and entertainment, life can feel pretty meaningless. That's why I think it's so important to be able to communicate effectively and make the most of the power of speech.' It's no secret that the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted our daily lives globally. Amongst the many shifts we've had to make and changes we've had to face, as both a collective society and individuals, we've had to restrict our contact with others. While in lockdown we're limited to our own support bubbles and for the brief time that we experienced between them, although we may have been able to rejoice in small groups, the 2m distancing rule remained. Luckily technology allows us to remain in contact with those...