Happy Wednesday! We’re halfway through the week, and if that’s not an excuse for wine, I don’t know what is! Seriously, I am aware that it’s not great to wish away the week like I do every Wednesday, and technically I don’t really do it, I just love weekends so much that I get over-excited as we get closer. That’s all!
Something amazing happened in the last week. Something that completely revitalised my whole being and sense of self. Sounds intriguing, right?! You’re thinking what could possibly be so fantastic that it’s made my entire week, possibly even month and maybe even year?! Here it is…
I got my hair done!
Almost 16 weeks have passed since my last appointment and with salons finally re-opening over the weekend, I was beyond excited to get back in. As you can see, I was in dire need of a dye job! For the first time in approximately 10 years, I rediscovered what colour my natural hair actually is, and can confirm it’s not something I’ll be rushing back to in a hurry! The luscious red locks are back and I, too, feel like my full self again (referring to them as the luscious red locks started out as a joke with some friends but seeing as they are luscious and red, it stuck!)
So aside from getting my hair done this week and feeling like a completely new person, what else have I done?
Reading
I vowed last week that I’d have this book finished, and guess what, I didn’t even read a single page. I’m sorry for lying to you. This is definitely a sign that I’m not enjoying this book. I have no idea why because, in essence, it sounds like my dream book. I will definitely finish this before next week.
6 Lessons From 6 Years of Full-Time Freelancing – Blog Post by Kat Boogaard
I read a lot of blog posts written by freelance writers because I’m intrigued at how other people transition from full-time jobs to working for themselves. I’ve read so many posts over the last few months to establish whether becoming a freelance writer is a feasible and possible career. This one is the best I’ve read in a while (and like I said, I read a lot!) This post isn’t just aimed towards writers, but freelancers in general, so if you’re interested in ditching the 9-5 and stop wasting your life waiting for the weekend (cough – who?!), you’ll definitely want to check out this post. Kat writes in a way that is relatable, and we all know I love a relatable writer. She’s also extremely transparent about finances, which makes a refreshing change as it can be very difficult to know even a ball-park figure for earnings when working for yourself. I’m signed up to Kat’s newsletter and follow her on Twitter and Instagram (and in case those links don’t work – it’s @kat_boogaard if you want to check her out too), and am super grateful for the plethora of resources, tips and stories she shares with her audience. Check her out!
Watching
OK, here’s where I sound really weird. This week’s watch is genuinely birds. I know you’re reading this thinking ‘Birds? What channel is that on? What the hell is it?’ and I can tell you that there’s no channel as such, but you can find them in your garden if you’re fortunate enough to have one, or even just in the sky flying about when you go for a walk. I’m genuinely talking about the animal – birds.
We recently bought a new bird feeder and I was sad that it seemed to have scared the usual birds who come to our garden away. It’s a different bird feeder to what we have usually, and I couldn’t see the balls of feed decreasing in any way, nor could I spot any of the usual cuties that join us in our garden. But this week, some birds started to return and I love nothing more than sitting with a coffee, glass of wine or a smoothie, and watching them. My dad kindly gave me a pair of binoculars so I can watch them more closely (which naturally James found weird), and I’m fascinated by the way they look up close. Given that whenever I try to go near them, they fly off (I know, I know, birds like to stay away from humans!), I’ve taken to sitting in my kitchen with my binoculars, watching them work their way through the bird feed we put out for them! It’s a very relaxing activity, you should definitely try it.
I’m aware that I’ve just made myself sound like an absolute weirdo, but I wholly recommend that you try it. It’s very therapeutic, and plus, birds are lovely. Who wouldn’t want to watch them?
Listening
Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons: Spring 1
(This is just a snippet – make sure you click through for the full song in all its magnificence!)
I recently wrote another blog post as part of the A Year of Mindfulness series (post here), where I got to listen to music uninterrupted, every single day for a week! In the post, I talk about this song, but it is just so beautiful that I need to talk about it again. I’m now questioning whether I might have already mentioned it in this series – if I have, I apologise, but at least you know that it really is a beautiful song and it’s an extra reason for you to check it out! Enjoy!
That’s all from me this week! I hope you enjoy some of these recommendations, wherever you are in the world (on a side note – I’m loving the range of countries from readers lately, and always get super excited when a new one appears!) I don’t always have an idea how you find me, but I’m glad you do and it’s exciting to think my posts reach so many different places! Feel free to share with any friends in other countries!
Enjoy your weeks, weekends and I’ll see you next Wednesday!
Reflect and Introspect 