Self Care.

I have only started taking the time to give myself a little break from daily life and give myself a little self loving. I thought I would write a blog about what I do and what I like to do during my little "self care" time. Hopefully something on my list might help someone out there, relax, clear their head and chill out.

So here is what I like to do:

A long hot shower - This normally happens when I don't have my four year old daughter running about and my brother is glued to his x-box or out. That is the only time I get to have a shower longer than 10 minutes. During the shower I love to use my FAVOURITE shower gel! Marshmallow Dreams by Treaclemoon! 

Put on comfy clothes or pj's - My go to clothes are leggings, fluffy socks, baggy t-shirt or jumper. I then tend to get my comfy blanket. I wash my blanket every week so it is constantly smelling fresh and makes me happy.

Painting my nails and doing a face mask - I have a small selection of nail polishes, some I use a lot, some that haven't even been cracked open. I tend to go with peel off face masks, as I love the feeling of peeling it. I have sensitive skin on my face so I need to watch what I put on. I have found Superdrugs own masks are great and leave my face clean, soft and painless! Which is great, as some other brands have left my face sore and red for days! I can't use ones with little seeds or grains!

Either having a pot of tea or make hot chocolate, with cream and marshmallows - I normally do this after my shower and just about to get all comfy on my bed.

Crochet - This is more of a hobby but it calms me down and normally once I do the previous I tend to pick up my crochet hook and maybe try something different or continue one of my dreaded wip (work in progress) i have sooooo many!

Knitting - NO, this is not the same as crochet. I have just started knitting. I am still learning the basic stitches and cast ons, binding off etc. So yeah this can be relaxing once I know what I'm doing. So tend to just leave it mostly until days I want to knit.

Burning a candle - I go through a phase of burning certain candles. Just now it's a orchid and sweet coconut one. It's bliss. Just the right mix of both in a candle that make you melt. Honestly! I picked two small jar candles in my local Sainsbury's, during a sale. I've went back in to buy more but they only do the diffuser oil. (Yes, I bought that too!) Which I like to put in my humidifier/diffuser! (That little thing is AMAZING btw! Think I will post a blog with details and oils I use.)

Reading - I actually haven't picked up a decent book in a while! Really want to get back into reading again. I am finding more time to myself and should use this time to get through my "to read" list. I bought two books in the new year there and haven't even creased the spine. I have a kindle too, but I prefer the old fashioned paperback or hardback. Something about opening a fresh book and creasing the spine. NO DOG EARS!!!!

Binge watching a TV series or Movies - This is normally something I have found on Netflix/Amazon/NowTV, that I don't find the time to watch during the week. Recently it has been Vikings (highly recommend) and New Girl. My go to shows are normally: Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Pretty Little Liars, The Office (US), 24, Sons Of Anarchy, Grey's Anatomy (I only watch that on my self care days if I need a good cry!), Heroes, Bobs Burgers, Family Guy, The Mentalist, ANY Csi's, NCIS.. This is only to name a few.
My Movies: The Dark Knight Trilogy, Harry Potter, LotR, any Disney film, my movie list is alot shorter than my TV, as I don't really like watching films as much now.

Watching game play on YouTube - The two main YouTubers I watch are Markiplier and Jacksepticeye. I probably watch them more than I do any TV. It's a little weird but it calms me. I found that it's helped my depression and anxiety, having them on in the background makes me feel like I am less alone, in a sense. I don't know you reading this would understand but since I was shown, I think it was Mark first, I have seen a decrease in my bad days and I look forward to them posting videos. (which is great as they post maybe 1 or 2 a day, so i end up with 1-4 new videos to watch a day. Or I leave them until the weekend to binge on.)

Making or Ordering in my favourite food - My ultimate comfort food is Lasagna! Love the stuff! Actually can't get enough of it sometimes. Also love cheesy pasta, homemade or out the packet, GIMME! I tend to snack more on my self care day and then end up ordering in, normally Chinese food! Can't beat a good spicy curry to tingle the taste buds! 

I do this from the comfort of my little space of haven in my house - my bedroom. I basically live in my bedroom, always have. I don't really like sitting in my living room, only when people are in. When it's just who lives in the house that is in, then I hide away in my bedroom. Maybe that will change over time or once we move into a bigger house. The now I am sharing my bedroom with my daughter, so I don't feel like I have my own space to breathe, relax and unwind from reality. I like to "un-plug" from everything once in a while, including being a mummy! (but only for a few hours or a night, whichever one I am lucky to get now, thanks to family <3)

I will no doubt post another blog like this in a few months or that, just updating what I do. Maybe go into more detail on somethings. I want to do a product blog on what I use for make-up/removal, hair products I use, body lotions and anything else I can think of. 

- N