My 2021 New Year Admin Checklist | Life Organisation

Monday, 28 December 2020

Smiling Blogger Girl - getting organised for a new year - new years admin blogpost

With Christmas gone, and a new year approaching, we're currently in that stage of limbo, where you don't really know what day it is, you're diet consist of mainly of cheese and chocolate and you can't remember the last time you changed out of your PJ's.

Whatever you fancy doing in this time, you do you. If you want to relish in doing nothing, go for it but this blog post might not be the one for you. I sit firmly in the camp of overly enthusiastic when it comes to a new year, but I understand some people are the total opposite and really couldn't care less about the change of dates.

Personally, I find after Boxing Day there's only so much more watching Netflix, doing puzzles and eating pringles I can do. I get itchy to prepare for the New Year (which again is not something you need to do if you want to carry on as you've been going). But I love any excuse for a new start. I like to begin a year feeling both organised and hopeful for what's to come. I like to use the end of a year as the push I need to catch up on the life admin I've been putting off, so I can go into the new year with what feels like a clean slate. Each year I write myself a list of admin to complete before the new year, or within the first week of January, this year I thought I'd share it.

My 2021 New Year admin checklist:

- Organise my space:

Decide how I'm storing any Christmas gifts, my belongings should have their own home within my home. Get rid of the worn things I no longer want or need. Go through drawers and reduce clutter.

- Give my phone a spruce up:

Change my phone background and rearrange my apps. Delete the ones I don't need. Go through my photos and delete those accidental selfies and unnecessary screenshots.

- Write a to-read list:

Get excited about the book I plan on getting lost in the new year. I also set my Goodreads goal for the year.

- Plan my blog content:

I always get the blogging bug back when a new year comes along - while I feel inspired I like to do as much blogging and planning as I can.

- Go through my finances:

Check if there are any direct debits I can cancel. Plan my budgets for the coming months.

- Unsubscribe to unwanted emails:

Get the inbox back down to 0, and stop the junk coming back.

- Put any dates into my diary for next year:

I don't want to be forgetting friends birthdays or missing appointments.

- Go through my laptop:

Clear unwanted files, put photos onto a hard drive, organise files.

- Social media maintenance:

Check bios are up-to-date, unfollow and mute accounts I don't love, change any profile pictures that need changing.

- Check all tech is up-to-date:

Finally, do that laptop update which I've been clicking remind me tomorrow on for the last 8 months.

- Update my blog media pack and CV:

Add on those achievements from 2020.

- Clean out my makeup bag:

It's usually looking pretty grimy at this point, so it's time to throw out those old mascaras and clean up the loose powder and foundation spills.

How do you like to get organised for a new year?!

I hope you found this post useful!

Chloe x

The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne | Book Review

Wednesday, 2 December 2020

I recently finished reading The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne, I closed the final page and thought 'that was important, everyone needs to read this book'.

(Trigger warning - abusive relationships are a theme running through the book and touched on in this review.)

The Places I've Cried in Public is written in the perspective of Amelie, a teen who has moved away from her friends and boyfriend and is starting college in a new city. Amelie meets Reece, who is charming, despite the red flags. They begin a new romantic relationship, which you later realise is anything but romantic.

The book follows two different timelines, as Amelie gets inspired from a school project, and decides to revisit the places she's cried in public since moving cities. It's in these locations she reflects and tells the stories behind what lead to the tears. So we get both get present-day Amelie who is trying to move forward and heal, and past Amelie who feels she's in love but is being manipulated.

I'm not going to lie, on beginning the book, I didn't love it. It's a young adult story, and initially, I found it felt too young be to reading it as a 29-year-old woman. There was naivety to the main character, and she sometimes came across unreliable (in love with her boyfriend Alfie back home and then immediately besotted with Reese - however this may be a trope of young love along with everything else) and slightly childish (she falls out with friends and is disrespectful to her parents). However, I later found these details which I didn't love about the narrator later came into play. They were a result of how she'd treated rather than personality traits which really highlights how relationships can affect a person. To begin with, it was an easy read, so I keep going, and then a transformation happened. Pieces of the story fell together, and I realised there was much more to it than I initially realised. It was no longer an easy read but I couldn't put it down. It was heart-wrenching.

The Places I've Cried in Public tells the story of an abusive relationship from the perspective of the victim. It shows how abuse can be subtle, isolating and destructive all at the same time. It sheds light on why people fall in love with abusers, grow reliant on them, and see goodness in the person who is gaslighting them.

This book is a great tool for young women as it shows the signs of an unhealthy relationship. There are also conversations with a therapist within the story which are educational. These conversations give useful information such as the impacts of trauma, and how to know when a relationship is unhealthy.

There's also far more to the story than you expect, and there's also a twist towards the end which highlights however extreme abuse might be victims might rewrite the narrative rather than facing the trauma, and as a way to protect their abuser.

It's raw, emotional and relatable - even for those who haven't experienced the same.

This might be a really hard read, for some more than others, but I think it's an important read. Although the subject matter of the book is heavy, the book still very much feels like a young adult read. It also explores themes of friendships, new starts, family relationships and coming of age.

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8 Fun & Cosy Autumn Activities | Things to do this Fall.

Wednesday, 21 October 2020

Girl with Autumn Pumpkins at Pumpkin Patch from Fall Pumpkin Picking Autumn Activities Blog Post

Autumn Pumpkins at Pumpkin Patch from Fall Pumpkin Picking Autumn Activities Blog Post

Guy with Autumn Pumpkins at Pumpkin Patch from Fall Pumpkin Picking Autumn Activities Blog Post

Looking for some fun activities to do this Autumn? I've got you covered.

Personally, I love this time of year, there's something about the crisp air, crunchy leaves, and warm colours speaks to my soul. I've also learned that it's good to lean into the thing I love and make the most of my favourite time of year. Even if you're a summer baby, mourning the warmer days - these activities will get feeling the autumn love.

- Pick Pumpkins:

After years of feeling envious of the pumpkin patch picture that appeared on my insta feed each autumn, I decided to instead be one of those people posting pictures of the pumpkins they picked, and it was the most lovely day. Sometimes you have to arrange things, rather than think about how you'd like to do them. Pumpkin picking is bound to make you feel more autumnal, and it's a relatively cheap activity, you can enjoy with friends, partners or family. It gives you an excuse to get out of the house and get some fresh air, while you stock up on pumpkins (far more exciting than picking one up with the weekly Tescos shop). Plus there the bonus that pumpkin provides more fun autumn activities for days afterwards.

- Decorate Pumpkins

Dedicate an evening (or afternoon, morning, or whenever takes your fancy really) to decorate your pumpkins. Have a pumpkin carving contest with the members of your household. Make an event of it. Not into the carving part? Some of the pumpkins we picked this year are on the smaller side, so we've decided to paint them instead. Who'd have thought one vegetable could provide so many fun autumn activities, and we haven't even discussed cooking with them.

- Making decor:

For me, each new season comes with a new colour palette and an excuse to mix things up in the home. This Autumn I decided to get a bit creative and make my own decor. I crocheted mini pumpkins and a black cat garland (I have both of which are also available to buy on my Etsy store If you don't fancy making but do fancy decorating). I found making my own bits felt really relaxing and it gave me something a bit different to do in the evenings. If you do want a creative project, I'd recommend Love Crafts (I worked with them in the past on this blog post, but I'm just sharing now because I think it's helpful!) They have tonnes of access to free knitting and crochet patterns on their website which you might want to try out. If crochet is not for you, why not give making an Autumn wreath a try?

- Autumn walks:

If you know me, you know I think going for a walk makes a great activity pretty much all year round (see blog posts here, here and here), but in Autumn, I find them particularly special, as the trees fill the world with autumn hues and there's something quite lovely about stepping on those crunchy fall leaves. We went on a walk recently, and decided to take a flask of soup - it was a great idea, halfway throughout the walk, we warmed up a little by enjoying some soup at a great viewpoint (I posted some pictures from that walk on my Instagram here).

- Castle visits:

I recently visited Berkely Castle with my boyfriend and his family, and it ended up being the most fun day. It was nice to do something a bit different, learn a bit of history and explore somewhere new. You can see a tonne of my snaps (a hopefully a reel soon) from that day on my Instagram account.

- Watch Gilmore Girls:

I don't think I could have written an Autumn activities blog post without mentioning Gilmore Girls. I am huge Gilmore Girls fan (I talk about my love for the show here, here and here), and always tend to rewatch the show around this time of year as it gives me all of the cosy autumn vibes. Whether you're new to the show, or it will be your 6th rewatch, now is the perfect time to head over to Netflix and get your Lorelai fix.

Crochet/Knit:

I know these did get a mention in the earlier in the make your decor point so I'll keep this short. I am obsessed with crocheting. At the moment I'm crocheting my first ever jumper, which will be ready just in time for winter (more on that in this blog post) it's such a relaxing hobby and feels super cosy. If you're a beginner you can try your hand creating a simple blanket and getting your technique down. I find crocheting just breaks up my evenings and allows me to feel both productive and relaxed all at once.

- Cosy up with a blanket, some candles and an Autumn film:

An obviously one I know, but sometimes you can't beat the simple things. Netflix has a great selection of cheesy, autumnal rom-coms, which seems to be my new favourite genre of film (I've recently watched Harvest Moon and Falling Inn Love, both so bad but so good, you know?). Enjoying them with a hot chocolate and a blanket is sometimes all you need for the perfect autumn evening.

Instagram | Etsy | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook

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A Digital Detox Day Reflection | What to do during a digital detox

Wednesday, 9 September 2020

A digital detox day reflection and what to do during a digital detox

Recently I decided to have a digital detox day. It's something I'd been meaning to do for years but never got around to, however, the Zoe Sugg digital detox campaign was what I needed to push me in the right direction.

I didn't go completely phone and laptop free, I decided I was allowed to watch Stranger Things with my boyfriend and enjoy dipping in out of an audiobook - but that social media was a no-no... To be completely honest, I did slip up, twice. I caught myself beginning to scroll twitter, and pressing the Instagram app but those 10 seconds, were a whole lot less than the hours that usually pass me by staring at the lives of strangers through my iPhone screen.

It was really lovely. My boyfriend and I had a lazy morning at home, I did some sewing for my Etsy store, we went for lunch and I didn't pause to snap a shot of our food for Instagram stories. We visited my mum, and I didn't find myself trying to both scroll and engage in conversation. I was present. We laughed and chatted and drank tea, and I didn't tell the internet about it. It was nice to be anonymous. We drove back, listening to Harry Potter on the way, I took in the story along with passing green fields and blue skies. We returned home and I got out my paints and fell back in love with one of my old hobbies - I painted watercolour strokes on a page and tried not to be too precious about the outcome. We cosied up and watched Stranger Things and I didn't miss out on the details because I was distracted by twitter. I felt free - and when I write this a day later I feel refreshed - excited about life, offline and online.

I can see that one day away from the small screen was the mental health day I didn't know I needed. Disconnecting gave me the chance to reconnect - with my family, my boyfriend and myself.

I won't be doing it all the time, because there's a reason I love the online world, both when it comes to consuming and creating content, but I am going to aim for a least once a month because it felt good for the soul.

I do however know how daunting a digital detox day can be, which is why I put off doing it for so long. I thought I'd share some ideas of what to do during a digital detox day, to ease you into the idea:

Activities for a digital detox day:

- Read: I'm always wanting to lose myself in a good book, it's something I always wish I had more time for. A digital detox day is a perfect excuse to catch up with some reading. If you're after some book recommendations, you can find my book-related blog posts here.

- Spend time with loved ones: You do that all the time already right? But I bet you don't do it without digital distractions. Catching up with loved ones without scrolling is a whole lot more special.

- Games: FYI, board games aren't just for Christmas time. A digital detox day is a perfect time to dust off the monopoly.

- Jigsaw Puzzles: The same goes for jigsaw puzzles. I love getting out a puzzle during the festive season, and there is absolutely no reason you can't spend your time puzzling all year round, and they will definitely keep you entertained during a digital detox.

- Go for Walk: I've said it a million times before on this blog. I bloody love going to for a walk. I find being outside in nature refreshing.

- Go for Bike Ride: Now personally, I won't be doing this one, because I'm not the most confident on a bike - my boyfriend, however, is obsessed with going for bike rides with his friends - so if you want a tech-free activity, bike rides could be the one.

- Drawing/painting: Growing up, drawing and painting were some of my favourite hobbies, as I've got older it's gotten a bit forgot, one of those things which get pushed aside because I don't have 'time' for it (still have time to play The Sims and scroll Instagram though). On my digital detox day, I spent a couple of hours rediscovering my love for painting, and I'm going to try to keep it up. Creativity is something to be rediscovered during a digital detox day.

- Pottery painting: A few years ago we went to centre parks (vlog here) and we did some pottery painting and it was my favourite part. It's something I've been meaning to do since, and a digital detox day is a perfect time to do this.

- Go for a Picnic: Sadly for those in the UK, this is kind of weather dependant. But who doesn't love taking there picnic blankets and sandwiches to the park?

- Clean/Organise: There's always cleaning and organising to be done, and although you might hate it, I find it pretty therapeutic, making it the perfect activity for a digital detox day.

- Fruit and veg picking: I'm not the only one who feels a bit envious when I see the pumpkin picking pictures on Instagram, am I?! a digital detox day is the perfect time to arrange to go picking.

Outfit Details:

Dress: M&S (old, similar linked) | Headband: Chloe Harriets Creates | Scrunchie (worn on the wrist): Chloe Harriets Creates | Necklace: Moonglow Sandals: New Look

*Affiliate links are used in this blogpost

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What I've Been Reading | 2020 Summer Books

Wednesday, 2 September 2020

What I've been reading, book pile - ya fiction, a monster calls and more book reviews - summer 2020

Today I thought I'd share some book reviews of all that I've been reading this Summer.
It's one for all of you bookworms out there - A little update on my pages I've been flicking through and my thoughts on them.

The Kissing Booth (1 & 2) by Beth Reekles

I read this on my kindle (hence the lack of book in the photos), after watching the Netflix film (and falling in love with it, obviously), I was excited to get stuck into it - I am a lover of YA fiction and high school romance. I ended up reading both books - The Kissing Booth and The Kissing Booth 2: Going the Distance - I sped through them, finding them to be a light easy read, but also I found the characters to be frustrating. There's no denying that I enjoyed the books, but I found them to romanticise quite a toxic relationship - which reading it as a 28-year-old woman I can recognise that but feel the 15-year-olds that these books are aimed at might not. They're perfect if you want a light-hearted read, that makes you feel young, but remember there's nothing romantic about an up and down, secret relationship, with a lack of communication as these books make it seem.

A Map from Here to There by Emery Lord

A Map from Here to There is the sequel to The Start of Me and You - However, I went into reading unaware of this (oops) and although I've read The Start of Me and You, it had been a while so I could have done with a little refresher on it. Although young adult fiction is usually my favourite genre - I found this one to be a little too much on the young side for me. A lot of the characters' worries revolved around choosing a college, and the impacts on that on her relationship alongside and juggling having schoolwork, a social life, and an internship, which isn't very relatable for me as a 28-year-old woman, however, if I read this at 17 I'm sure I would have felt differently about it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it for some light reading - I love Emery Lord's style of writing, so if you also really enjoy YA fiction I'd recommend checking out some of her other books (my favourite is When We Collided and you can read my review on it here). It has the themes of friendship and mental health running throughout it which I really liked.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I've never read anything like this before - it felt like a children's book, which is aimed at adults with deep themes but a simple yet, beautiful writing style. Being in the perspective of a child made it different from most of my usual reads. A Monster Calls is the story of a young boy, with a sick Mum, and who is having a tough time at school. A monster begins visiting him, the monster tells him stories as he tries to navigate his way through all that life throws at him. It's beautiful and touching.

We of the Forsaken World by Kiran Bhat (AD - Gifted)

We of the Foresaken World is not my usual style, but as I was offered a gifted opportunity with this book, I decided to give it a go, and I really enjoyed it. I found it to be a lot more intense than my usual read, and found myself completely swept up in it. I did find reading it took a lot of focus - it's not one to read with your mind elsewhere. We of the Forsaken World tells several stories of interesting characters from a future world, in different locations which all knit together. Each story is touching and gave me plenty to think about from stories about tribes, the impact of oil spills, the story of a one-armed woman and more. It shows a world, both so similar to ours, and completely different to everything we know. The characters felt relatable and a world away. It's unlike anything I've ever read before, and it's a book which took some time for me to digest. It explores environmental issues and humans stories. I really enjoyed this, if you're looking to read something which will get you thinking, this could be it.

Find Me by André Aciman

Find Me is the sequel to Call Me by Your Name. I really enjoyed reading it, it had the same beautiful style of writing as Call Me by Your Name (you can read my thoughts on that here) however, it felt very far removed from the original story and I enjoyed it much more when I stopped thinking of it as “Call Me by Your Name: 2” rather than it’s own thing. The book is split into three separate love stories. There aren’t individuals chapters beyond this, which at first I found frustrating but once I got used to not expecting chapters to end, I realised the format worked for this book. With each section, the location and the perspective changed. A first I found it difficult to grasp which character point of view I was reading from (especially in relation to Call Me by Your Name) but trying to figure that out, kept me hooked. Throughout the book, links were revealed. I found the writing style to be as beautiful as I had expected and I loved each individual love story. Just a warning, if you're reading for Elio and Oliver - they don't come into the story until much later.

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

* Affiliate links are used in this blogpost.

I did have a little impromptu blog break, so I've got a whole new pile of books to update you with my reviews on, so you can expect more book blog posts coming soon.

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5 Hobbies for Self Care | AD - Gifted Items

Wednesday, 29 July 2020

girl crocheting lilac jumper - 5 creative hobbies for self care blog post

Over here on chloeharriets.com, I talk about self-care a lot (see posts here, here and here) because I think the main key to living a happy and fulfilled life is looking after yourself - that self-care thing I'm always banging on about.

Today, I wanted to share some creative hobbies that are good for self-care. Hobbies which I find relaxing and fulfilling because sometimes an evening in front of Netflix just doesn't cut it.

- Crocheting:

This post is in partnership with Love Crafts who reached out to me and asked if I'd like to feature something from their website in a blog post. When I saw they had crochet supplies I, of course, said yes. For years I've been crocheting as a form of self-care. There's something about the repetitive movement, keeping my hands busy (if I'm ever feeling anxious I fidget like crazy which doesn't help, crocheting settles me), and the feeling of 'I made this' (I like that feeling, hence my Etsy store - gotta get that self-promo in somewhere). Until now, I've only crochet blankets, sticking to the few stitches I knew, although I'm sure my friends are have appreciated the baby blankets, for a while I wanted to make more but had no clue where to start with following a pattern and learning new stitches. This gifted opportunity gave me the perfect opportunity to push slightly outside of my comfort zone while doing one of my favourite things. I chose this pattern to be gifted, so I could make a jumper which I love - it's right up there with my style, plus the website also shows pattern difficulty levels - and as this is my first time working from a pattern, I wanted to start easy with beginners. I went for this wool, and also have the appropriate hooks gifted. I'm still not quite finished (I had one of those baby blankets I spoke about earlier to complete before I got started on the project). Once I got stuck into it, I found this to be the perfect self-care activity. It kept me feeling like my evenings we're going to waste. Seeing the jumper begin to form is so satisfying. I get to feel a great sense of achievement and a great sense of chill when I spend my time crocheting, and sometimes even watch Netflix at the same time, the best kind of multitasking. If you're interested in starting a new crochet project, they have tonnes of free patterns available here to get you started.

- Reading:

I've always been a big reader, but it's a hobby which is often easily abandoned when I get busy. After falling a little out of love with reading a few months back, I've recently got back into it, and boy oh boy is it a hobby worthy of my time. Reading is an easy escape from the day-to-day. I read a bit of everything. Self-development books are great for when I want something to motivate and inspire me. Fiction for when I want a break from my own life - it's always nice to dip an imaginary one. I'm currently reading My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (*affiliate link) - this thriller stylebook is not my go-to read, but I'm hooked - it's even nice being able to look forward to picking up my book when I'm going about my day. I have an online book club, you can read more about #chloeharrietsbookclub here, you can find any book review or book-related blog post here, and follow me on Goodreads here.

- Painting/Drawing:

I've always been a creative person, some of my favourite childhood memories include me sat on a bedroom floor drawing pictures. Similar to reading, painting and drawing are both things I go through phases of doing but when I am putting my time into them, I just feel calmer. It's a hobby which takes my focus in the most relaxed way. There's not really any right or wrong, but there's is the feeling of accomplishment when completing the picture, and the escape strokes of a paintbrush allow. My friend @staciejayneart on Instagram I find super inspiring when it comes to painting, she just paints for the process and produces such beautiful pieces - she really reminds me with should have hobbies for the joy of the process and creativity should be a form of self expression.

- Journaling:

I'm sure I've mentioned a million times (well - here, here and here) how much I love journaling so I won't go on about it too much - just know putting a pen to paper is often both healing and empowering. Whether you're scripting what a day in your life in will look like in the future, or getting something off your chest - moving feelings from the mind onto paper makes all the difference.

- Dancing:

The simple act of moving our bodies is so freeing. Listening to high vibe music, and dancing just get me feeling positive and excited for the what's to come. It doesn't need to be a big deal either. Dancing in the kitchen while you cook your dinner just adds some more fun to your evening, and who doesn't want that?!

What creative hobbies would you suggest for self-care?

Have you tried out crocheting before? One of those free patterns on Love Crafts might just be your next self-care project!

Keep your eyes peeled for a picture on my finished crocheted jumper which I will post on my Instagram once I finish it!