Stacey Blogs

The internet in our hands. It's amazing isn't it? I grew up through the evolution of the smart phone. My first ever mobile phone was an Alcatel something or other. It had an interchangeable aerial that would glow when I got a phone call and I could put any facia on it that I wanted. Cool huh? That was back in 1999. Twenty years ago. Smartphone technology has evolved so much. We have everything at our fingertips, anytime, anywhere. For most, this is their entire existence. There are certainly good and bad points to having this world in our palms. Personally, I can mostly take it or leave it. I enjoy having the internet, to search for recipes or to solve arguments in seconds. I also really love apps, I think they're a great way of getting people together and bringing positive to the cyber world. However, we can find ourselves procrastinating too much over the screens in our hands. We don't always appreciate the world around us and we don't look up! I had an app...

2019 The year to make a difference. Promises to myself: I am on a make-up ban: I will only buy what I need to replace. Other than that, I will use what I already have. Same goes with clothes actually. Make-up and clothes. Let's do that. Although I do get many of my clothes now from vintage stores and charity shops. I will not buy single use plastic bags: there are so many re-useable ones in my home/car that I need to remember to take them shopping!I actually hate myself a little tiny bit every time I have to pay for one. I will eat less meat: I am unlikely to go full veggie but I will cut my carbon footprint and reduce the amount of meat consumed. I actually like most veggie meals, but I found that I just ended up eating more cheese. And then getting chubby from all of the cheese. Mmm cheese. I will save money: I want to buy a house and to buy a house, I need money. Lots of money. I will live more ethically and sustainably: Buy less, waste less. Choosing to re-...

Image Credit:  allfreesewing.com About six months ago I decided to start making some changes to the way I think about shopping. I started to do some research and was surprised at how naive I had been to the ways my shopping habits harm the world that we live in. I've always been somewhat conscious of certain things that are bad for the planet, with the likes of straws and other plastic disposables being called out I decided to look at other things I used that could be swapped or cut altogether. I have made a list of 10 simple swaps below. All tried and tested and I'm 100% behind them. 1.  Cotton pads/balls --->   Handmade reusable make up pads I've been using these for months now and alongside a microfibre facecloth, they work perfectly. I stopped using cotton makeup pads altogether. 2.  Plastic water bottles ---> Glass water bottle I chose glass because it seems to keep my water cooler. There are so many options available. 3.  Cling film ---...

2018 has seen a global recognition of the damage us humans are causing our planet.  It's something that I have never really thought about in great detail before. I have always been so wrapped up in the day to day, that I never saw the bigger picture. Like the millions of other people that are now looking, I want to make a change. This isn't a self righteous preachy post, this is a personal change for me and I respect the choices that other make wholly. I've reached an age now where I kind of know what I want from life, albeit a little later than I'd have wanted! Two primary goals I have established are: 1)  To save money: I went to uni, got a good degree (and the debt to go with it) and even now, a year after graduation, I need more. I need a better pay check, I need a better standard of accommodation, I need a more fulfilling life. Living pay check to pay check is not fun. I know I'm not the only one. My primary 2019 goal is to save money to...

Hey! This is an exciting post to have written. I was lucky enough to travel to New York in October this year with my lovely uni friend, Lydia. New York has been on my wish list for years and years but it always seemed a little out of reach. So being given the opportunity to go, I jumped at the chance.  Lydia and I travelled from London Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic for 4 nights. We got early morning flights out and this was perfect as New York are 5 hours behind the UK so it meant that on arrival we could still go and explore for a few hours. Our return flight was a night flight, 22:30. This again, was perfect as we got a whole day in the city. I found that 4 nights/5 days was actually a really good amount of time to explore. You may already be familiar with some of the attractions available, however there is so much more. I'll break this post down into sections to make it easier to guide you through the trip... Eats & Drinks Personally, I found food h...