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Do you ever feel like time is just rushing past and suddenly you’re nearly half way through 2017 and you have not really been able to savour the moment or work on the goals you have set for yourself? I know I do. Life gets busy so quickly. This is why each month I check in with you guys and with myself to look back and reflect on the last month and look forward and think about what I want to achieve or work on.
Today I am going to do just that but I also have something special for you! I created some pretty little worksheets that can help you to think about what you are grateful for, some pointers to help you reflect on your life and also a goal setting guide.
You can get these worksheets by signing up to my e-Mail list below! Just enter your name and email and you are going to receive these in your inbox as well as updates every now and then about what is going on around these quarters. If that sounds good to you, just enter your details below. I am looking forward to welcoming you as part of Team Bright and Bold!
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Without any further ado, let’s get into my list of things to be grateful for in May:
Food
Summer is coming! Mangos and strawberries are in all of the shops and I could not be happier. My obsession with the coconut collaborative natural yogurt is still going strong – combining this creamy deliciousness with some fresh summer fruit makes me happy and even on rainy days I feel like I am living in a place much more tropical than North England. Which is always a bonus!
Books
I finished two books this month – if you follow me on Instagram you might have seen some posts where I talk about them. The first one was Lauren Graham’s autobiography which I loved so much. Gilmore Girls is my all-time favourite TV show and Lauren Graham plays one of the main characters, Lorelai (in case you don’t know that – which you really should because Gilmore Girls is amazing and if you haven’t watched it I am not quite sure what you have done with your life). Lauren Graham is a really good writer, she is so witty and also really intelligent and thoughtful. And a great story teller. This book is a really easy and quick read, give it a go if you need something to make you laugh out loud and smile a lot!
The second book I read and only just finished this weekend was “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith and oh boy what a good book that is. The book follows two immigrant families living in the UK over the span of two generations and it really helped me to understand British culture and history so much better. It has also just opened my eyes to the struggles many immigrants face in the UK. I mean, technically I am an immigrant myself but I really have the option to move back to Germany or visit anytime, which is not the case for so many others. I struggle with homesickness as it is – I really cannot begin to understand what it must feel like to leave your roots and home behind with no possibility of returning.
Travel
I spend ten days back in Germany visiting my family which was so nice. On two of the days I went on a hiking trip with my mum and we had the best time. Also, I was able to meet my nephew for the very first time which was a really beautiful experience. He is such a lovely baby and it is so special to discover this new side to my brother and sister in law being such amazing parents to the little pickle. You can see some pictures from the trip in my last post.
As well as to Germany we also went on a trip to a place called Coldwell with our church for the weekend. It was such a good time. I just love all the people in my church and it was so nice to spend some time in nature even though we had quite a lot of rain.
Warmer weather and fun times with friends
Summer is slowly but surely coming to the UK and I am LOVING it! Sunshine just makes everything more fun and I am in such a good mood when I wake up to good weather. The windows in my office have permanently been open the last few days and I just love feeling a warm breeze whilst working and hearing the seagulls outside (sometimes I close my eyes and pretend I am on holiday – living by the sea does have its perks for sure).
Also, I am just so grateful for my friends both in England and Germany. Coffee dates and pub trips with them makes life so much better. There were two highlights in particular:
I was able to visit my friend Eleanor and saw the vegan café she opened (talk about having inspiring friends!) I had an amazing Falafel wrap, Kombucha, a Matcha Latte and a white chocolate cookie. And OH MY DAYS everything was freaking delicious! If you ever find yourself near Stockport go and check out the Plant Academy. For real. If your nowhere near, check out Eleanor’s blog – she has some great recipes on there.
The second fun thing was last week was going to an open mic night at the Galleon Bar here in town and seeing/hearing our friend Matt play. I feel very privileged to be surrounded by people who chase after their dreams and do cool stuff. And going to the pub with live music and my best friends is my favourite!
Mental health & personal update
In the beginning of May I was actually not doing so well, I was pretty stressed about my workload and felt quite anxious about life in general and not very motivated for anything. However, travelling to Germany and having a bit of time to break up my routine was so helpful. I feel so much better and am full of ideas and plans for The Bright and Bold Life. I am trying to take things slow though – my workload for Uni is still pretty insane and that has to take priority now. But hopefully there will be some fun things coming around autumn time once I am done with all my assignments and exams. Until then I will be pretty much buried in my books but I would lie if I said that I didn’t like it. Hashtag nerdlife!
Also, I realised that the end of May marked my first veganaissary (= vegan anniversary)! I feel like being one year into this lifestyle it would be a good time to write some more about why I choose to live this way and to share some of my favourite recipes. Let me know if you have any specific questions or requests regarding veganism (or any other topic).
Goals for June
First, be more organised around the house. One thing that really affects how I feel is the tidiness of our house. I want to try and have specific days to tidy and clean and grocery shop so that I am not constantly running around like crazy trying to catch up with all the chores and keep my messiness at bay. (Does anybody else have this struggle where they are a messy person but love when everything is organised? Or is it just me?)
Second, get good at time-management. June is going to be a super busy month – I am going to London tomorrow for the rest of the week, than working a week, and than going to Germany for the rest of the month. In between all this I have two deadlines and a lot of stuff to revise. So yeah. I need to plan out my days and really stick to it.
What are your goals for this month? If you are like me and want to get more organised, click below to download my worksheets for weekly and monthly reviews and goal setting!
Lots of love, stay bright and bold guys!
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