theblondeflamingo, Author at The Blonde Flamingo

My fashion Wishlist for SS19

theblondeflamingo / March 21, 2019 / Leave a comment

Hi everyone!

As my favourite time of the year is finally here (happy first day of spring by the way!) I am officially allowed to start planning my summer wardrobe! I am so excited seeing so many incredible things in the stores! My favourite boho & safari trends are everywhere so I am literally in heaven! I put up a little list of the items I MUST have this season. I thought you may want to have a look too! If you’d like to purchase anything just simply click in the pic. I’ve linked all the items for you!

New swimsuits

Ok let’s start with the fact I have hundreds of swimsuits, but I can’t ever ever get enough! It’s just my favourite thing to wear! I could literally live in bikinis, haha! This season I am especially loving belted and ring swimsuits. I am obsessed with all the neutral colours- beige, nude, white. I think they would look perfect with a sun-kissed skin!

Hair slides

Hair slides is something that the world got absolutely crazy about these days! So did I, haha! I have already shopped some at Accessorize, Topshop and Primark but I can’t get enough. I still would love some extra ones with pearls or seashells!

Seashell jewellery

Those of you who follow me for long time, already know I have been wearing seashell jewellery for years. I used to shop it at my fav tropical destinations like Maldives, Seychelles, Zanzibar. But this year its going to be a big BOOM! I see seashells literally everywhere right now and I feel like its never enough of beautiful seashells in my life! I do have couple of bracelets and necklaces already but actually never got a ring or hair slides so this is something I am currently hunting for!

Boho basket bag

Another favourite trend of mine- boho baskets bag! Another thing I always shop when I travel but that’s another love and obsession of mine! I love basket bags! They just change the entire outfit! Love wearing them with summer dresses and jumpsuits. I have a huge collection of them already but I am always ready for more! ( even if my closet isn’t haha!)

Boho home accessories

I wouldn’t be myself if I skipped my homie when planning the summer shopping! I still have few corners at our apartment that I would love to decorate or organise better. I am always looking for additional rattan and bamboo baskets ( can’t help it!) plants, hammocks and macrame accessories (would love to get this pouffe!). I still didn’t get myself and egg chair that I’ve been always dreaming of so that has to change soon!

What are you planning to shop this season?

The Blonde Flamingo

5 tips to improve your sleep

theblondeflamingo / March 20, 2019 / 4 Comments

There’s no doubt sleep plays an essential role in our health and wellbeing. It is as important to our bodies as eating, drinking and breathing, and is vital for maintaining good mental and physical health.

As I am travelling and blogging full-time since almost a year now, I’ve noticed how hard it is for me to get a good sleep, as there’s no such a thing like routine in my life. I sleep at different hotels, countries and time zones almost every week right now. I go to sleep at different hour. I change places all the time and it really takes my body the time to adjust. I also struggle with jet-lag quite often. That’s why I started to extremely look after my sleep and giving myself a little sleeping routine when I am actually at home, in London. As let’s be honest- what’s better than sleeping in own bed?

Here’s 5 things that seriously helped me to improve my sleep :

1.Ventilate the bedroom before going to sleep

It’s such a little thing but made a huge difference in my sleeping routine. I now always get some fresh air into the bedroom before going to sleep. Sometimes I even leave my window opened. It helps the air circulate at night, leading to better quality sleep.

2. Spray your pillows with a sleep spray

About 6 months ago I was recommended the product that now I honestly can’t live without. The Sleep Spray with lavender, yarrow & chamomile essential oils from Bramley has honestly been life-changing. Using it became such a routine for me. I love feeling this smell. It’s so calming, soothing which allows both the body and mind to relax, creating the perfect atmosphere to drift off to sleep. My partner actually got addicted to it too! I spray it on our pillows and bed sheets right before going to sleep.

3. Switch off electronic devices

We all know the bright screens of phones, tablets, tvs, and any other electronics can mess up our sleep cycles. The blue light given off by electronic screens send a signal to your brain that it’s daytime, even when it’s not. This is affecting our sleep. Also, being on your phone right before going to sleep gives you an extra and unnecessary stress- there’ll always be another email or message to reply to, that let’s be honest- it’s not going to make our sleep any better. It’s really hard to stick not to use my mobile phone and laptop at all before going to bed, but I am trying stay completely off for at least half an hour before sleep, to give my mind some time to switch off, relax and get ready for sleep.

4. Have a Chamomile tea before sleep

Honestly, nothing relaxes me more then a mug of a warm chamomile tea before going to bed. Even the smell of it it’s just so calming. It’s my little relaxing ritual before going to sleep. According to the studies chamomile was found to reduce stress, decrease anxiety and initiate sleep.

5. Invest in a good mattress

Last one but the most important point- a good mattress. When I first moved to London, I’ve always had a cheap mattress and never really paid attention to that, until I started to get a little older, get neck and back pains. That’s why when we’ve moved to the new apartment back in September, we’ve upgraded our mattress to the Simba Hybrid Mattress. I must say it’s been life-changing, for both myself and my partner. We’ve never ever slept so well! My partner has struggled a lot with back pains and he doesn’t complain about it anymore. Also what we really like is- the Simba Hybrid’s flexible zoned base and unique patented springs respond individually to each sleeper, so your movement doesn’t affect your partner. This is really important to us, as many times we go to bed and wake up at different times so we avoid disturbing each other. Another incredible thing is – when you buy a Simba mattress you get a 100 night trial. If it’s not a perfect match, you can return your mattress for any reason. If you decide to keep it there’s a 10 years guarantee. Also the delivery is free and it’s super quick- our one came within couple of days. If you’d like to try it yourself, I have a £75 off discount for you with this link.

Hope these tips will help you to improve your sleep!

Post in collaboration with Simba Sleep

5 tips on how to deal with negativity on Social Media

theblondeflamingo / March 9, 2019 / 4 Comments

We all hear about the negative impact of Social Media these days. I’ve met many people recently who told me how down they feel after scrolling on Instagram. But do we actually do something to STOP? I know from my own experience how easy it is to get addicted to this app. I still find it a place full of inspirations. It also helped me to connect with many like-minded people and this is something I am forever grateful for. However now after doing it full-time for a while, I see many negative aspects of this space too and I had moments that I was feeling super down and frustrated. Why? Well my own fault! I’ve been spending way too much time scrolling and scrolling thousands of perfectly edited photographs , watching all the stories, one unboxing after another, another wow-looking hotel, another insta-perfect couple etc I know it can get pretty overwhelming and make you feel worst when you already have one of these bad days or generally going through some tough time. All that affected me a lot in the past but I’ve started to learn to deal with all that and look after my mental health better. Here’s my top 5 tips :

1. Unfollow negative people on Social Media

We all follow somebody who is super negative but for some reason we’re still watching these dramatic stories everyday. I stopped that and unfollowed/ muted stories of people I don’t want to keep seeing as:

a) they don’t bring any value into my life

b) they have negative impact on my mental health

c) I don’t need their drama in my life

Follow more accounts that make you happy, make you laugh and giving you the positive vibes instead. It honestly helped me!

2. Don’t compare yourself to others

That’s the hardest part. When you’re having a bad day, you’re logging into your Instagram and keep seeing all the paradise locations, unboxing, events, vacations and all that. After some time you’re starting to think your life’s crap. Remember- what people post on Social Media are mainly the highlights of their lives. Many don’t show the REAL life, the struggles, don’t talk about problems so on the outside it all looks perfect and it makes you feel worst about yourself and your life. But scroll down your own feed- maybe to somebody else it’s actually your life that looks GOALS. You know what I mean? 🙂 Remember it’s only a bad day, not a bad life!

3. Spent less time watching what others do and focus on yourself

This is something that I have been practicing a lot recently and I swear it feels so good. Now I am spending way less time online watching people’s stories and I’ve started to invest this time into my development , working on my blog, Pinterest, my projects and dreams. I’ve been also going out with friends more often and devote this “extra” time people I love. I’ve been spending more time outdoors with nature which makes me happier and more relaxed.

4. Ignore the trolls

Recently I’ve seen many people posting stories literally crying from some negative, bullying comments left on their posts or DMs. Well, we’ve all been there. The truth is, the moment we decide to put ourselves and our lives online we should be aware of the consequences. I do understand the constructive criticism however if the messages or comments are simply mean, aggressive, vulgar and make no sense- I simply just ignore and delete them. No point wasting time and nerves for anonymous online bullies.

5. Spread the positivity

Remember that the positive starts with you! You cannot dictate what other people share on their profiles however you’re in charge on what you share on yours! Be the positivity, the energy, the place where people would enjoy coming back to. Post inspiring content, places and positive thoughts and encourage others to do the same! Together you could create a positive space and empower one another!

How do you deal with the negativity on Social Media?

The Blonde Flamingo

Finding my balance at Absolute Sanctuary, Koh Samui

theblondeflamingo / March 7, 2019 / 1 Comment

How have I ended up going on a retreat? Well, let’s start with saying that doing what I do is not always that colourful and easy as it seems on the photos. I do realise that to some people it may look like I am only having fun. And it’s true! Most of the time I do, but its also my own company, a real, full-time job and business. Business I’ve started from the scratch without even knowing that I am really building a business and a full-time career. As much as I absolutely love what I do and would never ever change any decision I’ve taken so far, after few months of working 7 days a week, constantly researching, learning, travelling non stop, being jet-lagged all the time, forever chasing on invoices, payments and deadlines, at the beginning of this year I started to feel really stressed, tired and overwhelmed. All the upcoming opportunities sounded incredible however it’s only me who really knows how much it costs me. I felt huge anxiety like I’ve never felt before. I was constantly worried about something and couldn’t make the deadlines and my work done. It was a very scary feeling knowing you’re completely on your own. I felt like I needed help as I also felt so lonely trying to explain my feelings to other people who really got no idea what my job is about. And then suddenly the incredible invitation came through my email – a retreat at Absolute Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand Asia’s top wellness resort, located on the North Eastern side of Koh Samui, also known as the island of healing. I’ve felt like it was a destiny! This was exactly what I needed in my life! I said yes straight away!

So, where to start…

First thing I had to do is to choose the program for me. How did I know what program would be the right fit? Before the arrival I had a phone consultation that helped me to choose the right programme that would suit my needs. As I’ve been going through some tough time we both agreed that what I really needed was to relax. That’s why I decided to go for an Anti Stress & Burnout program which is designed to those who are in need to escape from their hectic lives, recharge and rebalance their mind, body & spirit through a combination of relaxing & healing spa treatments and massages, healthy foods and supportive emotional therapies.

As everyone is a need or something different, Absolute Sanctuary introduced 6 new wellness and fitness programs to make sure everyone will find something they truly need wether is a rest, rebalance, weight loss, increasing the fitness level or changing the lifestyle. The 6 new programs are : Women’s Holistic Health, Men’s Vitality, Body Realignment, Sleep Well, Mindfulness, Rest and Rebalance. You can find all the details about the programs here.

Couple of weeks later after the phone call I was already sitting on a plane to Thailand with my friend Bonnie both super excited for this incredible trip.

I’ve fallen in love with the Absolute Sanctuary at first sight. It had this incredible energy that is really hard to describe. We’ve arrived in the late evening, we’ve checked in, our schedules were all ready for us. We’ve been shown around the Sanctuary and taken to our beautiful rooms.

Accommodation

They have 38 rooms in total inspired by architecture of Morocco with bright colours and moroccan tiles. You can choose between Sanctuary Suite, Sanctuary Deluxe and Sanctuary Superior rooms– whatever matches your budget and comfort level. I personally stayed at Deluxe room with a beautiful moroccan bathroom and a large bathtub.

Schedule

So how my daily schedule looked like? I would normally start my morning with a ginger tea by the pool watching the sunrise and listening to the birds sing. It felt so incredible to be there completely on my own, at peace and contact with nature. Will never forget this view!

After that I would head for a group meditation and yoga class. That was the perfect way to really wake up.

Myself and Bonnie who I went on this incredible retreat with. We both needed it so much! We’re wearing matchy activewear from Evveervital

And then time for breakfast served at Love Kitchen ( where you could seriously feel the love with every dish and every smile from the staff members. I am still smiling when I think of them!) The food was delicious. There was seriously not a single thing I did not like. Everything was super fresh, high in nutrients, low in calories, enriched with superfoods and wholefoods. They also served healthy juices, smoothies and herbal teas ( my favourite was goji berries, honey and lime).

After breakfast I was usually soaking up the sun that I’ve missed so much, relaxing by the pool and enjoying coconut water or super juices.

Then I would head to their beautiful spa to enjoy a massage and spa treatments. My favourite and was 60 mins Indian Head Massage and 90 min Traditional Thai Massage with Herbal Heat Compress.

Usually after that I had lunch, a little nap and attended another yoga session in the late afternoon. My favourite but also a very hard experience (for the beginner as myself) was a group hot yoga session. It was my first time and I honestly really enjoyed it even though my muscles felt really painful the day after. However that was not a problem at all. They were very accommodating and let me change the schedule the way my mind and body was happy at all times. One day I skipped some of the classes and gave myself more relaxing time, longer sleep and a stroll at the beach nearby the hotel.

Here’s some photos of the Absolute Sanctuary. Ahh just looking at it brings all the positive energy and peace back!

Juice bar located by the pool

5 days spent in this place honestly changed me and my life. The stress management session with a therapist helped me a lot too as I found a real reason where is my stress and anxiety coming from. I’ve found my inner peace, I’ve rested, I’ve finally had enough sleep, exercised, ate super healthy and set the new goals. My skin also got better. As some of you know I am dealing with adult acne that has been such a pain since couple of years now and I left Absolute Sanctuary with cleaner, healthier looking skin. I came back to London new-born and by saying new-born I really mean it! I’ve started to wake up earlier which gave me more time in a day. I’ve started to exercise regularly, I’ve stopped skipping breakfast and I’ve started to listen to relaxing music in the morning (rather then getting into my Instagram and emails straight away) to get me in a good mood before a busy day. This trip honestly changed my lifestyle so much! I am forever grateful! Thank you so much to all team at Absolute Sanctuary for incredible hospitality and looking after us so well! I can’t find words to describe how much I miss this place every single day. I promised myself I will return one day as I haven’t found a place that has such an incredible energy. I can’t recommend it enough!

Thank you for bringing back the happy, healthy me!

Post in collaboration with Absolute Sanctuary

How to add the magic to your photos- easy photo editing guide

theblondeflamingo / February 20, 2019 / Leave a comment

Hello everyone!

It’s been a while! I really missed writing on my blog! I have been very busy with travelling- I have recently been to Thailand ( I will write a separate post about that trip) , London Fashion week and organising upcoming trip to Dubai- can’t wait!

In the meantime I have decided to prepare a second photo editing guide for you as you are always asking me about it ( you can see the first one here) This time I would like to show you my new favourite editing apps that help me to add a little magic to my photos!

1. PicsArt

My number one app at the moment it’s PicsArt. You can honestly do everything with it. There’s plenty of beautiful presets and effects- from fairytale lights, snow, adding hearts, fireworks, stars, galaxy skies and many others! Literally Instagram dream! Here’s some of the examples of my edits with the Pics Art app. The app it’s not free- it costs few pounds a month but I have bought a whole year subscribtion as I really enjoy using it for either Instagram photos or stories.

2. Snowing Pic

Another app I would recommend if you only need the tool to add the snow to your photos (I am mentioning it as I had so many people asking) it’s app called Snowing Pics. It’s totally free and it takes seconds to add the snow. There are different types so you can see which one works best with your shot.

See the example below :

3. Canvas

If you’re looking for a tool to help you out with cute design, there is an app I am honestly loving at the moment- Canvas. I use it for either Instagram stories or boards for my Pinterest. Great news- it’s awesome and it’s free of charge! There are some extras you may need to pay for but I promise it’s worth it, however basic option is honestly enough. You can design so many incredible things using it – logos, flyers, posters, invitations, blog and Pinterest graphics, recipe cards and many more. I am honestly loving it and still exploring how to use it!

Here’s few examples :

4. Facetune 2

Almost forgot to mention the app I am using frequently- Facetune 2. This is the app I am using to make my skin look smother and to make my photos more “glossy” I use the tool called glow on all my photos.

5. Unfold

I have already mentioned this app here but I continue using Unfold app as I am loving it for the Instagram stories! I don’t know if you’ve seen but they have added a new Valentine’s / love theme now and it’s been working so well and made the stories way more interesting! If you haven’t got this app yet you should definitely invest few pounds a month! It’s honestly a game- changer!

Here’s some examples :