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5 things I learnt during 5 weeks of lockdown

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Cleaning counts as a workout

I must say I was feeling quite guilty for eating so much these last few weeks. I was just not in the mood to do work outs and jump around, but hey! What I realised recently is- cleaning the house is also a workout! I became soooo quick and strong at cleaning the house after Salvo’s cooking that I honestly deserve a gold medal- I couldn’t be more active right now, haha! So to all my ladies out there feeling guilty- check out your muscles after washing tones of plates, cleaning the whole house everyday and running around with your kids 24/7! See? It’s a new level of fit! Quarantine fit!

Family and home is everything

I mean it seems pretty much logical. But do we really appreciate it everyday as much as we do right now? Personally I think- not really. Normally my London’s home is like a hotel to me. I travel in and out. Pack and unpack. I am never around really and frankly this home was never as important to me as it is right now. I am now grateful I have my space, my office, my boho corners and a large bath to chill at. I appreciate my large sunny kitchen where we cook everyday with so much joy and sun rays. I appreaciate our huge comfy sofa where I can snuggle up with a rad candle and a warm cup of my favourite tea. I didn’t appreaciate small things like these before!

And of course my family- of course I always appreciate them and miss them, but now knowing I can’t go home and not knowing when I will see them again kills me and makes me think of them every single day and all the time. I spent days browsing our photos and planning where we will go when this is all over.  The lockdown made me realise this is all that matters and this is the only solid thing in our lives that we should look after every single day. Not the money and job- now we see it’s soooo easy to lose. It’s a warm home and loving family that helps you to get through everything and pushes you forward. 

Improving my food photography skills 

As our recipe account started to honestly grows so quick (thank you so much for your support and such a positive response to our new project. We are over the moon!) I started to improve my food photography skills. As you know, in the past (almost 2 years ago now- wow time flies!) I was working at Soho House as a Social Media Coordinator and I was managing quite a few restaurant’s accounts and creating food related content. I now had a pretty long break, but last few weeks made me realise I have really missed it and I still really enjoy it so I keep experimenting with new props, backgrounds, colours and angles everyday! Here’s some of my recent snaps and Salvo’s incredible creations. Follow him for the most amazing recipes!

Shop kitchenware

  

Nothing cheers me up more than good food

As you know last few weeks I wasn’t feeling great (sorry for being a crying baby!) but I swear every time Salvo’s brought me his dish (and a chilled glass of Rosé with a strawberry) my worries seemed to disappear for a moment! I truly enjoy delicious food and drinks and all things fancy! His incredible dishes help me so much to get through this difficult time and put a smile on my face!

Working with what I have 

Let’s be honest. Normally as a full-time travel blogger I get to experience and stay at the most incredible places to create the content. Brands and hotels are always putting so much effort to put together the most magical itineraries, events and set ups for us bloggers to create content. But now the situation is completely different. There is no pretty hotel bathrooms and pink flower displays. There is no fancy flower baths (unless you create one at home!) infinity pools and afternoon teas. Now we need to learn how to work with what we have. It’s not easy at all but I must say after these few weeks of experimenting- it’s super challenging but very interesting. It makes me happy to see people getting more creative and working with what they have at home. I have struggled a lot but hey- slowly getting there and getting new ideas everyday. Here’s my fav snap shot in my hallway!

Peachy blanket and cushion from Peachy Parrot. I absolutely love this brand! My new discovery! Their products honestly added sunshine to this corner of my home. I highly recommend to check out their gorgeous accessories.

Shop my homeware

What I am sure is – the current situation makes you grow. Not only with creating content but also as a person. We learn to adapt to completely new reality, we became mentally stronger and more supportive. I love that and I think my industry and this world truly needed this! 

Have you learnt or realised something during the lockdown?

The Blonde Flamingo

Life in lockdown- you don’t have to be productive right now

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You don’t have to be productive right now.

I haven’t been here a lot in the last weeks. Everything has been crazy and changed so quickly. I felt like my life changed completely and I believe Corona Virus affected all of us all over the world. Let’s face it. We have never been through something like that. None of us. Nobody really knows when it will end up and when our lives will get back to “normal”. It’s indeed a very stressful situation and we all need time to process everything in our heads and learn to live in a new reality for a while.

However what I found more stressful these days (even more than the virus itself) was the pressure to be productive and creative. Especially in the industry I am at. Normally I am creative and full of energy and positivity. At almost all times. I am always online, writing, creating, reading, researching, learning, shooting and editing. I am doing my best to inspire and educate people to live their best lives.

I am not going to lie – the new reality hit me and my business really hard. I had my next few months perfectly planned with projects, travels and my goals. I was meant to make so many of my dreams come true. Of course due to the current situation everything got cancelled or postponed. These last weeks I was feeling upset and lost. Every time I looked at Social Media was either another negative, overwhelming news or other people posting the videos being super productive, happy, creative, doing lots of fitness and practicing Tik Tok choreographies. Frankly, I felt like I live on a different planet. I blamed myself for not being able to do anything really. I struggled and I was proud of myself for actually getting out of bed these days. I was really down and really scared. I had difficulties sleeping and bad dreams. I was scared about the future, about my career, about finances. I started to feel like I am being negative. And then I came across this quote :

“Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all the time. It means that even on hard days you know that there are better ones coming.”

I have decided to give myself a break. And get myself out of the sick and fake circle. I decided not to pretend I am ok to please others. I opened up and shared my feelings. I don’t have to be ok right now. I don’t have to be jumping and dancing right now. I don’t have to be positive 24/7. I am a human being and I have a right to struggle and be sad and it doesn’t mean I am a negative person.

Why am I writing it? Because maybe you out there, deep inside feel exactly the same. Maybe you also feel the society pressure now to be productive creative, to get that “dream body” RIGHT NOW. To work on that goal and find a dream job RIGHT NOW. I am here now to tell you – don’t. Do not let that pressure get to you. Life in a new reality is hard enough already. Do what feels right to you. Don’t force yourself when you don’t feel ready. Give yourself time to process and accept everything. Sleep as long as your body needs. Have that relaxing bath everyday. Read that book you’ve always wanted. Slow down. Look around you and deep inside you. Look yourself in the mirror and do what you and your body truly need right now. Look after your body and soul. Call your loved ones and support each other. You don’t have to be productive now. It’s ok not to be ok. And it’s ok to talk about it aloud instead of getting into that sick circle again. I truly believe it’s time to slow down now and look after our health- both physical and mental.

How’s my life during the quarantine?

I have been now self-isolating since 21 days. I went to the grocery shop twice during this time. I allow myself daily walks in the park- I can’t even describe how important nature is in my life. It keeps me going.

I have also slowly started to set up the new home routine. As you know as a full-time travel blogger it was always very hard for me to have a routine. Well now I do. I wake up when my body is ready. I do my morning skincare routine. I then head to the kitchen and drink hot water with lemon, ginger and honey ( adding turmeric from time to time). I open the window and let the fresh air in. I let myself be ready for the day. Then I make breakfast, clean the kitchen and start with my normal work- replying to the emails, messages and creating content for my Social Media Channels.

Last weeks were really slow and I didn’t work much also because I really needed a break. But I have actually started something new thanks to you! These days Salvo and I were cooking a lot (well he was, I am the upaid kitchen porter lol) and we received a lot of requests so we have started cooking and filming the recipes for you. It is giving me some energy these days. I now have my little mission and it’s keeping me busy and away from negative thoughts. If you’d like to follow our recipes feel free to follow me and Salvo on Instagram. We are going to create new recipes for you everyday. Salvo is in charge for cooking and I am looking after video and photography part. I actually really enjoy it. So far we have created recipes for homemade bread, pizza, famous pasta Cacio e pepe and Carbonara today per my best friend request. Here’s some photographs I took :

    Apart from that I haven’t done much really. I gave myself time to slow down, accept what’s happening and start working and creating when I am ready for it. I am spending these days sleeping, reading and eating. I also have baths now almost every day as I find it relaxing. And I drink wine and watch videos from my travels. That would be it!

    How are you? How you’ve been doing these days?

    Sending you lots of love and support!

    The Blonde Flamingo

    Detox weekend in Glass House, Essex

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    Hello in 2020 everyone!

    I hope you all started the year with a new, positive energy! One of my 2020 resolution was to look after my health (both physical and mental a bit more). I have recently visited a place that seriously inspired me (and helped me) to do and I would love to tell you all about it!

    When thinking of detox retreat, we often think of those far away from home, usually quite pricey when adding the costs of plane tickets but sometimes we don’t have to look this far! I have discovered an incredible and super relaxing place less than an hour drive from London called Glass House.

    A little bit about the retreat

    The Glass House is set in the heart of the Essex countryside and has been designed from scratch and built by industry experts. Offering a unique programme of wellness, fitness and nutrition led by their team of expert therapists, instructors and coaches, Glass House will be the go-to place for those seeking the ultimate wellness experience.

    How to get there?

    Less than an hour drive from London

    What makes it special?

    I truly loved this place as they were treating everyone individually. They do tailor and suggest a specialist programme to give you the most self-beneficial experience however it’s not enforced- it’s only recommended. Your journey here, can be either intense or relaxed- it’s all up to you. If you feel like a personal training session rather than a group class, that’s fine. If you feel like staying in the pool, no problem.

    Personally I done a bit of both- one intense day full of fitness classes and one day of relaxation – long sleep, yoga class, pool, sauna sessions, a massage and a facial and I loved it. What I also found great were the long countryside sunrise walks. We were lucky as it was so beautiful and sunny at all times so it was such a magical and relaxing experience and a break from busy and noisy London life. ( I would recommend you to pack warmer jacket and wellies as it was quite muddy). Also every evening after dinner they organise the wellness talks. I found them so interesting, useful and it was also a great way to connect with others attending the retreat.

    The accommodation

    The room I have stayed at was very comfortable, spacious and cosy. What I loved the most was the huge and super comfy bed. I was sleeping like a baby! The en-suite bathroom was really pretty too! I loved going back to this room after all day of treatments. They also had a great selection of herbal tees in the room. I really enjoyed having one every evening before going to sleep.

    The food

    The food at the retreat was absolutely delicious and all plant- based. Everything was natural and clean. I have chosen the Equilibrium Diet which is suitable if you want to detox, but weight loss isn’t a priority. I really enjoyed all the meals, especially the soups ( I will never ever forget the mushroom soup- it was the best one I ever had in my life!) and yummy juices. I wish I could eat this healthy everyday! They also offer and Weight loss Diet and Pure Juicing Diet. You can read more here.

    The facilities

    During the stay I was actively using all the Glass House facilities- the heated leisure pool, Himalayan salt block sauna, yoga & pilates at their fitness studio, gym ( I had an amazing session with a personal trainer!) cryo chamber and the spa.

    SPA

    As I struggle with acne I was recommended The Elemis Skin Soother which was absolutely incredible. My skin was so smooth and calm after all. I have purchased couple of Elemis products after this facial as I loved how my skin felt! I have also tried the Dermalux® LED Phototherapy which instantly energises skin cells to revitalise a dull and tired complexion. I think it seriously helped to heal the acne. You can check out all the spa treatments they offer here.

      After the retreat…

      After the retreat I felt so restored and relaxed. My skin got better too! I also learnt how important is to drink lots of water- I always forget which is so bad but after this retreat I started to think about it more. I also started to begin my day with a glass of warm water with lemon- just like at the retreat and having morning walks more often. I feel honestly grateful I have went on this little detox weekend and I would recommend you to do the same weather you’re looking for relaxation or would like to learn how you could improve your lifestyle. You can have a look at all packages and book your stay here.

      Post in collaboration with Glass House Retreat

      2019 recap and The Blonde Flamingo New Year’s resolutions

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      2019- oh wow, what a year… First of all- I cannot believe this year is coming to an end. Sadly, the last news of the year was the death of my grandma. It was honestly heartbreaking, after the most magical Christmas I have had in years. I have spend the last 2 days being quiet, but today I woke up thinking I do not want to spend the last day of the year being sad. I will forever miss her and I feel guilty as I haven’t seen her for a very long time, but I know she wouldn’t like me to be sad. She always knew my craziness and love for the world, for people, for animals and for life in general. So I will celebrate the last days of 2019. It will be more quiet ending of the year for sure, but I have a lot of reasons to celebrate and be happy and grateful for this year.

      What I feel the most grateful this year?

      For people. For people who stayed in my life and for people I have met this year. I feel like in 2019 I was more brave than the previous years. I went on many trips on my own ( last year I couldn’t imagine that at all), I connected with many inspiring and wonderful people who made my heart beat again, who made me believe in myself more than ever, who inspired me, pushed me forward. I can honestly say I have met soulmates this year and felt magic in the air again. I felt alive. I cried from happiness. I shared my sadness and struggles. I was crazy myself again. I was real. I am grateful 2019 brought these people into my life as they opened my eyes and my heart.

      I am also grateful for health– more than ever. This year my mum experienced a lot of health issues- I have been flying back home a lot to look after her. I understood that no matter what you have- family and health is what matters the most. I am SO GRATEFUL we went through this together and that I could see her happy and healthy in my house this Christmas ( I wasn’t sure she would make it until the very end and I was so stressed!) Thankfully she was well and she was glowing and more beautiful than ever!

      I also struggled with my health this year-both physical and mental- due to constant travelling and some events from the past, but this year taught me that it’s ok to take a break. I have had a break in April and October. I have also been on the most wonderful health retreat in Koh Samui, Thailand where I have been doing lots of yoga and meditation which seriously helped me to get through the tough times this year. I have also gone on a detox weekend at Glass House Retreat in Essex ( blogpost about this experience will be live soon, so stay tuned!) where I have learnt new healthy habits that I am now trying to introduce into my daily life.

      2019 was a year of realising what matters in life the most- nope, it’s not about likes and followers on Instagram but about myself, my well-being, my home life, family and closest friends. It’s about creating a truly beautiful and real life, not only perfectly edited Instagram images. I am grateful I have realised that.

      Where did The Blonde Flamingo travel this year?

      I literally don’t know where to start. This year I have travelled more than I did in my entire life! I have never ever expected that! Of course I had my bucket list for 2019 but I could never wish for the travels, press trips and projects I was invited to experience this year!

      I have started 2019 with a trip to Amsterdam ( it was my last year’s Christmas gift). After that I have headed to Koh Samui, Thailand with my friend Bonnie Rakhit, for the most wonderful and super needed health retreat ( this trip made us even closer than last year!).

      After Thailand I have then headed to Dubai– it was one of my bucket list destinations and I am so happy I managed to tick it off! I LOVED DUBAI!

      After Dubai I went to Marbella and I felt like I found my dream place to live! I am still looking at properties there. I just loved the vibe and it’s only 2 hours flight from London! After that I have celebrated my friend’s hen do in Venice– oh, Bella Italia! It was such a fun trip! Can you imagine I didn’t take a single pic? Haha!

      As season kicked off I had the most intense 5 months- I was flying from one place to another every single week. I have started with celebrating my birthday in my dream Tulum, Mexico and the hotel I have been dreaming to visit forever- Azulik. I have also managed to visit Las Coloradas where I cried from happiness as I have seen thousands of pink flamingos!

      From Mexico I returned to London ready for new projects. I have then travelled to Fuerteventura, Seville with my bestie- from there we have started our Portugal road trip with Hertz, Tel Aviv with Havaianas, Cappadocia ( BEST TRIP OF 2019!), Amalfi Coast ( my every year’s must), Ibiza ( my favouriteeee vibe!), Cambodia and Laos with Avani Hotels, Maldives ( the third time- I just cannot get enough!), Cornwall with Laurent Perrier, Corfu and Paxos (Greece, you always get me!), Saudi Arabia (it was such an insane trip with the most inspiring people in the industry). Honestly – INSANE YEAR. I am so grateful for all the opportunities!

      Photo by Kyrenian

      Talking about opportunities…

      2019 was the year of the growth I can not even put into words. After years of hard work on my brand I have noticed insane results in 2019. Brands that I have forever loved started to work with me. It was a huge dream coming true. I have signed many contracts and worked with some of my favourite and honestly huge brands- Yamamay, Havaianas, Batiste, Laurent Perrier, Elizabeth Arden, Herbal Essences, Britney Spears Fragrances, Vodafone, Fujifilm, Booking, Hertz, Hotel Tonight, Foreo, Kelloggs and many more. I have also been on many incredible press trips, had a chance to stay at magical resorts and created content at all these incredible destinations. I have also focused on growing other platforms. While I was still very active on my Instagram, I have put more time into my website, Pinterest – I was shortlisted for the Pinterest UK Awards 2019 in the Best Styled Outfits 2019 category and Tik Tok where I have just reached 186 000 worldwide followers. WOW! I feel seriously proud of myself. I worked very hard and I feel like it paid off this year.

      Biggest dream that came true 2019?

      Honestly – so many dreams came true this year. But if I have to think of one moment it’s definitely a hot air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia that I have been dreaming of visiting forever. Here I’d like to thank Altug @kyrenian for making this dream come true!

      The end of the year…

      I have spent this entire month at home, in London working and preparing for hosting the first Christmas in my apartment. It was honestly the most beautiful (and delicious) end of 2019. I really missed having a family Christmas. To be honest, I haven’t had one like that for years so I truly appreciated it. Even though I was a bit sick and I was also dealing with a loss in our family , I was happy and grateful for having people I love next to me. It was a Christmas full of love, craziness and washing plates, lol. Dear Santa- if I have to do this again, could I please get a dish washer as a gift? Haha.

      What are my goals and dreams for 2020?

      Honestly, I didn’t make a long list as I normally do. After everything I have been through, all I really wish for is to be healthy, happy tipsy at sunsets (haha) and surrounded by people who SEE me and love me for who I am. My goal is to spent less time on Social Media and more time being with people and the nature. I just want to LIVE. Watch more sunsets, more sunrises and be more present. I also want to stress less, as I have achieved a lot this year but I didn’t feel like I truly enjoyed the success. I’ve been feeling stressed out and overwhelmed! I hope 2020 will bring more love and more peace into my life ( and my head). Skills wise- I would love to learn how to surf!

      What’s on my bucket list for 2020?

      My list is honestly never-ending, but I hope to visit Hawaii, California, Peru, South Africa, Japan, Bali, new Caribbean islands and Australia! I also hope to return to my favourite Maldives, Greece, Italy ( Tuscany and Puglia, please!) and Ibiza! But honestly what I have learnt this year is that “Sometimes it’s not about the destination, but the road we take and people we meet”.

      What are your New Year’s resolutions?

      Love,

      The Blonde Flamingo

      The Blonde Flamingo Christmas event at Knot Churros

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      Hi everyone!

      I hope you’re having the most magical Christmas!

      Last week I have hosted my very first event at Knot Churros in South Kensington. Some of you probably remember my very first visit to Knot Churros this spring. I have fallen in love with this cosy cafe and their incredible pink churros (what a dream). I continued coming back to this place regularly and quickly became friends with Knot Churros team- I honestly feel like at home when I am there. Everyone’s so lovely! And the place itself is SO FLAMINGO! After I published this photo on my Instagram they even decided to use it on the cover of their menu!

      When Knot Churros asked me to host a Christmas event with them – their very first Christmas party I was beyond excited and said yes straight away! I have invited my closest friends and been counting the days down.

      When I got to the venue on the day of the event I couldn’t believe my eyes…It all looked soooooo magical, like a fairytale! Honestly- I had tears in my eyes. Look how much effort they put into decorating the place for my very first event! I was SO happy!

        We had so much fun with my girls! We all absolutely loved the churros. The choice is so big – from classic signature churros with cinnamon or dipped in Belgian white chocolate, glazed with fruit Pebbles. So YUMMY! They also created a very special Christmas Flamingo Shake! It was delicious!

        Here’s the full squad! Diana, Ticija, Simone, Taylor, Ana, and Cassie Love these girls so much!

        A special thank you to the Knot Churros team for creating such a magical Christmas event, to Miniso UK for the cutest goodie bags, to Diana – a great London based photographer and for snapping these beautiful photos and GurpreetKaur for filming the whole experience. You can watch the full video from the event here. We honestly had the best time! I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity and a bunch of supportive girls! My heart was full! If you ever visit- send them my flamingo love again!

        Post in collaboration with Knot Churros