A MASTERS IN LITERATURE | THOUGHTS NEARING THE FINISH

I am steadily coming to the end of my year as a Masters student. My dissertation is due in five weeks and honestly once this is over with, I'm not sure what I'm going to use my brain for. I've spent the best part of a year thinking about very little else and too busy filling my spare time with doggo walking, note taking and boyfriend seeing to think much about where to go afterwards.

For a long time I was sure that I wanted to do a PhD. My plan was pretty solidly to find a funded PhD (Oxford or UCL, y'know - somewhere I could feel smug about) and start my career as an academic. But things have changed. While I LOVE academia, and will always cherish my time as a postgraduate, the reality is that I just don't think that it's the future for me. The world of academia is largely very traditional, rigid, and somewhat humourless, and getting an essay back with glowing praise and a first grade isn't quite enough to take away the snitty comment in the feedback about how the little joke that I made halfway through was 'detrimental to an otherwise professional and impressive piece of work'.

CRUELTY FREE BEAUTY FAVOURITES #4

Summertime usually sees me running out for new beauty products, because there's something about the opportunity to flash a bit of bare ankle that just screams 'give your money to superdrug!' So of course I have a new stash of cruelty free products that I've been using over the past few weeks and wanted to share some of my favourite finds. 

TIPS FOR EVERYDAY MENTAL WELLBEING

Everybody has mental health. I realise that this should be completely obvious, but it's quite strange that, in our culture, we tend to reserve discussion about mental health for those struggling with mental illness. But the thing is, we all have mental health, and we all can be vulnerable to having that health compromised in some way. We don't wait until an individual has flu to tell them how to prevent it, we make clear the steps that help somebody stay well and avoid illness so that they can stay physically strong and healthy, rather than just applying cures after the fact. So why don't we do the same thing with mental health? (Cynical opinion: A healthy body is more useful to capitalist labour needs than a healthy mind but who knows? ) 

Mental health week was some time ago now, but I wanted to wait a little before posting this, because mental wellbeing should be part of our everyday conversations, not segregated to a single week. With that in mind I wanted to share a few tips to take care of everyday mental health, whether you're someone who is currently living with a mental illness, or someone who wants to take steps to cultivate good mental health, and have some resources for wobblier moments. 

"IS THIS THE END OF BLOGGING?" | BREAKING OUT OF THIS BAD ATTITUDE

I feel like I can't click onto Bloglovin' anymore without seeing a post titled something like "Is This the End of Blogging?" or "Thinking of Giving Up." and it can be really discouraging to think that people really feel this way.

Don't get me wrong, I get it. This is a very new blog, but I've actually been a blogger since 2009. I have very clear and fond memories of the rise of blogging, and how wonderful and exciting it was to feel really on the curve of something, and have people engaging with your content and enjoying everyone else's work. Since then things have changed. I ducked out for a few years and when I came back in about 2016 it felt like things had stalled. A lot of people that I had absolutely loved had dropped out of the blogging world altogether. I was very discouraged and, although I kept blogging, it felt like the people who would be successful bloggers already were, and there was no way of growing an audience anymore. F L Y N N was my attempt at a fresh start, leaving behind the expectations and blogging just for myself.

MID YEAR RESOLUTIONS

I really don't know how we're halfway through the year. I know that's SUCH a cliche but honestly I still haven't recycled some of my Easter treat boxes, though that might just be me being a slob...  

But I thought I'd take some time to reflect on how my 2018 goals are panning out, and consider what I want to think about and focus on over the next six months. My good friend Holly gave me the idea so shout out to her, and her adorable new blog which you can read and enjoy here. 

CRUELTY FREE BEAUTY FAVES #3 | DAILY ROUTINE

It hasn't been that long since I last posted about cruelty free products, but a very dear friend of mine Kieran (you can read his blog here) sent me a little care package full of LUSH goodies. I mentioned, when he came round to stay a few weeks ago, that I didn't really have a set skincare routine and, as a LUSH employee, he was very keen to help me address this!

Among the super cute, pastel bath bits, and amazing smelling hair care, were three items to make up a little low maintenance daily routine, and, having been sticking to this fairly regularly for about three weeks now, I've really seen the benefits.

SUMMER READING LIST

The module portion of my Masters is over! It's a bittersweet feeling for many reasons, but it does mean that I no longer have academic reading lists longer than my arms to get through each week, so this summer I can finally get back into reading for fun regularly!

I'm putting myself on a strict budget this summer because I don't want to be working too much while I'm writing my dissertation, and that means I'm going to be (mostly) limiting myself to books that I already own but haven't gotten around to reading yet. Fortunately, I have twelve of those with me in York, so this summer I'm determined to get round to all of them!

HAPPINESS IS... SUMMER EDITION

. Giving grouchy looking, little plants a loving home in old candle holders.

. Vegetarian barbecues. (pepper, mushroom and halloumi skewers yisssss)

. Scouring second hand bookshops.

. Reading and studying for my MA.

HOW TO HYGGE IN HOT WEATHER

 If, last Christmas, you went anywhere near a bookshop or the pages of a magazine or lifestyle blog, you'll know that the Danish art of Hygge (Hyu-Gah) was the big Winter trend, In case you were under a rock Hygge translates very roughly to a cosy comforting atmosphere and appreciating simple pleasures in life, and all the articles and books about achieving this blissful state recommend big log fires, cosy blankets, hearty soups and calming hot drinks.

Even though it was a massive marketing gimmick, I do really believe in embracing the Hygge lifestyle, and spent the winter surrounded by candles and soft throws, making sure I had a warm comforting space to come home to after a long day at work or out in the cold. But everything I saw in the Hygge lifestyle can be translated to a happy and calming summer, so I thought I'd share tips on staying hygge in the heat.

RECENT READS 001

Here in the UK, we've been enjoying a surprisingly long and balmy spell of summer, a perfect opportunity to get some reading done in the sunshine. Here are a few recent reads of mine that I feel deserve a mention, and the book I'm currently enjoying. 

I D A H O - Emily Rusckovich's debut novel is an extraordinary meditative piece, exploring the repercussions of a family tragedy from several perspectives. The writing is glorious and the ways in which she plays with elements of time and memory will leave you speechless.

SUMMER IN COPENHAGEN

Having not left the country since my trip to Paris in the New Year, Alex and I decided it was high time we went on an adventure of our own, and spent three days in the beautiful city of Copenhagen, Denmark. Despite the grizzly early morning start and the packed flight, the journey went smoothly and we arrived in the City in time to enjoy our first evening there. We were very lucky in that we had inadvertently visited the city during a week long jazz festival, and so spent hours exploring the city with music everywhere, from a big band performance in the heart of the city, where we climbed the Round Tower and had hotdogs from one of the 50+ stands (tofu hotdogs ftw) to a lone saxophone player on the waterfront where we spent the last hour of sunshine sat with beers and watching the world go by.