As the cold, dark nights draw closer, we're all looking for the best autumn home decor inspiration to help make our homes as cosy as possible for hibernation season. Since moving into an apartment in Hamburg, I'm a little homewares crazy and I can't stop thinking about all the ways I can make the place as inviting as possible. After all, if I really have to spend another winter freezing my butt off in the northern hemisphere, the least I can do is enjoy wrapping up warm and candlelit nights in my new little home. For me, autumn is all about layers and soft fabrics, rich warm colours and firelight. Whether you have a big budget for giving your home a makeover, or you're just looking to add a few seasonal touches, there are lots of ways to style up your home for autumn.
There's nothing like the feeling of new bedding, and when better to refresh your bed than right before hibernation season? Those long dark nights just call for lots of cosy bedding and layers to snuggle up in. It doesn't have to be expensive, I'm a huge fan of Primark and Matalan bedding for when you want to give your room a makeover but don't have a fortune to spend on a new look. And a must for any autumn home decor makeover, pick up a soft knitted or fluffy throw to drape over your bed, there's nothing like it for maximum comfort and a really luxurious look to welcome you home after a long day.
Top tip: Keep your walls neutral so you can experiment with brighter colours on your bedding, it can completely change the look of your room.
For me, autumn makes me think of warm fires and golden, flickering light. I just love a wood burner or open fire, but not all of us have this luxury and we definitely don't in our apartment. Instead I make do with scented candles and fairy lights which make the room so much more autumnal with that golden glow cast over the warm layers of the bed and couch. I've wound fairy lights around the top and bottom of my bed and they're lovely to have on while snuggled up in bed watching a movie. I also seem to collect candles, whenever I see a cute new one in the shops, I can't resist taking it home to add to my collection. It's lovely to run myself a hot bath and surround it with candles on a dark night. I always line them along the bedside tables and the windowsills for evenings in the living room or bedroom and it's such a cosy atmosphere. It's so simple and budget-friendly, but makes a real difference to your autumn home decor.
Top tip: Don't spend a fortune on candles, the expensive brands smell incredible but I always find they don't last very long when you burn them as often as I do. Primark do a fab range for anyone on a budget, or if you feel like splurging, you can't go wrong with Jo Malone.
The last few weeks have seen the leaves changing colour to those rich reds, golds and browns and the ground is littered with horse chestnuts and acorns. I love seeing these hints of autumn and love bringing them into my home. If you don't have money to spend on decorating, there's plenty of ways to decorate for free by bringing nature into your home and styling up the things you find on the ground. I've been collecting conkers on my way into work every morning and bringing them home. My plan is to display them in bowls or jars around the living room and bedroom – so simple but really effective. Plus the old wives tale says they help keep the spiders and daddy-long-legs away – not sure if it's true or not but I'll be glad if it does!
Top tip: Head to the park or woods and combine a fresh autumn walk with a chance to collect some cute bits to decorate your home, it's a great thing to do with kids if you have little ones or a younger brother or sister. 
If you happen to have a bigger budget and are looking to makeover your home for the season, why not take a look at more luxury ways of styling up your home. From painting the walls in deep, autumnal tones and jewel colours like emerald and burgundy, to accessorising with gold and bronze. Finding autumn home decor inspiration is easy when you look at the colour scheme right outside your window. You could even look at new furniture and have the upholstery custom-made for your home so you can make your dream home a reality. Cox and Cox offer this service with a range of luxury fabrics and styles that could help you design the perfect living space for your home.
Top tip: If you want a home that changes with the seasons, pick neutral tones for the furniture that you can match to different colour paint/paper for the walls and brighter bedding or accessories.
What are your favourite ways to style your home for autumn? How do you change your home decor to suit the seasons? Have you made any home decor changes yet?
When we spend all year looking forward to our holidays, it's no wonder that staying in shape when we travel is so important to us. It sounds superficial – but when we look good, we feel good – and there's nothing wrong with wanting to maintain that. Whether you are travelling for a week or two, or for months at a time, there are plenty of ways to ensure that we stay feeling fit, healthy and looking good during our break. Having chosen travel as a lifestyle, there have been times in the past when I have felt that meant compromising my love of staying healthy and fit. But over the years, I've found more of a balance that I'm happy with and I feel like now I'm in the best shape I have been in for years. I feel physically very fit and strong, full of energy, I'm eating a diet full of nutrients and I can honestly say I'm happy with the way I look. Accepting my body and it's appearance, as for many people, is something that comes over time and perhaps even more so with age. But a huge factor in this has been the lifestyle, diet and exercise that I have chosen in the last year.
This is something I've spoken about a lot and it is crucial to maintaining your figure, and your health, during long-term travels. Staying in shape comes from finding a lifestyle that you can keep up, not crash dieting and getting obsessed with working out then living off chips and beer for the next few months. It can prevent you from falling into the trap of yo-yoing between having the perfect bikini body, to feeling bloated and ballooning like many backpackers do. It can be very hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle when travelling long-term and constantly moving between places, but it also gives you the flexibility to not be so hard on your body.
For me, finding balance was about eating right – in my case deciding to keep to a mostly vegetarian and even vegan diet. Yes I slip up sometimes, but making the decision to focus on plant-based food and to avoid dairy has made me feel like a completely different person. I have twice the energy, I feel stronger and healthier, and my body has completely changed shape leaving me leaner, slimmer and with less body fat. Don't get me wrong, I still have pizza and pasta several times a week, love drinking wine and never say no to treats, but I also never feel guilty for these things because they are in moderation and contrast against the freshly prepared meals that are bursting with healthy ingredients.
Travelling means a constantly changing environment, new cultures and new foods. You have to be open to spontaneity and remain flexible in your diet and exercise. You won't always fit in all your workouts and sometimes you'll be forced to eat certain unhealthy foods. The main thing is to be open and to never blame yourself if you have a bit of an unhealthy week – perhaps you're spending your time eating all the treats and not being very active. But other weeks, you might be hiking mountains and dancing the night away living off fresh fruit and salads! It's called balance. If like me, you try to eat mostly vegetarian and vegan, you have to be open to some cultures not being as knowledgeable about animal products and replacements being less available. For instance I found it super easy to eat vegetarian in Thailand and Australia, but I've heard in Japan a lot of food contains fish oil which might put stricter vegetarians off certain foods. I've also had issues since moving to Germany with the meat-heavy diet of the country. Be open to trying new things and always try to stick to your morals, but understand it may be difficult at times.
Changing my attitude towards working out from trying to stay slim, to focusing on getting stronger and pushing myself has also had a huge effect. Now I work out for my mind, not my body and just changing my mindset has helped me grow to love my body for it's strength, and for how it feels rather than how it looks. I never go to the gym because I'm having a "fat day" or because I feel like I've overindulged. Instead staying in shape is more than just working on my body, it's working on my mind too. Now I head out for a run, or to the gym to blow off some steam, to clear my head, to give myself an energy boost or to tire me out for bed. I get asked a lot about how I stay in shape when I seem to be on a permanent holiday and I can tell you at first, it wasn't easy. But changing the way I think about it really helped me to go from trying to stay slim, to wanting to feel healthy all the time. One great thing about travelling – your health and happiness becomes a priority!
It sounds blindingly obvious but you'd be amazed how many people are glued to a sun-bed when they travel. I'm not saying you have to get up at the crack of dawn and go running every morning, but why not get out and go for a walk? It's my favourite way to explore a new city, by walking the streets, you see so much more than you would on the underground and you get to work up an appetite for that plateful of paella you've had your eye on! When we were on our 3 week road trip around Europe, we broke up the trip with days soaking up the culture and beauty of Vienna and Prague, in-between eating the local sweet treats.
Don't fancy the city? Head out to the national parks or countryside, or enjoy an afternoon walk along the beach and work on your tan. Even jump in the ocean and swim alongside the beach for a great way to cool off while staying in shape. There are so many amazing ways to stay active and the more you throw yourself into them, the more you will start having fun and won't even realise how much energy you are burning. Things like an afternoon of snorkelling or scuba diving with sea turtles, or climbing a mountain, or even walking around the markets and shopping to your heart's content.
So many of us plan our travel time to the tee from plane to bus to taxi. But there are so many ways to get a bit more active while staying in shape during your trip. A great way to do this is to hire bikes, or borrow the ever-popular city bikes you will find in most big cities. Usually these offer the first 20-30 minutes of free riding which can be plenty of time to enjoy some of the sights. It can also help you avoid busy public transport and traffic jams. For those who have planned a beachside holiday, there are lots of great water sports you can try out, from the more exhilarating options of surfing, waterskiing and paragliding. For something more relaxing, try kayaking or even renting a little pedal boat like my boyfriend and I did in Hamburg the other weekend to explore the canals and lakes.
If you love sailing, boat rental is a fantastic way to keep fit while travelling. Many people underestimate sailing as an endurance sport but being on water means that you are constantly balancing and using your stomach and core muscles. Perfect for staying in shape, and enjoying a day out on the water, sailing improves your coordination, flexibility and strength. Daily tasks, such as rigging, often require a lot of energy and being on your feet all day means you are constantly getting a workout, while having fun!
The most important thing of all – never feel guilty for food choices or for not squeezing in a workout during your travels. While I agree you will never regret a workout and always feel better for doing it. I also know that sometimes, it is much more important to squeeze in yet another delicious slice of Black Forest Gateau, a delicious cheese fondue or even a famous Trdlo from Prague. Food is life and food is huge part of the travelling and cultural experience, and you should never feel you have to turn it down to stay in shape. Likewise, you should never feel guilty if you skip a workout to go out for a pizza or to go drinking with friends from your hostel – life happens and it gets in the way sometimes. Your holiday should always be a holiday first and if that means you sit in your bikini drinking pina coladas and eating chips for two weeks, then that's fine too. Staying in shape is mental as well as physical, and it's important to be happy and enjoy your trip without guilt over that last gelato.
How do you stay in shape when you travel? Do you find it easy to maintain a healthy lifestyle on holiday or do you head straight for the cocktails? What is you favourite way to stay active on holiday?
These days, It's not just us bloggers but everyone who is after the secret for capturing Instagrammable locations. We all want that perfect feed full of gorgeous travel photos to leave everyone we've ever met green with envy. But how do you do it? How do you curate that feed full of amazing travel photography? How do you edit and how do you get noticed? I've made some huge changes over the last few months and I can see the impact. My likes quadrupled overnight, engagement more than tripled and I've even been featured on some huge Instagram accounts. I'm no expert by a long shot, but hopefully my tips and tricks can help you create the Insta account you've been dreaming of. Whether you're a blogger, or just a gal who wants some fab pics.
I've spent years travelling and capturing Instagrammable locations, from Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, to Australia, Greece and the US. But for years, I never really knew what I was doing with Instagram, I posted pics I liked. I over-filtered them and I was haphazard with my posting. It was more for my own pleasure than for anything else. Which is totally fine! But, I realised that if I wanted to really work on my photography and particularly my Instagram, I would need to invest in it. So over the last few months, that's exactly what I've done.
I invested in a new camera. I now have the Olympus Pen ELP-8 which is amazing and perfectly designed for blogger photos. Now I'm not saying you need a fancy camera to take good pics. You can take amazing ones on a phone too, but for me I needed a top quality camera I could use for curating images for my blogs and articles as well so it was a good purchase. Not only is it small and lightweight. But it's also much cheaper than a DSLR camera while still taking the same quality images.
Don't have the money to spend on fancy equipment but keen to learn? There's a lot you can do to invest in your photography skills and all for free! If you're really passionate about improving your photography, the best thing you can do is really give yourself time to learn. That's what I've been doing the last few months, getting to know my camera and all the settings. Experimenting with photo editing programmes and creating my own presets. It takes time to learn all these things, but you don't need to sign up to a photography course to do it. All the information you need is right at your fingertips. Endless Youtube videos, websites dedicated to advice and tips, blogger posts with tips and tricks like this one.
My biggest tip – don't spend your life, and your travels, racing around and capturing Instagrammable locations at the same places where thousands of other people are doing exactly the same. Peggy Porschen's in London for example – as beautiful as the place is – if I see another photo from there, I will scream! Why be a sheep and follow in the footsteps of others when you can blaze a trail by travelling to the places you've always dreamed of and finding a way to capture them and make them Instagrammable?
You could stumble upon the next Peggy Porschen's on the other side of the world and give the bloggers a reason to try something new! Certainly don't plan your travels around your Insta feed, if you do that you'll always experience new places through your lens instead of really feeling a place and capturing the moments. It's all about finding beauty everywhere you go.
Spend time getting to know your camera or even your phone settings, there are lots of ways you can use these to create even more exciting images. I really took the time to play around with my camera during our holiday and trying out the different settings, playing with focus and angles. I particularly loved trying out the timer and shutter settings so I could get great photos without even touching the camera. As someone who has traveled solo for a long time, I know how hard it can be to get great shots with you in the frame. I started setting up the camera to take photos on timer and tried out interval shooting which had some amazing results. This is how a lot of the top travel couple Instagrammers get their amazing shots - practice and you could be as good as them!
Don't you get bored of taking the same photos? I certainly get bored of seeing the same poses, the same angles and the same boring presentation of a place. If you're bored, there's every chance your feed is boring! So why not jazz it up a bit, forget the feed and focus on taking pictures and finding unique angles and ways of capturing Instagrammable locations. Have fun with it and try shooting in different ways, you may even discover a unique style that becomes instantly recognisable. The more you find ways of making your pics unique, the more you will naturally curate a feed that you feel passionate and excited about.
Something I never used to do but have started of late, this one can be a bit of a game changer for curating your feed. All the big bloggers and popular feeds with 100,000's of followers, they all plan their feeds and work to create an overall image that is cohesive. If you're serious about working on your Instagram account, you should definitely be thinking about your feed overall as well as the individual images. There are some great apps available where you can shuffle images around to plan which order you feel they will work best. I don't actually use any apps, but spent a lot of time looking over images, planning a colour scheme and working out the best order. Since doing this, I've finally felt like my feed works as a whole and that's something I've had a lot of great feedback on lately.
Everyone has been asking me about presets lately and I really recommend them. Basically a preset is a filter that has been created to give a specific look for your photos. If you're someone who wants to learn about editing photos over the longer-term but needs a quick fix, this is a great option. These presets are available online or even sold by many bloggers and Instagrammers. I actually purchased some when I was first starting to experiment with editing photos and they worked amazingly. It was a perfect quick fix and it also gave me more of an insight into these presets, creating them and editing photos myself. Read on for my fave editing programme and how it could change your outlook on capturing Instagrammable locations.
I've tried a LOT of editing programmes from Photoshop and VSCO to IG filters and a few others. NOTHING has worked as effectively as Lightroom and I honestly cannot recommend it enough. It's easy to use and create your own presets or quickly edit using the ones you have bought. When I first purchased presets, I was using Lightroom to apply these to my own photos, but doing so made me more aware of how the editing programme worked. I began to play with the settings and experiment a lot on images, over time, I've actually managed to create my own presets based on those I was originally using. I've now found that these work a LOT better for my skin tone and the colouring I want throughout my feed.
It was fast to learn and especially so because I used the presets beforehand. So if like me, you don't have as much time on your hands to learn editing and photography, try this out for a fresh perspective and a new way of editing images just the way you want them. If you want to get Lightroom, it is available in a free mobile version which is available on your phone or iPad, or you can pay for the desktop version.
I read a tweet yesterday from a blogger who had just met with Instagram. She said they had told her that in order to get real growth. Apparently you have to be posting 4-5 times daily, and that posting once a day will just encourage engagement. Pretty insane if you ask me. I'm pretty sure it would be an instant unfollow if I started posting 4-5 times a day and spammed your feed. Most bloggers and Instagrammers seem to post once a day, max twice, which works well. Who honestly has the time to curate the images for more than that?
But posting regularly is key to getting those likes, followers and comments. I find if I don't post for a few days, the algorithm will make my posts less visible to my followers and I have to work to get back to the level of engagement and growth I previously had. I'm currently posting daily and get lots of new followers every day, my likes have quadrupled and my comments have tripled so I'm happy to keep at it. Again, this is what works for me. You may not want to post daily and that's okay too! We should never feel like we have to do any of this. Particularly if you don't have the time for capturing Instagrammable locations, just do what you enjoy.
Getting used to being in front of the camera can be difficult at first, but the better you are, the more popular your pictures will be. We all love those candid shots and the ones where people look natural and free, not the awkward posing. I find that I really hate posing for pics when capturing Instagrammable locations. So, my way of getting around that is taking candid shots.
I always try to keep moving when I'm having my picture taken. I walk towards the camera, or away from it, I turn, smile, change position. Throughout, I keep having a laugh with the photographer. I have to say that I feel a lot more of my pics felt posey when I was travelling solo because I just wanted to get the shot. With someone else taking the photos, I didn't have the option of getting as many varied shots. Whether you are taking your own pics on self-timer or have a good friend who snaps your shots. The most important thing is to feel confident and to embrace the pose.
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Have you got any good tips for capturing Instagrammable locations? Where is the most Instagrammable place you have been? How do you take your favourite pics?
Harsh words, I know, but I've always been the kind of person who prefers honesty no matter how brutal it seems. Not just with friends and family but also with myself – because if you're not honest with yourself, then how can you expect anyone else to be? The other night I finally said the words out loud, the ones that have been playing on my mind for the past six weeks. "I don't blog anymore. I'm failing as a blogger. I'm the worst at blogging that I've ever been." It pained me to say it because I love blogging, I love writing and I always have. I still remember so clearly the first moment I set up this blog and the solace and happiness I have found in it ever since, the successes and struggles. This blog has been with me through so many of the biggest moments of my life from studying and relationships, to careers, travel and more. And so have all of you, the amazing people who read this blog and support me every step of the way. But as much as it pained me to admit it, I have another, even more shocking confession to make.
I can't apologise for taking a step back from blogging because I don't feel sorry that life got in the way. I'm not sorry that I decided to prioritise other things and that actually it was the best decision I could have made. Because sometimes we have to accept that we can't be everything. We can't be superwoman. We can't all be amazing in our careers, our relationships, learn a new language and run a blog and keep a clean house. Eventually something has to give and it's always better we make that decision ourselves rather than have it forced upon us later on. As you guys know, I went on a 3-week road trip around Europe and on my return I started my new job alongside taking on various other roles. It soon became clear that I needed to sacrifice something in order to be able to give 110% in all my other roles.
It would have been easy for me to feel like I was failing as a blogger, failing at life. That not being able to do all the things meant I wasn't as dedicated as I should be – but that wasn't the case. I was just reprioritising which is one of the most valuable things you can do if you care about the quality of your work. It was much more important to me to deliver high quality work in my job, to give my friends my undivided attention, and to really genuinely enjoy my trip without guilt. My blog has always been about having a life and making the most of every second – well, sometimes to do that you have to know when to hold back.
It's easy to forget how much you have already achieved, but 9 months into the year is always a great time to think back. Instead of looking at how I'm failing as a blogger, I should remember that my big goals for this year were to focus on pushing forward in my career. Well, now it's September and I can say how proud I am of myself for such a huge year. 2018 was the year I moved to Germany without speaking the language but still managed to land a job as a content manager working in SEO without any formal training. It was the year I had a home of my own for the first time in nearly 5 years. It was the year I travelled around Europe in a van and scored some of my biggest blogging collaborations yet. And alongside this I managed to make some amazing new friends in a brand new city. To say it's been a pretty amazing year would be an understatement and failing as a blogger is such a small thing in the wake of such success. Sacrificing this blog for a short time has brought so much happiness into my life and I can't apologise for that.
But the great thing about failing as a blogger and getting out there and grabbing life by the you-know-whats is that I've got some pretty great stories and blog posts just waiting to be shared with you all. So I'm back, tap-tap-tapping away at my keyboard and excited to be back sharing my life with you all. So let's start with last weekend when I had the best Sunday soaking up the last of the summer sunshine over a few cheeky cocktails and a Japanese feast. Sporting my fab new sunglasses gifted by Toyshades, a unique London brand who create both classic vintage eyewear styles and contemporary designs. I'm wearing the Rudge 2018 - Matte Tortoise Frame with Rose Amber Pentoptic Lens (£38) which I absolutely love and will be wearing until the very last rays of sunshine have disappeared this winter. After such an amazing summer, I'm really clinging on to those last remaining sunny days and how better to spend them than eating and drinking with your favourite person? We started at beach bar StrandPauli for drinks – one of my fave bars overlooking the river – then headed to Momo Ramen in Sternschanze for the most amazing meal of ramen, sake and gyozo.
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A final note on this post – a reminder that failure isn't always a bad thing. It's okay to be failing as a blogger, at your job, as a friend, as a girlfriend or even as a daughter sometimes. Because you're not super-human – I know I'm definitely not! It's time we stopped expecting everyone to give 110% in every aspect of their life all at the same time. It's okay to say no, it's okay to cut back and it's okay to fail. What's important is what you learn from it – how you grow and change. I'm placing less expectations on myself, I will always work my ass off but I'm going to stop taking on so much and feeling guilty when I have to say no. The rest of 2018 is about finding balance that works for me.
What have been your big successes this year? How have you failed – and what have you learned from it? How do you find balance in your life?
