SATURDAY SIX

I kick started this year full of motivation, ready to slay 2017 and make it my bitch. Sorry but it's the only way to describe the sheer sassy attitude I had towards kick starting January. January was a bit of a 'meh' and I began to slowly run out of steam as the month went on. I even wrote a post on Blogging Home Truths and admitted, I was so very uninspired. It's not until January charged on that I realised I was uninspired not just by blogging but pretty much everything. Work. Home. Food. Beauty. Working Out. My Wardrobe; the list felt endless. I found myself in a bit of a rut and rather than take a full on blogging break - I slammed the breaks on my online life and started seeking inspiration offline and to my surprise, it's slowly working. I've rekindled my love of reading, watching foreign cinema/TV shows and found a new workout that I feel suits what I need right now. I see these lifestyle features on other blogs so I thought I'd share with you what's been capturing my attention this month. 

READING

I set myself a Good Reads challenge this year - to read 30 books. I used to be a bookworm growing up. I was that kid that loved going to the library and always had the new Jacqueline Wilson book on it's release date. Growing up, it's something I've still maintained a love for but finding time to curl up with a book these days felt impossible but it wasn't as it seemed. Since swapping spending my nights scrolling through my phone and glaring at my Macbook screen, I've set aside 2 hours every few days as 'reading time' and I'm surprised to say that I'm now onto my 6th book of the year already! It's made me feel more relaxed and like I've successfully managed to 'cut off', which I don't tend to do. I recently read Bloom by Estee LaLonde in one sitting and I enjoyed every page. Estee is one of my favourite influencers online - she keeps it 100, she's incredibly down to earth and I don't feel like she's forget her audience, unlike others. The book was beautifully put together with stunning photos, personal tales and great advice. If you're an Estee fan, I highly recommend it!

THE 3%

It's been a while since I've found myself engrossed in a TV show but The 3% ticked all the boxes for me. I was recommended this by someone in work and they summed it up perfectly - 'think Black Mirror meets The Hunger Games'. As a fan of both, I was sold and after completing season one, Ive not shut up about it. It's a Netflix Original and set in Sao Paulo - heads up, it's in Portuguese and i'd only recommend it if you can stand subtitles. There is a divide between two places - The Inland and The Offshore. The Inland is an enormous slum and everyone who resides there lives in poverty. Each year, inhabitants can enter 'The Process' where they will be put through physical, emotional and extremely testing challenges for the chance to become part of the 3% - a ticket to a better life on The Offshore. A land full of promise, wealth and no squalor. The series follows a selection of those entering the process, their motivation and the journey they go through to hopefully make it through. It's science fiction and won't be for everyone but I found it mesmerising. It was slick, stylish and I enjoyed the different stories of every character. If you're looking for a new show to quickly binge on, this eight episode series gets a giant thumbs up from me.

PILATES

In August/September of 2016, I got my ass in gear, joined a gym, got a trainer, started becoming a protein shake wanker and to be honest, was in the best physical shape I'd been in my whole entire life. I was full of energy, got that after workout buzz that I was convinced was a myth for many years and started looking in the mirror feeling good about my body. Without going into too much personal detail, that all fell to the wayside and the tail end of last year was a complete and utter write off for me. I've since experienced anxiety about even going to the gym. I haven't been since September of last year and if I'm being honest, I'm embarrassed about my level of physical fitness. I wanted to look at alternatives to going to the gym and find another workout that would work for me and my personal circumstances at this time, so I wasn't continuing to be a slob. Enter Pilates - a form of exercise I used to love a few years back.  Instead of going to classes, I've been using good old Youtube as my source of workouts and adore Boho Beautiful's 21 Day Pilates Challenge, the majority of videos by Blogilates and the pilates selection on offer from one of my favourite fitness channels, FitnessBlender. I love pilates for 3 reasons; 1 - despite being a workout, I find it's the right balance between getting a great workout and not feeling 'burned out' at the end. 2 - It is actually quite relaxing and I feel like I can switch off for a good half an hour and 3 - I enjoy the pace of it. It's not overly strenuous but you do get a burn later as the day goes on. I'm a full on Pilates convert and hoping to continue to routine I'm in right now for the next 4 weeks in prep for being in a bikini. Wish me luck!

THE STYLE SUCCESS PODCAST

I used to religiously listen to podcasts a few years ago and sadly, I somehow fell away from downloading them but now, my podcast love is back with a vengeance and they're all I've been listening to the past few weeks. I love podcasts; they are so varied and there are some real gems out there that really do inspire you. One that I've been loving is The Style Success Podcast, hosted by Wardrobe Consultant Mallory Sills. The episodes cover all aspects of being body confident, dressing for your shape, discussing key trends, how to find your signature style and my most recent favourite - how to get out of a style rut which is me 100% right now. Between my own wardrobe and the shops being completely crap right now, this recent podcast spoke to me. It was motivating, armed with great advice and practical steps to take to overcome the lacklustre feeling I had towards my style. Other great podcasts I've been loving are The Fashion Hags, The Simple Sophisticate and Tranquility Du Jour. 

PEPPERMINT TEA

I'm late to the herbal tea trend. I mean, I've drank them, I like them but I don't 'love' them and for me, nothing beats a good cappuccino or milky cup of tea - you heard right, I'm one of those baby tea kind of gals. Recently, I've been suffering from bloating after playing around with my diet. Word of advice - don't cut out gluten and then one day decide to just start eating it like you never deprived your body of it by eating 3 dominos in one week. You will resemble a full term pregnant lady. I started drinking Peppermint Tea in an attempt to reduce bloating which FYI worked a treat and I've also found it much more enjoyable to drink. It's very calming, soothing and I just love the scent. A new firm favourite of mine. 

PLANTS

One thing I feel like my house currently lacks is plants. I've had numerous different plants over the years as my mum kindly treats me to some nature now and then but there is only a certain number of aloe vera plants a girl can straight up neglect before she realises she isn't about that life. However, Pinterest and Instagram have got me pining for pretty plants and greenery in my home. I recently bought Bringing The Outside In, a great book for beginners on how to look after plants, succulents and incorporating these into your home displayed in pretty terrariums and avoiding just shoving them on a window sill or corner of the room. I'm looking forward to adding some into my home. If you know any great blog posts on this subject or a great source for pretty plant pots then please comment below. A girl can never have too little info. 

That's my Saturday Six and to be honest, as much as I enjoyed writing this post to showcase what I've been loving in the hope it inspires you too, I can't help but still feel that little disheartened feeling towards my blog right now. Maybe a step back would be good or maybe once the weather picks up or stores start actually stocking nice clothes I'll be back to my sassy self but none the less, these 6 things are what has consumed my attention this month and I hope you enjoyed this post. I'd love to know what you do to stay inspired or what you've been loving lately! As always, you can comment below or tweet/IG me at whatamydid. Thanks for reading.