Are you finding yourself with a little more time on your hands than usual lately? Yeah a nation wide lockdown will generally do that! But you don't have to waste all this free time! Why not take this opportunity to learn a new language? German perhaps?
Over the last couple of weeks I've dedicated at least one hour a day to brushing up on my German language skills, which were poor to say the least. Whilst I don't feel like doing it every day, just one hour out of my busy (ha!) schedule is all it really takes to start getting to grips with the basics!
And I haven't paid a penny for it.
So how can you learn German for free?
Youtube
One of the easiest ways, and maybe more fun ways to learn the basics of a language is through Youtube. You will find a whole host of videos from multiple creators on the platform which can help ease yourself into learning a new language. Whilst I doubt you can learn a language thoroughly this way, it's definitly a good place to start.
One youtube series I've been watching for a while now is Learn German With Anja. Anja, a native German speaker, has published hundreds of videos which cover all kinds of topics and will be helpful to anyone learning German.
If you're looking to practice your German language skills, BBC Bitesize is a great place to head to. It was created to help school aged students revise however there is nothing to stop anyone from using it as a revision tool. The Bitesize German page is full of useful videos for learners of all levels however I do think you will really benefit from using this platform if you do already have a grasp of basic German.
Duolingo is my favourite platform to learn German for free. The lessons are short, simple, and can even be fun. Using Duolingo I can learn German on my phone and also track my progress too. It's a very thorough learning tool that tests your spelling and pronunciation skills amongst other important factors and it's an app I would recommend anyone looking to start learning a language.
I really hope this helps some of you keep occupied for the next few weeks while the UK, and most of Europe is still in lockdown.
And once the lockdown is lifted and the world starts to go back to normal, you'll just to have book yourself a little trip to a German speaking country to test your new skills!
If learning German isn't your thing don't worry, I've popped together a huge list of 126 things you can do in lockdown to keep you busy!
Thanks for reading!
x
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As the Coronavirus pandemic worsens, it seems that quite a few of us are going to be cooped up inside for the next few weeks. For some of us this means working from home, but for more and more of us this will just be time to kill before the world gets back to normal.
I've popped together a list of things you can do to pass the time and ride this pandemic out.
For ease I've spilt the list into two, things you can do if you're feeling productive, and things you can do if you're not, because in times like this it's okay to just chill the fuck out.
So what can you do whilst you are self isolating/ social distancing?
Things you can do if you're feeling productive:
1. Update your CV
2. Take an online course with Udemy
3. Check your credit score
4. Plan a weekly or monthly budget
5. Get all of your washing done and change your bed sheets
7. Tidy up your garden whilst the sun is shining
8. Do an hour of exercise
9. Delete the unwanted photos from your camera roll on your phone
10. Vacuum every room in the house
11. Organise your bookshelf by colour
12. Write a blog post (Here are some tips on writing your first ever blog post if you're new to blogging)
13. Update your media kit, or create one if you don't already have one
14. Tidy up and clear out your junk draws
15. Give the bathroom a massive spring clean and chuck out old products
16. Start learning sign language
17. Plan your meals for the week, making sure older food is all used up
18. Learn a new skill
19. Clean the bloody oven out, boring I know, but necessary
20. Create a 1 month, 1 year, and 5 year life plan
21. Check your bank account and move money over to a savings account if possible
22. Have a clear out of old things and start a charity bag to be taken to the shops once the lockdown period is over
23. Cut your grass
24. Unsubscribe to mailing lists you're no longer interested in
25. Cancel subscriptions to services you no longer want or need
26. Give your windows a good clean
27. Take out life insurance
28. Create or update your LinkedIn account
29. Check your emails
30. Clear the stuff out from under your bed and give it a good vacuum
31. Go through your calendar/ diary and make sure all the important dates are in there
32. Clear out any unwanted documents on your computers/ or hard drives
33. Open an ISA (if you can still do so online)
34. Polish your work shoes ready for when you can go back to work
35. Organise your wardrobe by; colour, item of clothing, occasion etc.
36. Check out the free courses at the open university
37. Take your curtains down and wash them
38. Unfollow the social media accounts that don't make you happy anymore
39. Bag up your lose change to take to the bank once you can
40. Clean out your makeup bag and brushes, and chuck away any old makeup
41. Delete apps you no longer use from your phone
42. Search for a new job online
43. Check how you can improve your credit score
44. Deep clean your carpets
45. Wash your car and give the inside a thorough clean too
46. Do an online food order so you don't need to leave the house for a little longer
47. Test all the chargers in the house and bin off any that don't work
48. Check you are up to date with any bills
49. Start writing a will
50. Pay off your credit cards
51. Switch your gas and electricity to cheaper suppliers
52. Flip your mattress
53. Clear out your attic/ shed/ random cupboards
54. Check when your car's insurance and MOT are due
55. Have a go at mending old clothes or turning up those trousers you've putting off doing
56. Set daily goals for yourself (and actually complete them)
57. Pack away your Summer clothes
56. Ensure you have enough medication to last and order more if not
57. Return any online orders you don't want while the post office is still open
58. Sort through your nail varnishes and get rid of any that are starting to dry out
59. Start planning your side hustle but avoid MLM like the plague (Avon, juice plus etc)
60. Grow your connections on LinkedIn
61. Check your bloody emails, (properly!)
62. Help your child (or a friends child) learn something new
63. Volunteer to help the NHS
33. Open an ISA (if you can still do so online)
34. Polish your work shoes ready for when you can go back to work
35. Organise your wardrobe by; colour, item of clothing, occasion etc.
36. Check out the free courses at the open university
37. Take your curtains down and wash them
38. Unfollow the social media accounts that don't make you happy anymore
39. Bag up your lose change to take to the bank once you can
40. Clean out your makeup bag and brushes, and chuck away any old makeup
41. Delete apps you no longer use from your phone
42. Search for a new job online
43. Check how you can improve your credit score
44. Deep clean your carpets
45. Wash your car and give the inside a thorough clean too
46. Do an online food order so you don't need to leave the house for a little longer
47. Test all the chargers in the house and bin off any that don't work
48. Check you are up to date with any bills
49. Start writing a will
50. Pay off your credit cards
51. Switch your gas and electricity to cheaper suppliers
52. Flip your mattress
53. Clear out your attic/ shed/ random cupboards
54. Check when your car's insurance and MOT are due
55. Have a go at mending old clothes or turning up those trousers you've putting off doing
56. Set daily goals for yourself (and actually complete them)
57. Pack away your Summer clothes
56. Ensure you have enough medication to last and order more if not
57. Return any online orders you don't want while the post office is still open
58. Sort through your nail varnishes and get rid of any that are starting to dry out
59. Start planning your side hustle but avoid MLM like the plague (Avon, juice plus etc)
60. Grow your connections on LinkedIn
61. Check your bloody emails, (properly!)
62. Help your child (or a friends child) learn something new
63. Volunteer to help the NHS
Things you can do if you're not feeling productive:
1. Start a new series on netflix
2. Video call a friend or family member
3. Download TikTok and watch the hours fly by
4. Have a go at creating cocktails, or mocktails if booze isn't your thing
5. Start a new book
6. Treat yourself to a magazine subscription whilst deliveries are still available
7. Bake something you've never baked before
8. Go for a walk (away from other people)
9. Download Netflix party and watch a film at the same time as your friends who don't live with you
10. Call your elderly relatives or friends to check up on them
11. Try out a new makeup look
12. Binge watch Youtube Videos
13. Play dress up and have a mini bedroom photoshoot
14. Start a scrapbook
15. Cook something new
16. Sign up to a dating app and chat with new people
17. Create a pub quiz for your friends and do a group video chat
18. Set up an instagram for your pet
19. Try out a new hairstyle (but don't get cutting it yourself because the hairdressers are going to be closed for a while!)
20. Meditate
21. If the weather is right set up the tent and camp in your garden
22. Write a letter to a loved one
23. Give Yoga a try
24. Create a TikTok Video
25. Start a quarantine diary
26. Take an afternoon nap
27. Discover some new blogs and binge read their content
28. Make a list of things you're grateful for
29. Download a new game for your phone
30. Go for a bike ride
31. Keep in touch with work colleagues
32. Start a new Pinterest board
33. Start planning your dream holiday for when you can travel again (Here are a few of my recommendations for when lockdown is lifted once again)
34. Create some pretty flaylays for your instagram
35. Leave nice comments on blog posts
36. If you can afford to, treat yourself to some goodies from small online businesses
37. If the weather is nice, relax in your garden
38. Try out Latte art
39. Do a face mask
40. Watch a film (Sarah has a great list of chick flicks to watch when you've had a bad day!)
41. Paint your nails
42. Plant some flowers (if you have seeds lying around)
43. Post your favourite books off to friends to read
44. Order physical prints of your favourite photographs
45. Create a mixtape
46. Spend 5 minutes doing deep breathing exercises
47. Call your mom
48. Do a hair mask
49. Make a handmade body scrub with blended fruits and sugar
50. Do something creative like painting or drawing (even if you're not that good at it)
51. Have a BBQ in your back garden
52. Start a blog if you don't already have one
53. Play a board game with whoever you live with
54. Take a bubble bath (Or practise some general self care)
55. Pluck your eyebrows
56. Crop some of your t-shirts ready for summer
57. Put on a banging playlist and dance like noones watching
58. Dig out your old games consoles and have a play
59. Leave tripadvisor reviews for the last few places you've visited
60. Moisturise your hands as excessive hand washing is likely drying them out
61. Treat yourself to some gift cards for your favourite independent pubs/ bars/ restaurants for when they open again
62. Write some poetry (even if you think it's a bit shit)
63. Have a photoshoot with your pet
39. Do a face mask
40. Watch a film (Sarah has a great list of chick flicks to watch when you've had a bad day!)
41. Paint your nails
42. Plant some flowers (if you have seeds lying around)
43. Post your favourite books off to friends to read
44. Order physical prints of your favourite photographs
45. Create a mixtape
46. Spend 5 minutes doing deep breathing exercises
47. Call your mom
48. Do a hair mask
49. Make a handmade body scrub with blended fruits and sugar
50. Do something creative like painting or drawing (even if you're not that good at it)
51. Have a BBQ in your back garden
52. Start a blog if you don't already have one
53. Play a board game with whoever you live with
54. Take a bubble bath (Or practise some general self care)
55. Pluck your eyebrows
56. Crop some of your t-shirts ready for summer
57. Put on a banging playlist and dance like noones watching
58. Dig out your old games consoles and have a play
59. Leave tripadvisor reviews for the last few places you've visited
60. Moisturise your hands as excessive hand washing is likely drying them out
61. Treat yourself to some gift cards for your favourite independent pubs/ bars/ restaurants for when they open again
62. Write some poetry (even if you think it's a bit shit)
63. Have a photoshoot with your pet
Just a note, if you're self isolating current government guidelines state that you should not leave your house for a certain amount of time. Make sure you keep yourself familiar with the latest guidelines and use common sense during this tricky time.
So stay safe, stay sane, and try to make the most of this time. It will be over and in the history books before we know it.
What have you been doing to keep yourself busy lately?
Thanks for reading!
x
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In a neat little town they call Belfast, you'll find pubs and bars aplenty. Every street has a drinkery of some sort, each of them very different from the last. But it's no surprise that the northern Irish capital is packed to the brim with pubs, afterall drinking is basically their national sport, and something they do very well indeed. It's also no surprise that tourists flocking to the city want to eat, drink, and be merry the 'Irish way'.
The Duke of York, Belfast
So where are the best place's for tourists the live it up in Belfast?
Here are my top 5 Belfast Bars...
The 5 Points, or just The Points if you're local. It's the first bar my little legs carried me into when I landed in Beautiful Belfast and it's probably my favourite. Labeled a student bar by natives it does have it's fair share of young'ns but I wouldn't let this put you off because it cheap, it's near several other banging bars, and its open late. It also boasts live music every single day of the week which is exactly what I look for when I'm on my travels. If you're lucky they'll even bring the boards out and treat you to a little bit of Irish dancing!
The most famous bar in Belfast apparently, and I can see why. Before you even enter the pub you're wowed by the alley leading up to it. Everything about this place is instagram worthy, from the entrance, to the courtyard (which I think technically belongs to the pub next door), to the inside walls which are plastered from head to toe in beer mats. It really is a tourists dream. You won't get a cheap bevvy here but you will get some cracking photos and a good sing song so who cares?!
A bar created by a Catholic husband and named by his loving Protestant wife. History really does come to life in this bar and believe me when I say it's not one to miss. Even if you're not a fan of the British Monarchy, wipe your feet on the mosaic crown which lies at the entrance and get a drink down you. The Crown is by far the most beautiful bar in Belfast, maybe even the whole of the UK, it really is an absolute gem. Inside you'll be greeted by the most wonderfully intricate interiors, barrels of beer, and private booths all lit up with traditional gas lighting.
Kelly's Cellars is the oldest bar in Belfast apparently. This wonky little Belfast pub can be found hidden down an alleyway and nestled at the back of a much more modern shopping area. It's easy to see why it's so popular with both tourists and locals who come here for a bit more of an authentic Irish bar experience. Whilst you will find live Irish music here on the regular, don't expect it to be anythnig like Temple Bar in Dublin or you will be disapointd. The musicians here play what they want and don't pander to the public. The set up is also a lot more relaxed than in a lot of other Belfast bar's with the band huddled around a regular pub table instead of being up on stage. It's a great little place to enjoy a few pints, if you can get a seat that is!
Fibber Mcgee's is a cracking pub situated just behind The Crown. Here you'll find pretty traditional interiors, banging beers, and friendly bartenders, it's a great all rounder. It's also another Belfast pub where live music is promised 7 days a week, what more could you want? There is also host of Titanic memorabilia on display here although I didn't get to see any of it as I was a too preoccupied having a good sing along.
So there you have it, my top rated Belfast bars! The city is covered in pubs, clubs and bars, so it's likely that I've missed out some fab little establishments, but these are the places I think of fondly whenever I remember my Belfast travels!
Think I've missed out a banging bar? Let me know in the comments or over on Twitter!
Thanks for reading!
x
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Hello and welcome back to the blog! It's been a little while hasn't it? I wish I could say I've been off doing all sorts of wild things but in all honestly I've been working a lot and binge watching Netflix. Exciting stuff.
Anyway, today let's have a bit of a chatty one because I'm getting bored of cramming in keywords and making making sure everything is SEO perfect. It's what I've been doing lots of at work and although I know it's what I should be doing with my blog, sometimes it's just nice to take things back to basics and write whatever the fuck I want.
So without further ado let's talk about what is possibly the best moisturiser I've ever tried - the wonderful Clinique Moisture Surge.
Now I'm going to get this out in the open first because it's a big point. Moisture Surge is a pricey product. It retails at £37 for a 50ml product. Ouch! Although there are regular offers on this little pot of magic, it's still never going to be a budget buy and it's for that reason I would recommend asking for a sample at the Clinique counter before taking the plunge and forking out 40 quid for one product. It works for me but it's a lot of moola to drop on a product that you might not love.
So why did I spend a whole lot of cash on Moisture Surge when I could have carried on buying my cheap as chips Simple Moisturiser? Well I knew it worked for a start. I was *gifted a small pot of this last year and honestly I fell in love with it. I also got a bit of a deal in Duty free on my way home from Dublin so I thought fuck it.
Here are the main things I love about this Clinique moisturiser:
- It really does leave my skin feeling nourished and soft
- It sinks into the skin quite quickly and doesn't feel greasy at all
- The texture is almost like jelly and a little bit of product goes a LONG way
- It makes a good base for my foundation
- and let's be honest, it's not a bad looking product to have on your shelf
So is there anything I dislike about Moisture Surge? Well the price kills me a little everytime I think about it, but apart from that I don't really have many complaints. If I did want to be picky I would say that I always prefer my products to be in tubes as I feel this keeps them cleaner, but I alway wash my hands before sticking my fingers in the pot so I can't say that it's much of a big deal.
Would I repurchase? This is a tricky one because I am head over heels for this little jar, but it is quite expensive in my opinion. Some say you can't put a price on good quality skincare but you obviously can and its forty bloody pounds apparently. That being said I would grab it again if I thought I was getting a good deal!
So have you tried out the lovely Clinique Moisture Surge before? Did you think it was worth the £££?
*I was gifted a travel sized pot of Moisture Surge by Clinique last year however I was under no obligation to post about it and I paid for this full sized product myself.
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