podcast favourites – Stylishly Zen

Hi Everyone!

I hope that you are having a wonderful summer so far! I made an effort this year to get out and enjoy the warm weather more even if that is just in the form of a daily walk around my neighbourhood. While some days are easier then others to get out the door, I am grateful for the opportunity to enjoy a bit of fresh air and my deepening tan doesn’t hurt either.

Although it has been a while, here are my Five Faves that I am currently loving:

Slow Weekend Mornings – on the weekends I try to go for a walk as soon as I wake up, this allows me to get in some movement early in my day and sets the tone for a great day. As I am not so rushed on the weekends, I have developed a habit of picking up a croissant from my local spot and enjoying it with a good cup of coffee. It’s a simple routine but I often conquer the rest of my day with a sense of calm and nourishment that I don’t normally feel.

2. A simple manicure – I will let you in on a secret, I hate the process of getting my nails done but I love to have manicured nails so I suffer through it. While I have been getting coloured french manicures done for the past few years lately I am hooked on a blue French. So simple and clean yet a cool twist on a classic. Knowing how much I love it helps to make the suffering of getting the actual manicure worth it.

3. My love of podcasts has been well documented on this blog. Lately I love to listen to them on my walks in the morning. The latest episode of Building Billions with Natalie Dawson featuring Maggie Sellers was definitely my favourite from this past week. I am a huge Maggie Sellers fan – if you haven’t heard of her then I encourage you to check out her Hot Smart Rich newsletter. She is smart and beautiful and not afraid to show it. Exactly the type of motivation that I currently need in my life.

4. Japanese Risotto with Salmon – I rarely cook lately. I am not sure if I am distracted or if I am just being lazy but I can’t remember when the last time was that I cooked a meal from scratch. Yesterday though, I was browsing on Pinterest when I came across a recipe from Serving Dumplings (www.servingdumplings.com) for Japanese Risotto with Seared Salmon. It looked delicious and not overly challenging to make and I decided to give it a try. It was delicious and the act of cooking and nourishing myself was exactly what I needed. I will be keeping this recipe on rotation moving forward and I can’t wait to try other recipes from this site.

5. Reminders – the past few years have been a weird struggle for me. Nothing crazy has happened but I continue to find myself in situations where I don’t feel like I belong. I have often keep quiet to keep the peace and have more often then not felt like I am being walked all over. It always seems like it is up to me to be the bigger person, make others feel better all the while internally struggling to feel heard and respected. Needless to say, it has been a lot. Lately though my exhaustion has come thru and I find myself no longer able to just move on and make everything better at the cost to my own self esteem. Like everyone else on this planet I bring a lot to the table and I am tired of feeling like I need to justify my existence or expectation to be treated with respect. Reminders like the above often pop up on my Instagram or Threads feed and more often then not they are resonating with me. Reminding me that it is ok to expect fair and respectful treatment. I am worthy just like everyone else. I love these reminders and I am grateful every time one pops up.

Thank you for stopping by Stylishly Zen today, what are you loving lately? Let me know in the comments below. I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS

Hi Everyone!

It is finally March! The days will be getting longer and the weather will be warming up and I cannot wait! The time between the holidays and spring are always a little challenging as the weather is often cold and grey. Thankfully I have found a few things that I am loving that have helped my days feel a little less grey. Here are my Five Faves for Jan/Feb 2024:

Try – Salt & Stone Hand Cream

I have been a Salt & Stone fan for a few years now. It started when I read about their clean deodorant. I soon graduated to their body wash and I have been devoted to both ever since. Recently I picked up their hand cream and now I can’t imagine not having a tube with me at all times. My favourite scent is Santal Vetiver but I intend to try out the Rose Oud scent very soon.

Watch – Kin

One of my favourite things about visiting my parents in England (aside from the obvious) is an opportunity to discover tv shows that I may not have known about otherwise. I love binge watching a series with copious mugs of tea and a snack or two. On a recent visit I discovered a few tv series that I enjoyed but Kin is the one that I really got into. Based in Dublin, this Irish series is about a drug dealing family that goes after a cartel when their son is killed. While it starts out a bit slow, things pick up and I was hooked until the end (there are two seasons and I am now hoping for a third). If you are looking for a new show to watch, I highly recommend this one.

Read – The Murder After The Night Before

I used to read a lot when I was younger but over the years my reading habit slowed down to a snail’s pace as I let other things in my life take priority. After making a half hearted effort and failing to get back to my love of reading, I decided to set a reading goal for 2023 of 16 books. I knew that it would be challenging but I was determined to achieve it. I finished 2023 having read 24 books and have set a similar goal for 2024. Passing thru Heathrow while travelling is a great opportunity to discover new books and my most recent visit was no exception. The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent was a spur of the moment pick up that turned out to be a really enjoyable read. It’s about a woman who unwillingly becomes infamous on social media during a night of drinking. The next morning she discovers that she is trending everywhere and shortly after discovers her best friend has drowned in the bathtub. Convinced her friend was murdered she sets out to discover the truth. If you are looking for a good beach read (or something lighthearted) this is a great option.

Listen – The Mel Robbins Podcast, The 51% Rule (and 3 more Strategies to Think Like a Millionaire)

I love listening to podcasts especially the ones that are focused on self development. The Mel Robbins Podcast and The Diary of a CEO are two of my favourites so when Steven Bartlett (the host of Diary of a CEO) was on The Mel Robbins podcast I was thrilled. This was such a good episode and one that I will referring back to again and again. The past couple of years I have kept myself small, trying to avoid any attention and just feeling miserable due to a challenging work environment. I spent a lot of time feeling like I wasn’t good enough and down playing my intelligence. I was clearly in the wrong environment. Thankfully I am no longer there, and I am working on rebuilding my confidence, finding my voice again and reassessing what I really want my future to look like. This episode got me excited to try to re-evaluate, to jump before I feel 100% ready. It also reminded me that life is short and I don’t want to have regrets. If you are feeling like you are at a crossroads in life or you just need a reminder to seize the day, then this episode is a worthwhile listen.

Try – Threads

Another day and another new social media app to try out. I never got into Twitter (now known as X) as I always preferred more visual apps such as Instagram. After listening to the podcast episode that I mentioned above, I decided to try Threads. It’s a text based conversation app similar to X but it is from Meta. I make an effort to post almost everyday, normally just random thoughts and feelings that I am feeling in the moment. It may not seem like a lot for some, but for me it requires courage to randomly put my thoughts out to the world. As I am getting more comfortable, I am really enjoying Threads. I only follow accounts that I resonate with and I often feel inspired by the words of wisdom that have appeared on my feed. If you are looking for a place to practice your writing without commitment, I highly recommend Threads as a good place to start.

I hope that your March is off to a wonderful start. What are you loving lately? Let me know in the comments below!

I hope that you have a beautiful day! XXS