Tag: blog

9 Things to do in December

Hi lovelies,

*Mariah Carey voice* It’s ….. TIMEEEEEE!!!

How is it the first week of December already?!?

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and here’s a list of things for you to do, to ensure you have the most magical month.

1. Visit The Wonderlights Experience

This year, I finally got to visit The Wonderlights Experience in Malahide Castle and Gardens, after having it on my annual bucket list for what feels like years and what a magical experience it was.

The most magical winter evening spent at The Wonderlights Experience

The perfect winters activity for friends, couples and families to visit over the coming weeks.

2. Make and decorate a gingerbread house

The making and decorating of a gingerbread house is such a wholesome winter activity to do solo or with friends.

Both Flying Tiger and Ikea sell ‘Build Your Own’ sets to make the process that bit easier, and while my attempt didn’t go exactly to plan, I cannot but emphasises just how fun this was to set aside time to make.

Pro tip: learn from our mistakes and make sure to assemble the house prior to decorating the individual pieces. You will save yourself a whole lot of heartache to say the least…

3. Make cute hot chocolates with your friends

I think we can all agree that hot chocolate is one of life’s simple pleasures and one that definitely makes the Autumn/Winter months more enjoyable.

This is your sign to invite your friends and loved ones over to make the cutest cups of hot coco.

These gingerbread shaped, chocolate covered marshmallows, I purchased in Flying Tiger, make the most divine hot chocolate topping, ever!

4. Host a Friendsmas Dinner

At Christmas it can be so easy to get caught up in the material, and focus on the giving and receiving of physical gifts, however this year I encourage us all to focus a little less on the presents and more on the presence of the people you love.

Cozy up and host your nearest and dearest around your table for a Friendsmas Dinner. The focus for this dinner is to ensure that lasting memories are made with your closest friends over good food, drinks and games.

Remember, “It’s not what’s on the table that matters… it’s who’s around it!”.

5. Go on a Winter Stroll

Wrap up in the wooly hats, winter coats, gloves and ear muffs and set out on a stroll even if it’s just around your local neighbourhood.

There’s just something so special about heading out in the crisp winter air. I recently visited Ireland’s highest waterfall, Powerscourt, located at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains.

This walk was so picturesque and really made me stop to appreciate the sheer beauty of nature in Winter. Just look at these pictures and video.

6. Have a snug movie night

Grab the throw blankets, cushions and snacks and spend a cosy night in watching some Christmas movies.

7. Visit a Christmas market

Nothing says festivities, more than mooching round a market at Christmas.

8. Light a holiday scented candle and have a pamper night

Routine pamper nights are the perfect reset for your body. Whether you choose to watch your favourite movie/series, do some skincare, have a bath or better yet all of the above, make sure to light a holiday scented candle to elevate your space.

9. Go to a carol service

Over the coming days many churches will host carol services in the lead up to Christmas Day. These services usually consist of hymns and readings of the gospel sharing the story of Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season, so it’s only right that you attend a service to commemorate the occasion and also spread the Christmas cheer.

Wishing you all a December to remember.

Love, Nyasha x

8 Ways to Spend the month of August

Hi lovelies,

Hope you are keeping well. We are well and truly into the month of August, and summer will soon be drawing to an end. To help you make the most of the last summer month of the year, I thought I would share 8 ways to spend the month of August in Ireland.

1. Visit Coppenagh House Farm, Carlow

Coppenagh House Farm is a family farm located on the outskirts of Tullow, offering a real farm to fork experience through its livestock, farm shop and coffee box. The farm shop sells various Irish produce from food and drink to clothing, while also stocking beef directly sourced from the farm, locally prepared and packaged by an award winning butcher. Outside the shop you will also find a cute coffee box brewing delicious coffee and serving tasty treats.

Who knew cows and coffee would be such a wonderful combination!

2. Go sunflower picking at the Cloneygath Airfield, Monasterevin

Are you looking for a unique and picturesque activity? Look no further than sunflower picking at the Cloneygath Airfield! Located in the heart of Monasterevin, this hidden gem offers an enchanting experience for nature lovers and photography enthusiasts alike. Open until the end of August from 11am to 4pm daily.

3. Brunch at Grangecon Kitchen, Wicklow

Grangecon Kitchen is is a restaurant, bakery and deli serving both brunch and dinner in a cute, picturesque tent. Closed for summer up until the 23rd of August, however once it reopens, I encourage you to look no further when it comes to organising brunch dates.

4. Go to the cinema

Thanks to Barbie, Little Mermaid and Elemental, I have visited the cinema more in the last 3 months than I have over the last year, and with more great movie releases due, I feel like I will continue to frequent the cinemas more often.

If you are stuck for what to watch and just want the cinematic experience with a large coke and popcorn in hand, then look no further than Odeon’s Screen Unseen, where you can watch highly acclaimed pre-release films from as little as €6, with a plot…. you won’t know which film you are seeing until the cinema lights go down.

5. Deep clean your room

Need I say anymore than declutter, donate and refresh your space! You will only have yourself to thank once you have made the time and completed this task.

6. Bake a yummy treat

Thanks to instagram and tiktok, we are constantly being bombarded with tasty recipes to recreate in the comfort of our own homes. The most recent recipe frequenting my timeline is homemade pain au chocolates using kinder chocolate and puff pastry.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJpSby8E/

7. Visit the Mueller and O’Connell Bakery in Abbeyleix

If baking isn’t quite your thing, Mueller and O’Connell Bakery is the fastest solution for your insta worthy baked goods.

8. Roam around the streets of Dublin City

Ditch the rigid plans and have a Dublin day out free of major commitments. You’d be surprised at the shops, restaurants and cafe’s, you will find as you wander freely.

Halfway Mark

Hi lovelies,

It has been forever and a half since I’ve written and published anything, here, on my little corner of the internet, and boy have I missed it.

Life this year has been all sorts of busy. December last year marked my move into my first ever rented property and with that came many new adult challenges such as budgeting, time management, meal planning and so much more! And while it’s all been quite an expensive venture, I am so grateful to have unlocked a new level of independence.

This year has been filled with so many highs thus far. I have travelled, laughed, caffeinated and even had my first ever afternoon tea!

I cannot believe that it is the month of July already. There is only six more months remaining in the year, I repeat, only 6!

“Six months from now you will either have six months of excuses or six months of progress. The path you choose is yours and yours alone.”

My goal for the next six months is to be a little more intentional with my time, money and resources in order to ensure that I am in a better space mentally, physically, financially and spiritually, by the end of the year. I want to focus my energy on things that spark my dreams, visions and desires. Amongst many other things, this means that I will be posting more blogs once again!

“Life is not about achievement, it’s about learning and growth… And so if that is the case, then I think our goals should include something which stretches us.”

Jack Canfield

I am so excited to embrace and grow with, what the remainder of the year has in stock.

I hope it is overflowing with laughter, adventure, love, gratitude and goodness for each of us.

Love, Nyasha x

City Break in Barcelona

Hi lovelies,

How are you all keeping? I hope you have all had a wonderful week. The long weekend is finally here, and I bet I’m not the only one who was living for it. Like many of us, work life is currently keeping me on my toes, so I often find myself dreaming about my next get-away.

One of my short term goals is to travel more, and see more of the many wonders of the world around me.

So far this year, I have been lucky enough to visit both Spain and Scotland.

In January, I took a 4 day trip to Barcelona to visit a friend of mine. This trip completely exceeded my expectations and highlighted my love for city living.

In today’s blog post I will be breaking down all the best bits of this trip.

DAY ONE

We flew from Dublin Airport at 6:15, and arrived in Barcelona just before 9am, Spanish time.

Upon arrival we went to a local cafe called, La Despensa de Eva.

Here we caught up with one another over coffees and cake! We absolutely adored this place – the customer service and overall presentation of their coffees and treats was impeccable.

Later, we decided to walk around the city, to familiarise ourselves with the area and its amenities.

I quickly fell in love with the architecture as we walked through the streets. The high rise buildings, aesthetics and balconies – I admired it all.

Even their Penneys (Primark) looks high end from the outside of the building!

Soon after our strolls through the city streets, the lack of sleep from the night before finally hit, causing our day of adventure to turn into an evening of catching up on sleep and watching cartoons in our hotel room.

DAY TWO

After a very much needed relaxing evening, we woke up far more energised – ready to take on Barcelona day 2.

First on the itinerary was brunch! We visited a restaurant called Belliny, where we ate our full. The menu here was filled with endless breakfast, brunch and lunch options such as full English, various benedicts, pancakes and even açai! After a lot of debate I ended up ordering their eggs benedict riojanos and fresh seasonal fruit.

After our brunch, we wandered around Barcelona city once again.

On our strolls we came across the Sagrada Familia. We opted not to book tickets to enter the grounds, however from the outside we were able to take in the beauty of the building.

Right outside the church you also find stands of local artists selling their work, here you can purchase beautiful paintings and drawings of the Sagrada Familia, amongst other things.

Later in the day, we visited the St Joseph La Boqueria, which is a public market in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is renowned for being one of the most picturesque markets. Inside you will find most, if not all food types, from pick n’ mix stands to fish and meat stands and everything else in between.

Next door to the marketplace, you will find a DUNKIN’ Donuts and Starbucks, where we treated ourselves to coffees and doughnuts after our wander through the market. From there, we decided to call it a day, order a take away and take endless photos in our matching pyjamas.

DAY THREE

Having had another quiet night we woke up ready for another day of exploration. We started our last full day in Barcelona, dining in La Despensa de Eva, where I got a toasted chicken sandwich and chai latte.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to visit Park Güell. Tickets were €10.00 each, and available to purchase from the entrance, using a QR code.

Upon entry into the park we were met with a lovely uphill walk way, which led us to the most scenic view of the city.

Fun fact; some scenes of Disney’s, Cheetah Girls 2 was filmed in Park Güell. My inner child was fan girling, just by being here.

I got to experience the public transport in Spain for the very first time this day, and I was pleasantly surprised by how affordable, consistent and reliable it was, in comparison to good ol’ Ireland.

Later that evening, we decided to have something a little more Spanish for dinner.We went for tapas near La Plaça de Catalunya. The garlic prawns I ordered were to die for.

For the rest of the evening we strolled around Barcelona city, taking in a few more sights we’d missed the days before.

We stopped for coffees in starbucks after this, and then later that night we decided to order a Mc Donalds. I finally got to try their patatas deluxe and white chocolate sundae that are exclusive to the Spanish menu… and might I say, we are definitely missing out here in Ireland.

I absolutely enjoyed visiting Barcelona – I would even go as far as saying that it is one of my favourite cities to date. Definitely one for the bucket list, if you haven’t yet visited it.

Love, Nyasha x

July Favourites

Hi lovelies,

Hope you’re keeping well? Today I’m back with yet another blog post, to showcase all the bits I’ve been loving recently. So let’s get into it!

Skincare

The Ordinary - AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 

The Ordinary’s Peeling Solution has quickly become one of my favourite skincare products. My skin looks and feels, so good after exfoliating with it. However, if you’re skin is even slightly sensitive (like mine), it might just sting a little when you first use it – but trust me it’s worth it. I now understand why it is always out of stock online!

Yes To - Grapefruit Single Use Bubbling Paper Mask

Another skincare product I loved this month was the Yes To Grapefruit, Bubbling Paper Mask. This product made my skin feel amazing and brought an influx of fun to my skincare routine.

Haircare

Truth being told, when it comes down to haircare – I can be quite lazy. However this month I promised myself that I would try to do better.

If you follow my Instagram, @niiash_a, you know I’ve been loving wigs lately. Maintaining my natural hair is very important while I switch from wig to wig. I’ve been loving the Cantu Argan Oil, Repair Cream to keep my hair well moisturised under the wig caps.

I have also been loving Melt Effect’s, Premium Glue Remover. This product has been SAVING my edges whenever I uninstall my wigs and I love the fact that a little goes such a long way. Did I mention that this product is from a Black Owned Business, in Ireland?!?

What I’ve been listening to

Road trips, worship sessions, dance parties, you name it! There’s a song for every occasion in this months playlist.

What I’ve been watching

Now that lockdown is easing, YouTube content is getting adventurous again – and I just love it! Here are some of my favourite videos from last month – I would also really appreciate if someone could recommend some shows they’ve been loving on Netflix cause clearly I am wasting my subscription.

I hope you have enjoyed yet another blog filled with my monthly favourites. Please let me know if you purchase/watch/listen to anything I have mentioned.

Love, Nyasha x

How to motivate yourself during the academic year

Hi lovelies,

How are you all keeping?

It honestly feels like I haven’t checked in with all of you, in months!

I’m currently just trying to survive the final four months of my degree, therefore, I have very limited time for writing. However, today I wanted to share three simple ways to motivate yourself during the academic year.

  1. Talk to your friends

Friendships are an integral part of the college experience.

The friends you make in college play a major role in most, if not all, of the college memories you’ll cherish for life.

Although they are great to party with, never forget how relatable they are.

You are all in this academic journey together, therefore, they know more than anyone else, how demotivating, the whole learning process may sometimes be.

College is like a never ending rollercoaster.

There are many highs, but with them, comes just as much lows.

Assignment deadlines are nothing but demotivating – once you finish a task, there’s always another one lingering around the corner. The cycle just never seems to end!

This cycle, often leaves students feeling drained, physically and emotionally, and, as a consequence, doubtful thoughts begin to blossom.

College friends are crucial in times where you may feel this way.

By talking to one another you will soon feel reassured, not alone, hopeful and comforted.

2. Focus on the bigger picture

College is full of endless hurdles, that can sometimes leave you questioning, if you are wasting your time or not. In the process of attaining your degree, you often lose focus of your goals, and although this is very natural, do not allow yourself to lose all hope.

Instead, focus on the bigger picture.

Remind yourself of why you applied to college.

Remind yourself, of the many achievements you wish to accomplish, and never stop striving for what you want! – no matter how hard it may seem at times.

College is a stepping stone to all your future career goals. So give it your best shot!

3. Celebrate little achievements

As mentioned above, college assignments and deadlines are seemingly never-ending.

Therefore, make sure to celebrate yourself, once you’ve completed one.

You deserve to celebrate all the hard work, tears, energy and dedication that you’ve spent whilst completing each task.

By celebrating your achievements, you give yourself, the necessary shot of motivation needed to get to the end.

Staying motivated in college, is imperative to your success.

If you’re anything like me, and sometimes have trouble motivating yourself, try applying these tips to help you stay driven, as you approach graduation.

This college year is almost over, and summer 2020 will soon be in reach, so get yourself motivated, and FAST!

“You don’t want to look back and know you could’ve done better”.

Love, Nyasha x

Why prioritizing yourself, is the best decision you’ll ever make

Hi lovelies,

How are you all keeping?

Before I dive into today’s blog post, I just want to apologize for the lack of content on this blog lately. The reality is that, college has finally decided to take its preeminence in my life again. Deadlines are beginning to pile up on me, and as a result, for the time being, I have no other choice but to prioritize my education, meaning content on the blog will now be limited to when I can, instead of on a weekly basis.

I am not saying goodbye, but I am just giving each of you a heads up, not to be expecting a weekly blog post as I was previously accustomed to. Instead I will try pop on as often as I can, with as much advice, updates and positive energy, as possible!

For the time being, I just want to say thank you for the continuous support that each of you have given me since starting – I honestly feel like I can never say it enough.

For all the shares, comments, words of encouragement and for simply taking the time to read what I put out. Thank you!

Anyways… enough of the soppy stuff. Let’s get into the topic, of today’s blog post;

Why prioritizing yourself, is the best decision you’ll ever make.

Growing up, I was always that child who would drop everything and anything to be there for the people around me.

I have a very giving personality and I never really knew my limit. I would bend backwards for people who would rarely do the same for me.

As I went through my teenage years, I quickly identified this trait and how detrimental it was becoming for me. I was beginning to feel exhausted, frustrated and even angry when I would not receive the same energy I would consistently give out.

I would question my self worth, identity, friendships and life itself. All because I had convinced myself that I loved being a giver. That I am someone everyone should be able to count on, when they are in need.

From a young age we are all taught that giving is the best way to show kindness.

We are all guilty at chorusing the idea that ‘sharing is caring’ – but never explaining to what extent. No wonder why it becomes so easy for some of us to get caught up in unhealthy cycles that may begin to take a toil on our health.

When your constantly the one who gives and gives, you risk burning yourself out. Your well, begins to run dry, and as a result you begin to form resentful feelings.

If you relate to ever feeling any of the above emotions because of your tendency to give a little more than is necessary, I want to encourage you to find a balance.

Begin to identify when your giving out of love or when you’re giving out of guilt and negativity.

Unfortunately I can’t tell you exactly how to find this balance for yourself, but what I can share, is how doing so, for myself, has benefited me.

1. I began to value myself

As I mentioned above, over giving caused me to develop negative emotions. It took a significant toil on my self-esteem and made me question my self worth and value. I almost began to feel like it was normal for people to walk all over me. However, once I identified the negative emotions, that stemmed from giving too much. I quickly began to put value on myself.

Now I have learnt to quickly take two steps back, when I feel under appreciated or taken for granted.

I’m not saying that I expect to be thanked or praised when I go out of my way for someone, but if I’m constantly questioning the other individuals intentions, my time will quickly become limited.

2. My giving became much more genuine

If you were to ask me what my favorite characteristic, that I possess is, I would undoubtedly say that it is my giving spirit.

However at one point in time, I found myself giving for all the wrong reasons. I remember feeling guilty and under pressure, to do it all! To give, because it made me look good, or because I felt morally obliged to.

To overcome this, I had to learn to prioritize my own needs, and as a result, I started giving from a cheerful place, once again!

I took care of my own needs, which in turn gave me the energy necessary, to take care of, and put energy that was light, joyful and void of pressure, into others.

3. I began to focus on my own goals

When your a naturally giving person, it is very easy to focus entirely on other individuals, besides yourself.

You begin to focus all your time and energy into them, leaving little to no time for you. You slowly become sidetracked by their life, and slowly begin to divert all attention, away from your own ambitions and plans.

By balancing how much of me, I was giving to people, I began to regain my own zeal for life. I no longer craved that thrill, I got from helping people. I stopped allowing, giving to be the only drive I had in life. I realized I had more to offer!

Prioritizing myself, was and is one of the best decisions I have ever made, because it caused me to develop as an individual. I became an even happier person, because I grew to be content in myself, as opposed to being content in the way others saw me. I started to become (well at least tried…), as invested in myself as I was in others.

To whoever this has resonated with – I beg you to find your balance. Stop feeling guilty. Let go of the pressures of society.

Protect your energy, by prioritizing yourself.

Yes it’s all well and good, to be there for everyone and anyone, but if you can’t even be there for yourself, what good are you?

Reminder; You are allowed to help yourself before you help others.

Love, Nyasha x

The Pressure of Young Success

Hi lovelies,

It’s been less than a week, but it honestly feels like forever since I sat down at my laptop with the intent to blog. I actually miss having all the time in the world for blogging – but now I’m back to routines, time tables and managing college assignments, what a dream!

Whilst getting ready for work, last Sunday I decided to incorporate something new into my morning routine; listening to a podcast! Considering I had a lot of catching up to do, I decided to tune into ‘Stallion’ a podcast hosted by Agnes – Clara Dikoum (available across multiple platforms).

While scrolling through her podcasts, a particular one titled “Pressure of Young Success”, caught my attention. With college back in the works, and graduation 2020 on my mind, the thoughts of success and what to do next, are constantly lingering in my head.

It’s crazy, isn’t it. We go from being children who couldn’t care less about what’s to come, to young people, who desire control in every phase of our lives. If you are anything like me, your mind begins to time travel – and ever so vividly, at that. You begin to imagine yourself 5 years older, financially stable, with a house, car, husband, and a secure job you love. All of which don’t occur overnight but somehow you begin to desire, that this could be your reality.

In May 2018, a survey undertaken by the Mental Health Foundation, found that six out of ten young people, between the ages of 18-24, have felt so stressed by the pressures to succeed, that they began struggling to cope with life’s demands.

Although alarming, these figures don’t even surprise me in the slightest.

In a world that is populated with pressure, not only from your family and friends, but also celebrities, influencers, ‘instagram goals’ and much, much more – it is so hard, not to get sunk into the idea that success occurs over night.

On a daily basis, we are fed unrealistic expectations of what life should consist of, how we should be living, or what stage of life we should be at.

For some of us, our goals are set to be completed by the age of 25 and for others it could be 30.

This mindset however, can be so unrealistic and detrimental for our futures.

I’m not saying you can’t be successful by the age of 30 – Forbes 30 under 30, already argues otherwise. However, it is important to remember that success is not always measured by power, status, fame and/or money.

The word success is described in the Cambridge Dictionary as “the [achievemnet] of … results wanted or hoped for”. These results are not limited to time and can be achieved on the straight or narrow path, depending on the individual and their resources. By staying determined and consistent, and by accepting failures, set backs and obstacles, we each have the ability to come out on top.

Don’t let other people’s definitions of success define you.

“Love the life you have, while you create the life of your dreams”

Love, Nyasha x

Stop underestimating yourself

Hi lovelies,

Before I get into this weeks blogpost, I just want to say my sincere apologies for not posting one last week. I was honestly so exhausted by the time it got to the weekend, and just kept experiencing writing blocks whenever I sat down to write. Thankfully I’m well rested now, the sun is shining and I am feeling super motivated to conquer the week!

Yesterday as I was scrolling through Instagram, I came across a quote that read “Stop underestimating yourself”.

Tomorrow, I start my final year in college – and I’d be lying to you, if I was to say that, I wasn’t feeling worried and overwhelmed. Quite simply, the thoughts of ‘THE THESIS’ scare me! When I think about gathering all the research involved in it, I start to undermine not only my abilities but also myself.

For some reason, in my head I have managed to construct the belief that I am going to walk into my Research Project module and be flung into the deep end with 0 assistance. However, in reality, I know this won’t be the case. I can be rest assured that my lecturers, friends and family will be there every step of the way – to offer guidance, support and encouragement when in need.

This year surely wont be the easiest but I will definitely pull through it.

“Sometimes when you are the closest to your breakthrough the pressure is the greatest. You have come too far to give up now!” – Joyce Meyer

Whether you are starting college, going into your final year, or embarking on a new life venture, do not underestimate yourself.

Believe in your abilities.

Each of us was born with the potential to do great things – but those great things can only come to flourish when we believe.

“You must expect great things of yourself, before you can do them”

Love, Nyasha x

My Midnight Lament

Hi lovelies,

As mentioned from the very creation of this blog – Nyasha’s Nook, is a space, I created to offer seclusion and security to those in need, including myself. In today’s blog post I wanted to take a more serious approach, which I hope will not only provide healing to me, but also to those around me who have been affected or who are in similar situations.

Without delving into the whole story, during the week, a situation arose, that caused me to utter the words – ‘I wish I was never abused’.

Later, as I was reflecting on those 5 small yet mighty words, I began to realize the effect everything was still having on my life, to this very day.

For many years I was aware, yet doubted the fact that I was ever a victim of such. However over the last year, I have come to realize that I was maltreated. I was taken advantage of, whether knowingly or unknowingly by certain individuals.

Without getting into the nitty gritty of it all, I still always question what my life would have been like, if I had never experienced the things I did. Would I have been more ambitious? Would I trust more? Would I have a higher self esteem? The queries only go on and on…

Despite the fact that the reality of it all, is horrific. I choose to not let it define me. I choose to let go of the hurt, bitterness and pain associated with the sheer thoughts of the experiences. I am deciding not to allow it to affect my life negatively any longer.

Yes, there will be days that it will be a lot harder to pick myself up from the bitterness, but I will at least make the effort to stand up tall, and to encourage those behind me.

The sad reality, is that, each of us has been abused in one way or another, whether sexually, physically, mentally, verbally, emotionally, financially and/or spiritually. These forms of abuse can occur, for both short and long periods of time, and their effects may vary from one individual to the next.

If you are reading this and you are/have been a victim of abuse, these affirmations are for you;

I am loved.

I am appreciated.

I am valued.

I will prosper.

I have a purpose.

I will succeed.

I will be patient with myself as I heal.

“Your past is just a story. And once you realize this it has no power over you” ~ Chuck Palahniuk

Love, Nyasha x