169. My Perfect Day Off - A 'How To' Guide

Hello lovelies.

If you're anything like me, life can get pretty hectic. What with work, friends, partners or dating,running a home, hobbies and all the other, numerous, added extras that help to fill up our diaries, it can be hard to find time for yourself. 

I'm lucky enough to get three days off each week and I like to strive for some sort of balance between keeping on top of housework, running errands, catching up on appointments and what not and spending time with family and friends. It's so easy to just jam-pack your day off full of everything you've been putting off all day, and forget to take some time out just 'be'. 

I've devised a little guide for how to achieve my the perfect day off. And by 'day off' I really do mean: day off. A day off from chores, a day off from appointments and a day off from people. Sometimes it's nice to be anti-social. I'm definitely not one of those people who goes stir crazy if they spend a day in the house by themselves; nope, I relish in it.

1. Have a lie in

I rarely sleep past 9am but when you've got no plans, it's lovely to stay in bed for that little bit longer. Whether you're actually in a deep slumber or you're snoozing in between checking your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feed - bed is, undeniably, a great place to begin your day off. 

2. Treat yourself to a tasty breakfast

As you have a bit more time on a day off, it's nice to make a bit of an effort with breakfast. Why not cook up some pancakes and enjoy them with fruit and honey? Or go all out and have a full English! 

3. Catch up on your favourite TV shows

Invest in Netflix or download the BBC iPlayer and 4OD apps. They're a great way to catch up on TV shows that you've missed due to a busy life. My current favourite is The US Office and, as S hates it (what is wrong with him?!), my day off is the ideal time to pull my duvet up on the sofa, grab some snacks and binge-watch a series in a day: no guilt attached.

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4. Do something creative

If you want to feel that you've done at least one productive thing on your day off, getting creative is the perfect opportunity. Bake something, write some blog posts or do something crafty like drawing, refurbishing a piece of furniture or playing an instrument.

5. Pamper yourself

Once late afternoon rolls around, why not treat yourself to a bubble bath, a face mask and a manicure? It's a great way to relax for a few hours and it will leave you feeling - and looking! - fantastic. I love the use Lush products for a nice, colourful and beautifully scented bath, and then apply both a face and hair mask whilst I soak in the bath. 

6. Have a treat-filled evening

Now that you're beginning to think about returning to work tomorrow, it's the ideal time to switch off your phone, make yourself (or even better, order) some delicious food, fill up a couple of bowls with snacks and watch a film or read a book either in bed or curled up on the sofa. The perfect end to a perfect day.

That's my dream stay-at-home day off work, what's yours?

17. BEDM // Pampering

Hello lovelies! 

I'm having a bit of a rotten day, well, a bit of a rotten week to be honest so pampering is the perfect topic for me right now as it's exactly what I need.

To me, pampering myself is an important part of my life. We all work so hard, do so much for others and have very little time for ourselves, so when we finally do get a night to ourselves we should embrace it! For me, that can involve many things.

How do I pamper myself?

- Grab a bar of chocolate, a huge glass (or two..) of wine & snuggle up in bed with my boyfriend and spend the night watching films.

- Get out of the house! I love a nice walk and I'm lucky enough to live in a really beautiful part of the world so there's always somewhere lovely to go. I always end the walk in a cafe with a huge coffee (or hot chocolate, yum!) and a good book.

- Seeing a friend always makes me feel much better too. Whether it's lunch somewhere, a girls night in or just a wander around the shops, it always perks me up so much. 

- Run myself a red-hot bubble-bath, light some candles, play some music & relax. A bubble-bath can cure anything. I mean it. 

And then, of course, there are the beauty treatments! 

I love a good face mask as they're a) so cheap, b) quick & easy and c) always leave my skin feeling as smooth as a baby's bum *cringe* and I find painting my nails quite therapeutic too, as bizarre as that sounds. Perhaps it's because I know that I have to take my time.

So, as you can probably tell, my ideal pamper day would be as follows: a long lie-in, lunch in a lovely cafe with a friend, a nice walk around the park, finishing off a good book (and a good cup of coffee!) somewhere, a bubble-bath and a few beauty treatments and then ending the day in bed, with my boyfriend, a trashy film and plenty of food and drink.

I would actually be in heaven. I can't wait for a day off work so I can do just this :-)

How do you pamper yourselves?

Do you like the sound of my pamper day?