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The art of non-dreaded decluttering

January 25th  •  Posted in Lifestyle

Decluttering with Marie Kondo's 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' book

You might remember me (or anyone really) raving about Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up book around this time last year and swearing by the fact that it drastically changed my way of organizing, storing and, in particular, getting rid of things. Well, last year I had a major wardrobe decluttering session I was extremely proud of after reading the book, and felt extremely inspired to see how I’d get on with maintaining my wardrobe a tidy space (which has never really been in it’s entire existence, really).

As with every January, this time of the year I feel very excited about fresh new starts and feel the urge of renewing everything I can see and think of. I was curious to see the results of Marie Kondo’s technique after one entire year, and so started tidying my wardrobe from top to bottom, and… I can now say I have finally discovered the art of non-dreaded decluttering!

The Art of Non-Dreaded Decluttering
January decluttering and the best ever method to fold and store clothes
My beloved tea section after decluttering my bookcase
Decluttering every little corner of the room!

Although I’m not sure how healthy it can be to take everything in Marie Kondo’s book too literally, it’s such an interesting read I can’t help but want to suggest to anyone. I’m especially a big fan of her decluttering method, that helped me get rid of so many things I have accumulated over the years and have never been able to decide what to do with them.

Last year the pile of clothes I was finally getting rid of was 3x the pile of what was going back into my wardrobe. Not only it helped me a whole lot with storing things and finding what I was looking for, but I discovered my wardrobe contained things I didn’t even remember I have bought or I was never able to find before… and I used to tidy my closet twice a year, it’s not to say I’ve never tried!

Not only I didn’t need to tidy my closet in Summer last year, but what’s even better, I was amazed by how quick this year’s wardrobe decluttering and tidying ended up being! I went through all my pieces of clothing and discovered only a very very small pile haven’t been useful this past year, which basically means I have used 90% of my closet during the year and I still love and want to wear every single piece that’s in there!

The Art of Non-Dreaded Decluttering
How my vision of tidying and decluttering has changed drastically

This basically means this January my only tidying task was getting rid of what I have realized I’m not going to use anymore during the year. And then put everything back in there, in order of what I’ll wear and in which season. I also found very inspiring most of Marie Kondo’s techniques of folding and storing clothes, which I’m still sticking to this time!

Half-an-hour later I was already done with my wardrobe and felt so inspired that I decided it was about time to do some serious decluttering in the whole room. I finally have a nicely tidy bookcase, and you know when they say ‘tidy space, tidy mind‘? Well, I don’t know how I was working all these past months when all I could see was a big overcluttered mess right next to me! I was even able to build a little neat tea section (because that makes me happy!) where before there was only space for randomly piling things up between one shelf and another.

Just in case you are curious, I’ve popped a couple more clothes I can’t quite bear the thought of throwing away (because they’re pretty good in conditions) on my Depop page for only a few ££ (everything under £10), just because I believe they should have a second chance and find a new home!

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How about you and your relationship with decluttering and tidying?

Short Hair Routine

January 22nd  •  Posted in Beauty

Short Hair Routine

After nearly two years from the last time I went short with my hair, last November I decided I was tired (once again) of my long, shape-less locks and that it was time for me to finally go back to a shorter haircut. I was pondering the idea since the beginning of Summer, but really my hair grows so quickly that haircuts shouldn’t scare me anymore!

Short hair has always been my thing, and ever since taking the plunge I remembered why I love it so much: styling my hair is now the easiest of things and to me, all those telling me shorter hair is high-maintenance, don’t really know what they’re talking about! Anyone with straight, plain, flat hair will get what I mean…

How I style my short hair
My all time favourite shampoo for short hair
How to blow-dry short hair
How to style and blow-dry short hair

Yes I totally put a bit more effort into styling my hair when I wash it, but it’s not exactly a bad thing in my case: I was so bored with my long hair that I used to just leave it do its own thing (aka being a flat boring mess), while now I like to take time to style them in different ways, with it staying voluminous and light for days.

With my hair being oily and with a tendency of going flat, I still love my trusted Garnier Lavender Shampoo a lot, with no silicones and parabens and always leaving my hair oil-free but still hydrated and super soft (and smelling like a Provence lavender field, which is not bad at all). I really don’t use anything else on my hair at all, because I’m too afraid of products that can add extra-weight and make it look even more dull.

However, if you’re after some 100% natural haircare suggestions for oily hair, I have a whole post about it over here!

My favourite way to style short hair
Short Hair Routine

I was never able to “master” a blow-dry before, but ever since having my hair at a shorter length, I’m finding it all very easy, actually! And a straight blow-dry with the ends slightly curled inwards is surely my preferred choice when it comes to styling, just because it’s so easy, it looks put-together, but I only have to worry about it on the day I wash my hair and then it’ll keep looking nice until the next washing!

This way I also avoid big sources of heat on my hair, however if I’m feeling very lazy, I can still be partial to flat irons to straight my hair and curl the ends in, or to create a messy wavy look (especially on second-day hair).

Not a complicated hair routine, isn’t it? I can’t suggest going for short hair enough, if you’re pondering the idea!

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Any suggestions on natural hair products I should try? x

January Detox ft. Indigo Herbs { + Giveaway }

January 11th  •  Posted in Health

January Detox ft. Indigo Herbs

With January and all the New Year’s resolutions being a real deal at the moment, and especially after all the festive eating, it was about time for me to start a bit of a January detox. Let’s face it, the beginning of a new year’s always the time when we’re all the most motivated to approach a healthier lifestyle, and although it’s not great to lose the habit during the course of the year, this is surely the perfect time to embrace it at its fullest and try and build a good habit and purpose to bring with you during the rest of the year.

It was then with perfect timing that I was introduced to Indigo Herbs, offering plenty of natural health solutions, guides and recipes, but in particular selling a huge selection of 100% organic natural supplements, superfood blends and all kind of natural healthy ingredients I’d like my kitchen pantry to constantly be jam-packed with.

My January detox smoothie with Indigo Herbs Kick Ass Vegan Smoothie Mix
Vegan green smoothie for my January detox with Indigo Herbs
How I make a green smoothie rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for my January detox

As I mentioned before, to me healthy eating is more of a habit than anything else. Last year I loved reading Jolene Hart’s Eat Pretty and discovering each season new seasonal healthy foods and why they are good for my body, and this year I’m planning to keep working on it while introducing new discoveries in my diet.

I’ve been wanting to introduce the habit of having a green smoothie almost everyday in the morning or in the afternoon for ages, but truth is I’m not the biggest fan of raw green veggies at all. This is exactly why I loved the idea of the Indigo Herbs Kick Ass Vegan Smoothie Mix*, which, including a mix of amazingly healthy superfoods, makes putting together a “green” smoothie such a quick and easy task without involving any raw green veggie (which I rarely have in my fridge) but still providing a huge amount of health benefits to your body.

At the very moment, I’m proud to say I’ve been having a “green” smoothie every day in the middle of the morning and it’s actually a step in my routine I’m always looking forward to! My smoothies are pretty basic, usually including banana, apple, honey, orange and anything fresh I have lingering around, plus a tablespoon of said Kick Ass Vegan Smoothie Mix that makes everything green and a source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

January Detox ft. Indigo Herbs
Healthy eating ideas and tips for your January detox
Starting my January detox with Eat Pretty boox and Indigo Herbs superfood powders
My January detox green smoothie
Win this selection of organic superfood powders by Indigo Herbs on my Instagram, perfect for your January detox

Win this same selection of organic superfood sachets here!

A couple more superfood I’m planning to implement into my diet are: Barley Grass, which apparently is rich in antioxidant and B vitamins, Spirulina, great for brain health and promoting natural body’s cleansing and detox (which I’ve heard is great sprinkled on top of salads and in baked treats) and Matcha Tea, that detoxifies the body and support the immune system between the rest of its health benefits. I’ll make sure to keep you posted on how it’ll go!

In the meanwhile, if you too are planning a January detox and to implement more organic superfoods in your lifestyle, make sure you pop over my Instagram (here) for a chance to win the previous selection of Indigo Herbs goods!

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How is your January detox going so far? x