Knilly Frickers

Around this time of year I have a tendancy to feel self-depracating and make a list of things that I feel I need to change about myself in order to be the best me I can be, tick all the right boxes and meet the societal standards of my every day surroundings.  I decided a few years ago that this nonsensical notion was counterproductive and have now decided that instead of thinking how I will change myself for the year ahead, I will spend this time reflecting on what I've learned about who I am.  Yes, I know I'm a 30 year old woman but anyone who tells you they have all their ducks in a row in order of date of birth, know exactly who they are, what they want and have the secret to obtaining/maintaining it, is either extremely lucky or talking rubbish.  In the spirit of reflection, here is what I've learned about myself in 2019.  I let the big things go, not the little ones. I let a lot of things go, sometimes big things that I should really call others out on and I'm ...

I've been camping before but only for a few days. About 8 weeks ago I agreed to step completely out of my comfort zone and partake in a week long camping holiday.  I'm really more of an indoors kind of girl so the idea of sleeping outside for the whole week was a little daunting.  I'd be lying if I said the whole week was entirely up my street, I have a pollen allergy, I hate dirt and like my home comforts but I did enjoy my time camping.  I learned a few lessons about myself on that holiday which have been useful since I came back: 1. Being a light sleeper isn't the worst thing in the world, it's annoying at home when I have work to be up for in the morning but when you are in the middle of a field and are woken by the sound of a barking dog or someone coming back from the toilet, it doesn't really matter.  2. There is plenty to enjoy that doesn't come from a screen.  Yes I had my phone with me, was able to charge it and could keep in touch with friends and...

I've done a few 'Favourites' posts in the past which weren't spectacular but that's because I was trying to write what I thought a favourites post should look like based on ones I'd read on other blogs.  That's not me and it's not my blog so from here on out, no more feeble attempts at monthly favourites.  What I will do sometimes is a round up of things I'm 'Loving the Crap Out Of' at that particular moment in time.  Any products mentioned below are not gifted, no brands I've mentioned have sponsored me to mention them, I'm just presently loving the crap out of the stuff below and thought I'd share it in case you love the crap out of it too!   Mixx Audio Headphones I'm loving the crap out of my Mermaid Mixx Audio headphones right now. I bought a marble pair for my dad (primarily for selfish reasons - I couldn't be bothered listening to the radio programme he listens to on a Saturday morning) and decided to pick myself up ...

Star Gazing During my camping holiday this year, my boyfriend and I decided to do a bit of stargazing.  We left our campsite when it started to get dark and drove to a nearby dark sky spot with some marshmallows and our camping chairs.  The sun took a while to set but once it did we began look up at all the stars in the sky.  I've obviously seen stars in my 30 years on the planet but never so clearly or so many at once so it was a really cool moment!  Also marshmallows and strawberry laces by the side of the road taste amazing!  Sunset Walk Another evening, we left the campsite again to go for a walk and this time James picked a nice cliff top walk above a beach just as a the sun was setting.  Looking back it was lovely, at the time I was a tiny bit freaked out by the overgrown walkway to the cliff top and the nosy cows (literal cows, I'm not being derogatory)in the field we passed by deciding to walk in our direction. We got some lovely pictures of the sun...

It's no secret that I'm fairly inactive, I'm not very outdoorsy or sporty but when I went camping last week I decided to indulge my boyfriend in his request to do something active.  We opted for kayaking and despite being apprehensive I ended up loving it! I struggled for the first 5 minutes or so, crashed into James' kayak quite a few times and couldn't quite get the hang of how I was supposed to hold the oar, after a quick lesson from James (despite the centre we went to already giving me instructions) I began to get the hang of it! We probably did about an hour and a half and for someone who does very little voluntary exercise besides walking I coped pretty well, I could feel it in my arms and my butt but other than that I wasn't completely dying! I may even explore the possibility of doing it again closer to home. If you've never tried kayaking I'd thoroughly recommend it.  Rachie's Tips for a Fellow Novice Wear clothes and shoes you don't mi...

Although I'm into all things quirky, when it comes to my hair and I'm fairy low maintenance.  I do get my hair dyed in quirky colours from time to time but for the most part I let it grow out until I can be bothered getting my roots done.  I'm not great at styling so I straighten it now and again for a treat.  For my 30th birthday a few months ago, my friend Nicole decided to take me to a Vintage salon she'd visited as part of a Hen Day as she thought I'd love it.  She was right, we arrived at the beautiful Pin Ups Salon in Glasgow on a Saturday afternoon and I was transformed into a different area as the stylist began taking me from Rachel to Marilyn.  I'd chosen a 50s style as it aligns quite well with my shape and my taste in clothes.  I'm not really into make up do I didn't bother with that but I was so happy with my hair and received loads of compliments.  I'd thoroughly recommend the experience to anyone else. I'm so grateful my friend sugg...

In one of my previous blog posts, I mentioned that I'm turning 30 this year. I also mentioned that a few years ago I made a list of 28 things I wanted to do by the time I was 28 and tried to achieve them all in about 8 weeks.  This year I decided that I wanted to revisit that idea but spread out 30 new achievements, new adventures and new skills across the year rather than try to squash them all in....solid logic considering my birthday is just over two weeks away!  I'm crap at uploading blogs regularly so since the last time, I've added a few things to the list. It's a work in progress list rather than a tick off list, although the ones below were pre-planned. Disneyland Paris A few weeks ago, James and I went to Disneyland Paris. It was pretty amazing. I went to Disney in Florida once when I was a kid and loved it but there was something about going as an adult that made me soak in every second just that little bit more.  I loved seeing everything from the Castle, to ...