Tuesday 1 December 2020

Christmas gift guide for people who are hard to buy for

 





For the chocolate lover


For the new Quarantine walker



For the guy who 'prefers it the old way'

For the makeshift pub


Style kinda guy


For the Uni student

For the Lockdown runner



Splash the cash (literally)



To feel confident


DISCOUNT CODE: TARABOUX15


Missed her blowdries

Big spender
For the sweet tooth
For the one who is always eating
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Thursday 9 July 2020

Learning to be bored



For most people we are almost reaching the 4 month mark of lockdown and although everything is starting to lift and open up again, unfortunately this isn't the case for me. The theatre industry which is my 'real job' is closed until be potentially the rest of 2020, so it's going to be a bit of a wait until until I can get my career up and running again. Now obviously this sucks but it has forced me to really think about the ways that I want to use this time and revaluate things that are important to me.

 Now don't worry this isn't going to be a post about how productive I am being and how I have created a side hustle and blah blah blah, because quite honestly, I'm not and I'm just sick of it. I'm sick of feeling unmotivated, trying to find menial tasks to fill the day, being asked 'what have you done today?' by well wishing family members and feeling like a bit of a slob constantly answering 'not much'. But the sad reality is that there is nothing I can do about my situation to speed up the process of getting my normal life back. Who could have predicted that a deadly virus would have swept through the world and shut down all of the Theatre buildings for the whole of the year?

So I am stuck in this state of limbo, with all the good will and motivation in the word but nothing to do with it and I am bored. We all tried out all the generic boredom-busting trends during lockdown but now that the novelty has worn off, what else is there? I've done the get fit thing (injuring myself in the process), I've watched all the Netflix shows, I've emptied my baking cupboard by baking banana bread and biscuits and every other cake you can think of, I've read all the old books that were kicking round my room, my wardrobe is overflowing with all my online shopping. But now I've come to terms with the fact that there isn't a quick fix to this anymore and it no longer feels like a waiting game which will be 'over soon' like everyone keeps telling me - I've got to learn to be 'bored' and be content there.

But what is so easy to forget is that boredom isn't a thing which happens to us, it's a conscious choice and a thought that we are actually able to control. If it wasn't then all of us would find the same things and situations 'boring' - but for what one person might find boring like walking round an art gallery or watching a musical, these are things that would make a great day out for me! So after a couple of down weeks of feeling pretty defeated, a culmination of the uncertainty of my situation and everyone else going back to work and getting back to their normal lives - combined with some dreary weather and some bad hormones -  I made a decision to look at things a little differently, or at least I'm trying to. Yes my life has been put on pause for a little while but when else is this ever going to happen in life? When you have the chance to just completely take a step back from everything and are forced to actively pursue new hobbies, get fit, read all the books, have a clear out, redecorate and spend the days doing absolutely anything you want - or even nothing at all! If life had carried on as it was written in the diary, I wouldn't have had any summer at all and would have spent almost every weekend working so although it feels a bit like I'm 13 again and trying to fill up the weeks of a "summer holiday" with day trips and walks and meeting up with friends - this is maybe the last time that I will get to spend my summer this way without feeling guilty or pushed for time so I am learning to enjoy it without the millennial need to be productive niggling at my brain.  

T x

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Tuesday 7 April 2020

Shopping responsibly during the pandemic


Boredom buying. It's something that as a generation we are pretty guilty of, myself definitely included. And now at a time when we find ourselves stuck inside, trying to find ways to keep ourselves entertained, it can be all too easy to scroll through your favourite 'new in' section, but I think that now more than ever it is important to think about all of the people and processes that your packages go through to get to your front door.

You may have seen that a few of the most popular online shopping brands have come under fire this week from workers claiming that consumers are ordering over 3x more items than a 'regular' week and this is putting a huge strain on the company. As a result, workers are working 12 hour shifts and struggling to maintain their 2m social distancing in such a busy warehouse, alongside trying to hit targets. 

 Fashion is an industry that I have chosen to be a tiny part of, because I know how much of a positive impact fashion can have as a creative outlet and how it can help empower people and boost confidence which I'm sure that a lot of us are in need of right now. But at a time like this, we have to think about the bigger picture. Think of the amount of people who are having this huge strain added to their already dangerous jobs of mixing with other workers, in order to get your clothes delivery to you. In my mind it isn't worth it just to keep boredom at bay. Now, I'm not claiming that we should stop online shopping altogether, for example if you are currently bored of wearing the same joggers 5 times a week and you want to treat yourself to some new loungewear or 'quarantine' clothes - or if you have a special occasion that you are planning and looking forward to once this is all over. I think something like that will help keep your spirits up a bit and is definitely more worth while. I mean, the way things are going, it's looking like my birthday is going to be spent in quarantine, so I plan on treating myself a little bit and postponing the celebrations until the coast is clear and we are all let out again. It will give me something to look forward to and help keep up the positive outlook on everything! But all I'm saying is that at a time when we are all stripping down to basics, take the time to consider whether what you are buying would be classed as a 'non-essential' and maybe keep it in the basket for later, when shops open back up and we return to business as usual.

Take this time to focus on more important things like family, hobbies and catching up with friends, or even just getting creative with outfits you already have in your wardrobe if you need a fashion fix. 

T x



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Sunday 29 March 2020

Is lockdown showing us the 'real' influencers?



It's a Sunday afternoon as I'm writing this and - just the same as most Sunday's - I'm sat all cosy at home, scrolling through some of my favourite bloggers weekly content. Not much seems to have changed, except it has. In the past week, so many of us have lost our jobs, connections to our friends and family and our freedom to go outside. It is a scary and alien feeling, living under government restrictions to protect ourselves and our loved ones from an invisible virus that is sweeping world and to be absolutely honest, it all still feels a bit like I am stuck inside a movie, but the first 20 minutes before all the bad stuff starts to happen..

To keep my brain off all the doom and gloom I've been writing down lots of positives that are coming out of this and one thing that I am starting to realise is becoming really important is sense of community. I live in a suburban village so everyone has pulled together there and we are seeing lots more smily faces and people helping each other - but I also think this can be applied to the blogging community too.

 Now that everyone is shut in lockdown we are all in the same position and I think there has been a bit of uncertainty whether bloggers and influencers should carry on with a 'business as usual' attitude or would be insensitive and inappropriate considering everything going on in the world. If you are anything like me, being stuck indoors for 23 hours a day has obviously meant an increase in screen time and with the rest of the world being flipped on it's head, being able to go to an app with an online community still posting, engaging and supporting each other has been a source of comfort. 

However, I think what this time has done, is forced bloggers to rethink how we work, we can no longer go to our favourite streets to shoot, get photos in that fancy restaurant and you feel a little silly putting a dress and heels on to take a photo in your lounge. In a way, the playing field has been levelled, everyone is in the same boat and has to create content from within four walls. And I think that what is growing out of this is that we are being forced to show more of our authentic selves - I have seen more 'no makeup' selfies in the past week than I ever have, people taking the time to showcase talents that they have never put online before such as singing, dancing, baking, yoga or painting, and lots more stories spending time with family and letting loose and being a bit more silly. We are starting to see less of the curated, filtered world and more of what is really important when it boils down to it. I am loving getting to know more about some of my favourite bloggers personalities, hobbies and lives and I think this could be a really positive thing the start of breaking down the world of 'perfect' Instagram. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Happy Sunday and hope you all stay positive and healthy amongst the madness!

X 
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Monday 24 February 2020

Switching up how I 'hashtag'


So I popped some insights from some recent posts on my story and received floods of messages from you guys interested in how I have been using hashtags to improve my reach on instagram after what feels like the longest stale period ever. I am a well known offender of a few "algorithm rants" because I know how frustrating it is when you work really hard to create content, often dedicating a whole day to it, sending it off to brands -  they are watching - you are watching -  you've done all the things you should be, engaging 20 mins before and after posting blah blah blah and NOTHING. You check the insights at the end of the evening and see "523 accounts reached" WHAT. 

Anyway whether its a sheer brush of luck, or some things which I have been doing a little differently recently, I have suddenly gone from this to between 6000-9000 reach on my recent posts, often 90% of these from hashtags alone (so the algorithm is still screwing me with my own followers but another day) and I thought I would share a few tips on how my have been finding and using hashtags. Like I said I am by no means an expert and it will be sods law that as soon as I post this my next one will flop but here we go anyway!




1. Have a hashtag bank on your notes 
What I mean by this is save any set of hashtags that do well into a little bank in the notes app on your phone and try trial and error to figure out which ones are working (p.s. don't use the exact same hashtags on every post - I've heard this can get you shadowbanned)

2.  Different hashtag banks for different categories of photos 
Use different hashtag banks for different sets of photos - eg ones which work well for outfit photos, flatlays , going out photos, casual outfits, beauty photos etc etc, keeping them as niche and specific as possible!

3.  Put hashtags in the comments of your photo
I put my hashtags in the comments of my photo immediately after posting it, with 5 bullet points above so that they don't show up and it keeps the comments looking neat and tidy.

Now we get technical


4 . 5-10 hashtags describing the outfit
This feels a little strange at first but I start off by describing EXACTLY what is in the photo, eg if its an outfit photo, I describe the top, what the jeans look like, what material the dress is, what shoes I'm wearing, what jewellery I'm wearing. All feels a bit simple but seems to work so I don't ask questions!

5. Find brand specific hashtags
For any brands you are wearing, go to their own instagram page and find the hashtag they ask people to use to be featured like #boohoobabes - more likely that the brand will find you and therefore more people!

6. Hashtag wherever you are
Same goes for location, any restaurants, bars, locations in London

7. Hashtags where you would wear this outfit
Is it a #goingoutoutfit or #datenightoutfit or #casualoutfit or #springoutfit? Get inventive and think about what you would be searching for inspiration for if you wanted an outfit similar to this.

8. Add a few popular hashtags
Experiment with these, these are the wildcards that you can switch up and see which work, I usually find them by going on some profiles which have a similar style to me and looking up which generalised hashtags they are using eg #londonfashionblogger #fbloggeruk #discoverunder10k 

9. Research NICHE hashtags applicable to your photo
This is the bit that takes a lot of time but it pays off, I search some very specific hashtags to the photo for example #parisianstyle and click up the top on some similar hashtags that instagram recommends and keep doing this until you've got yourself lost down a deep dark instagram rabbit hole. For this I tend to do a mixture of hashtags that are pretty popular (10k + posts) and some more obscure ones (2000 or less) so that you have a mixture of lots of people potentially seeing it in 'RECENT' or the increased chance of you being in the 'TOP' tab.


10. #Gifted
Now I wasn't sure whether to put this one in as its a catch 22 really because in reality it's a legal requirement, however I have noticed recently is that any posted which is #gifted or #ad (even if I put AD at the start without a hashtag to try and be legal but also trick the evil IG computer), it is automatically restricted and hidden from many of my own followers. Do with that information what you will, because we all technically have to include it to avoid fines and be transparent with our audience and all that jazz - but the way I'm looking at it is that I have to now ramp up my own personal content that isn't including gifted outfits/ products in order to keep up the momentum. 

And thats about all folks. But in all seriousness, this is all when I'm feeling particularly extra and if I'm having a busy or lazy day I will just copy and paste a few from and old photo which was kind of the same and be done with it, so don't feel too pressured into all this bollocks, Instagram isn't real life. Just have fun with using instagram as a creative outlet and don't get caught up in the numbers, they may all be gone next year anyway!

Good Luck, let me know if you have any success with any of it and may the algorithm be forever in your favour!

X
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Sunday 12 May 2019

Escaping London with Coppa Club


After a hectic few weeks with work - I say weeks, I had 2 months without a weekend off - and in a moment of madness and stress I booked Ryan and I a weekend away just to spend some proper time together without me running off to the theatre at 7pm on a Saturday night. 
Although I knew we wanted to get away from the city, I also knew that neither of us had the time to actually book time off, and as sods law goes I actually had to squeeze in an industry event on the night we were meant to go, so somewhere we could drive to within 2 hours but also was a bit of a countryside escape, was important.

When I saw a deal come up for The Great House at Sonning, it looked perfect - a cosy hotel alongside a gorgeous river but also partnered with Coppa Club, so I knew it would be a bit of a treat and we could rely on them for the comforts of good cocktails and food from the reputation of the London branches. And even better, only took us 1hr 15 to drive there! 

We got everything we expected and even more, starting with a very kind room upgrade when we arrived from a Cosy Room to a Deluxe Room in The Palace Yard - which was gorgeous. All the rooms have a modern countryside feel to them but luxurious at the same time, and the bathroom was probably bigger than my bedroom at home - so there's that! We had brunch at the Coppa club (which I heard is George Clooney's local - but no sightings so cannot confirm nor deny) and then headed into Windsor for the day as it was a little cloudy and I hadn't been there since I was a little girl. I also slyly wanted to pretend I was Megan Markle walking down that aisle but Ryan was too distracted by the weapons and armour so I got away with it. After wandering around the town for the afternoon, we relaxed back in the room and then headed back down to the Coppa Club for an evening of food and slightly too many of the incredible cocktails. They have a gorgeous outdoor terrace covered in fairylights which we sat underneath for a lot of the evening - very instagrammable and will be making an appearance on there in the near future.

After checking out the next morning we indulged in yet another brunch - the hollandaise sauce was the best I've had so I couldn't resist another Eggs Benedict. The sunshine had made an appearance for our last morning so we made a half hearted effort to burn the calories off by taking a stroll along the river. It was such a beautiful little walk, with all the boats rolling past and Mr Birdwatcher Ryan spotting a kingfisher, a heron and god knows what else, I swear that boy is the next Dr Dolittle. As we came back to the pub, everyone was sitting in the beach chairs in the garden while they had a BBQ getting fired up, the outdoor bar opening, boats mooring up and dogs jumping in and out of the river. It was so lovely and had to drag ourselves away to get ready for a Monday back at work! Will definitely try and come back in the summer and make the most of the pub garden and terrace in the sunshine.


Anyway, haven't written a blog post in a little while so I hope you guys enjoyed and that I have answered a few questions that some of you sent me about our stay. I will pop the hotels website down below for any of you interested - they also have way more venues than I expected so will try to visit a few more. But also worth keeping an eye on Secret Escapes, as that was where I booked ours and it was such a great deal!

https://greathouseatsonning.co.uk/ 

Tara-Jade x

*All views are my own and this was not a gifted trip or collaboration*











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