Stress O'Clock

Every now and then we go through stressful periods in our lives. At this moment in time, I am no different. For me there's just a lot of balancing going on between planning a wedding, money issues, worries about work and lots more besides.

I think one of the main things that people worry about is money. At the moment, most of our money is being gobbled up by the wedding, so talk has now turned to post wedding life. To have a little disposable income again will be such a novelty. To say we can't wait is an understatement! Bring it on, I say!

Because stress affects so many people, I've put together a list of ways to help combat it. Hope it helps!

1. Talk about it.

Photo credit icanhascheezburger.com

Seriously. Don't bottle it up. It will just manifest in other ways. Have a good rant every now and again, it's wonderfully cathartic. 

2. Exercise.

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OK, You don't need to tie yourself to a treadmill or do 50 sit ups during The Great British Bake Off or anything. But get out and move! Walk, dance, swim, join a gym, skip. Anaerobic exercise can help fight stress and anxiety, plus your body will release endorphins to give you a 'feel good feeling'.

3. Make time for you.

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If you love chilling in a bath with a good book, pottering around the shops or playing video games, then make time to do it. It gives you time just to unwind and focus on yourself. Enjoy!

4. YELL!

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Sometimes you just can't verbalise the stress, anger or anxiety. Grab a pillow and yell it out. You'll feel better.

5. Do something daft every day.

Photo credit my.englishclub.com

Instead of walking down the hall, why not skip? Pull a face in public. Snort at a silly knock knock joke.The sillier the better. I bet you'll at least smile at the daftness of it all! 

6. Laugh!

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Watch a funny movie. Look at videos on Youtube. Laugh at things you're not supposed to. Whatever tickles your funny bone. Just throw your head back and have a good laugh!

It's not all bad news. Even though we all have to deal with stress at varying degrees throughout our lives, how we deal with it can make all the difference!

That's how I deal with stress. What tips can you add?

New Year, New You?

The bird has been stuffed and eaten, the cheesy movies have been watched and if you're anything like me, you're trying to work out where to put all the lovely Christmas pressies you've received.

One thing that I never really understood was New Year's resolutions.

Also, don't google 'weightloss', it makes for depressing reading, even in the images section.

Ads for weightloss and getting fit have been popping up all over the interwebz, as these are generally the things that people hope to change when resolutions are made. Personally, I could never go on a diet so soon after Christmas. There's chocolate, sweets and biscuits to, ahem, 'dispose' of. We have two boxes of Celebrations and biscuits to nibble through. There's just too much temptation!

I think that so much emphasis is put on changing the physical, that often the mentality behind the changes can be neglected. Instead of wanting to change your body shape, why not work on your own body image?

I could not be described as skinny, I have wobbly parts. And stretchmarks. Not such a sexy picture, but I'm human! Body confidence is still a major issue.


I see it in my own circle of friends, when I compliment a friend's figure or say that they look great, they're quick to swat the compliment away. Why do that? Take the compliment, you look great and you should feel great. Granted, I'm guilty of compliment swatting. I did it for years. It was only when an older and wiser friend told me to try just saying "Thank you!" in response that things started to change.

Confidence is something that everybody struggles with, be it in work, in relation to their body, in social situations, whatever it may be. No one is immune from suffering from a lack of confidence. If you do one thing today, pay someone a genuine compliment. Seriously. If you think they look good, if you like their hair/outfit, a joke, something funny or interesting they tweeted etc., then say so. By paying someone a sincere compliment it can help bolster someone's confidence and really brighten up their day. Guys and girls alike. Try it and see!

The mad month of October

If your family is anything like mine, it seems that certain months of the year tend to have everything happen at the one time. April for example has two family birthdays and a wedding anniversary. It looks like October will be our new busy month!

October is home to my birthday, our pending wedding date, Mr. Ree's favourite holiday, Halloween, and the month that he proposed. 

It got me thinking about all this wedding related madness. Recently friends of ours got married and the one piece of advice they gave us was not to leave things to the last minute. Get everything sorted, booked and done as early as you can. I thought we were doing pretty well sorting out the venue, photographer and videographer. But I haven't even looked at flowers, bridesmaid dresses, hair, make-up etc. So much planning goes into a wedding, and the devil is in the detail!

Anyone who knows me, will know that I'm the most 'un-bridey' woman ever. I never dreamt of my wedding day, sighed over Cinderella's horse and carriage or acted out wedding ceremonies with friends. So our aim for the day was to keep things simple, fun and very 'us'. 

One thing I've already learned is to play your cards close to your chest. Some people have an idea of what a wedding should be about. But ultimately  it's down to the bride and groom. What they want their day to be about, to celebrate their love and celebrate with their nearest and dearest. If people plan to spend the day bitching about the centrepieces or silly trivial things then that's their issue. I plan to be having as much fun as possible with my new husband and enjoy the day we've planned. 

Ultimately, that's what any couple wants on their wedding day. 

Working woman

Wow, I have been horribly neglecting my blog. Counselling shall be required, hugs will be distributed etc etc.

I have a good reason for my absence though. I've been a busy bee, working away, commuting and learning new things each day. Every day is different and I'm really enjoying the challenge! So what have I learned this week?

1. You definitely trap more bees with honey than with vinegar. It generally pays to be nice to people than to shout, demand and generally be rude. It can be applied to all aspects of life, just play nice!*

2. Running is good for you, particularly if you're late for a bus!

3. Down time is important. The minute I'm in the door, I'm straight into my PJs and chilling on the couch with a glass of wine and cosy booties before you can say "Lisa Time!" Being able to chill and just detach for a while is very important.

4. Some people on buses can be downright obnoxious and completely oblivious to common decency. On the bright side, I have a whole newfound respect for my car! Love you Misty!

Now it's time for some 'Lisa Time', glass of wine poured and a backlog of programmes to catch up on on Sky+. Put your feet up and relax. It's the little things in life folks!

*Unless someone goes out of their way to hurt you, then all cards are off the table!

Oh the anticipation!

Tomorrow is the start of a new beginning, or the beginning of  a new start? As of tomorrow I'll be working in the wonderful world of Marketing, I've joined Twitter (shameless self promotion linkage: https://twitter.com/#!/LisaOree ) and reading up on all I can to prepare myself.

The mix of excitement and nerves reminds me of the first day of school, I've got new clothes to wear for the occasion, my parents giving me a pep talk about 'being myself', to have fun and play nice with the other kids etc.

Granted I'm now a woman in her 20s so different rules apply, but it reminds me of how I felt back then. Back when I thought getting extra homework, racking up a big phone bill and falling out with friends at school was the worst thing that could possibly happen, ever!

So now I'm off to direct my energies into reading up all I can about the new job. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail and all that jazz!

Organisation Fail

I've been having one of those weeks where I've been running around trying to get things done, although I now realise I've made as much progress as a dog chasing its tail!

Tomorrow = Progress!

Thought I would nip this in the bud and write a list to keep me on track, I can report that I have lost said list. Next time I'm just putting it on my phone, doh!

Optimism is key!

I would like to be clear. I am not one of those people who read self-help books or preach about visualising success etc. However, in these times where doom and gloom reign, it is so important to remain optimistic.

I believe that happiness is a state of mind, if you surround yourself with happy people then it rubs off. Happiness is contagious and it is something that should spread. Try treat yourself to something small, at least once a day, it doesn't have to cost anything. Be it an extra hour in bed, watching a movie that you love or having a good laugh with friends, do it! Who cares about getting a few laughter lines? I'd welcome them over frown lines any day.

There are many things to worry about and get stressed over, but in the grand scheme of things, they are barely a blip in a happy lifetime. Focus on the times of fun and frivolity and let the good times roll!

Fussy, moi?

The wedding plans are in full swing, oh yes! The dress has been bought, photographer booked, we've almost settled on a venue, DJ sorted etc.

All was going swimmingly, until I started looking into getting  a videographer. "You'll regret not getting one." echoes in my mind from several wedding forums. So I start pricing around. On one particular site, they have 52 suppliers listed nationwide. I looked at each and every one of them and liked a grand total of 6. Showed them to my betrothed and we narrowed it down to two. TWO!

To be fair, both myself and himself are media trained in different fields, so this was bound to be a minefield from Day One, but we've seriously restricted ourselves here. But hey, it's "Our Special Day"*

What I found shocking was the difference in price, we saw some technically awful wedding video samples. White balance being off, out of focus shots, dirty lenses! Basic things people! And I will now sit on the inner Bridezilla.

Yet this doesn't reflect solely in the land of weddings. Shop around people,bargains are to be had. Check out sites like pigsback.com, livingsocial etc. You'd be surprised what's to be had if you're lucky.
 *Tongue firmly in cheek

Damn you procrastination...

I have so much that I should be doing. Namely tidying, cleaning and generally being organised. I wish I had the type of organised whirlwind days, you know the type of day where motivation is at an all-time high? I aim to bring out my inner Domestic Goddess meets Wonder Woman. Domestic Woman? Hm.. No. Wonder Goddess ™! Ah yes, that's the one!

So a hybrid modern woman between this:

Disclaimer: I can't fly, and the last time I used a lasso, I looked like a Macrame disaster.

And this:

Although I can't imagine myself being overjoyed at staying at my reflection in shiny kitchenware, nor do I drive a funky vintage car. And I really do appreciate the mod cons like a dishwasher, washing machine, tumbledrier et al.


I'm what one would call an avid list maker, I make lists for my lists, and yes... I own and use a Filofax. So perhaps if I make a list of all the things I have to do, I'll morph into 'Wonder Goddess'™, whizz around getting everything done and have time to sit and relax with a cuppa whilst saying to a bewildered onlooker "Oh, the entire house clean, laundry, shopping , fire lit and bills to be sorted? All done, sure it only took me a little while!". Instead of the general response my brain seems to opt for "Oh sod it, you can do it tomorrow."

Perhaps 'Wonder Goddess'™ won't be around all the time, but when she is, that lady knows how to get shit done!