Lifestyle – Page 2 – LYDIA ON LIFE

7 Things To Do in Venice

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous. If you’ve been following me on Twitter or Instagram then you’ll know I spent a few days in Venice last month. K and I decided to celebrate 2 years together by going on a little baecation. Here is what we got up to.

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” – Anonymous.

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If you’ve been following me on Twitter or Instagram then you’ll know I spent a few days in Venice last month. K and I decided to celebrate 2 years together by going on a little baecation. Do people still say that?

Even thought I’m a month late on writing this post I wanted to share it because we had such an amazing time. It’s wonderful what a few days away from your normal world with the right person can do. K and I have been to Italy before, but not together. K went to Turin with his family years ago and I went to Genoa with a friend I used to work with years ago. However, neither of us had been to Venice so we thought why not.

Venice is the city of love, right? A beautiful place with lots of things to enjoy in a short amount of time. Can you say cheap and cheerful? You can read more on how we planned our trip in my previous travel post – 12 Tips to Planning Your First Holiday Together. So if you’re looking for things to do in Venice, here are a few ideas you could do.

WHERE DID WE STAY?

We flew in from Gatwick Airport to Marco Polo Airport and landed at 11:00am. The humidity had played havoc with my hair and I was too tired to play Dora the explorer on the public transport so we took a taxi to the hotel. Am I the only one who struggles to look (or feel) cute after an early flight? After taking a taxi for 20 minutes we arrived at the NH Laguna Palace Hotel in Mestre, Venice. Our home for the next 4 days and 3 nights.

We had high hopes for this hotel after doing what felt like days of research on tripadvisor.com. It was 10 minutes from the Mestre train station and just a 15-minute drive from the city’s historical centre. As we walked in, the hotel was lovely, cool and boasting gorgeous views overlooking a marina. One of the main selling point for us.

K and I had stayed at the NH Hotel in Amsterdam last year for my sister’s birthday and loved it so much so we hoped the rooms would be just as nice if not better in Venice. We entered our room and the first thing we noticed was the huge bed; much like the one in Amsterdam. Sadly, that’s where the similarities between the two hotels ended.

There was dust on the furniture and rust marks on the floor. Most of the sockets were hanging off the wall and the room didn’t look as modern as the one in Amsterdam. I was not a happy bunny. K didn’t mind but do guys ever care about the room? Nonetheless, I wasn’t going to let a little dust and some rust ruin our stay. Although, they did make us wait 4 hours in a nearby McDonald because our room wasn’t ready when we arrived. Should I have made a complaint about the room?

Anywho, once we settled in, our plan was to get dressed and stroll around in the city centre for a while before coming back for dinner. Unfortunately, the lack of sleep and the huge comfy bed staring at us made it very easy for us to slip into a 5 hour nap. We woke up just in time for dinner but the hotel menu was expensive and not very appetising so we walked to the nearby restaurants. We stopped by a restaurant called Unico Ristorante just 5 minutes from our hotel. The food and service was amazing! Probably the best food I’ve had in Italy so far. It cost around €60 for a starter, 2 meals and 2 drinks but it was worth it. Wish I could go back just for their Mozzarella in carrozza!

WHAT DID WE DO?

A day had already gone on food, flying and sleeping so we decided to make the most of the 3 days remaining. K got a lot of information from europeforvisitors.com which helped us plan where to go and what to do during our time in Venice. We bought a travel ticket for €20 each from a local shop which gave us access to buses and water taxi (aka vaporetto) for 24 hours.

Lido di Venezia

First stop was Venice Lido; an 11-kilometre long sandbar. We got on a bus 5 minutes from our hotel to Santa Lucia Railway station where we took a vaporetto to Lido. It was hot so of course we had to grab a gelato before chilling by the sea. We wanted to discover Lido a bit more but unfortunately, it was getting late and we still had some more site-seeing to do elsewhere. In summer, Venice’s Lido is a popular Adriatic beach resort and a convenient (and inexpensive) place to stay at any time of year. Perhaps we’ll stay here next time we visit Venice.

Piazza San Marco

In New York, there is Times Square. In London, there’s Trafalgar Square. And in Venice there is St. Mark’s Square (or Piazza San Marco if you’re fancy). After leaving Lido we took a vaporetto towards San Marco – the historical city centre. We spent most of our time doing touristy things here. I won’t bore you with the history of this place (not that I know much of it myself). Let me let the pictures do the talking…

Palazzo Ducale

The Palazzo Ducale aka the Doge’s Palace is also in St Mark’s Square. We paid €20 each to access this museum which also included entry to the Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and Monumental Rooms of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. I’ll be honest with you, I have no idea of the history behind the Doge’s Palace either (or most of the landmarks we visited for that matter). I was more interested in the art and the beauty of this historic place rather than the history behind it. And taking cute pictures. Is that bad?

Basilica di San Marco

If it’s your first time in Venice, you must visit the Basilica di San Marco. For us, it was the main attraction in St Mark’s Square. It is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice and is one of the best known examples of Italo-Byzantine architecture. From the spectacular gold mosaics to its opulent design, the St Mark’s Basilica is enough to excite anyone interested in the Christian Crusades. It certainly thrilled us! Would love to take my mum here one day.

The queue looked quite long but moved fast once we were in it. Upon entering I was asked to cover my arms and knees as a sign of respect. Lucky for me I had something in my bag but they do provide you with something to cover up if needed. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take any pictures or videos inside the building and though it’s free to enter, you do have to pay to go to certain parts of the building. The construction was honestly breath taking, I wish we were able to capture it.

Campanile di San Marco

Just opposite the Basilica di San Marco, is the bell tower aka Campanile di San Marco. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city and gives you a 360 view of the beauty that is Venice. You can see the whole of Venice and the islands that make up this amazing city from 323 ft up. It’s quite windy up there and can get a bit cold so we didn’t stay for too long. A few postcard worthy pictures and we were out. Tickets cost €8 each and the line is a bit long but it’s definitely worth it.

The Rialto Bridge

On the third day we decided to visit the Rialto Bridge, one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice. It is the oldest bridge across the canal and is said to be the true heart of Venice. It has an amazing view of the Grand Canal especially at night where there are less people. Unfortunately, we went during the day like all the other love birds so it was very crowded and raining but it was still nice.

Walking through the streets

On our last day, we walked from Santa Lucia Railway station to San Marco, stopping at random shops, museums and stalls. The walk took about 1 hour both ways but it was worth it. Not only did it save us money but we were able to discover random museums and beautiful architecture hidden away in the Venice streets and alleys. I would have done a full photo shoot if we had time!

There are signs around to show you how to go from one place to another which helped. However K told me that the locals sometimes put up fake signs to mess around with the tourist. Italian sense of humour. It’s kinda funny right? Lucky for us we didn’t find any of those. The walk was definitely worth it and helped me work off the heavy pasta dish I ate at one of the restaurants on our walk back to the station. The waiter who served us was so lovely!

Where to next?

We met a lovely Australian couple at the restaurant on our last day. They came to Venice to board a 10 day cruise and told us they would be staying in Malta for 5 days after the cruise before heading back home. The husband was very excited about Malta. He spent a good 15 minutes telling us about the history and how it’s such an amazing place to visit (and cheap too!). Might make it our next holiday destination. Like I said, cheap and cheerful is my thing!

We’ve heard that Venice is sinking so we might take another trip before it’s gone! We’ll see.

Oh and this is the lovely waiter that served us!

Your Turn…

Where was your first holiday together alone? How did you feel about it?

Share your experiences, questions and tips with everybody in the comments below.

Stay tuned for the next post!

Love,

Lydia x

How To Survive Your First Holiday Together

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch. Whether it’s a nice city break or a lovely beach holiday, there’s nothing like taking a few days from your own world to see the rest of the world. The process of planning your holiday isn’t always so easy, especially when it comes to travelling with your partner. Here are 12 tips that might help you.

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Neale Donald Walsch _____________________________________

Whether it’s a nice city break or a lovely beach holiday, there’s nothing like taking a few days from your own world to see the rest of the world. The process of planning your holiday isn’t always so easy, especially when it comes to travelling with your partner.

June 28th marked K and I’s 2-year anniversary. We both love travelling and this was a perfect way to start our travel adventures together. First stop, Venice. Why? Well, it’s the city of love, right? Or so they say. Plus, it was first on our ever-growing holiday bucket list.

If you’re planning your first getaway with your partner then hopefully this post will give you a few tips to help you enjoy your perfect holiday.

TIP 1: Do not commit to a timescale or budget you both cannot keep to.

There’s nothing worse than having one person feeling like they are out of their depth. You’re going on this trip together so your expectations of what you can afford and buy should be agreed beforehand. Be honest about your finance and give yourselves enough time to prepare. Compromising and communication is key.

TIP 2: Decide in advance how to split travel logistics.

After 2 years, K and I know each other’s strengths. I like finding hotels and he’s good at planning the activities. So, we agreed I would pay for the flight and hotel and he would sort out the spending money and activities. Every couple is different so it’s important to figure out what works for you early on.

TIP 3: Use customer review and tourist websites to plan your holiday.

Customer review websites can give you the real deal on hotels, food, culture, tourist attractions and pretty much everything you need for your holiday. We used tripadvisor.co.uk to find our hotel and K used europforvisitors.com to find the activities in Venice.

TIP 4: Research the price range of food, travel and activities before you travel.

When we arrived in Venice, we spent €35 on a cab to the hotel. It may not sound like much but we could have saved €27 by taking a coach for 30 minutes. When you don’t have the luxury of taking out money whenever you want, it’s important to know how much you might be looking to spend before you get there.

TIP 5: Don’t exchange your money at the airport.

K forgot to exchange some of his pounds to euros so we had to do it at the airport. Don’t be like us! Change your money anywhere else BUT the airport. We actually lost 1p or 2p. It may not sound like much but every little helps when travelling. It’s better to exchange at your destination instead of the airport.

TIP 6: Get to the airport at least 3 hours before your flight.

No one likes to be in a rush or worry about missing their flight. If you arrive early enough you won’t have to. We got to the airport by 4:00am for our 7:30am flight. This was very early but we had time to check-in, have breakfast, freshen up and relax before our flight. Start your holiday with ease.

TIP 7: See what travel benefits your bank offers.

Travel insurance is very important and you should have it. But does your bank offer other benefits? Thanks to K’s current account with Barclays, we were able to use his DragonPass membership to access the lounge at the airport whilst we waited. Free food, free drinks, free Wi-Fi, TV and showers. Think I’ll get one too!

TIP 8: Avoid using your phone when you are around each other.

It’s so easy to get lost on social media while in the company of other people. This happens with couples too. Doing activities such as playing card games with each other can help you avoid the antisocial behaviour that social media brings. Plus, it helps kill time and keep you awake while you wait.

TIP 9: Familiarise yourself with your hotel location on the first day.

Getting to know the area you’ll spend your next few nights helps you plan and navigate your way around. Find where the nearest restaurants, supermarkets, bus, trains and local shops are as it will come in handy. Lucky for us, our hotel was within 10-15 minutes of all these places and a McDonald too. Winning!

TIP 10: Embrace the culture, food and language.

We all have our preferences. Whether it’s food, clothing, or the language we use, we like what we are familiar with. Going on holiday means putting all that aside for a minute to truly experience what the place has to offer. Try something new and if you don’t like it then at least you’ll know. Do it for the gram!

TIP 11: Relax and capture moments together.

That’s the whole point of going on holiday, right? To relax, explore and create moments. Share the responsibility of capturing moments and discovering a new world together. Find humour in every situation and don’t let the little things bother you. Love, laughter and memories are the only thing you should be making.

TIP 12: Keep your trip short, sweet with activities you both like.

Avoid setting a tight schedule because a holiday shouldn’t be a chore of things you have to do. Go with the flow and leave some room for doing nothing but relaxing together. No one wants to come back from a holiday feeling more tired than they left.

Hope you find these tips useful! A post on what we got up to in Venice is on it’s way.

Your Turn…

Have you been on your first holiday as a couple? How was it? What tips can you give for a harmonious trip?

Lets connect!

Share your questions, experiences and tips with everybody in the comments below.

Till next time.

Love,
Lydia x | www.lydonlife.wordpress.com

Garnier Moisture Bomb Mask | Does it Work?

“Invest in your skin. It is going to represent you for a very long time” ~ Linden Tyler. I’m going to Venice next week and wanted to treat myself to a little pamper session. I’ve been keen on improving my skin care routine and this was the perfect time to try out some new products and have a little me time. One of the products I purchased yesterday on my usual Superdrug run was the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask. Will it work?

“Invest in your skin. It is going to represent you for a very long time” ~ Linden Tyler

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I’m going to Venice next week and wanted to treat myself to a little pamper session. I’ve been keen on improving my skin care routine and this was the perfect time to try out some new products and have a little me time. I want to go on holiday feeling relaxed, refreshed and with glowing skin.

One of the products I purchased yesterday on my usual Superdrug run was the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask along with the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask.

I used the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask after using the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask as my face was feeling a little dry and needed some moisture back in to it. I love anything that boosts moisture to my skin as it tends to feel quite dry even though it looks oily.

I used the pink Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask which is for sensitive skin. The mask claims to:

Intensely hydrates
Comforts and soothes
Skin feels softer

BEFORE PLACING THE MASK

I used the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix night pads to wipe my face after washing off the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask then placed the tissue mask on. It was a little messy putting it on as it was folded up inside the packaging but I managed. If it wasn’t for the YouTube video I saw before buying the mask I wouldn’t have known what I was doing.

WHILST WEARING THE MASK

It felt really cooling and refreshing to my face the moment I put it on. So much so I didn’t want to take it off. The mask stayed on without any issues or slipping off and I could move my face comfortably. There was no irritation what so ever. I liked how it felt on my face but not sure about how it looked though. A little scary don’t you think?

AFTER REMOVING THE MASK

Removing the mask was easy (wish everything in life was that easy). I peeled it off and gently messaged the excess serum left on my face with my hands. My skin felt hydrated, soft and really refreshed. After a while (30 minutes or so) my face felt like it needed a little bit more moisture so I used my daily moisturiser from Nivea Soft. I’m not sure if you should add a moisturiser on top of the serum or not but I felt like I needed to.

Would I use the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask again?

Yes, defiantly. I think I’m going to add this to my weekly skin care routine. If only they did this for your body.

OVERALL RATING

I’d give this product a 9/10. The price was good, the product did what it said it would do and it was easy to use. What more could you want? I’d highly recommend trying it if your skin is dry or dehydrated. I’m really impressed with this mask so I might see what their other products from the Moisture Bomb range are like. I’ll definitely be trying their other 2 moisture bomb masks.

If I use this mask and drink at least 1.5 litres of water my skin should be holiday ready, right? We’ll see.

Your turn…

Have you tried the tissue bomb before? What were your results? Would you recommend it? What other product from this range have you used? Would you recommend them?

Share your questions, experiences and tips with everybody in the comments.

Till next time.

Love,
Lydia x | https://lydonlife.wordpress.com

L’Oreal Pure Clay Detox Mask | Does it Work?

“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life” – Renée Rouleau. I love skin care. With skin problems such as mild acne, large pores, hyperpigmentation and a whole list of other impurities I could do without, I have to love skin care. It’s a battle I’ve been having since puberty. Now that I’m in my mid-twenties, I can afford to invest in better quality products. But will they work?

“Be good to your skin. You’ll wear it every day for the rest of your life” – Renée Rouleau

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I love skin care. With skin problems such as mild acne, large pores, hyperpigmentation and a whole list of other impurities I could do without, I have to love skin care. It’s a battle I’ve been having since puberty. Now that I’m in my mid-twenties, I can afford to invest in better quality products and take the steps needed to get my skin to where I want it to be.

The first step I took was to stop wearing make-up to work. This was a big step for me but it was something I needed to do to truly start this healthier skin journey I’m on. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to go a week with no make-up at all and still feel as confident as I do with make-up. Baby steps.

The second step was to invest in better skin care products. I’ve always been into skin care but never spent the money needed on good skin care. I’d always look for a cheaper alternative. This worked for me sometimes but more often than not I either didn’t see any results or things get worse. Much worse.

So, last week on my usual trip to Superdrug I decided to buy the L’Oreal Pure Clay Detox Mask. It was on offer and I’ve heard Patricia Bright mention it a few times as part of her skin care. I’m a fan of hers and since she liked it, I thought why not try it.

LOreal has 3 masks in their pure clay range – a purity mask, a detox mask and a glow mask. The detox mask is used to detoxify and clarify the skin

L’Oreal claim that by using the detox mask, you should see instant and lasting results:

Immediately – skin is pure and cleaner
In one week – Skin feels fresher and luminous
Use after use – skin can breathe and is visibly transformed

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The clay smells nice and isn’t too thick or too runny. It’s easy to apply and feels lovely on the skin as you apply it. I applied it using my fingers and I felt a slight tingle or stinging sensation. This could be due to the fact that my face had just been washed and I didn’t have any product on it so it was very dry. I usually get that feeling when I wear face masks so it wasn’t alarming. Does that happen to you? Or it could have been all the impurities getting rattled. Who knows.

I applied it all over my face avoiding the eyes and mouth area and waited for 15 minutes. It says you should leave it on for 5-10 minute but I got carried away writing the intro for this post I lost track of time. It wasn’t uncomfortable when it was drying and I was able to speak without feeling like my face is about to crack.

WASHING OFF THE MASK

I decided to use warm water as I don’t like using cloths on my face unless I’m patting my face dry. It took about 5 minutes to get everything off and there was no mess in the sink. Yay!

AFTER WASHING THE MASK

My face didn’t feel that different to how it felt before putting the mask on. I did feel as though there was residue on my face (a waxy kind of feeling) but nothing alarming. My face wasn’t as dry as it was before but it still felt dry so again nothing significant to rave about.

PURE AND CLEARER SKIN?

Well I’m not sure what they mean by that. My spots were still there. I even found a new one but I wouldn’t put it down to the mask (probably time of the month approaching). I wouldn’t say my skin looked or felt pure either (whatever that means). I could see the pores around my nose and my skin looked pretty much the same as before. So no it didn’t purify and clear my face immediately. Perhaps I’ll notice a different over time.

The box didn’t say what I should do after the mask so I used the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix night pads and then put the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask. My face has been really dry lately and since it was a pamper yourself kind of day for me I thought why not.

Would I use the L’Oreal Detox Clay Mask again?

Well It cost me £5 and I still have a full jar left so yes, I would. A little bit of the products goes a long way which is nice. Nothing bad happened to my skin so I’ll probably use it for the next 3 days before going to Venice and see if anything amazing happens. If I like what I see I’ll continue using.

OVERALL RATING

I’d give it a 5/10 since it didn’t really do what it claimed it would do immediately. However, it didn’t break me out and I might see results after continued use so I can’t completely disregard it. After a week, I’ll give an update on whether I experienced any noticeable difference. If I do, I might invest in their other 2 masks.

Wish me Luck!

Your turn…

Have you tried their clay masks before? Which one of the 3 have you tried? What were your results? Would you recommend it? What other clay masks have you tried? Would you recommend them?

Let me know by sharing your questions, experiences and tips with everybody in the comments.

Till next time.

Love,
Lydia x

Blog Nomination | Liebster Award

“What you do after you create your content is what truly counts..” ~ Gary Vaynerchuk.
I was nominated for a Liebster Award by…

“What you do after you create your content is what truly counts..”

Gary Vaynerchuk

__________________________________

Welcome to Lydia on Life

Thank you so much to Sarah for this nomination. This is my second award nomination since starting Lydia on Life and I believe it’s such an amazing concept. It not only helps fairly new bloggers slowly find their feet, it also introduces you to so many other bloggers. I’m falling in love with the blogging community more and more.

Ever since I joined, I’ve experienced nothing but support and I was so excited to receive a twitter notification informing me that I’d been nominated by the lovely Sarah Walker (Yellow Feather ) for a Liebster Award. The award is given to bloggers by other bloggers and is a great way to discover growing blogs.

Here are the rules:

Answer the 11 questions that your nominator has asked you.
Nominate 11 other bloggers (with under 200 Twitter followers)
Ask your nominees 11 questions
Let them know that you have nominated them

So let’s get started! Here are my answers to Sarah’s questions:

What’s your favourite place you’ve ever visited?

Last year I went to Mombasa, Kenya for my friend’s wedding. I’m originally from Kenya but have lived in London since I was 5. I’ve travelled to Kenya a few times since moving to London but most of the time I’m visiting family or trotting around with my mum to view her ever growing plots. This was the first time I had travelled to Kenya without my family and the second time I visited Mombasa. 2 weeks of sun, sea and safari (and an Asian wedding). This was also the first holiday K and I had been to outside Europe. It was an amazing 2 weeks and I can’t wait to go back next year (hopefully).

Snow or sand?

Sand, definitely sand. Where there is sand there is sun and hopefully a mango tree and a beach nearby.

What’s your party trick?

I don’t think I have one. If I do, I’ve probably been too drunk to remember.

What’s your favourite thing about blogging?

The freedom and ability to use your own thoughts and experiences to help a random stranger. Even if it’s just one. Also, the support you get from the blogging community. I was afraid that blogging would be overly competitive but I was so wrong and I’m glad.

Who’s your celebrity crush?

Michael B Jordan. Mmm guurl, have you seen Creed? Damn… (Sorry K)

What’s your favourite social media site?

YouTube, I love YouTube and wish I had invented it. It’s considered a social media site right? If not then I’d say Instagram. I find myself scrolling through it every day after watching a few YouTube videos. I haven’t quite gotten the hang of Twitter yet as I’m still new to it but it could become a favourite one day. I’ll finally see why Donald Trump loves it so much…

What’s your go to source for inspiration?

I read through the blog posts in my WordPress reader a lot and use Twitter and Pinterest to get some ideas. However, most of my inspiration comes from something I did, spoke about or thought about during the week. Trying to find inspiration in my own life as well as others.

What’s your favourite song?

This is a hard one. I don’t think I have a favourite song. From hip hop, R’&’b, and Reggae to Jazz, Soul and Gospel, my iTunes library is too big for me to pick just one.

What’s one thing on your bucket list?

I have such a huge bucket list (in my head) so one thing on it would be to travel around the world. I want to experience different foods, cultures, languages and all the things this beautiful world has to offer. We’re not in it for very long.

What’s your favourite TV show?

How to Get Away with Murder and Homes Under the Hammer. One is for pleasure and the other is for business. Can you guess which one is which? I’m joking they are both for pleasure but Homes Under the Hammer is more for business reasons. I’d one day like to own my own property and this show helps me pick up a few tips for when I’m finally ready to take that step.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Stop hiding yourself, love yourself like no one else can”. These are the lyrics to a song called Mirror by Lalah Hathaway. The entire song is the best advice I’ve ever received and I’m on the journey to taking it.

And that’s it.

So now I have to nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 question.

Here are my nominees:

And here are my 11 Questions!

Why did you start blogging?
What is the 1 thing you wish you knew before starting a blog?
How do you manage your day to day and still maintain your commitment to blogging?
How many places have you travelled to and which one has been your favourite?
If you were to invite 3 celebrities to your home for dinner, who would they be?
What’s your signature dish?
Book or Movie?
How would you describe yourself in just three words?
What would you change about your life right now?
What are 3 things you hope to achieve by the end of 2017?
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

I could only come up with 9 that I felt had interesting blogs with under 200 Twitter followers.

Make sure to check them out and show their blog some love!

Your turn…

If you are reading this and I haven’t nominated you, please feel free to leave a link to your blog in the comment section below.

Love,
Lydia x | https://lydonlife.wordpress.com/

Blog Nomination | Bloggers Recognition Award

I was nominated for a Bloggers Recognition Award by…

Firstly, welcome to Lyd on Life

My first blogger nomination. Yay!

I was nominated for a Bloggers Recognition Award by Pearl from The Pearly Life blog. So exciting! I’ve been away from Lydia On Life for a while now so to come back and find out my blog has been nominated for the first time on WordPress is a lovely welcome.

I am very appreciative that the lovely Pearl not only nominated my blog but follows and interacts with my blog. Thank you! It’s encouraging to know that someone enjoys what you do, even if you only do it for fun and not quite sure of what you are doing.

I’ve never read a bloggers award post before so had to read a few to understand the idea behind it. Pearl’s post was first on my reading list. Check her’s out!

Ok, lets get into it.

BLOGGER RECOGNITION AWARD

Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
Write a post to show your award.
Give a brief story about how your blog started.
Give two pieces of advise to new bloggers.
Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide a link to the post you created.

How My Blog Started:

I started my blog in September 2016. Since then, it’s gone through a few changes as i tried to figure out what the hell I’m doing on the blogosphere. I’ve always been curious about how other people live their lives. From watching YouTube videos, SnapChat stories to reading personal blogs. I felt that navigating through this life is easier when we share what we’ve learned in our pursuit of happiness. Whether it be career, relationships, self-love, self discovery or motherhood, I was inspired by other peoples journeys and thought why not share my own. Help someone, even if it’s just one person. So Lydia On Life was born. A place where I share my experience and the many things that I’m learning in my day-to-day life as I pursue my own happiness. I enjoy writing and sharing the little wisdoms I acquire through my experiences. This blog is a work in progress, as am I and I’m excited about where I can take it.

Advice for New Bloggers:

Your about page is worth writing: Before you go writing your first blog post, I think it’s important to make sure you have written what your blog is about, why you started and what people can gain from it. For me, it acts as a constant reminder of why I started this blog whenever I’m tempted to do what other people are doing or feel frustrated when nobody reads or likes my posts.
Get involved with other blogs: You can learn a lot from other bloggers. Search for bloggers who are writing about topics you are interested in and get some inspiration from them. It helps, especially when you read about how they started and the struggles they faced as well as their success. It takes time and it will happen, if you work hard for it. I believe that.

My Nominations:

I’m still new to this and still discovering bloggers so here are a few I enjoy reading

Love,
Lydia x