The unmasking of Christmas and what comes next!

Alas. It has happened. As the final notes of Last Christmas ring in our ears and the scent of turkey leaves our kitchens, the sad reality of post-holiday life sets in.

Yes. The time to bid farewell to the festive season and say hello to the year ahead is here.

With that, of course comes the task of taking down the decorations. Something I never quite look forward to.

That’s not to say, it has to be a sad affair.

It’s an emotional rollercoaster, and a true reminder of the fresh start that’s just around the corner.

Join me as I share the unmasking of Christmas with my friend and now typical guest of the blog, Mandy. Here we go!

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I will start by admitting that most of the decorations had already been put away by my arrival. I was just helping with the tree and packing everything away correctly.

The tree is the best part anyway. Plus, it allows me to share one last ounce of Christmas with you all, which I am more than happy to do.

Standing with one last view of the tree in all its Christmas glory, we took in the sight, storing it firmly in our memories, before making the first move.

Beginning with the ornaments, I went around the tree, grabbing each bauble and decorative piece and handing them to Mandy, who was waiting with bubble wrap and a box to wrap them up in, to preserve ready for use the following year.

It’s always good to have a system…a very well organised system at that.

Once every bauble had been taken down, I unplugged the lighting at the wall and together we walked round and round, taking with us the lights and rolling them up as we went.

That’s a lifesaver by the way. Otherwise when it comes to early December 2024 and you come to bring out the decs once again, there will be knots and tangled wires to mess about with before you even get to the good part. Nothing is worth that hassle. NOTHING!

The next stage is the part which breaks the heart the most. Watching the tree be taken down and placed back into its box.

Now this particular tree is gorgeous when set out but a pain to put out and in the same way, put back again.

Each part is colour coded and sectioned according to size.

It is a 7ft tree, so I’m sure you’ll understand that placing every individual piece into a box, which has been battered and bruised over the years from transportation, can be rather difficult.

However, we managed to squeeze everything in safely and without damage to the tree itself. Perfect.

To finalise the packing away of the tree, the box was taped down and sealed, so just like with the baubals, it could be ready for when it is next needed.

Seeing everything packed away is a sad sight. You look around and every area of a room appears somewhat lost and bare, like it’s missing something.

You get used to it over time, but initially, it just doesn’t seem right.

The first few weeks. Even the first few days after Christmas actually, can feel odd. That sense of magic fades in a sense, but it doesn’t have to.

As mentioned earlier, something has gone, but something else has replaced it. A new year. A new 365 days. Another chance to move forward and start again.

I guess my post about decorations isn’t really about decorations at all. It’s an analogy for life and how you treat it.

I bet you didn’t see that one coming, huh?

The blank space you feel from that loss of decorations isn’t there for long. The same goes for yourself, that space you feel. That void you think is there. You can fill it throughout the year with new memories and new opportunities.

Whether that is with family and friends or through new ventures, if you take care of them and what is ahead, you will be ready for anything.

Bring it on!

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2024 Vision: My 7 Personal Goals for the Year Ahead

Hey there, fellow goal-setters and dream-chasers!

Can you believe it’s 2024 already? I mean, wasn’t it just yesterday that we were figuring out what to do with 2023? Time sure knows how to sprint!

In another months time I will be turning over the next page in this book of life…in more than one way. First of all, I will be turning 26, so I am edging closer to the dreaded 30. Also, I will be finishing my current work contract. As you can tell, new adventures are quickly heading around the corner for me and as daunting as they may seem right now, they don’t have to be that way.

I’m actually excited for this new year. I’m ready for this fresh start and for the next chapter. It’s another opportunity to make further steps towards true happiness and the life I am striving for.

So, let’s kick off this year with some good vibes and a sprinkle of practicality. I’ve got 7 things on my radar – not resolutions, because I’ve never been a fan of the term, but instead goals I intend to achieve.

Stick around and dive into a new year of possibilities with me. Let’s roll!

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1) SECURE A NEW JOB ROLE

As I mentioned above, 2024 is starting off with a slight conundrum. Where my career will take me next.

I’m not worried. If anything, I’d say I feel prepared.

In this past year and a half I have trained towards my level 3 Digital Content Producer qualification, to which I earned a Distinction for my efforts. Kerching!

The only thing in my way, is confidence in myself. Apart from that, all seems well. Once I get over that barrier, I can’t see it being a difficult task. I just need to get up and get out there.

2) START SAVING MONEY AT THE END OF EACH MONTH

Since being thrown in at the deep end, and living on my own for the first time in my life, I have had to really step up my game when it comes to my finances.

I guess you could chuck this in as a follow up to the job goal, as from that I will earn the money with which to begin saving further.

This to me is one of the more important goals for my year ahead. It will be nice to look back at the end of the year and see a bit of money leftover and put back for a rainy day. You never know when it will be needed in the future.

3) CUT BACK ON MY ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION

Before anyone jumps to conclusions here, I am not saying I have a problem with alcohol, nor that I am stopping drinking all together.

What I am saying, is that I just want to reduce the alcohol I am consuming currently.

I’ve found that in the last year or so, my drinking levels increased slightly. Not in a bad way, but more than I feel I want to.

For a while, when I thought about hanging out with my friends and being social, it would mainly revolve around going to the pub and having a drink, which it doesn’t have to. Drinking shouldn’t be the only way to have a good time together.

Hence why I have made it a goal for myself in 2024. Make sense?

4) BECOME MORE CONSISTENT WITH BLOGGING

Midway through 2023, I made a stand for myself and finally returned to blogging. I knew it was needed and was the right time for myself to begin doing so.

It took me a while to jump back into things due to other commitments and trying to overcome the anxiety of my return, but in December I truly made that leap properly with several posts about my adventures throughout the Christmas period.

Now in January, and with a new year in play, I am ready to get these postings more regular and even increase my activities online.

And although I have written this as consistency with blogging, this will also involve my promotions on social media. I am prepared to improved myself and further my prospects, which leads me on nicely to goal 5!

5) GET MY NEW PROJECT OFF THE GROUND

This is something I am very excited about. It is quite the passion project and will allow me to create more opportunities for myself as well as be a source of information for others.

I have created another blog, which I will work on separately to this one.

It is called In the West Mids and is available to be viewed online as of right now.

So just to quickly introduce it. I am obviously from the West Midlands and have lived here all of my life. It is a subject I know very well and I have always been interested in advocating for the history of the region and finding hidden gems right on my doorstep.

I have some big plans for this website, so keep your eyes peeled for that. But in the mean time, I have work to do to build it up.

6) REDISCOVER MY LOVE OF READING

One thing I have always loved, is reading. When I used to feel low or needed to chill myself out, I would turn to a book and just let myself get lost in the words in front of me.

It’s a sad truth though, that I have now somehow managed to lose the feeling I once had towards reading.

It’s not that I don’t want to. I have plenty of books that I have not read. I look at them and want to pick one up and get started, but I am finding it a challenge.

This is a goal I am not going to push too heavily, but I am going to aim to slowly rebuild that passion.

So if anyone has any book recommendations, please send them my way. I will happily look into them!

7) MAKE MYSELF A PRIORITY AGAIN

This is the big one. Number 7 isn’t just a goal for me, but perhaps something many of you might want to think about also during the course of this year.

Over the last couple of years I have done a lot of things to improve my life. There is no doubt about that.

However, I am aware there are parts of my life where I still put myself last.

There are times when I forget to take care of me and think about what I want for my own future.

I don’t want to ignore myself anymore and you shouldn’t do that to yourselves either.

I want the best for me. It isn’t selfish to say so either. If anything, it is smart and only allows for further self-improvement along the way. So that is just what I am going to do. Aim for the best and figure out what I can to cut myself some slack and build myself up instead of putting myself last.

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Well, there you have it. We made it to the end of my little list of 7 personal but very important goals for 2024.

Let’s dive headfirst into the adventure that is 2024. Life’s too short for “what-ifs,” so let’s make it a year of “why nots”. Here’s to achieving, growing, and surprising ourselves along the way. See you on the flip side of success, my friends.

What goals have you set for yourself in 2024? Feel free to share them in the comments.

How Instagram can become your best friend during Lockdown

Lockdown is here and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere at this moment, a bit like a younger sibling who just won’t leave you alone.

I should know. I’m the youngest. So trust me on this one!

It is proving to be a testing time. Call me Chris Traeger from Parks and Recreation, because it’s going to feel as if there is literally nothing to do.

For content creators, it may even feel like you are going to run out of viable ideas you can push out to your audience without rehashing the same information everyone else is.

You’re probably also questioning whether you are able to keep to your usual style, tone of voice and all whilst keeping that entertainment factor at the forefront of what you do?

Let me tell you something now. Yes. Yes you can!

Things are bad enough for people as it is. This is not a time to forget who you are and what your content is about. If anything, it’s time to turn it up a notch. Let the flames roar. It’s time to go full content Ninja on everyone.

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For this, you obviously have the pick of several social networks, all of which provide a great home to connect with your audience and build your community. However, right now, I wish to hone in on just the one…

INSTAGRAM!

I bet you all thought I was going to say TikTok there, right? Ha. NO!

Well…maybe another time.

Why do I say Instagram? Well as a Digital Marketing Executive and someone who runs campaigns for clients, I am aware of the benefits the platform currently holds for creators.

Sure, TikTok holds a similar creator to audience value, but it’s still in the initial growth stages and doesn’t quite have the same popularity Instagram has become known to have.

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Over the last month or so, I have used my time on Instagram much more wisely. If you follow me you will know. If not, you can always make the right decision today and follow here – @lifeaschloelauren.

I have been meticulously testing different times of posting to see when my audience are online, have gone from irregular posting schedules to a post every other day as well as surfing relevant hashtags to better define my audience.

You may even notice I have mixed the content up, between photos of me, scenery, as well as videos on both my main feed and stories. It’s all about personality and mine just so happens to involve humour, whether good or bad!

Since implementing this strategy throughout Lockdown, my Instagram following has grown by 63% and my engagement rate has increased to 11.28%.

Even GaryVee, who’s content marketing tips I raved about (here) spends about 80% of his time on social media, just on Instagram, then divides the rest of his time on all the other platforms.

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People still have the mentality that if they jump on the platform now, it’s too late to grow or gain any real results without paying for ads.

They are wrong. Plain and simple.

All it takes is a little effort on your part and community in your heart.

That’s all it’s about.

Don’t go in initially hoping to get likes on likes on likes. It doesn’t work that way. Over the last month, my average likes have gone from 30 per post to 55. Small achievements that will continue to build.

It builds over time, just like when you first started blogging and the numbers may not have been what you initially wanted there, yet you kept working and working. The same can be said in this instance!

One thing to keep in mind with Instagram is to engage, just as much as others engage with you.

Follow and start a conversation. Don’t just follow for a follow back!

For every follower I’ve received recently, I have sent a message to with a simple thank you and positivity for their day. I’m even glad to say the response rate has been quite high. I’d say 9/10 have responded to me. It has opened the chance to correspond with one another, build your network and join forces with people who may have opportunities for you in the future.

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Please don’t forget that right now, it shouldn’t be a numbers game, but the more you grow on Instagram, the more you can impact and help others in times to come.

Now I am going to go and jump back on there myself. Always work to be done!

Let the virtual insanity continue,

Chloe Lauren

Why it’s really OK to take time for yourself! | Updated 2019

Hey Guys,

Do you ever find yourselves going through each day, feeling as though the entire world is literally on top of your shoulders?

It’s pushing you down further and further? And no matter what you have on your plate already, you somehow end up adding on more than you know you can handle.

That’s when the moment hits you. You’re at a point where you seem to have completely burned out?

Great!

Maybe the above is a slight exaggeration, but hopefully you all understand the point I am trying to make. Or should I say stress to you?

Whether you work full time, are currently going through your school years, or even nearing retirement, it can feel as though life is really getting the best of you at times. Am I right?

For some this may appear to be the norm and something you think you are able to handle, and to that I say, that is truly wonderful to hear, but for others, it can cause a flurry of emotions and confusion to take over and find a home within our minds.

These usually takes the form of stress, anxiety and worry for whatever is to come. I’d like to say it’s only an occassional occurance but that may not always be the case either.

That is not to say that they can’t be tamed.

The point is, no matter how you take and accept these issues, it’s important to remember that it is ok to take time out for yourself to gain your own peace of mind, however it is you do that.

For me I read a book or write what is going through my mind on my blog. It calms my mind and keeps me in high spirits when I need to get away from what is going on around me.

Ask yourself…what could you do right now to take yourself away from things and put yourself at ease?

‘You must make time daily to care for your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health.’

Lailah Gifty Akita

Just as the quote highlights above, it’s more than important to allow yourself time out of your day, and out of your schedule to sit back, relax and just be.

Let yourself have that time. It’s not too much to ask.

Even if only ends up being only 5 minutes here and there to get your mind in order and take a quick breather, that’s completely OK!

Personally, this was something I struggled with for quite some time, but from my own experience of this, and how it made me feel deep down inside, I have taken a real stance for myself and to regain control for my own sanity.

With my full time job, the volunteer work I do on the side, my Social Media/Blog management, as well as taking on those extra little favours for friends, I found I really needed to cut back somewhere. Not forever, but just as long as I needed in order to find a more suitable balance to suit.

Letting go to begin with did prove very difficult, especially as what I had been doing previously was what I was used too, but the more I would do so, the easier it became and the happier I am feeling now as a result.

For the first time in what seems like forever, there is a real sense of freedom. It’s truly amazing. I feel unstoppable.

Never be afraid to cut back. Your Mental Health is one of the most important things in your life. Don’t compromise for anything or anyone.

Take time for you. It’s always ok!

What do you say?