How are we already half way through the year already? I can't believe I am already at the stage of thinking ahead for my birthday and Christmas which are both fast approaching. This year is going by so fast and I am not sure if I am a fan, I don't feel like I have got half as much completed as I want to this year so far so I need to step life up a gear I think. The year might be flying by but I think June might have been one of my favourite months of the year yet as the weather is finally brightening up and so much seems to have happened. So here are my favourites from the month of June...

Fashion

Shorts Weather

Lifestyle

Family Holiday

Home

 

Starting The Home Gym

Health & fitness

 

This month I did something I never thought I would do... I finished a 5K, granted it was the inflatable 5K but it is a big step as I never thought it would be something I would do. At the end of 2022 some of the football team booked onto the local inflatable 5K and I signed up to join them and this month after a lot of waiting around it finally happened and was actually a lot of fun to take part in. Granted I didn't actually run the course for a mixture of reasons like it was far too warm, the obstacles really took it out of you and most importantly I am really not used to running. I really enjoyed the whole experience of it though and it has got me thinking about getting into running more and adding it to my schedule.

It is safe to say the 5K has totally inspired me and really made me think about my weight loss journey which I think it is safe to say has come to a halt a bit lately. The motivation has been seriously lacking lately so I think running would mix things up a bit for me and hopefully help me start to get the results I am really hoping to see this year. That is why I am going to be adding running into my new weekly schedule I am hoping to get going, that way at least once a week I can get out running and hopefully notice some progress in myself all round. I am really hoping that it will help me fitness wise when it comes to football too as that is an area I definitely struggle with. 

So the plan it to start off with one run a week just to get into the habit of going on them and this can be any distance I like just to ease me in to running which is certainly new to me. I have also signed up to do the Park Run which I am excited to do as a few of us from football are giving it a go and a steady 5K on a Saturday actually sounds like a good way to start the weekend. I want to get on the Park Run weekly alongside my own run each week but the Park Runs are going to depend on Liam's work schedule and any other plans we have but I can see me making the runs a priority.

On my solo runs there is really no excuse for skipping them as the area I live in has some gorgeous views, granted there are a lot of hills in this area however, some of the scenery is spot on and there are some nice views at resting points along the way. It also gives me the chance to get out of the house for a bit on my own which I know is often great for me mentally and I need to stop neglecting some me time as I know it is really beneficial. Going for a run will also be a nice way for me to switch off, I can put some earphones in and listen to a playlist or podcast rather than being glued to my phone or pc screen which is happening far too often these days, I need to learn to switch off a lot more than I currently do. 

Strangely I am actually really looking forward to starting this little journey on giving running a go and I am even more excited to see the improvements that come over time as I think if I really stick to this I will be able to chip away plenty of time off my first Park Run, I just need to stay consistent and the benefits should soon start rolling in. I am really looking forward to seeing my football performance improve too as the running should help me with my fitness levels each game which are currently more or less none existent and I want to be subbed off after just five minutes of being on the pitch some days. 

I am really looking forward to seeing how this running journey pans out and how it helps me in my weight loss journey, I will be sure to post my progress on social media so be sure to check out those pages if you are interested in seeing how I get on. Could this be something I really take to and start doing different running events? Will I be able to keep on increasing distances? I can't wait to find out.

I have said far too many times over the past few years that my style was changing however, looking back now I have realised that my style really didn't need to change, the way it was showed the real me off perfectly and I didn't need to change for any reason at all. I honestly feel like I fell into a bit of a social media trap, yes other creators were inspiring me and yes I loved seeing everyone's seasonal essential posts however, I didn't need to follow the crowd and follow me as there was nothing wrong with what I currently had. Plus the need of a full wardrobe overhaul after every YouTube video watched or after every Instagram scroll left me confused and honestly wondering why I felt like I needed this when there was nothing wrong with what I already had. 

A full wardrobe overhaul into those outfits I had seen on social media would have been no good for me at all as I have realised so far this year that my style totally depends on my mood either weekly or daily. I can plan outfits out and be completely satisfied or I can just get up and pick out a new outfit every day again it all just depends on the mood I am in. Some days I can wake up and want to wear a smart looking outfit that takes a bit more time to put together but makes me feel smarter than usual where as someday's I prefer to go for more of a street wear style with things like cargo's and printed t-shirts but in all honesty most days if it is warm or I am just lounging around there is nothing like a good fitting football shirt and a pair of shorts. 

Learning more about myself these past few months I have realised that if I just got a wardrobe full of outfits that fit one style I would very quickly fall out of love with it and really start to hate get me down. I have tried sticking to just one sort of style for a small period of time this year just to give it a go but I soon realised that trying to settle on one style started to get me down and really put me in a tough place mentally as I absolutely hated getting ready every morning during this time. I also learnt in this time frame that I really need to stop comparing myself to others, yes some people can stick to one style but that just isn't for me and it is going to have a bad effect mentally if I continue doing this. I have never really fit the mould as such so I need to stop looking at others and kidding myself that I do. 

All this got me thinking about when the time comes to start rebuilding my wardrobe properly as I come to the end of my fitness and weight loss journey, which granted won't be for a while yet but it doesn't hurt thinking about it already does it? As I rebuild I will 100% not be sticking to just the one style, instead I will be making sure I am adding what I like rather than going for that one style, at least this way I can have the variety for whatever mood I am in rather than soon hating everything I purchase. I already though that there will be some street wear style items involved and also some smarter items but something I really want to add is possibly some alternative style items, these are something I used to have and love and I have a few outfits I want to create but only when I can justify buying new items once more.

I want to take the wardrobe rebuild as an opportunity to create a wardrobe I absolutely love and full of items I can piece together outfits with ease that fit the moods I am in perfectly. I want a selection of smarter clothes for when I fancy being a bit more dressed up for work or shopping trips. I also want more relaxed items for the more casual days where I just want the ultimate comfort or just dressing more casually to separate work and day to day life if I really want to which is something I am really hoping to start doing more often. A work and day to day wardrobe would be brilliant.  

Slowly but surely I am learning out more and more about myself and one of those big things is that I don't just need one style I can have multiple, just because someone on Instagram has one style it doesn't mean I need to. As for listening to others opinions about how I dress I just need to ignore those people and begin to realise that it is up to me with what I add to my wardrobe and wear as long as I am happy and comfortable that is really all that matters.

There is definitely going to be a long wait until the full wardrobe rebuild however, it is now time to start planning what items I really want to add when it comes to the rebuild but I guess I can start adding a few bits when I really need to restock some items in the wardrobe. I actually have a few items in mind that I really want to add so keep eye on here and Instagram to see what items I do end up picking up.

Operation just being me is well and truly underway and I am looking forward to seeing how it plays out.