#cardiff lifestyle blogger

[notabipolarbear]

Sooo I’ve spent a whole week on my own! My partner has been away skiing with his dad! I’m really proud with how I’ve been. I’ve had zero anxiety and have been to college, hockey and the shops. I’ve been cooking for myself and I’ve been cleaning too. Hockey was good fun though my body really didn’t want to be there. Ended up with a sore back and shin splints.... we got our team jerseys which look really cool 😊🐉 Cardiff dragons 🐉 I’ve lost weight too which is amazing I’m so happy I can’t wait to lose more weight! I’m feeling very happy today 😊 looking forward to my home cooked spring rolls and rice for dinner 😁😁😁

[lifeofacrazymum]

In a bid to not spend any money this month, I raided the freezer for some junk food instead of ordering a take away. @marksandspencer cauliflower bites @tescofood breaded chicken steak @coopuk crinkle chips with cheese 😋😋😋 #food #foodblogger #cardiffblogger #cardifffoodie #cardiff #valeofglamorgan #wales #blogger #foodie #ilovefood #foodstagram #lifestyle #lifestyleblogger #cardiffbloggers #LifeofaCrazyMum #yummy #over40 #over40blogger #40plusblogger #40plus #friday #friyay #FridayFeeling #weekend #weekendvibes https://www.instagram.com/p/CDUZgLeA2bi/?igshid=184l7erukyx53

[asweetescapeblog-blog]

Exactly a month ago today I flew to Cardiff to see Niall on his solo tour and I've just posted a blog about it if you'd like to check it out. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asweetescape.blog Twitter: https://twitter.com/asweetescape_

[lifeeofshannon]

A PRE POST GRAD MELTDOWN

A PRE POST GRAD MELTDOWN

University is coming to an end and I am no where near ready. The plans I made before going to uni are now invalid because of how much life has changed in three years. In a few days I hand in my final assignment, celebrate final show and effectively the  whole point behind the past three years is done. This whole university journey has been completely unexpected to what I originally thought was…

[jacobnsteel84]

Instagram is supposed to be friendly. So why is it making people so miserable?

For a growing number of users and mental health experts, the positivity of Instagram is precisely the problem, with its relentless emphasis on promoting ‘perfect’ lifestyles. Should everyone just stop scrolling?

When 24-year-old fashion blogger Scarlett Dixon posted a picture of herself having breakfast, the internet turned nasty. “The best of days start with a smile and positive thoughts. And pancakes. And strawberries. And bottomless tea,” Dixon wrote on her scarlettlondon Instagram feed, under an image of her looking flawless on a freshly made bed flanked by heart-shaped helium balloons.

The sponsored post – for Listerine mouthwash, a bottle of which is visible on the side of the shot – was swiftly reposted on Twitter. “Fuck off this is anybody’s normal morning,” wrote Nathan from Cardiff. “Instagram is a ridiculous lie factory made to make us all feel inadequate.” His post, which has garnered more than 111,000 likes (22 times as many as Dixon’s original) and almost 25,000 retweets, prompted a wave of criticism, with the more printable comments ranging from “Fakelife!” and “Bunny-boiler” to “Let’s pop her balloons” and “Who keeps Listerine on their bedside table? Serial killers, that’s who.”

Continue reading... from Trading Tips https://ift.tt/2NKTdLH

[rpeterthomas]

Like most people I’ve been into cycling since I was a kid.

I remember opening my first mountain bike one Christmas. I couldn’t tell you anything about it apart from it being black with yellow tires.

I remember going for my first ride with my mum walking along side me and my brother. This is when a stranger stopped us to say my handlebars were on backwards.

What happened to that bike I have no idea. Like many of the bikes I had growing up, it most likely ended up a rusting hulk in the garden because we didn’t have the space to keep them inside.

Anyway, fast forward a about a decade and many bikes later. I’ve amassed a small fleet of custom bicycles that have occupied my spare time over the past 4 years.

The first one on the list would be my Duracell mountain bike. I got this as it was being given away as a promotional item. I don’t remember what exactly because I’ve owned the bike for at least 10 years in total now.

I used it a handful of times when I was 17, but living in a hilly valley town made it difficult to use and thus it was resigned to the garden until I moved to Cardiff in 2015.

As I’d moved to the city for university and work. I figured I’d need a mode of transport, Cardiff being a fairly flat city made the idea of cycling fun and easy. That’s when I decided to dig the Duracell bike out of retirement.

Needless to say, the bike was completely seized. I remember there being a puncture in the rear tire when I last used it, but being sat in the garden for all that time had taken its toll.

As I was unfamiliar with bike maintenance and repair (I had never even opened a puncture kit) I was unsure if the bike was worth saving or if I’d have to just buy a new bike, however having a limited budget at the time made looking for a new bike difficult.

So seeking some professional help, I went to my local Halfords store to see what they could do.

As it happens a friend of mine worked there and gave me the news that he could bring the bike back to life and have it in working condition for £55… Bearing in mind I had to carry this bike into the store because it was completely seized up.

Fast forward a week and here’s what I got back!

They had replaced the bottom bracket, brakes, brake levers, brake pads, inner tubes, brake cables and housing, gear lines and housing, front and rear derailleur arms and the rear cassette…

For all of you that are unfamiliar with bike anatomy, that’s basically everything that makes the bike move!

Of course. As happy as I was with the resurrection of the bike, I just couldn’t leave it in its stock setup. I had to make this mountain bike a useful city commuter that can take the urban and the mud. I started out by adding pannier racks and bags.

Ultimately the pannier bags above lasted about a week and the handlebar bag even less. They didn’t suit my needs, and keeping things on your bike while it’s locked up on the street just isn’t a great idea.

My modifications from this point had whole practical influences. I changed out the bars for a straight bar from Brick Lane Bikes and swapped out the horrid grip shift gears for some new combination Shimano EF41 quick shifters and brake levers. Finished off this some gold bar tape… Just because. This setup was then improved with the addition the Takeaway tray, another item from Brick Lane Bikes.

This setup helps me I’m the city because it makes the bike so narrow. I can filter through the heaviest traffic without worrying about accidentally scratching other vehicles, and the tray on the front has come in handy on so many occasions.

last items while moving out of old flat.

nor

carrying prints for exhibition

bluetooth amplifier in the summer

cages on back with backpack

Later additions came in the forms of a Pendleton satchel bag for my everyday use, and some metal carrying cages.

While in uni, using the duracell bike. I realised that sometimes I was taking out a really heavy bike built to carry things when all I really needed was something simple and lightweight to get me from A to B. So as a result of this I ended up buying a new bike from ebay.

Brand new this bike only cost me £160 including delivery.

A nice, simple, single speed bicycle with nothing unnecessary weighing me down… The only problem was, I hated the bars on it for some reason.

I already knew what I wanted, dropped racing bars and 2 position brake levers like I’d seen on vintage 10 speed bikes.

I found it a great bike and took its place as my main ride depending on if I knew I’d need to carry anything heavy or bulky.

When I had these 2 bikes up and running my commute to work was only around 500 meters or so, I made a point of living close to my workplace. In fact, some mornings it would take me longer to get the bike out of my flat than it would take to cycle to work.

However, in February 2017. My place of work changed location. Which meant that my 500m trip to work became a 7 mile round trip. Needless to say this was a massive step up in regards to my previous cycling endeavours.

The first few weeks were hell and I still couldn’t work out which bike would be better to commute with. A lighter bike with only one speed, or a heavier bike with the ability to adjust the gears… over time and with a lot of practice I was capable of cycling the route in a best time of 15:30 with either bike. I still believe I could have got that down to less than 10 minutes if it wasn’t for the 10 sets of traffic lights on the way. My health improved massively and my asthma almost completely disappeared. I was in the best physical shape I had ever been. My thighs muscles had even doubled in size!

As of this post I have started a third bike build for the sake of fun. This project bike was actually acquired as the same time as the duracell mountain bike and was in pretty much the same condition when I dragged it out of the garden at my family home.

I proceeded to strip off all the parts I didn’t want or were too damaged to use. This left with the frame and forks, wheel set, front crankset, pedals and rear cassette.

The plan is to get the bike up and running as a single speed cargo bicycle for now, with the intention to eventually get an 80cc engine kit and make it work as a cargo moped! I’ve only got as far as to get the wheels re-wrapped with City jets and I’ve also already started to cover the frame with stickers… Because it’s my project and I want to… other parts I’ve been looking at including this flat rat handlebar rack by Brick Lane Bikes

I know this post isn’t for the purist cyclists put there. Nor is it for the mountain bike crowd, or even the city commuter crowd. These bikes are built to my own, very weird specifications. They all serve a purpose that I need them to. And honestly I do it for the fun of building. There’s nothing more rewarding that looking at something you’ve created with pure glee and pride. Here’s to running these bikes for years to come!

Easy rider. Like most people I've been into cycling since I was a kid. I remember opening my first mountain bike one Christmas.

[lifeofacrazymum]

Ah... Decided to have a go at making my own little graphic to illustrate my plan to make social distancing slightly less isolating! I used a free clip art site to find some cute pics, and @piccollage to arrange it all. #life #lifegoals #socialdistancing #COVID_19 #lifestyleblogger #blogger #LifeofaCrazyMum #Cardiff #valeofglamorgan #wales #cardiffbloggers #lifestyle #LoveYourself https://www.instagram.com/p/B-E-m0Lgt6g/?igshid=1s7iqdq8owbv

[visitcardiff]

We are working with Cardiff travel & lifestyle blogger @pipsays to find 'Instagrammable plates of Cardiff' across the city. Pip recently visited @admiralstdavid and said "I had the most delicious Australasian food the other week at the new @admiralstdavid Restaurant @stdavidshotel the dishes are influenced by countries in the Asia-Pacigic region such as Australia, Thailand and Japan. The food was zesty and vibrant and also highly instagrammable! I really recommend a visit to this exciting & cotemporary restaurant in Cardiff" #Cardiff #Cardiffis #platedpics #foodie #cardiff #foodporn #food #colourpop #foodgawker #foodgram #OMGB #wales #cardiffblogger via Instagram http://ift.tt/2xO4ROq

[dienamicimage]

Future is looking mighty bright! • • • • Our brand new Cardiff Collection is now Live online! Handmade from metallic acetate and are our highest quality Blenders to date! • Shop the full collection online | Link in bio! Free Shipping! Use my Coupon code DIENAMIC20 at checkout for 20% Off #goodvibes #goodmorning #goodmorningig #vibes #blenderseyewear #moodygrams #mood #retail #fashion #fashionblogger #blogger #lifestyle #life #love #lifestyleblogger #shop #shopping #mensfashion #womensfashion #beautiful #amazing #shades #sunnies #sunglasses #cardiffcollection #photography #marketing #model #modeling #realgoodvibes @real_goodvibes @carssun @_derekdavis_

[rpeterthomas]

Self-improvement is a lifetime task. Every year millions of people make new years resolutions by signing up to the gym and starting a new diet, taking on too many things at once. This inevitably leads to failure through over extension, a byproduct of taking on too many new tasks.

Not all changes have to be big or drastic, sometimes something small can equal big change.

Changing your shopping habits is something so subtle and accessible that you’ll hardly notice a difference, and you’ll save some money along the way!

Single use plastic in particular is almost at a crisis level. In 2016 we produced 335 million metric tons of plastic, half of which which was exclusively for single use packaging. [1]

Ripple is among the first zero-waste stores in Cardiff. Allowing you as a consumer to purchase your everyday items such as pasta and washing powder without having to shell out for unnecessary single use packaging!

The store is stacked from floor to ceiling with all kinds of products. All in handy, well-marked containers that are easy to access. They stock all kinds of dried food, spices, cereals, grains, sweets, and household products. They also stock some zero-waste lifestyle products and clothing as well as some cosmetic supplies.

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The whole concept of zero-waste living can come across as being quite lofty and unattainable. But in fact it’s actually helped me be more organised when I shop and in my kitchen at home, and is nowhere near as expensive as I’d been led to believe.

The great thing about it is that you can use any container you own to purchase your products. For example I have an old bottle of Jack Daniels filled with Faith in Nature shampoo as well as an empty tin of Uppercut Deluxe that I stash raw chocolate raisins in for work.

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One of the most handy things I’ve bought is their all purpose cleaner. As with all of the other items in the store, you can fill your own container by weight. But being a cleaning product, you ideally want to keep the information written on the bottle for reference. So what they did was make bottle for it. On your first purchase the bottle and cleaner cost £5 which seems a little pricey. However if you bring the bottle back when it’s empty, a refill only costs you £2!

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Ripple has really pulled it out of the hessian sack. Their store is stunning and very well stocked with pretty much everything you need to start and maintain your zero-waste journey. By changing my habits and phasing out single use packaging I’m saving myself money and more importantly. Reducing my reliance on single use plastic!

I’m making an effort to do better. Self-improvement is a lifetime task. Every year millions of people make new years resolutions by signing up to the gym and starting a new diet, taking on too many things at once.

[rpeterthomas]

Greazy Vegan

Remember going outside and buying food made by other people? yeah I miss it too. hopefully we’ll get back to that soon, but in the mean time I’m gonna write about the places I’m missing.

Arguably Cardiffs first vegan junk food spot, Greazy Vegan really hits the spot.

I can be found here a few times a month scuttling away with a bag filled with vegan Buffalo wings, one of their outstanding…

[rpeterthomas]

We finally went to Hogwarts!

We finally went to Hogwarts!

I’ve sat on this article, just waiting for the right time to post it. Christmas-based posts are usually pretty time/season sensitive. However with what’s going on in the world right now, with COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns and restrictions in place, it’s made everything very doom and gloom. Hopefully this will act as some kind of a pick-me-up both for myself and for anyone reading it.

C…

[rpeterthomas]

Blanche Bakery

With everything that’s going on right now with lockdowns and COVID-19 I’ve found it difficult to really find new things to write about.

With this in mind, I really felt that now is the time to drum up support for the independent vegan businesses that are getting hit hard by this pandemic. The vegan community, especially in Cardiff has seen such growth in the last year. So many brilliant and…

[lifeeofshannon]

IF WE WERE A MOVIE..

A love like in the movies?

  Personally, I interpret Valentine’s Day being all about love with the main concept of it being romance and relationships. When I was younger, although I put on the front of being very cynical, I still went through the process of getting a card and getting my sister to write the message inside so the boy had no idea it was from me. (He knew) `We played weddings and houses, watched Hercules fall…

[visitcardiff]

We are working with Cardiff travel & lifestyle blogger @pipsays to find 'Instagrammable plates of Cardiff' across the city. Pip recently visited @mezzalunacardiff on City Road and loved their fabulous and colourful mezze! What other places should Pip be visiting for pretty plates of food? #cardiff #cardiffis #OMGB #foodphotography #foodgram #platedpics #Cardiff #instafood #instagood #fresh #foodie #forkfeed #fdblogger #wales foodie #lebanese via Instagram http://ift.tt/2xyzRxb

[visitcardiff]

We are working with Cardiff travel & lifestyle blogger @pipsays to find 'Instagrammable plates of Cardiff' across the city. Pip recently visited @thefloracardiff and totally loved their amazing fresh & zingy halloumi salad, apparently "It literally tasted of summer!" Where else should Pip visit in Cardiff? #cardiff #Cardiffis #OMGB #foodblogger #fplatedpics #plated #foodie #fdblogger #salads #foodphotography #foodgram #platedpics #instafood #instagood #fresh #foodie #forkfeed via Instagram http://ift.tt/2xuBq3W