Lately, I’ve been really needing to hear positive words while I struggle a little, I thought I would share some of my favourites with you that I found on Pinterest (meaning I don’t own, nor did I make them). Enjoy!
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Feminist Fridays: What Makes Me Feel Empowered?
Empowerment ‘the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights’. We hear a lot about women’s empowerment when talking about Feminism but, I wonder how many of us think about that it means to us. I feel that this will be different for each and every woman based on their lives and choices. Because feminism is about choice, even if you don’t agree with that choice personally.
So what makes me feel empowered?
Earning my own money
Being able to support myself makes me feel empowered and greatful for the women who came before me and fought for it. I don’t have to rely on anyone if I want to buy something or live somewhere, it’s all me!
Having control over my body
I’m lucky enough to have access to contraception in the UK for free. This means I can choose if and when I become a mother. I can make those decisions. Similarly, I can dress how I like and it’s not subject to anyone else’s orders.
Gaining an education
I could my education as one of the greatest things in my life. I’m as smart as any male and earned my degree and awards. No one can ever take that away from me.
Having an opinion
This blog is full of my opinions and how I wish to express them. Being able to share my thoughts and feelings gives me empowerment.
What makes you feel empowered? Let me know in the comments below or give me a tweet on @chloemetzger
Illumicrate review and unboxing
It’s my first Illumicrate of the year! Once again it has been absolutely incredible. As always this post will be a full review of the box and its contents so if you don’t want to know what’s inside look way now!!
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Inside the box were the normal paper goodies which I loved! This included a postcard for Gilded Cage, bookmark for upcoming novel Following Ophelia and two magnets with V E Schwabb quotes on, although I’ve never read her books they’re exactly the kind of quote I want to surround myself with. My favourite though was the adorable New Scamander bookmark with my favourite quote from the film, this was designed by Jane’s Tiny Things and an exclusive to Illumicrate.
Exclusive early copy of Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Now this is a big book, an absolute corker. The blurb talks about a young girl being trained to kill while living in a convent…sign me up.
Hand Stitched Jungle Book Pouch
This pouch is absolutely adorable. I’ve been a huge Jungle Book fan since I can remember (although I only mean the original Disney movie, I’m not a fan of remakes in most cases) this is another exclusive for the box itself.
Magic and Mischief Lip Balm
A funny thing is that I really needed a lip balm and was going to buy one but opened the box first. This is an absolutely incredible at healing cracked and dry lips. I’ll definitely be using this every day until it runs out and it smells gorgeous!
Wintersong – S. Jae-Jones
I’d never heard of this novel but has seen it’s cover. It’s another large book which includes a Goblin King. It’s not something I’d personally pick up at the bookshop but I look forward to giving it a go.
FLame in the Mist Sample
I really like getting samples, it’ll give me an idea of whether this is something I want to get invested in. Can we take time to appreciate the beautiful artwork on the cover too?
There may not look like a lot is in this box but I’m a firm believer in Quality over quantity. I loved everything in this box and thought they really out done themselves with the exclusives within it. I’m 100% happy with my box and can’t wait until 2 months time when I get my next!
Feminist Friday: A Quote To Inspire
February Favourites!
It’s come around again it’s time for my monthly favourites!
Books:
This month I’ve read a fair amount (although maybe not as much as I’d like) and three books have stood out to me. The first was sent to me by Diamond Press, it’s called March and is a graphic novel written by John Lewis, a key figure in the Civil Rights movement, this is the first in a three-part series and I can’t wait to read the rest. Secondly is Here We Are, I reviewed this (catch it here) and raved about it because it is an incredible book, full of inclusion, intelligence as well as being fun! And finally, although I haven’t finished reading it, I am in love with Giovanna Fletchers newest book about being a mother. It’s not something I personally know anything about, being a mother, but I love the way Gi writes (I found her on her Youtube channel) and it makes me feel better about the prospect of being a mother in the future.
Music:
This month was very Busted orientated, earlier this month Abbie and I went to see Busted live (again) on their Midnight Driver tour. I’ve listened to the album a lot this month it’s got an 80s vibe to it and a lot of great and upbeat tracks. Ed Sheeran also dropped a few songs this month which I’ve been obsessively listening to (while getting ready to go see him on tour later in the year). Last but not least two bands I’ve been listening to are Lower Than Atlantis and their new album Safe in Sound, I’ve also been listening to a band called Broadside thanks to my lovely boyfriend Ali.
Shop:
After the move it’s been a quite quiet month in terms of any spending. Instead, I’ve been doing a lot of window shopping, particularly in Oasis’s where I’ve fallen in love with their latest pieces!
Watching:
Yep, my viewing has been a little dark and very Netflix orientated this month. I wanted to start a new series and had heard great things about How To Get Away With Murder, so I started to watch. I also noticed that The People vs O J Simpson had been added, which I loved when it aired last year. Hopefully next months viewing will be little lighter!
General:
I’ve really embraced Lush baths to ease the pain of my back which has produced some beautiful colours! I also received some lovely gifts after coming home including a swear word colouring book and flowers! On the subject of food I’ve been loving Tetley Boost teas and getting into my own baking! I’m also loving the new Powerpuff Girls range that Primark are embracing at the moment, I LOVED the Powerpuff Girls growing up so my Mum treated me to these. And finally my first gym session post injection, I was so proud of myself- read about it here.
What have your favourite things been this month? Any recommendations? Let me know in the comments below!
Book Review: Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World – Edited by Kelly Jensen
What is Feminism? Does doing certain things mean you’re not a Feminist? How can I see myself in Feminism? Being young and trying to be a feminist is tough. Actually, scratch that, being a feminist at any age is tough. When I was younger there was little on feminism, I’ve always believed women can do anything, but didn’t want to use the word ‘Feminist’ (I wrote about it here), I truly believe if there were more books like this I wouldn’t have gone through that awkward phase of insisting I was a ‘humanist’ (urgh). Jensen and the writers behind Here We Are have made an incredible book.
I cannot contain my excitement over this book. I want to go out any buy copies for all my friends, female and male nad just urge them to read it. Unlike any feminist book I’ve read before this collection of essays, stories, art, lists and more will speak to everyone. Jensen and her fellow writers just seem to get what being a modern feminist is, because they aren’t trying to tell you what is right. The book is diverse and doesn’t shy away from topics such as not wanting children, intersectional feminism, racism, mental illness. While I believe this is aimed at young adults, I learnt a lot from its pages.
When I requested this on Netgalley I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. I hoped it would be good and that it would get the message across, but it did so much more. Women and men from all walks of life have contributed their thoughts on such a variety of issues that I struggle to find flaws in its pages. There were some individual quotes that I didn’t agree with, but that’s part of the beauty of feminism, we don’t all have to agree on everything (something else that was mentioned in the book).
The freedom of expressing yourself in your own way is also celebrated in the book. Artist have taken to creating comic strips, there are poems, songs, general essays, interviews, pictures and artwork, all of which make the message of feminism easier to identify with. By doing so the team of artists and writer have all given a breath of fresh air to self-expression in feminism, something which is definitely needed because not everyone is going to side down and read The Second Sex.
This is a wonderful, smart and encouraging read. I don’t think it’s for one age or one gender. The ideas, layout and overall message of the book is creativity, acceptance, equality and, most importantly, love. I hope this book goes far because it definitely deserves to. Pick up a copy now!
Thank you so much to the publishers who sent me an advance copy!
Sunday Seven: 22 and a half
This week I hit 22 and a half, I know most adults don’t count their half birthdays, but firstly I don’t see myself as an adult and secondly I like using this as a benchmark to take stock of what I’ve done in half a year. I mentioned way back in January that I don’t like making New Years Resolutions, instead, I like to use my year birthday to birthday to see how things I have been going. So let’s take a look back and see what I’ve learnt in the past 6 months.
You don’t need loads of friends to be happy
Now I’m back in Basingstoke we don’t have as many friends around, but that really doesn’t matter. I still talk to Joe all the time, although it sucks I can’t just pop and see him. I also have Abbie and Ben on the other side of town. I have a lot smaller group of people that I’m in contact with but it’s really about the quality rather than the quantity.
The pain of losing someone you love never goes away, you learn how to deal with it
A few weeks after my birthday I lost one of my hamsters. Although, to me they are my babies. Noodle passed away and it broke my heart, I still miss her each and every day and that never stops.
I want to write, so I’ll goddam write
Enough messing around, it was time to get serious, get planning and get on with it. We’ll see what happens…
Having your own space is key to happiness
We finally moved home! Having our own space has made it much easier for me to relax and have time to myself and Ali.
It’s ok not to be ok.
I have a problem with wanting to be perfect. I always have. In the last few months when things have gotten tricky I’ve had to remind myself that I’m allowed to feel tired or overwhelmed, that I’m human. So, I did what I always do and I wrote about it and it made me feel a lot better.
Leaving a job that isn’t right for you doesn’t make you a failure
Back in November I left my first full-time job for a variety of reasons. I wasn’t happy there and didn’t feel like it was right. When I left, even though I had another job lined up, I felt like a failure because I hadn’t been there long. That said it lead on to bigger and better things and just because it didn’t work out didn’t mean I was a failure.
Grades aren’t everything.
For a good few months, I hid my degree certificate. I didn’t want people to know that I wasn’t perfect and didn’t get the first I’d been dreaming about. I hated mentioning it and whenever I did I’d follow up with ‘but I was only 3% off of a first!’ as if getting a 2:1 in literature was something to be ashamed of. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t hurt but at the same time my life was a mess in third year, to come out at all with a degree is fine with me. It now happily sits on my desk while I write.
Sunday Seven: Places you should visit!
Is it summer time yet? No? I can hear the collective groan as so many of us have to wait for the summer to roll around so we can go away and have a little break. I’m very lucky that my family liked to travel when I was growing up, I’ve seen some beautiful countries and hope to add to the ever growing list. This week I wanted to share with you seven places I loved and that you should visit!
Paphos, Cyprus
I’ve been to Cyprus a few times with my family and I absolutely love it. We’ve been going since I was quite young and my last visit was just before I started uni. We’ve stayed at the same hotel each time, but the town itself is constantly changing. There’s also a great waterpark, great excursions you can do and a lot of history around. One day I really want to take Ali and show him one of my favourite holiday destinations.
Sorrento, Italy
Ali and I first went away together with his family all the way back in 2009 to Sorrento. In the picture above (excusing my awful choice in ‘fashion’) we are standing at the top of Mount Vesuvius. We’d spent the day walking around Pompeii and looking at the history of it. Aside from that Sorrento is very tourist friendly, which means it can get busy but it’s also easy to get around. Also, the food? To die for, I loved it. You can also go over to the Island of Capri which oozes glamour. I want to go to different areas in Italy but Sorrento was a good place to start.
London, UK
I’ve been in love with London for as long as I can remember. I was taken to Oxford Street with my Mum and Nanna more times than I can count. London to me means excitement, it’s where I see shows, meet friends, go to events, explore the rich history of a wonderful city. London will always be special to me and I couldn’t just say one place, I love it all!
Amsterdam
I went to Amsterdam just before my 21st birthday. While we stayed closer to the Red Light District, it was on the last day we found the real beauty of Amsterdam in Vondelpark, if I were to stay again I would definitely pay the extra to stay near the park, also their Hard Rock Cafe is incredible.
Greece
I’ve been to Greece a lot. The first holiday I went on with my parents was to the island of Crete, we went time and time again and I fell in love with it. I wanted to use a picture from then but couldn’t find any in digital. Fast forward about 18 years and I’d gone back to Greece, this time to Athens with Ali for a week long class, and looked at the history of one of the greatest civilizations to have ever lived. Oh and for an Ouzo or two.
Orlando, Florida
Anyone who knows me, knows Florida was going to be on this list. My parents have taken me to Florida at least 3 if not 4 times. I was very lucky. I like going and acting like a kid, going to Disney, Universal, shopping in the outlet malls. I can’t see myself going for a while but damn right I’m going back.
Harry Potter Studio Tour – Watford
A must for ANY potterhead or anyone who just liked the films. Seeing everything up close, admiring the artistry and the detail on even the smallest things. I need to go again at some point, it’s only been a few years since I went but it’s already changed so much from pictures. It really is a must.
What are some of your favourite places to visit? Let me know in the comments below!
Saturday Thoughts – The Things We Take For Granted
Have you ever noticed how everyone is always rushing? To do something or to find something, there’s always something. I know, I know I am the absolute worst for this, I’m not good at relaxing and always want my mind to be occupied by something. For the last few days I haven’t had a choice. After having my injections I haven’t had a choice. To cut a long story short, my body wasn’t that happy about having 10 needles put into a sore spot and had a bit of a freakout. I wasn’t allowed to go to work, couldn’t really walk very well and was in a lot of pain.
It very quickly took me back to where I was when I broke my spine, but I had nearly two years of living with the pain to contend with. I didn’t have a choice but to slow down this time, because if I pushed it too much then the whole injections, hospital, pain would have been for nothing. So I had to take a few days off work and focus on getting myself better. It meant letting myself be looked after by my family, by Ali, reading a lot and drinking a lot of tea.
For the first time since my hospital visit I went out for a walk today. Wrapped up against the snow and the cold with my faithful Doc Martens and my hand in Ali’s. It may sound simple, going for a walk but it made me so thankful. I didn’t make a big deal about it but I was terrified something would go wrong, that I would wake up and not be able to walk, I spent a few months back in 2015 with the very real possibility that I could lose the ability to walk.
It’s so simple to talk walking for granted before it’s almost taken away from you. With every walk, every workout session I thank my lucky stars that my legs are working. I have struggles but when I spent time in a wheelchair and only able to take little steps it was hard and it changes your life more than you could ever imagine. I am always trying to make things easier for those less able than I am.
I know this is a little rambling, it might not make much sense but I needed to get this down, out of my head. I’ve thought a lot while I’ve been healing and have had long and meaningful conversation with my best friend and the love of my life, another thing that I cannot take for granted. To put it simply, we all need to slow down and admire what we have, but sometimes we need to be forced to see it.
Update- Spinal Recovery Post Injection
Hello, hello, hello all!
I wanted to give a quick update on how things are going after the injections. I went into hospital yesterday and after waiting for what felt like an age for my turn in the operating room. I was petrified but sat with a lovely group of ladies, all older than me, to keep my mind off of what was about to happen. When I was called through I did start to feel a panic in my chest but wouldn’t cry. I just didn’t want to cry. I laid down on the table while an oxygen mask was placed on my face with a tube too and a IV placed in my hand. I did have to hold it back when they pressed on my spine to find the ‘points of pain’, I’m pretty sure I made noises that weren’t human. Then my vision started to blur and I was out.
I woke up, babbled to the lovely nurse and as soon as I was deemed ok with my blood pressure moved a little further down to recovery. I was out of it, anaesthetic is powerful stuff! I was given tea and biscuits, but unfortunately quite sick, meaning I had to stay a little longer while I had anti sickness meds and an eye kept on me. I was also in a lot of pain, without any pain relief after 10 (!!!) injections into my spine. Eventually, Ali and my Mum were allowed to take me home and I could finally eat and drink 12 hours later.
I’ve had to be monitored for 24 hours, meaning after sleeping in my own bed I was dropped at my Mums when Ali went to work and have spent the day here, trying to take my mind off of the pain. Eventually it got too much and I had to call the doctor due to increased numbness in my leg and extreme pain, which has left me back on the stronger painkillers and off work for a few more days, which hasn’t made me happy. I thought I’d be back at work and working hard tomorrow, but I guess I just need to let my body heal and take it’s time. I’m conflicted, I want to do well, make the people I work with proud and be an asset to my company. I also know if I don’t look after myself I’m no good to anyone.
So I’ll spend the next 4 days dosed up, with lots of pillows and a few good books. Hopefully I’ll be back to myself in no time!
Chloe Metzger 