Christmas: What to buy the boys in your life

Photo credit

Christmas is the time of year we all love to complain about, to be honest. As December rapidly approaches, it is officially time to get out our wallets and think about the difficult task of picking presents for our loved ones. This year, I made it my mission to stay ahead of the game, and task myself with completing my shopping list before December had really got under way.

I love to avoid the bustling crowds and that means online shopping is a must for me at this busy time of year. London's Oxford Street, pressed up against strangers, crushed in a sea of shoppers, whilst being forced to make important retail decisions? No thanks! I find sitting in the warmth, browsing the internet with a big cup of coffee somewhat more appealing. 

It's pretty much a given that guys are not the easiest to shop for. They either have no ideas or already have everything they need and let's be honest, what gift is worth buying your boyfriend when you can't pinch it yourself?!

Here is a round-up of my top favourite clothing ideas for the men in my life this Christmas - No peeking guys!

Serge DeNimes - So Serge Palm Leaves Arm Sweat - Buy here

This is my favourite sweatshirt this AW15. From Oliver Proudlock's own clothing line, Serge DeNimes, this simple sweat is soft to the touch and can easily be styled with black skinny jeans and the right pair of Nike trainers to complete a cool, street look.

Sik Silk - Heavy Neps Curved Hem Tee - Buy here and here

I tend to stay away from brighter colours during the winter, leaving the memories of the Sik Silk/Cafe Mambo collaboration far behind us. This is one of the many new tees we've seen emerge from Sik Silk recently. Sik Silk has undergone a full transformation fro the sharp, bold patterned vests and vivid colours of their summer collection to the more seasonal AW15 collection. I feel like the best thing about the minimalistic colour scheme is the way you can wear it with pretty much anything.

11 Degrees - Base Jogger - Buy here

With clothing designed for today's urban male, 11 Degrees is definitely a label to watch. I'm a big fan of comfort and warmth over fashion and that's why these snuggly 11 Degrees Base Joggers in red are a go-to this winter. With the weather swiftly deteriorating, who wants to walk around in damp denim?

Chptr and Vrse - PU Snood Hood - Buy here

For the diva that exists inside every man in my life - The Snood Hood, half way between a scarf and a hood, does anything sound more appealing this winter? Chptr and Vrse are a brand that puts a breath of fresh air into the industry; this clothing line is devoted to the pursuit of personal, individual style. Incorporating the wet-look sleeves, cuff and hem with a simply small logo embroidered on the chest, in my opinion this is a really cool urban streetwear hoodie (snoodie?).

Sik Silk - Oil Racerback Curved Hem Tee - Buy here and here

New in and possibly something to bring a bit of colour to your nights out this winter is the Sik Silk Racerback Tee. The subtlety of colour really compliments the all over look of the tee. Easily styled with the Sik Silk drop crotch skinny jeans in blue (buy here), this is definitely a big contender for that all important New Year's Eve outfit.

Eloise x

Eloise Rolfe writes for Beauty & Ruin

#thisgirlcan

All photos (c) This Girl Can

If you live in the UK, you've probably seen or at least heard of the campaign 'This Girl Can'. The campaign was developed by Sport England to empower and celebrate British women in sport, and I love it! I remember seeing the TV ad for the first time - I completely stopped what I was doing (updating See it, Want it! obvs) and was mesmerised by this beautiful, positive message that was coming out of my TV. I challenge you not to feel inspired while you're watching it!

It feels so amazing to know that I'm not the only girl out there who feels held back in sport. At school, if you aren't really, really good at sport, you kind of get forgotten, even if you love playing sports, and that feeling of rejection and "I'm not good enough" kind of blows out the spark that us average girls had for sport. It's sad, it truly is. So as you get older, you do less and less sport, and you get less enjoyment out of it. For me, it often feels like a chore. Even when I go to the gym, which is where I'm supposed to be sweating my arse off, I often feel self-conscious. There's this idea that's been planted in my head at some point, and maybe in the minds of other girls too, that we're girls and we aren't supposed to sweat profusely. Well you know what? We are! And I vow to do as much sport and sweat as much as necessary from now on!

What's great about being a girl is that we have so many amazing role models out there. Girls who are really damn good at what they do, and who we can look up to, even if we think we suck. My sporty idols include snowboarders like Kjersti Buaas, Jenny Jones and Kelly Clark, rock climber Hazel Findlay and dressage rider Charlotte Dujardin (google them, they're all awesome!)

Part of being active involves finding the right gear to do it in. I for one am not keen on a $100 pair of running leggings, even if they are the jazziest leggings I've ever seen, but it's tricky to find clothing that does the job (and it's not a simple job, there's sweat involved and it needs to be wicked away!) AND looks good AND is affordable. Personally, I swear by H&M sportswear, but I've gone out of my comfort zone to find you some other options too.

So the moral of this blog post is that it doesn't matter how good (or bad) you think you are, how red your face is, how much your arse jiggles or how little or much makeup you're wearing. Don't let anything hold you back, because nothing is worth missing out on all that fun! My struggle with sport in recent years has often been linked with the fact that I now have a muscle syndrome and it is so frustrating to not feel well enough to be active, or to feel worried that doing too much will make me sick, but I'm trying really hard to not let that hold me back. So, my goal for the next few months? To make my good days incredible and memorable, doing the stuff that I want to do like climbing, skateboarding, cycling, running, playing tennis, horse riding, hiking, snowboarding... you get the idea. 

What are your sporting goals?

Much love, 

Bemsy x

seeitwant.it

   

Get Kendall Jenner's Style!

(c) Splash

I'm not a diehard Kardashian or Jenner fan, but there is something about Kendall that I really like. It's just a vibe, but it's a good one. I am of course aware, though, that many people LOVE Kendall, and when it comes to her style, I can definitely see why. She rocks every outfit, whether it's smart or casual, and isn't afraid to throw some slightly wackier pieces in there for fun. So, whether you're a mega fan or you barely know who she is, I hope you'll feel inspired by the looks I've recreated with items that won't break the bank.

(c) Getty

(c) Splash

Jumpsuit (alternative here) - Sunglasses - Purse - Sandals

(c) INF

Jeans - Purse - Shirt - Heels - Sunglasses

T-shirt - Sunglasses - Jeans - Boots - Bag

(c) Tomas/X17online.com

Which is your favourite outfit?

Much love,

Bemsy x

seeitwant.it

   

Why You Should Face Your Fears

By Julia Caesar

Last year, it suddenly occurred to me that my fears were holding me back from living life happily and to the max. It's not like my fears came out of nowhere, but I certainly haven't been afraid of the things I'm afraid of now for my whole life. Some fears stop me doing things, some don't. The psychology of fear is incredibly interesting to me, and I'm not even a psychologist so my knowledge and understanding doesn't even run that deep! 

Back to my story: I was swimming in the sea off the coast of Tenerife, feeling absolutely terrified of hurting myself or drowning. It didn't stop me swimming, but it ate away at my enjoyment. "Why was I so scared?" I thought to myself. A few years ago I was stung by a sea urchin while swimming in Cambodia, and since then the thought of swimming near rocks, or even treading water, has made me feel a bit ill. Perhaps this was a remnant of being stung? A few years before I was stung, I was body boarding in Kenya, got caught up in a wave and my leash got stuck under a rock (typical Hollywood movie scenario lol). I thought i was going to drown. I didn't obviously, but I came out of it bruised and scratched with a head full of salty water. It's a wonder I still swim in the sea at all, but I won't go in unless I think I can handle the waves. Perhaps this is a remnant of almost drowning?

But even if my fears are based on past scary events, I still survived. So why am I still scared? I'm not going to answer that question here, but what I am going to do is encourage both you and myself to overcome our fears, simply because it is possible and it will improve our lives.

By Julia Caesar

I think one of the lucky things about fear is that it's all about mind over matter. Unless you are doing something particularly dangerous, chances are you will be just fine. Recently, I was swimming in a river with my boyfriend. There was a bridge nearby, maybe 3 metres above the water, that you could jump off into the fast-flowing river. I had no qualms about getting in the river via the metal steps, floating down a bit, and getting back out, but when my boyfriend suggested we jump off the bridge my heart skipped a beat and I started to feel a bit sick. Lucky for me, and this is a really good tip if you're trying to get over your fears, my boyfriend is my number one cheerleader. Calm, encouraging, supportive, not pushy, bullying or belittling. We sat on the bridge together holding hands while my heart pounded and my whole body shook and I wondered if I might vomit instead of jump. I said out loud, "Why am I so scared? I've done this before!" 

I had done it before. All the damn time in fact up until a few years ago! To be honest, I can't remember why I stopped - lack of things to jump off maybe? The first time I jumped off a diving board my swimming teacher had to hold my hand (I was eight and it was cute, okay!), but from then on I was flinging myself off every diving board I could find, even the top diving board for goodness sake! But there I was, sitting on a little bridge over a river, quivering with fear.

So I started reasoning with myself: "I'm may be a weak swimmer, but my boyfriend isn't, he will save me. There's a lifeguard. Wait, there are two! It really isn't far to jump. If it wasn't water I would do it. I'll feel amazing if I do it! High five to me!" and so on. 

This seemed to work, because I suddenly turned to my boyfriend and said, "Hold my hand. We'll jump on three. 1 - 2 - 3!" Cue a blood curdling scream from me! And there it was, mind over matter! I am stronger than my brain's natural desire to keep me alive and living a boring life.

And you know what? I don't even know what I was so scared about because little did I know the scary part was yet to come. There was a big, fat rope across the river that people were playing on. I was totally unprepared and got caught with the rope across my belly. The current kept pushing my head under the water, and I couldn't move against it to go over or under. I can't imagine the terrified look I gave my boyfriend, but it must have signalled to him that I thought I was going to die because he grabbed my arm and pulled me under the rope.

THAT was the scary bit. It just goes to show that the truly scary things in life cannot be envisaged. You won't see them coming, but you will fight to survive (or you will be rescued!). So do that scary thing, whether it's taking a leap, eating something or seeing someone, whatever it is just do it! You will feel amazing for doing it, and it won't be nearly as scary as you imagined. Brains are funny things see, they want you to survive so they make you feel scared, but a different part of our brains is strong enough to conquer our fears. 

Next step: telling that rope who's boss so I can totally enjoy jumping off the bridge!

By Julia Caesar

For those of you looking for more inspiration in overcoming your fears, watch this TED talk by astronaut Chris Hadfield. It's truly enlightening and thought-provoking.

What are you afraid of? Tell me about it, and how you have/plan to overcome it!

Much love,

Bemsy xxx

seeitwant.it

   

Brand Crush - bEATA

All photos by bEATA

"Beata Parvoulova debuted her collection for SS14 after working as a design assistant in the United Kingdom and Poland. She is a graduate of the fashion design diploma programme at Instituto Marangoni Milan and London.The Sofia based brand bEATA was founded in 2013. bEATA believes that what makes the brand unique and desirable is the attention to detail and the precision with which we manipulate our fabrics, so you can express your true self." ~ beatap.com

I came across bEATA in an issue of Vogue. It was one of those days where I'd managed to read a copy of Vogue cover to cover without interruption. I spotted a small advert for bEATA near the back, and immediately got out my phone to take a closer look at what the brand had to offer. I was deeply impressed. Fresh, urban, and sporty come together to create a lust-worthy collection. Below are my favourites.

Altay Top

Altay Trousers

Arda Coat

Arda Skirt

Fero Dress

Koncertino Dress

Murgash Sweatshirt

Verila Dress

What are your thoughts?

Much love,

Bemsy xxx

seeitwant.it

   

8 Steps to Improve Your Day - Morning Routine

By Sebastian Gabriel

I really enjoy sleeping. Any opportunity to sleep a little longer and I'll grab it, no questions asked. But I've realised recently that my day can be dramatically improved if I make the most of my mornings. I adore breakfast - so many yummy choices to choose from! Eating my breakfast at my desk is fine every now and again, but I don't really get as much enjoyment out of my brekkie as I'd like to. I also feel like I don't have enough time to really wake my brain up and warm my body up for the day. So, I'm trying to change all that, little by little, to make my mornings not necessarily more productive, but set me up better for the rest of the day. Here are my tips for doing just that. Enjoy!

1. Go to bed earlier and read.

Okay so it's not morning, but this fits in nicely with number two, and it's important. So often, I hear people complaining that they never read anymore, and I sometimes find myself complaining too! Grab a good book, snuggle up and have a good read before bed. Even if you still end up turning your lights out at the same time as you did when you didn't read, you'll feel so relaxed that you'll most likely nod off quicker than usual.

2. Get up earlier.

Ouch, right? So it sounds terrible, even to myself, but think of all the wonderful things you can do for yourself that you wouldn't have time for otherwise. Gradually set your alarm earlier and earlier (try 5 minutes every other day) until you're able to get up about 40 minutes earlier than usual. Now for the fun stuff!

3. Forget you have a phone/laptop/tablet/etc.

This is DIFFICULT! There's just something great about looking at your phone first thing and seeing a message or a bunch of new insta followers, but it can also make for a terrible start to the day if you lose a bunch of followers or you get an email with some bad news. Eliminate the chance of ruining your day by not looking at your phone until you've eaten your breakfast, by which time you'll be in a better place mentally to deal with anything rubbish that has happened overnight. Use the time to read a magazine, read the paper, listen to the news, talk to your family, ponder the meaning of life, and you'll notice how much you enjoy the tech-free time.

4. Drink water.

Right, so has it ever occurred to you that when you're awake, you're pretty much drinking constantly, but when you go to bed at night, you don't drink anything for a reallyyyyy long time? I'm no scientist or anything, but to me this screams DEHYDRATION. When you wake up, have a big water-based drink, whether it's tea, hot water with lemon, plain old water, whatever you really enjoy.

 By Jordan Sanchez

5. Move.

I'm loathe to use the word exercise here. For me, it sounds like a chore, and I don't like doing chores first thing in the morning. If you love exercising then that's amazing, good for you, go for it! But for me, I like to think of it as simply a lovely morning stroll. You can Google the benefits of walking, and the benefits of a morning walk, apparently it does great things. For me, a 10 to 15 minute stroll is a great way to get the grumps out of myself if I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and a great way to gently wake up (I'm the ginger zombie shuffling along first thing in the morning ha!)

6. Do yoga/stretch/meditate.

Again, I like to keep it brief, and I don't do all three every day. It really depends on what I feel like doing. If you don't feel like doing any, close your eyes and point, and do the one your finger lands on. You'll thank yourself afterwards. Headspace is an amazing app if you're looking for guided meditation/mindfulness. It's just 10 minutes a day so it's really easy to fit in. Rachel Brathan AKA Yoga Girl has shared a morning wake-up yoga flow on YouTube which I adore. And as for stretching, gently fling yourself around, have fun with it! 

If you simply can't wait to eat after your walk, then swap numbers six and seven around, easy.

7. Eat breakfast.

 I LOVE BREAKFAST! Did I say that already? It's because I really do. I love it so much, sometimes I have breakfast for supper! Use the extra time you've given yourself in the morning to make yourself a super yummy meal. Check out my 'In the kitchen' board on Pinterest for some drool-worthy breakfasts.

8. Write down your goals for the day.

Take a few minutes to think about what you want to achieve each day and write them down. It's a great way to focus your mind and get you excited for what you're going to do with the rest of your day. At the end of the day, take a look at all the things you've done, and for goodness sake don't beat yourself up if you didn't tick everything off, just focus on what you DID do.

By Demi DeHerrera

Struggling to imagine what your new mornings will look like? Here's my typical morning routine:

8am - Wake up. Moan and groan a bit. Pull on some leggings, a hoody and some trainers and stumble downstairs to put the kettle on. While the kettle boils, stare out of the window for a bit and then make a big glass of ice water with cucumber and mint leaves. Make a big mug of green tea (half hot, half cold water, I hate burning my tongue). Sip tea and glug water. Ahh, so refreshing!

8.10am - Drag myself out of the house and go for a stroll wherever my feet take me. Start to realise what a lovely day it is and feel jolly/splash around in the puddles and feel jolly.

8.20am - Do some yoga/meditate/stretch. Feel good.

8.30am - BREAKFAST TIME! I usually have a massive fruit salad with coconut yoghurt, muesli with fruit and coconut yoghurt, or a croissant. I also love bacon, avocado and eggs. Sit down, relax, read the newspaper or Vogue, and think about what I want to achieve today. Write it all down and do some doodles to jazz things up a bit.

9am - By 9am, I'm dressed and at my desk ready to start work. I'm lucky as I work from home, but of course you can adjust the timings to take into account when you need to leave for work/school.

Usually I would wake up at 8.40am and everything would be a complete rush. Turns out I don't mind getting up earlier if it means I have a super chilled morning that makes for a happier day.

What's your morning routine like? Will you be incorporating any of my tips into your routine?

Much love,

Bemsy xxx

seeitwant.it