4 Key Questions to Ask Before Considering the Idea of Cosmetic Surgery

When you are thinking about getting cosmetic surgery, you no doubt have many questions. You will begin your journey into plastic or cosmetic surgery with a consultation. This is where you will be able to ask any questions and get all the information needed to make an informed decision

Whether you are thinking about getting rhinoplasty or looking for a cosmetic surgery provider offering boob jobs or reduction surgery, you should think about what this surgery means; in the short term and the long run. 

Here are 4 key questions you may want to ask your surgeon before you schedule your cosmetic surgery.

1. How Often Do You Perform This Surgery?

According to Dr Ghofrani Plastic Surgeon, you want an experienced surgeon to be operating on you. Check how many of these operations they have carried out, and ask to see photos of before and after surgery. You can get a sense of their aesthetic style then too. Some of the best surgeons carry out research and training too to advance the industry, so check if your surgeon does as this could be an indicator of a specialist in their field.

2. Are You Board Certified?

The American Board of Cosmetic Surgery is tasked with certifying the doctors that will be performing plastic and cosmetic surgery. There are a number of forms and tests that a surgeon must go through before they are granted certification. In the UK you should look for a surgeon on the specialist cosmetic surgery registers like the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).

If your doctor is not a member of this or another well-known board certification group, it is best to search for another doctor. A certified doctor has taken the time to be sure he or she is getting the most up-to-date information and abiding by all the guidelines set by this type of governing body.

3. What Type of Anesthesia Will I Be Given?


This is an important question to be discussed with your surgeon for it will also determine if your procedure is going to be scheduled as an inpatient or an outpatient operation. It is also important to let your doctor know if you are allergic to any type of medicine.

You will also want to make sure that your anesthesiologist is also certified by a governing body. Certification is important again to show that they are a specialist in this area and follow the latest guidelines.

4. What is My Recovery Time?

This will be an important question, yet it will have different answers depending on the type of surgery and your personal health. Not everyone is going to heal at the same rate. However, there is a rough estimate of time, within a week or a few days, that you should plan on being at home to recover.  It's important to ask about any bruising, scarring and any potential complications so that you are well-informed.

When it comes to cosmetic surgery, there are no stupid questions. This is your health you are talking about. Do not be afraid to ask all the questions you need to make an informed decision. I hope this article helps you make an informed choice, please do more research before deciding if cosmetic surgery is right for you.

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Activities To Keep Busy And Healthy With Your Kids

It’s not always easy to find something to occupy kids and teenagers during this period of isolation. Being confined in close proximity can easily drive family members crazy especially when parents are working from home. Here are some activities you can do as a family to keep busy and healthy. 

Gardening

Gardening is a great activity to take up if you are self-isolating. Give your child responsibilities such as taking care of a plant, have them water it and check on it every day. You could also take on a bigger project, especially if you have older children, for example you could install a polytunnel or a greenhouse in your garden to grow exotic fruits and vegetables such as avocadoes or chillies. It’s a great way to teach your children about the different varieties of plants you can potentially grow in the UK. 

Yoga

You don’t have to be fit and super stretchy to start practising yoga. All you need is a mat and a guided video. You’d be surprised how much your kids will love doing some stretches with you! In fact, children generally love moving and exploring how far they can push their bodies so maybe try to spare 10 minutes every day to learn some yoga. 

Walking


We’re still allowed to go for a walk once a day so make the most of it and go for short strolls with your children. It doesn’t have to be longwinded or arduous; you can just walk around your neighbourhood or explore your local green area. So, go outside and explore if you want to but try to keep your distance with people as much as possible, especially in places such as playgrounds, for example. 

Physically Active Video Games

Sometimes it can be hard to keep your kids away from screens, but it doesn’t have to be mind-numbing… There are loads of games out there which require you to move and burn energy. Games such as Ring Fit Adventure by Nintendo are a great way to get moving. 

 Biking 



If your little one loves riding their bike, then there is no reason for you not to cycle! All you need to remember is to be extremely careful as you don’t want to get injured and add more strain on hospitals. But by all means, you should definitely start exploring your neighbourhood with your kids for a short period of time once a day. 

Keeping your children happy and healthy doesn’t have to be hard work, but don’t feel bad if you keep your little ones inside for days... The most important thing is to stay home as much as possible and keep your children’s health your top priority.

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How To Remain Optimistic In Tough Times

Most of us go through tough times, be it a relationship breakdown, a health scare or money worries. At the moment the world is having a serious pandemic with the Coronavirus and it can be hard to be optimistic but it can be done. Here are some ways you can remain optimistic throughout these worrying times, I hope this helps.

Change your mindset
Rather than think about the negative in a situation try and turn it on its head and find a positive in a situation. Now this can be difficult if you are a naturally pessimistic person and some situations can seem well and truly impossible but it's definitely worth a try. For example, if you are self-isolating think of it as a chance to catch up with that box set you've wanted to watch for ages, to start that online course,  or to write the first chapter of a book you've always wanted to. Starting new things is exciting, so try to focus your energies on this instead of dwelling on negative things.

 Give Back

 Think of giving back. Whether you want to start to pay it forward on a regular basis perhaps donating to a food bank, signing up to give blood or helping out an elderly neighbour with their shopping, giving back can help others and make you feel great. You can sign up for an individual event so it doesn't have to be an ongoing commitment if you can't afford the time. Every little helps others and helps you mentally with that feel-good feeling.

Change things that you can control

 I am a worrier but I am also a believer that it's not worth worrying about things you can't control as you can't change it. So whatever happens in your world, and the world, from unemployment, to a pandemic to Brexit, why not try and focus on what you have control over instead. If you are panicking with all the worrying news you see on social media, check-in with news updates just once a day. Did you know you can mute words on Twitter? A constant drip of negative news on the TV and social media can really affect your mindset, so be in control of what you see and when. If anxiety is getting to you, try learning meditation. There are meditation apps out there like the Calm app, there are relaxing videos on YouTube with the sounds of nature like rainfall or waves and there are relaxing tunes on Spotify or other audio sites. 

Practice gratitude


We all become complacent and take things for granted, it's human nature. Instead, think of what you are grateful for on a regular basis and write it down! See the good in people. Something as simple as that can help you refocus negative thoughts. Maybe pencil in an evening once a week where you plan for the week ahead and also at this time think about what you are grateful for and write it down. It's great to look back on this in tough times.

Look after Yourself

 If you are a naturally caring person and/or have to look after others on a regular basis, then you often put others first. You need to value and look after yourself too. If you don't look after yourself then the care you give to others can suffer, and your mental health can as well. So make sure you are eating properly, taking exercise (don't forget you can do this indoors as well as outdoors), give yourself treats and take time out on a regular basis to do what you love. Exercise is super important as there are many links to positive mental and physical health from exercise, that it can have an immediate effect on your mindset. So check out YouTube for exercise videos, get your trainers on for that brisk walk or dust off your bike and get moving.

 Treat yourself

 Treat yourself every day, yes every day! This can be something simple as taking time to have a relaxing bath, read a book or watch a Netflix film. Or what about buying yourself a bunch of flowers, giving yourself a pedicure or baking a cake to share with family? Yes, sometimes it feels good to be a bit naughty. I love fantasy holiday planning, planning out what I would do if I had the money for a big holiday, and this is something we could do in these times of pandemic worry. We all need something to look forward to, the world will go on and normality will resume in the future - eventually. 

 Check out these other optimistic posts and posts on how to improve your life in tough times.

 The Lockdown Silver Lining
21 Feel Good Tunes To Chase The Blues Away
Feeling Positive Through The Pandemic 
6 Ways To Improve Your Social Wellbeing
10 Things To Do To Destress Yourself
When This Is All Over
Four Countries I'd Love To Visit After Lockdown

I hope these ideas will help you remain optimistic in tough times. You will pull through, I know you will.

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How Do Family And Friends Party During The Lockdown?

Social gatherings are forbidden during the lockdown. However, while you can’t meet up with friends and family in person, it doesn’t mean you can’t throw a party. A party? On your own?

Yes, we hear you. But, believe it or not, it can be done if you’re a little creative. Are you up for a challenge? Here are ways to share the fun and spread a positive attitude from your home.

They decorate the room


Being stuck indoors is the best excuse you can get to inject some funkiness into your decor. If you want to elevate the mood, just opt for party-inspired style, with LED strip lights, which you can find on here: https://www.lepro.co.uk/12v-led-strip You can add a few colourful touches on the shelves using your best DIY skills. You don’t need more than a few bright sheets of crepe paper glued together to build an exciting backdrop for a party photo. If you’ve got some balloons at home, don’t hesitate to get building. Nothing says fun as much as a balloon arch! Alternatively, you can create a fun-looking garland with a string and some strips of tissue paper tied together. In short, there is plenty you can do if you are happy about being creative. Check out Pinterest for inspiration.

They clean, organise and declutter 
What would be the first thing you’d do if you were throwing a party at home? You would clean the place all over! So, do the same and pretend you’re having overnight guests to motivate yourself for deep cleaning action. Declutter the space. You can even use the time to reorganise your shelves and your cupboards for clarity and style. A beautifully organised pantry or bookshelf can boost your mood. Besides, your home will look and feel party-ready, even if you’re not inviting anyone.

They zoom it!


 Now, to the party side of things. Granted, a party at home with nobody to talk to can sound gloomy. But you can use a webchat platform such as zoom to reach out to your friends and relatives. If anybody has got a birthday coming during the lockdown, you can sing them ‘Happy Birthday’ via zoom or FaceTime. If you’re not familiar with Zoom, think of it as a modern Skype. You can find a handy guideline here from Business Insider on how to get the conversation started and spend time together, even though you are in different places. The key is to invite fewer people than you would for a typical party, as you want to have a meaningful conversation with all of them. Try to cap your party at ten persons to make the most of it.

They share tips and ideas



How does Gina get her fantastic party tiramisu? What’s the recipe for Pete’s sweet and naughty’s after-hour cocktail?

Everyone has a party dish. So, why not make the most of your digital gathering to exchange tips and recipes? You can recreate some of the party staples at home and show your friends your own version of their dishes.

The bottom line is to stay safe at home, but don’t think that self-isolation means you can’t be together. On the contrary, while it’s a different kind of gathering, you can still reach out to the people you cherish and throw regular web parties. It’s a fantastic way of lifting the mood and sharing a good laugh.

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Win Leggings With Love Leggings Ends 30/04

I don't know about you but I live in leggings. They are so versatile. Pair them with a t-shirt for exercise or a casual look, a shirt for work or a tunic for a day out, leggings are certainly a wardrobe staple in many women's wardrobe.

However, finding good quality leggings can be difficult. They have to be comfortable, that's super important of course. Then they have to be the correct length. My pet hate is companies that think we are all 5ft 6inches. Some of us are tall, some are short but we are all different. Stretchiness is important too, especially around the tum. Having material that is good quality and not see-through is also vitally important, no one wants to see my bum! I also find that many leggings just fall down, and I'm forever pulling them up which is so annoying, so as you can see I am looking for certain things when I buy a pair of leggings. So when Love Leggings offered me some to try on a complimentary basis I was keen to oblige.


Love Leggings is a site selling, guess what? That's right, leggings, but leggings for all shapes and sizes. There are leggings for every day and leggings for sports. There are leggings for maternity and leggings for kids. Also curvy leggings for us curvy girls and tights too. 

So what did I think of their leggings?  I thought they were great  -  stretchy, decent quality cotton and the seams were sewn well.  I don't think the seams would come undone any time soon. They were super comfortable on too. Take a look at their Trustpilot reviews, and you’ll see that nearly 3,000 customers think their products are great, with 95% of their customers scoring us 4/5 stars. 


I really like the fact that the high waisted leggings stayed put better than any other leggings I've tried and that the petite size also comes in cropped too. The everyday leggings are also available in a range of 17 colours from black and navy to white, and oatmeal and even red and purple. 


At the moment they have a sports sale on until the 8th of April so check out this if you want some sports leggings.  

 Today on my blog I am giving one lucky reader the chance to win two pairs of leggings of their choice. Entry is easy via the Gleam app below, and once you are registered all it takes is a click on a button to enter. Good luck!

Win Leggings From Love Leggings
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Top Tips For Going On Your First Safari

We all need something to look forward to and although at the moment we can't travel, some normality will return in the future, so today I have a guest post on the subject of travel from the lovely Micaela. Micaela combines her love for all things digital and all things creative with a career in digital marketing alongside running her UK lifestyle blog Stylish London Living. Micaela has been blogging since 2012 and loves sharing new experiences, products and her passions with her readers.

Last year my sister and I took a holiday that we’d been meaning to take for a long time; a Safari. I love animals and the idea of seeing lions, hippos, zebra etc up close in the extraordinary African reserves was very exciting. 


In all the excitement, however, I didn’t really take the time to read up on what to expect from a Safari and I admit, wasn’t really prepared! Today I want to tell you a little about my experience and some top tips in order to make sure that when you go on Safari you will be more prepared than I was!

We booked ourselves onto the Cheetah Safari from Somak Holidays. We chose this itinerary based on the accommodation ratings, value for money and of course, the areas for the best wildlife spotting opportunities. The Cheetah Safari was made up of 7 nights exploring across Kenya, starting at Nairobi airport and travelling across the country exploring some world famous reserves. We stayed in several places:

We started with 1 night at the Aberdare Country Club, then moved onto 2 nights in the Ashnil Samburu Camp were we really felt as if we were among the wildlife at Ashnil Samburu with the monkeys running around the camp and elephants coming right up to the fence which was amazing. We loved being able to look out over the waterhole at the Serena Mountain Lodge during our 1 night stay before moving onto 1 night at the luxury accommodation at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge and finally 2 nights Ashnil Mara Camp in the Masai Mara which was the perfect last stop on the Safari – we saw lots of amazing animals here and loved the friendly and relaxing atmosphere which is just what you need after a long day of game driving.


When it comes to highlights from our trip, we had so many great experiences. Our main reason for going was of course to see the awe-inspiring wildlife and we were blown away, especially the elephants at Ashnil Samburu and seeing a Cheetah and her three cubs up close on the Masai Mara.

Another aspect that we hadn’t considered before going on our Safari was the rugged terrain of Kenya! Although some of the roads were relatively smoothe, a large number are nothing more than bumpy dirt tracks with ditches and potholes, or only half made so we frequently found ourselves thrown about in our seats, despite being in a large 4x4 Land Cruiser! We may have had the odd bump and bruise but the experience really wouldn’t have been the same without it!

Lastly, we loved the whole atmosphere of the trip, our driver and everyone at the Camps was so friendly and eager to make our stay comfortable – not forgetting our Safari companions, there were 6 of us in our car, who made the perfect Safari family.

Now, here are some top tips for preparing for your first Safari.


Our first mistake was to pack our usual sized suitcases - just because you are allowed 30 odd kg doesn’t mean you have to take that much with you. We quickly realised that having a big case was going to be a bit of a trial, especially because we had to fix 6 visitors and a driver’s worth of luggage into our cars along with us! Take a smaller case. Don’t overpack. The camps all offer laundry services and keep in mind most of your time will be spent in your car either in the reserves or travelling between them so you won’t need serious outdoor footwear which is heavy and space hungry.

As I mentioned, most of your time will be spent in your vehicle, especially when driving between reserves which can be 8 hours apart! I recommend packing some sort of entertainment to keep you from getting bored. I downloaded a few audiobooks which kept me going.

Accept the fact that you are going to be bitten by all manner of insects and come prepared – think repellents and bite creams, I suggest long pyjamas which you can tuck into bed socks to avoid getting bitten at night, a onesie might be the best option! Many of the camps are made up of glamping style tents so no matter what you do, bugs are probably going to get in. Don’t forget to organise anti-malaria pills and other vaccinations before travelling.

Seeing as I mentioned the tents, it’s worth considering who your Safari buddy is. Luckily, I went with my sister who I am pretty close to, so the limited privacy didn’t bother us too much. Take note - the shower and bathroom facilities are often just cubbies inside the tent with glass doors and no ceilings! 

Another thing you will have to accept is that you will probably have a funny tummy at some point on the trip – I am vegan and only drank bottled water but still had a dodgy tummy at the end of our trip. Stock up with anti-diarrhoea tablets and remember to keep yourself hydrated. Make your own rehydration drink with bottled water, a little salt and a little sugar.

On a Safari it’s all about the animals and shooting amazing photos to take home and make your friends jealous! Invest in a telephoto lens for your camera to avoid disappointing photographs. Although some animals do come really close to the vehicle some, such as leopards, you may only see from far away and up high in trees. I only bought my telephoto lens the day before we left for Safari and I am so glad I did. I got some fantastic photographs of the wildlife that I will treasure forever. Here are a couple of my favourites.





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