Zoom meetings in your pyjamas, boycotting bras, an extra lie-in because you don’t need to do the dreaded commute, no more awkward small talk with Simon in IT who seems to live in the office kitchen – these are some of the joys of working from home. But like all good things, working from home also has its dark side.
Having déjà vu? I’ve updated this blog post with new hotels (and references to covid-19) to do my bit for the Irish tourism industry.
Visiting Dublin on a budget? With average hotel prices in Dublin clocking in at €155.75 a night (compared to the European average of €115.54), chances are most of your budget won’t go on pints of Guinness but will instead be swallowed up by your hotel bill. Despite its reputation as a notoriously expensive city, cheap hotels in Dublin DO exist.
Fear not – booking a budget hotel in Dublin for under €100 a night doesn’t mean you have to stay in a grimy hostel (with your new bunkmates – a lively hen party from Liverpool) or a soulless airport hotel miles away from the action. Continue reading “Where to stay in Dublin on a budget”
I’ve never met a writer who wasn’t riddled with self-doubt. Pouring your blood, sweat and tears (oh, the tears) into each word and wondering with every syllable if you’re good enough. Word to the wise: don’t become a writer if you can’t face mental gymnastics each time you face a blank page. Continue reading “How to cope with self-doubt when you’re freelance”
True story: I joined Greenpeace when I was 8. I still have an envelope full of literature and stickers about the Ozone layer, Save the Whale and the dangers of pollution. Let’s just say I was a precocious, super sensitive little Sally Draper who was very obsessed with saving the planet. Plus, I’d read The Baby-sitters Club ‘Dawn Saves the Planet’ that summer and well, just about everything in my life can be traced back to The Baby-sitters Club books. Continue reading “Living more sustainably in 5 small steps”
Have I mentioned that I love podcasts? Oh, only about 800 times. And counting.
Some of my favourites are podcasts for creative entrepreneurs. Wide generalisation here but I find creative professionals hold their cards pretty close to their chests IRL so, when you’re a freelancer, it’s hard to find out the nuts and bolts of your profession without good ol’ trial and error. A lot of error.
I’ve found podcasts for creative entrepreneurs to be an absolutely invaluable source of practical tips and insider knowledge about running your own business in the 21st century. If you work in a creative field or you’ve got a side hustle you one day would love to turn into your main hustle, these podcasts will give you the tools, insights and inspiration to get things done to achieve your goals. In fact, they’ll pretty much be your career coach. Continue reading “5 podcasts for creatives”
(*or checking out of the library)
Nothing beats a glossy cookbook full of tantalising recipes to make me head straight for the kitchen. This week I wanted to share some of my favourite cookbooks for vegetarians, the books which really helped me figure out how to make vegetarian meals and which really got me out of a food funk. Continue reading “5 Vegetarian Cookbooks Worth Buying*”
All out of ideas for what to make for dinner tonight? Allow me. One of my go-to vegan dinner recipes is this quick and easy tomato spelt risotto. By quick, I mean it’ll take you 30 minutes to make…and 3 minutes to eat. Continue reading “Spicy tomato spelt risotto”
This week I wanted to don my Oprah hat and write about something I think we all experience: negative thoughts and self-doubt. I’m told that self-doubt is as much a part of a writer’s DNA as coffee dependency, narcissism and nosiness. To be honest, that doesn’t really give me much comfort when I’m hunched over my laptop, paralysed with fear and self-loathing, as though the assignment I’m working on is the first thing I’ve ever written and wondering why the editor gave it to me of all people. So how do you stop that niggling negativity from completely taking over? Continue reading “How to deal with negative self-talk”
I know what you’re thinking. ‘I can buy my own peanut butter cups’ but where’s the fun in that?! Continue reading “2 ingredient peanut butter cups recipe”
Lisa Hughes 