I can’t believe I can finally say there are zero days left until my Tenerife holiday! After counting down for weeks, there are now only a few hours standing between me and the airport.

I have been looking forward to this break so much. Work has been busy, and there have been times when I have felt tired and overwhelmed, so I am ready to leave those worries behind for a while. I’m looking forward to feeling the sunshine on my face, enjoying delicious food and cocktails, relaxing beside the pool and making special memories.

Tonight will probably be filled with excitement and last-minute checks to make sure I have packed everything. I know I will feel a little nervous before travelling, but once I arrive at the airport, the holiday will finally feel real.

Tenerife holds so many happy memories for me, including the wonderful friends we have met there. I cannot wait to return to a place that feels so welcoming and special.

The suitcase is packed, holiday mode is officially on, and my Tenerife adventure is about to begin. Just a few more hours to go! ☀️🍹💙

I woke up feeling so tired today, like I could have stayed in bed for hours! I think all the excitement and preparation for my holiday is finally catching up with me.

Even though I’m tired, I can’t stop thinking about Sunday because that’s when I’m finally going to Tenerife! After counting down for so long, it feels amazing knowing that my holiday is now so close.

Soon, I’ll be leaving everyday life behind and enjoying the sunshine, lovely food, cocktails and time to relax. I’m looking forward to making special memories and forgetting about work for a while.

Just two more sleeps to go! Tenerife

Today, we remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001—a day that changed the world forever.

We honour the innocent people who lost their lives, the families whose lives were forever changed and the brave emergency-service workers who risked everything to help others. Their courage, kindness and selflessness will never be forgotten.

Even though many years have passed, it remains important to pause, reflect and remember everyone affected by that heartbreaking day.

Today is a reminder to appreciate our loved ones, show kindness to others and never take life for granted.

Forever remembered. Never forgotten. ❤️🇺🇸

I’ve finally finished my last shift, and I honestly cannot explain how happy and relieved I feel! After weeks of counting down the days, thinking about everything I need to pack and trying to get through my final shifts, the moment has finally arrived.

Walking out of work after my last shift felt completely different. I knew I could finally switch off from work, forget about alarms and start getting properly excited for my holiday. It feels lovely knowing that I now have two whole weeks away from my normal routine.

Of course, I still have those last-minute worries. Have I packed enough clothes? Have I remembered all my important documents? Is my suitcase going to be overweight? Even with those little worries going around in my head, the excitement is much stronger now.

Tenerife is such a special place to me. I cannot wait to feel the sunshine, enjoy the beautiful views and spend time relaxing by the pool. I’m also looking forward to the lovely food, cocktails, evenings out and seeing the friends we’ve made there. It feels like I’m returning to a place filled with so many happy memories.

This holiday is more than just going away—it is my chance to breathe, relax and enjoy myself after working hard. I’m ready to leave the stress behind and make even more wonderful memories.

No more work. No more countdown to my final shift. The real holiday countdown has begun!

Tenerife, here I come! ☀️✈️🌴🍹💛

Today is finally here — my last shift before Tenerife! ❤️

I’ve been counting down for what feels like forever, and I can’t believe I’ve only got one more shift to get through.

I’m feeling so many emotions today — excited, relieved, tired and a little overwhelmed. Work can sometimes take a lot out of me, so I really feel ready for this break.

I know I’ll probably spend today watching the clock 😂, waiting for that moment when I can finally clock out and say:

“I’m officially on holiday!” 🥹❤️

Then it’s time to forget about work, finish the packing and get excited for two weeks of sunshine, relaxing, cocktails and making memories. ☀️🍹🌴

One last shift. One last clock-out.

Then…

WORK MODE: OFF.
TENERIFE MODE: ON! 🌴✈️❤️

Another theatre trip and another memory made! Tonight I finally got to see Waitress the Musical, and what an emotional, funny and beautiful show it was.

I always love going to the theatre. There’s something special about walking into a theatre, finding your seat and waiting for the lights to go down. For those few hours, I can forget about everything happening outside and just get completely lost in the story.

Waitress was definitely one of those shows.

I didn’t expect to feel so many different emotions throughout one performance. One minute I was laughing, and the next I was really thinking about the deeper meaning behind the story. It’s about so much more than pies and working in a diner. It’s about relationships, friendships, difficult times, dreams and finding the courage to make changes in your life.

I especially loved the message about believing in yourself and realising that your life can take a different direction. Sometimes we can feel stuck or unsure about what the future holds, but things can change when we find the confidence to put ourselves first.

The music was beautiful too. 🎶 There’s something completely different about hearing songs performed live. You can feel the emotion coming from the stage, and the cast put so much into every performance.

Being creative myself, I couldn’t help noticing the staging, lighting, costumes and all the little details that brought the production together. Theatre always gives me inspiration because there’s so much creativity happening in front of you.

By the end, I felt emotional but also really uplifted. 💗

That’s one of the reasons I love theatre so much. A good show doesn’t just entertain you — sometimes it makes you think about your own life, your own experiences and where you’re going next.

Waitress gave me laughs, emotions, inspiration and another lovely theatre memory to keep. 🥧✨

And yes… it definitely made me want a slice of pie afterwards! 😂🥧

Until the next theatre adventure… 🎭

The Tenerife countdown is getting VERY real now! ✈️🇪🇸❤️

I’ve been checking the weather for Playa de las Américas, and wow… it is HOT! Temperatures have been reaching into the 30s, and knowing I’m going to be there very soon is making me even more excited.

After all the planning, packing, worrying about whether I’ve forgotten something and counting down my final shifts at work, I’m nearly at the point where I can finally say, I’m going on holiday! 🥹❤️

I’m already imagining walking out into that Tenerife sunshine, feeling the heat and thinking, this is what I’ve been waiting for.

Of course, with temperatures this high, I’ll be packing plenty of sun cream, drinking lots of water and trying not to spend too long in the strongest midday sun. But I’m definitely looking forward to those relaxing days by the pool, evenings walking around Playa de las Américas and sitting outside with a cold cocktail. 🍹☀️

Tenerife has become such a special place to me. It’s not just about going somewhere hot. It’s about switching off from everyday life, leaving work and worries behind for a little while and making memories with the people I love.

The suitcase is nearly ready.
The countdown is almost over.
The Tenerife sunshine is waiting. ☀️🌴

Not long now… Tenerife, I’m coming back! ✈️❤️🇪🇸

I came across this quote and it really made me think about retail and how much it has changed over the years.

“This is retail selling, and nobody is buying.”

Working in retail for many years has shown me that you never really know what kind of day you’re going to have. Some days the shop can be really busy, with customers everywhere, and other days it can feel completely different. You can have all the stock out, displays looking great and colleagues ready to help, but you still need customers to actually want to buy.

For me, this is where my interest in visual merchandising comes into it. I’ve always believed a display can do more than just make a shop look nice. It can catch someone’s eye, make them stop for a second and hopefully encourage them to explore something they might otherwise have walked straight past.

After working in retail for around 19 years, I’ve watched shopping habits change massively. Online shopping, social media, technology, rising costs and changing trends have all affected the high street. Customers think differently about where their money goes now, and retailers have to work harder to give people a reason to visit a physical store.

But that’s also what keeps retail interesting to me. Retail never stands still.

Behind every window display, promotion and carefully arranged product is someone trying to create an experience. That’s the creative side of retail that I love. ❤️

Sometimes you can create the most beautiful display in the world and nobody buys anything. It can be frustrating, but tomorrow brings another customer, another idea and another opportunity.

That’s retail — unpredictable, challenging, creative, and after all these years, still a big part of who I am. 🛍️✨

Sometimes I think we forget that the strongest people need someone too.

Friendship means a lot to me. I’m the sort of person who cares deeply about the people around me, and if one of my friends is struggling, I want to be there. I want them to know they don’t have to deal with everything alone.

But I’m learning that being there for someone doesn’t mean I have to fix everything.

Sometimes there isn’t anything I can fix.

Sometimes friendship is just sending that message: “Are you okay?” Sometimes it’s listening without judging. Sometimes it’s sitting together, having a coffee, going for a walk or talking about completely random things just to give someone a little break from everything going on in their head.

And sometimes it’s noticing when someone isn’t quite themselves.

That’s especially important with the friends who always seem strong.

They’re often the ones checking everyone else is okay. They message first. They listen to everyone’s problems. They make people laugh and somehow keep going even when they have their own things happening behind the scenes.

I think we can easily look at someone like that and think, they’re fine.

But being strong doesn’t mean you never struggle.

That really makes me think about my own friendships and the people who have been there for me through different parts of my life. Some friendships are full of big memories, holidays, nights out and laughter. But some of the moments that mean the most are actually the smallest ones.

A message when I wasn’t expecting one.

Someone remembering something I’d told them.

A friend noticing I wasn’t myself.

Someone simply saying, “I’m here.”

Those little things stay with you.

As I get older, I’m realising friendship isn’t about speaking every second of every day or having the perfect thing to say. It’s about knowing that when life becomes overwhelming, there are people who won’t just disappear.

And I want to be that kind of friend too.

So if someone pops into my head, I’m going to try to message them instead of thinking, I’ll do it later.

Because maybe they’re absolutely fine.

But maybe that little message is exactly what they needed that day.

Check on your friends. Check on the quiet ones. Check on the strong ones. And especially check on the friend who is normally the one checking on you. ❤️

Sometimes friendship is simply reminding someone:

You haven’t disappeared. I still see you. And I’m still here.