WE ARE RESILIENT AND WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!

What a surreal and crazy time we find ourselves in.

The majority of people I have spoken to from friends & family have all stated how scared and anxious they feel in this unpredictable time, and I think it’s safe to say that’s the same for the majority of the UK and the rest of the world.                     

Last week I woke up in the early hours of the morning in a anxious panic,I felt hot, clammy, lightheaded, I felt as though I couldn’t catch my breath, I knew this was down to fear of change, the uncertainty of the future, worry for mine and my families health, the worry if my business would survive, worry for our fabulous NHS. and the worry every time I had a sniffle or a sneeze if I had the virus and would then go on to infect the whole world (a tad extreme I know!)

All these factors just accumulated into me turning into one big anxious mess, as I managed to calm myself down I realised I had to make some changes to my thinking and behaviours otherwise I was actually going to make myself poorly by my negative thoughts, so here’s what I have found to help me calm my nerves, I hope some of these might help you feel a little better too!

 1 -  DELETING THE FACEBOOK APP FROM MY PHONE!                               

How easy is it to spend hours scrolling up and down Facebook…It’s very easy and also very addictive. Facebook is a great social media platform but it also can snowball into a hive of negativity and “false news” which can leave us feeling overwhelmed, scared and send our anxieties through the roof.                     

Deleting the app does not delete your entire Facebook, it just means the only way you can access your Facebook would be through your desktop system, which for me yes its still accessible but it’s not as easy to access, therefore I’m not looking at it every 15minutes.

This has made a massive difference already to how I’m feeling. Maybe give it a try and if you can’t live without it you can always re-download it.

2 - WATCHING LESS NEWS                                                                                 

 Yes the news is very important especially to keep up to date with what’s happening in the world, however watching it constantly is just not good for the soul.

I watch the Prime minister Boris Johnson and his 5:00pm updates and thats it, too much news just sends me into a panic and makes my stomach turn to knots and we certainly don’t want that! Don’t get consumed by the media and the news try to keep it to a minimum.

3 - KEEPING IN-TOUCH WITH MY FRIENDS / FAMILY                             

Although there has been difficult times and I’m sure there will be more difficult times ahead, I do think there has already been so many positives, I feel closer then ever to my friends and family in times of crisis it shows how friends, families and communities pull together to make a bad situation a better one.

I’m absolutely loving the oldies working out how to Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp, I can imagine they will be down with this technology for the foreseeable future which is fab!

4 - KEEP AN ACTIVE MIND                                                                                     

We can’t control what is happening and we can’t change the fact that this is happening but what we can do is control our thoughts and outlooks towards it. Try not to start overthinking about things that might or might not happen.

Keep your mind active, take this time to read some books, start an online course, learn to cook, watch your favourite Netflix serious, rest, rejuvenate, learn a new skill, start an online business, learn to meditate (a good one for calming the mind)               

Use this time wisely and don’t waste it sat around in constant worry and anxiety. Get your mind active on other areas and I think you will feel a big difference in how you feel.

Keep safe, stay indoors, don’t panic, and we will get through this!         Sending you all my love and virtual hugs,                                                          K.O xoxo

TOTALLY LOCALLY FIVER FEST

Did you know if every adult in Halifax, spent just £5:00 per week in their local independent shops and businesses, instead of online or at the large supermarkets it would mean an extra £4.1 MILLION per year going into the LOCAL ECONOMY.Which means MORE JOBS , a BETTER HIGH STREET a STRONGER ECONOMY and a nicer place to live.

Until having my own business I never truly appreciated how hard small businesses work, and what a difference it makes, spending your money within a small independent business, but believe me every penny spent makes a huge difference.

I myself have been more conscious in making those small choices of where to get my morning coffee, I could easily go to the big coffee shops or I could go to the family run cafe to where my pennies will be going towards helping a family and hopefully helping a business grow and flourish.

We’ve probably all seen the quote

“When you buy from a small independent business an actual person does a happy dance”

This is TRUE we’re so grateful for all our amazing customers as we wouldn’t be able to build our dream without you, weather you just buy a coffee, a card, or gift it all makes a massive difference to the survival of a shop.

That's why on 8th June - 15th June we will be working alongside many other fabulous retailers in Halifax and beyond and joining in with the “Totally Locally Fiver Fest campaign”. Thats right if you haven’t guessed it we will have some amazing items available In-store for as little as £5:00. Such a a fab idea and we’re excited to see as many people supporting this as possible.

Get ya fivers out!

So much is happening at The Piece Hall, Halifax and we are just too excited!

We’re so grateful to have our little boutique in such an amazing location, with lots happening, throughout Spring and Summer, we thought we’d put together a little blog about 3 BIG upcoming events, with the important dates to save for the diary.

Kicking us off this April; - April 19th - 20th - ZARA

ZARA, A giant outdoor theatre event for the whole family - Friday 19th April & Saturday 20th April

Tickets £8:00 / £28:00 for 4 people / £12 Balcony.

So I’ve heard a lot about this, and I’m mega excited to watch this production which has been produced by Mind the Gap and Walk the Plank. With a cast of over 100, cherry pickers, tanks, 3D projections and a moving baby bigger than a double decker bus, Zara will be a one off, unique experience for all.

I’m not sure what to expect, but I’m sure it will be great, so remember to grab a ticket before they go. Check out the link below to see the Mechanical moving baby being made. (believe me this is one big baby!)

https://www.facebook.com/thepiecehallhalifax/videos/416606125565496/

May 5th TOUR DE YORKSHIRE

It’s back… If you didn’t manage to make it to The Piece Hall for last years Tour de Yorkshire, you should definitely try and make it this year. It’s a FREE event, and the atmosphere is electric.

The Piece Hall courtyard becomes a hive of activity and excitement as we welcome the cyclists,before they head off through the gorgeous valleys of Yorkshire.

It’s a great family event, you can spend the morning supporting the participants, having an ice-cream from the onsite Ice cream parlour, or perhaps a Gin from the lovely Gin lane, whilst also having a browse around all the beautiful independent shops. It’s a great day out and one that should not be missed!

May 24th - 26th May - CHOW DOWN

My personal fave, we were lucky enough to welcome Chow down last summer, over the course of 3 weekends, the sun was shining, the street food was sizzling, the cocktails flowing and the DJ’s blasting it was an absolutely fabulous event and IT’S BACK THIS MAY - YEY!

Chow down, will be gracing The Piece Hall again kicking off May 24th - 26th, another FREE event, Chow down is a food festival like no other, it’s party style atmosphere, gives it a real buzz. A range of street food is available from Greek, Italian, Vegan you name it, it has it all.

Live Dj’s will be performing throughout the day into the evening, with a large onsite bar, cocktails galore with pressecco that's ready to pop! If you love food, love music and love a great atmosphere this is the one for you. All the lovely shops will be open so it’s also a great opportunity to have a mooch around the glorious Piece Hall.

 Lots more events will be popping up throughout the summer including a huge music weekend, which we will be posting about in next weeks blog.

If you require anymore, information about the above events, check out The Piece’s Hall’s Facebook page, or drop in to the Welcome centre and they will be happy to provide you with more details.

Hope to see you all soon,

Kate@houseof925 xoxo

A little short follow up from my previous blog…

We’re half way through February, what the actual heck! Where is time going!?

So in my previous blog post I wrote about how I wasn’t really feeling myself or feeling very motivated, and basically how I needed to get my mojo back… Well I’m pleased to say I’m feeling much better and I think my love for my lovely life is back.

It’s safe to say January and even February can feel a little bleak, most of us are a little low on funds from the Christmas season. I personally was also going through some relationship issues, I felt I was at a point in my life where I didn’t really know what direction I was going in, and everything just seemed well a little blah!

I had a good few weeks of being an emotional mess, not only due to my relationship falling apart, but I just couldn’t seem to shift my mind from thinking negatively and I’ve never felt like this, to the point where I never understood when people told me they felt down, I would try help as best I could but I also thought well why don’t you just snap out of it, now I’ve realised it’s actually harder said than done.

So what has made me feel better about life, firstly every night I have been listening to guided meditations, which have made me feel super relaxed and given me a fab nights sleep, Every morning I’ve been listening to positive affirmations , or motivational talks. Some people may think this is a load of rubbish, but for me I feel it has helped me start my day in a more positive way.

I joined some great groups on Facebook, both professional groups and also more spiritual groups and just reading or listening to like minded people really helps and makes you understand that in life everyone has blips, but most problems can be easily solved and solutions found. I think getting advice of guidance from people out of your friendship or family group is so helpful to give you a new insight on your outlook.

Without wanting to sound too mushy, but just being thankful and grateful for all that we have is massive, when I think about my life it’s bloody brilliant. I almost feel guilty for feeling down about it. I have friends, family, health, my own business which I know I can make great, I should be and am thankful for all that I have - so thank you universe for delivering all that I’ve asked for so far.

I’ve got so many ideas for House of 925, and it’s time to put these ideas into action and build my empire to all that I want it to be and more.  It’s safe to say I’m back and ready to grow my business and lets be honest grow that bank account.

If you would to know the guided meditations, affirmations or groups I've joined on facebook please drop me a DM or email at sales@houseof925.com and I'd be happy to share. :) 

Kate @Houseof925 xoxo

In need of some New Year Motivation…?

So 2019 is here and have I set myself any New Year’s resolutions NO, have I been pro-active at all at the start of a New Year, NO, have I lost my motivation - Maybe.

As I scroll through Instagram and Facebook, I’ve seen so many “New Year, New Me” I’ve seen people creating goals and plans for 2019 and to be honest that use to be me, I use to get excited about the start of a new year and all the newness it brought, however this year I seem to have lost my Mojo.

Maybe it’s because I work alone and don’t have anyone to share my ideas and plans with, I have lots of ideas boggling around in my head about what I want to do, I just don’t seem to have the ability to put those thoughts and plans to paper or to action for that matter.

As a business owner in the retail industry, we all know the cycle of Christmas and the highs it brings with the cash flow, flowing and the sound of the till ringing on a regular basis. Then January hits, we all know January brings in a quitter month, and this is when I really need to be on my “A”game and pushing my business to be the best that it can be. So why am I just sat here scrolling through Facebook and playing Angry Birds! (Maybe I’m turning into an Angry Bird literally!)

I seem to be stuck in the rut of just plodding along and not pushing for more, which has never been my attitude I’ve always wanted more and to be successful and yet I find myself being complacent and that is just not me.

I need to start holding myself accountable for the things I say, I’m going to do and then don’t, working on your own has its benefits but its also difficult to stay motivated and pro-active.

So I guess I’m writing this post to put my thoughts to paper in hope that writing it down may move the process along in the right direction, and I guess even writing this blog is being kind of pro-active.

Maybe I need to get a business coach, watch some Tony Robbins or just change my mindset to be happier, with a better attitude towards what I want to achieve. In reality I know that is the answer, fix my negative attitude and just crack on with the tasks at hand.

So what’s causing my negative outlook and how do I make it better

1.Not celebrating every small victory instead of seeing it as insignificant and setting myself a bigger goal whilst not appreciating the goal I’ve just achieved 

2. Not looking at what I have achieved so far, always wanting more. I need to be thankful and proud of how far I have come

3. Not taking enough time out to spend with friends and loved ones, not having the right work and life balance

4. Worrying about the future instead of trusting the universe will work its magic which it always seems to do

5. Just get on with it, stop putting things of till last minute get pro-active and it will all start falling back into place.

6. Enjoy the journey of running a business and stop letting little blips in life set me back

KATE YOU’VE GOT THIS! - Let’s get to work on making 2019 positive - motivational - and most of all a happy year.

P;S; I’m still going to be watching Tony Robbins, whilst sleeping with a crystal under my pillow in the hope that positive energies will flow into my universe. ;)