events

The Fear of Speaking In Public and How to overcome it

21:22 Cupcake Splendens 15 Comments

I always admired the extroverts.I  felt that they had that something which I couldn't master because I was always shy and quiet ,so I stopped myself from expressing my opinions in public.
Throughout my childhood and even in my teenage years it was hard for me to make friends and to open up to people.
It has all changed when I met my husband .He had so much patience with me and understood my needs and strange ways , but I still cannot say that I've changed completely.




A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the Public Speaking Academy's course which took place in Leeds , on a Saturday morning.
There were two stages of the course.The first stage started at 9:30 AM and the second stage started at 1 PM and it finished at 5 pm.
We arrived late and I was so embarrassed . I've told you before that I am really bad at managing my time efficiently .When we entered the room people were already chatting in groups as part of the first exercise and we had to blend in quickly.
 Lee and Andrew were our coaches and they shared with us their years of experience and their energy was  contagious.
The course is so diverse, it covers a wide area of interests, from speaking in public to actually promoting yourself and your business.You can also opt for one on one coaching which can be very helpful for some.






I am not exaggerating when I say that this experience changes your way of thinking and perceiving things.Everyone who attended was just lovely , the course was very interactive and fun and at the same time you felt safe and that nobody is judging you.
Did it help me?It actually did, and I've seen improvements when I'm trying to approach new people .

Have you ever attended such a course?

Banned Instagram Hashtags - Updated List 2018 February

22:26 Cupcake Splendens 2 Comments

Are you wondering why you don't have the same Instagram engagement as you had before?
Not only that Instagram has changed its algorithm when it comes to the chronological order of the photos,but now it has started to ban some hashtags as well.

What does it mean and how can it affect you?

Well,if you post even one of the temporarily or completely banned hastags posted below , your picture or video will  become shadowbanned ,which means that it will become hidden. 
Avoiding banned Instagram hashtags is very important if you want to have a good engagement and gain new followers with hashtags .

Here is the updated list of banned hashtags and let me know if you discover other ones so I can add them:



A

#adultlife
#alone
#americangirl
#asia
#attractive
#assday


B

#bra
#balenciaga
#beautyblogger
#brain
#babe
#bikinibody
#boho
#books
#beyonce
#balls

C

#costumes
#curvy
#curvygirls
#carving
#cheeky
#citycentre
#curvesfordays


D

#damngirl
#desk
#direct
#dm
#date
#dating
#dadylove
#dogsofinstagram
#dominant


E

#eggplant
#elevator
#easter
#everybodyisbeautiful
#expose


F

#follow
#fitnessgirls
#fishnets
#foreplay
#freakshow


G

#goddess
#girlsonly
#gloves
#graffitiigers

H

#happythanksgiving
#hardworkpaysoff
#hardsummer
#hotgirls
#humpday
#hotguy
#hots
#hottie


I

#ig
#instamood
#iphonegraphy
#italiano
#instadaily
#instafollow 
#instagirl


J

#jugs

K

#kansas
#killingit
#kissing

L

#lingerie
#like
#lean
#lust

M

#master
#mirrorphoto
#models
#mustfollow
#mexicangirl
#mixedgirls
N

#nasty
#newyears
#newyearsday

O

#overnight

P

#petite
#pixie
#pornfood
#popular
#pushups
#publicrelations


R

#russiangirl

S

#skype
#snap
#snapback
#snapchat
#shebad
#shesquats
#single
#singlelife
#stranger
#saltwater
#spanishgirl
#shower
#shit
#sallyhansen
#sopretty
#submissio
#sultry
#sunbathing
#streetphoto
#swole
#snowstorm
#snapme
#sokus
#sopretty


T

#tanlines
#tgif
#thick
#todayimwearing
#teens
#teen
#thought
#tag4like
#twerk
#twerker
#thighs

U

#undies

V

#valentinesday

W

#whitegirl
#woman
#womancrushwednesday
#women
#workflow
#wet
#wtf


I hope that this will help you! :)

events

Victoria Gate Casino 1st Year Anniversary - Party time

20:12 Cupcake Splendens 0 Comments

        I can't arrive early. Sorry , I just cannot be an early bird.
It's not that I don't start preparing myself hours in advance,it's just that I am really bad at managing my time while I am doing the tasks.
I told myself that I cannot be this late anymore for any event.
Well,there was this one time when I did arrive early.How early?Well... one hour in advance.I told you I was bad at managing my time.

        Me and Nick were invited to Victoria Gate Casino's first birthday.Victoria Gate Casino is located in Leeds City Center, at Victoria Gate.
Victoria Gate Leeds opened in late 2016 and I remember when it was still under construction how amazed I was week after week seeing how fast they were building it.
You can find several stores there, from clothing to food,from fashion to...a casino!
When we arrived at the Casino,we didn't know what to expect.Its impressive luxurious design is unlike anything we have seen before. 
You can go there just for a drink at their Bar ,you can watch the football game on the enormous HD screens, you can have a meal at their restaurant or you can go there for their games.They have this huge poker area that holds tournaments regularly .
Did I mention that this is the biggest casino in the north?
For the 1st year Anniversary we were greeted with glitter face painters, a magician, stilt walkers, a DJ and lots and lots of Prosecco. 
I will leave you with the pictures from that night that will speak for themselves. 




















Thank you Ellie and Victoria Gate Casino for having us!See you next time! 

beautybox,

Glossybox UK February 2018

06:00 Cupcake Splendens 6 Comments

     Today was a quiet day . I heard the alarm ring at 7 a.m.and a very sleepy Nick reached for it to make it stop .
In between the sheets , half asleep , half awake , my eyes where searching for him as he was grabbing his clothes and rushing down to the kitchen .
I hear him opening the fridge door and using the toaster and in a minute he's rushing out the door .
That's strange ! He's never leaving home without having breakfast . Oh well , I guess he doesn't want to be late . 
At this point I realize that it's absolutely useless to try and sleep some more , so I get up  and make myself a cup of organic white tea with blueberry and elderflower .
     It's so sunny and beautiful outside so I just spend the next hours in our relaxing room where we have a gorgeous view to our back garden , sip on some tea and write articles like 'Why it's actually Cool to be Single on Valentine's Day'.
In a couple of hours , he's back home . With a cheeky smile he gives me a big kiss and hands me my package from https://www.glossybox.co.uk . I wasn't expecting it so soon.












This months Glossybox has such a cute design,I love it. Inside the package I found:  

• Ciate London nail polish small size - unfortunately I will not be using this one,because normal nail polish doesn't stay on my nails more than one day and after that it just chips off. Price: 6£
• 
  
• Sleek Makeup Storm Palette full size -I bought this kind of palette years ago and I just loved it.It is very pigmented and the colors are stunning.This is the perfect palette for a smokey eye and the price is really good.I am not sure if I will use it now ,I might give it away . Price:9£
• 
  
• Icona Milano Mascara full size- I don't normally use waterproof mascaras ,but I am really curious if I will like this one . Price: 15£
• 
  
• Studio10 Beauty Mist small size - I have tried only one face mist before and I didn't like it so I am really curious about this one . Price: 14£
• 
  
• Steve Laurant Lip  Tint full size - the color is really pretty and I prefer using lip tints instead of lipstick when my lips are dry . Price: 17£

Are you a Glossybox subscriber?What do you think of this months Glossybox?


*this post might contain referral links

lifestyle

Why it's actually Cool to be Single on Valentine's Day

13:53 Cupcake Splendens 10 Comments

With Valentine's day fast approaching I see all kinds of messages on Twitter 'Can we skip Valentine's day? ' , 'Even my 17 year old cousin has a date for Valetine but me...' and 'I've decided not to be sad...' .This inspired me to write this article.I know ,I know , why would you take any advice from a married woman ?
Well, I've been single for years and years before meeting Nick , so believe me my fellow peers, I do know how it is to be single on Valentine's day.All the Cafe's that have red candles and balloons , all the heart shaped cakes in the shop windows and the couples on the street that seem to be looking happier than ever...
Instead of feeling bad for yourself , here are some reasons why it's actually cool to be single on Valentine's Day.

1.You don't have to spend your money on a silly present

Valentine's cards, plastic roses, fluffy bears...Just head over to Sainsbury's, they have a whole aisle .
Instead,do you know what you can buy with that money?A nice bottle of wine that you don't have to share with no one.

2.You don't have to get annoyed that he/she forgot to buy you a present

Even with all the marketing around it,  we often leave our shopping (Christmas or Valentine's Day) last minute and sometimes we don't even have the time to do it. So what do we get?A very annoyed partner that bought us a present, and now we feel bad,that's what.
One less thing to stress about.

3.You don't have to get annoyed that he/she had bought you a silly present

Some people might actually remember about it last minute and grab whatever they can find and actually forget that you don't like those things,even if you told her/him again and again.

4.It's better to be single than to be with the wrong person

Instead of wasting your time and energy with the wrong partner it's better to be single.
Being single instead of being with anyone proves that you have a strong personality and that you respect yourself.
Don't forget that Valentine's day is about love in general, so surround yourself with the people that love you , family and friends .

5.You can actually do whatever you want on that day and buy yourself a gift cause you're a badass- BOOM

Just don't think of Valentine's Day as a special day where you tend have 2 options: either be over the moon or  be extremely sad.Treat that day exactly like any other day.
If you want to make it different, just spoil yourself! Buy that amazing pair of shoes that you've been thinking about for days or have a Galantine's Day .





For me, Valentine's day is just another normal day  and I do believe that love shouldn't be celebrated just once per year.Your partner should show you how much he/she cares about you everyday, and not just with presents.
So,instead of feeling down for not having a partner for Valentine's day , take care of yourself, cherish the things that make you unique, try to be your best version and everything else will fall into place.