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I am not a big football person but over the past f

I am not a big football person but over the past few weeks, I have got really into the Euros and have enjoyed the experience of feeling the buzz and excitement surrounding the national team and where they have got to in the tournament. I loved the way that the team rallied different people in our nation together, created conversation and helped those of us who aren’t particular enamoured by football to get behind them and cheer them on!

This morning I woke up and logged on Instagram to be greeted with post after post condemning racist abuse lobbied at some of the England players - blaming them for the fact that England lost the final. What the hell? How is this okay? I feel so much shame and anger. But not just that - I feel so much pain for those young men who gave their souls to play the best that they could to then be dragged through it by racist cowards. I know it’s a minority but it’s a loud and amplified voice and social media has given them their platform and their opportunity to spread their hate. Don’t let them.

I ask that we take a moment to pause and celebrate the beautiful and diverse national team that we have, I ask that we show gratitude to this team and how far they took us. I ask that we show kindness and respect. But most of all - I ask that we remember that those are the same men that helped get us to the final, they aren’t the villains, they aren’t to blame - they are part of the story, they are part of the journey. They are the people who will inspire the next generation. Please don’t tear them down. Empower, encourage and support them - because that is what they deserve. #SAYNOTORACISM #BEKIND #PEOPLEAREJUSTPEOPLE #putanendtoracism #empower #nojudgement

So I guess it’s about time that you met the pers

So I guess it’s about time that you met the person behind Artiscado - I’m Hanifa, I’m the one in the dress 👗. I don’t really post personal photos/stories on Artiscado very often but today I’ve decided to. Quite simply because I love this photo and what it represents. It represents a long overdue wedding that my husband and I have been praying will go ahead for the past year and a bit. It represents love and all the good things in between but most of all, for me… it represents connection. The most important thing for me in life is the connection that I have to the people I love and that matter to me. The past year / 15 months or so has been hard for many and there has been so much loss. Yet, what is made very clear to me, is that there are some moments that are rare and fleeting - those moments are the ones we have with those who hold our hearts; parents, kids, husbands, wives, grandparents, friends and who ever else they may be.. cherish them. Connect with, love and appreciate those people every chance you get - you never know when they might be gone. So today, I send out a little appreciation post to my hubby. The calm when I’m a storm in a teacup 💕

Thoughts? #goodlife

Thoughts? #goodlife

As we eagerly await today’s announcement, let’

As we eagerly await today’s announcement, let’s take a moment to accept that whatever the next steps are, it’s our chance to do the right thing and help keep this pandemic at bay. Too many loved ones have died, we’ve lost and dealt with so much but being patient will only make the outcome more worthwhile. I also want to reflect on this statement by David Attenborough… as we look to the future, how do we learn from the past and move forward? How do we stop ourselves from repeating the same mistakes? #environment #takecareoftheplanet #takecareoftheenvironment #nature #healthynature

World Oceans Day …. What will you do to help pro

World Oceans Day …. What will you do to help protect our oceans? #worldoceansday

Sticking with the theme of kindness for a moment.

Sticking with the theme of kindness for a moment. Over the last 15 months, I have seen some incredible acts of kindness.. people helping others, us as a community supporting one another as the pandemic rages on. As we begin to emerge from the other side - I hope we don’t lose this, I hope we don’t revert back to forgetting to check on our elderly neighbour or calling a friend out of the blue just to make sure they are okay. I hope we continue to support and fight for one another and I hope we remember that when push came to shove, we were all human at the end of the day and while some may have more money than others and some may be able to escape to lavish holiday homes or whatever else… this virus did not play favourites, we were all victims. Victims of loss, victims who lost their lives, victims of lost livelihoods, victims of sacrifice… the list goes on. Being human united us, don’t let the next chapters divide us once more. #equality #equity #humanity #beinghuman

Sometimes we all just need a moment of kindness. #

Sometimes we all just need a moment of kindness. #kindness #actofkindness #beingkind #showingkindness

Why go plant based? 🌱 I recently wrote a post o

Why go plant based? 🌱 I recently wrote a post on why I choose to be plant based. Have a read and see what you think? I’d love to know what you think of being plant based? Are you? Would you choose to? Do you know the benefits? I’m always keen to hear recipes too! #plantbased #beingplantbased #plantbaseddiet #vegan #vegetarian

What stands out for me with this quote, is that to

What stands out for me with this quote, is that to plants trees and look after nature - we are thinking about those in the future and taking care of them. It’s a bit of a controversial quote - in one respect it’s saying unless you care about nature, you can’t love anything else. I don’t think that’s true at all but I don’t think this highlights that we as individuals are not infinite and our time here is short. To make a world better for those that come after ... that is to truly love, both the world we live in and those future generations - we want them to have a world and space that is beautiful and protected. #environmentallyconscious #lovingnature #nature #plantingtrees #environmentlyfriendly #environmentalist

I love this quote so much. Reuse and recycle. Or e

I love this quote so much. Reuse and recycle. Or even upcycle. #reuse #recycle #lookaftertheplanet

Mental Health. Check out the link in bio to read

Mental Health.

Check out the link in bio to read my honest account on my own mental health journey and why it’s so important for us to talk about it. Talking about mental health and normalising discussion around it, is vital. No one day is the same and no one person can say that they haven’t had a bad day. The more we focus on kindness and support - the easier it will be for us to recognise when others or ourselves need that extra bit of support.

Some excellent accounts that I think you should follow as well include @mellow.doodles. She’s an incredible mental health advocate.

I love this quote. Sometimes we need to be reminde

I love this quote. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we can build our own opportunities and we can make things work, just by believing and trying. Often people say ‘you can’t do that’ or ‘that’s just how it is’... NO - don’t listen to that. You can do, achieve and be anything and you can do it because by working hard you create your own opportunities and your own chances. #createyourreality #createyourownchance #beyourbestself #workhard #dreamsdontworkunlessyoudo

We’re now half way through the month of Ramadan

We’re now half way through the month of Ramadan and now feels like the right time to reflect on the month.

I feel that Ramadan takes you back to your basic human needs and reminds you to be grateful, thankful and appreciative of what you’ve been given. For me, alongside that though – it’s the ability to challenge my own willpower and develop strength within myself. I honesty think that life chips away at our willpower – as it becomes harder, we let ourselves give in to what’s easy, we take shortcuts and we cut corners. In my opinion, Ramadan offers the ability to cleanse and reset, renewing our self belief…

Self belief – the crucial component to personal growth. How can you be more if you choose to not believe in who you are as a person? How can you grow if you don’t value what you have to offer?

And now I ask this question – in this holy month of #Ramadan… how will I choose to grow?

Documentaries - a great way to learn. In my last

Documentaries - a great way to learn.

In my last two blog posts, I’ve written about two documentaries that I have watched. The first was Seaspiracy and the second was Everest: Death Zone.

Both of these resonated with me - firstly because of my love of the oceans and secondly, because the environment and nature matter so much to me. More so than maybe even I had realised.

What I’ve understood from watching these documentaries - is that people learn in different ways. For me, watching something and being able to see the impact/changes, be they positive or negative means I internalise and learn.

These two documentaries for me were about two completely different subjects yet both were so personal - born out of a love of the world we live in.

I guess that’s the most poignant thing - it matters when it is personal.. so tell me, what about this world is personal to you? And is that enough to help you care for it?

Word. This sums it up nicely. #feminism #womenempo

Word. This sums it up nicely. #feminism #womenempowerment #supportingwomen

I’ve watched many a film documenting the struggl

I’ve watched many a film documenting the struggles of man. The continuous oppression, the continuous marginalisation, the continuous fighting - the inability to see past colour, gender, preference and so many other things. We all deserve greatness, we all deserve respect. We all deserve the chance to be more than a stereotype or preconceived idea. I must have watched Remember The Titans, Coach Carter, Macfarland, USA, Milk, The Blind Side & so many other films designed to enlighten us.. hundreds of times. With every one the lesson is clear - when we support and lift eachother focusing on who we are and what we’re capable of rather than the colour of our skin, our wealth and status, where we were educated, our gender and/or whether we like men, women or both.. we have the ability to achieve greatness, transcend hate... yet too often we close ourselves off, we’re afraid. Afraid to let ourselves be open to the possibility of what could be. The world is a beautiful place, if we choose to look. #equality #racialequality #socialjustice #genderequality #wearehumanity

Female Empowerment. The UN defines women empowerme

Female Empowerment. The UN defines women empowerment as
a women’s sense of self-worth; their right to have and to determine choices; their right to have access to opportunities and resources; their right to have the power to control their own lives, both within and outside the home; and their ability to influence the direction of social change to create a more just social and economic order, nationally and internationally. Remember, empowered women - can and will change the world. #femaleempowerment #empowerwomen #genderequality #womenpoweringwomen #womenempowerment #women #strongwomen

#choosetochallenge #genderequality #instaquote #qu

#choosetochallenge #genderequality #instaquote #quoteoftheday

Be a change maker. #createchange #womenoftheworldu

Be a change maker. #createchange #womenoftheworldunite #changeforgood #choosetochallenge

International Women’s Day 2021... May we always

International Women’s Day 2021... May we always stand together, not just for today. #IWD2021 #celebratewomenalways #internationalwomensday2021 #choosetochallenge

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