Welcome to another blogmas blog and a warm welcome if you are new to my website!
As we near to the new and exciting year of 2020, I have come up with a list of items that I think everyone should have, that will help you to achieve a happier and more healthier lifestyle. One of the many barriers to a healthy, happier and more active lifestyle is not having the right gear, equipment or resources. For example, have you ever found yourself with the right intension, wanting to make a smoothie for the morning for an on-the-go breakfast, then suddenly realising that you don’t even own a blender? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there!
In order to make 2020 your best year yet, I believe that everyone needs a ‘2020 kit’; items that will help you to achieve the lifestyle you want to live, so that you can become the person that you want to be. I have come up with 20 (2020) things, that I believe everyone should have, to help them boss 2020! So this Christmas, why don’t you treat yourself to something listed below? Or even add one or two of these items to your Christmas list (perhaps even share this blog with family and friends and get them to surprise you). These are all items that I personally own, or if my exact item isn’t available, these are incredibly similar to what I have in my own home. Comment down below on your must-haves!
Books
What better way to kick-start the new year than to have a wonderful selection of books to hand; you will never be bored again! If you’re interested, I have written a previous blog about books called Swap Status’ for Books, where I talk about the importance of reading in your spare time, rather than scrolling endlessly on social media! Self-help books are a fantastic way to learn new things. Fiction books are the best way to relax and get lost in another world and cook books are a great way of getting healthy meal ideas. To save you time trying to think of what books to get, I have listed my favourites!
1) SELF HELP BOOKS
In no particular order, I have listed just some (10) books that I have either read and loved, or books that I will definitely be purchasing myself for my 2020 reading list!
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff – Richard Carlson
Awaken the Giant Within – Tony Robbins
The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki
How Not to Die – Michael Greger
7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway – Susan Jeffers
2) FICTION AND NON FICTION BOOKS
You will never find me without a fiction book close by! In fact, I can guarantee you that (in addition to my book shelf), you’ll find a book on my bedside table and in my handbag (particularly, true stories, fantasy, crime and thriller books). Listed below are 8 of my all-time favourite books that I always recommend to friends! This year, in addition to other books in between, I challenged myself to read the whole Harry Potter collection, where I would read the book then watch the movie – I really should join a book club!
Harry Potter (all books) – J.K.Rowling
The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
Twelve Years a Slave – Soloman Northup
Long Walk to Freedom – Nelson Mandela
3) COOK BOOKS
Below are 5 cook books filled with delicious recipes that I love to make and eat with family and friends, be it for a mid-week dinner or a fancy dinner party. I really hate eating the same thing and so having cook books on hand ensures that I always find something new to create, whatever the time of day or occasion!
Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals – Jamie Oliver
Never Feel Hungry or Tired Again – Tom Daley
Mary Berry’s Quick Cooking – Mary Berry
100 Quick and Healthy Recipes – Joe Wicks (The Body Coach)
Good Food: Vegan Meals – BBC Good Food
Kitchen
4 & 5) BLENDER AND FOOD PROCESSOR
Not a day goes by where I am not using a blender of some sort for my meal prepping or cooking. I can’t imagine not having a blender because of how restrictive cooking is without it! I use my appliances for making healthy protein breakfast pancakes, smoothies, bean burgers and sauces to name a few. When choosing my appliances, I make sure that the money I am spending is going into something that is giving me value and something that is very versatile, so that I can make lots of things! Below, are the two appliances (the exact ones) that I use every single day!
NutriBullet Starter Kit – 5 Piece Set – I love my nutribullet so much that I bought one for my parents too!
Vonshef Food Processor – I use this for blending, chopping, juicing and mixing!
or for more affordable suggestion…
Russell Hobbs 3-1 Hand Blender
Workout
6-14) EQUIPMENT
Having the right triggers in your environment means that you’re more likely to take action. In my home, I have ensured that I have all the right equipment for any type of workout that I might want to do in the morning or evening – from HITT and full body workouts, to running or yoga. Below are pieces of equipment which I have (or near identical) and use several times a week.
Hand weights (varying sizes dependent on your ability)
Chilli water bottle (Varying sizes and colours/patterns)
Kettlebell (varying sizes dependent on your ability)
Relaxation
15-20) BATHROOM AND BEDROOM
Eating healthily and being physically active is important. But so is taking the time to relax, unwind and de-stress. Similarly to the above, where I talk about ensuring my environment stimulates me to get into action when it comes to being active, I make sure the same goes for relaxation. Relaxing allows my body to recover from a workout, as this is the time where the body repairs and re-builds muscle tissue. Relaxing allows me to catch up with new and interesting podcasts and talks, so I can continue to learn and think about the habits I want to adopt for my routine. Finally, relaxing allows me to spend time at peace, without any cares in the world. Below are 5 things I use to help me relax and de-stress throughout the day.
Lighting candles (while reading a book or watching a movie)
Having a hot shower or bath – Check out this awesome bath tray
Home spa session (Sanctuary is one of my favourite smells)
Coconut oil for hair and face masks (and makeup remover; link gives you best value for money)
That brings us to the end of my suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. Please do share with friends and family who you think needs some motivation in their life in order to achieve their best life in 2020. Please also don’t forget to subscribe to the emailing list so that you can get notified every time a new blog is released! If you purchase anything mentioned in this blog, feel free to tag or DM me on instagram @_nay_emma_ or comment below – I’d love to hear from you!
© 2019. Naomi Laws. All rights reserved
