Amanda Gawron: lifestyle

Meghan and Harry wrap

marca 10, 2021

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Turning a hobby into a local business

2020 has not been the most successful year for many of us – lots of people have lost their jobs, most of the businesses had to start working online to avoid bankruptcy. However, there are some people who found 2020 both challenging and exciting as they have decided to try something new and turn their hobby into a serious online business.

Meet Weronika and Camilla – undergraduate students from Poland. Last year, when the pandemic has forced them to change their lifestyles to remote, those two motivated students decided to try something new and turn their love of books and movies into a small business. Both Weronika and Camilla admitted, that they were not so happy with the way life was playing out, they were both struggling to find a job during the virus outbreak and that is why they decided to start a business to avoid getting lost in a day-to-day routine, where everything was the same. Weronika said: “We found a video on YouTube where people were making their own scented candles and we felt inspired to try to make something on our own.”

It is not a surprise that starting a new business can become a real challenge, especially where the competition in the market is really big. “It was a really long process to come up with the idea of how to make our products stand out. We wanted to offer something special. Personally, we are in many fandoms, including k-pop fans and Potterheads [fans of Harry Potter books]. And we thought it would be a great idea to name our candles after something we are interested in, so musicians, books, movies.” So far, the girls came up with seven 235 ml scented candles inspired by a Korean boyband, BTS, and Harry Potter novels.

What makes Świeczuszkowo candles so special? The girls make bio candles, using soy wax and eco-friendly additional ingredients, including essential oils. The aim of each candle from the Harry Potter range is to take you to the wizarding world just as you were a Harry Potter character. You can choose from four different candles, including the bestseller “Butterbeer” with a scent of roasted caramel, gingerbread, and chocolate.

When it comes to the BTS range, there are 3 candles to choose from, all of them named after BTS songs from their newest album, BE. Their aim is to make you feel like you were taking a part in a boyband’s music videos. One of them is a dark green candle called “Dynamite”. The girls describe this one as an energetic candle with an intensive scent of pomegranate and green tea. Also, for every order, the girls add some extra gifts, including stickers and sweets. What also makes them stand out in this market is the fact, that clients can contact Świeczuszkowo and create their own scented candles, by choosing different essential oils, scents, and colours of the candle.

Wyświetl ten post na Instagramie.

Post udostępniony przez Świeczuszkowo (@swieczuszkowo_pl)

Nowadays, where many people are stuck at home and use social media platforms more often, the girls decided to sell their products using Facebook and Instagram business pages, Świeczuszkowo, where clients can see a photo of each candle along with the ingredients list. “Unfortunately, we did not have that much budget to start a professional website, but I think we proved that if you are passionate about what you do and motivated to work towards developing your business, you do not have to have a website”, admitted Camilla.

When asked about how the pandemic influenced their lives, the girls answered: “It all went so quickly – everything was closed and for us, as students, it was almost impossible to find a good job and earn enough to survive life at university and still be able to self-care and work on our mental health. But we finally came up with the idea of making our own business. In this case, I think the pandemic helped us a lot – the world slowed down and we had way more time to think about every aspect of running a business carefully at home.”

For now, Świeczuszkowo does not ship the products internationally. They also had to stop the distribution of the candles because of graduating from university. You can still visit both their Facebook and Instagram pages here:

Facebook, Instagram.

lutego 09, 2021

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entertainment

Little Mix: insipiring entertainment figures and role models

(Photo: The Telegraph)

Little Mix is a first group that won the X Factor UK back in 2011. What makes Little Mix so special, is the fact that they use their position in the music industry to spread feminism and positivity all over the world. The best example of what makes them such inspiring figures is their discography. They released many feminist singles, including “Power”, “Woman Like Me”, and “Strip”.

However, that is not the only thing that makes them outstanding and special. Each member of the group has their own projects, including a former member, Jesy Louise Nelson who collaborated with BBC Three while making a documentary “Odd One Out” where she told the story of her being cyber bullied since she joined the girl group.

The present members of the group are also socially aware. Perrie Edwards, collaborates with the CoppaFeel! Charity which aims to educate and raise awareness amongst young people on breast cancer. Jade Thirlwall is a proud LGBT supporter. She made the appearance in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK as a guest judge, but she also hosted her own show with MTV UK called Served, where she virtually invited drag queens who inspire her to battle her in cooking challenges.

Last but not least, Leigh-Anne Pinnock decided to follow her friend, Jesy Nelson, and announced that she will make her own documentary with BBC Three about her experience with colourism and racism. Little Mix has also joined Ariana Grande in One Love Manchester, that was a benefit concert in response to the bombing after Ariana’s show at Manchester Arena in 2017.

Little Mix girls has more to offer, when it comes to being outstanding and special. One and a half year after they split from Simon Cowell’s record label, they decided to make their own tv show called Little Mix: The Search, where they seek for a band that will join them on the next global tour. With this project, they showed that they are mature, independent musicians who wants to be treated in the right way.

For me, Little Mix members are inspiring figures because of the fact, that each member tells a different story and has different priorities but still, they manage to work together and inspire not only their fans, but also other celebrities.

stycznia 26, 2021

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lifestyle

How to self-care during the lockdown period

listopada 24, 2020

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beauty

What to do during the quarantine?

Now, when most of us are self-isolating, it is even more important to take care of our mental health. I have prepared a little shortlist of things you can do during the quarantine.

1. Read books

Reading is not only beneficial when it comes to developing your creativity - it also improves your language. If you are learning a new language, you can download an ebook written in that particular language and learn some new vocabulary! I decided to make a list of books that I already have at home, but I have not read them before. I chose three books - Dan Brown's "Inferno", "The Giver" written by Lois Lowry, and the bestseller "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green. What books would you recommend to read next?

2. Try new recipes

Now it is your time to practice some cooking! It is a good way for young adults and teenagers to learn how to cook before moving out of the family house and going to uni. You can also cook with your family members or your flatmates! I decided to try some healthy breakfast recipes and now I am totally addicted to oatmeals!

3. Be active at home!

You do not need to have access to the professional gym to stay active. All you need to do is to google some workouts available online - you would be surprised that there are so many exercises with no equipment needed! I followed Pamela Reif on Instagram and YouTube - she (and many more fitness gurus) post videos on their social media with "AT HOME WORKOUT ROUTINES". In her 7-day programmes, she included workout for the following fitness groups: beginner, advanced, high intense. Here is an example of Pamela's workout videos I am using:

Pamela's 15 minute dance cardio workout you can do at home! (Source: YouTube/Pamela Reif)

4. Make a spa at home

Self-care has so many meanings. For some people, self-care could be organising a home spa. I personally think it is a really good idea! There are many "home" face masks recipes that are nutritional and healthy for your skin. I next week, I will post some masks recipes for you guys!

5. Do a movie (or series) marathon

Again, you do not need to leave your house to be provided with some entertainment. You can organise a movie marathon. I decided to do a Disney movie marathon and I am watching at least two movies a week. Again, the same as with books, watching movies improve your creativity and imagination - and being creative is a wanted trait. All you need is a cup of tea, snacks, a blanket, and your laptop.

6. Be in touch with your friends and family

Now, it is even more important to be in touch with your friends and family. We should remember that Coronavirus happens all over the world and we are all struggling. That is why we should keep in touch with other people, even when we are not able to meet in person. We can call each other, use communication apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, Messenger and many many more to chat with friends and family.

For those who missed my Snapchat stories last week, here is a story where I share my 'to do at quarantine' list!

kwietnia 23, 2020

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lifestyle

Coventry celebrates World Mental Health Day

The Mind Charity Truck parked at Ironmonger Row, Coventry for World Mental Health Day.

This year’s World Mental Health Day is being proudly promoted in Coventry, especially in the city centre. The various events are taking place in the whole city to help raise awareness of mental health. 

The Mind Charity parked their truck in Ironmonger Row, where people struggling with mental health issues can talk with the charity workers and specialists. Mrs Debbie Lee, the Mind Charity Representative said: “We are here today to talk, so if there is anyone suffering from mental health problem you can come in to talk with us. We are here to give them (people struggling with mental health issues) advice and to put them in the right direction.”

Unfortunately, there are many people who struggle with mental health issues and do not want to talk about their problems. What can we do if we know the person who has mental health issues but do not want to overcome those problems? Mrs Lee gave us the answer: “The best way we can do in those situations is to encourage them to go and see the GP. The GP will listen to them put them in the right direction. It is also important to let them know they are not alone by telling ‘you know I will support you, I will be there for you’ because we can actually go and force them to see the specialist”. 

According to the Mind Charity representative, sometimes people having mental health issues do not even realize they have a problem. That is why celebrating World Mental Health Day is to important – is raises awareness of mental health issues and helps people who seek for help to find the appropriate one. 

Coventry University Student Union organised a Wellbeing & Mental Health Day at the Hub, where students could find out something more about wellbeing in general. There were also various institutions available such as It Takes Balls To Talk Community and Papyrus Charity. It Takes Balls To Talk is a campaign ran by local community which uses sporting themes to encourage people to talk about they feel. They are mainly focused on men’s mental health. 

The Papyrus Charity’s biggest aim is a prevention of young suicide. The charity provides a helpline service called HOPELINEUK, where they help children and young adults who are experiencing thoughts of suicide. The Papyrus Charity representative, Melanie Griffin, had a small chat with me earlier:

Remember, that World Mental Health Day is not the only day in the year when you can talk with people about mental health issues. If you do struggle with some problems and would like to talk with specialists, there are various institutions in Coventry where you can seek for help for free. Coventry University provides various services for CU Students at the Health & Wellbeing Centre. People of all age can visit the Mind Charity where specialists and charity workers would put them in the right direction. 

października 11, 2019