Tag: Podcasts

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2019 BLOGMAS LIFE

MY FAVOURITE APPS OF 2019

Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well! Welcome to Blogmas Day 10! Today’s post is all about the apps that I’ve been loving throughout 2019. I’ve included all of the apps that I consider to be staples and must-haves so that you can download and enjoy them too!

Check out my favourite apps of 2017 and 2018!

FILMM

This is an absolute must-have for Instagram stories! Earlier this year, YouTuber/Blogger, Zoe Sugg, collaborated with the founders of A Color Story (Emma Chapman and Elsie Larson) to create “Filmm”. Created for creators, the app includes new video effects and filters to add all kinds of funky things to video clips. You can add light leaks, grain and dust to your videos and photos as well as filters and music! Filmm is free to download but you can also purchase packs containing more filters and effects. There’s also a subscription available to get everything for one price. I personally love using this app as it gives my videos a lovely home-made vibe. The effects aren’t just static filters but they actually move with the videos, making them look so realistic!

LIGHTROOM

I only started using this app properly earlier this year. Now, I cannot imagine my life without it – especially as a blogger and influencer! Lightroom is an editing app that allows you to edit everything from the exposure and contrast of a photo to removing haze or adding grain to it. It literally lets you edit every aspect of an image until you’re happy with how it looks. It really allows you to be a perfectionist with your work – which I love! You can also create your own or download presets, ready to copy and paste so that all of your images have the same edit. I love using presets for my Instagram themes – they have made a huge difference to my photography! There’s absolutely no going back now that I have this app in my life – it’s an everyday staple for me!

APPLE PODCASTS

I absolutely love podcasts. I listen to at least one episode of a podcast every single day. They’re perfect to have on in the background whilst I’m working, cleaning or even on a walk or a run. The Apple Podcasts app is basically a library for IOS users to access over 750,000 shows. There’s a category for everything; Comedy, Sports, True Crime, History and even Fiction! I’m not only constantly entertained and inspired by podcasts, but I can learn from them too. You can keep up to date with your favourite shows or you can download episodes so that you’ve always got some stored for those long and boring journeys. I feel like I’m always recommending podcasts to friends and family – I actually think I listen to them more than I watch TV or movies.

I’ve written two posts about the podcasts that I listen to; My Favourite Podcasts in 2018 and 3 Podcasts to Make You Laugh, so give them a read if you need something new to listen to!

SLEEP CYCLE

I’ve been struggling with sleep since I was a kid. I’ve been having very intense lucid dreams since I was about twelve years old, so I’m used to waking up in the middle of the night feeling confused and questioning what’s real etc. It usually means that in the morning, I’m still extremely tired. I currently have no problem with falling asleep, but during the night, I know my sleeping pattern is very inconsistent and easily disrupted.

I noticed this app and I thought it would help me understand my sleep cycles much more. Sleep Cycle offers a variety of features to help users track and analyse their sleep. It also has an inbuilt alarm that gently wakes you up during a light sleep in the morning. I love this as I never feel like it interrupts my sleep as I’m usually just stirring as it starts to go off. Now, I understand my sleeping pattern so much more thanks to the detailed analysis that the app provides. Also, I love that I don’t have to have anything under my pillow or attached to me. I can just put my phone on my bedside table and I’m good to go!

Pinterest

I know Pinterest has been around for a while! It’s just that I’ve been using it so much this year that it simply felt wrong not to mention it. Pinterest is probably the most inspiring app that I own. There’s everything available from makeup ideas and motivational quotes to storage hacks, DIY tips and tricks. There’s also plenty of beautiful and inspiring images to look at. You can discover so much just by typing a word or phrase into the search bar and hey-presto, you’ll have hours worth of content to scroll through! It’s very therapeutic to use. You can create and organise boards by theme and save what you find, it feels a lot like digital scrapbooking! As someone that likes to be creative, this app has been an amazing source of inspiration, motivation and ideas for me!

I can’t really fit everything that this app has to offer into a small paragraph, but it’s absolutely worth downloading if you don’t already have it!

Follow me on Pinterest!

I’m always looking for new apps to use, so let me know your favourites in the comments! I’ve put links to all of my social media down below and I’d love it if you would come and say hi!

Read about my favourite apps of 2017 and 2018 here!

N xxxx

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST  

Categories
LIFE

3 PODCASTS TO MAKE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD

Hey Everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well! Since I’ve come back from university, I’ve been struggling a bit with figuring out how best to spend my time. I’ve got a LOT of tidying and organising to do, I need to build on my social life a bit more and also keep my blog and social media up and running. When I think about everything that I need to do, it’s hard to stay motivated so I’ve been looking for ways to keep upbeat and motivated whilst I’m tackling these tasks. I’ve always enjoyed listening to podcasts whilst I go about my day as they can be playing in the background and I can crack on with other things in the meantime. I’ve been particularly loving and appreciating the funnier podcasts out there recently and I thought I would share a list of my favourites with you!

I’ve actually written a post about some of my favourite podcasts here if you’re interested!

Image Source: http://www.mydadwroteaporno.com

My Dad Wrote a Porno

Oh my god this is so funny. I don’t think I’d ever experienced a full on laughing fit on my own before I’d listened to this. It often has me wheezing in public and crying with laughter on public transport. It’s just flipping brilliant. I’ve actually already mentioned this particular podcast before on my blog (here) which has in fact (claim to fame) been praised by the porno author himself! The podcast features a guy called Jamie Morton, who’s father (pen name being Rocky Flintstone) happens to have written a porno series called Belinda Blinked (totally normal). He sits down with his friends Alice Levine and James Cooper and they read and analyse a chapter of the porno every week. The writing itself is hilariously bad, but the content will have you in pain from laughing so hard. They often have celebrities as guests on the podcast, including Elijah Wood, Daisy Ridley and Michael Sheen. Take my word for it, it’s the funniest podcast out there.

Image Source: https://chrisramseycomedy.com/podcast

Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed

This is just brilliant and I’m actually listening to it whilst I’m writing this! It features Chris and Rosie Ramsey, the most down to earth couple ever. Every week, they discuss the things that they find most annoying about each other, the pains of parenting and they answer questions from the public and from celebrities too! It’s just so human and relatable. This podcast is my favourite thing to listen to when I’m cleaning or when I’m getting things done around the house. It’s SO good and has me laughing like a weirdo to myself every week. They both have those kind of laughs that are incredibly contagious and you cannot help but start cackling along too. Chris is currently on Strictly Come Dancing too!

Image Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com

No Such Thing as a Fish

If you love the comedy show Qi, you will absolutely LOVE this podcast. Every week, the writers from the show all sit down together to share the best facts they’ve found out. Of course, just like the show, there’s no shortage of witty banter here. Not only do I love this podcast because it’s funny but I love that I actually learn something from each episode! I doubt I can use most of these facts in daily conversation but that’s besides the point… you never know when you’ll need to let someone know that in the time it takes to listen to the Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), the International Space Station travels 500 miles, then 500 more. Pub quizzes I’m coming for you…

What podcasts do you listen to? Have you listened to any of these before? Let me know in the comments! I’ve put links to all of my social media down below and I’d love it if you would come and say hi!

N xxxx

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST  

Categories
2017 BLOGMAS LIFE LIFESTYLE REVIEWS

MY FAVOURITE PODCASTS

BLOGMAS DAY 17

This year I have really enjoyed listening to and discovering new podcasts. For anyone unsure of what I mean, a podcast is a digital audio file that’s available on the Internet that you can download on your phone/computer/tablet and many other devices. Usually, they’ll be available as a series that you can subscribe to. It’s kind of like an audio-Netflix. They’re so simple and easy to use, especially on the train, whilst walking into town or even to fall asleep to.

I thought I would share some of my favourites with you!

TO MAKE YOU LAUGH:

My Dad Wrote A Porno – Jamie Morton reads a chapter a week from the erotic novels that his 60-year-old father has written. His friends James Cooper and Radio 1‘s Alice Levine join him. If the thought of your parents even thinking about sex is enough to make you shudder this podcast takes the humiliation one step further. In each episode, Jamie expresses his feelings about his father’s erotic fiction saga, Belinda Blinked. His father, Rocky Flintstone (yes that is his pen name) shares the lecherous adventures of Belinda Blumenthal, a pots and pans saleswoman (the most random career title I’ve ever heard). This podcast is truly the funniest thing I have ever listened to, it actually makes me laugh out loud in public. There’s currently 3 series available, however, we were treated to, “My Dad Wrote A Christmas Porno 2” which has just been dropped, apparently involving a festive skiing trip. There’s laughing fits, confusion, and of course an understandable amount of ranting from Jamie. The three fabulously witty millennials are currently on tour and you can grab yourself tickets here!

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 “The Now Show” – Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis along with many other guests treat us to hysterical comedy sketches and satirical commentary galore. This is another podcast that has me laughing out loud. I love the intelligent nature of the jokes and the speediness of each comedy sketch, it’s like being at a live show. The hosts frequently poke fun at politicians and celebrities, making it relatable, relevant and topical.

 

FOR A CALMING HOUR OF INSPIRATION:

At Home With… – This is one of my favourite podcasts to chill out and listen to. It’s hosted by Lily Pebbles and Anna Newton, two lifestyle content creators, and together they visit the homes of people they admire. Each episode is recorded in a different person’s home, where you get to find out all sorts about them and what inspired them to design their home the way that they did. Some people that they have featured in the podcast include Zoe Sugg (Zoella), Liz Earle, and Giovanna Fletcher!

THOUGHT PROVOKING:

Ted Talks Daily – Every weekday, this podcast delivers the most fascinating ideas on absolutely every subject imaginable. I’ve heard talks about Architecture, 10 Ways to have a better conversation and artificial intelligence! The talks are usually given by the world’s foremost thinkers and opinion leaders. You find yourself learning about things you never even knew existed on your everyday commute. It’s such a fantastic idea, I strongly recommend giving this one a go.

Desert Island Discs – Kirsty Young asks her guests to choose, 8 tracks, a book, and a luxury, what would they take to a desert island? Some of this podcasts fabulous guests include Ed Sheeran, David Beckham, Sue Perkins and Bruce Springsteen. Kirsty talks to her guests about their lives and what the reasons are behind their musical, literary and luxury selections. I love this podcast as it gives you a bit of detail behind the public personas and a chance to find something out that you didn’t already know.

Stuff You Should Know – Hosts Chuck (Charles Bryant) and Josh Clark explore a vast range of topics, from how population works to how much money there is in the world. It’s a fascinating listen and I would strongly recommend giving it a go as you can learn so much in such a short space of time! Not only does this wonderful podcast give you creative conversation starters, it also gives you an insight into how the world works.

Do let me know if you also enjoy any of these podcasts or if you have any other suggests for me as I’m always looking for something new to listen to!

N xxxx