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We can’t help ourselves.  Everyone has a penchant for collecting some object of desire – usual culprits include shoes, bags and watches. The more affluent (show-offs) amongst us may extend this to cars, houses, works of art and race-horses. Other obscure collections can be more geeky like sporting memorabilia, celebrity artefacts, tattoos and records. Nothing wrong in that –one might say. Everyone is entitled to a bit of healthy self-indulgence and if we’ve earned it – like the tv ad says – “we’re worth it!”. For some it’s about displaying prestige; for others it’s an investment; many hoard to fill a gap in their neediness.

All well and good, but it’s when it all gets a bit too obsessional or irrational, that we might need to worry. Logically speaking no-one needs several hundreds of pairs of shoes. And a bag, is a bag, is a bag. And it doesn’t matter HOW MANY you own – there is never one where everything fits in!?? What about when you’ve tattooed every inch of your body? Start on the inside!? WTF?

If you know someone with a bit of a stuff habit, try to gently hint that they might be better using their energies (and money) in spending more time with you. Send one of these Moments. If that fails, tell them you have a second-hand Hermes Ostrich bag you found in a charity shop for £10! That’ll get them round for tea!

There are over a thousand pop songs with “love” in the title… with many artists trying to define the very essence of love. So, this Valentine’s Day we can think of no better way than to surrender ourselves to the contemporary bards of our times to help us truly understand the true expression of love….

Love is kind / Love is blind
Love is a question mark / Love is the answer
Love is in the air / Love is like oxygen
Love is a stranger / Love is the drug
Love is on our side / Love is a battlefield
Love is a silent thief / Love is the law
Love is the key / Love is a losing game
Love is like an itching in my heart (hmm..)
Love is thicker than water (eww!)
Love is a bourgeois construct (eh?)
Love is a laserquest (???)

Confused? Don’t be; love is whatever you want it to be… no label required. Or songs for that matter.
Use any of these Valentine’s Moments and express yourself to someone you love.

Hot on the heels of last week’s BAFTAs comes the glamour-fest of them all – the Oscars. A night traditionally renowned for the beautiful people to back-slap and out-frock each other all the way up the red carpet; swiftly followed by extravagant after-parties that we all gawp at from the (dis)comfort of our IKEA sofas. However, more recently, the occasion has become more associated with bitter controversy and criticism: elitism, racism, sexism, you-name-it-ism. Maybe it’s just a jolly for the privileged that has had its day? Get woke, Hollywood!

Perhaps we should be looking closer to home for the real stars of the firmament who truly deserve the awards and recognition? There are so many people who we may think of as playing a major role in this long-running production we call life. Who, for example, might you nominate as playing a leading role in your life? (Please say it’s your significant other, for pity’s sake!) Who would get the award for the best supporting role? Your mum, dad or bestie? Who deserves the accolade for giving you direction? And any newcomers recently arrived on the scene that you have had your eye on? 😉

When we think about it, it takes a huge cast and a tremendous production to get one little human through life. Most of us don’t do it for the accolades or the gongs (although a few of those to prop open the odd door might be nice). So, this Sunday, instead of enviously staying up late to ogle the gorgeous and the talented, perhaps spend some time reaching out to those twinkling stars that have made you the special talent you are. Choose any of these Moments and deliver them a thrill as big as hearing… “and the winner is…..”

7 February, 2020.

January is the month of good intentions. Many of us vow to make positive changes and or start new diets or exercise regimes. And that’s to be congratulated!

January sees a 42% increase in gym memberships and a boost in internet searches around the latest fad diets. Whether it’s keto, 5:2, weight watchers, slimming world, sugar-free or meat-free, everyone’s just trying to find a way that works for them to achieve a healthier body and mind.

You might be one of the lucky ones who doesn’t need to embark on a weight loss mission or make any drastic changes. Or maybe you don’t buy-in to any of it at all? But you will probably know someone who does. You know the formula: we take a shot of motivation in early January, we team up with gym buddies and mutually congratulate ourselves with “likes” when how many miles have been run that day is posted, or how many pounds have been lost.

And then the big cloud in the sky rolls in; the killer blow for many diets and resolutions. Tomorrow – it’s February!!!

At this point 95% of diets fail. The good intentions start to lose their mojo. It feels like we’re denying ourselves the food we love. Progress is not as good as hoped, and the Sunday morning runs now have to be undertaken alone. The inspiring words from bored loved ones also dries up – just at a time when they are most needed.

Don’t let motivational lethargy kick in. Make a special effort to keep spurring those in need on – you may just be instrumental to their success!

Continue to help motivate your friends and loved one(s) to accomplish their goals by sending them one of our inspiring moments.

31 January, 2020.

If you’ve not heard of Greta Thunberg or David Attenborough, that’s ok (not really), but maybe just take a minute to google and get up to speed.

In recent years, climate change has peaked in the headlines and for flaming good reasons! We – seemingly intelligent humans – are solely responsible for the demise, or saviour, of this planet; so it’s time to get serious. Whatever you think about its causes and roots.

As individuals, it’s easy to brush aside responsibility – we blame the big guns, the politicians, the corporates – but if all of us meagre little guys make small changes ourselves, we WILL make a difference. 

So how can you help? Well friends, if the rubbish bin is still filling quicker than the recycling one, we should hang our heads in shame – and get recycling! Or, even better… make smart and responsible conscious consumer choices – because let’s face it, we’ve all been wooed and led along by the devil that is disposable consumerism for far, far too long. 

Here are a few easy ways we can all make a difference:

• Make clothes last – do you really need fashion that will be deemed boring in a month? Stay classic, stay classy. And when you’ve had enough of them – donate them to a charity shop – or recycle the material.
• Choose food minus the packaging – does your broccoli really need a plastic mac? No. No it does not.
• Car-share – saves both planet and pennies! Better still… walk!
• Send love, not paper cards. There’s nothing lovelier than sending heartfelt words to someone who matters, knowing it’ll be received with the the same affection – but do those words have to be etched in paper and ink? With the world at our fingertips, you can find that greeting, in a Moment right there on your phone – all without the guilt of hurting trees, generating waste, or racking up transport miles to deliver it. Wahoo!

Yes, we all love sending paper cards but we need to love the planet too – so, maybe it’s time to make a stand and choose Be Momentful to deliver ALL our hugs, kisses, missives and greetings to our loved ones – wherever they are in the world – but in an ecological and sustainable way.

Love sending, love trees… end of.

27 January, 2020.

You may or may not be celebrating Chinese New Year tomorrow, but around a sixth of the world’s population will be.

It’s the Year of the Rat and that means those born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008 and 2020 can look forward to boundless success, wealth and resourcefulness! Hurray!

2020 is a good year to put that rat-like stubbornness to good use; to squeak up for ourselves, and to also give a rat’s arse about the environment!

Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快樂

24 January, 2020.

It’s Blue Monday today.

Blue Monday is supposedly the most depressing day of the year… It’s still dark and cold (possibly even darker and colder), we’re surviving on pennies whilst waiting for pay-day, we’ve already failed our new year’s resolutions, motivation is low, traffic is terrible and worst of all… it’s Monday. shudder

Well, that’s what the media would have us believe… when really, it’s not all so bad!

Monday is a day to feel chipper, following an exciting little two-day holiday known as a ‘weekend’ – and if you didn’t manage to do everything that you wanted to, you’ve got another one to look forward to next week – that’s only 5 sleeps away!

And whilst we’re focusing on the positives of today, how great is it that you were able to get up this morning?! To hop out of bed, to wash in some hot water, to perhaps drink some delicious coffee and maybe listen to some music. How invigorating!

Maybe you didn’t do any of those things – maybe you didn’t quite make it out of bed this morning… And that’s okay! You’re probably all snuggled up, toasty warm!

There are positives to be found in every day, even on Mondays, you just need to know how to look for them. Why not send someone a little positivity today and help to make this Monday a little less blue.

20 January, 2020.

Three fun facts about Christmas calories:

• Health nutritionists believe that many of us consume over 4,000 calories on Christmas Day alone…
• A single mince pie contains around 245 calories, which would take 40 minutes to walk off…
• To walk off the 105 calories in a glass of sparkling wine, yes, just a small one, you’d need to march for 17 minutes…

If you feel like you perhaps over-did it on the calories this Christmas, don’t fret, you are not alone.

So what’s the plan?

Firstly, don’t dwell on the calories, counting isn’t enough and stresses many of us out (argh, maths!). To truly be a healthy individual, exercise is essential. It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford the extortionate gym membership, find easy (and free!) ways to get yourself moving:

• Waiting for the kettle to boil? Why not walk up and down the stairs 20 times?
• Need to buy milk or bread? Leave the car keys on the table and walk to the nearest shop.
• Rocking the baby back to sleep for the 37th time this evening? Do some gentle squats or lunges! (Gentle being the operative word here – DO NOT DROP THE BABY!)

Then when you feel like you might be ready to commit some more time…

• Go for a run. It’s free, it’s easy, and it only takes as long as you want it to, plus, you don’t really need to spend hundreds kitting yourself out in serious-looking lycra, wear what you have.
• Try some yoga – you don’t even have to go outside for this one, and you’ll feel wonderfully calm and composed afterwards – a great way to start the day!
• Have a go at one of the thousands of free workout sessions on Youtube – no-one’s watching!!

Whatever you do, make sure you have fun, don’t beat yourself up, and stay motivated. You’ve got this!

17 January, 2020.

We’re still under two weeks into welcoming a new decade and already a massive amount has happened.
Australia is on fire, World War III was narrowly avoided and a couple of members of the royal family have (perhaps understandably) called it quits from the spotlight.

What else might the new 20s have in store for us? Space tourism? Robot Olympics? Calorie-free cakes? Brexit?!

It’s hard to predict (especially that last one, eh?), particularly when we don’t have much influence on these things – unless you’re an Elon Musk or a Boris Johnson – or maybe even a Mary Berry. But what about the things we can influence? The things that could happen in the 2020s because we are able to make them happen…

We can reduce our carbon footprint and make efforts to look after the planet.
We can learn new life skills and motivate others to join us in our pursuits.
We can reconnect with the friends we thought we’d lost.

It matters not what we might choose to take action on – what does count is that we do something. Don’t be one of those who lets a whole decade pass them by – and then regrets it.

All it takes is a Moment.

Take your pick! And start today…

13 January, 2020.

Thinking of shedding a few pounds this new year?

How about a hundred or so?

To some, January is statistically known as “divorce month” – and yep, you guessed it – that’s because this month many individuals will choose to unload their excess baggage – aka their marriage.

At the start of a new year it’s not uncommon for us to find ourselves unpicking and re-evaluating our lives: identifying unfulfilled expectations and looking where we can chop off the dead wood and avoid further disillusionment in the coming year – because this one is going to be life-changing right? Right?!

For those contemplating a divorce, the promise of a huge weight being lifted from their shoulders might blinker them to the ups and downs of the journey they’re about to embark upon… so here’s a passenger safety announcement:

Divorce is a bit like white water rafting: it’s confusing, nauseating, utterly terrifying, and can make breathing difficult. You’re likely to find yourself in uncomfortably deep water, or turned upside down in the rapids (with or without a safety vest!) and you’ll most definitely come out the other side cold, shivering and in need of a warm blanket round your shoulders and a cuddle.

If you know someone gearing up for their own “rafting adventure”, get a towel ready. They’ll need you.

Here are some cuddles you can send in the form of Moments to show your love and support:

8 January, 2020.