We are feeling quite proud of ourselves at So Just Be. In fact, we might just give ourselves a pat on the back. And why do we feel like this? Because of you lovely lot!
If you told the two slightly inebriated women who came up with the idea for all this (we’d had rather a lot of gin over Zoom), they would not believe we’d have come so far in such a short space of time.
We’ve both got full time jobs that, like many of us right now, are finding a bit full-on, demanding and stressful. So Just Be was our passion project, our way of letting off steam, our way of using our brains for something creative that was just for us, our way of staying sane through this strange world we are living in right now.
We had no idea if people would follow us on Instagram, or visit our website to read our blogs. But here we are with a lovely online family who engage with us on a regular basis. We are beyond thrilled when you read our posts, like our images, share your comments and read our blog articles.
So today we thought it would be fun to look back at our blogs, sharing our favourites with you that you might have missed … a perfect list of short-reads when you want to switch off the day for a while and so just be.
Celebrity Cleaning Hacks – Why they piss us off!
The internet is bursting with cleaning hacks and celebrity endorsements and we’ve had enough. This blog looks at how all that nonsense puts women (and men) under pressure to create picture perfect homes, produce ridiculous schedules and declare their love of all things cleaning. Bollocks to that, we said!
Alexa – Virtual Friend or Foe?
A blog for gadget lovers, this article looked at the gadgets moving into our home to ‘help’ us. They listen to us, learn our behaviours, spy on us even! Even if you don’t have a relationship with Alexa or Siri, we bet you have a smartphone … worth a read.
Top Tips for Working from Home
With lockdown extended, some of us could be approaching our working from home anniversary. Maybe you are slipping into some bad habits? Read this blog to reset your routines, ensure you get the most from your working day and remember how to make your home feel more homely when the shift is over.
King Kong: Why do so many dog toys fail to pass the wag test?
Lots of people have welcomed a furry friend into their home in the past year. They bring us such joy with their unconditional love and funny antics. But they have teeth, like to chew and if not supervised or given the right goodies can soon become furry destroyers. This funny blog shares some links to great toys that we know your dogs will love. We’ve tested them ourselves!
The Perimenopausal Princess Papers
This is a series of personal, light-hearted blogs that share our experiences on the rocky road to menopause. There are 3 articles to read so far – Part 1 (Menopause Misconceptions), Part 2 (looking at how it can make you unsociable) and Part 3 (how it makes us irritable). They will make you laugh, but also give you that warm feeling that you are not on your own … unless you are having a hot flush! Worth reading if you think you are far too young for all that nonsense, because we can guarantee that nobody has braced you for what is to come! And if you are a fella, worth reading for you, too – sometimes we are a little bit embarrassed about sharing this kind of stuff with you, so earn some brownie points and arm yourselves with a bit of inside info.
Parents Online – Who’s Guiding the Silver Surfers
The internet is a bit of a dodgy place, with even the most carefully worded Google searches revealing websites that make us blush or recoil in horror. So imagine how easy it is for our parents to stumble across unsuitable content or fall victim to an online scam. This blog shares some great tips and links, perfect for a role-reversal conversation where instead of them telling you about the ‘birds and the bees’ you are warning them about the ‘rogues and the https’.
Book the Day Off
Looking for something to read? Back in September 2020 we shared our So Just Be Book List, each one rated with our own SJB ‘Bee’ system. Take some time out to melt away into another world you can only find in the pages of a book – treat yourself to some time out.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome – You’re Not a Fraud
Feeling a bit overwhelmed at work? Worried that the next task or project will be the one that exposes you as an utter fraud that until now has been winging it? This interesting read looks at how we set ourselves up with our ridiculous, self-imposed targets of unachievable or unrealistic levels of perfection, as well as listing 5 different categories of people who struggle with their confidence levels. Which one are you?
Working on the Road to Hell – Our top 10 Travel Pet Hates
OK, so we aren’t travelling much right now, but this blog is an amusing look at what life on the road really looks like when you have a field-based job. Sex, room service, filth, motorway service stations … we cover it all!
The Joy of Doodling
Self-care is important, so what could be nicer than a good old doodle? This lovely blog was written to coincide with a fundraising event for Epilepsy Action which was sadly cancelled in 2020. Add 11 June 2021 to your diary and visit https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/doodle-day if you want to make sure you get your hands on a celebrity doodle. In the meantime, read the blog for some great links if you want to have a go at creating your own little masterpiece.
We hope you enjoyed taking a look at some of our older blogs. If you want to keep up to date, you can bookmark our blog or follow us on Instagram. And if there is something you’d like us to write about, add a note in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!
SJB
So Just Be 