September was a strange one. I thought it would be a slower month, and instead I spent it filming more than I expected, living off protein shakes because the apartment has a hot plate instead of a hob, and straining my quad. We're still in the temporary apartment as I write this, surrounded by boxes again, and we move into our new home in two days. So this month's Unpacking is a bit of a last look at life in between homes.
I honestly wasn’t sure what this month would be like. All I knew was that we’d be in temporary accommodation while the renovations happened in our soon-to-be new home. Beyond that, I had no real picture of how it would feel to live out of a temporary place for weeks.
What I did know was that I’d have less filming than usual. As I mentioned in my last Unpacking, I batch recorded my YouTube videos up until mid October. That meant I had 6 weeks off from filming for YouTube, and I think I really needed it. I’d been going flat out for a long time, and a proper pause from that channel felt long overdue.
I also knew I’d still be filming for my lifestyle channel and creating short form content for Instagram. So it wasn’t going to be a total break, just a lighter one. If I’m being honest, I kind of knew how it would go. I had a rough idea in my head and it kind of seemed manageable.
The one thing I was counting on was my fitness. With a reduced workload, I expected to be so much more consistent. I pictured regular workouts and a good routine in place. That part did not go to plan.
Firstly, I didn’t realize I’d be this busy with short form content. The deliveries kept rolling in from PR agents and brands, and to stay on top of it I need to film pretty soon after products arrive. I can’t let things pile up or I fall behind. On top of that, I still had brand deals coming in for short form content and for YouTube. So I actually filmed more than I thought I would this month, which was the total opposite of what I had planned.
Because I’m not in my usual studio, I had to do a rough set up every single time, and it took me ages. It made me realize how much I miss my studio. I didn’t think a room could make that much difference, but it does. I can’t wait to get into the new one and feel like I’m back in my full creative zone.
The apartment building we’re staying in has a huge gym literally right outside, and it’s my worst nightmare. It’s the kind of gym that never has a quiet moment, and everyone seems to want to share machines. That’s just not me. I’ve perfected my routine over the years, and I can get in and out of the gym within an hour. There was absolutely no way that was happening in this one, so I didn’t join.
That meant doing my workouts at home. Thankfully my PT has an amazing YouTube channel, so I’ve been following her home workouts. But on one particular day my form wasn’t great, and I strained my quad! Then my knees started feeling really weak and sore in certain movements.
It made me feel absolutely awful. I’ve worked so hard for so long, and not having a gym to go to made it worse. It felt like I’d taken a step backwards. I’m recovering now and only focusing on upper body for the moment, which is annoying but the right thing to do.
Nico also took a while to settle into the temporary apartment. It’s a new space with new smells and no familiar corners, and he needed time. He’s finally settled in, and now, of course, we’re packing boxes again so he’s looking at us with a side eye! We’re moving into our new home in two days and I can’t wait!
I’m so glad I pushed myself to batch record before we left our old home, even if it was only for one channel. At the time it felt like a lot, but it gave me a proper break from at least one of my platforms. Having that space let me get excited about certain projects I want to start working on. I’ve got so many ideas, and I can’t wait to share them with you.
Bobby has been at the new home literally every single day, project managing the entire thing. I’ve only visited about once a week, and it’s incredible how much changes in the space of one week. I’ve watched our home come to life bit by bit. Seeing my husband create my dream home has been amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever get over that.
It’s also been really strange not having him at home. We’re usually together all the time, but during the renovations it’s like he has a 9 to 5. He comes home for lunch, and then I see him in the evening. I’ve had to get used to a completely different rhythm. It’s been weird for sure, but mostly it’s been nice watching him get stuck in. I can see how much he’s enjoyed working with a team to get everything ready, and how much it means to him to get it right. He’s so OCD. Like, not a little bit. A lot. So there was no way he was going to let anyone just get on with it.
The injury really threw me off this month. It’s not even the kind of injury I’d usually expect. With my history of a herniated disc and scoliosis, I’m always so careful with my lower back. I think about it in almost every workout. So I really didn’t expect to hurt my quads of all places.
It’s made me realize how much I need to focus on strengthening them. They’re the one area that seems to be the hardest for me to build muscle in, and being 46 makes it even harder. It’s a good reminder that I can’t skip the areas that are difficult just because they’re difficult. But to be honest I think it’s been harder to build them because the machines in my old gym weren’t great and wasn’t anything for quads so relying on dumbbells can only do so much.
I’m actually really looking forward to moving to our new home for so many different reasons. There are the obvious reasons but also the fact there are so many fitness studios literally on my doorstep. There’s a boxing studio that I can’t wait to join! I used to do Maui Thai and had to stop due to my scoliosis. So if I can do anything similar that doesn’t compromise my back issues then I’m up for it.
I started jump rope this month! I started on 1 September and did 10 minutes every single day, right up until I injured my quads. I can’t wait to get started on it again. It’s been amazing for my cardio, and I’m actually enjoying it, which is rare for me with cardio.
The gym in our new community is really nice too, so I’m looking forward to getting going there once my legs have healed. I want to ease back in properly this time and not rush it.
I honestly don’t know if I’m becoming less tolerant with age or if it’s something to do with perimenopause. I just can’t handle laziness, stupidity, bad manners and a lack of common sense anymore. Sometimes I get so frustrated I genuinely worry I’m turning into a Karen. I really hope it’s just hormones and it sorts itself out soon.
I don’t go to a lot of industry events, because I can’t handle the fake chat. Most events have to do with everything but the actual brand, and it can sometimes feel like a competition over who can be the loudest. You can usually tell when an event is going to be a good one. If they say it’s an intimate dinner, I’ll be there. If it’s a pottery class that clearly has something to do with the brand, I’ll be there. Events with substance and education interest me. Events that start at 9pm, focus around alcohol and have very little to do with the brand, do not interest me. I’m getting ready for bed by 9pm…that’s all I need to say.
This month I decided to go to one, mainly because I like the brand, it was during the day, and I happened to be free. It was an absolute nightmare. It was really surprising too, considering the brand. Everyone attending knew how unorganized it was, and even the staff and PR knew. But none of the PR team contacted the creators afterwards to apologize for how embarrassingly all over the place it was.
That’s the part that frustrates me the most. Everyone messes up sometimes. You’d be in a much better position if you owned it and took responsibility. If they had reached out, I’d have been much more inclined to give the next event a chance. Instead, I’m left with just a bad memory.
This month’s purchases weren’t the usual type for me. There were no clothes and no shoes, which is very unlike me. Everything we bought was for the new home.
We bought a new Siemens coffee machine, and I’m really looking forward to using it. I’m also nervous, because I’m so fussy about my coffee, and my Nespresso machine has been amazing for all these years. But realistically, having a pod machine is like having a subscription. You’re forever buying pods, and they’re actually pretty expensive. We decided to splurge on a machine that uses beans instead. I really hope it makes an amazing coffee, because if it doesn’t, my Nespresso isn’t going anywhere.
We also bought a robot vacuum. We went for the Dreame X60 Series, and it’s pretty insane how it works. I’m really excited to see how Nico behaves when it’s on, because he is 100% going to assume it’s a new pet. I’ll be filming his reaction, for sure!
We bought a lot more for the new home too, but I can’t remember what right now. That’s what happens when you’re buying things for a house that isn’t ready yet! Everything is all over the place!
My diet hasn’t been the best this month, and it’s not what you’d think. I haven’t been eating junk or a lot of sweet stuff. The apartment we’re staying in has a really weird hot plate situation instead of a proper hob, so you can’t actually cook anything on it properly. I don’t think we’ve ever used our air fryer this much.
I’ve hardly had any eggs this month, because we haven’t been able to cook them where we are. Look…in all honesty, you can cook here but it’s so long. So any eggs we’ve had are usually on the weekend when we go out for breakfast. I’ve been living off protein shakes and pre-cooked meals, since you just can’t cook much in this apartment. The food I’ve been having hasn’t been bad, but my gut still feels really messed up. I can’t wait to get back to my usual routine.
I really miss greens, vegetables, eggs and homemade food. Cooking is something I love. I find it quite therapeutic, and not being able to do it has affected me more than I expected.
That’s why I’m so excited about our new kitchen. It has all brand new appliances, and I’m ready to have a proper kitchen again. I intentionally designed the whole place open plan so that I’m still part of everything while I cook. I hate the feeling of being stuck in a kitchen away from everyone. I love cooking but also want to be part of the conversation!
I don’t actually have anything in my cart this month that isn’t to do with home stuff. I did buy a really nice pair of Khaki cargo pants from Stradivarius, which I forgot to mention in my ‘bought’ section. They’re such a nice fit, so I’d go check them out if I were you.
I’ve got an office chair in my cart. Realistically, I need to go and try it out before buying, because a chair is something you have to sit in to judge. There’s also a desk for the studio that I need to see in person first.
Everything else in our new home has been designed and built from scratch. For the studio, though, I wanted something I can easily move around as and when I need to, so I’m better off buying something for there.
So my cart is a little boring this month, but necessary.
I’m absolutely loving the new Louis Vuitton limited edition collection. It’s a collaboration between Dame Pat McGrath and Nicolas Ghesquière. There’s a reel up on my Instagram, so you might want to go check it out. The nude shade is out of this world.
I’m also obsessed with the violet collection from Prada Beauty. The Touch blush is stunning, and I keep going back to it.
And I’m really loving the Refy Blur Liner in Stone. It’s simple, it works, and it’s one of those products I keep reaching for without thinking.
In all honesty, the TV in this apartment is so bad. One side of the screen has lost a lot of its colour, so anyone standing on the left side ends up looking half dead. Because of that, we didn’t want to watch anything decent here.
So we started the SEAL Team series, and it turns out it’s actually really good. It’s the only thing we’ve watched the entire time we’ve been in this temporary accommodation. It’s the kind of show you can put on at the end of a long day without having to think too hard.
We’ve saved all the new stuff, like Lioness, for the new place. I’d rather watch them on a proper screen, in our own living room, when we’re settled. Oh yes, I totally forgot to add we bought a sofa! See what I mean? It’s weird trying to remember what you’ve bought when it’s all being delivered at a later date!
September was a busy month in a small apartment with a bad TV and a hot plate. I filmed more than I planned to, hurt my quad, missed my studio, and missed cooking a proper meal. It wasn't the calm, consistent month I pictured at the start. But I also got to watch our dream home come together, and I came out of it with a lot of ideas and a lot of excitement for what's next. We move in two days, so next month's Unpacking will be written from our new home. I can't wait to tell you all about it.
Until next month…
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