WEEKEND RITUAL #19 : The Zen List

 Wowee, the weekend comes and goes FAR too quickly these days.

Firstly, I would like to say a massive MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has read and subscribed to this blog in the past two years. This week marked TGG hitting the 10,000 subscribers mark [!!!], something I am still struggling to get my head around [that's an awful lot of people!], and the last few weeks have seen so many of you subscribing to, 'saving', and commenting on my posts that I'm usually in a state of shock when I log into my inbox to a plethora of Disqus & Bloglovin emails. BIG LOVE, to you all.

Last week I began the first of several weeks worth of commuting to the city for work - 6am starts, five hours on public transport, seven hour shifts, and not tumbling into bed until gone 11pm are already taking their toll upon me - especially as my two days off are spent essay writing [the phrase 'walking dead' springs to mind?].

The agenda of my Sunday evenings is quite different however, and 100% non-negotiable. Relaxation, decadence, and rejuvenation are the only cards on the table as I attempt to recuperate from one exhausting week and gear myself up for yet another. Monday/January blues will not get the better of me.

Today's tick-list line-up has been curated with ZEN in mind, and looks something a little like this :

+ A country walk. There's nothing quite like fields and fresh air to blow away the cobwebs of the previous week and counter the effects of far too many hours spent on public transport. + Candles galore (Diptyque, MUJI, The White Company, Byredo, the whole shebang) + A luxurious soak c/o my January sale Lush So White bath bomb stash. + A darn good book. I'm currently reading [and adoring] Michel Faber's The Book of Strange New Things. + A much needed mani - Chanel's Elixir is my current favourite & paired with Seche Vite will last all week long. + Bodycare indulgence : exfoliation + moisturisation guaranteed to leave me with silky soft skin. + A facial [naturally] - I'm thinking all things Aesop...

DO spill the beans on your Sunday line-up...

G x

If you fancy peeking into my life/beauty world some more, find me on Twitter and Instagram.

+ The New York Times shared it's '52 Places to Go in 2015', of which my beloved Manchester ranked No. 26 [woo!]. + + Ahead of turning 22 in a few weeks I adored reading i-D's amusing and heartwarming 'Girl's Guide to Growing Up' - everyone should read this, even you. + + + The official trailer for season 3 of House of Cards is now out. I don't know about you, but I'm excited... + + + + Season 4 of GIRLS aired this week and was uhh-mazing. Lena Dunham, I salute you. + + + + + Lipstick lovers unite - over this beautifully written article from The Cut. + + + + + + Friday saw Jen launch her consultancy services for creatives - if you're in need of a helping hand when it comes to blogging, she's your girl. + + + + + + + + Rae Jones interviewed Jane Sherperdson (CEO at Whistles) for Buckitt's Woman of Substance series.