It feels like yesterday when I opened up my laptop and created The July Journal, my old little corner of the internet where I could ramble on about my favourite bath bombs from Lush and the makeup hauls that I used to buy from Superdrug. I remember feeling so happy when I could buy one of Dorkface’s headers with my college money so that it could feel like a properly designed blog. This was over eight years ago and I’ve had a lot of ups and downs since then. We’ve moved to WordPress. I’ve had periods of time where I have posted a lot and then not at all but after nearly three years not knowing which direction I wanted to take, I’m back.
This little corner of the internet will always be mine. I welcome you, new and old readers to “Yasmina Magdy”, my fresh new blog where I can continue to develop my photography, my writing style and to share my life with you to enjoy. This space will always be the first and last place I want to document things whether that be delicious food, my style, favourites that I come across or just simple life updates about where I am traveling to or visiting.
My blog has been a place where I’ve grown as a person. I’ve developed new skills and become more confident. Nowadays, I believe people don’t tend to read blogs because the industry has become over saturated but that’s not why I started and that is also why I have decided to come back. It isn’t about the numbers, it is about having a place to call your own. A place where you feel comfortable to share your thoughts, to inspire others or to simply escape from all the negativity the online world can bring. I want this to be a space where you can feel comforted and understood but also a space where I can share my passions and interests.
I still believe that blogs are cool. Our opinions are taken seriously now compared to when I first started typing up posts. Before I buy a product, I tend to look at reviews from bloggers to see what their thoughts are. The amount of opportunities are amazing and so exciting. You can use it as a form of advertising and share your link on a CV to get your dream job. There are no rules in what to write or say because you can really make this space yours.
So, I want you to grab your hot chocolate and get cosy. Enjoy clicking through all my content, new and old!
♥
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To put it bluntly, these past two years have been difficult. My anxiety has been up and down and I am feeling quite uncertain about 2022. In order to inject a bit of positivity into the year ahead I am writing a list of things that I want to achieve over the next twelve months. Here it goes…
1. I’m currently writing this list in November, jobless and not feeling very positive hence why my first one is a job. I would love to be able to have an apprenticeship or just to be able to work in marketing, social media or PR. It’s what I am the most interested in and I am ready to kickstart my career. I’ve worked in many different places for work experience within the industry to the point that I know what I am looking for but the industry has been super busy over the Christmas season that hardly anyone has been hiring, fingers crossed that this changes now that we are saying hello to January.
2. I really want to work on my blog a lot more. I have been quiet on this space ever since I started my degree but I have really enjoyed getting back into writing on my little space. Now I am not promising anything spectacular but I am stripping it back to 2014 when numbers wasn’t a thing. I am going to enjoy posting what I like and hopefully some of you might find something you enjoy reading or find useful. I’m not setting myself a goal because it is just going to be my little space to ramble about my thoughts.
3. I want to live more in the moment. I’ve spoken about this before on my blog but since all the lockdowns have lifted I feel an amount of pressure to publish everything on social media and to say yes to absolutely every opportunity when really you just want to live in the moment sometimes. I’ve stopped taking my phone out on dog walks because I would find myself flicking on social media when really I could be enjoying what is going on around me.
4. I am learning to be kind to myself. I have been keeping a good things journal since March last year and it has done wonders for my mental health. Whenever I have felt a little bit down or rubbish about myself, I have been reading them all and straightaway feel ten times better. Since dealing with depression and anxiety, I’ve realised that even the smallest of things such as getting dressed for the day.
5. I am the worst when it comes to impulsive spending. If I want something, I just need to buy it straight away but I’ve been trying to work on this and want to continue to do so this year. I’ve been putting £15 into my Help To Buy ISA each month which I know isn’t a lot but it is teaching me to save money. Just before December I opened up a savings account and I am currently working out how much I can afford to save each month. I’ve been seeing all these TikTok videos on my for you page with different money saving ideas or challenges so I will probably pick one of them.
6. I want to meet my online friends and explore new cities at the same time. There’s a lot of people who I speak to online who I would love to meet in person. I’ve been planning on meeting my online bestie, Sarah, for months now and I would love to make this happen in 2022.
Have you got any goals for this year? Let me know what you would like to achieve over the next twelve months.
♥
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It’s about time I caught you all up. Firstly where have I been for the past two years because clearly I’ve said I would come back in the past and then other things came up that was more important but I want to get better at that. Moving forward, I’m going to concentrate a little less on what everyone else in the industry is doing and a little more on writing and sharing things that I love. I’ve also been completing a degree in Fashion Retail & Enterprise and I would have been prepping for graduation this week but lockdown has had different plans for me. Anyway that’s a story for another day cause there’s going to be no neggy vibes here! Do you know how people say that to make the most of your degree you need to live and breathe it? Well yeah that’s what I did. For the past two years, I have done nothing else but work on myself and my career. If I wasn’t planning what I wanted to do for a module or writing an essay, I would be saying yes to all the opportunities I could. It’s been the best two years of my life but now I don’t know what to do with my time other than to reconnect with my love for blogging and I suppose I need to start applying for jobs like a true adult.
Another reason for my long winded absence is because I just didn’t feel like the July Journal was very me any more. It started out as a cruelty free beauty and lifestyle blog and although that is still one of my favourite things to talk about it’s not the most important thing anymore and that’s okay. I started that blog as a chapter of my life six years ago but I’m 27 now (as I’m writing this it’s actually my birthday week) and I have other interests that are so different now. Photography, sustainable living, saving money for a house, paying a lot more interest in topics happening around the world and fingers crossed, I’ll be entering the world of a grad job soon – things are just a little different. I know that I started to include more fashion posts but these days it’s what I love to talk about. I want to help you with some amazing things and give something back to you whether that be a weekly round up of things that I like or something a bit more meaningful like a tips and tricks post. This new blog is going to be all about me – a dyslexic, freelance digital content creator and Northern gal trying to make my way through the last couple of years of my twenties and moving on up to the thirties. A place where you can hopefully come to laugh, learn, listen and relate. It’s a place where eating a full share bag of chocolate buttons in one sitting is completely acceptable. It’s home to a sprinkle of my life whether that be talking about body confidence or sharing an indulgent cheesecake recipe. That’s a skill I’ve learnt since being in lockdown, actually. This is where I am going to document my life in a series of diary entry posts kind of like a vlog but in a written format. I wanted to begin this new chapter with something that felt more me so hey, hello. Nice to meet you!
If you have stuck around from my old blog, you are probably wondering what is my next step other than starting to write again? Well in terms of my career, I’m taking the ‘making it up as I go’ approach. To be honest I think that is what the majority of us are all doing anyway. I’ve graduated in probably one of the most toughest times that the UK has seen in many years so I’m trying not to be too hard on myself but equally I would like to earn a bit of dollar so I can start saving for a house. I’ve been looking for a job in social media and I’m also looking at an apprenticeship to give me some more experience. Until something comes along, I’ve set up YJM Creative – a platform for individuals, businesses and creatives to get in touch with me about social media management, editorial print design and photography services. Pop on over and have a browse if you like. Oh, and if you are interested in any of my services then please don’t hesitate to get in touch! For employers, they can view my entire portfolio and shoots that I’ve done previously. As well as this blog, YJM is also my new baby too!
Anyway I’m off to enjoy some birthday cake, a dog walk along the coast and finish reading The Hate U Give. I hope you are all having a lovely week and hopefully I will see you soon. I can’t wait for you to join me on my journey and I hope you enjoy reading along too.
♥
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Does anyone else feel as though they have blinked and it’s now February? I feel as though it has gone pretty quickly and usually January feels pretty bloody long but this year it just felt even longer! I also find that this month tends to make you feel a bit like you are in a downward spiral so what better way than to pick yourself up and go out for the day or night with your best friend, partner, family member or just celebrate some alone time. I thought I would share with you some of my favourite places in the North where I like to go to socialise and spend time away from doing University work which is all I spend my time doing these days…
There are plenty of nice bars to sit with a group of mates to catch up in Newcastle City Centre. Eden is one of my favourites, however, the newest addition is Destination 1850. It opened late last year just in front of Central Station opposite Caffè Nero. I thought with it being right next to the train station which is full of all the hustle and bustle that it would be quite busy and loud but it was actually rather peaceful. I was kindly invited* to try the place out for drinks and some food and I was pleasantly surprised.
The bar has a classic heritage feel to it with copper bar tops. The staff were fab and very attentive whilst the food was professionally plated up. For drinks, I opted for the Virgin Apple Mojito Cocktail that had a combination of ginger ale and apple juice with mint leaves and wedges of lime. I was eager to try the food too. They have an offer where you can get a selection of plates to share: Halloumi Fries with pomegranates, mint yogurt and coriander, Chorizo and Smoked Paprika Dough Sticks served with balsamic and olive oil and a Southern Fried Chicken Wrap that came with sweet chilli cream cheese, mozzarella, lettuce and red onion. I highly recommend it as a place to go for drinks before you explore Newcastle’s nightlife or as a bite to eat to miss the rush hour public transport back home.
Lane7 is a venue in the city centre next to the Centre for Life where you can go for food, bowling, ping pong, mini golf, karaoke, pool and beer pong. I’ve been here a handful of times and it easy really affordable and a brilliant place to get together in a group to have a bit of a laugh. I went with a group of friends last time and my competitive side came out quite a bit. They have a place where you can get a bite to eat as well as being able to let your hair down with some alcoholic drinks. The prices vary but a game of bowling or mini golf ranges from between £6.50-£8.00 depending on the day and time. You can also get student discount if you have an NUS card too.
I also highly recommend Ghetto Golf which is down near the Biscuit Factory. I’ve only been once for my cousins birthday but I’ve been trying to arrange to go back ever since. It works out better if there is four of you as they don’t allow more than four people on the course at the same time. If you have a bit of a competitive streak then this is perfect place for you. The drinks can be quite expensive, however, I do believe that you are paying for the entertainment of the golf course which is exciting to say the least. This would be the ideal place to come if you are wanting to go on a double date or with your girls.
If you prefer going and exploring the outdoors a bit more then the North is great for that. I always enjoy grabbing my camera and going for a walk, bonus points if you have a dog too. It gives you time to reflect on life or talk about things whilst enjoying each other’s company. First up there is Heaton Park right in the middle of town but you can also explore further a field and head for a walk around Plessy Woods or Bellingham. Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Blyth and Seaburn all make really good spots for a coastal walk. Grab a hot chocolate or ice cream and enjoy the fresh air.
Finally, you can’t beat a good old classic Cinema date. These days it can get pretty expensive if you go on the regular but there is nothing better than digging into a bucket of popcorn and watching the latest releases. Newcastle itself has three cinemas to pick from: Cineworld, Everyman Cinema and the Tyneside Cinema so guaranteed there will be something for you to watch. If you really want to keep it budget friendly, you can always opt for buying a few films from CEX, grabbing the microwave popcorn and snuggling up on the sofa.
Where’s your favourite place to go for a date in Newcastle? I think there is so many other cool places to go too.
♥
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Well it has certainly been a hot minute but life has been rather hectic since the Summer. I can’t believe the last post was about my anxiety and how I coped in Manchester on my own for a week. I thought I would start my return back to my old little blog with a bit of a catch up through photos on my camera roll. I love reading this kind of style because they are always so raw and natural.
September started off with going back to University. My tutor asked me to do a talk to the new Level 4 class sharing what they can expect from the first year modules. I felt so overwhelmed for two reasons. The first was looking at all my work laid out on the table made me realise how much effort I had put into the first year. The second reason was the fact that I was going to be talking to a bunch of new people who I have never met before. If someone had said that I was going to be doing this talk last year, I would have told you that you had the wrong person because little old me was so nervous and anxious about speaking to new people. But guess what? I was fine! I went on to introduce them to InDesign and Illustrator for a couple of their lessons too.
I made a new friend this month too. Jess is another local blogger. You probably already know her because she is actually the insta-queen out of the two of us. We’ve met up a couple of times and have so much in common with each other which I love and find refreshing. We went to Pet Lamb Patisserie in the Grainger Market and did a bit of a photoshoot. On a side note, their brownies are to die for!
Polly, the owner of Sighh, released new tote bags. I’ve featured the ‘My Everyday Tote’ but my favourite is definitely the ‘Art Student’ one. They actually fit an A3 notebook as well as the usual rubbish that I have inside mine. As you can tell by the photo, mine gets pretty full very quickly.
I also went to the Alchemist for the first time ever. There was so many nice cocktails there but I had the Caramelised Rum Punch which looks a bit like the Butter Beer from Harry Potter. It tasted amazing!
Soon enough it was the end of September like a blink of an eye. This meant celebrating my cousins birthday. We surprised him with a trip to Ghetto Golf. I came 5th because I kept wanting to take photos instead of concentrating on golf. I absolutely loved the whole set up of the place. You can tell that so much thought was put into making the crazy golf really fun and entertaining. The drinks are a bit expensive so if you are on a budget I recommend having one or two to save on the old pennies.
Not much really happened in October but I decided to treat myself to some Dr Martens. I’ve been after them for a while now so I caved. I thought for the price it is going to be an investment. I’ve heard online that most people struggle to break them in but I’ve had no problem and I can honestly say that they have not come off my feet since. They are super comfortable and go with basically every outfit I wear. The ones that I have are the Vegan 1460 Felix Rub Off. They also do student discount if anyone is interested in them. At first I was a bit wary on how they would perform in the rain with them being a vegan friendly leather however I’ve not had any problems at all.
I was also lucky enough to go behind-the-scenes at Pink Boutique. The company was founded by a lovely girl called Alice. She was really struggling for money so she lent £45 off her mum to buy a pack of six dresses. She recruited a friend for the model and listed them on eBay where they sold really quickly. She kept reinvesting the money and did that until Pink Boutique was created. She used her lunch breaks to post orders until it got too much. Alice teamed up with her mum, Jackie, and went full time at Pink Boutique using YouTube tutorials and a lot of googling to get her head around buying, selling, marketing, admin and finances. I would describe her as a Newcastle version of Sophia Amoruso and you all know that I love her. It was such a motivating trip and I felt so lucky to get the insider knowledge. Personally I’ve never bought from Pink Boutique before because I am not a type of person to dress up like the usual stereotypical Geordie gal however they do have some really cool trainers.
One of the reasons I’ve not really had the chance to blog much over the past couple of months is due to the amount of free time that I don’t have any more. Alongside my degree this year, I’ve been doing three different placements. One has been with S Walton Eyecare where I’ve rebranded their social media accounts and made a leaflet and the other two have been fellowships within my University. A fellowship is something that can give you experience whilst at University and you get paid for it. It is a bit like becoming a student rep for your course but it is targeted towards the one you’ve applied to. I’m so incredibly lucky to be doing two this year; the first one is the Fashion Retail & Enterprise Social Media one where I basically manage the instagram account for my course and the other one is with the social media and digital marketing team at Newcastle College. I’m thoroughly enjoying both of them and can’t wait to be able to work in industry to do this as my full time job. I’ve managed to interview some incredible people so far and some rather skilled and passionate students whilst doing my fellowships.
And in the blink of an eye it was November. November was an extremely busy month! First up was visiting the annual Fenwick Christmas window with my Auntie. We had a lovely hot chocolate from Costa too which was delicious! Does anyone else get excited by the festive drinks and food that is released every year? I chose the Black Forest Hot Chocolate and it was yummy. The theme for the window this year was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It bought back so many nostalgic moments from my childhood.
A couple of days later was the annual fireworks display on the Links in Whitley Bay. Without a doubt, November the 5th is by far one of my most favourite days of the year. I think I’ve talked about why before so I won’t bore you with the details. I just love fireworks so much (but only when they are used and enjoyed in the correct way)!
I also had the chance to go to Leeds. Leeds has been a city which was on my wishlist of places to visit for a while. I only went for the day with my University but thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I definitely want to return in the future for a longer stay. I was the only student from my class who went so it was nice to spend some time with new people. I fell in love with the different vintage stores and the street art was so cool.
Durham Lumiere came back this year. I remember going in 2015 where it was extremely wet and rather muddy. I only saw a few of the installations that year and I missed it in 2017 due to working at New Look but this year I wanted to make the most of it. Craig and I walked round the cathedral and stumbled across a rather interesting and unique musician who looped music together. It was odd but cool. I think you had to be there to get the vibe of what was going on. There was some amazing installations this year but my favourites were: End Over End – a giant, glowing slinky toy, The Stars Come Out At Night – a revolving projection of stars, Spirit – fire alchemists that were in the grounds of the Cathedral, Echelle – a pink stairway into the sky and Mysticète which was a video projected onto the river water showing the story of a whale. Durham Lumiere only comes around every two years so it is a shame I won’t be able to see it until 2021 but I highly recommend going if you are into light and arty things.
In all honesty, I think I’ve struggled to come back regularly because I feel like blogging just isn’t the same these days. You can’t seem to just write because you enjoy it any more. There is a constant competition to provide the best photography, an out of this world collaboration and don’t even get me started on the numbers game! This was and always has been a hobby for me. I’m not the best photographer in the world and I’m certainly not the best writer but I want my blog to share aspects of me, my life and what I enjoy.
I love this little space on the internet that I’ve created and although many of you have probably unfollowed or don’t tend to catch up with my posts any more, I created this space for me and no one else. I’m going to really try my hardest to post a lot more on here because this is my favourite thing to do. And for those of you who still pay attention to little old me, please bare with. I’m a year two undergraduate student with dyslexia who also has two placements and a 20 hour job but let’s try and recreate my little blog again.
♥
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Anxiety has been a big part of who I am for such a long time. I reckon half the reason why us creatives do our thing is because we want to share things with people that we can’t necessarily do in person because we are so anxious about speaking out but that’s okay. After 13 very long years I have decided that it is about time to tackle this thing and learn some coping mechanisms on how to deal with Mr A. I don’t really know what this blog post is going to be about but I suppose I want it to be a post where you can all talk about how you feel whether it is a small success or a huge milestone.
I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while, hence the fortnight break, but I just couldn’t bring myself round to write it. If you follow me on social media then you would probably know that I’ve been to Manchester a lot this Summer. Primarily for work experience but my first placement involved me staying with my sister which meant I was travelling on public transport every morning and every evening for a week. Guess what? I didn’t have a panic attack or felt anxious even when the trains were like being in a can of sardines or when I accidentally got on the train to Liverpool Lime Street rather than going to Warrington Central. I felt completely fine. I took deep breathes when I felt nervous and if that didn’t work I listened to Headspace but not once did I have a full blown panic attack and to me that is something to give myself a massive pat on the back about. This kind of thing happens on the regular whilst in Newcastle. I can’t actually get on the Metro or a bus without having a panic attack which means traveling around the North East is difficult. I am honestly limited to going for a walk or if I am having a good day I would attempt the bus. Since returning, I’ve been on the Metro twice and just like in Manchester everything was fine. Nothing bad happened and I made it back home without having a panic attack or feeling anxiously sick.
The second week came about and this time I was staying in Manchester City Centre for a full week on my own. I knew I had people who I could meet up with but usually I hate being on my own. I really struggle to motivate myself and feel okay but in turn social situations frighten me as well. Anyway enough of that until later. Friday came around and I had managed to deal with being on my own all week and guess what? I loved every god damn minute of it! Of course, my work placement was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it but the biggest lesson I learnt was how to love my own company and the fact that feeling lonely isn’t too bad sometimes. I managed to read a full book. Shout out to Laura Jane Williams who wrote Our Stop, it was really good to get my teeth into something different. I started the Grow & Glow community project for my blog, I am slowly but surely managing to get through all the little tasks. I spent a whole day exploring and the biggest achievement of all is that I sat in numerous cafés and restaurants eating something on my own without feeling judged. To some of you reading this, it might seem like the every day musings but for me it is huge steps in dealing with my anxiety, overcoming certain situations and not having to rely on being around someone else to be happy and okay.
I came back from Manchester and there was a house warming party with my friends and a handful of new people which I never met before and that made me feel super nervous and anxious. I had spent all week working myself up about it and I let anxiety over come me. I had two panic attacks on the Saturday morning and was sick with how nervous I was. This is the part where I think students who are starting their next chapter might be able to learn something from. So, I spent the week thinking about whether I was good enough to go, why does my friend want to invite me, people aren’t going to like me, I’m too fat and that I couldn’t do it. I didn’t go but I did drop off my friends’ presents. I came home and cried myself to sleep because I felt disappointed in myself and guilty. The following day I started thinking that my friends had started a secret group chat about how much of a rubbish friend I was but I know now that it was my mind and my anxiety telling me this and it didn’t actually happen. I felt upset and disappointed that I didn’t go especially after hearing how much of a good time everyone had and how chilled out it actually was. You are probably wondering what you can learn from this. Well, don’t let Mr A get the better of you. Anxiety is in all honesty a pile of shit and it happens to all of us at different stages of our lives. Some people know how to cope with it and others need a little bit of help. If you are faced with a similar sort of situation please try and beat anxiety and attend that event, especially if it is something with friends. I certainly wish that I did after reflecting upon the situation. If you feel uncomfortable you can leave, that was an option that I had. Freshers is such a big thing during September where a lot of students are pressured into going to social events and in my opinion, I would try and go to the ones you feel comfortable with even if it means pushing yourself out of your comfort zone just a little bit. If you give yourself that little bit of a push you might actually enjoy it. As for me, I am paying to speak to a therapist. I was in two minds on whether to admit this or not but I feel like in order for me to be able to deal with stuff I need that little bit of extra help. I want to be able to go to my friend’s Halloween party this year. I want to attend my graduation next Spring. I want to learn to deal with situations that will make me react in the way that I did the other weekend and be okay about going. I don’t want to miss out on things that could potentially bring me enjoyment any more.
Do you have anxiety? How have you managed situations? Let me know if you want me to update you once I’ve had a couple of therapy sessions.
♥
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