Well, I dunno about where you are, but the Midlands is certainly exercising that 'April Showers' limb today, so some of today's 10 Ways might prove more appropriate than others for you, location dependant!

From ways to enjoy the glimpses of sunshine this month, to being prepared for the showers, from seasonal scents to the shoes for this Spring... We've got you covered!

Now, about that sunshine though...

That's right!

This is the month to seize the sunshine (rather quickly too, if you're here in the UK!), there's an abundance of cute picnic rugs and cool bags available in store right now and throw in a hamper full of foodie treats and you're good to go!

Nothing beats eating outdoors, it's fun for all ages and a great way to get some fresh air this weekend!

Now, to find the perfect spot...

Ok, so my (poor) husband will attest to this, I'm one of those listen-to-one-great-track-til-it's-dead kinda people, and this song is my current vice!

We are HUGE Mura Masa fans anyway, his track Lovesick F**k was our Gozo holiday anthem last year, and this new track, as my friend put it last night, is an absolute 'banger'!

More summertime vibes and a seriously catchy melody; play it loud, play it a lot!

If you guys haven't used Airbnb to travel yet, you need to get on that ride, my friends!

A home away from home, often in a fab location and at a very reasonable price, Airbnb opens the world to you!

I was recently cruising around the site (it's my favourite way to lose an hour a day right now!) and couldn't help but start dreaming up a few little city weekend breaks... It just sounds like a really good idea at this point, right?!

So, whether it's a trip to the vibrant Spanish city of Valencia, with delicious Paella on every corner and the beach a stones throw away, or a weekend in the ultra cool Danish capital, Copenhagen, where ground-breaking cuisine and industrial-chic bars are a plenty, take a little Spring break for yourself!

We are besotted.

Spring is just ALL about the jumpsuit. Loose fitting, cropped legs paired with slide-on sandals or shirt-style, peg leg suits with a pair of sneaks, and all in the season's hottest colours (we see Pantone's Rose Quartz and Serenity everywhere!) ...You simply cannot go wrong!

We love the comfort of a jumpsuit and the ease of it too! I mean, it's a complete ensemble! Just sling on a jacket and a pair of shoes and walk out the door! That's my kind of outfit!

Because being prepared is the new black.

Don't get caught in the rain this month, with the host of super cute umbrellas in the shops right now there's really no excuse!

We LOVE the Hunter bubble umbrella, especially if you're venue hunting this month! With their transparent material they won't obstruct your view, their domed shape will keep you super dry and they're hella cute to boot!

Or there's the traditional-style wooden duck handle trend, which we're loving! Just click on the image to shop the brolly!

Now, we love Jo Malone at the best of times, but they've really nailed it this Spring.

Inspired by Master Perfumer, Anne Flipo, who's well-known for the natural simplicity of her scents, their new Herb Garden collection is just perfect for this season.

Anne says of the collection:

Our approach was multi-dimensional at first. We talked about colour and sound; For inspiration, Jo Malone London took me to visit a traditional herb garden where we were intrigued by the way the herbs were planted to interweave with one another. We wanted to reflect the diversity of herbs, their natural playfulness and their different characters. The time we spent there also brought home qualities that are quite specific to the British garden: they are polished but still a little bit unruly. Refined yet relaxed. This duality seemed like a very British trait to me and I wanted to express it in the collection. the time of day in the herb garden, the light, even how the names of each herb sounded. It was a very inspiring, very unusual way to work and one that spoke to all the senses.

We love the leafy succulence of Strawberry and Parsley, the Strawberry chosen for their bright red colour and heart shape, a symbol of Venus, the goddess of love. While the Parsley was said to flourish in a garden where a strong woman resided... Sounds like the perfect scent!

Social media gets a bad rap a lot of the time these days, and I get it, it's a powerful tool that, like any, can be misused in a heartbeat. However, it can also be an amazing tool used for good, a tool that supports, inspires, informs, opens hearts and minds... And, on a bad day, it can be a major pick me up, you just gotta know who to follow!

So, without further a do, here's 3 of my favourite feel good instagram feeds!

First up, meet @PumpkintheRacoon. A rescued Bahamian racoon, living the high life alongside his two rescued canine buddies, Toffee and Oreo. If you like a good dose of cute, this feed is for you!

Now, I don't know about you guys, but as I mentioned before, I like to waste days dreaming of distant shores and beautiful cultures, so as you might expect, @PassionPassport is one of my all-time favourite feeds! Beautiful photography of beautiful places and people.

Get your wanderlust on and escape the day-to-day!

This one's a recent discovery for me, @watts.on is a quirky, artful feed, full of pictures to make you question how you see things and giving air time to the little details of life you might otherwise pass by... It's a little bit funny and a lot inspiring.

Enjoy!

'Tis the season to be sliding!

One of my best gal pals and I have an ongoing joke that it hits February and I transition into sandals/flip flops for the next 9 months of the year... And she's not wrong! If I could wear open-toed, flat shoes, sans socks (man, I hate socks!) for my entire life, oh I would!

And this year, it's the year of the slide. Slipper-like sandals that slide on and off with absolute ease to give the freedom your feet have only ever dreamed of!

From European style chic in their simple coloured suede upper at Gap, to Zara's more futuristic badass black beaded slides... Anything goes and slides work for every style!

As always, click the image to shop!

Spring is all about fresh looking makeup. Minimal base coverage, dewy finish complexions, Virgin brows (find out more on that trend here) and natural eye makeup...

And the key to that natural eye look? Taking your mascara a shade lighter.

If you're blonde or a red head this might not be big news to you, you might already use a brown mascara, but for the brunettes, like me, it's a bit of a shock to the system! I've been wearing black mascara since I started wearing mascara, and naturally have quite dark lashes, so brown mascara always seemed a little superfluous in my mind.

The primary function of our lymphatic system is to cleanse the body of toxins and protect from harmful attackers. A poorly functioning lymphatic system is a risk factor in the short term and can lead to chronic illness in the long term. Just like your pipes and sink drains, your lymphatic system can get "clogged".

Boy, was I wrong. A few months ago I tried Clinque's Naturally Glossy mascara in jet brown and sure, no major colour change, but the subtle addition of volume, and the way it held the curl of my lashes created a gorgeously natural effect; I fell in love!

It's played down, it's that it-girl nonchalant look all in one tiny tube of mascara. Do it, you won't regret it!

And finally, a little bit of self care for April.

I keep reading about the importance of looking after your lymphatic system and feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect (people get really into this stuff, we're talking specific self-massage on lymph nodes... And that's just tip of the iceberg!), so when the one of the gals over on the Free People blog wrote this wonderfully simple guide to helping you care for your lymphs, I was all over it!

So, why care for them?

And here are the key points from the Free People Blog post for you, condensed down a little:

Dry Brushing. A simple and quick act; it's an act of self love, if anything. Just before showering, take 3-5 minutes to slowly dry brush your body, it'll remove dead skin cells, stimulates sweat glands, opens pores, encourages lymph movement, removes cellulite, and boosts circulation

Legs Up the Wall. Getting your feet above your heart will help drain the lymph towards your heart

Movement: Yoga, Pilates, Running. Contracting and relaxing muscles is how the lymph moves throughout the body

Massage. This gets toxins moving and circulating, helping decrease stagnancy on the lymphatic system. And if you wanna get real specific, there's those Lymphatic Massages I mentioned earlier!

Herbs. Manjistha, Milk Thistle, Essiac Tea, Red Clover, Cleavers, Bupleurum and Rehmannia are effective in increasing flow and drainage. Make sure you do your research though before taking them!

An Anti-Inflammatory Diet. A diet rich in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory foods, and healthy fats is an especially good idea to assist all of our systems.

Reduce Stress. When is this not an important factor in our health? The good thing is that a lot of the mentioned above is stress-relieving: massage, dry brushing, yoga, movement, eating well. Take deep breaths, decompress, maintain good posture, stretch, and give meditation a go!

Have an amazing weekend, and let us know how you're making life lovely in the comments below!

We'll see you fine people on the flip side.

Peace + Love

Clare XO