6 Things I Love About Summer*

It's that time of year when the weather has been improving and there are a few months of sunshine to look forward to. Summertime can be hit and miss in the UK, so I've not mentioned things like getting a tan because it's nigh on impossible here. 

Travelling

I've always loved travelling and exploring new places. My wanderlust just seems to increase in the summer months and I just want to visit even more areas that I've not been before like Santorini and Venice. There is just something about it being sunny outside and wanting to get ready and head out. It doesn't even matter how long for, whether this is for an afternoon chilling on a picnic blanket somewhere or travelling to a new city for a long weekend. 

Music

Summer just seems to be when a large number of music events take place. I've been to numerous festivals over the years and enjoy watching music in the sun and sometimes rain given it's England. Include something about loving festivals and its festival season. Quite a few artists will release new content around this time, with Major Lazer having dropped its new single "Front of the Line" at a launch event party thrown in collaboration with BACARDI. If you want to see more from the event including an interview with Major Lazer talking about their summer tour new album then you can check it out in the video below. 

Food

This time of year opens new opportunities when it comes to cooking. The first one that springs to mind is, of course, BBQ's. I enjoy going further than your typical sausages and burgers and making seasoned chicken kebabs to throw on among other things. There also tends to be so much fresh veg around now which is a great way to improve your home-cooked meals and add some colour to your dishes.

Photography

Lighting is one of the key elements to getting good photos, so when you have a greater range of lighting conditions it makes for some impressive situations to get photos. Another bonus is that there are so much more daylight hours each day. This comes in particularly useful when you have been out for the day and still need to take blog photos when you get back home. I do own box lights but in a small room there isn't much room for them and the natural lighting works out much better.

Summer Drinks

Having a cool refreshing drink just feels that little bit better when the temperature is high and you're out in the sunshine. One of my favourites is fresh lemonade or pouring out a fruity cider onto a bunch of ice cubes. I also particularly enjoy checking out the range of summery drinks that get released around now. You can't be a good cocktail (or mocktail!) or a glorious pitcher of something refreshing.

Flowers

Doesn't every blogger just love flowers? You may have seen from some of my recent blog and Instagram posts that I've included a number of flowers and they work so well as props and backdrops. I also like having colourful flowers in the house and it can brighten up the room and give the room that summer look and feel. Plus they only last around a week so I have an excuse to pick them up more often.

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Blogging Essentials Wishlist*

Something to store your items in Although I love my current camera bag that has two compartments for my camera and equipment, it isn't very stylish. I pride myself in being a beauty, lifestyle and fashion blogger and having a leather camera bag to carry my equipment that will support the items and prevent them from damage is a must have. These are on the pricey side of £80 so I won't be getting one anytime soon, but it's on my list for future buys.
Something to take photos with To run a blog it's important to have beautiful photos to go with what you're writing about. Cameras like the Panasonic Super Zoom Cameras such as the DMC-LX7 have full-range brightness which would help out so well with blog photography. I take most of my photos against a white background and without the useful settings these cameras can provide, I can't ensure that the background will be crisp and white. I love having a blank canvas as a background for some photos as it keeps the focus on the item you're taking the photo of. This is especially important when working with brands as they don't want the reader focused on something else other than their product. I love using my Olympus Pen E-PL7 to ensure I have high quality images which you will also be able to achieve using a Panasonic Super Zoom camera.
Something to help inspire you To get motivated, I tend to stick on music that can get me in the mood to write. Now I'm not a one genre music gal. I like anything from rock to dance, oldies to new songs so not everyone in my house is interested in listening to what I'm listening to. I'm I'm going to have to wear something pretty, such as the Frends (not friends, trust me I wouldn't include a typo!) Layla Rose Gold Headphones as they go with pretty much everything I own and aren't too big to mess up my hair.
Something to light up your day Currently I am a huge lover of natural, diffused light and that isn't always achievable. Apart from using a good camera to change the f number to brighten everything up, you can use artificial light too. Soft boxes are ideal as they use white light from their huge bulbs to light up what you're focusing on, and their material helps diffuse the light to not make it so harsh. Having the white light there also stops photos looking like a different colour i.e. more yellow because you might turn a light on using a yellowish bulb. I currently have one but hoping to purchase another soft box for this purpose.
Something to write down your thoughts on Obviously to blog you need some form of computer that allows you to type freely. I don't have a working laptop and use my boyfriend's at the moment but I'm hoping that a miracle will occur and I'll be able to invest in an Apple Macbook in the near future. Along with typing out my blog posts, I also use Photoshop to edit my blog photos on just to brighten them up if required and resize the images etc. Having a working device such as a laptop is vital for blogging for me as I often use html to edit the text on my blog posts (such as this one) and it makes life that bit easier.
Something to keep everything steady For some blog photos I require a tripod to keep the photos level. The good thing about adding a tripod into your equipment is that you can use them for whatever you want as they're adjustable. Some good uses for them are for fashion photos as you can take practice shots behind the camera and ensure all your photos are taken in the same way, or food photography in order to create birds eye view photos that are aesthetically pleasing. For beauty blogging I don't require a tripod often unless I'm taking flat lay shots but they are handy and not all are expensive.
All of these elements create the perfect blogging package and hopefully in the future I'll invest in more cameras such as the Panasonic Super Zoom cameras, add more lenses to my Olympus Pen and buy those beautiful Layla headphones. Everyone has different blogging techniques and I'd love to know in the comments below what your perfect blogging essentials are.

* This post was proudly sponsored by Panasonic

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Add A Little Music To Your Summer*

Aside from the festivals and holidays, whether you're at home or on a road trip, music makes your summer. No matter who you are or what type you listen to, making the perfect playlist can make the season more enjoyable. For me, I create multiple playlists so I don't get too bored. Before going to a festival I create a playlist full of all the bands I want to see so I can learn the lyrics in time. For a holiday I add more upbeat tunes which especially helps whilst packing. For at home, I listen to a large mix of music with the knowledge that I can change the song with the power of a button. Having a wireless speaker system helps, such as the Panasonic wireless speakers with the app that allows you to control your music from your phone or tablet.

To listen to music I tend to plug my phone into my speakers in my living room, but now the sun is out I want to be out in the garden and want to take my music with me. The problem I have is I have to leave my phone plugged into the speaker to listen to my music outside. The ideal alternative to this is for a wireless speaker to keep your perfect summer tunes on while you relax in the sun. You can't listen to all of your favourite songs at one time and with each activity comes a different playlist. Here are my top summer genres to make playlists for:

Festival

Your favourite bands playing all in one place. You can learn the lyrics before you go so when you're seeing the songs played live you can sing along.

Holiday

A mix of the latest dance songs and the best hits released in the past few years are the perfect way to enhance your holiday experience.

Old School

Although I was born in the early 90's I love listening to music from the 60's onwards. Featuring music from a range of decades that were summer hits makes sure people of all ages listen too.

Rock

Since I was little I've enjoyed listening to rock music. Nobody around me played it but if you gave me the remote I would sit and watch Kerrang on TV all day long. I could never get bored of rock since it is so upbeat with a lot of drums and guitar to add a bit of depth to a song.

Top 40

This is a given really but I really enjoy listening to the current top 40 hits in the UK. With a range of different genres and tempos there really is something for everyone. The top 40 during the summer has a few dance songs, some pop and some more down to earth songs - perfect for a BBQ. Wireless speakers have been around for quite a while now, but if you really want to make the most of your music you need a decent speaker. The Panasonic wireless speaker lets you control your music via an app, so you can place the speaker inside your home and sunbathe in the garden listening to music, changing the song when you feel like it. Even though its a compact speaker, it produces a clear sound with rich bass to deliver the highest quality for your music.  What is your favourite summer playlist? *This is a sponsored post

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