How I Break out of Autopilot With Marks & Spencer #SpendItWell Campaign* #ad

The well know brand Marks and Spencer are encouraging Brits to make the most of every day moments and to really grab life by the horns all in the name of Make it Matter Day on the 1st June. If you follow me on Instagram then you may have seen that I have been sharing some of the ways that I make time for the things in life that really matter. I have been challenging myself to break out of autopilot and make the most of every day. M&S are working on a project that focuses on what really matters in life, making time for what is important and empowering yourself and the community. This campaign is called #SpendItWell and as part of it M&S have found that Brits don’t make the most of every day life.

Most lunch breaks are spent in the office for me with my packed lunch at my desk. Earlier this week I decided to break out of autopilot and go for a nice walk in the fresh air. I took a visit to is Elm Hill which is a well-known area in Norwich. Many of the buildings down Elm Hill date back to the Tudor period and it has even been used for film locations, most recently Stardust. It is said to be haunted, although I have walked down here many times at night and not experienced anything strange.. yet! The Briton’s Arms is a 15th Century building with cellars dating to the 13th century. This was one of the only buildings to escape the fire of 1507 which destroyed many houses. It is now a coffee house and restaurant and one of the only timber-framed medieval buildings left in Norwich.

I loved taking a walk and finding out about the history of my beautiful city. The best part is, I work about 10 minutes away from this lovely historic street and by heading outside for a change meant that I could really appreciate the walk around town. The fresh air also cleared my head and when I returned to my desk at work, I was raring to go again which in turn helped my performance.  M&S found that 96% of us feel like we spend life on autopilot, the result being that we say ‘yes’ four times a day when we really want to say ‘no’. I have now realised how simple it is to break free from that.

Today I took the time to take my mums dog for a long walk. It was so nice to get out of the house once again and gave my mum some peace and quiet at home. Both me and Macy appreciated the fresh air in the end!

Already by just doing these small activities I feel more content and happy in life. It doesn’t have to be big things, the small things also play a part in spending life well. 81% of us think that it’s the small things that make a big difference but we don’t make enough time for these things. Simply lighting a candle can be enough, or treating yourself to your favourite cup of coffee. How about having a delicious home cooked meal with friends and family.

Make it Matter Day on 1st June is a national day where M&S want to show what matters to them. You can get involved too by sharing the things that matter to you. Share the ways you break out of autopilot using the hashtag #SpendItWell. You only get one life. For more info, head over to the M&S Spend it Well page.

*Sponsored Post

Marks & Spencer’s - Macmillan Coffee Morning*

Unless you’ve been living under a rock then you’ll have no doubt seen posters and adverts galore about Macmillan Coffee Mornings happening as we speak all over the country. I’ve certainly seen a few bakes sales this week at work and its fantastic to see lots of events taking place all over to raise that all important money. Having a coffee morning is the perfect opportunity for a catch up with friends and have some delicious cake all for a good cause. One in three of us will face cancer and the money raised at Macmillan Coffee Mornings will ensure that no one has to face it alone.

This year is the 7th world’s biggest coffee morning in partnership with M&S and all the stops have been pulled out to ensure this is the best one yet. Since 2010 thanks to the support of M&S customers and employees an incredible £6 million has been raised. By 2020, almost 1 in 2 people will get cancer at some point in their lives but you can help be there for even more people by taking part where you can. The Birmingham store is even inviting shoppers to join them for a coffee and a slice of cake on Friday 30th September.

Whether you’re baking or faking it this year you will find a fantastic range of treats in M&S stores this September including a delicious selection of cakes, biscuit and a new range of 13 flavours of cake and cookie mixes. I was lucky enough to receive a few goodies including this ‘Hot Stuff’ mug, Tatty Devine Pin Badge, Pure Ceylon Teabags and Thumbprint Cookie Mix. Whenever you treat yourself to coffee and cake in the M&S Café, a donation will go to Macmillan Cancer Support. I decided to make these strawberry and white chocolate thumb print cookies and bring them along to our Macmillan Coffee Morning at work where they were sold and eaten for charity. They tasted really delicious and went down a storm with the buyers. All I had to do was add butter and the rest of the mix was provided - 10% of the sale of this product is donated to Macmillan Cancer Support.

So if you have a work bake sale or the chance to attend a coffee morning, please pop in. Think of the lives you could change, grab a slice of cake and a cuppa and get involved. Remember – calories don’t count if it’s for charity! If you would like to learn more about Macmillan’s partnership with M&S, please visit their website.

*I received some items from M&S free of charge in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.