melissaclairestevens
My name is Mel, and I have a passion for protecting the beautiful Earth we live on, and sharing ways this can be done. I create Earth inspired macrame and crochet designs with a focus on practical use and sustainability. Yoga classes are designed to help cultivate self awareness, presence and encourage a conscious approach to a fulfilling life.
-
Disney World Hacks from an Ex Cast Member
Ok… If I’m perfectly honest, I just recovered this draft I wrote up years ago just after leaving my time working at the happiest place on Earth…Walt Disney World! I am aware that a handful of these tips probably no longer apply due to Covid changes throughout the parks and times changing, however if you are planning on visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida anytime soon, do use this as a guide as I some of these could definitely help you save some time and cash! 1. Fast passes Ironically, this is the first one that has since been updated! Fast-pass lines have now been replaced with “lightning lanes”…
-
There Must Be More Than This Provincial Life…
…but unfortunately for Belle, living in the time she did, there was not as much access to easy transport methods as there are now, for her to explore further afield in France! (Don’t forget to check out my travel vlog video at the bottom!) I left London as the summer began to fade away and the rains came rolling in. The French Riviera had just experienced an angry storm the morning of the day I arrived. I guess you could say that was lucky timing. Being away from something for so long really enables you to fully appreciate it, in this instance, that would be the sea and the beach.…
-
Like A Fairytale
I wrote this recount of a trip to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, about 2 years ago on a bus throughout Europe, however thought maybe I should share it on here now 🙂 Hope you enjoy reading! Winding our way through stretches of the scenic French countryside and finally entering the Swiss Alpine region, I was rendered speechless by our first sights; the rolling bliss and flat plains that had been the majority of our journey’s terrain thus far, stretched themselves out and rose higher into the atmosphere, leaving us with breathtaking mountain ranges, small fairytale villages tucked into the valleys between them, flowing rivers and lush green trees surrounding us. As twilight…
-
Let’s Eat Healthy!… And have fun with it!
This is for a uni assignment 😂😂 Eating healthy can be such a chore sometimes, believe me I’m a big culprit! I mean who can blame us when there is so much packaged and processed food out there around us, widely advertised and glamorized, notably cheaper than healthier options and often just simply convenient?! Buuuut eating healthy and looking after our well being is of paramount importance and something we must be actively seeking to do in order to live a longer, more fulfilled life. I have recently been trying out a shift from a normal diet of being able to eat everything, to cutting out meat as often as…
-
Who Wants Cereal For Lunch?!
A cereal cafe? A cafe dedicated to CEREAL? Yes you read right, and what better place than Shoreditch in London! Entering into this quirky establishment in East London, all kinds of cereal boxes from special K to Magic Charms are adorning the walls, to instantly bring back the memorabilia and transport even the biggest of kids (AKA me) back to our childhood! The decor doesn’t stop here… Right in the heart of this cafe, typical boring chairs have been replaced with beds to sit on! (Or lay on if you’re lazy like me 😉 ) Colorful crates are piled up against the walls with old fashioned TV’s placed in-between, where…
-
Why Should I Shop In A Charity Shop?
“Charity shop”, “Op shop”, “Thrift store”… These terms may spark a sense of distaste and uncertainty in the minds of many people. They associate it with old, smelly, broken, trash etc., however this is certainly not always the case if you enter with an open mind and and a sense of creativity! Not only can you often come across some unique, rare finds, vintage designer pieces and just simply cheap pre-loved clothes, you will also be helping the environment through the ethical fashion movement, and assisting charities, hence the name! With each item of clothing you either purchase or donate, that is one less item of decent quality…
-
Hurry Up Spring; You’re Late, For a Very Important Date!
After a bit of an odd start to “spring” in England this year, with the temperatures dipping to a sudden -10 or thereabouts on the first day of March, and snow filling the streets, it’s thankfully starting to warm up at last! And what better way to welcome spring than by visiting Kew Gardens for the last day of the Orchid Festival! Stepping into the Princess of Wales Conservatory, I was first lead through a trail of succulents and under a magnificent archway adorned with a multitude of orchids in all kinds of colours, and hanging vines. It was magical walking through the draping archway into a…
-
My Top 50 Bucket List Moments From My Year of Travelling!
Today officially marks a full year of travelling for me! This time one whole year ago, Demi and I headed off to the airport to embark on what we thought was about to be a little month long trip around Asia… Little did we know that after that plane took off we would not be seeing much of little old Perth for the remainder of the year. Little did we think that our one month trip would quickly become two months, that I would be moving to Austria after a brief stop home to interview for Disney and repack. I certainly didn’t think I would yet again move across the…
-
Harsh Reality of the Tourism Trade
*Disclaimer: I firstly would like to point out that I am by no means an expert in this field; this is just my opinion and view on the matter. As we made our way through the never-ending, overgrown paths of the island, without the faintest idea of where we were headed, all I was aware of was the searing pain from what I could only assume at the time was a fractured heel. I pushed on; hoping that wherever we were headed would provide somewhere…anywhere… to rest for a while. We were unlucky, until we ran into our group and were taken to our next destination for the day. As…
-
Why I’m not “lucky” that I get to travel
Define “lucky”: “having good things happen to you by chance” – Cambridge dictionary I hear so many people constantly telling me, or others in the same situation as me, that we are “so lucky” that we get travel so much and so often. At the time I have often just brushed it off and not thought too much into it, but thinking about this recently, my traveling actually has little to do with being lucky. According to this Cambridge Dictionary definition, I wouldn’t really describe my ability to travel as having good things happen by chance. Most people seem to be under the impression that traveling anywhere needs to…
