So... what does freedom from Covid-19 restrictions look like for you? Is it all you could have hoped for, or are you still finding life restricted? Whichever it is, let’s be sure not to dwell on the negatives; instead let’s thank the Universe, or whichever higher power you believe in, for helping us make it through an unprecedented period full of uncertainty and sadness. As always, our thoughts, prayers and endless love go out to those who sadly did not make it, and to the loved ones they left behind. We are hopefully now on a collective journey of healing that will lead us to better times once again.

For many of us, it will have been the first time we've experienced, up close, such devastation and international disruption. There have, indeed, been many lows but hopefully IAB has engaged you in ways that has allowed you, at times, to enjoy the brighter days and maybe even celebrate a little rainbow here and there.

The Olympics is underway and many of us have been following it with enthusiasm and sending our support to Team GB all the way out in Tokyo. August has become synonymous with The Notting Hill Carnival, and so many others will be sharing a collective disappointment that it has, once again, been cancelled. Although nothing can replace the beautifully rich amalgamation of culture and diversity that The Notting Hill Carnival brings, set against a backdrop of musical triumphs from across the Caribbean islands, we can look forward to the joys of other inspired events coming up that should help soften the blow.

Everything is now open and, although the weather is rather peculiar for this time of year, we can again go out whenever and wherever our hearts desire. We must, however, remember our responsibility to help keep it this way. Wear a mask and socially distance where you can and continue to wash and sanitise your hands. Go have a great summer, maybe helped along by popping out to a few of our recommended spots.

From us to you with love

xoxo

MIXED FUN/MIXED AGES :

Lost In Translation Circus

No Comply Skateboarding Exhibition

Black Eats

Greenwich and Docklands International Festival

Hampton Court Palace Food Festival

YAM Carnival

London Jerk Festival

All Points East Festival

NEVERLAND

The Beach Brent Cross

FUN PLACES TO EAT :

Bad Vegan

Where The Pancakes Are

The Brunch Club

London Cabaret Club

[PLEASE CHECK WEBSITES FOR THE LATEST EVENT INFORMATION]

‘July 2021’

HERE’S TO A SUMMER TO REMEMBER

So far July has been a mix of glorious sunshine and treacherous rainstorms, but I’m sure most of us are still reveling in all the outdoor adventures that had been lost to us over the past year. The buzz of a Saturday market, the sounds of laughter from the sea of picnic goers sprawled out on the lawns of parks across the country, busy cafes and packed pubs...oh what a sight to behold!

Freedom day, as it became known, was unfortunately postponed and with protests and scandal filling the air, it’s sometimes hard to not be a ‘negative Nancy’. Despite this, a major take away from all that we’ve been through is to not stress over that which we cannot control.

So, we’re going to take a deep breath and take a moment to sit with appreciation for how far we have come and hope that they don’t move the goal posts yet again. Speaking of goalposts ;) the England team have swept in just in time to offer a well needed morale boost. Euro 2020, delayed last year due to the Covid pandemic, has given us as a country something to focus on and our Lions have battled their way into the quarter-finals after a brilliant 2-0 win over Germany. The buzz this has created is magical. Let’s keep up the positive energy and cross our fingers, cause football, might just be coming home!

We have another eclectic mix of physical activities and sensory experiences for you to enjoy, so remember, life is for living. Stay safe but go out have fun.

From us to you with love, xoxo

As always, we aim to offer info that is as up to date as is possible but please check websites before your visit.

‘june 2021’

FREEDOM IS HERE!

So, into June we go and after a lovely bank holiday weekend, ending with the hottest day of the year so far, things are looking bright! I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch but I’m definitely feeling more hopeful than in recent times. I am sure we are all feeling pretty free already; free to hug friends and family and free to eat inside restaurants and go to cinemas and bowling alleys - much needed with London’s spring weather often dampening al fresco experiences.

It has been a tough time and so many have struggled. It has even affected the mental health of those who may never have thought it would and encouraged change and personal growth for many others. The level of isolation that we all incurred over the past year has I am sure changed us all in some way and as we adapt and move forward, we here at IAB can only hope we all take away the best bits from the experience.

The extra time we have had to care for ourselves. The deeper phone conversations, the hours long video calls and the exploration of all the things that we never found the time to do before, are gifts that we can keep forever.

We want to applaud you and are sending love and positive energy out to you all as we make our way out of lockdown and back into the real world. Please make sure to stay mindful of what we have been through and continue to use any and all measures needed to keep yourselves and loved ones safe, as in sure we can all appreciate more than ever before, theres nothing quite like freedom!!

Here are a few places to visit, maybe for a special occasion or for a treat just because you can. Go out enjoy the sun and make some memories.

From us to you with love

xoxo

Openaire Float-in Cinema

London Design Biennale

Epic Iran Exhibition

Blue Ivy Cafe

The Farmacy London

Comedy Night on an open-top-bus

Midsummer Summer Night’s Dream

To Kill a Mocking Bird

Electric Game Box

Aqua Bounce

MIXED PURPOSE MARKETS

PETTICOAT LANE MARKET

LEADENHALL MARKET

GREENWHICH MARKET

OLD SPITALFIELDS MARKET

THE APPLE MARKET

BROADWAY MARKET

VICTORIA PARK MARKET

‘may 2021’

GRAB YOUR FREEDOM!

May is here and with it comes bank holiday weekends, sunnier days and warmer temperatures. Although this will be unlike the Mays we once knew, the doors have been cracked open so seize the return of our freedom and grab it as it comes because we never know what restrictions lurk behind the corner.

In order to reopen their doors and keep us safe, Business and attractions have adapted their practice to align with the various government-imposed limitations. Appointment slots at the swimming pool and alfresco dining are some of the many new ways of doing things, and people seem to be happily getting back into the swing of things.

The past year has been challenging to say the least, but many of us have made it through with strength of spirit and a positive mindset, helped in part I hope by the self-love journey that I Am Beyoutiful has championed all the way through. Loving yourself and in turn treating yourself in the way that you deserve is the cornerstone of a happy and healthy life, and we feel that socialising and enjoying time with loved ones contributes massively too.

I'm sure we will all take different lessons away from this shared experience but, overall, I think there is a collective sigh of relief, as we get closer to resuming our ‘normal’ lives again.

We've all pretty much lived online in recent months and so I know there has been plenty of time spent scrolling through sites and ‘checking what's open’. I’m sure you know by now where to look for the online info you need but here's a few ideas from us just in case.

Go out, be safe, and enjoy yourself because you deserve it!

From us to you with love

xoxo

EAT, DRINK AND MAYBE SOME MUSIC?

Pizza Express

Nandos

Burger and Lobster

Prezzo

Eataly

www.eataly.co.uk

Fideli orchestra cafe

www.fideliorchestracafe.com

The Brixton courtyard

www.thebrixtoncourtyard.co.uk

Boxpark

www.boxpark.co.uk

WATCH A FILM..

Rooftop film club

www.rooftopfilmclub.com

The drive in

www.thedrivein.com

Hideaway cinema

www.hideawaycinema.com

BIT OF CULTURE..

Museum of Youth Culture pop up shop open now

www.museumofyouthculture.com

Natural History Museum reopens 17th May

www.nhm.ac.uk

Science Museum reopens 19th May

www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Klub kids presents: Drag Race Domination

www.claphamgrand.com

Mathew Barney-Redoubt Exhibition and Film

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

SHOPPING...

Westfield Stratford City

Westfield White City

FRESH!!

Islington Farmers Market

Brockley Farmers Market

Alexander Palace Farmers Market

Notting Hill Farmers Market

Although we try our best to most up to date information, please double check websites before heading out.

‘april 2021’

The rules to Return to ‘norm’

What’s Poppin’? Unfortunately, not much at the moment. But it shouldn’t be too long before things start to open back up. This month, with great anticipation, we’ve decided to focus on the roadmap for easing Covid lockdown. Below, you will find key dates and steps towards the UK’s return to some degree of normality.

STEP 1 – 12TH APRIL AT THE EARLIEST

The reopening of:

Non-essential retail, hair and nail salons, as well as public buildings such as libraries

Outdoor venues, including pubs and restaurants (but only for outdoor tables and beer gardens. Customers will have to be seated but there will be no need to have a meal with alcohol)

Zoos and theme parks (no indoor mixing between households and limits on outdoor mixing)

Gyms and pools (people can only go alone or with their own household)
Holiday lets (with no shared facilities and only for one household)

Zoo

ZSL zoos (London & Whipsnade) – while they are still closed there are lots of online activities from tutorials on animal illustration to Easter egg hunts giving you a 20% discount in the zoo shop

Outdoor Cinemas:

Alexandra Palace (Drive In)

Brent Cross (Drive In)

Openaire Float-In Cinema

Over 18s:

Bussey Building (Roof Top)

Drive In Cinemas:

The Drive In

Sunset Cinema

Mass gatherings:

Funerals - up to 30 attendees
Weddings, receptions and wakes – up to 15 attendees
Most university students could know about the resumption of face-to-face lectures - a review of this will take place at the end of the Easter holidays

STEP 2 – 17TH MAY AT THE EARLIEST

Up to 30 people mixing outdoors
Up to six people, or more if just two households, mixing indoors

The reopening of indoor venues such as pubs and restaurants, hotels and B&Bs, play centres, cinemas, museums and group exercise classes
International holidays could resume

Indoor sports venues can have up to 1,000 spectators or half capacity, whichever is lower
Outdoor sports venues can have up to 4,000 sectators or half capacity, whichever is lower
Very large outdoor seated venues, e.g. big football stadiums, can have up to 10,000 people, or a quarter full, whichever is lower

Weddings – up to 30 attendees, with other events such as christenings and barmitzvahs now also allowed

STEP 3 – 21ST JUNE AT THE EARLIEST

All legal limits on mixing removed
The last sectors to remain closed, e.g. nightclubs, will reopen
Large events can take place

‘March 2021’

LOCKDOWN LIFE IS ALMOST OVER

So Boris has spoken, June the 21st lockdown will end and all restrictions will be lifted; data allowing and we will be able to reintroduce some sense of normality back into our lives. With still a few months to go, we continue to sit inside and find virtual alternatives for what we once enjoyed in the physical world. Online cooking, studying, fitness and so much more have become a staple in so many of our lives and will hopefully remain even as the world opens up again.

It's important that we maintain the level of self-love and self-care we've adopted over these last few months, even when the white noise starts again. Reinvesting in ourselves in all aspects of our lives will breed the ultimate sense of happiness we all strive for, but it’s a continuous journey, sometimes that road can be rockier than others.

Eating well and exercising will help not only keep you physically fit, but also helps maintain good mental health too. Taking time out for yourself, whether to enjoy a walk in the park or a soak in the bath, is time well spent. So continue to listen to your body and your mind, feeding it with that which helps it thrive. Enabling healthy and mindful habits, will help put you in the best place to cope with all the new normals’ we face ahead.

With such a constant level of uncertainty in the world we must take control of what we can, and that is ourselves. So below are a few tips and guides for things to make you feel good. This can hopefully help to keep our energy vibrating at its highest level, as we await the end of lockdown and prepare to re-enter the world facing all our challenges, old and new in good spirits.

We hope this helps

xoxo

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SELF CARE GUIDE

www.goodhousekeeping

EUAN'S GUIDE

www.euansguide.com

HEADSPACE (MINDFULNESS AND WELLBEING)

www.headspace.com

BE MINDFUL

www.bemindfulonline.com

THE MASSAGE ROOMS

www.themassagerooms.com

PELETON FAMILY

www.onepeloton.co.uk

BODY BY CIARA

www.bodybyciara.com

CLASS BENTO (FLORIST COURSE)

www.Classbento.co.uk

NOOM (MINDFUL EATING)

www.noom.com

‘FEB 2021’

THE LOCKDOWN OF LOVE?

NEVER!

Whether it’s first love, forever love, or self-love, St Valentine's Day is once again upon us, encouraging us to love out loud. On this day once a year, we have a real excuse to give in to our soppy, sometimes cheesy desires to express our love. Flowers are sent, cards filled with our most heartfelt messages, teddy bears wear t-shirts emblazoned with ‘Be My Valentine?’, all in an attempt to show those special to us that we love them. True all year round but especially on February 14th!!

There are those who will say that Valentine’s Day is another way in which the human experience is monetised for commercial gain. We cannot deny this to be true, but many others welcome this day as a perfectly loving excuse to give into sentimentality and spoil our partners rotten, which is just fine too!

To say that this Valentine’s Day will be different to those of the past would be to state the obvious. We often show and feel love through contact and tactile sensory acts that connect us. The national Covid-19 lockdown takes away the option of touch for large proprotions of us. Those lucky enough to find themselves sharing a Covid-19 “bubble” with their partner, please take a moment to appreciate this newly become privilege. Many of us will have to continue to love from afar, discovering ways of intimacy and expressions of love not reliant on physical contact. This is not necessarily a bad thing; we are multi-faceted beings that should be explored in many different ways, be that emotionally, spiritually, or mentally, to name but a few.

Of course, it is special to find someone out there that you connect with, not because they are family, but because you like or even better, love being in their company. Having said that, we at I Am Beyoutiful celebrate love always, and we continue to champion the message of self- love above all else. Treating yourself in a way that uplifts you from the inside out and helps you to live as the best version of yourself.

To those who aren’t spending Valentine’s Day with a significant other, sit comfortable in the knowledge that what’s meant for you wont miss you and through your journey of self-love and happiness, reliant on no one but yourself, the love you not only desire but also deserve will be waiting for you when you are ready to receive it... be patient as he/she/they will be right on time!!

We hope you are using these unprecedented times of human disconnect to reflect and grow. To have the time to deepen the love and appreciation we have for ourselves is a true gift. On the flip side, being physically restricted from spending time with our loved ones has been undeniably challenging and the effects of this cannot go unnoticed. Let's take all opportunities, in an otherwise trying time, to shower ourselves and those around us with love, more love, and even more love.....

As we continue to adapt, virtual dating and socialising has become the new way in which we spend time with friends and family, and Valentine’s Day will be no exception. Below are a few ideas and links to help you enjoy this Valentine's Day with your partner, either in person, through FaceTime or whatever media platform you choose to use.

Have fun guys xoxo

“QUARANTINE AND CHILL”

Enjoy breakfast in bed
Exchange love letters
Go on a walk
Games/quiz night
Plan movie maraton
Cook together
Have a valentines bake off
Have a indoor picnic
Paint together
Giving and receiving massages

OVER 18’S:

Sipsmiths Valentine's Cocktail Masterclass

Mi-Soul Valentine's - Celebrate Valentine's Night with MI-Soul Radio DJ

Ronnie Herel Omar An Evening of Whitney Houston - Valentine's Special

The Worlds Largest Virtual Speed Dating Event - All Ages

Partners in Wine - Valentine's Virtual Wine Tasting

‘Jan 2021’

So… we’re in Tier 4. What does that mean?

Life as we knew it has changed, again, although at this point we are surely more prepared. 2020 was a year of new normals, during which a generation already immersed in virtual activity saw not just themselves, but their parents, aunts, uncles and even grandparents become more and more reliant on the internet to fulfil their wants and needs in replacement of what once was...

The things we once took for granted, like popping out to buy a new top or going out to a restaurant to avoid having to do the washing up; things we once did without a second thought, are now not available to us. Luckily, we are extraordinary beings and our ability to adapt is limitless.

Times of such uncertainty can be scary and a constant test of our ideas of what is normal. It's important that we look for things to keep our mood up, to inspire us and to keep us motivated and happy. To do this, we need to keep utilising resources and support networks that can help get us through.

Bearing this in mind, the I Am Beyoutiful team would like to invite you to search for new things that you can brighten your day. If there is a language you want to learn, why not download a language tutorial app... or a course that caught your curiosity, get online and have a look to see if it’s for you. Start a book club with your friends, maybe on on Zoom. Fiction, non-fiction, history, modern art, anything that will get you talking and creating a space where you can learn from one another. Cooking club? Sharing recipes and cooking with your friends and family, albeit virtually. Zoom and other platforms like it are a great way to keep in touch and they allow you to create many different types of virtual meet ups.

Documentaries are great too. Go online and you'll find one on almost anything you can think of… animals, the rainforest, humans or plant life. There really are so many options just waiting for you to discover!

Podcasts have enjoyed an increase in popularity of late, and are brilliant, multi faceted, multi-cultural talks on any and every subject you can think of. So if there's a topical issue you want to know more about, or maybe you just want to listen to a nice chat or have a bit of a laugh….there's a podcast for you.

Below are a few ideas of websites and spaces you can visit that will hopefully help keep you entertained, educated, or both whilst we patiently wait for things to return to the normal we know and miss.

WATERSTONES
Teenage & Young Adult Books

BBC
Documentaries

TED TALKS
Ideas Worth Spreading

TIMEOUT
YouTube is streaming shows from London’s best theatres

ITUNES CHARTS

Podcasts

‘dec 2020’

THIS MONTH LET’S GET MUSICAL

OUR PICK OF

POPULAR ATTRACTIONS >>

Due to Covid-19 all theatre shows have been postponed but here’s a few suggestions for the best London shows recommended for young people so your ready to go when doors reopen in 2021

The Lion King Spring 2021

www.thelionking.co.uk

Wicked Jam 2021

www.wickedthemusical.co.uk

Matilda The Musical

www.matildathemusical.com

Mary Poppins 2021

www.marypoppinsonstage.co.uk

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Feb2021

www.harrypottertheplay.com

MUSICALS RECOMMENDED FOR 16YEAR OLDS

& Juliet

Waitress
Six
Everybody’s talking about Jamie
Dear Evan Hansen

For full details check HERE

Adapting to a new ‘norm’ more and more artists are streaming live performances to make up for the live show restrictions. There has been a massive boom in singers/rappers and other artists showcasing their latest creations and putting on productions for all tastes, across varied media platforms, to make up for postponed concerts. Follow the link to a tickitmaster guide of what’s coming and have fun at your very own virtual concert!!

TICKETMASTER