International Womens Day- Be Bold for Change

Hello!

Every year on the 8th March International Womens Day is celebrated across the world. Some people think this day is sexist and the most frequent question asked is “Why isn’t there an International Mens Day?” However as J.K Rowling kindly pointed out there is an International Mens Day, it’s on November 19th.

International Womens Day isn’t about women saying they’re better than men. It’s about celebrating women's achievement, speaking out for those who don’t have a voice, and most importantly, empowering one another. 

*photo from Google Images*

Sadly in today’s society gender inequality still exists across the world. A misogynist was elected as president, Russia has decriminalised domestic abuse, America is stopping funding for abortions and millions of women are still denied their basic human rights. Change needs to happen, people need to speak up and fight to put an end to these inequalities.

However, as well as fighting for equality, International Womens Day is about celebrating achievement. We are surrounded by hundreds of empowering women, all of whom have amazing strength, courage and bravery (my personal favourites are Rupi Kaur and Emma Watson). They are our role models, they show us what we can achieve and how great women really are. 

*photo from Google Images*

Be bold for change

International Womens Day always has a theme and this year the theme is Be Bold for Change. Personally, I think this is a brilliant theme as we do need to be bold in asking for change.

Back when women didn’t have the right to vote the suffragettes were bold. They protested for change and eventually women had the right to vote.

More recently, hundreds of women all over the world protested in the women’s marches, showing solidarity with one another and fighting for gender equality.

*photo from Google Images*

This year it’s more important than ever for women to stick together and support each other. Too often, girls see other girls as their competition and compare their lives against other girls. We need to stand by each other, support each other and help each other to grown.

When we feel empowered we have the ability and the strength to empower others.

A trip to Ypres, Belgium

Hi!

I was lucky enough to go on a university trip to Belgium; the aim of the trip was to teach us how we can teach children about WW1.

Over the past couple of days I stayed in Ypres, a lovely town close to the French/ Belgium border. A little bit of background history on Ypres, before WW1 Ypres was famous for its cloth trade. However, during the war Ypres was destroyed and reduced to a pile of rubble. Since then the town has been rebuilt.

Here’s what I got up to in Ypres!

Day 1

The first day was mainly spent travelling to Ypres, it took about 9 hours in total! When we arrived in Belgium we went straight to Lijssenthoeke Cemetery, about 10 minutes away from Ypres. 

Of all the soldiers buried at Lijssenthoeke Cemetery, there are 30 different nationalities and several religions. One of the first things we learnt was not to see the cemeteries as lots of different graves, but rather that each grave tells a different story.

In the evening we went to a ceremony at Meinengate. Meinengate is a large memorial as you enter Ypres. The memorial is filled with names of soldiers who’s body were never recovered from the war. Every night at 8pm there is a ceremony at Meinengate to remember those who fought during WW1 and gave their lives.

PS, here’s a fun fact for you. When we went to Meinengate you could see the international space station just above the memorial!

Day 2

The second day was a mixture of visiting old battlegrounds, cemeteries and a museum!

Before we left for the day, I nipped into a bakery opposite the hotel. This bakery sells the yummiest and beautiful pastries I’ve ever seen. When I’m in France I usually visit the bakeries, but this bakery was on a whole new level!

Fun Fact: I was able to climb  crawl through the gap and into the German Bunker!

The first place we visited was Hill 60 and Caterpillar Crate. Hill 60 used to be a battlefield during WW1; it was also seized by both German and British forces between 1914-1917. Although the land has recovered, you can still see the remains of the war, such as the German bunkers and the land is all bumpy. There’s a boardwalk running through Hill 60 and on the boardwalk it shows you how close the German and the British frontlines were to each other (about a room’s width)

In order to seize Hill 60, the British, Australian and French forces used mines to literally “blow up” the Germans and this is how Caterpillar Crate was formed. Today Caterpillar Crate is a beautiful piece of landscape, but it’s important to remember that something so beautiful was created out of mass destruction.

We then went on the visit the Passschendaele museum which talks all about WW1 and the history surrounding the war. The museum itself is about a 2 minutes’ walk from the town centre of Passschendaele (where we found a supermarket and I discovered the best double chocolate mousse ever!)

After the museum we visited the Tyne Cott cemetery and a German cemetery.

Tyne Cott is the largest war cemetery in Belgium with 11,000 headstones. However Tyne Cott is also the largest cemetery for unknown soldiers being buried, out of the 11,000 headstones, 8,000 are unknown soldiers. 

The German cemetery was quite a contrast to Tyne Cott. The headstones were flat, dark coloured, multiply soldiers buried in one grave and there’s even a mass grave.

We were taught that some people believe that this cemetery is disrespectful to the German’s, however from a German perspective the cemetery is respectful. This is because in Germany it was honourable to be buried with your comrades, hence why there are multiply soldiers in one grave.

Day 3

This was our final day in Belgium! In the morning we had “free time” to explore Ypres.

A group of us decided to visit the In Flanders Field museum. This museum talks all about Belgium before the war and how the war affected Belgium and surrounding countries. Compared to Passschendaele, this museum felt very eerie!

Inside the museum you can also climb to the top of the clock tower. I did this (even though I’m not keen on heights and the stairs were really steep and narrow!). It was a foggy day so you couldn’t really see a lot, but it was still impressive.

After we finished looking round the museum we wandered round the town and looked in all the various shops (mainly the chocolate shops!). It was then time to get on the coach and head back to England!

I had such a wonderful time in Belgium and the weather was lovely whilst we were there. I learnt so much on the trip, from the history of Ypres to how I can teach children all about WW1.


Have you ever visited Ypres in Belgium?

Perks of charity shopping

Hello!

I can’t believe it’s been nearly a month since I last blogged, I really need to find a balance between blogging, university and my part time job.

Over the past year, I’ve really grown to the idea of charity shopping. Every time I walk down into town I can’t resist looking in the charity shops and looking for some bargains. I love it when my friends compliment me on my clothes and then I see the look of surprise on their face when I tell them it’s from a charity shop.

The idea of shopping in charity shops might not appeal to some, but there are so many perks of charity shopping. Here are some of the reasons I love charity shopping and you should to:

Everything’s cheap: I love buying clothes, but when you’re on a student budget that can be a bit tricky. However this is when charity shops come into play. I’ve bought so many pretty tops for roughly £2 each. You can find lots of lovely clothes for very affordable prices.

Hidden treasures: One thing I will say about charity shopping, is you need to be prepared to look carefully. When I take my time looking in charity shops I’ve stumbled across some hidden treasures, which are now some of my favourite items of clothing that I own. My personal favourite finds are: a pink winter coat, pink vintage silk scarf, pink knitted poncho, butterfly top, vintage sparkly flower top and my black “boho” dress. 

Donating to charity: Every time you purchase something from a charity shop, all the proceeds go to charity. I see charity shopping as a 2 way process, you end up buying something nice, whilst helping someone in need at the same time. With there being a wide range of charity shops, you can donate to lot’s of different charities!

So next time you walk past a charity shop, why not pop in and have a look, you might end up finding something beautiful!

Have you ever bought anything from a charity shop before?

Valuable life lessons I've learnt

Hiya!

I’ve been an adult for over 3 months now (even if I’m a young adult!) and during the years I’ve been alive, I’ve learnt some really valuable life lessons. I now live by these life lessons and hopefully you’ll do the same!

Here’s what I’ve learnt:

Practise self-love and self-care: It’s so important that we love ourselves for who we are. We should feel confident, beautiful and comfortable in our skin. We are all unique and we should celebrate and embrace this. In a busy world we can often forget to look after ourselves, therefore it’s important to practise self-care regularly. By practising self-care, helping us to keep our wellbeing happy and healthy.

Kindness: Do you know how much it costs to be a nice person, £0. In a world that seems to be fuelled by hatred and fear, kindness and compassion is more important than ever before. Kindness is one of the best qualities anyone can possess. There’s a quote: “not act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted” and it’s so true! A small act of kindness can make a BIG difference to someone’s day

Appreciate the little things: There’s so much going on in life that we can sometimes forget the little things. After all, it’s often the little things that mean the most to us! I’ve learnt to always appreciate the little things, as whilst they may seem insignificant at the time, they end up meaning much more later on.

Live in the now: This follows on from my previous point. We’re all guilty (including me!) of wishing days would be over, counting down the days and we can often forget to live in the present moment. By living in the now we can fully appreciate and make the most of each day. We should all try to take each day as it comes!

I hope I can teach you all something with the lesson’s I’ve learnt so far.

Have you learnt any valuable life lessons?

Sales shopping haul

Hello lovelies!

A few days ago I went sales shopping and I managed to pick up lots of good bargains. Here’s what I bought:

Beauty

Studio makeup brushes set: I don’t own a lot of make up brushes, so I decided to expand my collection. I saw this 12 piece set in Superdrug, containing a variety of different make up brushes. I can’t wait to have a play with them and see how good they are at applying my make up.

Lacome La vie est belle gift set: Ever since I discovered a sample sent of La vie est belle, I fell in love with it’s sweet scent and was eager to own a bottle. After looking on the Boots website I came across this gift set and I was hoping there would be some in stock when I went shopping. To my delight I found gift sets in Boots and purchased one immediately. As well as the perfume, it also came with some mascara and body cream which I’m eager to try out!

Seventeen Foundation: I have a feeling my other foundation is starting to run out so I decided it would be best to purchase I new one. I went for this foundation as it’s supposed to have great coverage and be just the right shade for us pale skinned gals (I’m super pale!)

W7 beauty blender: This is probably a beauty sin that will make all you beauty bloggers gasp, I apply with foundation with my hands. However I’ve decided to finally bite the bullet and see what it’s like using a blender. Who knows, this could be a beauty revolution for me!

La colour lipstick shade caramel cream: My favourite nude lipstick (MUA Fawn Fancy) is getting close to the end so a new nude lipstick was needed. I saw a review of this lipstick on Sally’s blog and it sounded like a pretty good lipstick. Hopefully it will be just as good as my old lipstick.

La colour lipstick shade shade strawberry: This shade is called “Strawberry” so I obviously had to buy it (if you haven’t noticed by now, I love anything strawberry patterned/ related!). I’m also on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick for me so I’m hoping this one will be a winner.

Fashion

Black boots: Whilst I got a pair of boots for Christmas, I needed a new pair of black boots. I saw these on sale in Primark and decided these would be perfect for me! I love the Dr Martens style of these boots and hopefully they’ll last me until next winter.

Pinafore: Also in Primark I saw this cute pinafore on sale, which I couldn’t resist picking up! I love the flowery pattern and the style is very me. I can’t wait to wear it.

Black lacy top: I received a New Look gift card of my auntie and I saw this top in the New Look sale. I love lacy tops (I own another one from New Look which is white) so this one was definitely coming home with me. I think this top will be ideal for nights out.

2 tops: Whilst not in any sales I couldn’t resist picking up these 2 tops from a charity shop (ever since I started university, I’ve started shopping in charity shops WAY more). These tops were originally from River Island and I love the vintage feeling I get from these tops!

Other

Books: I bought these 3 books all for different reasons!

Goldfish Boy: I saw a brilliant review of this book on Nicole’s blog, so I wanted to read it for myself and see what it was like. I love books that give an accurate representation of mental health.

What’s a girl gotta do: I own 2 Holly Bourne books and I’ve loved them both. This book is all about Feminism (YES!!!), so I can’t wait to see how feminism is portrayed in this book.

The Black Key: This is the final book in the trilogy that I’ve been reading. This is the book which comes after the white rose (I read the sequel in 2 days!) I’m eager to find out the ending of this book and I’m sure it’ll be just as good as the previous 2 books.

I always love shopping, especially if it’s sales shopping. Did you pick up any good bargains in the sales?

A New Year

Happy new year lovelies!

I hope your 2017 is filled with plenty of adventures, success, laughter and happiness!

After everything that happened last year, may were happy for 2016 to be over and for 2017 to begin. A new year can mean many different things such as; resolutions, a fresh start, new beginnings. It’s a time to put the past behind, focusing on the present and what lies ahead. Each new year presents us with a fresh opportunity for new hopes, goals and dreams.

This year I don’t want a fresh start, I’ve already had that. I’ve become stronger, happier and I’m slowly overcoming my anxiety. Instead, I want to focus on keeping growing (although not physically as I seemed destined to be tiny forever!). Last year I developed so much as a person and I want to continue to carry that forward into the new year.

I also learnt my biggest lesson last year, which I want to carry forward this year. I learnt that if I put my heart, soul and mind to it and give it my all, then I CAN do it, no matter how challenging it might be. If I’m determined to succeed and never give up, then I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. I proved that last year and I’ll prove it again this year.

Welcoming a new year is always exciting for me, I set myself goals which I hope to achieve by the end of the year. I look forward to the adventures and new dreams that lie ahead for me. 2017 is filled with many exciting opportunities for me. Like most new year’s, 2017 will also be filled with challenges that I must overcome. I will face these challenges with courage, strength and determination to overcome them.

What are your hopes for 2017?

2016, What a year

Hi!

2016 has been a roller coaster year with plenty of highs and lows, both in general and for me personally. The world has witnessed the happier times of 2016 such as the Olympics, the Queen’s 90th Birthday and the darker times of Brexit, loosing countless icons and a certain someone being elected president. In the end 2016 turned out to be an amazing year for me! I’ve achieved so much this year and I’ve grown so much as a person, I’m incredibly proud of myself!

Goals I wanted to achieve this year

At the start of the year I set myself several goals that I wanted to achieve by the end of this year. Let’s see how many I managed to achieve.

Enjoy my final year at college: There were times I found college difficult and challenging but overall I’d say yes I did enjoy my final year at college. I have so many good memories from visiting London, Leavers prom ect. 

Get good A-level results: I definitely achieved this one and I was so proud of myself for coming out with BBC. After everything, it all paid off in the end and there is no better feeling than achieving what I did

Get into my top choice university: If you’ve been reading my blog, then you’ll know I’m now at university. I’m at my first choice university and I’m studying my dream course, I couldn’t have been happier!

Learn to drive and pass my driving test: Sadly I didn’t meet this goal and I’m currently not sure when I’ll achieve this. Hopefully in a few years time I’ll be able to drive

Pass my QTS tests: I passed both my QTS tests first time round and it took a massive weight off my shoulders! I was so happy and proud of myself, especially as I was terrified for the maths one

Learn to cook: I’ve partly achieved this, as I can now cook very basic meals. However I still have a long way to go and hopefully this year I’ll develop my cooking skills further

Learn new hairstyles and new ways to apply makeup: Again partly achieved. I’ve now included putting on powder and learnt what primer is (yes my make up skills are very basic). I still need to develop my hair and make up skills but I’m getting there

Master putting on eyeliner: Achieved! I can now do my own eyeliner which I’m very happy about. Yes it sometimes looks a little wobbly but it still looks good

Stay healthy and exercise plenty: I’d say I’ve definitely been healthy and I do still exercise. However I could do with a more healthy diet and exercising more to improve my fitness

Have a positive mindset: 2016 certainly threw lots of challenges and difficult times my way and on top of that I’ve had to have numerous battles with my anxiety. However I’ve always had a positive outlook which has really helped me!

Whilst I didn’t achieve every single goal, I achieved the main ones and I couldn’t be happier at where I am now!

2016 and blogging

This year has been such a BIG year for blogging for me. I reached 10,000 page views and I’m now not far off 20,000 page views. I feel my blog has grown so much over the past year and I’m so proud of that. Something I’m even more proud of, and never imagined was possible, is that I’ve been able to blog for a mental health charity to help raise awareness, definitely my proudest blogging moment of 2016. I’ve also become part of the blogging community, something I’m really happy about, as it’s great to read so many different blogs.

Goals for 2017

· Become more flexible and stretch daily

· Find a balance between blogging and university life

· Successfully complete my first year at university

· Focus on self care and looking after myself

· Overcome my anxiety and not let it get in the way of my life

Lots of my favourite bloggers have also been sharing what 2016 has been like for them and you should check them out!

Steph at Love Steph

Nicole at Thrifty Vintage Fashion

Sally at Litte Budget
I hope you all have a fabulous 2017. What are your goals for this year?