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?

What I got for Christmas 2016

Hello lovelies!

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas yesterday filled with lots of joy. I had a lovely day of being with my family, eating and watching various Christmas TV Specials.

I am very lucky and I was spoilt by my lovely family, so I decided to share with you all what I got for Christmas!

Beauty

Vera Wang Princess perfume: I’ve wanted this perfume for over a year now so I was very happy to receive this as a present off my godmother. It’s got a lovely sweet scent and I can’t wait to wear it! I’m not going to say too much about this product as I shall write a review later.

Soap & Glory The Whole Glam Lot gift set: I always enjoy receiving a Soap & Glory gift set, as I’m a massive fan of their products! The Whole Glam Lot set contains 10 full sized products, including makeup, skincare and body care products. This year’s gift set includes my favourite Sugar Crush body wash (the scent reminds me of ice cream floats!).

Ted Baker London gift set: One of my lovely friends gave me this a present. I’ve never owned any Ted Baker beauty products before. However I’ve already fallen in love with the body spray and I can’t wait to try out the other mini products.

White Grace gift set: I received this gift set off another lovely friend for Christmas. I thing I love most about this product is the friend who gave me this product is actually called grace (thanks Grace!). I’ve never tried White Grace products before, but I look forward to trying them out. 

Real Techniques Hollywood Icons Brush and DVD set: I own make up brushes but this is my first Real Techniques brush! They seem to be every bloggers favourite brand of brushes, so I shall be trying mine out and seeing whether they are worth the type. The brush also comes with a DVD which has makeup tutorials on how to do your makeup like famous Hollywood icons, including Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. I can’t wait to try this out as Audrey Hepburn is one of my biggest icons.

Clothes

Unicorn Slippers: I always love having fluffy slippers and this year I got a pair of unicorn slippers. These are my favourite pair of slippers I’ve ever owned because I love unicorns and they are pink (my favourite colour!)

Brown Fur Boots: I needed a new pair of winter boots so I asked for a pair for Christmas. I love brown colour boots and these ones are perfect, especially with the fur (its fake!) trim along the outside.

Fluffy Owl PJ’s: In winter I always get really cold so I always wear fluffy PJ’s and I can never own too many pairs of fluffy PJ’s. Plus what’s Christmas without receiving a pair of fluffy PJ’s? These ones are really cute as they have little owls on them, and they are pink as well.

PJ’s: When it becomes slightly warmer I then progress to long sleeved PJ’s. With growing, I’ve needed a new pair of long sleeved PJ’s. I really like this pair, especially the tartan trouser bottoms!

Books

The Bell Jar: This book has been on my reading list for a while, as I’ve always wanted to read this book! It’s supposed to be a really good book so I can’t wait to read it.

Holding up the universe: After reading All the bright places I was keen to read Jennifer Niven’s latest book. I’ve read the blurb of this book and I don’t think it’s a sequel to All the bright places (however I could be wrong!). However this book seems to follow a similar concept to All the bright places so I look forward to reading it.

The White Rose: The White Rose is the sequel to The Jewel, which I read over a year ago. I loved reading The Jewel, as the story was so interesting, so I can’t wait to begin the sequel.

I also received lots of other small gifts off my family, including what feels like a lifetime supply of chocolate! (although me being me, I’ll be lucky if it lasts a week into the New Year!) and a bracelet off my brother which says Worlds Best Sister!

My lovely blogger friend Alice also did a Christmas Haul on her blog (I really enjoyed reading what Alice got for Christmas!), which you can read all about HERE

What did you receive for Christmas this year?

Review: Lush Snow Fairy

Hi lovelies!

When the Christmas season starts that can only mean one thing at Lush, snow fairy comes back out! Is it even Christmas if you haven’t bought Snow Fairy? I’ve always bought the snow fairy shower gel every year and this year I was super excited that Lush had released a Snow Fairy body conditioner.

So after having my first pay day (I now have a part time job!), I decided to spend some of my wages and treat myself to a bottle of snow fairy shower gel and body conditioner. Here are my thoughts on both products

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

For me, this has to be Lush’s Christmas cult classic and it’s one of my favourite Lush products ever!

Over the past couple of years Lush have changed their packaging to a more simple design. Whilst the new design looks classy, I miss the old packaging with all the stars on.

Moving on, one of the reasons I love this product so much is the colour and the scent! It’s a lovely bubblegum pink colour and it’s even glittery (I love anything that sparkles!). As for the scent, it’s super sweet and reminds me of candyfloss, it’s long lasting and I can still smell the sweet scent long after I’ve washed it off in the shower!

It lathers extremely well and I’m left feeling like a cotton candy princess. If you’ve never tried the shower gel, I highly recommend you try it ASAP (especially as it sells out super fast!)

Snow Fairy Body Conditioner

To go alongside their famous shower gel, this year Lush also released a snow fairy body conditioner. For me this was a dream come true, as I’ve always wanted Lush to make a body cream version of snow fairy.

To say I was excited when the body conditioner came out is an understatement! I was very lucky to be given a free tester of this product, and after being paid and went straight to Lush and bought a pot for myself. Similar to the shower gel, it’s the same shade of pink, got the same candyfloss scent and if you look closely, its glittery.

Like Lush’s other body conditioners (I’ve owned one previously and that’s Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner) it acts as a 2-in-1 shower gel and body butter. You use it in the shower, wash it off and your skin is left feeling super soft and sweet scented.

I like to use this product after I’ve come out of the shower and apply it like a body cream. It’s super rich and absorbs into your skin really quickly. The scent last’s all day and you smell super sweet!

I love using these products alongside each other and each year, I will forever be repurchasing Lush’s famous Snow Fairy!

PS: My lovely friend Alice has recently written a review of another Lush product and you should give her review a read (HERE)

Have you ever tried Lush’s Snow Fairy?

My first semester at university

Hello!

I realise I haven’t blogged for nearly 2 months and I apologise for that! I became very busy at university and was sadly left with not much time to blog.

However I’ve now finished my first semester of university and I would like to share what my experience has been like with you!

Like everyone I had many mixed feelings and all the typical worries about starting university. Starting university was a BIG moment for me, I was living away from home for the first time and I was about to become more independent than I’ve ever been before. However after coming back home for Christmas, I can honestly tell you my first semester at university has been amazing!

Within a couple of weeks I had completed settled into my new life at university and I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s been such a great experience for me and after being there for 3 months I’ve made so many great memories!

One of my biggest worries about starting university was making friends, as I can sometimes feel nervous about meeting new people for the first time. That worry soon faded away and I’ve got an amazing bunch of friends and we’ve shared so many laughs between us all. The girls I’m friends with we all first met when we all sat together during the first few weeks of university and we’ve stuck together ever since. We go out for lunch and we’ve been on several hilarious nights together.

Another great memory from this semester was joining my university’s cheerleading squad. As soon as I found the cheerleading society at Fresher’s fair I signed up straight away and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Whilst I’m new and a beginner at cheerleading I really enjoy it and I always enjoy going along to practice (we’re currently training for the NATIONALS in March, exciting times!). As well as practices we also go out and have a social night once a week. I’ve always enjoyed the cheerleading social nights as they are usually themed and they are always hilarious nights out. Not only am I lucky to be a member of the cheerleading team, but I’m even more lucky to be on a team with the most supportive and lovely girls I’ve ever met, I’m really proud to be part of the team.

As well as the fun and social side of university, I’ve also had to adjust to the academic side of university. My course is different from your typical degree because as well as studying for a degree, I’m also training to be a primary teacher. After 3 years, I’m hoping I’ll achieve my QTS and I’ll become a qualified primary school teacher. I’ll admit that a lot of hard work and effort is required, however it’s worth it and it makes me determined to become the best teacher that I can be!

Over these past 3 months I feel like I’ve grown and developed even more as a person and my journey is still carrying on. I look forward to returning to university in the New Year and to continue with my adventures.

PS: My lovely blogger friend Steph has also finished her first term at university as well. You can read all about her experience HERE

Have you started university recently? What’s your experience of university been like so far? 

Bullying

Hello! Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, I'm really busy with university and university is now my top priority!

 

Bullying, it’s a word nearly all of us are familiar with us. Some of us might have been bullied or been a witness to bullying. October is National Bullying Prevention Month and I wanted to do a post about bullying.

I was bullied throughout my time at secondary school, however rather than focus on my personal story and I want to talk more generically about bullying. Hopefully this post will educate you about bullying.

*photo from Google Images*

Bullying can start off fairly minor such as name calling and humiliating someone. However if it’s not dealt with quickly enough then it can soon escalate as more people join in and it can suddenly become very serious.

No one EVER deserves to be bullied. Bullying very often can have long lasting and harmful effects on the victim; in extreme cases bullying has led to someone taking their own life. Whilst bullying is a topic most people are aware of it still isn’t taken seriously as it should be.

Bullies typically go after people they think are weaker than them or who are more vulnerable. However people can be bullied for all sorts of reasons: race, personality, sexuality, ethnicity ect. Likewise people can bully others for all sorts of reasons: insecurities, been bullied themselves, family problems ect.

The 3 main types of bullying are:

Verbal: This is upsetting someone by repeatedly using verbal actions such as hurtful words/ phrases, discriminatory language. It can also include signs

Indirect: This is a more subtle form of bullying as you can’t directly see or hear it. It can include: isolating someone, spreading rumours, sharing secrets, physical intimidation

Physical: This involves the victim being hit, punched, slapped, kicked ect

Bullying statistics:

· 50% of young people have experienced bullying, of which 45% was experienced before the age of 18

· 38% of young people believe their school, college, university doesn’t take bullying seriously

· 83% of those bullied has problems with their self esteem

The fact that 50% of young people experience bullying is shocking, some people say its “natural” and it’s part of school/ life growing up, yet people don’t realise how upsetting bullying can be. Too often I hear the phrases “it’s only a joke” or “we didn’t mean it” and it really frustrates me! A joke is only funny if everyone finds it funny and that includes the person on the receiving end of the joke. Deliberately targeting someone repeated and then having a laugh at their expense is bullying.

School’s always educate people about bullying, the anti-bullying policies they have in place and what to do if you’re being bullying, yet too often people feel as though bullying isn’t taken as seriously as it should. Too often victims are the ones that are blamed and “it’s their fault anyway” for being bullied (another phrase that angers me) and are left too frightened to tell anyone. Victims should NEVER EVER be blamed for bullying, they need help and so does the bully.

If you see someone being bullied, NEVER just stand back! You should always try and help the person who is being bullied, as not only does this show them that people care for them but it can also make a huge difference!

*photo from Google Images*

If you’re being bullied or know someone who is being bullied then here’s the advice I would give you:

· Tell someone: You need to do this ASAP to stop bullying from escalating. You might feel frightened or that no one will listen, but trust me someone out there will listen and will care about what you’re going through. Sometimes by simply talking about what you’re going through and someone offering their support can make a big difference

· Stay positive: This one’s really hard, I know! It’s important to remember that bullying won’t last forever, it will eventually stop and it will get better. Also remember that, people still love you and care about you.

· Words don’t define: It can be incredibly difficult to ignore what the bullies are saying about you! It’s never true what they are saying about you and you are worth so much more than what they say about you. Whatever the bullies say about you, DEFINETLY doesn’t define who you are!

Even though bullied destroyed my self esteem and confidence, I've slowly built it back up. I've now fully accepted I am the person that I am and I love myself for that. 3 years on and I'm a far stronger than I was before!

I hope this post has given you an insight into bullying.

World Mental Health Day 2016

Hi lovelies!

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while now, you’ll know that mental health is an important topic to me and one I’m very passionate about. I’ve written several posts linked to mental health and I’m currently running the “Lets talk about mental health” series on my blog.

It’s SO important to talk about mental health and to be aware of the different types of mental health problems people can face. This helps to reduce misconceptions and social stigma.

Mental health doesn’t discriminate. We all have mental health and mental health problems can affect anyone at any given time. Yet despite this there is still so many misconceptions and stigma surrounding mental health. Sadly 9/10 people who suffer from mental health face discrimination. Mental health problems are too often just brushed to the side as people believe its “all in your head” or just “think positively”. People don’t often realise how complex mental health issues are and that there isn’t a simple or easy solution to mental health problems.

Another reason people don’t always understand mental illnesses is because they are invisible. People are more likely to receive sympathy if they have a broken limb compared to someone who is suffering from depression. What people often forget is that just because you can’t physically see a mental illness, it doesn’t make it any less valid than a physical illness.

*photo from Google Images*

Fortunately we now live in a society where people are far more aware of mental health and people are generally a lot more understanding. People are becoming aware of the different mental health problems people can face. I know lots of bloggers who speak openly about mental health and they write some of the most inspirational posts I’ve ever seen.

There’s lots of things you can do to help end the stigma surrounding mental health and to help people who may be suffering from a mental illness:

· Be there for the person- They might not want to talk about what they are going through, but by offering your support and being there for them will mean a lot to them. By being there for the person you’re showing them they don’t have to go through it alone

· Advise them to get help- This one you have to be careful with, as mental illnesses are a very sensitive and personal issue. If you are really worried about someone try very gently suggesting they should receive some support. People who are suffering need help to overcome their problems

· Educate yourself- By educating yourself on the different mental illnesses you’ll have a far better understanding. It will also help git rid of any misconceptions you have about mental health

*photo from Google Images*

Finally, to anyone who is currently suffering from a mental illness, you are STRONG and BRAVE. You can get through this and you’re NOT alone.

Eat Well for Less Recipe #2: Lazy girls pasta

Hi!

Firstly, sorry for the lack of posts, university is taking priority now so I won’t be posting as much (however I will still be posting so don’t worry!)

I’m now 3 weeks into university and I’m really enjoying myself. With living away from family I’ve now been forced to learn how to cook (plus I’ve run out of ready meals!).

I found another Eat Well for Less recipe to follow, which I’ve adapted slightly. This recipe is the most basic pasta recipe you’ll ever come across, so you can change it around if you need to.

Ingredients

· 300g Pasta (you can use any sort you want, I used Fuseli as it’s my favourite!)

· 1 packet of chopped tomatoes

· Pinch of onion powder

· Pinch of garlic granules

· Pinch of salt

· 250g of Mediterranean vegetables

· Parmesan Cheese

Method

1. Place pasta in a pan of water, add some salt and leave to boil. You know when pasta is ready as it goes soft. This usually takes 10 minutes, but keep checking the pasta!


2. Add the tomatoes, onion powder, garlic granules and Mediterranean vegetables into another pan. Wait until the pasta sauce starts to boil, then place a lid over and leave to simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Serve onto plate, add some grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Yummy pasta!

You can also serve with a side of garlic bread or whatever you want to. I had Pizza Express dough balls with my pasta as they were on offer for £1 at Tesco, YES!

This is such an easy recipe and the pasta is so easy to make. I hope you enjoy having a go at making your own pasta.

Do you know any simple recipes?

Lush Review: Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

Hello sweethearts!

I love Lush and I’m a massive fan of using body butters/lotions ect. I’ve always wanted to try Ro’s Argan body conditioner after reading about it on Sally’s blog  (and after sampling it in the shop). I was lucky to receive a small pot of it in a gift box from my very good friend.

Today I’m going to be sharing my thoughts on this product and whether or not it lived up to my expectations.

This particular lush product is a body conditioner and it acts like a shower gel and body butter all in one product. You can use it in the shower, however I use it after the shower.

Ro’s Argan body conditioner contains products such as argan oil and cocoa, all of these are really good for your skin. It has a delicate, rose scent, which reminds me of Lush’s old shower gel, Rose Jam (I think this product might also be the body butter version of Rose Jam).

I love this product and it certainly didn’t disappoint me! It’s got a lovely rich and velvety texture and it leaves my skin feeling super soft. Even better the lovely rose scent lasts all day.

The only slight criticisms I would give this product is that if you apply too much of the product it will leave your skin feeling greasy. Another problem is that it’s really pricey for a full sized tub (£16.50), so make sure you definitely want it before you buy it.

My lovely friend Alice has been doing lots of Lush product reviews recently and I would recommend you check them out! (Plus Alice’s blog is fabulous anyway)

Have you tried Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner? What’s your favourite Lush product?

Lets talk about mental health #4: Social Stigma

Hi everyone!

I'm now into my second week of university and I'm still really enjoying myself. My seminars/ lectures started this week and I've enjoyed getting back into a routine.

I'm still carrying on my "Lets talk about mental health" series, this time Beth is talking about mental health and social stigma.

Lets talk about mental health #4: Social Stigma

For this post, I interviewed the lovely Beth.  Beth runs her own blog as well (which you should all read!) and she does brilliant job of talking about mental health on there!

Here are Beth's answers to the questions I asked her:

Do you think there is a lot of stigma surrounding mental health?

I do! I think that stigma regarding things like anxiety and depression is reducing as we are becoming more comfortable about opening up and talking about these kinds of mental health issues, but I know it's still there and is much worse with other disorders too.


Why do you think there is stigma surrounding mental health?

People are scared of things they don't understand. When they think of mental health issues, they think of the stories of "psychopaths" going on killing rampages. There isn't enough education on mental illness; some people suffering don't even know what's going on! If we were able to fully and openly talk about the issues we're facing, other people would learn more and hopefully be more understanding. There's a misunderstanding about how common things like anxiety and depression are which also leads to a stigma about people "doing it for attention". I think the reality of differences within mental health is an afterthought for people; I've watched my own family members laugh and mock a woman on one of those "Obsessive Cleaners" shows for bleaching her floor twice a day and pointed out that she is probably suffering from compulsions she wishes she didn't have. They didn't ever consider it from that perspective.

*Photo from Google Images*

Do you believe mental health problems are stereotyped?

Yes I do! People think that you can't be depressed if you're not lying in bed crying, that you can't have anxiety if you're able to work in customer facing roles. There's all these stipulations people expect you to meet which can make the problem even worse. I went to counselling to talk about my anxiety and because it manifests in some ways that are unique to me, I convinced myself that the counsellor would think I was making things up for attention. There's also the fact that things like anxiety are stereotyped as a 'trend' for teenage girls to get attention and pity online, or that self harm is for 'goths'. It's really damaging.


What do you think are the most common stereotypes of mental health, why?

That if you suffer from a mental illness you are violent and dangerous, either to yourself or others - the media feeds us this idea by splashing stories about criminals over the front page and highlighting mental conditions.
That because you struggle with some aspects of life you are overall incompetent.
That you can snap yourself out of it with fresh air and exercise - while I do think both these things give a mood boost there's no way they can fix every problem.
People would never blame a physically ill person for their illness, but think it's acceptable to tell mentally ill people that it's their fault, or they can fix it themselves. I think this again is to do with a lack of education, and a fear of difference. There's still a lot of shame around mental illness, and people don't want to get too deep into conversations about it, so they can't really learn what it's like.

If any of you would like to take part, please let me know!

Do you believe there is still stigma surrounding mental health?

University Stationary Haul

Hi lovelies!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, I’ve been really busy lately as I’ve now STARTED university! I’ve been here 3 days already and I’m loving it! I’ve made some great friends already and my flatmates are all really lovely people (my flatmates wanted to see if I had written anything about them on my blog yet and now I have, you’re welcome guys!)

One of the exciting parts about university is buying everything you need to take with you, particularly stationary. I love stationary shopping as I love being able to pick out the cutest pieces of stationary.

Here’s the stationary I’ve bought for university, hopefully this will help you if you’re starting university and are unsure of what stationary to buy.

Pens, pencils, fineliners, highlighters

Pens and pencils are the basics of stationary as everyone needs and uses them. It’s really helpful when you need to take notes down during lectures or need to draw diagrams. Highlighters help key information to stand out and also it they make revision/ notes look far prettier. I love fine liners as they make my notes far prettier, plus I’m more likely to re-read them if they are multi- coloured.

Pencil case

I obviously need somewhere to store all my pens, pencils ect so a pencil case is super helpful to stop them being loose in my bag. I’d had my eye on this pencil case for a while and eventually bought it (it amuses me and it’s in my favourite colour pink!)

Note pads and notebook

I was very lucky and managed to get these notepads on offer at Tesco for £1.50. I’m a bit picky with notepads as I need them to last me a while so I choose Pukka Pads. I think the Pukka pads are really good quality notepads and won’t fall apart easily (plus I HAD to get them in pink and purple as they are my favourite colours!)

I also bought a mini notebook from The Works as I’ll be going on placement throughout my course. This will help me to jot down notes from when I’ve been observing and will also give me idea’s for when I begin to teach classes on my own.

Palgrave’s Student Planner

I did have another planner but then I decided to buy this one from Waterstones as it’s super helpful. It’s really useful for helping me become organised and writing down everything I need to remember (such as assignment deadline dates). This planner also contains additional useful information such as useful websites, contacts and mini recipes.

Folders, file dividers and plastic wallets

I need somewhere to keep all my loose sheets and pieces of paper safe so folders really help. I’ve bought several folders so I can use one for each module. I also bought file dividers to help me divide my files into topics as well and help me keep my files organised. 

Other

I’ve also bought other bits and pieces of stationary as A) I’m training to be a teacher and when I go on placement I need to carry a “Teachers Toolkit” and B) University won’t provide them. I thought I’d be safe and buy every bit of stationary you could possibly own so I have a good supply and have everything I need for university.

I hope this post has helped you if you are wondering what stationary to buy and take to university.

What stationary would you take to university?