What I’ve been reading…

This year I have changed the type of books I have been reading. I have been sitting on the outskirts of the Body Positive movement on Instagram and had seen a lot of these books mentioned. I started stock piling ready for my holiday and it is safe to say that I did a lot of reading whilst I was away. I honestly think this is one of the best ways for me to completely relax. It’s safe to say I have learned a lot about myself whilst I have been reading these books.

What I’ve already read:

The Goddess Revolution – Mel Wells
This was the first of these books that I read. I had seen so many people say that this book had completely changed their relationship with food as well as their own body. It made me realise a lot of things about myself that I think I had shut away. I realised that I desperately needed to make peace with my body and begin to be more aware that the things we see on Instagram and Youtube are snapshots of people’s lives, which are often edited. Shock horror, I know! Mel has a way of writing that genuinely makes it so much easier to consider a different way of viewing the world. I definitely think this is the best place to start with these sort of “self help” books, it’s a good first stepping stone.

Healthy Is The new Skinny – Katie H Willcox

This was actually the first of these books that I gained, it was gifted to me for my 21st last summer. I had been meaning to get around to reading it for quite sometime, but generally lost my interest in reading. Reading this book made me realise so much. There is not a one size fits all to body confidence and happiness. There certainly is not a quick fix to repairing the damage that the media may have caused to your relationship with your body. It’s okay to not have it all worked out, you know your body best and it is all about learning to listen to it. Katie Wilcox is a fabulous role model for young women following so many years of the “perfect body” message, we are finally beginning to be taught that everyone will find their own “perfect”.

Happy – Fearne Cotton

Happy is easily one of the most important books I have ever read. The term “happy” is such a flippant term nowadays. Everyone believes they have to be happy, that people expect them to be happy. Fearne has such a unique way of discussing depression and various other conditions. This makes it so much easier to feel less isolated. When you can read about someone of such high status, and many of her famous friends, having suffered with similar conditions

Body Positive Power – Megan Jayne Crabbe

Even though the content of this book is very similar in some ways to Healthy Is The New Skinny, I did find this a lot more difficult to get into. With that in mind, I do believe that part of this is not being in the right head space to be reading to be honest. I have found this book revolutionary as it is lovely to see the Body Positivity movement from a British point of view. I also adore the contributor essays that are featured within this book, it really creates a sense of unity amongst the readers and contributors of the book. I have loved it.

And Finally, What I have left to read…Light is the new black – Rebecca Campbell and Calm – Fearne Cotton. 
I fully intend to write a review of these books, I just don’t entirely know when I will get around to reading them, and I didn’t want to hold off posting this anymore.

 

I’m really intrigued to know whether you guys have read any of these books, or if there are any books like these that you would recommend in order for me to continue on my journey.

Thanks! xo

 

Favourites of 2017…

So here we are again, a favourites post, only this time I’m going to attempt to round up some of my absolute favourite products and things that I have discovered this year. Any products that I do mention, I will try and link where I can

Beauty:
2017 really was the year of me branching out in terms of my make up. I honestly think I had been using alot of the same fundamental products since I was maybe 17. This year I discovered a new eyeliner, mascara and foundation. As well as some other little spoils that have definitely changed my outlook!

• Kat Von D Tattoo Ink Eyeliner – This is such a strong eyeliner! My only criticism of this eyeliner is that it is very difficult to reapply/build up as the eyeliner seems to come from very high up the felt tip. But it’s rare that this becomes an issue
• Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara – This is an incredible product in my opinion. It’s a high collagen formula which is great for me as it makes my lashes look much thicker without the use of falsies (as I am petrified of them, due to wearing contact lenses).
• Soap and Glory The Mighty Contourer – Last year I was using a very expensive product that I had discovered through a subscription box, that was in fact smaller than this. I love this because it is so easy to blend and “Fair’s Fair” is so easy to match to my skin tone and foundation shade. It’s a fabulous two tier design, however the bottom tier does get a little messy as the highlighter and blush are incredibly close to each other.
• Vichy Dermablend 3D Correction Foundation – Nude: I’ve always been that person that gets the “I don’t understand why you wear foundation because you have really clear skin” comment. Not that I am not grateful for my clear skin, but my skin goes incredibly pink naturally and flushed, which is something that hinders my confidence massively, as I permanently look embarrassed. This product is fab for covering that as it is high coverage without feeling heavy on your face. Yes, this is possibly the most expensive product I have ever, knowingly, used on my face, but it is definitely an investment. Also, it seems to last at least 3-4 months, even being used virtually every day.
• Garnier Ultimate Blends Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner – I have honestly never found a shampoo and conditioner that has suited my hair so well! Washing my hair had become such a chore that I would honestly postpone it for as long as physically possible because it was becoming so painful to get a brush through it afterwards. Since switching to this combination, my hair is so much more manageable! I’m using these with a cheap detangling spray and Lee Stafford Coco Loco Heat Defence Spray
• Corioliss C1 Daisy Straighteners – For many years I had the same pair of thick plate GHD’s because I thought they were the only straighteners that would work on my thick hair. This is no longer the case. Corioliss straighteners are far cheaper than GHD’s, but in my opinion, I think they are so much cheaper! I fell in love with these ones because they are just so adorable and they were definitely a great investment considering the fact that I now have a fringe again!

TV & Films:

I have watched so many series’ and films this year that I have definitely lost count, but these are the one’s that have certainly stood out for me!

• Peaky Blinders (Netflix and BBC Iplayer) – I have a certain level of personal investment in this program due to being from Birmingham and the links the program has to my university, but honestly if you have any interest in gang culture/ British cultural history then I highly recommend setting aside a week to catch up!
• Stranger Things 2 – I flipping adored season 2! I’m trying to be very clever with my word choices to avoid spoilers, but if at first you struggle with it, stick it out until at least episode 3 and then you will be fully absorbed!
• Beauty and The Beast (Live Action) – Honestly, following on from Cinderella, I was really skeptical of this, but honestly I adored it! The combination of live action and special effects is flawless, with some truly incredible scenes. I actually rewatched it over the Christmas period and fell in love with it all over again.
• Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle – This was another film that I was initially unsure of. I grew up watching the original regularly and was worried that it would distort the idea completely. Oh my goodness, this film was incredible from start to finish! The fact cast is phenomenal and they seem to work so well together!
• Kong: Skull Island – I remember being super excited to go and see this because of it being (loosely) connected to the Vietnam war. Honestly one of the most incredible films I have ever watched with such a great story line. Tom Hiddleston was fabulous in this and this definitely had to be on my list!

Other Things:

• Audible: I discovered this when I was struggling to relax. My little act of self love nowadays is to have a bath and listen to at least one chapter of my current book. At the moment I am working my way through all of the Harry Potter books and am currently approaching the end of the Prisoner of Azkaban.
• The Self Love movement: This is something that I have mingled on the outsides of this movement for a while, but following my graduation I put a lot more time into investigating this and practicing self love. It’s the simple things in life, and they aren’t always glamorous acts. Anyhow, I’ve began reading The Goddess Revolution and have Healthy is the New Skinny to read next but reading took a little bit of a back burner this year due to my final year.
• Spa breaks: This year has seen me develop a love for spa treatments. My first experience was on my Birthday trip to Lanzarote, then we booked another experience whilst we were in Florida which was incredible. Honestly, I have not looked back. I fully intend on using this as a step towards my self love in the coming year.

I think this pretty much rounds up most of my important favourites, otherwise it feels like I am writing a short essay! I would love to know some of your favourites from the past year!

xo

A New Blogger Finding Her Feet

Hi Guys!

So, I was sat catching up on Youtube Vlogs yesterday and I thought maybe I should give myself a bit more background, because, after all, isn’t all this for the purpose of honesty? Anyway, I thought I’d show you what I’m starting off with, what made me want to do this and almost where I want it to go.

What I’m starting off with;

What’s that saying about photos and words? Well the photo above shows exactly what I’m working with. Oh and my iPod touch 5th Gen. which is what most of my recent photos have been taken on. Travel photos will most likely be taken on my Canon Power Shot, SX410 IS. Now, this camera was an emergency purchase the day I went away last year. I had been bought a Polaroid DSLR for Christmas, however something went horribly wrong just as I was about to teach my mom how to use it. Luckily, Argos had a Canon sale on so I came out of it incredibly lucky. After the Amazon refund, my camera only cost me £30. Also in the photo is my Acer Aspire E 11. This was bought as a necessity as my old Dell laptop was way too big and heavy to transport to uni, so I bought this in the Boxing Day Sales in 2014. Honestly, best £100 and something I’ve ever spent. Yes, the internal memory is a bit small but I have a memory stick for all my uni work anyway and regularly back up to my Hitatchi External Hard Drive (1 Terabit). Also, going to be using the Kindle WordPress app more often, I currently have the Fire HD, however I am getting an upgrade for my birthday. Phone wise I’m using a Nokia Lumia 730. I adore these Nokias in terms of usability, battery life and camera, however the app store does let it down a bit. But hey ho, maybe one day I’ll upgrade myself to an iPhone.

What made me want to do this?

I’ve always loved writing. I’ve always loved cooking, fashion and books. I’ve always travelled and loved making memories. So I thought why not combine it all and start documenting it. At first I just wrote for the sake of writing, a distraction from Uni work. An escape. Then recently I started to follow more vlogger/bloggers on Youtube and I thought if they can then why can’t I? I’m passionate and creative so why not give it a whirl? I’ve seen people make a massive success out of it, but that’s not really the driving point for me. This is an escape, some me time, doing something that I really enjoy. With that in mind, my friend reads my blogs and we were talking yesterday about how I should move into vlogging. This thought scares me a little bit more as it’s a lot more technical and judgemental. Also, what would people want to listen to me talk about? Anyway, I think that basically covers everything that inspired me to put more time into this. Also, it’s going to work as like one giant journal of fun things I’ve done.

Where do I want to go with this?

I know I’ve just written about being scared by the thought of Vlogging, but honestly if I could learn to do it properly I would love it. I’ve always enjoyed that sort of thing and I just really like the idea of being an inspiration/role model for someone else (without that sounding really arrogant). I want to be able to inspire other people to focus on the things that are important to them, the things they enjoy. Life shouldn’t be a chore because it’s not long enough to not enjoy the ride. I’ve realised this more than ever recently, you never know what is around the corner.

 

So, if you want to do something, then you go ahead and do it! Don’t listen to the people who tell you that something you enjoy is stupid, those that tell you no-one will be interested or who tell you that you will fail at it. They aren’t you. You aren’t them. You will never be the same person, so do what makes you happy.

 

I think that pretty much covers everything I wanted to say, so yeah, on-wards and upwards from here 

 

Bye guys xo

Catching up with myself

I probably should have done this many months ago.

Since October 2015 my life has changed so much for the better, and I am so happy with 95% of my life. However, I am terrible for taking on too much work to try and please others and over achieve.

Lets have a quick recap; I’m a 19 year old student, in a relationship, active, managing two part time jobs and totally floundering a little bit.

This year I have completed a work placement outside of my two jobs totally 100 hours, completed 15-20 assignments, never missed a day of work and missed very few gym sessions. I’ve never missed an outing or seeing friends – so how have I managed to cope this long?
Honest answer – I don’t know.

Mental health and memories are far more important than income and wealth. Don’t restrict your social life because of other things you have going on. If you’re surrounded by awesome people then you’re going to miss out and honestly, I’m so glad I haven’t had to do that.

But as the end of the academic year approaches (I have my final exam on Monday) I can feel myself crumbling under the excitement of being able to loosen the hold that one part of my life has over me.  University is far from the most stressful aspect of my life at the moment but never let something take over your life – if you start to lose enjoyment for something, take a step back and work out why you’re not enjoying it any more.

Now, because I’m in my 2nd year of university people assume I have my life together and I know what I want to do in the future – That couldn’t be further from the truth.. I used to want to be a lawyer – but I’ve seen the stress and how much damage it can do to your social and home life. I want a happy life, not a stressful, lonely one. I know there will be days where it doesn’t feel great – but I want 95% of my life to be fabulous.

 

So now I’m focusing on me for a little while; by no means will I cut myself off from everyone. I’m just going to focus on keeping myself healthy.

Life; motivated and ready for anything

It’s a dull Tuesday morning as I sit here writing this, but I have never felt better. My life is starting to balance out and for that I am truly grateful.

The past few months have been incredibly hectic, however I’m getting that under control, hence the lack of posts the past couple of months. I am now fully intending to set aside a few hours a week in order to post – if anyone is interested in reading. I’m still hard at work at uni, managing a social life and a part time job, however I feel I need to write more in order to express myself , gain some experience and hopefully contribute something to someone who sits down to read a post.

I faced a significant fear at university this past semester; the impending doom of a class presentation. My study class is filled with roughly 40 students so being told that I had to present as part of a group of four made my stomach churn, for months. However, someone once told me that when you’re upset, anxious or nervous about something, use the negative energy and channel it into something positive. That is exactly what I did. I ploughed all my energy into the presentation and poster and my group and I all came out of it the other side, with a fantastic mark to prove it (75% – 1st Class). Five years ago I would have had a melt down over this, but I have learned that in order to become a more rounded individual you have to face your fears head on and don’t be afraid to ask for help of guidance.

Yes, I’m aware this suddenly sounds incredibly philosophical and life altering but there’s a point to this I promise.

My point is, a little positivity can go a long way.

So even if the sun isn’t shining when you wake up to face the day, put a smile on your face, be kind to yourself (and others, you never know what might help someone else) and embrace the day.

You never know what might happen.