12 days of Christmas: Day 7, Best Blog Posts of 2015

2015 isn't quite over yet but as the holiday season continues, posts appear to be slowing down in the blogging community, so I'm posting this earlier than expected! Here's a round up of my favourite blog posts from this year. Extremely varied in theme, the posts demonstrate my eclectic personality so this should hopefully enable you to get to know me better. I think I'm going off on a tangent now, distracted by 'Now that's What I Call Disney' (a Christmas gift) playing in the background so I'll get started.

*Phillip Schofield impression* In no particular order:

1. Miss Rosie Bea - Make-up collection and Storage.
Find Rosie's blog-post here: http://msrosiebea.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/my-makeup-collection-and-storage.html
Or subscribe to her YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/MsRosieBea/featured

I have a LOT of make-up. I'm no make-up artist, I'm just a hoarder. Although this was posted towards the end of 2014, Rosie's post affected my New Year's Resolutions for 2015 in that her extreme OCD make-up storage inspired me to be more organised myself. Starting with my make-up, I threw away those old foundations that had been opened for years - and would probably turn my skin green if I used them again. I got my own make-up storage units that were a little more 'me' and I haven't lost a lipstick since!

2. Psyco Puff - Just do It.
Find Psyco Puff's blog-post here: https://psycopuff.wordpress.com/

The author of Psyco Puff is one of my oldest and bestest friends, Levi. After hearing Levi talk about how he dreams of a successful blog and YouTube channel for as long as I can remember, it was quite emotional to see him 'put pen to paper' and JUST DO IT. The Psyco Puff blog has unfortunately been a little dormant since the first post back in August but I know Levi has a bunch of fabulous ideas and I can't wait to watch this blog expand in 2016.

3. Rum & Raisin - University Blues.
Find Rum & Raisin's blog post here:  http://rumandraisinpages.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/university-blues.html

This woman inspires me more than she will ever know. I could put every single one of her blog-posts on here, they are ALL my favourite... damn I could write a WHOLE POST about this gal. In this particular post, the author, Sian Hodkin, gives her advice for University. Ranging from 'Speak Out' to 'Don't Sweat' she embodies my every thought about University life but makes me view this period in a much more positive manner. I never thought I would say this but she made me: I'm actually EXCITED to return to University in September when my sandwich year finally comes to an end. Sian, you are UH-MAZING.

4. The Little Plum - Stop Comparing Yourself.
Find The Little Plum's blog-post here: http://www.thelittleplum.co.uk/2015/08/sunday-talks-stop-comparing-yourself.html

It was nice to see something different to The Little Plum's usual OOTD. Part of her 'Sunday Talks' series, Chloe spoke eloquently about something I think we can all relate to - comparing yourself to others. Before you stop comparing yourself to others for academic performance, you find yourself comparing your post-christmas dinner food baby to their hot bikini pics on Instagram. This can sometimes turn quite bitter and encourage self-hatred. In this post, The Little Plum begins to celebrate our differences and encourages you to do the same, spreading positivity across the blogging community.

5. Samantha Leal for Marie Claire - 5 Career Myths you Need to Stop Believing. 
Find Samantha's post here: http://www.marieclaire.com/career-advice/news/a15921/career-myths/

In this column, Samantha discourages any negative thoughts regarding chosen career paths with these 5 myths. A believer of every single one of these 5 myths, I felt a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders at the end of the post. The most significant one for me this year: '3. Dressing for the job means blazers and trousers and neutrals.' WRONG. On search for a placement for my sandwich year, I attended several interviews early this year with huge corporate companies. I woke up hours earlier than I should have done to make sure every single hair was neatly in place and that my outfit was on point. I even took a change of shoes, true Londoner style. When I got to the interviews, everyone in the office was wearing jeans! I was SO overdressed it was embarrassing. Like Samantha mentions, the CV was created in 1482 and oh how times have changed!

6. British Vogue - How to be a Healthonist.
Find British Vogue's post here: http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/2015/12/14/how-to-be-a-healthonist-staying-healthy-during-party-season

I know what you're thinking... WHAT THE F@** is a healthonist??? Yep, me too. But Vogue focuses on remaining healthy during the holiday season - something we can all struggle with. Determined to stick to my New Years Resolution of becoming more healthy in 2016 (I WILL do it this year) British Vogue will motivate me when it gets tough at parties. I'd prefer a cold-pressed cocktail to red wine anyway... 

Hope you're enjoying the holiday season! What are your favourite blog posts of 2015?

Ciao for now xo

photo source: bitrebels.com

12 days of Christmas: Day 6, Charity of the Year

Hello! Hope you all had a fabulous day yesterday. Now that Christmas is over, the focus is all on the New Year celebrations: reflecting on the year that is almost over and looking forward for what's to come. While I reflect on my 2015 and think of my New Years resolutions, I'd like to tell you about my 'Charity of the Year.

While I was on my family holiday in Lanzarote this year, a cat followed us back to the villa almost every night. During the first few days, there were several debates over whether she (we assumed she was a girl) was a stray: she was extremely affectionate and even followed us inside and sat on our laps! One morning, as my dad was giving her a cuddle on the garden, a van pulled up. A man jumped out and passed my dad a pouch of wet cat food over the garden wall. That was all. 

After that night, we began to see small shelters - the perfect size for a cat - dotted around the island. The man-made shelters contained cushions and blankets for comfort and a bowl of dry cat food. Next to every one of these small homes, written on a rock was 'Freddy's Cat House'. To begin with we thought Freddy was one hell of a lucky cat! After some research, we discovered there was a stray cat crisis on the island and a gentleman named Freddy had built these homes himself to help the animals. Not only did he build the shelters, he took the sick cats home and nursed them back to health. He also took the young ones to be neutered to improve the stray cat crisis and to avoid young pregnancy. We assume that the gentleman that gave us the pouch of wet food over the wall was helping Freddy. 

Without a car, or a driver's license, Freddy walks all over the island to build these homes and feed the stray cats across a variety of resorts. On his website, Freddy asks for help as he could not carry large amounts of cat food round the island. Because the crisis is so big, he can not recover the issue alone. He asks that people fill the shelters he built with dry cat food - and explained that wet cat food can go off quickly if it is not eaten and make the cats sick. There is the option for holiday makers to foster a cat during your stay and even the possibility to give one of the cats a new home and Freddy's Cat House will pay for the flight!

Towards the end of the holiday, almost every night we saw an elderly gentleman 'taking his cats for a walk'. The cats had no leash but stayed almost glued to the man's feet and every so often he would stop, pull out a handful of cat treats and fuss them. We recognised the him - It was Freddy!

photo source: freddyscathouse.weebly.com

Read more about Freddy's Cat House here: http://freddyscathouse.weebly.com/
Like his page on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/freddyelgatolanzarote/videos?fref=photo

8 Benefits of a Long Distance Relationship

After spending weeks - sometimes months at a time moping around feeling sorry for myself because my boyfriend lives 132 miles away and I can't spend every moment with him, I decided last week that enough is enough. We actually have it better than a lot of long-distance couples: at least we're in the same country! Being happy for the things I have, rather than uber mardy for the things I don't, I have taken it upon myself to write a list of benefits to cheer up both myself and any readers in the same boat as me by reminding ourselves that it's not that pants.

1. There is ALWAYS something to look forward to. 
Working in retail, I have recently seen customers get excitable over Christmas and parents telling their children 'put it on your Christmas list for Santa' - we even had our Christmas card and wrap items delivered earlier this week! Of course, Christmas is exciting but it's August - by the time Christmas gets here you will all be very very bored. Not me. Every day I see Adam feels like 1,000,000,000 christmasses in one day. I always have something to count down to and get excited about... other than Christmas.

2. Travelling. 
This doesn't mean travelling the world. In my circumstance, it means travelling 132 miles. Nevertheless, it means there are new sights to see and at 'just' 132 miles apart, new foods to try and different activities. Adam probably thinks Henderson's Relish is really gross and I'd probably want to whack that big stick thing over his head after going 'punting' in Cambridge but they're both something that without each other, we would never experience.

3. More time for 'me time' - guilt free!
As much as I love to spend time with my boyfriend, time alone is also fabulous. With Adam being so far away it means I can have girly nights in and paint my nails and pamper myself and watch Frozen without anyone telling me to shut up for singing 'For the First Time in Forever' at the top of my voice for the next few days.

4. 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'.
The realest thing anyone ever said. Our relationship remains in the 'honeymoon period' thanks to the distance - do you think I'd be writing this post outside the honeymoon period? Probably not.

5. There is less pressure to constantly look after yourself.
This can be a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand I eat so much junk food because I'm comfort eating when he's so far away and 'Adam won't see if I get fat'... on the other hand if I don't see him every day, I don't have to shave my legs every day either! 

6. There are no awkward moments with the in-laws.
If you don't see your partner very often, you don't see their parents very often either - which is 100% a good thing even if they like you (unless they're reading this in which case it totally sucks!)

7. You treasure every moment.
Not seeing your partner so much makes you appreciate it so much more when you do. I know I went off on a tangent about Christmas earlier and silly people getting excited because X Factor is back on and that means it's Christmas - but even the little things like shopping are so much more exciting when Adam is carrying my purchases.

8. The sex.
I'm sorry to be so crude (and right now praying that his parents will never see this) but even those who aren't in a long-distance relationship know the sex is better when you go a while without it. Although it's frustrating, the distance between you keeps that lustful spark you had on the first date with late night skype sessions and suggestive text messages to keep things interesting  - about half an hour ago Adam texted to ask 'what's the new blog post about?' - I told him 'something pants' - to which he replied  'your pants or mine?' I won't tell you how the conversation continued...

                         

          


    














I once attended a wedding where the best man's speech included some advice for us all: 'treat every night as though it's your first and every day as though it is your last'. I'm proud to say that despite the distance, me and Adam do just that. My darling, I love you beyond the stars xxxx

9 Benefits of Going on Holiday with your Family

Think you're too old for a summer break with your parents? WRONG. Of course, it's fun to go on holiday with friends and lovers too, but sometimes going with family can be just as fabulous - Here are 9 reasons why:

1. At the risk of sounding like a spoilt brat... they pay.

2. You've pooped in the same bathroom like a MILLION times before - embarrassment averted!

3. If seeing each other 24/7 isn't great for your relationship - you already know before you board the plane (headphones? check!)

4. Quality time. If you're a student like me, you've spent the year away studying. A holiday together gives plenty of time for that well-needed catch up about that holiday you had with your friends 3 months ago.

5. Seeing your parents drunk is HILARIOUS.

6. Selfies like this.

7. THE FOOD! With parents paying, there is no doubt you will dine like royalty for the duration of the trip.

8. It's a lot less socially demanding... if you're just not in the mood that night, your family don't care.

9. And if you do go out, you don't have to worry about who is best-dressed/who looks best in a selfie (despite number 6 you take a LOT less selfies).