Primark Haul

I’ve recently seemed to acquire quite a few things from the lovely Primark, so I thought I would do a little haul for you and show you what I got.

High Waisted Jeans

I got these mainly because I needed some new work jeans. If you didn’t know I work in a pub, which can be quite messy, and beer is sticky and goes everywhere, so I wanted to get some inexpensive jeans that I can wear for work so I don’t wreck any of my better pairs. These were £10, and so far so good, they are really comfortable, good material AND the perfect length on me!! I struggle so much in finding jeans that aren’t too long for me, I nearly always have to roll them up. But these ones are perfect fit!

Blue & Black Checkered Scarf

I actually got this as one of my mini extra purchases when I went in to buy jeans. That always seems to happen in Primark, you go in to buy one thing and come out with a whole shopping bag…anyway, I had to get this scarf, it was £2 down from £4. The quality is so nice, super soft and blankety!

Luxury Face Cloths

I wanted to get some new flannel type cloths for when I’m washing my face and I saw these in Primark, 3 for £2! They are so soft and a really good size, really nice range of colours too, it would be easy to find the right colour if you had a scheme going on in your house/bathroom.

Copper Baskets

These are everywhere in the blogging world, and for a good reason! They are so beaut! Shiny copper baskets are so aesthetically pleasing, they look great in shots and flatlays, so I had to pick a couple up! They are definitely worth the hype, they are great for storage on top off your dresser for your everyday essentials.

Marble 3 Tea Light Holder

I hadn’t seen this anywhere but when I saw it in Primark I had to get it, it’s super sleek and really nice and heavy which I like, however it did take a while for me to find one without a chip in it (classic Primark – hoarding through everything to find the best one). Again it’s so nice to pictures, and for only £3.

Copper Triangle Plant Holder

I thought this little triangle copper plant holder was so cute, again I’ve seen so many variations of this in photos online and I know they’ve been out of stock in Primark so I grabbed it when I could. It matches the baskets obviously, which I love. And looks great on my dresser with all the other rose gold pieces I’ve acquired.

Letterboard

The last homeware item I got was a letter board. I really wanted one to go in my blog photos, as I think it looks so nice and creative. Plus it has a rose gold frame so of course I had to get it. And only £6, such a steal. Although in the letter selection their wasn’t an ‘@’ sign which is slightly annoying but I’m sure I can get one from somewhere.

Yellow V Neck Crop

I saw this yellow crop top and just loved the colour –  I’m not going to say too much about it as it’s coming up in another blogpost I’m shooting next week!

High Waisted Checked Clots

These trousers are soon beaut, they had so many nice pairs of clots but I just loved the material of these. Again coming soon in an upcoming blogpost. I’ve not owned a pair of trousers like this before so for me it’s quite a statement and I love it!

Embroidered Platform Ankle Boots

I could not believe the price of these boots when I saw them, £3 down from £6 for a gorgeous pair of embroidered boots! I love the colours of the stitching, and they fit so well, super comfy and easy to walk in. They would look great with plain black jeans and an embroidered/ patterned top with a leather jacket.

That’s everything I’ve bought in Primark recently! Primark has some such good bargains, I just make sure I check the products all over before I buy it for marks and chips, and with clothing alwayssssss try it on!! Even two of the same sizes can fit differently! But overall I love Primark, you can find some absolute steals and I’m yet to try any of the beauty products but a lot of their products are blowing up the internet right now so I really need to get involved!

Thanks for much for reading and tell me what bargains you’ve found at Primark! And if you’ve tried their beauty products – tell me what’s good!

 

 

My Top 5 Places I Want To Visit

Hello everyone! I really miss writing travel posts, as I find it so much harder to be inventive with them when I’ve not been to any new places recently or have any trips coming up. But I thought I would give it a go, keep it quite general and just talk about the top places I want to visit. In no particular order, let’s get stuck in!

 

Japan

I have always been fascinated by Japan. The cuisine, the culture, the language, the sports and martial arts…everything. It’s always been such a unique place to me and if I ever get the opportunity to go it would be amazing.  I’d love to go during the spring in order to see all of the pink cherry blossoms, they are all over Japan at spring time even in its major cities like Tokyo. This surprised me as I imagined Tokyo as massive skyscrapers, sophisticated technology and basically the business hub of Japan covered in concrete. Apparently they also have beautiful nature parks with plenty of picnic spaces alongside the river, where the cherry blossoms have been carefully located and planted for an incredible look. I’ve always loved Japanese cuisine of sushi, it would be a dream of mine to have a sushi master class in Japan!!

LA

Los Angeles has always been one of those places that I always imagine is actually like it is in the movies. There is supposed to be such an amazing relaxing vibe, I’d love to go hiking up to the Hollywood sign, Visit Santa Monica beach, shop in Beverly Hills – ah it all just sounds amazing! I’d love to also, while on the west coast, get out to Las Vegas and then up to San Fransisco aswell, you can’t go to America and not do a little road trip. I would also love to visit the original Gold Gym on Venice Beach. LA has a great attitude and look on fitness so being able to workout and go to the original Golds Gym would just be so cool. One of my grandpa’s favourite films was ‘Pumping Iron’ and he always loved Arnie and what he stood for so being able to go there and experience it would be really special. We’ve actually got 2 books on our bookcase : the first is ‘The Golds Gym Training Encyclopaedia’ published in 1984, and the other ‘Pumping Iron – The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding’, both belonged to my grandpa. (See pictures below).

Australia

Although there is a lot about Australia that scares me (big spiders for one), all of the stunning landscapes, the weather and most of all the wildlife is definitely still enough for it to be in my top 5, I have some relatives over there, so it would be a dream to be able to go and see them and do a road trip around, seeing all the best hot spots! I would love to swim with dolphins over there, that has been on my bucket list for a while so it would be such a cool thing to do and what a place to do it! I would also make the most of being so far on that side and try to visit New Zealand aswell, my grandma has been so many times and she says it’s incredible.

Iceland

I never would have thought Iceland would be on my list, but after I saw that film ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty‘ it completely had my heart, that scene when he is skateboarding through the outstanding scenery and hills, and he’s completely embraced and empowered by life – I just have to go!! My cousin and her boyfriend went there September last year and they just fulfilled everything that I thought it was. They had some amazing photos and did such cool things. I’ve heard it is pretty expensive when you get there but I reckon flights wouldn’t be too bad from the UK so that would help.

New York

I know it’s somewhere else in America but ever since I’ve been watching ‘Friends‘ which is well over 10 years, I’ve wanted to go to New York. Feel the real big city vibes from the Big Apple. I’d love to go at winter time and hopefully see it when it snows, it would be so magical to walk through Central Park in the snow! Also since I’ve seen ‘Gossip Girl’, to go to all of the hotspots that are in show would be so awesome (and just pretend I’m Blair Waldorf ). New York has so many massive sights, I’d love to go to Madison Square Garden, Empire State, Statue of Liberty, Times Square, Grand Central Terminal, Brooklyn Bridge – all the mega touristy things!

(Yes I realise a lot of my images and thoughts on these places have come from TV shows…no shame)

Thank you so much for reading, I’d love to know what places are on your bucket list and if you’ve already got set plans to go! I can’t wait to get exploring some more!!

Until next time, you know you love me xoxo *whispers* gossip girl

 

 

Aldi Health Food Haul + Review

Hello! Bit of a different post for you today. I was recently in Aldi (as I am quite a lot because they have the best bargains) and saw they had a little section for health foods like a whole bunch powders and bars. So I thought I would haul a whole lot of them plus some extras goodies and review them to see if they are any good. As in my opinion buying health foods like these can be so expensive and it really puts you off getting any. So if these are any kind of substitute for the big brands then it’s a win in my eyes. I have always been one for a bargain, so I am so excited to try all of these out and tell you what they are like! Everything I bought came to around £30 which considering the massive quantity I think is an absolute steal. Let’s get into it.

I’m going to start with the powders that I got. There is a choice of 7 different powders all claiming they do different things. They are from a brand called Funktional Foods, which I’ve never seen before, so I assume it is one of Aldi’s own brands. The packaging is really sleek and professional with an easy to seal zip pouch. I was most intrigued by the protein powders, as I’ve wanted to try a protein power for ages and use it in shakes as part of my gym routine but haven’t found one that I liked. These seem natural and at only £2.50 a bag they seem so reasonable. They are 2 protein powders, the ‘Rice Protein Powder’ and the ‘Pea Protein Powder’, both claimed to be derived from the particular foods. These ones I’ve been adding into shakes or a little bit into my oats on a morning, and they are great!! They don’t have a very strong scent which I like, so it doesn’t really change the flavour. So far I’m really enjoying these, particularly after the gym, I’ll add both the powders to a banana, peanut butter, milk, and honey blend – delicious.

The other powder I am really liking is the ‘Cacao Powder’, this was nothing new for me, as I’d seen this everywhere but it was always so expensive, so when I saw they had a pouch at Aldi for £1.99 I had to try it. The first time I used it, I put way too much in, about 2 heaped teaspoons, and it was so so bitter!! But once I got the measurements right, it was so lovely in porridge on a morning. You get a little chocolate flavour but without it being packed with sugar. This one is must keep on my shopping list as it’s so versatile, I really want to try it in baking too! I think it would be a great substitute.

 

The next ones are the ones I was the most unsure about, either I wasn’t sure what it was or wasn’t convinced I would be able to use it and that it would taste nice. So let’s start with the ‘Spirulina Powder’. I had seen my boyfriends Mum use this when making cereal but I wasn’t 100% what it was, so I wanted to try it. Spirulina is a well known type of blue/green natural “algae” that can be found in oceans and lakes (apparently). It’s high in protein and a good source of antioxidants, B-vitamins and other nutrients. Sounds great right!? A part from the fact that it absolutely stinks off fish!! I know it’s understandable as it comes for the ocean, but for me it really puts me off as I don’t want the smell to come through. But I really wanted the benefits of this powder, so I found the best way to use it is to use a tiny amount, about half a teaspoon, in a fruit/veggie smoothie. The next one I didn’t really know anything about is ‘Maca Powder’, when I first saw it, I thought it was ‘Macha’ but I read it wrong (classic) so I was completely clueless on how to use this. But apparently ‘Maca Root Powder’ is considered one of the world’s natural “superfoods”. It’s great for balancing hormones, energy, mood, the immune system, sexual health and more!! (I’ve honestly learnt so much by doing this haul!) This powder doesn’t really have a scent, which I like, and is a light beige colour. Again I’ve been adding it into my protein shakes with the protein powders. And on my oats with the ‘Cacao’ powder. I think this one is another must have on my shopping list.

Only 2 left then I’ll be onto the bars I bought! The last two are more green powders, the ‘Wheatgrass’ and ‘Green Superblend powder’. The ‘Green Superblend Powder’ is a mix of wheatgrass, pea protein, barely grass, spinach, ginger and spirulina. So basically it’s an all in one kind of powder, which I love as I don’t have to try to balance which powders/nurtients I’m trying to add into my diet, I can just chuck this in and know I’m getting plenty of goodness. This has a bright green colour, and quite a veggie smell but not too strong. I’ve been blending this with the Aldi ‘Four Seasons Invigorate smoothie mix’ for the perfect green smoothie! To be honest I’ve not tried the ‘Wheatgrass’ powder as much as the others, but it’s supposed to be packed with iron so is great for tiredness and fatigue. These powders are all £2.49.

Next I’m going to talk about the bars I bought. In the same section of Aldi where all the powders were, they had a bunch of different bars. I didn’t buy them all as some of them I knew I wouldn’t be a fan off, but I definitely bought plenty to review. One of the brands I came across here was the ‘The Foodie Market’, I’ve only ever seen this brand in Aldi so again I assume it is one of their own brands. Two of the bars I got from this range are the ‘Peanut and Choc Chip Cacao Brownie bars’ and ‘Almond and Raisin Cacao Brownie Bars’. Which both sounded delicious!! I’ve been grabbing these on a morning, or after the gym as a little treat on the way home, and they are so yummy!! I know they probably aren’t as natural and healthy as they want you to think, but for me it still has plenty of goodness in it so I don’t see the harm. The ‘Peanut and Choc chip’ is definitely my favourite. The next bars are more down the all natural, nothing else added route.

First ones I saw were the ‘Paleo Macadamia and Coconut Bars’. They are made from 5 all natural ingredients and are gluten free. Named for the ‘Paleo Diet’ that is apparently one of the healthiest ways you can eat. I’m not saying this is what I’m doing but I thought it would be interesting to try these bars. They are actually really really nice. They remind me off the ‘Nakd’ Bars, so these would be a great substitute as they are better value for money. One of the last boxes of bars I picked up was another one from ‘The Foodie Market’, the raw ‘Pecan Pie’ natural fruit and nut bars. I was excited for these as I absolutely love pecan pie, so if these were any kind of a healthy substitute then I was on board!! They were so good- these were definitely one of my favourites too, I really like nuts and fruit together so it is the perfect combination.

I hate to end this section of food bars on a bitter note but I also picked up a few individual bars called ‘Hike’ bars, which are Aldi’s copy of the very popular ‘Trek’ bars that are vegan, gluten and dairy free. I love the Trek bars, they are so delicious you can’t even believe that they have goodness in them. So when I saw Aldi had tried to copy I was sooooooo buzzing. But oh boy, was I let down. They tasted so bad, I couldn’t finish it, I don’t know why it was so bad, as I like the ingredients, but I just couldn’t eat it. Don’t buy them. Yuk. Stick to the Trek bars.

The last few things I bought are more just little goodies, or just your basic healthy essentials. I got ‘The Foodie Market’, wholenut smooth peanut butter, I love peanut butter and I love having the 100% nut stuff over the sugar packed stuff, this was so inexpensive from Aldi so I had to get it. I also bought these flavoured instant coffee granules. Super random and not healthy but I thought they looked super cute and would be a great way to jazz up your morning coffee. I got both flavours, the hazelnut and chocolate. They both smell super sweet, and to get the best combo I would recommend you mix these with your regular coffee, as the actual coffee isn’t great but the flavours are yummy!

Right….I think that is the longest post I’ve ever written, I did buy so much!! Thank you so much for reading! If you made it this far, well done and tweet me with a little food emoji to let me know you made it- it’ll be our little code!

Let me know if you buy any of the products I talked about, I’d love to know what you think! Aldi is the best, and has some great bargains so it’s always worth trying it out!

 

My Perfect Valentine’s Day

H A P P Y   V A L E N T I N E ‘ S   D A Y    E V E R Y O N E

I know Valentine’s can be a bit of weird holiday and I myself have never really celebrated it. For me it’s a really nice excuse (not that I need one) to go out and spend some time with my favourite people, where that’s family, friends or your partner. I am actually working on Valentines this year so we celebrated it the other day. It was a perfect day for me, super chill, but I find the little things you do are always the most special. I’m going to run you through what I did on that day, as our little celebration for valentines. (fyi my boyfriend is called Peter and that’s who I celebarted with BUT you celebrate with whoever you want or just treat yourself!)

Have a super chill morning

The best way to start the day is by sleeping in, you wake up feeling so refreshed and relaxed. We had a cuppa tea in bed and just caught up on the news before doing anything else. Had a quick bit of breakfast but nothing too much as we had plans for lunch.

Dog walk

After we were up and about, we took the pup for a walk, it was such a nice bright day, so it was really nice and peaceful. I love dog walks because for me it’s quality time with someone without any distractions. You can just walk, distress and talk about whatever you want.

Shopping

Next, we headed into town, we only had a few things to do, boring things like the bank but also I wanted to get some homeware bits. So we just spent some time bobbing around the shops, I love shopping with my boyfriend, we always end up having such a laugh and just joking around.  I ended up picking up a bunch of homeware stuff from Primark (soon to be seen in my flat ways and maybe a Primark haul…).

Meal out

After a bit of shopping we went for lunch, we LOVE going out for meals, we always looking for new places to try as we are both such foodies. So a meal was always on the cards for us. I’d wanted to try a pub style place in York called Brigantes. It wasn’t anything fancy, but we’re not fancy so it was the perfect pub grub. I always try not to worry about money when you eat out, as it can be a real downer if you’re just worrying about what everything is going to cost, so we always just get what we want and try not to think about the money. We had nachos to share to start, then I had a fish butty, and Peter had a burger. A few drinks (Gin for me obviously) and coffees after. Lovely!

More relaxing time

After our meal we had a quick stroll up to the Peter’s new house that he’ll be moving into soon, then it started to get dark, (since it get’s dark at 4pm) so took and nice long walk home for a cuppa and a bit more relaxing! We didn’t have any dinner as we ate soooooo much at lunch, so we just chilled and watched bit of TV, before heading to bed to do a crossword (super grannyish I know).

I know it doesn’t sound like anything special, but it was so lovely just to have a dedicated day to spend with that one person. It’s so hard to find time to do stuff like that when we are both so busy. I had such a nice day, so for me it was the perfect low key Valentine’s.

I’d love to know what your idea of a perfect valentines would be!

Thanks for reading x

February Birchbox – First Impressions

Hello! It’s Birchbox time! Super quick post for you today, just a quick first impressions and mini review about my February Birchbox. I was excited to be able to pick the design of the box this month, either a 70s, 80s or 90s theme. I went for 80s as I love everything about the 80s, the fashion, design, music, culture everything! I thought the design was super quirky and I loved the colours on it. At the moment as I’m only on my second box I am keeping them as storage boxes because they are just so cute! (We’ll see how I go once I’ve collected quite a few).  On the card it says ‘Beauty through the decades – true beauty is timeless’. I just love that, I love looking back at different make up trends and fashion throughout the years, so it’s nice to celebrate that. Without any further rambling let’s get into it!

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm by Petra – Pixi Pink Full-size £8

This was the first thing I noticed in the box as it’s the only brand I recognised at first glance. I’ve heard good things about Pixi but never knew where to get it or what to try so I was looking forward to trying this. On opening it I was buzzing, as I’ve wanted a tinted lip balm for ages but the ones I’ve tried are always way way too pink, which I really don’t like. So when I saw the colour of this I was so disappointed. I knew just from looking at it, that it was way too pink!! I tried it on my lips anyway, the smell was nice and super soft and moisturising but when I looked in the mirror I just hated the colour. It reminds me of being younger and wearing super cheap bright pink-tinted balm, it’s really not for me. I’ll keep looking for my perfect Pixi product!!

The Beauty Crop Eyeshadow Trio – Love U So Latte Full-size £7

My first eyeshadows in a Birchbox!!! I love eyeshadows, I’m always collecting new eyeshadows, as I’m always on the hunt for new more exciting shades. So even though I saw straight away these shades weren’t the most excited, I still love brown, golden shades so I was still super happy. This is a Birchbox Exclusive which is awesome, I’ve not heard of this brand but that doesn’t mean anything. When I swatched them, they were super powdery, a lot of pigment came out from a gentle swatch. But as I rubbed them on my hand they faded a little, not necessarily a bad thing as they could just blend really well. For me it looks like the perfect little travel trio for a day look. I love the colours and the name of the trio is just so cute.

Model Co Correct and Conceal – Full-size £14

This is the last makeup product in the box, it’s an anti redness crayon concealer basically. Now I have quite a lot of redness in my skin, especially on my cheeks. So this is right up my ally. I’ve heard of this brand but I’ve never had anything from them. It felt really creamy on my hand when I swatched it, and super blendable. I just hope when I put it on my face the green isn’t too intense. I have bought colour correctors before and the green is way too much that you can see it through your foundation, which is obviously not what you want. The colour looks ok – so fingers crossed! I’ll keep you updated! I always like the crayon form as it is a lot less messy.

Luseta Coconut Milk Hair Mask – £32

Getting hair products in the box is great for me as I am so lazy when it comes to hair stuff!! I never know what to buy, what it does, how to apply it. I’m just a mess when it comes to hair stuff. So getting them in the box is great as I get it try them out without having to buy a full size product. It’s also great reading other people’s reviews on the hair products in the box to find out if it worked for them. I’ve never used a hair mask before, but my understanding is you use it like conditioner in the shower??? My hair is super dry at the moment so this is just what it needs. It smells amazingggggg, so coconutty and fresh. I can’t wait to use it on my hair.

Percy and Reed Hair Finishing Polish – £10

The last thing in my box is another hair product. This one also smells great, it reminds me of a particular sweet I used to have as a child…can’t remember what is it though! Anyway very nice smell. I used a little of this last night after I had washed and dried my hair. I loved the consistency as it was a lot creamier than I expected, so it was easy to work through my very thick hair. It worked really nicely, smoothed out any stray hairs and made it a little more groomed without me having to keep brushing it. I think next time I use it I will put a little more on as my hair is so thick and I have a lot of it, but overall, so far I really like it!!

Thats everything I got in my February Birchbox guys, I’m pretty happy with this month’s box even though the Pixi product was a bit of a bust, there’s always going to be one thing I guess! Can’t wait for March!

I’d love to know whether you loved or lothed your box this month!

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

Origins Event in York – ‘No More Dry Skin January’

Hello! The other night I went to my first event associated with being part of the blogging world. Laura from ‘Laura knows life’ is an Origins Ambassador and she invited me to take part in this event happening in York. I was so over the moon, I couldn’t wait to finally meet other bloggers that live in my area and try out some amazing skin care. I went with my best friend, as my plus one as I knew she’d love doing something like this. On arrival we were greeted by the lovely Laura, asked if we wanted to put our coats and bags upstairs and grab a complimentary drink of watermelons martinis (the answer was of course yes).

Once everyone had arrived, Laura got everyone together to say thank you for coming and just told us a little bit about what the night had in store. The theme of the event was no more dry skin- as it’s come to the end of dry January we don’t want our skin feeling dry anymore either. Hence the lovely hydrating style watermelon martinis.  Laura talked a little bit about her time with Origins and what she loves about the products and the offers going on on the evening (which were such a bargain by the way). Then explained their would be a mini facial on offer, or a hand treatment if you preferred, followed by some browsing of the products, talking to the lovely Origins girls about your skin what would work for you and generally chatting with people there.

The range we were there to try was the ‘Make a difference’ plus+, and these were the products that were involved in the facials. First things first, they smell amazing. Let’s just get that out the way, otherwise I’ll just keep repeating myself about every product that I tried. You could not fault the scent, fresh and clean. I really enjoyed the ‘Cleansing Milk’ as it was so cooling and hydrating on the skin. I feel sometimes when I’ve removed my makeup, I can never really fully get it all off, so this is perfect to do after that and just to suck any little bits of makeup residue out and cleanse and cool at the same time. The eye cream in this range was also amazing, so refreshing for under the eyes, without it being too perfumed and heavy.

When chatting to the women doing my facial, she was asking me all about my skin, any problem areas, what kind of skin I have, and what usually works best. I was telling her how I can get quite a lot of redness in my skin, particularly on my cheeks. She recommended I try the ‘Mega Mushroom’ range as it can help calm sensitivity  and irritation, and reduce visible redness. I jumped straight on that, and after my facial went over to look at the range. The assistant manager of the Origins store, Hannah, came over to help me. She suggested I try the ‘Mega Bright’ range as everything in that range is oil-free, so would be a lot better with my combination/oily skin. She was so so nice, and really helpful at advising at what your own skin needs, as everyone is completely different.

There was another range that had only just been released that week called the ‘Original Skin’, which was all about making your skin extra glowy and luminous. All of these products were beautiful. I tried out the ‘Pore Perfecting Cooling Primer’, it was such a strange consistency as it squirted out of the aerosol style canister, but it instantly cooled the skin, very airy and light, and also was great coverage just for the days when you don’t want to wear any makeup but want a little something to even out your skin tone and texture. I actually ended up purchasing the ‘Cleansing Jelly’, it felt so nice on the skin, and makes it super easy to dissolve eye and face makeup. The other product I bought was the ‘Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask’, I have wanted an overnight mask for so long, so I was sold on this when they said it was one of their most popular masks. As I bought two products, I got a 30ml FREE gift which was the ‘High Potency Night-A-Mins Night Cream’, this was such a great promo as normally this would be £21. Because I bought a mask I also received the ‘Facial Mash Brush’, again for FREE. They had some amazing offers on, and I’m so happy I took the chance to try some quality skincare products, while getting some fab skincare advise from the people who know SKIN.

My bestie getting a lovely facial

On leaving the event everyone received a little goodie bag which had in it 2 samples, both from the ‘Original Skin’ range. A mini sample of the ‘Cleansing Jelly’ and a larger sample of the ‘Retexturizing mask with Rose Clay’, which I was buzzing about as I so nearly bought this mask instead. Along with some watermelon sweets and a little card explaining the treatments they do in store on a regular basis. As well as all that, you could also book in for a full complimentary facial for another time! Mine is already booked and I can’t wait to have a full consultation. I also received a little tester sample of the ‘Mega Bright moisturizer’ to try out.

I am so grateful I got to take part in this event, I had so much fun, and hope I can get to go to a few more if I’m lucky! Thank you so much to @Lauraknowslife for the invitation, and the lovely people at Origins York. (yes I know I’ve said lovely like 100 times- it just was so lovely!)

Let me know if you’d like to see a NEW skincare routine with the products I got! Or perhaps a little review once I’ve given them all a fair try. Also I’d love to hear what your first event was – Leave it below in the comments!

(As you’re reading this I’m getting my complimentary full facial at the Origins Store in York!)

Thanks so much for reading!

How I get MOTIVATED

Hello everyone, I thought as January is over I would do a post about motivation, as it can be one of the main things people struggle with at the beginning of the year, I know I did. So here are my tips on how I got back on track after a break, whether that’s back to work, the gym or just getting back into a routine.

Prepare yourself

This one is so important for before you even start to get back into a routine. You want to feel prepared. It kind of ties in with being organised but more importantly it’s about slowly doing parts of your regular routine before you even officially get back to it,  it’s a great way to minimise the shock. For example the week before you go back to work, start setting your alarm the time you would set it for work, so it isn’t a massive shock when you have to get up and go the following week. By minimising the shock you’ll feel more motivated as you won’t feel out of your depth and out of sync.

Write a list

One of the main reasons I usually feel demotivated is because I feel unorganised. So one of the first things I do is write a list of everything I need to do, need to buy, plan my day that kind of stuff. It always makes me feel so much better. People can normally feel demotivated because they may feel like they’ve lost control of an aspect of their life, so buy writing a list, you regain control and feel empowered by knowing what you need to do.

Don’t be too hard on yourself

This one is an emotional tip, it’s so important not to be to hard on yourself. It can be so easy to feel like you should be doing better and maybe that you’ve fallen behind. Whether that’s at work, the gym or at home. For example: going back to the gym after a break can feel like a step back as you feel unfit and find it harder to stick to your regular gym routine. For me, when I was away I didn’t go to the gym for 4 months, so when I returned I was so down hearted that I wasn’t as fit as I was before, but I just had to tell myself that I can get it back. It’s not the end of the world.  So take it easy and enjoy what you’re doing and don’t worry about major progress instantly. It’ll happen!

Treat Yourself

This one is the best tip. I feel so much more motivated if I treat myself. If you’ve had a small victory in your day, or just feel like you deserve it- TREAT YOURSELF. Eat some chocolate, buy some new gym gear, go out with your friends. We can get so stuck down in everyday life, feeling like you’re failing or not going where you want to go. Forget it- just do something you want to do and don’t stress about it. It’s about the little steps, so even if you feel like you’ve only achieved something small today- celebrate it!

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you found this helpful!! Bring on February and the rest of the year- let’s make it a productive and a motivated 2018!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sunshine Blogger Award

Thank you so much to Steph( @steph_N_thecity )for nominated me. Check out her awesome blog here! Sorry it’s so delayed!!

The Rules:

Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and link back to their blog.

Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.

Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.

List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or in your blog.

The questions I was asked:

1.What do you hope to accomplish in 2018?

I hope to progress in my blogging, I’m already learning so much and getting more and more into the swing of it, I really hope it helps me get to where I want to go with it. I hope to do some travelling, more small trips this year maybe, go away with my best friend of 18 years as we’ve never done that (crazy I know). Train my dog!! I want to get her up to scratch with her behaviour and properly build that bond with her.

2. Would you rather live someplace where it always rains or where it always snows?

I think I would prefer rain all the time. Snow is fun for a while but we all know as soon as the snow is gone it’s that horrible the day after with all the muddy slush. So even though rain is grim, I think I would prefer it so snow all the time.

3. How did you choose your blog name?

Well, My name is Hannah Fish, I knew I wanted to use the name ‘Fish’ somehow as I’ve always been quite fond of my last as it’s bit quirky and different. So then I started thinking about my life and how my world/home would be seen as a fishtank- where the fishes live…so then I came up with ‘Life in a Fishtank’ Basically my live, what I do, in and around where I live.

4. What is your favorite food?

Favourite food is such a hard question!! I’ve always loved food and had a really good appetite even from a young age. I love sushi and Thai food, I’m always looking for new Japanese and Thai restaurants to try out, so I’d properly say that’s my favourite type of food but I always have a massive sweet tooth!!! Like cake is my jam! So I really don’t know.

5. What’s your favorite blog post you’ve written so far?

My favourite blog post is probably the one I wrote about turtles. It was such an awesome experience for me, that I just had so much fun writing about it and learning more about turtles and what we can do to save them.  I wrote the post the day after I swam with turtles in Barbados, it was so perfect! It has to be my fav.

6. What type of makeup could you never live without? (mascara, lipstick, bronzer, etc.)

Such a difficult choice! I think about it all the time too and I still don’t know what my answer is. If I had to pick I think I would choose mascara, I think my eyes are quite small so without mascara I would have little shrimp eyes. I need mascara to open them up! But I also have to use eyelash curlers, I need both!!

7. What book could you read a million times and never get tired of?

Easy. Michael McIntyre’s autobiography ‘Life and Laughing’. He’s been one of my favourite comedians for so long, and when I bought his book I read it 3 times, one after the other, and laughed so much every time. I know if I went to read it again I would still find it hilarious.

8. How or where do you find inspiration to write?

I try to mix up my posts as I like to write about so many things. Since I’ve been blogging it has made me think about, do more things, and be creative about what to write about. I’d say I find most of my inspiration to write, just from things I love (if that isn’t too cheesy and easy) I basically just think about what my hobbies are, what I love and how I could make it into an interesting blogspot, hopefully with some tips for readers.

9. What quote do you live by?

Just keep swimming. It’s the little moto on my blog, but basically all I mean is ‘Just keep going’, everything always turns out fine in the end. So try not to worry.

10. If you could be any animal what would you be and why?

I think I would be a dog. 1) they’re one of my favourite animals so of course I want to be one 2) I think I relate the personality of dogs: loyal, quick learner, like exercise, easily pleased and quite hairy!!

11.What are you currently watching on Netflix?

I’ve just finished Brooklyn 99, I’d pretty much seen them all before but it is one of my favourite shows, I think the comedy is absolutely class so I can easily watch them over and over again. But now I’m thinking about starting Peaky Blinders, my brother has raved about it, as well as so many other people so I think I need to give it a go.

My nominations for the Sunshine Blogger Award:

Gutsy Girl

Yasmin Thompson at It’s the Blonde Life ‏

The Travel Bugster ‏

Fraser at Fraser’s Fun House‏

Fran at Food for Fork

Sop at Sop’s Blog

Laura at Directly Laura

Carly at All the Gloss

Laura at Diary of a Zombie Mum

Jess at Foundations and Fairytales

North at The North Left

My Questions for the Nominees:

Where is your favourite place in the entire world?

How did you meet your best friend?

If you were a cocktail, what would you be and why?

What are your favourite kinds of blog posts to write?

If you have a phobia/fear, what is it?

Hot or cold weather?

Whose your blogger best friend?

Trainers or heels?

What is your favourite Sunday activity?

How long have you been blogging?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I can’t wait to read your responses and questions for the new nominations!

Thanks x