Dear 2019

Dear 2019,

You're only a few hours away now and I'm ready for you. Not because 2018 was awful but because it prepared me for what you have to offer. Every year, I have a theme for the year. My theme for 2018 was 'LOVE' but my theme for you is 'GROWTH'. I experienced a lot of growth this year, and I know you will continue to bring growth to my life. You see, I have no major expectations for you, which is what already makes you special. I have no idea what challenges I may come across and what amazing things are to come, but what I do know is that it will all lead me to purpose. As I was publishing 'Dear 2018', Excited by Jonathan McReynolds started playing on Spotify and it perfectly described how I feel about you. I know God will use you to bring so much Joy and Lessons. I'm ending this year with Jeremiah 29:11(NIV) on my heart. It says 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'. I plan to begin my journey with you, with this same scripture.

Recently, I was looking through my 2018 journal, looking back at all the memories I documented. It made me wonder what wonderful things I would be reminded of, this time next year. I wondered what person I will become when you're over. It's a scary but exciting thought. There is so much to look forward to already. The places I will go, the things I will do. God has already written this chapter, and there are 365 pages.

In 2019, I begin my 20s. Not only is that kind of mind blowing to me but realising that was a bit of a wake up call to 'get my life together'. I say that in quotations because I don't mean have everything figured out. I'll be turning 20, so still SUPER young. I'm not in any way expecting to have life planned and sorted at that age. However I think your 20s is possibly the most common era for change. People start getting married, starting families and build their careers in their 20s. By starting it healthily, it will set me up for a bright future. For that reason, I have really thought about general things I want from you.

I hope you give me opportunities to get out of my comfort zone. I love my little bubble of comfort but it doesn't stimulate any growth or form of development. I want you to push me to try new things, meet new people and just generally say yes to amazing opportunities that I probably said no to in 2018.

I hope you bring me peace of mind. That I won't overthink and trap myself in a box of anxiety. That I'll trust God with all my mind and soul. That I'll stay true to myself and KNOW that I'm an incredible human being, no matter what others may believe.

I pray that I have the best support system around me and that I can lift myself up whenever I face a challenge.

I hope I break bad habits and introduce good habits that will make me the woman I want to become.

So, 2019 I can't wait to meet you.

Love, Rochelle

Dear 2018

Dear 2018,

You've been a year of ups and downs to say the least. You've given me some of the highest highs and lowest lows and I wouldn't change a thing about you. I've met so many goals this year that have helped me to grow but I've also been down difficult roads that led to growth. If I could describe you in one word, it would be 'valuable'. There were times where I sat alone in my room and cried endlessly because of the trials I was going through but now I can see the value in those tribulations. Twenty-Eighteen, you have taught me to trust God. The challenges you threw at me taught me to put my life in his hands. My faith has grown in ways I could have never estimated. The person I am today is such a change from the person I was a year ago. You've taught me to value myself and my beliefs. There were times where my self esteem was on the ground but I'm ending the year knowing my value. I've learnt that sometimes you have to go through life, to really value yourself and see how important your beliefs are to you. I stood my ground and saw what was important to me.

You taught me that hard-work pays off. That you should always put 100% into everything you do and that you'll be rewarded for it. You taught me how to let go. Let go of friendships that were no longer pushing me towards purpose and let go when my feelings got in the way because the relationship would never work out. You taught me to learn from others and their mistakes. Twenty-eighteen you have taught me to speak up when I feel alone and you've taught me that I never am. You've taught me that some people are mad but there's always a story behind it. You taught me to be straight up with guys, but they won't listen anyway. You've taught me that beauty can shine from the inside out.
You taught me the value of money. I got my first wage back in January 2018 and since then my views towards money have changed so much. From relying on my parents, to being financially independent, I've learnt that money really doesn't grow on trees (My parents' favourite thing to tell us as kids) and I've learnt how to make money stretch. Learning how to budget has been a life skill I had never really tried to obtain until you came along.

You came with so many adventures.

• I took a family trip to Barcelona back in February
• Had my first night out
• Went back to Florida in August 
• Traveled all over the UK for work. 
• Went to a few parties
• Went to a concert
• Went to a glow in the dark Zumba class which was so much fun
• Had numerous days out with my best friends that I'll never forget. I have so many amazing memories with some of the greatest people. 

This year has probably been the closest I have been to adulthood.

• Back in January I had a meeting at the bank BY MYSELF for the first time. That's probably not a big deal to some but it definitely was for an introvert who hated ordering food over the phone, let alone discussing important financial decisions in a professional office. 
• I moved out of my family home, which was a HUGE achievement. I learnt to look after myself and stay organised. Having your own space comes with so much responsibility. You have to cook for yourself, remember things your parents would usually remind you to do, clean up, make sure you don't sleep through all 200 alarms etc. 
• I voted for the very first time, which just screams adult to be honest. I turned 18 back in September 2017 but there wasn't any opportunities to vote until we had local elections in May of this year. 
• I also started university, which again just screams adult. I still can't believe I'm doing a degree....

There have been lots of proud moments this year.

• I got full marks in my EPQ Presentation (which ended up being pretty worthless in the end -long story, but I'm still proud of that). I'm not the most confident person when it comes to public speaking, so to get 100% was such a surprise. 
• I got an unconditional offer for my university as part of a 'high achievers scheme'. When I got the email, I literally burst into my mum's room in shock. I had to read it about 3 times because I thought it was a scam. I didn't quite understand how and why I was considered good enough for it. Even when I accepted the offer and was given my place, I didn't understand it.
• I graduated sixth form, finally. Those 2 years felt like 2 decades and I was so excited to finally be done. 
• I hit my first MAJOR milestone on this blog. I reached 10,000 hits and now I'm approaching 17,000 which is kind of insane. 
• I was able to save for my first designer bag. I honestly fall in love with it all over again whenever I wear it because I worked so hard to be able to get it. I had no plans to even get a bag but I knew that I wanted to push myself to make a splurge this year. I've always been money conscious and spend more on other people than myself, so I made a goal to treat myself. I'm so glad I did. You appreciate things so much more when you work for it. 

I made some goals for you back in December 2017. Let's see how I did: 

•  Grow Spiritually - I 100 per cent achieved this. I can't explain how much my faith has developed. God has blessed me in so many ways and I'm so grateful for the change that 2018 has brought. 

• Look After My Body - I can say that I've achieved this, although not to the extent I hoped. My fitness levels have been great as I started dancing again. The celibacy journey is still going well too (we thank God), however my eating habits did take a turn, which I aim to fix next year.  

•  (Repeated Goal) Be Organised - Moving out of my family home definitely pushed me to be more organised. I kind of had no choice but to step up when it came to organisation. I still forget things and leave tasks until the last minute sometimes though so there's definitely room for improvement.
• Form Strong Friendships - I challenged myself to do this as I have always loved my own company. I am happy to eat at McDonald's alone, shop alone and chill alone. I wanted to push myself to make a conscious effort to make strong friendships. I would say I achieved half of this goal. Although I did meet LOTS of new people and made friendships in 2018, they're yet to be 'strong'. I'm sure that will change next year though. 

• Learn To Handle Stress - I made this particular goal because after doing my GCSEs and AS levels, I was able to see that I put myself under a lot of stress and had a lot of social anxiety. I of course wanted to change that. Unfortunately I still deal with anxiety, HOWEVER I have succeeded with being able to handle it. I have learnt how to minimize it and also prevent it in certain situations. 
• Read More- I definitely succeeded with this one. For the first half of the year, I read at least 1 book per month. Towards the end (when I started uni), I had less time to read so didn't read many books however I had one ongoing, which I am yet to finish. My favourite was probably 'What Alice Forgot' by Liane Moriarty. 

• Take More Pictures (I Remember The Memories But I Forget To Capture Them)- I definitely failed this. I don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to remember! I never fail to write my memories down though, so I guess that's my way of keeping memories. 

• Learn To Look After Myself In Every Aspect - Completed it. I'm so much more independent 

•  Learn how to properly budget and finance - I could definitely do better around the spending department but I've been pretty reasonable considering it was my first year of financial independence. My mum always said when I earned my own money, I could buy whatever (legal and reasonable of course), so I'm proud of myself for not going overboard. Also, thank God for student discounts. 
• Help As Many People As I Can- It's funny because I did this without even being aware. Recently I've received a fair amount of lovely messages from people saying how much my blog has helped them or just my personality in general. A couple people have said that I have a really positive and kind nature, which makes them want to be more loving themselves or just makes them feel better when they're in a bad mood. To me that is one of the best feelings and words to hear. 

So, 2018 I just want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for it all. The smiles, the tears, frustration, excitement and laughter. Every emotion felt on this roller-coaster has led me to greater. As I leave you behind, I will never forget.

Love, Rochelle. 

How To: Bible Study

I have been wanting to do this post for AGES but I kept putting it off because I know half my audience aren't christian or religious. However I really felt to do it. Maybe my page-views won't be very high with this post but I want this blog to be authentic and reflect who I am. Not only that but it's not important how many people read this. If just one person appreciates it, that is enough.

Today I thought I would share how I usually do my Bible Study. Of course there is not one way to study the bible, however this has been the most effective way for me. I've been using this technique for about 2 years and it's quite a popular method of Bible Study. The method I use is the S.O.A.P method. In this post I will be going through it step by step. Let's get started!

For this method of Bible Study, all you need is a few things. The first thing you need is a Bible. Whether it be online or a physical bible, is completely up to you. I alternate between my actual Bible and the app on my Tablet. It's nice to have a physical Bible as it gets you used to finding certain chapters and sometimes it feels more like a study, however online is also super convenient as you can find different versions and make comparisons.
The apps/websites I use are:

• The Bible App 
• BibleGateway.com
• BibleStudyTools.com

The second thing you will need is a notebook. You can use plain paper if that is all you have, however I think it is important to keep a study notebook. Keeping all your study in one place is not only super convenient, you can see the way God has worked in your life. I was looking back at my own Bible Study book from 2017 and it was so cool to see the way God has moved in my life, but also how much more God speaks to me now in comparison to back then. I started this method almost a year before I got baptized and you can definitely see the growth.

Then of course you need a pen and also a highlighter. You don't necessarily need a highlighter, however I have found it helps to remember scriptures.

So first thing is first, what does S.O.A.P stand for? S.O.A.P is an acronym that stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer. I will be going into detail for each section. It is a really clever way of studying the bible, whilst being able to apply it to your own life.

The first thing I like to do when doing Bible Study is write the date. This just allows you to track your growth when you look back at notes. I then either Title the page whatever the topic may be or clearly write the book I am studying. Following this, the first Step is 'S'.

'S' as I said stands for SCRIPTURE. This is where you will read the chapter(s) you are trying to study and pinpoint the verses that stand out to you. Whether it be a scripture that is speaking to you in some way or just a scripture you like. If I am reading a particular chapter, I will write the verses that stand out in anyway. It may not always be several, it could just be one verse. If I am studying a topic, such as 'Love Thy Neighbour', I will write down any scriptures throughout the bible that apply to that topic, that I may find interesting. I like to highlight them, if it's a scripture I feel I need to learn in that season. After you have written down all your scriptures you can move onto the next stage.

The next stage is 'O' which means OBSERVATION. This is where your actual study will go. What does the scripture mean? What is it really trying to say? What symbolism can you find? Is God speaking to you through that word? What are the key words that jump out to you? This section will often be the biggest as it is the studying section. The great thing is that God's word is full of secret messages and it never gets boring. You could read the same scriptures 100 times and get different revelation. This is your space to just write anything and everything down. You can really go into detail about how you feel about the scriptures you wrote earlier, and completely dissect them. Once you have spent some time analysing the word, you can move onto step three.

The third step is 'A' which is APPLICATION. This is where you take God's word and figure out ways it can be applied to your life, or even the lives of others around you. For example, if you were studying Luke 10:25-37 (The Good Samaritan Parable) and one of your observations was that the Samaritan went out of his way to help someone who probably wouldn't help him, within your application you could give yourself the challenge to do the same. Or you could challenge yourself to encourage your friends to help people they wouldn't usually. Your application should be how you are going to make those scriptures or observations relevant in your life. In some cases it may not be how to make them relevant but how they are already relevant. Once you have done this, you can move onto the final step.

The final step 'P' is PRAYER. This could just be a thank you to God for giving you understanding of his word. It doesn't have to be specifically related to the study. You could ask God for a better understanding of what you studied, or you could ask God for help with the application. For example, about a year ago I did a study on Stress and Worrying. In my application I wrote about wanting to go into a mock exam with confidence and my prayer section was me asking God for guidance and strength to be faithful and to worry less. You can make it super personal or quite general but you want it to link to your study in some way. It's really cool having your prayer written down because you can see how God has worked in your life. It could be on a certain issue you prayed about or even a person you prayed for who was struggling with that issue. It's so amazing to see how good God has been and observe the growth. It's honestly incredible how much God has done in so many areas I prayed about and for literally just months ago.

So this is how I do my Bible Study. I don't have a regular schedule but I'm trying to sort one out by the new year. Eventually I will get to everyday but I think it's wise to work my may there rather than throw myself into daily study and be disappointed if I fail.

I hope this was helpful for some of you or even just interesting to read about. Do you use a different method of studying? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

4 Bad Habits I Want To Break Before 2019

December is always a super productive month for me. I like to look back at the year and evaluate all the areas of my life, whether it be good or bad. It has become essential for me to do a self evaluation and decide what traits and habits need in stay left behind as we jump into the next year. I am a firm believer that you should constantly strive for change and growth. For that reason, I have chosen four bad habits that I would like to break, BEFORE the new year begins.

The first habit I would like to break is 'Using My Phone Too Much'. I definitely think I use my phone a lot. I don't tend to use it as much when I am with my friends and family, as I like to be in the moment, however I use it A LOT whenever I am alone, especially since starting university. Sometimes I'll be scrolling through Instagram for so long without even realizing. It is a very unhealthy habit to have and I know that breaking it would make my life so much more productive. There are so many things that I could do in replacement of using my phone when I am alone. For example, I could do Bible Study (something I have definitely been lacking), I could read a book or I could write. I bet I would have gotten a lot more blog posts up if I didn't have my phone on me, all day.

Some ways I have already limited my phone use:

- I put it on Airplane mode when I am doing assignments, to stop me looking at notifications.
- I log out of Snapchat for 24 hours, every other week

Some ways I will limit my phone use:

- I will set alarms at random times in the day to tell me to turn it off
- I will do regular social media DETOX's

The second habit I would like to break is 'Over Snacking'. Again, this is a habit that I have only really picked up since being at university. Ever since I have done my own grocery shopping, I have been buying so many snacks! I think it was back in October, I spent £15 on snacks, in just 2 days. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. It was such a bad idea to have a snack section in my room, because I over eat so much. I even had M&Ms for breakfast one morning because I couldn't be bothered to go to the kitchen (sorry Mum). It was at that point that I knew I messed up. Even as I write this, I'm craving popcorn. Of course eating snacks and indulging once in a while isn't a problem, but it definitely becomes an issue when you eat more snacks than real food.
Having a Tesco on campus is probably a huge contribution to the mess I am in.

Not only do I think over eating snacks has made me sluggish, but I think it's starting to affect my overall happiness. You are what you eat. I am therefore making a conscious effort to change my eating habits.

Some ways I have already limited over eating:

- I have started buying more fruit to replace sweet treats

Some ways I will limit snacking: 

- I will set a very small budget for snacks every month that I cannot exceed
- I will replace my favourite snacks with healthier options
- I will make my snacks less accessible, by having a smaller snack box

The third habit I want to break is 'Going To Bed Late'. I'm not as bad as some people, but it is still pretty bad. I know SO MANY people who live in my building that A) Go out every other night and B) Don't sleep until the sun is up. I am definitely not at that stage, however I definitely need more sleep. My sleeping pattern isn't necessarily messed up, but I do go to bed far later than I used to. I used to go to bed at midnight and wake up at like 5:45am, which worked quite well for me. Although it was still less than 8 hours sleep, it didn't cause any issues. However, I now go to bed at like 2am and wake up at different times depending on when my lecture is. I don't know what it is, but I struggle to wake up before nine on days where I don't have a 9am. It is such a task to get up in the morning! It could be 11am and I'm motivating myself to get out of bed, whereas only 6 months ago, my alarm would ring once at 5:45am and I would already be in the shower by 5:50am.

I guess the aim is to go to bed early and wake up early. My issue is that I'm usually working on an assignment until late and get carried away or I'll be at dance until about 9:30pm, then make my dinner. By the time I have eaten and showered, it's already midnight and I still have too much energy from dancing to go to sleep.

Some ways I have already tried to stop myself going to bed late:

- I worked out what time I roughly wanted to wake up in the morning and saw what time I needed to be in bed by in order to get my full 8 hours

(SPOILER: IT DIDN'T WORK)

Some ways I will stop myself going to bed late: 

- I will set a cut off point from doing my assignment, so that I am not working past 7pm (Unless it is a last minute deadline).
- I will make sure I am off my phone, at least 30 minutes before I plan to sleep
- I will do a cool down and stretch after every dance class, to get rid of all the energy built up

The final bad habit that I would like to break before the new year is 'Overthinking'. This isn't just a habit I WANT to break, but one that I NEED to break. I am my BIGGEST bully. I have really struggled with my confidence these past 3 months and it has affected me in so many ways. Naturally I am quite a reserved person, but I also have a big character. I shy myself away from people as a way of protecting myself when I feel intimidated or low in confidence. It's very hard to explain but I feel like people who have met me will see it and understand what I mean. I'm totally aware of who I am and the character I have, however I'm very selective about who gets to see that. I almost feel like I've trained myself to shut down whenever I meet someone who could potentially hurt me. They could be the best person in the world but sometimes I work myself up to think that they don't like me and shy myself away until I end up in my own bubble. Once I'm in that bubble it's very hard for me to get out, so people can take it as a case of me not liking THEM, which is never true.

Whenever I overthink like that, it never brings anything good to my life (of course). I have really struggled to make friends at uni and go to certain events because of it. Of course I have friends but nowhere near the amount I COULD have if I treated myself a bit nicer. I look out for other people more than I look out for myself. I know I am a good person and I have so much love for people, however I somehow convince myself that nobody else thinks the same. Bit deep but it's just how it has been.

If there is just ONE thing out of the four habits that I want to break the most, it is this one.

Some ways I have already limited my overthinking:

- I have a journal that I write in whenever I feel anxious. I like to write a list of all the good things I have done that day and what I like about myself etc
- I pray about it. This is probably the most effective way for me

Some ways I will limit my overthinking: 

- I will try to push myself out of my comfort zone more often
- I will talk to someone whenever I feel anxious, rather than keeping it to myself (I'm a huge bottler and it often results in a break down of some kind)

Sorry to go so deep for the last one, but part of breaking a bad habit is admitting that it's there. I definitely think explaining it to you all will make it easier for me to be more social, especially in the second term of university. It's one of those habits that has always been around but it's only gotten this bad recently. I definitely don't want to enter 2019 with it.

So those are the four bad habits that I want to break before 2019. Do you have any habits you want to break? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

Christmas Wishlist 2018

HAPPY HOLIDAYS GUYS! As I write this, it's FINALLY December 1st. Anyone and everyone who knows me will be aware of my love for December. Not only is it the month of Christmas (obviously), it is also the final month of the year to meet the goals I set in January. University life has been jam packed so finding time to write has been a struggle. Despite that, I wanted to make sure I got some content up this month. Last year I was able to successfully complete Blogmas so it is only fair that I get at least a few posts up this year.

I thought I would kick start the month of content with my annual Christmas Wishlist. Not only does it help my friends and family but I find these posts so much fun to write. It's actually much smaller this year. So enough rambling....let's get into it. 

Perfume: 

I LOVE perfumes. It's one of those things that I don't tend to buy for myself but I use it every single day. You can't go wrong with opening a fresh bottle of perfume on Christmas morning. I don't have a specific perfume in mind but I know your collection can never be too big. 

Lip Scrub: 

Every winter my lips get super dry. Of course I'm constantly using lip balm, however I feel like I need something more intense this year. It's abnormally cold already and we've just touched December. I figured I would put this on my list because it saves me money haha. I know that the Lush bubblegum lip scrub is loved by many. 

Colourful Eyeshadow Palette: 

When it comes to eye-shadow, I definitely stick to neutral and warm toned colours, however I have recently been inspired by Tammi Clarke. She does so many beautiful looks with colour that make me want to be more experimental. The one problem is that I don't own colour. I've had my eye on 2 palettes in particular. 

- BH Cosmetics Take Me Back To Brazil Palette 

- September Rose SLUSH Palette 

Pamper Set:

I receive some sort of pamper set every Christmas and I love it. I have a lot of Netflix nights and I enjoy pampering myself whilst I watch a movie or series, so stocking up on products is a must. 

Nail Polish: 

I ask for new nail polish every year because by the end of the year, half the bottles are empty. I prefer nude for the most part. 

Lounge-wear Set:

I asked for this last year but unfortunately didn't get it. I did get a couple hoodies though so of course I was still very happy. I've never owned a cute lounge wear set so what's the harm in putting it on the list again?

Ring:

I also put this on my list last year. I got a beautiful ring with swarovski crystals, from my mum. I wear it almost everyday. However I had another ring that I used to switch between and sadly lost it in Barcelona. I love rings. They're probably my favourite thing to wear, so of course I have been trying to replace the missing one for months. I just haven't found the perfect one, so maybe someone who knows me well will find it!

Over-sized Denim Jacket: 

I'm 5'3 so anything is over-sized to me...HOWEVER all of my denim jackets are actually mid length. I've been wanting an over-sized denim jacket for a few months. I totally forgot to ask, for my birthday but I guess it's because it was starting to get cold. Denim jackets were the last thing on my mind. Sitting down right now and creating this list reminded me of how much I want one in my wardrobe.

A Bluetooth Speaker:

This is probably the thing I want the most this year. I'm always listening to music and I'm not sure why I have never thought to buy one or ask for one before. I feel like being at uni has made me realise how much my life needs one LOL. I'm not fussed on the brand or anything like that. As long as it does the job, it's perfect. 

Still Me By JoJo Moyes:

Would this be Rochelle's wish list without a book? I don't think so. The book I really want to read is Still Me by Jojo Moyes. I've read both Me before You and After Me. I loved them! When the third book was released earlier this year I knew I needed to read it but I never got around to buying it.

That's everything on my list for this year! Fingers crossed I can tick everything off. Of course I'm not expecting to receive everything but there's always that little bit of hope, right?

What's on your Christmas list? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

My Current Playlist

Music is one of the best parts of my life, I was actually writing another post when I thought mmm I should do another playlist post. My music taste honestly varies. Anytime someone asks what music I listen to, I honestly can't give a straight answer. If it sounds good, I'll listen to it. Best way to put it really.

I love music from primary school/early high school time. Music from 2009-2014 was the best, don't even @ me. I rediscovered so many classics and they're all on repeat, so my playlist is honestly such a mix.

Let's begin!

1) All of the ELLA MAI album to be honest.
- I LOOOOVE her album so much. I think she's a brilliant artist. I love how her album explores so many areas of love. It's not just a "men are trash" approach or "He's my world" vibe. It really paints a picture of what love is like. All directions were considered and I love that.

My Top 3 Tracks:

I) Whatchamacallit ft Chris Brown
II) Trip
III) Sauce

2) Deuces by Chris Brown, Tyga and Kevin McCall Jr
- This song came out when I was in year 6 and it still bangs. I rediscovered it very recently and honestly I forgot how much I loved it. It's one of those songs that could be released in 2018 and would do just as well in the charts as it did in 2011.

3) 079 Me by B Young 
- The whole vibe of this song is just such a mood. Like let me get mi maracas out! Take my number cus the beat is sick. It's obviously more of a summer tune but it's October, it's still acceptable.

4) Breathin' by Ariana Grande

I like this song so much that I randomly decided to choreograph to it. Choreography that nobody will see but thats not the point. I don't even know exactly why I like it but I do.

5) Funky Friday by Dave ft Fredo

I don't usually listen to either of them but I liked this song literally the first time I heard it. Dave did such a good job producing it and the flow is A1. You can't listen to it without at least bopping LOL. Also, if you've seen Sam Smith flexing to this, you know how funny it is.

6) Come and See Me & Location Mash Up by Kiana Lede and Maurice Moore

- It's such a beautiful cover. Their voices match so perfectly. I was listening to Kiana Lede when it came on shuffle and I loved it.

7) Bad Vibe by M.O, Lotto Boyzz and Mr Eazi 

Again this is quite a summer tune but if it's good I'll play a summer tune in December. I played this all summer and it's still being played. Anytime I hear it, I just wanna scream "WHO NEEDS MEN" and dance. Like I'm just living my life!

8) I Wish You Loved Me by Tynisha Keli

- This song is old as heck. It came out in 2009 so I was literally just a yute. I knew nothing about love so I didn't appreciate it. I mean to be fair I still know nothing about love but let's pretend I do. This is such an in your feelings song. It's pretty much about a girl realizing she is in love with her best friend and how much she wants him. It's cute but bit of a sticky one there. Shoot your shot sis.

9) Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill

- EVERYONE loves this song. If you don't, are you ok babes? This is one of those songs that I literally belt out at parties like nobody can see or hear me. It came out before I was even born and I play this like it was written for me. The anthem for the whole men are trash/women are trash movement.

10) Upgrade U by Beyonce ft Jay-Z

-In my option B-Day was Beyonce's best album. I'm always playing it. Upgrade U is like my sassy song, if you know what I mean? Like bro you NEED me. Your life may be fantastic but the way I can elevate it is a mad ting. WOW I'm gassing myself up too much to be honest LOL.My point is that it's a good song.

I'm just going to stick with 10 because I could go on forever. What songs do you have on repeat? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Have a good day x

My Self Care Routine

Well....hasn't it been a long time! I feel like I haven't written a post in soooo long. Uni and work has been a little crazy. I may possibly do a post on my first semester at the end of this year so I won't get into all of that now. I did actually write the kitchen part of my uni hauls but I decided not to publish it because I didn't like how it turned out, so please forgive me.

Anyway.......enough waffling. Today's post is going to be my self care routine. This is something that I really want to get into the habit of doing, now that I'm at university. I'm only a month in and I can already see how your mental health can seriously be affected, so it's important to always make time for yourself. It's OK to go out and live your best life, but it's also important to have some alone time and make sure you're good. It can be very easy to focus on being social and looking out for other people but you really do have to treat yourself well too.

My routine isn't set in stone. It really does depend on my mood and how my day has gone, however I do have certain things that I am likely to do when I have me time. Hopefully this will give you some ideas for your own self care routine.

You can have some you time at any point. Sometimes I do it before a night out but most the time staying in is actually a part of self care. If I choose to do it before a night out, I like to give myself lots of time to get ready. Doing your makeup can honestly be so therapeutic and being able to do it whilst relaxed, rather than rushing around is so lovely. Do not underestimate the power of blending foundation. It's extremely satisfying. It's even better with music or Netflix in the background. Oo and don't forget your fancy wine glass haha.

When I stay in, I do the complete opposite. I love the process of getting UN-ready. Doing a full skin care routine is such a stress relief. I don't have a bath in my student accommodation so I definitely appreciate it more when I go home. If you like baths then a classic LUSH bath-bomb is essential. I take my time when taking my makeup off and I may do a face mask or two. I've found that less is more when it comes to skin care so on a daily basis I use no more than 3 products but self care days/nights, I may do a mask or some kind of treatment.

I've been asked to do a post for my skin care routine for a while now but honestly I don't do much anymore, so the post wouldn't be very long. Another thing I like to do is dress appropriately. If I go out, I will ATTEMPT (key-word) to pick a nice outfit but if I'm staying in, I usually wear pajamas or comfy clothes.

Obviously, self care is about how you feel, so it's not all about how you look. I just find that looking good makes me feel good but if you don't care for it, don't feel that you have to. There are so many other things I like to do.

If you've been reading my blog posts for a long time or you know me personally, you'll know that I've danced for years. It's always been one of my favourite things to do. Whether it be to an upbeat song or I'm just laying my emotions out to a sad song, dancing helps me relax. I just grab my laptop or some headphones and DANCE. I live with earphones in most the time. It's honestly not because I'm trying to be antisocial, I just get lost in my own world when music plays LOL. I literally have headphones in as I write this.

As well as dancing, sometimes I like to write. It could be a blog post or just something random in my journal (yup I am that person). I feel like people should expect that, considering I study English. Writing is such a good outlet. Angry? write. Anxious? write. Sometimes I write my exact feelings on paper and then rip it up. It's such a good feeling. It gets all your emotions out.

It doesn't have to be all negative either. I have a gratitude section in my planner so every night I spend time writing for that.

Since it is now Autumn and it's getting a lot colder, this is the best time to start your own routine. If you have a routine, what things do you like to do? Leave a comment below.

I hope you enjoyed my post. Sorry for abandoning y'all (yet again). Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next one.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

University Haul- Bedroom

Finally, I bring to you part 2 of the university hauls. I have been so busy lately with uni prep and celebrating my 19th birthday that I struggled to find time to write this post but I finally made it a priority to get the next few hauls up!

As I write this, I only have 2 days until move in day, which is so exciting.

My Theme:

The theme I have chosen for my room is grey, pink, navy and marble. Such a basic uni girl theme, I know.

BEDDING

I bought a reversible duvet set from George for £12. My bed will be a single however my aunt bought me a double duvet before I knew, so I'm going to be real cozy this winter. As soon as I saw it, I loved it. It fits my theme perfectly and I love that it can be reversed. 

I don't know what sort of people have previously been in the bed that I will be using for the next year, or what has been done, so I made sure to buy a mattress protector. It is from George and was £7. It's really soft too so it will add another layer to the probably hard as rock mattress. 

I have no idea where this duvet is from or how much is costs because it was bought for me. It's a double, like I said and I bet it's going to be super comfy. 

I got this navy throw blanket from Primark. It was originally £4 but I got it for half price at the till. It will go perfectly with the grey side of my duvet and it's super soft. I'm undecided whether I will use it as part of the bed or just to keep as a spare blanket for when friends come over. This is actually one of the only items that I bought which is navy, so I may take it out of the theme altogether. 

I got this bed sheet for my birthday. I was so happy because it was one of the final things I needed to buy but didn't have to in the end. I will most likely buy another one so that I can have one on the bed whilst the dirty one is in the wash. 

FOR CLOTHING

I have a bunch of spare clothes hangers at home that I am going to bring with me, however I bought some plain black hangers from Wilko for £1.00. You can never have too many clothes hangers. 

I bought some door hangers from Primark for £2. It will be good to put my dressing gown or jackets on. We don't have much wardrobe space so you have to make your own adjustments. 

I bought this pop up storage bin from Primark, which I will use for dirty laundry. As soon as I saw it, I was so excited. I LOVE MARBLE, and of course with it being a part of my theme, I was ecstatic. It was £4 but when I got to the till, it was half price! I'm obsessed with it to be honest.   

My mum got this light up diffuser for Christmas last year however she isn't really into diffusers and candles etc, so she let me have it. I thought I would save it for uni since we can't have candles in our flat.

My pillow is so lovely! It was £9.00 from Argos.

 

We get a dust pan and brush to share within our flat but I thought I would buy one to store in my bedroom. It was £3.50 from Wilko

This is just a few things I have bought for my uni room. I hope you enjoyed!

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

University Haul- Bathroom

EEEEK! Finally, my first uni haul. I have had this planned in my head since the start of year 13 and it is so mad how quickly it has came around. I started my shopping last week (minus bits I found for my room a couple months ago) and I have been so excited to show everything. We have an all girls uni goupchat where everyone was showing their bits and bobs. I knew I wanted to do these posts so I held back on showing my own stuff. It was eating me alive not being able to show everything but now I finally can!

I'm starting with the bathroom since that turned out to be the area I finished shopping for first. Some things (in fact most things) aren't necessarily fancy however I don't know about you, but I'm nosy. I love hauls. I will literally sit and watch/read grocery hauls just because I like to know what people enjoy buying LOL.

Disclaimer: 

1. There are little things that I won't be showing just because they're standard and extremely boring but at the end I will mention them. 
2. I will also be putting where I bought the items, with the price tag for the most part, however if I have lost the receipt and cannot remember, it will be blank. 
3. My pictures aren't the best but I wanted to focus on just showing the stuff rather than taking hours to do the perfect flat lays and set up. 
4.  It's not in any chronological order so if that bothers you.........soz pal 

My theme for my bathroom is grey, silver and white. There are some things that may be out of the theme because it's not that deep but I tried to stick to it as best as I could. 

LET'S BEGIN

Bath Mat 

I was in Primark one day with Robyn and we came across some memory foam bath mats. After feeling them I didn't want anything else. They were so soft! The one problem was the price. There was no way my mum was going to allow me to spend £6 on a bath mat. Of course that didn't stop me looking elsewhere for one. After searching long and hard, I got this grey memory foam bath mat, from Pound-stretcher! It was on sale too. Even flippin' better. ONLY £1.99. You can imagine my excitement when I walked out the store. I got my soft mat and wasn't poor.

I placed my hand on it for the picture to show how soft it is. Honestly this was one of my favourite purchases simply for the bargain.

Towels

My towels do not fit into the theme I'm going for since I'm just bringing towels from home. I have new towels that I have not used yet,so I didn't see a point wasting money on buying new ones just for the sake of sticking to the theme. (I wasn't able to take pictures however I may edit them into the post once I can) 

Shower Caddy

This is a silver Caddy with 3 shelves. I'm going to get command hooks so I can hang it up in the bathroom. My plan is to keep all my products in like shower gel, skin care products, wash cloth etc. It was £7 from Wilko.

Toilet Brush

This looks like one fancy toilet brush but it was actually so cheap. The thing that made me get it was that it has a lid. I like that because it won't make the air smell. Not that I would keep it long enough to smell but you get what I mean. It matches the theme too which actually wasn't the plan. I was just going to get a normal white plastic one but it worked out in my favour. It was £3.50 from Wilko 

Bin

I got the matching bin for £4 from Wilko. I like that it can be easily taken out and it's nice and compact. The bathroom isn't very big so it's important to look at size when buying your stuff. 

I also picked up a roll of bin bags for 50p at Wilko. 

Cleaning Products

These grey storage baskets were actually the first things I got for uni. My mum bought them months ago. I'm using them to store all my cleaning products. The smaller one will probably stay in the bathroom and I'm not sure whether to keep kitchen stuff in the big one or just use it for bathroom storage. I'm not sure how much they are as my mum bought them months ago and she didn't keep the receipt. 

I got some Pledge Cleaning Polish for surfaces. This is the one I use at home to clean my room so I thought I would just stick to what I know. I get it from Wilko for £1 and it lasts ages. 

My mum bought me some Duck 5 in 1 Marine Limescale Cleaner. It's literally just toilet cleaner. Nothing too exciting. I think it's like £3 from Wilko.

I have some good old Detol Surface Cleanser. EVERYONE needs to have this stuff. It literally cleans anything. I grew up using Detol products and I wouldn't use anything else. It's one of those products that can be used in the bathroom or kitchen. You can get it in Tesco for £2.50.

I also picked up some massage sponges. They're good to clean the sink or tiles with. They're super cheap. You can get them in Poundland, Home Bargains, Wilko etc. They do a set of 3 for £1 at Poundland or individual sponges for like 40p at Wilko.

The final thing I have are a couple packs of flush-able toilet wipes. This is obviously just to clean the seat and lid. Unfortunately I do not know where my mum got these from but you can find toilet wipes anywhere. 

Tumbler

Honestly you can get Tumblers for such a better price but when I see Marble I tend to be irrational. This was £3 from Primark and I low-key regret spending so much on a tumbler.....but its marble so justified. It's obviously just to keep my toothbrush and toothpaste in.

Wash Cloths

Pack of 3 wash cloths from Primark for £1.80. 

Cleansers

I thought I would show these two products despite them being boring. The Dove Body Wash smells incredible honestly and I thought I would show it so you girls can jump on it. It smells so nice. It's currently on sale at Superdrug for £1.31. The facial wash is the one I use every morning and night. Since I always get asked about my skin care routine I thought I'd show this. It's from Superdrug for £3.49. 

Other Things I Have: 

- Toilet Roll £2.00 for pack of 4 Wilko

- Tooth Brush x2 £1.00 Home Bargains

- Hand-wash £0.70 Home Bargains 

- Shampoo and Conditioner £3.00 for Shampoo and £4.00 for conditioner 

- Listerine Mouth Wash £1.00 Body Care 

- Lady Crap £1.45 Wilko 

- Oral B Tooth Paste £1.00 Home Bargains 

- Gillette Razors £3.00 
- Fabreeze Air Freshener £3.00 Wilko
- Deodorant £2 from Body Care 

So that's my bathroom haul! I hope it was helpful/interesting. I know a lot of you messaged me, wanting help with what to buy. Let me know if this post made you get anything in particular. 

If you're going to university or you're already there, let me know in the comments what your proudest purchase was. 

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x

Orlando Florida 2018

I posted a poll on my Instagram story asking whether you guys wanted 2 separate blog posts for each week I was on holiday or one post. One post won,which I was thankful for because it's a whole lot easier.  Today I thought I would share with you some pictures and some of my highlights from the 2 weeks. If you are heading to Orlando soon then maybe it will inspire you and get you excited for that experience.

Theme Park

Usually when you think Orlando, people think DISNEY but honestly Universal Studios is so much fun. Lots of people forget it exists and it's one of my favourite places ever! Whether you enjoy thriller rides or not, it's such an amazing place to go. There are so many 4D and stimulating rides that younger children can go on or even adults that just don't enjoy massive rollercoasters. They're just as entertaining as the bigger rides.

I love how much effort was put into universal and the whole atmosphere. There are so many details in the parks that just bring the films to life. My personal favourites were Beverly Hills with the Hollywood star walk and Harry Potter world. I honestly felt like I was back in the UK! Everything is so accurate and really does resemble London.

Water Park

If you get the chance to go to Volcano Bay, GO! It is the best water park I have ever been to and the whole vibe is so positive. You don't feel uncomfortable there and the staff are so friendly. The theme of the park is Hawaii and they have definitely done well sticking with that. They have bands that allow you to get into a virtual line called a 'Tapu Tapu'. My mum and I found it hilarious. Some of the ques are really long but the time goes so quickly. We had to wait 120 minutes for the water coaster but it honestly felt like we waited half the time. You can chill in the wave pool, lazy river or just tan while you wait. One thing I really appreciated was that they have free water available at the food courts. In the Florida heat, it really is important you put your health first so I was so thankful to have access to water whenever.

City Walk 

City Walk is the part of universal where anyone can have access. You don't need to have a ticket. They have a bunch of restaurants and cocktail bars with live music. We went to the Bob Marley restaurant, which as you can guess was a Caribbean cuisine. The food was really lovely and so were the staff. They have an indoor and outdoor section for customers and a live reggae band. Unfortunately we only got to see one set of the band because it began to storm really heavily and their set up was all outdoor.

It was the only night we didn't bring our waterproof jackets and it was the heaviest storm we had ever seen! I had to run through puddles of water (which felt like the ocean), in just flip flops. You can imagine my thoughts when my mum screamed for me to hurry. Somehow, despite the pouring rain, thunder and lightening it was still so warm!

Carlos Bakery

My mum is obsessed with Cake Boss, so every time we visit Florida we have to go to one of his bake shops. It's located in the Food Court of Florida Mall. She secretly prays that Buddy is there, literally every time. We got 6 delicious cupcakes and it actually wasn't too badly priced from what I remember. The photo really doesn't do them justice, and it is times like this that I wish my photography skills were better.

Ramada Plaza Hotel

I stayed at Ramada Plaza Hotel on International Drive. This is the second time I have stayed here. The staff are all so helpful and it's such a well kept hotel. It was always so clean and whenever anything needed repairing, such as the lift they were right on it. We stayed on the club levels which are floor 9-12. Being on club level allows you to have access to the roof top. On the roof top you get all inclusive drinks until 8pm, beautiful seating, snacks, a pool and hot tub. It was such a lovely location and being on the roof top showed the beautiful city.

Treating Myself Post Results Day

Results day wasn't really the best. If you didn't already know, I received my A-level results whilst on holiday. I wasn't very happy with my grades and it took me A WHILE to process them but a few days later I decided to treat myself. I worked EXTREMELY hard all year and to see that the work didn't pay off was heartbreaking but after talking to my parents and realising how well I did, considering I practically had to teach myself for 5 months, I was able to get past the disappointment and did a little retail therapy. I BOUGHT MY FIRST DESIGNER BAG! I was never that girl who got a designer bag for Christmas whilst in school. This was such a big deal and it really did bring my mood right up. I worked loads of shifts before my holiday and thought, you know what, I'm going to reward myself regardless of my results. I got myself a Michael Kors Backpack for University. It is so beautiful and I can see it lasting a long time.

Luxury items have never been something I have focused on getting but this purchase meant a lot. I was able to make a splurge for the hard work I put in all year. Although the journey was long and tedious, I learnt so much about myself and it made me appreciate the people in my life so much more. The final destination may not have looked like the picture I hoped for but maybe this isn't the final destination. This is just another service station. I'll be heading to university in the next 2 weeks and I can't wait to prove to myself that hard work is never overlooked.

I had such a great time with my family. Florida is like our second home.

If you've been to Orlando before, let me know in the comments what your favourite place to eat is. Mine was definitely Del Taco.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x