February Round-Up

This month has been quite odd. It's been full of ups and downs. I've had some highs and a lot of lows but we're not going to focus too much on the lows. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll already know about that. I want to highlight the good parts of this month. February has gone so slow yet so quickly all at once. Here are some of my highlights.

A U   B A L L      |

At the beginning of the month I went to my first Athletics Union Ball with my dance team. I had so much fun and published a Get Ready With Me post for the night. I had a prom in year 11 but I really wanted to go to a proper ball at some point in my life and I'm glad I got to tick that off my bucket list this month.
The After-party was also so much fun. It was great to just dance with everyone and enjoy myself.

B E N I D O R M      |

I went on a short break to Benidorm with my family. It was my brother's birthday a few days prior, so we celebrated it in Spain. I was feeling super anxious and stressed at this point, so the holiday was a good way to ease and clear my mind a little bit. I really valued that time with my family and a bit of vitamin D always helps to brighten your mood.
I definitely would have enjoyed it a lot more, had my mind been in a good place, however it was still a fun trip.

B E I N G  S I C K     |

Although I said I wanted this post to be more positive, I still want it to be real. I had managed to get ill YET AGAIN this month. For some reason my immune system has been so weak lately and I get sick much more often than I used to. I definitely need to look after myself more. I missed a week of lectures and a dance rehearsal, which kind of sucked but I was pretty much OK by the time I got back from Spain. I got ill 2 days before I was due to fly out so of course part of me was worried I wouldn't be able to go. But God pulled through and I wasn't too bad. Just tissues and coughs.

D A N C E   R E H E A R S A L S      |

This has definitely been the month for dance. I haven't danced this much in years. Back in September I decided to try Hip-Hop. It's one of those styles that I did a couple workshops for but never really consistently attended classes. It's definitely out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to challenge myself. I've always stuck to my bubble of contemporary/lyrical. If I wasn't out of my comfort zone enough, I then decided to audition for the competition team. At first I wasn't going to because I didn't think I would be good enough to help our university win, but then I changed my mind and thought why not. I want to become more of a 'YES' person, so I made this my first YES. I was actually so surprised I even got in because although I had practiced a lot, when it came to confidence it was a 'fake it til you make it' situation. I was bricking it. Now months later we've been rehearsing like crazy. I'm surprised I can even type this because my arms feel so stiff. I feel like my entire life has just been dance this month. Even when I was told to rest up when I was ill, I was dancing in my hotel room.

Y O U T H   T A K E - O V E R      |

At my church we have this thing called Youth Take-Over. I go to a very diverse church in terms of age, which is nice because my most previous churches weren't like that. At the end of every month the youth control the service. From the prayers to the worship to the sermon. This is only the second one in our location and I had the opportunity to be a part of it. Again, dance. See, this month has been all about dance haha. I got to do my first ever praise dance in front of my church. It went really well and the service was fire. I'm so excited about the next one.

U N I  W O R K     |

Uni.... BOOOOOO. All I can say is second semester is NO JOKE. Whoever said first year is easier than A-levels is a big fat liar. It has been pretty hard to keep on top of work with everything that has gone on this month. Dancing, mental health struggles, physical health struggles etc. I had to take my laptop with me on holiday just to make sure I didn't fall behind. Sadly that didn't work and I still fell behind, despite the efforts made to stay on top of things. I swear missing ONE lecture is like missing a whole semester. The one lecture I missed whilst on holiday was the most vital one to be at. Just my luck really. It was all about our assignment and basically how to do it. That has made doing this assignment 10x more difficult for me. Of course I've tried to get help but I'm still so lost. My assignment is due in 3 days and I'm not even close to being finished. Stay tuned for March to find out if I made it.

So those were the highlights of my whirlwind month. If I could sum February up in 3 words, they would be

• Busy 
• Challenging 
• Tiring 

Despite the struggles, it is only 2 months into the year and I have so many more days left of 2019 that will make these struggles seem insignificant. I have all the faith that I'll defeat these problems and the problems won't defeat me. 

How has this month been for you? What was your biggest highlight of February? 

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Book Review [NO SPOILERS]

Whatever you are doing at this current moment, you need to stop and go read this book. This is by far the BEST book I have read in a long time. I actually saw the movie before I read the book. I had no idea that it was originally a novel, but I loved the movie so much that I purchased the book as soon as I knew of its existence. Although it is a fiction book, it has so much truth. The message and story is one that is so important and MUST be made apparent to everyone.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with what the book is about, here is a brief description from Good Reads: 

'Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.'

There is so much I want to say about this book, but I'm going to hold myself back so that I don't spoil it for anyone. This book has won goodreads choice, THREE YEARS in a row. If that doesn't convince you to read it, I don't know what will. 

I went through so many different emotions whilst reading this book. I laughed; I smiled; my heart broke; I was angry, I was inspired. Every page left a lasting impression on me. One of the MANY things I loved about this book, was how REAL it was. There was no sugar coating at all. I felt like I was actually inside of Starr's head, feeling the same things she did and seeing what she saw. I enjoy many books that make you feel like a fly on the wall, watching things unfold but this was on a different level. I almost felt like I was a part of the story, despite never experiencing the tragedies the characters did. 

The character development and writing style is phenomenal. If you haven't already read this, and its not currently on your TBR, you need to put it as a priority- seriously. Also, if you love Tupac, you HAVE to read it. I've never really been into rap music, so Tupac isn't someone I listened to but this book definitely made me respect him so much. 

I definitely think the movie did the book justice. I have watched so many movie adaptations that just haven't been at the same level as the book. Of course the book is going to be different, but sometimes the movie just doesn't have the same impact on me. However, they definitely did a great job with THUG. I love both the book and film equally. 

Overall I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is packed full of life gems and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of reading it. 

Have you read The Hate U Give? What are your thoughts? Leave your comments down below. 

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x 

Season of Singleness

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY EVERYONE!

I don't really celebrate Valentines Day. Partly because there's no boo to celebrate it with *cries* but also because I believe in showing your love and appreciation for others, EVERYDAY. Despite that, I love the Joy that the holiday brings. Seeing other people happy, makes me happy. I hope you've had a great day whether you've spent it with a loved one; friends, family or by yourself.

Today's post is going to stick with the same theme that I'm sure you've read a lot about this month. LOVE. *Alexa play Minnie Riperton - Loving You*

As you can tell by the title, this post is going to be about my 'Season of Singleness'. You're probably thinking, what in the world is 'Season of Singleness'?. If you're a Christian, you'll know exactly what it is. A season of singleness is exactly what's on the tin. It's remaining single at a time in your life, whilst focusing on your personal growth and lifestyle. It's riding solo, completing the missions you want to complete before you meet your other half. Obviously there is no way of knowing WHEN you'll meet your other half but the aim is to remain single before you make any commitments with them.

Having a season of singleness can be so beneficial to both you as an individual and your future spouse. You have so much time to work on your weaknesses, strengthen your strengths and learn to be content with life, whether you have someone to share it with or not. I could make a whole separate post on that, but today we're going to be focusing on what I want to get out of my own journey.

I've been single my whole life. Yup, a whole 19-years. I've had my little flings and what not as a kid, talked to some guys here and there but obviously that doesn't count. I've never been in a serious relationship. Partly because I'm super picky but also because I know it's just not my time yet. Being single and having a season of singleness are different to me. Being single is just a status, but a season of singleness is an actual period in your life. That period for me has begun this year. I started my year with the intention to dedicate 2019 to myself. Sounds diva-ish but I promise it isn't. I want to actively go out of my way to focus on my character, lifestyle and mindset.

Since this blog is a documentation of my journey to and through adulthood, I thought it would be a good idea to share the goals I want to meet during this season in my life. I don't know how long I will remain single for. It may be a year, three years, even ten, but I know God's timing is the best timing. In the meantime I want to spend 12 months meeting personal goals and serving others.

GRWM: My 1st University Ball

If you have seen my life Bucket List, you will know that I really wanted to go to a Ball at some point in my life. I had a prom when I was 16 but I wanted to attend a proper elegant ball with the whole mix. Fancy venue, decent food (unlike prom), a beautiful dress, and great company. Lucky me was able to achieve that goal this week! I attended my first ever University Ball on Saturday. I had such a great time and already cannot wait for next year.

As it was a part of my Bucket List, and such a great memory, I thought I would document it in some way and share my experience with you guys. Although most people would vlog this sort of thing, I'm not great in front of a camera, and definitely not great at vlogging in front of people, so I thought I would stick to what I know. This is going to be a blog post going through the getting ready process.

So, here is a Get Ready With Me post for my first uni ball!

The Ordinary Serum Foundation Review

It has been a hot minute since I have written a foundation review. I am always on the look out for good foundations, because a flawless base is very much important to me when it comes to makeup. I placed a Beauty Bay Order (no surprise there) when they had their 30% off January Sales. I needed to spend another £5 to get free shipping and decided to order 'The Ordinary Serum Foundation'. I had heard some good things about this foundation on YouTube and with it only being £5.75, I thought "why not?".

I have been testing this foundation out for about a month, and thought I would share with my readers, my overall thoughts on the product. 

Basic Information

Shade: 2.1Y (Medium with Yellow undertones)

Amount: 30ML
Coverage: Light

Price: £5.75

Finish: Semi-Matte 

This product has SPF 15 and is suitable for 'All Skin Types'.

Foundation Description

A serum-textured natural coverage foundation that softens undesirable hues and visibly reduces imperfections.