December Round-up 2019

My hair was a hot mess by that point in the night haha

HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! Can't believe it's actually a whole new decade.....wow. First blog post of the year, we're going to take a look back at December 2019. It was quite a jam packed month and it is the final round-up of 2019. When this goes up, I will be chilling in Portugal....not a bad start to 2020 aye? Anyways, here is my December Round-up. ENJOY!

2019 Achievements

I had a bit of a breakdown a couple weeks ago about not reaching as many goals as I planned - as I discussed in my 2019 lessons post. To reassure myself, I flipped through my planner and noted down all my achievements from 2019. It showed me that I've actually achieved more than I thought I did. In order to spread some positivity, I'm going to share those achievements with you. Hopefully this encourages you to do the same and really think back to all your annual successes, whether they be big or small. All achievements are valuable and sometimes it is so easy to forget them, in the midst of chaos. Take a step back and look at your wins! Here are mine.

Lessons I've Learnt in 2019

Christmas is only a few days away and we're so close to the end of the decade. That's exciting, scary, crazy, all the words. This year has been an absolute whirlwind and it's safe to say I've learnt a lot. I thought it would be nice to share some of those lessons with you all. Some of them are big life lessons that will really stay with me long term, and others are just little things I've learnt about myself and the world around me.

Disclaimer: They are in no particular order

1. You won't always meet your goals - and that's OK.

I made so many goals for 2019. I had a total of 19 things on my vision board, and after looking at it last week I realised I had only achieved 6. Six is better than nothing but I instantly went into overthinking mode and was super down about it. I thought I would achieve at least half, so when I saw I didn't, I began to really doubt myself. After talking to friends; who really encouraged me and made me realise I was being stupid, I got out my rut and came to the conclusion that it's OK. In life you're not going to reach all your goals when or how you want. Somethings aren't meant for now. It's OK not to have everything figured out.

2.  I put too much pressure on myself

This links quite nicely to the first lesson. I've always known that I'm a perfectionist, but I only understood how severe it is this year. I put such unrealistic expectations on myself. I know the potential I have to succeed and be the person designed in my head, that I put tons of pressure on myself to do well. I've realised that it's pretty unhealthy to constantly expect myself to always win. It makes failing so much harder to deal with. Although I know failure is a huge part of life that I'm inevitably going to come face-face with, it doesn't make it any easier. I get stressed and worried by the tiniest inconveniences and setbacks.

3. You can be super productive with just a laptop and Tesco Meal Deal

This year has been a really productive year in terms of academia. I didn't realise the power of a Tesco Meal Deal until second year of university.  It helped me to pass an exam with flying colours that I definitely didn't think I was going to pass, get assignments in on time and catch up on 2 hour long boring lectures. Every little REALLY does help.

4. When friendships end, it's for a reason.

I have struggled with friendships this year. What has made it so frustrating is that there has been nothing to cause it. No arguments and no change. I spent a lot of time wondering why and what happened. I started to blame myself and think I was an issue, because it was becoming a pattern, but actually I'm not the issue. There is no issue, sometimes friendships just reach it's expiration date. There is always a reason for friendships ending, even if we don't know the reason. I've learnt to just accept it, wish them the best and carry on.

5. Grief is hard.

This year was my first experience dealing with grief. I had never dealt with a loss like this before. Grief is hard and it comes in waves. It has almost been 3 months and although it's getting easier to cope with, it will never be easy. It's becoming harder again now that Christmas is coming up.

6. Eyelash Extensions are addictive.

I had my eyelashes done for the first time in years in the summer and they have been one of my favourite things to come into my life this year. I feel so bald without them and they just make me feel so much more put together. They're pretty addictive. I had a 2 month break after summer, to let my natural lashes breathe, but now they're back and bigger than ever haha.

7. I'm stronger than I think.

I doubt myself a lot. Perhaps it's because of my expectations and perfectionism. This year I've cried lots and felt so emotionally exhausted, but I've learnt that I'm a lot stronger than I think I am. I look back at the struggles of this year and I'm proud of myself for getting through it. There were times when my mental health was basically on the ground, but here I am typing away and sharing my lessons with you all with a smile.

8. You can't tell stupid people why they're stupid

I'm not being literal here. What I mean is that when someone has a stupid opinion or view towards something, you can't always prove to them why their view is wrong. I've learnt that some people really begin to believe their own lies and the lies of the world. You can't change that. Just leave them to believe what they believe and don't waste your energy trying to convince them of the "right" way of thinking. It can be pretty hard to bite your tongue, but stubbornness is hard to fight, so don't.

9. Booking holidays can get stressful

This year I booked my first holiday without my parents and although it was a fun experience, there were times where it got pretty stressful. Mainly when it came to cases and things. I really don't know why some airlines don't include baggage within the price. Where are we going to go with no belongings? I know it's a way of making extra money but it's a bit ridiculous. Anyway, there were some moments of stress and panic but it turned out to be one of my favourite holidays ever and now I have experienced my first holiday booking shenanigans. YAY

10) Boundaries are Important

Boundaries are important. They protect you. Without boundaries we are vulnerable to danger, heartbreak and consequences. It's important to make and STICK to boundaries, no matter how much you may want to break them. A lot of the problems I have encountered this year have been a result of lack of boundaries. This year more than anything has taught me that it's good to have boundaries and you should never feel pressured to remove them. They're for your own good and you have to put yourself first.

So these are some of the lessons I have learnt this year.

Thanks for reading,
Have a good day x

November Academic Goals

I've had a couple requests to bring these posts back and of course I am all up for that. I wasn't able to have any goals for September/October because the semester just began but I have lots of goals for the month of November. Lets get straight into it!

S E N D   M Y  A S S I G N M E N T   P R O P O S A L S

I have three assignment proposals to write and send to my lecturers this month. I have a couple ideas but I need to choose some final options and get them approved before I can start. I'm actually looking forward to 2/3 of my assignments as they're all analytical and those are my favourite type of assignments to do. I find the analytical side of English fascinating.

S T A R T  G A T H E R I N G   A S S I G N M E N T   D A T A

After my proposals are hopefully accepted, one of the most important stages of my assignment is analysing data, but for that I need to actually have texts.
My goal is to collect all the data I need for my assignments so I can get started with the analysis.

P R E P A R E   F O R   G R O U P   P R E S E N T A T I O N

We have 2 group presentations this month. I'm not a fan of group presentations but what can you do ay? I have already started working on them with the group but we still have lots to do. Wish us luck.


P S Y C H O L O G Y   E X A M    P R E P

My first exam of the year is in a few weeks and I couldn't feel any less prepared for it. There is SO much content and I have no idea how I am going to remember it all for this exam but we'll make it work. I'm probably going to end up in the library everyday for a week just making flashcards. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

So these are my November goals! Let's pray I achieve them.

What are your goals for the month?
Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

My First Year University Experience: Accommodation

HAPPY SUNDAY! I hope you've had a great week. Today I am bringing you part III of my first year university experience posts. So far I have posted my Academic and Social Life experience. If you haven't read those yet, you definitely should. As you can tell from the title, today's post is all about my experience living away from home. If you're not a regular reader of my blog posts, you may not know that I live in Birmingham and I chose to stay in my city for university. Despite that, I still wanted at least one year to experience the full student lifestyle. That included living in halls and having that independence. So if you want to know about my experience, carry on reading.

June Round-Up

HAPPY SUNDAY GUYS! How satisfying is it that we're ending the month on a Sunday? I love that. I cannot believe we have completed 6 months of 2019. That is CRAZY. Before we know it, 2020 will be making it's way. As usual, this is my monthly round-up, where I share some of the things I got up to during the month. June has been a pretty exciting month as a whole. Here are some of the things I did this month.

S E A N  P A U L

Sean Paul did a performance at PRYZM night club, that I went to with a couple uni friends. I was actually pretty excited because....um duh it's Sean Paul. It definitely wasn't what I expected, let's put it that way. However I get to tick off 'See Sean Paul live' from my mental Bucket List. Don't get me wrong, he was great, but it was so expensive and things happened that night that just made the whole experience weird LOL.


B O O K E D   A   H O L I D A Y   W I T H   M Y   B E S T   F R I E N D

YAY! This was probably one of my highlights of the month. After way too long, I finally booked my first holiday with my Best Friend Robyn (Shout-out to this melon). We're flying off to Alicante in September and I'm SO excited. I can't wait for all the memories we're going to make. I get to have my 20th Birthday celebrations in the sun, with one of my favourite people. What more can I ask for? Even though it's not until September, we've already been making plans and getting super hype about our first vaccay. #RobelleOnTour


F A T H E R' S  D A Y

It was Father's Day this month and I hope all the great Dad's out there were spoiled rotten. We had a pretty chilled Father's Day but I always love any time I have to treat my paps. He's one of the best people in the world, so I'm glad I got to show him how much I appreciate him (although I tell him I love him every single day).


M O V E D  O U T  O F  S T U D E N T  A C C O M O D A T I O N

A bitter sweet experience I had this month was moving out of my flat. I lived in Student accommodation for my first year of university and had a blast. There were some very high highs but also very low lows. The whole experience was great and I'm glad I got to spend a year living the full student life. If you didn't know already, I stayed in my home city for university, and will be commuting next year. I will be posting uni experience posts next month, and I'll talk more in detail about my experience living away from home.
It was so strange seeing the room look so bare. I definitely own an unnecessary amount of stuff....


E Y E - L A S H   E X T E N S I O N S

I have been wanting to get my lashes done again for ages, but I wanted to find someone who's work I really liked the look of. I had lash extensions for my year 11 prom and haven't had them done since. That was literally 3 years ago, which blows my mind. Last week I had them done by the lovely @coco__lashes on Instagram. If you're from Birmingham, I recommend her. I have 2 holidays coming up, so she'll definitely see me again this summer.

What did you get up to this month? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

Summer Bucket List 2019

And just like that, it's summer!! OK, it's not yet but it is for me. I finished university last week and that means I officially have 4 months break. Honestly that's an insanely long break to have but that's why having a bucket list is never a bad idea. I have been doing these posts every year since I started this blog, so of course it was the first thing I wanted to publish this summer.

Every year I have some things I don't get the chance to complete. Let's hope this is the year that everything is ticked off. So leggooooo

Have a Photo-shoot

Make a Movie

Play Messy Twister 

Go to the Cinema by myself 

Re-learn how to do a Handspring 

Have a Water fight
Prank someone
Read 4 books
Have a sleepover
Have a full pamper day
Bake something
Learn a famous dance routine
Do a 24hr Unplug
Say yes to everything for a day (legal and moral of course)
Explore a new town in my city
Explore a new city
Go for Brunch
Go to a Theme Park
Go summer clothes shopping
Have a picnic
Go on a cocktail date
Go to a BBQ
Do a Snapchat vlog
Go to a Trampoline Park
Make a funny videostar/music video
Catch up with an old friend
Try a completely new look
Have a Disney channel Movie marathon

So this is my summer bucket list for 2019! I will consistently update it when things have been crossed off, so if you want to know if I completed everything, come back to this post or read my monthly round-ups. 

Do you have any summer plans? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x 

March Academic Goals

March is a BUSY month for me. Towards the end of February I had a bit of a panic because I had all these deadlines floating around my head. I wrote everything down, in order of priority at the end of February and that definitely took away some weight. Being able to visually see your tasks really helps to stay calm. Free life lesson there.

This month we have a decent amount of things to do, so I thought I would share my goals for March. I didn't have enough goals in February to write a post but this busy month makes up for it. Great for you guys, possibly not so much for me. Haha send help.

Anyway, here are my March Academic Goals!

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 

January Round-Up: What Happened?

We've already reached the end of the first month! How crazy is that? That honestly flew by so quickly. I remember January feeling like 3 months long last year. but this year it came and went in a blink.

I thought I would do a post I have never done before. I want to put more time and thought into my blog this year. Although I work hard on my blog all the time, I want 2019 to be the best one yet for Chelle Belle. I'm hoping to see the community grow significantly, for my photography game to level up and for my posts to reach the engagement it never has before.

So, I have decided to start a new "series" called 'Round-up'. Being at university, having set academic goals for every month is very difficult. Unlike school doing a degree isn't as set in stone. You don't have assignments and homework every week like you may do in school or sixth form, making it very hard to make goals at the beginning of every month. I will still be making academic goals posts whenever I am able to, but I wanted something I could post every month, that would be continuous. That is when I landed on the idea of doing round-up. Essentially, at the end of every month I will share some of the things I got up to, achieved or struggled with during the month. Some may be personal and others to do with academia.

Hopefully you enjoy these posts as I go down memory lane every month. Of course this is the first of 12, that you can look forward to reading this year.
So, what did I get up to in January?

Books I Want To Read In 2019

If you know me, you'll be very much aware of my love for books. Reading is one of those things that I just get so much happiness and excitement from. Unfortunately with doing an English Language degree, I don't have much time to read my own material, however I still have a list of books I would like to read this year. I make a TBR (To Be Read) list every year but I realised the other day that I've never actually shared them with you guys. Today is the day that changes!

I'm always encouraging people to read because there are so many benefits to reading. Hopefully you'll be interested in one of these books too.

I'm pretty sure that this list will be added to over the year, however this is the list I came up with over the last week.

(This is in no particular order and the descriptions are all from goodreads)

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
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. 

2. The Thousandth Floor by Katherine Mcgee
NEW YORK CITY AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE.

A thousand-story tower stretching into the sky. A glittering vision of the future where anything is possible—if you want it enough.

WELCOME TO MANHATTAN, 2118.

A hundred years in the future, New York is a city of innovation and dreams. Everyone there wants something…and everyone has something to lose.

LEDA COLE’s flawless exterior belies a secret addiction—to a drug she never should have tried and a boy she never should have touched.

ERIS DODD-RADSON’s beautiful, carefree life falls to pieces when a heartbreaking betrayal tears her family apart.

RYLIN MYERS’s job on one of the highest floors sweeps her into a world—and a romance—she never imagined…but will this new life cost Rylin her old one?

WATT BAKRADI is a tech genius with a secret: he knows everything about everyone. But when he’s hired to spy for an upper-floor girl, he finds himself caught up in a complicated web of lies.

And living above everyone else on the thousandth floor is AVERY FULLER, the girl genetically designed to be perfect. The girl who seems to have it all—yet is tormented by the one thing she can never have.

Amid breathtaking advancement and high-tech luxury, five teenagers struggle to find their place at the top of the world. But when you're this high up, there's nowhere to go but down....

3. The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah
France, 1939
In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences. 

4. All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

5. Always Never Yours by Emma Wibberley and Austin Siegemund Broka
Seventeen-year-old Megan Harper is about due for her next sweeping romance. It's inevitable—each of her relationships starts with the perfect guy and ends with him falling in love . . . with someone else. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, Megan focuses on pursuing her next fling, directing theater, and fulfilling her dream college's acting requirement in the smallest role possible.

So when she’s cast as Juliet (yes, that Juliet) in her high school’s production, it’s a complete nightmare. Megan’s not an actress, and she’s used to being upstaged—both in and out of the theater. In fact, with her mom off in Texas and her dad remarried and on to baby #2 with his new wife, Megan worries that, just like her exes, her family is moving on without her.

Then she meets Owen Okita, an aspiring playwright inspired by Rosaline from Shakespeare's R+J. A character who, like Megan, knows a thing or two about short-lived relationships. Megan agrees to help Owen with his play in exchange for help catching the eye of a sexy stagehand/potential new boyfriend. Yet Megan finds herself growing closer to Owen, and wonders if he could be the Romeo she never expected.

6. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
In his journal, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck called East of Eden “the first book,” and indeed it has the primordial power and simplicity of myth. Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel.

Adam Trask came to California from the East to farm and raise his family on the new rich land. But the birth of his twins, Cal and Aaron, brings his wife to the brink of madness, and Adam is left alone to raise his boys to manhood. One boy thrives nurtured by the love of all those around him; the other grows up in loneliness enveloped by a mysterious darkness.

First published in 1952, East of Eden is the work in which Steinbeck created his most mesmerizing characters and explored his most enduring themes: the mystery of identity, the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love's absence. A masterpiece of Steinbeck's later years, East of Eden is a powerful and vastly ambitious novel that is at once a family saga and a modern retelling of the Book of Genesis.

7. The Seven Husbands of Everlyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways.

8. One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

9. Still Me by JoJo Moyes

Louisa Clark arrives in New York ready to start a new life, confident that she can embrace this new adventure and keep her relationship with Ambulance Sam alive across several thousand miles. She steps into the world of the superrich, working for Leonard Gopnik and his much younger second wife, Agnes. Lou is determined to get the most out of the experience and throws herself into her new job and New York life.

As she begins to mix in New York high society, Lou meets Joshua Ryan, a man who brings with him a whisper of her past. Before long, Lou finds herself torn between Fifth Avenue where she works and the treasure-filled vintage clothing store where she actually feels at home. And when matters come to a head, she has to ask herself: Who is Louisa Clark? And how do you find the courage to follow your heart--wherever that may lead?

10. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman
Two young people are forced to make a stand in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society.

Sephy is a Cross -- a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought -- a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood, but that’s as far as it can go. In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum -- a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger. Can they possibly find a way to be together?

11. One of us is lying by Karen M. McMarcus
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. 
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. 
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? 
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

12. The Wait by Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin
Hollywood power couple DeVon Franklin and Meagan Good candidly share about their courtship and marriage, and the key to their success—waiting.

President/CEO of Franklin Entertainment and former Sony Pictures executive DeVon Franklin and award-winning actress Meagan Good have learned sometimes all we can do is wait for “the one” to come into our lives. They spent years crossing paths but it wasn’t until they were thrown together while working on the film Jumping the Broom that their storybook romance began.

Faced with starting a new relationship and wanting to avoid potentially devastating relationship pitfalls, DeVon and Meagan chose to do something almost unheard of in today’s society—abstain from sex until they were married.

In The Wait, DeVon and Meagan share the life-changing message that waiting—rather than rushing a relationship—can help you find the person you’re meant to be with. Filled with candid his-and-hers accounts of the most important moments of their relationship, and practical advice on how waiting for everything—from dating to sex—can transform relationships, allowing you to find a deep connection based on patience, trust, and faith.

What Books do you want to read this year? Let me know in the comments. 

Thanks for reading, 
Have a great day x 

The Peony Planner 2018 Review

I asked on my Instagram whether people wanted me to review the planner I was using throughout 2018 and 98% said yes. I thought I would break down my thoughts about the planner and whether it is worth the money.

Disclaimer: I was gifted the planner by 'The Happiness Planner' however my opinions are 100% honest regardless. The company is not sponsoring this post (although I wish they were). 

The Peony Planner is a beautiful faux leather planner with metal detailing. It comes in several colours, however I chose Black with Rose Gold accents. It is possibly the most stunning planner I have ever seen. It almost looks like a clutch bag, which makes it so elegant and feminine. It's definitely made to sit as a centre piece for your desk.

The description of the planner by the company:

'The Happiness Planner is a planner like no other. Instead of focusing on productivity, it focuses on “your happiness”. It is designed to help you welcome more positivity, joy, and happiness into your life by applying the practices of positive thinking, positive affirmations, mindfulness, gratitude, and self-development. 

On top of the typical daily pages, this planner is packed with questions and guides that help you become a happier and more positive person.'

When you first receive the planner, it comes in a beautiful box (The same colour as your chosen planner), and the product is carefully wrapped in tissue paper. Not only is this great for keeping your planner in perfect condition, but it feels so luxurious when you open it up.

Things that came in the box:

• 1 Rose Gold Pen 
• 3 Rose Gold Paper Clips
• 2 Rose Gold Binder Clips 
• The Planner 
• Loose Sheets 
• Some Stickers 
• A Note from the Company 

I was so surprised to see how much came in the box. I honestly expected to just have the planner and a pen but it comes with so many worksheets that stimulate reflection and help to build a vision. I loved this throughout the year because it ensures that you always remember your goals. At the beginning of the year you are required to fill out some pages. Some of the things include writing your goals for the year, where you want to be in 5/10 years and your achievements so far etc. I honestly found it so therapeutic to sit down and look back at the past and focus on the future.

Every month you have a calendar, where you can write down any important events you have. I also decided to highlight the boxes where I knew I was working, so I could keep track of my shifts. This really helped me to stay organised. If someone ever wanted to make plans, all I needed to do was flip over to the calendar page and see if I was working that day.

Following this, you have a monthly spread where you can give yourself personal and professional goals, highlight things you can look forward to and write a quote or message of encouragement. I often wrote bible scriptures in this section. The planner also comes with stickers with quotes that you can use to decorate any of the pages.

Everyday there was a page to fill out. At the top you had a quote and 4 boxes. These were 'Today I'm excited about', 'Main Focus', 'Exercises' and 'Meals'. Then beneath this was a section for your schedule and To-do list. Finally, there were 4 more boxes at the bottom, that were labelled as 'Good Things About Today', 'What I'm grateful for', 'What I hope for tomorrow', and 'Notes'. I really loved having this as part of my daily routine, because it forced me to see the good in every day. Even when I had days that weren't so great, sitting down and having to complete the page prompted me to think positively. Looking back, I can definitely tell that doing this changed my mindset for the better. 

At the end of every month you have to complete a reflection page. I really enjoyed doing these as I was able to look back at the struggles I overcame, goals I met and memories of the month. The page includes a table where you must rank certain areas such as health, productivity and moods. At the end of the year, you add up these scores and you are able to clearly view how your mood progressed and changed throughout the year, as well as your habits. I found that happiness was my number one mood of 2018, which clearly indicates that the planner works, and my productivity was pretty constant. One thing I found interesting is that my energy levels were low throughout most of the year, so I know this is something I need to change in 2019. 

My favourite thing about this planner is that it always focuses on the positive. Although you may be required to write down your monthly struggles, it also asks you to write down how you overcame or will overcome them. It acknowledges that your year won't be perfect, but it focuses on the things that make us happy, by having daily focus on gratitude, areas to write down your happiest moments and what we can look forward to.

I truly believe that this planner has changed my life. At the end of the year I was able to see all the challenges I overcame, the memories I made and the goals I met. I met all my goals for the year, which makes me so happy. I definitely think this is an extraordinary planner that could help so many people. It gets you to evaluate every area of your life and come up with ways to develop. The planner itself is definitely not cheap. The 2019 planner is currently £54.00. HOWEVER, it is an amazing product. I actually bought the weekly inserts for this year, as I was so happy with it. I think it is worth the money, if you have it. I will definitely be buying new inserts every year, unless I find a new planner to try. 

I've found a new desire to find the best planner out there. I've always been into organisation and journals etc, but The Happiness Planner has really brought out a love for planning out life. Maybe you'll see more planner reviews in the future. 

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with this planner. Not only do I have the dates for all the BEST days due to documenting them, but I finished the year HAPPY. 

Here is the link to the website if you would like to purchase the planner or any other product from the company: 

https://thehappinessplanner.co.uk/ 

I hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know in the comments what blog posts you want me to write this year! 

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x

January Academic Goals 2019

It has been so long since I have done an 'Academic Goals' post. My last one was back in May! I originally planned to start them again in September but finding time to blog during the first semester was a bit of a nightmare. Now that it is a brand new year, it is only right that I kick start them again. These type of posts always had a great response and honestly having academic and personal goals every month is essential for me.

I don't have many goals for this month as I don't start university again until the end of January. I have an exam on the 17th but my first lecture of second semester is the 29th.Most of these goals focus on the exam.

1) Learn how to draw Grammar Trees

If you have never studied English Language above GCSE level, you'll probably have no clue what these are, but they are THE WORST. I had heard of them during my A-levels but we didn't ever have to do them, so being told drawing them in first year was worth a hefty amount of marks in exams was quite the disappointment. When we were first introduced to them in a lecture, I had never left a room so confused. I went to the seminar the week after and still had no clue what I was doing. The week we broke up for Christmas, we had a revision session and I didn't improve much then either. It is now 2 weeks before the exam and I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING. My number one goal for this month is to learn how to draw a stupid grammar tree. I understand the concept and the first couple steps but honestly I'm lost from beyond that point. Send help.

2) To Practise writing the two exam essays

This is obviously a goal I need to meet BEFORE the final exam, but it is one I am yet to even touch. The exam is 3 painful hours long and includes writing two essays. I feel like such an unprepared student because I haven't attempted to do a practise essay ONCE. I've known about this question for over a month and haven't even dissected the question, let alone wrote it. I don't know what it is, but I've come home and forgot I'm a student. I'm planning to sit myself down and plan the question out and then write it next week.

3) Learn the definitions for linguistic terms

This is a goal I have actually started trying to reach, thank God. It's probably the easiest of the tasks because its all a memory game. All I do for this is write out definitions over and over until I wake up repeating them.

4) My one goal for after the exam is to look into my modules before the term begins.

I am able to view what my modules are for second semester, so I want to read around the subject a little bit just to take off some of the stress. If I know the basis of the modules, then perhaps it will make assignments a lot easier and maybe I'll have to do less reading during the term (lol a girl can dream).

So these are my academic goals for the first month of the year! What are some of your academic goals? And if you're working full-time, what are your professional goals?

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

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

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