Looking back: 2015

I've been pretty silent on the blogging front for over a month now because I really needed a break from technology. I spend Monday - Friday, 08:15 to 17:15 in front of a computer so the last thing I want to do is come home and sit in front of my laptop. Like I've said before, I don't want to blog if my heart isn't in the post. 

Now the Christmas and New Year festivities are over, I wanted to take some time out and reflect on 2015, as honestly, I'm quite glad it's over. It hasn't been the greatest year for me, my Partner or my family but hey, let's look to the future, right? 

Here's a little reflection of 2015: 

January - I celebrated my 22nd birthday. I can't remember doing much for my Birthday other than going to Wellsbourne market in the morning and having a takeaway for dinner. The weather was pretty miserable, so I didn't really fancy doing anything! 

February - I left my job at Vax towards the end of the month as I really wasn't enjoying it any more. I used to dread going to work every day, so I thought it was time for a change. 

March - I landed myself in a job at a Hotel booking company. I thought this was the right decision to make, although it was a slight pay cut. I also went to London to visit my Sister- by myself! This was such a huge thing for me as I never go anywhere by myself and if I do, it's never this far. I thoroughly enjoyed going to see her. This was also the month I found out my sister's partner was planning on proposing to her! Oh and after many months of being in and out of hospital, I found out I have Bile Acid Malapsorbtion. 

April - I bought my new car early April. This was quite a quiet month as I was just getting used to my new job and also Devon had not long started his new job too. 

May - My sister got engaged on her holiday to Canada/Mexico. Although I'd known about this for a couple of months, I was still so happy for her when she announced it. 

June - Me and Devon went on holiday to Tenby for a week. I cannot explain how much I feel at home there, I didn't really want to come back! I also left my job at the Hotel booking agency this month. I ended up spending well over 40 hours a week there, for next to minimum wage. I ended up having to work weekends too, which is something I didn't want to do. I thought, enough was enough, and made the right decision for me and Devon. This is also the month I had my Septum and Daith piercing. 

July - My Nephew turned 3 this year and we celebrated with a party. I think I'd blown up about 30 balloons, wrapped so many presents and thankfully, the party was a hit! Me and Devon also celebrated our 3 year anniversary together. I can't really remember doing much for our Anniversary, other than booking tickets to go to Harry Potter World. 

August - Me and Devon went to Blackpool. Less said about that, the better! I also changed my hair back in August, I had a full fringe cut, which was a change from the side fringe I'd had since I was about 13. Also, after being in and out of work for a few months, I landed myself in a new job which I actually love. 

September - I started my new job properly at Mainstay in September. Little did I know, this would be a job that I grow to love, and still do even now. My team are amazing and have literally made me feel like I've been there for years. Me and Devon also went to the Harry Potter studio tour and I'm not even joking when I say this is one of the best experiences of my life. I also went to see my Sister on the way home, which was nice to have a catch up as I didn't realise I wouldn't be seeing her until December.

October - My Dad had gone into hospital to have his triple stent operation, which unfortunately did not go ahead due to complications. Also, Devon's Grandad passed away mid month, which was incredibly sad and is taking some getting used to. The funeral was lovely, though. (if that's the right thing to say!). This was also the month I stripped my hair dye out and changed to using Henna dye. 

November - Sewing took over my life this month. I really got stuck in with using my machine after it being in the box for months. I well and truly have the sewing bug now, which has been made all the worse by having an actual setup now! 

December - I passed my probation at Mainstay and earned myself a nice little pay rise. I also had my portfolio changed to Key Clients, which was a huge step for me! Also, Christmas was a nice event this year as I hadn't seen my Sister in a few months and it was nice to have a catch up with her. It was nice having time to spend with my family and Devon over the Christmas period, as life had been a little hectic with work. Also, New Year was absolutely awesome. I spent it in London with Devon, my Sister and her Fiancé, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And shopping the day after in London with my Sister was amazing, I felt like such a tourist though! 

One thing I've really noticed this year is just how much my family "dynamic" has changed. I'm a lot closer to my Sister as I haven't really seen her a lot this year, however I find myself becoming a little more distant from my Parents and other Sister. I'm not sure how/why this is happening and I'm not sure I'm happy about it but hopefully this will change in 2016. 

I want to say though, I am in so much more of a better place than I was this time in 2015. Although I'm still battling with my weight and illness, I'm mentally in such a happier place. 2015 was a year of trying to find exactly who/what I want to be and if I'm being honest, I think I'm on the right track.

Much like my last "Looking back" post, it's nice to see how far I've come this year and I hope to grow more in 2016, both with my mental happiness and also my commitment to this blog!

♥

September favourites

I haven't done a monthly favourites in quite a while, but I thought as we're now in October and the festive season is fast approaching, why not! 

September was quite a tough month for me for a couple of reasons. At the start of the month, I started a new job which I absolutely love. I work with a great team of people and I haven't once said "I'm bored" since I started, which is huge for me. My dad was meant to have a heart operation last week but wasn't able to have it done - things turned completely upside down and it didn't turn out the way it was "meant" to. I've also suffered horrendously this month with migraines, I had a spell where I didn't get them and now they seem to have come back with a vengeance! 

Moving on from my little overview of the month, here are some of the things I've really been enjoying throughout September. 

I know I've said this before, but I really think I've found my "holy grail" foundation. 

I never really thought any colours from the Max Factor foundation range suited me as even the lightest shade was horribly orange on my pale, freckly skin. It was a bit of a risk to buy as this costs the same of the Revlon Colourstay (£12.99) which I've always considered as the best foundation for me. This one however took me by complete surprise. I've seen the Facefinity 3 in 1 foundation before and it felt nice on the back of my hand but I was put off by the colour, I'm not sure if the tester bottle of Light Ivory had oxidized but it was very, very orange. The bottle that I bought however, was the perfect shade for me. This foundation blends amazingly into my skin, leaving me looking absolutely flawless. And the best thing is I don't get oily skin right up until I go to take it off at night. I bought mine from Boots for £12.99.

I've become really addicted to my Yankee candle wax tart burner again now the days have gone a bit colder, one scent in particular which is Shea Butter. 

This smells absolutely amazing, I know that's a really vague way of explaining what it smells like but I can see myself repurchasing this time and time. The smell lingers all day but isn't overpowering, it's just...gah so nice! I only burn half a tart at a time and even after burning the first half around 5 times, the smell is still very very much there. I bought mine from Webbs of Wychbold for around £1.50 but you can purchase the wax tarts from any good Yankee candle stockists. 

I purchased myself some new glasses in September also, well around the end of August actually. I'd been wanting some glasses for quite a while, as the ones I had purchased a year or so ago weren't really right. When I tried the display frames on, they fit perfectly but I received my own, they just didn't sit right even after adjusting them endless amounts of times. Now, I've wanted Raybans for as long as I can remember, now I finally have some! 

I bought the standard Wayfarer frames, which actually fit perfectly. It's like it was meant to be!....but seriously, these are so comfortable. I was very nervous about buying these as I still spent around £80 on them from Glasses Direct, as I couldn't try them on a home trial. Once I'd ordered them, I received them around 3 days after which was really quick as I'm used to waiting around 2 weeks for them. So far, I'm really impressed. Not much to say, they're glasses and allow me to see perfectly! 

I also purchased a new tablet this month, as I really didn't get on with my Samsung Galaxy tab 3. I've been after a Tesco Hudl for quite a while, even after all the negative reviews I've heard about them. 

Going against everything I've read against these tablets, I really really love mine. I've used it every day since I purchased it, and I'm yet to find a fault with it. The battery life is perfect for what I want, it's a great size and you know what? I'm happy I got it. END OF. Anyone who is negative about the Hudl, get out now! 

And last but not least, my absolutely favourite thing from September was my trip to the Harry Potter studio tour. I could go on for hours and hours about this, it was genuinely an amazing and meaningful trip for me. Harry Potter is something I've grown up around, I've always read the books and I've always watched the films. We went for my partner's birthday and he enjoyed it just as much as I did! 

I took some amazing photos which I'm going to cherish. The photo I've posted above is going to be made into a canvas eventually, when I have enough money. I'm just so happy I went, that's all I can say! 

I'm glad it's finally Autumn, I've already cracked out the jumpers and scalves. I can't wait for it to be Halloween as it's possibly my favourite season, but I'm also excited for Christmas too. I've got a couple of posts lined up for my blog which will be published within the next couple of weeks or so, hopefully things will start picking up again!

♥

Things I have planned for 2015.

I've never been one to make New Years resolutions because I just simply don't keep to them. I don't see why one day of a year should change who or what I am for the next 365 days. However, this year I've made a pact with myself to achieve some targets and I'm not going to beat myself up over if it I don't reach them to the full extent. 

I need to learn that it's okay to say no and keep to it. I'm a nightmare for saying no to something and then giving in, it's probably my worst trait. I aim to please other people as much as I can but I learned last year that it did more harm than good. 

Buy less, use more. I have a serious makeup addiction, I cannot go to town without going in to Superdrug or Boots and walk out without buying something. It's impossible for me. But after re-organising my makeup collection, I realised that I need to use more of what I'm actually buying rather than use it once and never again. My lip product drawer is just ridiculous, I have some things in there I haven't even opened! 

I aim to eat at least 4 healthy dinners a week. This for me is a huge thing as I've only recently started eating vegetables. I've really been enjoying stir fry lately and it's really filling which is a good thing because I find myself searching less for sugary snacks to fill the gaps. I find it especially hard too as my partner can eat anything and never feel bad for doing so, but due to my IBS I have to be extremely careful with what I eat...unless I fancy suffering the consequences in the following hours! 

Following on from that, I aim to get out and about for at least 45 minutes, 3 times a week. This isn't just for exercise but for my own sanity! I spend a lot of my time indoors, I work in a busy office then come home and spend all night on the sofa. I need to get out and do something, even if it's just for a walk down the road to see my parents. I also want to kickstart my Zumba again as I've really been slacking with that. I plan on getting back down to a healthier weight, also so I can feel a lot better about myself.

This year, I plan on going to see my sister in London. Now that seems like an odd thing to achieve, but I really don't travel well. I can barely make it to work (10 minutes away...) without feeling sick and that anxious to the point where I make myself have panic attacks. Not only do I want to get better at travelling, I also want to go and spend time with my sister, walk about London and actually do something! 

I also plan on taking time to appreciate things that really matter to me. This sounds so obvious, but last year I felt like I took a lot for granted. I want to look back on 2015 and remember the good things that happened, rather than the bad. I really want to make a memory jar this year just to see if I can actually stick to it, and to be able to read back on all the good things that have happened this year. 

I won't list all of the things I plan on doing this year because I'd be sat here typing for ages! I felt like writing these down would help me actually achieve them rather than me just thinking I'd be able to. You might be reading this and thinking that some are extremely cliche, but for me, they're personal targets which I aim to fulfil. 

What are you going to do this year, have you got any resolutions?

♥