January favourites.

Now January has flown by in a flash for me, I literally cannot believe it's already over. This month has been eventful, but now as the end of the month is looming, this can only mean one thing, favourites post time! 

Let's start with my absolute favourite thing this month, the Ted Baker body spray. 

Oh my god, this thing smells amazing. I don't even know what scent it is, it doesn't have any clue on the bottle either. I received this in a gift set my Boyfriend's mum bought me for my birthday and I've used to every single day since I got it. I love it, it lasts such a long time on my skin/clothes, I've barely used any of this considering how much I've used it. I'm really not sure how much this retails for as I've never seen it around but I'm pretty sure you'd be able to pick it up from Boots or something. 

Another favourite this month has been the Makeup Revolution Focus & Fix eyebrow kit. 

I bought this because I wanted to define my eyebrows a little more than just using a pencil, as I find when I blend that in, it looks as if I've done nothing to my eyebrows. I purchased the medium to dark shades as I have naturally quite light eyebrows being a redhead and all, they're slightly brown but slightly blonde but I wanted to go a little darker because my hair is red and I wanted them to..stand out? After using this, I have really nice thick and defined eyebrows and to be honest, this actually lasts all day. I wasn't expecting it to last that long as it's only a powder and I've not actually used the wax that's in it, but my god this has serious staying power on my skin. I'm a huge fan of Makeup Revolution, every single product I've bought of theirs I have been seriously impressed with and this does not fail to impress like the others. I purchased this from Superdrug for £3.50, however you can also purchase this directly from their website for the same price. 

I've found my love for Innocent smoothies again this month! 

These smoothies were a regular in my lunchbox when I was about 13-14, but I hadn't drank them in years. When I took a trip to my local Sainsburys a couple of weeks ago I realised these were on offer at 2 for £5.00 and I really fancied them. Talk about impulse buying...however I'm so glad I did. I've taken one to work every morning with me since and it's been such a nice change to my morning break rather than having a brunch bar. I've found cheaper alternatives since I've done a bit of scouting around but seriously these little cartons pack such a punch of flavour, although I'm not too keen on the sugar content...I think they normally retail for around £2-3 per box in nearly every supermarket that I've been to. 

The next favourite this month is actually something I was bought for Christmas. 

I was bought this as a present from my Sister and my brother in law in a box set from Lush. This is the Mangnificent soap bar and needless to say, I loooove this. The smell is absolutely amazing. I wasn't too keen at first because it smelt quite sweet but once I'd used it, it smelt amazing. It makes my skin SO soft and leaves just the right amount of scent on my skin which lasts all day. I've used this a lot this month and the same as most Lush products, I haven't really used a lot of it. The bar I got I presume was the normal size which is 100g for £4.00 but this was actually in a box set called Tutti Frutti. 

And last but not least, my last favourite(s) this month are the Yankee candle wax tarts.

I friggen love these things. I've had my wax burner for about a year and a half now and I've had countless amount of these wax tarts. My absolute favourites are Sweet Pea and also Pink Honeysuckle. I've recently bought a few more such as Shea Butter and also Cassis, oh my god they smell amazing. I seriously would not be able to be without one of these any more. I've never been a huge fan of the candles because I find I like to chop and change between scents which this allows me to do. I've also recently found out that if you put the  solid wax in the freezer once the scent isn't as strong, it brings the strength back in the scent. This I'm sure will save me quit a bit of money over the next few months! These are available in a HUGE amount of scents, usually around the £1-2 mark. I've certainly got my own little stash of these....

Another month gone, another 5 of my favourites. What have you been enjoying in January? 

♥

How I deal with IBS.

Granted this isn't the nicest of blog posts I'll ever do, but I feel like I need to make awareness of IBS more out there. I'm one of the millions of people suffering with it, and I'm amongst the many that don't actually want to talk about it. I'm not posting this just for my benefit but so others can see exactly what my day to day life is like. 

Since being "diagnosed" (I hate that word...) my life has completely changed. I've known I've had stomach issues for around 4 years now - not long after a trip to Liverpool. I caught a very bad stomach bug and ever since, I catch nearly every stomach bug going. I only really became aware of it when it started to change how I live...meaning I now stay in a lot more than I go out because I can't be anywhere where I don't know the location of the nearest toilet. People think I'm joking when I say that, but I can barely make it to work which is 10 minutes away, without rushing straight to the toilet when I get there. 

I hate the stigma that surrounds my IBS, a lot of people think I fake it because one day I can be absolutely fine and the next, I could be a blithering wreck. This is just how it is. I never know how I'm going to be one day to the next, however lately it's taken a toll for the worst. A lot of people think I'm overthinking this but I'm simply not.  Every single day I wake up feeling extremely nauseous and within half an hour of being awake, the stomach cramps start. I can go to the toilet about 5-6 times before I even leave for work and when I do, I start getting hot and I get cold sweats, then I start to panic. Not because something bad will happen, but because the cramps are so intense that I can't do anything but simply let my body do what it wants to do. 

For example, this weekend is my full weekend off from work and I've done nothing but stay in my pyjamas and watch tv on the sofa under the duvet because I cannot face going out. Today I've been to the toilet around 10 times and it's only 1pm. My stomach is bloated, I feel nauseous and I cannot eat anything due to this. Is this really how I should be living my life? Shouldn't I be going out, doing the things that I really want to without thinking "Where's the nearest toilet?"...

I have to be extremely careful which foods I eat as literally anything can set my IBS off. Pasta, cheese, potato, chicken, anything. I cannot pinpoint one thing that makes my stomach churn. Like I said before, I can eat something one day and be fine, then eat it the next and become very poorly from it. I've had to keep a food diary for the last 6 months or so and there isn't any sort of definite pattern. I cannot eat breakfast because it makes me feel so sick, no matter what I try. The only thing that works for me in the morning is peppermint tea, I find that really helps my stomach to settle. I generally don't eat until around 10-11am, where I find my stomach starts to calm down. 

I've been backwards and forwards to the doctors numerous times about my stomach and each time they've told me to try different things. I've now been told I have to take a similar product to Imodium every single day, alongside buscopan. Failing this, I'll be moved on to something else. I'm now waiting for my hospital appointment to come around so I can have more tests done to find out exactly what's happening but I'm starting to worry. Not because I'm scared of getting a diagnosis of something, but I'm worried about how I'll feel about having this for the rest of my life. I can't explain it...

I constantly feel like there's a huge weight on my shoulders, I'm always thinking about where the nearest toilet is no matter where I go. I dread having to go out in case I get caught short, I even try to make myself think I'm okay but in reality all that does it make it worse for me. I find myself getting upset with myself on a regular basis because there's nothing I can do at the minute to help myself. Now to look at me, you wouldn't think that all of this is a daily occurrence for me but it really is. Every single day I wake up wondering how I'm going to feel, if I'll even make it to work and how I'll feel so the rest of the day. When I wake up I feel so bloated, I avoid wearing certain items of clothing now just so other people can't notice it. 

For all the people that make jokes about toilets, stomach issues and the embarrassment around them, just remember someone is actually having to deal with this every single day of their life. Not just me, but many people around you. Just have some consideration for those people even if they don't make it known to you that they have stomach troubles. 

The real reason I'm writing this post is because I just want to make myself aware how much IBS has really changed my life and how much people tell me it shouldn't. It's difficult living every single day not being able to eat the foods I want to and drink whatever I want to. If you have a stomach issue, just remember there are so many people around you that potentially have one too, it's better to talk about it than to keep it to yourself. 

♥

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?

♥

December favourites.

Another month down, another post showing you my favourite things. This month I didn't particularly have many makeup items as I'm on a buying ban, but here's some of my favourite things from December.

First of all, let's just accept the fact I have become horribly addicted to Netflix. One show in particular being American Horror Story. 

I have no idea why I like this programme, if anything I didn't really understand what was going on but it certainly had me hooked from the first episode. 

Another thing I'm extremely late on the bandwagon with is Breaking Bad. Again, I owe this to my addiction with netflix!

Now I'm not going to lie, this programme has taken me a while to get into because I just didn't get what everyone was raving about. However, I've been hooked since the second series and it's constantly on my TV, I cannot wait to watch the next episode. Maybe this is telling me I need to get a social life...

In December, I was able to renew my phone contract. I'd had a Samsung Galaxy s3 for around 2 years but it rapidly went downhill when the battery would only last an hour or so before dropping to 20% and the screen would frequently turn purple and green. 

So, off I went to carphone warehouse to get me a new shiney phone! I opted for the Nokia Lumia 930. Now before you all go "why?!" let me tell you something. I hate iPhones, I just cannot get my head around them, Samsung I genuinely didn't want to go with again and anything else was far too expensive. Now this little beauty is £31.50 a month for unlimited texts and calls with 4gb of internet. Now I really cannot complain about that as it's cheaper than what I was paying before and I get heaps more! I'm really happy with this phone and if anything, I enjoy using it. It's really easy to use and I can keep it hooked up with my windows 8 laptop. 

Now my next favourite was actually my main Christmas present from my Boyfriend. 

I've wanted a food mixer for as long as I can remember and he totally surprised me with this one. You can't really tell but on the picture it's a baby pink colour but let me tell you, it's even better in real life. It's very much a bubblegum pink which looks amazing. The top part detaches so you can use it as a hand mixer too which is a bonus as mine broke! I've only used it a couple of times as I've really not had much time to go and buy ingredients to cook with but oh my god I'm totally in love. 

It may have taken me nearly 4 years to invest in my next favourite but I am SO glad I did! 

I finally treat myself to a real pair of Ugg boots. My ex had bought me a fake pair years ago and tried making me believe they were real....they've been faithful to me in respect that they've never had a stain on them, they're still in pretty good shape and to be honest I will continue to wear them when I don't want to get my real Uggs messy on rainy days or if I'm going somewhere I know will be muddy. But my god, you can definitely tell the difference and I'm so glad I waited this long as I really appreciate these ones even though they were purchased with my own money. I've worn them countless amounts of times already and they're yet to misshape, get dirty or even feel gross inside. I loooove them. 

Now I realise December isn't a month really for treating myself so this favourites post isn't the most exciting one I'll ever do. But at the end of this month I'll have more to post as it's been my birthday and also new year.

Until next time! 

♥

Looking back...

Now all the festivities of Christmas are over and I finally have time to sit back and relax, I thought I'd do a summary of 2014. This year certainly has been such a roller coaster ride for me, I'd say this has been on par with the year my Nan died. There have been so many things that have happened for me, this year seems to have gone by in a flash.

January - I celebrated my 21st birthday, I got horrendously drunk and had a very bad hangover the next day. Also, my gorgeous little Jack sadly passed away after having him for about 13 years. RIP buddy <3

February - I received letters for two things that'd change my life. Jury service and an appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed. 

March - Quite possibly the busiest month of my life this year...early in March I had Jury Service for 2 weeks. The week after that, I finally signed the paperwork to move out of our old house to move into our new house. 

April - A week after moving house, I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed. I've never been knocked out before nor have I ever had an operation but I certainly would never want to go through having teeth removed again! 

May - My parents celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary, we had a lovely family meal with my Aunties and Uncles. I also looked after my sisters cats for 3 weeks whilst she was in Florida, possibly the most gorgeous cats I've ever laid eyes on. This was also the month my Nan told me I could have one of her friends kittens.

June - This is always a busy month for me, I have 2 birthdays and Fathers day all to celebrate in this month. This was also the month I got my gorgeous Bonnie cat! 

July - I celebrated my 2 year anniversary with my Boyfriend this year, we had a lovely day out shopping and we also went to Nandos for dinner. My nephews 2nd birthday was celebrated in July with a lovely party thrown by my sister, unfortunately there were very bad thunder storms so we couldn't enjoy the warm weather but I certainly took my Auntie duties seriously that day when it came to having cake thrown at me! 

August - This was the month everything went downhill for me...I became very ill in August, after having multiple trips to hospital, I had my appendix out and didn't recover very well. I really don't remember much of this month other than I accepted a new job and spent a lot of time in bed. A lot of time. 

September - I started my new job at the beginning of September, for a couple of weeks I was in training which I really enjoyed. My Boyfriend's birthday is also in September, so as a joint present for both of us we went to see Lee Evans at the NIA, possibly one of the best experiences of my life.

October -  I didn't eat take away food for the whole of October. Nothing else really interesting happened in October... there's nothing that stands out to me anyway! Apart from the fact I finally got my name on a Coke bottle thanks to my job!

November - I finally had a week off work to chill out and do absolutely nothing after having such a busy month in October. I literally did nothing but have lie ins, lazy days and kitty snuggles. I finally got referral to hospital for my IBS which hopefully means it'll be under control soon. Oh, and I finally began eating vegetables...

December - Ahh, the lovely month of December. Christmas shopping, endless parties and obviously, Christmas day. I've really enjoyed December this year, for some reason I looked forward to Christmas and I also enjoyed seeing all my family in one place. Also, this was the month I FINALLY purchased genuine Ugg boots and safe to say...I'm in love! 

Writing all of this down makes me realise just how much I've actually done this year and how eventful it's actually been. I'm hoping next year will be a lot less eventful...in some ways. I have a couple of plans for next year, lets hope I actually get them in to action.

Here's to an eventful and memorable 2014, I hope you all stay happy and healthy over the festive period and all enjoy your new year whatever you'll be doing for it! 

♥

Where have I been?

First of all I'm going to apologise for my absence these past couple of weeks, I've had quite a rough time. I thought I'd give you all a bit of an update as to where I've been and what I've been doing. 

Work became extremely busy and after spending all day in front of a computer, the last thing I wanted to do was come home and sit in front of my laptop. This meant my blog has been neglected. 

I've also been backwards and forwards to the doctors again...my IBS has come back with a vengeance and I've been quite poorly from it. I was constantly tired, nauseous and I frequently needed to take extended breaks at work. My appetite the last couple of weeks has grown less and less too. I'm finally being referred back to the hospital to get help controlling it as it's effecting the way I live now, which is the one thing I always said it'd never do. Until you've had IBS or have had symptoms, you will never know what it's like. I've literally wanted to hide away from everyone, I've found it incredibly difficult to get out of bed, go to work and face civilization. 

I hope to get back in to the swing of things soon, we all know the next week will be a busy one so hopefully I'll have lots to blog about, with it being Christmas, new year and then my birthday all within two weeks of each other! 

I know I don't have many followers but the ones who I have, thank you for sticking around even though I'm very much in and out of blogging!




♥

November favourites.

We're in December already?! Where the hell did last month go? We all know what that means, November favourites! 


Lets kick this off with my absolute makeup favourite, rediscovery and...re-staple...? in my makeup collection. Revlon Colorstay foundation in Ivory. 

I've only recently rediscovered my love for this foundation. I previously tried the normal/dry formula for this foundation, however the grease demons on my face are back so I decided to pick up the combination/oily formula this time. Oh my god, this is like a dream on my face. Personally, I love the smell of this foundation as it's not too overpowering and it's not too cakey on my skin. I get very high coverage from this foundation, I don't need to use a concealer. I also really really like the fact that this foundation almost dries powdery. I can easily wear this foundation all day at work and through the evening right up until I go to bed. Now that's about...15 hours wear! In that time, my face has never gotten shiney and it looks exactly like it had done when I applied it. This may retail for around £12.00 in good makeup stockists, but Revlon, you've found yourself firmly back into my makeup drawer.

Second favourite of the month is the Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss crayons. 

I'm an absolute sucker for anything from Soap and Glory, I absolutely love their retro inspired packaging. These caught my eye as I've always wanted to try their lip crayon range but never had the guts to at £8.00 a pop. This was retailing at £15.00 when I purchased it from Boots, which personally, I don't think was that bad. I actually used my points on my Advantage card to buy these. The colours on the picture are a little more vivid than the actual product, however the colour payoff on these crayons are so nice. They're subtle on first application but definitely build able. My favourite out of the three is the darkest shade called "Raplumzel", it's a really deep toned colour which suits my skin tone perfectly. These are super moisturising, don't need reapplying that often on my lips and are a nice chunky size. I definitely feel like I've gotten my money's worth with these and I'll certainly be purchasing more in the future. 

What would a monthly favourites from me be without a Lush product?

Now I'm not a huge fan of some of the Lush soaps as I find them quite sickly, but I purchased Rockstar soap with my last Lush purchase and I'm so happy I did. It's a sweet but not overpowering scent, lasts all day on my skin and makes my skin feel super soft. Lush describe this as "nostalgic seaside rock" and they certainly are right. I've been using this every day now for around...a month and I've barely used anything of the smallest block you can purchase. I'd definitely repurchase this again, however I'll more than likely be switching to a different soap so I don't get bored of the scent too easily! I'm pretty sure I paid around £3-4 for the smallest block which is going to last me forever!

I actually work for Vax, however in their recent Factory Sale I fancied myself a steamer.

I actually purchased a Steam Fresh Combi as the fact it's a 2 in 1 steamer really appealed to me. After having Bonnie, I like to keep the carpets fresh to keep away fleas and also so I can clean my kitchen easily. I'm not going to write too much on this as it sounds like I'm promoting products, however if you're looking for a multifunction steamer, I really do recommend this one. I'm so impressed, my bathroom has NEVER been so clean! 

The last favourite I'll write about this month is something I've been battling with for..as long as I can remember. 

Now you're probably thinking...why have you got a picture of vegetables there? Well, to be brutally honest, I haven't eaten vegetables since I was a tiny baby, and that's not even joking. I have always eaten fruit but vegetables just really worry me and I don't know why. I've tried several times to conquer my eating habits but have only just succeeded. It felt like the right time to try again and this time, because I was in the right mindset, I was finally able to get over my fear of eating vegetables and actually introduce them as a staple part of my diet. Now I'm not gunna say I love every single vegetable out there and I'm going to try every single one, but I'm so proud of myself for even putting a beansprout or a carrot or even a parsnip in my mouth. I've actually enjoyed trying new foods and this is why it's in my favourites. 

What have you enjoyed throughout November? What are you looking forward to in December? 

♥