Letting go of blogging

I started blogging around about 2009. I've been doing it ever since and I've never been more unhappy with it than I have been this year. Towards the end of last year I was thinking about giving it all up but my boyfriend bought me some camera lenses for my 'blogging' camera and I felt a bit like I had to carry on. I must admit after using the lenses I really enjoyed taking photos and I feel like they improved a little bit (despite finding out I'd been transferring minute size copies of the images onto my laptop for years) but this year I've just lost all interest.

I don't really care about the latest lipsticks and I even got a bit fed up of Manicure Monday's and felt like spending my money on nail polishes was a bit of a waste. I got fed up of pressuring myself on a weekend to get blog photos taken and posts written when I'd already spent a whole week working 9-5.30pm in front of a computer.

I'd taken multiple 'blog breaks' through the year but nothing really helped so I finally decided that was it a couple of weeks ago...so I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here now to be honest. I feel like completely taking the pressure off has allowed some words to just flow freely from my fingers. I don't have anything to review/promote this time and I'm just getting things out of my brain. I don't even know if I'll publish this but it feels good to be writing something down.

During the past few weeks I've had lovely relaxing weekends. I've spent an entire Saturday doing my housework without worrying about having to slot in some time to take photos. I even spent a Sunday or two on the sofa and I got through the entire new Harry Potter book within two hours. It was magical (lol, sorry!).

It's nice to say I don't have anything planned on the weekend. It's nice to pop out to town or if Vince has the day off from work it's nice to spend it together and go somewhere without having this nagging in the back of my head about having to get blog photos taken.

I don't think I'll go back to blogging like I was before on a regular basis. Sometimes I do get the urge to get all the pretty blog props out and start shooting away but then I remember I want to keep all the pressure off. I don't want to worry about comment numbers and who is or isn't reading and I don't want to keep comparing my blog to the thousands and thousands of other perfect ones out there so instead I think I'll just use this as my little space on the Internet where I can jot down thoughts and let words spill out spontaneously.

Until next time...

H&M Home blog photo prop haul

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about my New Look blog photo prop haul and I have say it went down rather well. It seems I'm not alone in seeing homeware products as blog photo props instead so when I was in London recently I just had to pop into H&M Home.

I was very good and quite restrained, just picking up three little bits in order to give my blog photos a bit of a makeover as I have to admit the copper props were getting a bit samey in every pic. I got myself a very pretty silver pinapple, which only when I got it home did I realise it was a candle, a geometric print cushion cover and a small porcelain plate with some really cute detailing around the edge. You can see the first set of photos I took with the new props here and I have to say I'm really pleased. I like the monochrome look and the plate in particular is fab for popping nail polishes on.




I'm starting to build up a bit of a collection of little plates, they're just perfect props for blog photos and I've seen lots of other bloggers using them too. I know that TK Maxx and Sainsburys have lots of cute ones so I may need to pick up some more. I love the detailing on the edge of this one, very pretty with the blank, white and gold colour pattern.

I also find that tea towels and cushion covers make fab backgrounds too, in particular monochrome ones with geometric patterns like this that I picked up. It looks nice just poking out of a photo and takes away the harshness of the fake wooden floor background. I definitely need to pick up more cushion covers, H&M had loads of different colours and patterns...I feel like this could be my new obsession.

So what are your thoughts on this mini H&M Home haul? What bits have you picked up recently for use as blog photo props? Let me know in the comments.

Summer scent-sations from Yankee Candle Riviera Escape collection

Looking around my lounge I can count 11 Yankee Candle jars...it's safe to say I have a bit of a problem, but looking around my lounge, I can't actually count many non-Christmassy/autumnal candles so that's my excuse for recently receiving four jars from the new Riviera Escape collection!

I was definitely in the market for something a bit less autumnal and a bit more refreshing. The Riviera Escape collection from Yankee Candle at Love Aroma includes four different candles, Olive & Thyme, Sea Salt & Sage, Summer Peach and Riviera Escape, all of which are super refreshing and uplifting but completely different from one another at the same time.





Olive & Thyme - the lime green colour of this candle looks great and reminds me of green grass in summer. It definitely has a citrus scent in there but it's not too heavy, but very invigorating, almost like a citrus shower gel that wakes you up in the morning.

Sea Salt & Sage - crisp white candles like this one are always so aesthetically pleasing. This one not only looks good on my shelves but the scent is really light and clean. The sage isn't too overpowering and it definitely has a whiff that takes me straight to my happy place of walking along the seafront.

Riviera Escape - this one also has a coastal/seaside scent to it combined with a beautiful blossom. It's another crisp and fresh scent that's perfect if you want something lighter during the day time.

Summer peach - this one is a superbly juicy peachy scent that's not too sickening when you give it a sniff. Another great one if you want something light during the day time, it would work equally well in the bathroom if you want a nice, relaxing candle lit bath.



The Riviera Escape collection is a really nice, well rounded mix of colours and scents. Each scent is quite simple and not too over complicated. When you think of summer, you think of holidays, the beach and fresh fruit smells and this range delivers on all of these. They're all very refreshing and crisp scents so won't fill up a room too heavily like an autumnal candle can and they can be used individually as well as lit together to create more scent-sations.

Have you tried any of the Yankee Candle Riviera Escape collection yet? Let me know your fave in the comments.

*This post contains PR samples.

Rediscovering my love of reading

Ever since I was little I have absolutely loved reading. I have saved all my childhood books (I'm not quite sure why) in a huge box that I can't lift anymore and I have stacks of the things on my shelves in my living room but over the past few years I guess life has taken over and reading has been pushed to the side quite a bit, so much so that I was picking up a book but just couldn't get into it anymore. I would keep getting distracted, skim reading and just generally not enjoy it. With blogging, the internet in general and working full time the chances I got to read were pretty few and far between until very recently when I picked up Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

Now, this post isn't a review of the book but it's about how the book got me back into reading. After years of picking up and putting down books and being unable to really get into them, this book changed it all and I literally couldn't put it down.

My mum had bought The Girl on the Train and literally read it within two days (she absolutelt whizzes through books, even reading more than one at a time!) so I borrowed it from her and one Sunday afternoon I decided I'd give it a go. Before I knew it I was chapters into the book and loving the way it was written, from the different character's point of view.

I finished it probably within less than a week and it was one of those books where I could read it on the sofa, with the TV on and with Vince chattering away, yet I could still concentrate on it. I managed to block everything else out and get lost in this whole other world, which is why I loved books in the first place.

I also know when I really, really love a book because once I've put it down, I literally can't think of anything else and I'm constantly waiting to just pick it up again and get stuck in again.

I found that I made time for reading with this book. When I'd usually pick up my laptop and browse the internet, I would instead pick up my book and curl up with it on the sofa. Having previously read a lot of YA fiction in the past, it could be the change of genre that really did it for me - perhaps I was getting tired of the fluffy stories and needed something a bit more grown up to really open that door again to wherever my love of reading went in the first place.

This post is a bit rambly and I'm not quite sure what the point of it is but I felt like I wanted to get my thoughts down somehow. I am now so much more determined to read more and make more time for reading in general. I want to discover new favourite authors and genres so if you can recommend anything, please let me know in the comments.

The realities of finishing University

I remember the night I found out I was going to graduate Uni with a 2:1 (six years ago may I add, omg!). Our results were available on the University portal at midnight and I remember logging in, taking a deep breath and clicking to reveal my grade. I was so relieved! Three years of hard work (and maybe a bit of partying) had paid off, but once it had sunk in I was like 'so, what now?'.

When I was at Uni I had this great dream that I was going to graduate and immediately get a job thanks to my degree. For the small majority this might be the case but for most people the reality is that you'll probably be going back home for a considerable amount of time in order to job hunt. I moved back home and went to work at a holiday camp while job searching. It took around a year or so before I found something but I went through lots of interviews and lots of knockbacks before getting a job, which I might add isn't in a glitzy magazine in London that I so naively thought it would be when I first started my course.

Looking back it was so unrealistic to think I'd simply go straight into a job and I feel like it's so important that students know that it's not a race. You have to do what's best for you and if that's moving home and working in a retail job or in a bar or anything like that then there's no shame in it. In fact taking time out after Uni to do something completely different and just get used to not being a student anymore is probably a good thing because you can have a good hard think about what it is you actually want to do. You might want to go traveling for instance. I thought what I wanted was a glitzy magazine job in London but now I couldn't think of anything worse than living in London to be honest!

In the end I got a job in PR and while it wasn't a magazine there was/is still lots of writing involved and I've discovered a love for blogging and social media, something I didn't really have while at Uni.

I certainly don't want to put anyone down if they've just received their final grade but I think it's so important that people are realistic about what happens after Uni. Personally I think it should be something that is told/taught to us before we even start. You might go straight into a job with your degree and that's great or you might end up doing something completely different and that's great too. Don't get too bogged down in finding the 'dream' job and just see where life takes you.

How to stop living for the weekend

When you're working full time 9am - 5pm (ish) it's hard to not live for the weekends. Long lovely lie-ins, tea in a snuggly bed and two days of no stress stretching out before you.

It's all too easy to clock watch, finally get home and then slump on the sofa in-front of the TV for the rest of the evening. While you may not feel like doing anything after a hard day's work, popping various activities into your week nights actually gives you something other than the weekend to look forward to and it helps the week appear as if it's going faster too. I thought I'd share a few tips you could try to keep yourself busy during the week in order to stop yourself living for the weekend.

Take up a hobby
Taking up a new hobby to keep you occupied during the week is a great idea. I've been attending crochet classes every other Thursday and I really look forward to them. The hobby also stretches to outside of classes as I can come home from work and spend the evening with my hands full of wool, creating something lovely. It's very therapeutic and relaxing too.

Hit an exercise class
If you want something a bit more active then signing up to an exercise class is a good idea too. Last year I took up spin and now my mum and I attend Yoga every week. I also have a spin bike in my garage, which technically is still at home, but I have to go through the garden to the garage so I technically get away from the house and can shut myself away with no distractions. Exercise is a great way of getting your stresses of the day out - especially if you have a particularly stressful job!

Cook up a storm
Cooking is something I've been doing more and more of recently. When I get home from work I pop some music on and hit up one of my recipe books. It may seem pretty simple but cooking/eating is definitely something to look forward to, especially if like me you don't think of anything else but food!

Walkies
It's a lot easier to go for a nice walk with all this lovely weather we're having. We have two beaches near us so I love to walk along the sea front. We also have a woods, which I like to visit too. It's good to get some fresh air into your lungs and again, it's something to look forward to while you're daydreaming out of the office window.

Get your blog on
Another one that's easier with the lighter evenings is getting on with some blogging in the evenings. If you spend all day on a computer you may not be keen on the writing bit but perhaps you could take some photos, get organised, write lists, sort out all your products or work on the layout side of things.

I definitely need to take my own advice with this one as blogging for me is usually left until a Sunday and I then feel it's eating into my weekend, so if I got organised and got my blog on during the week nights it would definitely leave me more free time!

Sometimes all you want to do is come home and chill out in-front of the sofa and once you've finished work you probably can't muster the energy for a workout or going for a walk but once you've done it you feel so much better. It feels like you've lengthened the day a bit, that your whole day hasn't been surrounded by work and you have some kind of life again.

P.S - I haven't been able to get that awful Hard-Fi 'Living for the Weekend' song out of my head since writing this post.

Five simple ways to cheer yourself up

In a bid to mix things up a bit on the blog and stop the constant barrage of beauty reviews, I thought I'd put together this little list of things I personally do when I'm in a bad mood, which according to my boyfriend, is a lot of the time (har har!). Hopefully if you're having a rubbish day then these things might help, they're just a few simple pick-me-ups that I find really improve my mood.

Buy yourself some flowers
When I'm in a bad/sad mood I want to buy all the things! It's tricky to stop myself from going full on Supermarket Sweep in Boots or New Look. Buying lots of junk you don't need is only a temporary fix and the next day you'll be instantly regretting it. You can never regret buying yourself flowers though, they'll cheer you up for at least a week or two (if you remember to keep the water fresh) after your sad day/bad mood so I always like to have a fresh bunch in the house. You don't have to go for the expensive bouquets either, supermarkets sell cute little bunches of tulips for as little as £2.

You could even find yourself a pot, some dirt and some tulip bulbs and plant your own. Mine are just starting to come out now so when they're ready I can snip them and pop them in a vase!

Exercise
Regular exercise really helps improve my mood. I've recently taken up Yoga which is extremely relaxing and consists of sleeping on the floor for 20 minutes, oh and some stretches here and there...but if Yoga isn't your thing then something more intense like aerobics, kickboxing or even spinning is a great way to improve your mood. It's a well-known fact that exercise helps if you're feeling down, it gets your heart beat up and gives you something else to concentrate on. It releases endorphines, which trigger a positive feeling. It's also a great way of getting all your frustrations out.

You don't even need to be a Gym member or go to a class, just search up a Youtube vid and get your exercise on anywhere in your house where there's a bit of space!

Immerse yourself in something that takes no brain power
Sometimes I just need a day (usually a Sunday) where I stay on the sofa under my blanket and watch rubbish on TV or binge watch a TV series. Alternatively you could read books/mags or spend hours watching Youtube videos. Whatever it is that needs little to no brain power, do it and don't feel guilty for taking a day out either.

Go for a walk
Walking does come under the exercise category so again, getting your heart beat up and those endorphines flowing is going to boost your mood physically but walking is also great mentally and when I say walking I don't mean round the shops..I mean a proper across fields, through woods kind of walk! In my local area we have a great woods, which we like to walk in, we also have beaches and it always cheers me up to walk along the seafront, smelling the fish and chips, listening to the seagulls and the sound of the waves. Just giving your mind a break and getting some fresh air always does the world of good

Chat to a good friend/relative
Meeting up with a good friend or even a close relative is a great way to cheer yourself up. I really enjoy going for a cup of tea in a local cafe with my sister and just having a good moan. I like to let it all out and enjoy a cake while I'm there! You don't even have to talk about what's bothering you, just having a good chat and a laugh can put you in a great mood!

What are your top tips for cheering yourself up? Leave them in the comments and I'll give them a try.

Five good things this week

I thought I'd start a bit of a new series here on the blog, a bit of re-invention of my Sunday Summary posts, but instead of talking about everything that went on in the week I thought I'd instead talk about five things in particular that really made my week. The first three months of this year have been absolute poo to put it politely so I thought focusing on some of the positives might be a nice change.

Week off
I've had the past week off work, my first week off since Christmas and it's been rather lovely. Vince also managed to book off two consecutive days so on Tuesday we popped out for breakfast and Wednesday we headed out for lunch and some shopping, but more on that later. Every time I say I have a week off work people ask me where I'm off to or what I'm doing but to be honest I never have anything planned. It's just nice to be at home and I managed to get some blog photos taken during the daylight!

Yoga
On Monday I went to my very first yoga class! I've been doing yoga at home on Youtube on and off but it caused pain in my shoulders and neck so I'm not sure I was really doing it properly and it was about time I found a 'proper' class to go to. I took my mum along with me and it was pretty relaxing for a Monday night workout...it's really my kind of workout when you get to spend about 20 minutes 'asleep' on the floor. Score! I'm really looking forward to the next class.

Exercise bike
All that sleeping and relaxing in Yoga means I do need to do something a bit more vigorous so I have finally ordered myself an exercise bike to save me all the embarrasment of having to run out of my spin class to throw up. Yes it happened, twice. I thought I'd get my own bike so I can go at my own pace instead of pushing myself too hard to meet what the spin class teacher is shouting at me to do. I need to be sure I do push myself a little bit, building up resistance on the bike etc but I'm starting off very simply for the first week.

Lunch and shopping!
On Wednesday Vince and I decided to pop to Bristol for a spot of shopping and some lunch at one of our fave all-you-can-eat restaurants. Although my purse was quite literally groaning, I picked myself up a new pair of jeans, a jumper and a new sports bra top for all that working out I am yet to do. Vince treated me to lunch and we absolutely stuffed ourselves silly as per usual. It's a Pan Asian restaurant so has all of our faves but Vince went all out with chinese followed by roast dinner and then curry! I stuck to mostly chinese food and it was delish!

It was really nice to go a shopping centre on a week day as everyone else was at work so it was nice and quiet! Primark was a dream!

Masterchef!
Masterchef may be a slight exaggeration but this week has been full of baking and 'proper' cooking. I've been trying to make some 'different' dishes for our dinner recently, using recipes online and a couple of cook books. I started out with Red Pesto Chicken Pasta followed by a Chicken and Mushroom Pie on Friday. I whipped up some Rocky Road Mini Egg bites, which you can see here and I have Spanish Sausage Goulash planned as well before needing to research some more recipes. I'm not sure what prompted me to do some proper cooking for a change, I guess it's because Vince has been working so late most evenings and apart from this week off, I will usually be at home around 6.30pm so thought I better put my time to good use. I'm not usually a good cook so this will give me lots of practice!

What have been five good things that have happened to you this week? Let me know in the comments.

My blogging routine

I thought this might make a bit of an interesting post, at least I hope so! I've been blogging for about six years and I've now got into a real routine so thought I'd share it with you so you can get a bit of behind the scenes info.

I'm not a full time blogger as I work during the week 9am - 5pm as a PR Consultant. This means the only time I really get to blog is at the weekends. I tell myself every week that I'm going to make full use of Saturday and Sunday for blog photo taking and writing, but usually it ends up that I start taking photos around mid-morning on the Sunday.

Most of my photos are product photos and are taken on my bedroom windowsil with those handy wooden floor tile samples from B&Q, however I popped in there yesterday and picked up the marble effect sticky back plastic so now I'm a 'proper' blogger. I am keen to try and get away from flat lays on these backgrounds because it's become so overdone now but until I can think of an alternative, I'll carry on.

I use a Canon 500D for my photograph taking and I am forever learning. Vince bought me a set of lenses and a small ring light for Christmas so I'm currently trying out all the different lenses and using the light to my advantage in these dark and dreary days. It's working out ok but I always feel like there's room to improve! I do my photo editing in Gimp or Picmonkey and it usually consists of brightening them a bit!

I tend to take all my photographs before writing any blog posts. As I write this it's a Sunday evening. I'll usually aim to write my posts on the Sunday evening or even write them once I get home from work of an evening. I'm currently going through a phase of scheduling posts on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I was previously scheduling one week on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday then the following week on a Tuesday and a Thursday but am happy with my current set up. I was finding scheduling posts every day far too much work to cram into one or two days and I was finding that comment numbers were down because before people had a chance to find a post, a new one was popping up.

I was previously scheduling posts for 5.30pm when people would be home from work and be logging on but have recently changed this to 8.30am so people can read my post before work, hopefully. I use Tweetdeck to schedule blog promotion tweets and these are scheduled for 8.30am, 12.30pm, 5.30pm, 20.30pm and 23.30pm. I'm not sure whether I should change this up a bit more but I guess these are key times of the day for most people.

During the week I like to reply to comments on posts, return comments and get involved with Twitter chats. I'm hoping once the lighter evenings start then I can get some more photograph taking crammed into the week. I feel like this would really help a lot and leave my weekends a bit free-er for general lazing around.

I am pretty happy with my routine but as I've mentioned I would possibly like to change it up a bit. Change is always good and I'd like to get a fancy new layout for the New Year so watch this space! I'm also aiming to have one non-beauty post per week and I currently have a long list of ideas jotted down in my notebook. I think it's going well so far...

What's your blogging routine? Do you enjoy it or is it time to switch it up? Do you have any tips to share? Let me know in the comments.

Things I want to make more time for

This post has been in my drafts for quite a while now. It's been one of those ones I've been thinking about on and off and trying to decide whether to go ahead with or not. On this cold Sunday afternoon while I write this, I've decided to go ahead in a bid to give myself some motivation.

I work full time 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday and I know other people work a lot more hours than this or have families to look after so I'm not complaining, what I am annoyed at myself about though is how I use the time when I'm not at work. I don't feel as if I make good use of it at all. I get home from work around 6.30pm/6.45pm and sit. Sit all night long infront of the TV.

I have weekends off and I enjoy a lie-in on a Saturday morning but that leads to a lazy mid-morning and by almost lunch time I'm still sat on the sofa with yet another cup of tea. Most of the day is already gone. The same happens on a Sunday and it's half way through the day before I start any housework or take any blog photos so I feel like things need to change, which led me to putting this list together to note down the different things I want to make more time for, whether that's in the evenings or at weekends.

Reading
Up until the end of Uni I used to read all the time. I loved it. I still have stacks and stacks of books but they stay unread so I'd definintely like to make more time for reading, even if it's just a chapter a night before bed or a couple of chapters on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Reading not only opens your imagination a bit more but it helps with your writing and creativity so I'd definitely like to get back into it again, now I just need to choose a book to read.

Listening to music
I feel like the only time I ever listen to music any more is on the drive to and from work. When I was a teenager I'd pop a CD into my CD player and just sit and listen. It was great and I'd definitely like to make more time for doing this. It's not necessarily about discovering new artists, although that is something I'd also like to do, it's more about re-listening to some of my favourite albums and rediscovering what I love about them and hearing little bits that you've never noticed before.

Watching films
This is actually something my boyfriend would like me to make time for. He is really into films and he always suggests watching one during an evening but I have that 'can't be bothered' feeling, where I don't want to watch something where I have to concentrate too much. Admiteddly if I do agree to watch a film, I usually do end up enjoying it and wonder why I was hesitant in the first place. Last Friday evening Vince suggested watching a film that was only 1 hour and 30 minutes long and it was only around 6.30pm when we started watching it so I felt like I had lots of the evening left once it was over and most importantly, it was a good film so I'm really glad we watched it. I need to say yes to watching more films!

Blogging
This probably sounds like an odd one but I actually often leave blogging until Sundays, which just isn't enough time to photograph and write posts for the coming week. I need to start utilising my time a bit better. I think this will become easier once the lighter evenings arrive and I can actually take photos once I get home from work, therefore spreading out the work load a bit and not having to leave it until the weekend. I would like to spend more evenings writing posts or doing general blogging admin such as replying to emails, comments and promoting posts/getting involved in Twitter chats etc. I think doing this might help me fall in love with my blog a little bit more too.

Exploring my town
Vince and I always enjoy a walk along the seafront or into the woods but I'm sure there are lots of places we have yet to discover in our own home town. I'd love to take my camera along as well as I'm sure there will be lots of inspiration for photos and blog posts along the way. This is an absolute must for me, just to get out of the house and get a little fresh air and it's something we can do on the weekend or in the evening.

What things would you like to make more time for? Let me know in the comments.

If Twitter wasn't a thing

What would I be doing?

I'm old enough to remember a world before Twitter, I'm even old enough to remember a world before social media, before Myspace, before I even had the Internet or a computer for that matter.

I'm a self confessed Twitter addict. I'm on it most of the day, some of my job even evolves around it so I can't get away from it. My boyfriend often gets annoyed at me when I'm constantly scrolling..."but it's forever moving" I reply.

Yesterday, as I was browsing through Twitter, I came across a hashtag that caught my eye #IfTwitterWasntAThing and it got me thinking about all the things I might be doing if Twitter wasn't around. Can you imagine such a world?

I wouldn't be promoting my blog post half as much
This is a big one for bloggers. Without Twitter who would we constantly promote ourselves to? We'd have to rely on Facebook of all things, where half of our audience wouldn't be reached unless we boosted the posts. Twitter is such a great platform for getting your blog posts out there to thousands thanks to those handy hashtags.

I wouldn't be talking to people with the same interests/understanding of the blogging world
Twitter is an amazing place for making friends for people like me, who like to hide behind a computer screen and aren't often that confident. It's also a great platform for chatting to other likeminded people and those that also blog. These people really understand the hard work and effort you put into something like blogging and the people I talk to are always friendly, helpful and very supportive too.

I'd be watching TV shows with no interruptions and no spoilers
I can't remember the last time I watched a TV show or Netflix series without looking through Twitter to see what everyone's saying. Twitter can be like a running commentary alongside a show and I always love checking out what everyone has to say, although I'm not so keen on having to avoid spoilers!

I'd be reading the papers to keep up-to-date with the latest news
While I still do read papers and watch the news on the TV, Twitter has definitely become the go-to platform for breaking stories. There have been SO many times when a story has broken on Twitter before any of the news companies have even got a hold of it. Amy Winehouse's death for example. Twitter is so instant that traditional media just can't keep up anymore.

There are good and bad sides to Twitter but personally the positives far outweigh the negatives. These days it's hard to imagine a world without Twitter and while we do sometimes try and switch off and take a break from it, there's no denying it's a huge part of our every day lives and probably always will be.

Where would you be without Twitter? Let me know in the comments and if you'd like to follow me on Twitter, you can do so @Cherryp13.

The scent of Christmas with Yankee Candle

Looking around my lounge right now, I can count 11 Yankee Candles and most of those are Christmas ones. I posted recently about how to make the home feel festive, featuring a couple of new candles.

My go-to Christmas Yankee Candle has always been White Christmas, which is such a soft and subtle scent, but I was recently sent some new candles from the brand's new festive range, which have taken Christmas candles to another level!

Winter Glow is the most subtle scents of the four I was sent. It's very similar to Soft Blanket, but probably not as strong. It just has a hint of winter about it and that lovely frosty smell you get on a traditional winter day.

From here on in it's scent, scent, scent. I'm not used to having really strong scented candles (my boyfriend complains an awful lot but what does he know?) but Berry Trifle, Cosy by the Fire and Bundle Up are just all Christmas combined in little jars!

Because they're so strong they really engulf the whole house with delicious smells. Bundle Up in particular is the most Christmassy of the lot, with a strong citrus hint running throughout it. Berry Trifle is classic Yankee Candle in my opinion, it has an amazing berry aroma that's super strong and tangy - it literally makes me want to eat some sort of berry pudding!

Cosy by the Fire is a great little candle as it just screams cosy Christmas infront of the crackling fire. It's full of more classic Christmas scents such as ginger, cloves and orange and really makes me feel warm and cosy.

Without a real tree and without any Christmas cooking or baking going on in my house it's pretty difficult to capture that proper scent of Christmas, unless I stick my nose in a Quality Street tin, so these candles really help make the place feel much warmer and more festive!

What's your favourite festive scent?

*This post contains PR samples.

Keep Calm and Carry On Blogging

I've been blogging for more than six years. I've seen other blogs start, take off and completely surpass thousands upon thousands of followers within no time at all. Sometimes it doesn't seem fair, sometimes I wonder what I'm doing wrong. Are my pictures not good enough? Is my layout not professional enough or is my writing style not quite right?

In the midsts of a Sunday afternoon when I've taken hundreds of product photos and not one looks right and while I'm packing up the camera in a strop I wonder why I do it. If I think too much about it I wonder what the point in blogging is - it's a lot of 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine' when it comes to brands/PRs and once a post has published and gained a few comments it just goes into the archive, rarely to be looked at again.

Sometimes the bad days outweigh the good ones and sometimes the good ones outweigh the bad ones. People who say it's not about followers or comments are lying. It's ALL about interaction. I don't want my posts to lay unread. I want to hear people's thoughts and opinions, I want to generate conversation and I want to build relationships with brands and PRs.

There are bad days when it comes to blogging. Times when I don't want to give up my weekend and evenings to write and take photos. Sometimes I want to give it up completely but then I spot a comment on an Instagram pic, a Facebook post, a blog comment or a tweet that's super lovely and it makes it all worth it. When a fellow blogger compliments a photo or leaves a comment that actually shows they've paid attention to what I've said and have something interesting to say in return. When I receive a lovely email from a PR or brand and when they're genuinely thankful for the work I've put in posting about their product. A simple re-tweet from a brand. Whatever interaction it is, that's what makes it all worth it. That's what makes me want to carry on in a world drowning in blogs.

I'm not quite sure what has lead to me writing this post. I think I'm stuck in a bit of a blogging rut and wanted to give myself a bit of a kick up the bum. There are people out there that notice little old me and my little place on the internet and most importantly, at the end of the day, I do enjoy blogging more than anything.

Next time you're impressed with a post or a pic, leave a comment or a like as you never know, you could be making it all worth it for another blogger!

The pros and cons of University

So it's that time of year again...people all around the country have got their A level results and have found out whether they've got a place in their chosen University or not...cue lots of advice posts and articles about University.

Lots of people go through the motions, so to speak, they go to school, go to college and as it's the 'thing to do', they also go off to University, but it's definitely not for everyone. I started University in 2007 and graduated in 2010, so it was a little while ago now but I can safely assume the pros and cons are still very similar. I thought this post might help anyone out there whose in two minds about whether they should go or not and it includes a few helpful tips that I learnt along the way too.

PROS

Independence and freedom
At 18 years old (the age most go to Uni) all you want to do is move out of your parents house finally and do exactly what you want. No curfews, no rules, no chores! Being at Uni is great for your independence and freedom, not only can you do everything you want but it also causes you to grow up, and quick.

Your own space
There's nothing better than having your own space. It might only be a single room, with an en-suite bathroom if you're very lucky, but it's yours and you can decorate it however you like, watch whatever you like on TV and clean it whenever you like. It's a space where you can really let your personality shine through and everyone has to abide by your rules, including your parents if they come to visit!

Making new friends
They say you make friends for life at University. You might have a small group of close friends or a large group of friends but you're all having the same experience and that's something you can share for life. Going to Uni is like a fresh start when it comes to making friends, they've never met you before and they know nothing about you so it's up to you to put across whatever impression you want when you first meet.

For some people, making friends is really hard to do. I personally didn't really make friends with the people on my halls floor so I would recommend really trying to do this if you can, otherwise it can get very awkward when you enter the kitchen and they're all sat in there.

On first moving in I'd recommend leaving your door open so anyone can come and say 'hi'. As much as it's super difficult, really try to say 'hi' to anyone you see. I'd also recommend having some sort of food or cake you can share with people to really break the ice.

Before I started Uni there was a forum where future students could talk to people on their courses and this led to myself and three other girls chatting lots before Uni and even on MSN Messenger (yes, it was that long ago). That made it much easier when we actually finally got around to going to Uni because there were already some people we knew. We actually all ended up living together in our second and third years and are still friends now. If you can, try and see if there's something like this you can chat to other students on. Things like Facebook and Twitter have probably made this so much easier these days. The Uni also has lots of taster and open days so you can see others from your Uni and course and get chatting too.

New experiences
Just going to University is an experience in itself. Most people will be living alone for the first time, be away from home for the first time and these are all great experiences. Nights out, parties, studying, meeting people and graduating are all great experiences which follow as well and when you look back on your time at Uni you'll realise just how much you experienced and how much it changed you as a person.

Working towards your chosen career
Now we mustn't forget the actual reason for Uni and that's to get a degree towards your chosen career path. If there's something you're passionate about and want to do in the future then studying it for three years and graduating is the best feeling ever.

CONS

Independence and freedom
As much as this is a pro of going to University, it's also a con as well. No rules and no chores means you'll end up eating tins of 'curry' and having absolutely no clean clothes to wear. Along with independence and freedom comes big 'ol responsibility. No more mummy doing your washing, cleaning, ironing and paying for those things you thought just appeared in your house such as food, bathroom essentials, cleaning products etc.

Leaving family
When it was time for my mum and dad to leave me in my halls, in my little single room, all alone, I cried my eyes out! Although I was only around 2.5 hours from home, it felt like 100s and 100s of miles away and it was super scary.

It is so, so hard in the first few weeks to be away from family and friends but you have to remember that they are only at the end of a phone if you really need them and it does get easier. In my day we didn't have things like Twitter or Facetime so it was either a Facebook message/web cam or phone call to family or even an old fashioned letter! It does get so much easier as your mind gets distracted by making friends and all things Freshers Week. Before you know it you would have been at Uni for weeks and are no longer homesick.

Working towards your chosen career
This is another one that's a pro as well as a con. Looking back on my Uni time, I wish I had been a bit more savvy about getting a degree. Just because you study for three years towards a degree and graduate, doesn't mean you'll get a job in your chosen industry. I think it's really important that anyone going to Uni understands this.

I went to Uni with this big dream of working on a top, glossy magazine and living in London but as I got further through my degree and did work experience I realised this wasn't going to be a reality for me. Not only is London ridiculously expensive to live in but it's pretty difficult to get into the industry altogether without work experience. In my day, being paid for work experience wasn't the norm and I did lots of placements for free, which cost me an absolute fortune. To get into the industry you either had to take up an unpaid internship for months or it was who you knew in the industry, which meant you could get a foot through the door.

I'm not saying you shouldn't do a degree because of how difficult it might be to get into an industry but I think you should have realistic expectations and possibly look into alternative avenues of your degree. I did things like website content writing, reviews, working on independent magazines in the area and blogging and somehow I've ended up in PR.

Lack of money and debts
I only really got through my Uni days by working during all of the holidays and during term time in the Student Union bar. It wasn't exactly much pay but it definitely helped. People are often put off by Uni because of the lack of money and the amount of debt you get into. It's true, but after you graduate, your graduate overdrafts will stay interest free for a little while to allow you to pay them off and your student loans don't need to start being paid back until you earn over a certain amount per year.

Getting maintenance grants and bursarys will help but these are based on what your parents earn, which is absolutely ridiculous because essentially the Uni thinks your parents are helping you out all through Uni. I'm sure they will as much as they can but they might not be able to afford it themselves so you really need to be strict with your budgeting and don't blow the money you get all in the first week.

It's a good idea to get a job outside of Uni hours as this will allow you to buy little luxuries here and there and have money for things like nights out etc.

Personally, going to University was probably one of the best decisions I made. It made me grow up, gain confidence, make friends, be realistic about what I wanted to do and was generally just a good experience. It is definitely not for everyone though and if you go and you don't enjoy it, then that's ok or if you don't go and go later in life, that's ok too! Not going altogether is absolutely fine as well! Ultimately it's your decision and no-one elses! Hopefully this post will help you in some way!

Here's a very dodgy picture from my graduation for you:

Before you go, why not nominate Cherry Pie in the Cosmopolitan UK​ Blog awards here under the 'Best Beauty' category.

Top tips: Moving house

So recently I moved house and before the big day I thought I had it all sussed. 'It'll be fine' I said, 'we'll be done in no time'. Wrong. It took SO much longer than I anticipated, it was 10x stressful and tiring but I have learnt from my mistakes and thought I'd put together a few helpful tips for you to save you going through the same cardboard box hell.

Get organised
Oh my God get organised. I can't stress this enough and during moving week I was really annoyed at myself that I was a lazy slob and basically did nothing before the big day. When I say get organised, I don't just mean pack things into boxes either, there's so much de-cluttering and cleaning to be done as well. If I had gotten off my butt and got this done BEFORE moving I wouldn't have had to spend the entire week going back to the old house and sorting and cleaning it.

Lists are definitely you're friends - write down every job you need to do. Walk around the house as you do it as it will help you to imagine and remember everything that needs doing. Sort wardrobes, dismantle furniture, clear out garages and do the gardening. This will absolutely save you so much time at the other end of your move.

Save as much money as you can
Our move was all very last minute and we had zero money saved - thank God for overdrafts! If you have lots of notice of your move or you're looking to move out of your parent's house for the first time, I would definitely advise you get your saving hat on. Moving always costs so much more than you think. I'm talking from a renting point of view in this post so there's not only lettings agency fees but also credit check fees, first month's rent in advance plus a deposit and as if that wasn't enough you might need to hire a van on moving day as well as buy lots of new bits and bobs for the new place. When you're switching addresses for things like phone lines/gas/electricity or animal insurance details, some of these places will charge you so be warned! We had to pay an extra £100 deposit for having our cat so it all adds up.

Clean, clean, clean
One good thing about moving out of a rented house is that you should get your deposit back...however the place has to be left in the same condition it was when you moved in. This means you need to clean it from top to bottom, fill in any holes in the walls you've made, touch up any marks, clean the carpets and make sure the garden is clean and tidy.

Stupidly we left all of this until after we had moved out. It's tricky to get lots of cleaning done while there are still boxes all over the place and you're still living in the house but things like the garden, windows, kitchen and bedrooms can be cleaned and sorted prior to the move, then once you're all moved out you can come back and give the carpets or floors a good clean.

As we were at the old house for most of the week it meant we weren't getting much sorted in the new place. It also meant lots of late nights and LOTS of car journeys to the local tip...and I mean LOTS.

Keep details up-to-date
You may not realise but there are so many things you'll need to update once you've changed addresses. Not only your bank details but also gas, electricity, driving licence, TV licence, council tax, doctors surgery, vets, microchip details and insurance details if you have animals, passport, car insurance, internet, SKY tv and phone to name but a few.

You also need to make sure you cancel phone lines at your old place as well as taking meter readings for water, gas and electricity. If you get a lot of post it might also be a good idea to look into the Royal Mail's postal redirect service, personally I didn't do this because it cost £30! I made sure all addresses were changed a few days prior to moving day and informed anyone I knew of that regularly send me parcels.

So these are my main pointers and things that really stuck out in the run up to moving day and the actual day itself. There is probably a lot more I can go into both pre and post the big move but this is the most stressful section of moving so I thought it was probably the most important post.

If you're organised I think you'll save yourself hours, even days, in the moving process and will be all smug and settled into your new pad in no time.

If you have any tips for moving day, please leave them in the comments!

Matalan Splash Print Trainers

I thought the days of me buying proper trainers were long gone. I remember when I was younger and pestered my mum for the 'latest' trainers, which were so ridiculously priced. Some kind of Reebok if I remember correctly. Oh dear.

These days I'm more of a skinny jeans and ballet pumps or Converse kind of girl, until I started exercise classes earlier this year. It started as some kind of unofficial New Year's resolution to get myself out of the house for an evening and now it's Yoga as much as I can and aerobics once a week.

I was doing spin classes from around February until very recently but got a bit bored of them if I'm honest and thought I'd try something new. The trainers I had for spin weren't 'proper' ones, they had quite soft soles so I needed something a bit sturdier for aerobics. I knew I didn't want to splash out stupid amounts so I headed straight to Matalan as I'd spotted trainers in stock earlier in the year, unfortunately there weren't many still in so I headed to the website and the Splash Print trainers caught my eye almost immediately thanks to the graffiti/paint splash almost Aurora lights-esque patterning.

They really stood out on the website and funnily enough stood out in my aerobics class too! They're super bright and funky and I love the bold colours against the black trim.

I've never reviewed trainers before but these are super comfy while still being supportive around the ankles. I know they're not exactly your high end training/running shoes but they're in keeping with this new breed of 'fashionable' trainers and for the price they do the exact job I need.

What do you think of the Matalan Splash Print Trainers? Let me know in the comments.

Housewarming

Hello! After two weeks of no Internet and moving house I'm finally back up and running so thought I'd pop on and say a quick 'hi'. I'm not even sure anyone reads here after my three week break but I'm determined to get back in the game starting this coming weekend. I have always given myself a week off blogging here and there but this three week break has actually been much better as I've actually started to miss blogging and have been itching to get back into it.

Moving was a huge stressful mess but we're finally in and I'm planning to do a few blog posts of tips and advice for moving. Definitely something I'll have to remember next time around.

Now I have the Internet back I'm really hoping to get back into doing my Yoga. I've actually temporarily given up spin class in favour of an aerobics class - I felt like it was time to try something new. I got a bit bored of spin but I may go back to it one day!

So with that I will bid you a quick goodbye and will be back and blogging v.soon!

Things I'm looking forward to this spring/summer

Over the Bank Holiday weekend I kind of got into a blogging funk. I just kept putting it off, telling myself I'd 'take photos later' and then just not doing it. In the end I decided to just not do any blogging and just enjoy my time off, which I did. Although, while I was relaxing, this little idea for a blog post popped into my head.

What they say really is true in this case…taking a blogging break does help. When you're not overthinking things, they'll come to you easily so I definitely need to remember this in future.

This is quite a simple post but I thought I'd just put together a list of a couple of things I'm looking forward to this spring/summer…

Bloomin' lovely blooms!

I love having flowers around the house (even if they do make me sneeze a bit!) and I even love trying to grow them myself. I have hyacinths and tulips growing in pots at the end of the garden at the moment and they're doing so well, except that the hyacinths have fallen over due to the wind. The tulips aren't quite out yet but I can't wait for them to be so I can pick some and pop them in a vase. Either that or I'll cheat a bit and buy myself a bunch from the shop, haha!

Beach walks

Walking along the seafront is one of my favourite things to do of an evening. I like to walk right from the middle of the seafront by the Pier and right round to the Marine Lake and round to where Vince and I went to college. I never get bored of it, especially on a lovely sunny day or just when the sun is setting!

Re-visiting favourite places


It's become a bit of a tradition for Vince and I to make our way to Chew Valley Lake each summer. We spend most of the day walking round the lake, which can take hours and hours. There's a pond and bird spotting route which we took last time in the boiling hot weather. There's also a little cafe and space for a picnic too.

Although there are quite a few people that do get the same idea to visit, they usually stay in the main public place where the cafe is and not as many wander through the grasses and different walking routes. It's always really peaceful there and one of our favourite places to go.

What sort of things are you looking forward to this spring/summer? I also can't wait for the Bank Holidays, sitting in the house with all the doors and windows open, spending time in the garden and the annual barbecue at my parents.

Let me know what you're looking forward to in the comments.

Beat the January blues

Today is apparently 'Blue Monday', the most depressing day of the year. I guess the reasoning behind it is because the festive celebrations are long gone, everyone is back at work, it's dead cold and pay day isn't for almost two weeks yet…I've certainly felt a bit down in the dumps over the past week and I'm not really sure why, so I've come up with a few ways to make yourself feel a bit better!

Re-jig your skincare routine
At this time of year the weather can be pretty harsh on your skin so it's a good time to look into having a little mix-up of your skincare routine. My skin tends to get used to products if I use them on a daily basis and I'm currently using the No7 cleanser and toner, but am finding it doesn't have much of an effect anymore. It's definitely time for something new. Just as you need a bit of a boost, so does your skin.

Paint your nails
This is one that always cheers me up. I have so many colours to choose from and having colourful nails makes me v.happy! You can go mad and paint them lots of different colours, try some nail art or go for one of your much loved shades, anything to boost your mood just a little.

Change your hairstyle
At this time of year I always feel like cutting my hair. It's the whole 'New Year New You' thing I think. My hair is pretty long at the moment and feeling a bit drab and scruffy. I'm thinking about a long bob…but I know when I cut it I'll want long hair again, it's always the way, however I think I'm going to go for it once I get paid again, just to change things up a bit.

Take up a new hobby
I've been thinking about this alot this week. I'm a little bit bored of coming home every day after work and sitting on my butt on the laptop, I need to DO something. I've been looking into various classes and I've thought about going swimming a few nights a week but I think I'm too chicken to go by myself. I really just need to bite the bullet and book some things up, even if I don't end up liking them, at least I've tried. I would recommend this to anyone else feeling in a similar way…you don't have to do anything that takes you outside though, why not take up a new craft hobby that you can do in the comfort of your own home? I recently bought the La De Dah Journal so I can take up scrapbooking, I can't wait!

While I'm no expert or saying you should follow these tips religiously, they are just a few small ideas to change things a little bit. You could also go shopping and find yourself some new clobber that you wouldn't necessarily go for usually or you could take up exercise/cooking. Anything really!

How are you beating the January blues? Let me know in the comments.

What I've learnt this year: blogging

As the New Year approaches I've been thinking a lot about what I've learned this year, blogging wise. I thought I'd put a little post together to share my thoughts. Hopefully throughout 2015 I can look back at this and remind myself of a few things too…

Take a break
If there's one thing that I've learnt this year it is that its important to take a break. This year my blog has sometimes become a bit less of a hobby and more of a stress and I don't want it to become something I don't enjoy doing anymore so I've learnt that it doesn't really matter if that post about a new eyeshadow palette doesn't go up during a certain week, what matters more is that I continue to enjoy what I'm doing and take a break if I need to. A good piece of advice for any of you as well and not just related to blogging either!

To use my camera
Vince bought a fancy new Canon 600D last year and I use it all the time for my blogging. I'm not saying I'm the best photographer in the world and there's definitely some things I need to work on but looking back at my old blog posts, I can see such a huge difference in the images and I'm really proud of that.

In 2015 I hope to use the camera even more and learn as much as possible. There's always room for improvement so hopefully I can step up my photography game even further in the New Year.

Organisation is key
When you work full time and only have weekends to spare it can become a little difficult to fit so much blogging in. Sometimes I want to spend my weekends with family/Vince or just relaxing at home. Sometimes I don't feel like writing posts or taking pictures and this brings me somewhat into the taking a break lesson I've learnt this year, but I've also learnt that organisation is key. I have learnt that blogging ahead is really helpful, writing notes and keeping reminders in my phone are all really handy organisation tips and in 2015 I hope to improve this even more. I've already bought myself a big blog calendar and hope to have blogs prepared well in advance.

To do only my best
I guess I've known this pretty much my entire life but this year it has become more apparent in the blogging world. There are people out there that have more followers/more popular blogs but I can only do my absolute best and as long as I am happy with the content I'm producing then hopefully my readers will be too!

What have you learnt this year, blogging-wise? Let me know in the comments.