Life Update: Sunny Southend

Hey there!

It's not every day that England, (known for it's dull, rainy weather,) surprises us with a full day of sunshine, but when the time comes, you have to take advantage of it! At the moment, I am lucky enough to be on my Easter break - 2 weeks away from everything school-related. So, when given the opportunity to embrace the beautiful weather, I couldn't resist! My family felt the perfect way to do this was a trip to Southend - famous for the longest pier in Europe, seriously tasty ice-cream and it's Adventure Island beside the coast! 

After what seemed like a never-ending car journey, we finally parked up outside the entrance to Adventure Island. It was such a great atmosphere - with the sun streaming down, a slight breeze in my hair, breathing in the seaside air, what more could you want! The park was a little busy, but that was to be expected and everyone was buzzing with excitement. The place was teeming with adrenaline junkies! My personal favourite above all the rides, besides the loop ride I managed to drag my brother on, was the dodgems - a good excuse for a head-on collision! 

After spending a good, few hours in Adventure Island, we took a break for lunch. By this time, I had worked up a large appetite and was thrilled when we found a traditional fish and chips cafe in the local seaside town! Being a vegetarian, my menu choices were extremely limited and were heavily reduced to just two options: veggie burger or jacket potato. It seemed like an obvious pick and tasted even better, with nothing but a sauce stain left on my plate!

My family have always been known for going on long walks, hiking long distances and exploring new areas on holiday. So, it wasn't a surprise when I found myself on a brisk walk along the famous pier, stretching out to sea for just over a mile! It felt good to be breathing in the sea air and was a good way to burn off lunch. For the return back to land, my brother and I challenged ourselves to run the length of the pier. As a passionate blogger and hardworking student, used to lying horizontally on my bed planning future blog posts or making revision cards, exercise is not my expertise. However, the sheer torture I put myself through was over within 15 minutes and was celebrated with a well deserved ice-cream afterwards! 

To end our busy day, we took a casual stroll along the beach, back to the car. I stopped along the way to take a few snaps of the scenery, being the passionate photographer that I am. I just had to capture such a beautiful moment  - I just couldn't help myself!

Unfortunately, due to the long hours spent out in the sun, I am currently suffering with a spot of sun stroke meaning that I haven't left my bed for a good, few hours! Hopefully I'll be back on my feet soon to enjoy the last few days of my holiday!

Bye for now! Xxx

App Store Favourites!

Hey there!

In today's world, technology is rapidly advancing all around us! Even now whilst you're sat here reading this, producers are frantically brainstorming new ideas for future products, which they hope to be successful! It's simply impossible to avoid buying the latest gadgets and nowadays, it's a rare sighting to see someone without their trusty devices! No matter where I am, whether it be travelling on a Tube around London or an evening meal in a local restaurant, people are constantly using their mobile devices. A large majority of these being Apple products! 

Apple have always been a favourite brand of mine when regarding technology and one I will strongly recommend to anybody! However, I do NOT rate their chargers and am fuming at the countless times I've had to replace my broken ones. As I am currently studying for an ICT A level, I am forced to be passionate in learning about the new, upcoming technologies and therefore, the devices I do own are relatively new. I spend the majority of my day scrolling through the App Store in search of new apps to update my device with. However, I am fussy with the apps I do purchase and refuse to pay for any, unless absolutely necessary! 

Here is a list of my favourite app store freebies: 

Social Networking

1. Bloglovin' - an absolute necessity that should be at the top of all bloggers favourite lists! Simple layout, easy to use and great for quick updates when the laptop is too far away! Thankfully, I can sneakily have a peek at my updates on the school's system too! 
2. Twitter - this is one of my absolute favourites! Perfect for lying in bed in the morning, checking through tweets I missed over night - celebrity gossip, TV spoilers etc.
3. Snapchat - an excuse for sending the ugliest face imaginable to all your friends, embracing the no make-up, 'just got out of bed' look!
4. Instagram - the perfect way to collect all your favourite photos/collages together - from holiday snaps to daily posts. An invitation for inspiration!

Entertainment 

1. ITV Player - everyone gets a little busy from time to time, sometimes too busy to watch your favourite TV shows. There's nothing better than being able to catch-up and watch them on the move, whether it be in bed or on a long car journey. 
2. Blinkbox Music - what better way to listen to all of your favourite music in one app! No need to download music, this app allows you to listen to over 12 million songs to choose from and create your own station! 
3. iBooks - who needs physical copies of books, when you can have them all stored in a library on your device to read them whenever and wherever - from the typical classics to short stories written by wannabe authors! 

Games 

1. 2048 - a simple, yet addictive game consisting of sliding blocks together to make 2048. A great way to kill time, but slowly drags you in deeper... so deep you physically can't do anything else with your life!
2. Flappy Bird - the game that grabbed the nation at the tap of a screen! People absolutely everywhere were losing their mind over a bird and some Mario-like pipes. Never before have I seen anyone so addicted, that they spend ridiculous amounts of money on eBay, purely because of this app - it simply drew people to new levels of extreme!

Hope you find this blog helps you to choose, which are the best apps to update your device with! 

Bye for now! Xxx

Weekly Favourites!

Hey there!

Inspired by Barb, I thought I would create my own little series of weekly favourites, sharing with you the best bits - What I'm Eating, What I'm Watching/Reading and What I'm Trying....and who knows, this may inspire you, (especially in the long run,) to purchase some of the products mentioned or start watching a new TV series!

What I'm Eating
For those that don't know, I must confess that I have an extremely sweet tooth. I'd much rather choose a chocolate cake oozing with fudge sauce, over an Irish cream coffee for pudding, despite my love for caffeine. If I had the money, I would buy an entire sweet shop, given the opportunity! Therefore, it wasn't a big surprise to me that these Strawberry and Cream treats would entice me and become one of my favourites this week. These sugar coated sweets are filled with flavour and melt in your mouth, as soon as you pop them in! Once you start, you can't stop and before you know it, they'll be gone...

What I'm Watching

As an avid blogger and hard-worker at school, I find it difficult to manage my time and often after a hard day at school, I like to kick my feet up, grab myself a coffee, my favourite book, and settle down for the evening, with my lava lamp glowing in the background. However, that doesn't mean I have been living under a rock in the TV aspect! I regularly glance through magazines on the shelf, to update myself on celebrity gossip and TV dramas. But, although I am not always around to keep up with my favourite TV shows, I make sure I have them recorded on my planner, so I do not miss out! Therefore, I spend a lot of time catching up with episodes, so try not to read social media when they're on to avoid spoilers. I am not ashamed to admit that a personal favourite of mine is TOWIE! Fake tan, fake boobs and fake entertainment may be what springs to mind to the majority of you, but for me I find it extremely amusing. It may not be your typical Eastenders, but I'm sure you'll agree that there is never a dull moment! Mates, dates, banter and drunken arguments feature in every episode and you'll soon become drawn into the action. As a viewer, my guilty pleasure has to be Arg. He may not be the best looking, but he sure knows how to have banter and never fails to make me laugh!

What I'm Trying

Growing up, I have always suffered with dry skin, whether it be on my face, knees, elbows or scalp - from eczema as a baby to mildly dry skin now. I am more conscious of it now and therefore, like to keep myself well hydrated and moisturized, but I can never stick to one brand! I'm constantly trying out new products and new brands, but am yet to find a product that works 100% with my skin and gives me the complexion that I desire. Recently, I came across this Cath Kidston Body Cream - a gift which had been hidden away in my Beauty drawer! My instant reaction was to try this out immediately, so I applied some the night before I went to bed. In the morning, I reapplied before going out and made this a regular habit. I am pleasantly surprised with this product and it has to be my favourite so far! I find it leaves my skin smooth for the entire day and does not require any topping up. In short, this does my skin absolute wonders with no irritation and smells amazing! I'm sure there won't be any turning back, just yet!

Bye for now! Xxx

Primark Tag

Hey there! 

After browsing endlessly through the Internet for some inspiration for my next blog post, I found a new tag make an appearance on Blogger from Barb! For as long as I can remember, Primark has been my absolute favourite shop to pick up some top purchases in, whether it be an evening outfit, a floral dress or some new underwear. So naturally, I couldn't resist taking part in this tag and would love to see this shared across the Internet...

1) Do you have any nicknames for Primark?

Personally, I do not use any nicknames for Primark, other than the brand name itself. However, I do know there are some floating around including 'Primarnie,' which my father often refers to it as. There is also a lot of controversy about how to pronounce it, whether it be 'Preemark' or 'Primark.' 

2) Which item can you never resist picking up?

One of my all time favourites at Primark, besides the cute jumpers or summery tops with the collars, are their underwear, who could resist, when they're priced at £1 per pair! Whether it be the lacy thongs, patterned knickers or the diamante bras,  they never fail to keep me away! Regardless of whether people may not see these beautys, (unless they're lucky enough,) I always prefer to have classy, matching underwear to make myself feel glam or slightly cheeky! 

3) Are you guilty of buying knick-knacks at the tills?

I am a sucker for lip balms and fluffy socks and coincidentally, BOTH of these products seem to appear by the till line. Being an eager shopper, I often find myself picking up additional items to fill up my already bulging shopping basket, which always seem necessary at the time! But when the pounds add up, I realise self-discipline has failed me once more...

4) Do you visit your local Primark or shop further afield? 

For a quick browse and a fashion fix up, the local stores never let me down! I am lucky enough to have a store in my local town and I rarely ever come out empty handed! The staff are so friendly and the queues are tolerable so I enjoy my shopping experience. I have once been known to shop further afield for a product I had fallen in love with online, but was not in stock in my local store! However, this was not ideal, and I found myself fighting my way through crowds of fiesty shoppers, to find myself at the back of an endless queue!

5) What is your Primark bugbear?

A bugbear I have always disliked at Primark, before and after the refurbishment, is the lack of respect by the customers! Before I was interested in fashion, I found it a chore to shop in Primark and refused to search for bargains in what looked like a charity shop! Even now, after the refurbishment, shoppers often knock clothes off the hanger and never bother to put it back! You don't see this kind of behaviour in River Island or Topshop, so why here?! It's a disappointment to see one of my favourite shops being treated this way! 

6) What season do you look forward to most?

The spring/summer collection in Primark are by far the most exciting! I find myself changing fashion styles, as the years progress, but Primark floral dresses, patterened shorts and bikinis never fail to make an appearance in my wardrobe. I constantly restock up on these items and ensure I am always up-to-date with the upcoming designs and outfits. I consider myself a bit of a fashion guru when it comes to summer! 

7) Do you use the Primark website or fall back on Primark hauls on YouTube? 

I never really rely on either, as I am lucky enough to pass by my local store, before and after school, 5 days a week, so it's impossible for me to miss out on the new collections! That being said, I also look forward to watching hauls on YouTube for some inspiration. I especially look forward to watching Zoella's videos, as we share the same taste in fashion and I rely on her to make some good purchases. I reccommend you give her a watch, you will NOT be disappointed! 

Happy shopping! Xxx

Life Update: Vegetarianism

Hey there! 

To those that know me personally it's obvious that, growing up I was an avid meat eater! Chicken nuggets, pork sausages, pepperoni pizza, you name it, I ate it....I couldn't live without the stuff! Meat was a significant part of my diet and was often my first choice from the menu. I was so dependent upon it that I looked forward to it being served on my plate! 

Recently though, my life has redirected itself and followed new paths, which were never expected by neither myself nor those around me, including my new dieting habits, which has been the most significant one to date... Since then, I've noticed a few changes, including my sudden positive outlook on life! Not forgetting the wonders it does to the complexion of my skin. 

My family have always been and probably will continue to be hardcore meat eaters and therefore, have the typical ignorant view that:

• 'We were born to be meat eaters!' 
• 'It's just a phase, give it time and it will pass'
• 'Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival for life on Earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet! 

I decided to break out of this shell only last week, by pushing the boundaries of regular family procedures in the kitchen! However, as a result of my parent's lack of support to my new lifestyle change, I found the first week hard to kick-start my new dieting habits. I am lucky enough to have a large group of friends, who I consider to be extremely close to me. They've always been there, through thick and thin, and supported me in every life decision I make! Without them I doubt I would have been as determined to stick to this mentality and change my diet. As a large majority of my friendship group are passionate vegetarians and have been for a long while, I have been blamed for my change in lifestyle, as a way to 'fit in with the crowd!' However, there are numerous and well thought-out reasons for making this decision:

1) Morality 
I am a strong believer in morals, despite the gender or form of life! Studies have shown that animals are moral creatures; they support  each other, have a sense of outrage and show empathetic behaviour towards not only their own kind, but humans too! A lot of people seem to forget that animals have emotion and feelings, so...

"The question is not Can they reason? nor Can they talk but, Can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham

Why should a poor, defenseless animal suffer for human pleasure? It wouldn't be seen as morally correct to skin a sedated human for their meat, to cook for dinner, so what makes it okay to do this to animals?

2) To Challenge Myself
I consider myself to be an outgoing teenager who is always up for a challenge! I get a thrill out of having to work towards something or achieve a personal belief, especially if there is an element of danger involved! As mentioned before, my love for meat when I was growing up was a passionate one and I never felt like I could part from it. Therefore, I saw this as a massive deal and a challenge I was determined to achieve. I'll admit now, it wasn't an easy decision of mine to transform to a diet that was completely meat-free! For a number of months, maybe even a year, I had always wanted to become a vegetarian, but had consistently been shunned away every time I brought up the topic. Therefore, the first hurdle to overcome was braving my parents! Once I proposed my argument and adopted a new attitude, I found it easy to announce my change in lifestyle. However, despite the unpleasant reaction from this, I was determined not to let this get to me!

3) For a Healthier Way Of Living
Studies show that on average, vegetarians are healthier in all aspects! A 12-year old Oxford study produced the results that the life expectancy of a vegetarian when compared with meat eaters, show that they can outlive omnivores by 6 years. This is due to the plant-based diet of a vegetarian, which strengthens the immune system and slows down the aging process! Depending on the attitude you adopt as a vegetarian, it is extremely easy to lose any excess weight that isn't wanted and keep it off! A vegetarian diet consists mainly of vegetables, nuts, fruits, whole grains and legumes, providing the individual with the nutrients they need. These are low in fat and rich in fibre and when accompanied with daily exercise, the perfect formula is made for healthy weight loss!

"My body will not be a tomb for other creatures" - Da Vinci

I was not expecting to become vegetarian so soon and suddenly, nor was I expecting the reaction I got from it, (which wasn't a pleasant one!) However, I will not let that stop me from wanting to stick to this way of living and will do my best to maintain this attitude, to prove everyone wrong!

In other news: I have a set of important exams approaching fast and a pile of notes to revise! This may have a slight impact on the amount of posts I make in the upcoming month, so apologies in advance!

Bye for now! Xxx 

Happy Mothers Day!

Hey there!

Some may think this will be a cliche post and a soppy one at that but, I believe that the wonderful woman who brought me into this world deserves a post of her own! After all, without her I would not have come into existence and you wouldn't have the opportunity to read this, which means you all have her to thank! 

As I'm sure you are all aware, yesterday was Mothers Day! A day to show your Mum how much you appreciate her: by spoiling her with breakfast in bed, showering her with meaningful gifts and sparing her from having to lift a finger by helping around the house! 

I'd be lying if I claimed I was the perfect daughter! I am hopeless at preparing presents for special occasions, (often finding myself frantically browsing the shops for last minute gifts,) am useless when it comes to keeping track of upcoming birthdays and events and fail at telling those that mean a lot, how much I love and appreciate them!

As a young girl growing up, I'd say I was the most difficult child to bring up! I suffered with terrible anger issues from 4 upwards, ranging from minor tantrums to physical damage and occasionally harm! No amount of comforting or gentle words would calm the 'raging animal' inside! For days, sometimes weeks, my Mum was my enemy constantly at war with me, with no sign of a way out!

But there comes a turning point in your life where you realise how much your parents care, how much they have given up, just to ensure you are happy! Never did my Mum give up on me, she was there by my side, supporting me through every stage in my life! Not only influencing my life, but everyone around with her constant positivity!

I'm lucky enough to still have my Mum around to care for me, support me through thick and thin and to love me endlessly despite my imperfections! From toddler to adolescence, she fought by my side: saving my friendships when they were at risk and encouraging opportunities which would not have been possible otherwise.

Love you Mum, you deserve this! Xxx

May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour...

Hey There! 

Despite the misleading title, this is NOT going to be a post dedicated to the Hunger Games, but a collection of my favourite quotes that I have learnt to live by and used throughout my journey to become a better person! 

This little gem has been my personal motto for as long as I can remember! A quote I will cherish forever, that will always remain a favourite of mine! There will be always be a time in your life, where insignificant events will creep up and get the better of  you! But life's too short for moping around and dwelling on the past...there's no point having regrets because at one point you wanted it! Focus on your future, throw those middle fingers out to the world, hold your head up high and smile! A smile is a powerful weapon, a contagious infection, a warming glow at the end of a tunnel! 

Sometimes life doesn't unfold how you want it to and you may face hurdles that are difficult to overcome, but you have to take the rough with the smooth! Life would be boring if every day was the same - perseverance and determination will allow you to cross that bridge and branch out to new opportunities. Don't suffer in silence, embrace those around you and treasure all the help you can get!

Throughout my journey in life, I have made new friends and watched old ones grow and slowly disappear! No amount of missing them can ever bring them back, but that's life! People come and go, but the ones that mind don't matter and the one's that matter don't mind! Cherish the people that care and support you, stay true to your principles and you'll be sure to live passionately, fully and well!

Last, but not least, this quote is an extremely personal one of mine....not only does it appear in one of my most loved novels, but as an ex-headteacher of mine once said: 'Life is not one direct route, there are so many pathways that you may stumble across along the way! Only YOU have the power to choose which ones you venture down and only you can control the journey from there! Be who you want to be, love and be loved and remember: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!' 


You are NOT alone, wherever you are in this world, there are people out there that care! Just hang on in there, you'll find the right ones eventually. It may take time to get there, but it will all be worth it in the end! 

Happy Sunday everyone! Xxx