January Favourites

As we are finally at the end of January I thought it was about time to share some of my favourite products of the past month. It is quite a random assotment of new things that I have discovered and used this month, so without further ado I'll get started...
 

Q and A a Day: 5 year Journal
I have had this journal for about three years now after receiving it as a stocking filler one Christmas, and whilst I initially used it every day I eventually ended up forgetting about it for a year or so. However, as I love the concept behind it I decided to try and stick to it a bit more religiously this year. It is a great substitute for a diary as you simply answer the question posed that day (which are a mixture of funny, quirky and philosophical) over the span of 5 years. It is also particularly interesting to read back on your previous answers to the questions to see how things have changed since then.

How to Get Away With Murder 
I stumbled across this one day whilst browsing Netflix and instantly became hooked. It follows a group of 5 law students who become involved in a murder case whilst interning for their teacher/defence attorney. The story features both flashbacks and flash forwards, as three story lines are played out simultaneously. It is extremely addictive and unpredictable, and there was many a time where I was left open-mouthed in shock at the latest revelations.

Breville Blend Active Personal Blender
As I had vowed to become a bit more healthier in 2016, I decided to buy a new blender to make smoothies and juices, as I had had my old one for years and it was a bit behind the times. After reading various reviews, I finally settled on this Breville one as it was highly recommended by a lot of people. It is extremely easy to use as you simply add all of your ingredients to the bottle, attach the blade and blend. It has no problem blending frozen fruit or ice cubes, it's not trouble to clean, and you can even drink it straight from the bottle - perfect for on the go smoothies!

Little Black Lies
I am a massive bookworm, so every Birthday and Christmas I receive a stack of new books, and last year this was one of them. It's a highly dark and thrilling novel of tragedy and revenge, set over a period of five days, with three different narrators throughout. The setting of the Falkland Islands is the perfect backdrop to the story as it adds to the eerie atmosphere, whilst suspense is created by the cliffhangers left before the narration changes. Despite there being many revelations throughout, the ending is a completely unexpected shock.

The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Body Butter 
I have become slightly obsessed with anything cherry blossom scented at the moment, so when I spotted this body butter in the body shop before Christmas, I knew I had to have it. It is extremely rich and moisturising, yet feels incredibly light on the skin, whilst the delicate, floral magnolia and cherry blossom scent lasts all day long. 

Dr Martens Black Patent Boots 
I have wanted a pair of Dr Martens for ages and since receiving a pair for Christmas I have been wearing them constantly. They are really comfortable to wear once broken in, and are perfect for the winter weather. They look great with any outfit, but I especially like wearing them with ripped boyfriend jeans or dresses. 

What are your favourite things at the moment?

Megan

16 Goals for 2016...

As we are now fully into 2016, I thought it was about time to share my personal goals for the year. I am not a big fan of setting resolutions at the beginning of the year as they are often difficult and unrealistic to acheive, therefore making it easier to fail. However, I do like to decide on some smaller, more attainable goals to work on throughout the year...

1. Start University. Whether or not to apply for University was a big decision for me, as I hated school and have never lived away from home, but I am now pretty excited to start studying Human Biology from September!

2. Become Healthier. Having bought a new blender recently I am determined to incoperate more smoothies and juices into my diet to become a bit healthier, as well as become a bit more active.

3. Start Driving Lessons. I have been putting off starting driving lessons for just over 2 years now, but I feel that this year I finally have the confidence to start to learn how to drive.

4. Learn the piano. The piano has always been my favourite instrument and over the years I have taught myself a few songs, but I would love to actually have proper lessons and learn to play it properly this year.

5. Grow my hair out. After looking through old photos recently, I realised how much I missed my waist length hair, so this year I am going to attempt to grow my hair out long again, whilst trying to maintain a healthy condition.

6. Become more organised. Having recently purhased an Erin Condren Life Planner, I am really excited to start using it to plan and organise my life more, and I may even share some of my planning tips in a blog post.

7. Cook more. Cooking is one of my favourite hobbies and I am really keen to try out new recipes this year to improve on my skills.

8. Improve my skin. Whilst I don't necessarily suffer from breakouts, I do have quite dull, tired looking skin, so I am determined to get it looking healthier and glowy this year.

9. Become more independent. I am quite a homey person, yet this year I feel I need to become more independent, especially since I will be moving away from home when I start University.

10. Photograph more. I love photography and have been using Instagram a lot more lately, so I want to carry on using my camera more this year to capture special moments.

11. Improve my drawing/artwork. I used to love sketching and drawing in my free time, so this year I am keen to dig out my old sketchbook and find the time to be a bit more creative, as I find it to be a really relaxing hobby and a great way to de-stress.


12. Travel more. As I'm now in the second half of my gap year, I would to take the oppurtunity to travel more, and I am already looking forward to going on holiday in the summer.

13. Journalling. I always buy a new journal at the start of the year with the intention of writing down daily thoughts, making lists and preserving memories, however, after a couple of months I end up forgetting about it, so this year I want to make a more conscious effort to keep it up throughout the year.

14. Say yes to more things. I am the sort of person that wants to have no regrets in life, and I would much rather fail at something than regret not doing it, so recently I have adopted the lifestyle of saying yes more often, which I hope to carry on doing in 2016.

15. Become more culturally enriched. As I am a bit of a nerd, going to museums and art galleries is one of my favourite things to do, as I love learning about the past, as well as different cultures. Therefore, I want to visit even more this year, especially with my family.

16. Blog more. I really want to find the time to blog more this year, hopefully posting at least twice a week, with posts such as book reviews, ootd's, favourite recipes and personal stories. 

What are your goals for 2016? 

Megan

 

5 Books That Changed My Life

 For as long as I remember I have always loved reading, and one of my favourite childhood activities was going to the library over summer and picking out a huge pile of books to read during the holidays. I can't remember a time where I didn't have a book on the go, and I always try to read before bed every night as I find it incredibly relaxing. With that in mind, I thought I would share the five books that I consider to have made an impact on my life in some way or another. 

 

To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

I read this book when I was 15 years old as it was part of my English GCSE and I must admit I wasn't very enthusiastic before I read it. However, it has since become one of my favourite books of all time, as it managed to make me feel every emotion whilst reading it. The way the characters are presented and how they interact with each other in the novel, as well as the issues presented, completely drew me in, making it easily one of the best books I have ever read. 

Wuthering Heights- Emily Bronte

Again, this is also one of the books that I studied at school, this time as part of my English Literature A-level. I had many pre-conceptions before I read this book, which turned out to be false once I actually began reading and analysing this book. As with Mockingbird, the characters are one of the main reasons I love this book, as you can love one character one minute and then hate them the next. For me, it is one of the classic books that everyone should read as it is one of the greatest novels.

James and the Giant Peach- Roald Dahl

After wracking my brain for the book that first made me love reading, I finally narrowed it down to one of the books that my Year 2 teacher used to read to the whole class at the end of every school day, in which James and the Giant Peach was one of them. As a child, I was a massive fan of Roald Dahl, and they are probably the books that I started reading to myself around the age of 6-7. Because of this, I regard this book(my favourite of Roald Dahl's) as changing my life as it is probably the book that made me such a massive bookworm.

 

 

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves- Karen Joy Fowler

It is quite difficult to talk about this book without giving away the huge twist revealed around page 80, but I will try, as it is the main foundation that the book is built on and the message presented throughout. It is a great psychological book which explores the ideas of family and relationships, and really makes you think when you read it.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- J.K.Rowling

I don't really know where to start when talking about Harry Potter, as I can honestly say it is the book series that changed my life the most. I must reread the whole seven books at least every couple of years, as there is a sense of home and safeness associated with Hogwarts and the Wizarding World, thanks to the high level of detail given by J.K Rowling about the fictional world. Since the age of 9 it has been my favourite book of all time and no doubt it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. 

What books have changed your life?

Megan

October Favourites

 As we are now a week into November- where has the year gone?- I thought it was about time I did a little round up of some of the things I was loving throughout October. It is quite a random selection, featuring everything from my current music love to my staple beauty products. Let's get started shall we...

'Us'- David Nicholls
After having read a couple of heavy thriller novels recently I wanted something slightly more heartwarming to stick my nose into, which is exactly what this book is. It follows the journey of a family of three- scientist Douglas, artist Connie and 17 year old Albie- taking their final holiday together on a grand tour of Europe after Connie tells Douglas that she thinks their marriage is over. It is an extremely poignant tale, interweaving funny, sad and thought provoking moments, making it, for me, a real page turner. 

Shawn Mendes
I discovered Shawn Mendes when one of his songs was suggested on Spotify, and after listening to the whole album "Handwritten" I immediately fell in love. It isn't often that I love every single song on one album, yet in this case I do. However, if I had to pick, my favourites would be 'Imagination', 'Crazy' and 'This is what it takes'. 

Sleek Face Form Palette 
After discovering that I owned the perfect brush for contouring recently, it has become a staple part of my makeup routine to add a subtle shadow to my face. For a high street product, this is a pretty good palette, with a browny bronze shade to define the cheekbones, a rosy blush for the apples of the cheeks and a shimmery highlighter to add a slight glow to the tops of cheekbones. It is extremely pigmented, allowing you to achieve that coveted Kardashian contour really easily. 

Wispa Hot Chocolate
As we are now in the middle of Autumn, it is quite likely that you will find me snuggled up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate pretty much every evening. Whilst I enjoy most varieties available, my favourite is definitely Cadbury's Wispa hot chocolate, as it is extremely bubbly, as well as being smooth and velvety. In my opinion, it is a staple for cosy winter evenings.

Castor Oil 
I recently made the decision to grow my eyebrows out as they were slightly sparse and completely different shapes to each other. As it can be quite a slow process, I purchased some Castor oil to help speed up the rate of growth, which it has definitely done. I simply apply some of the oil to an old mascara wand and comb it through my eyebrows before bed, and after only 4 weeks it has made a significant difference to my brows, as they are now fuller and more arched. 

The Big Bang Theory
After eagerly awaiting the return of my favourite TV show all summer, it finally premiered with season 9 in October, so I couldn't not include it in my monthly favourites round-up. I must admit, whilst I am not particularly happy that my favourite TV couple (Sheldon and Amy) are currently broken up, I am still finding it extremely funny, and it instantly brightens up my week when a new episode airs. 

Autumn
As Autumn is my favourite season of the year,  I thought it was only right to include it as one of my favourite things this past month. I enjoy everything about this season, from the fashion and beauty, to long walks in the park with my new puppy. It is also the lead up to my Birthday and Christmas, and so it is always an extremely festive time of year during which I can barely contain my excitement :)

What have you been loving lately?

Megan