Why I've Been Inactive (+ BLOGMAS??)

Hey guys!!

As you can probably guess, I have been inactive recently and this is just a short post explaining why.

I am in Year 11 at school which is my exam year so I am super busy with coursework and revision, and I don't want to write half hearted posts, but I don't have the time to write detailed posts, with photos needed to be taken and edited too.

I was going to use this half term to draft posts for November, but as you will have seen if you follow me on Twitter, I am going to some time out to focus on my friend who is very ill. When she recovers I will be sure to spend my spare time (after revising) writing blog posts but until then, I will continue to be inactive.

However, recently I have been thinking about doing blogmas, which is blogging everyday in December until Christmas. I am still unsure but feel free to tweet me if you think I should!! Also let me know which kind of posts you would like.

I'm sorry that this post wasn't like normal but please feel free to tweet/dm me your thoughts on blogmas!!

Thank you so much,

Em x

100 Happy Days #2

Hey guys!!

So as you know, I decided to start the #100happydays challenge as I thought that the idea was just adorable and so lovely. You can read about that here.

Last week I spoke about the first 9 days and today I am going to talk about the second 9 days and show you what made me happy!!

Receiving my w7 In the Nude palette made my day!! Review coming soon.

I love sunflowers so much, they're so pretty.

We all know how much I adore cacti, so I couldn't go a few days without posting more photos of them!!

I had such a long tiring week, and Friday was the end which was amazing.

Cold Saturday's call for Disney and duvets.

I didn't take a photo of this but FaceTiming my bestfriend was lovely, I can't wait to see her again in two weeks!!

I just want all the Tsum Tsum's, they are so adorable.

I want to be back here in the sunshine please.

The new Autumn Starbucks cards are so beautiful!!

That is my second nine days of 100 Happy Days! Let me know if you've been doing the challenge too or what day was your favourite!

Em x

Make-up Expiry Dates

Hey guys!!

This weekend I was going through some of my make-up to see what was out of date and find some things that I could throw away. It was this that led me to start thinking about expiry dates on make-up as its so easy to forget when products are started, and how long before you need to replace them. As with any other product you shouldn't use make-up products with expired expiration dates. Expired beauty product can be full of bacteria which can cause you a lot of problems with skin health. 

www.jenngorgeous.com

It's important to go through your make-up bag every 3-4 moths and see which products aren't good any more. I noticed that some make-up products don't say how long you can use them. So I like to stick little paper notes on each product and write the date when I first started using it. The real question is: How long do make-up products last?

Mascara - 2-6 months

Eyeliner (liquid): 3 months
Concealer: 6-12 months

Foundation: 1 year

Clear mascara: 1 year

Eyeliner (pencil): 1-2 years

Lipstick: 2 years

Powder: 2 years

Blush: 2 years

Bronzer: 2 years

Eye-shadow: 2 years

I hope that this helped some of you in some way and that it'll be useful for you when clearing out your make-up!! Maintaining skin health is so important and a way in which you can do this is by clearing out your make-up collection every few months. 

Em x

World Mental Health Day

Hey guys!!

Today's post will be a little different but its about a subject that I feel ridiculously passionate about, and that I feel should be talked about more. Especially on today, which happens to be World Mental Health Day. 

For those of you who may not be aware, October 10th 2015 is Mental Health Awareness Day. Waking up today and seeing #WorldMentalHealthDay trending made me so happy, as I think it is fantastic that we as a society dedicate certain days in the calendar to well needed causes such as mental health, cancer, bullying etc.

I was unsure how to approach the subject of mental health through a blog post as it is very easy to offend individuals but I have the platform online to spread awareness on such a horrible and common issue, and I feel that it would be an injustice to avoid the topic completely.  I am this to spread awareness and tell you reading this post, that it will get better. It may not seem like it right now but it will.

Through reading the #WorldMentalHealthDay campaign on Twitter, it is clear that many individuals don’t feel “good enough” or "can’t see a future ahead for them". I understand that many of you feel that way on a daily basis, some of you use the internet to overcome these feelings but, I promise that you are someone’s reason to wake up every morning with a smile on their face and not only that, you were born into this world for many exciting reasons, unaware of what they are yet? The beauty of life is the unknown, and the fact that you can be anyone you choose to be.

If you are sitting reading this and you are struggling to come to terms with how you are going to get through these next few days, weeks, months or years, then take a few moments and think about all of those times that you have laughed with your friends, all of those times you've danced crazily to your favourite song, all of those times you've made your parents proud, and those days you got up when all you wanted to do was stay under your duvet and hide from the world. Now stand up, stand tall and tell yourself, “I am not going to let this beat me. I am much stronger than this. This is only a minor bump on the road to my very successful future.” A few years ago, I made a page on my tumblr which was so popular and if this can maybe just help one of you, then it'll be worth it. You can find it here and it is so helpful if you need a distraction from everything in your head. 

 

You may be reading this and thinking that none of this directly applies to you, but there is certainly someone around you who is affected by a mental illness as MIND charity found that, 1 in 4 individuals have been diagnosed with at least one mental health problem in the last year. You may think that because you are not trained that there is nothing you can do to help someone who is suffering but the best thing to do is to look out for the signs of depression:

• A (sudden) loss of interest which was once enjoyed
• Isolating oneself away from the rest of the world; not wanting to see family or friends
• A sudden negative attitude towards many things in life
• If at school or work; a sudden decline in their standard of work
• Staying in bed more than often than before to avoid contact with other people
• A gradual/sudden lack of care for one’s appearance or oneself

If you notice someone acting somewhat different than their usual self, question it! You could save a life. 

Making sure that those around you is one of the hardest, but most humbling things that you could possibly do, and even though people may not directly thank you, please be assured that they definitely do appreciate it.

Please always remember that those individuals who have a smile on their face might not necessarily be happy, they could be putting up a front for many reasons. 

Please don’t suffer in silence, so many people love and care about you and will be there for you when you need them, including me. (You can contact me on any of my social media).

Stay strong.

Em x

100 Happy Days #1

Hey guys!!
Last week, I decided to start the #100happydays challenge as I thought that the idea was just adorable and so lovely. You can read about that here.
Today I am going to talk about the first 9 days and show you what made me happy!!

My friends and I took music technology as an enrichment subject and its so funny!

If you don't spend your Friday nights on the sofa under your duvet writing blog posts then what do you do?

I love this book by Giovanna Fletcher, its absolutely incredible!

Waking up to a blue sky with the sun out is lovely.

I felt super ill on Monday but a nap and Frozen fixed everything!

My Benefit Air Patrol sample arrived and I'm so excited to use it.

I had a half day on Thursday so that was the perfect excuse to get a Nandos!

Lift selfies are the best selfies

I love Starbucks so much 

That is my first nine days of 100 Happy Days! Let me know if you've been doing the challenge too or what day was your favourite!

Em x

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment Review

Hey guys!!

Today I am going to be reviewing a product by Lee Stafford. This is the treatment for hair that never grows past a certain length!! When buying this, I looked online for hair growth tips and found that most people with long, shiny hair used this product (or something similar). 

I went and purchased a pot from boots. The tub isn't very large at all and at £7.99 isn't cheap! However, I believe that Lee Stafford is a higher quality brand than the adverse Herbal Essences or Loreal hair care lines so this price was expected. Admittedly, yes, this is pricey, but for longer, thicker hair its all worth it!

To have maximum results from this product it is required that it is left in for 5 minutes, so ensure you have plenty of time for this treatment otherwise it's just a a waste. It also suggest to use the Lee Stafford growth shampoo and conditioner- which you can if you like but I prefer to use a Loreal shampoo and conditioner as I find that this suits my hair better.

'If the Earth is not nourished you'll never grow beautiful flowers'

I was very intrigued to find out how it works. Hair goes through a natural cycle. Each strand is unanchored from it's root every 1-3 years. If you're lucky and your hair has a long cycle (3 years) the hair will grow longer than average. But if you feel your hair gets to that point (usually a couple of inches past the shoulder) where it stops growing then your hair has a shorter life cycle (I definitely have this problem). This treatment prolongs the anchored phase to promote hair growth. To help this, the mask conditions the scalp, soothes dry/split ends and strengthens hair at a cellular level.

I have been using this product each time I have washed my hair (every other day) and I am super impressed with the outcome. My hair has a healthy shine to it and my ends have smoothed. I can confirm that I have not been blessed with hair like Rapunzel since using this product but I can say it has set the foundations for healthy growth in the future which is what I wanted. It suggests that once this product has improved the condition of the hair (after less that one tub my hair has improved) begin to use as a weekly treatment. However, I am still going to use this for each wash until I am 100% confident my hair could not get in an any better condition.

The down side to this product is the size. I would say this lasts on an average of 3 weeks, if I wash my hair every other day, so it gets me through about 11 treatments. I have worked this out to be about 73p a treatment, which is reasonable but £7.99 does seem lots of money when you're stood paying for it at the till in boots!

I would strongly recommend this treatment for those who have or do frequently dye their hair or repeated apply a lot of heat simply because it nourishes the hair and scalp helping to restore it back to its original condition. For those looking for hair growth, please don't expect miracles from this product. It does take time for the hair to restore before it begins to grow, so if you do buy this product be patient it will eventually speed up growth!
If anyone has found any cheaper alternatives to this product, I would be happy to know what! Please leave any comments and questions below!

Em x

100 Happy Days

Hey guys!!

I was going through my social media and stumbled across 100 Happy Days, founded by Dmitry Golubnichy. He wanted to bring back happiness as he realised that people are too busy to take a step back and treasure and enjoy the moment, so they couldn't be the happiest they could be. In Fall 2013 he took on the challenge of finding one little thing to be happy about for last 100 days of the year! I'm amazed that it has been taken by 15,00,000 people from 220 countries! 

The idea is that you can sign up for the 100 Happy Days challenge and for the next 100 days, you can share a photo on your most preferred Social media of one little thing which has made you happy with #100happydays. If that's a coffee with your best friend, you've just bought that outfit you have had your eye on, you've gone on an adventure and found an amazing view or you have just walked through a little alleyway which has bunting hung up, anything at all as long as it has made you happy. You can use the hashtag as motivation and to see other peoples happy moments! 

I love this whole idea and I believe that if loads of us signed up and shared our happy photo everyday we could make the world a happier place. I am going to do this for the next 100 days, sharing my photo each day on my Instagram and Twitter, and of course on here, my blog. I have decided that I really want to support this and every weekend for the next 100 day I will be sharing the seven photos I have taken through the week on a blog post in more detail. 

Are you going to take up the challenge? Can you be happy for 100 days in a row?

Em x

5 Things I Want To Do #1

Hey guys!!
Recently I have been updating my bucket list and I thought that I would share some of the things that I want to do. I have got so many things on my list so I will only be sharing 5 today but if you like this post then let me know and I will make this a more regular thing!!

Go to Disney World
As I'm sure you probably all know by now, I am a huge Disney fan, but I have never been to a Disney park!!! I have wanted to go for so long and I am determined to make it happen soon.

Do a colour run
I have seen so many people doing a colour run and it looks like so much fun. The idea of raising money whilst having fun seems so cool and I really want to do it.

See a polar bear
I love polar bears and it makes me so sad that they are endangered and that there aren't any in England :( However, I have adopted one and I am definitely going to go to a zoo to see one soon!

Travel the World
This is so cliché and I feel that everyone always says that they want to travel the world, but it honestly looks incredible. I love visiting new places and travelling the world is a huge dream of mine.

Take a photo everyday for 5/10 years
I like the idea of taking a photo everyday and then editing them together to see how much I've changed over that period of time.

I hope you liked this post, please let me know! Also I have so many photos that I took on holiday (like the one above) and I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a post about them? Thank you,
Em x

Benefit Roller Lash Review

Hey guys!!
Last month, I finally bought Benefit Roller Lash after lusting after it for so long. I was already running out of my mascara so I decided that I might as well just go ahead and buy the mascara that I had heard so many wonderful things about.

Benefit Roller Lash | £19.50

The Roller Lash Black Mascara is Benefit’s latest mascara from their range. The mascara costs £19.50 for 8.5g and the packaging is simple, the pink and black caught my eye immediately.

The mascara brush itself is a curved shape. This allows the brush to separate, lift and curl eyelashes, whilst promising to hold the eyelashes for up to 12 hours.
The brush on this mascara really does help to make your eyes look more open and your eyelashes longer, giving your make-up the finishing touch. The mascara is easy to apply and leaves behind no clumps on the eyelashes. I find this mascara also lasts a long time.

The packaging states that:
97% of people say the mascara lifts their eyelashes.

87% say the mascara is long lasting.
94% say their eyes look more wide open.

Personally, I would agree with this as I do visibly notice the difference to other mascaras. This is also a very buildable mascara which I like as it means that I am able to create different looks with it. 

However, I prefer the Benefit They're Real mascara as I feel that this is more long lasting and adds more volume to my lashes.

I would definitely recommend Roller Lash to anyone that is looking to spend a bit more on a mascara as it lifts and curls lashes so well!!

Let me know if you have tried Roller Lash, and what you think of it?

Em x

The Disney Tag

Hey guys!!
Sorry I have been so inactive recently, I was on holiday and I didn't have any wifi so I couldn't post!! I am back now and getting ready to go back to school after such a good summer which sucks :(

But today I am going to do the Disney Tag as I was tagged by my friend on tumblr and I thought I would make a blog post out of it! I am such a huge Disney fan and I am so excited to do this.



1. Which Disney character do you relate to most?

I love Belle, I like the way that she loves to read and her dress is absolutely beautiful. I also love Ariel as I love swimming and her hair is amazing.

2. What is your favourite Disney song?

Let It Go makes me so happy I love Frozen and that song makes me smile so much. I love Be Our Guest, Mother Knows Best and Heigh-Ho too.

3. Who is your favourite Disney sidekick?

FLOUNDER is absolutely adorable I love him. I know that Finding Nemo is Disney Pixar but Dory is probably my spirit animal shes hilarious!!

4. Which is your favourite first meeting scene?

I love Rapunzel and Flynn's meeting scene because it makes me laugh and I love Tangled so much its super cute.

5. Mention a character, which first you did not like, but you took a liking to it at the end of the movie!

Ooooo um Kristoff scared me at first because I thought he was bad but then I loved him when he helped Anna.

6. Do you prefer Elsa or Anna?

ELSA IS MY QUEEN I LOVE HER SO MUCH

7. Would you like to work for Disney someday in any way?

Yes yes yes yes, I want to be a Disney Princess (mainly Elsa) more than anything omg.

8. Which Disney movie castle or place would you like to live in?

Arendelle or France.

9. If you were the star of a Disney movie, what would your Disney sidekick be like?

A polar bear cub which is really cute but also really slow and ditzy, or a walking cactus.

10. If you could own one Disney character outfit, whose outfit would it be?

Elsa's dress is incredible I love it so much.

11. What Disney quote do you feel best represents you?

"All you need is fath, trust and pixie dust."

This was just a short post as I am getting ready for school and I have left all of my homework and coursework until the end which was super stupid. I hope you all had a great summer and if you are going back to school or college that it is okay for you!!

Em x

Current Wishlist - Summer

Hey guys!!
Recently I have seen so many bloggers creating a wishlist for summer or just in general what they would like and I thought that I would jump on the bandwagon and create one too!

Apple iMac 27" - I absolutely love Apple products and I am constantly on my iPhone and iPad. However, I have never owned an Apple computer. For months I have been torn between wanting a Macbook or an iMac but I think I have finally decided on an iMac. This is such an expensive purchase and on a student budget I will have to save up for months for this but it will be so worth it!!

Benefit Hoola Bronzer - For months I have been looking to buy a bronzer and I wasn't sure which one was best for me. Recently I went into Benefit and tried Hoola and I fell in love with it!! I will definitely be looking to buy this soon.

Tea Tree Face Mask - I am a huge fan of The Body Shop and pretty much own all of the Tea Tree range! Last week I went in and looked at this face mask for a while, I have seen so many people raving about this online and I want to pick it up as I'm sure that it will help my skin.

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Shampoo - Last week I went into Boots and picked up the growth treatment and I have fallen in love with it!! I can't comment on whether it helps growth yet but it has left my hair feeling so smooth and soft so I need to pick up the shampoo too!

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Conditioner - Similarly, I want to purchase the conditioner for this!! I feel that in conjunction with the shampoo and other treatment, it will leave my hair feeling stronger and softer than ever.

Blogging > Jogging shirt  - I own so many slogan tshirts and I absolutely adore them. When I saw this online I knew that I needed it!! I feel that this sums me up completely and I will definitely be buying it!!

Alena Strappy Wrap Front Playsuit - I saw this recently when I was looking for tops and I fell in love with it. I love the simplistic design and I think that this would be perfect for summer. At only £15, it is so affordable too!

Q and A a day - A friend of mine has a book similar to this and she loves it. I saw this on Amazon and I thought that it was so cool. However I'm not sure that I would be able to keep it up for five years so I'm unsure as to whether to buy it or not.


I really enjoyed looking and thinking about what I would like to buy, although now I think a shopping trip is in order!! Leave me a comment below telling me what your summer wishlist is and whether you own any of these products.
Em x

july empties

Hey guys!!
Over the month of July I have been busy trying out new products and continuing with old. Also this month I have used up a few products that I wanted to talk about and discuss whether or not I would repurchase them, and how they helped me.

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Shampoo | £5.89 - I love this shampoo and I feel that it adds colour and texture to my hair. I am naturally blonde but my hair is getting darker which I don't like so I use this shampoo to top it up. I would definitely buy this product again.
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Conditioner | £5.89 - I love this conditioner equally as much as the shampoo and when I use the two together, it leaves my hair feeling soft and silky whilst looking blonde too. I would definitely buy this product again.
Biore Pore Strips | £7.99 - I like this product as you can see the results on the strip after using it. However, I used these once a week/once every two weeks and I didn't see huge results as my skin wasn't overly dirty. I would not buy this again.
Palmolive Exfoliating Shower Gel | £3 - I love this shower gel as it leaves my skin feeling so soft. My skin is very sensitive as I have psoriasis but I find that this is gentle enough to exfoliate but also is strong enough to have an impact on my skin. I will be purchasing this again!
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder | £3.99 - This powder is my holy grail. I actually adore this powder and it leaves my skin looking matte and natural, it does everything that it claims to do and more. I will continue to buy this unless I manage to find something better.
Vaseline tinting lip therapy | £1.95 - This lip balm leaves my lips feeling so soft but also gives a rosy tint which I love. I will always repurchase this as it is so cheap but so effective.

Leave a comment below telling me what your favourite products have been during July and what you have used up. I can't believe its August already!!
Em x

chocolate orange cookies

Hey guys!!
One of the things that I wanted to do more of during the summer was baking. I take food tech at GCSE but my cooking skills are very minimal to say the least, so I wanted to try something new and see how it went.
My younger sister decided to help me as I made chocolate orange cookies, they taste so good and I wanted to share the recipe and how I made them with you.

You will need:
150g melted butter
150g dark brown sugar
120g golden caster sugar
1 large egg
1tsp whole milk
Zest and juice of 1 large orange
225g plain flour
75g cocoa
100g milk chocolate, chopped into chunks

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 160°C/320°F/Fan 150°C/Gas Mark 3.
In a large mixing bowl, stir the sugars into the melted butter.

You should see it change from this.....

to this.

Then beat in the egg, milk and zest/juice of the orange to form a wet mix.

It should look like this

Sift in the flours and cocoa, add the chocolate chunks and fold the ingredients together until everything is combined. Put large tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto lined baking trays.

Bake at the centre of the oven for 10-12 minutes. The centres will still be slightly sticky, so leave them to cool on the tray for at least 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies taste lovely and although aren't the healthiest, are a great treat when eaten in moderation. The texture and flavours are so nice and I will definitely be making them again!! Let me know in the comments if you like to bake and what your favourite thing to bake is, I would love to know.

Em x

'dream a little dream' review

Hey guys!!

I have been wanting to do a book review for a long time now but I was unsure where to start and what to review. However, in my June/July favourites post, I briefly spoke about a book called 'Dream A Little Dream' by Giovanna Fletcher and felt that it was a perfect book to begin with.
Dream A Little Dream is the third novel by Gi, and I am a huge fan of both of her other books. I was so excited when this came through my door and I finished the book within just a few hours!!
Dream A Little Dream is a romantic fiction novel that was released on the 18th June by Penguin. The blurb reads Sarah is doing just fine. Sure she’s been single for the last five years, and has to spend an uncomfortable amount of time around her ex-boyfriend and their mutual friends, and the rest at her tediously mundane job, but it’s fine. She’s happy(ish).
But it’s not surprising that when Sarah starts dreaming about a handsome stranger, she begins looking forward to falling asleep at night. Reality isn’t nearly as exciting. That is until her dream-stranger makes an unexpected real-life appearance, leaving Sarah questioning everything she thought she wanted.
Because people never really find the person of their dreams… do they?

I love the idea of Sarah dreaming about someone who then turns up in her everyday life, and Giovanna has presented this idea very well. Sarah is a likeable and friendly character and I wanted to be her friend and and hang out with her and Carly. She is also a very patient character as she is able to hang out with her ex and his new girlfriend without making a scene.

Brett was also a lovely character and there was a sensible difference between dream Brett and real Brett (although I preferred real Brett). I like the way Giovanna made Brett down to earth and similar to Sarah's dreams, he could have been portrayed as a very different character who was arrogant and didn't live up to Sarah's fantasies. The supporting characters in this novel were amazing too and I enjoyed the scenes where they were all together, as it felt like the reader was there too.

The story was well thought out and made me laugh, but also cry. The sensitive details were handled very well in a delicate way that didn't cause offence to readers, but went into enough detail to reach out to the reader and cause us to feel love, sympathy and passion towards the characters.

Giovanna writes in a way that causes me to feel happy, then sad and then complete sympathy towards the characters. I loved her first two novels and Dream a Little Dream certainly didn't disappoint, I cannot wait for book four!!

Also, the cover art for this book is so bright and colourful, it is not something I would usually like but I adore the warm tones combined with the house silhouettes. I would definitely recommend Giovanna's work to anybody!!



(Dream a Little Dream is available to buy from most major UK bookshops, RRP £7.99.)
Click to view on Amazon UK.
Click to view at Waterstones.
Click to view on iBooks.
I really enjoyed writing my first book review and would definitely urge you to check out Giovanna's work as her style of writing is simply wonderful. Leave a comment below as to whether or not you have read this book or recommend me something to read as I would love to do so,
Em x

eleven things

Hey guys!!
Recently I have seen so many doing the Eleven Things tag. I thought that it looked really cool and I haven't done a tag before so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and join in!!

1 ) What was your favourite toy as a child?
I used to have a Noddy tape player that I listened to music and audio books on that I loved.


2 ) What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I have always changed my mind on what I wanted to be, from a marine biologist or a teacher to a vet or a midwife. Although the job path that I liked most was a teacher which I still want to be now.


3 ) What is the best family day out you've ever been on ( as a child or adult ) ?
I used to go on family holidays to Cornwall or Devon with my family and family friends, who had children the same age as me. My sister is 5 years younger than me so I was always with these friends. One year, we went to a theme park called Crealy Adventure Park and I went on all of the rides, I think that this started my love for rollercoasters and theme parks as I really enjoyed it.


4 ) Which film is always granted to make you laugh?
I am such a Disney girl, I love every single Disney film but The Little Mermaid always makes me laugh as I love Sebastian.


5 ) Which sport do you enjoy playing the most?
I'm so unsporty but I like swimming and cycling.


6 ) If you won a million pounds tomorrow, what would be the first thing you would buy?
I would probably buy a plane ticket to travel the world as it is something that I have always wanted to do.


7 ) What is your favourite snack?
I like chocolate or crisps (im so unhealthy) but I also love pomegranate and banana.


8 ) What is the most useful tip/hack that you know?
If you overpluck your eyebrows, put Vaseline on them and they will grow back thicker, faster and fuller!


9 ) Do you play a musical instrument, if so which one ?
I used to play the clarinet but I haven't picked one up in at least 4 years.


10 ) Do you prefer holidays at the beach, country side or in the city?
I love beach holidays as they are perfect for getting a tan, but the countryside is always adorable and I love going on long walks. Also city breaks are always pretty, I love all three.


11 ) What is your must have fashion item for this summer ?
Topshop Joni jeans are amazing I love them so much.


This was a little different to previous posts but I really enjoyed it!! Let me know any answers that you have to any of the questions above or even do a blog post in response, I would love to see your answers.
Em x

motivation

Hey guys!!
When looking on Twitter today, I noticed that #MondayMotivation was trending and as I scrolled through I saw that so many people were joining in and sharing quotes, tips and advice on how to stay motivated. I was so happy to see this and see everyone supporting and helping each other. As I was reading this, I was a little unmotivated towards blogging, working out and school work. I have had a weeks break from everything and it is so difficult to get back into it. I decided to save some of the posts that I liked to share with you guys today.

I love this quote as it makes me feel as though I can do
anything if I believe in myself.

This quote just highlights that eating healthily will make
you feel so much better.

This is so true, jealousy gets you nowhere.

It is so important to ensure that you aren't solely focused
on changing your body, but your lifestyle.

Sometimes we all try to take on too much and it becomes
stressful, but noone can do everything.

Forming an idea on what you want to do in the morning is
important as it sets you up for the day ahead.

I have so many plans for my blog over the summer and I want to carry them all out and see how they go!!
Em x

manhattan coffee club

Hey guys!!
On Friday my friend Lucy and I went to Reading to do some shopping and we stumbled across the cutest coffee shop in the Oracle. It is called Manhattan Coffee Club and only opened on Thursday! As we walked past, we noticed the rustic furnishings and went in for a drink. I got a tea and Lucy got a coffee, both were reasonably priced and the staff were so friendly.
The shop had the most lovely atmosphere, with black and white walls, vintage wooden furniture and soft music playing in the background. Each table had a plant on it which I felt was a nice touch, and made the shop look fresh and clean.
In one corner was a book section. The shelves were covered in books which were available for visitors to read, or even take home if they replaced it with something else. I thought that this was an adorable idea. Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to photograph this up close but I will be sure to return soon and tweet the photos!!

I am so sad that Reading is about half an hour away from me because I want to go back often, its so cute in there. Have a great week,

Em x