The importance of switching off

This Monday I was sitting at home wondering why I didn't feel the least bit festive. It just felt like a regular day, nothing special, even though I knew that Christmas was four days away. While I was scrolling through facebook I saw a post saying: "Christmas is in four days and I've never felt less Christmassy in my life. It related to me so much, it was exactly how I was feeling. I felt more festive in November than I did then! No matter how many times I listened to the Micheal Buble Christmas album or watched a Christmas movie,  I wasn't in the festive spirit at all.

I read the comments to this post, hoping for some scope on the situation and what others had to say.

"Maybe if there was more snow on the ground and fewer bills it would feel like Xmas lmao"

"Bills ruin my fun every holiday lol"

"It's nothing to do with age. Christmas should be kept in December. It's so commercialized, they were selling advent calendars in September! The spirit is ruined by materialism."

But there was one comment that really hit me and struck a chord:
"It's because you're all on f**king Facebook scrolling through endless pointless sh*t procrastinating from getting up and doing something festive like carol singing or Christmas shopping or wrapping or watching Christmas films with the family because you'd rather like or share a video of someone doing it on Facebook to show that you're "festive""

He's right though isn't he? We're all distracted by social media as if we've got nothing better to do! And it sucks, it sucks so bad that we've been brainwashed and taken over by the internet during a time that we should be focusing on spending time with family, laughing and living. Like truly living, without a mobile phone in hand, doing something little like playing a game monopoly and arguing because someone is cheating, or going out for a walk to look at all the Christmas lights.

Switch off. Seriously I mean it, it makes all the difference. Yesterday I managed to do so much just by leaving my phone alone! I watched two Christmas movies with my siblings, played monopoly with my sister and laughed at how she bought every street she landed on! We even created a dance routine to "All I want for Christmas" and performed it for a mum like the good old days. I wrapped the rest of Mum's presents as well as write up the time schedules for the Christmas dinner so that all the food would be taken out and served on time. I can't say I had my phone switched off for long, I turned it off for about an hour until I turned it back on. However I only had it there to answer messages and that was about it. And finally, after I thought there was no hope of feeling Christmassy or festive, the feeling of festivity flooded in and I felt so happy and excited.

I seriously suggest you give your phone and the internet a break this Christmas. I will be, and I know that it will make me feel so much happier. I wish you the merriest of Christmases and a fabulous new year.

Much love,

Lauren

Steps on how to survive being ill during the holiday season

So Christmas is finally around the corner and you're starting to get immensely excited until you get struck down with banging headaches, a stuffy nose, and a sore throat that makes your voice sound like you haven't had a drop of water in days. Sound familiar? It's definitely the case for me right now, and I'm well and truly pissed. If you're ill right now, I know how you feel sister! So I've come up with a few ways to survive being ill during the holiday season.

Step one: Brace yourself for this... stop feeling sorry for yourself! I know I know, you feel like crap and want to rip your throat out, but people in the world are going through much worse than you right now. Try and be grateful, as hard as it may sound it's good to realize that it's not often that it's deemed acceptable to lay in bed all day! Take any time you get off to your advantage instead of bathing in self-pity; trust me it will only make it worse.

Step two: Take action! If you feel something coming on, your hunch is probably right. But you can be a step ahead and take action before the illness tries to fully take over your body. If I ever start to feel a bit worse for wear I straight away break out the Lemsip. If that fails or your already at the stage of complete ickiness, then the following steps should help you out.

Step three: Break out the Christmas movies! They're bound to cheer you up, what with all the happy stories of white Christmases and Santa. At least, they can distract you from the realization that your nose is probably as red as Rudolph's right now.

Step four: If you can keep your food down and if it doesn't hurt too much to swallow, then you better break out the snacks. Being ill is going to seriously mess with your energy levels, so forget the calorie intake and eat away! When I'm poorly sick I'm and avid ice cream eater. Who am I kidding? I'm always an avid ice cream eater!

Step five: Hydration, hydration, hydration. I'll admit it, I'm pants at remembering to drink a good amount of water every day. However, it's even more so important to get some water down yourself when you're ill. If not, you might just end up feeling worse, so always have a glass of water near you at all times!

Step six: Reeeelllllaaaaaaxxxx. Don't worry about those Christmas presents you haven't bought yet, that paper you need to finish, or all the work you're supposed to be doing. Being ill is a bit like your body telling you to have a break, spend a day or two with yourself, and to look after yourself. Yeah maybe it's a funny way of telling you but hey. Putting yourself under stress will not make matters any better.

I hope you're all feeling well, but if not I hope these steps help you out! 

Much love,

Lauren xx

The best Christmas presents of my childhood

Recently I was thinking about my childhood Christmases, the memories, the gifts, the places we went and the things we all did. In particular I look back at my favourite gifts as a child. Presents were so important back then, and I never cherished the idea that Christmas was about spending time with family and the atmosphere until I was about 12. But I've got to say, writing those Christmas lists were a heck of a lot of fun! I'd get Nan's Argos catalogue and circle each thing that I wanted (I'll admit it, I circled a lot more than Santa's sleigh could handle). Here are a list of my at the time most admired Christmas presents.

1. A Bratz dolls somehow always found its way under the tree, every year. My collection kept growing and growing but I was definitely not complaining. I looked after them and raised them as my own children; I dressed them in new outfits every day, plaited their hair, set up a movie for them and the gals on what was actually my extra tiny box TV, and one time I even washed one of the dolls hair and put her under the lamp for it to dry! Her head melted and I got a bit upset... but apart from that I loved my Bratz dolls. They were considered my best Christmas gifts for a long time. What's their saying? Passion for fashion? Something like that.

2. My FIRST BUILD A BEAR! Oh how adored her. Going into the shop and picking her out as well as her clothes felt so magical! It was a week before Christmas and I caught the train into Birmingham with my family to explore the Christmas market. I managed to persuade my mum to let me get a bear and when she did, oh the happiness!! I called her Toffee and I carried her home in her Christmas box along with her birth certificate and outfits. Ugh it makes me feel all gooey and nostalgic looking back. :'(

3. Getting my pink DS lite was such a beautiful moment. I remember waiting for it to charge and the finally being able to play on Nintendogs. I'm pretty sure I stayed in mums bed for ages playing with my little Shih tzu. OMG Nintendogs was such a good game. Ugh I miss being able to play that. But thanks to my super cool boyfriend my Nintendo dreams will be brought back to life, since he promised to buy me Animal Crossing New Leaf and he's giving me his 3DS because he doesn't use it anymore. I do love the kid. 

4. My Polly Pocket cruise ship was a bit of an upgrade from my first Polly Pocket that I bought at a car boot sale, you know, the original Polly Pocket. I remember circling it in the Argos catalogue so many times that I almost burnt trough the page. My little dolls went on the best holidays ever, shilling by the pool, climbing up a rock climbing wall, it was all just fabulous and I was so grateful that Santa made my wishes come true.

5. Finally, my pixel chix was a Christmas gift which I obsessed over. It's like a limited, extremely pixellated sims for kids. I collected a load of them and this was the first one I got that started the craze. I loved it so much, and I found it so addictive! My little sister has them all now but she doesn't really understand how it works. One day.

What kind of presents did you get as a child?

Lauren x

Buddy's Breakfast: Tried and Tested by me

I'm guessing you've watched the movie Elf before, I mean most people have. But if not, first of all how? What? Why? And second of all, get to it! But if you have watched the Christmas movie then this blog post might make a bit more sense to you than to those who haven't. There is one scene in particular where Buddy makes a marvelous and extravagant breakfast, mostly made out of a multitude of all things sweet and sticky. Ring any bells? Maybe this picture will jog your memory?

I recently tried to recreate the beautiful meal myself out of ingredients that I found in my house! 

To make my version of Buddy's breakfast you will need:

Nutella

Marshmallow Fluff

Krave Cereal

Candy Canes

A massive marshmallow

Some Spaghetti 

Step One: Boil your spaghetti to perfection. Actually it doesn't mean that much how well it's cooked, as long as your can chew through it..I mean you're not going to notice the texture next to the other ingredients anyway.

Step two: Dollop your marshmallow fluff and nutella onto your pasta. You can either mix it in or let it melt. Whatever jingle your bells!

Step three: Because I only had a jumbo marshmallow, I had to cut it up into chunks, but having mini marshmallows on hand is always a great idea, you know to throw on your porridge, toast, smoothie bowl etc.

Step four: Then you can go crazy with toppings!! For this meal I went for the healthier option of crushed up candy canes and chopped in half pieces of krave. Got to watch my figure this Christmas!

And there you have it, my version of Buddy the elf's Christmas breakfast!!

Before you think "I bet she threw that in the bin straight away" or "I bet she didn't even try it", I did try it and it was absolutely gorgeous! The subtle starchyness of the spaghetti really compliments the hard hitting peppermint and tastes great drenched in the melted nutella. The marshmallow is really sweet yet significantly warm on the palette and the cereal adds that extra crunch that would otherwise be missing. I highly recommend you try it for yourself to feel the true taste!

Will you be trying this recipe this Christmas?

Much love,

Lauren 

p.s I did actually try it and it was rather disgusting! I felt extremely sick afterwards aha! I wouldn't try this, but I hope you got my sense of humor ;)

The Best Christmas Gift Guide Ever: Guarunteed

It's December the most joyous and festive time of the year! If you haven't started buying Christmas presents yet, you really need to up your game! But fear not! I've got the best Christmas gift guide that you will see on any blog ever, so feast your eyes on these bad boys. You're about to purchase the best gifts anyone will ever receive in their life!

1. Crocs! They're so versatile! You can pull so many different outfits with these shoes, from smart work attire, to fancy nights out with the girls! These shoes are fit for all weather, especially the cold winter season! Anyone would be delighted to receive such a gorgeous gift that they will cherish and put to great use.

2. This eyebrow pencil has all the beauty bloggers talking, even Pewdiepie can't have enough! It's great for creating those thick brows that all the celebrities are trying to achieve. This pen can create a variety of lines, thick and thin, therefore you can create a multitude of different eyebrow looks. Even my dad recommends it! Be a great person this year and leave this in someones stocking to make their Christmas the best one yet!

3. Loom bands are so this year! Just look at all the beautiful creations you can make. Give this to your significant other this Christmas and expect them to make you the most gorgeous and eccentric necklaces from pure rubber and possibly toxic fumes! My boyfriend has been begging for this book all year, and I can't wait to see his reaction when he finds this under the tree!

 4. If your family and friends are anything like me, then they will love anything luxurious! Therefore, these tampons will be right up their street! But you better be quick, they're so lavish and ostentatious that they're flying straight off the shelves, and super markets around the UK are struggling to keep them in stock due to such high demand! To add extra festivity, swap out the string for some bright and colourful tinsel; that will really make their bells jingle!

5. Avocados have been the most talked about fruit of 2015! Why not end this year on a high and gift an avocado to someone who really makes you happy! They'll love all the things they can make with it: guacamole, avocado on toast, ketchup, coffee, so many different choices! Any doubts? Have a look at this kid receiving one for himself!
You can just see the tears of joy in his eyes!

6. Last but not least, Santa's sack! This brass keyring is so festive and jubilant, you can even see all the gifts bulging out! Oh my, Santa will be treating us well this year! This gift will be a friendly reminder of what a giving, tender and joyful person you are. Anyone would be lucky to flash this gift off!





That's all folks, I can just tell you will all love this gift ideas as much as I do! I hope you take some inspiration because you'll be making a lot of people happy!!

What was your favourite gift that you've seen in this post?

Lauren xx

*This post was so much fun to write and I had a good old chuckle to myself! I hope you like this unusual but different post and also hope that you noticed my sarcasm from the start and through out aha! 

Things I wish that I never gave up

Source

Sorry for a lack of posts, I've been struck down with endless revision... ugh. But it somehow got me thinking completely out of nowhere. Through all my boredom it made me realise there are so many things that I've done throughout my childhood that I did as hobbies, both in and outside of school, that I somehow manged to get bored and grow out of each of.

Looking back now, I wish I never gave some of them up and that I could do those things again without feeling sick to my stomach. Going back to those things can be really nerve wrecking, despite the fact that it might have been something I once loved. I mean I left for a reason right?

Despite this I do feel in the back of my head a bit of regret and guilt that I gave up so easily and didn't push myself forwards. Instead I admitted defeat. Here are some of the things I wish I never gave up.

I wish I never gave up playing netball and rounders. I was in the school team for both sports and I enjoyed it so much, I always loved the adrenaline and the thrill you get winning a match; I'm like the most competitive person ever and I'm pretty sure people hate me for it. However I always felt disheartened, because when picking the school teams, teachers always prioritized the popular girls, so trialing for the team always felt like a waste of time and energy. I eventually gave up, because I never felt like I could live up to the teachers standards. But I still love those sports so much, I just wish I could play it now, more for fun than anything else.

I went to dance lessons for a long period of time, and even though I'm not a great dancer, there's always a great feeling you get from moving to the beat of a song and feeling the rhythm in your body. The first time I quit was because I got in an argument with my best friends, I still went but it just felt so awkward so I eventually gave in because I knew inside that they were laughing at me. Despite this, I still loved dancing so I rejoined the group a year later, to find out they left (which was great news). I went for a couple of weeks but once again something didn't feel right, I just wanted to stay at home and avoid speaking or talking to anyone. It sucked. Sometimes I go onto YouTube now and watch choreography videos and want so bad to be able to dance again, but I don't think it's anything I will or could restart. I guess I'll just stick to lonely dance parties in my room.

I never took an instrument lesson in my life, I still have no idea what the grades mean and I cant for the life of me read sheet music. But I did have a keyboard that I was obsessed with, and despite my lack of musical knowledge I was good at it! I could learn to play songs with ease, and would often be found watching video tutorials on how to play the most popular song at the time to go into school the next day and play it for my friends. Music was one of my best lessons in school that I did really well in, until I had to pick my options in year 9. I couldn't take it as an option so was cut off from everything I loved. I stopped playing the keyboard and now it sits unloved on my bedroom floor, I probably can only play two songs on it now... I'm sorry Mr keyboard, I should have never given up on you. However Mr drums, I have my eyes on you...

I'll have to write a part 2 to this post because I've come to he realization that there are too many things I wish I'd stuck with. I've also come to the conclusion that I need to go out more, jeez my life is so bland and boring now! Maybe I should start yoga? Who am I kidding I'd give up on that too.

Is there anything you wish that you had never given up?

Lauren xx

Enchanted Prairie Pizzazz Box!

Happy days!! My Prairie pizzazz box from Prairie charms came last week and I was super happy and excited that I finally had it in my possession.  LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL! I'm going to cut the dilly dallying and get straight into what was inside my box!!

First of all, can we talk about the beautiful packaging? I didn't even know fairy and mushroom sequins were a thing but now I do I want some for myself! Before I ripped away the tissue paper, I was greeted with this beautiful card above that listed all the items that I was about to discover. It was so exciting to finally have the box in my hands and it was so worth the wait! You know that feeling when you're waiting eagerly for a package and it finally arrives? The excitement? Yeah well I felt that on an extreme level.

Firstly I received the "Hazel Custom Knot Tie Pack". This is a pack consisting of 3 bands, in a strong teal blue, another that is white with gold hearts, and my absolute favorite: a pink one with cute white reindeer. I'm obsessed with these and always have one on my wrist. I mean, you never know when you'll need them and they always come in handy.

Secondly, I got this beautiful print! The quote "she believed she could so she did" is a quote I dream to live by. Straight away I placed it inside a frame and now it sits happily on my desk for me to look at whenever I'm overcome with revision or when I feel sad. I believe it will help me to push on to achieve greater things, and it's one of my favourite additions to the box!!

I was extremely intrigued by this next item, it was like nothing I've seen before! This is actually a "Sweet Hostess Sugar Swizzle Stick",  which is a cluster of crystallized sugar. It says on the contents card that it can be ate straight off the stick, added to soft drinks, cocktails and even hot drinks! I personally used it for my tea and it tasted beautiful!!  

I had never seen a midi-ring made with a chain until now and was more than happy to have found this little gem in the box! It's so cute and dainty on! I'm a massive fan of rings and it was a great addition to my collection; it's also so unique!! All the exclamation marks!!!!!!

What you see above are not just cute little skulls, but adorable wax melts too! The scents came in pumpkin, nectarine and gingerbread! Personally I'm not a big fan of wax melts as I find them a bit too overpowering, but my Mum loved them so was more than happy to use them for herself!

This Pandora Evil Eye bracelet was my overall favourite in the entire box! Apparently it's to protect myself from the dark arts and evil spirits. That sounds pretty cool in itself right? Oh and it's absolutely stunning of course.

I used to wear bows all the time, but grew out of my phase as I got older. But now that I've got this gold bow in my grasp, I can just imagine all the cute buns I could pull off! Also, I love anything in gold so I'm very pleased with the choice of colour, thank you Prairie Charms!!


This may sound strange, but some say I used to look like Hermonie Granger when I was a young lass, so it cant have been a coincidence that I happened to get this Hermoinie wand necklace. A sign maybe? Who knows, but it's super cute and adorable, I can't wait to wear it out and show it off!

Isn't everything great and beautiful and stunning and just generally AMAZING?! I've already pre-ordered my Christmas box and  I'm so so so excited for that to arrive too! Prairie Charms is such an amazing company, such a joy to work with, and they produce the most amazing items ever. I'm kind of in love with them... I feel no shame.

What's one piece of jewelry that you always where? I'd love to know!

Lauren x

World Kindness Day: Part 2

Evening chums! Friday the 13th November 2015, was world kindness day! In Mondays post, of which you can read here, I talked about the special day and ways you can spread your kindness in many different ways! 

Yesterday I did my part, and wrote around 25 notes of kindness. Hey, that might not sound like a lot, but I spent an hour writing and I was just too eager to dish them out to the locals. I walked around the estate for an hour, in the freezing cold, my fingers numb and yellow, posting each individual note into people's letter boxes. I thought my fingers where going to fall off but hey, to make just one person smile is so worth it. It was later that night when the terrorist attacks in Paris happened. Everything felt so so wrong. It was supposed to be a day of kindness around the world, however innocent people were being killed and I witnessed the death toll as it grew. My boyfriend text me constant updates of what was happening, to keep me in the loop, and with every message I received my heart ached and ached. If I hurt so much, imagine how the families of those who had people they knew in Paris, those who lost people, and even those who live in the city who now live in fear!

However, kindness did follow. I think everyone's heard and seen about the different monuments around the world being lit up in the colors of the French flag. Taxi drivers in Paris turned off their meters and too everyone home or to safety to free. Some people even opened their doors, letting those who needed it to sleep in their own home and seek safety! The hashtag #PayForParis started trending all over twitter, and I don't think I've ever seen so many people come together and unite, and it felt so good to see how many people cared. Kindness still lingered through the darkness, not all hope was lost. 

The next morning I woke up to be treated with a beautiful box sent by Cotton Traders UK, full of cosy goodies. It all was sent free for the sake of promoting world kindness, and I felt so blessed to receive such beautiful items, and it was so selfless and caring of them! In the box I received many goodies such as a hot chocolate spoon, a hot water bottle, and my personal favorite: fluffy socks.

Now, Cotton Traders UK told me I could do whatever I wanted with the box as long as it involved kindness and giving to others. As much as I would love to send packages to all those affected by the recent tragedies, that's unfortunately not possible. However instead, I will pick packing it full with food, sanitary items, and warm clothing such as gloves and scarves, to my local charity for the homeless which they will then pass on to one of their clients so that they can have a better Christmas despite having to live in the streets.

I was also surprised to see these to images on Facebook and Instagram:

I made two people happy. And that made me happy too,like,  really really happy. The post on Facebook, since I last checked, reached over 100 likes, which may not seem like a huge number, but to me it means so much. The person who posted the note onto Facebook may never know who I am, and I don't know who they are either since the posted anonymously, but I feel like on some weird level we both made each others day that bit more better. 23 over people will have received these notes too, and I hope that I've managed to make each and every one of them smile.

Despite all the hard times the world is facing now, especially in Paris, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, and Baghdad, I've witnessed unity, and togetherness. People in my town have lit candle lights as a memorial to those died, another person is raising money to send flowers of condolences to Paris (you can donate here), and almost everyone on my Facebook paged has a french flag overlay on their profile picture. I'm witnessing kindness and solidarity everywhere I look.

I now sit here in the safety of my home, with the socks I was gifted comforting my feet, reflecting on how lucky I am. The world is a scary place right now, but we can take steps to make it a better. Kindness is needed more than ever, and I push each and every one of you to do something everyday, no matter how big or small, to give someone a reason to smile.

 You can read Cotton Traders UK's post about world kindness here

Have a lovely day

Lauren x

#PrayForTheWorld

*This post in collaboration with Cotton Traders UK, who sent me the box of kindness for free, to promote world kindness. All opinions are completely honest and my own

World Kindness Day: Part 1

World Kindness day is this upcoming Friday, the 13th of November (Friday the thirteenth, ooh spooky), and there's so many things you can do to make that day count, to make someone smile. You never know how someone could be feeling, and the smallest action could instantly pick up their mood for a good five minutes if not a whole day, or even a whole week!

There are so many things you can do, and here are just a few:

• Donate some money to charity.
• See a homeless man/woman on the street? Don't just walk past, give them some money, or even buy them something to eat. It doesn't take much.
• See someone selling balloons in the street? Buy one and give it to a kid, their face will light up and be so happy, trust me!
• Go sit next to that old lady or man on the bus or train, have a talk to them, ask how their day has been!
• It doesn't take much to give a busker a bit of your loose change. 
• Got a few pounds on hand? Put a few coins towards the coffee for person behind you.
• Write a note with a happy quote or a nice little message and leave it where someone can pick it up or see it.
• Offer to take a picture for the group of people struggling to get a good selfie, those people always come in handy. 
• Tell that girl who's really pretty what you're thinking! Like her lipstick? Tell her!

To do my part, from today I'll be writing as many small and happy messages as possible and post them through a load of letter boxes in my local estate. Thinking about it now it sounds a bit creepy, but hopefully a reminder to be happy and kind will make people smile.

What are you going to do to spread kindness?

Much love,

My head wants to live in the future

My head is always living in the future, I'm always wondering what's next. Instead of focusing in the now, I turn to spending hours googling University courses, picturing my dream house, considering the steps I want to take to pursue my dream career, when I've still got so much time ahead of me to get all that stuff sorted. I'm constantly thinking what can I do to do this and that, to be this, to achieve that, when in reality I'm not sure if I'm focused on how I'm living my life now. Instead of thinking of all the grades I need to get, why aren't I thinking of how I can push myself to get there today, rather than worrying about my future? I'm so worried about things that aren't going to happen for years to come, but it's like an obsession. It's like I'm consumed by the thought of success, happiness and growth, like I want to be there right now. I'm in a rut. I'm always thinking bigger and better, and it makes me wonder, will I ever be happy with now? Is this a problem or is it normal? I don't know, but I need to take a step back and relish my life as it is now.

Do you dwell in the past, you live in the now, or are you focused on the future like I am?

Much love,

Two Favourites Tuesday #5: Babbling some beauty nonsense

Happy Tuesday!! I almost ran home last night to take a photo for this post before it got dark, and I'll tell you that as much as I love Autumn I'm fed up with not being able to take decent photos because I'm rushing. Any how, on a more positive note it's Tuesday so that means another of my two favourites!

I love the autumn berry lips trend,but just too scared to try it for myself,so I use a safer alternative! When on holiday in Spain my Dad told me to pick something out and he'd buy it, so I spent ages at the Mac lipstick counter looking at all the different shades and swatching them on the back of my hand (because that's what all the beauty guru's do). I finally picked out this beautiful shade in "Kinda Sexy" and I think it's a really good shade for this time of year, as well as it being very subtle, so I've been loving wearing it recently! But i'm no beauty blogger so don't quote me on that.

Continuing on the talk of beauty (what am I getting myself into?) I've been really enjoying the Infallible 24 hour Foundation. It's a teeny weeny bit too dark for me so I mix it with a bit of moisturiser and then it's fine! I can't describe it in a professional beauty blogger style way and pretend that I know what I'm on about,because I clearly don't, but it was suggested to me, it's good, it does the job, and I like it!

Any lipsticks that you adore that you could suggest to me? I need to brave up!!

Much love,

10 Reasons why November is great

1. Bonfire Night, my second favourite celebration of the year! Who doesn't love pretty fireworks, a toasty warm bonfire, and endless amounts of food? Also being able to spend time with your family, it's a great excuse to bring everyone together and enjoy yourself!

2. After Bonfire night is over, there's nothing else to look forward to (apart from birthdays maybe), so what's next? With Christmas upon the horizon it's totally acceptable to start celebrations early! Well at least I think it is! Christmas is over before it really even starts so if you start getting into the Christmas spirit early you've got loads of time to enjoy being festive!

3. It gets dark so much earlier now, which can be a burden for us bloggers, I mean have you tried squeezing in taking photos before the sun sets? It's hard work and 50% of the time it's too dim and nothing seems to come out how we want it. However it does make the season feel much more cosier, being able to come back from a long busy day and sipping on your favourite drink with your best candles lit when only half 5 is the best.

4. Movember! Some sexy men are going to be growing out some even sexier moustaches and all for a great cause too!  Moustaches can transform people, for better and for worse and it's a lot of fun to watch.

5. World kindness day is in November!! I've got a lot of big plans for it this year, and I really wished it was more recognised because I don't think it's something that many people take into account. There's so many way's people can put their kindness into action, even just donating a small amount to charity it good enough. They'll be a big blog post about the day and how you can do your bit in the forthcoming future so watch this space.

6. It's still Autumn, aka the best season ever, so there's still time to rock your autumnal outfits and not have to wrap up too warm until the chilling winter reaches us. You still have time to tick off the activities from your Autumn  Bucket lists so don't fret!

7. Costa start using their cute cute Christmas cups this year and release their Christmas drinks! Their Christmas hot chocolates are TO DIE FOR,  and the cups just make it so much better! (unpopular opinion: I think they're better than the Starbucks cups to be honest *gasp*) Think of all the great Instagram opportunities though!! Relish it boo.

8. Mocking Jay Part 2. I am not ready, I am not worthy, I don't know how I will cope. I'll probably being a sobbing mess throughout, but I'll have to deal with it. I'm so freaking excited.

9. Garden centres are bliss this time of year! Christmas decoration will be out and if you're like me you'll be spending hours looking at all the different baubles, wreaths, and adorable winter villages. My goal in life is to become rich so I can create a room for my own winter village like this couple, they are who I want to become in life.

10. Christmas markets open. I know this whole post is Christmas but I couldn't care less, Christmas markets are the best! In Birmingham they do German Markets through the streets, the whole place is completely transformed and the smell is something of a dream! Carousels,  a massive Christmas tree, homemade candy canes, German sausages, fruit dipped in melted chocolate, it's like a beautiful holiday haven.

I'm in the most festive spirit and I'm LOVING IT!

What's your favourite part of November?

Much love,

Cute, fun and easy cupcakes for Halloween!

Hey friends!!!

I'm so excited, Halloween is two days away and I've got the perfect treats for you to whip up! In this post I'm going to share with you a super easy recipe that is super easy to make; light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with mouth watering butter cream along with some not so spooky decorations!! With the help of my little sister, I bring you the best cupcakes I think I've ever made!! 

To make 24 cupcakes you will need:

250g of unsalted butter 

250g of caster sugar 

250g of all purpose flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder (however I used baking powder and they were still great) 

4 eggs

Vanilla essence

You could also add black food colouring to make your cupcakes extra spooky!! 

For decorations you will need:

Butter Cream Icing! You can make your own like the amazing baker inside you, or you can be lazy like me and  buy some! I bought mine from Aldi, but wish I made my own because I make some darn good butter cream icing!

Sprinkles are also an essential! 

Your favourite milk chocolate!

And last but not least, Oreos!! 

If you have any dietary requirements, are a vegan, or would prefer a healthier option, you can always swap out certain ingredients for  an alternative of your choice, they should still taste great!

Step one: Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. 

Step two: Pour all your ingredients into a bowl and mix using an electric whisk into all the ingredients are fully combined! It's that easy! I suggest sifting your flour, to make sure your cupcakes are super light and fluffy!

Step three: Pour your cupcake batter into your cupcake cases, I used an ice-cream scoop to do this, to ensure they were all the same size. If you're cool like me, you can buy yourself some Halloweenesque cases, mine were orange, black, purple and green!

Step four: Bake for twenty minutes until golden brown, then voila! Or should I say, mwuahahaha?

While your cupcakes are baking in the oven, melt something chocolate your preferred way, over a boiling pan of water, in the microwave, whatever you find easier! (I prefer the pan method, I find it very satisfying to mix around the chocolate while it melts). Then on a sheet of baking paper, you can create a whole array of of haunting shapes with your chocolate! Gravestones, ghosts, spider webs, anything your heart desires! Leave some chocolate left over though, you'll need that for later!

 When your cupcakes have cooled down, you can ice your cupcakes and start decorating!

To make the cupcake above is super easy, all you have to do is twist two Oreos in half and create two small holes to create some big cute eyes! I was going to make it into a cute owl but I like this better, it looks like a small child scared out of its wits!!

With your left over Oreo halves, smash them up in a plastic bag until they're in small crumbs, then mix them up with your melted chocolate to make dirt. Once your chocolate is cooled, you can push your gravestone into the icing. Creepy right?

That's all there is to it! I hope you enjoyed and try out this recipe for yourself!

How are you spending Halloween?

Much love,