Just because it’s in fashion doesn’t mean it suits you

Happy hump day everyone i do hope you are all well.

I am still battling with this bad back of mine and have been bed bound since Friday which is making me go insane and get frustrated with life.

As i have had lots of spare time on my hands this week i have been doing a lot of online wishful thinking shopping as the bank balance is saying NO and so is the other half and my mum, i just feel like i am loving so many items at the minute and thats always the case when funds are low or have to be spent elsewhere.

I am loving the trends for SPRING/ SUMMER this year as there is something to suit everyone i always find that (JUST BECAUSE ITS IN FASHION DOESN’T MEAN IT SUITS YOU) and this is where people go wrong i look around and think that Topshop mannequins have thrown up on some people or they wear things that are unflattering just because its in fashion.

These are the main trends to look out for in all high street stores;

STATEMENT TSHIRTS; I have seen these in Topshop, Primark, Zara and pretty much every other high street store this is a big trend to wear with mom jeans and converse for casual or with a leather look skirt and statement boots or sandals for summer, I do love this particular tee by @TOPSHOP but its becoming super popular everyone on Instagram already own this and if your anything like me you might want to get creative and make your own.

TIP; Buy a plain tee for a few quid get some transfer iron on paper, create and design a cool saying in a statement bold colour and print it on your tee and you have your own personalised statement tee.

GINGHAM; This is becoming popular on asos, Topshop, river island etc i previously purchased a ruffled top in this print from primark for less than £10 and thats probably the only gingham item i will buy just because its a full on print and very bold and wont suit everyone, nobody wants to look like a picnic table cloth or have a flash back from wearing this in summer at primary school (I WORE IT IN RED AT SCHOOL).

TIP; Depending on your figure and height depends on what kind of gingham clothing will suit suit, play it safe with a top or a skirt if you are taller, if your petit like me then this playsuit above or trousers may suit you with a statement tee and some backless loafers.

BACKLESS LOAFERS; I am loving this trend i have 4 pairs of backless loafers already and ill no doubt invest in some more just because they are super comfy on they dress up an outfit especially jeans and a tee, they come in so many designs, prints, colours and are a great dupe to the Gucci ones which are £700 i have some from eBay, primark, sainsburys tu clothing and ego.

TIP;Shop around for the style and design your after primark have basic colours in for £6, river island have gold tassel ones in for £45, eBay have a great selection from £12 plus the faux fur gucci Princeton dupes at £16.

DENIM; I love denim and at one point i owned over 25 pairs of jeans but that was a few years ago, denim is huge for this season whether it be this jacket from @TOPSHOP or statement jeans with embroidery on or buttoned down denim skirts which seem to be popping up online.

TIP; I love statement denim but wont pay the prices for it when i can customised my own for over half the price, i would buy some jeans and get a few patches from ebay and sew them on or get some pearls and sew them on like i did which you can see on my INSTAGRAM; NATURALBLONDE86

POM POMS; This was in late last year but it didn’t take off until now and its all over whether it be on bags, hats, sandals, playsuits you name it i’ve seen it with pom poms on, it just brightens up a bag or gives off cool look on sandals lots of high street stores have them like river island and primark plus asos online have lots varying in prices from £12.

TIP; diy make your own pom poms i recently bought a pom pom kit and it comes with 4 sizes with the simplest instructions (even i understood them) and i bought some colourful wool and started making my own and i have transformed a bag some trainers and a straw beach hat so far.

PEARLS; This is the trend i look at and see any items with pearls on are so much more expensive than any other trend at the minute especially in zara and river island, these sandals above are from @ZARA and as beautiful as they are they are the cheapest of trends to introduce into your wardrobe for the season.

TIP; I purchased a bag of 50 ivory pearls from ebay and sewn them on my basic mom jeans from primark and now i have my own customised pearl jeans for the price of £14 unlike the zara ones at £40. 

Here are the images of the items i’ve customised so far with these trends going forward and i will be filming a customisation video on my youtube channel go and subscribe to be one of the first to watch it. (youtube channel name; natural blonde)

Mom jeans from Primark £13

50 ivory pearls 6mm ebay £1

Gold tassel backless loafers Primark £6

Flamingo straw clutch bag Matalan £8

Sunglasses Primark £2

Wool Boyes £1.80 per colour

Pom pom maker Boyes £4

Pink trainers Asos £20 last years 

Wool Boyes £1.80 per colour

Pom pom maker Boyes £4
I am a creative person i get the from my mum who has worked in fashion for over 40 years and i always love designing creating and coming up with ideas of things i want to make.

Thanks for reading and let me know what trends your loving for this season.

Amy x

With these shoes i thee wed

Happy Sunday and Happy Mothers day to any mums that are reading this i know mine will.

( I am currently bed bound due to pulling my back on Friday and i have been highly frustrated and hating life as all the things i had planned to do went out the window theirs only so many films i want to watch and tea i want to drink before i go out of my mind, so i thought i would write a blog on wedding shoes as I AM GETTING MARRIED THIS YEAR yet have gone off the shoes i had originally bought last summer).

Wedding shoes are what i look at more than dresses when attending weddings in the past as the shoes in my mind should be worn again and shouldn’t be a big expense just for one day like the dress as to me £500 on a pair of jimmy choos or christian louboutins is a waist for one day to then live in the box at the back of the wardrobe collecting dust.

Everyone is different when it comes to how much they spend on there weddings and what they want for there big day please remember these are my views and opinion.

I have seen SO MANY BEAUTIFUL PAIRS ONLINE at super affordable prices and i thought i would share my favourite picks with you all I am also considering turning this into a video on my Youtube channel please let me know if you would be interested in watching this plus seeing me pick my perfect pair for my big day.

MY TOP 10 AFFORDABLE WEDDING SHOES;

As you can see i have shown them in pricing low to high as it makes it easier to view and see what you can get on a budget plus they are all less than £140 which i think is great and they are really nice for that special day plus they can be re-worn to parties, events, ladies day, weddings etc.

Wedding shoes sold in bridal shops are unflattering shapes, round toes, midi heels, fake crystals, ivory satin material (JUST A BIG FAT NO FOR ME).

I am loving a couple of these i have featured above and will probably buy a pair for my own wedding as they are subtle enough to wear again plus they aren’t breaking the bank.

Let me know how much you have spent on your wedding shoes or what you think is acceptable to spend on a pair for the big day.

Thanks for reading x

Essence makeup review (I love it)

Happy Sunday everyone hope you are all well.  

I have been a little quiet lately on my blog as you know i have a youtube channel now and i am focusing on getting good contents and videos out there for you all to watch, my youtube  name is; natural blonde and there are videos about makeup, fashion and primark shopping hauls so go over and have a snoop if you haven’t already. 

This week my addiction for makeup has grown a lot after discovering this brand called Essence in my local Wilkinsons store, you can also buy from Essence.eu too if you are interested in trying this makeup.

I have never seen nor heard of this brand before but its euro’s no.1 makeup brand so i was keen to try some products and let you know my thoughts on them and I Love it, its super affordable, the quality is great, nice packaging, great selection of colours and it wears really well too so thats a bonus, here are a few bits i picked up to try.

ESSENCE MAKEUP I BOUGHT TO TRY; 

As you can see from this image i picked up alot of pink shades as thats what i seem to be drawn too atthe minute plus they suit my skin well.

This is the 1st lipstick i picked up in the Shade no.7 natural beauty its a pinky nude tone and it wears really well on my lips the colour lasted me about 4 hours yesterday without having to go over it again i would recommend this shade if like me you love a pinky lipstick and its was super cheap at £2.30! Yes guys £2.30! 

This is the 2nd lipstick i got in the shade no.3 wow effect its a sheer and shine lipstick in a browny nude but it swatched really nice in the store and i was super happy with the colour and the formula of it and this was evern cheaper at £2.00.

This is the 3rd lipstick lip crayon i bought in the shade no.2 peony star its a matte lip crayon but the colour is beautiful yetagain another pinky nude shade but it stays on my lips without them looking cracked or dry like most other matte lip colours out there by other brands this was also only £2.00 and comes in other shades.

 This is one of there many concealers i picked it up in the shade no.30 pure honey as you may know i love the collection concealer and swear by it but i wanted to test this and see if its any good and so far the past 3 days ive been wearing it i love it and recommend trying it they have different shades available too and this was £2.50.

Now moving onto blusher this is in the shade no.20 all you need is pink and its one of there mosaic blushers which come in 3 other colours i prefer a mixed blusher as its easier than buying a pink one or a peach one or a lighter one for winter and so on, this so far is proving positive and i like the colour combination if gives my cheeks this was also £2.50.

This is 1 of 3 eyeshadows i picked up this is in the shade no.6 called rose razzle dazzle and i loved the metallic effect and you canwear this dry or wet for a better colour covergae and its long lasting this was £2.00 and comes in other shades.

These last 3 items i purchased must have sold out as i am unable to find the images online but they are in my main picture above.

I also picked up the velvet effect eyeshadow in the shade no.8 coral me baby which is a velvety soft pink shade at £2.00.

Aswell as a gold shimmery eyeshadow in shade no.18 all i need which will be lovely for the corner of your eyes to brighter them up this was also £2.00.

I also got my hands on the last one in store of the matte long lasting lipgloss in the shade no.02 beauty approved this is probably my favourite matte lip colour i own it reminds me of the kylie jenner Dolcie k except its a super cheap version and looks amazing on this was £3.00 i think might have been less than that but its worth buying if you cant afford the kylie one or just want to compre it or add it to your collection like i am.

My overall view is i wish i came across this brand sooner as i love the selection they have and the colours of the products such a wide selection and something for everyone so if you are interested in trying it out then have a snoop on there website.

I am also going to do a video on my youtube channel of the products too so keep a look out for that.

http://www.essence.eu/uk/home/

or 

http://www.wilko.com/

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have used these products before or decided to give them a try after reading this. 

Amy x 

Designer Vs Dupes are they worth the money?

Hello everyone happy Wednesday

• Designer; clothing, shoes, bags etc are they really worth the money, good quality or are you paying for the name?
• Dupes; are they a waste of money or an affordable way to follow trends without going broke? 

Not everyone has the cash lying around or are fortunate enough to be able to splurge on those designer goods that we all love and wish we could have but just simply cant justify or afford it.

I am thats person that loves designer bags more so than the clothes as the clothes aren’t always made any better than a top you can get in a high street shop, i know this as my mum has worked in fashion for over 40 years and i know how things are made and how much they cost to make and in my opinion designer items people buy because they think its higher quality but thats not the case.

• I.e; Diesel jeans are made in the same factory that high street jeans are but sold at a higher price because its a designer brand unlike topshop or river island which are a third of the price.

Here are a few items i own or have seen great dupes of and if you cant afford those finer things or the designer bag your lusting over but need to save more than a year for then this might be of interest to you;

1st item Designer; i came across are the Gucci fur loafers which are bang on trend for ss17

Gucci Princetown Leather Loafers;

Real hibiscus Leather

Variety of colours

Real lamb fur lining

Available from; Gucci.com

rrp £715 + 

score: 4/5

1st item Dupe; i do own these and they are an affordable and a great alternative to the real ones above for less than £700.

Women’s Horse Bit Slip on Loafers;

Faux Leather

Faux fur

Variety of colours

Available from; Ebay

rrp £12.95 

score; 5/5

2nd item Designer; Chloe faye bag very popular in 2016 as seen on lots of celebrities became the IT bag of the summer.

Chloe Faye Medium bag;

Smooth Leather 

Real suede flap

variety of sizes & Colours

Available from; Harrords

rrp £1,280.00

score; 4/5

2nd item Dupe; The dupe version i’ve found is identical apart from where it says Chloe on the flap, this is a great alternative.

Velocia Chain detail flap body bag;

Faux leather

Faux suede flap

Chain detailing

Variety of colours

Available from; Yes style

rrp £30.31

score; 5/5

3rd item Designer; Eugenia Kim beach hat as seen on most bloggers and celebrities on holidays a great statement hat to accompany that bikini in the Bahamas.

Eugenia Kim Do Not Disturb sequin hat;

Embellished Do Not Disturb in Sequins

Available from; Harvey  Nichols

rrp £340.00

score; 4/5

3rd item Dupe; Statement beach straw hat great for those summer holidays at a lot more of an affordable price and who would know any different.

Lady summer sun beach floppy derby embroidered hat;

variety of colours 

embroidered detailing

Available from; Ebay

rrp £6.85

score; 5/5

4th item Designer; Gucci Dionysus bag this is the IT bag at the minute i don’t think i haven’t seen a celebrity who doesn’t own this bag, Gucci are producing lots of nice items lately and i know this wont be a bag that will be in fashion in a years time.

Gucci Dionysus bag;

Variety of sizes

Variety of colours

Tiger head fastener 

Silver chain strap

available from; Gucci.com

rrp £1,630.00

score; 5/5

4th item Dupe; If you love this bag as much as i do then you will want to get your hands on this seasonal statement piece.

Axixi snakeskin cross pink bag;

Variety of colours

Variety of sizes

Tiger head horse shape fastener

Silver chain strap

Available from; Yes style

rrp £25.56

score; 5/5

5th item Designer; Charlotte Tilbury this is a luxury makeup brand that releases beautiful packaged items loved by lots of celebrities and makeup artists.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow;

Light to medium

Highlighter uses light flex to give a radiance complexion

Bronzer mimics a sun kissed complexion

Available from; House of Fraser

rrp £49.00

score; 4/5

5th item Dupe; W7 bronze & Glow duo is a great dupe to the CT one above and a lot cheaper and looks identical minus the gold packaging.

W7 Hollywood bronze & glow;

Great or contouring

Highlight has a good pigmentation

Light to medium

Available from; W7 or Ebay

rrp £2.99

score; 4/5

6th item Designer; Urban Decay Naked 3 nude eyeshadow palette this sold out when it was released 4 years ago and i got my hands on 1 for Christmas, its beautifully packaged and has a selection of shimmers and pearl shadows to chose from.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette;

12 Nude / pink shadows

Comes with a mirror and brush

Available from; Debenhams

rrp £39.50

score; 4/5

6th item Dupe; A very similar nude eyeshadow palette by a popular affordable makeup brand which gives off the same shimmer and pigments you would get from the UD one.

Makeup Revolution iconic 3 palette;

12 Nude / pink shadows

Comes with a brush to apply but no mirror

Available from; Tam beauty.com

rrp £4.00

score; 5/5

7th item Designer; Bobbi Brown bronze shimmer brick highly used by makeup artists and professionals great for those cheekbones and sun kissed faces.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer brick bronze; 

2 bricks to chose from

Bb black packaging

5 Highlight / bronzing shades to use individually or together

Available from; House of Fraser

rrp £34.00

score; 5/5

7th item Dupe; Affordable shimmer brick more or less identical to the BB one above, great for definition on the cheekbones and a warm bronzing glow.

Makeup Revolution Vivid shimmer brick;

2 bricks to chose from

Cheaper packaging

Great highlight and bronze tones

Available from; Superdrug.com

rrp £3.00

score; 5/5

I wanted to write this blog as i know everyone thinks buying high end means it better but this isn’t the case as there are similar versions of everything we use at a lot more reasonable and affordable prices.

My advice is shop around.

Thanks for reading x

My Top 5 January Beauty Products

Happy Tuesday everyone i do hope you are all well.

As you will know i love makeup, beauty products and anything that can make me look alive and prettier.

I have bought some new makeup products this month as well as a trusty holy grail product i use all the time and swear by.

Beauty Products i am loving this month are; 

1. NIVEA POST SHAVE BALM; I was recommended to use this as a face primer before applying makeup and i am not going to lie its brilliant, in such a short space of time i have noticed a difference in my skin and how well my foundation stays on my face, its no longer oily or shinny and its a great alternative if you don’t want to spend lots of money on other primers which may not be as good.

This product is sold in most supermarkets and drugstores but i got mine from B&M bargains for £2.99.

2. PRIMARK AQUA LASH WATERPROOF BLACK MASCARA; I don’t like to buy mascara that isn’t waterproof there is nothing worse than seeing black streams coming down peoples faces when they are upset, i used to buy the Benefit They’re not real mascara but i couldn’t justify spending £17 on it every few months and it wasn’t waterproof so i started using Maybeline mascaras which are good and a lot more affordable, i recently watched a youtuber who said Primark mascara was underrated so i thought i would give it a go and so far so good, its not clumpy like some mascaras can be i do have to give my lashes a couple of coats while using this but for an everyday mascara you cant go wrong.

This Aqua lash waterproof mascara is only available in Primark stores and it retails at only £2.

3. RIMMEL MATCH PERFECTION FOUNDATION; I recently watched well known youTuber Zoella do a drugstore video and this was one of the items she had purchase and i wanted to give it ago and i am far from disappointed this foundation apply’s lovely on my skin it last most of the day easily until i take my makeup off in the evening, its comes in 12 different shades to suit a lot of skin tones and has a spf 20 in which most foundations nowadays usually have in my opinion this is a great drugstore foundation.

The Rimmel Match perfection foundations are sold at most drugstores and i got min from Boots on offer 2 Rimmel products for £10 I got the shade Classic beige due to my skin being pale at the minute this retails for £7.99.

4. COLLECTION LASTING PERFECTION CONCEALER; This is my holy grail when it comes to concealers i’ve been using this product since summer last year and i have yet to try a better concealer on the market, this is great for under the eyes and hiding those imperfections and blemishes we all tend to get, i love this product and i think majority of people i know also love it and swear by it if you have yet to try it i would highly recommend it.

The Collection concealers are available from most drugstores and even supermarkets they retail at £4.19.

5. MAKEUP REVOLUTION ROSE GOLD LIPSTICK IN CHAUFFEUR; This lipstick is something i came across by accident when looking on a website called Tam beauty which sells all makeup revolution products and freedom makeup they also had this in a matte lipstick but i chose this one instead and i’m glad i did i have nearly ran out of this and need to replace it but they are currently out of stock due to it being so popular its a nude pinky shade which every woman loves and has in her makeup collection it wears really well too and the colour is enough to wear on its own without mixing another lipstick with it i would recommend giving this ago especially for the price.

Rose Gold Chauffeur lipstick is available from Tam Beauty and Superdrug online i am yet to spot it in store this retails for £3.

That comes to the end of my January Beauty favourites let me know if you have tried these are if you can recommend other makeup for me to try and review, also if you haven’t already go and check out my YouTube channel which is going well and i am hoping to turn this blog into a video on my channel.

My YouTube channel name is; natural blonde 

Thanks for reading x

Starting my own youTube channel

Happy Sunday everyone i hope you are all well.

Let me start by telling you all the NEWS I now have my own youTube channel called Natural blonde (the same name as my blog) I decided late last year that i was going to do something completely different and out of my comfort zone and start my own channel for people to watch as i love watching so many youTubers myself and thought i would give it a go, i might decide in a few months its not for me and stop making videos but for now its something i wanted to do and i am excited to start my very own youTube journey.

The reasons for me wanting to do this is for me and my confidence as when i meet people for the first time i am very confident but when it comes to filming a video for the world to watch its slightly more daunting if i over think it (which i am trying not to do) I wanted to do something for me for once as when i started my blog last year i never knew how much i would enjoy writing posts every week or how much you guys would like reading them and relate to them.

I have decided to do some videos on my channel which collate with some previous blog posts i have written for example;

• Living and working in Dubai
• Anxiety and mental health chats
• Being gluten free
• Shopping and beauty hauls

I am at the stage in my life when i don’t want to dread getting up for work in the morning or tell people i hate my boring job as i have done that for the past 14 years this is the year i do something for me and try and turn a hobby and passion into possible opportunities it might not work out for me but i am not going to let any negative people or comments stop me from doing something i want to do, negativity just fuels the fire for me as it makes me more determined to do something and succeed.

This is my first vlog which is live on youTube from Sunday 15th Jan and its a short trailer with clips and images of me and what kind of things you can expect from my channel, i decided on a trailer as when you see a new film come out you always get snippets and clips of what to expect which makes you either want to watch it or not and thats the same for my 1st video.

I have watched all the people on Youtube i am subscribed to 1st ever videos to get an idea and understanding of how far they have come on and all of them started off with nerves, not the right equipment or lighting but this comes with time and experience the same as it will for me as i have a camera, tripod, good editing software and i am relying on natural light as i am yet to invest in a good ring light.

I am not going to ramble on anymore i just hope you all take the time to have a look on my youTube channel and support me as much as you have my blog post.

I will still be writing my blogs every week on here and i am looking into working with a company to make my blog stand out more so watch this space…

Thanks for reading x 

My top 10 Fashion items for January

Happy Monday everyone hope your all well and had a lovely weekend.

I am in desperate need for new clothes at the minute as my least favourite time of the year to buy for is winter and knowing that spring will be around soon and these thick coats and wooly jumpers are fading out in all the sales i can actually start looking for items i will get my wear out of.

 I love online shopping i think its the best thing to do on a Sunday from the comfort of your own home I am the typical online shopper who sits in my Disney pyjamas, wearing no makeup, with a nice cup of Yorkshire tea and card details at hand ready to do some damage.

I think my dislike of shopping in stores came from working in retail for 10 years i used to work for Next and thats enough to put anyone off when the sales are on and you on the rota to work Boxing day at 4am and the queues are ridiculous.

Here are my Top 10 Fashion items i am loving at the minute and will defiantly be adding into my wardrobe;

• 1st place i looked at was my favourite high street store which is ZARA and they do some have still decent things in the sale that you can carry through to other seasons but the main items i liked where in the new SPRING/ SUMMER COLLECTION all at affordable prices.

These jeans are in the new collection from the TRF section and they are the embroidered black jeans that are all the rage and at £29.99 they are a MUST HAVE in your wardrobe i would be quick though if you did like them as they are limited to sizes online.

These jeans are also from the TRF section and these ones are the faded black frayed hem jeans which are also very popular in most high street stores these are only £29.99 and limited sizes are left online as they are going to be popular this year.

This white ruffle sleeve detail shirt seems to be the big trend for ss17 as most stores are selling these in various designs i thought this was really nice with the pocket detail and the ruffle on the elbows this is £29.99 and you cant go wrong with a staple white shirt in your wardrobe.

• 2nd place i looked at was ASOS i don’t usually shop on here for things as the website always seems to crash on me when i am looking and the quality of some of the clothes i’ve gotten from there before aren’t very good or worth the money, but i have found these pumps / fashion trainers i liked the look of which are on trend and very affordable.

Here is the 1st pair i’ve found and these are in the sale for £17.50 with the pom pom on the back of the trainer these do come in mint or lilac (I wouldn’t advise wearing these if it rains as the poms will get dirty) and sizes are limited again.

This is the 2nd pair of trainers i found i would describe these as marmite you will ever love these or hate these but i LOVE them they are something Gucci or Sophia Webster would design but a lot more affordable to the average working person, these are £22 and come in half sizes.

• 3rd place i looked at was TOPSHOP i shop here less and less now days as the fashion online isn’t really aimed at my style and the pricing on some items are quite a lot in compared to other high street stores, i do however always buy my jeans from here as the Jamie jeans are a perfect fit for my figure.

These are the new in Jamie jeans in black with the tassels on the hems they are bang on trend for this year and will be a key piece in your wardrobe for spring and summer these are £46.

These are also from Topshop and they are similar to ones the designer Chanel did a couple of years ago but at 90% cheaper these are really practical for comfort and a great piece to dress up any skinny jeans at only £26 they are something worth buying if you love trainers as much as i do.

• 4th place i looked was MISSGUIDED i have never bought from here before but i have been after one of these jackets for ages now and i think these will be timeless in our wardrobes and they look more expensive than they are.

This is the jacket i have been after for the last couple of months i have seen lots of bloggers wearing these and i think they are a great statement coat this is the aviator jackets they sell online in a selection of colours this is the nude one and its £65.

• 5th place i looked at online was EBAY as i am a lover for a bargain and always look through loads of items on here and they have some great fashion pieces and thats when i came across these.

 These little beauties are just like the ones Gucci are doing and i love them but just not the price so i went on a mission to find some similar and eBay didn’t disappoint as they had a selection of colours in faux leather for £12.99.

This was the last item i found is an embroidered striped shirt which i have also seen at zara for sale but for a third of the price at £9.99 on eBay.

So thats all for my items for January to buy let me know if you like these items and what items your looking to buy this month as i am always interested in other peoples style and taste in fashion.

Thanks for reading x

Reflecting on the high’s and low’s of 2016

Happy Friday everybody

So the past year was one of my least favourite out of the 30 years i have been alive, so much happened that i never expected and it changed me so much as person going forward in my life.

Here’s a look back on some of the things that happened in 2016 in my life;

I quit my job and have never looked back or regretted the decision i made;

At the beginning of the year i was working as an estate agent for a well known high street agency and i hated getting up every morning working a job i hated with awful pay (which was less than minimum wage) and i had enough of the blue sky thinking cooperate crap they drill into their employees and i decided to quit my job and i have never looked back on it since, it was the best decision i have ever made, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders with a massive sigh of relief.

My illness was getting worse and i needed answers to what was wrong with me;

For numerous of years i have been poorly on and off with my stomach and digestive system as i struggle to eat foods and my intestines don’t digest it like a normal persons does, this was making me very unwell to the point i was drained with no energy, sick every time i ate food, tired, headaches and constant bloating, i saw so many drs and consultants last year to get answers and a clear diagnosis that everything came back normal i am still in limbo with no firm name for my illness.

We went on the best family holiday ever to my 2nd home Florida;

So every year since i was 4 we have gone to Florida for a family vacay i love America so much its my favourite place on earth the people the lifestyle the weather everything about it is better than dreary England, Me and dan had a great time and we created some amazing memories while we where there and have decided to get married there this year when we go.

We had to move out of our lovely home;

When we returned from Florida our landlord called to tell us he was selling the house we lived in and we had to look for a new place to live as he wanted to get it sold asap, this was a shock to us as we made it a lovely happy home and spent a lot of money on decorating it and making it look cosy.

Step back in time 5 years and i’ve moved back to my parents house;

I hadn’t lived with my mum and dad for 5 years so to go back to living with them but taking Dan with me and moving us both into my small single bedroom with all of our stuff would be impossible but we have made it work for us and to be honest its cosy and live able.

I became the next Mary Berry;

Due to my diet and lack of food choices i had in my life i decided to start baking all the foods i was missing out on all gluten free of course, so i started to bake cupcakes and then made some cookies, shortbread biscuits and my favourite of all things to bake is my gluten free Victoria sponge cake ands its delicious.

Losing friends that i thought where real that turned out to be fake;

So last year i learnt a hard lesson that not everybody’s like me when it comes to being a good friend and being loyal i have had to learn this the hard way, to some people it may be minor but to me loyalty is a huge thing in a person or a friend and unfortunately for me i had no choice but to cut ties with these people in my life as they took more from me than they gave.

Coping with my anxiety and mental illness again;

Suffering with a mental illness and anxiety is never easy but you learn to cope with it everyday and focus on positive things going on in your life instead of the negatives except towards the end of last year someone i care about very much was experiencing mental illness for the first time and to witness someone go through this everyday took a toll on my own mental health and i started suffering with insomnia and panic attacks due to having little or no sleep and worrying for the other person, this is something i will always live with but its back under control.

Celebrating my 30th Birthday;

On the 28th December i turned 30 even though we didn’t do anything amazing i still had a lovely day celebrating with Dan and my family with lots of lovely presents, cards and money and we will celebrate it properly when we go away in May.

So going forward with 2017 and remaining positive and happy as i believe that’s the key to living healthier and longer in life and to not look bck on the past as it’s exactly that in the past.

Thanks for reading and if you want to read my new years resolutions or other blogs remember to like, comment or follow me as i like hearing your reviews and let me know if you have a blog and ill check it out x

Life’s not a competition

Happy Thursday everyone i hope you are all well and enjoying the new year so far.

This year i am wanting to improve on myself and my goals and ambitions yet struggle when it comes to comparing myself to others who seem to be excelling in life and going from strength to strength.

I can be really hard on myself at times and worry that i am not good enough and doubt my ability to do things which shouldn’t be the case as i know thinking these negative thoughts only prevents me from being happy and following my dreams and goals in life.

The worst place for comparing ourselves is to what we see on social media sites like Instagram, twitter etc and this is so unhealthy to do but judge people on the images they chose to share with their followers and leading them to believe there life’s are perfect, this is far from the truth (Not everyones life is as glamorous as they lead us to believe on social media and we need to stop thinking it is) Photos lie and so do people.

If you look at friends or people you went to school with and compare yourself to what they are doing in life we are all at different stages for different reasons not everything works out the way we planned in our minds things happen to change the direction we go.

• So what one of your friends married a footballer and have a range rover and a designer wardrobe (who cares).
• So what your friend got married before you and her wedding cost £15k and they honeymooned in the Maldives (who cares).
• So what someone you know moved to another country and landed a great job and go on yachts every week (who cares).
• So what someone you follow on Instagram has more likes on a photo you also put up or have more followers than you (who cares).

What i am trying to get at is comparing ourselves to others just frustrates us and prevents us from being happy with what we have achieved in our lives so far it doesn’t matter if you haven’t reached the goals you had set in life, the only person putting limitations on them is ourselves and we are our own worst enemies for that.

”  on your own grass without looking over your neighbours fence to see how there’s is growing, it’s not a competition who’s is the greenest or grows the fastest.”

I am 30 and ;

• I still don’t know what career i want in my life.
• I don’t have a mortgage or own my own house.
• I am not married.
• I have no children
• I don’t go on 4 holidays a year.
• I haven’t got expensive clothes hanging in my wardrobe.
• I don’t have a luxury car sat on my drive.

Because i haven’t got any of these things doesn’t mean i have failed, it just means i am not settling for less than what i want in my life, this year i want to focus on me and what i want.

This year we all need to focus on ourselves and stop worrying that others are doing better than us in life, thats what life is, there will always be someone with more money than you or has a bigger house, newer car, multiple holidays a year it doesn’t matter we create our own life’s to fit around us (it’s never to late to make a change).

Thanks for reading and following my blog x

My New Years resolutions for 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE 

Welcome to my 1st blog for 2017 and this one is all about my resolutions even though every year i say i’m not making any i always do.

My resolutions are relevant for me and my life some of you may be able to relate with them, I am not giving up chocolate or going to join a gym or stop drinking (As i don’t drink alcohol anyway) instead i am being more ruthless and selfish as i think this is the way forward for 2017.

For me 2016 was more lows than highs and was a huge test on me and Dan as well as our mental states, my anxiety and illness with food we had a lot of crap going on in our personal lives by having to move out our lovely home and go to stay with my parents we left our jobs as the company we worked for are appalling and treat staff like crap and we couldn’t cope with it any longer so onwards and upwards for this year, i believe people create there own look and this year cant be any worse than the last one.

Here are my resolutions for 2017;

1. To travel more and see the world i love going away and even though i am not a huge fan of flying due to my panic attacks it doesn’t stop me from seeing the world for what it is and visiting places i have never been before, places on my to visit list this year are; Florida (which is my 2nd home) Bahamas, Barcelona, Monaco and Edinburgh.
2.  To remain positive and not let the slightest things get to me or upset me i am a very sensitive and emotional person even though i don’t come across like this in person to most people and put on a front i intend to stay positive in all situations as everything happens for a reason and thinking negative makes you feel a whole lot worse and ruins a good day.
3. To not settle in life over the past 14 years since i got my very 1st job i have done nothing but settle in my career, i have worked in retail most of my life and its never been the dream job or the life i had imagined for myself its good if your a student but not full time if you want nice things or a car, house etc as the pay is minimum and the rewards and discounts aren’t as good as you may think, this year i am going to focus on what makes me happy as i am unable to do something i have little or no interest in and i want to start living my life how i imagine it to be, we spend more of our lives at work than we do with our own families so its about right i made a change and went after the job i want and i wont stop until i get it.
4. To get better in myself and my health as the past 9 years i have had ongoing issues with my stomach and digestive system which means i have been living on a gluten free diet for the past few years and now i am on a fodmap diet, i intend to get a diagnosis for my illness this year as its been left nameless by the drs and consultants and i am ready to get it solved so i can get back to being healthy again.
5. To be more confident this is something i struggle with on a daily basis and i think most women also struggle with this its not reassurance i need from others its what my brain tells me and i believe it (not good enough) to do the things i would like to do in life but feel i would be no good at so i wont attempt to try, i think i need to believe in myself more that i am just as good as anyone else and not to get so down if it doesn’t work or pay off.
6. To be selfish and cut out negativity i always put others 1st before myself but this year i vow to be more selfish and not go without or put my needs behind others, also there is lots of negativity in my family more so my dads family they all like to talk about you behind your back and slag you off for doing better than them in life as they don’t like to see anyone do better than them so this year i am cutting of all negative people in my life as they are toxic and i don’t need people bringing me or my dreams down.

These aren’t the usual resolutions people generally make but for me this its what i want to change in my life this year and i won’t give up after the 1st month like most people do as if i make these changes i believe it will change me for the better as a person going forward.

Thank you for reading and let me know what your resolutions are.x