Good Morning!
I hope you are having a wonderful day.

Honestly, I can't believe it's the last day of September already, this month has flown by at a ridiculous speed! So I have ten favourites through the month of September and I cannot wait to start sharing the with you! Now that it's Autumn, I'm trying my best to feel a little bit more cosy and therefore, the fluffy socks have finally come out! It's also the time of the year for the berry nail varnishes to come back out as well as the more Autumnal eyeshadow shades. Enough of the rambling!

Let's get too it;
 To start off this rather long favourites post, I am sharing with you the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss in the shade 42. This is literally the perfect nude! In summer I was wearing the typical pinky nude lips, however now that it's slowly going into Autumn and all the shades are turning darker, I wanted to start wearing my favourite nudes again and this one is in my top favourites! I love how creamy and long lasting this is and it's the perfect shade for my skin tone! I have been wearing this for probably the whole of September.
 I have also been loving the Rimmel London Lasting Finish nail varnish in the shade 193 - Black Cherries. I recently featured this in my autumn nail varnish post and I can still say, this is my favourite out of all the nail varnishes I shared for Autumn. It's 100% long lasting, the colour is absolutely stunning and it's the perfect Autumn shade to wear on your nails!
 Unfortunately it's that time of the year when our lips get very very dry! I have already cut the side of my mouth from where I haven't been using lip balm, silly me! I remember receiving this from my
an at Christmas as well as a few other Nivea lip balms and I can't believe how yummy this tastes! Obviously you can't eat your lip balm, but to have something moisturising on your lips which also tastes nice is always a winner!
 So you technically haven't seen my Covershoot cosmetics post yet as it's scheduled for the 2nd! However, I received a bunch of products from Covershoot and this twist post was one of them and I have to say, I am very impressed with how amazing this really is! You can pick this up in Poundland and the smell actually isn't that bad, I quite like it! Instead of using ten cotton balls and a lot of nail varnish remover, all you have to do is put your finger into this, pull it out and your nail varnish has been completely removed! I have used a fair few twist pots but this is definitely the best one I have used by far!
 Sooo, for all you book lovers, I really recommend this book! I started reading Me Before You in September and I just couldn't get into it, it took me a week to read 100 pages which is just ridiculous for me! I usually read a book within 2-3 days if I have enough time but Me Before You just wasn't for me. I decided to pick up Sweet Temptation by Lucy Diamond and so far I am in love! I have really been enjoying this book throughout September. Unfortunately with university, work etc I haven't had time to read this within a few days but it has been nice reading it every evening! Check it out!
 As a student, a learning support assistant and a blogger, I have three diaries! I recently picked up this Queen Bee diary in Poundland and I absolutely love it. I use this one for blogging and it has been so useful for my Autumn blogging where I have been blogging everyday. I am able to colour code my topics and colour in each day so I can see which topics I'm not posting much on and where I can fit in some topics into the blank spaces. It's been great! If you're interested in how I use my diary to help my blogging schedule then let me know!
 My favourite song throughout September is Twenty One Pilots - Heathens. This song was produced for the film Suicide Squad, which is an absolutely incredible film by the way if you love Harley Quinn, Joker etc! However, this is probably the best song that Twenty One Pilots has ever brought out. I am really enjoying their songs at the moment and it's the one artist which I listen to the most. This song seems to have a very catchy tune too it and you can sing along to it too!
 So, after the PokemonGO craze before they did the most annoying update ever! I decided to try out the Nintendo 3DS Pokemon Omega Ruby game. I bought this via Depop however I was actually scammed, so my boyfriend went out to buy it for me two weeks later as he really wanted me to start playing it as he did give me his Nintendo too! I completed this game in the matter of a couple of days. I was obsessed! If you love PokemonGO, you will love this even more!
 So, it's Autumn. Autumn is about being cosy and warm so the fluffy socks have come out! I picked these up during Summer but it weren't cold enough to wear them yet but now I can, wooo! I love these fluffy socks so much, they're my favourite pair of fluffy socks I have ever bought, and that's saying something! They're so cosy and fluffy and soft, and they're just everything you need in a pair of fluffy socks!
Last but not least is a beautiful eyeshadow palette from Makeup Revolution. The most perfect matte eyeshadow's for Autumn! This is the Ultra Professional Eyeshadow Flawless Matte Palette and it is includes the most beautiful browns, oranges and cream shades which are perfect for this season! I have really loved using this palette throughout Autumn as the shades suit my eye colour more than the greys etc. They're easy to blend, I don't have any fall out and they're just beautiful! If you haven't tried out Makeup Revolution then I really highly recommend their products!

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a wonderful day

So many students jet off to different places around the country when going to University, however I decided to live at home instead of living at an accommodation near my university. There are many reasons why I didn't move to University. For starters, my mum didn't want me to leave, and I didn't want to leave my mum. Two summer's before starting university, I went away to NCS and even after the first week, I just wanted to go home and be with my mum. I've never had to be away from her for a long period of time and I couldn't even begin to imagine living in a completely separate place from her either. As well as this, I also have a boyfriend, and we're in a committed relationship meaning I didn't exactly want to leave him either. I struggle not seeing him for a few days, so not seeing him at all would probably kill me (It wouldn't, but I would definitely be a mess).

So here are a few things I experience as a student from living at home, and a few things I haven't and won't experience.

Saving money
I don't even want to imagine how much money I have saved by living at home. By living with my mum still, I haven't had to find money for rent, and in the area where I live, renting is so expensive! I also haven't had to pay for any bills (apart from my car insurance and fuel), and my mum pays for the food etc. All I need to do is pay her rent which is nothing compared to what I would have had to pay if I moved to University.

Class size
Compared to some class sizes, my University has probably one of the smallest. On my BA course, in the first year there were 8 of us. Now into my second year there is 6, maybe less which is insane but rather useful! With the FDA course, there were 20 of us in total I believe in our first year, which has now gone down going into our second year. By having such small class sizes, we're able to have regular 1-1's with our lecturer and extra support if we need it.

Independence
Although I don't have the independence which other students have from moving away to University, by handling my own rent, bills and food shopping. Although I'm very independent in my own home and if my mum asked me to go do the food shopping on my own for all of us, I'd be able to do it. I wash up, do the washing and house work anyway, the only independence I do not experience is living on my own. However, I know many students who have their parents to do everything for them, and that's where some issues may arise.

Drinking, every weekend
One aspect I am so thankful for from living at home, is not drinking every weekend. I have a friend from University who lives at the other University which is part of Anglia Ruskin, and he drinks every single weekend with all of the people he lives with, which is crazy! Not going to lie, alcohol is very tasty, but I have never been a drinker or someone who goes out clubbing, so I'm glad I'm not experiencing this.

Relationships
One aspect I love about living at home is the relationships I can still build from having such a small class size. Although our course is very clicky and quite odd at the same time, I have built some strong relationships even if they don't live with me!

Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is something every student struggles with when studying away at University, Deliciously Ella can also agree to this! Which is how she started "Deliciously Ella" in the first place. While paying for rent, food, bills and everything else when living at University, being able to buy the healthiest options can be very difficult when trying to stick to a budget. That's the great thing about living at home. My mum pays for our food and she tries to have a healthy lifestyle just as much as I do, so we're able to choose what food we buy and whether we make dinners from scratch, or just something which needs to be thrown into the oven for 30 minutes.

Travelling/Commuting
If I were to live at the University halls for my University, it would take around 1 hour and 30-45 minutes on a bus to get to the University. However, by living at home, on a train it took 22 minutes, however I also spent 20 minutes walking and 5-10 minutes on a bus from the train station. To work around train times and when I had to be at University, it would take 1-1.5 hours of travelling just to go to University which is ridiculous. However, now that I have passed my test, it will take me 30 minutes minimum to get to my University, and 45 minutes to an hour max if there is a lot of traffic! I'd much rather be sat in a warm car then walking through the rain too within that hour. I also hated getting on a train on my own, I had some horrible experiences and I'm glad I don't have to experience them again while travelling to University.

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a wonderful day.

You know it's Autumn when you start baking everything which includes ginger and spices! I have been craving gingerbread/ginger cake since mid summer and it's definitely one of my top 5 favourite cakes/breads too eat! Who doesn't lover ginger, honestly?! So, 23 days ago I made this gorgeous golden gingerbread which was probably the most easiest gingerbread I have ever made in my life, it's full of spices and gingerness and it just takes blimming amazing! (Yes I schedule my posts very very early). Perks of being a student and having no time!

I absolutely love this gingerbread because it is so incredibly soft, it melts in your mouth, it's gorgeous hot and cold. Plus, I can imagine it being quite amazing with either normal custard or chocolate custard too. I am now craving this so much. Unfortunately, I did run out of ginger so, I end up using mixed spices which was a bit of everything! To be honest, I think it tasted so much better having the different spices in it, because you can really taste every single spice after every bite you take. It'a amazing! I love it and I hope you love it too.

So let's get too it;

You will need;
100g butter
120g golden syrup
160g self raising flour
6g ground ginger
9g mixed spice
160g caster sugar
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150ml milk
1 large egg

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a 1 pound loaf tin. (I used a silicone one which saved lining it)
Melt the butter and golden syrup together, leave to cool.
Mix together all of the dry ingredients and then mix in the milk and egg until it is smooth.
Throw in your butter and golden syrup mixture, mix again until it is all combined and smooth.
Pour into your lined loaf tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean.
Leave to cool slightly and then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a lovely day so far.

Sooo, it is that time again where I share with you all the books I have purchased recently! I say recently, I purchased these possibly over a month ago, oops! I've come to realise my book hauls are fairly popular and many people are interested in the books I pick up so here is another nine books, mainly by the Author Jodi Picoult. However, we all know she's fab so this doesn't matter! Also, if you're wondering where I purchase my books from; I do not pay £7.99 per book! That would be absolutely insane! I go into every charity shop I find and pick them up for 50p-£1.50 depending which shop I go into, it's great!

So let's get too it;
If you didn't know already, I absolutely love Katie Flynn, she is an incredible Author and her books are always a wrench to put down again! Her books usually include something rather heartwarming of either love or loss but they're always absolutely incredible! If you haven't ever read any of Katie's books before then I highly recommend them and possibly give this one a try too! I can see it being a very good read and one which I won't want to stop reading until it's finished.
I absolutely love when Katie brings out Christmas books, I feel like they bring more of a heartwarming story and Holyhead and Anglesey Mail expresses "If you pick up a Katie Flynn book it's going to be a wrench to put it down again" and I completely agree! You will love Katie's books and I've very excited to read this one!

"Addy and Prue Fairweather live with Nell, their widowed mother, in a flat above her shop on the Scotland Road. The sisters, however, they are different. Addy is dark haired, plain and always in trouble, whereas Prue is flaxen hared, blue eyes and as angelic as her looks imply. To make matters worse, Nell makes no secret of her preference for the younger girl, increasing Addy's jealousy and resentment.

On the other side of the coin, Giles Frobisher and his twin sister, Gillian, live in a crumbling mansion near the sea in Devon. The family have lost most of their money in the Depression, so Giles leaves university and joins the Fleet Air Arm. He meets the Fairweather girls briefly on a visit to Liverpool but they lose touch. When they meet again Addy and Prue are no longer children and Giles realises he is falling in love."
Oops, another Katie Flynn book! If you haven't ever read Katie's books, I really recommend them! They're not the traditional 21st century book, and they're based in a variety of different years but I love the way she writes! Katie never fails to amaze me. As the Choice expresses "Katie Flynn's Liverpool Sagas are fine examples of historical storytelling."

"Claudia Muldoon and her younger sister, Jenny, live with their parents and their gran in her house in Blodwen Street. Both parents have good jobs and the family assume they are settled for life, but then Grandpa Muldoon has a seizure and begs his son t return to Ireland and the family croft. 

The Muldoon's leave and Gran has to take in lodgers to make ends meet, for the depression is beginning to bite. In Ireland, however, the Muldoon's flourish and the girls love the freedom of their new life, though as they grow up, disadvantages become clear. Claudia has to find work, so both sisters return to Liverpool and to their old pal Danny, who still adores the beautiful Claudia and welcomes them back with delight. But both girls' lives take an unexpected turn when Danny's friend, the flamboyant and successful Rob Dingle, returns from America."
I don't really need to say much about this book. My Sisters Keeper is a beautiful, emotional, heart wrenching film and definitely one to make you cry for hours! I was so excited to find out that it's actually a book by Jodi Picoult. One of my favourite films & one of my favourite Authors, who would have known? If you haven't watched this film, I highly recommend it but make sure you have tissues to hand! If you haven't read this, me neither! So, let's read it together!
"A compelling Emotional drama of love and guilt that grips from the very first moments. Luke Warren would sleep in the dirt if it meant he could be under the stars. He lives by the laws of nature, and would surely want to die that way. But Luke is in a coma and his family must make an unbearable decision. As tensions and secrets rise to the surface, the tragic accident which brought them back together against the odds could well tears Luke's family apart forever. They know Luke would not want to live like this, but how can they choose to let him die?"

I haven't read this and I have no idea what happened to Luke which left him in a Coma but I know it's going to leave my in tears! I lost my bestfriend nearly two years ago as his family had to choose to turn off his life support machine. Knowing that this book could be a very similar situation, it's going to be emotional, and a terrific page-turner, but that's what I love in a book!
Jodi Picoult is a beautiful writer, and possibly one of my favourite Authors too. I love the sound of this book as they describe it as a "An edge of your seat thriller", which is a book I will always enjoy. You were hurt as a child, now you fear for your daughter, what would you do? And the question here is, what would you do? Honestly? I'd probably escape to somewhere where they'll never find me or my daughter. Wouldn't you?

"The first time Jane Jones tried to leave her husband, her daughter almost got killed. This time, she's going to do it right. Jane escaped a childhood of abuse into the refuge of marriage, only to find history repeating itself. And when her husband's neglect extends to their daughter too, she knows it must stop. Taking Rebecca with her, Jane runs away, seeking the only place of safety she knows. But however far she runs, she cannot escape the question always on her mind; how can she save her daughter, when she couldn't save herself?"
"A shocking murder shatters the picturesque calm of Pennsylvania's Amish Country - and tests the heart and soul of the Laywer who steps in to defend the young woman at the centre of the storm."

I found the story line of this book very intriguing as it's about a psychological drama, while also including the story line of a courtroom. I absolutely love anything which involves psychology and lawyers so this was a real winner for me!
I feel like I could really relate to this book in some way, I don't believe in God, but I also don't have a daughter, but I guess it'll help me in the future if my daughter starts talking to angels! I love books which are fascinating and engrossing, a story which is really going to pull me in and bring out my emotions! I believe this is going to be one of them books.

"When Mariah White catches her husband with another woman, her life starts to fall apart. And when her daughter, Faith, begins to confide in an imaginary friend, her own brush with insanity starts to take on a darker meaning. Then faith appears to start performing miracles, and all at once the situation is spiralling beyond Mariah's Control. Is faith truly seeing God? Or if she just a trouble little girl seeking refuge from her parents' divorce? When it comes to matters of faith, it's hard to know who to believe.
Jenny Colgan is another one of my favourite Authors, I find her writing absolutely brilliant and her stories never fail to make me smile. I realised I didn't have this book in my collection so I couldn't help but pick it up for only £1 at a Charity Shop, bargain! This book is definitely going to be a heart warming, witty and very funny novel!

"They may be twin sisters, but Lizzie and Penny Berry are complete opposites- Penny is blonde, thin and outrageous; Lizzie is quiet, thoughtful and definitely not thin. The one trait they do share is a desire to DO something with their lives, and as far as they are concerned the place to get noticed is London. Out of the blue they discover they have a grandmother living in Chelsea - and when she has go to into hospital, they find themselves flat-sitting on the King's Road. But, as they discover, it's not as easy to become It Girls as they'd imagined, and West End Boys aren't at all like Hugh Grant."

Good Evening!
I hope you are having a wonderful day.
As part of Mental Health Monday, I have Vikki from Planet Vikki sharing her story of suffering with depression and Anxiety. The aim of Mental Heath Monday is to share stories with others, potentially helping others in some way by sharing how they have overcome Mental Health or are on the road to recovering. If you suffer with some sort of Mental Health Illness, you are not alone.

So let's get too it;

My name is Vikki, I am 25 years old and live in Newport, South Wales. I have been writing my blog for 2 years and write about anything I feel like writing about at the time. Today I am sharing my  Mental Health Story with you.

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a lovely day!

So it's officially Autumn, and we all love tags. So combine the two and we have the Autumn Tag 2016! I was very excited when I saw there was an Autumn Tag as I'm definitely one for answering questions and letting you all know my thoughts, plus my favourite season is Autumn and this just makes me feel all fuzzy and excited inside! (Apart from right now because I'm sick, but we'll just ignore that). There are so many reasons to love Autumn and my favourite is the baking that you can do, using all of the beautiful spices and apples and all the things we love to put into our Autumn bakes.

So less of the rambling and let's get too it;

1. What signifies the start of Autumn for you?As soon as it starts getting a little bit chilly, basically when I can wear a hoodie and not feel hot! So this was the end of August for me! Although many people go for the 1st September as the start of Autumn, I just like to say when it's chilly! Plus it means I can start getting excited for Autumn a lot more earlier on, which is always a good thing!

2. What is your favourite Fall scent?
I would like to say Pumpkin however we all know Pumpkin actually smells disgusting when it has sat there for a few weeks after you have carved it, and pumpkin is the most Autumnal you can get! However, I love anything which has been baked! So anything with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, all of the yummy spices you'd include in your baking! Plus, I love a salted caramel candle! 

3. What is your favourite Autumn colour?100% love the burnt orange, copper, dark brown shades. The typical shades you'll see in the crispy leaves very soon as soon as they start to fall off the trees! I love the scarves which many places bring out around Autumn time which include these colours. Not only do they get me ready for Autumn, but they make me feel very cosy too!

4. What is your favourite Fall drink?I love drinks all year round, whether they're hot or cold! I recently tried the Pumpkin spiced frappuccino and absolutely loved it! However, my boyfriend literally gagged when he tried it, he's not one for spices! I'm a coffee addict, so anything which includes coffee! So this will be Americano, latte, spiced lattes, gingerbread lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and anything else you can think of! But, I do love a hot chocolate in the evening when I'm curled up in bed!

5. What TV show, new or old, are you looking forward to this Fall?I really want to start watching Power, Scream and Gossip Girls this fall on Netflix as I haven't watched them before and so many people have recommended them! I will also be watching the typical Halloween movies such as Nightmare before Christmas, my favourite!

6. What is your favourite Fall fashion trend?Big knitted baggy jumpers, blanket scarves and ankle boots! Everything you want in an outfit to make you feel cosy when it's a little bit dark and cold outside in the mornings when you're going to work or university.

7. What is your favourite frugal Autumn activity?
So last year was the first time I ever carved a pumpkin and I absolutely loved it! I don't celebrate Halloween, but I couldn't help join in when my boyfriend was carving a pumpkin for his little brothers! My favourite activity will always be baking, if this counts? I love baking, it's one of my passions and if I can incorporate all of the spices into one cake, then I will.

8. What is your favourite makeup look come autumnal weather? 
I absolutely love a brown/copper smokey eye and a nude lip however, the berry lips have to come in some where which also look stunning with a brown smokey eye or even just a simple, natural eye look! 

Feel free to copy and paste the questions below to create this tag on your blog!
1. What signifies the start of Autumn for you?
2. What is your favourite Fall scent?
3. What is your favourite Autumn colour?
4. What is your favourite Fall drink?
5. What TV show, new or old, are you looking forward to this Fall?
6. What is your favourite Fall fashion trend?
7. What is your favourite frugal Autumn activity?
8. What is your favourite makeup look come autumnal weather? 

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a wonderful day

As a University student and a very organised person, I wanted to share my tips and tricks with you today on using your planner productively. This may be as a student, for work or for general use in life or as a blogger. I have three planners, one is for general life and my job, the second is for university and my studies and the third tiny little one is for my blog. I like to know what's going on and when and planners are the best thing for this.

I have also colour co-ordinated each of my planners. Within my general life one, I have to match up when my half terms are as a student and in my job, so I colour co-ordinate this so I know which is which. As part of my blog, I write about various topics, I think 5 in total, and 6 if there's a special season. Therefore, right now it is now officially Autumn so there will be many Autumn based posts. Being able to colour co-ordinate these to my scheduled/planned posts, I can see exactly how many posts on each topic I have scheduled throughout each month. It tells me what I'm lacking in.
So this is my university planner, as you can tell, my planner is very very empty right now! I go back to University tomorrow so all I have really wrote in this so far is the teaching weeks, and dates of half terms etc. However, within my university planner I pretty much write down absolutely everything, any "homework" which they set us to complete ready for our next lecture, any submission dates, deadlines, days where I'm going to dedicate all of my time to completing something. I write down absolutely everything so I know exactly what is happening in my life.
This is my personal planner for my everyday life, a place where I write down what hours I'm doing at work, what hours my boyfriend is doing at work and what I'm doing on a day-to-day basis. If I have plans with my boyfriend, I'll write these down. Writing everything down in my life makes me feel like I have my life together when to be honest, I probably really don't.
I haven't had my tiny bloggers planner for very long to be quite honest, however I already feel like it has made a difference to my blog already. I decided to colour co-ordinate my topics which I feature throughout my blog. From this, I could then colour co-ordinate my overall monthly view and see what topics are featuring more than others. I am also able to see what days I'm not scheduling a post for so if I have worked with any brands etc, I can quickly throw in a post into that space. When I write each post into my diary, I also use the same colour pen which I have colour coded it too. It just makes my life so much easier and I know I have my life together, as well as my blog!

So here are my tips on how to use your planner productively, whether this is for general life, blogging or as a student;

Choose the right planner for you
Honestly I couldn't stress this enough! There are so so many planners out there in so many different sizes, and it can be quite nerve wracking trying to decide which one would be best for you! Where would you be using this planner? Would you be taking it in your bag? How big is your bag? Do you want a light weight one if you're travelling with it? You need to ask yourself so many questions when finding the right planner for you, but you'll know it's the right one when you see it.

Colour code absolutely everything
Another important step! To be a fully organised blogger/student or just a normal person (obviously everyone is normal) you are going to need to colour code if you are using one planner for absolutely everything. Colour coding makes life so much easier because it's the colours which make it a lot more visual when reading something and trying to remember it! It also makes your planner so much more fun which leads me onto my next step.

Make it fun
I absolutely love my planners because they are bright and vibrant and colours I love!
If you are going to be using your planner day in day out to organise your life, you are going to want to be writing in something which is fun and you're not going to get bored of. You can add so many different accessories to your planner to make it fun as there are so many arts and crafts bits on the market! I know many people go for a plain boring black planner which just makes life even more dull than what it already is. Go for the bright planners and you'll enjoy using it!

Don't plan too muchThis is definitely one of my weaknesses and I will also be the one person who writes a full A4 page of things "to do" in one day and obviously one day will never be long enough. Don't plan too much and be realistic on how much you can actually get completed and also cope with! You don't want to end up stressing yourself out and then feel disheartened when you haven't completed anything.

If you think of something, write it down
Last but not least, if you think of something, write it down! This is something that I definitely fail at sometimes, and then I end up forgetting something really important. If you carry your planner around every where you go, then you will definitely not have this problem! Also, writing on your hands is not good for you, I'm sure you learnt this when you were in school!

Good Evening!
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

Today on the blog, I have a guest post from the lovely James from Furniture Of The Mind. James wanted to share his experience of mental health with you and the importance of Self care and how Autumn has helped him through this. 

So let's get too it;

I've been suffering from depression for around 7 years now or at least that's when it began effecting my day to day life to a point where it was creating problems for me. Last year I finally made the link to the reason I find it harder to get up in the mornings, be motivated and generally not feel like Dracula had done his rounds and drained every last drop of my soul from my body... Autumn and Winter. This was pretty hard to accept as I absolutely love these seasons, much more than the summer months at least. 

This year, I have managed to resurrect my excitement after feeling particularly negative about the whole cold, dark months of last year. I've started coming across the term 'Self-Care' a lot this month, which isn't something I've really noticed before or had much involvement with which struck me as pretty odd considering my history of complex mental health problems. It's a tad different to the whole 'Self Help' scene from what I've come to understand or at least that is what I think. 

Throughout my battle with poor mental health, I've learned a lot. A lot about myself, the body, the mind and other people. I've discovered some reasons what's brought me to my current position in life, the way brain chemistry effects my feelings and reactions as well as what makes me tick and how I can keep myself level or save myself from the darker times. I'm still learning and I think I always will be. 

Autumn and Winter are hard months for a huge amount of people, the darker evenings and weather can have a catastrophic effect on mood and energy levels, myself included. But at the same time I find it to be an absolutely wonderful time of year because there is so much going on, there is a lot to celebrate and there isn't much I love more that a cup of tea, a cosy jumper and a book by candle light on a chilly autumn evening. 

This is why I think Autumn is the perfect time to embrace Self-Care. It's a great opportunity to de-clutter, detox and prepare. Take time to surround yourself with positive people and things you love, obliterate the negatives and plan how you'll keep yourself out of the darkness in the coming Winter months. Download the amazing Self-Care starter guide from The Blurt Foundation and make sure you can enjoy the Autumn and Winter like never before.   

Good Morning Lovelies!
I hope you are having a wonderful day

So I did plan on making this a "Five reasons why I can't wait for Autumn" post, but I completely forgot about it and every single day up until the first day of Autumn was then filled, so I have decided to make it a "Five reasons why I couldn't wait for Autumn". I'm sure you won't mind because you're all so lovely!

I absolutely love Autumn, there's no doubt about it and it is definitely my favourite season out of all of them. Autumn has this weird thing about it where everything looks absolutely beautiful, even though it's dying. Strange isn't it? There are so many great things about Autumn, for example; Halloween, although I have never celebrated it and I was brought up not to celebrate it, I still love seeing the makeup looks which people create just for Halloween and some of these can come out pretty damn amazing if you ask me. I also love how everyone goes back to education in a new season, they all leave education in Summer and come back in Autumn, I just think it's amazing. No idea why, I just do.

Autumn also brings some pretty amazing things, things to buy, things to bake, things to do and things to see. Lots of things! Bet you've never used the word "things" six times in a sentence! One thing I love to do in Autumn is bake because this is when all the spices come out and the yummy, bakes which make your whole house smell absolutely incredible.

So, if you want to know five reasons why I couldn't wait for Autumn, then carry on reading!

1. Hot Chocolate
I absolutely love coffee and I absolute love hot chocolate, to be honest hot drinks are just amazing! I will always enjoy a hot chocolate in the evening however towards the end of Summer, the weather decided to change it's mind and bring us a heatwave. For someone who was really looking forward to Autumn and the rainy days, I was definitely not happy about this because it meant I couldn't enjoy a hot chocolate in the evening as I was just too hot. However, now the weather is getting cooler, I am definitely enjoying the hot chocolates every single evening with marshmallows and whipped cream. Yes I will eventually put on weight, but I'm fine with this, it's worth the hot chocolate and cream.

2. Dark Lips.
I have never really thought dark lips suit me because I am so ridiculously pale, however this year I am going to put in more of an effort to rock the dark lips. I absolutely love the berry tone lipsticks and the dark browns too. If anyone can rock the dark lip, then I'm sure I'll be able too as well, eventually.

3. Candles.
I love candles, there's no doubt about it. I personally prefer the candles which are made for Autumn and Winter compared to the candles which are brought out for Spring and Summer. I feel like the very fresh and sweet scents give me more of a headache than what the dark and musky ones do. One candle I absolutely love burning throughout Autumn is the Salted Caramel yankee candle, it is absolutely fab and it breaks my heart knowing they discontinued it last year! They also make a room look so pretty in the evening.

4. Oversized Cardigans/Jumpers.
I LOVE oversized cardigans and Jumpers. Wearing a simple pair of leggings, jeans or even baggy trousers with a plain tee/vest, you can rock any oversized cardigan or jumper! They are so cosy to wear when it is a lot colder and they are perfect to either throw on when you're cold and take off if you get a little bit warm while stuck in traffic with your heaters full blast! This won't be the case for me as my heaters don't work in my car! I'll be wrapped up in a blanket instead. If I could wear anything for the whole year it would be pyjamas with an oversized cardigan, not going to lie!

5. Blankets/Fluffy Socks.
I am probably the biggest fan of blankets and fluffy socks, anything fluffy to be quite honest! I have way over 40 pairs of fluffy socks and too many blankets, but how many is too many?! One thing I have missed this year is being able to snuggle up in a blanket, with fluffy socks on while watching Netflix or movies! This has probably been the one thing which I have been most excited for with Autumn arriving! Who doesn't love fluffy socks?!

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a lovely day.

I believe setting goals is very important in general life, as well as being a student and even a blogger too. As a student, I am always trying to improve in every aspect I possibly can and setting goals is the best way to do this. Also, I like to set myself goals throughout the day, so I know I'm able to get different bits and bobs done through each day. As a blogger, I never used to set myself goals, however now my blog is growing very rapidly, setting goals is a very exciting thing to do and when I reach each goal, my little bubble of happiness grows and grows.

Setting goals is one of them things which will boost your own self-confidence, but it will also boost the satisfaction in the long run once you have completed different tasks. We all know good satisfaction makes us happy, right?

Below are my tips on how to set goals and achieve them!

Choose your goals wisely
You need to choose your goals wisely. Is the goal you're currently setting relevant to you? Is it realistic? Does it have any value to you? You need to care about the goal which you're setting otherwise you are simply never going to achieve it. You need to be able to have motivation to complete this goal and know that the outcome will bring you some sort of benefits or satisfaction.

Break it down
This is something I definitely never used to do and I'm so glad I realised that it's the best thing to do. When you have a large goal that you need to complete over a period of time, the best thing to do is to take little steps. Do a little bit each day and you'll get there eventually. If you try and achieve the goal in one day when you know it will take more than one day, the outcome will most likely, probably be negative and this won't bring you any happiness or satisfaction.

Check in often
One thing which helps you to achieve your goals is checking back in at previous goals. Look back at them and see how far you've come. By seeing what you have achieved so far, will push you to carry on achieving and this is so important as a blogger, student and someone who is generally finding life quite difficult or stressful. Look back at how far you've come. Did you ace that 3000 word essay last semester? Did you reach your next goal of followers? Have you beaten your depression? Don't let what's going on now, to stop you from achieving your goals. You can do this.

Learn from failures
Don't get disheartened when you fail at something, this is completely normal and it's fine! Being able to learn from failures can be such a difficult thing to do but it makes you such a strong person. What could you do differently for next time? What plans have you put in place to make sure you improve? Mistakes are proof that you are trying and this is the best thing you could ever do.

Have clear visions
I found personally that writing my goals down is the best way for me to have clear visions of where I'm going next. However being accountable in any possible way is a winner. So tell someone what your goals are so they can motivate you and push you to achieve. Write it down where you know you can look back at it and see how far you've come. Make clear visions of where you want to be, and how you are going to get there. You can do this, as long as you believe.

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a wonderful day!

So recently I have seen the "17 things I learnt by 17" featuring on Youtube and blogs all over twitter and although I am 19 I though it would still be just as great to do this, as it means 2 extra things I have learnt. My life has definitely been a roller coaster, especially throughout secondary school, I learnt so many things but in the process, a lot of things also took me down and left me to struggle, but you always get knocked down and then get up again! Although being a teenager was the most horrible years of my life, I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't go through everything that made me so unhappy.

So let's get too it;

1. There will always be bitches, bitches everywhere
One thing I learnt is no matter where you go, there will always be bitches. The world is full of them but this is completely okay. Bitches are there to bring a complication/hurdle to your life, however they are also there to prove you are strong enough to ignore them.

2. It doesn't matter what others are doing, it matter what you are doing.
So many people focus on what everyone else is doing, what trends are going on and whether they should involve themselves with these trends and what their friends are doing. Do not be one of these people! It matters what you are doing, and where you are going with your life and this doesn't involve what everyone else is doing to get you wherever you want to be.

3. Happiness is more important than anything else.
So recently I wrote a post, a rather personal post about why I chose happiness over a part time job which you can find here. I will always choose happiness over anything else, because why would life be worth living if you weren't happy? It wouldn't make any sense! I can't express how important happiness is and if you're not happy, figure out why you're not happy and change it. Happiness won't only make you feel healthier physically and emotionally, but it will lead you to feeling more successful with your life. You're capable of doing things you never thought you'd be able to do.

4. Don't be afraid to voice your opinion.
I spent the whole of school not voicing my opinion because I was worried about what people would think. Being bullied already was difficult enough, but having more issues on top of this would have been a struggle. If you have an opinion, say something. If you think something's right, make sure everyone knows. You have no idea who you are inspiring, if you don't voice your opinion.

5. You are stronger than what you think you are.
Think it's the end of the world? No idea what to do next? Don't worry, you're not the only person in that position. Fortunately, you are stronger than what you think you are. Like they say "Fall seven times, stand up eight". You can stand up taller than you have ever stood before, you just need to believe that you can. I promise, it's not the end of the world.

6. Chase your dreams.
Do you want to be a dancer? then dance. Do you want to train to be a nurse? Go for it. You can do whatever you want to do, as long as you chase your dreams! These are your dreams, not anyone else's and no one is going to chase them for you. You have the power to change your life, every single day.

7. If something is on your mind, talk about it.
This has taken me 19 years to figure out and I'm finally able to do it. Don't make the mistake I did. If something is on your mind, please talk about it to someone, anyone. Bottling things up is the worst thing you could ever do, it will make you feel a lot worse and whatever it is that is on your mind, will not go away. Sometimes, writing things down is always a good idea if you don't want to tell anyone. Being able to express it even in speech or writing, letting it out of your mind is the best therapy.

8. Be so good, they can't ignore you.
What they say is true, smile because it will piss off everyone who doesn't like you and this is why you should be so good they can't ignore you. It's not about showing off, or being "big headed", it's expressing that you are capable of amazing things, and they're not going to get you down. As well as this, it also inspires so many people! Make a difference and be amazing!

9. Do not follow the crowd.
Now, this is something I have never done and it's definitely something that I do not regret. I've always been bullied for not following the crowd. I have never fake tanned, I didn't go with the slug eyebrows and I never wore so much makeup in school I looked cakey. Although I was bullied for being different and pure jealousy, I knew that following the crowd would mean that I wouldn't be true to myself. You are an individual and you are different, let the crowd follow you.

10. Do not look back on your past.
The past is the past, no matter how much you look back at it, it's not going to change. Learn from your mistakes and carry on looking forward to the future and focus on what's happening right now; your life is a gift, that's why it's called the present.

11. Nothing is worth the stress.
I am definitely a stresser. I stress over the most silliest things, the things I can't change and the things which really aren't important. I stress till the point I lose a lot of hair. However, nothing is worth the stress and this is something I have come to realise over the past year. No matter what I do, I can't change certain things and they're not worth stressing over.

12. Throw away anyone who is toxic.
Another point I have learnt over the past 3 years is to throw away anyone who is toxic and I've seen a lot of people come to realise this too. Happiness is important, we know this but occasionally it's a person which is making you unhappy. The best way to deal with these people is to throw them away. Are they worth the stress? Are they worth being unhappy over? Can you have a life filled with happiness and no stress by getting rid of their toxic comments? If your answers are yes, then let them go. They are no important.

13. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
I learnt that you don't get anywhere unless you try. On so many occasions I have been too anxious to try something because of failing, however I learnt that a lot of accomplishments come from trying. Trying something will either lead to success, or failure. But even then, you can learn from failures and try again, it's not the end of the world. For example, I failed two driving tests with my driving instructor. I didn't want to try again and I felt so disheartened. On my third test, I chose to use my car instead of my instructors, and I took my mum with me as well. Although I felt like I was going to fail again, I tried and I made changes to ensure that I passed, and I did with only two minors. Learning from failures is so important and the way in which a lot of people succeed is by failing first.

14. School isn't important.
I'm sure this isn't the case for everyone but it was definitely the case for me. School was not important. I had less than 50% every single year in school and all of my teachers told me I would fail all of my exams, but I didn't, I passed them all. Although I did get into college because I passed my exams, I know a lot of people who didn't pass all of their exams and still got onto the course. So what's the point in GCSE's if you can redo them in college or sixth form? Don't stress yourself out over school, because you can redo your exams if need be. It's not the end of the world.

15. Everyday is a chance to change your life.
Although this is a quote, it is a quote which I will always stand by and it's something I have learnt as I have grown up. Each and every day you have the opportunity to make a change to your life, every day is a new opportunity and a fresh start if the day before wasn't very great. You have the option when you're young to decide what to do with you life, and to be honest you have the option when you're an adult too but not many people choose to make changes. There is always something which can change your life, you just need to find what that something is. For me, I changed my application for university at the very last minute, I didn't even change my personal statement and this has changed my life and I am so much happier now. I created my blog, which has also changed my life and my boyfriend took the chance and asked me to be his girlfriend nearly two years ago. This has definitely changed his life. You can change your life any day, as long as you've got the nerve.

16. Not everyone will like you.
I learnt this in primary school and it's stood by me throughout the whole of my life. Not everyone will like you, you are not a slice of pizza. No matter what you do, or what changes you make, you cannot make everyone happy and this is part of life, get used too it. But the best part about it is, smiling at these people will truly piss them off and it's the best feeling in the world because you're not letting them get to you. Shine bright and don't let idiots ruin your day.

17. Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
This is something else I came to realise recently when I was in a job which was making me so unhappy. I spent so much time trying to make a living, and trying to ensure I had enough money to pay for my car insurance etc, I forgot to make a life. But how can you forget that your happiness and your life is more important than money? Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. You can love everything you do, and enjoy your life at the same time because you're happy. and you feel wonderful.

18. You can do it, no matter what it is.
This is as simple as it sounds, you can do it, no matter what it is. If you want to go climb the highest mountain, you can do it. If you want to become a teacher, you can do that too. If you want to reach 10,000 followers on your twitter account, you can do it. These things may take one day, or they might take a few years but you'll do it; forward is forward, no matter what the pace is.


19. In order to succeed you must believe that you can.
I never used to believe this until very recently when I believed I could do something, and I was able to succeed. This is such an important point for people who are doing their driving test as well. You need to believe that you can and this is something I really struggled with when I was learning to drive. When I went into my last test, I cried, I knew I couldn't do it and I believe the only thing that helped me to pass was the fact I was driving in my own car. However, I knew I was able to pass in my car because I was driving it every day.
If you are trying to succeed in something, believe that you can; you never know where this might take you.

Good Morning!
I hope you are having a wonderful day

So it is officially Autumn tomorrow, can you believe it?! Autumn is my favourite season of the year, and I am so excited now that it is finally Autumn. The leaves will start to change colour and crumble and who doesn't love standing on crunchy leaves? Autumn also means it's going to start getting colder, which I am also so pleased about. I love being able to layer clothes if I'm cold whereas when it's hot, you can only take off so much until you can't take anymore off, you know what I mean.

"If a year was tucked inside of a clock then Autumn would be the magic hour."

One aspect I love about Autumn is how it is so different to the rest of the seasons; everything is incredibly beautiful even though it's dieing, which I really can't understand. Although Autumn is filled with miserable wet days, everyone is still so happy because the other lovely things which Autumn brings. The crispy leaves, and the fresh air. Autumn brings the most wonderful evening walks.

One aspect of Autumn I really don't like is the wind. I've found throughout the Autumn months, it is so much more windier than every other season, and combined with the rain; my eyes are like waterfalls. Also, slugs. Slugs are absolutely everywhere at the moment and it's horrible.

This Autumn will be the first time I am able to drive on my own to university and my boyfriend's house. I am really looking forward to blasting out the music and having the heaters on while being stuck in all the terrible traffic. I used to hate driving but I feel like I'm going to really enjoy it throughout the next few months. Especially because I won't be walking to and from train stations in the horrible weather while having cars splash me.

Something I realised the other day was how much I love listening to the rain. I had such a dreadful day and went out for a drive to the middle of no where and just sat in my car and listened to the rain. This was probably so much more relaxing than having a massage. I could have sat there all evening.

Autumn is for long walks, knitted scarves, gloves and overall being very cosy! The one aspect I love most about life is cosiness. Coming home and getting changed straight into my pyjamas. Or if I'm not going out, staying in my pyjamas all day, who wouldn't?! Lighting the candles, and reading a book underneath blankets is the most cosiest thing ever and Autumn makes this even more special.

I don't have many goals for Autumn, however my main goal is to embrace the rubbish weather and not let it get too me! My hair either goes curly or straight and to be honest, I like it either way so I don't mind the rain anymore! I'm looking forward to the long walks in the rain with a thick hooded coat on.

Another goal is to be happy. To be happy in university, and in my life in general, and also to be happy with my blog. I am so happy with everything at the moment but this happiness doesn't always last. So my main goal is to do everything I can to stay happy and to embrace it too! You never know who you're inspiring.

Lastly, my goal is to blog every day throughout Autumn. Right now, this is going very well but hopefully I'm going to keep it up!