Goodbye 2015!

As far as years go, 2015 is one I'll be glad to say goodbye to. There's been some good points; my holiday to France in the summer was amazing (you can read all about it here). The sun, the heat, the relaxation, the sights. I'd go back in a heartbeat! I've also gotten to try out some new things like Pointe and pole dancing, and I've got to see Wicked and Les Miserables on stage. Two shows I've wanted to see for a long time. I also got a weekend away in London so after 24 years of living in the UK I can finally say I've visited my capital city.

But there's been some low points too. Failing my exam was definitely one of them. I've never failed anything in my life before, so this came as a shock to me is something I didn't cope well with. Work making the changes it did, and the impact that has had on everything else has made this year very difficult and on occasions, very overwhelming. But by far the worst thing in 2015 was losing my Grandad. Not being at home meant it came quite out of the blue  and took a long time to come to terms with. He was a big part of my childhood and it's very weird to think he's not around anymore.

The things I've been through this year, both good and bad, have taught me a lot and I've had to grow as a person to cope with some of them. It hasn't been easy, and at times I have wanted to throw in the towel and give up on some things, but I've persevered and come out at fighting at the other end. I may not have enjoyed you 2015, and I am glad to see you go, but I just need to say 'thank you' for all that I've learnt. Goodbye!

Sarah x

Resolution Roundup

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long since my last post, the world outside of blogging has been pretty intense and I was forced to take a break for a little while. But I'm back today hoping you'll all forgive me, and with a little Resolution Roundup for you all!

This time last year I set myself some New Year Resolutions, and to be honest I haven't really revisited them since. So we're well overdue a progress up date on them.

To get fit and healthy

This was definitely a very cliche resolution to make. I wonder how many other people made this resolution and how many actually achieved it?

I must admit, I probably didn't do too badly with this. I had spells where I was really good, kept up exercising regularly and ate healthily, but there were other spells where I was really naughty. I suppose that happens to even the best of us. I can't complain though, I did loose weight and drop a dress size, and I do feel a lot better in myself because of it. Just need to get back into my good spell again and keep it up for as long as I can.

Pass 4 more CIMA exams

Woo, this one I achieved! But it wasn't easy by any means. I finished off my final 2 management level exams by May 2015 and sat the first of my strategic level ones in September. All passed on the first attempt. The second strategic one I sat I wasn't so lucky with. I failed on the first attempt. BY ONE MARK! I still haven't got over that even if it was over 2 months ago. But on the second attempt I passed.

In total now that's 9 exams down (4 in 2015) and only 2 more to go! My aim of completing my qualification before turning 25 and ticking it off my list is on track.

Make more effort on my blog and in the blogging world

For the most part of the year, I did quite well on this. I was post regularly. I give my blog a whole new look. I came up with some new content ideas. I did more promoting and interacting through social media. I participated in some blogger chats. I worked with a few brands. I was getting there. And then work and exams became overpowering and blogging took a major back step. This is the one thing that isn't on my 25 before 25 list that I'd like to carry forward into next year. Make more effort with my blog. Even if it's just regular posting (once a fortnight at least) and keep my social media going. Then I don't feel as bad if work does get too much and I have to take a break. Lets see how it goes.

Read more books

Not including college books, I read 12 books this year. I achieved my goal!!!! The books I've read are: My Side of Life by Shane Filan, Now and Then by Brenda Rothert, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank, The Homecoming Masquerade by SpencerBaum, The Festival of the Moon by Spencer Baum, The Rose Ransom by SpencerBaum, The Bonding Ritual by Spencer Baum, Looking for Alaska by John Green, Off Balance by Terez Mertes Rose, GoneGirl by Gillian Flynn, Paper Towns by John Green, Turning Pointe by Katherine Locke. I really need to learn to start doing my book reviews as soon as I've finished reading something. I did a few, and I've linked them above if you're interested, but I didn't get round to the others. I should really catch up on them all.

* * *

I'm not setting myself any resolutions for 2016 as I'm still working my way through my 25 things before 25 list. But there will be a new post within the next week or so welcoming in 2016 and detailing some of my plans for the New Year. I hope you'll all stick around to enjoy them with me.

Happy New Year to you all, and thanks for putting up with my recent absence.

Love Sarah x

Love Lolo Mulberry Alexa Bag Liner Review

Owning a Mulberry bag was a dream of mine for a long time I thought wouldn’t come true. I was saving and saving to buy myself one as a special treat, but I wasn’t quite close enough to get one.

Knowing how much I wanted an Alexa, my Mum managed to convince my Dad to buy me one for a 21^st birthday present and it’s been my pride and joy ever since!

Unfortunately, she’s been loosing her shape recently and hasn’t been coming on many outings. I still love her, but I didn’t want to get her damaged as a result. To our rescue, the lovely ladies on a Mulberry facebook group introduced me to the world of bag liners, and after a bit of research and deliberation I decided to treat myself to one.

There don’t seem to be many bag liner manufacturers in the market at the moment. I managed to find just two; Samorga based in Asia and Love Lolo in the UK . There was very minimal difference in price (around £33 including postage) but the delivery time was much quicker from Love Lolo. And since I’m really impatient, I opted for the quicker delivery. I can’t fault the delivery at all. I ordered it on the Monday night, and the postman delivered it on Thursday. Very quick!

All Love Lolo liners are made from felt and come in a range of different colours to suit all the different range of Mulberry bag colours. I opted for Pewter. With 2 small inside pockets for your phone/keys, and a larger one perfect for a tablet/e-reader to slide in, the liner is great for adding a bit of extra organisation into your bag. The felt is very thick, and seems to be of good quality so I have no worries that it wouldn’t survive through some hard work and use.

I did worry that I’d ordered the wrong size liner as it took a little bit of manipulating to get the liner into my bag. But now that it’s in, I can definitely confirm I bought the right size and can see the difference it’s made in my Alexa’s shape. She looks to have doubled in height and has all her shape back in her.

I never thought felt could make so much difference to the shape of a bag, and I was very worried that I was spending a lot of money on something that wasn’t going to work. But this has proved me completely wrong. I don’t regret this purchase at all, and would definitely recommend one for any other bags out there that might need some shape back in them.

Sarah x

CD Review: Right Here by Shane Filan

I'm a big Westlife fan, I have been since the beginning. Since they split there's been quite a big music gap in my life, and I've been looking for something to fill it with. Thankfully the wonderful Westlife boys have started there own music careers and Shane Filan has just released his second album, 'Right Here'.

I loved Shane's first album, 'You and Me', it was such an easy listening album that you could sing along to and enjoy. When he announced his second album was coming this year, I was really excited and pre ordered a copy for me and my Mum (she's a big Westlife/Shane fan too!). When it turned up in my letter box I popped it straight into my car CD player and listened to it on my way to dance class, and in every car journey since then.

Like his first album, Shane has created a brilliant mix of songs that are so easy to listen to. They're really relaxing and the lyrics are beautiful. His duet with Nadine Coyle is so catchy, but there's so many amazing songs I can't even pick a favourite. This is an album that will be in my car, and on my iPod playlists for a long time to come.

Shane toured with his last album, and it was by far one of the best concerts I've ever been too. I really hope he decides to tour again with this one and if he does I know my Mum and I will be one of the firsts to get tickets.

If you love Westlife or want a nice relaxing CD to enjoy, I definitely recommend you buy this one!

Sarah x

25 Things #3 - Take a pole dance class

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Today is the first post in my series of 25 Things Before 25. If you haven't read my list of challenges you can do so here, but this post focuses specifically on number 3 - take a pole dance class.

When people hear the term ‘pole dance’ a lot of people will instantly think of shady strip clubs. But pole dancing is a style of dance that has grown in popularity in recent years and has become more about the fitness, gymnastics and skill involved.

This first time I can remember talking about pole dance was back at college, and my friend suggested we look into going to a class. It was a bit of a joke at the time and we never took it any further than just a quick conversation about it. It wasn’t until I went to uni and got chatting to my friend Hollie that I actually began to realise what was involved, the popularity of pole dancing and how different it the image I had in my head.

Hollie and I met through university and both share a love of dancing. Whilst I’ve tended to stick to the more theatrical styles (ballet/jazz/disco etc) she’s much more adventurous at trying out new styles and joined our university’s pole society. Seeing all her pictures on facebook, hearing her stories and seeing how much fun she has had with pole dancing has made me want to try it for a while.

The only think that stopped me was my self-confidence issues and my fear of failure. Which is silly really when you think about it, and you read the guest post Hollie wrote for me (if you haven’t already, you can read it here) about how pole has helped her gain her confidence.

This year, I decided, is the year I get over my fear of failing, my lack of confidence and I give pole a go!

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My intention was just to sign up to a beginner’s taster session one of my dance schools runs every few months and give pole a go that way, just to see if I enjoyed it. But in the run up to the start of their next 6 week term of classes the owner opened up a competition to win a place on the next course. I decided to enter on the off chance; I wasn’t really expecting to win. But I did! And I was really excited to get started.

As the start of the course drew nearer, I started to get a bit nervous. Although I know what pole dancing is about, I wasn’t sure what to expect in the class, what to wear, whether I’d be any good at it, or whether I’d enjoy it. I shouldn’t have worried at all.

When I turned up on the night, there were eight other ladies waiting with me to get started. Only 3 of the had taken a pole class before, the rest were all like me; complete beginners, nervous and terrified of what to expect. We sat in the near silence in the changing room before the start of the class, the room filled with tension.

Ellouise, our teacher, was brilliant when she walked into the room. She gave us a little pep talk, told us what was going to happen over the six week course, to relax and not to worry. We were there to have fun after all!

The class started with a little cardio dance warm up which was really simple and fun to do, then we got to meet our new friends for the first time. The poles.

Our starting move was a hold. I’m sure it had a proper name, and I wish I could remember it, but there was so much to remember it’s slipped my mind. Sorry! Anyway, the hold, we leant our chests against the pole, wrapped our hands around the poles and then lifted our legs up. Our thighs and our hands were holding all of our body weight up in the air.

Lifting your feet off the floor on that first attempt is a very scary moment. I was so nervous that I was going to fall that I was gripping on so tight, but I managed to hold myself up there for a little while.

We then progressed from the starting hold into a hold with a slide down to the floor on the end, a spin move down to the floor and then the moves combined with some walking steps. It was at this point that I was beginning to think the pole and I weren’t going to be friends. That pole wasn’t going to be a new dance style for me.

I was so nervous and worried that I was going to fall and hurt myself, that I couldn’t bring myself to loosen my grip and do the slides/spins properly. I struggled a lot. But Ellouise and the rest of the girls were brilliant at encouraging you to keep trying things, and to relax. I kept trying and saw a little improvement, but my grip hold wasn’t going away.

The final move of the night was, I think, called the Carousel (but I could be wrong) and it was by far my favourite move of the night. It involved stepping around the pole, then pivoting on one foot round the pole and going into a back bend.

I loved this move so much. I achieved it without many corrections on the first attempt, and I kept managing to get it right. It really boosted my confidence. Maybe the pole and I could develop a friendship after all?

After a little stretch and a cool down, I left the class on a high and now I’m really looking forward to going back next week to see what Ellouise has in store for us. I know I need to work on loosing my grip, and hopefully I can do that next week.

Overall, I’m pleased I decided to give pole a go, it was definitely a new experience and something I shouldn’t have been worried about trying for all these years. Lets see how the next few weeks go.

Sarah x 

Book Review - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Gone Girls is a thriller novel based around Nick Dunne, a former New-York based writer, and his perfect wife Amy. Portraying the happy blissful marriage to the rest of the world, it comes as a shock to everyone when Amy goes missing on their fifth wedding anniversary. With suspicions rising, it's not long before Nick's unusual behaviour places him as prime suspect in her disappearance. With increasing pressure from the police and the media documenting every step of the case, it seems Nick and Amy's relationship isn't as it seems, and they may not be who they say they are.

Gone Girl was first brought to my attention when I was sat in the hairdressers one Saturday morning. My hairdresser was talking to another client about how good the film was and I was eavesdropping whilst my colour set. It sound interesting, like something I'd enjoy, so I added the book to my Summer reading list. I'm so glad I did!

This book had me from the offset, within the first few pages I was hooked! It's full of twists and turns, you're never quite sure what's coming next. I honestly couldn't put it down.

This book is so well written that you find yourself questioning everything you read. Every little detail becomes significant and you start analysing things as you go. With every turn of the page you'll have a new set of unanswered questions, you just have to keep reading to find out what next, and your opinion on where Amy is and whether Nick is involved will change constantly. It's a gripping read.

I didn't expect the book to progress the way it did. As a thriller book I thought it would be investigating where Amy was and who would want to take her, but it's so much more than that. This book explores the deepest parts of their relationship, Amy's history, the influence of her parents, Nick's guilts and desires. It's much more than just a 'who done it?' book.

I think the only kind of disappointment is the end. Whilst it's still a really good ending, I'd have liked things to work out a little better for Nick, but I can totally understand and appreciate why the author has done what she's done.

I made my Mum read this book while we were away too. I don't think she was keen at first, she complained it was slow to get into, but it wasn't look before she was asking questions wanting to know more and more. I just kept telling her to keep reading and just smiled when I saw her face at the end. I think she enjoyed it nearly as much as me.

Since returning home, I've watched the Gone Girl film. I must admit, I was a little bit let down. There is a lot of twists, turns and detail missing out of the film that you don't get to enjoy. It's a good watch, but the detail in the book makes it so much better. I definitely recommend you try and read the book first!

Gone Girl was my first Gillian Flynn read, I haven't been able to speak to anyone else who's read her other books, but I'll definitely give them a go in the future.

Rating: 9/10

Sarah x

My Disney Store Wishlist

I'm definitely a big kid when it comes to Disney. I love watching the films, singing the Disney songs and buying the Disney merchandise. I never get sick of it. After hearing about the new Tsum Tsum range Disney has released, I've been frequenting their Disney Store website to see what other items I need to have in my home. Here's my current wish list:

From top left: Tsum Tsum Adult Tank Top - £18.95 this is such a cute tank top and would be perfect for sleeping in or working out in, Tea Light Holder - £11 such a simple but cute decoration to have around the house, Baymax Medium Tsum Tsum - £10 I really want a mini Baymax tsum tsum to go with my collection but at the moment I can't find one, medium one may have to do!, Winnie The Pooh Pyjama Bottoms - £14.95 these are lovely and will be perfect for lazy days in the winter, Tsum Tsum Dumbo Mug - £8.95 I already have a Tsum Tsum Dumbo but this mug is just as cute, Minni Mouse Red Mobile Phone Clip Case - £9.95 I love the bow on this, and if I'd spotted it a week or so ago I'd have possibly bought it rather than my Harry Potter one I've just got....maybe next time

Sarah x

25 things to do before turning twenty five

It doesn't seem five minutes since I was celebrating my 18th birthday. It was a Sunday, like it was this year, and I had all the family and friends round for a party at my house. It was a great day. I was excited, not just for turning eighteen, but for the fact that in a few weeks time I'd be starting university. This year, I turned 24. Eighteen year old me thought being 24 was so old, it doesn't seem that now.

I want to make the most out of my 24th year, so I've comprised a list of 25 things to do before I turn twenty five. The list is made up of things I've wanted to do for a while now, and just haven't done it. They're all relatively easy for me to complete, I've just never put the effort into doing them. Until now.

1. Run 5k

2. Get my splits

3. Take a pole dance class

4. Watch a ballet

5. Complete my CIMA qualification

6. Make a three course dinner, from scratch

7. Visit London

8. Spend a week without social media

9. Raise money for charity

10. Reach my goal body weight

11. Have a spa day

12. Cook a Sunday Roast

13. Take a photo a day for a month

14. Take a yoga class

15. Clear out my wardrobe

16. Stretch everyday for a month

17. Become an expert cupcake baker

18. Support local businesses

19. Go for brunch

20. Say thank you to my parents

21. Have a spend free month

22. Finish unpacking my spare room

23. Save some money

24. Update my CV

25. Drink a litre of water a day, every day for a month.

I'm going to print the list off and stick it onto my fridge to keep me focused, and when I've accomplished something I'll keep you all posted!

Let me know what would be in your list of things to do before turning 25, I'd love to hear them.

Sarah x

24 Facts About Me

This weekend is my birthday, and I'm turning 24! To celebrate, I thought I'd share with you all 24 facts about me you may, or may not know. Enjoy!

1. I played in a brass band until I was 18

2. I've never had chicken pox

3. I've never broken a bone

4. Orchids are my favourite plants, but I'm not very good at keeping them alive

5. I'm an apple girl. I have a macbook and an iPhone, I've love an iMac (hint birthday fairy, if you're still looking for ideas!)

6. Blue is my favourite colour

7. I love cuddly toys. I'd fill my house with them if I could

8. My favourite takeaway is pizza

9. I'm an only child

10. I graduated with a 1st class Business Studies degree in 2013

11. I've never been on an airplane

12. I love jaffa cakes. If I share them with you, you must be special

13. Strawberries are my favourite fruit

14. I'm a pretty good cookie maker

15. I am obsessed with Harry Potter

16. .....and Disney

17. I had imaginary friends for a lot of my child hood

18. Westlife are, and always will be, my favourite boy band

19. Team Damon

20. I'm definitely a handbag girl

21. My ambition as a child was to become a vet

22. I actually became an accountant

23. I love dancing. I've taken classes in tap, ballet, disco, jazz and burlesque

24. My birthday always made me the youngest in my year group at school

Love,

Sarah x

A Stay at Home Student’s Guide to Starting University

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It’s that time of the year again where thousands of people make the big jump into the world of university. It doesn’t seem five minutes since I got my university offer and went to my enrolment day. How time flies!

For many people going to university is the first chance they’ve had to live completely independent from their families, to discover a new town, and try new experiences. It’s pretty much expected that if you’re going to university that you will move into student accommodation in your first year. But that just isn’t the right choice for everyone.

I knew when I applied for university that I wasn’t ready to move out. I knew I’d miss my home comforts far too much. So, for my Fresher’s year, I stayed at home and went to a university 20 miles away from my front door. For me, it was the right choice.

But staying at home doesn’t mean you don’t get to enjoy the same level of independence, new experiences and discoveries that your fellow students might. You get to enjoy all of that, with the added bonus of being able to save some cash by not paying rent (or a reduced rate rent anyway!)

Here are my top tips for enjoying Freshers year as a stay at home student:

Use social media to meet your classmates

For students living in halls, by the time it comes to the first activity of orientation, they probably already know a few people. As a stay at home student, you may not have had that chance. I know I didn’t. I turned up for my first day and didn’t know anyone. I was on my own until I found another student on their own to chat with.

When I started uni, social media wasn’t anywhere near as popular as it is now, and the only way we really had to interact with our classmates was through UCAS discussion board. But now the majority of universities and student unions use Facebook as a way to get Freshers to interact with each other before they arrive on campus.

It gives you the chance to meet your classmates, meet other students living at home, and ask any questions you have in advance of your arrival. Take advantage of the groups/pages/events they offer. It can put you in touch with other people in a similar situation, and make that first day much more enjoyable.

Get involved with your union

Being a stay at home student can limit the people you meet just because you don’t get to interact with flat mates and their classmates, and expand your friendship circles that way. But a great way to meet new people, and try out new things is to get involved with your union.

I didn’t get involved with my union until I was in my final year and became a Student Trustee. Looking back now, I regret that. In that one-year I got to meet a range of new people I’d never have met otherwise, learnt some new skills and have something different to put on my CV for when I graduated (I appreciate as a fresher, graduation seems a long time away, but it’ll come round sooner than you think). Even just being in a society gives you something to write about when the time for CVs comes and can make you stand out from the crowd.

Find out when your Freshers Fair is and see what your union has to offer. You might just find your new hobby or best friend there.

Avoid the temptation to stay at home

If you’ve got a long commute to get to your lectures there’s a lot more temptation just to stay at home, particularly when the weather is rubbish and your bed is nice and warm. If you get into the habit of skipping lectures, you’ll soon find you miss more than you attend. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you have to attend every lecture/seminar (although it is recommended!). You will miss some, as will all of your friends who live 2 minutes away from the building, but avoid the temptation as much as you can.

Be organised

Organisation is the key to being a stay at home student. Not being able to go home in between each lecture means you have to make sure you have everything you need that day with you when you leave the house. The last thing you want to do is turn up to a class without your prep work, or without the textbook you need. Or turn up with a text book for a module you don’t have that day. Not only are uni textbooks expensive, they are also big and heavy. You don’t want to end up carrying around an unnecessary book all day.

Buy a planner and make sure you note down what lectures you have on what day and what books/files you need to bring. Not only will it save your arms from all those heavy books, it’ll save you from turning up without what you need.

Don’t feel obliged to stay at home every year

Just because you made the decision to stay at home in your first year, doesn’t mean you have to stick by that for every other year. I did a four-year course and lived in student accommodation in my second and third year. I moved back home for final year. I enjoyed getting to experience both ways of life.

If you want to stay at home every year, then there is nothing wrong with that. But if you change your mind and want to move in with your friends, then go for it! Do what’s right for you.

Enjoy it

Yes you have lectures, yes you have work to do, but first year is supposed to be fun. Make sure you enjoy it. Once you move up to second year there’s more expectations on you to do more work, and then in final year it’s even worse. Enjoy yourself as much as you can and as well as you can.

Sarah x

My Summer Holiday: France 2015

It’s been a long time since I got to have a holiday abroad. As much as I miss my little pooch, and loved her when she was with her, she did make it difficult to have holidays outside the UK. As this is the first full year without her around, my parents and I decided we were long overdue a holiday in the sun, and off we went for our little adventure into the beautiful France.

The Journey There

My Dad and I don’t like flying, and my Mum doesn’t like boats, which makes travelling anywhere a bit of a challenge. But the good thing about Europe is there’s a third option that none of us mind, the car and the Channel Tunnel.

We set off at 8am on the Friday morning with all our luggage in the back of my Dad’s car. That is the bonus to travelling in the car, although it takes a lot longer, there’s no restrictions on what/how much you can or can’t take.

Our tunnel crossing was booked for 15:30 but we arrived an hour earlier and, after a quick stop at duty free so I could stock up on perfume, we managed to get on an earlier train and made it into France earlier than expected.

Night One

The first night we got into France we spent in a hotel called Armony Hotel, in a little town named Bourg-Achard. It was late when we arrived at the hotel, so we didn’t get a chance to explore the town, but from what we saw through the car windows it seemed like a very pretty market type town.

The Hotel is a budget type hotel, the rooms were similar to what we’d get in the UK. They had a bed (which wasn’t the most comfortable I’ve ever slept in), a TV, a desk, and an en-suite shower room. They were clean and tidy, and well kept, so there was nothing to complain about. But what was lovely was the restaurant.

We had our first French meal of the holidays in that restaurant, and whilst there wasn’t tons of choice what we ate was delicious, and what we saw them bring out for other people looked amazing. After struggling a little with language barriers (the staff didn’t speak much English, and my GCSE French was a little rusty) we all opted for a burger and a drink, followed by some ice cream. It was very tasty.

Breakfast the next morning was what I loved about France. Fresh baked pastries and fresh fruit juice. I had a selection of mini croissants, and pain au chocolats  (all of which were still hot from the oven) with some passion fruit juice to start my day, my Mum opted for croissants and cereal, my Dad went for cereal and toast. It was delicious. I was disappointed that this wasn’t going to be my breakfast every morning.

Week 1

After another five hour drive  (and getting lost in the countryside for a little while) we arrived at our first week long home. A beautiful little gite called Les Iris, just outside of a little village called Tout-y-Faut. Accessible by a very small little country lane, the farm house is set in the rural countryside. With only the pool, and a few other houses nearby, this gite is perfect for anyone wanting a quiet relaxing week away from the hustle and bustle. It was ideal.

The gite itself had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen. It was very rustic in it's decor, but it suited the property and the area. The pool was just a nice size, and we were in it every day. It was lovely just being able to lay around and read, soak up some sun, watch the birds as they decided to dive bomb the pool to cool down!

We did venture out and about on a few occasions, and everywhere we went was beautiful. We spent a day in Royan which is a lovely seaside town, which did the best crepes of the holidays! There was a lovely beach, a fair ground, and a high street of shops to explore.

We spent another day exploring more of the area, and the little villages around where the cottage was. We visited Alunay on market day, Saint-Jean-D'Angley's cathedral and car museum, Green Venice which is so beautiful, and stumbled across this lovely little park and boating lake which had the best electric boats ever on it. They were mini cruse liners/steam boats. They beat the ones you can hire on Lake Windermere by far! I wish I could find a picture of them to show you all....but I think my Dad took them on his camera.

We also ventured to La Rochelle one day, which is a very large historic port town. The weather wasn't wonderful that day so we spent a lot of time in the Aquarium. The majority of the pictures I took on holiday were in that Aquarium. There were so many pretty fish. I loved the jelly fish, and the sting ray that smiled. Here's just a selection of pictures I took in the first week of our holidays:

From Top Left to Bottom Right
Chocolate banana and coconut crepe in Royan, our private pool, strawberry crepe in Royan, smiling sting ray in La Rochelle aquarium, me and my mum in Green Venice, pretty jelly fish in La Rochelle aquarium, our little home for the week, caramelised apple crepe in Royan, Green Venice.

Week 2

My Dad gets bored very easily of being in one place for a long time, which is why we split our holiday and moved across to the coast of France for our second week. We stayed in a lovely bungalow just outside of Pornic. Unlike the previous house, this was much more modern and in a suburban setting. There were restaurants and shops within a few minutes walk, a few minutes walk to the beach and a half hour walk into the centre of Pornic.

Whilst I did miss having the pool on the second week, I loved this house and it's location. It felt a lot more homely and comfortable. I could have lived in this house long term.

We spent a lot of time this week in Pornic. It's a beautiful little port town, no where near as big as what La Rochelle was the previous week, with a lovely little harbour, loads of tasty restaurants and picturesque beaches. We ate in Pornic almost every day and tried out a range of the different restaurants and ice cream shops. Their speciality is mussels, so if you're a fan then this is definitely a good place to go. Everywhere sells them.

The first time we ever went to France (over 10 years ago!) we went to a picturesque island called Noirmoutier, as we were back in the same sort of area we went back to visit. Some of the island was like we remembered, including the market square with the watch shop and the slush and ice cream machines in the middle, but a lot had changed, and unfortunately we weren't as impressed as our last visit. The island was the only place in France that we found was very commercialised, which was a shame. A lot of the restaurants were now burger bars, and there was even a Hollywood American diner on one corner. It wasn't the same, but I'm glad we got to go back to somewhere we all had fond memories of.

Whilst we were on holiday, France celebrated Bastille Day. As a national holiday, the majority of places shut, but we got to experience how France celebrated their national day. We got up on the morning and watched the parade of all the armed forces in Paris on the TV, I bet that would have been brilliant to watch live. We then spent the afternoon at the beach before heading into Pornic on the night for their celebrations.

Pornic had a mussels and music festival. They'd blocked off a large area of the port, created a stage which a live band were performing on, and laid out five or six large tables. There were about 10 different stands selling food, from mussels and chips to crepes and burgers. The atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was out with their families to enjoy the music and food, and then at eleven pm the fireworks started.

It was a pretty amazing firework display. They were set off from a walk way just in front of Pornic Chateau and filled the harbour with light, and the Chateau was letting of sparks from it's roof top, and at the end had lights on the side of it that said 'Pornic 2015'. It was a lovely night, and I'm really glad I got to celebrate this day in France.

From Top Left to Bottom Right
Our home for the week, Bastille celebrations in Pornic, Pornic Harbour, Pornic Marina

The Journey Home

Travelling home is definitely the worst part of the holiday, and ours was just as bad. While we split the journey going across two days, we did it in just one coming home. It was a very long day. We set off early (7:40 French time) from our temporary home to drive to Calais. We made it just in time for check in.

After long queues at passport control, there wasn't time to stop for a break or a last trip to duty free so we were straight on the train and back in the UK. It was about 4pm when we got back into the UK. Two hours later and we still weren't off the M25....what a nightmare road that is!

When we eventually got off the M25 and hit the A1 we stopped for some dinner at a service station before commencing our final leg of the journey. Sixteen hours after we first set off, we arrived back to my parents. Home Sweet Home.

Looking Back

It's nearly a month since I came back from France and my little adventure. It feels like forever ago now, but it left me with lots of happy memories. I had an amazing time, and I can't wait to go back again in the future.

Sarah x

My July Love Me Beauty Box

I'm a completely newbie to subscription boxes. I've looked at a few different ones over the past year or so, but never made the decision to sign up to them. When I came across Love Me Beauty's deal on living social (3 boxes for £14.95 + P&P), I decided it was time to give subscription boxes a go and ordered my first box.

I was really pleased when the postman rang my flat buzzer on Saturday morning. Not only had I forgotten my box was on it's way, but it also meant that my buzzer system had been fixed whilst I was in France!

I like Love Me Beauty as you get to pick what you want in your box. They give you 6 credits to spend, and then allocate a number of points to different products. You can either spend just your 6 points, or if you want more then you can pay extra to get the additional products. I went for 3 things I knew I'd use; hairspray, nail varnish and eye shadow.

The hair spray is a full size product by Neal & Wolf and is worth £9.50 on it's own! I've never heard of Neal & Wolf, but they had a few different products available on Love Me Beauty to pick between. I went for the hairspray as the one I'm currently using is feeling very thick and heavy on my hair. I'm very interested in trying this out.

There were a very different nail varnish colours from the NailsInc Gel Effect range to choose from. I went for Colville Mews as it's a very neutral shade and will be suitable for work. The product is again full size, worth £15. I've already given this product a go, and I love it. Application was super easy, the  colour is gorgeous, and the finish is perfect! Very impressed.

The final product is a mineral eyeshadow by Bellapierre (£12.99). It's not a brand I've heard of before, and it's only recently I've started trying mineral make up, but I've been impressed with Bare Minerals products so thought I'd give this alternative a try. Again I went for a neutral colour, Champagne, as I don't like my makeup to be too bright. As it's a shimmer powder, it probably won't be something I use daily for work, but I'll definitely be giving it a go on my next night out.

Overall I'm rather pleased with the products I've picked, the fact that they're full size, and how much money I've saved. Just on this one box, I've saved £17.49. I'm excited to try out all the products and to receive my next beauty box in August.

Sarah x

Book Review - The Girls Wearing Black Series by Spencer Baum

I got the first book in this series when it was on offer on Amazon. It was free (on one of their daily deals), and although I'd never heard of it, I figured it had Vampires in and I tend to enjoy vampire stuff so thought I'd give it a go. I finally got round to reading it whilst I was away, and I am so glad that Amazon gave away this book. I doubt I'd have read it otherwise. The first book had me hooked, and I rushed to buy the other 3 in the series as soon as I'd finished the first one.

This series isn't the typical vampire romance stories you see a lot of at the moment. There's no mortal falling in love with a vampire, and a story dedicated to how they're going to live their lives together and enjoy their forbidden love. This is different.

In this series, the Immortals (aka vampires) are in charge. While the Politicians and the rich may think they have power, the ultimate control lies with the Immortals. Becoming an Immortal in this world isn't easy. To be turned you have to bond with a vampire. Unless you're a girl in the senior class at Thorndike Academy.

Senior girls at Thorndike get the chance of a lifetime. They get the opportunity to be turned by Sergio, a vampire who doesn't bond. Giving them more power, control and respect than they could ever dream of. All you have to do is turn up to Homecoming in a black dress, and you enter the contest. But entering the contest comes at a price. You enter a contract with the Immortals. A contract that states if you win you become an Immortal, but if you come last you become the new Immortal's first meal.

This series follows one year of the coronation contest where preparations had been made for years to ensure that one girl won and became immortal. That was until the surprise entry of Nicky Bloom. Supported by her friends, Nicky launches a campaign to win the contest to achieve the ultimate prize and she soon catches the attention of the Immortals. But as the contest progresses, it's clear that Nicky and Kim both underestimated each other.

All of the characters are portrayed well. They each have their own unique personalities, their own backgrounds, and develop in their own ways. At some point in the series, you will route for each and every one of them. Even the Immortals.

My favourite is Jill. One of the key characters from the offset, she's a teenager doing her best to support Nikki and achieve the ultimate aim. By the end of the series, she's grown into someone wiser than her aged. Forced to face the truth about her Father's past activities, and the truth about her Mother's need to work, Jill learns to fight for herself, her own course, and becomes a key player in the coronation contest.

I loved the way this series is written. Each book is focused around one key event in the coronation contest, but Spencer Baum manages to bring in all the stories, past and present, of the key characters in with ease. They flow well, and keep you intrigued as to what is coming next.

A brilliant read, and something different to the more popular vampire series. I look forward to reading more of Spencer Baum's work in the future

Rating: 9/10

Sarah x

Product Review: Amphora Aromatics Skincare Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel

I'll admit, Amphora Aromatics is a brand I'd never heard of until they asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing their Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel. After reading their press release on the product I was intrigued and decided to give it a go.

"AA Skincare Essential's multi-purpose Seaweed & Aloe Refreshing Eye Gel helps rehydrate and restore delicate skin around the eyes, gently and effectively removes make up and can help cool skin after a spell in the sun" (Amphora Aromatics Press Release)

When the product arrived I was very impressed. The packaging has a very high end appearance, and is made of good quality. The colours are very natural which reflects the brand's image very well.

My skin can be quite sensitive, so I'm nervous about trying new skin products in case I have a reaction. Amphora Aromatics products are all made from natural ingredients which is good as, for me anyway, there's less chance of a reaction. I'm pleased to say that after using this for a month, I've had no side effects or reactions!

As the name implies, this product is a gel consistency and a little bit can go a long way. I've been using one pump at a time, and that will cover both my eyes. After using twice a day, I still seem to have a lot of the product left in the bottle. This is a product that will last a long time.

I've used the eye gel twice daily since I got it about a month ago. It's great on tired eyes, and for covering up dark circles, and the cooling sensation was great to relax my eyes after they'd been in the sun all day on holiday.

The best benefit I've found from using the eye gel is the improvement in my milla. I have milla under my left eye, and when I got this product, it was flaring up quite bad and I could really see the white bumps. Which didn't look good at all!

After a couple of days of using the eye gel, I could definitely see their visibility reducing. I've been using the product for about a month now, and they are practicably invisible. I'm really pleased with how this product has combatted this problem.

At a bargain price of £6.96 this is a product that is good value for money, high quality, and works! I will be definitely purchasing again in the future.

Sarah x

Disclaimer: Whilst this product was sent to me for free by Amphora Aromatics, all reviews and opinions expressed in this post are my own honest views.

My Beginner's Pointe Experience

Credit to: balleradance

Going en pointe is something a lot of dancers aspire to achieve. It's something I've always wanted to do, but never thought I'd have the chance. I didn't start ballet until I was 19 years old, and even then I wasn't training full time so I thought pointe would only ever be a dream for me. Until this year.

When I signed up to my new dance course in April, they teacher told me they had a beginners pointe workshop coming up in June and I signed up as soon as I could. I was really excited.

I've spent a lot of time reading up on pointe, and watching YouTube videos about how best to prepare for pointe, what to expect at your first pointe shoe fitting and in your first pointe class. The info I read was brilliant at keeping me calm and helping me to understand what to expect throughout the process.

So today, I'd like to share with you my first experience of pointe and some to tips for those who aspire to go en pointe.

Pointe Shoe Fitting

It's important when buying a pair of pointe shoes that you get them properly fitted, don't buy them over the internet. There are so many different brands, designs, style, sizes, widths to consider, you need to get yourself properly fitted so that you don't injure yourself. Find a qualified pointe shoe fitter with a good reputation to make sure the fit you get is right. Your teacher, or other dancers at your school, may be able to recommend one.

I went to Tip Toes Dance Supplies in Morpeth after reading some really good reviews on line, and was in the store for a good forty five minutes trying to find the perfect shoes for me.

My fitter, Heather, was lovely and really supportive throughout it all. She's a pointe dancer herself which was really helpful, she encouraged me to be really vocal with here, and there was no pressure at all for me to buy from her if I didn't think the shoes were right for me. She talked me through all the different options of padding to put inside my shoes, the different types of shoes I could get, how they should fit, what I should or shouldn't be feeling, and the benefits of wearing elastics and ribbons on my shoes.

I went to my pointe shoe fitting wearing clothes similar to what I'd dance in, i.e. a pair of tights. You don't have to turn up in a leotard, but if you wear tights in the studio, wear them to your fitting so you know the shoes will fit you properly.

It also helped when we came to doing some pliées and going onto pointe (while holding onto things) during the fitting. If I'd turned up in jeans, it would have made moving and bending a lot harder and I wouldn't have been able to see how good the shoes actually were.

In the end I opted for some ouch pouches to protect my toes, elastics and ribbons to my shoes and went for a pair of Bloch Serenade pointe shoes. They were the second style shoe I'd tried on but we went through a few different sizes before we found the right pair. They're perfect!

Sewing Ribbons and Elastics

I must admit, I'm a complete newbie to sewing. My Mum has always stitched my clothes if they needed it, and sewed my elastics onto my soft ballet shoes in the past. This part of the process I was not looking forward to.

It's really important to make sure the ribbons and elastics are on right so as not to damage your foot. I took to YouTube to watch some videos on how to do it and found there's loads of really good advice out there.  So I came in from work one night, set myself up at the kitchen table with everything I'd need, YouTube video ready and began to sew.

2 and a half hours later I finished.

It's such a fiddly process. You have to measure where on the shoes you need your ribbons to be and mark them. Measure how long you need you ribbons to be to be able to tie them. My ribbons had elastics built into them to protect my tendons so I had to make sure they were in the right place. You then had to cut the ribbons and seal the ends so they don't fray. Then do the same with the elastics. Make sure that your stitches don't stop the elastic string from doing their job.

It took ages, but it actually felt quite relaxing. Something to do and focus on for a few hours. It's definitely a good challenge.

My First Class

I had my first pointe class the other day, and it was just so much fun. It was only an hour long, and we only spent about 20 minutes of that actually in pointe shoes, but it was more than enough.

Pointe is a lot harder than dancing in soft ballet shoes. Your feet and toes are very restricted, you're putting a lot more strain on your ankles, and you have to re-learn pretty much everything you already knew.

I underestimated how hard pointe was going to be. I was sweating and aching by the end of the class.

Our focus of the class was on strength. We started off dancing strength exercises for our feet and ankles in soft ballet shoes, before we switched into our pointe shoes. When we put on our pointes we never left the barre, and the exercises again were focused on strength, breaking in our shoes and getting used to going over our toes.

Whilst I didn't get to do anything fancy en pointe, and it'll be a long time before I'm doing an entire routine en pointe, my first class was great fun and I can't wait to give it another go.

My Top Tips for Pointe

• Find a qualified and reputable pointe shoe fitter
• Be vocal during your fitting
• Don't be afraid to walk away without purchasing anything if the shoes aren't right for you
• Check with your teacher that your shoes are ok before you stitch anything
• Listen to the advice your teacher gives - they know what's best
• Even if you can do 10 pirouettes perfectly in a row, don't expect to be doing them en pointe on day 1 - you need to learn the basics again
• Listen to your teacher and your body - if something hurts, stop. You don't want to injure yourself
• Stitching takes a long time - make sure you're not doing it in a rush and have no distractions
• Build up your strength at home
• Enjoy every moment of it

Sarah x

Disclaimer: I am not a ballet teacher, or a professional dancer, nor do I hold any dance/ballet qualifications. The opinions/views expressed in this post are entirely from my own experiences. Before going en pointe speak to your teacher to make sure you are ready and listen to their advice.

Self Confidence & Body Image: Week 4

At the start of June, I set myself the challenge of working to improve my self-confidence and body image. The plan was to do some research, get some advice from other people who've been in a similar situation, try the ideas out and see if I can find something that works for me.

It took a lot of guts for me to post the first post in this series. I considered deleting it numerous times before it went live, but I'm glad I went through with it.

This month has taught me that the key to self-confidence is learning to love yourself.

Credit

That's not an easy thing to do. It often requires a big change in mindset (or in my case it did anyway). You have to move your focus away from your weaknesses and onto your strengths, accept your flaws, trust yourself and your decisions, and remember that the only opinion of you that matters, is your own. What other people think is irrelevant.

The same as numbers are irrelevant. I'm an accountant so I spend quite a lot of my life looking at numbers, calculating numbers, analysing numbers. I like numbers, but they're not good to run your life by.

I used to weigh myself every day, and found that my mornings used to start off quite negative as I was very rarely happy with what I saw. So, I banned myself from going on the scales this month. It took a while to get rid of the urge to just jump on and check, but when I started to notice the changes in my body I felt happier. Like I could tell my hard work was paying off, without actually seeing a change in the number.

I did jump on the scales this morning, out of curiosity, and I was disappointed to see it had gone down by less than a lb in the past four weeks. I know my body has changed, and I was expecting to see a big drop in the numbers. But it wasn't there.

I've had time to process what the scales told me, and I'm beginning to feel less annoyed and quite pleased about it. Because it made me realise that confidence doesn't come from a number, it comes from how you feel.

Yes I have a goal weight I'd love to achieve, and yes that goal weight is in numerical form. But there's no guarantee that when I reach that I'll be happy. So, going forward, I'm still going to weigh myself, but only once a month and I'm going to start taking more notice of my NSVs (non-scale victories). If I get to a weight where I'm happy, I like the way I look, I'll ignore the number on the scales and just try and keep myself at that body state.

The past four weeks have definitely been a journey, but I know I haven't completely overcome my lack of self confidence. I still have a long way to go. But there have been instances where I could see progress in my journey.

I made a decision, and didn't regret it

I've said it a few times, I am rubbish at making decisions. Particularly when they are big, important and affect other people. This month I had a big decision to make at work, and I tormented myself over it for a good few days. Then I woke up one morning, a decision set in my mind, and I felt happy. It's been a couple of weeks now since that moment, and I haven't looked back and regretted it. I've found out other things since then that if I knew at the time might have changed my decision, but I'm happy with what I made and I know it will work out right in the end.

I stood at the front of a room full of people, and didn't get embarrassed

Large groups and crowds of people have always made me nervous. Standing up in front of them and knowing they're watching me is even worse. But this night I embraced it. They were just people. Other women from my professional sitting in the same room as me wanting to learn about colours. They weren't there to judge me, make fun of me, or anything like that. They were there to learn, same as I was, about what (in theory) suits them. I was stood at the front of that room getting a mini 1/1 consolation in what I wanted to learn. I embraced it, took it all on board and didn't once thing about what the people sat around the rest of the tables thought. It felt good.

I bought a bikini, tried it on, and decided I'm keeping it

I've never worn a bikini on holiday. Partially because I don't normally go anywhere hot enough to wear a bikini, but largely because I always felt too fat to wear one. The last couple of years I have always said that I wanted to wear a bikini on holiday, and I've bought a few but always ended up returning them because I always felt like I looked horrible in them. This year, that changed. I bought a bikini, tried it on and actually thought "this looks alright". I took a picture and sent it to my boyfriend, just to show someone that I had a bikini and I liked it. But then I did my usual and picked out the flaw in it. "My tummy is definitely my worst feature" was what I said, then I stopped and told myself off. Told myself I shouldn't be doing that, I shouldn't pick out my negative bits, I should pick out my positive bits. So I did. "My boobs look pretty good in that bikini top" and "My legs look pretty toned and good too". I felt better instantly in myself for doing that, and I'm actually looking forward to wearing my bikini this summer holiday.

I've learnt a lot this month, and I feel a lot happier in myself because of it.

I'm proud of my journey and what I've achieved. 

This post marks the end of my Self Confidence & Body Image challenge for June. I won't be posting weekly about what I've learned or achieved, but I don't want to start July and just put this all behind me. It's a subject I've enjoyed exploring, and I want to continue exploring. I want to keep trying new ideas, speaking to new people and sharing their stories about their journeys. I want to inspire someone else to try this, to help someone else out there who's struggling. I've started a Pinterest board where I'll link some inspirational quotes/links on the subject, and I'm going to try and post something once a month on the topic.

If you'd like to do a guest post on the topic, share any ideas or help in any way drop me a message. I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me this month. Thanks to everyone on twitter, the authors of the books and articles I've read. Thanks to my good friend Hollie for sharing her story on how dance helped her.

Sarah x

Song Sunday - Flashlight

Flashlight

by Jessie J

Whilst I wasn't overly impressed with Pitch Perfect 2, I did love this song from their soundtrack. It's such a beautiful song, but I feel that it's let down by the video. The ending is good, I just don't think that the clips taken from the film are the best and don't really fit. The song is beautiful though, and Jessie J sounds amazing in it.

Guest Post: Hollie - Pole dancing and burlesque, a journey in confidence and body image

Hey everyone! Today I have a very special guest post from a friend of mine, Hollie. She's here today to share her story on how pole dancing and burlesque helped her with her confidence and body image. Hope you all enjoy!

Credit to: Faceiro Photography

Think Hermione from Harry Potter or Sandy at the start of Grease and you get the idea of what I was like before pole and burlesque entered my life. I was (and still am to an extent) a nerdy introvert, but now I'm happy enough to strut my stuff on stage and am a lot more outgoing. So how did the transformation start??

I started pole dancing just before entering my final year as an undergraduate at Northumbria University in 2011. This was as a result of agreeing with friends that we wanted to try some form of dance and pole seemed like fun. We all signed up and went along to our first class. I was hooked straight away and have regularly attended lessons ever since, going to different studios as and when I have moved to study. These days I'm a qualified instructor regularly teaching in Nottingham.

What influenced me to start burlesque was my love of the film 'Burlesque' and the performer Dita Von Teese. The film and performer made me interested in the art form so I ended up going to see a show in Newcastle when I was studying for my undergraduate degree. I also went along to a workshop which was interesting, but I was never brave enough to regularly go to classes until last year. I moved to Nottingham in 2013 to study for a PhD and thanks to new friends I ended up doing a pole performance as part of a burlesque showcase for 'The Scarlet Ribbon School Of Burlesque' in 2014. That was the push I needed to start regularly attending burlesque lessons; all thanks to meeting the lovely ladies at the showcase and them making me realise that yes I can do this!

Credit To: Hollie Harvey

Pole and burlesque are lots of fun and strangely addictive. Pole because of the adrenaline factor in learning new moves and burlesque because you can be whoever you want to be and the act of taking items of clothing off onstage is very daring even if it is only gloves that you remove.

Both pole and burlesque have a real sense of community and it is like joining a family rather than just making friends, which is one of the major benefits you gain a support network of strong ladies (and men). Another benefit is fitness, they are a real workout, in pole you are often holding your own weight and in burlesque running through routines really builds stamina. I have dropped 3 dress sizes in 4 years of pole dancing and gained a whole load of muscle as well as flexibility which helps with the dancing in Burlesque.

Pole has helped my confidence as well as body image by making me appreciate what my body is capable of. When I first started pole I was learning new things every week, it still amazes me that one week I can do something I couldn't last week! Gaining that strength and control is so empowering.
Burlesque makes you focus on how you move your body and what looks flattering. You get to see yourself in the best light possible which makes you feel sexy and really feminine which for me was a real confidence boost as well.

Another way that both pole and burlesque helped with my body image was realizing that we come in all shapes and sizes, and guess what...they all deserve to be celebrated!! In burlesque this is particularly highlighted as it really celebrates the female form. Everyone has something they don't like about themselves but what is more important is that everyone has something they do like. I think that unless you do a form of dance you can miss out on developing a real appreciation of what real women look like. The image in society a lot is based on magazines; this is something that is really difficult to explain.

Credit to: Vapour Trail Photography

Both pole and burlesque have helped improve my confidence so much because they encouraged me to be more outgoing and stop being as shy as I was. Performing added a whole other level of confidence. Having the courage to get up on stage and overcome those nerves made me realize I can do more than I thought possible. It has been so long since I did my first pole performance now I can't remember exactly what that was like, but I do know that I am still petrified every time before the music starts. Competing was again different as it brings another level of pressure with being judged and marked on what you do.

The first pole competition I did was in March 2014 and I was entered in the advanced category (no pressure there then!) this made me focus and actually improved my confidence as it made me realise how far I had come and what I was capable of. My first burlesque performance was in December 2014; again the nerves were really bad but the adrenaline and sudden confidence as I became someone else for those few minutes was the most amazing thing.

Since becoming a pole dance instructor in October last year my confidence has soared. One of my biggest fears as an introvert is standing up in front of a crowd and talking so leading a class for the first time was petrifying but I did it and now I'm totally in control (I'd like to think) and confident up there these days.

So that is my story and ongoing journey to improved self-confidence and body image :)

Many thanks to all the pole and aerial studios I have trained in based in Newcastle, Durham and Nottingham (there are far too many to mention)

A massive thank you to 'The Scarlet Ribbon School Of Burlesque'

xxxxxx