When I was growing up my parents would always take me on holidays and days out. Every chance they got, we would go and explore somewhere new and I loved every second of it. Whether we were spending a week in Butlins or going for a picnic in the countryside we were always doing something different.
My parents really liked to pack the car up with all our stuff and just drive. We'd stop at hotels, holiday parks and anywhere else that would put us up just to see what was available that week. We did this a lot and when I was around 8 we discovered a fairly well hidden holiday park just outside Bournemouth.
Sandhills was really small, a lot of the people on-site owned their caravans and there was a lovely community feel about the place. We fell in love with that park and returned year after year as we had made so many friends that we would always meet with. It got to the point that we would drive down to Sandhills up to five times a year; whenever there was a school holiday really.
When I was 14 I was lucky enough to go on a school trip to the French and Belgian battlefields of World War One. I'd been abroad before when was I was 4 and again when I was 11 but this was really something different. My best friend at the time came too and we had such an incredible weekend. Although I was used to going on holiday, it was always to some little english seaside town, so to do something completely new was amazing.
I loved talking to foreign people, I wanted to know what their lives were like in these strange new places and I wanted to see every part of these countries we had been taken too. On the ferry home we met some German boys, the 14 year old me found them very attractive and guess what? I could just about speak German. Although the encounter was brief and I definitely butchered their language I enjoyed being able to communicate with someone who wasn't English and I guess that's where my interest in languages comes from. The weekend was soon over and I was left feeling empty.
Around the time I was finishing up with my GCSE's I was asked if I wanted to go to Greece with my Aunt, Uncle and cousin for two weeks that summer. I don't think I'd ever jumped at an opportunity so quickly. It was nearly a year since I'd last left England and I was desperate to see more of the world. Within a few weeks I had a passport and we were all booked up for the holiday of a lifetime. Although we were still visiting Sandhills every chance we got, it was starting to lose its shine as I'd gotten a taste of real adventure.
Those two weeks were such a changing point for me. It was the first time I can ever remember getting on a plane and it was the first time I got the chance to really explore a new country. We spent the days driving around the island of Crete and swimming in the most gorgeous warm blue ocean I'd ever seen. We met people from everywhere and saw some fascinating ancient sites too. I came home feeling more determined than ever to see the world.
We stopped going to Sandhills when I was around 17. We still have the friends and the memories but now we have the passion for seeing new things too. We even manage to get my mom on a plane once a year or so and she really isn't a fan of flying. I do spend most of my time now travelling with Sean and we get away whenever we can. The poor bugger had never even left the country before meeting me but he got himself a passport within a year of us getting together and we've never looked back.
Since those two trips I took in my mid teens I've tried to work my way around Europe, ticking off; Spain, Turkey, The Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and more. As I'm writing this I've actually just returned from a fab trip to Disneyland Paris, which was less of an adventure holiday than we usually take but no less fun. I'll also be jetting off to Poland in the morning for a short trip so I'll be wandering around the streets of Warsaw when this goes live on Sunday.
If there's one thing I'm passionate about it's travel, I pour all of my money into my next getaway and I hope now you guys can understand - if only just a little - exactly where that love affair started.
Thanks for reading
x
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With spring approaching fast I thought it was about time I updated my wardrobe. I've been buying baggy jumpers and cosy coats for months now and I'm done with it. I want to start stocking up on some fresh new pieces and so I've rounded up the five items I think we should all have in our wardrobe in time for spring.
Pointed Flats
Ballet flats have been a thing since forever and I can't see that changing any time soon, however plain shoes can be a little bit boring and let your whole outfit down. A pointed ballet flat can add a bit more interest to an outfit without being the main feature. I wore flat pointed Ghillie shoes for practically all of spring/ summer '16 and I plan to do just that again this year when it warms up a little.
Something with Ruffles
Ruffles are having a bit of a moment right now and I'm loving it. Although I'm currently struggling to find pieces that flatter my body, I hope to have a wardrobe full of ruffles by the time spring rolls around. I'm especially loving pastel coloured ruffled blouses at the moment.
Fake Band T-shirts
I jumped on this bandwagon months ago and I'm planning to ride it out until next winter. Fake band tees have been cropping up pretty much everywhere recently and I'm so glad they are a thing. I love wearing baggy band tops but I wont wear them if I don't listen to the band printed on the front. Its a personal choice but I much prefer wearing a top with a fake band logo on it, at least then I don't have to pretend like I know what I'm taking about if someone questions me about my favourite song.
Mini Bags
Teenie tiny bags that you can just abut fit a purse into? Yep, you need one. I've been seeing these baby sized bags everywhere lately and I can really get on board with them. Not only are they super cute, but they encourage you to leave the crap at home.
Frayed hem jeans
I'm not even sure how this came to be a trend but I'm kind of in love with it. My mom and dad were absolutely disgusted the first time I came home with frayed hem jeans, how could I pay £30 for something that wasn't even finished?! To the dismay of parents everywhere I think this trend is going to be around for quite some time.
So those were the items I think you should all run out and buy right now! I've never really been one to follow trends as such but these right here are all something I'm happy to splash the cash on!
Have you already started stocking up for spring?
I'm back with another High End vs Budget post! These are fast becoming some of my favourite posts to write even though I'm running out of products to talk about. This week me and Amanda will be chatting all about eyeshadow singles...
I don't have many eyeshadow singles, I mostly stick to my big palettes, so when it came to writing this months post I only had a few to choose from. In the end I opted to review a little MAC single I've had for quite a while but never used all that much. This post gave me a reason to really trial it out!
About the product
The MAC Extra Dimension Eyeshadow in shade 'Ready to Party' is described as a hybrid product on the MAC website. It 'combines the smoothness of a cream, the blendability of a liquid and the finish of a powder. It also claims to be crease proof, fade proof, flake proof and long lasting with up to 6 hours wear.
Price
So as always lets talk about the price. This eyeshadow retails at £16 which is absolutely extortionate in my opinion. I can't remember paying anywhere near that amount and I probably didn't as I picked it up in my favourite place - Duty Free. For a regular eyeshadow single I'd only really be prepared to pay up to £10, so this is really pushing the boat out.
Does it work?
I can definitely vouch for the silky smooth texture of this eye shadow, it feels almost creamy to the touch. It's probably due to this texture that the eyeshadow is crease proof and flake proof - both claims I can confirm to be true. I'm not so sold on the claim that it is long lasting though. The MAC website states that the eyeshadow lasts for six hours, and it probably does but just about, and even then I don't think six hours is particularly long for a £16 eyeshadow.
What do I think?
Honestly I really like this little product. It's a handy size to keep in a handbag and the colour pay off is quite good as well. I love the texture and I don't feel like it's drying on my eyes like some other eyeshadows can be. I do think the price is a bit ridiculous though so I wouldn't purchase it again. I also think it's worth mentioning that to get the most out of this eyeshadow you should really pat it on with your fingers, brushes just won't give you the same effect.
Shop MAC Eyeshadows
So that was my chosen 'high end' eyeshadow, don't forget to click here to see Amanda's blog post about her chosen budget eyeshadow single! If you fancy catching up on our previous posts, you can find mine here and Amanda's here!
So this review is well overdue. This absolute beauty of a product has been sat in my ‘to use’ draw since I bought it at the Miss Patisserie event last year, but I finally got around to testing it out and now I feel confident enough to review it.
About the product
This delightfully scented Orange Coffi Scrub is from Miss Patisserie, a small independent shop based in the heart of Cardiff City Centre. They also have an online shop and ship worldwide so you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting hold of their products. All Miss Patisserie products are vegan, gluten free, and cruelty free - they don’t test on animals.
Price
So this product isn’t one of the cheapest body scrubs on the market. It retails at £13.99 which I think is pretty pricey and honestly I did have to think about it a lot before I made a purchase. In the end I couldn’t leave without it and after weighing up the pros I decided that £14 wasn’t too much to pay for a product that could be used on my face and body.
Does it work?
The Coffi Scrub is meant to moisturise and repair the skin leaving it feeling super soft. It also claims to help reduce cellulite but as I’ve only really used it on my face I can’t comment on how true that is. I can however confirm that after using it my skin feels incredibly soft and free from dead skin. It also feels very moisturised even in areas such as my forehead which tend to get a little bit flaky, especially in the colder months.
One thing I would mention is that this is a dry scrub. On the packet it suggests to massage into dry or damp skin however I did’t find this to work too well for me. I’ve been putting small amounts into a dish and mixing with water until it turns into a paste I can scrub my skin with. I’d also recommend doing this in the shower as it can get a little messy.
Shop other coffee scrubs
What did I think?
Honestly I’ve been really enjoying using this product. The scrub works really well, it gets rid of my dead and drying skin and leaves me with baby soft skin all day. I also think the orange scented coffee granules smell absolutely incredible and I love the fact that the scent lingers on my skin even though I hate the taste of actual coffee. I’d purchase this again in a heart beat!
Have you ever tried a coffee scrub before? What did you think?
Thanks for reading
x
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Plan ahead
Hours pass in no time while you're having fun in Disney, so a rough plan of the day is a good idea. Queues can sometimes be 2 hours+ so you might not be able to go on everything. Grab a map and circle the rides you know you want to get on. Do these rides first, that way you have a better chance of getting them all done. The rides I've found that have the longest waiting times are usually - Space Mountain, Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, Crushes Coaster, and The Disneyland Railroad (if you get on at main street USA).
Pack a lunch
You'll be queueing for rides all day so there's no point waiting in line for food as well, although I'll be the first to say those Disney hot dogs are a must have. If it looks like you'll be waiting a long time for a ride, why not munch your lunch in the queue? I've done that several times before now.
Dress appropriately
This might be obvious but I've seen women in heeled boots at Disneyland before and believe me they didn't look too fab after hours of stumbling around. You are going to be walking around all day so it's always best to wear comfy shoes. It's also a good idea to wear layers in case you get too hot/ cold. If you are comfortable you should be able to run around Disney all day without needing too many breaks.
The Parade
The Disney Magic on Parade is one of the main aspects of your day in the park. It's usually at around 5:30PM but make sure you check the times in the park guide or by clicking here as they do change with the season. I would recommend getting to Main Street USA around half an hour early to guarantee you get a space at the front. People with children can be ruthless when it comes to getting a spot so make sure you stand your ground!
Shopping
There are a hell of a lot of shops in the park, you wont be able to avoid them as a lot of rides exit through them but I would recommend not spending too much time browsing these during the park opening times. You will probably be able to buy everything in the Disney Village which is open a lot later than the park itself. There's no point wasting your time shopping when you can pick it up later.
Shop my Disney essentials
So that was about everything I can think of right now. I'd say these tips apply to pretty much any theme park and not just my favourite one! I really hope you guys found these helpful, feel free to leave any of your own tips in the comments!
Thanks for reading
x
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In case you didn't already know from my excessive moaning on twitter, I'm in my second year of Uni. It will be my last year as I'm really not feeling going back for the top up. I currently have deadlines popping up left right and centre and I always leave things until last minute. I have to hand my biggest most boring module in tomorrow and guess what - it's not finished. I thought I'd run you through the thoughts I have as I switch between procrastination and panic, instead of actually doing the work itself:
1. Why didn't past Grace do this? I could be relaxing now but nope.
2. I'm going to make sure future Grace gets everything done on time.
3. Haha that's so not going to happen.
4. Okay lets get this shit done! I'm full of motivation and I'm going to smash this module!
5. Well thats one paragraph done, I guess it must be time for a break. I can't wear myself out.
6. Shit how did I spend 2 hours watching YouTube videos! This will be the last one and then I'm back to work!
7. Okay deffo on last one..
8. Urgh I hate referencing.
9. If I get the easy stuff out of the way first I can at least pretend I tried, right?
10. I'm going to finish my next project wayyyy before deadline day.
So I'll do this on repeat for a couple of hours until I realise its actually too late to do anything. I'm sure I'm not alone with this one right? RIGHT?!
Thanks for reading
x
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Body confidence; everyone wants it but lets be honest, it's hard to get. It's not something you can buy or achieve over night, it's something that you need to be constantly striving for. For years I battled with hating my body and being ashamed of the way I look but recently I'm a lot happier.
Maybe this new found confidence has come with age or with the rise in body acceptance blogs, but I'm happy I've found it. Now don't get me wrong I still have days when I hate the way everything looks on me. I'll try a hundred outfits on only to dislike them all and end up crying in my room not wanting to go out. I'm not perfect and I'll probably never be 100% happy with my lumps and bumps but that must be natural, right?
The majority of the time I'm pretty chill with how I look. I'm the opposite of the girls you'll find in Vogue and I'm actually the heaviest and biggest I've ever been in my life, but I mostly don't mind. I don't, mind that, is until I have someone to compare myself with. You might remember that I mentioned in this post how I didn't look like any of the other bloggers at The Clothes Show back in December and it really got me down. That day, looking at all the other gorgeous girls, my confidence hit rock bottom. But why? No-one had said anything mean to me, in fact everyone was really friendly, so how did I end up feeling so shit? I did it to myself. I compared my body, my face, my hair and even the clothes I chose to wear that day to the others. Yes they all looked amazing, but that morning when I left for The Clothes Show, I thought I looked pretty good too until I started to overthink everything.
We have got to stop comparing ourselves to others. The fashion industry is finally coming around to using diverse body shapes and if the most judgemental industry going is starting to promote body confidence, it's about time we started taking it on board. I'm happier with my body now than I have ever been, but I just need to change the way I think, we all do. Comparing yourself to someone thinner or prettier won't make you any thinner or prettier, it will just give you a hang up.
Although most of the time I love my body, I still have a lot to work on. It's about time we all started appreciating the way we look instead of worrying if we look as good as the next person. It's good to think highly of other women but it's just as important to admire yourself.
Do you struggle with body confidence? How do you keep the negative thoughts at bay?
Thanks for reading
x
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