Getting all 'wrapped up' in Christmas

When I hear people go on about how Christmas is such a Peaceful time of year; a time to reflect and relax- It leaves me thinking if I am actually living on the same planet as them? but then again some people aren't as crazily stressy as me and don't think about every little thing in such depth..

I LOVE Christmas day, the music, the family time, the food, the gift giving and also gift receiving and not forgetting cuddling up to watch the classic Christmas films that reappear year after year whilst delving into a box of roses- it has to be my favourite time of the year, cliche but so very true.

Now I have an apprenticeship and I get a proper wage, I expect myself to buy everyone a 'proper' present, when I say proper present I just mean something other than a box of chocolates or a token gift and whilst I love buying gifts for people, I feel so stressed about whether I have got enough people presents and whether I have spent enough. 

Chad reminded me earlier that Christmas definitely isn't all about giving and receiving and although I have heard this endless amounts of times  I do sometimes find this hard to remember it as like everyone else who works in town; I am constantly surrounded by the 'Christmas deals' and the whole commercial side of it and as I am not particularly religious I don't follow the whole Christmas story in the build up to Christmas... so it can very easily become a stressful inconvenience rather than a joyful, exciting time! 

Although the religious part of Christmas doesn't particularly stand out to me, I do love how everyone comes together and enjoys each other's company (plus a few family domestics) and whether you are religious or not Christmas should be a relaxing, happy and peaceful time. 

So when you're rushing around doing that last minute, panicked Christmas shopping- just remember it is only one day, it doesn't need to be perfect and the main part of it is being with the people you love.

I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and I will be continuing to post into 2017, but for now Good bye! 

5 things for those down days!

Everyone has those days where you just feel absolutely rubbish, unmotivated and down, lets face it those days are inevitable as no one can be happy 100% of the time and if someone says they are or tries to act like they are then they're faking happiness..

I thought I would share 5 things/tips that can help you get through those dreaded days and hopefully make you feel a little better.

1. Go for a nice bath, give yourself some time to relax and once you are out put on a good play list and do your hair, makeup or just put on some nice clothes- I find that this makes you feel better about yourself and that instantly improves your mood (In my opinion)

2. Try and get out of the house, whether it's to meet with some friends or going for a relaxing walk on your own, getting out is essential for improving your mood and mind set! If you stay in you'll only feel rubbish and have more time to feel down.

3. Make yourself some nice food and get a nice beverage, If you can, try and reach for something healthy like a chicken salad or some nice pasta, if you eat crap then it will reflect on your mood and your body- only making you feel worse! My go to drinks are normally peppermint tea, camomile tea or some water with ice and lemon, I am aware these aren't to everyone's tastes however they are amazing for your health and great for relaxing.

4. Exercise! Releasing good endorphins through exercise is a great way to lighten your mood and get you motivated, It doesn't have to be anything drastic, a little jog around the village or taking your dog on a walk will do! If you feel hesitant towards exercising then just go for it, you will feel better for it after.

5. A feel good movie, this one's simple however sometimes it can really help to improve your mood! Try and avoid anything that will make you feel sad, as tempting as it is it's only going to reflect on your mood...Your favourite series or film might just cheer you up a little.

That's all for today's post, I'll be back with another post soon!

Q&A!

I am yet again going to start this blog post with an apology for my inactiveness last week, I have been attempting to revise and on top of that I've been working a few shifts at my new job!

@b.peachey- Your favourite food?

My all time favourite food would have to be mashed potato (with no lumps!) and raspberries, obviously not together as that would be gross..

What inspired you to have a blog?

There are several things that inspired me to have a blog, firstly I wanted to have somewhere where I could share my thoughts, photography and aspects of my life and just have a little space for myself. Secondly in years to come I want to be able to look back on my best memories along with my thoughts and having a blog allows me to do that!

Favourite shops?

My favourite shops are Topshop (except the prices) River island and boohoo.com!

What is your favourite snapchat filter?

@royallyrouge- Top 3 drugstore lip products?

I do prefer high end lip products however these 2 are my favourite from the drugstore! 

1: Revlon Colourburst lipsticks in any colour- They are amazing and do not dry out on your lips! 

2: Tanya burrs lip glosses, These have a really nice formula, good pigmentation and last for several hours!

@Vanilla.highlights- What is your favourite blog post of your own?

It would have to be my 'Wandering Tupholme Abbey' post as I had a lovely time, the weather was beautiful and I took some good photographs! I also like my 'Tied down' post as I felt like I let out a lot of my thoughts and frustration from revision!

Best piece of life advice?

My best piece of life advice would be Love yourself, Laugh lots and live for yourself and not for the expectations of society!

How do you think blogging is improving you as an individual?

I think that blogging has allowed me to completely be myself and express myself through my blog, it helps me to relax and wind down after revision and I don't have anything negative to say about it!

Your favourite season?

Spring! It's not too cold and not too hot, there's masses of beautiful flowers and it's just a happy, uplifting season  I also love the fashion and refreshing makeup looks that comes with it!

Your dream holiday plan?

I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, it looks absolutely beautiful with its white beaches and its turquoise sea, just look at it!

Thank you for your questions and for anyone that's dealing with revision stress right now.. I know how you feel!

Tied down..

Until more recent times I've never experienced the feeling of being completely tied down by something, having two horses, two houses to go to, a relationship, school and the everyday busyness of life never gave me the feeling of exhaustion and being overwhelmed. At the moment I get to points where I find myself losing the will to even look at any form of revision; contemplating whether to just become a recluse and just live a simple, minimalist life. No more revision, no more countless hours of getting your head around something that you need for ONE, single exam and then never again! But then I think of my future, how i thrive off of hard work, doing well and feeling like I have successfully achieved my goals. It will be worth it.

I hate the whole concept of the educational system, how it is drilled into us that we must all get amazing grades, do A levels (or the equivalent) and then go off to university, and unless we do that then 'we won't succeed in life, we'll never have enough money or get a good job.' It's so wrong. Although times have thoroughly changed, I know several people that have good, well payed jobs that went against the status quo, went down a different, more suited path and have succeeded and achieved what they wanted. Today, they want us to be sheep, no individuality; to them we're nothing but statistical figures, percentages. Labels.

I don't really know where this blog post is going, it's really just my views after doing a solid 6 hours of revision today, but I can really emphasise to the millions of people across the world who feel like  they seem to be living at their computer desk, falling asleep to facts and figures- revision whizzing around. I know how you feel. Unless you're one of those people who can just take everything in instantaneously and therefore have no need for revision; I really envy you!

I find that taking little breaks helps me to get through the drag of revision, going for a run ( if i have the energy), watching some TV, eating food is always a good one, seeing your friends! There are ways to get through it and for me thinking of the end result is the prime one! I have to keep myself motivated.

I hope everyone's having a nice holiday and if you've been revising make sure you take some time for yourself.

Over coming Anxiety and becoming happier!

Last year wasn't a great year for me, not because anything drastic had happened or anything physically challenging but because of Anxiety. Many people told me "It's just in your head, ignore it" they were completely right in saying "it was just in my head" however ignoring it does nothing, ignoring it makes it ten times worse.

 The first step to dealing with any mental health issue is going to see a specialist and that is exactly what i did, sometimes speaking to someone about what's on your mind and your problems really does make a difference, i really recommend relate in Lincoln as they're really understanding and also there's free coffee haha! One of the techniques my counsellor told me to do is write at least 5 positives down every day, at first i thought this was a stupid idea... how was this meant to change how i felt? After giving it a try i changed my mind, writing down the positives meant that when i felt anxious and down i could read all the good things that were happening in my life and cancel out some of the negative feelings.

The next thing that helped me get through each day was doing the thing I love, riding my horses, although I always seemed to be worrying about everything I found that when I took one of my horses for a ride with my mum, or on my own I felt like I could relax and forget about all the thoughts and stresses I had going round my head. Try to find something that allows you to escape the madness of everyday life and really de-stress, go for a run? Watch a film? Read a book?

The main thing that has helped me grow to be the more confident, happier person I am now is my mum, my dad and also my amazing boyfriend, who had helped me adopt the more carefree, chilled attitude that he has! As well as being there for me all the time,giving me a hug when I need one or just being there to listen and reassure me, so thank you❤️ Having someone who understands and is there for you is definitely one of the best things for when you're feeling down or generally stressed! 

Try and stay as positive as possible and have faith that you will become happier, because you will. All bad, low times come to an end and better aspects of life will come even if you don't see it now!

More of a chatty, serious post tonight. I'm sorry for the lack of posts this week, I have been revising and very busy with my horses. That's all for tonight...

Lauryn x