Being an 'Adult'

So now I'm 22, and life so far isn't panning out the way my young princess self had it planned. I don't have my 'dream job', I'm living with my parents, I barely get to see Jay, I constantly feel the need to 'put my money into savings'. When you're little, 22 seems so awfully old and grown up, and more than enough time to get your life in order. I work with 7-10 year old Brownies every week, and to them I seem ancient, let alone my 26 year old sister.

I'm not bad at saving, but I'm also pretty good at saying 'what the hell' and treating myself (evidence A). I haven't found a job I love yet either, and recently that feels like more and more of an impossible task. But I know it's not just me, and there's so many other people out there in pretty much exactly the same position as me. Okay, so I don't have my dream job, but the people I work with have helped me through a really tough year and have become like family. I'm better at saving... but it's 100% going towards my Disney fund, which is good motivation. 

So if you're like me and feeling a little bit lost about just about everything at the moment, hang in there. It'll get better. 2016 might be your year yet.

n xx

Work Lips

Soap & Glory sexy mother pucker - full size £9

Clinique chubby stick baby tint - full size £17

Though I think I could probably get away with slightly brighter colours than these for work, I like to keep them fairly neutral. My current favourite is this Clinique chubby stick baby tint in the shade poppin' poppy, because it's also a moisturising lip balm. It's a really flattering nude shade, but slightly pink, and just adds a little something to my lips without drying them out. Because it's so sheer it doesn't need a mirror to be applied, which is handy when I'm in a hurry at the end of breaks!

A more recent product I've been trying is the Soap & Glory sexy mother pucker lip gloss in the shade Rose & Shine. Though I'm not always a fan of lip gloss, I loved this one when I first tried it a few years ago. It does the whole tingly-lips trick when you first put it on, and it isn't super sticky either. I always wear my hair up for work too, so I never have the lip gloss/ long hair problem.

Do you have any favourite neutrals at the moment?

n xx

Evenings In

Recently, I've been trying to make a go of going on my phone less before bed, reading more, and sleeping more, so I'm trying to take time out most nights to relax and de-stress. My favourite way of doing this is in the evening, with a book and a mug of herbal tea. Normally I'll try and have a bath, sometimes with a Lush bath bomb if I've got one hanging around, and get into my cosiest pj's. I'll then put the kettle on for a hot water bottle and some tea, and normally about now I'd start getting ready for the next day just so I have less to do if I've got an early morning. I try to be in bed by about 10, and then it's just me, my tea, a book and my giant teddy bear. It's pretty nice as far as de-stressing goes.

Do you have things you do to de-stress daily?

n xx

Current Loves

Lily Flame fairy dust

Clipper snore and peace

Bourjois volume 1 second mascara

I have a bit of an addictive personality, so when I like something, I really, really like it. I first had one of these Lily Flame candles a few years ago, and when I found this when I was out shopping with my sister I had to get it. The Fairy Dust scent is super sweet, and even the website says it's 'hard to describe- powdery, warm, sparkly and magical'. Although it's quite a light scent, I don't light it for too long but mostly because I want it to last! I think you can pick them up in John Lewis at the moment, so I might have to try a few other scents too. This Clipper Snore and Peace tea is another thing I can't get enough of, and I've been having it nearly every night before bed. It has lavender, lemon balm and camomile, and it sends me to sleep better than any other tea I've tried! The last thing is this Bourjois mascara I picked up back in December for when I was skiing, and I've been wearing it ever since. It's super voluminous with minimal effort, which is perfect for me and early mornings.

What have you been loving lately?

n xx

Brunch at Bill's

Bill's is one of my favourite places to go for brunch with my family, because it's always really lovely and I love having time with my family where we can just sit down and not worry that there's something that we'll all eat. Between us we cover a couple of different dietary needs, so it's nice when we find somewhere we all like. My dad is a big fan of Bill's breakfast, but I really love the blueberry pancakes with strawberries and bananas. I love blueberries, but even my sister who isn't the biggest blueberry lover has ordered this more than once! Last time we were there, I noticed there's been a few new additions to the menu (peanut butter and banana french toast I'm looking at you), so I can't wait to try them out next time we fit in a visit!

Where's your favourite place for brunch?

n xx

Mini Cath Kidston Haul

Though I absolutely love Cath Kidston bags, I don't really have an excuse to be buying a new one every other week, but I love looking around the shop anyway. I've had a few things from there recently, so I couldn't resist putting up a mini haul post.

The first thing was actually one of my birthday presents from my sister and her partner. It's this super cute ticket holder, which is going to be perfect for things like my rail card and oyster card. I really love the colours of the pattern, which will also make it easy to grab if I'm looking for it. The other bits I picked up last weekend. The only travel mug I had was a ceramic one from last years Costa collection (the reindeer one), so although it's really cute I needed one for the rest of the year! I spotted this and loved the bright colours, as well as it not being too heavy to throw in my bag when it's empty. It's also deceiving in how much it fits in even though it looks so little- yay for my morning tea fix! The last thing I picked up was these tissues, because who doesn't need super cute tissues for their handbag?

Travel mug £8 

Do you have any Cath Kidston favourite buys?

n xx

Feeling 22

Last week, on Wednesday 3rd, I turned 22. You  might remember that last year I spent my birthday in Disneyland Paris, but this year was nearly as lovely (though nothing will ever beat that birthday), even though I was working. I got to go out for dinner with my lovely mum, sister and her partner. The real party was at the weekend, when my dad was home and Jay was visiting, and we went to Horsey for a family walk and even saw a few seals along the way. It was such a lovely birthday, and I'm so glad I got to spend it with my family. I can't believe I'm 22!

n xx

Get Outside

Sometimes I love to just get outside and remind myself that there's more important things than whatever it is that I'm worrying about. Winter is my favourite time of year, because of the amazing sunsets and freezing cold walks, which just remind me that however crappy I'm feeling, there's always going to be something better to look forward to. 

Pick me ups:

❤ make your favourite hot drink, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, whatever

❤ yoga (or just taking 10 minutes to just breathe)

❤ read a book or magazine

❤ shut off from technology, just for a little bit

❤ go for a walk somewhere new... and don't panic if you get lost. It's an adventure

❤ go to bed earlier than normal

❤ just smile, as much and as often as you can

I hope you have the loveliest day

❤