Tea Time & Books...

Things I Want To Do In 2018.

I suppose you could say that this is similar to my Goals for 2018 post. But this is a bit more specific in term of the things I would actually like to do, see or achieve this year. It isn’t a very long list because, again, I don’t want to feel like I’m setting myself up for disaster, but these are things that I’ve been very excited about hopefully doing.

Travel With My Best Friend

This is something we’ve spoken about often and it’s something that I really want to do. There was a time that we were inseparable in only the best of ways. Now that I’ve finished uni and moved back home, we hardly see each other and the realities of life mean that we barely talk, so this is something that I would love to make sure we do. A little weekend road trip, not only exploring a load of different places but also making sure we have the time we need to reconnect.

Go To the Theatre More

I love the theatre, there’s a sort of magic about it that you don’t find anywhere else. I have been very lucky to have gone to as many shows as I have in the past, but I want to make the effort to make it a more regular occurrence. To be honest, it doesn’t even specifically have to be the theatre, I’m also up for more plays!

Finish My Novel

One of my final assignment last year was to write the opening to a novel aimed at young teens and I was actually really happy with what I’d written. For the first time like ever, I actually wanted to continue writing something I’d done as an assignment. So when I handed it in last August I told myself that I would give myself a year to finish it. That was over five months ago and I’ve barely looked at it since. So I’d really like to find the motivation and time to go back to that and I just hope that I’m as excited about it now as I was then.

Learn To Drive

This is happening sooner rather than later, considering that my main Christmas present was driving lessons! I took lessons before I went to uni but never finished so here’s to actually finishing and passing this year. I’m going to be doing my theory in a few weeks and then I’m going to have some intense lessons because I just need a refresh really and then fingers crossed I’ll pass the test!

Control My Anxiety

This is something else that’s already starting to happen. I’ve been going to therapy and learning more in-depth about how my anxiety manifests and how to control it. I’m hoping to do a post about CBT in the next few weeks because I have a lot of mixed thoughts about it and before I started I really struggled to find information about it from people who had actually experienced it. I don’t think my anxiety will ever go away but it’s something I want to understand and be able to control more, so fingers crossed that happens.

January Favourites.

January was a very long month, it just seemed to drag and drag. So what did I get up to this month? Well I continued to eat like it was Christmas, some of my favourite shows started back up, I started a new little temporary job and made some very exciting decisions (all shall be revealed in my next Road So Far Catch Up). January was very up and down for me, the fact that it dragged made me feel like I was in some kind of never ending rut and looking back, I didn’t spend enough time doing the things that make me happy. Here’s hoping that February decides to kick it up a notch!

Family Don’t End With Blood

I got this book for Christmas and it’s honestly one of the best things I opened. I’m very late to the party I know but I’m here, accounted for and ready for action. I’ll admit that I haven’t read an awful lot of this, purely because it’s something I want to take my time with. I want to savour every chapter and will only pick it up when I have the time and attention to do so. I look forward to finally finishing it – especially since Jared’s chapter is last and it will probably no doubt make me cry buckets.

Dune Boots

I have been looking for a pair of boots like this for ages but I didn’t want to pay a silly amount for them. So when I saw this pair in the ASOS sale I jumped on them. And they are beautiful. So comfortable and so soft, it might be one of my favourite purchases so far this year. I’m a little bit worried about how they’ll hold up in the rain, especially the fur, because I think they’re the sort to get ruined when wet, maybe I’ll have to invest in some protection spray, if you have any recommendations leave them down in the comments down below. The other plus to these are that they definitely go with the vibe I’m going for for #SPNUK in May! Double win!

Sainsbury’s Mug and Bowl

I love these. If you don’ know me, I have a thing with mugs. I like to have a different mug for every different beverage, which means I have a tea mug, coffee mug, hot chocolate mug and so on. (Obviously my tea mug collection is a little out of control seeing as tea practically runs through my veins!) I saw these in Sainsbury’s ages ago and I was waiting and waiting for them to go in the sale and they did just before Christmas! Not only do I love the colour of these, I love the texture. There is something so satisfying about the texture of these bits – I’m really sad that I didn’t get anymore before they sold out but they do have similar mugs in grey and yellow – now I just need to find room!

The Good Place

I’m still not 100% sure on this, which begs the question, why is it in my monthly favourites? Well I got completely up to date in the space of three days. And it wasn’t just out of boredom, because I actually found myself trying to make time to watch the next episode and stayed up late watching the last few in bed. So there’ definitely something about it that I like, but I can’ put my finger on what. I love the concept, the cast is amazing and the comedy isn’t half bad either (although it wasn’t always great). While I probably wouldn’t rewatch it, it’s definitely worth a watch. If you have half an hour to spare and you need something to watch, give this a try.

Cadbury Vanilla Mousse Bunny

I know! It’s ridiculous that you can even buy these yet, but I kid you not, we almost have an aisle full of Easter eggs at work already!! I’ve never been a huge fan of Easter eggs (except the Galaxy ones, because hello, who doesn’ love Galaxy) but truth be told, I’m not a huge chocolate lover. However, I love it when they bring out the little Easter snacks! These Cadbury Bunnies are by far my absolute favourite and I have ended up picking up a few during every lunch break, so there’s definitely no chance of me losing any weight now!
What did you get up to last month, I can’t be the only person that thought it lasted far too long? What were your favourites? Let me know in the comments below!

Goals For 2018.

I don’t really like making resolutions, I feel like there’s too much pressure and if you don’t see them through, then you just feel bad. I think if you want to do something enough, you’ll just do it, despite the time of year. If you want to go to the gym more, you’ll go. Want to cut out sugar, you’ll do it. Want to put more into your blog, you’ll work harder. That’s not to say I don’t have goals, because I do, things I want to look back at the end of the year and go yeah I’ve changed, but for the better. So here’s a really brief overview of all the goals I have for this year.

Write more

I’m a writer, always have been, probably always will be. But I don’t write enough. I always tell myself I will, more blog posts, more poetry, more chapter in the book I’m writing. Yet it never happens. This year I’m going to try to change that. When I finished my degree, I took a lot of delight in knowing that I didn’t have to put pen to paper for assignments and such. So now I’m going to reclaim writing for myself and nobody else, try to find the joy I used to find in sitting with an empty notebook and just writing.

Be more present

I worry a lot, apparently too much according to my therapist, but then I believe that everyone worries, whether consciously or not. When I do worry, I get too caught up in my head, it stops me doing things and achieving things, so I’m going to try to worry a little less. Or at the very least, continue to worry but not let it run my life quite so much. I just want to be in the here and now and worry less about whats going to be happening tomorrow because there’s actually not an awful a lot that I can do about that right now. This, I think, is going to be one of the hardest things for me to do this year, but we’ll see.

Get a foot in

I still have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. Like literally no idea. What I do know is that I want to be in the publishing industry somehow. Whether that’s writing, editing, whatever, I just want to work with words essentially, because words are still my favourite thing after all these years. The one constant in my entire life that I adore more now than ever before, so why not do something you’re passionate about right?

Improve my photography

I could sit here and say that I want to write more, or be more present on social media, but they are all things that will either happen or they wont. But the one thing I’d like to make a conscious effort with is my photos. Currently all the photos I take for my blog and social media are taken and edited on my phone, which is definitely not a bad thing. Some people do it and you’d think their pictures were taken professionally. I’m not one of those people, so I’m going to invest in a good camera, and actually take the time to sit and learn about taking pictures and enjoy doing so.

Read more

Now, this is something that I say every year, but this year I really do mean it. I have no reason for it not to happen, I don’t have Uni or assignments. Honestly I’m going to have a lot of free time, so why not fill that free time with something I already know I love doing. I’m going to make another post about my reading goals for this year, but I’d love to read at least 50 books this year, which is going to be a mission because I’m pretty sure my tally for completed books last year came to a sad total of five. I own more books than I can bother counting and my bookcase is bursting so I need to get on with it really.
So those are my goals for this year, let me know in the comments what your goals or resolutions are, or let me know if you don’t have any at all!

The Road So Far: What Wayward Means To Me.

This is something that I wanted to write about before the Supernatural episode ‘Wayward Sisters’ aired, but I’m a terrible person and didn’t but I’m kinda glad. Having watched the episode, I have even more feelings about it and ‘Wayward’ as a whole.
If you ask the dictionary for a definition of the term wayward it will tell you wayward means ‘difficult to control or predict because of wilful or perverse behaviour’. Or it’ll tell you something like ‘given to wilful, perverse deviation from the expected norm; tending to stray’. Ask me? It’s all about realising that you are exactly where you are supposed to be if that place feels like you belong.
There’s a lot of pressure put on people in general. As a human being, a living entity, we are told to act a certain way, look a certain way, be a certain sort of person. And it’s been this way for years, so we see no other option but to conform, to agree that perhaps that’s the way you should be. But what if that isn’t you? What if who you are, isn’t what is considered ‘the norm’? Well that’s what wayward is for me. It’s recognising that maybe you aren’t who other people tell you to be, but that’s okay, in fact that should be celebrated. It’s being scared to be yourself, but being yourself anyway. It’s knowing that no matter who you are or what you bring with you, you are safe here.
The episode ‘Wayward Sisters’ does a fantastic job at showing just how strong you can be when you surround yourself with family, but also sometimes how strong you have to be on your own to get there. The more I watched the episode, the more I felt a sense of safety, of belonging. I could see myself in every single one of those women, and they were hero’s. ARE heroe’s. So why can’t I be?
I might not know how to shoot a gun, or fight a monster (and look damn fine while doing so), but I am my own hero. I spend most of my days battling the monsters in my head and the days I don’t, I spend keeping them silently at bay. But for the first time, in a really really long time, I feel home. I feel right. I feel as though I might not be where others are, or where I’m expected to be, but I am happy to be right where I am. The last few months, I have found my own little family online and I feel a part of something that is so much bigger than just me. And that is a phenomenal feeling.
Wayward is finding peace, not pushing yourself to fit into conventions if that doesn’t make you happy. Its understanding there are so many other things that can make you feel complete, or worthy, or like you belong. Wayward is strength, alone and in numbers. Standing together, or alone, and realising that you are enough exactly as you are and recognising that strength and worth in yourself and others. At the end of the day it’s family. It’s not knowing exactly where you belong but feeling safe enough to stay in this place. It’s being brave, being open, banding together, being yourself. Wayward is recognising that you are exactly where you should be, as long as you can call that place home.

Reading Goals For 2018.

Every year I tell myself that I want to read more, and every year I fail. I’ve always used excuses like ‘Oh, I have too much uni work’ or ‘I’m too busy having an actual social life’ or my favourite ‘I’ve spent all week reading a (what I found) dull book for an assignment, and my brain just cannot make sense of words right now’. However, this year is the year I read more books. Maybe. At least I’m going to try and make it the year I read more. I thought maybe the problem was that I’ve been being too broad, telling myself to read more books is almost like setting myself up for disaster. Too much choice, too much freedom and my brain just decides not to deal. So I’ve set a few goals instead because I feel like that will help make things run a lot smoother.

Read more classic books

I’m sorry okay, but sometimes I just can’t deal with the classics. They’re long and sometimes I find them boring, yet I still find the compulsion to buy them for my bookcase. (My argument is that they’re usually Penguin Classics editions and look nice on my shelf because the spines all sort of match.) So I’m going to try and read at least a few this year. I’m going to try and start with some of Fitzgerald’s because The Great Gatsby is one of my favourite books ever, so I thought that would probably ease me in, but I’m going to throw in some Orwell and Kerouac in there too. If you have any classic novels or even plays, I love a good play, that you think I should pick up then let me know in the comments down below.

Keep more up to date with new releases

I used to be so in the know of upcoming releases and new authors, but the last few years I’ve been a little out of touch. But when I did take an interest I got me so excited to pick up that book and read it. So I’m going to try and stay a little more in the loop and not just pick up a book because it looks pretty, but because I’ve actually heard about it and it sounds amazing.

Try to read at least one book a month

I thought I’d set the bar low because that way anything else is a lovely bonus. Plus theres not too much pressure for me to finish a book quickly and rush through it. Giving myself a month, still allows me to find my feet a little, decide if I’m enjoying it enough to finish and really take it in.

Read more non-fiction

I used to love buying non-fiction books, and I have loads of them on my shelf. Books about film-making, hieroglyphics, the moon landings just to name a few. So this is more of a broad goal, if I find the time to pick one up, great but I’m not going to say I want to read a certain amount because I very much doubt it will happen. I’m just going to see where my curiosity takes me and go from there.

Do not buy a new book until you finish reading one

I bulk buy books. I’ll go into a charity shop and without fail come out with at least five. I can’t help it, it’s like I can’t just buy one because it might get lonely and then if I find more than one I always have a really hard time trying to choose between them. My justification comes in the form of me telling myself that at 99p a book, having five is not going to break the bank. I feel like this is a great compromise, it’s not a buying ban (which we all know I’d be terrible at) but if I know there’s a new book I know is coming out that I’m dying to get, it’ll hopefully give me the motivation to pick up something I already have and finish it, in order to get the new one. I’m not sure how well or how long this ones going to last but we’ll see!
Do you have any book goals/resolutions this year? Or maybe you’ve got a TBR pile you’re hoping to get through this year? Let me know down in the comments, or leave links to your posts, and I’ll be sure to check them out. Oh and don’t forget to leave any ‘classic’ recommendations down there too!

Books I've Brought Recently.

I’ve been really good, promise, before this little haul I hadn’t even set sights on a book for months. Well I might have set my sights on some books but I didn’t buy anything, promise! But then, the last week I just couldn’t help myself and I felt the need to have new books in my hand again, so I went off to my local trusty Oxfam and got my pennies out.

Turtles All The Way Down – John Green

Now, this one I didn’t find in the charity shop, but it was on offer in the shop I work at so I just couldn’t resist it. I’ve been a fan of John Green for ages, but I did have the slight worry that maybe I’d moved on from his sort of writing. But I decided to grab it anyway because if nothing else, it’ll look nice on my bookshelf. From what I can gather, it’s about a girl, called Aza, whose obsessed with bacteria and the transmission of disease. Her friend Daisy has a plan that involves a missing billionaire and the reward money for his return. It sounds fairly interesting and I did listen to John Green read out his first chapter, you can too here, and I have to say I was quite hooked. This will probably be something I pick up over Christmas, as it only ever seems to take me a few days to get through his books.

Now the rest of these I did get from the charity shop, all in great condition and coming to just under £6, which was a huge bargain.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky

This is a book and a film I have never seen, but am forever hearing good things about. I know I’m a little bit late to the bandwagon but I’m glad I’ve finally got my hands on it and with the cover I wanted too. For anyone who has been living under the same rock I have, this is about a boy who is finally experiencing life with things such as his fist kiss and so on. I’m excited to read this, if only just because the film has been such a big hit.

A Handful of Dust – Evelyn Waugh

I’ve been trying to buy more classics so that I have to read them because they’re there and I really liked the cover of this one. In fact I like the covers of most of the Penguin Classics and I’d have them all happily if I could. From what I gather, this takes place after the first world war but before the second, and follows Brenda Last as she embarks in an affair with a shallow socialite when she becomes bored with her marriage. This seems like it’s going to follow very similar themes to other books I’ve read set around the same time, but I’ve always enjoyed them so I look forward to picking this up!

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck – Sarah Knight

I’m pretty sure that everyone knows of this book, it’s one that’s been floating around the blogosphere for months and I’m happy I’ve finally got my hands on it. It’s actually the first of this little pile that I’ve picked up, and with that, the first book I’ve picked up in a while. I’ve only read the first few chapters, but I’ve loved what I’ve read so far. Sarah has a way of writing that makes you feel like she’s just talking to you and you just find yourself nodding along and agreeing with everything she says. This probably wont be one that I read all in one sitting but I look forward to finishing it.

Elmet – Fiona Mozley

I’m not going to lie, I got this purely because of the cover. I’m a sucker for a crisp white cover, what can I say, it’s a problem. I know nothing about this book except that it was a finalist in the 2017 Man Booker Prize and I quite like the idea of going into it blind.

Black Water – Louise Doughty

This is another one that I brought purely for the cover, honestly, I have a problem. And again I have no idea what this is about, I glanced very briefly at the synopsis on Amazon because I didn’t want to know too much. But from what I can gather, there’s a man and a woman, an affair, the chance at redemption and maybe something about the cold war and civil rights. It’s enough to get it on the list of books I definitely need to read in 2018 anyway,

A Murder is Announced – Agatha Christie

Okay, so truth time, I’ve never read a book by Agatha Christie. I know, tragic. The closest I’ve ever come to her work is when there was a Doctor Who episode that featured her, does that even count? I didn’t think so. So when I saw this cute little pocket-sized edition, I needed to have it. I’ve no idea what it’s about of if there’s like an order or anything, but I think the best way for me to get started is to just jump in, which is what I’m planning to do with this one. If you have any Christie recommendations, I’d love to hear them, so please do leave a comment!

Top Products I loved In 2017.

I tried to be a little more adventurous with the things I used this year, but alas I found myself coming back to the same ol’ bits and bobs. I’ve used all of these things throughout the year, and I’ve no doubt I will continue to use them this year too.
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I’m going to get a bit of a weird one out of the way first. Cuticure Antibacterial Gel. I’ve always been the type of girl who if I have anti-bac, I’d throw it in my bag and maybe remember to use, but now, I always have a bottle on me and I’m forever using it. I’ve a big bottle of the original one on my desk, a small travel Floral & Fruity one in my bag, as well as a small bottle of the original one in the pocket of my work jacket. It dries super quick, doesn’t leave your hands feeling tacky and smells really nice for an anti-bac. I tried out a fair few different moisturiser last year, I can tell you this because of all the half-finished tubs I have sitting around my room. My favourite all over moisturiser was E-45 Cream. I started using this when I got an abscess on my face and the doctor recommended it to stop my face drying out and I really like it. It does exactly what it says on the tin, it’s thick, sinks in super fast, has no fragrance and can be used pretty much anywhere you find dry skin. They have recently brought it out in a spray bottle, which I thought would be fab because I can be quite lazy, but I didn’t find it was as thick as the cream, so I gave up with it after a while. One the subject of moisturisers, I tried the Clinique Pep-Start HydroBlur Moisturizer as well as the Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream and I have to say they are by far my favourite duo, I’m itching to get a full size of the eye cream because it’s as close to a miracle as I’ve found so far. If you want to know more about my thoughts, I did a post about them which you can find here.
Sticking with skin care for a little bit longer, I continually found myself reaching for my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser and Gentle Face Exfoliator. I have used the cleanser for a few years and really like it, it’s great at taking off make up as well as just giving your skin a good old clean. I got the exfoliator this year, when I decided I needed to do something about how dry my skin was, and this was recommended to me a lot, and now I think it’s the best skincare duo I’ve ever tried. My hair has been a bit of an issue over the last year, falling out, thinning, it was a nightmare, I tried so many shampoos but they all weighed my hair down or just didn’t leave me with that freshly washed feeling. However, not all was lost because I tried the Garnier Delicate Oats Shampoo and Conditioner and loved it! It’s light, nourishing, has no parabens, and smells pretty good too. This has been the hair care duo I’ve come back to time and time again and I expect it will not be leaving my shower any time soon.
Make-up wise, there wasn’t an awful lot I tried, purely because it wasn’t really until the end of the year that I was wearing more, but there were two lip products that I kept picking up all year round, both of which I have spoken about before. The Nars Lip Pencil in Tortola and Charlotte Tilbury’s Matte Lipstick in Opium Noir were the stars of last year. They were both long-lasting, yet creamy on my lips, didn’t dry them out, and were beautiful shades. My aim this year is to invest in some other shades from both these brands and hopefully branch out a bit more with my colour palette. Lastly, a perfume. I got this Si by Giorgio Armani perfume the Christmas before last and I am in love with it. I love the smell and got so many compliments when I wore it. I don’t often repurchase perfume, just because I usually get given so much at Christmas and on my Birthday, but this is one I’m hoping I will add to my collection again this year because I don’t think I can be without it for very long.
So those are all the product I loved using last year and will no doubt continue to use throughout this year too. Let me know in the comment what your star products of the year were because I’d love to know.

The Road So Far: A Supernatural Convention?

Yes, a Supernatural convention! I know, who would have thought that little old me would end up at a convention. I thought they only happened in America and occasionally Europe and I never thought I was cool enough to go. So November 24th rolls around, I was at work, probably scrolling through twitter because who doesn’t? And I saw someone mentioning it, so I thought I’d just give it a little google then lo and behold, the Creation website made all my dreams come true. May 4-6th 2018, Birmingham, Supernatural Convention. I’m pretty sure those were the exact words I texted my mum while trying to control my squeal of excitement because I was at work and didn’t need them to think I was loopy.
Lets rewind about 5 years, it’s the summer before I start university and I’ve decided to watch the pilot of this show called Supernatural that I know absolutely nothing about other than its got that dude that dies is Greys Anatomy in. 40 minutes later, the Winchester brothers had work to do and I was hooked. I marathoned as much as I could before Uni started and then continued to watch it throughout my first year. My love affair with Supernatural doesn’t start like a typical love story though, I stopped keeping up to date and didn’t watch an episode for years, honestly I kind of forgot about it because I had new things to work on, like Uni and friends and participating in societies. Supernatural was at the back of my mind for years. When I did pick it up again, I think it was more out of obligation because I like to see things through and I realised how behind I was, so again I stormed my way through a good few series. But as time went on and I caught up to the newer series’, I started really taking in what this show was giving out, family. A complicated love story about two brothers, who just love each other and their family so fiercely and so unforgivingly, I fell back in love and I haven’t missed an episode since.
This year has been really difficult for me, for a number of reasons that I won’t bore you with. But one day when I was laying in bed, not able to bring myself to get up and face the day, I re-watched the pilot. And it was like coming back home. Somehow, it meant so much more than before. More than I can describe in words. I was about halfway through my rewatch, season 6 to be exact, when I found out about the convention. And I needed it. This was the first thing in a really long time that made sense to me, that I just knew I needed to do. Everything else had kind of just been a blur, going through the motions because that’s just what you have to do to keep going. So I did it, three days after I found out about it, I was paid and I spent pretty much all of my wages on a Silver Weekend ticket. I spent the next few days trying to justify it to people, but in the end I realised I shouldn’t have to, knowing that this was something that made me more happy than I had been in months should be enough. And it was. People understood, albeit not fully, but they recognised how happy I was and that was all they needed. When I told my mum, at first she found it ridiculous how much money it cost, and then she realised how much it meant to me and I explained to her that the thought of making a journey to a city I’d never been to before, to meet and stay with people I’ve never met, both of which would normally make me cripple with anxiety, didn’t faze me. Not one bit. It didn’t bother me because the excitement outweighed the anxiety. That’s not to say there won’t be any, I in no way think this is going to be an anxiety free weekend, but I don’t care because it’s worth it. This family is worth it. It hasn’t even happened yet and I already know it’s going to easily be one of the best things to happen to me this year.

Dressing appropriately in a check shirt the day I brought my ticket…

And what was even more exciting than that, was that I found a place in the SPNFamily when I didn’t think there was one. It’s amazing what coming together because of this shared interest and passion can do. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt so accepted and able to be myself around people before and I honestly can’t wait until I’m able to meet these people I consider family in real life. I’ve never felt so a part of a community in such a small amount of time, but I guess that’s kinda what the SPNFamily is all about, isn’t it? Being accepted and welcomed with open arms? Loving because at the end of the day loving people is the only thing we can really do during the hard times?
So enough of the chick-flick bits, let’s get down to business. I’ve paid for a silver ticket, which gets me into all the panels bar one, autographs and the concert on Saturday night. I’ve paid for my hotel room, which I’m sharing with a few other girls. And I’ve paid for a photo-op with Jensen Ackles because, hello, have you seen that man? So what’s left to do? I’m going to get my train tickets next month and I’m also planning on getting a J2, Jared, Rich and Rob photo-op. (My bank account already hates me!) Why am I blogging about this you might ask? For the experience? To help better document it? To try and use it as a way to let some of the extreme excitement out? Well all of the above really. Whenever I’ve written something on this blog, it’s been because I want other people to read and enjoy it, and as much as I’d love people to read this little series I’m doing, that isn’t why I’m doing it. I’m doing it for me. So that I can have a place to go and remember how great the last few months were as well as how fantastic the months to come will be, and there is nothing wrong with that.
The next four months are going to be the most giddy, anxious but exciting of my life I’m sure. And I honestly can’t wait. So to help pass the time, and document my trip (because I know it’ll be one I won’t want to forget too quickly) I’ll be doing a few posts here and there, letting you know how I’m getting ready, what I’m packing, how I’m going to control myself around the Ackles and not cry in front of the Padalecki (I think the answer is that I probably won’t on both counts). I honestly cannot think of a more exciting way to work through the next few months, because they’re gonna feel like the longest four months of my life, I can assure you of that. Oh the things we do for family!
 

What I Got For Christmas 2017.

This is not a post in which I am bragging about what I got for Christmas but I like these sort of posts, mainly because I’m nosey, and if you don’t that’s absolutely fine, you can just click off.
My mum gets a list from me every year which has a selection of things that I would like to get, I never get everything on it, but it gives her a rough place to start. First, the one thing I knew about was the Clinique Christmas Essentials Box that I’ve already done a review of. Now the reason I knew I was getting this is because when I brought it, I accidentally ordered two, and after using it a few times and really liking the products, my mum suggested instead of returning it she would just give me the money and it could be a christmas present. And that’s what happened! I’ve already spoken about how much I love this product so I won’t go on about it, but if you can get your hands on this product I would definitely recommend it! I also got a box set from my new favourite Body Shop range; Almond Milk and Honey. This is so soft and doesn’t irritate my skin so I’m so happy that I’ve got more to add to my collection.  I also got a box full of Soap & Glory makeup which I’m excited to try out because I’ve never really branched into anything other than their bath bits. From my brother I got a game that I’d been wanting for my Nintendo Switch, Lego Marvel Heroes Volume 2, which we actually sat and played together Christmas morning.
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Book-wise I got some great little gems. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver, Voluntary Madness by Norah Vincent, a Beauty and The Beast Colouring Book and by far my favourite addition to my book shelf, Family Don’t End With Blood. Over the last few months the Supernatural fandom, or rather the SPNFamily, has really played a big part in my life. I’ll be doing a post later all about how I found it and why it’s changed my life in such a small amount of time, but trust me when I say I squealed a little bit when I saw this. I also got this jumper from Next, which I adore, I normally stray from white items because I am a huge clutz and am forever spilling things down myself, but this is so soft, and I love the fact it has bell sleeves too! I’m a sucker for a big scarf, any colour or pattern, if it’s big enough to make me into a wrapped up burrito, I’m sold. I fell in love as soon as I opened this beautiful mustard coloured scarf from New Look, it’s huge and in my favourite colour, how could I not. The last little bit I got was this BB-8 pen. I didn’t even know that I needed this until I had it in my hands. I’m a bit of a stationary addict, I collect planners and pens and pads as if tomorrow they’re never going to sell them again. This is an adorable little addition to my collection and I can assure you it writes like an absolute dream!
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Now for a few bits I got from my Dad. The big one was that my dad and step-mum are going to pay for me to finally finish my driving lessons and take my test. It’s something I started but I never finished before I went to University and wasn’t something I picked up there, because as I was in the middle of the city, I could just walk everywhere I needed to. But now, having to travel to work and hospital appointments and wanting to visit my friends up North a little more regularly, it’s something I just gotta bite the bullet and do, so I’m very grateful for this present! The beautiful burgundy, another one of my favourite colours, thin knit dress is from Fat Face. I’ve never had anything from there before, but the quality seems super nice and it fits like a glove, this will definitely be one I bring out when I feel a food baby on the horizon because I feel it will disguise it quite well. I also got another scarf from Next, can you see a pattern here? This is a lovely black and white stripe one (I’m also a huge fan of anything with stripes) but it has these bright red tassels on the end, it isn’t something I’d normally pick up myself, but I do really like it. Now whats that I was saying about a lot of perfume? Well my dad and step-mum also got me the Daisy by Marc Jacobs gift set, they get me a new perfume to try every year and they always get it bang on, I can’t wait to  wear this as it smells divine! From my step-brother I got a bottle of DKNY Fresh Blossom. I haven’t had a DKNY fragrance in years, but this is so fresh and crisp that I can see this being my new everyday go-to. And finally my nan got me a Barbour perfume, I didn’t even know they did perfume, but this one smells really nice and I think the bottle is going to look super cute on my shelf.
So there you have it. Everything I got this year for Christmas. Let me know what you got in comments down below, or leave a link if you’ve written a post like this of your own, I’d love to be nosey and have a read!

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