Blogging Goals 2017

I’ve already shared my 2017 goals on the blog but I thought it would be nice to share some of the blogging related goals that I hope to achieve this year. It’s crazy to think another year of blogging has went and by the end of this month it will be my 7th blogging anniversary! Say whaaat!? 2016 saw a lot of change around my blog and I felt like as my interests changed and grew, I created more content that I felt happy with. As my blog generally improved, I also got the chance to work with some amazing brands too! So here is to another year of blogging and hopefully an even better year! So this is what I would love to have checked off my list by this time next year…

1. Improve my photography – My photography has already improved massively in the last couple of years, I mean just look at some of my older posts (apologies in advance if you do!). Photography is one of my favourite things about blogging and I’ve learnt so much from being the one behind the camera to also being exposed to the various photography styles used by different bloggers. I’ve grown a little tired of having the same old flat-lay, I want to experiment a little more in adopting different styles but also making my basic flat-lay a lot less basic!
2. Get more use out of social media – Social media is such an important tool for bloggers and I definitely want to make more use out of it. As well as promoting posts on Twitter and Pinterest, I want to add more additional content particularly on Instagram! I hope that I can get more active and also get more chatty as I know there is a wide range of bloggers about!
3. Update my blog design – I changed my blog about a couple of years ago and I still love the way it looks! Although there is some aspects that could do with updating to make it even better. I may also go down the line of upgrading my WordPress? Who knows but hopefully I will be very happy with the look of my blog this time next year!
4. Branch out into other content – Beauty is obviously one of the main focuses on this blog however I have so many other interests that don’t get as much air time. Style in particular is an area I would love to chat more about, especially since it is the reason I started this blog in the first place! Hopefully along with my first goal of photography, I will be able to better capture style and clothing photos as it is something I do struggle with! I also want to up my lifestyle and food related posts, I spoke a bit about my change in eating a few times so I would love to being share more on that!

What are your goals for the year?

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Life Lately #12

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas! It is crazy to think it’s been and gone already but I still count the time being as the Christmas period and of course we all still have New Years to look forward to! So on that note, Happy New Year when it comes as this will be my last post of 2016! How crazy!

Life

This month has been pretty crazy, and not just because of the build up to Christmas. I finished my semester at uni which of course meant exams. I spent the first half of December in exam mode which as you can imagine wasn’t the most exciting way to spend the start of the festive month! Obviously though the feeling of getting exams out the way and looking forward to Christmas was indeed very exciting! Annoyingly enough however after my exams past I felt in such a rush and ever so busy with work and preparing for Christmas that I never really felt as chilled as I imagined it would be. Nevertheless with it all cooled down now, I have been enjoying simply doing nothing over the last few days with lots of chocolate and cheesecake and finally catching up on TV that I’ve missed over the past month! I am very much excited to keep that going for the next few weeks before it’s back to uni again!

Blogging 

Of course with the busyness of the past month, I’ve not had a lot of time to spend on my blog. I’ve also felt a little uninspired too lately and I’ve been feeling like I’ve been in such a rush to come up with ideas, never mind write the posts. I took the decision before to cut my blog posts from three posts a week to two which has helped so much! However with a lack of inspiration, I feel pressured by myself to meet my two a week post schedule and it’s obviously no good when I have a lack of ideas and no one wants rushed poor quality blog posts. So to help get myself out of this rut, I have decided to get rid of my ‘Tuesday/Friday’ schedule and instead just post whenever. It isn’t the most ideal especially for my usual organised self but it does mean that I can post when I really want to with posts that I have put all my efforts into and that I really want to post instead of just random rushed posts that are published just to meet my schedule. This doesn’t mean that I will hardly post, there probably will be less posts but I am still going to be active on here and posting as often as I can. I read many other blogs which I love who post randomly without a set schedule so hopefully that won’t bother anyone too much!

On the other hand, I have been pretty active on Instagram this month! I did make a little goal for myself to post every day until Christmas and whilst I did miss a couple of days I did pretty well and it was good to finally get back on to the platform. It was also fun to share some extra stuff too so you can check out all my latest posts here.

Catch up with December posts: Nars Sarah Moon Collection, Things to do this Christmas, Christmas Party Makeup, Winter Skincare Essentials and 2016 Favourites Part 1 & Part 2

How did you spend your Christmas?

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Things To Do This Christmas

This time of year is my favourite, not just because of the big day itself on the 25th but also the excitement of the run up til Christmas when there is just so much going on! Whilst I may not be concerned on all things festive just yet with exams on the horizon (just a few more days to go til its all over!!), I do love spending time doing Christmas-y things. So I have made a list of some of my favourite things to do around this time of year, both big and small to help get you in the festive spirit!

• Make a Christmas play-list with all your favourite Christmas songs (I personally cannot wait to do this!)
• Do some Christmas baking, mince pies or maybe some gingerbread men?
• Try out a Christmas drink from a coffee shop, I personally love the Starbucks Gingerbread Latte and Frappuccino!
• Tackle the Christmas shopping!
• Visit a Christmas market!
• Treat yourself to a limited edition holiday beauty product! (I love the Nars products!)
• Burn your favourite Christmas candle, I love The White Company Winter candle!
• Decorate your home!
• Stock up on Christmas Lush goodies (see my picks here!)
• Have a Christmas movie night!
• Get all the glitter out cause… IT’S CHRISTMAS!

What do you like to do at this time of year?

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November Goals

With only two months left of 2016, it’s important to truly make the most of it. With two busy months ahead, it’s all about being productive and of course making up for those lost new years resolutions…what resolutions!? Here is what I am aiming to achieve this month:

• Start studying for exams and work in advance on upcoming assignments
• Get back onto Instagram!
• Have at least one Starbucks red cup, yup it’s red cup season!
• Go crazy for Black Friday! (in other words, buy the entire range at All Saints cause heart-eyed emojis!)
• Get the bulk of my Christmas shopping done (one present already accomplished!)

What are your goals for the month ahead?

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Life Lately #10

It’s end of the month time which only means one thing, another life lately roundup! Woo! ! This month I have decided to change things up a bit with the style of this post, I have also decided to stop doing my playlist posts and instead combine it in this post. So, please do let me know how you feel about the changes!

Life 

Life has been pretty damn intense lately. I have had so many looming uni deadlines that have taken up so much of my time It’s been stressful but I’m sure anyone who has been or is in a similar situation will understand how rewarding it is to tick another item off the to do list! It is also half way through the first semester of the year which again is pretty damn crazy but the thought of powering through all the work is exciting stuff!

On a brighter note, it’s reaching my favourite time of year when the Christmas drinks come into Starbucks and the shops are filled with Christmas lights and all things christmassy. Can you tell I like Christmas!? Anyway, talking of Starbucks, the Pumpkin Spiced Frappuccino has made my entire month! Apologies if you are anti pumpkin spice but damn it is so good! I love the classic latte but the frappuccino beats it by a mile! If you haven’t tried it then definitely try one, fall vibes and all that!

Blogging 

This month I cut down my blogging schedule to twice a week and it has been such a relief! I’ve definitely managed so much better now with less content and I do feel like some of the posts I have posted this month have been better quality and also posts that I have been meaning to post for ages have finally got their air time! My schedule is still pretty packed at the minute but I do hope that I can keep up with my schedule and also keep working to the best quality! In particular, I still want to work on my blog photography and try new things out!

TV/Music

Back to a more chilled happy topic, I haven’t been watching too much TV this month but I have been loving one series in particular. Easy has been top of my watch list this month. I mean it’s got Dave Franco in it so what’s not to love. It’s an original series by Netflix with each episode centred around a different situation and different characters. It focuses on love and that kinda thing, it is a laid back, easy watch, pun not intended. It is also a short series so a good choice for watching when you don’t have a lot of time!

In terms of music, there is quite a few songs that I’ve been loving this month. Not my usual taste but I do love a good catchy pop song from time to time!  Also, can we talk about Niall’s debut solo single, LOVE ❤

Catch up with October posts: Current Makeup Menu, Introduction to Kat Von D, Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks, Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette and Get That Glow With Becca.

How did you spend your month?

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Life Lately #9

It feels so nice to be typing up a blog post right now as September has been a hectic month and it has really affected my blogging this month! I’ve been super busy with work and of course university starting back so the time for my blog has been limited but on top of that I’ve also felt so uninspired right now! I am definitely feeling like I am in a bit of a creative funk at the minute with ideas and when I have such limited time to plan and prepare posts it makes it worse as the last thing I want to do is publish poor quality rushed content! So, to help ease my way back into blogging and get motivated again, I’ve decided to change up my blogging schedule. I usually post three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday but in order to fit around my other commitments I’ve decided to cut my schedule to twice a week! Starting next week, my blog will have fresh content on a Tuesday and Friday at 10am GMT. It’s annoying to have to reduce the number of posts but hopefully it will make my life a lot easier!

Anyway, blogging rambling over. As I mentioned I started back at university this month. How exciting! Summer definitely felt like it went past in a flash and I feel so overwhelmed by the fact that I need to get back into living the student life. Fun. On a plus note, it is now three months til Christmas, if that is not exciting then I really don’t know what is! Whilst I am not particularly thrilled about the amount of workload that is about to hit me soon, I am excited to get productive and soon before I know it will be time for hot chocolate, winter coats and snow. Ahh, heaven!

Before things get all winter-y though, Autumn has arrived first! In the spirit, I did a bit of clothes hauling to fill up some of the gaps in my wardrobe. I picked up the majority of things from my Autumn Style wishlist and I just need a couple more things before I am pretty happy! Hopefully next month I can also pick up my dream Acne Boots that I’ve been saving up for! Considering I’ve cleared out a lot from my wardrobe recently, I do think I deserve a little treat, right!?

In terms of beauty, I was also super hyped by the arrival of Kat Von D makeup in the UK. Finally! There will be a little reveal soon on the blog so keep your eyes pealed! I did also hear of a little rumour about Sephora coming to the UK but I don’t want to get my hopes up too much but that really would be the icing on the cake!

Catch up with September posts: Beauty Wishlist, Sephora Haul, Caring for Hands and Feet, Becca Ombre Rouge Palette Review and Building a Minimal Wardrobe.

How did you spend your month?

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September Goals

Pumpkin Spiced Lattes are officially in Starbucks so surely it is pretty much Autumn! September is one of my favourite months, the weather is still mild (in some cases better than the main Summer months!), the Autumn inspired clothing and items weaves its way into stores and it always just feels like a bit of a fresh start like a new year has begun with the start of the next uni semester. Speaking of a fresh start, I am definitely all up for getting organised and in a routine this month in terms of work and uni but also for my own well-being and my goals this month definitely reflect that! So here’s to September being a productive one!

• Stick to a low sugar intake diet
• Find good sugar free recipes and snacking alternatives
• Make my first designer purchase (maybe!)
• Buy a bike
• Get outdoors regularly
• Get organised for my third year at university

What are your goals for the month ahead?

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Life Lately #8

Can we talk about the fact that September is happening!? Where has time gone!? However this time of year is definitely my favourite as I just love Fall and the build up to Christmas so I am super excited to get started on all the Autumn-y blog posts and get my berry lip game sorted! Anyway future aside, we are here to discuss the past month of August! In my last Life Lately post, I spoke a little about my job situation at the minute. Basically I started a new job last month which I just didn’t like and then was offered another which I finally started this month! For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been training for the job and I am really enjoying it so far so I am definitely looking forward to properly getting into it!

This month also marked my birthday! I was working on the day so didn’t do anything but I did do some beauty haulin’ which was rather exciting so do keep your eyes peeled on the blog! It includes a little damage I did when I finally made a Sephora order, eeek! I also picked up a few new skincare bits that I am excited to get some use out of!

After my birthday, I made a little cinema trip to see Nerve, a thriller about a dare game that features Emma Roberts and Dave Franco. I had been desperate to see the film for ages since I initially seen the trailer and it definitely didn’t disappoint! It was different to anything I’d seen before and I can’t wait already to see it again! Other than that I am still hooked on Pretty Little Liars and I also really want to watch Narcos, anyone watched it?

Catch up with August posts: Benefit Brow Collection, Skincare Empties, Healthy Inspiration, Charlotte Tilbury Haul and a Fall Style Wishlist.

How did you spend your August?

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Sources of Healthy Lifestyle Inspiration

Healthy eating and simply adopting a healthier lifestyle has never been a strong point of mine. I’ve always been determined to try and be that bit healthier but it all ends up a disaster in the end. After trying and giving up after so long, I thought it was about time that I seriously did this whole healthy lifestyle thing. Rather than going for the extreme, I have been taking small steps in trying to reduce my sugar intake and trying out healthier recipes. Although in order to make myself that more determined to succeed, I need a little inspiration. So I thought I would share my favourite people, blogs, books etc. that give me a little inspo!

Madeleine Shaw

If I can get the glow like Madeleine then I will be very happy indeed! Madeleine is a great source of inspiration as she has so many platforms sharing great advice, recipes and also yoga poses. Her blog and her books are the best sources as they offer so much great inspiration for cooking. Her website is super sleek and easy to navigate with great posts of advice and is always updated with some great recipes that I am always desperate to give a go (particularly the sweet treats!). For even more online access, she has a great YouTube channel all about healthy living as well as her Instagram and Snapchat accounts which always provide a good chunk of inspo! Lastly, I have to mention her books. She has two cookbooks out at the minute, I currently own the second Ready, Steady Glow which is really good and packed with some delicious looking recipes. I have only tried out a couple from the book but I am desperate to give more ago especially her Oat Vegan pancakes, yum!

Deliciously Ella

I am sure many of you will be aware of Ella from Deliciously Ella as her books are ever so popular and she is a blogger favourite! Again she has a couple of books out and I have her Ella, Every Day book which I have been loving. The quinoa and turmeric curry (pictured above) is incredible and I am so excited to work through the book, with one of her risotto recipes next on the list! Again like Madeleine, she is available on so many platforms. Her website is great and filled with some amazing recipes, I particularly love her energy ball recipes. It is definitely worth checking out before picking up the books! She also has a skincare collab right now with Neals Yard which looks awesome as well as having her own energy balls available in Whole Foods. Definitely one to be inspired by!

The Green Life

After scouring the web/instagram for healthy recipes, I came across this blog which is packed with a wonderful selection of mostly vegan recipes. The photography is so beautiful and there is a great selection of really simple yet different recipes. Basically everything she features looks incredible particularly her ice lollies! I have made quite a few of her recipes and they have been ones I have stuck to for ages, particularly her drink recipes like this strawberry shake which is delicious!

Also other instagram accounts to check out for swoon-worthy food inspo: @izyhossack, @vegfoodvideos, @simplyquinoa and @rachlmansfield

Where do you find lifestyle inspiration? 

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