3 More New-To-Me Blogs

2016 has been the year I've stepped away from 'niche' blogs and have truly fallen for the personal, comforting art of the lifestyle blog. A few months ago I shared 3 new-to-me blogs and today I'm here with another round!

The Sunday Post 15

Hihi! Happy Sunday!

Can we just appreciate the fact that this is one of two posts prepared to go live before Blogmas starts?! I have a post coming on Tuesday sharing a few of my new favourite blogs and then Thursday will have rolled around and it'll be December. Say whut.

The Happy List Project 03

Hihi! Today I'm here to deliver another load of happiness to the blogosphere through the medium of another Happy List Project post. Today I have another list of my own as well as three lists from a few of my favourite blogging ladies.

 

Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for Harry Potter Fans

I'm really into Harry Potter again at the moment (scratch that, aren't I always?) and I feel the releases of The Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts have also re-ignited the spark in a lot of other people across the word. Today I thought I'd share some gifts perfect for the budding wizard in your life ~

The Sunday Post 14

Hihi! Happy Sunday! I hope you've all had a lovely little week.

This Moment

In this moment I am sat on my sofa, wrapped in a blanket and wearing the snuggliest turtleneck jumper. I'm surrounded by animals : Bailey, Luna, Mickey and Thor are all in the living room with me. They're all sleeping, separately - Mickey in her bed, Thor on the sofa, Bailey on the pouffe and Luna on the Virgin Media box. My stomach hurts, a result of my indulgent eating yesterday, but it's not a pressing pain. It's there, hovering, but it's alright. I can hear the tumble-dryer, full of clothes and bedding, working away in the kitchen. There's a vegan banana loaf baking in the oven, but I'm not sure how it's going to turn out because I forgot to grease the tin. There's a timer on my phone ticking down until I'm supposed to check on it.

Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts to Calm & DIY Self-Care Hampers



Welcome to my second gift guide of 2016!

Things I Need To Stop Doing

A little list of things that I need to stop doing.

The Sunday Post 13

Hihi! Happy Sunday! I feel like this week has passed so quickly but also so slowly. I've been notably down most days, although I think my general feeling has been 'blank'. The US election made me very anxious mid-week, although I can't even imagine how those in America must feel. Similar to how we Remain voters felt about Brexit, maybe. I also felt quite unwell this week which in turn made me more anxious... or maybe my anxiety made me unwell. It's hard to tell sometimes when I get trapped in the circle.

The Happy List Project 02

Welcome to the second instalment of my new Happy List Project! I feel the idea went down really well with all of you guys and I've had a lot of people interested in submitting their own lists so it looks like this little series is going to become a real ~thing~ which makes me v happy in itself. I wasn't going to put up this post for another week or so, but after recent events I feel like it's needed. Today I'm going to be sharing another list of my own as well as one from my nine year old sister and two new submissions!

Lush So White Bath Bomb

Apologies for the poor quality of the first photo in this post - I wasn't planning on reviewing So White at all! I took a few photos of it on my phone for the ol' Instagram feed but had the good sense to use my proper blogging camera to take some in-action shots of it in the water, which I was planning on using in a Sunday Post or something. But it ended up being much prettier and more exciting than I expected and I felt So White deserved its own post!

Things To Do On A Down Day

I'm doing pretty well with my depression at the moment, but sometimes I just wake up and the entire world feels grey. I can liken the 'sensation' of depression to wearing a heavy dark uncomfortable fur jacket that pulls down at your shoulders and smothers you. Of course mentally it's a whole other story, but I do feel like my body is weighted by it, too. Sometimes it makes it impossible to do things, but here is a list of twenty-something things I do on days like today when the world just seems a little darker.

Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts For Cat Lovers



Welcome to my first Christmas gift guide of 2016!

The Sunday Post 12

// I moved my tootsies away from the fire right after taking this photo, don't worry!

 

I've been feeling pretty rubbish mental and physical health-wise this week but instead of doing what I usually do when this happens (which is nothing) I've been keeping myself busy despite being unable to leave the house.

On Self-Love and My New House Colours



Something I feel at least 90% of my generation has in common is Harry Potter. We grew up with the books and the films, and experienced Hogwarts as Harry himself was experiencing it. The youngest among us had a chapter read to us at bedtime by our parents, whilst the oldest devoured each book as they came alone. There's something so innocently magical about Harry Potter and the way wizarding life wove its way into our mundane. I especially take it more seriously than I arguably should, but I'm not embarrassed or ashamed by it.

I was intending for this post to be quite light-hearted but as I reached the final paragraph I felt a surge of sadness, relief and liberation. I'd thought my journey of self-love and self-exploration was going quite well, on the surface at least. I indulge in self-care often and tend to my anxiety every day. But I think that mental health aside I have a long way to go in terms of truly loving who I am and honestly wanting the best for myself, and bizarrely enough something as little (although big to me) as changing Hogwarts Houses has sparked something that I've been in need of for a long time.  

VX Cafe, Bristol



123 East Street, Bristol BS3 4ER | Tel: 0117 329 1610 | Mon-Fri 10am > 5pm ; Sat 10am > 6pm ; Sun 11am >5pm.

When my Dad told me a few months ago that a vegan cafe was opening in Bedminster, I was excited although a little dubious. Bristol has its fair share of vegan eateries, but they're usually in Clifton or in town and East Street seemed an odd place to put one. My first impression has since been dashed, though, because it's always busy whenever I walk past! It's been on my to-do list forever but I never had occasion to go, what with my anxiety and it being too far from home but too close to my Dad's, until my Mum, sister and I went on a little charity shopping expedition last week. 

End of Year Goals

On the first of January this year I sat down and wrote myself a big ol' list of 2016 goals. I recognised both then and soon after that doing this was a pretty stupid thing to do considering I was still in the depths of the worst bout of depression I've ever experienced but I was in complete denial and wanted to carry on 'as normal'. This was very damaging and unrealistic so today I'm here to set things right. I'm feeling so, so much better - better than I ever dreamed I'd feel again - and I'm ready to set myself some goals to carry me through the rest of the year. 2016 has been the worst year of my life but I don't want to write off these final few months just because the past 9 have been shitty.