A Whole Lotta Lovin'

Bonjour my beautiful readers! Whether you love it or hate it, it's that time of the year once again where there is a lotta love in the air. Even though I do think that Valentine's Day is just another money making scheme, I also think it's a great opportunity to show the people in your life that you're closest to just how much they mean to you - whether they're a partner, friend or family member. So, today I'm talking Valentines and all the reasons why as I've gotten older I'm actually starting to appreciate it a little more.

Growing up I never really thought too much about this particular day. I never expected to receive anything *cries* and it was just one of those days that everyone made a huge deal out of, and still do. Every single year, Valentine's Day somehow gets bigger and bigger and there are roses in every single shop you go into. It's pretty hard to avoid it. But whether it's because I'm a bit older or because I'm actually a romantic at heart OR because I'm simply too sentimental for my own good, I'm learning to love this day that everybody seems to dread. 

Since this day is about the lurvvv, I now see this as an opportunity to tell those in my life how much they mean to me. My friends and family are everything to me and it's so important to appreciate them and everything they do because I'm definitely guilty of taking them for granted. So I thought it would be fun in this blog post to write a little something to the people that I love and am very grateful for. So much cheeeseeee, I love it. 

To my friends

You know who you are and hopefully you're reading this but I'd be so screwed without you guys. You've put up with me for so long and unfortunately for you I'm not going anywhere so you'd better get used to it! I adore you all more than anything in this world and every single day I count myself the luckiest person alive to have friends like you in my life. Thank you for the shoulder to cry on, the laughs, memories and adventures that we've still got to come. You keep me grounded, you take care of me when I'm waiting for the storm to pass and you've always got my back regardless of what might be going on in your life. In other words, you're all my saviours and thank you doesn't even begin to cover it. I don't tell you this as often as I should but I love you all endlessly and I promise I'll be there for you until we're old, grey and reminiscing about the good ol' days. I'm so proud of who you have all become and if anyone ever asks me what my greatest achievement is in this life, I'll only have to look back at the day we all met to know. 

To my family

I doubt any of you will ever read this but it goes without saying that you're always there for me. From the moment I was born, you've always been there, picking up the pieces after me. I very rarely express my love and gratitude for the things that you continue to do using words, but I hope that my actions and choices reflect the type of person you've raised because she's striving to make you proud every single day. Most people don't count the love they have for their family on Valentine's Day, but you were my first love, my unconditional love throughout my life and you'll always be apart of me, even when we fight and say things we don't mean, I know I would have lost my way a long time ago without you. I understand now as I get older about the sacrifices you've made for me over the years and so to my family, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything. 

To my girlfriend 

You may not have been in my life as long as others, but if there is one thing that I know it's that love isn't measured by time. Our love is measured by laughter, the way you constantly support me, the way you take my hand and the way you radiate happiness wherever you go. Your thoughtfulness and kindness inspires me every single day and I'm beyond lucky to have found you. I think it's safe to say that I didn't expect someone like you to come into my life at this point and I certainly didn't expect to fall for you so quickly, but I did. The way you put everyone else before yourself just goes to show how incredible you are and I'm proud of you beyond words. I can't wait to see where this journey takes us. Thank you for putting up with my odd sense of humour, my complaining and how I make you smell every single candle in every shop we've ever been it. But most of all, thank you for loving me. 

So, whether you're all about that self love and you treated yourself to a long overdue pamper session or you had a special date planned, I hope you all had a wonderful day because everyone deserves to smile. This is your little reminder to tell those around you how much you appreciate them because we often forget just how important those people are.

I'll see you all next Tuesday for another post so keep your eyes peeled for that one! 

Lots of Love,

Meg X

Pancake Lovin'

Oooooh pancake day, how I love you. I haven't got the biggest sweet tooth but there is something about pancakes which I bloody love. Seriously, why can't this be a monthly thing as opposed to an annual?!?! You've guessed it, today I'm talking all things pancakes and my absolute favourite toppings because we've all had an endless debate over which toppings are the best, amirightttt?? 

I don't care what anyone says but pancakes are the absolute best and each year I love trying out new toppings and flavours. Yep, I take this day v v V seriously. I'm always disappointed that I wasn't born a month earlier so I could have the perfect excuse to have pancakes on my birthday but hey ho. 

Classic Lemon n Sugar

My absolute go to is the most basic but oh the MOST delicious and that's a good ol' squeeze of lemon and sprinkle of sugar. You literally cannot go wrong with this and yep it's basic but it's also the best so it's a win win for me. I'm not a huge fan of citrus flavours or scents but when it comes to baking of any kind I'm always looking for an excuse to throw lemon in there somewhere so you can understand why this is my fave topping. Yum yum yum.


All the berries 

If you'd have asked me when I was 10 years old what I wanted on my pancakes, this option would have been at the very bottom of my list. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I had a tantrum one year because we only had berries in the fridge to have on our pancakes. But I bloody love fruit, especially this time of year. And I always feel less guilty for throwing loads of colourful and delicious berries on my dessert instead of cream so again it's another win win, kind of. Blueberries and raspberries are my absolute faves but any kind of fruit is yummy, especially with a dollop of yogurt or even syrup. This one is definitely underrated so definitely give it a go!


Chocolate Overload

Like I mentioned earlier, I definitely don't have a sweet tooth and I always find most desserts or treats way too sickly but that's the beauty of pancakes. It's so fun and easy to mix and match different toppings and even adding a small amount of nutella can be sososo yummy and it goes so well with banana and strawberries. Plus, we only get pancake day once a year so why the heck not??? Go wildddd.

And there we have it. I hope you all enjoy pancake day and to those who don't enjoy them or take any notice of this day, I hope y'all have a wonderful day anyway. 

I'll see you Thursday with another blog post where I'll be talking all things Valentine's Day! Ooooo I can smell the cheese already...

Lots of Love,
Meg X

Why Keeping A Journal Is No Longer A Chore

I'm almost positive that most people at some point in their life have tried to keep a diary or journal and failed. We get to the New Year and we vow to keep a diary and write in it every single day for the next 365 days knowing full well that we'll forget all about it by March. Yup, I've been there. But late last year I stumbled across a journal that caught my eye and so I asked for it as a Christmas present and it wasn't long before I became obsessed with it. I genuinely look forward to using it and that's because it's not your typical "dear diary" kind of journal which if I'm completely honest I find can be way too much effort to write in most days, especially when nothing much happens. So, I wanted to show you the journal which has completely transformed the way that I feel about them and why I'm now that person who secretly loves keeping one. 

I don't think you can purchase this anymore but I discovered it on the Next website because they actually have some pretty decent things on there around the festive period. Firstly, it's so aesthetically pleasing and I'm in love with the pastel theme. On the first few pages there is room for you to create a bucket list and I've actually chosen to write my New Year's Resolutions there so that I don't forget what I'd like to achieve this year. Throughout the journal there are some beautiful and motivating quotes which adds a lovely touch to it and they can really make a difference depending on what kind of a day you're having. 

But what caught my attention and the main reason why I really wanted to give this journal a chance is the layout of it. Instead of staring at blank pages which is what really puts me off keeping a diary, you answer questions (the same questions) every single day. So instead of boring yourself to death with the events from that day, I just find it SO much easier to answer the questions in order to keep track. The questions as you can see from the photo below include things like writing how you felt and what the weather was like using emojis which is always fun, and writing 3 things that went well, things that didn't go so well and things you want to improve on tomorrow. And honestly, I find this so enjoyable and therapeutic to use. Even if there are days where nothing exciting happens, I always try to write as much as I can because when I look back I can remember the days that most of us forget. I also use this journal to keep track of my mental health which I've found really useful even if it is difficult to write about my bad days at the time, I know I'll thank myself when I eventually look back and reflect on the year as I'll have a better understanding of what might be making my mental health better or worse etc. 

Journals are definitely not for everyone, but if you're anything like me then you love reflecting on what went well, what didn't go so great and then focusing on how you can make tomorrow a better day. We're only in February and yes there is every chance that I could get bored of this in a few months but I'm actually thoroughly enjoying it and I can't wait to look back on everything that happened, both the good and the bad, at the end of the year. I know in 5 years time I'll appreciate things like this so much, even if it can seem meaningless at the time. You only have to follow my social media accounts to know that I love documenting anything remotely interesting that happens in my life and I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. But I have fallen in love with keeping a journal and I never thought I'd say that so this really is something worth writing a blog post about.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this one and I'll be back again on Saturday with another post.

Lots of Love,
Meg X

Monthly Roundup | January Edition

Just a little heads up but my blogging schedule in February will be Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays just as a trial run to see how it goes!

Hello my beautiful readers! I've decided this year to write a blog post at the end of each month in order to keep track of my 2018 as opposed to getting to the end of the year and forgetting half of the things that actually happened. I was quite hesitant to do this because there are definitely months that are a lot busier and more exciting to write about than others but I thought it would be fun to talk about some of the things I have enjoyed throughout the last month and well, let's just see how it goes.

It's very true what they say, January has felt like the longest month of my life and I can't figure out why. I love the New Year and the feeling that I can start afresh, a blank canvas if you will. I always feel as though nothing ever happens in January which has been the case this year. But I am definitely learning to love and appreciate the little things that make my day that little bit brighter. And on that note and despite the fact that January has consisted of endless studying, mock exams and feeling under the weather, it hasn't been the worst start to the year and so I want to summarise the things that I have loved.

As you can see, this months favourites are completely random but hey ho I'll try not to ramble on too much here because I don't want anyone falling asleep on me!

Skincare & MakeUp

• Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - The first thing I want to mention (which isn't featured in the photo but don't fear because I can sense a post dedicated to this stuff coming soon because it's just that great) is the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish which has been my saviour on those cold and frosty mornings. My skin has been so problematic this past month despite sticking to my skincare routine but this cleanser is so lovely to use and I was lucky enough to get the festive edition so it smells of gorgeous mint and clementines. 
• Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation - I am so thankful to have had this in my make up bag throughout January, especially as it has such amazing coverage which I've definitely needed to cover up the redness and terrible breakouts. I know covering your skin during a breakout isn't the answer but I've felt so much more confident wearing this foundation when my skin has been problematic and it just looks so flawless on the skin. 
• No.7 skin illuminator - I haven't applied this too often but I have enjoyed mixing it with my foundation and it makes my skin look and feel so much healthier. I'd highly recommend for this time of year when your skin may be a little on the dry side.

Music, Film, TV & Books

• The Greatest Showman - Oh my goodness. I have already seen it twice in the cinema and I'm already planning on going a third time this week. The soundtrack, choreography, acting, cinematography, editing, ahhh. I'm in love. 
• Troye and Camila - I adore both of these artists so much and they've both released new music this month which has made me fall in love with them even more because it is sosososo stunning. I really haven't listened to a wide range of music this month purely because I'm playing these on repeat and I have no regrets.
• Jane the Virgin - I'm kinda hating myself for not joining in on the hype sooner but I just bloody love it. It's just such a brilliant feel good show. Don't get me wrong, it can be unbelievably frustrating at times but oh so worth it.
• Grace and Frankie - I have endless amounts of love for this show and I can't recommend it highly enough. The latest season was released this month and as always I finished it within two days. If I'm being completely honest, it wasn't my favourite season but having said that I laughed, cried and fell in love with it all over again. The ultimate cosy, feel good show.
• Harry Potter books (specifically The Order of the Phoenix) -  As some of you may know I've been re reading the books recently and they just make my downtime so much more enjoyable. I feel so overwhelmed with love and nostalgia whenever I read them and they have been a great comfort to me this month when I've experienced anxiety and stress for sure. 

Other Bits and Bobs

I have way too many random bits and bobs to find a category for everything I've loved this month and this post is already longer than I would have liked so I'll be quick with these I promise!

• Water Bottle with Infuser - I don't know what else to call this but I'm obsessed with it and it's really helping me stick to my 'new year I should really start drinking more water' resolution. I love that it has the times of the day on the bottle as a reminder to keep hydrated throughout the day because despite being an adult I still struggle to remember to do this, ooops.
• Day & Night Nurse Tablets for cold and flu - Before y'll judge me, I have spent half of the last month feeling so under the weather. From tight chests to sore throats to losing my voice completely to having a temperature to everything else that could have made me feel even worse, I've had it all over the last few weeks but these have been a complete life saver. Read the instructions and be so careful using them of course but I wish I had known about these before because three days after taking them I felt so much better. Oh adulthood, what fun you are. 
• Daily Journal - I have never in my life kept a journal but I genuinely get excited to use this one. I won't talk about this one too much because I've got a post coming later this week where I'll be telling you all about why I'm now that person who keeps a journal and secretly lovessss it.
• Anna Saccone Necklace Duo - I was sososo lucky enough to receive two of Anna's necklaces for Christmas and I am in love. I absolutely adore wearing them, whether I wear them separately or pair them together, they are so stunning and rose gold will always be a winner in my eyes.
• Mon Guerlain Eau de Perfum - Oh my goodness. I completely and utterly adore this scent and it's one of those perfumes that when I smell 10 years from now I know I'll be instantly reminded of this Christmas. I won't try and describe it because I'm awful at describing anything but it's just heavenly, even if it is a little on the pricey side.

And there we have it. Hallelujah. Give yourself a pat on the back if you've made it this far. I love reading these monthly favourites or monthly roundup blog posts and I was keen to give it a go, despite the fact that January has been a pretty dull month. Touch wood I'm starting to feel slightly better and February will consist of pancakes, adventures and new discoveries. 

Thank you so much for reading. I'll be back again soon with another post for you all.

Lots of Love, 
Meg X