Finding the Niche

Bloggers. There are millions of us, writing and giving our opinions on whatever we feel people should know about. Success as a blogger is also something that not many of us really reach when comparing the statistics. There are thousands of bloggers across the world who think that what we do is easy: we get sent free stuff, we write about it and we get paid. Right?

Taking time to nerd up my blogging skills!

Donate or Else!!

If there's one thing I can't stand (and we all know there are many!) it's the incessant harassment by the clipboard crews. You know who I'm talking about: they lurk outside stores, in town centers and street corners waiting to pounce like you're live meat ready to be taken out.
Yes I am having a Mean Girls moment picturing the jungle madness of this scenario...

My Mad Fat Diary

Dear Diary,

There are two things you should know about me:

1. I'm fat.
2. I'm mad.

There are so many reasons why I love this show. It's funny, it's set in the 90s and it's honest. This is why I love it...

The Life of an Obsessive Compulsive

Ask my Parents and they will tell you I am not the most tidy of people. In fact when I was younger, there was a floordrobe instead of a carpet. When I come back from uni, my stuff literally overtakes the entire house and things begin to look messy and cramped. Ask me and I will tell you I hate it.

Armed and Dangerous!!

Creative Cooking with Emily Blacker

Food. It's something pretty much every person loves to indulge in. I personally adore every food I've ever tried, maybe not right away but they do say the palette has to try something 23 times before it can form a true opinion. A bit like a song that grows on you, flavours are the same. Cooking however is not for everyone but if you fancy giving it a go then I have the perfect person to give you a hand.

Life Lessons: A Letter to Myself at 15

I've been seeing a lot of these letters lately and fancied hijacking the bandwagon to write my own! I have changed a lot since I was 15 and although I'm some sage old woman with knowledge beyond my lifetime, I do consider pretty well experienced for my age. So here goes...

Back when I was 15: dodgy eye-liner and all!

Death of the Safe Deposit Box

When I was a kid I used to play at being a princess and being rich. I'd have jewels and wads of money and tiaras galore; precious things I would stash away at the bottom of my dress up box, next to the stethoscope and ballet shoes. As I got into my teens, I got a job and my money was stashed away in this handy thing called a bank account. The older I get the more I worry about where to keep my valuables, from important documents to family heirlooms (of which I actually own none.. yet) and that's when I remembered: the big banks offer these little boxes for rent that are just like mini vaults!! Not that I need one but I got to looking at which banks offer the best deal on the wonder known as a safe deposit box, only to find that actually, no one really offers this service any more.

WHERE THE HELL AM I MEANT TO STASH MY TIARAS????

Liebster Award and Nomination

I have been nominated for the Liebster  Award by my good friend Jess Cassillas, whose blog you can check out right here.

For those of you who do not know what the Liebster Award is actually about, here's the low down...

There are just three simple rules to follow in order to participate:

• Post 11 facts about yourself


• Answer 11 questions from the person who nominated you


• Nominate 11 bloggers for the award

And that's basically it folks! So I will be participating in this here little award for the first time since starting this blog.

Heroes: Katie Piper

There are many people I use as inspiration in my life but none hold quite as much sway as Katie Piper. I think I have watched every documentary she has ever been involved with from the very first, during which my mum and I sat in tears for what had been done to her, all the way to the programs in which she sheds light on other visibly impaired people and how it affects them.

She has handled her situation with great strength, poise and elegance. Katie has gone from strength to strength and it has been a real pleasure watching her confidence grow and her story unfold. Which brings me to the present day when Katie herself cannot quite believe how wonderfully things have turned out in her life.

 Before and soon after her attack.

Sincerely, The Breakfast Club

Things got a bit heavy in the wee hours of this morning so I thought I'd give you a double whammy and end today on a much lighter note!

Today marks the 30 year anniversary of that fateful Saturday at Shermer High School where a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess and a criminal came together for detention, thus creating The Breakfast Club.

Who I've Become...

It is said that our personalities are formed by the age of 7. I cannot remember much about being that age, apart from wanting to make sure everyone else was okay and happy. I can remember that feeling of pride when I would help with folding the washing (pairing socks is serious business) and the swell of happiness when my parents would come back from a good parents evening. I did that, I made them happy.

Don't even know how old I was here.. Maybe around 6ish?

Women in Sport

It's no secret that I quite like sports and fitness. I've been a runner for three years now, I have an interest in karate and I'm stoked to get back in the gym when I return to the UK. What I'm not so keen on is how women are represented and how the fitness world is pitched to us ladies.

Seriously... No woman looks like this at the gym. Ever!

Cheeky Compliments!

Ever whispered something a little cheeky to someone you like? Were you the one they whispered to? At some point in our lives, when we reach the older end of our teens and beyond, we seem to come into ourselves which gives us the confidence to give each other cheeky compliments! Today I wanted to look into this a bit more and share some of the things that have been said to me....


Ahh Joey! :D I know many a man who has tried that line!

Why Unemployment Disagrees with Me!!

Okay so technically I am still employed but since I'm in France I can't work... I applied to jobs but apparently the French like me about as much as I like the French.... Maybe they've been reading my blog?! ;) Since I only have 3 months left here (97 days!) I have started thinking about saving money and what I want from my money etc.

Get Sassy: 30 Day Shred Challenge

I consider myself pretty fit; I run 4 times a week for around 4-5 miles, I eat healthily and drink plenty. So when one of my fitness buddies suggested trying Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, I laughed in the face of danger (muahahaha! --Yeah yeah, laugh in the face of my Lion King joke!) and said I would do it. Little did I know what I was letting myself in for............

Become Water, My Friend...

Bruce Lee was a smart man, when he gave us his worldly advice to make like water, what he failed to mention was how important it is for us to drink plenty of it. As an athlete, I promise you Bruce Lee drank his recommended daily amount of H₂O and here is exactly why you guys should too!

It's the Final Count Down!!!!!!!!!

Now tell me you didn't totally sing that title AND hum the guitar riff!! I knew it couldn't just be me that breaks out into song and the drop of a ... word. :P

So it's no real secret that I came to France for my year abroad, full of wonder, joy and high, high hopes... Which all came tumbling down roughly two months into my stay. This was mainly a mixture of the delightful young girls in Lyon, who take great pleasure in telling other girls they are fat. Regina George had nothing on these chicks! A little bit of homesickness (okay a lot of homesickness) and the fateful Halloween night out, where there were fisticuffs at dawn with some french guy over a lack of cigarettes! I'm not going to lie, it knocked me for six. I can hold my own when I know who I'm up against but some random drunk french guy? He could have been carrying anything so it wasn't worth the risk!

YESS!! Let's celebrate!

Regrets: Turning Back the Hands of Time

I think I've done a fair amount in my 22 years of life. I've traveled lots, I took A Levels and went to university. I've had a job I kept for 3 & a half years and another I've had for 2. I'm pretty confident around other people and I know my own mind. I've been to a festival, I've partied until the sun came up and I've been on the edge of love. But I am far from perfect. There are things I wish I could have back and there are things I regret deeply, so today I wanted to talk to you about regrets and wanting to turn back time (I know you all want to break out into song... I did!) to have a do over.

Me at age 16

Echoes of Festival Fashion

Hippie Dreams!

It's no secret that I pine after festivals and the beach and all things bohemian but it wasn't until New Years that I realised the bohemian style was where I fit best. I set about searching on the internet for bloggers who write and post about bohemian beauty and fashion and you know what I found? A lot of vintage goodies but not very much in terms of affordable fashion blogs for the boho crowd!

A Step too Far for Feminism??

I rage about this topic quite a lot. I'm all for burning my bra and having equal rights as a woman but lately Feminism has just become a political volcano that could blow at any given moment if someone says something wrong.