When I saw the opportunity to work with Old English Company, I jumped at the chance and was thrilled to receive an email back from them. I really wanted to showcase them on my blog as I love their products so much! They sell a large range of products, from stationery to homewares, mugs to cards! I am OBSESSED!

I'm at my family home for four days at the moment and that means staying in the room I lived in from the age of about eight or nine up until I moved out for university over a year and a half ago. I get a lot of emotions when I stay in this room. It makes me feel incredibly reflective and strange to stay here and I wanted to write some of these feelings and some of my thoughts down.

The Thoughts and Reflections

This is the room in which I did almost everything for a decade in. I studied, slept, ate, exercised, read, wrote and lived in this room. It holds so many memories. An overwhelming amount!

In this room, I studied tirelessly to pass my GCSEs, then my A Levels which got me into university and gave me passage to leave my small town. I can't fathom the number of hours of study that this took, all I know is that it almost all happened in this room. There are still textbooks dotted about the room and notes in folders on my desk. I worked hard in this room. I even ran my first blog from here when I was in high school. It was a beauty blog and I loved it! I only deleted it because I was so afraid that the kids in school would find it and use it against me. I was a paranoid kid.

I discovered so much music in this room. My CD collection is massive and I used to spend hours reading Kerrang Magazine and looking up all of the bands mentioned to see if I could find a new fave. I started to teach myself guitar in this room and used to practise for all my flute and singing lessons in here, much to the dismay of my parents. I would make such a racket!

My room has changed a lot over time. Its walls started out lilac and yellow when I moved here, with textured wallpaper and gingham curtains. Before it was my room, it belonged to two very young twin girls and it was decorated accordingly. We then painted it all lilac, my favourite colour at the time. I matched the walls with a lilac bedspread with a dog on it and it was the softest bedspread ever. The room then became duck egg blue and cream, colours I had chosen because of my nan's fondness of the colour scheme and my total belief that my nan is the most stylish and room decor savvy woman on this earth. These walls ended up covered in band posters when I entered my emo phase and stayed this way up until I got bored and painted the walls white, which they still are to this day.


The Feelings

Sometimes I really long to be back home and back to my teenage years, but being in this room reminds me of how far I have come and how happy I would have been back then if I knew what was to come. I got into my first choice university, found a career path that I really want to follow and made it out of my town! I didn't have the faith in myself to think that this was all possible so I guess I am feeling a renewed sense of pride and happiness with where I have worked to get to in life. I worked super hard to get to university and to take the opportunities which I have taken and being here really puts it into perspective.

I feel very relaxed here. I have taken a step away from the current daily hustle and bustle of my life and I am back in Wales. I live near the woods and I love being out here and getting to walk around the routes I used to take every day. I used to take living in the countryside for granted, thinking it was the most boring place on earth, but I love how calm it makes me feel now.


The Items

My CD collection and a hand-me-down stereo that grandad didn't have room for when he moved into his bungalow.

So many books!

A pink PlayStation 2 and a small selection of games to go with it.

All of the receipts I hoarded in my teenage years, along with bus and train tickets.

An Edgar Allan Poe canvas and a print of Van Gogh's Sunflowers.

My memory box which is full of birthday cards, concert tickets, certificates, trinkets and my high school leaver's book.

Letters and drawings which are taped up onto my wall above my desk. They bring back so many memories and I love to re-read the letters from friends.

... is the worst. Honestly, I just got out of the worst case of writer's block and I'm so relieved that it's over! I had no motivation or inspiration to write and it was really getting me down! Writing things down and putting together content is a massive coping mechanism for me so I find it super hard when writer's block hits and I cannot bring myself to write anything! It sucks! These are a few things that I did to banish my latest spell of writer's block and I hope that you find them useful!

Gather inspiration

I did this in two ways! One thing I did was read lots of blogs, scroll through lots of Instagram feeds and watch lots of YouTube videos and films. I did anything I could from the comfort of my own home to gather some inspiration which would get the post ideas flowing again! This helped to an extent but it would also sometimes frustrate me because I just wasn't getting anywhere and I was just feeling guilty about my inability to generate any more ideas. What made the tables really turn was going out and seeking inspiration from other sources. Libraries, bookstores and museums. The tables really turned when I was in an art gallery gift shop. I kept seeing book titles and piece names and they kept setting ideas off in my head. I yanked my notebook out of my backpack and immediately started writing the ideas down and that's when I started posting again!

Read

I have already kind of mentioned this already but I'm going to reiterate it because it works wonders! Reading can really help with writing! It doesn't just have to be blogs too. You can read books, essays, magazines, your own journal, your own blog, anything you can really. Picking out themes from books and journals really helped me to formulate post ideas, which leads me to my next source of inspiration to tackle writer's block...


Write down your stream of thoughts

What I like to do when I don't know what to write is to jot down everything that comes into my head. This could make total sense or none at all. Then, after a while, I come back to my notebook to see if I can come up with any post ideas from what is written down. Sometimes I will have written about an experience which I can relay in a post, sometimes feelings which I can make sense by writing them down, or even wishlists or product reviews!

Mind maps

Another thing that I like to do is to write down a possible post title and to make a mind map around the title with things I would talk about relating to the title. Before long, I end up with a full post plan! I have an entire notebook dedicated to these mindmaps and I like to decorate them absently while I'm thinking of what to add. I then check off all the mindmap elements while I am writing my posts to make sure I miss nothing out. It's a super effective way of giving myself a full vision of what I am going to write, so it makes the actual writing process so much easier!


Take a break

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to not write at all and let the ideas come instead. I took a week and a half off writing for the blog in my last writer's block spell. I felt guilty about not posting but I ended up feeling refreshed and ready to write when I came back to it. It felt a lot less tedious than it would have felt if I was trying to write whilst still grappling with writer's block! It's okay to take a break every once in a while!

Ask what people want to see

When in doubt, ask your readers and friends what they want to see or whether they have any good post ideas for you! Sometimes, they will suggest something amazing and it will rekindle your excitement for finding a good post idea! Once you get that one post done, the ideas will keep coming and writing will be a breeze again! Sometimes, your friends know you better than you know yourself and they will know what your writing strengths are and what would be a perfect piece for you to write!

Draw from experiences

As mentioned before, sometimes reading your own journal can kick you back into writing mode. This totally depends on how much you are willing to share or how much you write from your own experiences, but sometimes just sitting down and writing about an experience or about what is going on in your life at the moment can be a great way to get back into writing! Just share what you feel like sharing, or even just write these posts privately for yourself to look back on! Who knows, it may help you to break through that pesky writer's block!

I hope that you found this post helpful! What are your tips for conquering writer's block? x

So, who says that cheap skincare is not great? Superdrug own-brand skincare is super cheap and SO good! They have loads of different skincare ranges so there are products for every skin-type and an almost overwhelming amount of choice! I have a few products from the Calm Skin, Vitamin E and Naturally Radiant ranges and none have disappointed! I'm organising this post by range because they vary in skin-type and aim between the ranges.

Calm Skin

The Calm Skin range is a fairly new (I think) addition to the Superdrug skincare family and I was super excited to find it in my local shop. This range aims to soothe the skin and get rid of the visible signs of stress on the skin. I have only picked up a couple items from this range but I am thoroughly impressed and want to pick up more!


Calm Skin Soothing Facial Wash

This facial wash is only £2.99 and it's amazing, plus you get a good amount for your money! The cleanser is quite thick and lathers onto the face nicely. After removing it with a washcloth my skin feels so soft and clean and I love it!


Calm Skin Balancing Facial Oil

This facial oil is lovely! I was super hesitant to use an oil on my face, thinking that it'll tip the scales on my combination skin and turn me into a permanent oil slick. However, it settles into the skin wonderfully and definitely helps to balance my complexion and banish red patches on my face! Plus, it's only £2.99 too!


Vitamin E

The Vitamin E range is marketed as rich in antioxidants and is supposed to protect the skin from pollution and environmental damage. As a girl with sensitive skin who lives in the city, preventing pollution from messing with my skin is super important to me, which is why I was keen to give this range a go!

Vitamin E Refreshing Toning Mist

This was the first product I picked up from the Vitamin E range, looking for an alternative to the Mario Badescu spray. Lo-and-behold, this stuff is lovely!! It smells delightful (reminds me a bit of sunscreen) and sinks into the skin wonderfully! It's £2.99 and, in my opinion, is as good as facial sprays which are more than double the price!

Finally! I am writing another bookish post and it feels so good! I wanted to write a list of quick reads for those of you who want to get back into reading but don't have enough time to read a full-on novel! I have found it hard to find the time to get a good amount of reading in in-between work, uni and peer support so these have been great to just throw in my bag and read whenever I have a free moment (mostly on public transport)! I hope you enjoy this list and I would love to hear what your favourite quick reads are!

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The quickest read on this list is this powerful feminist essay! The book is tiny, so it's perfect to slip in your bag to read whenever you have the time. The best thing about this essay is that it really packs a punch! Adichie draws on her own personal experiences to really put her points about why we need feminism across and it's amazing to read! I have been passing this book round to everyone I know and they have all loved it!

You can get We Should All Be Feminists from Amazon UK here and Amazon US here.


Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Kitchen is another tiny book, perfect to slip into your bag and take out with you. This small book contains two beautiful short stories and is so worth a read. I have mentioned this book on my blog before in THIS bookish post but I wanted to mention it again because it is such an incredible and moving book! Both of the moving short stories are centred around loss and are well worth a read!

You can get Kitchen from Amazon UK here and Amazon US here.

Nasty Women

Nasty Women describes itself as "a collection of essays and accounts on what it is to be a woman in the 21st century" and it certainly is this! Not only is it a great collection of essays, but it's also a fantastically flexible read! You can sit down and devour the whole thing in order if you have the time, or you could check the contents page and pick out the essays that grab your interest! These essays are fantastic and there's a good variety in this book to interest anyone!

You can get Nasty Women from Amazon UK here and Amazon US here.


Little Black Book

I've put up a full review of this on my blog HERE but, again, I wanted to stress how good this little gem is as a pocket-sized dollop of inspiration. Little Black Book is such a small and well-structured guide to the working world, making it extremely easy and enjoyable to read! It carries no-nonsense in its pages and lends so much advice which I personally have found super helpful for blogging!

You can get Little Black Book from Amazon UK here and Amazon US here.

Poetry

Poetry books are great for quick reads! You can read them from start-to-finish, or just flick through and pick out a few poems to read! There are lots of small or slim poetry books too which can be easy just to chuck in a bag and carry around with you for whenever you have the time to read! These are a few of my favourite poetry books and their Amazon UK links!

• Allen Ginsberg - Howl, Kaddish and Other Poems
• Pablo Neruda - Twenty Love Poems and Song of Despair 
• Sylvia Plath - Ariel

Magazines + blogs

Articles are great when you want to have a good quick read! For blogs, I would recommend using Bloglovin' to find posts related to your topics of interest. You never know, could find your next favourite blog! Magazines are also a great way to give yourself something quick to read! My favourite at the moment is still Womankind Magazine but if you go to your local WH Smith or newsagents, you can find a magazine for pretty much any interest or topic you want to read about! I love a good issue of National Geographic too!


Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found something new! What are your favourite quick reads? x

Sometimes when you're living at 100mph you forget the small and simple pleasures throughout your day. Sometimes, self-care isn't about introducing new activities and habits, or even doing more of what feels good. Sometimes, a really easy way to introduce a bit of self-care into your day-to-day routine is to become better at noticing how certain activities make you feel and living slowly in these moments. These activities that you really want to notice are the relaxing, pleasurable activities which you may come across during your day. By living slowly, you can become better at unwinding, taking time for yourself, and taking a step back from your daily stressors! These are a few slices of slow living which I have been trying to pay more attention to in my daily routine.

Coffee shop trips

This isn't a daily thing, but it is a frequent occurrence (whenever I can afford it). I love to spend some time in a coffee shop either working, reading, or jotting down ideas for the blog! It's a lovely bit of time I spend by myself to collect my thoughts and focus on what matters at that moment. By taking breaks from whatever I am doing just to focus on the atmosphere around me is one of the best things I have started to do. Just noticing the music playing, the hustle and bustle of those around me, the sound of the coffee machine and the smell of food is so calming to me and really settles me into my surroundings.


Candles

I love a good candle and they really make me feel all cosy in my pretty drab uni room! I love to light them and, after a while, take a moment to appreciate the scents from each of them and the way they make my room feel cosy and inviting. This is especially nice when I am sat on my bed reading as it creates such a calming atmosphere. I feel so great inside my own little bubble!


Tidy space, tidy mind

One thing I love to do is to take a little bit of time before and during my work or studies to organise my desk space. It gives me some time away from the screen and gives me something to focus on for a while other than my work. Plus, I really appreciate a good tidy workspace and I really do think that the phrase 'tidy space, tidy mind' strongly applies to me. I cannot focus in clutter and just appreciating how tidy my workspace is from time-to-time makes doing my work a little more bearable.

Reading in bed

Speaking of simple pleasures, reading in bed is the ultimate! Just being in such a relaxed state and ready to be absorbed by a book is my favourite feeling! Just making the time to get super duper comfortable and do nothing but read for pleasure is so great! A bit of calming music and some candles make this a perfect moment to settle down and just chill!


Cooking a meal slowly

Usually, when (if) I cook, I am in a rush to make my food, eat my food and go on to do something else. However, I do quite enjoy cooking and occasionally I have the time to slowly prepare myself a meal. This is a time to try to cook something new or a favourite food and to savour each step of the process. Sometimes, I may even bake!

Bathe

A good bath can cure anything! I love to take a lovely hot bath when I'm super stressed and tense, and when this makes my back and shoulders super achey! Taking that time to give myself a proper pamper is so needed sometimes and is the ultimate treat! Plus, I'm a sucker for Lush products so usually, I get to try out some goodies when I have a bath.

Moisturise

I have started to take moisturising way more seriously than I used to and I now moisturise my body as soon as I get out of the shower. I love a good shower and taking just that little bit of extra time after my shower to nourish my skin and to treat myself leaves me feeling so pampered! I am also more serious about keeping a full skincare routine and remembering to moisturise my face, and my skin LOVES me for it!

Music

The great thing about music is that there is something to listen to for every mood and there's always new music to discover! Whether it's listening to a playlist on Spotify, one of my records or an old fave, music does me the world of good. While it's always nice to have background music, setting aside some time in the day to properly listen to and focus on music is such a good way to unwind!


Have a hot drink

No matter what your fave is, hot drinks can soothe your soul and make you feel warm and cosy. When I'm on the go during the day, I am constantly drinking coffee but I don't get to properly appreciate it unless I'm sat down in a cafe in a break. So, when I get home and I am laying in bed I love to have a lovely hot chocolate! It's a super rich treat and it usually sends me straight to sleep!


Walk

Walking is a great way to clear your head in the morning before work/school/uni, or after a long and busy day! This can be a planned walk or just a walk to and from where you need to be for the day! I walk everywhere now and it's done my a world of good! I feel better in uni and more alive, plus it makes me feel like I've achieved something when I reach my step goal for the day! The key for making the most of your walk, however, is taking in your surroundings and setting off early enough that you aren't rushing and super stressed about getting where you need to be on time! Savour it!


Wake up slow

One benefit of waking up earlier which I have discovered is the lovely feeling of waking up slowly and not being in a rush to throw yourself out of bed! You can do this in a number of ways. I like to drink a glass of water and have a good stretch when I wake up, before making my to-do lists and checking social media. You could maybe slowly get up and make a good coffee to enjoy in bed or just take the time to lay there and have a moment of mindfulness! Whatever works for you!

I hope that you enjoyed this post and found it useful! What do you do to slow down and chill out? I would love to know! x

So the popular saying goes 'you should treat others how you would like to be treated', however for some of us, we treat others kindly and don't quite do the same for ourselves. Hence, the title of this post and the twist on the popular phrase. Treat yourself how you treat others!

Other popular phrases on kindness:

• "In a world where you can be anything, be kind"
• "Kind words cost nothing"
• "Throw kindness around like confetti"
• "You will never regret being kind"

I cannot believe how fast February flew by! I am so ready for March but for now, let's focus on the highlights of February! A lot happened over the past month, some good, some bad! I don't want to dwell on the negatives of the month so i'm going to chat about what I loved this month and all the great things that happened!

Products I loved this month

I'm going to kick off this post by talking about my hair! This month, I swapped out my super cheap and not great shampoo and conditioner for some new faves! I have started using the Garnier Ultimate Blends Oat Milk Shampoo* and its accompanying conditioner*, plus the heat protection spray*! This range is so great! My hair feels so much better and I love the feel and smell of the products!


To go with the new hair routine, this month I picked up H'Suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment from Lush! It has improved the condition of my hair so much and always leaves my hair looking silky smooth and shiny!


I also switched up my skincare routine over February and I finally found a moisturiser that doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy and even more oily than it already is! (Trust me, I've tried so many moisturisers and not fully liked a single one)! I picked up the Sukin Facial Moisturiser* just on a whim whilst I was in Boots and i'm so glad I purchased it! It's in a handy pump bottle that I just keep by my sink and a little goes a very long way, which means this bottle is going to last me ages! It smells lovely, sinks into the skin quickly, and leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated! I can't hype about this moisturiser enough, I love it so much! It's on offer for £5.30 on the Boots website at the moment and I would highly recommend picking up a bottle!

Along with the Sukin moisturiser, I have started to use the Superdrug Calm Skin Soothing Facial Wash* and I am loving it! It's only £2.99 and leaves my skin feeling super clean and super smooth! It's lovely and gentle too which is a massive bonus for my sensitive skin! My skin also seems so much less oily when I use this which is amazing!


Music, TV, games and films I have loved this month

Black Panther. I am obsessed. I have seen Black Panther in the cinema twice so far and I am aching to go see it again. It's just such a beautiful, thrilling and all-around awesome film! Plus, I have been listening to nothing but the soundtrack since it was released!

I have also begun to watch Grey's Anatomy and I love it! I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do but I have binge-watched the first season and I am so ready to start the second season after my deadlines have passed! It has a lot of heart and is so nice just to put on at the end of a long day!

This month, I swapped my bedroom at home for my brother's Xbox 360 and it's made me so unproductive but I love it! This month I have mostly been playing Borderlands and Fallout 3. Both I have been waiting to play for a very long time so I was super excited to start!


In terms of music, as usual, I have mostly been listening to Marilyn Manson. However, I have also had a bit of a throwback month and I have been listening to records by The Front Bottoms, a fave who I haven't listened to in a while! An amazing soundtrack, however, took over this month! The Black Panther soundtrack, as mentioned, is all I have been listening to!

Events and things

So, I can't talk about February without mentioning Valentine's day! This year was the first time I wasn't single for Valentine's and I had a wonderful evening! We went for Italian food and then prosecco and it was so lovely!

I also got a lot of work done and got even more involved with peer support at my university which is something I should be pretty proud of! Lots of new and exciting schemes and projects are in the works and I am so excited for what the future holds!

On the last day of February, I received my winter exam results! I am still on track even though my mental health nearly fully derailed my studies so even though I didn't necessarily make progress, i'm very happy with where I am at and I know that I have the potential to get better and do even better this semester!

Also, can you believe this snow?? It's getting seriously ridiculous!


Goals for March

I'm going to catch up on all my uni work over the next few weeks and keep on track so that I don't end up overwhelmed and swamped when exams arrive! I'm also, hopefully, signing onto pole fitness classes with Chloe and generally just working on my fitness. I put on a lot of weight over the past two months and I don't feel particularly great or healthy! To be a bit more in shape would be great!

I hope you had a marvellous month! I am so thankful for those of you who have been reading and commenting and chatting to me on social media! It feels so good to build connections! x