My Happiness Project - January Round Up

I was recently given a book by a friend called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and after hearing about it online and then flicking through the book I was inspired to do my own Happiness Project. If you haven’t heard of the book, it is basically about a lady who was tired of feeling run down and miserable all the time, so she decided to do something about it. She started off on a project that would span an entire year. Every month was assigned a theme, and within these themes she came up with a selection of goals to help her reach the happiness theme of that particular month. It’s a really inspiring and thought-provoking book, so I would really recommend giving it a read if you ever get the chance.

So, I decided that I am also fed up of feeling sad all the time. Having depression makes life incredibly difficult and, whilst I know I can’t cure myself, I can be more proactive in my choices, which in turn could lead to an improved state of mind. Conducting my own Happiness Project seemed like the perfect thing to start, what with it being a new year and all that, so I started thinking about how I could do one for myself. I have decided to use the same monthly themes that are talked about in the book, because I feel I am able to come up with relevant goals for each of them, which are personal to me. Obviously no two happiness projects will be the same, because we all have individual challenges that cause us unhappiness and different things that make us feel happy. But I felt I could relate the themes to my own life and come up with a range of goals that cover all aspects of my life.

I thought I would make a series of posts, over the next year, so that you can experience my Happiness Project with me, and perhaps even join me and do a project of your own. I will do a post at the beginning of each month, detailing the monthly theme and the goals I am aiming towards, and then at the end of the month I will do a brief wrap-up about how I have got on over the last month and reflect on how the project is going.

So we have now come to the end of January and I thought I would have a quick chat to you about how I’ve got on with this months goals, which were as follows:

Go to sleep earlier

I’ve really been trying with this one, and I’ve found it quite hard because I’m naturally a night owl. But on college nights, my aim has been to get to bed by 10.30pm, with maybe a bit of time for reading before going to sleep. Generally I’ve been managing it, although there is always room for improvement. I can’t say I feel any less tired, but then that’s a difficult one anyway when you’ve got a chronic illness. But going to bed earlier does help me relax a bit more and also gives me some proper reading time, which I struggle to find these days.

Eat more healthily

If I’m totally honest this hasn’t really happened this month. I have tried to make little changes, but there’s been so much nice food to eat up from Christmas, plus the fact that I’ve been put on nutritional drinks to replace some of my meals, it’s been quite hard to make changes. However, I have stopped buying processed snacks, so once I’ve finished the ones I have I won’t be eating them any more. And I have now made a plan to start Slimming World once I’ve seen my consultant, so hopefully over the coming year my eating habits will get healthier.

Swim once a week

This is something I have managed to keep up every week, unless there has been a valid reason why I couldn’t go. And I do feel mentally better for going. I can feel really anxious and tense before I go, but as soon as I get in the water I can feel myself relaxing. Has it brought me more energy? I’m not so sure. But it has certainly helped me to relax and just have some ‘me’ time.

Tidy out my wardrobe and Organise my craft unit

I’m not going to dress this up to be something that it’s not – I haven’t done this. However, I have made a start on tidying my room, and the reason I haven’t got onto my wardrobe and craft unit yet is because there were other things that needed to by tidied before I can move on to sorting out those things. So, there is a reason for not achieving this goal, rather than it just being because I couldn’t be bothered. I really do struggle to find the time and energy to tidy up, so I’ve been making a conscious effort to spend a bit of time each week tidying something in my bedroom. My aim is to continue like this and hopefully move on to my wardrobe and craft unit over the coming months.

Go to the cinema once a month

Now this is something I have managed to do – not that it was particularly difficult to go to the cinema once this month! I went with my friend Lilli to see Into the Woods, which we both really enjoyed more than we thought we would. It’s got a great cast list and the music in it is incredibly catchy. It was really nice to get out and spend some quality time with a friend, so this definitely helped to boost my mood this month, which I think is a big part of boosting your energy. We already have plans in place for next month’s film too!

So there we have it. Five different goals I’ve worked on this month. I’ve really enjoyed having some goals to focus my energy on and I’ve found doing it this way a lot more achievable than if I just set myself some general New Years resolutions. If you would like to take part in your own Happiness Project and happen to take any photos as part of it, please use #JensHappyProject so I can check out what you’ve all been up to!

Have you read The Happiness Project? Do you have any goals you’ve achieved this month?

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January Blues Giveaway! - CLOSED

I don’t know about you, but I always find January a really difficult month. The excitement from Christmas is over, all the pretty lights and decorations have been put away and it’s usually dark, cold and wet most of the time. Not very inspiring really! To help myself get through the cold winter months, I like to plan lots of little treats that I can look forward to over January and February. I’ve actually found this really helpful, because by the time the beginning of March is approaching, the days are getting lighter and a bit warmer and I’m already looking forward to the upcoming summer.

So, with this in mind, I thought it would be nice if I could do the same for you guys, and give you a little treat to look forward to. I’ve been doing a bit of shopping in the sales since just after Christmas, and have managed to accumulate a nice little stash of prezzies for one of you to win. A couple of bits are more Christmassy, but I didn’t think that really mattered, as you can still use them all now, so hopefully you will enjoy pampering yourself with this bundle of goodies.

Bundle of prizes - cushions not included

Ghost fragrance set

Lush Christmas Candy Box

Cath Kidston Essentials Collection

Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot

Rimmel Rita Ora nail varnish collection

Aromatherapy Associates Star Gift

As you can see, there are quite a few nice bits that you can win, so I hope this can be something you get excited about! Just to go over a few rules before we get on to the actual competition – I’m afraid this giveaway is for the UK only, as it’s going to be pretty expensive to post and it was all bought with my own money, so unfortunately I can’t stretch this time to posting internationally. The giveaway will run for roughly two and a half weeks, with it finishing on Sunday 8^th February 2015. To enter, all you need to do is complete the tasks set out by the Rafflecopter below. Some you can only do once, whereas there are others you can do to enter every single day. Obviously the more ways you enter, the more likely you are to be picked as the winner. There will be one winner, and they will be picked at random by the Rafflecopter. I will be checking your entries and if you haven’t completed the task properly I’m afraid you will be disqualified. I will announce the winner on my blog and also by e-mail, and you will have one week to get back to me with your address, otherwise a new winner will be picked.

Right, I think that’s everything! All that leaves us with is for you to enter on the Rafflecopter below. Have fun and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you entering my competition? What videos would you like to see me do over on my YouTube channel?

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Sunday Spotlight - 25th January 2015

In my life this week…

Facial and nails

I love nothing more than a bit of a pamper, and when I found out my college has a hair and beauty salon (where the hairdressing and beauty students learn and practise) I knew I would have to check it out. It’s taken me a while to get round to it, but after chatting to the college counsellor she suggested I go and investigate. So, last week I popped in and booked myself in for a massage this Tuesday. Unfortunately on the day, after filling in their medical questionnaire, they decided I couldn’t have a massage without a Doctor’s note, so instead I decided to have a facial. I’ve never had a facial before so didn’t really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxing it could be. And I came out afterwards feeling like my skin was so smooth and glowing. Afterwards, I decided to make an appointment for the Thursday to have some gel nails done. Unfortunately I haven’t been overly impressed with them as they chipped within a day of getting them done, so I probably won’t get them done there again, but it was certainly worth a try.

Southampton Uni rejection

So, after the high of getting an interview with Southampton University last week, this week I came crashing back to reality with a bang when I received an e-mail telling me my application had been rejected. I actually found it quite difficult to read the e-mail, as it basically went through all the things that were wrong with my application and how I presented myself on the interview, so I felt pretty crap if I’m honest. Now that I’ve had a few days to take in the news I’m starting to feel a little more positive again. It obviously isn’t the right University for me, and if I’m honest I’d had worries about it ever since I went to the Open Day, so perhaps this rejection was a blessing in disguise.

Hula Hoop

I’ve been really trying to step up my game and lose a bit of weight/tone up recently. I’m looking into joining Slimming World, which I’m feeling quite excited about. I also try and go swimming once a week, although it is a bit of a struggle. Exercise is pretty difficult for me with my health being as it is, so I’m having to think outside the box a bit. So, when one of my spoonie friends suggested that I try hula hooping, I thought I would give it a go. I hopped over to Amazon and found this weighted hula-hoop in pink and grey for a fairly reasonable price, so quickly put in an order and it arrived the very next day. Last night I finally managed to actually keep it moving for more than a couple of seconds! My aim is to try and do just a couple of minutes every day, in the hope it will improve my stomach and waist.

What has grabbed your attention this week? I love hearing about people’s new discoveries and you may end up sharing something that makes it onto my list next week!

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My Little Energy Box

If you’ve been following my series of unboxing posts about ‘My Little Box’ you’ll know how much people are raving about this subscription box service. They started off just sending boxes out to people in France and Japan, but now they’ve come over to the UK and I must say I’m incredibly glad! I was so excited waiting for my next box to arrive, so when the postman finally delivered it I was quick to tear open the packaging!

As with previous boxes, on the inside lid of the brown box was a cute little illustration saying ‘Good Vibes Only.’ I think this is such a nice finishing touch and it’s something you can keep to perhaps put in a scrapbook when you need cheering up. The January Box is labelled the Energy Box, which I think is perfect for this time of year with it being a new year and people trying to make themselves better and healthier, and I was intrigued to see what they had chosen to fill it with. As always, it was displayed beautifully and tied together with a bow.

The first thing I found when I undid the ribbon was another A5 print, this time of a two ladies running and the quote ‘Happy New Year, Happy New Dreams, Happy New Days, Happy New Desires, Happy New Energy and Happy 2015.’ I really love the idea of these prints, although I’m still trying to decide what to do with the ones I’ve collected so far. They would look great put in a frame and hung in an office, or it might just be nice to keep hold of them to look through when you’re in need of some inspiration. In this months box I also received the ‘My Little World’ A5 magazine, which I’m really looking forward to flicking through. From what I’ve seen so far, it seems to have a whole range of articles to read.

Underneath the print and magazine was a little card wallet with a folded up gym bag inside it. I can totally understand why they would put a gym bag in this box, but I’m not sure I’ll get much use out of it, as it’s quite thin and flimsy. Still, it might be nice to put something in at some point.

The next thing I found in the box was this cute little calendar, which already has a punched hole in the top, ready to be put up on your notice board. Again, it’s a cute idea but I do already have a calendar, so I’m not sure how useful this will be to me. Perhaps I can use it to track my healthier eating, or even my blog posts.

The final thing I found in My Little Box this month were the cosmetics. They came, like last month, in a cute little cotton bag, which is always such great quality. The first thing I picked up was the Photo-Hydra Day moisturiser, which actually sounds really nice so I’m looking forward to trying it out. Next up was this Nails Inc nail varnish. Unfortunately it’s in a colour that seems to regularly come as a free gift in magazines and such like, so I think I probably already have this colour. Then came the ‘My Little Beauty’ offering, which, this month, was an energising spray, which sounds like an interesting product to use, especially at this time of year when you need a bit of a pick-me-up. I’ll be interested to see what it’s like and what the scent is.

So, that’s everything that came in My Little Energy Box this month. I’ve got to say that this is probably my least favourite box so far – a lot of the products just aren’t really me, and for some reason the contents seemed a bit sparse this time round. But I don’t hate it and there are still products I will give a try. I’m just looking forward to the February box and am already imagining what the theme might be.

Are you a fan of My Little Box? Or is there another subscription box that you would recommend?

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Origins in the spotlight

I’ve been looking for a new moisturiser for a while now, and quite a few people recommended I try out something from Origins. So I decided to place a little order and see what all the fuss was about.

The moisturiser smells amazing – so refreshing and zingy, and it soaks into my skin beautifully. Now I understand why everyone raves about it!

I also decided to try a few other little bits and bobs, so treated myself to their spot treatment, which I am yet to use and their ‘No Puffery’ eye gel, which is so cooling and calming. The set I bought also came with the charcoal mask, which really makes your skin feel squeaky-clean and helps to unclog your pores.

The people at Origins very kindly added a little free gift to my order, which was this Modern Fiction dermabrasion, which I’ve already tried out and it make my skin feel silky smooth and very revitalised.

Overall I’m really impressed with the brand as a whole and am very tempted to repurchase some of these products once I’ve used these ones up, and perhaps try some other products as well.

Have you used any Origins products before? What would you recommend I try?

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Sunday Spotlight - 18th January 2015

In my life this week…

Pinterest

I am absolutely addicted to Pinterest at the moment! I seem to go through phases of using it and then not using it for a while, but just now it is definitely one of those ‘using it’ phases. I’ve pinned so many pretty pictures on there and also started to upload some of my own (that aren’t nearly as good as most of the other ones on there!) But I love creating myself a new board and then filling it with ideas and inspiration. I find it really useful when I’m doing my crafting as there are so many creative ideas on there. It’s also great for more individual gift ideas too and I’ve got loads of ideas from what I’ve found there. If you’re a Pinterest user then feel free to leave me a link to your boards and I will take a gander!

Southampton Uni selection day

On Wednesday my Dad and I set off really early for Southampton University. After applying to study Occupational Therapy there, I was invited for a selection day, which is basically like a whole day interview. To say I was nervous is definitely an understatement! We arrived and found our way to the correct building eventually, and began the day with a computer test and a writing test. We then had lunch together and I made a right nuisance of myself because, despite ordering a gluten free lunch, nothing had turned up, so one of the staff very kindly went to get me a jacket potato instead. I’m just hoping that won’t count against me when they make their decision! The afternoon was spent listening to various talks and looking round the University – thank goodness I had my wheelchair! Dad and I then headed over to Costa for a quick drink before setting off for home. I should hear their decision sometime in the coming week, so I’m on tenterhooks at the moment!

Into the Woods

Yesterday I met up with one of my oldest friends to have a bit of a girly afternoon. We started the afternoon by heading over to Hobbycraft. She’s an art teacher so is always on the lookout for new materials, and I’m starting a Project Life album and an art journal, so I needed some bits for them. Unfortunately their Project Life selection was very limited, so I’m going to have to look online instead. After Hobbycraft we popped into Paperchase, where I bought a journal for said art journal, as well as quite a few of their gorgeous postcards – they’re so addictive! We stopped for a quick drink in Starbucks before making our way to the cinema to see Into the Woods, which was fantastic. Really catchy songs, a great cast list and some of my favourite fairy tales – what more could you ask for?! We ended our evening having dinner at Ed’s Easy Diner, which unfortunately was pretty awful overall, but we didn’t let that spoil our day. We’ve already decided on next month’s cinema trip, so I’m looking forward to that.

What has grabbed your attention this week? I love hearing about people’s new discoveries and you may end up sharing something that makes it onto my list next week!

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And the winner is...

The winner of my Happiness Project giveaway is...
Tracy K Nixon!
Congratulations Tracy. I will be e-mailing you asap to organise sending you the book and a letter

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52 Lists - Week 5

As you probably know, I’ve decided to give the 52 Lists Project by Morrea Seal a go, and yes, I am incredibly late to this particular party! If you haven’t heard of it, the basic premise is that a list subject has been created for every week of the year, so each week you print off your list template, complete it and pop it in a folder. At the end of a year you will then have 52 different lists, which should tell you a lot about yourself. Yes, you are probably meant to start this project at the beginning of the year, but hey, when was I ever one to conform?!

This week I had a go at list number 5, which was asking you to list all the things you are grateful for, which I thought was a really lovely thing to do and is something I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time.

I actually think this is a really good thing to do on a regular basis – even if it’s just once a week writing down three things you are grateful for. It soon builds up and you realise you have so many things to feel thankful about, even if sometimes life can seem very bleak. I guess my list is fairly typical in a number of ways. I am grateful for my loving and supportive family and friends, having a roof over my head, food in the fridge and clean water to drink and I have grown up somewhere safe. I also tried to look at my health, which I very often feel disappointed with, but I think it’s important to find any little things that you can be happy about. Yes, I have a long-term genetic condition that is always going to make life more difficult for me, but things could always be worse. Most of the time I am able to get out of bed in the morning, even if it’s just to make it downstairs to the sofa. But I still get a change of scenery, and there have been times in my life when I have been bedbound for months on end. I am also incredibly lucky to finally have a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It might sound like a strange thing to be grateful for, but after spending 26 years being unwell and not having any answers, it is such a relief to finally have some understanding of what is wrong with me.

The EDS is also a blessing because it has made me who I am today. It’s introduced me to the most amazing group of online (and real life) friends, who I would never have met if I were healthy. It has made me appreciate the little things in life – feeling the sunshine on my face, being able to wash my hair, walking bare foot on dewy grass. There is so much to be grateful for in this beautiful world, but sometimes you just have to look a bit harder for it.

What words and phrases would be on your list for this week?

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Sunday Spotlight - 11th January 2015

In my life this week…

Back to college

This Monday I went back to college after having two weeks off for the Christmas holidays. It was definitely a shock to the system waking up at 7am again after a couple of weeks of lie-ins! I feel a bit like I’ve gone back to reality with a bang. All of a sudden we have assignments and exams coming out of our ears and I’m already feeling absolutely shattered. I just keep reminding myself of my end goal, and the fact that it’s only 5 weeks until half term!

Image from Weheartit

Occupational Therapist

On Tuesday my new Occupational Therapist came round to see me to discuss where I am with my health and what she might be able to do to help. It was quite nice being able to talk to an OT, as it’s the career I’m going into, but it was also really helpful having someone who can help me problem solve some of the difficulties I’m having. She spent a good hour and a half with me, going through my physical and mental health problems and how they are affecting what I can do day-to-day. We discussed the fact that I really need a new wheelchair that I can self-propel and she is going to put in an application for me to get a made-to-measure chair from the NHS, which is something I never expected I would be able to get so that’s really positive. She has also given me a bath board so that I can still wash if I’m not feeling up to standing in the shower or getting in and out of the bath. We did also talk about the possibility of a stair lift and that’s something she’s going to go away and think about, but overall I’m so glad I was able to see her as these adaptations will hopefully make life a little easier for me.

Image from Weheartit

New Godson

One of my closest friends gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on Thursday and I have been asked to be one of his Godmothers. I’m so excited to go round and see my friend and baby Jack – I’ve seen some photos and he looks just gorgeous! It’s also a great excuse for me to buy cute baby clothes because, let’s face it, who doesn’t like choosing adorable little clothes!

Image from Weheartit

What has grabbed your attention this week? I love hearing about people’s new discoveries and you may end up sharing something that makes it onto my list next week!

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Quote of the Day

As you may remember from previous posts, I have started working with a great little company called IttyBitty Book Company. They produce the cutest little books, filled with inspirational quotes for any situation. In my work with them, I’ve decided that every other week I will share a quote with you that I feel applies to my life at that particular time. I love quotes and often turn to them when I need some motivation and inspiration, so I hope that by doing this I can help to inspire some of you too.

“Keep in mind admitting weakness is actually a sign of strength”

This quote really stood out to me this week because for the last few weeks I’ve been really trying to put on a brave face but it’s got to the point where I just needed to admit that I am really struggling. It’s easy to see it as a sign of weakness, admitting you are feeling vulnerable and scared, but it actually takes a hell of a lot of guts to open up to others and be honest about what’s going on for you. I’ve been trying to convince myself that it’s OK to let others know I’m finding things hard, and that, in the long run, it will actually help me to get stronger with their help. There’s nothing wrong with accepting help from those around you. We are social beings who need other people to survive, and there’s nothing weak or bad about admitting you need a bit of help. So, instead of struggling to put on that brave face all the time, why not try confiding in someone you trust about what’s really going on. You might be pleasantly surprised by how much it helps.

What quotes inspire you when things are difficult?

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Introducing the Happiness Project + Giveaway

I was recently given a book by a friend called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and after hearing about it online and then flicking through the book I was inspired to do my own Happiness Project. If you haven’t heard of the book, it is basically about a lady who was tired of feeling run down and miserable all the time, so she decided to do something about it. She started off on a project that would span an entire year. Every month was assigned a theme, and within these themes she came up with a selection of goals to help her reach the happiness theme of that particular month. It’s a really inspiring and thought-provoking book, so I would really recommend giving it a read if you ever get the chance.

So, I decided that I am also fed up of feeling sad all the time. Having depression makes life incredibly difficult and, whilst I know I can’t cure myself, I can be more proactive in my choices, which in turn could lead to an improved state of mind. Conducting my own Happiness Project seemed like the perfect thing to start, what with it being a new year and all that, so I started thinking about how I could do one for myself. I have decided to use the same monthly themes that are talked about in the book, because I feel I am able to come up with relevant goals for each of them, which are personal to me. Obviously no two happiness projects will be the same, because we all have individual challenges that cause us unhappiness and different things that make us feel happy. But I felt I could relate the themes to my own life and come up with a range of goals that cover all aspects of my life.

I thought I would make a series of posts, over the next year, so that you can experience my Happiness Project with me, and perhaps even join me and do a project of your own. I will do a post at the beginning of each month, detailing the monthly theme and the goals I am aiming towards, and then at the end of the month I will do a brief wrap-up about how I have got on over the last month and reflect on how the project is going.

So we are obviously in January at the moment, and the theme for this month is to ‘Boost Energy.’ My goals this month are as follows:

Go to sleep earlier

I find that because of my health problems I need a lot of sleep, and even then I still don’t feel very energetic. I’m not expecting miraculous changes, but I’m hoping that by going to bed a bit earlier I will feel a bit more refreshed the next morning, especially when it’s a college day!

Eat more healthily

This is quite a sensitive area for me because of my eating disorder, so I know I need to be careful with the kind of goal I set myself. Rather than focussing on cutting things out or reducing the amount I eat, I thought a focus on healthier eating might be better. I believe that eating healthily means generally sticking to healthy foods, but at the same time allowing yourself a little of what you fancy. Everything in moderation is what I’ve always been told. So I will be trying to replace some of my snacks with healthier alternatives and try and ensure I’m eating as wide a variety as possible of fruits and vegetables.

Swim once a week

This is actually a goal I came up with when I saw my Physiotherapist. I used to do Hydrotherapy at the hospital twice a week, which was really helpful as I’m able to do exercises in the water than I could never do on land. But unfortunately the Hydro sessions were time limited, so before Christmas I signed up to my local gym on a swimming membership. I went sporadically but always found it very relaxing when I did eventually go, so this year I want to try and go once a week, unless there’s a valid excuse why I can’t go. It’s also an opportunity for me to have a bit of ‘me time,’ which must be good for boosting physical and mental energy.

Tidy out my wardrobe and Organise my craft unit

My mantra has always been ‘A tidy house equals a tidy mind’ so if my room is anything to go by at the moment, my mind must be incredibly messy! Rather than aiming to tidy my whole room, which I think will just be detrimental to my health, I wanted to focus on just a couple of aspects. The first thing I need to do is tidy out my wardrobe, try clothes on and actually get rid of stuff that either doesn’t fit me or I will never wear. At the moment they are just making the room feel more cluttered and having a negative impact on my body image when I look in the wardrobe and realise I have things in there that don’t fit me any more. I would also like to organise my new craft units that I bought at the end of last year. This will actually be incredibly helpful for another goal in a few months time, so I really need to work on getting it done.

Go to the cinema once a month

This is a slightly abstract goal, because I’m not 100% sure if it will actually have any impact on my energy, but it’s something I have been wanting to do for a while and now felt like a good time to introduce it. I love going to the cinema and, now that I’m a student, I feel like I should be making the most of reduced ticket prices and trying to do a few more social activities with people who live nearby. I’m hoping it will promote extra happiness, especially if I go and watch a comedy or a Disney film!

So there we have it. Five different goals to work on this month, and I think that hopefully they are very achievable goals. I’m really looking forward to taking part in this project and would love you to join me with your own. If you would like to take part and happen to take any photos as part of your project, please use #JensHappyProject so I can check out what you’ve all been up to!

I’m enjoying this book so much that I decided to buy another copy to giveaway to you guys! All you have to do is enter on the Rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open to everyone and anyone, as it won’t be too heavy for me to post if you happen to live abroad, so please do enter if you’d like to win the book and a little letter from me. I will check the winning entry so please play fair. The giveaway will close on 16^th January, so you have just over a week to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read The Happiness Project? Do you have any resolutions you’ve made for this month?

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Blogger of the Month - Briar Rose Blog

I really hope you’re enjoying this series of posts and that perhaps you’ve discovered a new blog or two to follow. It’s so hard to just pick one blogger a month because there are so many great bloggers out there – I’ve got a list longer than my arm of candidates for my blogger of the month award! If you have a particular blogger you’ve been loving recently, I’d love to hear about them.

So, let me introduce you to my January Blogger of the Month; Megan over at Briar Rose Blog.

I discovered Megan’s blog a while ago and I don’t know why I haven’t made her my blogger of the month sooner, because hers is one of my favourite ever blogs to read! She also produces YouTube videos as well, so covers my interest from all angles!

Megan

Megan comes across as such a lovely person and is definitely someone I would love to be friends with! She’s 22, an aspiring YA novelist, occasional model (isn’t she gorgeous?!) and lives with her husband in their University town of Bath, with her parental home being in Cornwall.

Fashion

I am absolutely in love with Megan’s style and sense of fashion. I get the impression my body shape is quite similar to hers, and I have got no end of inspiration from her fashion posts. I really struggle to dress for my body shape, but discovering Megan’s blog has opened my eyes into a whole new way of dressing. She chooses beautifully made fabrics and colours that you can’t help but be taken in by.

Cute accessories

Megan is definitely a girl after my own heart when it comes to accessories – the cuter and more individual the better! Over the last few months she has showcased everything from a Russian Doll bag to plenty of quirky and fun hair accessories from Crown andGlory.

Cute cat

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you will know by now that I’m a big cat lover, so seeing photos of Megan’s gorgeous kitty cat, who lives with her parents, never fails to make me smile!

Product reviews

I always enjoy reading reviews from bloggers – it’s the first place I go to for information and thoughts on pretty much anything! I really enjoy Megan’s reviews because she looks at such an eclectic mix of products and takes such beautiful photographs of them in the process.

Amazing red hair

You can’t read Megan’s blog, or watch her videos, without noticing her waves of beautiful red hair. As a fellow red-head, I am totally inspired by it and definitely dream of my hair being that long and lustrous one day!

Love of afternoon tea

I know I’ve found a person I will click with when I find out they love afternoon tea! Megan loves to share her fondness for cakes, tea and sandwiches with her beautiful photographs and lyrical words.

Cosplay

Before reading Megan’s blog, I had never really heard of Cosplay and now I’m wondering why I waited until now to know about it! The thought of being able to dress up as a Disney Princess fills me with absolute joy, and it’s something I would really like to look into doing at some point. Megan makes the most amazing costumes – look out in the future for her completely hand-made Elsa costume – it’s amazing!

Beautiful wedding photos

Just over a year ago, Megan married her sweetheart in what I can only describe as my perfect wedding ceremony. I was entranced by her beautiful photos, the outfits, decorations and just about everything else. Definitely going to be pinning some of those photos onto my Pinterest wedding board!

Baking

Like myself, Megan feels most at home baking in her gorgeous kitchen, and I love keeping up-to-date with her latest recipes for scrummy looking cakes and sweet treats.

Gorgeous round ups

I especially love it when Megan posts a round up of photos over on her blog – she takes the most beautiful and colourful photos, so having them all in one place is a real treat for the eyes!

YouTube

I’m really getting into watching and using YouTube at the moment, so I’m extra happy that Megan makes videos as well. She took part in Vlogmas in December, which I might have let out a little squee about – a video every day! What more could you possibly want?!

So, that just about sums up my Blogger of the Month for January. If you’ve not checked out Briar Rose Blog before I really hope I’ve helped convince you to and that you’ve found a great new blogger to follow.

*All photos are taken by Megan over at Briar Rose Blog

I love to find new blogs to follow, so if you have any recommendations I’d love to hear them.

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