New Venture

Hi guys,

Hope 2016 has been treating you all well so far! I've had a pretty hectic year already and it's not even March yet! As well as getting a new job, I decided to start a new venture of my own and put my creative skills to use. I have been creating 3D frames and glitter glasses as well as some other beautiful personal keepsakes. If you'd be so kind as to check out my new page:

Facebook: The Glitter Cave

Instagram: theglittercave

I hope you find something on there that you like!

Love lauryn xo 

New Year, New Start

So 2015 flew by and here we are in the year of the Sweet Sixteen!

This first post of the year is a little late but no fear, having spent the last week or so doing non-stop planning for this blog I promise to be regular with the posts from now on! And what better way to start the year than with a post on how to beat those dreaded January blues?!

January is literally like the Monday of all the months. Unless you have your birthday in January, I'm pretty sure that no one likes January. It's the month of being poor after weeks of christmas shopping followed by sales shopping, the month where all of those mulled wines and quality streets finally begin to show on the scales, and the month where the cold, dark whether is starting to get a tad boring. So keep reading for my guide on how to beat the January blues...

1. Book A Get Away
Nothing gets rid of the blues like a trip away! Whether you book a week in the sun or a night away in the countryside, an adventure to a new place is always something to look forward to and what better way to start the new year than with some great memories... and some fab snaps for insta?!

2. Start A Hobby
Throwing yourself into a hobby that you enjoy will soon have you forgetting about how much you dislike January, and concentrating on how long until you finish your shift and can get back to doing something you enjoy. Whether it's finally learning how to knit or taking the plunge and learning how to roller skate... it's time to be brave and leap into something you've always wanted to do!

3. Re-Decorate
The new year is the perfect excuse to give a room a new look! If you're lucky enough to own your own house then you could crazy and re-decorate to your hearts content or if your bedroom is the only room you can re-decorate then go for it! And even if you can't re-paint, then a new duvet and some fairy lights can make any room look totally re-vamped! You'll be surprised how a little room makeover can lift your spirits!

4. Treat Yourself
Beat the blues this month by making yourself feel faaaabulous! Search Groupon for a cheap spa day or book in for that long awaited hair appointment. You could even have your very own pamper night armed with face masks, new pyjamas and your fave takeaway.

5. Plan Ahead
Treat yourself to a nice planner and set aside a night to fill out any birthdays, plans and events you've made so far - having everything written down and organised will make your mind feel a lot less cluttered!... Take your organisation one step further, and if you have any particular goals like saving for a house or starting your own business then set up a plan of action and everything will seem a lot less overwhelming (and you'll feel fab when you get tick off each stage you've accomplished.)

6. Look After Yourself
While a face mask and a blow dry can make any girl feel fab, you need to make sure you take care of yourself on an every day basis, too. If you take care of yourself, you'll feel ten times better and have one less thing to worry about. Little things such as eating your fruit & veg, and getting enough sleep at night all help to fight off colds and feeling under the weather. With your health in check, it's so much easier to feel positive towards the others aspects in life!


So make the most of the new year, it'll be Christmas again before we know it!

Love Lauryn xo

A New Adventure

Hi lovelies!

I just wanted to give you all an update as to why I've been a little absent lately, but not to worry I will be back and posting regularly!

A fabbbb homeware company called Coconut Lane have recently opened an online store and their products are absolutely gorgeous. I've been asked to join The Coconut Crew and write for their online blog which you can find on their webpage and this week has been the first week of writing so I've had a lot to juggle in terms of planning content for both blogs. However, it's all resolved and I'll be posting on each site regularly each week.

Please check out the Coconut Lane page, not just for my blog posts but for their to die products... I promise you won't regret it!

See ya real soon!

Love Lauryn xo

It's The Little Things...

Don't get me wrong, big changes/events/presents are a fab thing that we all enjoy as it's easy to focus your life on these kind of things, but sometimes we need to stop and remind ourselves that the little things in life are pretty great too. Things like...

• Making it on the train just before the doors close *smug grin*
• Paying for a 6 chicken nugget meal and getting seven... thank you very much mr McDonalds server man.
• Finding an item of clothing and getting the last in your size.
• Finding that cheeky tenner hidden in last years coat pocket.
• Making it home just before it starts raining.
• When your computer crashes mid-essay, but when you turn it back on your essay's there waiting for you... yay for Autosave.
• Taking a spontaneous shopping trip and finding out theres 20% off... see, my shopping addiction totally has its benefits.
• Wrapping a present perfectly... this almost never happens for me.
• Being given flowers for no reason/occasion.
• Waking up to find you have another few hours in bed... result!
• Receiving results and getting a lot better than you thought you did.
• Three words... 'I love you'.
• Laughing so hard you cry.
• Catching up with friends *added bonus if wine's involved*
• When your Instagram looks on point. 
• When a nice person gives up a seat for you on the tube... another rarity, but therefore even nicer when it happens.
• New pyjamas... especially in the winter.
• The feeling when you come out of the gym on a day you really didn't want to go and smashed that workout.
• Finding old songs on YouTube that bring back thousands of memories... I'm looking at you DJ Boonie.
• Getting a new highest number of views on a blog post.
• CHRISTMAS. Need I explain?
• Receiving a really thoughtful and personal gift.
• Checking your bank balance to find you had more money than you thought.
• Getting to the till to find something's even cheaper than you thought.
• Having a family day and realising just how lucky you are.

What little things cheer you up?

Love Lauryn xo

Monday Motivation|| It's Okay Not To Be Okay

photo: www.reloveplanet.co.uk

Recently, there's been a lot of focus on promoting women as strong and independent, and while I'm all for that girl power *spice girls peace sign*, I also think it needs to be put out there that sometimes, well sometimes it's just okay not to be okay. You don't have to be a strong person 24/7, after all we're only human.

In the last eighteen months myself and my family have been through things I never would have thought we would have gone through, and while it's made us all the more stronger as a family, and made us appreciate each other a hell of a lot more, there are days when sometimes it can all be a bit too much.

This isn't a pity party, so I won't list off everything that's happened in the last year or so, but what I will say is that I felt, and sometimes still do, like everything I set out to do was a failure. In the last year or so, it felt as if nothing had gone my way and the plan I had set out for my life, had been completely turned on it's head. It's human nature, and especially British, to keep a stiff upper lip and plough on through the hard times, and my gosh, as a family we have certainly done that. We have battled all kinds of situations, but there are days when I personally, sit back and reflect on everything that has happened, and realise that I am not okay with it. There are days when everything mounts up and the smallest thing will upset me and I will feel like the entire world is against me and nothing will ever go my way... but guess what? That's okay!

If I've learnt anything from the last year, it's that the bad days make you appreciate the good. I am by no means the worst person off in the world, or even in my family, but sometimes when you've had a good few things pile up against you, it can seem like you are, and there are days when I will just wake up and feel sad, or angry, or frustrated. I hear of people who feel the same but won't talk to anyone because they don't want to appear weak or feeble and it frustrates me so much that we live in a world where being a strong person is more important than being true.

I'm not promoting any form of self-help here, but my point is that when you are battling a hard time, whether it be within your family, or school, or work, or even just a time when life doesn't seem to be going your way... accept that you will have bad days, and embrace them because you will enjoy the good days so much more. Everyone goes through tough times in life, it's what makes us who we are, but there is no rule that says you have to be okay. Sometimes accepting that you are not okay, helps you to become okay.

So please remember, it's okay not to be okay, and whatever it is your going through, you've got this.

Love Lauryn xo

My Summer Experiences

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Autumn... I love the cosy weather, candles, nights in and what not but it got me thinking that I had a pretty good summer this year. At the time, I didn't really feel I did a lot, but looking back now, it was actually pretty eventful.

So here's some of the stuff I got up to:

1. Visited New York

So this year I visited America for the first time. We decided to take a trip to New York to celebrate the end of university, and I had one of the best weeks of my life. I quite literally feel in love with the city that never sleeps.

                           

2. Turned 21 

This year was the big 21. I was so spoilt on my birthday and had so much fun celebrating with everyone.

                 

3. Holiday With Friends

For my 21st we booked a long weekend away to Center Parcs with our friends, and I loved every minute of it. I've been a few times before, but I loved going with friends and celebrating... especially in the spa. 

             

4. Graduated University

After three verrrry long years, I finally reached the end of university and received my degree from Jacqueline Wilson... 9 year old me went craaazy.

          

5. A LOT of Barbeques

One of my favourite things about Summer is the chilled evenings, sitting around the BBQ with friends, and this year I definitely made that most of it!

6. A Weekend Away

My parents took my younger brothers and sister away for the week to Somerset, and we joined them for the weekend. It was so nice to get away and switch off for a few days.

7. Booked my Wedding

Eeeek! A year after we got engaged, we finally booked our wedding at the venue I'd dreamed of having since I was little girl... excited doesn't even cover it!

7. Ate A LOT of food

What says summer like endless amounts of food? Errr nothing!

8. Family Weddings.

Finally, Summer wouldn't be summer without a good ol' family wedding!

So it's safe to say, Summer 2015 served me well.. but for now, I am more than happy that Autumn is on it's way!

Love Lauryn xo

Baking Haul: Queen of Cakes

With Great British Bake Off airing again, it's safe to say I've caught the urge to bake! Which to those who know me, will realise that was something I thought I'd never say as I am possibly the worst person at baking, ever.

While we had a few baking bits in the cupboard, there were a few basics that we didn't have, so when I took to Amazon to have a browse, I found this brand The Queen of Cakes that sold super cute baking equipment that's pink and heart shaped... what more of an incentive do I need to bake if everything is pink?!

Cake Pop Silicone Mould
I've always thought that cake pops like so cool, so after finding this mould I thought I'd give it a whack, and for just £4 why not?!

Rolling Pin
For some very odd reason I couldn't find a rolling pin in our house so this silicone one that prevents the dough sticking to it - great for people like me - was a steal at £3.

Measuring Cups
Half a cup? What sort of cup? A drinking glass? A mug? Well, now I know with these handy measuring cups that were just £1!

Cake Saver
Not that cake ever lasts long enough to have to be saved in my house, but I thought its a cute way to display a cake if anything and for just £3 it seemed like a fab idea.

Cupcake Filler
Okay, so this seems a bit adventurous for me right now, but maybe when I become the next Mary Berry I can use to take my cupcakes to the next level - and it was a complete bargain at £1!

I found this adorable Tala Icing Bag Set in The Range, although I'm not sure of the price but it was definitely less than a fiver! It comes with so many nozzles which makes decorating cakes so easy - even for rubbish bakers like me!

Keep your eyes peeled because I'll be showing you how I put these products to use in some upcoming Halloween Treats Post!

Love Lauryn xo