One of the most important things for me when applying my make-up is that I make myself look as awake as possible. I suffer quite badly with dark circles under my eyes and you can also see my veins quite clearly. I absolutely hate it. No matter how much sleep I get or how much I stay hydrated, my dark circles will never seem to shift. But with make-up it gives me that option of hiding away the darkness and bringing some light to around my eye area, making me more awake and less like a zombie. 

2. Nails - Show us what you're wearing on your nails at the moment and what the shade is, so we can also got out and rock it! 

3. Face (fotd) - What products have you applied to your face today? Have you gone for a different look than what you normally would? Share the details!

4. Ootd - What outfit have you decided to wear today? Casual? Lazy? Dressy? Maybe you're off out for an exciting day? Share with us what you've chosen to wear and where we can find these pieces.

5. Eye look - Are you a pro at eye make-up or mastered a perfect smokey eye or winged liner? Share your achievements. 

6. Lip look - Same sort of thing but with lips! What lip product are you loving at the moment or what is your go to lip product(s)?

7. Haul - What have you recently picked up on a shopping trip or online order? 

8. Favourite make-up products 

9. Beauty essentials

10. Skin care essentials

11. Fashion essentials - What accessories or staple pieces are you loving? Is there a particular piece that everyone needs?

12. Your meal/food -  I mean c'mon everyone love's food!

13. Day in the life - What have you been up to today? Have you gone out and done something fun? Are you chilling at home watching your favourite tv series? Share a moment with your followers!

14. Flowers 

15. Favourite perfume/fragrance

16. Tumblr inspired - You know when you just don't know what to post, why not find a picture you love on Tumblr and repost it? 

17. Pinterest inspired - The same applies!

18. Regram 

19. Your favourite quote - spark some motivation and positivity to not only others, but you too!

20. Bedroom snippet - Snap a photo of a section of your room! This could be one of your shelves, bedding, your storage space or dressing table.

21. Your pet

22. Flat lays 

23. Drugstore favourites - Skin products, hair saviours, make-up bits etc

24. Highend favourites - Same applies again!

Most bloggers will be familiar with the website Bloglovin. A site which allows you to follow other blog's, let your own readers have an easy way to stay up to date with your posts and discover new blog related content. The way Bloglovin readers can keep in the know about their favourite websites new content is simply through a RRS feed, that the owner can also link to their own profile by claiming their blog through the Bloglovin.

You may or not be signed up to Bloglovin as a content creater and have no idea where to start with it! But today I'm here to tell you ways you can get the most out of Bloglovin. Whether you're a newbie to the content world or you're someone who has never got on with it right from the day you published your first post. I know that some people don't find it useful and don't see much point to it. But hopefully this post today will be able to help you understand Bloglovin a little better. 

Excuse the play on words there, but today's post is going to be all about the top tips to help you take pictures for your blog. These are some of the things I find helpful to think about when I've got my camera out, ready to snap a few photos for my posts and want to achieve the best imagine I can. I'm nowhere means a professional photographer or anything like that, I'm more like a beginner who has learnt how to take photographs properly, since I started blogging and is always trying to improve!

The weekend is the perfect time to not only chill or go and have some fun  but also to do those small tasks that you have been putting off throughout the week. I find I'm more prepared for the week when I've been slightly productive during the weekend. Today's post is all about the five beauty things you can do at the weekend. These are the sorts of things you can do to prepare yourself for the week commencing, as well as cross off anything on your to do list. Plus their beauty related, so there's still an element of fun if you're a beauty lover!

So recently you might have seen my How To Blog On A Budget Post, where I shared some tips and advice on blogging on a budget. Today I thought I would present to you some post ideas that are budget friendly. You don't need to have money to blog. Sometimes the best and most read posts created are purely based on experiences, thoughts and by having a good old chat with your readers. You can simply read this list, take a look around you or gather some inspiration to build your own budget friendly post ideas.

Blogging when you have little or no money can be difficult. It can be demotivating when you're unable to go out and buy the latest product launches to then go home, try out the product and write a review. The same goes for when you want to buy some new clothes, put together some outfits and create a few looks for your blog posts. However it doesn't have to be that hard. There are so many things you can do to continue blogging without having to spend your money buying things for your blog. Here are some ideas that you could use to continue blogging whilst on your budget.


Use what you've already got - It's seem's straight forward, but using what you've already got is the easiest thing you can do. Rummage through your make-up collection, sort through your wardrobe, look through some old storage and you'd be surprised what you may find. You could do a round up of a certain favourite type of product from your collection, like lipsticks or you could talk about how your style has changed over a certain amount of years. There's so many ideas you could create from your own objects. This can really help make your post's unique to you!

Other examples of how to use what you've got, include finding old wallpaper samples, magazine pages or covers, newspaper, flooring, posters etc to use for photo backgrounds. Alternatively, you could look around the house for some blogging props to use, such as fake flowers, ornaments, notebooks, jewellery etc.

Tip: In terms of photography, using your phone camera and any free editing apps, is a cheap method in creating perfect photo's without having to spend a lot!!!

Use free options - Another option is that you could go use free options. An example of this would be to go look on social media and other blogs to gather some inspiration to form your own blog post ideas. Also you could search online for some free printable's to use for your blog. In terms of blog backgrounds, simply printing off whatever background image you would like off Google images and onto an A4 piece of paper is a free service to use. Another method is printing off any blogging worksheets, like a blog post planner, a stats tracker or a printable calendar to help keep you organised. All free to do!!

Tip: When you do spend, if a particular store you spend a lot in, has a points reward card scheme, such as Boots or Superdrug for example. Then sign up, get your card and collect points when you purchase something new. Over time you'll end up having enough points to treat yourself to whatever it is that you want! 



Re-do old posts - Redoing your old posts is another free method. Maybe there are some posts that didn't get as much traffic as you would have hoped, since you loved the idea or maybe your style of writing has changed or your photography has improved. Why not have a go at redoing these posts and updating them for your readers. This also saves you some money, because you will already have what you need.

Write from experiences - Instead of lusting over what you want to buy and would love to review, why not get personal with some of your own experiences. Most people love being nosey and having an insight scoop into people's lives. C'mon don't lie now, we all do it and love it! Why not share some of your tips relating to a certain experience from your life. Maybe you've been through a difficult time, one that others can relate to and are seeking some advice. Why not share your tips and tricks with them. On the other hand, you could write about more positive experiences like a trip you went on, this way you can include some of your holiday photos and a description of your time there or places to visit in a guide form.

Look for cheaper alternatives - If you have caved in and cannot help but want to go out and spend, then a safer option than to splurge in one go, is to look for cheaper alternatives before you do. Looking online and comparing prices is a great way to start. Is there something you can get cheaper online or instore? Is there something you can get cheaper somewhere else? Is there a cheaper product alternative that does the same thing for the same quality.

Tip: Maybe you should ask yourself, whether or not you actually need it?!

Save!!!!!! - An obvious one, but maybe one we should all stick by. The urge to spend is real. But if you think logically about your money and set a proper budget in place, putting away some money at the end of the week or month isn't so bad. If there's something you really want but can't afford, then this might be the option you turn to. Maybe you want a new laptop, camera, some new products or a new outfit, some photography equipment, whatever it is you might be after. Opt for putting some money into a savings account or a pot each week/month, until you have saved enough to purchase that item you have been after.

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Leather Jacket:

A leather jacket is for me a wardrobe must. I have gotten so much wear out of mine the past few years. I'm pretty much live in it for most of Autumn, Winter and for when it's a bit colder in Spring. Leather jacket's are especially great for those times, you know when it's a little chilly and you just want to throw a quick something on over what you're wearing. Again another very versatile piece that will go with absolutely everything. Plus they never really go out of fashion. An item I believe it is worth splurging on, for the quality and wear for seasons to come. No wonder it is a great essential to have in your wardrobe!

They also create this rock chic girl vibe for everyday wear. Pair it with similar colours and textures, you can easily add to the theme of this piece. Leather jacket's are great for night outs also, for when you need a cover up, but don't want nothing too fancy or out of the way. Also I think they look great for when you have more of a relaxed outfit and you want to give a touch of edge to your look! A leather jacket is the thing to thrown on over the top to achieve this. 

What are your wardrobe essentials? Share below!

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When you want to interact, gain a following and promote your posts on social media, it can sometimes be hard to work out which platform is best for you and what will bring you the most traffic to your blog. After a good few months of blogging and using different types of social media for my blog, I think I have finally found one that happens to be the best platform for us bloggers. 

It may or may not come as no surprise to you as to why I think Twitter is the best platform for bloggers. But in many ways I believe it has proven to be a really beneficial and useful social media network to link with your blog. It doesn't only help you to gain followers, share your random thoughts with others and check out what other people are up to. But it also can really help your blog grow, give you the chance to meet new people, work with brands and other bloggers, build relationships and so much more!!! 

Community:

Twitter is great for getting involved with a community and particular one that shares the same interests as you. It is also such a good way to meet new people. The blogging community on twitter is great for not only social interaction, but to also gain advice and knowledge on things you might be struggling with, whether that's online or offline. One particular great way to get involved in the community is by joining in the blogger chats that happen almost every night each week. There's also a series of different types of chats to suit different bloggers that all have their own specific topic each chat. Just search whatever hashtag the chat is using into the search bar when a chat takes place and follow the chat that way. Also make sure you're joining in by asking questions, responding to them and chatting away to others.  A list of some of the blog chats and times can be found here. Blogger chats have been proven to bring in lots of traffic to your blog, because not only are you chatting to others, but you're also promoting your blog and the posts you have produced. 

The whole reason behind twitter is to follow others. The same applies for when you're a blogger, you can easily follow all your favourite bloggers to keep up to date with their latest posts, have a little nosey what they're up to behind the scenes and get to know some of the thoughts they experience daily that they are willing to share online. But you also can gain followers. To do this, make sure you include your social media links, in your posts or somewhere on your blog. This is a quick and easy way for people to follow you back. Also twitter is so easy for you to build relationships with your followers. They can really feel like they get to know the person behind the blog.

Promotion:

These days it's takes quite a big effort and hard work for your blog posts to get recognised. We'd all be lying if we said we didn't care whether or not we got views or comments. Because let's face it, we all do that little squeal of excitement when we gain a new follower, hit a milestone in our views and see that someone has took the time out to comment on our most recent post. It's so rewarding when that happens. Because the blogging community is so competitive, you have to be willing to use promotion as much as you can to gain that response you desire for your blog. 

Twitter is amazing at getting the word out there about your blog and the posts you have created. It has a large audience, with people all over the world of different ages, cultures and lifestyles using this social media platform. With Twitter you are able to write a 140 character tweet, that also can include a picture, any links and hashtags of your choice. You can easily promote your latest post or blog within that requirement! Adding pictures to your tweets that are used in your posts can help you to stand out. It's more than likely people are going to click on a pretty picture, as opposed to a tweet that simply has a load of writing on it. Also using hashtags is a really easy tool to getting the word out there! The most popular ones to use are #bbloggers, #fbloggers, #lbloggers etc. People will search these tags to find relevant content that they are looking for and will more than likely see your posts pop up there.

Collaborations:
If you're lucky enough, brands or other bloggers might possibly reach out to you to work with them. In terms of brands, this could include anything from helping to promote a product or service, offering you a discount code off their services or products, to sending you free samples for you to try and review on your blog. This side of blogging definitely has it perks and can be very rewarding for not only brands, but also yourself as a blogger. Twitter can enable you to be recognised by brands who are on the look out for new bloggers or people to spread the word about their services/products to others of a similar audience. Some brands might even offer the opportunity for you to work with them simply by putting out a tweet advertising for bloggers. A great way yet again to keep an eye out is by having a look through the #bloggerswanted hash tag again. Those blooming hashtags! They're everywhere, aren't they? 

Also other bloggers might want to work with you and be on the hunt for some collaboration styled posts. This again can be a great way to support one another by working together to promote posts, but also to promote each others blogs to their own following. Not only is it beneficial, but it can also help you to build relationships with other bloggers and have lots of fun whilst doing so! The same as before, if you want to collaborate with someone, then why not be on the look out for anything that might pop up or you might even decide to seek others to collaborate with you? 

Being Active/Social:

Seeing your blog grow is such a rewarding thing to happen to you when you are putting so much hard work into your blog. I have found Twitter the quickest and easiest way to improve my blog traffic through promotion and interaction. But twitter is a social platform. So making sure you're being social is essential. Making sure you are regularly talking to people, whether that's by answering any questions, asking questions of your own or even just letting people know that you loved their recent post can be some of the simplest ways to bring in growth all whilst being active. If people can see the hard work, dedication and that you are honestly genuine, then they will more than likely take an interest in you and the work you've produced.

Also if you find you cannot always be around your phone or laptop to promote your tweets, using websites like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to schedule posts can be really helpful. It is basically pre-promoting your posts before hand, to suit around the times you've chosen and it means you can still continue doing those daily activities you have to do without worrying about needing to write a tweet. It does it all for you once you've scheduled it into place. This saves time and worrying. But also ensures traffic is coming in even when you're busy. 

Research/Previews:

When you  have a following on Twitter or any social media account for example, you can quite easily use the following you have to create any research you might necessary need to track your progress or see what it is your followers enjoy. Twitter has recently given you a polling option when tweeting. Setting up a poll about a topic that you might have been stuck on and need the help from others, can be great for reaching a decision that suits not only you, but the people who read your blog too. Although you can still just as easily, tweet a question and wait for others to respond back. This is great for more in-depth discussions! You can also use the response you get from promoting a tweet, whether they got more likes, mentions or retweets on them. This can enable you to see what most people enjoy. Twitter is also great for finding inspiration for posts ideas or photos.

Also it can be great for sharing previews of posts with your readers. You can give them a teaser of a photo, maybe even a short snippet of the introduction of your post or what your next post is going to be about! This will help to increase the drive towards your blog and will make people aware of what to expect from you. 

As a whole, it is pretty evident to see why Twitter is a really useful, easy to use and traffic driving social media platform for bloggers to use. All these points that I have mentioned, can help bring in growth to you and your blog. Whether you want to meet new people, create a discussion, seek some advice, build your following, gain inspiration and feedback, collaborate and get yourself out there, Twitter gives you the chance to do all of this and much more!

Share three things that instantly boost your mood! I'd love to read them.

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You're probably sick and tired of seeing all the valentines stuff everywhere at the moment in shops and over the internet. I'm not one of these people to actually moan about Valentines Day. Maybe because I'm not single, but purely because even if I was I wouldn't be that bothered about it. For me, it's mine and my boyfriend's three year anniversary, so it's a pretty important day regardless whether it's valentines.

Whatever type of couple you are and whatever budget you might have, I have got some date idea's for you that will  help the both of you celebrate this lovely day together.

FOR THE BUDGET FRIENDLY COUPLE:

If you're that couple who are strict on your budget, maybe you're saving up for a holiday or wanting to put a deposit down a house, whatever it is that may be holding you back from spending out, there is still so much you can do on a small budget and still have a great time together.

• At Home Spa - Run a bubble bath, light a few candles, grab some of your favourite pamper evening products and give each other massages. Nothing beats a good massage! It's relaxing, as well as soothing for you both. 
• Do Some Baking - A fun activity and one you can eat afterwards is baking. You can pick up some cheap ingredients from your local supermarket and bake whatever you like. Cookies, cupcakes, biscuits etc. Plus it gives you the chance to work together!
• Go For A Walk - Drive to a new location near to where you live and go on an adventure. Maybe a beach, a new town or a wildlife park. This could take up a good few hours walking around and taking in the sights.  If you don't want to drive, then go for a walk in your neighbourhood and reminisce about old memories.
• At Home Movie Day/Night - Put on some lounge wear, grab a selection of your favourite DVD's/box sets or sign in to Netflix, order a takeaway or grab your favourite snacks, climb into bed or on the sofa under a blanket together and spend the day or night watching TV. It cost's nothing, apart from the takeaway because everything else you've pretty much got already. 
• Cook His/Her Favourite Meal - A pretty obvious one but cooking for your partner can really help them to see the effort you have put in for them. Whatever their favourite meal is, why not have a go at making it for them? Whilst it's cooking in the oven, set the table, light some candles and pour a drink. 

You may or may not have noticed, but over a week ago I decided to go on a week long blogging break. There was many reasons for this. One being that I just didn't have the motivation to blog any more. I was feeling bad about my whole blog and it was just really getting me down. I just wasn't enjoying it as much as I use to despite having the passion for it. I decided a break from blogging was the best option for me. Taking a break from your usual day to day activities can be so beneficial to bringing back your motivation, help you gather new ideas and get your head back into the right mind set. 

If you have been or ever debate about whether or not to go on a little break from your blog, I have a few tips and things you can to do on your break that will still benefit you and your blog. These tips are mainly to help you make the most of your break, but still continue to be active and drive your readers to your current content without the whole pressure side of publishing new content.

• Chat to others - As mentioned, talking to people can spark up ideas. But it can also boost your self-esteem and confidence. Talking to other bloggers really helps me to remind myself as to why I started this hobby, why I took such an interest in this little part of the internet and how much fun it can really be. Most bloggers are so supportive and will always be willing to listen to you. Also speaking to a friend or family member can really help you find your feet again in the blogging world. They can help you see more positive and clearer.

• Schedule to engage - To keep readers coming to your blog and let your readers know that you're still blogging but on a short break, a good idea would be to put a schedule in place. There's two ways you can do this. If you know that you want to still upload post's on your blog, but not write them or do anything for your blog during your break. Pre-writing and scheduling posts can be a good step to take for you.  This way you can still be consistent with your uploads and continue to engage your readers. Also making them aware of what's going on with you and that you're having a break is essential! The other method you could take if you prefer to not upload at all is to continue promoting your most recent posts. Scheduling tweets or posts on other social media platforms can be great to bring in new readers whilst your away. This way you can still create traffic whilst you're away!

We're already into our third week of January. Those new years resolutions you made at the start of the month, might have slowly started to go out of the window and have been forgotten about. You might have decided you were going to eat more healthy and exercise regularly, like most of us do after a festive feast at Christmas. Your first step might have been to purchase a gym membership, book yourself in for some weekly classes and go on a few morning runs before work. Whatever it is, you have started it but have no power to move forward. You might have slowly started to lack inspiration and have started to fall back into old habits.

Today I thought I would share with you some tips on how to stay motivated to exercise and keep with it. There's no point wanting to do something and benefit yourself, if you're not willing to put as much effort in and gain those great results. If you need extra help, then keep on reading!

Therefore, I have decided to put together a kind of guide to making sure you stay motivated when you are blogging or a blogger. These are some of the things that I find useful in times of no motivation and I believe help me to get my blogging head back on. I hope that you can also benefit from them.

Stay Organised:

The first tip I would recommend is staying organised! Even if you aren't the most organised person and struggle to maintain a clear path way, there are a number of different things you can do to keep organised. For example, a great thing to do is set yourself a schedule. This can be done by picking certain days and times to upload new posts to your blog. If you find you have enough time to blog every other day or a few times a week, then set that as your schedule and let your readers know just when exactly you're going to be updating each week. This way it will also help to keep your readers in the know of when to expect new content from you. Or if you're someone who can only upload once or twice a week, then pick your days and times, then you will have a clear idea of when you need to upload that week. 

Another tip I would suggest is planning your posts. Obviously, you don't have to go into full detail but making sure you know what it is that you're going to be writing about, what pictures you might be taking and how you're going to set out your content is great for staying organised. Therefore, you will have a clear idea of what it is exactly you're doing for this weeks post(s) and won't have to worry about certain parts of your next post(s).

Also if you find it hard to stay organised, then setting yourself some attainable goals might be the solution to you. Setting goals helps to keep you motivated because you will have a certain path to follow to achieve that goal. Examples of goals you could set yourself to keep motivated when blogging could be, taking pictures of the new product that you're going to be reviewing in your new post or writing at least three paragraphs a day to bring together your blog post for that week. Whatever goal, whether it is big or small, can be helpful to keeping motivation high and making it easier for you to enjoy your hobby the best possible way. 

Remembering:

Whether you're a popular blogger or just starting out in the community, using feedback you have received on your blog can be a hugely motivating! Reading back old comments you have recieved on posts may inspire you to write a similar themed post or can boost you back into blogging by hearing the positive things people have to say about your blog or just by being reminded that people have took the time out to comment on the content you've written might be enough to get your motivation back! Or maybe you don't have many comments to look back on since you're just starting out, (this isn't a bad thing, sometimes things take time and as long as you're enjoying writing then there isn't no rush) looking at your views and seeing that people do actually read your blog can be just as much of a boost as if you were getting hundreds of comments! You also might look back on those who have shared your posts or blog with others. It also suggests they take the time to share what they have found interesting to other people and want others to also experience it too! There is also those who may keep their blog anonymous to the outside world, but maybe tell those who you are close to like your family and friends. They can share their own feedback and opinions on your blog which will help you to feel motivated to get writing more and working hard at your hobby! 

Also another great tip is to reflect back on why you even began blogging in the first place. Why did you decide to create a blog and what impact did you want it to have on other people. This can help you to gain that motivation back and make you remember why you started it all in the first place. Also if you have been doing it for a long time, go back and see just how far you have come. See how much you have grown as a person, how you've gained loyal readers or how much your content/layout has improved since the early days. By doing this, you'll remember just why you wanted to create a blog and how much fun you have had with doing so. Therefore, this will push you to continue on!

Look For Inspiration:

Enjoy Blogging:

I believe this is one of the most important things when it comes to blogging! Making sure you're enjoying it and are doing it because you want to is essential. Blog for you. There's nothing worse than just 'feeling' like you have to blog for the sake of it or just to please other people. Of course creating interesting and exciting content is essential to bringing in readers and keeping them there, but if you're really not enjoying the whole process, then what is the point of doing something you're not loving?

Having said this, if you're feeling bad about your blog, maybe you feel like it's not going where you want it to go or you're not pleased with what you're creating, then it is absolutely fine to stop and take a break. There is no problem with doing that. A break can be great for you to find your feet again, not have to feel pressured to write or stand out in the blogesphere and it might even make you miss the whole 'blogging' thing. If you don't feel like writing for a week or more, then don't force yourself to. 

Do not worry about wanting to take a break from it all or wanting to start over. There is nothing wrong with trying again or taking some time away from it. It can be healthy and good to refresh again at a later date. After all blogging can be a great hobby and there's nothing wrong with going away for a little while. Also don't worry about what others may think if you do this or worry that readers will go away, if they really are loyal readers, then they will stay and be excited for new content. Blogging might come across as being serious and hard work, but even then it is still fun and something to be enjoyed by the blogger and the readers. 

Accept Failure:

This next tip can be used for when you have decided to take a break with blogging or you feel like your blog is failing. This obviously can be for a number of reasons and it's completely fine to feel like this once in a while. We all have days when we feel bad about ourselves and the things we do. However, if you do feel like your blog is failing or you're unsure of whether to give up completely, my advice is don't. If it is honestly something you're enjoying and you like having it as a hobby, then accept the failure you're going through. It will help you to set yourself some goals of where you want to be and make you work harder, as a result increasing your motivation immediately. 

When you are new to blogging (just like myself), I have learnt that not letting your failures or lack of success get to you is so important. Don't give up on the first hurdle. The blogging community is so popular and if you're only blogging to become popular, successful and earn money, then you are in it for the wrong reasons. It should be about enjoying the whole experience, the writing part, taking photos, exploring other blogs, communicating with other bloggers and welcoming any opportunities however big or small! My advice is to learn from your mistakes and the things you haven't been as achievable as you would have like to be. Re-write your posts, re-promote your posts to fellow bloggers or readers, learn new tips and tricks of getting your blog out there and improving your blog as a whole. If you really want your blog to work and impact readers, then don't give up on the first hurdle. Use your goals and failures to motivate you to get to where you want to be! 

Within time, however long it may be, if you want something and are willing to work hard for it, then it will happen.

I really hope this post has helped any bloggers out there or maybe someone who is struggling to gain any form of motivation back in a hobby, job, school, college, university or just in life in general. These are just some of the things that I find useful and I thought I would share them with you.

Thanks so much for reading,

To me, my dog was basically my whole world. To those who have never owned a pet or have never experienced a death of a pet, you might consider me silly or pathetic for thinking that. But when you lose a pet that you had a really close bond with and considered a family member, it is so hard to come to terms with their death, when the day before they had been completely fine, their usual self, going out for walks, feeding them treats, cuddling up to them and you wake up the next day, within a couple of hours, they're just gone and your whole world feels like it's been turned upside down. For me a whole eleven years of seeing my dog every single day has now changed and something I am going to have to force myself to get use to.

I have had relatives that I was not very close to pass away whilst I was growing up and in the past couple of years. But because I was never as close to them as I was my dog, I never understood how hard it would be to actually lose someone who was so close to you, even if it was only a four legged animal. I never realised just how much impact my dog really did have on my life. I knew that when the day would come that he would actually die, I thought I would at least be in my early twenties with a much healthier wellbeing that what I am currently going through with my anxiety and depression, I knew that I would be incredibly upset but I never expected it to feel this bad and horrific.

I think the worst thing about it all is that I have to accept the fact that I will never see him again. Right now, I still expect him to walk through the door after being on a walk or return home from the groomers with a new haircut. Or I expect him to be there when I come home, greeting me with his tail wagging excitedly and I'll be able to return the excitement back just as happy to see him. I wish so badly that I could see him again, even if it was for one last time.
Reality is, however morbid it sounds, I'll never be able to experience that again and I will never get back those moments that I never imagined would be over within a flash. Although I know that within time, the feelings I experience, the sadness, the hurt, the guilt and shock will pass, I know that they will never completely go away and I will from time to time feel like I have lost him all over again, especially on times like his birthday or at Christmas. I know the emotions I feel will strike again one day.

But for now, I have to accept that he is in a better place now and whatever was wrong with him to cause such a sudden death, that he is no longer suffering or in pain. He had a happy and good life, he was spoilt rotten and pampered at any given moment. Everyone loved him so much, he had such a strong personality, he got so excited even about the smallest of things, he had many amusing moments, he gave the best cuddles and kisses and he always was concerned whenever you were upset or feeling under the weather. Even though it came to an end so suddenly and he still had years to come, I would have liked to have thought he enjoyed time with us and would want us to pick ourselves up from what has happened. I am grateful for all of the memories I shared with him and how close we came to each other the past two years, especially when I began to face my struggles with my mental health issues. Also I am thankful that the last time I did see him when he was alive, that he was happy around me and made me never even doubt that what happen could even be a possibility. He was pretty good at masking how he really felt, something I wish I could do a lot more often rather than moaning about how I feel or breaking down when I feel like I cannot cope even during the smallest of things.

I thought I would share my experience and loss on my blog, partly to help me to offload my feelings and always have something on my blog to remind me of my dog, I guess sort of like a tribute. But also I wanted to be able to help others who may be experiencing the same thing as I have never really seen anyone blog about the loss of a pet before. Maybe because it is such a tragic thing that is not easy to talk about, especially on the internet to people who you don't know fully. But I feel if I can at least express how I feel and help someone, then I will feel like there is a positive come out of all of this and like I have achieved something by helping others.

TIPS:

• The grieving process is a slow one. Don't feel bad or frustrated that after a few days you're still not feeling back to your old self or feeling better from the situation. Adjusting to life without your pet takes time. Also don't let anyone tell you to 'get over it' or 'you're just being silly, they were just an animal' because it is completely normal to grieve and feel the way you do about losing a pet. You have the right to grieve.
• Don't let guilt burden your life. It's a natural human response to question over and over again whether or not you could have done more for your pet or been more aware of their change in behaviours. You sadly had no control over the illness or accident your pet experienced. Therefore, it is pointless to begin to blame yourself or feel guilty for what happened.
• At first it will be hard to accept that they are really gone. I still feel right now that my dog is just going to return home or run in from being outside in the garden. It is very strange to try to come to terms with that they are no longer with us but it's all part of the grieving process. If you are really suffering with trying to accept that they are gone, then a great first step would be to remember the good memories with your pet. You could do this by placing a photo of your pet into a frame or creating a scrap book full of pictures and memories that you shared with your pet. This is a great way of remembering your pet for the positive times, it will make you feel like they are always going to be there with you and to pay a tribute to them in your own creative way. 
• Don't hide away from your emotions. Be honest with the way you are feeling because it will make it a lot easier to cope with the loss. Acknowledge how you feel and express how you feel, whether this is by crying, screaming, talking about how you feel with someone else close to you, writing about how you feel. Do not avoiding thinking about your pet. Think about all the good memories you shared together, even though they might make you feel worse or make you cry more, in the end you'll think back on the moments you experienced with your pet and smile.
• If you suffer really bad with the loss and you feel like you're only getting worse. Seeking professional help is not something to be embarrassed or ashamed about. Professionals can give you the right advice and guidance on how to deal with your loss. They may also be able to offer you some counselling to put a plan into place on how to continue life without them or give you the chance to fully express how you feel.