Lauren Victoria | Beauty & Lifestyle Blog: help

24 Instagram Post Ideas

advice 16:30

I can't be the only one who find's it hard to know what to post on Instagram. There's so much pressure to have a consistent theme and post daily, sometimes I find myself stuck in a slump of not knowing what to photograph and then end up not posting for a few days. If you're like me, then I hope the following ideas will help you to know what to post the next time you're stuck and need a little bit of inspiration.

1. Throw back picture - Simple and easy! Have a look through your photo collection and pick your favourite memory or a great photo you've taken and throw it back.

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!

Share some of your own Instagram idea's below to help other's out!

Lauren x

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Top Tips For Taking Blog Pics

advice 11:30

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How To Keep Motivated When Blogging

advice 16:30

Even though I have only been blogging for a few months, there has been a few times when I have experienced a lack of motivation to either think of new ideas, write or put posts together. It might be because I'm having a busy day, I'm feeling down and suffering with low mood or I just simply may not feel up to it on that particular day. Fellow bloggers may be able to relate to this struggle!

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:

Maybe you're finding it hard to come up with new ideas for posts or you're struggling to put words down. A great way to overcome this and keep you're enthusiasm to blog high is to look for inspiration. You can do this by reading other people's blogs, looking on websites such as Pinterest and Tumblr, going out for a walk, shopping, into town for a coffee, meeting up with a friend or even just sitting down with a book to read. Sometimes you find that your mind wonders when doing something else, a new post idea or phrase to put into your post may pop into your head. In order for you not to forget this, write it down on your phone or in a notebook so when you get home and go back to blogging, you can easily look it up and get back to your writing.

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,

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Dealing With A Loss Of A Pet

advice 11:14

I don't even know if writing a post about this on my blog is even the right thing to do or even if anyone will even bother to read. This post may be the hardest one that I ever have to write, but part of me just feels like I need to express how I feel, get all my emotions out, make myself see slightly clearer and try to help others who may be going through a similar tragedy or ever have to go through what I have been going through the past few days.

On Wednesday 9th September 2015, my dog Billy passed away suddenly at just eleven years old. It was so unexpected and so sudden that I have been in a state of shock since I found out. It all happened so quickly and I never thought that on the Tuesday night, the last night I actually saw him, when I cuddled and kissed him goodnight like I did every single night since we first got him, that it would be the last time I saw him and get the chance to show him how much I loved him. I knew as soon as it all started to happen, when he was rushed to the vets twice and was so poorly within only a matter of hours after being completely normal moments before, when I saw the look of sadness and guilt on my mum's face, I knew that the worst really had happened. But I just didn't want to believe it. I still had hope in the back of my mind telling me that it wasn't true. He couldn't be gone yet. I wasn't ready.

Some people believe that losing a pet is not as bad as a death of a human just because they're an animal. In some ways it might not be to others. But from my perspective, I feel like the loss of a pet is just as much tragedy as losing a member outside of your immediate family, maybe in some cases even worse. You see your pets every single day, they're there when you wake up in the morning, they come to greet you when you return home from being out whether that's from school or work, they enjoy keeping you company by snuggling up next to you on your bed or sofa, as well as taking them out for walks or playing toys with them out in the garden.

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.

We should not feel ashamed of feeling the way we do about losing a pet because to some of us it's like losing a friend or family member. Ignore those who make you feel bad or embarrassed to feel how you are feeling. Feel whatever the hell you want. Grieve. It's completely normal and it will take time to you feel 100% again. Seeking help or talking to someone is not a sign of weakness either. Just think your pet would want you to be happy.

I really hope this post has given anyone going through the same situation I am currently, that you're not alone and that how you feel is completely normal. Even if it only helps one of you.

Thanks so much for reading,

Lauren

RIP Billy xxxxxxx

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