You may or may not have noticed things have been a little quiet from me the past month or so on my blog and over on my social media pages. I'm not going to go too much into why I have been so inactive because that's a story for another day. But when you have things going on in your offline life that are more than stressful, it can be hard to focus on anything but what it is going on and results in your blogging and online world becoming the least of your concerns. 

Reading has always one of my favourite pass time activities. I used to be such a bookworm when I was younger. I'd always be reading something and making frequent visits to the  local library to grab a new book. Sadly in recent years I've seemed to drift away from reading as much and I really want to get back into reading more regularly again. Today's post I thought I'd share with you some books that are currently on my to read list. If you're like me and want to get back into reading or find some new books to read, then check out my list below to gather some ideas!

Do you ever get those moments when doing your makeup or carrying out your beauty routine where you just feel like you wish you could be better at doing something? It's not that your terrible (I am actually at winged liner...), it's more that you can't perfect it like most people do or you struggle with your application, but can just about get away with the finished results. I thought it would be fun to share some of those beauty things I wish I was a lot better at and for you guys to see if any of them are similiar to the things you struggle with too. I'm sure there's going to be at least one!

Can you believe we're already nearing to the end of March?! I can't believe how fast this year is going. Christmas seems like forever ago and it will be shortly be Easter soon. But before that, we have Mothers day, which is just one week away now. If you're making plans or thinking of ideas of what you could do to treat your Mum this Mothers day, then keep on reading because I've got 10 ways you can do so!

One of the main reasons I never started a blog sooner than I actually did was because I was scared. I was scared of judgement from those I knew. It wasn't of those closest to me that I was worried would judge me. I have a group of supportive people behind me who back me with whatever I decide to do. But it was more the people I used to know and those from school who knew me. I guess I was lucky in the sense that I started my blog two years after I had left school, so these people I was so worried would judge me I didn't even have to face every single day. But still I felt like these people I knew would mock me for putting my voice and myself out online for the whole world to see.

After going through depression and anxiety, I surprisingly learnt to really not give a crap about what people thought about me, because in some ways I stopped judging and caring what other people were doing. To me none of that stuff mattered anymore. I didn't have to speak nor did I have to face any of them ever again, so why did it matter if they knew or they found out and teased me for it? Surely the problem would lie with them instead of me, knowing if they did it meant they would be taking time out of their own day to judge me for something I've had the guts to do and worked bloody damn hard on!

Ever since I published my first blog post in 2015, I haven't kept my blog a secret. I've happily shared it with my closest loved ones. I don't care if people from school come across it and decide to judge it. Go ahead. Because I'm loving it and I'm not going to stop because of you. And If I meet anyone knew, I'm not afraid to be like 'hell yes I am a blogger and I have my own blog, so what?!'. If you're reading this and thinking 'oh my god, I can't bare to share my blog with anyone', then here are some reasons as to why I've never kept it a secret and they hopefully might help change your mind to pluck up the courage to just go for it....

Creating a blog, working hard on it every single day behind the scenes and publishing content for the world to see is something that should be congratulated. You should congratulate yourself on throwing passion into this hobby and trying to make it something you're really proud of. I'm proud of my blog. Yes, it may not be the most successful with pretty pictures, high quality writing and thousands of followers behind it, but it's my space. It's my online voice. It's what I created not for anybody else, but me and overtime it's become something which I love to share to other people. I've produced and published content that I am proud of. It's what I have achieved based entirely on my own work and dedication. I am proud of how I have grown not only online, but also offline. Blogging has helped me in so many ways. You shouldn't have to just congratulate yourself alone. Get other people involved and let them share the same admiration you have for this amazing thing you've created called your blog!

I mentioned briefly how blogging has helped me in so many ways. It's given me confidence online that I never had and confidence I am lacking in the outside world. But one area where it has helped me in the past was when I was well enough to apply for jobs. I want to potentially work in social media and digital marketing. A blog is perfect for those two areas because a blog essentially touches on some of the things that the duties someone in this career sector would carry out on a day to day basis. But it's not just the digital side of things where having your own blog looks good. Showing on your CV that you run your own blog shows a whole wide range of skills and presents to a potential employer what your interests are and how you spend your free time. It also shows experience. So don't be afraid to hide it to even those people in more higher authorities. It could benefit you greatly and help you stand out amongst other applicants!

Now you can let your loved ones celebrate with you and potential employers get a real taste of who you are, that only leaves all those people you use to know and those strangers you might potentially get to know in the future. I know it's so so so hard to not care, but seriously stop caring about what other people are going to think. It's your blog. If no one likes it or has anything nice to say about it and yourself, then don't listen to them and move on. If people can't admire you for your effort, then are they the sort of people you want in your life? If you're seriously doing what you love and enjoy it so much, then just keep on going and stay focused! Don't let someone elses opinion throw you off from what doing what you want to do. If you do meet someone who doesn't get the whole blogging thing, then try sit them down and explain it to them. If they have any sense, they'll change their mind and see just how passionate you are!

I hope this post comes across in the right way. No way am I having a go at anyone who keeps their blog a secret. I do see why people would and I don't have anything wrong with it. But I just wanted to put a point across about why I've never kept it a secret and how much happier I feel I am with blogging by just being open. I hope this does encourage you to take the plunge! It's not as scary as you may think and it will be 100% worth it :)

How open are you about having your own blog?

Lauren x

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Is it just me or is anyone else super excited to be swapping their dark winter hues for more fresh and light spring picks? Nail's are always the one place I start when it comes to changing up my colour choices as we move through the seasons. I love spring. You'll probably have gathered that if you've been reading my blog for a while, but if not you will soon find out with the new exciting spring content coming your way over the next couple of months. Because of my love for spring, I've got lots of gorgeous shades within my nail polish collection that I'm going to be reaching for over the course of the next few months that I can't wait to share with you!

Instagram is the one social media app I have a funny relationship with. I can sometimes go days without uploading and hardly venturing onto the app, the changes and the lack of inspiration I feel being enough to turn me off from it. Where as, there's other times when I will be crazy obsessed with it, which will include me planning and uploading lots of new exciting content and constantly scrolling through my feed and engaging with everyone's posts. 

When I am feeling Instagram a lot more, I really do get reminded of why I joined the app in the first place and why it is just so great for blogging. I've discovered so many wonderful accounts over the past couple of years and realised I've never shared any of them over here on my blog. So I thought that I better change that. These accounts I'm sharing are ones that inspire me and I believe deserve way more recognition for the fantastic content they upload on the regular!

First up is Cally from cally_oneill - one person I truly believe deserves way more recognition than what she gets in the blogging world and over on her Instagram account. Cally takes some wonderful shots of mainly beauty products and occasionally some lifestyle ones are thrown in too. They're bright and so well styled and positioned. She has a consistent theme white theme running throughout with pops of colour and I honestly just love the photos she takes. I can spot her photos from a mile away! Plus she's also a really lovely girl and uploads some fantastic blog posts too!!

A fairly new discovery is Faye from fridayfaye, but one I so wish I had discovered sooner and was shocked when I realised she hadn't been uploading for very long and that she also had only just started a blog. You would never know when you look at her feed or over on her blog. She's a complete natural. Her theme is so girly with dusky pink vibes running through a range of beauty and lifestyle images. It's so fresh and flows so effortlessly. Her flatlays are also so good. They're my main point of inspiration right now. She seriously needs to teach me her ways!

On the topic of inspiration, Vanessa from flipandstyle is also someone who inspires me. She has my favourite colour theme running throughout her blog and Instagram. Pink, white and grey. It has such a luxurious feel to it and I love how she shows a ray of images, not just beauty or flatlays. They're a good mixture of different things from real life to personal style and beauty picks. She also includes little motivation quotes which I love seeing come up on my theme. I love a good quote! You definitely need to check her out.

One person who has a swoon worthy feed is Laura from lauramillsmakeup filled up lots of pretty makeup and beauty images. It's so pink and girly too. She takes such high quality and amazing photos that I'm so jealous of. Her theme feels so genuine and real too. I love her makeup of the day images she uploads almost daily. She has such a wonderful makeup collection too. Laura's also just started a blog recently and I'm loving it. It's one of my new go to places for makeup and beauty tips.

LabelsForLunch is a someone you can clearly see works super hard on making her feed the glory it is! It's so bright and colourful. Her images really catch your eye and stand out. I recognise her images on my feed so quickly. I got introduced to her account in a blogger comment pod I'm involved in and I'm so glad I joined because I love her images. They're so fun and creative. There's a mixture of different things included so you're always in for a surprise!

Another account I came across in one of the comment pods I'm in is Amy from theauburnagenda. She has a white and airy theme made up of a mixture of different shots. She shares beauty, fashion and lifestyle images, so there's something for everyone there. Amy also posts some wonderful makeup looks and she has a great talent! Her cut crease eye makeup she created is so good. She needs to teach me how to do it!

Which Instagrams are you loving right now?

Lauren x

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You don't know happy it makes me to know that Spring is on it's way and to say goodbye to the cold and miserable winter months. As much as I love snuggling down in the evenings under a blanket, I much prefer the warmth of the spring/summer, days out in the sunshine with the family and of course being a blogger way more blog photo opportunities due to the better photo lighting. Here's a little to do list of the things I'm hoping to achieve or want to do throughout Spring:

1. Read three books - I'm currently reading Sunshine On A Rainy Day by Byrony Fraser, so hopefully I'll be able to finish that soon and move on to another one. I've recently got back into reading and I've honestly missed it so much.

2. Start exercising again - It literally disgusts me when I think back to the last time I did a solid good workout or went on a run. It's seriously been that long, but due to health problems it's sometimes impossible. But I want to try push myself and start exercising again. I love doing workouts for home and going on early morning runs on the weekend when no one is about. It's pure bliss. 

3. Swap dark hues for light hues in my makeup collection - Whilst I've been obsessed with wearing dark plum colours on my lips and copper shadows on my lids and will be very sad to say goodbye to them for the next few months, I can't wait to start wearing lots more lighter based makeup and spring shades. Mac's snob will be making a swift return to my lip wardrobe.

4. Continue to improve my photography - I have been working super hard on my blog photography lately. I've actually properly learned about my camera settings, invested in some new blog props and backgrounds, as well as taking my time with it and experimenting. I personally feel like I have improved slightly, so hopefully that will come across to you  guys also. But I still have a long way to go, but I'm actually enjoying it for the first time ever!!!

5. Eat more fruit - Is it just me or is fruit way more appealing in the warmer months of the year? I can't wait to eat strawberries, apples, grapes and raspberries a lot more regularly again. How yummy!

6. Buy flowers more regularly - Flowers just make a room feel so much fresher and airy! Tulips are my absolute favourites. They're so pretty. Spring is the perfect excuse to purchase lots.

7. Add some new spring wardrobe additions - Spring and summer fashion is my absolute favourite. Everything's just so much prettier and sweet. I find clothing pieces are way more flattering on me and don't even get me started on all the shoes! I'm all over pink suede mules right now. 

8. Go for a walk everyday - Walking is one of my favourite ways to clear my head during a stressful time or to just simply enjoy getting out in the fresh air. When the weather starts getting better, I definitely want to go on more walks and preferably at least once a day.

What are your plans for Spring?

Lauren x

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Growing up I was always known as the stationary addict to my family. Everytime we would go out to the supermarket, I would be purchasing a new notebook or set of pens to add to my already overgrowing stationery collection that I had ended up housing over time. When I got into blogging and started taking it more seriously, this old love of mine seemed to be reignited and after many years of not being too fussed about stationary, my obsession for it has come back and I cannot resist purchasing all the pretty stationary. Of course this can be quite an expensive habit, so if you like me and want some cute ass stationery in your life, then keep reading because I've got some of the best places to shop for affordable stationery right here!

Building a makeup collection can be something that happens unintentionally overtime to any beauty or makeup lover out there.  Not only does it take time to achieve a collection that you absolutely love, but it also means dedicating your own money to funding your collection and putting the effort in to actually experiment with a range of products, to eventually find the ones that are going to stick with you. Here are some of my top tips for building a makeup collection based on my own experiences.

Buy products you actually want to buy - When it comes to investing money into makeup products and trialing out different ones, it can be easy to fall into the trap of buying only hyped about products or those that someone has recommended to you. Of course this is fine and I personally appreciate it when people do recommend genuine great products to me, but if you're just buying a product to please someone else or to have all the popular products everyone else has got, then you're building a collection of products you're probably not even going to really like. Instead buy what you want, rather than what you feel like you have to own. 

Give yourself a budget and stick to it - As you are probably aware, buying makeup can be expensive and creating a collection you love will be pricey. But instead of having to worry about how you're going to afford things, make yourself an affordable budget that works for you. Do your research before hand. Look out for more affordable dupes of expensive items you have your eye on and find out whether the majority like a product enough to buy it again. Also consider that if you do want to splurge on a higher priced item, then save up as much as you can before doing so. Or go for cheaper yet good quality products that work as well as the more expensive ones.

Be practical with yourself - Know what is and what isn't worth the investment. Consider what items you can save some money on and what items you can spend more on. Products like mascara, brow products, concealer and liners will be used up more quickly, so you'll probably want to aim to spend less on these. The products that are more worth spending on include lipsticks, shadows, brushes and foundations (only if you don't wear foundation every single day.). 

Invest in some good storage - With a growing collection, it's a good idea to invest in some storage to keep all your makeup products organised and well looked after. You want somethings that provides ease of access if you wear makeup a lot, because no doubt you'll always need to be in reach of it in your daily routine. This will also help to make it easier to get ready. If you're someone who wants to have your makeup on display so you can admire it, then perhaps invest in something that shows your collection off to it's full advantage and goes well with the rest of your room decor. I have 7 makeup storage ideas here if you need some further ideas and help. 

Have patience - Building a makeup collection that you 100% love takes time. You need to be patient with yourself. Don't splurge on a load of items at once and instead consider that budget you have in mind. Alternatively, remember to save and spend on those worthwhile items that won't end up going to waste. It isn't going to happen over night or even a weeks time, it will  probably take several months and maybe even years to get to where you aim to be.

Don't compare your size to someone else's - Everyone's makeup collections will be different. Not everyone's will have the same products or the same size. We all have to start somewhere. Some people prefer a minimalistic small collection of products they really love and get a lot of wear out of all of them. Whilst other people like to build a huge collection up and are able to provide themselves with a greater choice of products from their collection. For me personally, I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm practical with my purchases and only purchase items I need, but I do like to have a splurge on a random item or two from time to time. It is always nice to treat yourself!

Experiment with it - I touched briefly on this area and highlighted that it is important to be patient when you're building a makeup collection. You're going to be experimenting with different products for quite some time. Most products take a good couple of weeks for you to trial and test out, so you can see why it can become time consuming. But experimenting is definitely worth it since it will help you to find those products that you love and ones that actually work best for you. It's also a good idea to have a clear out every so often, to ensure you're getting rid of any unused or unloved products, which you can donate to friends or family. This will make way for new products.

Apply the one of each rule - If you solidly want to build a collection and be organised with it, then sticking to the one of each rule is essential. First start with gathering up the basics to create a full face of makeup that you can wear on a day to day basis. Remember these need to be ones you 100% love and will use a lot. Then you can move onto trying out new products and building your collection from your basics. Take into consideration the types of formulas and finishes you have in your collection, for example you might have one foundation that provides a full coverage with a matte finish and then an additional foundation you could add to your collection to build it could be one of a more dewy natural coverage. 

How have you built your own makeup collection?

Lauren x

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With it just being over a month since Christmas and New Year occurred, I've had a good few weeks to start trialing out new beauty products and divulging in some new or old lifestyle interests for the first part of 2017. I thought it would be fun to share with you guys what I've been loving lately and also hear what you have been obsessed with so far this year.

NYX Full Coverage Concealer - After being disappointed with the formula of my last NYX HD concealer, I wanted to opt for something a little different but of course from the same brand. I decided to go for the NYX full coverage concealer which comes in a little jar. I've been using the lightest shade within the range Porcelain.  At first I will admit to being a little skeptical about this concealer since it's a cream based formula. I really didn't want it to look too cakey or drying under my eyes. But I was actually pleasantly surprised at the coverage and how well it sat on my skin. Using a damp beauty blender, I find that this method of application is easiest with this concealer. It really helps to cover my dark circles and brighten up my under eye area. I'd definitely say give this one a go!

Copper Pineapple Tray - Isn't this just the cutest thing?! I got this for Christmas from my parents and I absolutely love it. I can't believe my Mum thought I wouldn't like it, but I'm seriously in love with it. Coppers everywhere right now like it has been the past few seasons and the pineapple shape really fits in well with my tropical/fresh inspired theme I have running throughout my room. Plus it makes the perfect blog prop!

Capture Your Style by Aimee Song - The book that every blogger needs to own! I also recieved this as a gift for Christmas. I'm sure everyone like me has felt the struggles of Instagram lately. I'm definitely feeling since I lost access to my account and I've had to start over. But this book really inspired me to up my game with the quality of content I upload on Instagram and even on my blog. Capture Your Style not only displays an amazing range of images taken by Aimee, but also shares so many useful and easy to follow tips to help you produce high quality images and grow your Instagram. 

Primark Oval Brush - I love the look of the oval brushes! They're just an interesting and cool concept. However I didn't want to pay full price for a brush that I might not even end up loving and plus who doesn't love a more affordable dupe? Throughout January I tested out this Primark oval brush. I've been super impressed with this especially as it was only a couple of pounds. It blends the product evenly and creates a flawless finish to your makeup. I compared it to the Real Techniques buffing brush in a post a few weeks back if you want to check that out for a full review.

Teen Wolf - I've been watching Teen Wolf now since 2011 and I'm so sad that it's coming to an end in the summer. The first three seasons are honestly so good and they made me really fall in love with the show. Season six has definitely enlightened my love for what the whole show was about since the two previous seasons were a bit of a disappointment.  But I'm loving where season 6 is going as it heads into the last ten episodes. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the characters! Also it's now on Netflix, so if you want to check it out and see what the fuss is about, then you can watch the first five seasons over on there. You won't regret it!

Primark Velvet Matte Lip Crayon - Another Primark product, but probably one of my favourite products of the year so far. I'd seen Corrie from DizzyBrunette3 test out this lip crayon in her testing Primark makeup video a couple months back. I loved the colour of the crayon, but also appreciated the quality of it and of course the price. Honestly this lip crayon is one of the best lip products I have probably tried and that's not even an exaggeration. They are so easy to apply, they effortless glide on to the lips and feel so creamy. They're not drying at all even though they're a matte finish. They honestly feel so lovely on the lips. The colour pay off is crazy and it also lasts such a long time throughout the day, even with eating and drink it hardly budges. Honestly you need to get your hands on a few of these lip crayons. I'm obsessed with them!

The Body Shop Frosted Berries Hand Cream - First I need to say how bloody pretty the packaging is and also how wonderful this hand cream smells! The Body Shop Frosted Berries hand cream was apart of their Christmas range, so unfortunately it's not available anymore I don't think (sorry!!!). But the quality of this hand cream is sooo good. You know when you put on a hand cream and it's so sticky, like it takes forever to dry and you can't literally do anything because your hands are so saturated? Well this honestly doesn't feel like that at all. It makes my hands feel so soft without that stickiness feeling. Plus a little bit of product goes a long way, so it's going to last you for a long while. It's definitely been one of my winter pick me ups this year!

What have you been loving lately?

Lauren x

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There's nothing worse than doing a fabulous makeup look, for it to only then wear off after a few hours and you find yourself running off to the bathroom every so often to top it up. No one wants to feel like their time and effort has been ruined nor do you want to have to keep reapplying it throughout the day when you could be doing other important things. I wanted to share with you some tips on how you can prevent this from happening and instead make your makeup last longer. Everyone's skin is different and not everyone uses the same products, so just bare this in mind when trying out these tips that not every single one will work for you the same as it will for someone else. But give them a go anyway and hopefully they'll be one or two that works perfect for you!

It's not always easy to switch off from the world and go to sleep when we need to, with things like our smart phones and tasks for the next day taking our full attention from anything but going to sleep. From someone who use to have terrible sleep from anxiety and had to resort to anxiety and insomnia medication to help improve their sleep, I am fully aware of just how frustrating and unhealthy it can be to try get a good night's sleep each night and fail miserably. 

Everyone knows that sleep is super important and has many health benefits, like helping us to function properly, gives us the ability to learn new things and solve problems more effectively, it helps to strengthen the immune system and helps us to heal and repair. That's why in today's post I want to share with you 10 good habits you can use to get a better night's sleep and maintain it. 

1. Turn off technology - We all know this is one we should all be doing more of, but we also all know that it is difficult to close that laptop lid down and switch our phones off, when all we really want to do is continue scrolling. But if we all did this a lot more, we would see all see a huge difference to the way in which we fall asleep and how long we stay asleep for. So instead, try switching off your phone or leaving it on the other side of the room half an hour before you plan on going to sleep. This gives you a good amount of time to notify your brain that its time to unwind and prepare itself to go to sleep. Your phone will be still be there in the morning, along with all your followers on Twitter and the videos in your subscription box on Youtube that you still need to watch. 

2. Get into a good routine that actually works - You'll probably have a bedtime routine you follow every single night without much fail. It might be only small or it might be quite a lengthy one. But as long as it actually works and it's a healthy one then keep at it. Once you've put your phone away, get changed into your sleep attire, go do your skincare routine and clean those teeth of yours, get into bed with a book or a notebook, do something you find relaxing and unwind for the night until you feel yourself start to get sleepy. 

3. Do some wind down activities - This plays a huge part in a good bedtime routine. There are plenty of wind down activities you can do to help relax you and get yourself in the right state to then go to sleep. Activities should include things like meditation, listening to an audiobook, reading a novel or nonfiction text, colouring in, knitting, journalling or even just some simple stretching. 

4. Carry out your skincare routine - Taking care of our skin is just as important as maintaining a healthy sleep pattern. It can also be included within your bedtime routine or even be used as a wind down activity. Ensure you remove any makeup off you've worn throughout the day properly, I like to use the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to remove mine. This feels so light yet creamy on my skin and once cleansed it leaves my skin feeling so smooth and fresh. When you finished cleaning, follow up with any other skincare products you love to use like moisturiser, a tone, a night cream or an oil. 

5. Stick to the same time each night - Now you've mastered what's involved in your routine, the next thing to do is figure out when you're going to go to sleep each night. Choose a time that is going to work best for you and ensures you get enough sleep in relation to when you need to get up the next day. Young adults between 18 and 25 should aim for around 7-9 hours each night. So if you have to be up for work at 6am, then going to bed around 10pm will ensure you achieve the right amount of sleep. Now you need to stick with this and train your body to know when to go to sleep. If you're always changing the time, your body will never know when it needs to unwind or when it needs to be awake. So it's best to get yourself into a good routine and go to bed roughly around the same time each night.

6. No sleeping in - Following on from my previous point, the same thing applies to when you wake up and get up in the morning. Getting up at different times each day or at different times on weekends or holidays can also confuse our brains. Of course, treat yourself to a lay in when you deserve it, such as when you're poorly and when you need to catch up on the extra sleep after feeling run down or distressed, but don't always do it and mess up your body clock. Keep in that pattern.

7. Avoid napping in the day - Whilst naps can be good for you, sometimes they can be the worst. I always find I wake up feeling worse when I nap and for this reason I do my very best to avoid them. Napping also makes your sleep pattern and body clock go out of synch, so it's best to try not to lap for long and opt for a short power nap for a maximum of 15 minutes or to not to bother at all. You can sleep when it's time to. Just hold on.

8. Make your room a calm place - If you're room isn't a relaxing and peaceful place to go venture to every night, then it's no wonder you struggle to get to sleep or even manage to achieve a good nights sleep. Make sure your room is dark enough for you to fall asleep. You don't want bright light coming from any windows or lighting to be keeping you up. Draw back those curtains, close the blinds and turn out the lights. You also want to make sure your room and home are as quiet as possible. Make sure you haven't left anything on like the TV or that you're sleeping close to anything noisy within your home (and yes, snoring partners beside you do count). It's also good to make sure you remove any distractions like your phone, work or tv and keep them separate. This is your time to unwind. 

9. Be comfortable - Being uncomfortable at night can also keep you awake. It's a good idea to change your mattress every eight years to ensure you're always sleeping with comfort. You might also want to adjust any cushions or pillows on your bed to make it as cosy and comfy as possible. Temperature also might come into play with this if you have too much bedding on top of the bed you could end up overheating and being too stuffy, so ensure you're the right temperature before you go to sleep or open up a window to let some air in. This is especially important in the summer when it's boiling hot at night.

10. Be prepared for the next day - You don't want to get into bed at night and be worrying about the things you still need to do to be ready for the following morning. The best thing to do is get everything that you can ready an hour or two before you start your bedtime routine. This way you'll avoid having tasks for the night day circling around your head when you're trying to get to sleep. Write yourself down a to do list of what you need to do/get done tomorrow, make your lunch for work or school the night before, lay out the outfit you're going to be wearing tomorrow so you don't have to rush in the morning, get your bag ready and get other small tasks that you can do before you sleep. 

What do you do to achieve a better night's sleep? What do you find helps you the most?

Lauren x

We all know that January is labelled as the 'blue' month, the one that comes after the festiveness of Christmas and now it's time to go back to reality. You also have all this new found pressure of it being a new year and having new goals to work towards for the next twelve months. It can all be a little daunting and one we wish away as quickly as another year comes around. If you've been feeling a bit down and have found yourself dreading the next few weeks, then I hope today's post will be able to make you feel motivated and positive enough to get yourself through January. I've gathered together some of my favourite thoughts/quotes that you could either bookmark or print screen either on your phone or computer to always have to refer back to, whenever you need a pick me up or to read daily to help get you through it.

With some of us taking part in Blogmas and others of us churning out lots of festive related blog posts over the past month, you might have found yourself stuck come January with a lack of ideas and need a little bit of help with getting your creative spark light once again. I've got 55 fabulous content ideas to kick start your 2017. There's a mixture of everything from beauty and blogging to general life and fashion. Have a read through and gather yourself some inspiration!

Happy New Year everyone! Can you believe it's 2017?! Where the hell has the time gone? I'm one of the majority it seems that is very glad to be saying goodbye to 2016. For me it was probably one of the hardest years of my life with many setbacks and downfalls, which I'm so glad to be saying a proper goodbye to now and being able to continue moving forward with my life. I'm so ready to make 2017 a really great year, no matter what challenges I might be faced with. I'm so determined to get through them and learn from the more difficult moments, just like I have been able to within the past year. 

I haven't really set any 'life' goals as such, mainly because I don't want to put any pressure on myself at all and I want to set smaller goals as I go through the year. I think these are also much more achievable this year. Although mental health is my number one priority this year, as well as practicing regular self care and being kinder to myself. Anything or anyone that got down me down in 2016 or any negativity that was brought into my life is being left last year will not be returning for 2017. It feels so finally good to put myself first and think about my happiness rather than pleasing others.

I really hope you all have a wonderful 2017 and manage to achieve everything you have planned for yourself. I wish you all and your families the best success and good health for the next year. Thanks so much for showing your support to me in 2016. It literally means so much and I can't wait to see where my blog goes in 2017. I'd love to continue to grow and build a bigger community. I want to get to know lots more of you. So don't be afraid to get in touch. Let's make 2017 a great year together!

Best wishes everyone!

What do you have planned for 2017? What's been your highlights in 2016?

Lauren x