My Reverse Bucket List!

Hi all! I'm being a bit creative today and presenting my reverse bucket list which is things I have completed and proud about completing. I hope you enjoy it!

{1} Travel to new places
Before I went to Secondary School, I hadn't really travelled anywhere abroad other than Belgium and France. I wanted to visit some new cultures and experience new countries because I hadn't experienced anything like that properly before. Since starting secondary school, I have visited so many new countries in Europe such as Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Iceland and Holland. They all have very cultures and have taught me many different things. In the Netherlands, I rekindled my love for cycling as an easy mode of transport because that's how I got everywhere. In Iceland, I discovered beautiful scenery that I am likely to remember and possibly refer back to for many years to come. Travelling is something that is still on my bucket list. I want to travel further away to more diverse cultures that are so different from what I've experienced before.

{2} Kayak over 20 miles in one day
Yes, I know! 20 miles is really nothing! I which this was more but at this point in time, things haven't worked out for me to do anymore. I am a marathon kayaker and so my aims are always to paddle further than before with quicker times and higher ranking if it is a race. There's something about having a challenge that keeps me going through each year of school and that's what I love about setting aims and completing them. This year my aim is too paddle 125 miles over four days and therefore, paddle 38 miles in one day.

{3} Pass all my GCSE's
I actually passed all my GCSE's this year and I was so happy when I found out because the amount of work I tried to put in while monitoring my health and missing school from March to my exams. It was such a surprise that all my results were passes. There were so many that I was expecting to fail or do badly in and it was such a relief to have achieved something that I had almost given up thinking about. It was a goal that I had really given up on and I was instead aiming to get through all the exams without ending back up in hospital.

So that's my reverse bucket list from the first 16 and a half years of life. I hope you enjoyed it and tell me what you think of this weird idea!

What have you achieved in your life that you are proud of or have ticked off your bucket list?
See ya on the flip side,
Holly x

Autumn

Hey guys! Autumn is officially here in the UK and therefore, it is constantly cold, windy and rainy. Although the weather during autumn can be very dull and miserable, I find myself looking forward to autumn every year for several reasons. There is something warm and fuzzy about the idea of colder weather and darker evenings.

Why I love Autumn:

• yellow and brown leaves outside
• bonfires
• fireworks
• halloween
• homely, warm food such as chilli and pie
• reasons to wear scarfs
• wholly jumpers
• fluffy socks
• hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream
• darker makeup
• boots and welly weather
• blankets
• warm insides
• autumn scented candles
• pyjama evenings in front of the fire
• it's closer to christmas

However, Autumn can have a few negatives about it as it's not just sunshine and rainbows. There will always be those days in which I wish it was summer again.

Why I dislike Autumn:

• frosty, cold weather
• wind that create knots in my hair
• constant storms and rain
• not being able to spend lots of time outside
• covering up every time you go outside
• darker morning's that make getting up early harder
• indecisive weather

What do you love or dislike about autumn?  What's autumn like in your country? 

See ya on the flip side,

Holly x

Dealing with Break-ups

Hey guys! The past couple of weeks have been a tough one for me for a lot of reasons. One still being college work but also that fact that me and my boyfriend broke up just under two weeks ago. It's been a tough slog for me especially as I still almost always see him every day due us being at the same college. It was on equal terms to begin with but things have changed and it's started to become quite a negative atmosphere when we are near each other. I'm not an expert on break-up's (as you can probably tell) but I thought it might help me to whip up a little post about dealing with break-ups for you and me. I hope you enjoy!

{1} Don't dwell on the past! Pick yourself up and attempt to move on!
I've been trying to really do this week and trying to pick out bad faults in my ex-boyfriend to make the process slightly easier. It's been hard as sometimes when I see him, I end up back tracking but focus on someone else without actually trying to be with them and sometimes the process will be easier.

{2} Live in the moment! Don't let the break-up hold you back!
Again, I've been struggling to do this but I really managed to this Thursday night when my college had a halloweon social for the six form. I went for it and almost completely forgot about him. This resulted in what was a really good night. Plus you never know what can happen as a result of you looking like you are enjoying yourself.

{3} Try to stop your friends from getting involved. Sometimes they can make it worse than it really is.
My friends are absolutely lovely but because they are my friends, they hated to see me upset over a boy and therefore took action themselves and actually confronted him. This isn't really the best thing to do because if anything, it made the situation worse. Try to stop your friends for sticking up for you because in reality, you can stick up for yourself.

{4} Don't do rebounds.
If anything, they will make you feel worse than you did before. You can focus on someone else but leave it for a while before you try to get with someone else. I have to keep reminding myself of this point quite a lot. It's so easy to try and get with someone but it's so important you focus on time for your self more than anything.

{5} Don't obey the urges.
It seem logical to get rid of everything that could possibly rid you of him because sometime in the future you might regret. Maybe you'll get back together and want those things again. Maybe you'll reflect back on the relationship in a month or so time with happy thoughts. Don't let the original anger make decisions for you.

I know break-ups are bad. I'm struggling and I will be for a while still but don't let it ruin your life for a month or more. Boys aren't worth it.
I hope you enjoyed my little post. It's now half term at my college for two weeks so I will be able to blog a lot more than I have been the past couple of weeks. I've really missed blogging regulating and hearing from you guys so I can't wait to have the time to do more on this blog.
See ya on the flip side,
Holly x

Favourite Bloggers September 2014

Hello! Sorry I haven't spoken to you guys for a while. Just starting to get into college life! I thought I'd take a little time out my busy day to type up a post for you guys (definitely not meant to have been written yesterday or anything). Well anyway, no hanging around, lets get started!

{1} Sparkly Kid
This girl is probably one of the best small bloggers I've found as of it. She's so consistent with her blog posts and they are all so interesting. I love every single one of her posts and she is so worth one follow. She's recently updated her blog to a lovely new shiny, cool design and it looks so cool. Go check her out.

{2} Lemontierres
This Dutch blogger is simply cracking. Her posts are super detailed and interesting. Her photos are simply gorgeous. I love everything about her blog. If you like fashion and beauty style posts, she definitely a cool alternative version.

{3} The Fence of Stars
A cool debate blog about everything from books to abortion. Her posts are an absolutely stunning read because of the amount of detail that is put in. I love how every post contains every bit of information you could possibly want or need to know.

So those are my favourite bloggers of September 2014. I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in another post later this week.
See ya on the flip side,
Holly x

Back to School Haul

Heyya Guys! So Blogust is over and finished which only means one thing... I'm back to normal blogging!! So welcome!
I know a lot of you are going to be a bit new to my normal blogging because I've been doing daily blogging for a month now. This is how I usually blog so I hope you like it! I have a lot of exciting blog posts coming up over the next month (I've pre-planned so check me out :P) so stick around and enjoy my little space in the wide world web.

As school is fast approaching for me (officially starting on Thursday) and I have brought a few things, I thought I would write up a little haul blog post for you all. It's going to include bits of stationary that I brought and the odd few things I have brought for the boarding house and to carry me things around in.

{1} Eco Kraft A5 Notebook from Paperchase
The original aim when I went shopping for all this stuff was to buy four brown covered and ringed notebooks for notes from all four subjects. I will be getting folders when I start my lessons but I wanted to have something before so that I can write down notes that I've got from my subject reading lists etc. Sadly, no stationary shops produce cheapish, brown, ring binded notebooks with lines so I had to stick to this one from Paperchase. The good thing about it is it's sectioned four times by coloured edged paper. This is handy considering I will be doing four subjects. The lined pages inside are also rather organic looking which I LOVE.

{2} Post-it Sitcky notes and tabs from Asda
You all do it. The 'lets go to the local supermarket and see what cheap stationary there is'. I did it and that's why I ended up with these two purchases. I though I'd team them up as they are pretty similar and by the same company. I got the sticky notes in a pack of three in an aqua-like blue, rather bright lime green and a bright corally pink. I've never liked the boring yellow ones that everywhere sells but I love this set because it's bright, colourful and certainly stands out. That's all I can ask for from some sticky notes. The tabs i brought for annotating and marking books and especially with my summer reading list, they were perfect. There's several variety of tab on this set so it gives me a bit of variety and options. As I'm the kind of person who changes their minds quickly, its perfect.

{3} Mini Desk Stationary Set from Ikea
Stationary sets are probably one of the most important thing for a student to have. This set contains a small staple gun, small sellotape dispenser and a small sharpener. This set is such a cute and cool colour which is works with a lot of things which is brilliant for such a staple set. These three mini tools will be living in my boarding house on my desk.

{4} Ocean Breeze High Fragrance Reed Diffuser from TK Maxx
This was an alternative buy to a scented candle as they are not allowed in house. It smells lovely and I really need something to add a little fragrance to my dorm room and a chilled environment. Me and my friend planned to place this on our window sill to add a bit of decoration. We used to have a lot of these in my house but we never topped them up so they just finished.

{5} Eco Kraft Pencil Pot and Pins from Paperchase
Again, more desk and room decorations. Each desk in the boarding house has a pin board above it so the pins were kind of a necessary buy for both me and my friend. The pencil pot is again key for storage for coloured pencils for my art and just normal pens.

{6} A Kraft Stationary box and A Kraft Multi storage box from Paperchase
These are simply storage boxes for random stuff such as bits of paper and random different beauty stuff. They match my notebook and pencil holder and therefore, have the ability to be decorated similarly if I wish. I have a habit of hauling random stuff so these would be perfect for hiding that stuff away.

{7} Boarding House Tuck from Poundland
My boarding house tuck includes:
-Two packets of Haribo's (although one of them is particularly finished)
-Two boxes of Belvita breakfast biscuits, Honey and Milk
-One box of loads of Jaffa Cakes
-One packet of lolly pops
Food is really important for me because I get snacky when I'm working, which I know its bad but it keeps me going. This was important for my working environment and therefore, for me to have it in boarding house because I'll be doing majority of my school work.

{8} Cloud and Hot air balloon purse from Primark
I've had a beige purse for a number of years so I thought with a new school, I should get a new purse. I saw this amazing blue purse with a hot air balloon and clouds and black writing on made me really happy and I feel in love with it. That, therefore, made me buy it. End of story. :P

{9} Black Leather Handbag from Primark
I needed a good, big bag that would fit everything but the kitchen sink in so it took a while searching but after a stop in several shops, I made my way to Primark where I found a black leather bag with open middle pocket and two side zipped pockets. It also has two small pockets inside the middle one and contains two versions of straps; a shoulder strap and two arm ones. I love it so much.

So that's my first blog post since Blogust! I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me about what you have brought and loved for school in the comments!
See ya on the flip side,
Holly x

My Hand Luggage Essentials for Short Haul Flights

Heyya! I know I said that my last blog post will probably be my last before Blogust series but I couldn't help myself so...
It's that time of my summer where I'm busy washing, drying and sorting out clothes ready to be packed away into my suitcase ready for another adventure. At this point of my week with only 36 hours left until my flight, I just want to get going and fly away especially when it is to see my boyfriend who I haven't seen in about a month (tough going, I know :P) and because I'm so excited and eager to get going, I thought I'd put together a little list (especially as I seem to love list posts) on my hand luggage essentials for short haul flights. In case you're wondering, I haven't been on a long haul flight so that's why it's short haul.

                                      

{1} A fully charged phone
This is probably one of the most important items that you could possibly take anywhere but on a flight especially. From your phone, you can take pictures (good quality ones if you have a good phone), listen to music and communicate with people. I have specified fully charged in this sections title because what can you do if your phone runs out of charge mid flight because you've been listening to music the whole flight and started out with 50% anyway?


{2} Usable Headphones
Headphones are so essential for flights especially if you are travelling alone because you can plug yourself out of the flight by plugging them in and listening to music. If they aren't usable, you can't do that at all so I guess that's kinda useful ;)


{3} Notebook and Pens ready to jot notes and ideas down
The other day, I brought a really nice pink (it says orange on the label but I'm sure it's pink) polka dot note pad as I've been needing a nice one with lines and I've started to become addicted to writing down notes for this blog (planning etc). I usually take a notebook or some paper pad on a plane because it's the perfect time to just think and be creative. I will definitely pack this notepad with some pens ready, just in case.


{4} A Book
I don't think I've ever been on a flight without a book. They are my all time essential for filling up time so bringing it on a flight is a must. I never go anywhere without my current book.


{5} A collection of Magazines
Again, I don't think I have ever been on a flight without a collection of magazines. They are also key to filling time and therefore making a flight go quicker by keeping me busy. They are always a big form of entertainment because of the stories are always slightly different in each magazine. Having these on a flight or journey is a must.


{6} Snacks and Drinks to last the flight
I never go on any journey without some kind of drink or food because I always seem to dehydrate rather quickly and I tend to eat when I have nothing else to do so obviously they are high on my priority when it comes to packing (or putting money in for when it comes to drink) my hand luggage bag. I don't know where I'd be with my snacks and drinks on flights.


{7} Makeup to refresh original face
Occasionally on flights, your makeup can come off especially if you decide to spend your flight sleeping and therefore carrying small amounts of makeup around in your hand luggage is key. I always take my Rimmel London Clarifying Powder and Colourworks lipgloss because those are my most likely products to come off.


{8} Camera
If I go away without my family, I will always bring a camera in my hand luggage so that I can capture any moment I wish (cue airplane wings and cloud photo). This will be a definite pack on Friday so that I can take good quality photos for my Blogust series.


{9} Purse with money just in case
Essential to everyday because you don't know when you are going to have to spend some money on something essential e.g. food (this is the main reason why I put this in this blog post)


{10} Mobile Phone Charger
You never know when your phone will run out of battery really and if you can find a plug socket, your mobile phone charger is on hand. Also, I'm always terrified of losing my luggage so to make sure I can still use my phone even if I do, I always pack this.


Whats your travel essentials in your hand luggage? Let me know.
See ya on the flip side,
Holly x

My Beauty must-haves Summer 2014!

Heyya! So I've been loving five certain products this summer massively and I thought that a blog post would be a perfect way to show my love and enthusiasm for them. All five products are essential for my beauty regime and considering my beauty regime is extremely small and limited, they are all beauty basics but without them I would be totally lost.

                            

{1} Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Ultra- Replenishing Lotion Shea Butter
I've been addicted to this product for a while (must be over a year now) and it is so good! It does everything on the tin (actually bottle). It took a couple of appliances for my skin to get used to a new product but that usually happens when I try something new out. My skin is naturally very dry but the Shea Butter Lotion does the job when applied regularly after I have either taken a shower or bath or just if my skin is feeling dry. It doesn't feel greasy like some dry skin lotions do and therefore gives it a massive bonus point from me. A quick replace as it starts to run out which always means its a good product.


{2} Garnier Skin Naturals Moisture Match Dry to Very Dry Skin
I've been searching for a face cream for a very long time and when I saw this a year or so ago, I thought I'd give it a go just to see. The original texture of cream as it came out of the tube didn't exactly make me love it straight away but as I applied it, it felt good on my skin and left it soft, hydrated and smooth (apart from the odd spot but lets not mention that). The only issue I have with this product is occasionally my skin can react to the cream and turn a bit red but if you are putting makeup over the top, that's not really a big deal. Another quick replacement product also so again, I must enjoy the product a lot.


{3} Batiste Dry Shampoo Clean and Clear Original
This is a staple product in many woman's beauty product list. Where would us lazy women be without it? This is so important especially when I don't usually wash my hair every day. It stops the grease and gives volume which is so important. This is my only beauty product that I've been using for years and not switching between different brands. My ultimate staple product ever.


{4} Rimmel London Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder
With my skin being so dry, it doesn't tend to act well around foundation so I stay clear completely of it. That's why I tend to use only powder. This powder was a good buy for me because not only is it a standard powder that gets rid of shine but it also acts as a light concealer so that when I may have a red spot, it will cover it slightly to turn it to a dull pink. I don't really mind about spots because it's a natural process for teenage girls but I like to make them less noticeable and this powder does that. While I often mix around with my day-to-day makeup, this powder is always compulsory and a must.


{5} Maybelline New York Waterproof Lash Stiletto Volume and Length Mascara
I brought this mascara off amazon a couple of months ago and loved it straight away. Although it's tough to remove, it lengthens my lashes without going clumpy and it also separates out the lashes so that it looks classy and elegant. I remember this mascara not even being that expensive so that's always a plus especially with it doing a good job.


I hope you enjoyed my little beauty product list of this years summer beauty must-haves for me. All five are my ultimate favourites at the moment so I guess you could maybe count this as a favourite list too if you wish! What are your favourite beauty must-haves this summer? Have you tried any of these products? What do you think?  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you soon!


Holly x

My Favourite Harry Potter Quotes!

Heyya! So this week has been a rather exciting week for me blogging wise. I joined Teenage Blogger Central earlier on and because of that, my followers and page views have gone up drastically. I'm started to become rather excited about these little steps my blog is making considering I only started it in May with measly posts.
Also, I have edited my blog appearance a lot this week with a new blog header and a bit more of a slicker look. A lot of editing was helped by I can build a blog which is an extremely helpful blog with brilliant blog posts on particularly everything you need to know for you to edit and transform your blog using basic html code.

So I thought to celebrate this exciting week I would put together a extra specially long blog of my favourite Harry Potter book quotes of all time especially as I'm a big Harry Potter fan. Therefore if this is the kinda blog post that you fancy, continue reading, if not, why not read through some of my other blog posts as I have a odd few. I'm starting to ramble now so I think I better get started...

~ “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” - Albus Dumbledore

~ “Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. Love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves it's own mark. To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.” -Albus Dumbledore

~ “You're a wizard, Harry.”  ~ Hagird

~ "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light" -Albus Dumbledore

~ "If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." -Sirius Black

~ "In dreams, we enter a world that’s entirely our own." -Albus Dumbledore

~ "Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." -Albus Dumbledore

~ "The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with caution." -Albus Dumbledore

~ "Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have" -Hermione Granger

~ "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure" -Luna Lovegood

~ "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends" -Albus Dumbledore

~ "It is our choices, Harry, that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities" -Albus Dumbledore

~ "Books! And Cleverness! There are more important things- friendship and bravery" -Hermione Granger

~ "Why spiders? Why couldn't it be 'Follow the butterflies'?" -Ron Weasley

~ "Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all  face the choice between what is right and what is easy" -Albus Dumbledore

~ "You're the weak one. And you'll never know love, or friendship. And I feel sorry for you" -Harry Potter

~  "Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!" -Dobby

~ "It's curious that you should be destined for this wand when it's brother gave you that scar" -Mr. Ollivander

~ "To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" -Albus Dumbledore

~ "It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" -Albus Dumbledore


So there it is, my favourite 20 Harry Potter quotes. A lot of them are from Albus Dumbledore but that is simply because he is the voice of wisdom for all. I hope you enjoyed this little special blog post.
What are your favourite Harry Potter quotes? Let me know in the comments as I would love to hear your opinions.
Holly x

Summer goals 2014!

Heyya my dears! So I have finally finished my last exam and therefore summer has arrived. Having such a long holiday, I thought I'd be productive and create a list of things I want to complete over the summer...

{1} get my fitness up

After being ill for so long, my fitness has seriously decreased. I need to bring up my fitness so that I can start to do more stuff that can be physically demanding. Whether this be through runs, going to the gym or starting regular exercise again, I think it will also help my body stay healthy.

{2} Get back into reading

Over the past year, my desire to read has seriously decreased and I really think I'm starting to miss out on some amazing books such as the Divergent series. I also have a series of books that I need to read for my AS levels next year so starting to get used to reading again should help me get through the long list quickly.

{3} Enjoy myself and relax 

The past couple of months have been extremely stressful with illness and exams so some time to relax is well needed not only for my mind but for my body especially it still needs to fully recover. Also, at the end of the day, summer is a holiday and time to just chill anyway.

{4} Sort out my bedroom

After moving into my house about a year ago, my room has been a bit of a mess with no desk and little storage space. A trip to ikea to buy a desk, double bed and bookcase is certainly needed to neaten it up. When it's sorted, I might even do a little room tour through photos and text.

{5} Get organised for next year

In September, I will be starting at my new college for sixth form and being such an important few years, organisation is key. This includes shopping for the new 'work wear' uniform and stationery for lessons.

So those are my main aims for the summer. What are your aims? What are you hoping to complete? Let me know.

Holly x

My bucket list so far!

Heyya my dears! So I'm back and I thought that I'd write about the kinda things I want to do before I die (which I hope I am a long time off just yet ;)) to start off with, I'm gunna list 5 things but it could expand over time! 

Better get started then....

{1} Complete the Devizes to Westminster Canoe race.

This race involves 125 miles of kayaking from Devizes, Wiltshire to Westminster, London. I have wanted to complete this race for a long time as I have grown up with the race every Easter weekend of my life. This year was the first year that I would have been old enough to compete but because of illness, I wasn't able to start. Hopefully next year will be my year!

{2} Live or stay in Australia.

I'm not sure why but for quite a few years I have generated quite a fascination with Australia. The country seems incredible and it would be such an amazing experience to stay somewhere which is such a contrast to England. I also like the idea of working as a teacher there also for about a year.

{3} Travel to countries outside Europe and experience the world.

This is a big thing I want to do especially as I have currently never travelled outside of Europe. There are so many experiences out there that could maybe change my life and I would love to experience them.

{4} Win the devizes to Westminster canoe race in either mixed crew category or ladies category (either junior or senior).

This is a big aim for me and I would love to fulfil it either on my first go or another go after.

{5} Spend some time teaching in LEDC countries.

I feel that it's important to spend some time helping out others and I feel that teaching less fortunate childern so they might be able to get a decent job in the future. This is a big thing for me.

So that's by bucket list so far! Hope you enjoyed it! 

What's on your bucket list? Comment below and let me know.

Holly x

How to: prepare for exams!

Heyya my dears! So it's that time of year again when many of us 'youth' are studying for a variety of exams to attempt to further our education and maybe make us slightly brainer. 

As this season tends to generate a whole lot of stress, I thought I'd try to make it easier and give you some information on how I'm preparing for my exams. Although I'm not perfect, I feel like some information could help people who may be struggling. 

Here's some of my tips and techniques:

1) Use folders to organise your subjects and revision notes.

It may seem basic but being organised can help reduce your stress levels. Having individual coloured folders for each subject means that you can identify the right one without much thought. 

Within these folders, you can also seperate individual subject topics with topic divider like pastic versions (staples provided cheap ones in packs of five or ten) or hand-made ones using paper, card, and coloured pens. Having seperate dividers means access to notes is a lot more efficient especially when you have a strict revision schedule to stick to.

2) Highlight revision notes the day before.

By highlighting or going over the notes you have already made before the exam, you are more likely to be refreshed for those topics. This will also make you more confident before the exam and mean you are not stressing or worrying. 

3) Use colours to make brain storms on subjects.

Doing brain storms on certain topics are brilliant quick revision ways that can help you remember key terms and facts needed in the exams but by using colours as well will help you to remember more.

It is a proven fact that colour helps your brain remember information that it might not have been able to take on. This use of colour will help your memory remember more.

4) Take time to relax! 

It may seem silly but a good bath with bubbles, music and scented candles can go a long way during exam season. Make time to chill.

So that's my main tips and techniques to help prepare for those dread exams. Hope it helps some of you.

Holly x