Life ¦ Getting back into planning

 

So it's been a while since I've really touched my planner and I have decided to get back into it in order to get my life back together. As back to college is fast approaching I thought I would try and get back into it before we go back. I've bee watching a lot of Bullet journaling videos so I've decided to mix it into my Filofax Clipbook. What I like about the clip book is it is very light. It's perfect for throwing in my school bag and also in my handbag if I need it.

 

I've been using it to help me plan out my content for blogging and youtubing but I've also been using it to plan my everyday life. So I've been really enjoying the whole bullet journaling side of things. Don't get me wrong I've in no way been doing it to the extent that some people do it however I have found it really helpful to keep me more organised and it also fulfils my passion for list writing (I realise how much of a loser this makes me sound hhaha)

 

The clipbook is fab as you can use it anytime as it is all dated by you. It also has a yearly calendar fold out and a monthly one which help me to see my month all planned out and organised. I also really like this one for tracking my shifts at work as it's so easy to track things in as you get so many sections to write in. I've been using the sections on the weekly planner pages one for work, one for personal and one which will be used for college work once I go back.

 

Overall I'm really enjoying getting back into planning! I'd love to know if you plan and if you do why?

Life ¦ Cole gets fit or dies trying #2

 

So this whole regular update thing went well. I'm pretty sure I haven't spoken about fitness over here since I did my first post when I joined the gym. Since my last update I've gone from working out at least three times a week to cutting down to once or twice due to an injury which really sucks as I was beginning to see some progress. I've actually had to stop spinning which breaks my heart as it was killing my already very dead hip. However I have started swimming more which I'm actually really enjoying. I'm currently waiting on a hospital appointment to have a steroid injection in my hip so in the Gym I've been focusing more on my arms purely to take the pressure off my hip.

 

Since my last post I've also gone fully vegetarian so I've been eating even more fruit and veg than I was before and I'm slowly attempting to cut down on how many crisps and biscuits I eat a week. Even though I've been eating much healthier I am not denying myself little treats and I feel like that's really helped me stay on track. I've also found since cutting out a lot of crap out of my diet my skin has been so much better, pairing that with how much water I'm now drinking my acne has completely gone and I get the odd spot now and again but no where near on the scale it was before.

 

I'm hoping it is going to be less than six months before I update this again.

Let me know if you are on a journey to get fit and what's working for you! 

Blog ¦ Cutting down

In the past couple of months I have felt like I've been churning out four posts a week of content that didn't include any passion. I felt as though how many times I blogged a week made me either a good blogger or a bad blogger. I've been posting four times a week for a little while now and at first I loved it however since then I've also started up my YouTube channel and got a job. These things along with the massive amount of college work I'm going to get next year I've decided to cut down a little. I'm going to see how three posts a week works for me as I don't want to keep churning out mediocre content which I don't really like. I want to write more detailed posts and reviews that are going to really help people. Once I go back to college in September I may have to re-evaluate again as at the end of the day it's make or break time and if I mess up this year I'm not going to university. I really hope you guys understand and continue to enjoy the (hopefully) improved content that I'm going to be putting out.

Life ¦ Livening up lunchtime with Haywards

 

Recently I've been in a little bit of a lunchtime rut so when this parcel turned up I was pretty excited.  (Can we just take a minute to appreciate the fact that I carried this for about half a mile from the post office and it weighed just under 6kg) For a start I have always had a mild obsession with Piccalilli so I was pretty excited for cheese and piccalilli sandwiches. However I have to say I was excited to receive the veggies as after look on the Haywards website there are so many recipes including their products to add a little twist to very traditional dishes, like the welsh rarebit below. I also definitely need to try adding some piccalilli to my potato salad which is another of the suggestions on the website.

 

 

 

Haywards have recently extended their product range massively and they now have four different types of onions ranging from sweet and mild to hot and spicy meaning that you can choose the products to suit how much tang you like.

 

I'd highly recommend heading over to the Haywards website //here// if you are looking for a little lunchtime inspiration, I'm especially looking forward to making the Goats cheese and caramelised onion tart and the cauliflower burgers! (also eating the gherkins straight out the jar but that's not half as fancy looking)

 

Haywards products*  are available to buy from most supermarkets in the UK.

Guest Post ¦ 4 ways to combat suicidal thoughts with Jennifer from the Public health Library

When Jennifer from the public health library got in touch with me and asked me if I would consider sharing an article about suicide prevention I knew that I had to say yes. I am fully aware that this article may have no use to a lot of you however if it helps even just one person that would be absolutely amazing!

 

Cole x

 

 

 

When you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, it can be extremely difficult to silence them. With the depression that so often accompanies them, distracting yourself with enjoyable activities isn’t always an option. Here are a few ways you can work to rid yourself of suicidal thoughts.

 

1. Meditation Isn’t Just For Buddhists

Meditation is a way for you to clear your mind and relax. Silencing the brain is possibly one of the best methods for quieting negative thoughts as the aim is to eradicate all thought. The catch is meditation takes time. Learning to silence your thoughts take practices and effort. You may want to begin your meditative practice when you are feeling more positive so that shutting thoughts out is not as difficult as when you are depressed.

Image via Pixabay by brenkee

You are also likely to feel more motivated during these times of positivity. Make meditation part of your daily routine so that when you truly need it, you will be practiced and ready.

2. Find an Activity That Busies the Mind

If meditation isn’t for you, seek an activity you can enjoy that keeps the mind busy. If you can’t silence the thoughts, maybe you can have more success drowning them out. Reading an intriguing or complex book is an option, particularly if you challenge yourself to read it upside down.

Crossword puzzles are another good mental exercise along with Sudoku or a traditional puzzle. The object is not necessarily to find enjoyment (which can be challenging for a depressed mind) but rather to busy the mind and prevent any room for suicidal thoughts.

 

 

3. Reach Out to a Friend

If there is a person you feel is capable of reacting calmly and supportively to news of your suicidal thoughts, reach out. Be up front and open about what you are going through. Also be prepared to tell them what you need from them. If you just need a person to talk to, let them know. If you need someone to keep you on track with medications, counselling, or other beneficial activities, tell them.

Be sure you know how they can help you before you reach out. Admitting that you are contemplating suicide without having a way for them to help may only work to cause them anguish. However if they are provided a way to be supportive, they are more likely to have a positive reaction.

4. Seek Professional Help

Feeling as though you are dragging loved ones into your problems can be detrimental to your recovery. It may be better to seek professional help in the form of support groups or counselling. If you are experiencing a crisis situation, you might also contact the Suicide Hotline. They can be reach toll free at 1-800-273-8522 and are entirely anonymous.

If feelings of guilt still persist, try to keep in mind that the people who run this hotline are volunteers who have trained to help people like you. They want to help. Let them.

Struggling with suicidal thoughts can be extremely difficult, particularly if you feel you cannot or should not reach out to those around you. While your loved ones are likely happy to help, there are always alternative resources and activities you can do to keep these thoughts at bay.

Take up meditation, buy a few jigsaw puzzles, or find your nearest crisis centre. No matter which route you decide to take, it is important that you find a way to help yourself. Keep in mind recovery is possible and your seeking help is the first step.

Jennifer McGregor is the co-creator of PublicHealthLibrary.org, which was made for one of her pre-med classes as a project. With the site, she intends to provide various resources pertaining to medical inquiries and general health. When Jennifer is not busy being a student, she enjoys walking her dog through the park.



Blog ¦ The changing face of Blogging

Recently I've seen a whole tonne of negativity floating around the blogging community on twitter and I just wanted to take a minute out of my usual posts to talk about it. I've had my blog for around three and a half years now and in the past year or so the amount of negativity I see on a daily basis has massively increased. When I first got started blogging wasn't small however it was definitely a hell of a lot smaller than it is now. When I first got involved in the blogging community Zoella had well under a million followers and I'd never seen a youtuber bring out a product with a big mainstream brand (I'm talking Two faced, Tarte, Becca etc here) No one had books and no one had product ranges.

 

Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying these things are bad things at all. The community is changing and bloggers and youtubers are getting the recognition for all the hard work that they put in. But along with the growth of the social media influencers comes the people who hate on others. However recently I've begun to see bloggers turning on other bloggers, follower numbers become irrelevant here as at the end of the day it's just one person picking on another. I'm not saying that everyone has to get along, in a community that is now as big as the blogging community is today there are going to be people who's personalities clash and people that don't like what other people do.

 

I feel like the community has become one big competition it's now all about blog followers and page views and how many PR packages a certain blogger gets sent every week. A community that was once so supportive and so kind has now been tainted by jealousy and bitterness. I mean don't get me wrong there are still thousands of amazing, lovely kind bloggers however I feel like blogging is getting a bad rep for being bitter. I sometimes feel like the rise of blogging has had a negative impact on the community as people now feel more pressure to put out content that they feel will attract new readers rather than putting out content that they really care about.

 

 

Maybe it's just me but I sometimes wish that it would all go back to the way it was before?

 

I'd love to know your thoughts on this subject,

 

Cole xx

Lifestyle ¦ What I ate #1

 

I absolutely love reading food posts however they are something that I really haven't posted many of on my blog recently. However I am hoping that that is going to change. Hopefully in the next couple of months you should see some recipes, graze box posts and more what I ate posts as at the moment my blog is super beauty heavy which I like however just want to mix it up a little. I've been on a massive health kick recently and I've been trying to eat as healthy as possible as well as going to the gym (My gym update post is coming soon) I've also been trying to force myself to eat breakfast as I have a very bad habit of skipping it.

 

So without further ado lets get on and see what I ate on this particular day.

 

Breakfast

 

Plain porridge, seeds of one pomegranate, 5 strawberry's and a teaspoon of honey to sweeten.

 

Lunch

 

Veggie noodle salad - Half a nest of noodles, celery, cherry tomatoes, spinach, mangetout, yellow pepper carrot, cashew nuts.

 

Dressing - Soy sauce, Sweet chilli sauce, Olive oil

 

Kettle bites Mozzarella and pesto lentil twists (If you like pesto you need to try these!)

 



Dinner

 

Veggie Fajitas (Peppers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce) with sour cream and cheesy nachos.

 



Fashion ¦ The blush pink obsession.

It is official I think I may be obsessed with this pink shade. I finally got around to picking myself up some new shoes this week and I am so in love with absolutely everything about them. They are the Adidas blush pink Superstar 80's and I am so excited to wear them all the time. I don't tend to wear much colour so these are perfect as they are still pretty neutral but they will add a pop of colour to whatever outfit I'm wearing. 

As well as the shoes I've also been loving Barry M's Speedy Nail paint in the shade Freestyle which is a beautiful darker blush pink which just makes the nails look really clean and it's one of those colours that makes then look like you've had a manicure. Finally I also picked up this beautiful blush suede cami from Primark which was only £5. I really love the little bits of gold detail on this and I feel like I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it especially in the summer. 

Life ¦ Getting my revision on

 

 

So it's less than two months till the first A level exams and I have spent the majority of my time lately with my head stuck in a text book. I know that a lot of you lovely people have also got exams so today I thought I would have a little chat about revision. I am in no way an expert here but I though I would talk about some of the things that I find really work for me.

 

Mind maps.

 

Mind maps are something that I find really work for me however I do understand how some people don't find that they work for them. I like to use them as I find they are the best way to organise things and keep topics together. Especially for my Biology revision I find they are super clear and easy to look over and scan.

 

Revision cards.

 

I like to have cards stuck around my room of key points that I feel like I really need to remember. I think this is really useful as I find myself subconsciously reading them. For example I have some things stuck on my mirror which I read while getting ready. When I did my GCSE'S I had little cards stuck all over the house and I found it to be so useful.

 

Colours.

 

Something I find really helps is adding lots of colour my work. I use colours to pick out key words and I find that when I'm reading my work it really helps when it comes to remembering key parts. (It also looks really pretty)

 

Don't panic.

 

 

Now this one is easier said than done and I should definitely practice what I preach however I found that last year I got so wound up it meant that I was avoiding revision in turn meaning that I put even more pressure and stress on myself.

 

So that's it for today's post if you have any revision tips of your own I'd love for you to leave them in the comments. 

Life ¦ Attempting to get myself organised

 So I am one of those people who really likes to pretend they are organised but in fact in my head I am actually panicking over how unorganised I really am. So today I thought I would talk you through some of the things I've been doing to try and get myself a little more organised.

 

So starting off I purchased a desk planner which I am so in love with and I have found that it's really helped me get a little more organised. As it is on my desk I've been looking at it and writing on it all the time meaning it's urging me on to be more organised. This was only £6 from paper chase which really impressed me. I've also been writing down all of my blog posts on it meaning it's also helped keep track of all that.

 

I also purchased myself a new Filofax planner. In the end I ordered a Filofax clipbook which is an A5 size and the reason I picked it up was I was finding my Filofax mini was super heavy and carrying it around all day was a bit of a pain. So I'm now using my Clipbook as my day to day planner and I've been using my mini Filofax as a blog planner. So I've racking all my stats as well as noting down all other things blog related.

 

I've also been writing a lot of lists and by a lot I mean at least one a day for my everyday bits and bobs that I need to do as well as extra blog related ones and everything in between. I feel like not only are lists a great way to relax a little bit.

 

So there are a couple of ways I'm attempting to get myself organised. If you guys have any tips I'd love for you to leave them in the comments!

 

Life ¦ A little chat about TSS

 

I feel like TSS (Toxic shock Syndrome) is something that so many women are aware off yet not something that they know much about, when Veeda got in touch with me asking if I would like to try some of their products I thought it would give the perfect opportunity to talk about TSS on my blog and learn a little more about it myself.

 

TSS is actually caused by a bacterial infection which can then lead to kidney failure, lung collapse and sometimes even Cardiac arrests. Currently over 50% of cases of TSS are linked to High absorbency tampon use. A chemical called viscose rayon which is often found in conventional tampons promotes the growth of the toxin that is linked to TSS. Even though people think it is a thing of the past 1 in 100 women in the developed world will at some point contract tampon related TSS. By using cotton tampons like Veeda which are 100% cotton which therefore contain no nasty chemicals means that you reduce your likelihood of contracting TSS infact their has never been a case of tampon related TSS when using 100& cotton tampons.

 

Veeda's products are also all incredibly environmentally friendly, their towels are wrapped in packaging that degrades in 6-12 months and even the Tampons themselves are 100% biodegradable even in landfill.

 

I hope you guys found this post interesting and I hope you learned something about TSS.

Blog ¦ Do I need a Niche?

I feel like the word niche is a term that bloggers throw around a lot. I have read so many posts about how to start a blog and so many of them suggest that you MUST have a niche and I have to say I'm not sure I agree. People say that without a niche you won't gain a loyal group of readers and then in the next breath say that it isn't all about stats.

 

What I don't understand is why some people think that people shouldn't mix topics on their blog, I understand that some readers like beauty and some like lifestyle but surely by writing posts that fit under both those categories you are widening who's reading your posts. Maybe those readers might not follow as you don't post enough lifestyle content for them but in the grand old scheme of things does it really matter. It doesn't matter what you post in my opinion if I like the style of writing, the photos and the personality of the blogger I follow, fair enough I might not read every post that they put up like I do with some of my favourite bloggers however surely my irregular reading is better than me not reading at all.

 

So when starting a blog if you want to start with a niche then that's cool but don't ever let that niche define what you post and force you to churn out content that you hate when there is something that you feel you could write so much more passionately about however you know it doesn't fit you niche.

 

I'd love to know what you guys have to say about having a niche! Let me know in the comments.

Life ¦ A few Easter weekend snaps.

 

So I hope you all had a really lovely Easter weekend and ate far to much chocolate. We actually headed to Shropshire for the weekend and today I thought I'd share some snaps I took. Unfortunately the weather was a bit of a wash out however we did have a little bit of sunshine on Friday afternoon so we decided to go for a walk. I really hope you guys enjoy these shots, I'd also love to know how your Easter weekend was and what you got up to!

 

Life ¦ Lessons from Auschwitz

So on the 2nd of March I had the opportunity of a life time to travel to Poland and visit Auschwitz concentration camp with the Lessons from Auschwitz programme. So at half past two on the second of March me and my friend Anna set off headed for east midlands airport for one of the most unforgettable days of our lives. We visited two of the three sites to Auschwitz, Auschwitz one which is more like a museum and the buildings have all been converted and are filled with pictures and information and the we also visited Auschwitz Birkenau which the buildings are how they were. Then at the end of the day we had the most beautiful memorial ceremony in which we laid candles along the track into Birkenau.  I think I'd have to describe the camps as the more eerily interesting places I have ever been.  

 

With being an A-level history student I found it so incredibly interesting to be able to learn all about how things were run at the camp and I feel like it is incredibly important to not forget what happened during the war and how many people were killed. Today I've decided to share some of my photos from the day as I am actually really proud of them. So I really hope you enjoy looking at the pictures and I'd love to know if anyone had ever visited Auschwitz and what your experience was like.

 

 



Life ¦ Mothers day gifts from Cheerz

I know I'm a little late on this post however I don't seem to have stopped in the past couple of weeks and my life only seems to be getting busier. However I definitely wanted to share these gorgeous personalised gifts from Cheerz with you. The cut off date to get these ordered by is actually the 28th of February so I would highly suggest if you want them you get on and order them now. If you saw y first post about Cheerz at Christmas time you will know that I was incredibly impressed with the whole service from start to finish so when they asked me if I would like another set of photos I jumped at the chance.

 

For mothers day they are offering 3 specific products, the first is a set of 9 fridge magnets which I didn't bother ordering as our fridge is in a cupboard so we don't actually have anywhere to stick them however they are a super cool idea if your mum loves a good magnet. They are also super fab value at just £7.50 so they are fab for if you are on a tight budget but want something special.

 

Next up we have the Cheerz box* £13 which has this gorgeous themed packaging, I am honestly so in love with the daisy print. Inside the Cheerz box you get 30 prints. You can change the colour of the borders and add text however I decided to leave them blank as I feel like they would look super cute with writing on them rather than printing. As with the last set of prints I had from them they are really great quality however I would say to try and use high quality photos as some that look absolutely fine on my phone come out a little grainy.

 

 

Finally for my favourite thing we have the Photo album* £22. In this you can have 20 photos or ou can opt to have big photos over two pages. I decided to go for a photo per page  as there where lots that I really wanted to include. I was really impressed with this. The pages feel incredibly good quality and the printing on the whole has turned out really well. I must say there are a couple of images that are a little pixilated however that's probably more my fault for picking crappy IPhone pictures.

 

Overall if you are looking for something a little bit special for your mum this mothers day I would highly recommend heading over to Cheerz and having a little browse. Also by using the code COLEHWB you can receive £4 off your order.

 



Life ¦ Cole gets fit, or dies trying #1

 

 

So I joined a gym (that's not a sentence I ever thought I would type I can tell you that) I've been thinking about it for a while now and I mean what better time but the present. Currently I've only been to the actual gym twice however I've been taking full advantage of the fact that all the classes are involved in my membership. I have a new love in spinning thanks to the lovely Sarah from At the beauty desk and I've also started Pilates which so far I'm really enjoying. I think I'm going to be making this into a little series so I can almost track my progress and talk to you guys about what I've been loving but I also want to share some healthy recipes and meals with you and just generally share more healthy lifestyle thinks with you I also hope it's going to stop me sliding off the wagon as I feel like I've committed to it.

 

If you have any of these fitness posts or have any tips for me make sure to leave them in the comments.



Blog ¦ 5 things you actually need to start a blog

So today I thought I'd do a bit of a jokey post and talk about 5 things you actually need to start a blog. If you can think of any more leave them in the comments for me to have a giggle at.

 

 

1. The internet -

 

If you are reading this congratulations you are one step closer to writing a blog.

 

2. Something to get on the internet with -

 

Having the internet is all well and good but you need something to access the internet with is also essential it can be a 10 year old Toshiba or a brand new MacBook as long as it works it's good.

 

3. A blog -

 

When starting a blog having a blog is always useful. I personally use Blogger but I know a lot of bloggers also use Wordpress. Something I see a lot is people saying that you should get your own domain straight away however I would always suggest that you enjoy blogging before starting to invest in your blog.

 

4. Something to write about -

 

This ones pretty self explanatory it doesn't matter what you write about as long as you have something to write about.

 

5. Something to take photos with -

 

Again I'm definitely not suggesting that you need a brand new canon DSLR as long as it is something that takes a fairly good picture I always find it doesn't matter what you use as long as you have good lighting. So if you use a phone camera or something like that I'd suggest you take the pictures in a window so there is plenty of good light.

 

 

 

 



Life ¦ This week... #3

Apologies for the lack of my This week post last week, I'm currently trying to balance work, college, blogging, youtube and doing things that are interest enough to put in a this week post.

 

This week I've been on a massive attempt to chill out a little bit and I have been absolutely loving colouring. I've also finally got round to giving my makeup collection a little clear out and I'm finally happy with how my dressing table looks. This week also saw the release of panic at the disco's new album which awoke my inner Y9 my favourite song is currently Don't threaten me with a good time.

 

This week also saw the first snowfall of the year but by the time I got round to trying to take some pictures it was pretty much gone. I also made my final cheeky little makeup order from Illamasqua before I start my spending ban next week so expect a post on those soon!  

 

 

 



Blog ¦ The Blogger behind... Get Ready with Laura

I´m Laura and the girl behind GetReadyWithLaura. I´m 16 years old and live in Munich/Germany and am currently in the last school year. I blog over at Get Ready with Laura

 

5 Interesting facts about yourself.

 

1. I´m left handed

2. I Blog in English even though I normally speak German

3. I´m half polish

4. I love to go shopping and to travel

5. Don´t know another one, haha

A Favourite memory.

 

My first trip without my parents to London with my best friend. It was so much fun and I absolutely love the city, I really hope to get back soon!

How did your passion for all things blog related start?

 

I read a lot of different blogs and followed bloggers through social media and it seemed like so much fun, to be able to write about things you love and meeting people who are likeminded.

3 Favourite Posts on your blog

 

What I Want To Achieve in 2016:

Brand Focus: NYX Cosmetics: 

5 Top Picks: 

How long have you been blogging?

 

For nearly 2 years, it will be full 2 years in March

What do you love most about blogging?

 

Being able to express my love for beauty and makeup and letting other people join in 

Do you feel like the Blogging scene has changed since you started?

 

I feel like the blogger scene has grown a lot and so many brands seem to appreciate that bloggers are actually the best way to promote their products which I love to see!

Current most lusted after item?

 

I don´t have a specific item but I really want to try stuff from Nars and Charlotte Tilbury.

 

3 Favourite bloggers

 

Rebecca = From Roses

Becky = Lipgloss and Lashes

Emily = British Beauty Addict

3 wishes for this year these could be personal or blog based

 

Improving my writing and photography skills

Travel to new places

Pass my finals

Your other links

 

Twitter: twitter.com/laura__xoxx

Instagram: instagram.com/laurakroczek

Pinterest: pinterest.com/kroczeklaura

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/getreadywithlaura-13562637

Life ¦ Flamingo candles melt crowd - January

 

So unless you've been living under a rock recently you'll have probably heard everyone talking about the Flamingo candles melt crowd box. For £10 a month you receive 8 wax tarts. I personally really love this idea and this is my second box and I'm just as impressed as I was with my first. I think it's a brilliant way to try out new scents which you wouldn't typically pick out so without further ado lets talk about what's inside.

 

I'm going to end on a high note so I'm going to mention the only one I do not like first Whiskey it's a very heavy intense scent when I opened the box it was all I could smell. It smells very similar to whiskey without that alcoholic scent to it. The rest of the melts in the box I really like Crystal mountain water and Pink denim are really fresh scents which I would have in no way picked out usually however I am really loving them, Baby powder does what it says on the tin and it literally smells so similar to baby powder I'm kind of amazed.

 

Cinnamon and Mandarin is a beautiful warm cinnamon scent with a little bit of a sweetness to it from the mandarin. I do feel like if you have trouble with candles giving you headaches this one is likely to cause you trouble. Also from the BARE range is Orange and lemongrass which is just the most beautiful fresh citrusy scent. It is just so perfect for after a little bit a cleaning spree.

 

Finally we have the two sweeter scents in the box, in my opinion coconut is much more like vanilla coconut and is an incredibly sweet scent. Although I do really love it I feel like I'm probably only going to be able to burn it for a very short amount of time. So the final scent in this box is Strawberry jam which smells identical to the Body shop strawberry scent which is one of my all time favourites. I cannot wait to burn this one and it will definitely the first one I burn out of this eight.

Do you get this subscription box? I'd love to know your opinions.