December Uni Chat & Life Update

Hello my loves, today's post is largely going to be a bit of a ramble and updating you on what's been going on in my life since September, during my first semester of uni, spoiler alert: it's a lot.

The Discomfort of Evening [Book Review]

Hello my loves ... long time no see 😅. I'll start by apologising for my two month absence from the blog. Semester 1 of uni was ... interesting to say the least, and I'll be sure to tell you all about it in my upcoming life updates post.

Now there's no better way to get into blog writing than a good ol' fashioned book review. The book in question I'll be reviewing today is 'The Discomfort of Evening' by the remarkable Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. 

My Hallotober Tag!

Hello my loves,

I'm so excited to say I've been chosen to take part in the Hallotober tag! The wonderful Deandra, owner of The Black Princess Diaries tagged me, be sure to check out her blog! Here are the rules:

September Book Haul!

Hello my loves, today I'm going to ease back into writing blog posts with a nice easy book haul. But I promise you'll see some posts with a bit more depth shortly after this!

I think it's safe to say I will end up spending all of my maintenance loan on books, if my September spending habits are anything to go by. Growing up in a small town with little variety it's amazing to now be in a city that is filled with bookshops, even if one of those bookshops stole all your money for stupidly priced textbooks - I'm looking at you Blackwells...

Dear Diary: I Moved to University!

Hello my loves, I'm so sorry it's been a couple weeks since I posted, but I bet you can guess what's been keeping me so busy - yup, university!

On Tuesday 15th September I finally moved to uni! Being out of education since March, and dreading results day until August, this move has definitely been a long time coming.

Being a Fluoxe-teen: Antidepressants, A-Levels and Me

Hello everyone, as my date for starting university nears closer and closer (one week to go!) I thought I'd write somewhat of a reflective post about my time in sixth form on anti-depressants.

I figured this could be useful for any student currently making decisions about whether they ought to use medication to help their mental health. Or possible for any parents wondering what might improve, or possibly worsen, if their child is on anti-depressants.

Beauty Basics Press On Nails Review

Hey everyone! Today's post is a rather exciting one for me as it's my first time ever reviewing a small business! That business is Jade Allesse's 'Beauty Basics', which sells beautiful handcrafted gel press on nails, alongside decals, transfer foils and a some cute nail care extras. 

What I Read in July

Hey everyone, I'm finally writing this post for all the books I read in July. This is actually my first 'What I Read', but it's a bit of a weird mix of books. Next month's is focused more on novels than anything else, but I thought you'd like to see what kept me occupied for the very long and very boring month of July.

The Problem With Calorie Counts on Menus

Hey everyone, today I thought I'd write about something that's been causing quite a controversy in the news and on social media lately, and that's calorie counted menus. As someone that's struggled with eating and body image for the majority of my teenage years, I have a bone to pick with the government's new plan, not only for how it may affect many sufferers of eating disorders, but also how it blatantly fails to tackle wider issues of our national obesity problem.

Probably goes without saying, but this post will largely discuss EDs/disordered eating, so if you will feel uncomfortable reading this or it could possibly cause you distress, please don't scroll any futher!

Shopping Haul (Monki, Paperchase, Flying Tiger + More)

Hello everyone, today I'll be kicking August off with a small shopping haul! I love watching videos/reading hauls especially when there's some great bargains involved. Today I had the pleasure of visiting Newcastle city centre, something I hardly do despite visiting my Grandma nearby every few months or so. Anyway without any further rambling heres what I got. 

Eco Warrior Shaving Bar Review

Hello everyone, bit of a content change for today's post but it's something I've wanted to do for quite a while and that's product reviews! More specifically, eco-friendly and sustainable product reviews. One of my 2020 goals was to reduce unnecessary waste, especially plastics - so I figured I could share with you guys my thoughts on the things I try and buy.

The Beauty & Necessity of Escapism In Books

Hello everyone, today I thought I'd write about something I've been very interested in for quite a while - escapism.

Escapism, as defined in the Oxford Dictionary is "the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy". As someone who has struggled with anxiety since I was about 14, finding an escape through a book, a musical or a film when the world got a bit too much was an incredible alleviator. And in the current climate, where my thoughts are racing about results day, university, and then compounded by the ongoing pandemic and some nasty fallings out; I am reminded of the beautiful escape reading once gave me.

(Another) Second-hand Book Haul

Hello everyone, after a boring week of dealing with one or two Weicheier I decided to treat myself to some more books. Yes, I did just buy 4 books last week. No, I haven't finished them all. Yes, I have 20 more books on my shelf still unread. Yes, I am aware I have terrible spending habits. Moving swiftly on...

Second-hand Book Haul!

Hey everyone, I though I'd break the posting hiatus with a little book haul! All of these books are second-hand, and came to a grand total of just under £15.

1000 viewers!

Hey guys! Just a small post to say thank you so much for 1,000 views!!! I know to some this isn't much but to me it means the world! It really makes me feel like my efforts are going towards something so I am appreciative of every single viewer/reader ❤

Two Kinds of Protest: The Pros and Cons of Each

Hello everyone, over the last two weeks I attended two different protests: one in Millenium Square Leeds, and one from the comfort of my own bed. A complete newbie to the activism scene, and I mean proactive activism, not including sharing instagram posts or retweeting, I had NO IDEA virtual protests were even a thing. Attending this virtual protest, followed by a ... physical protest? A protest protest? You get what I mean, gave me a good idea of the differences between the two types. Whether virtual protests remain commonplace within activism I'm not sure, as the one I "attended" was largely in response to the ongoing fears about the risk of spreading Covid-19 among demonstrators. Nontheless I believe virtual protests are a fantastic thing that should remain alongside regular protests. 

Queer: A Graphic History [Book Review]

Hello everyone! Now that I have far too much time on my hands I've wanted to return to the world of writing book reviews. Given that we are also reaching the end of the first week of Pride, I figured I'd share with you one of my new LGBT+ reads.

It's Time to Be a Better Ally.

Initially, I wasn't entirely sure what to write about in response to the tragic death of George Floyd, and the subsequent outcry in America and across the world. Perhaps I could talk about white privilege, and what it means, or perhaps about the history of systematic racism in both America and the UK. But then I realised, these things can be found in abundance online, but when I scroll through instagram and twitter, resources still aren't as accessible.

Dear Diary: No jobs, no A-levels, what the f*ck do I do now? (#2)

Hello everyone, in all honesty I've tried writing this entry for the last two months, but no witty opening line can seem to fully grasp the sheer what the fuck-ness of this situation. 

Moominland Midwinter: A Book for All Your Winter Woes

Despite being published 57 years ago, Tove Jansson's fifth addition to the Moomin book series forever remains a heart-warming story filled to the brim with beautiful philosophies and restless yet reassuring introspect.

I Didn't Revise for My Mocks (and Why I'm Glad I Didn't)

Often as students, particularly the high-achievers or stubbornly ambitious, we are guilty of pushing ourselves too hard. The nature of the education system certainly doesn't help this behaviour either, what with the expectations for each student to perfectly balance their academic work, social life, extra-curricular, and more often than not a part-time job too. It is therefore no surprise when the pressure that usually keeps us motivated occasionally clutches our minds a bit too tight.

20 New Year's Resolutions for 2020

This year I'm deciding to do something I have never done before, and that is actually complete a New Year's resolution. I know it sounds quite pathetic that in 18 years of existing I've never been able to finish even one resolution, but I always got too busy! Or disinterested! Or frustrated that I couldn't complete it within 1 week of setting it and deciding that if I couldn't do it within a week I could never do it! ....I really need to work on that now or never attitude...

Dear Diary: What am I doing? (#1)

On the 1st January 2020 I turned 18, and didn't feel particularly thrilled. Yes, the prospect of voting and getting legally pissed up was exciting for a short while, but I was still left feeling as directionless as I had the previous 365 days of last year. That isn't to say I'm not excited about what's in store for 2020! I get to go travelling and begin my studies at university; however, I just can't help feeling like it's not really me working my way through these days. For a while i've wanted to create, or at least be a part of something bigger than myself.