Hey guys, so if you were here on Sunday, you'll know that I was nominated for the Liebster Award for the second year running. Well now I've been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award too! Thanks Sarah for nominating me, you can find her blog here:


2. Nominate some bloggers to give the award to

7 Facts About Me

1.) I love Formula One and have started to run another blog called ' The Quick Pit Stop'.

2.) I am studying Creative and Media Writing at University of Portsmouth.

3.) I am only 5"3.

4.) I am a bit of a perfectionist.

5.) I love Disneyland and wish to live there.

6.) I started A Little Bit Of Laura in 2013 and I am thrilled with how far it's taken me.

7.) I will hopefully be at the Blogger's Food and Drink Festival this year!

I nominate:
http://ladyofelegant.blogspot.com
http://allezzeryab.blogspot.co.uk
http://sefisticatedfashion.blogspot.co.uk

I recently discovered these blogs and chose them because they look beautiful and have great content! Well done! :) 

Hello everyone! So if you were here last year you'll know that I was nominated for the Liebster award! Well this year I've been nominated again thanks to Becky over at Hideaway Blogging! How exciting!

So I've seen many people posting reviews and pictures of this product and so I was thrilled when I was sent it to review on my blog! I love tea and so the idea of this made me really happy- that you could lose weight, cleanse and feel more energised by a cup of tea! Now I want to state that I wasn't exactly doing this for weight loss, I am happy with my body as everyone should be. I believe that we should love our bodies and what we should be concerned with is being and looking healthy- that's all that matters. However I was really excited to try out this product.

From my first day I noticed that it doesn't taste of much, a bit like Green tea, which is fine because I think it'd be very off putting if it tasted gross. It was easy to prepare- as tea tends to be- and was relaxing and refreshing to drink.





Now one of the biggest things with this product and I've read other reviews on it, and all have claimed the same, is that it, how can I put this discretely, it makes you go to the toilet a lot. This of course comes as a shock to most people and it isn't very pleasant. This being said, I believe that this is how the teatox works. It cleanses your colon. It does state on the package that this might/will happen, and so before you start your teatox you need to be aware of this and be okay with it. My belief is that perhaps after a week or so it settles down but I'm not too sure.

Having said that, I believe I lost about 2 pounds in 4 days which is pretty good! There are so many of these detoxing teas about and they seem to be the 'in' thing at the moment. Even celebrities are posting pictures of themselves with the teas. SO it is definitely worth looking into if you're serious about detoxing!  I am going to try using it again and seeing what results I get. I'll probably be posting update to Instagram and Twitter!

Like I said, I didn't stop taking it because it was bad or didn't work. I stopped due to health reasons. But if anyone else has tried it and would like to chip in, feel free to do so and join the conversation.

Diet. This is a word many people fear, some people loath and others, well others just don't use it. But 'diet' doesn't have to mean 'not eating' or 'losing weight'. Eating the way we do now is called a 'diet' but yet we tend to only associate it with losing weight.

Since being at University for two years now it occurred to me that I don't eat as well as I should. And don't get me wrong I'm not the unhealthiest person in the world, but I still would like to eat better. In first year I remember making salads a lot, but this year not so much. I think because this last year has been far more stressful, all I've wanted to do after six hours of hard studying is put a movie on and order a Domino's.

Changing one's diet is a very hard thing to do. Making drastic changes is ridiculous and you're more likely to give it up. However making small and simple changes are a good way to start. A couple of years ago I lost a lot of weight (well a lot to me) and although I looked good, I didn't feel good because dieting can also make you feel bad about yourself if you get too obsessed with it, it's how eating disorders can start. And so luckily when I started uni I forgot about the obsessions of dieting and just had a balanced diet and enjoyed life which worked much better for me. Nevertheless, I'm back here talking to you all today, so obviously I'm about to ramble on some more about dieting.
I weigh the most I've ever weighed at the moment. Which is weird for me to say. If you know me you might think 'Why is she dieting?'. And I know what you mean, but I'm not dieting so much to lose weight but to become a healthier version of myself. I found a really nice quote yesterday and it was-

The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.

And that stands true for me. I like my body and have nothing to worry about weight wise, I am a healthy weight however I really want to be able to improve myself, my fitness, my nutrition. And so here we are. Like I say, making big changes is very hard, and now on day 5 of my diet I am still struggling to even achieve my little goals. But here they are, my simple start up diet goals.

1.) Drink 8 glasses of water a day. - I don't drink enough and I know sometimes we mistake hunger for thirst (can you believe it!) and so by drinking more I can improve several aspects of my diet.

2.) Do two lots of 20 sit ups (40 in total) - I'm trying to do 20 in the morning and then 20 at night. This will improve my strength and work on my core.

3.) Do two lots of 20 push ups (40 in total) - The same as the sit ups. This will improve my strength and core also.

4.) Eat at least 1 portion of vegetables/ salads a day! - I love vegetables and so I really have no excuses.

5.) Eat at least 2 portions of fruit a day. - This can be easy. I have fruit involved in my breakfast and then have fruit for my afternoon snack! Simples!

There you have it. That doesn't seem too hard does it? Of course I will be walking my dog lots over summer and will gradually add in more and more challenges but to start with I want to be able to easily achieve all these little goals.


The app I'm using to help with this is My Diet Coach - check it out!

Please go to my YouTube Channel and click the subscribe button. You can also fin all my other vlogs on there or on this blog!

Watch this on YouTube

Hello folks! Summer is fast approaching and when I think about it, there are a lot of things I want to have done by the time Autumn starts. So without further ado, here are the 5 things I want to achieve this summer...

1.) I want to read more books. I was lucky enough to have a Kindle for Christmas and so I want to try and read as many books as I can. This will not only be fun and give me more knowledge, but it'll help with my degree and dissertation. I want to try and read classics such as Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice (reading currently). Summer is the perfect opportunity to read!

2.) Get fit and healthy. This one I've talked about many times. But because I won't be at the gym, I want to go on country walks and jogs in the sunshine. This way I'll be enjoying the summer sun whilst getting fit. I want to start making smoothies and in summer I always prefer eating more healthily as to me, fruit and salad is really refreshing! Yum!

3.) Finish my Business Diploma. I little while ago I started an online Business Management and Entrepreneur course. At the end I'll have a Diploma. I really want to have this course done and dusted by the time Uni starts again in September. It's just another great thing to have on my CV.

4.) Do a big sort out! I have so much stuff, and I bet half of it I don't even use! Especially clothes. I want to sort through all my clothes this summer and all the things I don't want, I will either sell or take to charity shops! This has been a long time coming.

5.) Do more fun, spontaneous things. As discussed in Sunday's post, being spontaneous usually leads to more relaxed fun. When things are planned and organised to every last inch, they can become stressful and the fun sometimes disappears. So I aim to be more spontaneous and be more of a 'YES MAN'. Have you all seen that film? I love it! But of course saying yes to everything is stupid, but I do believe that by saying yes more often and taking chances, we can open so many more doors that we may never have thought to have opened.

So there you have it. There are probably a lot more things I'd like to achieve, however I wanted to keep it short and simple! Now I must finish eating my toast, and drink my morning coffee!


Leave a comment with things you want to achieve this summer.

Speak soon

Being spontaneous is one of the best ways to ensure you have fun. Being spontaneous turned my average day sitting at home/in the garden, into a fun filled day.

Yesterday was super sunny in Portsmouth, and although it was windy, it didn't make it any less beautiful. I'd just finished uploading yesterday's vlog when I went downstairs to do some baking with my house mate. We made chocolate shortbread (recipe coming soon). We then looked outside and thought we ought to make the most of the weather and we thought about sitting in the garden and reading our kindles. We then suddenly decided 'hang on lets just go to the beach with our kindles.' And so we did,

We ended up walking along the sea front for about 2 hours. It was great to see so many people out and about. The sea was a gorgeous turquoise blue and as we sat for a moment on the pebbly beach, we watched some little planes flying in formation. Some people were really brave and were actually swimming in the sea!! As we walked further along the sea front, I noticed that Southsea Castle was now open and because it is free admissions I suggested we go in and have a look. My thoughts were 'lets do as much as we can whilst we think of it, else we'll put it off and never get round to it.' And I'm glad we did.

Southsea Castle is a really nice little castle that was built for Henry VIII. It was really interesting to read about Southsea and about how the castle was used for military defence. I discovered that Southsea Castle came before the area of Southsea, and that Southsea was only named Southsea after the castle. You learn something new every day! We walked along the tops of the castle too which gave amazing views of the sea and the Isle of Wight. In fact it was so sunny we could see the sun reflecting off of the beaches on the Isle of Wight!

Afterwards we continued walking along the sea front, taking in everything. We chatted about Uni and all the things we still haven't done despite living here for two years now. It was about half 3 and we realised we hadn't had lunch, and so it was only right that we bought some chips on Clarence pier and sat in the sun. As we were nibbling on some extremely delicious chippies, we noticed two of our friends. And so we beckoned them over to discuss having a BBQ at our place. They were up for it and so that was our cue to head home so we could go shopping for BBQ stuff.

At about 7:30 people arrived and after attempting to get the BBQ going for a while, it finally started heating up and on went the food. We sat out and ate until about 9:30 and then it got a bit chilly and so we went inside. We ended up playing a card game called 'Scum' for a good couple of hours which was hilarious and had everyone laughing! It was just so lovely to have a chilled evening with friends. It was about 12:15pm when everyone got too tired and went home.

We'd been actively doing fun stuff for about 12 hours straight, and for once, I didn't feel exhausted or like I needed a break. It felt good to have casual fun that was easy and didn't involve drama or any nonsense. I had an excellent day and it was only my first full day back, so I can't wait to fill the rest of my days like I did this one.

Hey loves,

So if you follow me on twitter (@alittlebitoflau   go... now!) you'll know that I mentioned that I was not reviewing a product today. But, I did say that I would be talking about something awesome, and I will.


So for about two months we've (myself, my brother and his girlfriend) have been really excited for, well what was last night, and finally the evening came. We went to see Derren Brown live! Myself and my brother actually went to his show Svengalli a few years ago and were so blown away by him that we needed to see him again.

So his new show is called 'Miracle' and it is amazing. If you like Derren Brown, go and see him. if you're not sure, go and see him anyway because you won't be disappointed. Not only is his act astonishing, he is hilarious as well so it's as if you get a magic/illusion show with a comedy stand up thrown in together- brilliant!

We saw him perform at Northampton's Royal and Derngate. Myself and Sarah enjoyed a double Pimms and Lemonade before the show as we got there 45 minutes early so we could soak up the atmosphere. We found a little sofa area and got to relax there before eventually going in to find our seats. First of all we went to the wrong door- of course we did. Only after being told we were on the wrong side of the auditorium, did we realised it said exactly which door to go through on our tickets- good one guys!

Our seats were on the front row of the Upper Circle. I like the Upper Circle because you get such an amazing view and by being on the front row, there was nothing to obstruct it. I got to take my Pimms in with me which was nice to sip on throughout the first half.

Now, I'm not going to give any spoilers- I am sworn to secrecy. Isn't that right Derren? It would only ruin it for people who are going to see him. His tour ends in July, so if you're interested you may still be able to get tickets (not sure) but if not, next time he's on tour don't hesitate in purchasing a ticket because he is worth every bit of the money.

After about an hour, he left the stage and it was time for the interval. I really wanted an ice cream but for some reason I could find the little ice cream people- you know the people who stand there and sell ice cream? So instead we got a 'Lick'- sounds a bit rude. It's a new frozen yoghurt bar. And for what it cost you certainly got your money's worth- I actually couldn't finish it! But it was really yummy!

Then before we knew it, Derren Brown was back on stage, impressing us with his show. The second half was even more intense than the first- if that was even possible. He gets every person involved so no one is left out.

When you leave you are half in shock and half filled with excitement and adrenaline. The whole auditorium cheered and whistled and clapped as he left the stage. And I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say 'I wish it hadn't ended!'.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening, one in which I will never forget. Derren Brown is an extremely intelligent and comedic man and his shows have been beyond amazing. I had the best evening! As did everyone else!

If you're like me, then you'll probably go on another one of your 'get fit/healthy' obsessions again this summer- it happens every summer! To be fair to us, summer is the best time to get fit for obvious reasons. However getting fit and healthy can be hard especially as we enjoy indulging on meals out and sweets and what not to treat ourselves for the hard work we've done. So I've only gone and come up with 5 easy ways to get healthy whilst enjoying the summer haven't I? Here we go:


1.) Forget the gym. Go on walks and jogs. It's an obvious one I know but summer is the perfect opportunity to go for walks. They can be short walks, long walks, slow walks, whatever takes your fancy. And if you have a dog, why not take them out for a nice walk- they will thank you for that! Or perhaps you like reading in the garden? Instead why not walk to your local park and read there, then walk back. Putting in extra exercise where you can can really make the difference.

2.) Going on a shopping spree or an afternoon out in town? It's easy to fall into the trap of buying junk food to feed your perishing hunger. But, if your town has a market, why not buy some fresh strawberries instead. They aren't too expensive and you get a lot for your money- better than at a supermarket. Strawberries are lush, like healthy sweets. So grab a punnet of them (or whatever fruit you like) and snack on them throughout your trip. You'll feel fresher and healthier and proud for avoiding the junk food.


3.) Swap your breakfast around. Instead of having stodgy toast or fried breakfasts, try having fruit, or yogurt. It may seem boring but if you're really determined to be healthier then it'll make a difference and will make your morning feel fresher. Plus it doesn't have to be boring, be creative!

4.) Take a look at a usual days' food for you. Take one sugary/unhealthy item, just one, and swap it for something healthy. You'll be surprised at how swapping one item can make a difference.

5.) Drink! Another obvious one I know, but sometimes we mistake our hunger for thirst would you believe. So carry a bottle of water around with you. Also water is great for the skin and on a hot day will be your saviour. If you find water boring then have tea or squash. However water does the same as other drinks in that it rids you of your thirst yet water has no calories, so instead of putting unnecessary calories inside yourself, just drink plain and simple water!


I hope my little tips have been somewhat helpful. How about you get in contact or start and conversation about what you all do to stay fit and healthy?

Speak soon

Dear fellow writers,

Being a freelance writer sounds great, working from home, creating your own hours and most of all, getting to do what you love. But like all jobs, it comes with its downfalls. As a student I have a lot on my plate with assignments flooding in from all directions, so the thought of any full time job is out of the question. However, being a head strong and organised person, I always want to be prepared and get ahead and that is why I looked into gaining as much experience in writing as I could.

I currently study Creative and Media Writing at University of Portsmouth. But I also make sure I have time on the side to start up my own freelance career. Given that I am still a student, finding freelancing jobs is rather hard. However there are several things you can do to help the process along and at least push yourself to gain the experience you need to be considered for any freelancing work.

First of all, I started a blog. I chose a topic I liked to write about which turned out to be beauty and lifestyle (with the exception of food and sports posts etc) and started posting, sharing it to Google communities and strategically using social media platforms. Having a blog is fantastic as it counts as published work if you are successful at keeping it running. It's also really fun and a great way of documenting your life experiences.

Secondly I looked online for any writing opportunities. If you look well, there are plenty of websites that are in need of writers and if you're lucky you may find a paid one. If not, taking up volunteer writing positions is a great thing to put on your CV. Working for free not only shows that you are willing but also shows how passionate you are about writing.

Freelancing never screams 'solid income', In fact it almost suggests the opposite, however the more experience you get the more well known you'll become in the writing world, and then there are more chances of getting work. The most important thing to remember is to not get disheartened by rejection. Rejection says more about the other person/company than it does you. It by no means is implying your writing isn't good, it might just be not what they are looking for. So don't feel like giving up because you don't get accepted by every job. This happens in all aspects of life, so keep pushing and you'll get there!

Remember to always remain true to yourself and what YOU believe! Happy writing.

Speak Soon







Have I always wanted to be a writer? No. In fact growing up I would change my mind constantly, I still do. But writing is a way to escape and for me it is relaxing. I love doing it and that's the important thing.

So I finally got my blog a proper design! What do you think! Thanks to Crunchlins Animations for designing it for me!

 As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm really into lips at the moment and trying out new lip products. It occurred to me, however, that my lips are in rather terrible condition down to the cold weather that we are STILL having. I always buy lip balms and such but I always end up losing them, so I thought I would treat myself to a special one that I could pop in my pocket or handbag to carry with me at all times.

Maybelline New York Baby Lips Dr Rescue

I'm already a huge fan of the Maybelline make up range and so when I spotted this, and it was on offer, it didn't take much to convince me to buy it. Now unlike some lip balms, this one actually is tinted which to some people may be good and others may not like it, it really depends on what you're looking for. However I really like this feature because it acts as a lipstick as well as a lip balm, but because it isn't as thick as a lipstick, when it wears off it doesn't show.

I've only been using this product for a few days but my lips do feel noticeably softer.
The only downside would be that because it says 'peachy' on it, you might expect it to smell of peaches- it doesn't. It does however smell on menthol, which isn't the best smell in my opinion, in fact I dislike menthol things as it reminds me of being ill. HOWEVER I was surprised at how little this bothered me. As a product it really doesn't make me like it any less and the smell is not noticeable when applied and if you can then it feels like it's giving your lips a nice tingle!

All in all I would recommend this product to others. 8/10

After being at University and work since September (bar the seasonal breaks) a holiday definitely seemed due. Personally I have been keen to go abroad somewhere, but that always includes more money and someone else who is also eager to go away with- which to be honest as a student is hard to come by, so when the opportunity arose for me to go on a little British holiday with my family, I of course snatched it up. My mother dislikes going anywhere hot and so a lot of summer abroad holidays are off the tables when it comes to my family, so Yorkshire it was. Now I'm not complaining, I love making the most of Britain and getting to see what a lovely place it is we live in. And Yorkshire was no exception, it was truly beautiful...


As we arrived after what had seemed like a disastrous day of travelling (too many things went wrong), we were all relieved to finally be approaching our cottage, which we were afraid we would never find due to it being so far out of the way. However as we started to open the gates and close them behind us, we realised we were almost there. You could almost feel the fresh air entering your lungs before even stepping foot in it. Everywhere was surrounded by luscious green grass that was being chomped on my many sheep, of whom all had baby lambs running and bleating around- and what a sight to see. The image of little birds fluttering and darting in and out of hedges and trees, probably making nests to home their eggs, made you aware of how out in the country you were.

The drive way lane to get to the cottage was rather ... exciting. It was a narrow stoned wall which looked a bit precarious and as if it could collapse at any moment (of course it did not) and we wondered if the car would even fit (of course it did). After what felt like squeezing the car down the lane we arrived at the cottage. What a beauty.

The cottage was up on the dales and had the most wondrous garden filled with flowers and trees and wildlife. By the front gate we noticed something. A little blackbird had built her nest there, and to our disbelief, there were a few little mint green eggs inside. Of course we left alone for fear of frightening her.


The first couple of days were relaxing and filled with many enjoyable country walks with our dog Marvel (although what he enjoyed most seemed to be eating sheep poo along the way- gross!), drinking cups of Yorkshire tea (very fitting don't you think) and playing board games which on holidays always seem more fun for some reason. It was lovely just to get to relax and enjoy the cottage which was more than welcoming. The owners had left it beautifully neat and it had a great homely feel. My bedroom was so sweet and ridiculously cosy which over looked the fields and I'd be woken each morning by lambs bleating and cuckoos. I woke up feeling refreshed and in a good mood, which hasn't happened in a while!

The Beatrix Potter Museum



For all writers or Beatrix Potter fans, you need to visit this place. It's so cute! Oh the nostalgia I felt when I walked through this utterly adorable little museum situated in Windermere. It is a must visit for kids and adults to relive their childhoods, as the museum takes you through all of Beatrix's animal tales. At the end there is a gorgeous little gift shop! What's not to love! I treated myself to a Peter Rabbit notebook, oh I love stationary (to use for Uni come September or maybe for bloggy stuff!), a cuddly Benjamin Bunny because I have always been a sucker for soft toys. Does anyone else do this... if you pick up a cuddly toy and then put it back and then later decided you want it, you have to buy the one you picked up originally otherwise it'll be sad you rejected it for another? No? Anyway, I also bought the tiny book of Tom Kitten as he was my favourite as a child and I had completely forgotten that part of my life until this museum trip!


Caving- White Scar Caves


Now I don't know what it is, but I love a good cave. I like the smell of the fresh damp air (bit weird) and the amazing structures and learning about what amazing things are beneath the ground we are standing on. We went to White Scar Caves and had a lovely tour guide named John! He was insightful and enthusiastic and made the tour all the better! Thanks John! The stalactites and stalagmites were fascinating and John pointed out all the things you could spot if you used your imagination. Under our feet as we walked on the decks was gushing fresh water. The rocks around us were all sculpted and looked almost slimy but were just so shiny it created the look of this. It was an 80 minute long tour but I had almost wished to stay down there longer- I understand why Golem likes it so much.

Wensleydale Creamery

Now I love cheese, but I've never been that adventurous. Luckily we visited a creamery which allowed you to try out all kinds of British cheeses. My favourites were Wensleydale and Bishopsdale! Buying from here did result in many games nights involving cheese boards with all the varied cheeses and crackers we had bought- yum! It also resulted in a running joke about going to get more cheese. We became a bit cheese obsessed maybe. My brother said one night, 'can we have some cheese, I want cheese dreams!'- whatever that means!



The rest of the holiday included visiting towns, having lunch out or tea- as we visited twice a lovely little tea room called Laburnum House which was the friendliest little place which allowed dogs and did the best cream teas! If you ever go to Hawes, you must give this place a visit! So lush! We had two Chinese takeaways which is rather naughty but we were on holiday after all! I also managed to read a lot of my book, which once finished I shall review on here- it's ever so good!

Leaving our cottage was hard but we knew because we had loved it so much, that it wasn't the end and we'd all love to go back there again one day! Such a lovely little adventure and a wonderful cottage!

Thanks for having us Yorkshire!

Speak soon
Laura X


Links below!

http://www.discoverdentdale.co.uk/accommodation/blakerigg
http://www.laburnumhouse.org.uk/index.html