Hey guys, remember me? I hope you do. First of all let me say how sorry I am for not blogging since July (!!!) my life has been pretty crazy to say the least and unfortunately my blog has to take a back seat.

It was never my intention to stop blogging or to take a break from it, however time seemed to escape me and before I knew it it was almost Christmas and I'm now sat writing this.

So let me fill you in on why I've been absent in the blogging community for a while.

1.) Job - I've mentioned it in other posts that I have a full time job in writing. This not only means that I don't get home until 6:30pm but also means that when I get home I find I have less inspiration to blog.

2.) Boyfriend - So my boyfriend Luke moved to Rugby meaning he was so much closer to where I live. This meant that several nights a week we'd been seeing each , therefore leaving even less time for my blog.

3.) Holiday - I've had some holidays such as Disneyland this November, which was AMAZING, and I aim to do a blog post on it. These holidays have been so needed and so I haven't blogged about them prior to now because of truly needing the break. It also meant that the time off from work that I had, was spent somewhere else, away from computers!

4.) New home - after four years together myself and Luke decided it was time to move in together, so we now rent a gorgeous flat in Northampton. It's only been two weeks but we are both very happy and are settling in. This however has been another source of not blogging, and because I had been searching for flats for a while, this took up a lot of my time.

Anyway, after Christmas I truly aim to be more present on the blog. Once I've settled and the excitement and busyness of the festive season is over, I'm hoping for a bit more normality in my life.

So over and out for now, but I've got some posts lined up!

Speak soon

When you spend nine hours a day at work or spend your days busy with home or business or even blog admin (like me) then it's incredibly hard to fit in exercise or a routine diet or even to avoid snacking and buying treats from a vending machine. In fact it's probably the last thing on your mind, you have enough on your plate as it is, so why make things more difficult for yourself?

I've laid out five tips for busy people to incorperate a healthy lifestyle into their already busy schedule.

1.) Get a fruit defuse water bottle

These are great fun and only take a couple of minutes to prepare. Just chop up some citrus fruits, pop them in the middle section and add water. The fruit should stay fresh for the rest of the day and you can just top up the water when you need. Not only will it add a little kick to your water but it'll also cleanse your stomach and help with metabolism.

2.) Walk to work/Go for a walk on your lunch break

I know this can be difficult especially if you don't live in walking distance to your place of work. But if you can, perhaps go for a walk in your lunch break. I used to walk to the local park and take a packed lunch. It meant I got to stretch my legs, take in the fresh air, and get that all important vitamin D.

3.)  Take the stairs

I know this could result in a bit of sweat, but if you take them gently then it shouldn't cause you to get too hot. You'll feel much more energised for taking the stairs rather than opting for the lift. You'll also feel more awake as the motion of a lift can sometimes cause you to feel drowsy.

4.) Have a healthy snack draw

At work I have a snack draw but instead of filling it with unhealthy treats it's full of healthy snacks such as packets of sultanas, cereal bars, fruit and nuts. That way if I do get peckish I have no option but to choose something healthy.

5.) Cut out caffeine

I know this is hard when you work full time and you crave a pick me up, but cutting back on coffee and tea and choosing water will make a big difference in how you feel. I feel far to groggy after drinking too many hot drinks. So now I have more water and I honestly feel so much more energised.

Being healthy can be tricky but by introducing small changes into your daily routine, you can being to live a healthier lifestyle with minimum effort.

Happy living

So I've had a few job interviews in my time and I'm lucky enough to say that I've been offered every job I've ever been interviewed for. Not that I'm bragging... one of those jobs was KFC when I was about 17. Not that there is any shame in working for a fast food restaurant, they actually happen to be very fast passed, stressful jobs and I think you (points to anyone who works at a fast food chain) are doing a bloody good job!

Anyway, I digress, here are some tips for acing that big interview.

1.) Dress to impress - This may seem obvious, but so often we stress over what to wear for an interview. My best advice would be to overdress rather than underdress. Better to go for a smart suit/office dress rather than rocking up in jeans and finding out your interviewer is dressed as if they work in parliament.

2.) Say yes to a drink - If they offer you a drink, say yes (providing you want one of course). Not only does this mean you have a drink to lubricate your throat once you get rambling, it also shows you are confident, assertive and comfortable in your decision. Too many times are we far too polite and nervous to simply say yes to something they are offering. Having a glass of water in an interview also gives you time to think of your answer to a question being asked and the odd sip every now and again will relax you. Just don't ask for a cocktail when they ask... or do... spice things up. No but seriously, probably best not to.

3.) Talk slowly - I'm not saying mega slow, but slow enough that they can clearly hear what you're saying and slow enough so that it gives you chance to think. Often before I've spoken too quickly and ended up rambling and sounding panicked. Take your time. Remember, they wanted to meet you. So embrace the opportunity you have and speak proudly about your achievements.

4.) Ask questions - Often at the end of an interview they will ask you if you have any questions. It is best to plan a few questions before the interview that you will ask. Asking them questions show that a.) you've been listening b.) you care and are interested to know more c.) you've done your research, and d.) you mean business and need to know the information for if you consider taking the position.

5.) Shake their hands - This may be something that sounds so simple but the power of a confident hand shake can go a long way. Just make sure you've perfected it before hand (if you'll pardon the pun).

So these have been my top 5 tips for job interviews. Of course it's also important to be yourself. Good luck to all you.

Happy job hunting

So, I may not be J.K Rowling but I've already got a fair bit of experience as a writer. I studied Creative and Media Writing at University and did my fair bit of blog writing and freelance journalism during my time there. I now work for a publishing company and write across four different magazine of different niches, cover travel, leisure and food.

I also thoroughly enjoy writing fiction and have started work on my first novel - I'm still waiting for that Eureka moment, however.

I am still young, only 23, but I feel like I can already share some wisdom to those just starting out or perhaps considering starting a blog or studying writing at Uni. Here are my tips:

1.) Don't worry what people think - At first, if you want to write, be it a blog or a novel or a poem, don't treat it as a product that is there to please others. Do it because you yourself enjoy the process. Once you start doing things because you want to, the quality is a lot better. Also try not to worry about judgement. People will judge no matter what in life so you may as well put yourself out there.

2.) If you're struggling for inspiration, perhaps you are writing a guest post or working on a feature for something other than your own site, a great way to get inspiration is to turn it around and look at it as if you are the reader. What would you want to read? Or take a second to think how you would want to write it if there were no rules. You can use these truths to motivate you and think of new ways to put across the message you want in a way that is both enjoyable to write and to read.

3.) Be nothing but yourself - This is especially true for blogs. I fear we all try too hard sometimes to be what we think others want us to be, or to be like someone else. But a blog is tonnes better when it is personal. Enjoy and celebrate your own quirks and use that as a hook for your blog. Don't conform to what everyone else seems to be doing. I found that I started enjoying blogging more again when I started writing what I wanted to write rather than what I thought was 'hot right now'.

4.) There is no harm in asking - If you want to review something or you'd like to feature something on your blog but you're not sure how to go about it, ask others and also make use of the press departments that most companies have. Drop them an email and they may be able to help. The worse they can say is no, so there is no harm is at least asking.

5.) Schedule - The past year has been super busy and I've found it hard to find time to blog. So now I write in advance and schedule my posts so that I don't have to keep working but my readers are still getting content. Spending one day a month to write some blog posts for the rest of the month has been a real blog life saver for me. I no longer have to stress that my blog is being neglected.

6.) Get out and about - Getting outside can be great for many things including inspiration and motivation for writing. You'll never have a clear head if you sit inside all day. In order to write well you have to be able to experience. From experience we can draw great stories and ideas to tell.

7.) Take time to read - It's important to read as a writer, but if you're not so into literature or like myself are a slow reader when it comes to fiction, pick up couple of magazines a month and have a flick through. It's another good place to find inspiration and to see what people are interested in and how things are written. It's useful to know because it can help you find your own writing style.

8.) Take breaks - Writing only works if we allow our brains and imagination time to relax and have fun. If we are constantly writing, our ideas run flat, and we get the equivalent of having constipation except in your brain. Brain constipation, if you will. Take a well earned break every now and then and shut out thoughts of writing so when you come back to it you feel fresh.

9.) Have nice stationary - This may not be a tip for some but if you're like me and you love having nice pens and notebooks to write in, it can really boost your motivation to know you have a fresh, pretty pad to brainstorm in or a new folder to store your work it.

10.) Talk to others - Sometimes we can get the best ideas from others around us. Maybe you want to base a character on your friend or you simply want their advice. Interaction with other human beings is important.

I hope these ten tips have helped in some way. Perhaps you can comment on this blog or tweet me your own tips for writing and blogging. I wish you all the best with you work!

Happy writing

So, living in England means that summer doesn't always bring heat and sunshine. But nevertheless there are plenty of ways for us to keep ourselves occupied this summer, without the promise of denim sorts, straw hats, and layers of sun cream.

When we're so busy and pre-occupied with life it can sometimes become easy to forget to look after ourselves and as a result we can end up feeling bad, negative and a bit run down. Here are 5 ways to feel better about yourself

Those of you who know me, know that I love Disney and more specifically Disneyland Paris. I've been 5 times and aim to go a lot more. I'm also hoping to go to Florida to Disney World in the near future as it's always been a dream of mine.

Why do I love Disneyland?

I get this a lot, or perhaps it's the look on peoples' faces when I say I want to go to Disneyland. If you haven't been you probably wouldn't understand but it honestly feels like you've stepped into a magical bubble where all your worries and stresses of everyday life have vanished. You become a fairy tale and everyone around you is happy. There's rides, food, shops galore and I love it because it simply makes me happy. I find it difficult to switch off sometimes, but I find that Disneyland is one of the few places I can truly relax and switch off in.

And therefore I write this post, having had a fair bit of Disneyland experience. Here is '5 things you HAVE to try at Disneyland'...

1.) Candy Apples - These little red gems practically made me love apples again. There are so delicious and you can also get chocolate apples too. If candy apples aren't your thing though, don't fret, Disneyland provides so many different sweet treats.

2.) Casey's hot dog - Sometimes you simply cannot beat a big ol hot dog. These dogs remind me of when I went to Disney a few years ago and after having had barely any sleep we sat in front of the castle with a hot coffee and a hot dog and it was lush. Good times.

3.) Beat the queue - If you aren't too fussed about watching the parades, then you should use this time to go on your favourite rides. There are less queues and less children around meaning you can have a quieter less busy experience.

4.) Crush's Coaster - It took me years to finally go on this ride because every time I went it was always packed because it was fairly new. But now it's probably my favourite roller coaster at Disney. It has no upside-down parts which means no headaches, and it doesn't rattle you around as much as the others. It does spin but I found this ride to be purely enjoyable and it felt like I was underwater swooping along with the sea creatures. The issue is, I don't think you can get fast passes, which means you just have to look out for when the queue isn't so long. Which brings me to my final point.

5.) Be a single rider - If you really want to go on a ride but don't want to queue, and if you're not set on sitting next to your friend or partner, then a lot of the rides have a single rider choice, which means you'll fill in the empty seats. You get to board the rides much faster which means more time for everything else. The queue for Ratatouille was about an hour and we boarded in 5 minutes via the single rider route.

What would you recommend is a must when visiting Disneyland Paris? Let me know in the comments or tweet me!

Speak soon

Some people have a bucket list, others do not. I'd like to think of my bucket list as more of a mental note - think a doodle pad crammed inside my head. Anyway, I've recently thought it'd be great to actually write down all these things that I think to myself 'I want to do that in my lifetime' otherwise they'll slip into the back of my brain... the flipped over page in my brain doodle pad.

So to start with, I thought I'd share a little bit of my lifetime ambitions with you. Perhaps I'll make this into a reoccurring segment, the 'Bucket List' segment. Let me know what you think.

So this week I'll be starting with travel and my top 5 destinations that I'd love to visit in my lifetime. It makes me sad to think that in my life time there will be places on this planet that I'll never see... when you think of it like that it's actually quite depressing and makes you feel so tiny on the whole scale of things. But alas, we mustn't fret. If I could visit at least these five places in my lifetime then I'll be happy.

1.) Route 66. I've never been to America, despite it always having been on my holiday/travel radar. The idea of route 66 just appeals to me so much and I'd love to take a road trip with my friends along this famous stretch. Plus Area 51 - I am fascinated in the unknown, be it paranormal or extraterrestrial, and so I'd love to go and experience the sights and iconic stops along the route.

2.) Australia. Growing up myself and my Dad had a joke that because we were the more daring in the family, the two of us would travel to Australia and swim in the Great Barrier Reef. Visiting Australia is still high on my list and always has been.

3.) New York. This is one that I'm certain will happen. I have always known I'd go to New York, as if the city has been calling me. I love city breaks and New York is the ultimate city. So once I have saved enough, I will be booking this one.

4.) Singapore. Now this one is for an event more than the location. Some of you may know that I am a massive Formula One fan, and my favourite race circuit is in Singapore. So it's one of my dreams to visit Singapore and watch the Singapore Grand Prix.

5.) The Caribbean. What can I say, I love Pirates of the Caribbean. When I was a teen, my best friend and I used to joke that we'd love to go to the Caribbean and be pirates like Jack Sparrow. Not going to lie, Jack Sparrow is pretty awesome. But I'd also love to walk along the sandy beaches and splash in the turquoise water whilst sunning myself, and of course drinking rum. Who wouldn't?!

There are so many places I'd love to travel to and I bet after I publish this I'll suddenly think of somewhere else. But if I could get to visit these places I'll consider myself lucky. Some people don't get to see the world at all. I'm lucky enough that I've see a far bit of Europe, and my parents always took my on lovely British holidays. But it'd be wonderful to step into the wider world and experience it for real.

Which destinations are on your bucket list?

Speak soon

Hello my lovelies, it's been a short while, but a while nonetheless. I recently got back from a wonderful holiday with my other half to the Forest of Dean. We stayed in a wonderful log cabin which had an outdoor hot tub (definitely a highlight). We had a really great time relaxing and being active, and so I feel inspired to write this post.

Fresh air is amazing and I feel we should all get out in it more. We spend so much time these days, what with technology advancing, on our phones, consoles and computers, that we shut away the wonder that is nature and the outdoors. So I've collected five reasons for you to get outside this spring and summer...

1.) Fresh air keeps you healthy. Okay, so I'm not saying it'll cure the worst ailments, nor am I saying that it'll prevent anything. But I think we're all smart enough to realise that the outside air can do us a lot of good. I certainly felt better after having a few days walking amongst the trees, discovering new places and lapping up all of nature's goodness.

2.) It can inspire you. I know I felt far more inspired to write after spending time outside. The world is constantly moving and changing around us and it'd be silly not to use this as inspiration or motivation for something.

3.) Being outside can be a social activity. Spring days and and summer evenings are the perfect chance to spend time with the people we love most. Instead of talking on the phones, meeting in a cafe or having movie night, we can go for walks, have a BBQ or enjoy a glass of wine under the stars.

4.) You never know what you might see. This could be a blessing or not but the truth is we can't always control what happens around us. But when we look at this in a positive light, think of all the amazing things that you could discover when outside, perhaps that you never knew existed, and think of all the new things you may learn along the way.

5.) It'll make you feel good. Okay so this links to my first point. But I cannot stress this enough. Not only can fresh air being good for us physically, it also does wonders for our mental health. With vitamin D and enzymes on offer, why miss out? Even a short walk in the sun can be enough to lift your spirits and give you a more positive outlook on life.

what reasons do you have for getting outside this Spring/Summer? Let me know in the comments.

Speak soon

Spring is such a beautiful time of year, and this year I want to spend Spring doing more fun things and really appreciating my time. So I thought I'd put together the top five things I'd like to spend more time on. I'm really interested to hear what you'd all like to spend time on this Spring, so please comment on this blog or tweet me at @alittlebitoflau

1.) Baking and Barista-ing

I love baking, but since working full time I've had no time for it. So, this Spring, at the weekends I plan to make more time for baking and experimenting with new recipes. I also plan to get better with coffee art. The picture above I created using a stencil, and it's still not that good. So the aim is to spend more time on food and drinks and the enjoyment that comes with them!

2.) Reading

I set myself the new years resolution to read more and I bought myself a tonne of books. But thus far I haven't had much time to actually have a good reading sesh. Once the weather warms up, I plan to spend hours in the garden or at the park with a good book, and try and get through all the novels I aim to read this year. And of course write blog posts about them!

3.) Writing

This is a funny one, because I write for a living. But, I really want to spend more time brainstorming for my novel * which I haven't started nor have I even got a real idea for*, as well as report writing for my F1 blog, and of course keeping up with regular posts on this blog.

4.) Myself

I realised the other week, that I no longer spend enough time on myself. I really want to pamper myself more and treat myself. Somewhere in the past 8 months I've lost this and I've felt pretty rubbish for it. I realise now just how important it is to take time for ourselves. I aim to do this by focusing more on my fitness, taking my time getting ready in the mornings, having relaxing baths, and doing more things with my friends and boyfriend.

5.) Yoga and meditation

Last year I was really into my yoga, and was really wanting to work on my core as well as my mental fitness. I love the peace and tranquillity that comes with yoga and I plan to start working from my 'Yoga for Athletes' book again to strengthen myself ready for, hopefully, running the half marathon and one day the full London marathon. These are still dreams however.


What will you be focusing your time on this Spring, let me know.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!!

Speak soon