Do you often feel the dread of the week ahead? Maybe you're tossing and turning, already awake waiting for your alarm to go off. Mondays can really suck, and if you, like me, work a Monday to Friday 9 to 5 (5:30pm for me) job then you'll really know the feeling. However there are some ways in which we can all make our Mondays slightly easier.

1.) Make your lunch the night before. I don't know about you but the thought of having to make a healthy lunch on a Monday morning is the last thing I want to do. So, if you make time to prepare it on Sunday night you''ll have a bit more time in the morning to spend on yourself... or in bed.

2.) Have a nice shower. This may seem like a normal thing to do but in order to make it better, perhaps buy yourself a really nice shower gel/shampoo and save it for Mondays, that way you'll always look forward to your Monday shower and you'll feel great afterwards.

3.) Spend half an hour (if you can) doing something you love. You can do this whilst getting ready if you like. For example, I do my make-up whilst watching Friends in the background. It means that my mornings before work aren't just filled with preparing myself for the day, but now include some fun/relaxation time. Of course this depends on how much time you give yourself.

4.) Plan to do something nice in the evening. Perhaps dinner with your partner, or drinks at the pub with a friend. Maybe you could go to see a film or even just arrange a cosy night in watching Netflix with your significant other. Or even a pampering evening. When you have something to look forward to your day will feel much better.

5.) Pick out a great outfit the night before. Choose an outfit you feel most confident in, or most comfy, or whatever clothes you feel your best in. That was you'll feel even more ready for the day ahead and you'll 'kick ass'.

Speak soon
L X

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

So, I thought I'd write about something a little different this week - Netflix. We're all familiar with it, and we're all familiar with how easy it is to become addicted to a show and end up binge watching all six series over the space of a few days. We're all familiar with the feeling of forgetting what fresh air feels like because we've been sat watching our favourite show for perhaps a little too long.

So I thought I'd talk about my top five shows on Netflix that are great addictions.

Just to be clear not all of these shows are 'Netflix orginals', they are just on Netflix....

1.) Stranger Things

I watched the entire series in one day, and I'm sure I'm not alone. This show is thrilling, mystical, action-packed and kind of eery. It's everything I look for in a show to be honest, and the acting is fantastic. I'm not surprised it's done so well. I, along with anyone else who's seen the show, cannot wait for the next series.

2.) Peep Show

This is a current addiction of mine and I am still getting through it. I know it's been around quite a long time, but it's a great show to just watch when you want something light-hearted and hilarious. Mitchel and Webb are both brilliant and their characters Jez and Mark excellently potray the awkwardness and madness that we all perhaps experience from time to time.

3.) The OA

I haven't yet finished this, but I am loving it. I think there are only eight episodes which makes it the ideal binge watch length. I'm loving how unusual the story line is and how you think you know what is going to happen and then it all changes. I feel its a mixture of Stranger Things and The Returned.

4.) Pretty Little Liars

I am currently waiting for the final episodes to come out, which I think come out in April. Ah! I honestly didn't think I'd love this show as much as I did, but I think it's great. Sure, there are a lot of plot holes and and sometimes I finish an episode felling more than confused, but the characters are great and you end up feeling so involved in their stories. I love a good mystery/murder mystery and Pretty Little Liars pretty much took over my final year of University.

5.) Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

I haven't yet finished this show, because I am waiting to watch it with Luke (my boyfriend) - you know when you make a pact to not watch something without the other... yeah. We started watching it randomly and fell in love with it. I want to be Titus. I also love the hilarious back stories of the characters! Ellie Kemper is just fantastically dweeby and lovable.


So if you haven't watched the shows above, I would highly reccommend them. They are all especially good to watch when you're a.) ill b.) lazy or c.) it's raining.

Let me know in the comments box below what shows you're obsessed with, and let me know what you think of these shows!

Speak soon and thanks for reading, as always I am so thankful for every view.

Feeling like an adult... that's something that I've certainly been faced with more recently. I'm even at the stage of having to figure out mortgages... when did like get so real?!

For Christmas I received the lovely Deep Euphoria perfume from Calvin Klein, not physically, Calvin Klein himself did not come to Northampton to give me this gift...

It's a wonderfully sexy smelling perfume and makes me feel like I'm a successful adult when I wear it. Plus I believe the beautiful Margo Robbie was in the advert for this perfume, therefore, its selling point is pretty much sexiness, right?

Talking of sexiness...one thing I promised I'd start doing or at least aspired to do when I was younger was to wear silky, sexy underwear, all the time.

This is so unrealistic... sexy underwear, I'm sorry, it's just not practical. Unless you like having a wedgie, wearing a thong every day is just not something that I, or many women want to do. No!

And I don't know why we are forced to believe that having matching, pretty underwear will make us automatically have our lives together. I know no one is physically forcing us to, but growing up there is/was so much telling us that sexiness and beauty and success comes from the way we look or dress.

In films we see women wearing matching underwear and stylish expensive clothes... of course they are, they have a whole team of costume designers picking out stuff for that one scene; makeover programmes where women are stripped down to their pants and told that their underwear isn't helping their look were on every week.

And even now, in these different times, there is still a stigma over the way we all look. And it's a stigma that will always be there. Appearances are important, of course they are, but there are more important things, and I think we all tend to beat ourselves up far too much if we don't look a certain way.

To any girls or women out there who think they have to match their underwear, or think that all their pants should be silly frilly things... let me tell you.... you don't and they shouldn't. Never try to alter yourself because you think you aren't good enough. Because you are good enough!

I think when you're younger you think that as soon as you turn 20 you'll automatically be a confident 'has it all together' adult. But that just isn't true. Life is a big ol' learning curve. And I also have to say, where is the fun it wanting to be an adult all the time...?

Have some fun and stop trying so hard to be what you think an adult, or a sexy woman, or whatever else, should be.

I suppose my point to this post is: be yourself and don't try to be something you're not.

I will never be one of those women (if they even exist) who wear sexy matching underwear every day...

I will also never be Margo Robbie. Even when wearing this perfume, which is lovely... I'm not Margo Robbie, I am me. And that is fine, it's more than fine, I actually like me! And I smell great in this perfume.

And even though I am a grown up, it is still okay for me to make mistakes, enjoy having fun, and not know exactly what I'm doing...

The same goes for all you beauties out there.

What is it that makes you all feel good, or sexy?

How do you all keep sane with adulthood?

Let me know in the comments...

Speak soon

So recently I've been on a bit of a roller coaster, what with new and exciting things happening, but also not always knowing how to handle them and more importantly how to handle myself.

When your emotions are going crazy, and your mind and life is busy, my best advice would be to stop, take a  second, a minute, a few hours, whatever you need, to think about yourself, and what you feel and need and think.

I don't do this enough, and I get very stressed because I spend far too long worrying about non-existent problems, and being more pessimistic when I should be optimistic... we all should. When you think about it, why would anyone choose to think of the negative when the positive is so much more appealing.

Therefore, from now on I am going to try my absolute best to be kind to myself as well as others, and to focus on the good and the positive and all the beautiful, amazing things that are going right for me, and stop focusing on the little things that don't go my way.

I truly believe that the moment we start seeing the positive and leaving our negative thoughts behind, we will lead better, happier lives.

Here are five philosophies that I believe in and want to achieve.


1.) Be the change that you wish to see in the world - Ghandi

Be kind, always be kind, even if someone isn't kind to you. You'd be amazed at how far kindness can go! If you want the world to be a kinder place, the first step is to be kind yourself, and soon enough the people you are kind to will be kinder (they may already be kind, but you catch my drift).

2.) Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time - Thomas A. Edison

Always try your best. If you know that you have put your best effort into what you do, you can walk away knowing that there is nothing more you could have done and the path will unfold in front of you as it is meant to. One of the worst feelings, I think, is knowing you could have done more, or you could have tried harder.

3.) If you fell down yesterday, stand up today - H.G. Wells

Far too often we beat ourselves up over things we perceive as bad or we had no control over. Sometimes we replay things we said or did over and over when we cannot change them and truthfully everyone else has probably already forgotten about. If we treat each day as new, which it is, and move on and build bridges over the mistakes of yesterday, we can learn and improve and have a more peaceful mind.

4.) What we think, we become- Buddha

If we think negatively, we will become a negative person. The moment we start thinking more positively it'll show in our outlook on life and it'll show physically. Last April I started getting fresh air, enjoying my surroundings and doing more of what I loved. I instantly felt lighter, happier, and like my dreams and goals were more achievable. I felt good about myself, more confident and successful.

5.) If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door - Milton Berle

Sometimes we wait around for things to happen, as if by magic our dreams will come true. Realistically WE have to make things happen. By building a theoretical door, we can open it to opportunities that come our way. By building a door we put ourselves out there and offer ourselves up to the chance of great things happening.

There are so many inspirational philosophies to follow, but let's start with these. I'm going to give them a try and see where life takes me.

Let me know your philosophies and how you stay feeling awesome!

Speak soon

Hello readers,

Yes... tis me.

So recently I was lucky enough to get a brand new camera. Those who have been following the blog for a while may know that I love taking photos and I did study photography, although I am by no means an amazing photographer - but I do love snapping away when I can.

So, I thought I'd make a promise to myself. To never lose the ability to take nice photos - I put a lot of work into my course and I'd hate to lose my skill, and, to not just sit around when I could be exploring something, and to use these two things together.

So last weekend, I began. I took my wonderful new Canon camera out with me for a little stroll and I was incredibly lucky. Thinking I'd perhaps be able to sneak a good photo of a duck in, I was over the moon (quite literally) when I was able to take a photo of an enormous buzzard flying overhead and take an incredible (if I do say so) photo of the moon! It may not look amazing from a distance but if you zoom in you can actually see the craters.

This had me thinking. Sometimes we take for granted a lot. We often think we can't do things because of not having the accessibility. I often thought this about photography. I thought 'Oh there isn't anything interesting to take photos of'. But I was wrong, photography is much more about how you take a photo than what you take a photo of.

And so I thought 'challenge accepted'. I am now going to try and make the most of having such a wonderful area to live in, and having a wonderful camera. I also feel I need more fresh air and so this means there are no downsides really to my new plan.

So hopefully this will also mean more lifestyle posts - I know you like them - and better photos! Yippee!

So I pose to you this - try and get out this weekend, even if for a little walk, I know the weather it shite but try and find something beautiful, you never know you may find something you're surprised with.
 
How beautiful are these swans?

Speak soon

Hello my festive creatures,

How are you all? Good I hope. I myself am rather well and am enjoying my Christmas break.

Today I went ice skating with my brother and his girlfriend which was both terrifying and brilliant. This evening I'm either going to watch a Christmas film or have a Lush bath, but either way there will be festive booze being consumed.

Last time we spoke I did a little Autumn post, nothing special, but in keeping with that I thought I'd share my top five things I love about Christmas. I also am hoping to do a Lush product post soon as I'm coming to the end of some of my bottles and want to give them a little review! Anyway, stay pealed for that.


Top 5 things I love about Christmas

Food - I love food. And Christmas is the BEST time to forget our useless diets and binge and enjoy the flavours and scents.

Shopping - I absolutely love buying people presents. I get really organised and make lists and spreadsheets (which I enjoy doing also, lame I know). I adore seeing the look on people's faces when they open their gifts. I work really hard to get unique and thoughtful gifts so I love watching others open them.

Family - I am blessed to have such an incredible, loving and supportive family who get on really well. We have such a laugh and I really don't know where I'd be without my family- they are my rocks! So at Christmas I love getting to spend as much quality family time as possible, including cuddling my gorgeous golden retriever, Marvel. I also can't wait for me and my boyfriend to get our own place so we can finally spend Christmas together.

Christmas traditions - I think everyone has their own, but we enjoy watching Christmas films each year. The list keeps getting longer though which means more organisation is needed each year to arrange when we are all available to watch them! Our all time favourites are Home Alone 1 & 2 and Muppet Christmas Carol. But other favourites include Love Actually and Nativity! and who could forget Elf.

Kindness - I know we forget about this sometimes and unfortunately we see plenty of UNkindness throughout the year and around Christmas. I think it is easy to forget about those less fortunate and others around us when we are so caught up in our own worlds and buying presents for our own families. But I truly believe that Christmas should be a time for kindness and forgiveness. Some people don't have families, or money, or even a home, and if we all share a bit of kindness, even just a warm hello, or a thank you, you could make someones day. Kindness goes a long way, and I like thinking about it at this time of year because it makes me realise how lucky I am and how grateful I should be for what I have. But it makes me realise how much I want to be able to help others.

So what are you top 5 things about Christmas that you love?

Let me know in the comments!

I hope you all have a marvellous Christmas and a happy New Year!!

Speak soon

Hello my lovelies,

It has been ages since I've blogged and if you follow me on twitter you'll have seen me tweeting how sorry I am for being so absent on here recently.

Basically I started a new career, and so I've been getting myself settled in, so I do really apologise for having to put blogging on hold for a while.

I am hoping to really get back into it because I love this little blog so much and I love all of you who read it. I've missed blogging so much but I've just had no energy!

So, I thought I'd just write this little post to let you all know that I am still here, and that A Little Bit Of Laura will continue.

I've been obsessed with LUSH recently and I actually have a little package arriving this week with some new Lush products so I am hoping to do a little Autumn Lush post for you all.

I also cannot believe that its mid November already and that before we know it it'll be Christmas. I haven't done any Christmas shopping yet and I'm starting to panic because I don't get much time to go shopping anymore. It was so much easier when I was at uni and had so much time on my hands!

Anyway this was just a little update post, but I didn't want to leave you with nothing so I thought I write about my five favourite things about Autumn.

1.) Matching clothes to the autumn leaves- maroon, purples, orange, mmm. I don't usually get too fussed with Autumn, however with my new job I get really excited about wearing nice Autumn coloured clothes. Today I bought a maroon jumper dress to wear tomorrow!

2.) It cold enough to get out your trusty winter coat and get cosy.

3.) You can come home after work and put your pjs on and it feels acceptable!

4.) Dark coloured lipsticks look cracking! My favourite at the moment is from the Velvet Kiss range by Collection.

5.) The clocks changing mean darker nights, which in turn mean cosier evenings, candles, blankets and movies.

Questions for you

What are your five favourite things about Autumn?

What is your Autumn staple?

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

If you could get just one gift this Christmas, what would it be?

Speak soon loves

Hello my lovelies,

So as you can probably tell from the title of this piece, this blog post is going to be about my recent trip to Disneyland Paris. I've thought a lot about how I wanted to do this, because there are a few aspects that I wanted to touch on, but to cram it all into one post might be hard, so I think I'll break it all down.

So I thought I'd start chronologically because that just makes sense, and start with travel because without travelling, I'd still be sat on the sofa in England.

So there are many ways in which you can travel to Disneyland Paris. When I booked my holiday over a year ago I decided to just book the hotel and park tickets and think about transport later. For me, booking the Eurostar through the Disney websites seemed too expensive for my current situation, so I wanted to look around at my other, cheaper options.

After about 6 months, I decided that going by eurostar was probably the easiest way, however I discovered that if you get the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord instead of Marne-la-Vallee Chessy (Disney) it is about £100 cheaper! So that was that, we booked the Eurostar to arrive at Gare du Nord.

Now here's where it gets a little more tricky. Of course before even getting on the Eurostar, I knew there would be more travel involved. How was I going to get to London St Pancras? How was I going to get from Gare du Nord to Disney? I get quite stressed about travel as I haven't traveled without the aid of parents much. However looking back at the holiday now, it was all very easy.

So I was lucky enough to have my lovely Dad drive me and my boyfriend to London St Pancras. It was very early, around 4:30am, so we were very tired (but we wanted to make the most of the day once we arrived). Our Eurostar was at 7:01am and we arrived in London at around 6:00am. Luckily our train was up on the board, so we could go through passport control and security straight away and sit in the departure lounge, which had coffee shops and toilets. It was all very simple and at about 6:40am we were called through to the platform to board the Eurostar. This was possibly the easiest part of the journey. The train was clean and cool, so I felt comfortable and was able to relax for about two and a half hours which was lovely after such an early start. (Remember the time jumps forward an hour once you hit France, so we essentially lost an hour).

Now came the hardest bit. After we arrived at Gare du Nord we had to get two RER trains (that's just the name of their trains). This was all sign posted so you know which way to go, phew! We bought our RER tickets at a little machine. We typed in Marne-la-Vallee Chessy and it came to about 7.60 euros each, which is fantastic! Luckily, I had already researched the journey, as without doing so I would have had no idea we'd need to changed trains!

So if you are heading to Disney via this method, listen up. Once at Gare du Nord you need to get your first RER train to Chatelet-Les Halles which is literally the next stop. This was on either RER B or RER D I believe, however it could be different when you go. Basically head for a train that stops at Chatelet-Les Halles. Once you have arrived at Chatelet-Les Halles, get across to RER A and get on a train that is heading to Marne-la-Vallee Chessy. This stop is at the end of the line so once on the train you won't have to worry about missing your stop. And then voila you're in Disney!!

It honestly wasn't as hard at it may seem, and there are so many RER trains so there isn't any waiting around and if you miss a train, just hop on the next one.

Once at Marne-la-Vallee Chessy, we had to walk out of the train station. At this point you can already see the entrances to both Disney parks and Disney village. From here you have two options: get the correct shuttle bus to your hotel, or walk. It's entirely up to you and depends on which hotel you are staying at and how far it is. We decided to get the shuttle bus this time, because we though it'd be quicker (we later found out it was probably quicker to walk, however the shuttle bus is super quick too!). It took about 5 minutes on the Santa Fe shuttle bus to get to the Santa Fe hotel- our hotel! If you are unsure about the shuttle buses, it's really easy, just head to the bus stop which has your hotel name above it and then wait!

Returning home was as you'd assume: the same as the route there, except the other way around. So from Marne-la-Vallee Chessy, head to Chatelet-Les Halles. From Chatelet-Les Halles, head to Gare du Nord. Once at Gare du Nord, head to the London Hall, which is upstairs in the Eurostar area and once you're allowed to go through the gate, you're pretty much set!

So I hope I've explained that clearly enough. It may seem like there were a lot of parts to the journey, but it was super easy once I knew what to do and where to go. If I went again via this method I don't think I'd struggle at all! I would recommend this journey for students or families wanting to save some money, because it meant I had £100 extra left in my bank, for future holidays or spending money!

In my next blog post I'll be talking about DisneyLand Paris hotels, so stay tuned!
Speak soon

Hey folks,

Wow really thought I'd clicked 'publish' a couple weeks back. Evidently not. Sorry pals, but here is my blog post from then.
So this week I bring you a post about my last week at University. Yes, okay, I still get to go back for a few days for graduation, but really, last week was my last. It was my last real week in Portsmouth and my last real week with my friends and housemates.

University has been an experience. I say that because I'm not sure whether I could deem it good or bad to be quite frank with you. It's been difficult. I think most people have the same idea about university when they apply. They think it'll be partying, great nights out, house parties, and a close group of friends that when you meet them you think 'Oh my goodness where have you been all my life, you complete me!'. And although I did have some moments like these, the truth of the matter is, University is not what everyone expects it to be, at least it wasn't for me.

I'm not much of a party animal, but I do love a house party and I'm even happy for an odd night out, if it's with great company. I think I assumed when I arrived I'd make friends with a small group of girls who would be just like me and weirdly I pictured the women from Call The Midwife. So really what I was looking for was a group of friends from the 1950s. Unrealistic I know. Instead, we forget that we'll be bunched together with 5 other people from completely different cities with completely different backgrounds. For me, we did all share one thing in common- we'd all taken gap years. But the similarities pretty much ended there.

Now, before you think I'm saying that that's a bad thing, let me stop you right there. It wasn't. In the long run, this probably helped me more than I could have known. Being in a diverse environment made me more confident and accepting. It helped me learn more about people and realise that everyone is different and everyone functions and reacts differently. This, personally, felt like a valuable lesson. And I actually did make friends (as dysfunctional as we were). I ended up living with two of them for my entire university life! Plus one new pal in the picture below!


Now that I think of it, having a gap year probably wasn't the best idea. I assumed it would give me an edge, an insight to real life and a maturity that would benefit me. However I think it actually hindered me. Going to University straight from college or 6th form means you are probably in the younger, carefree and partying mindset. Some of the friends I made at Uni had only just turned 18 when they arrived and so had never experienced clubbing and drinking much, whereas I'd been clubbing for almost two years. I'd also been working for a couple of years and so I think I'd matured. Maturing is great but in some ways I think I'd matured just a little too much to enjoy the stereotypical student lifestyle. All I really wanted to do was put the kettle on and get cosy and watch a boxset.

However as my last week approached, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the idea of leaving. Despite the fact it had been tricky and more often then not I'd found myself disappointed, annoyed, frustrated and angry, I realised that too often I'd focused on the negatives. In my last week I couldn't help but reflect on the positives.


Portsmouth was beautiful, we may not have realised it all the time due to the high winds and rain, but when it was sunny it was an astonishing place to live. I played many games of mini golf and spent many evenings in the arcades with my housemates, laughing about wasting a pound trying to win a cuddly toy. I went to the cinema a few times and out for nice meals up at Gunwharf Quays and enjoyed three lots of Christmas shopping there. I went out for coffee and cake and lunch in places such as Garage Lounge and Southsea Coffee. I went for lots of runs down by the seafront, both with Parkrun and solo. I spent many evenings in the gym getting fit and took part in a lot of fitness classes. I was part of Show Choir, The University Choir, Dance and RAG and was a Course Representative. I made some lovely course friends and throughout the the three years I kept the same group of friends. I completed my course and eventually my hard work paid off as I got the result I wanted. I got a part time job in my second year and made some amazing friends there. I became more independent, confident, and self-assured.

So University has been both good and bad, but that is just life. Sometimes we can't choose where our paths take us. My path took me to Portsmouth, and the lessons I learnt and the friends I made, will remain in my heart forever. Portsmouth has been my life for three years, and I am so sad to be leaving, but I won't forget it and I know I will return again.

Speak soon

So I promised you all I would write lots of blog posts over Easter break and have I done that? Have I ever... I'm so sorry, this has possibly been the busiest holiday I have ever had, and all for good reasons.

Let me update you.

I've been super motivated to get fit over the past couple of weeks and, I know, how many times do I say that, right? But this time feels more serious, I've gone jogging every morning giving myself the odd rest day where I don't run but I still walk Marvel at least twice a day, so not completely a rest day. I've also been on two bike rides of 14 miles each. I'm actually considering getting a bike as it is a fantastic way to stay healthy and enjoy the beautiful earth whilst doing so. These times I cycled around Pitsford Reservoir. In terms of jogging I usually stay local. I have also enjoyed a beautiful walk around Bradgate Park, the views were fantastic and they have gorgeous deer there.

I've been out and abouts with friends a lot too these hols, including a pizza, beer and movie night and a Mexican themed Come Dine With Me evening. It's honestly been so lovely and almost overwhelming to have so many nice things to do. I've also, of course, had lots of lovely family time, including a couple of Chinese takeaways (our favourite), a trip to Bella Italia and a lovely afternoon and lunch with my mum and Auntie to Heart Of The Shires - a lovely shopping village.

Whilst doing all of that stuff, I've been working hard on my dissertation, which if you recall, was the reason behind my lack of blogging recently.

*Stops for breath...*

Today, I am making some cute Easter cakes (yes, I know, too late.) and yes these will be the classic chocolate crispy cakes, but you can't go wrong with a bit of chocolate and cornflakes!

I am eager to hear what all of you have been getting up to recently, I've missed you all and I will be publishing a few posts this week to make up for everything!

Stay funky