July Favourites

July is coming to an end, and it only seems like yesterday that I did my June favourites. I haven't been doing a lot this month, mainly lazing around doing this and that. Nevertheless I still have some favourites from this month. 

1. Whatsapp- I have been using Whatsapp all of this month mainly so I don't use up all of my texts, but also so Ben doesn't end up with a huge bill texting me back. It's a great app where it uses your 3G/ internet to send texts/ messages. It's a great way to keep in contact with people if you are starting to run out of credit, or free texts, it also saves the recipient money to so they don't use up all their credit. 
2. Hair Oil- I have been loving putting hair oil on my hair, as it leaves it feeling softer ,and helps my hair repair itself, well at least gives it a chance. Also with the hair oil, I have been doing the inversion method (where you turn your head upside down, and massage your scalp for 5 minutes, without getting light-headed or falling over, I usually lay on my bed, so the scalp gets a bit more circulation to it),which should help my hair to grow, well boost it a little. 
3. Skype- I know this is the same reason as Whatsapp, but Skype has literally been a godsend, as being away for long periods of time, I want to keep in contact with people while I am away, and Skype has helped me do that. It also is cool that I can have it on my phone and tablet so I can Skype while I'm out as well, just incase I have a melt down when I'm away from my computer. 
4. Teen Wolf- I absolutely love this show. I started watching it after I finished watching all my other shows, and realised I still had time to watch another. It is a fantastic show, all about werewolves, and supernatural things. It's also relate able with teen issues, as well as the supernatural story lines. 
5. Green Tea- I have been loving green tea, although it has an acquired taste, the health benefits out weigh the taste. I usually have it in the morning with no sugar, and it flushes out all the toxins which are in my body, and aids my digestion. You can get it in lots of flavours, I have the lemon flavour as lemon is also supposed to detox you. 
6. Fruit Cake- I absolutely LOVE fruit cake. It's basically Christmas cake but without the preparation with alcohol before icing it. I love it mainly for the fruit, which sometimes does sink to the bottom, but that's just the best thing. I have sometimes had it for breakfast, and it's good with even extra fruit. 
7. Beauty Favourites- I have been loving Natural Collection Black waterproof mascara. Even though I like going au naturale, I like to sometimes to put a bit of mascara on, mainly if I have to go out anywhere. 
8. Letters- I'm not talking about the alphabet, I'm meaning the form of communication, of sending letters. It's nice to receive a letter, I feel it's a bit more personal, and it's more permanent. Every time I write a letter, I try, and make everything I write in it the best possible things. I let myself ramble, like how I would if I were talking to the person to their face. It's just personal, and I love to hear of their reaction to the letter. It's exciting because I always try and estimate when they will get the letter and read it. It's quite fun. 
9. Motivational quotes- July has been a bit of a hard month, with a lot of tears shed, and stress piling up. Being away from a bit of a safety net that I was in most of June, I started to miss people a lot, but also started to get stressed, and have more than a few melt downs. I found some motivational quotes on Weheartit, and it helped me feel a bit better. It gave me a new perspective to look at, and get me through the parts where I wasn't happy, or felt anxious. It really helped me, and I will definitely be looking for some more if and when I go into another meltdown. 

Those are my favourites from July. Hope you have enjoyed them. To August we go....

xox

6 Things That I'm Looking Forward To

Here they are:

• Greenbelt- which is a Christian arts festival. There are talks, music, worship, craft, comedy and plays for all to enjoy. It is now at Boughton House this year which is really exciting as it's a new site and going back to basics. Greenbelt is one thing I always try to go to each summer, as it finishes off the summer quite nicely.
• Uni- I am very excited to get back to University, because I get to start my course properly, see all the friends I made last year, and make some new ones as well, but also I get to move in to a new house, which I am super excited for as it means I get to decorate a new room and start a new. 
• Getting Healthy and doing some exercise- I really want to start getting healthier, and doing more exercise, especially as it gives Ben and I sometime together outside of lectures and work, and it means that we are also not just sitting around watching TV all day, although it is good to do sometimes. 
• Going Out- I want to get out a bit more, whether it be actually outside, or coming out of my room. Last year at uni, I mainly stayed in my room , and didn't do much else apart from that. At the beginning of the year I went out a few times with my friends, but then as everyone got busy, I retreated back to my room. There are many things to do in Cambridge that don't require money, and if they do it doesn't cost a lot.

Letting it all go

There are many things that everyone has to cope with, especially when something new happens and your not really prepared for it. You think it is the worst thing in the world when it happens but after a while you start to see it is changing you as a person, as your way of coping isn't the way you should be doing it. 

It can make you stressed as you bottle things up to keep it to yourself. It can make you irritable and grumpy, and changes your personality, and you see the change it is making in you, and you either stay that way or want to move on from it, and be the person you were. It is hard to change back to be who you are inside as there is still a part of you that will get annoyed at things or will revert back to being grumpy or angry. It isn't easy, it's hard, as you just have to let go of the things holding you back, you have to forget about what is making you annoyed, and ignore it all. Push it right back and just forget. 

"Nothing holds you back more than your insecurities"

I found this quote on weheartit, and I agree with it, your own insecurities can hold you back, and will keep holding you back until you let go of them. You can't carry on, and take the next step until you have let everything holding you back go. 

It makes you feel so much better, letting it all go, although I know that it's hard to do that all at once, but slowly letting each thing annoying you and keeping you from taking that step forward go, it feels makes you feel better. 

The thing is to take one thing at a time, and if it doesn't affect you in the long term then let it go and ignore it. You can't stay grumpy forever. There is light at the end of the storm and it's very colourful, and bright. 

Sorry this was a bit of a rant, but sometimes you need one.

xox

Welcome to Yorkshire

I have just returned from a nice day out, where I finally felt relaxed, as being here has been quite stressful and I haven't been coping well.

It started with going up Ilkley moor and seeing the views from the top of the rocks.

It was nice to have a walk up the paths and clear your mind, mainly to just forget about the stresses of things. 

It was very high from the top, but you could see all around the place. 

We then had some lunch and drink at The Cow and Calf, which was very nice and all made there and then. 

The trip then carried on in to Ilkley, where we walked around and looked into some of the shops there. We stopped at Betty's along the way for tea and cake which was really nice, I had a homemade raspberry lemonade and a strawberry meringue ( I would definitely recommend it). 

I didn't take any pictures around Ilkley but here are some more from the moor.  

xox

Art, Culture and Sun

Today I went to an old Victorian Man-made town, called Saltaire which is a world Heritage site. It was a very hot and warm day. Hope you enjoy some snaps from today...

This is the Salts church to which is circular and looked like very pretty architecture. 

All the roads in Saltaire are named after Mr Salts children and grandchildren, so all the names of the roads are very old and Victorian. 

After doing some walking, we went into a Cafe called 'Vicars Cafe' which is a cafe run by two vicars. The food and drink were delicious, I had a prawn sandwich which came with a side salad and cloudy lemonade which was very nice. 

We then did some more walking around Salts Mill which had been redeveloped and had lots of gallery's with art work in and some shops as well. We then walked down and got an icecream from a barge on the canal. (totally normal) I had an orange ribena due to me being lactose intolerant. 

It was a really nice day out with very pretty boutique shops. Hope you enjoy the snaps taken. 

xox

All Things Changing

Along with the name change of this blog to "That's Life" which I think better describes what I am writing ,and although it is kind of a general name it means I am not constricted to just writing about one topic and instead can share on multiple topics. 
Many people say "That's Life" to me, and it is, many people believe that we only get one life and whatever happens in it happens, and we can't go back and change things as much as we would like to be Doctor Who and have our own TARDIS, we can't change the past. 

There have been a lot of changes going on with people getting married ,and me moving away from York to Bradford. Over the space of a month things have changed, and it's weird because you have to get used to other people and their personalities, and everything that your family already know about you, has got to be learnt by the people who come in to the family. For example the jokes that are made, or the routine changes, or the way the household food shop is done. The way things go change, and will most likely slowly change again so everyone is used to this new way. 

Not everyone is used to changing this often or even wants it all to change. Some don't care about the change, others see the differences being made, and others want it the way it was before. I'd say I am in the second category, as I can see the changes being made and although I don't agree with all of them, in hindsight I won't be around enough to put up with it or live like it. Although while things are changing I would like to put in some suggestions of my own, instead of stepping into a world where things are 'set in stone' and people are set in their ways that things can't or won't change to suit others. 

Change can be a good or bad thing ,and I have been on both sides with having good changes and bad. Thankfully, now that I have moved away from Home, and have become a Uni student I don't have to put up with many drastic changes, and if I do, they don't directly involve me ,and so I'm not worried as much.

xox 

Changing Name

This may come as no surprise to some who know me well, but I like to change things up a bit, and so because of this I am changing the name of this blog. It will no longer be 'Living long enough to prosper' as I came up with this name very quickly and on the spot when making this blog and not that I have become a bit more invested in it, I think it needs a proper name that reflects me and the content I am putting out there. 

This is a one time change and it won't be changing again. Sorry for any inconvenience that this may cause but I am happy to explain why I am changing it. 

xox 

Bloglovin

Bloglovin is a site in which you can follow all your favourite blogs, and get all of their posts in one feed. It's simple and easy and you can even see what's new in the blogging world such as new posts about Fashion, Travel, Beauty , Art and much more. 

You can even find new blogs to read that you never thought of and find your new favourite blog.





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Out and About

Yesterday I went to Bradford which was only 10 minutes on the train and had a small shopping trip. 
This being my first trip to Bradford I did do some research before going there, mainly what shops were there, so I could window shop.

However once going there I ended up doing some light shopping, where I bought only a few things.

I firstly went into Primark to find some cheap sandals. I saw a few I liked but none were in my size, so I left and walked over to New look where I found the sales and found these really nice sandals. They come in brown or black, I chose the black ones, and they have a small heel. The bottoms look wooden, but are probably plastic, and look a bit like clogs. They are very comfortable, and I really like the closed toe.

I then next went into Holland and Barrett and bought 2 packets of Caribbean Cocktail, as they are my new favourite snack to have while doing any jobs that need doing. 

I then thought I'd take a quick trip into Boots, where I eventually bought some Boots essential cucumber wipes, Natural collection waterproof mascara, and Rimmel eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown. 

I then went back into Primark and bought a pack of 6 bracelets which I'm now using as anklets. 
After the shopping element of the day. I went to a nice bistro called Forsters, where I had Cajun chicken on brushetta with onions, peppers and a side salad. The flavours were amazing and I would definitely go back again and recommend this to everyone. 

It was a nice trip to Bradford, a nice town and with a Westfield coming to it soon, it will definitely be the closest biggest town I'll be going to while I'm here. 

xox

TAG: Q&A

I've seen quite a few Q&A's so I thought I would do one. So here we go....

What is your current fashion obsession? Sandals... as it's summer.

What is your current make-up obsession? Just a bit of mascara

What are you wearing today? A strippy top from Primark with a Peter Pan collar and Checked leggings also from Primark

Hair? Ombre Long hair

Do you nap a lot? I like to nap, but I'd rather lounge about and watch tv

Why is today special? I am meeting the rest of my mum's husbands kids

What would you like to learn to do? To speak Italian and how to manage money better.

What's for dinner today? Pork steaks with mustard and honey sauce.

What are you listening to right now? Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson

What is your favourite weather? Sunny.

What's the last thing you bought? Caribbean Cocktail from Holland and Barratts

What are your essentials when travelling? Mp3, Tablet, Phone, Water, Caribbean Cocktail, Railcard.

What's your style? Unique, taking inspiration from some of the fashion about.

What is your most challenging goal right now? Getting through University and getting good grades.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? Either in the middle of nowhere surrounded by acres of fruit trees, or America near a Zoo.

Favourite vacation spot? I haven't been many places so I would have to say France.

Name the things you cannot live without? Phone, Dried Fruit, Herbal Tea

How was your childhood? It went very fast, and was split into two sections.

What would you like to have in your hands right now? My Boyfriend

What are you most excited for? Seeing my boyfriend again in 26 days. 

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Down South to be with my boyfriend or on holiday with him.

Which countries have you visited? Iceland, France , and Spain.

xox

Stress or Food?

Sometimes I get ill, and I don't know what has caused it. 
I have been getting 'ill' quite a lot of the time and for quite a long time. I finally noticed it in 2010 when I lost a stone in a week, which I did put back on. I went to the doctors and had blood tests done to see if I was anaemic, gluten intolerant or had thyroid problems, which all came back negative. Whilst this was all going on, there were some family problems going on as well as GCSE stress. I carried on as normal and it just kept happening. 

Fast forward 4 years and I finally went back to the doctors again after doing much more research into what could be causing me to get ill most of the time. The doctor suggested it could be IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and now I have worked out my trigger foods (foods which after eating make me feel sick), I am also going lactose intolerant, and I can no longer eat tomatoes, which does rule out alot of really nice meals, like pizza and spaghetti bolognese. 

However not all of IBS symptoms are food related, some can be brought on by stress. When it comes to exam time everyone can get stressed. However when I get stressed all the adrenaline that runs through the body stays there and that turns into lactic acid which can make me feel a bit ill. This is where I then use calming techniques which bring everything back down and back to normal. 

xox

How To: Live out of a Suitcase

With all the moving around I have done over the years and the trips made up and down the country, I am very used to living out of a suitcase, and only taking what I need, although I am known for taking more than I should. 

Living out of a suitcase isn't easy and neither is it fun. It proves very difficult to actually decide what to take and for how long you will be away for. Also the whole decision on whether to unpack fully or just keep it all in the suitcase, which turns into your wardrobe. 
Everytime I go away for a long amount of time, I try and take the essentials, which all stay in the suitcase. 

My top tips:

• Small bottles of shampoo are much lighter and will fit better in a bag. You always get them in hotels so if you run out of yours you can use the hotels. 
• Take half the amount of clothes for the number of days you are staying. So if you are going away for 14 days take 7 days worth of clothing. I would say only do this if you are going for longer than a week. 
• Do a practice pack to make sure you have everything you need but also so everything fits in the bag you want to take. 
• Make sure there is space just incase you bring anything back or buy anything extra. 
• Whilst packing, make sure everything is secure and all tops to bottles are done completely up and things like heat spray are locked and done up. (It's very hard to get the smell of heat spray out of your clothes, and hotel sinks aren't very good washing machines). 
• Write down everything you want to pack, and then tick off everything once it's in the bag, you're less likely to forget something that way. 
•  Take only 2 pairs of shoes, one to wear on your travels the other in your case. 

Hope this helps.

xox

North-East to South-West

I am the person who has to travel quite a lot on trains as my family live up North and I go to University in the South. 

I have to travel quite a lot on trains as it's the fastest and easiest way to get anywhere. 

They say travelling on trains is easy. However I have been in both situations; having a good trip where everything goes right and to plan, to missing trains, cancelled trains or hours delayed trains. 

I think the only way it becomes calm and less stressful is one to have all your tickets and a sort of idea where and what time your train/ trains leave. It doesn't help if you have several bags and you struggle to go up and down platform stairs with a temperamental suitcase that flips over at any bump.( Note: don't get a suitcase/ holdall from Primark). I learnt that lesson travelling to Paris this year. 

I try not to stress out too much and stay as calm as possible. But sometimes it doesn't go to plan and I get annoyed very quickly. The way I tackle this is to just step to the side and take a deep breath. I try and plan everything down to a T so I know exactly what is happening and what to do if it goes wrong. I also have the trainline app on my phone where I check the platform numbers before I get to the station either at the start of the trip and whilst I'm on the train. 

However there is always the situation that you get on the wrong train, and you start to freak out, my only advice for this is to get off at the next station and try and find someone to talk to who works at the station who would know what train to get on to either get back to where you were or get you going to the right place. 

Although I travel by trains a lot it doesn't mean I'm a huge fan of them. I dread long train trips with several changes. I usually try and find the route with the least amount of changes possible so I don't have to stress or think as much. 

I do have some war stories about train trips especially one that I took today where I almost lost/ had my Railcard taken, whilst just outside Tottenham Hale station not even halfway through my trip going towards my mum. I was very, very lucky that a kind woman found it and gave it back to me, just before I bought another one. After this ordeal, I have learnt that you should put any valuables safe and out of any hands that could get to them. 

Here are a few pictures from my travels.

Hope you have enjoyed reading my train travels.

xox

Attempting To Get Healthy? Me Too...

I have been trying to be healthier and start to feel better since September, and being a student as well, has been hard, as the amount of money it costs to buy fruit and veg has risen so now the biscuits that are 49p look more appealing by the minute. 

I have become better though by switching my unhealthy snacks to fruit and swapping ingredients in cake and biscuit recipes to healthier alternatives. Also becoming addicted to dried mango as it tastes so good and is a good source of energy instead of a chocolate bar as a snack in my bag. 

I am trying though to eat a lot healthier by making my own soups, and smoothies especially as I know what goes into them so it makes me feel better because I know it's fresh and healthy as a lot of fruit and veg goes into them. I have also started the Water Challenge wear I try and drink 1.5l per day. I have managed it a couple of days but then I forget and fall behind, but I'm still trying. 

At University my daily food would usually be:

Breakfast
Water 
Granola with greek yoghurt and a piece of fruit

Lunch
Vegetable soup 
Cheese on toast or toast 
Water

Dinner
Stirfry/Curry/Chicken with lots of vegetables
Blackcurrant or Orange Squash.


However apart of becoming healthier is also exercise and using the energy my body has produced and use it to feel better and get in better shape. I am hoping that when I go back to Uni I will make the time to do some more exercise. I have never been one for running, or going to the gym. I'd like to do something I'd enjoy and have fun with. At school I enjoyed playing Badminton, Tennis and Netball, although I was never very good at it, I enjoyed doing it. 

I think it's a good place to start and better late than never....

xox

My June Favourites.....

June has come and gone with a click of the fingers and it has seemed to have gone so fast, but a lot has happened in a small space of time. I've finished Uni, passed my first year, been to Paris and now it's July and I'm leaving my Bf's house and off to see my friends up in Yorkshire. 

Picnics and Rain

Over the past couple of weeks I have been staying with the bf whilst everyone is on holiday, and it has been lovely relaxing and helping out. 
Both the bf and I have mainly been taking it slow, and not really doing much. Getting up at 10am and having breakfast whilst watching two episodes of Grimm on Netflix (a fantastic show which I have been enjoying thoroughly). It's a students life. 

What's In My Bag

I thought I'd show you what's in my bag, although it's not very interesting, it's just for a bit of fun. 

Overwhelming Hard Times

Sometimes the bad times all come at once, and even if you move away from them or try to get away from them, they just find you and overwhelm you. 
I'm not saying I know exactly how to go through it without being hurt from it or know how to solve it all in one quick click of the fingers. I still have my moments of just having a good cry and letting it all out. But I have gotten a lot better at dealing with it. 

How To: Not get bored over a long holiday

Everyone gets bored at some point over the holidays and wonders what to do, even when you're so bored you don't really want to do anything at all. Here are my tips on how to combat this:

Macaroons, Sun and Eiffel Tower

I have recently been on a trip to Paris for a week with the bf for my birthday.
We stayed in a lovely little town just outside of Paris called Malakoff which is on  line 13 Plateau de Vanves on the Metro.