September Favourites ❤

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a great month.

I certainly did as it was my 18th birthday on the 20th and I spent it in Greece!

(You can read about that here)

Anyway, here are my September favourites :)

Favourite Perfume - Gold Magic by Little Mix 

When I heard that one of my favourite girl groups, Little Mix, were going to be bringing out their own perfume, I was so excited. I would probably describe the smell as fruity, sweet and powerful. It has a scent that never stops surprising the senses and it opens with a burst of playful fruits including lemon, raspberry and apple. It has a captivating powdery velvet heart of pretty violet tones which is both refreshing and sophisticated.

Favourite Bath Products - Brightside bubble bar from Lush

Bubble bars are one of my favourite things to get from Lush as you only need to break a tiny piece off to get a bubble filled bath which means they last for ages. I got given this for my 18th birthday and I was so excited to try it. It didn't disappoint as it smells of citrus fruits, which is one of my favourite smells. It also turned my bath into a gorgeous orange colour. 

Favourite Radox Bath Soaks - 'Moisture Soak' and 'Feel Blissful'

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you'll know I love Radox's bath soaks. I love them because you only need to use a small drop to get a bubble-filled bath and they always smell amazing. Recently, I bought these two and they are amazing. They both have calendula flowers and roses in them which is why I think they smell beautiful. These are perfect if you want a relaxing bath filled with bubbles.

Favourite Body Lotion - Candy Cream Softening Body Lotion from Zoella Beauty

When I heard that one of my favourite YouTubers Zoella, also known as Zoe Sugg, was going to be bringing out a 'Tutti Fruity' range, I was so excited. I loved all the products in her previous Zoella Beauty ranges so I couldn't be happier that she was releasing more products. This is definitely my favourite from her 'Tutti Fruity' range, the Candy Cream softening body lotion. I loved the 'Creamy Madly Dream' body lotion from her first range so I knew this was going to be as good. When I tried it, I realised that it was better than her first one as it has such a beautiful fragrance that consists of different fruits like acai and blueberry. It also left my skin feeling smooth.

Favourite Film - Everest

For the past month I've been hearing lots about this film, I've seen countless trailers, billboards, cardboard cut-outs in my local cinema so I knew I had to see it. I watched it yesterday and I think I underestimated how dramatic and emotional it was going to be. This is based on the true story of New Zealander Rob Hall who climbed Mount Everest with several other climbers in 1996. I didn't know about this story as I wasn't even born back then so I didn't know what was going to happen. Throughout the film I was left breathless and taken aback by the extraordinary scenes and, by the time it finished, I was in tears. Definitely one of the best films of 2015. If you like dramatic films, then I would recommend you watch this.

Favourite Film - Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Last year, I watched The Maze Runner and enjoyed it so I was very excited about watching the second film in the series, The Scorch Trials. Dylan O'Brien returns as Thomas where he and his fellow friends, known as 'Gladers', have finally escaped the Maze and must face the outside world for the first time. But Thomas soon learns that all is not what it seems and he and the Gladers must escape the safe house where they have been staying and find a cure for a disease known as the 'Flare' that has affected thousands of people. Before watching this film, I hadn't read the books so I didn't know what to expect. I definitely think that this is a step up from the first film as it has more tension and it was a lot more scary due to the zombies that are in this film. With great twists and plenty of scary moments, this is one of my favourite adventure films.

Favourite Book - The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Speaking of The Scorch Trials, my Mum got me the second book for my birthday and I read it whilst I was on holiday and I was left feeling disappointed. Not with the book, though, as it was brilliant but with the film as it is nothing like the book. Throughout, almost the whole book, I kept thinking 'I don't remember this bit in the film'. One of the things that annoys me most in book-to-film adaptations is when they're not accurate to the book it's based on. In my opinion, the film adaptation is like a completely different story except with the same characters and names. I couldn't understand why the film couldn't have followed the book and made an accurate adaptation. So many things have been left out including Thomas telepathic communications to Teresa which they could have easily done in the film. If you've read the book and you want to see an accurate adaptation, I wouldn't recommend watching the film, you'll be left feeling disappointed. I would probably recommend choosing one or the other. If you love books then I would say read the book but if you're a film fanatic I would say watch the film.

So those were my September favourites.

Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it. 

❤

Celebrating my 18th Birthday in Greece ❤

Hi, sorry for not  posting for a while, I have been celebrating my 18th birthday in Greece (as you can obviously tell by the title). 

I had such an amazing time so this blogpost is going to be about my holiday.

I went to Corfu in Greece and it was so lovely. The hotel we stayed at was the Cavos and Daisy which was a really nice place and had small apartments instead of rooms, which I really liked. 

I went with my Mum and my auntie, Liz, and we didn't arrive in Corfu until around 4:00am (in Greece) as our flight was at 9:50pm (UK time), so I was shattered by the time I arrived in my room and literally fell asleep in my top and leggings. 

I woke up on the Saturday at around 1:30pm and was still tired from the plane journey so I wasn't in the best of moods. We spent the afternoon walking to the shops, which were across the road from the C&D and the staff were so friendly. We bought some food and drinks from the market, including some Cheetos which are my favourite crisps to eat on holiday as you can't get them in the UK, unfortunately. 

 As you can see in the left picture above, I was very excited to get my hands on some cheetos. And yes, they really did have pizza flavoured Cheetos which were actually quite nice. 
Unfortunately, the evening didn't start off well. I soon realised I had lost my purse, which had my bank card in, and I was so upset. We still went out for a walk and found a restaurant to eat at but I could barely eat as I was so annoyed about my purse and was still feeling tired from last night's journey. I did eventually eat a pizza though which was really nice and cheered me up a lot. I didn't really have to worry about my bank card because, when I tried buying some things the next day, it all worked so that convinced me that no one could've spent any money on my bank account, apart from me.
After our meal, we went back to our apartment and played a game of cards out on the balcony. It wasn't a bad first day, apart from me losing my purse and bank card.

The next day was Sunday, the 20th of September and my 18th birthday. I woke up to Mum laying out presents on the balcony and making me breakfast which was, one of my favourites, Rice Krispies! The presents I received from my Mum were:

• The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
• Girl Online by Zoe Sugg
• A box of three Simple face products
• An iPad Mini case
• Parfum body spray and lipbalm
• Two lipsticks
• Two mascaras
• A bar of Galaxy honeycomb chocolate
• 50 Euros

I spent the afternoon of my birthday reading The Scorch Trials and watching YouTube videos on my iPad. I would definitely describe this as the 'calm before the storm' as, when we went out to a restaurant by the beach for my birthday meal, there was a terrible thunderstorm. The lightning occured every few minutes and the wind felt like it was flying at 50 mph. This caused me to become very panicky and I was unable to eat my plate of spaghetti.
I didn't think I was that scared of lightning and thunder until I was out in it. Normally, at home, the thunderstorms aren't that bad but here they really were so scary. I had never seen anything like it. After my Mum and Liz had finished their meal, we went straight home and I spent the last few hours of my birthday in bed trying to calm myself down. What makes me laugh is that most people celebrating their 18th would've gone out for their first drinks at a club but I spent mine having a panic attack over thunder and lightning.
Anyway, when I woke up the next morning, the weather was a lot better and there was some sun so we decided to relax by the beach for a bit. I think I'm the only person who doesn't go on holiday to tan so I spent my time on the beach reading The Scorch Trials.

After the beach, me and my auntie went swimming which I really enjoyed and then relaxed on the sunbeds.

The next day was Tuesday and we decided to go into town but it was really hot, almost 30 degrees, so we just walked around for a bit and looked at the sights. Whilst we were walking, I saw a small Ben & Jerry's ice cream scoop shop so I got myself one scoop of Cookie Dough and one scoop of Chocolate Fudge Brownie, which are two of my favourite flavours.

On the Wednesday, we decided to go back to the beach again and I went swimming in the sea for about an hour with my auntie. The two above pictures were taken just before we walked to the beach.

After the beach, we went back to our room and had a shower each and went out for a meal at another restaurant by the beach. 

I had this pizza, which was so amazing, I had to take a picture of it. 

After the meal, we went back and spent the rest of the evening relaxing as the next day was Thursday and was going to be spent packing our suitcases.

On our last day, Friday, we spent our day shopping for souvenirs for our friends and family back home. Our flight from Corfu to Manchester wasn't until 4:20am so we didn't need to leave the hotel until 12am. We decided to spend our last evening in Corfu playing a few card games and then I watched some videos on YouTube and listened to music for a bit before taking our luggage down to the hotel lobby where we would wait for our coach to take us back to the hotel.

We arrived at the airport at around 12:50am and had to spend about two hours waiting to board the plane but it wasn't so bad, I spent it reading a few chapters of All That Glitters by Vicky Pattison and eating some chocolate. 

Eventually, at 3:50am, we started to board the plane and by 4:20am, we had taken off. The flight went really quickly and I spent most of it listening to music on my iPad and almost dozing off whilst listening to The Black Eyed Peas. I was awake for most of my flight because I had mistakenly drunk a can of Pepsi, which contains caffeine. I couldn't get back to sleep so I just spent the rest of my flight listening to music and watching out of the window. 

The plane landed, half an hour early at 5:10am but, due to the time it took to get our luggage, I didn't arrive back at home until 6:30am this morning. I was still on a high from the caffeine so I spent this morning collecting some things I had ordered from Amazon. I did eventually fall asleep at around 7:30am and woke up at 11:30am so I think I've only had a total of 4 hours sleep. 

While I did enjoy my holiday in Greece, it does feel good to be back at home.

Thank you so much for reading my blogpost, 

I hope you enjoyed it.

❤

Stop Body Shaming & Start Body Accepting!

This is a topic that's been bothering me a lot lately and something I know

we all struggle with so I thought I'd do a blogpost on 'Body Shaming / Acceptance'. 

You've probably seen, by now, the massive criticism over Cheryl Fernandez-Versini's weight in the media. The picture above was taken on the first day of The X Factor auditions in Manchester on the 8th of July. I saw her on this day and she was perfectly fine. She was a great judge, telling contestants if they were good or not. She was very happy, as you can see in the above pictures. Unfortunately, the day after this picture was taken, media went into a frenzy over her size. Everyone was saying that she's 'too skinny' and is a 'bag of bones'. Some people even had the nerve to call her 'anorexic'! 

It's saddens me to think that, as a society, we are obsessed with weight. In magazines such as OK! and New!, journalists are constantly asking celebrities about their 'exercise' and 'diet' regime, which is none of their business. Why should celebrities be telling journalists what they eat and what exercise they do? It makes no sense to me. Most celebrities are like 'Oh I go to the gym every single day' and 'I only eat salads, I hate junk food'. Okay, well, good for you. As long as you are happy with your lifestyle, then keep doing what you're doing. If you're not happy and you're desperate to eat a piece of cake but can't because you've just told the media that you're on a diet and if you get caught eating anything unhealthy you'll be criticised, then, change that. Put a middle finger up to the diet and say 'Screw you! I want a piece of cake and I'm going to eat it!' We put too much pressure on ourselves and our bodies to look a certain way. We shouldn't be doing this to ourselves because we could end up being at risk of an eating disorder. 

When I was between the ages of 12 and 14, I was very chubby. I didn't care though, I was happy and had great friends and, to me, that's all that mattered. I was never under any pressure to be skinny but, when I turned 14, my depression kicked in and I lost quite a bit of weight. Fortunately, I never had an eating disorder as I love my food too much but it still makes me sad when I think how my body will never fit into society's standards.Then again, I think, why should my body fit into society's standards? Who is to say whether I have a good body or not? Me and me alone. You don't like my body? Whatever. I couldn't care less as your opinion of me doesn't matter because you have no right to discuss another person's body.

I'm a feminist and I'm not afraid to say that I am. I will stand up for everyone and make sure that we all get equal rights. This is why it angers me when people say Cheryl is 'too skinny'. If you pick up a magazine, I guarantee you that most of the articles will be about a female's weight. I say a female because the majority of magazines I've read in the past couple of weeks have included articles about a woman's weight gain or loss. 

And I'm not saying that men don't get pressurised to be a certain body shape. They do. I see a lot of articles saying how a man with muscles is 'attractive' and 'hot'. What about slimmer men or, in this case, men who are fat? Are they not attractive? Of course they are. 

What I'm trying to say in this blogpost is that we are all beautiful. No matter our weight, our clothes size, our sexuality, our gender, our race or whatever. 

I think the reason why there is so much criticism in the world is because we are so unhappy in our own skin. The only way we can get rid of this negativity is by being happy with ourselves first! I know it's hard but, deep down, you know you have a great body. Once we are positive within ourselves, we can spread that positivity by saying to another person 'Hey! You look beautiful today! That dress really suits you!' or 'Those jeans look great on you! Are they new?'. I think, once we start learning to accept ourselves, the world really can be a much more positive place.

I've also seen so many people, on Instagram for instance, struggle with an eating disorder. This is why we shouldn't be saying if someone is 'too thin' or 'too fat' because you never know who might hear it. Someone may be struggling and hearing that comment could put them off eating that apple they were going eat. If we used positive affirmations instead of negative comments, then you could be saving someone's life. Seriously. If someone, with an eating disorder, was to read something positive about a person's body image, they may feel good within themselves. 

In conclusion, we should all stop body shaming and start body accepting. Next time you see someone, who you may think is on the skinny side, try thinking 'Hey! She looks really good today and so do I!' instead of bringing that person down. We are more than our weight and what size our bodies are. Who cares if you're a size 6 or 14? Not me, that's for sure. 

Stop comparing your bodies to others. We are all different. We need to stop striving for the 'perfect' body and just accept that it doesn't exist and never will!

Sorry, this was more of a rant, I didn't mean for it to be!

Seriously, though, if you are struggling with body acceptance, then please

tell someone, your parents, friends, or your doctor. 

Nobody deserves to feel like they're not worth society's standard of beauty.

We are all beautiful, including you and including me.

Thank you so much for reading my blog post, it means a lot.

❤ 

❤ August Favourites ❤

I can't believe August is over already, it's gone really quickly!

I hope you all had a great summer.

Anyway, here is what I've been loving this August.

Favourite Films

 Paper Towns (book and film)

I began reading Paper Towns about a month before the film's release in the UK and I loved it. I loved the story and it convinced me to go and watch the film version. There was an advance screeing of Paper Towns on the 1st of August, just over two weeks before its release in the UK. I loved watching the film adaptation and I think Cara Delevigne did a great job as Margo and I think Nat Wolff was the perfect choice for Quentin. You can read my full review on the film here.

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation

When I found out there was a fifth Mission: Impossible movie coming out, I knew I had to watch the first four in the franchise. I loved them, especially the fourth one, Ghost Protocol, so I did wonder how the director of the fifth movie, Christopher McQuarrie, would be top it. I think he did a great job, however, as this has great action sequences, as you can see on the poster above, and the plot was brilliant. I think this is definitely my favourite out of the franchise. I can't wait for the sixth one!

Anime films

The first Anime film I watched was The Wind Rises and that convinced me to start watching more Anime films. Since then, I have watched a total of 12 Anime films, eight of which were directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who is a legend in the world of Anime. It's so hard to pick a favourite of his films as all of his films are brilliant but if I had to, I would probably choose Spirited Away. I was blown away by how beautiful the animation was. Nowadays, the majority of animatied films are computer-generated which is why I love Anime. 

Sure, Disney/Pixar films are great in terms of plot, great characters and heartwarming moments but if you want real animated films then I definitely recommend watching Anime films.

People always judge Anime films and think they're weird and I thought the same until I actually watched one. 

Honestly, if you're looking for something different to watch, then watch an Anime. You won't regret it, I promise.

Favourite TV Shows

The Great British Bake Off

I only began watching The Great British Bake Off last year and I loved it. Before I watched it, I thought it was a boring show about people baking but after I watched it, I learned that it's more than that. It's a competitive show about people wanting to be crowned Star Baker. I fell in love with the people on it and I loved looking at all the different bakes they made, everything on that show always look amazing. 

The X Factor

I went to watch The X Factor at the beginning of June and it was brilliant, I had a great time. There were lots of great acts, some with good singing voices, some without. It felt really weird being seeing the judges sat in front of me instead of on my TV. Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini are back as judges and Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw are the newest judges. I think Rita is a great judge, she was very flirty and sweet. Nick Grimshaw was very funny, I laughed every time he made a comment about the auditionees. I'm also very happy that Olly Murs and Caroline Flack are present the main show after they presented the other show, The Xtra Factor. Olly came second on TXF so he knows what the contestants are going through and Caroline is one of my favourite presenters as she has a funny side to her, which I love. I can't wait to watch the series when it starts on 29th August at 8:00pm on itv1.

Favourite Songs

Demi Lovato "Cool For The Summer"

It's been over two years since Demi Lovato released the first track, Heart Attack, from her fourth album, Demi, so I was very excited when Demi announced she was releasing Cool for the Summer, from her fifth album this summer. I listened to it on YouTube and straight away I knew it was the song of the summer. It has great vibes and is also a great party anthem. 

So those were my August favourites.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

❤

Motivational Monday | Speaking Out About Depression

Hi, sorry for not posting a blogpost in ages, I've been out a lot and been posting on my other blog, Katie's Film and TV Reviews. 

Since today is Monday I thought I'd do a Motivational Monday post and speak out about depression. Not a very happy topic, I know, but hopefully me speaking out about it will motivate others to get the help they need.

What is depression?
Depression is more than feeling sad or fed up for a couple of days. Everyone has days where they feel down but when you're depressed you feel sad persistently for weeks or ven months. Most people think that depression isn't that serious and isn't a mental condition. They're wrong. Depression is a real illness with symptoms. It's not something you can "snap out of". You don't immediately feel better when someone says "Pull yourself together". It's not as easy as that. But the good news is that with the right treatment and support, the majority of people can make a full recovery from depression.
What are the symptoms?
Psychological symptoms can include:

• Continuous low mood or sadness
• Feeling hopeless and helpless
• Having low self-esteem
• Feeling tearful
• Feeling guilt ridden
• Feeling irritable and intolerant of others 
• Having no or little motivation or interest in things
• Finding it difficult to make decisions
• Not getting any enjoyment out of life
• Feeling anxious or worried
• Having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself

Physical symptoms can include:

• Moving or speaking more slowly than usual
• Change in appetite or weight
• Constipation
• Unexplained aches and pains
• Lack of energy or interest in sex
• Changes to your menstrual cycle
• Disturbed sleep

Social symptoms can include:

• Not doing well at work
• Taking part in fewer social activities and avoiding contact with other people
• Neglecting your hobbies and interests
• Having difficulties in your home and family life

If you have any of these symptoms, please get in touch with your Doctor or GP.

I think my depression started when I was young because, as a child, I was very emotional. What I'd mean by this is that I'd cry almost every single day. At primary school, I was very shy and unconfident and hardly spoke except to my friends. I was an average student, I would work hard in every subject but still feel really insecure about myself. I remember a few times where I would randomly burst into tears as I'm a sensitive person and everything hurt me, even 'jokes' that were meant to be funny, I'd take it the wrong way and cry.

Even my own family used to joke that I couldn't go one day without crying. Looking back now, I think I was depressed, I'd just didn't know it. 

When I began high school, I was very nervous. And yeah, you guessed it, I cried on my first day as I got lost and didn't know where my form room was. Other people in that situation would've remained calm and asked someone for directions but not me. I was fine when I found the form room and my form tutor was very sweet about it, fortunately. 

The first two years were difficult, if I'm honest. I had a friend, who I'd known since the beginning of primary school, and we were still close until she made another friend. I tried becoming friends with this other girl too but it was hard, especially because they kept leaving me out of things. Back then I wasn't really comfortable with being on my own and my insecurities grew. I felt like they both hated me. 

In Year 8, though, I made two new friends but, unfortunately, she was bullied a lot. When I think about it now, it's horrific how much bullying went on in the first two years. I think it's just people being immature but there was simply no need for it. However, she would just simply ignore the comments but, one time, we were in the changing room after PE and a girl was being really rude to my friend. I hated that she was being so mean so I cried. I couldn't stop myself and me and my friend were sent to Headteacher's office to explain what had happen. My friend didn't like speaking out so it was up to me to explain why I was so upset. The situation was dealt with and, luckily, that girl didn't speak to us ever again. This is why speaking out is so important. The majority of people, who are being bullied, don't speak out as they're worried the bullying will get worse. They're worried that if the bully finds out that they told someone, they'll bully them even more. Don't think like that. Tell someone. Whether that be a friend, a parent or a teacher, just tell someone. That's the best thing you could possibly do. If you tell the teacher, they can deal with the bully.

Anyway, bullying was one of the reasons why I felt so sad. 

I remember in, early 2012, I became even more sad. When I was 12-13, I was very chubby. I look back and I cringe at how fat I looked. Fortunately, I didn't develop an eating disorder as I love my food too much but I did lose weight. I've never weighed myself but I do think I'm around 8st now, which is fine.

Anyway, I had personal health problems causing me to have a low attendance in school and I felt so stressed and insecure that I self harmed and - this is ridiculous - cut my own fringe. Literally, went into the bathroom and got some scissors and cut my own hair making me even more insecure about my appearance. For months, whilst my fringe grew back, I would have to wear silly hairbands otherwise my fringe would literally be sticking up like Cameron Diaz's in There's Something About Mary!

It was at this point that my Mum made me see a therapist to speak out about my problems. I told her everything, about me feeling unconfident growing up and the stress with school. She helped me a lot and told me that it's okay to feel sad but just remember that it really isn't the end of the world. I may be having a bad day but that's just one day out of a thousand, maybe even a million, more days to come. I felt happier after that session and returned to school after a two week absence.

Just before I started Year 9, I decided to dye my hair red and I remember taking a selfie and looking at my new hair and how confident I felt. Now over three years later, I love dying my red hair. 

During Year 10 & 11, I did still have low points but I just got on with it and did my best at school. I still had my health problems causing me to have low attendance which is the reason I didn't do too well in my GCSEs. (I got one C and one D) I remember getting my results and being devastated. What made it worse, I think, was that my friend got mainly As and Bs and, even though I was really happy for her, I couldn't help but feel jealous. Of course, when I look back, I couldn't help how ill I was all the time and, at the end of the day, I did my best and that's all anyone can do. If you're not happy with your results just think this: "I tried my hardest in that exam, that's what really matters."

I went on to do Level 2 Media at my local college but I quit after three months of the course because I wasn't enjoying it. I think this was the most depressed I'd ever felt so I spoke to the tutors and told them that I was unhappy and I was leaving. This was in December 2014, so for six months, I was bored. Everyone else was either at school, doing their A-Levels or had a job. I had neither. I wanted a job but because of my depression and lack of confidence, I couldn't get one.

That was around two months ago and now I have recently just signed up to do Performing Arts at my college in September and I'm so happy I'm finally doing something.

What's the point of this blogpost? Well, I just want to tell you that it's okay to feel low and have bad days but we can't those days define our lives. 

My tips for fighting depression and feeling happier:

• Watch your favourite film/TV Show or read a book - Whenever I'm feeling low, I always put my favourite film on. I'd suggest watching a comedy as laughter really is the best medicine. 
• Listen to music - do you have a favourite singer or band that you like to listen to? Try listening to your favourite song and singing the lyrics, it will boost your mood.
• Eating - as I said before, I love my food, so if you're feeling really sad, try eating your favourite food, whether that be ice cream or an apple, just eat. Eating my favourite foods make me really happy, especially if it's pizza. 
• Talking - speaking out about your problems helps because it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Discussing how you're feeling with someone close makes you feel better as they can give you advice and share how they're feeling too.
• Get to know yourself - Write about your feelings in a diary or on your laptop. Take note of what's happening in your life and what can make you feel better and what can make you feel worse. That way, you can deal with what is bad for you and avoid the people or things that make you feel worse.
• Understand that it's okay to feel sad - In the words of singer/songwriter Jessie J, "it's okay not to be okay". Don't judge yourself for feeling sad. I used to hate myself for getting upset all the time but I understand that being sad and depressed is something we have to go through in our lives and I can now appreciate the happier moments in my life.
• Set small and realistic goals - take small steps and try to achieve simple goals. It's better to say that you'll take a little walk than to say that you'll spend every day next week going to the gym.
• Get some fresh air - it's always good to get some fresh air instead of staying inside all day. Walking to my local shop whilst listening to music is a great booster for me as it always makes me feel happier about myself and the day that I'm having.

I really hope that my tips help and, if you're still feeling really depressed, I would suggest speaking to your Doctor or GP. Don't keep your feelings inside as they will get worse. 

Stay strong, things will get better. 

❤

❤ JULY FAVOURITES ❤

JULY FAVOURITES

Hi, sorry for not posting in a while, I've had quite a busy month.

Hope you've all had a great month and, if not, I hope August is better for you :)

In this blogpost, I will be talking about what I've been loving this July...

Inside Out

I am a huge fan of Disney/Pixar films, especially The Incredibles, so I was very excited to see their latest film, Inside Out. The story is about an 11 year old girl, Riley, and the emotions that go on inside her head when she and her parents move to San Francisco. The emotions include Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear. They are in control of how Riley feels and the film shows the conflict between the five emotions. I loved this film as I think it's a clever way of describing what goes on inside our heads, especially to young kids who find it hard to describe what they're feeling. Definitely one of Disney/Pixar's best animated films.
You can read my full review on my other blog here.

Spy

Another film I've loved is Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy and directed by Paul Feig. I love Paul Feig's other films, especially The Heat also starring Melissa McCarthy, so I was very excited to watch this. I loved it and thought it was hilarious, I've seen it three times since it was out and laughed every single time. Melissa McCarthy plays Susan Cooper who is a desk bound CIA agent guiding her partner Bradley Fine, played by Jude Law, on a mission in Bulgaria to find a bomb but tragedy strikes putting the other CIA spies in danger. Susan then decides to go undercover and into the mission herself and becomes a spy for the first time. If you love spy films and comedy, I can guarantee you'll love this. This film has a great plot and hilarious characters including Susan, her colleague Nancy played by Miranda Hart and Rick Ford played by Jason Statham. Rose Byrne is also great at playing the villain, Rayna. Definitely one of my favourite comedy films.

'Life With A Sprinkle Of Glitter' by Louise Pentland

At the beginning of this month, YouTuber Louise Pentland (a.k.a 'SprinkleOfGlitr') published her first book, 'Life With A Sprinkle Of Glitter'. It is a guide simply to help young girls and boys through their struggles. This book is split into four sections: Glitz; Create; Need To Knows and All About Love. Read a full review of her book here.

I was lucky enough to meet Louise on her book tour and, because it was very busy, we weren't allowed any pictures but I did talk to her and she was so lovely! She is one of the most down to earth YouTubers I have met. 

All That Glitters by Vicky Pattison

Another book I've been loving is Vicky Pattison's debut novel, All That Glitters. The main character is Issy who works at a hairdressing salon and living an ordinary life until her father signs her up to a reality show based on a hairdressing competition. Suddenly, Issy finds herself surrounded by glamour, fame and celebrities and she embraces it all. Soon, the reality kicks in and her dream soon begins to fall apart. Issy is so close to getting everything she ever wanted but how much of herself is she willing to sacrifice to get it?

I love this book, it is a perfect summer read. It is also one of funniest and most romantic books I've read.

People may be put off reading this as it is written by 'Vicky from Geordie Shore' but I've met Vicky twice and she is one of the nicest celebrities I've met. I recently met her on her All That Glitters book tour and she spent time with everyone, speaking to them and getting selfies. Speaking of which, here are my selfies with Vicky:

I had a great time meeting her and I was so happy for the rest of the day. 

Judge Geordie

Speaking of Vicky, she also has a new TV series, Judge Geordie, where she travels up and down the country helping people with their problems. It is shown on Wednesdays at 9pm on MTV. I love this show as it shows how much Vicky cares about other people and, at times, it shows how fiesty she is. This show is similar to Jeremy Kyle but, in my opinion, better because she goes all across the UK to meet with the people in their homes and talk with them on a personal level instead of doing it all in a studio.

This show also covers all sorts of problems from best friends falling out to a mother wanting to reconnect with her daughter. This show will make you think twice about what you think of Vicky. 

Threads by Sarah Harding

A song that I have been loving this month is Sarah Harding's debut solo single, Threads. Ever since Girls Aloud split up in 2013, I have been dying to hear some of Sarah's solo music and I was not disappointed. Her music video for this song was released earlier this week, if you want to watch it, click here.

It's very different from Girls Aloud's music but I still love it. It's catchy and shows Sarah's fiesty side.

I met Sarah on her Threads radio tour and she was really sweet. I've been wanting to meet her since I became a fan of Girls Aloud at the age of 8 so I'm very happy to have finally met her. Here are my selfies and a pap picture with Sarah:

I know I keep saying this but Sarah was really one of the sweetest celebrities I've met. She spent a lot of time speaking to us and taking selfies with us, which I'm very grateful for.

Glitterball by Sigma featuring Ella Henderson

Ella Henderson is one of my favourite artists and when I heard she was featuring on a track with Sigma, I couldn't be more excited. And I wasn't disappointed. This is a feel good pop song about being in love and is definitely one of the best songs of the summer.

So those were my July favourites, I can't wait to find out what my August favourites are!

Thanks for reading ❤

❤ BOOK REVIEW: LOUISE PENTLAND'S 'LIFE WITH A SPRINKLE OF GLITTER' ❤

When I found out that Louise Pentland (more commonly known as her YouTube name, 'Sprinkle of Glitter') was writing her first book, I was so happy. I loved her videos because she is so positive and confident with everything she does. Basically, this is Louise, but in book form, if that makes any sense! What I mean is, everything you read in here is Louise. It's like she's talking to us and giving advice through her book, which I love. 

This book is similar to Carrie Hope Fletcher's All I Know Now as they both give advice but they give advice in their own unique way. 

Louise's way is by dividing her book into four different sections which are: Glitz; Create; Need To Knows and All About Love. She describes this book as similar to being in a antiques shop, you can either 'wander the shop row by row, looking at each item in order' or you can 'dance around with wild abandon, opening and closing whatever you like, whenever you like'. This means you can either read her book chapter by chapter or you can open it and reading it any order you like!

Unlike Carrie's book, which does feature some of her cute drawings, this book is full of pictures. There is not one blank page, each page has something on it. I doubt you'll get bored with this book, I certainly won't!

This book also includes very funny anecdotes from Louise's life, including the terrible dates she's been on and when she cried when she met Kylie Minogue!

If you need any help, I recommend Louise's book as she gives advice on topics such as: school, bullying, making friends; dating; make-up and many more. I do think there's something for everyone in this book (even boys!) so I would recommend this to anyone who is need of advice and can't find it from family and friends. 

Overall, this is an uplifting and funny book, mainly aimed at girls but boys can read it too if they so wish!