Here's to a new year

If you read my recent post, you'll know that for me 2018 is a bit of a significant year: I'm going to be turning 20 next week! The big 2 0. And in my head I still feel the same as when I did when I was 16, except, for some reason, people are giving me more responsibility and think I know what I'm doing. Heads up- I make it up as I go along! 

Emily 2.0

Less than 2 weeks. That is how long I have left of being 19, a teenager. I'll be a fully fledged 20-year-old with all the responsibilities and life lessons that come with hitting your twenties- a lot happens in your twenties!

Let's Talk Confidence

I often hear the term confidence is key and think a lot of people struggle to either understand it or struggle to gain it. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd have a little heart to heart to you all about self-love and having confidence in being yourself. As a young woman, I would be lying if I said that there weren't times that I wasn't confident in myself. 

The Importance of Checking

I was debating whether or not to write this post for a while, since it's a very personal topic for so many. But after a lot of thought, I decided that I should, especially since it's breast cancer awareness month. 

Instagrammble Food in New York

 

If you haven't guessed already, or if you don't follow me on Instagram- I am a food orientated person. Some eat to live, others live to eat. I woud definitely say I am more the latter. So obviously, since I've been away, I've wanted to go and find some super cute cafes and restaurants which deliver on the food front and I have found a few! Some of these are typical Instagram hotspots, and others are less so but no matter where you go, you'll be sure to find some super delicious and good looking food! 

What are you thinking?

The way you think, and your overall attitude can have a huge effect on a lot of what you do. Some may think that the two aren't connected, but I can assure you that they are. 

3 Books every Millennial Should Read

I am a book person. I know not every person is, especially in our generation, but I wanted to talk to you about three books I've read recently. The three books I feel every Millenial should read.

Cuban Lookbook

The Summer Trench

*Not my photo- taken from Jack Wills' 'How to style a trench coat' campaign 

I know when you think of trench coats, you probably think of cool Autumn days, but if you live in the UK, you will know that the Great British summer isn't always so great, so we need a lightweight coat or jacket to wear in all weather. 

The Morning Rush

I don't know about you, but some days I just seem to run out of time, especially when I have a busy day and planned to wash my hair- typical. So I stand there looking in the mirror at the greasy hair I have to work with for the day. And if I have just enough time to wash it, I seem to run out of time to dry it quickly while looking good! 

Although I'm not one of those people who spends half an hour in the shower, I do like to make sure I take the time to care for my skin, so I normally exfoliate with a good scrub and then follow with a moisturising body wash. But, as you can imagine, on busy days, I don't have the time to do this! So, why not combine the two?! You can so easily make any body wash into an exfoliator with some good exfoliating mitts*. These lovely pink ones from Soap & Glory are perfect as they're just like a glove and lathers the product really well. I find a lot of mitts don't give me the level of scrub I want, but these bad boys are fab at giving yourself a super deep scrub. 

So this definitely saves me time in the morning! 

Okay, say I have a morning where my hair is a bit of a grease bomb. I have two options: quick wash (if I have time) or dry shampoo (if I don't). 

say it's the latter, I need a heavy duty dry shampoo, but I don't want to be left with the talc look! oh, the struggle... But Soap & Glory have now come out with this fab new one, which smells amazing might I add, that leaves your hair looking as good as new! They also have a travel size so you can pop it in your bag for top ups throughout the day, yay! 

If I decide to risk it (for a chocolate biscuit...?) and wash my hair, I want to be able to get changed without getting my clothes wet and for my hair to dry quickly. There has been a time when I've desperately tried to get my top on with a towel on my head- it doesn't seem to work! But Soap & Glory kindly sent over their hair turban, it's the perfect size to keep your hair up and ring out the water, while you can get dressed and do your makeup. It helps to speed up drying (as I like to dry it naturally), then all I need to do is turn up the heating in my car for a bit and tah dah! 

And there we have it, how I can get myself sorted quickly in the morning, with the help from Soap & Glory. Although this post is supported by Soap & Glory, all opinions are my own and honest. 

*This post contains gifted content. This post is also supported by Soap & Glory, but all opinions are my own and are competely honest x

The Year Of Hygge

2016 brought some big changes, and along with it some big realisations. And like every new year, like many other people, I like to sit down and write out some goals. This may be study wise, for me to have a goal to try and get a 2:1 on my assignments. This might be for my blog and to continue to grow and flourish, hopefully with the help and support of all of you. But I think one I want to focus on here mainly, at the moment, is to be more focused on togetherness and appreciating the small things in life, as well as the big- of course. 

I came across this wonderful little book called 'The Little Book of Hygge', by Meik Wilking from The Happiness Research Institute. 

It made me realise that I think all of us can sometimes get caught up in daily life and everything feels so rushed that we sometimes forget how nice it is to curl up on the sofa together, with cups of tea chatting away. This is why I want to make 2017 the year of 'Hygge'. 

Hygge is a Danish word, or idea, that is all about being cosy, calm, and making the most of the simple things. It's been said to translate to "cosiness of the soul", "taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things" and "cosy togetherness". 

Now don't think I'm going to become a hermit for the next year and not leave my house- that's not what Hygge is about. It's all about being comfortable. Both with yourself and others. This can be done through hot bubble baths, being in your cosy lounge wear or even giving people hugs. I am a very cuddly person, so that isn't hard for me! But, in this wonderful little book, there's even a chapter about 'Hygge outside the home'. It talks about how there can be something very comforting about going for a morning stroll around the park, while you're all wrapped up in you cosy jumpers and scarves. I want to try and make time for that; once a day, even if it's only for 20 minutes, get out the house and go for a walk. Have some thinking time. 

It also talks about being present in the moment. This is something I'm often worried I don't do enough. By having my life on my laptop, be it for school work or blogging, and always having my phone so close to hand, I feel like I often miss opportunities to be fully present. This is why I'm going to make such a conscious effort to allow time without all this technology and get to basics. 

I know I may have just splurged all my thoughts, and they may not be cohesive, but here are my goals for 2017!

- To be in the moment

- To make the most of the simple pleasures in life 

- To make time for those simple pleasures and the people I love

Happy New Year to you. I hope my splurge has given you some ideas of some goals you could make for yourself. Let 2017 be the year of Hygge, I feel it might do us all a little good.