Blogmas Day 2: Practical gifts for bloggers

For your blogger friends, it can often seem like a really hard task to be able to find the perfect gift for them, especially since it sometimes seems like they have everything they want. I did a little searching through some of the things that I have purchased in the past for my blog and that I thinks you guys would love too.

Blogmas Day 1: Christmas post ideas

So very recently I made the decision to take part in the 12 days of Blogmas. I will be filling my blog with festive goodness until Christmas Eve so keep your eyes peeled for the magic! It may very well be the worst decision I've ever made because I am insanely busy with my university assignments right now but in the spirit of the season, I'm going to have some faith. I did not come into this completely with my eyes closed, I did a lot of research for Blogmas post ideas so I wanted to share some of them with any of you that might be joining me on this journey and need some inspiration.

Winter skincare routine

Winter can be super harsh on your skin. Unless youre lucky enough to live somewhere where it is pretty much always warm, youre no stranger to the dry, flaky mess that can come hand with winter. I have Eczema and sensitive skin so as soon as the temperatures drop, I have to step up my skincare game. I want to share with you guys some of my winter skin saviours through my daily routine:

Note: This post is not in any way sponsored by Liz Earle, I just find that ther products work perfectly for my skin.

A-Z of Recovery: it is possible

It's that time again! Time for another one of my Recovery posts. I love to write this kind of stuff. I have said that so many times over that past few years but going back to the roots of my blog every now and then feels just great. Plus it makes me feel just that little bit better when I get to realign my thoughts this way.

How to get into the festive spirit

For me, I have been trying to be in the Christmas mood for a while now. I'm usually a bit of a scrooge so I'm giving it some extra effort this year. One of the great things about the beginning of December is that the Christmas spirit around you goes sky high. The decorations go up, the schools are practicing for their Nativity plays, choirs are getting ready for carolling and the TV channels are full of festive music and films. For some people, like myself,  we need to give a little extra effort in order to get into the spirit of things. With that in mind, here are my tips for getting into the Christmas spirit;

Beauty advent calender

The choice of advent calendars this year is better than every before. Gone are the days where your only option was chocolate now we have candles, makeup, perfume, nail varnish and so much more. Since I recently decided to purchase the Makeup Revolution calendar (see below), I wanted to share with you all some of the more affordable options out there for any beauty gurus that you may know. 

Revolution Advent calendar 2016 (£30)-

Set includes:

6x Lipsticks

2x Lipglosses

1x Eye Primer

1x Liquid Highlighter

3x Mono Eyeshadows

2x Baked Blusher

1x Highlighter

1x Anti Shine Balm

1x Bronzer

1x Strobe Cream

1x Face Brush

1x Mini Foundation Brush

1x Mini Angled Brush

1x Mini Eyeshadow Brush

1x Makeup Mirror 

1x Eyeshadow Palette

Blogger problems

I love being a blogger, it's something I hope to continue in the future as a part time job. Ive been doing it for 3 years now and I wanted to share with you some of the "problems" that I have experienced as a result of what I do. 

Matalan Christmas homeware

I think that it's pretty easy to see that lately I've been getting into the Christmas spirit (some might say it's too early). In order to prep for some blog posts, I have been spending quite some time online looking at everything Christmas themed. While I may not have put any decorations up yet, I'm always open to buying new ones and creating new traditions with my loved ones. Here are a few things from Matalan that I just love!

Holiday coping tips

Wow, its hard to think about just how fast the year has gone. There have been so many things that have changed for me this year and I couldn't be more grateful for them but if I am honest, like most people with eating disorders, I am a little worried about the holidays. The holidays means lots and lots of food and that makes me worry about whether or not I can stay strong during this season. Here are some coping tips for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving and/or Christmas....it's coming soon!!!!!!!

November reading list

I'm a complete book nerd at heart so this month I gave myself a little extra money to buy some gems that have been sitting in my Amazon basket for a while. Ever since I saw the trailer for the film Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children, I have been wanting to not only watch the film, but read the books behind it. Needless to say, I watched the full film and straight away jumped online and ordered all od the books in the set. Just before I clicked "Purchase", I threw another book off my wishlist in for good measure. Here is what I brought;

Beauty Subscription Box 101

For me, I think there is nothing better than getting home to a wonderful package containing loads of beautiful goodies that (hopefully) my skin is just going to love. I've always loved the idea of subscription boxes because I literally have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to makeup. If you ask my Best Friend how much I know about what it is that I actually (eventually learned to) put on my face, then she will tell you that I know basically nothing. I know the bare basics and stick to the same things. A beauty subscription box quite literally picks products for me to try so I don't even have to pretend to know what I'm looking for in the drugstore. I went online and collected together some of my favourite looking boxes that I wish I had the money to be able to purchase (because I'd have them all lets not lie to ourselves).

P.s. all of the prices are in GBP but most sites have the prices in most other currencies and therefore deliver to other places too!

Christmas Gift wishlist

CHRISTMASSSSSS!!!!

Yep, sorry for saying it. I have decided to start sharing some of my Christmas gift planning online. You're probably hating me for even mentioning it right now but planning your gifts in November actually makes life a whole lot easier. It becomes a fun experience rather than a mad dash in December. Give your loved ones a little more thought and a little less stress for yourself. Think about what makes these people who they are and gain inspiration from it. 

A-Z of Recovery: Hope

Once again it's time for another A-Z of Recovery post. I must admit that I love coming back to this kind of thing. It's a really therapeutic thing for me to be able to go over old thoughts, feelings and be able to reevaluate them into the now. Recovery is a bumpy process and I've been through a lot of dips in my mood and relapsed lately but I never lost hope. 

The most important thing for me in this entire world is hope. Hope that there is a better life, hope for everything that I want for a fulfilling life. No matter, who you are or what you do, hope is the most important thing. It is what keeps you going, it's what helps you accept the past and embrace the present and the future. 

Three years ago when I started this blog as 'Perks Of Recovery' with a Alyssa (some of you who have been around that long will know who she is and why she doesn't run the blog with me anymore), I had no hope. Throughout my journey I have been tested through so many different ways. I thought each time that I had lost all hope of living. The beauty of it all is that there is always a little extra reserve inside each of us that keeps us going even in the toughest of times.

For some people, we can be reminded of it just by something that we see, feel or hear. For others, it's about the people around you that can remind us of the hope. I can guarantee you that if you are reading this then you can be that ambassador for someone everyday...even if that person is yourself. 

We should never lose hope. its the best thing we have got and it helps us to be open to seeing all of the beautiful things. 

Good luck 

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Shine A Little Light

I have decided that from now on I will be more appreciative of the things that I have in my life and I will set myself a daily goal. It will be a small goal that will help me to stay happy. I have learned over the time of having this blog that its the small things that make a difference. Each small thing that happens everyday that I either do to help someone or someone does something small to help me, it makes a huge difference.

Just remember that when you are thinking about your life and the way that you can make a difference, just small things that you can do can have such an impact. Here are some little suggestions for you to do;

• smile at a stranger
• help someone with their shopping
• hold the door open for someone
• lend a helping hand
• be there for someone
• make someone laugh
• create something for someone
• believe in someone (including yourself) it could be the extra push that they need to succeed!

You are all beautiful people, inside and out. Let your light shine in this world and don't ever let anyone bring you down. Bad things can happen, that's life but it's our job to help others (and ourselves) to make the best out of every situation. We are all going through problems so make sure that you are there for anyone who needs it. We all stick together and support each other.

Keep smiling.

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L'Oréal clay mask review

I'm really quite excited to share with you guys today a wonder product. I recently went into Boots in search of a new face mask (Because I'm a little obsessed with using them) when I came across the new clay masks from L’Oreal Paris. I had been meaning to try them since they were released so I instantly put them in my basket. I began with the Detox Mask and then a few days ago I went back for the Purity and Glow Mask (nor pictured) . 

The best things about Concert life

It's pretty well known that I'm a huge fan of country music. When I came across the tickets for country duo Maddie and Tae, I literally screamed my little head off. I missed C2C (country2country) when it came round so the fact that I could go to my first ever country concert was the best feeling in the world, especially considering the fact that I've loved these ladies since they dropped their first single! The only thing that made it better was the Emily could come with me.

As someone who really doesn't do well with crowds and strangers, concerts are always on of those scenarios where I get to push my own boundaries. It really helps me to feel like I am growing as a person and managing my issues really well. Plus, lets not forget that concerts are a great way of getting to know new friends (because lets face it, you've definitely got some common ground to build a friendship on).

Autumn scents

Yep, I'm back again with another wishlist...shouldn't really have made the first one because now I'm addicted. It's a perfect excuse for me to scour the internet and find products that in an ideal world I would be able to splurge on. 

I'm a sucker for all kinds of earthy, woody toned scents so naturally (see what I did there?....I know that was lame..) when it gets to Autumn, all of my favourite things begin to emerge and I'm in my happy place. There are so many things that are so beautiful in terms of their looks and their scent so I thought I would share with you all some of the items on my Autumn scent wishlist!

The spirit of Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching and there is nothing that is making me more happy! As you all have probably experienced,  every year pretty much every fan of the holiday creates a bucketlist of all these Pinterest worthy activities to fill your Autumn/Fall with every kind of themed goodness ever created!

For me, it's the activities and the sights of the seasons that just make everything that much better. I love to decorate the house and spend hours on pinterest looking at all of these fabulous different things that I can do that will magically make Autumn a more memorable experience.

Blogging goals

Ive always been one of those people that LOVES to make goals, lists and all forms of self improvement. The fact that I can make goals for my blog regularly makes me little list making soul super happy. Its always super motivating to be able to set targets for the amount of followers, readers,  posts I need to make etc and be able to smash those targets. Each time you meet one it's like you a have a personal little party.

A-Z of Recovery: Gaining back your health

Even after I wrote the post explaining why I wanted to change up the way I was blogging and the sort of things that I posted about, one thing that I wanted to continue with related to Mental Health is my A-Z of Recovery series. I started this at the beginning of the year and I'm really happy with how consistent I have been with it and I still really enjoy writing about some of these topics and so here it is!