Things that are making me happy right now.

We are almost half way through the season of lent, which for me as a Catholic is a period of time to prepare for Easter. I have given up chocolate this year and wow I miss it. But I am sure I will survive. Lent is also a season for positivity and reflection, so I have been trying focus in on the good things in life and also setting my ducks in a row. That's the right phrase, isn't it? So, here are a few things that are making me happy at the moment.

Ignoring my view out the window, it's spring! And that means beautiful flowers and fresh Spring fashion. I am so excited to share my capsule wardrobe with you in next week's post. I'll explain how I have put it together and certain rules I am trying to keep. Nothing too strict though. I have been making a list of clothes to add to my wardrobe so it is spring appropriate, because before all this beast from the eat nonsense came I could leave the house without a jumper on. But my wardrobe dynamic has briefly gone back to jeans and jumpers. And 5 layers underneath....but bring on Spring! I'm ready.

As of yesterday it is 3 weeks until I get to see my boyfriend again and that makes me the happiest person in the world. I talked about my long distance relationship in my Valentine's day post and how well we have dealt with being so far apart, but nothing can beat that first embrace. Internally it feels like the GIF of screaming Jonah Hill and externally it probably looks like that too. I'm not that cool and collected. But you do happiness however you like.

Something else that has been keeping me cheerful is that I have so far kept my new years resolutions. The main one was to read 2 books per month and I have actually gone over that. Once I got back into the swing of settling down with a book, finishing book after book became very natural. A great tip for keeping a reading resolution is make sure you always have a book in your bag because when you're out and about you have the option to get a chapter read instead of scrolling through Instagram for the millionth time. I am very guilty of that. I will be doing a book post in a couple of weeks about the books I have read so far and the books I am planning on reading. There is mixture of genres for everyone so I'm pretty pleased.

The final thing that is making happy is that I am slowly, very slowly getting organised. One by one I am ticking jobs off the never ending to-do list. It's all about the list making for me because there isn't a happy feeling quite like ticking those annoying and boring jobs off so you can relax and have fun. To be honest I still need a little motivation in some departments but we will get there!

I would love to hear about what is making you happy right now and keep an eye out for a cheeky midweek post coming on Thursday for International Women's day.

Morning motivation. (Or lack there of)

This time last year mornings were not an issue. I always considered myself a morning person and rarley slept in even on the weekend. A lie in for me consisted of sleeping in until around 10 then probably having a pyjamas day.  I had spent nearly my entire life in one routine; get up for school which is not optional, wear a uniform for 5 days a week and pack the same belongings into the same bag. I think it was the lack of options that made it so easy.

What a life, but fast forward to now mornings have not been so idyllic. I have moved a million miles away from my school life routine which had trained my body clock perfectly to the adult life where suddenly the option of sleeping can be really appealing. I am not saying that uni is optional and I have never treated it that way (100% attendance thank you very much), but the lack of....mmm... policing maybe? That isn't the best word, but what I mean is that if I don't turn up to uni then no one will check up on me. And trust me this can be attractive. My other so called excuse for lack of morning motivation is that I work at night which exactly is a pretty good excuse. If you read my Fresh start post then you will know that I work as a bartender which means I get the joy of finishing work at anytime between 1 and 4 in the morning. And wow that can take it out of you, but I've come up with some things that really help me in the morning so I don't slip into bad habits. I have no intention of getting up at midday on a daily basis.

Go to bed earlier, yes this is painfully obvious, but so many people will go to bed in good time but have no intention of going to sleep. I'm guilty of taking my phone to bed, but on my nights off I make a conscious effort to have a night routine so I can get to sleep at the earliest opportunity. I've heard that the sleep you get before midnight tend to be the deepest and best sleep to get so surely it will make the mornings a little easier.


Make lists. This will help clear your head of those busy plans and a million little things you need to remember. I find this so helpful and relaxing and then in the morning I am motivated because I have a list I can follow. I can remember a million song lyrics, but trust me I will forget to put my washing on.  And in the morning, the prospect of getting up and getting on with the day is a lot less intimidating when you know what you're doing. I'm really bad for putting things off when there is a lot to do which makes it even worse. Lists are a huge motivation. 

You do you. You have to be kind to yourself, so do whatever you need to do to get that motivation going. For I don't close my curtains entirely so in the morning I get to wake up to a bit of sun light (Depending on the time of the year) which means I don't feel as errh about getting out of bed. I like a light and warm room when I wake up so I can jump out of bed....once I have scrolled through social media. That wakes my brain up and allows me to get going. Who else is guilty of picking their phone up as soon as they wake up? Lets get motivated!

Benefit Pinks for Spring.

I feel like Benefit has been every where recently! They went above and beyond when bringing out their new mascara; Bad Gal Bang. Like flying Youtubers out to the Maldives above and beyond. I loved how hyped they got about a mascara, because I feel like a brand that puts so much effort into just one product must be worth buying. I have loved Benefit for so long and I always end up going back to them because when buying high end makeup I want to know its worth my money. I have never been disappointed by any products and its nice to feel like a brand actually cares about the customer. Who else agrees? 

Today I will talking about this adorable benefit set which I think is perfect for spring. I love wearing pinky colours in spring to compliment the season. They always makes me think of flowers and warmth and it really contrasts with the dark and autumnal colours from the colder seasons. I'm really looking forward to introducing lighter colours into my new Capsule Wardrobe and experimenting with them. You can read about my little trial here.  But focusing more on makeup now...

First of all I love this mini Roller Lash Mascara because its going to be so useful for when I go on holiday later on in the year. I can stick it in any handbag while having my big one in my makeup bag. I love what it does for my lashes and I tend to wear it as an everyday mascara rather than a going out one. I won't go into it too much because I have already written a full post on it here if you want to know more about it. 

The next little joy is the Dandelion Dew which is probably my favourite apart from the classic Roller Lash Mascara. I was initially  a little weary of the bright pink dew as I don't tend to wear blush because I have naturally very pink cheeks, so I try to avoid the clown look. However, because it is liquid you can blend it perfectly for a subtle pink dewy which is my cup of tea as I wear dewy makeup all year round to avoid my naturally dry skin. 

The Posie tint makes me so happy because you can use it for both your lips and cheeks. What a perfect little item to have in your handbag. Just imagine when you're half way through the day and you feel meh, but then you can get your Posie tint out your bag and be renewed for the day. A quick brush of the tint with your fingers onto your cheeks and lips and you will glow! This pink is definitely a bright summer shade as there is nothing dull about it. 

The final part of the set is a good old blusher. I love it, but I'll be honest I don't wear it as a blush because it is too pink for my cheeks, however I wear it as an eye-shadow. I actually have it on now as I write this. I use a fluffy brush to apply it on my lids and blend and that's it. Its great for my simple makeup look that applies no thought what so ever and basically wear it nearly everyday. All these products are effortless and light weight on the skin which sounds like Spring makeup to me 

What is your spring colour? 

Valentines day to me.

Valentines day means different to things to different people. For some its a normal day, for some its 'galentines' and a chance to celebrate friendship and for a few its a chance to show a romantic side. I do think Valentine's Day is a little too commercial and is trying to sell the idea of romance, but I also think it is a positive day that we can all enjoy. 

  Valentine's Day for me this year is a little different, because my boyfriend and I are currently in a long distance relationship while we're at uni unlike last year where we had the typical cute date. So Valentine's Day will consists of Face-timing as usual and receiving our cards through the post. Some of my friends feel bad for me and have offered to do something with me which is sweet, but when you miss someone everyday a particular holiday doesn't make you feel better or worse. Long distance isn't for everyone, but we have made it work for us, so if you think that person is worth waiting for then do it! We don't let other people's thoughts get in the way. I've actually had people say to me that long distance doesn't work which wasn't particularly helpful, however that person doesn't know anything about our happy relationship. We're both aware of what people think, but being able to show everyone that we can do it is romantic to me. 

My view of romance has changed over the years as I've grown up. I've gone from being enthralled by the Disney world full of damsels in distress and handsome princes as my parents were divorced this was the image of relationships that I was regularly presented with. This lead onto

 to young adult fiction, as a young teenager, full of silly dramatic love that continues to paint an unrealistic concept of romance. Some of these relationships are borderline unhealthy (and they usually involve vampires....). None of this helps you prepare for the real world of romance. I was unprepared and thoroughly let down in all ways by a few nasty boys when I did go into the real world of 'dating' or whatever you would like to call it. Its not that my expectations were too high, but I was expecting the wrong things (and had a thoroughly bad taste in boys from the age of 15 to 17)

But then I met my boyfriend and he instantly became my best friend and I was shown what real romance is. Its not a tacky card and red roses once a year. Neither is it huge expensive gestures to show your superiority to other couples. I think romance is having the constant support that a good partner provides. He is always on my side and doesn't mind when I have a sulk (I'm quite good at that). He can always make me happy and that doesn't include expensive jewellery or cliched gifts. Its made up of laughs and cuddles and making pancakes. Romance is different to everyone, so I think the commercialisation of Valentine's day doesn't really do it justice.  So maybe instead of trying to be romantic once a year, make it a constant in your life through small meaningful gestures.