Radio Silence

I've had a very busy few weeks. A week in Scotland, a week in the office catching up, and a week in France returning last weekend. Since I got back, I was sick and ended up in A&E - I'll post about that another time. Anyway, for all of the above reasons things have been silent around these parts recently!

I'll be posting more regularly (hopefully!) soon...

Winter Bucket List

Hi all! December is here, as is winter. With it, I've decided to create a new seasonal bucket list! Why not eh?

So, below is a list of things I would like to achieve by February 28th 2015.

Enjoy!

1: Try a recipe from my Clean Eating Recipe book!

2: Run the whole of a 5k (no walking breaks)

3: Post 3 book reviews (1 a month seems achievable!)

4: Plan a trip

5: Lose weight over Christmas and New Years

6: Have enough saved up to move out

7: Clear out/tidy up the pile of stuff in my room

8: Dye my hair one last time before the end of December (NYR to come involving this...)

9: Fit back into some of my old clothes

10: Do something awesome for my birthday

What do you want to achieve this winter?

Autumn Bucket List

Hi all! November is over... DECEMBER TIME is here! If you've been paying attention, as a part of the #Blogtober14 Challenge one of the prompts was to write a Fall Bucket List. I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back and see what I have achieved from it just before we slip into the winter months...

The Original List

1. First and foremost, complete my first blog challenge - #BLOGTOBER14

2. Fit some running into my weekly routine, and stick with it!

3. Eat better

4. Post minimum of 2 book reviews

5. Try a recipe from my Clean Eating book

6. Look after my skin throughout autumn

7. Try some de-stress techniques each day

8. Start going to Zumba

9. Start looking for and planning gifts for Christmas (only 80 days away!)

Here's how I did:

1: CHECK. Big fat check on this - as evidenced in my October posts! 

2: I think I've done okay on this, I'm part of a running group and I try to make sure I get to the sessions every week...

3: Hmmmm this can still be improved, but I have been eating better than I did through the summer.

4: FAIL. I didn't get around to doing this, November just flew by me and I didn't post anything I had planned #sadface

5: FAIL. I haven't done this, I still want to though! Perhaps when I'm off work over Christmas... 

6: I haven't paid any attention to this one, so another FAIL.

7: FAIL, again. I think about doing it quite often, but have never actually implemented anything.

8: FAIL. However, I'm not sure this one is entirely my fault. When I wanted to go, it got cancelled, then when I couldn't go, it was on. Just bad timing all around I think!

9: CHECK. I've been thinking about Christmas a lot recently, and have got a few gifts together for it...Still a long ways to go though!

Overall, I achieved 4 / 9 on my bucket list. Overall, not too bad - could have been worse! 

I hope November went well for everyone, and lets look forward to a good December!

Writing Process Tag

Writing process? What even IS that?

I kid. Mostly.

A lot of my posts are very spontaneous, and a lot also come into being while I'm out and about. This can lead to sporadic rambling posts, and short, swift ones. This makes explaining my process-in depth-quite difficult, so I'm going to nab the questions that Somdyuti from One Tiny Wish answered for her post (in which I was tagged - thank you for thinking of me!).

What am I Working On?

Not very much outside of this blog and my health and fitness blog to be honest. Unless emails count! I've been enjoying writing on here and over on bekbek19.wordpress.com, and recently I have been thinking about writing more. This has lead me to jot down a couple of ideas and whatnot when inspiration strikes, but nothing has come of those yet. Who knows what could develop in future...

How Does My Work Differ From Others of its Genre?

Well, first and foremost it is a blog about my lifestyle, thoughts and opinions. These are all quite individual to me, so are not likely to be echoed in quite the same way. Despite there being tons of lifestyle bloggers around, everyone still has very different opinions and writing styles.

Why Do I Write?

Because I enjoy it. 

I like doing it, it has become a hobby to post on here. In a way it takes courage to put yourself out there and post online, and I like thinking that maybe I can reach out to someone through writing. Both are good feelings. It's also enjoyable when people interact with me because of what I have said, or the opinions I have. I find it cathartic to word vomit onto a page whatever is going through my mind at the time. It is quite cleansing!

How Does My Writing Process Work?

Slapdash something together and hope for the best! No, I do plan things as well. 

I have a list of blog ideas, which I regularly jot things down on to look at on a later date. I look through these regularly, and will draft up a post or two that I feel inspiration for or wish to develop further.

Then I write what comes to mind, often with little asides and comments from myself - usually I leave these in as italicised comments, but not always.

Once I  have something, I think about an image for it - this will depend on what the post is about, and where I am writing it. If I am writing it on my phone on the move (commuting or otherwise away form my laptop) I am less likely to use images because I'm lazy...

All of my posts are very organic, and don't require much planning. Maybe that shows in the rambling quality of my posts? I 've no idea. I don't spend hours editing posts (unless there's a lot of images to dig out e.g. Hair Chronicles) though I will absolutely, always, without a doubt, check for spelling mistakes, grammar misuse and parts that just don't make reading sense. I'm not saying I'm perfect on this front, but I do try to make sure my posts are readable.

Upon completion of all of this, I then think of a few labels and go ahead with posting. Then you - readers - come along and devour and judge my words, flittering back off into the blogosphere when you are finished. Enjoy!

Bloggers, I choose you!

Cozy Corner With Emily

A Love Triangle

Shout John

Congratulations. Grab the questions and get writing...

I look forward to reading your posts!

P.S. I have tomorrow off work and now I feel EPIC. Enjoy your fridays!

Halloween Costume Reveal

After the success of Blogtober, the last part of it was a Halloween costume reveal. I wasn't able to do this until today because I didn't dress up yesterday.

Myself and 3 companions (we call ourselves the fantastic 4) are going to Alton Towers - a massive theme park - in our Halloween gear.

LOVE rollercoasters, I'm so excited!

Happy Halloween everyone!

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 31

Day 31 - The Last Day

Halloween Costume Reveal

The last day of blogtober14 is upon us. I've blogged every single day without missing any out, and I've discovered several new blogs through the link up. Hello! 

I love Halloween. I love dressing up and seeing everyone's creative ideas! 

Now, regarding this prompt. I'm not actually dressing up until tomorrow (shock horror!!) So I will post a picture of my outfit then! I can tell you that it is predominantly black, and I plan for it to look awesome. I hope you, reader, will stop by to see it! 

The final link up:

Heleneinbetween.com

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 30

Day 30 - The Penultimate One!
Facts About Me

I'm not really sure if the prompt means 30 facts about me, or just a random amount of facts about me...

1.  I am female (duh)
2. I am 5 foot 4 inches tall
3. I live in England
4. I live in my family home, with the parentals
5. I have a sister
6. I also have a brother
7. I have a lovely boyfriend - Andrew
8. I love musical theatre
9. I play the clarinet (haven't played in ages but still...)
10. I hate tinned tuna/tuna pasta/tuna in general
11. I dye my hair a lot - I dyed it ginger on Monday
12. I love reading
13. I really enjoy cake
14. I love messing around and trying new things with makeup
15. I rarely brush my hair
16. I currently share a room with my sister
17. I am 22 years old
18. I am a bit of a gamer
19. I had never driven on a motorway before until Sunday 26th October (I passed in July) when I drove on 3 motorways to drop off ma and pa at the airport
20. Mine and Andrews anniversary is on my birthday, which is also 2 days before valentines day
21. This coming February (2015) will mark our 6 year anniversary
22. I commute to London every weekday
23. I really love biscuits, especially custard creams
24. I auditioned for drama schools, but ended up doing a completely different-but related-course at uni
25. My car's name is Tallulah
26. I'm kind of allergic to Kiwi - the past 2 times I've had it I ended up vomiting horribly
27. I'm also allergic to penicillin
28. I have asthma, but only a very mild case. (I may have grown out of it by now)
29. I have climbed a mountain - Ben Nevis. Didn't get to the top because of the weather conditions
30.  I've never broken a bone (except perhaps a toe without realising!)

Boom! Made it to 30. Now you all know me a little better! 

Thanks for reading if you made it this far ;)

link ups are below:

Heleneinbetween.com

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 29

Day 29
Most Embarrassing Moment

Oh gosh I don't know...there have been a few.

At one of my cousins weddings a few years ago (I must have been about 13 ish) I was asked to read something during the service. I hadn't been to any sort of rehearsal, I was literally asked on the day to read. I agreed, and was instructed to go up at the same time as the two bridesmaids.

I was nervous, and I saw the bridesmaids get up. So I got up and walked up the aisle to join them. The Father doing the service gave me a bit of an odd look, and I couldn't work out why. Then I heard my Great Aunt calling my name, and waving me back to the pews.

Oh.

 It dawned on me that I must have done something wrong, so I scurried over and sat next to my Great Aunt. Turns out I went up at the complete wrong time.

Kill me now.

I was dying of embarrassment, I felt like I had ruined the wedding by getting it wrong. I got so upset with myself that I was crying for the rest of the wedding, and wasn't able to read the passage. I had to pass it onto another of my cousins.


I think this is one of the most acute cases of embarrassment I've ever experienced. It still fills me with shame and dread even now. I am in shock that I'm actually going to post this...

Link ups here:
heleneinbetween.com

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 28

Day 28

Things I'm Superstitious About

This isn't really something that I think about, my superstitions are just a part of life so don't require any deep thought into why or what they are! I've listed below the ones that I can think of...

1. Magpies - the ol' One for sorrow, Two for joy rhyme. I always look for a second Magpie if I see one.
2. Walking on three drains is bad luck - I used to think this but as I've gotten older I don't mind walking on 3 drains so much. 
3. Step on a crack, break your mums back-another from when I was younger. I didn't follow this to the letter, it was more that if I stepped on a crack something bad would happen.
4. To make a happy marriage, the bride must wear something old, new, borrowed and something blue. I view this as more of a tradition than a superstition...though I suppose it counts!
5. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, logically if you eat fruit everyday you are likely to be healthier
6. Our fate it written in the stars - in my mind this pertains to horoscopes. I do think that these can be accurate, but there is a lot of made up stuff out there too.

That'll do from me! 

Link ups:

Heleneinbetween.com

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 27

Day 27

A Letter To My Younger Self

Dear 17 year old me,

5 years have passed, You're 22 now and you are out of education, and working full time. That feels weird when it happens. College and uni are tha places you learn about who you are and what kind of a person you are, and want to be. In particular, this will happen at uni. Your friends will help shape you into the person you are today.

You know the guy you've been dating for 8 months? Well, you're still together now after almost 6 years. You make it through being at seperate universities despite people saying you won't make it. You both prove them wrong.

You'll meet someone at uni that you instantly take a liking to. She moves into your second year house and you become really close. After uni you stay in touch and see each other at least once a month. She will be a friend for life.

The next 5 years will be some of the best times of your life, enjoy them.

Love,

22 year old me


Heleneinbetween.com

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 24

Day 24

One Beauty Product I Can't Live Without

I don't actually use many beauty products. Or any, most of the time. Except of course the usual deodorant, shampoo, etc.

Having said that, on the rare occasion I do actually bother to wear makeup I will always reach for my eyeliner. Every time. I never make up my face without it!

At the moment my favorite eyeliner is Maybelline New York's Lasting Drama Black Shock gel eyeliner. I love it, it takes some getting used to when first applying it, but once I got used to it, it applied really easily, evenly and has amazing staying power! Definitely a recommended product!

I'm really glad I picked this one up!

Looking forward to reading everyone else's posts!

Link ups here

One Lovely Blog Award

So...This happened! 

The sweetie pie Charlotte from ALoveTriangle left me a surprise in my comments - she nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award - my first ever blog award!

I am really grateful to Charlotte for this, so thank you very much Miss Smart :D 

*EDIT* I have also been nominated for this award by Simoné from Our Flavourful Life ! Thank you to Simoné for thinking of me when picking your nominees! It was a great surprise to see this in my comments :) 

Okay, so the rules are below...

You must:

• Thank the person who nominated you for the award.
• Add the Lovely blog award logo onto your post/ blog.
• Share 7 facts about yourself.
• Nominate 15 bloggers you admire/ read and inform nominees by commenting on their blog.

Alright, so 7 facts about me:

1. I have major passion for musical theatre
2. I adore reading and getting lost in the stories
3. I would sometimes pretend to be a dragon when I was a child
4. I have a love for cheese
5. My weight makes me unhappy, but I'm too lazy to change it
6. I actually have two blogs, this one, and a health & fitness blog
7. I really enjoy having me time by doing nothing and binge watching netflix!

Nomination time! 15 Bloggers that I admire...

• Pip from RoanRider90
• Somdyuti from One Tiny Wish
• Book Sniffers Anonymous
• Megan from Briar Rose
• Damn girl, that's a lot of fattitude
• Hannah from Hannah Gale
• Issy from HelloIssyXO
• Sarah from TuckerUp
• Jeanie from Jeanies-Jargon
• Diana from Life In German
• Sam from Miss Freckles Blog
• Neely from A Complete Waste of Makeup
• Helene from Heleneinbetween
• Annabel from Annabel&Alice
• Jenn from Going The Distance

I nominated you all because I read your blog, and admire your writing. Now it's your turn to nominate! Spread some love.

Yay! Thanks again Charlotte and Simoné :)

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 23

Day 23

Favourite Instagram Editing Apps/Editing Tools For My Blog

I love to use PicMonkey to edit pictures for my blog. It's easy, online, and free!

Link: http://www.picmonkey.com/

For my parents silver anniversary, I found an old pic of them together, but the quality was not great. I used Picmonkey to edit it and improve the image, it worked a treat and the image is in the living room in a silver frame as we speak.

For instagram, I tend to use the filters that are on instagram (if I use them at all) or I use the editing tools on my phone before uploading. A bit of a boring barry on this one, but I don't often have time to mess about with editing pictures - as much as I would like to. 

Apologies for the slightly uneventful post, buuuut I can't help not having much to say about this prompt! 

Head over here to find other posts more interesting than mine!

#BLOGOTBER14 - Day 22

Day 22

My Pet Peeves

I have a few pet peeves, some only annoy me sometimes, others annoy me every time!

1. Picking your nose in public. Yes, you on the train, EVERYONE CAN SEE YOU
2. Tapping. I don't mind this all the time, but sometimes it's just plain irritating!
3. Listening to music so loud you are broadcasting it to the whole bus/train/room.
4. Moving my stuff. Yes sometimes I'm messy, but you had better be prepared for a tantrum if you move any of my stuff...
5. Polystyrene. Just no. Don't come near me with that stuff. Ever.

I think that's all for now...though I'll undoubtedly think of more as I read other #Blogtober14 posts!

Heleneinbetween.com 

Tomorrow:

Favourite Instagram Eiting Apps/Editing Tools For My Blog

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 21

Day 21 - Dream Vacation

I don't even know where to begin with this. There are so many places I want to visit...I'll list a few, and of them would be a dream!

1. Greece. I would love to explore the Greek islands, see the ancient ruins and enjoy the sunshine.

2. Austin, Texas. This one is a little more for Andrew than for me, but there's an amazing underground river that I would love to visit

B E A U-tiful

3. Universal Studios & Disneyland, Orlando, Florida. I have already been here, but I would absolutely love to go again. Despite the awful flights.

4. Canada. Again, another one for Andrew, but also for me becuase after Pip goig and telling me about how amazing it was, I would like to see it for myself.

5. Canary Islands. Hot, Beach, Sun, Sea, Beautiful. Yes please.

6. New York. Just because.

7. Boston. I have family over in boston, and I would like to see Boston.

8. Egypt. I've always wanted to go here, I loved learning about the Egyptians in primary school, and I have wanted to go to Egypt ever since.

9. Amsterdam. Lots to see here too

10. Germany. Loads of history

11. Rome/Venice - rich with history and beautiful places

12. South of France. I am actually going there next year - really looking forward to it!


I could literally wax lyrical about all of the places I want to go, so I think I'd better leave it there!

Where do you dream about going?

Link up here
Heleneinbetween.com 

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 20

Day 20

My Biggest Fear

I think my biggest fear - outside of death of family/friends/self - is Jumping or falling off things. I'm not scared of heights per se, just of getting down from them. I can get myself up a ladder/tree, but will always become stuck when it comes to getting back down. 

I was one of those kids who would eagerly scramble up a tree, then would have to be rescued by my dad because I couldn't get back down.

This fear or falling and jumping off things is still something that affects me now - though I don't scramble up trees anymore, so the frequency is lessened. Now it manifests itself into not being able to leapfrog a post because I'm scared of falling on my face. 

Well...there you have it, I'm scared of jumping off things and falling off things.

Tomorrow: Dream Vacation

Link ups are here

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 19

Day 19

What Makes Me Happy

In no particular order

Reading

This is what my Kindle looks like on the inside!

Boyfriend

Best Friend

Sister

Close Friends

That's just a few things that sprung to mind. More poeple than things but there we go!

Check back tomorrow for day 20 - My Biggest Fear

Link Up Here

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 18

Day 18
Share A Secret About Myself

Well, a not-so-secret secret is my love for Harry Potter books films and the whole shabang. Though I think if you have been reading my blog through Blogtober you may have already picked up on that...

My secret is:

Sometimes I prefer to read over talking or socialising with people. At time I have intentionally avoided people so I can read uninterrupted. This happens more when I'm really into a book. It gets to the point where all I can think about is the story and the characters, and what might happen next.

So, yepp. There are times when I prefer books to people.

Link up here to share your secret:

Heleneinbetween.com

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 16

Day 16

Fall Fashion

I'm just going to post about my standard fall outfit, bottom to top. Enjoy!

1. Shoes: In fall I like to grab my boots out of their summer hideaway - you'll find my pink or silver Doc Martens making an appearance

   

   The pink are exactly the same, but pink. Bought from Amazon £70

These are perfect with some warm thick socks

2. Trousers: Jeans. Skinny or bootleg, whichever fits and is most comfortable!

This fall I am favouring the boot legged jean, not skinny jean pictured. Bought from New Look £14.99

3. Tops: I live in T-shirts at the moment. I like slightly baggy, comfortable t-shirts with something on them. for example, my t-shirt that has chuppachups all over it

Bought from Primark £6.00

4. Jackets: I have a favourite hoodie that I like to wear - it's comfortable, warm and overall full of awesome. My Ravenclaw hoodie purchased at Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour.

Yes, I am a Ravenclaw. Pottermore told me so. Bought from Warner Bros Studio approx £35

5. Scarf: I have a blue infinity scarf with black hearts on it that keeps my neck warm in the cold, but is light enough to not be too encumbering. 

Mine is a lighter blue, with black hearts. Bought from New Look £2.00 on sale

6. Jacket: I have a purple waterproof jacket from mountain warehouse that keeps me dry in the lovely wet weather we have been experiencing! This jacket was the one I bought in March to go up Ben Nevis in. It's been around!

Bought from Mountain Warehouse approx £25 on sale

Put it all together and that's my typical look this season.

I apologies for the lack of links to products on this post, pretty much all of my clothes are quite old or bought on sale and therefore are not easily available anymore. 

Link up over here

#BLOGTOBER14 - Day 15

Day 15 - half way through!

Favourite Quote and Why

Because Harry Potter.

Joking aside, this is something that is very true and I know I need to remember this. It's important for me to remember that I can be responsible for my own happiness.

There are several quotes that I really like, but the one above was the first that popped up.

Happy Wednesday!

Link up