Top - New Look

Jeans - Zara

Belt - Asos

Boots - Office

Well it's pretty safe to say that this is not today's outfit!  Today we've finally got the snow that I've been wishing for since before Christmas and it's actually cold enough to get my fur coat out.  So, expect to see that on here very soon, as long as the snow sticks around for a few more days.  I know most people are wishing for it to be Spring already but I'm happy for it to snow for just a little bit longer.  I love getting all wrapped up and cosy.  There's also just something about watching the snow fall that I find so relaxing.  You can't beat a good walk in the snow, followed by a well earned hot chocolate.

Back to the outfit, this is actually what I wore at the weekend to go for a little mooch around the shops and for lunch with my mum and nan.  It was still very cold but the sun shined all day long.  After my last post, which expressed my love of polka dots, it was only fitting that I wore this top.  I actually picked this top up in the sale at New Look not long after Summer last year in the sale for £7. I must have foreseen the love for polka dots I would have back then, ha ha.  I just love how it makes these ripped boyfriend jeans look a little less casual.  Perfect for a spot of shopping and lunch.  I managed to pick up a few new bits for the house too.  My nan even treated me to a shiny new desk!  I can't wait to set up my own little office space to blog in.  Let me know if you'd like to see more interiors and house stuff here on the blog.  It's something I've got into a lot more and spend a lot of time browsing now we've bought our own house.  My latest discovery being JYSK, it's like a mini version of Ikea, I love it!

In other news, I have had to say goodbye to my iPhone. After a year and a half it is officially dead... yes, I may not have helped by dropping it then having the screen replaced to then drop it in the toilet... I have had nothing but bad luck with this phone and have decided that it's time to go.  After hearing such great things, I have decided to make the switch from Apple to Samsung.  My new phone arrived today and I can't wait to try out the camera on it, it looks amazing!

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Last year I decided I was going to develop healthier eating habits and I was doing pretty well until going away, then Christmas and then moving... well, then it kind of just went out of the window a bit.  I'm now determined to get back on track after putting on a few Christmas pounds.  When reading about any healthy eating plan they always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it's what kickstarts your metabolism.  The problem here is that I've never been a big lover of breakfast and I never have much of an appetite in the morning.  I'm especially not fond of savoury breakfasts, I have such a sweet tooth.  My breakfast most days is a banana or a homemade smoothie.  However when I saw these breakfast muffins on The Body Coach's Instagram I thought I'd give them a go.  They looked nice, and perfect for a small and quick breakfast in the morning.

Ingredients:

(makes 6)

2 bananas

2 eggs

5 large strawberries

1tsp baking powder

1tsp cacao powder

oats

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C and grease 6 cups of a muffin tray.

2. Put the bananas, eggs and 3 of the strawberries (chopped) into a bowl and mash together into a runny consistency.

3. Stir in the baking powder and cacao powder.

4. Add the oats.  I never measure the oats I just pour some in and then keep adding them to get the desired consistency.  I like to put enough in that they just start to stick together.

5. Spoon the mixture into the greased muffin tray, chop the remaining 2 strawberries and sprinkle them on top.

6. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.  Be sure to keep an eye on them though after 10 mins so they don't burn on the top.

These muffins have become my new favourite breakfast.  They're super quick and easy to whip up and are just enough for me in the mornings.  The sweetness of the strawberries really do satisfy my sweet tooth too.  I was worried that I wasn't going to be too keen on the texture as I don't like porridge but they don't really have that porridge taste, especially once they've cooled down.  I did try one warm but I do prefer them cold after they've sat a while.

What's your favourite healthy breakfast?  I'm always on the lookout for new great healthy recipes.

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I'm not the biggest lover of Valentine's Day, I don't really think we need a special day to celebrate our love for others or, if you're single, for yourself.  It is something we should celebrate all year round but I have to admit it is nice to have an excuse to eat a nice meal or have a bit of a pamper.  Me and my boyfriend usually only buy each other a card and then have a nice meal and spend some quality time together to mark the occasion.  We don't go all out.  I didn't want to let Valentines Day pass here on the blog without a little nod to the occasion and as I had a little play around painting my nails I thought I'd share those with you.

Products used:

Models Own Hypergel in Pink Veneer

Models Own Hypergel in Red Lustre

LA Colors Rapid Dry Top Coat

Small Dotting Tool

Now I don't claim to be a professional nail artist but I think they turned out ok.  I decided to go for the classic Valentines colours of pink and red.  I went for this pretty pastel pink so it had a bit more of a contrast against the red.  I used two coats of the Models Own Hypergel nail polish (which I love) for a more opaque finish.  I also really love the glossy finish to these nail polishes.  I then used the dotting tool with the red nail polish to create the little hearts.  I did this by placing two dots next to each other at the bottom of the nail and then dragging them down to join them together at the bottom to create a heart shape.  They didn't turn out perfect, but you know what they say, practice makes perfect!  I then applied the top coat, which I made the mistake of not letting them dry enough first and it smudged the hearts slightly.  All in all though I'm fairly happy at my first attempt, they look perfect from far away, ha ha!!

What are you doing to celebrate Valentines Day?

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Jumper - Primark

Skirt - Primark

Bag - Primark

Boots - Office

It wasn't until I went to list where I got each item of this outfit that I realised that it is pretty much a whole Primark outfit!  Now that I think about it I'm pretty sure that this entire outfit (minus the boots) cost £25!  Bargain!!

I had originally planned to wear this outfit when I went to Disneyland (which you can read about here) but once I got there I realised the only way I'd be going out in tights was if they were under a pair of jeans.  Needless to say it was far too cold to be stepping out in a skirt.  The bag however got used every single day.  If you're a bit of a Disney fiend like me you'll be well aware of how many great Disney pieces there has been available at Primark lately.  So, obviously it was my first port of call when I was shopping for my Disneyland wardrobe.  This bag was the first thing I bought as I fell in love with it instantly, it's so cute and only cost £12.  I haven't seen this one in stores lately but they do also have a black leather version and this Minnie one, which I now also really want.  If I'm being really honest, I initially went to Primark to check out their Disney selection as I'm pretty sure that it's an unwritten rule that when you're at Disneyland you have to wear Disney and I didn't want to spend a fortune on it, but I didn't think I would wear any of it once I got home.  How wrong I was!!  My passion for Disney has been reignited and I love finding ways to incorporate it into my everyday wardrobe.  This was my cinema outfit today.  I went to see The Greatest Showman, who knew Hugh Jackman could sing?!  I absolutely loved it and Zendaya has left me yearning for pink hair.

I don't know if it's just that I've been paying more attention to it, but I've noticed Disney pieces popping up in many different stores just lately.  A few of my favourites being this hoodie from Zara, these jeans from Pull & Bear and this jacket from H&M.

Have you seen any great Disney pieces lately?  I'd love to know where to find more.

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Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, £17.50 - Lookfantastic

It's been a while, so today I have a little product review for you.  My hair has always been in great condition, a lot finer than I'd like but still really soft and smooth.  When I made the decision that I wanted to try and get my hair a more silver/lilac colour I knew that the process would be damaging to my hair.  Even though my hair was bleached properly and using the holy grail Olaplex, it has still taken a lot of the moisture out of my hair.  Especially as time has gone on I have found my hair to be a lot drier and more brittle.  As I've always been quite lucky with the condition of my hair I'd never done much more than shampoo and condition it and tried out the odd hair mask every now and then.  But when I started noticing that some of my hair had started snapping at the front I knew I had to start taking better care of it.

I'd seen a lot about the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer and how it had worked wonders for dry and brittle hair, so I thought I'd give it a try.  My verdict?  It is worth all the hype.  The Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is an intensive conditioning treatment that you put on before shampooing.  The product itself is quite thick and creamy, so a little goes a long way especially if you have fine mid length hair like myself.  As my hair is fairly fine I only use it on the mid lengths and ends, as suggested, but concentrate on the ends more as I feel like this is where my hair tends to get a lot drier.  On the packaging it does suggest that you leave it on for 10-20 minutes and cover with a plastic cap.  Now I don't know what difference the plastic cap makes as I don't own one, so I just tend to leave it on my hair for the longer amount of time with no plastic cap and I feel like it does the job just as well.  I also find my hair gets greasier a lot quicker when I use more products on my hair, so although it does suggest you use the Elasticizer weekly I only tend to use it every other week and it has still really improved the condition of my hair.  It has definitely put a lot of moisture back into my hair and I have noticed that I have had significantly less breakage since I started using it too.  The other thing that I have noticed since I've been using this product as well, is that my hair doesn't seem to get as knotty.  I have always had very fine and knotty hair that once I've towel dried it and brushed it through, by the time I've plugged the hair dryer in and gone back to dry it it would somehow have knots in it again.  Do not ask me how, but I'm sure this was a contributing factor to all the breakage too.  However, since I've started using the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer I've noticed that my hair doesn't seem to get quite as knotty, and I don't know if that's because it is a lot less drier or the hairs being a lot silkier due to the Elasticizer, but either way I'm not complaining.

Have you tried the Philip Kingsley Elasticizer?  Are there any other hair treatments that you'd recommend for fine hair?

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I am firstly going to apologise that this may be a pretty lengthy post and probably pretty photo heavy. If you follow my blog, you'll know that my boyfriend bought me a trip to Disneyland last year for my Birthday in April and I'd always wanted to go when it was all decorated for Christmas.  So we booked it for December and most of last year was spent working really hard on my anxiety so that I could go.  There were little hiccups along the way and things that caused me anxiety whilst there, but it went better than I ever could have imagined and gave me a huge amount of confidence in my battle against the demon that is anxiety.

We stayed in the Newport Bay Hotel as it looked lovely and was only a short walk to the park.  I wanted to stay in one of the park hotels, as one of my biggest struggles with anxiety is public transport and I didn't want to have to be getting shuttle buses to and from the park each day.  I'm sure everyone that goes to Disneyland dreams of staying at the Disneyland Hotel, but we just couldn't justify the price.  Newport Bay was really nice though and I remember just thinking "wow" when we drove up to it when we arrived.  It is all nautical themed and just looked stunning all decked out for Christmas.  We paid a little extra for a Christmas themed room, which was a lovely touch and we even got a couple of presents left in the room too.

When it comes to the parks I have to admit that the Disneyland Park was my favourite and I absolutely loved the Fantasyland area.  I am a Disney Princess at heart and walking around Fantasyland was just like stepping into a Disney movie, it was so pretty.  I even got to meet Snow White, my all time favourite Disney Princess!  Before we went I have to admit that I wasn't so sure about the meet and greets with the characters, I thought they were more for children, and to be honest the thought of it before we went gave me crippling anxiety.  Would it be awkward?  What would I say?  How would I act?  My mind raced with different scenarios.  But once we were there and I had started to settle in slightly and see more and more characters around the park, I really wanted to meet them.  I still found it slightly awkward and didn't really say much, just a quick hello, hug and a picture and that was it.  I am really glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to do this though because one of my happiest memories from the whole trip was meeting Snow White.  I remember just standing there thinking how beautiful she looked and my inner child came out.  I was so excited to be standing in front of her, and if you suffer from anxiety you'll know that excitement is a foreign emotion when all situations fill you with dread and fear.  To actually be feeling excited about something, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I had to hold back the tears.  It was there and then in that moment that I actually realised how far I'd come with my anxiety and actually felt proud of myself for battling every step along the way to actually get to experience that moment.  It is a moment that I will never forget!

Now don't get me wrong, even though the Disneyland Park was my favourite, the Walt Disney Studios are still well worth a visit.  When it came to going to Disneyland one of my biggest fears was the rides.  I had no idea how I was going to get through them with my anxiety... standing in queues, feeling trapped on rides, being surrounded by strangers, not knowing what to expect, being unable to escape... all things that trigger my panic attacks.  Thankfully with a letter from my doctor, I was able to get an orange pass which meant I was able to get a time to return to the ride and we would be allowed straight on so I didn't have to stand in the queues, as the longer I would stand there waiting the longer I would have for my anxiety to build and to change my mind about going on the ride.  As I wanted to use this trip to battle my anxiety and push my boundaries though I only used this pass for the longer queues.  I'm glad I found the courage to go on some of the rides because they were really good, Ratatouille being my favourite, but if I was only able to watch the parades and shows I wouldn't have felt like I missed out.  The parades and shows were hands down my favourite, they were just incredible.  They also gave me something to focus on when it came to my anxiety, whether it be a particular song, character or just focusing on the lights rather than what was going on around me and not having to focus on all the people.  This was one of the main ways I managed my anxiety and stopped it from turning into full blown panic attacks and being able to find a quieter spot when things got a bit too much made the trip a lot more manageable.  It's amazing what putting all your focus into one thing, such as memorising the words to a song or picking out particular colours in the lights, can do to ease your anxiety.

As much as I wish I could sit here and say that the entire trip was perfect, I just can't.  That however is something I have come to accept living with anxiety, nothing is ever going to be perfect, but it can still be a victory in my battle.  One part of the trip that I didn't see as a complete victory but I thought was worth a mention was Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.  For a bit of background, that morning I had tried to be a little too brave (as the trip so far was going so well) and agreed to go on the Rock 'n' Roller coaster with my boyfriend.  Well let's just say it was my worst nightmare, it was fast, it was dark and I couldn't wait for it to be over.  I spent the entire ride with my eyes squeezed shut, tears streaming down my face, holding on as tight as I could and my heart feeling like it was going to beat out of my chest.  I just remember praying for it to be over and stepping off with every inch of my body shaking.  I think it was just a step too far for my anxiety and it really knocked me up for the rest of the day.  We had Buffalo Bill's booked for that night though and I was determined not to miss it.  The problem is when my anxiety is bad it just consumes me and no matter how hard I try I just can't shake it.  As hard as I tried I just couldn't focus on the show as much as I would've liked and really struggled to eat the incredible meal we were given during the show.  I mean just look at that dessert!  I only managed a couple of bites but it tasted amazing and I wish I could've eaten more.  If you get the opportunity to go it is definitely worth the money, I just wish I could've enjoyed it a little more.

I don't want to end this post on a downer, so even though I did struggle with my anxiety it was the trip of a lifetime and I'm glad I was finally able to say yes to it.  If you suffer from anxiety I know how hard it is to say yes to things like this, but trust me you won't regret it!  There are ways to mange you're anxiety there and the staff in City Hall were really good at telling us where the less crowded places would be for the illuminations and parades.  It was very cold standing and waiting for them at this time of year but was worth it for how magical Disneyland looks at Christmas, especially when it's all lit up at night.

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