My 100th Post

This is my 100th blog post and I'm kind of freaking out about it. I wanted to properly celebrate because it's also my blog's third birthday this week and that is CRAZY. I started this just wanting to write about my own experiences and basically vent about whatever was happening in my life at that particular time, and honestly that's EXACTLY what I've done.

 

I used to spend hours editing my posts, altering my words to make them sound more professional, more sensible. But that wasn't me. It wasn't my voice. Until I realised that this is not supposed to be perfect, it's supposed to be real and the only way that would happen is if I was real. If I was honest and just wrote whatever came into my head as it happened. So that was what I did, I stopped filtering myself and just wrote about whatever I wanted. Makeup, music, books, life, anything that was on my mind or warmed my heart. Here we are, 3 years later and honestly I still love writing. It makes me feel liberated and empowered knowing that I did this all by myself, I created this entire blog by MYSELF, and if you know me personally, you'll know that this is quite impressive since I am the actual worst with technology. And yet, my blog looks, in my opinion, pretty good. Obviously, I'm still trying to improve it as I learn but overall, I feel like I've done a good job, even if I do say so myself.

 

So what I wanted to say was: I write what I want. It all depends on how I FEEL and that's about it. It's a little place for me to be ME. So why don't you do something for you? Something that makes you happy, something that inspires you, something that makes that shitty day feel just that little bit better.

 

Blogging is that thing for me.

 

It is mine and I am proud.

 

 

University vs Sixth Form

University vs Sixth Form

I wrote a blog post very similar to this almost 3 years ago in which I explained the differences between high school and Sixth Form and so, since I've just finished my first year at university, I thought I would write about the differences between Sixth Form and uni. I wrote a very brief list on my phone but once I started writing, it kind of turned into a "What to Expect From University" type post but it all kind of links together. Bear in mind, these are my experiences and therefore might not directly apply to you but I've tried to keep it as simple and general as possible.

 

1. The first difference is probably the fact that Sixth Form is very much "school". You have to go in every day, or at least I did, and sit in a classroom and be taught by a teacher. That's not really the case in university. The majority of my time on campus is actually in lectures, meaning that me and 300 other students sit in a big room with a lecturer at the front who talks for about an hour and we listen and take notes. For me, I only had 5-8 hours of lectures a week which means that the rest of your time is "free". That doesn't really mean "free" as you are expected to do background reading and compile notes on topics and just general revision all throughout the year, rather than just in preparation for exams like you might do at Sixth Form. This is quite difficult to do especially since I was so used to the structure of being in school and having a lot of spare time meant that I was unmotivated and got hardly any work done.

 

Luckily, my first year is kind of just a foundation year for my course and so I will be taking things more seriously next year and properly focusing on being a university student. I feel like this year was just a transition year between Sixth Form and uni because there are so many vital differences that people don't really explain.

 

2. The second difference that might not apply to everyone reading but I thought that I would include anyway because people see it as part of the "university experience", I know I did, and that is student accommodation. Obviously if you're a Sixth Form student then you live at home with your parents because you are legally a minor but when you turn 18, you can move out and since many people go straight to university, student accommodation is usually their first real step away from home. This means that you usually live in a flat or a house with maybe 4/5 people you have never met before, sharing general living facilities and sometimes even a bathroom. Fortunately for me, I had my own room and bathroom so I did have some privacy but it was a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be living away from home. I've spoken about this in a previous blog post, Feeling Alone: My First Year At University, so I won't go on about that because you can just read it. However, it was hard for me to be away from my friends and family, much harder than I ever expected when I decided to live in student accommodation.

 

I would definitely look into all the options when you decide to go to uni, perhaps staying at home for the first year might be best if you are someone like me who feels quite anxious especially in new situations surrounded by new people. Like I said, the first year is the "transition year" and it's about making you feel the most comfortable while you start this new chapter in your life.

 

3. The third difference that I thought would be important to include was the "student lifestyle" and the fact that it is incredibly different at university than it is at Sixth Form. This might be because obviously you have more free time and it's kind of expected of you to engage in this type of behaviour but there is a lot of drinking as a student. I guess this happens a lot during the first year of university because it is the first year that people have been legally allowed to drink (the legal drinking age in the UK is 18), plus you are surrounded by bars and clubs that offer student discounts on cheap alcohol, so many people go overboard and drink themselves into oblivion, not to mention blowing their student maintenance loan in a matter of weeks. I have no objection to alcohol or anything like that, whatever people want to do is up to them but again when you are an anxious person like me, who happens not to drink, it can be quite overwhelming to suddenly be thrust into that "student lifestyle".

 

Personally, I chose not to really get involved in that and that's okay as well. Like I said, it is about making sure that you are comfortable and more importantly being SAFE. When you're in Sixth Form, you are kind of limited by how much you can drink because you live at home and are confined by the structure of school every weekday (not to mention you are underage!), but at university, there are no limits and so it's important to be careful.

 

 

 

May Favourites 2016

May Favourites 2016

I absolutely love doing monthly favourites blog posts and I haven't done one since last July which is almost a year ago (where has time gone?). The way I usually do these is that I make a list of what products I've been using and liking and just add to it every time I find a new favourite so that I can write about it here. However, since I haven't done one of these in a long time, my list is long and when I say long, I mean LONG. I've decided to do it a bit different time since a few of my favourites are things I've talked about before. So I will link previous blog posts throughout and update you on anything new I've found out about the product since I last raved about it. Let's get started then!

MAC Pro Longwear SPF10 Foundation in NC25

This was actually given to me by my auntie because it was too dark for her skin and I actually LOVE it. It's quite a thick consistency compared to what I usually wear so I usually mix it with another cheaper foundation in order to get the best coverage that suits my skin tone. I think if you're after a full face of makeup that looks good in pictures and lasts a good few hours then this is probably perfect for you. I wouldn't recommend wearing it every single day especially if you have sensitive skin like mine.

In general, I try to limit the amount of makeup and length of time I wear it just to keep my skin as fresh and 'spot-free' as possible. Overall, I think its a really good product and even though it's a bit more expensive than most foundations, the MAC website says it's £25.50, its definitely worth it.

 

Maybelline Dream Matte Mouse Foundation in 40 Fawn

I've used this foundation before and I didn't like it and I actually remember why. It didn't give me the full coverage I wanted years ago because its quite light. However, now that's exactly what I want and its actually the reason I love it. My skin is generally good, I don't really get a lot of spots or anything but I do have an uneven skin tone, which this foundation fixes. It's a really creamy consistency that goes on pretty well and doesn't need that much buffing to be worked onto your skin.

 

I would definitely recommend a mousse foundation if you go to school for example, or if you just want something that's quite natural. It's perfect for summer as well because of how light it is, it doesn't look like you've caked a load of makeup on but gives you a nice, fresh look.

Garnier 5 sec Perfect Blur Smoothing Perfecting Primer

This product was actually just in my bathroom home and I decided to try it and I actually like really like it. It's a primer that essentially takes away all of your pores and I know that sounds exaggerated but honestly, its incredible. You only need like the tiniest little bit, we're talking pea-sized here, and you smooth it over your face the same way you would a moisturiser or something and it changes the way your skin feels and looks. It creates this sort of wonderful matte base before you've actually put any makeup on and I think its great. If my skin tone was even in any way, I would literally wear this instead of foundation because its perfect and cheap too. I didn't buy it like I said but its a Garnier product so I'm guessing its incredibly affordable and absolutely worth it.

 

Maybelline Superstay 24h Setting Spray

I've never bought something like this before, usually because its quite rare that I wear makeup all day long. I'm usually only doing something for a few hours and so it doesn't really matter if my makeup wears off. But recently, I've been wanting to keep my makeup looking a bit better for longer and I just saw this in Boots a few months ago and picked it up on a whim. It's a setting spray that you spray over your face after you've put your makeup on.

The first time I sprayed it on, I didn't like it because each droplet dried like a powder onto my face but it turns out, I didn't shake the bottle properly like it says. So remember to do that if you are going to buy it, also make sure your foundation is dry especially if its a liquid because that doesn't work properly either. Its a good product for general makeup use and if you want it to last a little bit longer than usual, I wouldn't say 24 hours like its advertised but for the cost, its pretty good.

Argan Oil Hair Treatment

I have really dry hair and so I've always had to use oil or spray to keep it moisturised. I very rarely do it though just because I forget but I bought a few oils to try from Boots. My favourite so far is probably this one because it doesn't make my hair feel greasy like other ones I've used. I can't describe it properly but it just makes my hair feel good. I just need to get into a routine where I put it in my hair every single day instead of just whenever I wash it. It really makes a difference to the quality of my hair and not only that, but it tightens my curls a lot and doesn't make my hair as frizzy as it usually is. Any product that does that is perfect in my eyes and I would recommend it.

 

25 by Adele

I was honestly considering putting this into a blog post of its own simply because of how INCREDIBLE it is. I bought it for my mum for Christmas after it came out last November because of how much I thought she would enjoy it. I only copied it onto my phone because I was going back to uni and I wanted something to listen to on the train back. I never listen to albums all the way through because I prefer singles but I made an exception for Adele and I am so glad I did because every single song is so perfect.


Every word she sings you can hear exactly what she thinks and relate to it yourself. My favourite song is called Send Your Love (To Your New Lover) ands its the first song that I listened to because I had already heard Hello and I was obsessed. This was months ago and it is still the first song I always play because its perfect. Its upbeat and a bit sassy on Adele's part but wonderful all the same. I knew that I would like the album but I didn't know how much I would LOVE it and I know you will too.

 

NCIS: Los Angeles

I'm not going to say much more about this programme because as you probably know, it is my absolute favourite and I have written about it before, with the first time being in my November Favourites 2013 which was ages ago. I'm not going to spoil anything about this season but let me just say, the writers have nailed it and have developed the characters in the most perfect way. Unfortunately I didn't have a TV in my room at uni so it was kind of a great treat coming home to find out my mum had recorded all of the episodes over the last few months. It meant that I could binge watch the entire season as soon as I got home and I LOVED it.

 

Standard Issue Magazine

This is a magazine written by women for women. It's funny and witty and more importantly HONEST. They talk about the news and lifestyle issues as well as loads of other cool things. I found it because I follow Sarah Millican (a female British comedian) on Twitter and I think she and other female comedians and writers actually started it. You can really tell that the writers care about the magazine and their audience because of how honest they are about their real life experiences, good and bad. I've never read anything like this; its so different and rare because it focuses on the amazing things women can do and builds them up rather than tearing them like a lot of other magazines do. So if you want to feel empowered and strong and PROUD to be a woman, I would definitely recommend this.
 

 

Psychobabble with Tyler Oakley and Korey Kuhl

I've actually included this podcast in my July Favourites 2015 and I have to say, I still LOVE it. If you don't know, Tyler Oakley is a YouTuber who makes videos primarily on LGBT+ issues and I have been watching him for years. He started a podcast with his best friend, Korey Kuhl I think about 2 years and its so funny. They talk about their lives and pop culture in a really relaxed way that makes you feel like you're just part of the conversation. Another great thing is that they upload every week and each episode stands alone so you don't have to listen in order; you can just dip in and listen to whichever one whenever.

 

 

And that's it for this post! I just did a quick look back at how long it is and I'm sorry but I guess I just had so much to say since I haven't done one of these in a long time. Anyway, thanks for reading!

 

 

 

Feeling Alone: My First Year At University

 

Feeling Alone: My First Year At University

I've been thinking of ways to write this blog post for a while because I want to make it clear. It was not the actual university experience that made me feel what I'm about to say, but just my choices and how my personality doesn't necessarily fit with those choices. So, I'm going to start off by explaining my situation and how it got me to how I feel right now. Remember this is my experience only and I know some people who would have loved to be in my position which just proves, it really is a subjective experience of my first year at university.

 

First of all, let me give you some CONTEXT. My entire life I have been wanting to go to university; my mum went when she was 32 years old and she's a very successful teacher because of that. Perhaps this is why I've been so motivated to go to university, because I've seen just how quickly it can change your life. I'm living proof of that. However, my mum obviously had me at the time (I was 8 when she started) so she lived at home and just travelled in. When it came to me deciding if I was going to live at university, I automatically said I wanted to 'get the real experience' and live there like a 'proper student'. I now realise how wrong I was. For me, it was the worst decision I could have made. I spent the best part of a year feeling the most alone, most miserable I have ever felt in my entire life.

 

There were many things that made me feel this way and I'll explain them in full detail but again remember, it was my own experience. Just because I hated it, doesn't mean you won't. I really want to promote university because my actual course there is really amazing, it was just everything else that went to shit.

One of the first things I'm going to talk about is fact that I lived in student accommodation, meaning that I shared a flat with 5 other people, nay STRANGERS, but I had my own bedroom and bathroom. Looking back, I don't remember being nervous about living with people I had never met before but I should have done. Not because they weren't nice, they were, but they just weren't the type of people I would be friends with. I knew pretty much straight away because we went on a night out the first day we met and while it was fun, I still felt a bit separate from them. I have always been the type of person to withdraw from people I don't feel comfortable with and I definitely did that with my flatmates. I just never really clicked with them straightaway the way I've literally done with every other of my other friends and so I started spending more and more time in my room away from them. I would only go into the kitchen/ lounge area to make some food or get a drink, but after a while I stopped doing that and just started buying food that I didn't need to heat up or put in the fridge in order to avoid them. Again, it wasn't because they were awful people, I just felt incredibly anxious walking into a room filled with people who got on well with each other and having them look at me. This sort of meant that the food that I buy was things like crisps, chocolate, sweets, anything that I didn't need to cook or refrigerate and as you can imagine, my weight crept up. I've always had a problem with food and it definitely showed this year. I put on a whole bunch of weight but it was the only thing that made me feel better. It was a short term solution that created a long time solution. Here I am, 4 stone heavier trying to fix what happened last year and failing. Literally as I'm writing this, I'm eating m&m's but I can't stop. It's as if even trying to write about what happened forces that part of my brain to think about being alone, and out comes the chocolate to fix it. That's one of the reasons I'm glad to be home, I'm kind of forced to eat in secret meaning that I don't eat as much in fear of someone finding out. At university when I was in the comfort of my room, I could devour anything I wanted to without consequences. Here I have to face my eating habits for what they are. Stupid and unhealthy.

Another thing about student accommodation that I didn't really think about but probably should have is the fact that it was filled with students. It sounds obvious but its only when you get there that you realise how awful students are. They drink all the time, most nights and when you are someone like me i.e. a non-drinker with anxiety issues, it kind of makes it hard to fit in. Like I said, I didn't spend time with my flatmates, one of the reasons being that they liked to drink, and so I spent every night alone in my room, you guessed it eating my pain away. it also meant that I didn't go to sleep until god knows what time because of how loud my flatmates were and my room was next to the kitchen/ lounge. I was also on the 1st floor (after the ground floor) so I heard all the drunk people staggering home at 2am, shouting and screaming their heart out, not to mention the constant railway and construction noise surrounding my building. It was just a lot to deal with, especially for someone like me who likes the peace and quiet.

One of the last things I wanted to mention was the friends that I made at university which happened fairly quickly I'd say. They're a lot like me in that they like to have a laugh and a joke without the alcohol. However, as nice as they were, they lived at home and only travelled into university when we had a lecture meaning that we only saw each other for a few hours a week. We would text and everything but its really not the same. I spent a lot of time just being alone or ringing my family which would always make me feel better because it gave me that connection back home to where I was happiest. Every time I went home, which wasn't a lot thanks to my job and my lectures covering most days of the week so ringing home was all I had. I would count down the days to when I could finally go home and feel happy which sounds ridiculous but was honestly true.

I wanted to drop out so many times and come home but at the end of the day, this was what I wanted. I mean it wasn't exactly the way I pictured it but I was at university. The place I've worked so hard to get to and despite the fact this year has been one of the toughest of my life, I am still so proud of the fact that I managed to get there. I come from a working class background, a council estate, the child of a single parent but here I am, a university student well on her way to graduating. I'm definitely not going to live there next year, which means there's a lot of travelling in my future. Potentially 2 hours on the train and back 5 times a week but with how I've felt this year, I can honestly say it's going to be worth it. I know that I can do it, because trust me its going to be much better than feeling alone and miserable for the best part of a year. Its been a long, difficult year but I DID IT.

 

 

 

WELCOME TO 2016

WELCOME TO 2016

I know I've been gone for so long and I apologise repeatedly but I have been so incredibly busy over the last few months and when I say busy, I mean BUSY. I left home to go to university and that has been very... interesting to say the least. I found it very difficult to settle in and I'll explain that fully in an upcoming post. It's going to take me a long time to figure out a way to write about that properly because there's a very specific way I want to talk about. I did try to write about it before in an update that was going to be summing up 2015 (nice job, T you're only a month late) and that was supposed to be going up before the start of the New Year.

 

 

Obviously I wanted to talk about 2015 before I started onto 2016 and yet I have not managed to do that yet so I thought I would write just a brief little intro or re-intro, I should say, back onto my blog. For any new people here, this website is a place that I created by myself about 2 and a half years ago and its kind of just a random mix of everything. I review music video's, do 'Favourites' posts and generally just babble about whatever is on my mind at that time. Right now for example, I'm thinking about going to sleep because I am absolutely exhausted but I will pick right back up on this tomorrow because I have some exciting new posts coming your way very soon. Thank you for staying with me; here's to the next year.

 

Love Tayla xx

UPDATE AUGUST 2015

I know I haven't posted anything on this blog for ages but I've been so busy, its just insane so I thought I would update you on what's been happening over the last few weeks.

Probably the biggest thing that happened in August is that I got my A-Level Results and I'm so happy to say that I PASSED. Like I said before, it hadn't really hit me until the day before but when it did, I felt so nervous. I woke up really early on the day and checked on Twitter to see how people were feeling before we went to get our grades from Sixth Form at 9am. There were some people who were saying that they were so happy because they had gotten into university and so I decided to look on UCAS just in case. I couldn't find my password for about 15 minutes and my heart was literally racing the entire time. But when it finally worked, I just froze through sheer shock when I read the words 'Congratulations'. I obviously didn't know the actual grades until I went to pick them up at about 9am but I didn't care because I got into university which is all I've EVER wanted.

Actually as I'm writing this, I move out in 6 days which still hasn't hit me and I don't think it will until I get there. I've got pretty much everything sorted apart from the fact that I need to get my student ID and enrol for the on campus surgery which I can do when I get there, but I'd rather do it before. All my accommodation has been sorted and paid for and I've got a few books on Psychology which is what I'm going to be studying, all ready to go. A lot of the basic household things that I need I haven't bought yet but really its just because I don't want to have to travel with a load of stuff I might not need, so I plan to buy things there. I would definitely like to write a 'Tips for Uni' type blog post once I've got settled in, so I can pass on anything I've learnt to other freshers or people possibly thinking of going to university.

Another thing that I wanted to speak about is the fact that I have my own car which is so EXCITING. I don't know if I mentioned but I was looking into getting a car first and then my mom told me that it might be cheaper to put me on her insurance, which it wasn't. Then my auntie decided that she was selling her car so my mom bought it for me as kind of a 'Congratulations-for-getting-into-uni-and-happy-birthday' type gift because it was my birthday 2 weeks after. I turned 18 so I am now an ADULT. It feels both weird and strange and yet completely normal at the same time. I did say that I was going to write a blog post about my birthday presents like I did the year before last which I will leave a link to here (My 'Sweet Sixteen'), but I didn't get a hell of a lot which I knew, because people just gave me money and like I said, the car from my mom was my bulk gift. I did get a few clothes, some shoes and champagne, which I have yet to open.

The last and final thing I wanted to speak about was that I have actually handed my notice in at work so I did my last shift on Saturday. It wasn't like particularly special or anything really, but I was told by my team manager that he secured me a transfer from this store to the one near my university campus. He also said that he kept my job here meaning that when I come home during half-term or at Christmas at whatever, I can still work at my local store which was really nice of him. I want to ring the general manager to make sure that its actually legit and find out all the details because I literally have NO idea what's going on with. I don't know if I'm moving departments or starting a new contract.

So that's pretty much all I have to update you on for the month of August, I definitely want to write about how September goes especially since it'll be my first month away from home.

Tayla xx


UPDATE JULY 2015

UPDATE JULY 2015

I started this blog post thinking that there would be little to update you on but honestly, quite a bit has happened this month that I didn't even realise until I finished writing, so I thought I would tell you.

 

Now the biggest thing that's happened is that I've started my driving lessons again. Like I said before, I did loads of lessons but then because of exams and revision sessions after school, it was just really difficult me for to continue on with it. Plus, my driving lessons were really expensive and I just wasn't getting on well with my instructor. I mean, there wasn't anything wrong with him specifically, he just didn't suit me and how I needed to learn. Anyway, I switched from a large driving company to an individual woman who was recommended to me by my friend, who passed her driving test last year so I trusted her opinion and I'm so GLAD I did. I've already had one lesson with this one woman and it was fantastic. I was so nervous about even getting into the car because by this point, I hadn't driven for over 2 months so I thought I would have forgotten everything. However, within 5 minutes of driving, I felt so comfortable with it; it was as if I hadn't had any time off at all. It sounds bad when I say that she was hardly paying attention to my driving but honestly, I think it helped me. It meant that some things started to become more instinctual because someone wasn't telling me exactly what to do like my other instructor did; I just had to do it for myself. The lessons with her are also cheaper so it really just works out better for me overall.

 

The next thing I wanted to update you about is work. It was going so well until the 6 weeks holidays started and now the shop is ridiculously busy just ALL the time, especially since I work on Thursdays, Friday's and Saturdays when so many customers come in with their bratty little children. It also means that I'm called onto the checkout constantly which means any work I'm supposed to be doing on my department goes undone. Anyway, what I wanted to say was that my boss found out that I am quitting at the end of the month (because I'm going to university, hopefully) and so asked Personnel if I could be transferred to the store near campus, which was so nice of him. One of the women from Personnel then spoke to me and said she would send them an email of recommendation if I ring up and introduce myself first, which I will once I find out my results and whether I'm actually going to university now.

 

That brings me into my next thing that I wanted to talk about which is A-Level Results day. I'm writing this 2 days before I find out and yet I'm still not as nervous as I thought I would be. Honestly, I really don't know how I feel about it so I'll have to wait until after I actually get my results to see.

The last thing I wanted to say was that it is currently 16 days until my 18th birthday and I'm so excited. It's so awful being the last one out of all my friends who turns 18 because they all go out all the time and I just have to stay at home. I think I'm just going to do something simple like dinner and a few drinks with my friends. We haven't got long before we all go our separate ways so I just think it'd be nice for us all to get together and have a little fun.

Anyway, I'll definitely be writing an A-Level Results day post like I did last year, as well as writing an update on how August goes.

Tayla xx

 

 

July Favourites 2015

July Favourites 2015

This is my list of things that I have been loving for the month of July, let me know what other products that you LOVE that I should try. Word of warning: this one is kind of a long post because I went full on in writing about why these things are my FAVOURITES so grab a drink, settle in and enjoy.
 

Makeup products:
Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner 24H in 01 Black: you've probably heard me talk about this before but honestly, it is my 'go-to' gel eyeliner. It is the only eyeliner that I constantly go back to because I love it so much. I've had the same one for literally years and I know people say you should replace your makeup after a certain amount of time but I don't really believe that. The gel eyeliner was so cheap and I'm only about halfway through the pot. I always recommend this one to my friends but they always say that gel eyeliner is difficult to use yet this one really isn't. The brush they give you works so well and as long as you press the Brussels down into a fine point, you can draw the thinnest line of eyeliner. I've also for the first time in forever starting doing winged eyeliner which this gel works so well for. It's just perfect for everything and will always be my absolute favourite.

 

The links below are to previous blog posts over the years where this gel eyeliner has been in my monthly favourites and as you can see, I always return to the same one which proves how GOOD it is.
 

November Favourites 2013

April Favourites 2014

My Favourite Eyeliners 2014

Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara: I can't remember specifically why I bought this mascara; I know I needed a new one and my friend was getting another one of the BRAND ones so I just thought I would get this one. I don't really look for much when it comes to mascara yet I was really impressed with this one. It really makes a difference to my lashes which is actually really rare. I don't tend to use a lot because I don't like when my eyelashes get crunchy but this mascara is actually really good, and relatively cheap if I remember correctly.

 

 

Music:

My Summer Playlist: I've actually added more music to my Spotify playlist as well as taking certain songs off because I'm constantly changing my mind about things. Music is supposed to reflect your mood and right now, its very 'pop' inspired. Like I said before, I never listen to music that is necessarily current, I like listening to songs that mean something to me, whether that's because it reminds me of a particular time in my life or whether I just like the song. I thought I would include this in my music favourites because my playlist is just fab right now.

'X' by Ed Sheeran: I have just got rid of all my music on my iPod because there was over 500 songs on there and it was just becoming way to difficult to find what songs I wanted. Half of them had no titles plus there was about 40 songs that I had multiple versions of from different compilation albums so I decided to just start over. So right now, I only have songs on my iPod and iPhone from albums that I physically have and I will be adding more songs once I get the time. Anyway, I bought my mom the Ed Sheeran album either for Christmas or her birthday last year but I put it onto my iPod as well so I have been listening to that on repeat. I usually listen to it on my walk to work and I'm OBSESSED. I've heard all the songs hundreds of times individually because my mom plays the album in her car but I've never just listened to the entire album as a whole. I would definitely recommend it to anyone because you can really tell listening to it how real and personal the lyrics are to him.

Other:
Psychobabble with Tyler Oakley and Korey Kuhl: I've been watching Tyler's videos on YouTube for literally years because I think he's such an incredible person. He uses his platform to raise awareness towards issues that the LGBT+ community face and I think that is just amazing. I've always supported what he stands for because I think that not only does he do that but he has been the driving force for more tolerance of all sexualities within both YouTube and just wider society in general. I particularly love his videos with his best friend Korey and so I was super excited when they announced that they were starting a podcast late last year. I've listened to every podcast MORE than once because they make me laugh from start to end with their random chats about pop culture as well as other weird things they talk about along the way. I would definitely recommend the podcast to anyone who has half an hour a week to spend just LAUGHING. I listen to it on SoundCloud on my phone because its easier for me that way but its also available on iTunes if that works for you.

Netflix: I know, I KNOW that I am obviously the last one to realise how incredible Netflix is but I have a reason for this I promise. I'm the type of person that gets obsessed with things easily as you've already probably noticed, but I knew that if I started an account that I would just watch shows all day long which is EXACTLY what I've been doing. I waited until I finished Sixth Form so that I wasn't wasting my time watching episodes when I was supposed to be revising so let's hope that worked out. Anyway, I've already binged watched 3 seasons of Orange Is The New Black which I liked but didn't necessarily LOVE. The last season was so much better because I feel like the story was just starting to go somewhere but I will obviously be watching the next season to see what happens to Piper and the gang. Anyway, the show I really wanted to talk about is Pretty Little Liars. Now don't tell me any spoilers because I've only just got onto season 4 but I am HOOKED. My friend has been telling me to watch it for months and now we can finally have conversations about it which is so exciting. I've literally been watching about 10 episodes a day which is so incredibly unhealthy but honestly, what else do I have to do? I know its summer and all but here where I live, its raining right now so I'm using that as an excuse to get through as many episodes as I can.

 

I have no clue why I wrote so much for each product; I guess it just provides how much I've been loving these things. Anyway, I promise I will see you on Friday with another blog post and I know I say that every week but I do TRY. Life is just crazy now but trust me, I do still enjoy blogging and wish I could have more time to do it.

 

Tayla xx

 

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

I want to apologise for the fact that I haven't blogged for two weeks; I know that I said I would post every Monday and Friday and I did plan to write during those times but I've been given loads of extra hours at work, meaning that I've hardly had any time to do anything other than sleep, and trust me, I've definitely needed it.

 

Anyway, I thought I would dedicate my entire day to writing a few blog posts, starting with one that I've wanted to write for literally months. As you probably remember, I was given a blender for Christmas last year and so today, FINALLY, I am going to write a strawberry smoothie recipe blog post. I will say before I officially start that I did try to work out the exact measurements a few times but honestly, it just doesn't matter. The more smoothies you make, the easier it becomes to make what you like.

 

Now because this recipe is strawberry based, I would say make sure the strawberries you have are fresh because it really does effect the overall taste of the smoothie; it just tastes so much better. I tend to quickly wash them with water and then freeze them before I use them. That way they are both fresh and can be used instead of ice to make sure your smoothie is super cold for a warm summer's day. I'd say about a handful or so of strawberries is fine enough, you'll always be able to add more if you need to.
 

This is when you should add the juice you've chosen because it means that you can actually blend the strawberries you've just added. I would recommend again another juice that is berry-based because it doesn't change the overall taste of the smoothie. The first few times I tried making this, I used a tropical orange juice and while I still liked the final taste, my mom did say it tasted a bit sour because of the contrast between the fruit and the juice. Adding the juice to the blender can be kind of a guessing game because it really depends on the amount of strawberries you've used. It should kind of be a bit thinner than you want it at this point because there are a few final ingredients that are added right to the end.

 

At this point, I also recommend adding some extra berries to your mixture, just to really increase the amount of vitamins in your smoothie. Blueberries are a really good source of vitamin K and C, just like the strawberries. This helps to protect your cells and increases wound healing.

I tend to just put about half a handful in because it very quickly changes the colour of the smoothie from a bright red to a deep purple. I've often used raspberries as well because they have many health benefits too. This is also where you can add more ice if you need to, I usually add 4 or 5 ice cubes because I like my smoothies to be freezing cold because I do really only make them on really warm days. This might also be where you have to separate your mixture in order to blend the ice completely; I usually have to do this because my blender is completely full by this point and its the best way to make sure that there are no pieces of fruit or ice left at the bottom.

The last step is to add a banana to your smoothie. Now, I do this because it thickens up your mixture and makes it super creamy and delicious. And that's pretty much it. You can change parts up yourself or not include certain ingredients, its entirely up to you. I hope you enjoy your smoothie, however you decide to make it.

 

Tayla xx

 

My Summer Playlist

 

 



My Summer Playlist

Every now and then in my monthly favourites, I write about certain songs that I have been loving so I thought I would write an entire post about music that I have been listening to recently. Most of the time I listen to my playlist on Spotify because it's easier for me yet there are certain songs that are only on YouTube and so I listen to them there as well. My playlist is about 3 hours long so I thought I would narrow it down to only the best songs that I am DEFINITELY going to be listening to over this summer.

Worth It by Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink

This song has been the song that I have been listening to pretty much on REPEAT. I first heard the song when they performed at the Capital FM Summertime Ball which I watched online. It was really catchy and since then it's been stuck in my head; I also saw them on the Jimmy Kimmel show where I think their performance was much better.

 

Bad Blood by Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar

I wrote a review on this song a few weeks ago but its still definitely one I'm LOVING. I just think its one of Taylor's best songs yet and like I said before, the music video is so good. It really is. I saw her perform the song as she wrote it, without Kendrick Lamar but to be honest, I don't think its as good. I like his rap in the song because it makes the song a bit edgier which is a bit different to other Taylor Swift songs that are very strictly 'pop'.

 

Black Magic by Little Mix

I saw the countdown on Twitter for this music video but if I'm being honest, it wasn't that impressive which is why I didn't review it when it came out. But I do REALLY love the song; I again watched the song first performed at the Capital FM Summertime Ball and they were incredible. I have liked them since they were on the X Factor and they've only gotten better since then, which this song proves.

 

Black Widow by Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora

This song isn't a new release but I've only just started listening to it now. I tend to do that with many songs because I don't listen to chart music so it takes me a while to get into current music, and by the time I do, it's no longer relevant. Anyway, I like this song because again I saw Rita Ora perform it at the Capital FM Summertime Ball and I just really like it. I think that Iggy Azalea is a really good rap artist and many songs that she's released herself or has been featured on, I tend to like so I thought I would put this on my playlist.

 

One Last Time by Ariana Grande

This song is old as well (i.e. about a year old) but again I have only just discovered it. I remember hearing little parts of it a while ago but I'd never listened to the entire song altogether. I've only just watched the music video for it and I really like it because of how incredibly simple it is. I'm always completely blown away by Ariana's voice and I think this song definitely caters to her.

 

Clouds by One Direction

This was the first song I saw performed without Zayn and I genuinely think that they were AMAZING. I didn't even notice the fact that Zayn wasn't there because they put on such an incredible performance of the song. I was a bit worried about how they would cover Zayn's voice because as you know I am an dedicated One Direction fan but honestly, they sound great and I would encourage you all to look at some of their performances without him cause they are so good.

 

Bills by Lunchmoney Lewis

I hadn't even heard of this song until my friend recommended it to me and I'm obsessed. It always reminds me of her because its so carefree and relaxed. The lyrics always make me laugh and so does the music video because its so ridiculous but I really love the song. It was also the first time in years I've listened to a song that has been on its way up the charts which just shows how GREAT the song is.

Biscuits by Kacey Musgraves

Now this song is a country song and I've never really been into country before yet I heard someone recommend this on a podcast and I have to say, I LOVE it. If you listen to the lyrics, they sort of just sum up everything I feel. The song is just about being yourself and not interfering with the way other people choose to live their lives which I think is a pretty good sentiment.

 

Blank Space by Taylor Swift

I've written a review on this song which I will link because I still love the song in exactly the same way as I did when I wrote that blog post, so you can read all of my thoughts on the music video if you want right HERE.

 

18 by One Direction

The last song I wanted to write about is again from One Direction. Again, I am a huge fan of theirs and I absolutely LOVE their latest album 'FOUR'. I would have loved to have included all of their songs from the album on this list but it would have been way too long. I would definitely recommend the album because all of the songs are so well written and produced that I think people who aren't even fans of One Direction would enjoy it. I think '18' is one of their best; every time I listen to it, I just want to cry because it is so incredibly beautiful. I particularly like it because Harry sings the entire first chorus and as you know, he is my absolute favourite.

 

So that's it from me; like I said, I did have many MANY more songs I could have included but the post would just be way too long. Now that I've finished Sixth Form, I am trying to get onto a schedule of posting every Monday and Friday at 6pm so if you would like to follow my blog post then you can.

 

Tayla xx

 

UPDATE JUNE 2015