Welcome to 2015, let's do BETTER

I just wanted to start off this year with a really quick blog post about my New Year's Resolutions. Now, I never normally think that they are a good idea because if you want to save money or quit smoking or spend more time with your family, which are all good in theory, you don't need to wait until the 1st of January to put it into practice. You can do any of them at ANY time of the year. However, this time I decided to make one which I feel I can and will do to the best of my ability. This is just to strive to be BETTER.

 

In my case, I feel like I should be aiming to be a better student; I want to work as hard as possible and use my time to the best of my ability which I felt like I perhaps tried to last year but didn't necessarily do it. This year, I want to go that extra mile to ensure my A-Level results are exactly what I feel that I can get because I know for a fact that if I don't get what I want, I will cry. Like seriously. Especially since I have worked hard for it. Now the only way I can guarantee this is to put more effort into my education; I have to write optional essays and do practice exam papers as well as revising whenever I get the chance to.

 

It's funny as well because despite already being pretty motivated when it comes down to things like this, I can get pretty lazy. I sometimes, okay ALWAYS, get stuck in a rut of watching a whole series of a TV show in half a day which is completely pointless and a waste of my time. I need to be constantly productive this year so that when I do actually relax, I don't feel guilty doing it because I know I've been working hard.

 

I also want to make an active effort to spend more time with my friends, perhaps because this is our last real year together before we all our separate ways. Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly excited to start my new life at university but I will always miss the people I'm leaving behind. They were, and still are, the most fantastically brilliant group of very different individuals but I know for a fact, that we will still find some way to hang out whenever we can.

 

Last but not least, my final resolution is to start eating healthier because I realised that I eat a hell of a lot of chocolate. This is the one thing that everyone tries to do but I feel like I really can do it because like I said before, I'm trying to DO BETTER. I want to be a better student and friend and daughter and ultimately a better person. One of the reasons why I feel like this is because of the fact that I turn 18 this August which means I will be an official and legal adult. I feel like in order to properly contribute to society in the best way possible is to focus on yourself as an individual first as cliché as that sounds, and as a sociology student, it really really does. Anyway, this is the only way that I will improve my entire being, whether that's socially, physically, academically or emotionally: I want to be BETTER.

 

I feel like everyone should have this goal because there is no such thing as a perfect person, we can all be better and I think it's time we try to be.

 

YouTube Rewind: Turn Down For 2014

 

Tayla xx

YouTube Rewind: Turn Down for 2014

As you guys know, I've been watching channels on YouTube for about three years now so its always a big thing at the end of the year when the YouTube Rewind video comes out. I've watched every one that they've made but I only watched the 2013 one and this years one in real time, meaning in like the week it came out. I had to go back and watch the others because I never even knew it existed before.

The best part about the YouTube Rewind videos is that they include so many YouTubers that I recognised and watch myself. I felt strangely proud because it makes me realise how popular they've become to be included in things like this. I know it sounds weird but its true; you feel like you've had a helping hand in their success through consistently watching videos all year long, as well as buying any products or projects that they've released.

 

YouTube has become one of the best platforms for creators because it opens up so many doors and allows viewers to delve into the worlds of real, genuine people. Like I said, I feel so happy watching them that its become very much a part of my everyday life. The YouTube Rewind 2014 video just confirmed that. I'll leave a link to all the channels I can remember, that were included in this years Rewind video so you can all enjoy them yourselves.

 

PewDiePie, danisnotonfire, AmazingPhil, Grace Helbig, Smosh, Epic Rap Battles, The Fine Bros, PrankvsPrank, Brittani Louise Taylor, Michelle Phan, Bart Baker, Jenna Marbles, Tyler Oakley, Hannah Hart, Troye Sivan, Bethany Mota, missglamorazzi, ijustine, Connor Franta

 

Tayla xx


Christmas Countdown

Christmas Countdown

Can I just start off by saying that its December which means it's almost CHRISTMAS. For some reason this year, I've really got into the spirit of it; I think its because it's my last Christmas before I go off to university so I'm almost desperate to make it a good'un. 

Now this will only be a really quick post because I just wanted to announce that I will be posting every single day of the last week before Christmas, so the 18th to the 25th of December. I want to do this not only for you guys, but for myself. I feel like if I can accomplish this, then it gives me more incentive to get into the excitement of the holidays as well as do some cool festive activities.

 

I'm in the process of planning what I'm going to be blogging about for the week but to warn you, it will all be Christmas themed obviously. I would love to hear any suggestions about what I should write about in case you want to see anything specifically but generally I am going to go ALL OUT (or as much as I can at least). I'm talking my favourite Christmas songs, gift ideas as well as a few cheeky surprises if all goes to plan.

 

If you would like to follow my blog then you can and I will leave last week's post below if you want to have a little read of it.

 

REVIEW: 'Blank Space' by Taylor Swift

 

Tayla xx

REVIEW: 'Blank Space' by Taylor Swift

I feel like I haven't done a music review in absolutely ages but I thought I would do this one in particular because I genuinely love it. I was listening to a podcast that recommended 'Blank Space' by Taylor Swift and so I searched it on YouTube; ever since, I have been obsessed, constantly playing it on repeat (like right now as I'm writing this). I just checked the views on VEVO and to date, it has over 73 million views and it wasn't even released two weeks ago. That is absolutely insane. Its from her new albumn '1989' which I've heard a few other songs of and I love as well. I would definitely recommend buying it on iTunes because its just so good.

 

 

The entire song sounds so well made; I also think Taylor's voice has improved so much over the last few years which you can definitely hear in Blank Space. I think the music video was such a perfect choice as well and I never usually say that because I don't watch the video at all. Most times when I listen to music, I'll use the lyrics verson because I get frustrated with the official music video. However in this one, I think Taylor excelled herself.

The plot of the video is about a fictional verson of Taylor, who is a serial dater and falls very hard for a certain man. They enjoy this blissful life in a big country house, doing traditional activities like horse-riding together, painting his portrait and carving his name into a tree. She then finds out that he has been talking to another woman and the jealous (and slightly mad) Taylor comes out. She destroys his car, his painting and his phone in frustration, only to break down crying. She quickly moves onto the next man for it to start all over again.

One of the reasons why I really like it is because Taylor said that she wrote the song as a sort of reaction towards all the negative press she gets about dating. I think that was such a good move on her part because she is constantly criticised by the media for doing things that everyone else is doing. They also always say that she only writes about her boyfriends in songs but surely that's the point of being a songwriter? To write about personal experiences in order to make music that is honest and real? For example, Adele admitted that a lot of her songs were about ex boyfriends and she didn't get any negative attention for it? So why is Taylor being targeted for it? Just something to think about.

Autumn 2014

Tayla xx

Autumn 2014

Over the last two months or so, I've been taking some photos for this one blog post in particular. I did this last year so I will leave a link HERE; its so cool because I've taken a lot of pictures of the same trees which is really weird thinking that its been a whole year since then. I've taken more than I did last year but I did still want to include more, but time sort of ran out. Its been very gloomy and rainy in the last few weeks so I definitely think winter is on its way. I'm really happy with the ones that I did manage to get though so let's have a little look.

I started taking photos at the start of September when the leaves were just starting to turn yellow and now, they are a very orange/brown colour which I think looks so beautiful in photos. The photos above are from a wall that has been covered with leaves; I walk past it everyday for school but it was only on this specific day that I noticed the redness of certain leaves, so I thought I would document its beauty.

The pictures above are probably my favourite ones I've taken because they just came out looking so good. Another thing is that they symbolise where I live; I've walked past those trees thousands of times and never really thought how pretty they actually are until I took the photos.

I think Autumn is so underrated as a season, it really is. The colours are just so incredibly beautiful and I love taking pictures of the trees and the leaves. I'm actually really happy that I took the photos over a few months because I just think it makes the photos have more of a range I guess.

Like I said, I was going to take more but within the last few weeks, the weather has suddenly changed from being slightly chilly to just plain cold. It's also been very windy and miserable looking outside which I doubt would have made good photos. I was very picky about what condition I wanted to have pictures from (it had to be sunny or at least not pouring down with rain). Now, its always so cloudy that any photos I would have wanted just wouldn't look good so I decided to just remain with the photos I had already taken.

 

 

Well that's about it for me this time, I am trying to write more, I PROMISE. I have a million ideas for my blog but I just don't the time to actually do it. If I'm not doing Sixth Form work, I'm doing UCAS things, or searching for a job or looking after my cousins, there's a 99% chance I'm sleeping. Sorry about that, folks. Anyway, if you want to follow my blog, you can. You can read my last post by clicking the link below:

Happy Halloween!!!

Tayla xx

Happy Halloween!!!

Whether you're celebrating at a fancy dress party, trick or treating with friends or simply staying at home, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween. I know that some people aren't really that bothered about it and to be honest, I'm not either but I hope that everyone has had or is having, a wonderful day whatever they're doing. Just remember to enjoy it and relax a little before we start panicking about Christmas. Its a day to celebrate however you want to, so make sure you definitely do.

For me, I used to go trick or treating, usually dressed as a witch because I was not that adventurous with my costume choices but I remember absolutely loving it. As I've gotten older, I've been to a few Halloween parties which I think is such a good idea because its the perfect time to buy spooky merchanise, even though I never have done for my own house. Maybe I will when I'm older because I LOVE getting into the festive mood throughout October. The absolute best thing about Halloween though is seeing the really little adorable outfits that kids wear because they look so cute.

Anyways, the point of this short post is just to say have fun and be safe, love from Tayla xx

October Favourites 2014

October Favourites 2014

I thought I would write a little post about my favourite things in October. I will admit that I've had these on my list for ages and I was going to include them in last month's favourites, but I had only been liking them for a week or so at the time so I decided to push them into this blog post. But the bright side of this is that it means that I am very confident in the products because I've been using, and liking them, consistently for ages. So let's get going!


Body Products:
Zoella beauty Creamy Madly Dreamy body lotion: I ordered this online pretty much the first day it came out and I have to say that I am SO happy I did. I use it after I have a bath and it just makes your skin feel absolutely amazing. The name 'Creamy Madly Dreamy' is so perfect because its such a thick body lotion that it really makes you feel like its doing goodness. I think it feels even better because its Zoe Sugg's product, a youtuber that I've been watching for years. Her blog is one of the reasons that inspired me to create my own and so I feel very proud when I see her products on the shelf of Superdrug. I completely recommend using the body lotion and I've even bought the Soak Opera bath soak and shower cream which I will no doubt be reviewing in my next monthly favourites. I also wanted to buy the fizz bar but I have not been able to find it in my local Superdrug, I'm guessing because its been sold out. This is my second time buying the Creamy Madly Dreamy body lotion and once I've used that, I will definitely be purchasing it again. The best thing about it is that its so affordable for the quality which is just perfect for me.

Makeup Products:
SEVENTEEN Make Your Mark Eyeliner Pen: Now I only really starting using this because I just felt like a bit of a change when it came down to my eyeliner. Its really quick and easy to use when is perfect for school because I really don't have a lot of time in the morning. That's basically why I chose to put it in my favourites because it literally takes 10 seconds to do each eye which is all I need from an eyeliner, especially just one that I use for school. I would recommend this for anyone who has just started wearing eyeliner or needs something quick that gets the job done.

TV shows:
Glue: This TV show has probably been my favourite new programme in absolutely ages. I mean, its SO good. Its made by the same people who created the Skins which I loved and its kind of the same style of show. It also makes me think of Misfits which I really enjoyed as well, I don't know if these people did that too but that's another similiar show that I loved. There's loads of suspense, sex and secrets and I've really got into it recently. There's only been a few episodes out so far but I'm actually obsessed with it, its so great. The only thing I would say is that its probably for older teens, young adults I guess, because like I said, there is a lot of sort of swearing, drugs and things like that. Its on E4 and you can catch up on 4oD if you live in the UK; I don't know where or even if you can watch it anywhere else in the world. Anyway, there's a lot of young actors in it, some of who I've seen in other things but there are some that I've never seen and have been very impressed with everything that they've done. I would absolutely recommend watching it if you can, especially if you liked Skins as I've mentioned.

Games:
Temple Run 2: I've only started playing this game since I got my Kindle Fire HD but I'm literally obsessed. I don't know why because I'm not usually into games as I've mentioned before, but this one is different for me. I play like 10 games in a row and its becoming such a problem because I'm not getting enough work done which is ridiculous. I would suggest anyone downloading it if you have a spare few hours in the day that you need to fill. It's a free app which is good as well because I refuse to spend any money at all on a game.



So that's all of my favourites for this month. I would love it if you would follow my blog because I really try to write as often as possible. Anyway, the link to my last post is below if you fancy reading that!

Tayla xx

Open Days: The University of Lincoln

Open Days: The University of Lincoln

I visited my second university which was Lincoln and I have to start off by saying that I really thoroughly enjoyed it. I've already done a lot of research into the courses that I like but I've wanted to visit their Open Day to get a feel for the university. I think that this day was probably better than my day at Salford because I planned everything that I wanted to see. It also meant that I knew what times I had to get there for and how long certain things would take.

We left at about 10am because my Psychology talk started at 12pm and I knew it took just over an hour and a half to get there. However, we actually didn't make it in time because there was absolutely crazy traffic just trying to get into the city of Lincoln as well as loads of road works along the way. We missed it by about 15 minutes but by the time I had registered and things, I really just didn't see the point in going and having to walk in late.

We went to see the Psychology stalls but we only spoke to one person because I was a little bit intimidated. I mean, there were so many student reps and lecturers to talk to but because there weren't a lot of visitors speaking to them, I didn't want to be the only one there and have everyone crowded round me. Besides, I already knew a lot about the courses because I had looked at them online and decided which one would be best for me, which is the Psychology with Clinical Psychology course. Now, I want to do clinical or abnormal Psychology but I didn't want to get a degree in just that when I could change my mind. I wanted to get a general Psychology degree and then focus in on whatever I really enjoyed for my Masters. However, after researching Psychology at Lincoln University, I was more attracted to the Clinical Psychology course because there are several modules about mental health, which is what I am interested in.


Then we went to lunch and both me and my mom had fish and chips; I was actually surprised at how good they tasted because I actually don't eat any seafood. The only thing that really annoyed me was that while we were eating, I'm pretty sure I saw a girl who went to my high school who I HATED. I really hope that if I do decide to go there then she doesn't because I just can't stand the thought of seeing her every day. I know she probably won't be on my course but it would just ruin everything.

Now the next thing we did was go on the walking campus and accommodation tour. I really liked the student rooms because they were a lot bigger than I thought that they would be. We spoke to this really nice girl in one of the buildings that only houses first year students, and she said that she was loving Lincoln university. Obviously she's a bit biased but I really enjoyed looking round the place. We also went and saw the Sports Centre they have and it was so good. I'm not exactly the exercise type but its nice to know that I could particiate in it if I wanted to. We were going to go round the entire campus but we realised that it would just go back round in a circle and there was nothing else that we needed to see, so we went home.

Overall, I really enjoyed the University of Lincoln because I just felt like it catered to everything that I would need. My mom actually loved it as well, I mean she spoke every few minutes about how great I would fit in here. It didn't really bother me because I did enjoy it as well and I could see myself living and studying there.

The University of Lincoln: http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/

You can read my last post here: September Favourites  - where I write about everything I was enjoying last month

September Favourites

I thought I'd write about my favourite things from September which sounds weird to say because it feels like the month just started and yet its already over. This year has gone so fast, it'll be Christmas before we know it. I'm really looking forward to Autumn this year because I really want to take some cool photos which I can display on here. Until then you'll just have to read what I've been enjoying recently. There have been quite a lot of new things that I've liked this month and so I've had to catergorise which ones can go into next months Favourites post, if I've only been loving it in the last week or two. Anyway, let's get started!

Music:

Cool Kids by Echosmith: I've literally played this song on REPEAT and every time I hear it, I love it even more. I first heard a cover of the song on Vine months ago which I really enjoyed. I kept singing those six seconds over and over and over again and it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I found out it was a real song by Echosmith, which admittedly I hadn't heard of either. The song is just so good that I can't stop playing it; it has a very indie yet calming type vibe which for some reason, really resonates within me. I would really enourage people to listen to the song and just enjoy it.

Hair Products:

Aussie Dual Personality Curl Definition and Soft Feel Serum: I can't remember when or if I bought this but I've only started using it recently. I don't know why, I just found it in one of my drawers and so I thought I would try it. I only use a few pumps on the ends of my hair after I get out of the bath and I really think it makes a difference. My hair just feels  much more manageable which is literally all I need from my hair because it can get ridiculously difficult to style at times. I find that the brand Aussie is always so reliable because I feel like everything they produce is just brilliant for your hair. I've used a lot of their shampoos and conditioners before and loved them, so I definitely would recommend buying them from. I know that you can buy Aussie products from Boots and Superdrug, and its super cheap and smells incredible.

Technology:

Kindle Fire HD: As you know, I was given this by my mom for my birthday and I spoke about how much I loved it, and now I love it even more. I use it mostly for blog ideas because its massive screen means that I can plan when I'm going to write or how much I've written on a particular post. I like playing games on it as well as reading my books for school, I just really really like it.



Body Products:

Palmolive Naturals Smooth Delight Shower Milk: This is probably my absolute favourite product over the last few weeks. Now, I'm not sure if I like a specific one because I haven't been looking at the labels really, but the one that I'm using right now is the one with Macadamia Oil, Cocoa and Moisturising Milk which is just perfect. I squeeze it into my running bath water and it creates the most amazingly luxurious bubbles, as well as using it on body. It makes my skin feel so soft and hydrated, like its unbelievable. I would definitely recommend it to anyone because its just beautiful.

You can read my last blog post: Open Days: The University of Salford - where I tell you what I thought about Salford uni

Open Days: The University of Salford

I've decided to start a new little series on my blog where I write about the different universities that I'm going to see over the next two months. I'm really excited about it, as I've mentioned before because its always been something that I've wanted to do. And because I'm going to be writing straight after I visit each uni, when it comes to actually applying, I can always go back and read the post on how I felt at that time. I also feel like this may be helpful for people wondering how Open Days work, whether they are thinking of going to University themselves or are having trouble picking one. This is the first installment so I hope you enjoy it; it is only my opinion of the day so don't be put off if you get a different vibe from a place or have your heart set on somewhere that I'm maybe not too keen on. Everyone has different experiences of where they want to go so its completely subjective.

The first Open Day was to The University of Salford in Manchester. Now it started at 10am so me and my mom left the house at about 8 o'clock. I ended up going into the university on my own and I thought I was going to be nervous but I really wasn't. It was a bit difficult trying to navigate around the campus; I tried going into the main building because I had no idea where the Department of Psychology was. Fortunately there were student ambassadors all around and they directed me to the correct building. It was kind of crazy trying to register because I didn't know you had to print off the tickets and I couldn't connect to the WiFi on my phone to show the automatic email. Luckily for me, the woman at the stand had my name on a list and so just let me in anyway. 

I spent about an hour speaking to 2 stalls there. The first one was called Counselling and Psychotherapy and I had looked at that course a few months ago at school. I did enjoy speaking to them about it but I do think that it's not really what I want to do in the future. Anyway, the second stall I went to was the Sociology and Criminology one and I really liked it. I hadn't thought about doing Sociology before and I don't think I actually will but I liked hearing about it. I also went to the talk at 11am on it because I liked it. There weren't a lot of people there but it was fascinating because you can do Sociology or Criminology as a single course, or you can do a joint course on both. I think that if I wasn't as focused in Psychology as I am, I definitely think that I would have done Criminology.

This talk ended at about 12 and I did have plans to take an accommodation tour but they were 30 minutes long and I needed to eat as well as go to the Psychology stall. So I went to lunch at the cafeteria by myself, there wasn't a lot of food there so I just had a plate of curly chips. They were really REALLY good.

After I'd finished, I went to the Psychology talk and spoke to the man there about the course and things. He recommended things that I could do in order to gain more experience or good books to read about things they teach there. He was really nice and helpful and I really liked it there. The talk was in a seminar room filled with people which just shows how popular the course is. Loads of people asked questions that I hadn't really thought about and the woman speaking was able to answer them straight away. She knew what she was talking about and that made me trust in the course as a whole. I also found out that you can do Psychology, Psychology and Counselling or Psychology and Criminology which I know that if I did decide to go there, I would struggle picking which I would definitely go to.

Now there was a chance at the end to take a tour of the Psychology Department but it was already 10 past 2 and I was already late for when my mom said she'd pick me up. And that was my entire day at The University of Salford; overall, I really really enjoyed it. I think that I probably should have planned everything better because like I said, I didn't see everything I would have liked to. I think that's something I will definitely do when I visit my next one, which is The University of Lincoln on the 4th of October. I will write about that day as well so make sure you are following my blog for more updates.

Check out my last post: Growing Up - where I write about how I need to be my "own" person