iPhone 6s+ review

I upgraded my phone a couple of months ago, so I thought I'd do a little review & what's on my iPhone post incase any of you are thinking about upgrading to the iPhone 6s+. 

I was undecided for a while whether to go for the 6s or  the 6s+ but I decided on the bigger one after thinking about what I use my phone for the most: photos, emails, social media. 

Pros

Large screen is great for photo editing, web browsing, social media, youtube and emails. 

Screen is a lot clearer than the previous 5s I had 

Speakers are improved

I love the rose gold colour I chose 

I went for the 64GB meaning I have loads more space

Cons 

The off/on button is on the side which is really irritating. I find I catch it all the time especially when altering the volume which is on the opposite side. (I think this is the same for the 6s) 

It's too big to fit in most pockets 

It's a little awkward to use at the gym for music as its so big, so I did invest in a specific arm band thing from Amazon.

It's difficult to find nice cases that fit properly. I ordered a skinny-dip one which was lovely, but didn't quite fit properly over the buttons, so I just have a plain clear one on at the moment. 

Overall Thoughts 

I really love this phone, and once you get used to the larger size, it's so much nicer to use. I found it a little awkward at first, but now I find the normal size far too small!! 

Apps 

I don't have loads of apps, but I thought I'd share some of my favourites in this post

My Fitness Pal - I use this to track calories instead of my old fashioned writing it down in the notes and it's so much easier! I also track my exercise at the gym using this, and my weight. 

VSCO - This is what I use to edit my instagram pictures and apply my filter 'theme'. If you don't follow me on instagram, you can see my profile and theme here. I just like the look of an instagram theme, and it makes editing photos easier as you can just copy and paste the edits. 

Face tune - I don't use this to airbrush selfies, just make whites whiter and smooth any parts of the photo that don't look right. I tend to only use this for selfies, pics of my dog and things with a lot of white that I want to bring out. (Also, mine always has 18 notifications which I can't get rid of and are really irritating!!) 

Spotify 

I actually got Spotify premium in with my contract, which was great! I use this to listen to music as it takes up less space than iTunes, and you can also listen offline which is perfect for the gym. 

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Natwest/Paypal - pretty self explanatory!! 

Unidays - great for student discounts! 

Harvey Nichols Rewards, Starbucks Rewards - I love a good rewards program, and both are completely free and don't require you to do anything as you just set up an account and purchases/points are automatically added, or you can scan receipts. 

Netflix - I love netflix, I usually watch it on a bigger screen but have it on my phone as I use it sometimes. I had a trial of Now TV which was good for The Walking Dead, but I didn't sign up as there wasn't any other programmes on that I wanted to watch! 

Wordpress - good for checking blog stats and comments 

ASOS - for addictive browsing!

So that's a little overview of my phone - I hope some of you found it useful! If you'd be interested in a video to go through my apps, or a similar post with my iPad mini 4 then do let me know! 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

New Year, New You with Boohoo!

January is the time when most of us go on some sort of health kick, whether that be a diet, exercise routine, eating better, or a combination of both. Boohoo have just launched their new FIT range which is an amazing collection of fun, affordable and stylish workout wear to make that health kick a little bit easier!  Today I'm sharing my health & fitness tips, and also showing you how to style the Victoria marble print asymmetric top* from the Boohoo plus FIT range (that's right, they've made items in all sizes from 4-24!)

I absolutely love this top - the colour is right up my street, and I love that the sleeves cover my upper arms as that's the part of my body that I absolutely hate! The asymmetric design makes it more interesting than a basic t-shirt, and also means you can wear it to work out or to go out, as I've shown by styling it in two ways. I'm wearing a size 16 and would say it fits true to size. 

Worn throughout - Boohoo top*, Miss Selfridge Leggings 

Outfit 1 - Vans slip on trainers, weights (from Argos) 

Outfit 2 - All Saints gilet, Miss Selfridge boots 

Outfit 1 is a sportswear outfit. I wouldn't wear these trousers/leggings to actually work out in - but this is more of a sporty outfit than workout wear (as I also wouldn't wear any makeup or my hair down!) and I like to keep my blog looking more polished! I've added my gold Vans (which were a TK Maxx bargain) to add a pop of shine, but for actual working out, I'd wear something like these leggings and these trainers (both from the new Boohoo fit range). It's important to work out in specifically designed clothes as they are more stretchy and won't be restricting. 

Outfit 2 is a more everyday fashion look, and is something I'd wear day to day (currently I'd need to add a jumper/coat/scarf!). I love that because the top is fashionable, it's easy to style it as a regular top and you'd never know it was fitness wear!  It also means that if you're going somewhere before or after the gym, it's easy to quickly take your outfit from gym wear to stylish. 

My health & fitness tips 

A few years ago, I was a miserable size 24 and was very ill. My weight was part of an unknown illness, and it's taken me a while to feel happy with the way I look. I'm still on my journey but here's how I went from a size 24 to a 14/16 and lost over 6 stone: 

1. I count every calorie, and aim to eat between 1500-1800 per day, with occasional treat days where I eat what I like. 

2. I aim to eat 70% healthy foods and 30% junk/treats/more unhealthy items. I'm vegetarian, so I'm a big fan of Deliciously Ella's recipes, and Millie Mackintosh's book has some recipes that are veggie (and also some meat ones if you're not!)

3. I exercise regularly. I hated PE at school, and it really made me hate exercise due to self confidence  issues. I also have learning difficulties which means I could never catch a ball and was always useless at sports. I've found the best way to exercise is at home as I can fit it in to my busy lifestyle as and when. I like to do a combination of yoga, pilates and weights for my arms, and usually use Youtube workout videos. At times I do it everyday (usually when I'm on holiday from work) but some weeks I only manage to do it twice or 3 times. I like going to the gym, and want to go back soon, but I struggle fitting it in as I'm so busy. My main tip for exercise is to find something you like that works for you, and to not beat yourself up if you struggle to fit it in, just do as much as you can, when you can. 

4. Exercise works best if you eat healthy. That means eating protein (something I personally struggle with), fruits & vegetables, good fats (like avocado) and less of the unhealthy and junk foods. 

5. Don't make life difficult for yourself. I always tell people I eat what I want, which is true. I know the consequences if I eat pizza for example, but restricting everything all of the time would just make me miserable. I've been loosing weight for around 3 years, and this is what works for me. I know that if I loose weight slowly it will stay off, and I can still enjoy treats. 

6. Keep going. It's hard to stay motivated when you don't see instant results, but over time you can really tell. I remember the days when all I could wear was an oversized t-shirt and leggings and wider fitting shoes. I don't miss it, now I'm a fashion blogger who has a much bigger choice of what to wear, more confidence and feels a lot better. And I now wear that oversized t-shirt as a nighty! 

I hope that you liked the outfits, and that this post has given you some ideas/inspiration/tips. It's been a difficult one for me to write, so I hope that some of you have found it helpful! 

Good luck with whatever health kick your embarking on (if you are)! 

Check out the full Boohoo fit range here

*Not a sponsored post. Boohoo sent the top for me to feature in this post for free. 

Hello 2016.

Hello 2016.

2015 was a year of many ups and downs for me, but on the whole was a great year. I completed (and graduated from) my PGCE, started my first teaching job, attended some amazing blogger events, made new friends and stayed in touch with old friends, saw Florence & The Machine live (which was one of the best experiences ever!), started eating healthier, and became more confident and happier.

I don't have any traditional New Years resolutions this year but I do have some things that I'd like to do this year: 

1. Eat healthier

I eat pretty healthy anyway, but over Christmas have eaten a bit too much chocolate and not enough fruit & veg. I was eating at my healthiest around May 2015, and I want to get back to that 80% plant based/very healthy diet and 20% treats/junk food. I just think that worked the best for me. I also want to continue losing weight (I've lost around 6 stone up to now) and I also think eating healthier helps your skin, nails & hair too. 

2. Do More things 

I find that I don't really do many 'exciting' things, so I'm already planning a trip to visit a friend abroad in the Summer, and have decided to make things happen myself. Basically, if I want to do something, I'm just going to do it rather than waiting for anyone else. I've decided to be a bit more selfish in that way, as looking back on 2015, I spent far too long waiting for people to make plans and doing what others wanted, and I feel that I missed out on things. 

3. Take more time to relax 

I'm a bit of a workaholic, and am often either working at my job, doing my masters work, or working on my blog and youtube channel. I find it difficult to relax when I have such a long to do list, but I'm going to make an extra effort this year. I also plan on getting back into Yoga (I used to do it everyday, but found it hard to fit in when I started my new job) and watching films, tv and reading. 

4. Blogging 

I plan on sticking to my 2 videos and 3 blog posts a week as I think that worked pretty well last year. I also want to continue improving my content and making my blog & videos as professional as I can. I'm also hoping to grow my blog some more in 2016, and hopefully you'll stick with me too. 

5. Stress less

I'm also going to try and stress less in 2016. I get stressed easily, and although I think I do quite well at managing it, I'm going to try and not worry about the small things as much as I have done in the past. 

So there we have it, my New Year's resolutions (if you can really call it that). Just my plans and ideas for the new year ahead. 

I hope you all have a brilliant 2016, and do let me know what your resolutions and plans are too! x

Christmas Mess & Peanut Hottie

Peanut Hottie hot drink*

Hotel Chocolat Christmas Mess chocolates* 

A rather delicious and festive post today! I got both of these food goodies in my Blogger Review box from The Press Tent event back in November, and finally got around to trying them out this week! 

Peanut Hottie is a hot drink which works like a hot chocolate (powder that you add hot water to) and tastes absolutely delicious! I was worried it might taste a little strange or not very sweet but I really like it. It's somewhere between a hot chocolate and a nutty latte - and if you're a fan of peanut butter you'll definitely like this! It's only 83 calories per serving too! 

These Hotel Chocolat Christmas Mess chocolates are also delicious (apologies if this post is making you hungry!). They're an eton mess flavoured chocolate with added cinnamon and spices, and are topped with cranberry and meringue pieces. If you're a fan of very sweet, cinnamon chocolates or eton mess then I'd definitely recommend trying these! Hotel Chocolat's christmas range is amazing too - they've got so many different chocolates and gift options. My christmas mess chocolates didn't last very long! 

I hope you're all having a lovely Christmas - and if not, why not treat yourself to some hotel chocolat chocolates and a peanut hottie and watch a film or browse the sales online! x 

*Both products were gifted to me via The Press Tent. Not a sponsored post. 

New Bed.

I don't normally post about home-related things, but I thought I'd share my new bed and bedding. I had a bit of a drama last week - I'd ordered a new bed from Argos on Black Friday, and to cut a long story short, it never arrived resulting in a week sleeping on the floor as my old bed had already been got rid of. I got my new bed from a local company who delivered it the next day in the end. Moral of the story - never order anything from Argos! 

My bedding is from Primark and is a brushed cotton fabric so is really soft and cosy. I chose this neutral gray winter print bedding and it was £18 for the set. The star cushion is also from Primark and was £5 and is a lovely faux leather and memory foam cushion. The fleecy star throw is from George at ASDA and was £6. My sheets and pillows were from Dunelm as it's hard to find sheets to fit my bed (its a small double/120cm) - but Dunelm have practically every colour of them. 

Anyway - I hope some of you found this interesting/useful! 

Weekly Roundup #3 PGCE Graduation

Hi everyone! Yesterday was my graduation for my PGCE! I graduated from Edge Hill University with Postgraduate Certificate of Education in Secondary Music with QTS and 120 Level 7 Masters credits! It was a great day of celebrations and for this week's weekly roundup I thought I'd share the photos! 

I'm wearing: Whistles dress, Whistles clutch and Louboutin shoes (and of course the graduation outfit!)

Hope you've all had a great week! x

Weekly Roundup #2

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster really, I turned 23 on Monday, got a job on Wednesday (that I applied for on Monday) and I'm feeling much more positive about things, although it hasn't all really sunk in yet. 

Birthday

I didn't have the best time being 22 so was a bit anxious about turning 23 (silly isn't it) but honestly it hasn't bothered me. I didn't do anything much - just went shopping to the Trafford centre with my mum and celebrated by eating WAY too much cake! The cupcakes went, and so did the actual cake! (so naughty!!)

Shopping

Speaking of the Trafford Centre, Missguided have a little selection in Selfridges and I picked up some great things. I then made a massive order from their £5 sale, and a HUGE parcel arrived for me on Wednesday. I'll definitely be doing a haul video, although I'm thinking of changing my YT channel a bit, I'm not sure if my videos are getting a bit boring and predictable!? Anyway, I'd highly recommend checking out their sale as there are some A-mazing bargains!

JustFab July

I got two pairs of shoes from JustFab this month, both of which I love and will show you properly in a post next week but for now, theres a sneak peek of the flats I got in the outfit photo above! 

Music

After I said last week I was loving Years and Years, I picked up their album for the car and also Everything Everything's new album. They're a little weird but I really like their music, particularly Spring/Sun/Winter/Dread (listen to it- it's great). 

New Job

I finally managed to secure myself a job for next year! I've finished my PGCE (a postgrad teaching qualification if you didn't know) with top marks, and have got my first teaching job at a really nice school. I'm so pleased and relieved, and finally feel like I can enjoy my summer now!  As for the summer, I'm not sure what I'm doing yet as I didn't plan anything as I wanted to wait till I knew what I was doing in September! 

I hope you've all had a great week! x

Colouring for Adults?

There's been a bit of a trend recently of colouring for adults as a method of stress relief and relaxation. Now I'm not usually one for the random trends, but I loved colouring as a child and have been feeling a bit stressed lately (final weeks of PGCE) so I thought I'd give it a go.

I thought 'how can colouring help stress and anxiety?' and although it took me a little while to get into it as it's quite a slow process ( I'm usually one for getting things done, not chilling out), it actually works! It must be something about taking your mind off troubles and forcing your thought process to slow down, or maybe its focussing on the colours or pictures, I don't really know how it works, but it does.

I've finished my PGCE yesterday and these last few weeks have been stressful, and I have a couple more weeks of interviews, dentist appointments and other stressful things so I'm glad I've found something I can do in the evenings just for half an hour or so that helps to ease the stress a little. I've also been quite moody recently (I think due to being so busy and feeling stressed) so spending a little bit of time doing something like this helps me to calm down a bit. 

Now I'm not saying a colouring book will rid you of your troubles and anxiety, but if you're getting a little stressed, and you liked colouring as a child, I'd recommend having a go. You can buy the colouring books at loads of places (e.g WH Smith) and it's a really inexpensive thing to try. Or if you're still a child at heart, you'll probably also like it! 

Also, apologies that there hasn't been any Saturday posts for the last couple of weeks - I've just been so so busy!! I hope you all have a great weekend! 

Raw, Vegan, Gluten-free brownies.

As part of my health kick, I've been cutting down on gluten, refined sugar and 'bad' foods, and although I haven't given anything up completely, I've been trying out some healthier options.

As part of my What I Eat in a Day video (going up tomorrow) I attempted to make Deliciously Ella's raw brownies. I love brownies, but they're very calorific and not very healthy, whereas these ones consist of good ingredients: raw cacao, maple syrup, dates and pecans. Also as they're raw, they don't require any cooking, just freezing for an hour.

The recipe is from the Deliciously Ella cookbook that I blogged about last week, so even though I've included them in a video, I thought I'd do a post as well, as I know some of you prefer my posts, and some of you prefer my videos! I'd really recommend Ella's blog and book as there's loads of amazing recipes there!

The brownies were easy to make (even for me, and I'm possibly the worst cook) and they turned out really well. They are quite sticky though and need to be kept in the fridge, so probably not ideal for lunch boxes or anything, but are such a tasty snack! I've eaten quite a few of mine now, and I love that I don't need to worry about unhealthy ingredients, and that I can eat these guilt-free.

I'm really enjoying my healthy eating, and although I'd never give up any foods (even though I'm already vegetarian) I'm really feeling the benefits of eating an 80% super-healthy diet. I'm no nutritionist, but it seems to be working well for me, and I feel like 80% healthy is enough for me for now, and anyway,  life's too short to give up treats like pizza, chips and cake!

Deliciously Ella review.

I'd heard a few bloggers talking about Deliciously Ella, so as part of my health kick, I had a look at her website. Now, cooking is definitely not my thing, so why am I suddenly obsessed with a food blog? Ella's blog and book are all about healthy eating and a plant-based, gluten-free diet. The recipes looked really delicious, and so I bought the book. I think the difference with Ella is that her food is actually delicious, and isn't salad after salad or something with meat and fish, that I'd have to start finding replacements for. It's the only cookbook I've ever had that I can eat every ingredient in every recipe as everything is vegan and gluten-free.

The recipes are really easy to follow too - no fiddly complicated steps that I don't understand, and the raw recipes (and ones using pans) means people like me who can't work an oven very well are covered. I've tried a few of the smoothies already and they're absolutely delicious! I've also ordered a lot of other ingredients so that I can make some more of Ella's recipes - particularly the brownies and quinoa bowls! And I'm also determined to improve my cooking skills - and I think this might be the way I can do that!

I'm actually really enjoying healthy eating, and am feeling so much better for it! It's a little weird really, Ella started eating this way to cure an illness, which is why I started changing my diet and restricting calories almost 3 years ago. This may be a little too TMI, but I suffered from an unknown illness that doctors can't work out, where basically my metabolism doesn't work and I have severe IBS that can only be controlled by diet, as the tablets didn't work. In the last 3 weeks I've been eating like Ella, I've been almost pain free and lost more weight than usual, so as you can probably imagine, I'm thrilled!

Now, I haven't cut out all dairy, gluten and goodies, but I've cut them down to about 15-20% of my diet, which is working well for me. I might, in the future, cut them out completely, but I didn't want to do anything too drastic, as sometimes, that can set my illness off.

If you're thinking of trying healthy eating, or just fancy some tasty food without any guilt, I'd highly recommend Ella's book and blog. Even if you're not vegan (I'm vegetarian) I'm sure you'll enjoy these recipes!

I'll keep you posted on my healthy eating and cooking - and if any of my creations are photo-worthy, I'll share them with you! x

My most worn jewellery.

I've never really talked about jewellery much on my blog before, and after showing you all my new ring from The Great Frog, I though it would be nice to blog about my other favourite pieces of jewellery. 

Watch 

This was a 21st birthday present from my grandma, and it's a Rose Gold watch from Michael Kors. Loads of people have these now, but I wear mine everyday. I like that it looks elegant, but is still chunky and modern. 

Necklace

My most worn necklace has to be the wishbone necklace, which is from Astrid & Miyu. It's very dainty and simple, but I just find that it goes with everything, and I find myself reaching for it more than any of my others. This is yellow gold plated, and is really affordable.

Bracelet

I like very simple bracelets, and have a few different ones, but this one from Whistles is my favourite. It's partly a bangle, and partly a leather wrap bracelet. It's very unique and again quite subtle, but it's comfortable to wear and goes with anything. 

Rings

I wear rings everyday, and I am nearly always wearing at least two of these. The plan gold V shaped one was a hand me down from my mum. It's real gold, and it's very easy to wear. Another one from my mum is my 3 diamond ring. I wear this ring every single day, and have done for years. I get loads of compliments on it, and I really love wearing it. The gold 'crown' style ring is from Whistles, and I got it when I bought the bracelet, again it's simple but I like it. My platinum ring with diamonds was a hand me down from my grandma. I don't wear this one much as it's a lot bigger than my other one, but it's really beautiful! Last but not least, my skull ring is the ghost warrior ring from The Great Frog.I'm not sure where you could find my other rings, as the Whistles one is no longer available, and I've no idea where my other ones came from, but if you're looking for similar things, I'd have a look in a jewellers or maybe a vintage jewellers. 

It's quite an unusual set of jewellery, but these are just my favourites (not my entire collection), and you can probably tell, I like mixing metals! I also like mixing daintier pieces with heavier ones, but it's all usually dependant on my mood, and what I'm wearing or doing that day! 

I hope that some of you may have found this interesting or useful! Have a lovely day! x

The Netflix Tag.

I've just re-subscribed to Netflix, and Jess from jesmgia.blogspot.co.uk tagged me to do the Netflix Tag, so I just had to dedicate a post to what I watch on Netflix! 

All Time Faves 

I'll start with the obvious one: Orange is the New Black, totally addictive and season 3 really needs to hurry up! I put off watching it for ages because it didn't sound like my cup of tea at all, but I watched one episode and was addicted after that! It's just a really good series! I also love Pretty Little Liars (which is now on Netflix!), The Vampire Diaries #delena , Gossip Girl (all 6 seasons are on there), Orphan Black, and the film LOL. I'm not sure why I like LOL so much, I must have seen it about 20 times but I just never get bored of it! 

Current Addiction 

Seeing as I've only just re-subscribed (I cancelled because of a lack of wi-fi speed at home, which I now have sorted) I'm catching up with PLL season 5. I'm always working or blogging so I haven't watched any TV properly since about September, so I've got a lot of catching up to do! I also want to watch American Horror Story season 2 and 3! 

Wish List 

Orphan Black season 2, seriously, this needs to be on there! I'd also like to see the Jane Eyre 2006 TV series back on, as it used to be on there and I'm not sure why it's been taken off, but it's my favourite thing ever. Also Downton Abbey could do with being on Netflix as itv player's adverts are annoying! Also I wish the Harry Potter films were on Netflix, as I really want to watch them all in order! 

Net peeve 

Basically when you run out of episodes to watch, which brings me back to, where is Orphan Black season 2?

Marathon Essentials 

Good wifi, somewhere to sit comfortably/ bed, a brew (tea, coffee, hot chocolate), and some nibbles if you're feeling naughty! I used to watch netflix whilst eating my meals when I was at uni.

You should watch

Orange is the New Black, Orphan Black, Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl and American Horror Story

Thankyou so much to Jess for tagging me! I tag Beauty Classyfied, The Perks of Meg, and Beauty By Alice 

What do you like to watch on Netflix?

Breakfast at Benedict's

I had a bit of a change today, and went out for breakfast with friends at Benedict's of Whalley. It's a little cafe, restaurant and deli in a little place called Whalley, which is sort of a half way meeting place for me and our friends. I know that for most of you, it won't be anywhere near you, but I've been thinking about doing some more lifestyle posts, so I thought it was a good place to start. The other thing is, is that I took these photos with my iPhone, (so they aren't my usual quality) as that was what I had with me! 

We had a lovely catchup over lattes and breakfast. I had the porridge with honey which was absolutely delicious. All of the food is made from good (good quality, and good for you) ingredients, and they have lots of healthy options. I think next time I go, I might try out their lunch menu, as everything looked really nice! 

Do let me know if you'd like to see more lifestyle posts in the future! And also, I still haven't decided whether to move to blogger or not, and am currently double posting everything on here and wordpress, so please let me know which platform you prefer! 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, I'll have a brand new YouTube video up tomorrow morning, so I hope that you'll enjoy that too! xx