The Importance Of Silver Linings

Hello , 

Seeing the silver linings in every misfortune is a skill that takes a long time to perfect. However that doesn't mean you shouldn't bother, it means you should start right now. There is never anything that does not have a silver lining, good is in everything. It is in your worst days and your best. It is in your kindest friend and your worst enemy. Most of all, it is in you and you can always find it if you look hard and long enough.

When you're at your lowest it can be hard to look through it and find something good. But finding some good does not mean the situation wasn't bad. You're upset and that's okay , you have a right to feel that way when something bad has happened. However finding the good may help to ease the pain.

" Every day may not be good but there's something good in everyday" 

So I'd love to hear one good thing from your day. I'll go first : 

I'm lactose intolerant so couldn't drink Costa's delicious new Toffee Apple Hot Chocolate ( seriously , I stole a sip of my girlfriends and it was so worth the risk hehe ) but my girlfriend had one and it made her super happy and that's good enough for me :)

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Reaching 10,000 Steps

Hey Friends ! 

As well as the more obvious physical benefits, staying active is unbelievably important for your mental well-being. When you exercise your body releases endorphin's that ( because of lots of science-y stuff that I must of known once upon a time because I passed my GSCE Biology ) make you feel happy and positive. Now I don't know about you but I like feeling happy, so I bought myself a Jawbone Up Move activity tracker. ( Well, actually my lovely sister bought it for me because she's great like that ). Among various other weird and wonderful things, Up works with the free app as a pedometer ( well it's a little more jazzy than that but you get the jist of it ). I set my target to the recommended number of daily steps which is 10,000. But don't worry, there's no need to panic ! Yes, it is A LOT of steps but I've come up with some easy ways to incorporate them into YOUR daily life.

How To Reach 10,000 Steps : 

A great way to get started is to use public transport more, or even walk to where you need to go if that' possible! If you use public transport you often have to walk a lot further to get to the actual location that you need to be at, rather than being dropped at the door. You could even add more steps
by getting off a stop early!

Always take the stairs ! However if you do have to take the lift ( if you're out with somebody who is unable to use the stairs ) then walk around in circles in the lift ! NO MORE EXCUSES !! There are always solutions, so spend the time you'd usually spend moaning finding solutions.

Invest in a pedometer. You can get them for only a few pounds in most places. My Up Move Jawbone tracker is the best thing I've ever had and it only cost £15 off amazon. If you'd like to see a full review of my tracker then please let me know in the comments.

DON'T STAND STILL. If you're somewhere ten minutes early then walk up and down the road until it's time .If your bus arrives too early ( I know , I must be kidding , public transport is never early ) then rather than go straight to college/work then go to the nearest supermarket and walk up and down every aisle. ( I genuinely do this in ASDA every morning before college... yes, I am that said but hey ! It's 2000 steps ! ). Why stand still when you could be getting those steps up? #ForTheSteps

When you get up in the morning, watch your morning TV while having a gentle walk on the running machine. I actually look forward to going on the running machine each morning because In my head I'm getting up to watch The Ellen Show !

What Are You Waiting For ? Get Stepping ! 

No more putting it off ! Get out there and start making these easy steps that not only improve your physical health but your focus and your mental well being and generally just help YOU feel great ! What's not to love ? I'd love to hear from you guys in the comments, what do you guys do to get those endorphin's going ?

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Things That Everyone Should Remember #2

Hello Gorgeous !

As I grow older and learn more things I've found there are some things that I wish I knew sooner . So I've put together a list of things that I have learnt that have made me a better, happier and healthier person and I would love that share that with you .

• If you stick a blazer on almost any outfit then you are then able to:                                                A) Go to work in said outfit                                                                                                            B) Look hot as hell in said outfit 
• Don't stand still. Always think , how can I be moving ? 
• Every hug should be like you mean it. Squish them until they know how loved they are or don't hug them at all. 
• Flash cards are the best form of communication. Whenever me and my girlfriend are studying for exams together we always write each other little notes on flashcards.
• Get up ten minutes early and have a tidy up ! You'll feel so much better throughout the day. 
• Never apologize for your positivity. It's a brilliant trait to have ! Don't let the world get you down because they couldn't be bothered to get up/

• Bake cupcakes more they taste brilliant. 
• Don't let people make you feel ashamed and awkward for doing what you want to do. Be who you are and live by your morals. 
• Do not leave the house unless you're covered in glitter
• Don't buy any clothes unless they make you feel like a princess or like you can go up to your high school bully and tell them where to stick there comments.... preferably both. 
• Date who you want to date, it will be okay. Nothing will hurt more than not being with the person you love . 
• Don't spend too much time in closets they're RUBBISH

• Forgive yourself for lost time, it's okay. You're there now. Enjoy it. 

These are just a few things that I've learnt over the past few years. I i

What Makes A Good Blogger ?

Hello,

You might be a little surprised to see me back over on Don'tBurstMyBubble because two months ago I moved to my own domain. I wanted my blog to seem more professional and I thought that would make me a better blogger. But as we can all see, I'm back. So what went wrong ? I bought a website from Wix.com , I knew their were bad reviews but I was won over by their glossy campaigns and adverts. Two months after purchasing the website my account crashed and I cannot even access my page to edit or write posts. I was unable to see statistics and when the website was working ( a rare occurrence ) it was slow. I felt stupid for falling for their advertising and discouraged from blogging. When I tried to contact Wix on their helpline , I was put through to a helpline in America ( I live in the UK ) which I'm sure cost me the earth and then they failed to help me and insisted it was my computer that needed sorting when everything else on my laptop was running fine.

So ... I did what any girl in distress does , I called my mum crying and she said something smart like mums do and said " It's people that matter not things Marianne " and of course, the way mothers always are, she was right. People will not read a blog for a ".co.uk" at the end of the address they will read it for your content and the way our personality shines through. They will read for your dedication and the regular posting schedule. People will read because you have something new and exciting to tell them in a way only you can tell. That is what makes a good blogger.

I would like to be a good blogger. So I'm back. And yes, one day I might switch to wordpress and pay for a domain on a more reliable platform but for now, I want to find me and my style.

My name is Marianne and I'm a lot of things. I'm learning more and more everyday and I'm growing with my blog and I'd like my blog to reflect that. I'm a college student, I've recently turned vegetarian and am looking into turning vegan in the future ( Let me know if you'd like to read more on that ) . I am a hopeful. I have a beautiful girlfriend ( Yes, I am gay ) and I am trying to become happier and healthier . I am also a blogger and I'd like to share all these things with you .

So I hope you'll stick around for the ride :) There will be new posts on Tuesdays and Saturday Mornings and I would love to hear in the comments what sort of posts you would like to see ! Veganism ? Positivity ? Compassion ? Healthy Living ? Exercise ? Mental Well-being ? Blogging Tips ? Let me know !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :)

Lots of love, Marianne xxx