Merry Christmas ! | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People, 

First thing's first: 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

I hope you've all had a wonderful day filled with the magic of Christmas :) I think that it's amazing that we have this beautiful day filled with positivity and kindness! I've had some brilliant presents from my family and girlfriend and am incredibly grateful. If you'd like to see a few of the bits and bobs that I have been given for Christmas then let me know in the comments! 

Secondly, you may have noticed that for the last week of Blog mass I didn't post. I was really upset about this because all of my posts were pre-written and I was very well prepared for Blog mass this year and put a lot of work in, but in the last week of Blog mass I moved house and with it being Christmas there was nobody to come out and set up the wifi so it wasn't physically possible to post. I hope you can forgive me. 

I am so unbelievably excited for the new year and getting lots of blogging done. This year I'm going to focus my blog on mindfulness, healthy living ( for your mind and body ) and creating the happiness in life that we all deserve. I'd like to still post the odd personal post and am very open to suggestions of any posts that you guys would like to see so let me know down below. 

Here are a few pictures of our Christmas ! 

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

My Favorite Feelings

Hello, Lovely People ! 

Today is just a short little post but I think it's important. I've been thinking about my favourite feelings, so here are a few of them :

• Getting into bed when you're so tired you don't even remember falling asleep 
• Cuddling up to my girlfriend 
• Grass on my bare feet 
• Fresh sheets on my bed 
• A fan when it's really hot 
• A Hot water bottle when it's really cold 
• That sense of being so in love that you constantly have butterflies ! 

What are your favorite feelings ? Let me know in the comments ! If you liked this post then let me know and I'll upload a better quality post on this topic in the new year. 

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

lots of love, Marianne xxx

DIY Sock Snowmen | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

Christmas is a great time to get crafty with your kids or younger members of your family! But with so many different things to make that are too long or difficult to keep there attention, it can be hard to keep those little bundles of energy entertained throughout the holidays. Fortunately, my girlfriends mum is fabulously creative and showed me how to make these adorable sock snowmen with only an old sock, a bag of rice and a couple of buttons ! So here we go :

What You'll Need : 

• One Plain White Sock 
• One Patterned Sock
• 6 Little Buttons ( all colors, shaped and sizes are great ! ) 
• One Piece of Christmas Ribbon 
• A Lil bit of string 
• One Bag of Rice 

Step One : Cut the plain white sock along the ankle line 

Step Two : Fill almost to the top with rice and tie a piece of string around the top of the sock and double / triple knot it to make sure it's completely secure and no rice can escape ! 

Step Three : Tie a second piece of string around two thirds of the way up your snowman's body to separate his head from his body and wrap the string around a few times before double knotting again so that it stays put. 

Step Four : Fold the patterned sock up a couple times to form a little hat that you can put on your snowman's head 

Step Five : Glue on two button eyes, a nose and three little buttons down his tummy 

Step Six : Finally tie a lil bit of ribbon around your snowman's neck to make his scarfs annnddd... VOILA ! Your own personal snowman buddy ! 

Why not make a whole family of snowmen friends ? It's a great activity that costs barely anything to make and is brilliant fun for the whole family ! If you give them a try then I'd love to hear how it went in the comments ! 

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smile :) 

Lots of love,  Marianne xxx

Top Ten Christmas Movies | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

Is there anything better than snuggling up in front of the fire after a long day of Christmas shopping, and watching your favorite feel good Christmas movie ? I certainly don't think there is ! So this year me and my girlfriend have planned the perfect Christmas movie day where we can cuddle up under the blankets and laugh along at Christmas films all night ! Whether it's a romantic comedy or a family friendly favorite you're after, there will be something in this list that's perfect for you.

Rom-Com's

• The Holiday 
• The Snowman 

Great For The Kids

• Annabelles Wish 
• The Snowman ( Why not make your own sock snowman with the kids while watching? Then check out yesterday's DIY here ) 
• Rudolf and the Island Of Misfit Toy

Family Favourites 

• Elf 
• Arthur Christmas 
• Santa Claus 1,2+3 
• Nativity 

All you need to do is pick your favorite movie, grab a duvet and a few  yummy snacks ( You can find a great list of accidentally vegan treats here ) and enjoy some much needed you time ! Let me know in the comments what's your favorite movie ? 

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

OOTD Family Day Out | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

Welcome to my third and final OOTD post in this Blogmass series, I really hope you've enjoyed reading these OOTD posts as much as I've enjoyed putting them together ( which is a whole lot more than I expected ). Today's outfit is perfect for feeling cozy but casual on a family day out. Perhaps a trip to see Santa or a last minute shopping trip when the weather's getting a Lil bit chilly! As with all of my OOTD posts, photography credits go to my beautiful girlfriend who's photography facebook page you can find here, I know she'd love your support ! Right then, let's get snuggly !

The Outfit 

I was delighted when I found this deep burnt orange knitted jumper for a bargain price of only £16 in ASDA ! I honestly feel like this gorgeous off the shoulder jumper captures Autumn in a single color.  I wore this jumper with black jeans but I also feel it would look great with blue jeans for a slightly more casual look. I thought simple but classic black lace-up boots would be the best choice with this outfit. They have a small wedge heel to give me that extra bit of height without the aching feet if I'm out for the whole day!

Makeup 

I straightened my hair and left it down for a quick simple hair do. I wanted to keep my look casual and easy so I went for a neutral pale brown smokey eyeshadow and a light pink lipgloss from The Natural Collection called 'Caramel Shortcake'.

Are you going on any fun day trips in the lead up to Christmas ? Have you paid Santa a visit yet ? What will you be wearing on family days out ? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Compassionate Christmas Buffet Treats | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People ! 

Now, I think that we can all agree that one of the best things about Christmas is the food ! In my experience, the best types of food are pre-cooked and ready to serve... so that I can't burn them hehe. Every year on Christmas eve my mum makes a delicious buffet and invites all of our friends and family around to enjoy it. It's possibly my favorite time of the year ! So today I want to share with you a list of easy and cruelty-free treats ( they're all vegan in the Uk ) so that you can have the perfect compassionate Christmas buffet.

• Mr Kiplings Treacle Tart
• Co-ops Bakery Custard and Jam Donuts ( BEST DISCOVERY EVER ! )
• Flying Saucers ( found in the Co-ops 3 bags of sweets for £1 section )
• Foxes Party Rings 
• Lidls Own Brand Mince Pies 
• Skips - Prawn Cocktail Flavour 
• Chocolate Bourbons ( most shop brands are vegan but be sure to read the packaging ) 
• Skittles 
•  Starburst 
• Ready Salted/Texas BBQ/Paprika Pringles

I really hope that post has introduced to you and maybe even surprised you with the wonderful range of accidentally vegan treats available ! I'd also likely to quickly note that these are all vegan in England but recipes vary between countries so be sure to check with the companies if you're buying  from outside of England ! On a similar note, some of these products will have 'May contain milk' warnings and such things which just means it is made in the same factory as something with milk in. It is still vegan as there are no animal ingredients in any of the products listed. However, if you have a severe milk allergy then use your own judgment before purchasing! 

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

lots of love, Marianne xxx

OOTD Winter Date | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People ! 

Today I'm back again with another OOTD post ! I hope you liked my first attempt ( you can find it here if you missed it ) where I shared with you, my ideal outfit for the Christmas do at work. Today I've put together an outfit for a lovely winter date. This outfit would be great for any sort of date from a dinner date to a cinema date. Once again I'd like to thank my gorgeous girlfriend for the photography in this post, if you like her work then she also does weddings and photography work focusing on mental health issues. She's just starting out and I know she'd appreciate your support, you can find her facebook page here if you'd like to have a quick look ! Anyway, on with my OOTD !

The Outfit 

For this winter date, I chose this lovely lacey white top ( From NewLook ) because I absolutely love the delicate design. It's ideal for winter because it looks great with both a big fluffy coat for those colder winter evenings and a leather jacket for a cooler daytime look. I wore it with some lovely second-hand black boots ( a staple over the Christmas period , they keep your feet dry AND look great ! What's not to love? ) and simple black leggings.

 

Makeup and Other Sparkly Things ! 

For my makeup, I used Benefits 'World Famous Neutrals' palette which is my go to palette all year round when I want to feel a Lil bit special ! I also used a cheery pink blusher ( from body shop ) to brighten up the look and a Rimmel lipstick in the shade ' A drop of sherry' which is perfect for the festive season .

What do you think of this outfit ? Have you got a 'go to' date outfit ?Are you enjoying these OOTD posts ? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments because I'm pretty new to this style of posts but I really enjoyed writing them !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

DIY Star Garland | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

Handmade gifts are always well received and I have come up with a DIY that looks amazing , would be a great gift and is super easy to make ! So it's win-win all round ! Why not make one for the whole family ? So today I thought I'd share with you, how to make a DIY star garland. I hope you enjoy it !

What You Need :

• Air Drying Clay 
• A Gold Permanent Marker 
• Rolling Pin 
• Star Shaped Cookie Cutter 
• String 
• Pencil

Step One : Roll out your clay so it's about 0/5 cm thick

Step Two : Cut out four stars with your cookie cutter and poke a whole through two opposite points with a pencil.

Step Three : Leave the clay to dry for twenty-four hours ( Be patient, it's worth it ! )

Step Four : On each star write one letter with your gold pen on each star "N", "O", "E", "L" . If you're worried about slipping up then you can always lightly draw them on with a pencil first !

Step Five : Thread the string through each hole and tie a loop at either end.

TAADAAAAA ! It's really as easy as that ! All that's left to do is wrap it up in some pretty paper to give as a gift or even hang it over your own fire place as part of the Christmas decorations !

What's your favorite thing to make at Christmas time ? If you give this adorable little star garland a go, then I'd love to hear how it goes in the comments !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

OOTD The Christmas Do | Blogmas 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

If there's one time of year that you want to feel that bit extra sparkly then it's the Christmas Do at work ! It's the perfect time to dress up and show everyone how pretty you truly are. So I've put together my very first 'Outfit Of The Day ' post and I'm a little nervous because I've not done anything like this on my blog before but I plan to do three for the Christmas period over Blogmass. This look would also be perfect for Christmas day or any other Christmas parties so feel free to let me know what you think !

The Dress 

My dress was from Bravissimo Pepperberry. This is a lesser known brand but they're absolutely amazing. They make gorgeous clothes with room for boobs ! That way women with boobs that are bigger proportionately to our waists, can have lovely, fitted clothes as well. I'm not sponsored by them but I couldn't recommend them enough. It's the Jacquard dress. I love the emerald tones, I'm not sure why but I'm really into emerald greens at the minute !

Makeup and Other Sparkly Things 

For my makeup, I did a smokey eye using my ' Benefit - World Famous Neutrals ' and then a berry lip with Rimmel Londons ' A Drop of Sherry' . Meanwhile,  on my nails, I thought some sparkles wouldn't go amiss !

I really hope you liked this look ! I'd like to thank my gorgeous girlfriend for taking the time to do the photography for this post when she has lots of other important exams to do photography for. If you liked this post then there are two more OOTD posts for the Christmas season coming up including a family day out and an outfit for a festive date night!

What's your Christmas party outfit ? Let me know in the comments !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

lots of love, Marianne xxx

Compassionate Christmas Coffee Shop Finds | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People ! 

Today's post is the first in a series that will be popping up a few times over the Blogmass called 'Compassionate Christmas' in this series I will be writing about Christmassy things like coffee shop drinks, buffet food and pamper nights but veganized so they're completely cruelty-free. Therefore giving you a compassionate Christmas !

Now, I don't know about you but for me, one of the best things about Christmas is the Christmas themed drinks that come out in the coffee shops . We're talking marshmallow, peppermint and spiced orange flavored hot chocolate ! The best bit is that is you order these drinks with Soy milk then they're vegan in the UK! ( However, there is a cross contamination risk so these may not be safe for milk allergy sufferers ). So here we go :



In Costa coffee they're selling a gorgeous marshmallow hot chocolate ( All the syrups in their Christmas drinks have no animal products, however, make sure you ask them not to put the marshmallows up top and of course no cream ) the great thing about making the hot chocolates with soy milk is that it froths up really well so it tastes like it has cream on top ! They also have a super yummy Christmas cake that's marked as suitable for vegans.

Meanwhile, Cafe Nero has an equally exciting option ! Spiced orange hot chocolate with a mince pie . It's absolutely delicious and there is always such lovely staff in Cafe Nero which makes the Christmas coffee shop experience that much better .

What's your favorite Christmas drink in coffee shops? Would you consider switching to soy milk for a more compassionate Christmas ? I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

advent 

The Yoga Diaries | Week Four

Hello, Lovely People !





After last weeks joyful success in yoga class and where I could feel myself improving and my body strengthening,I'm actually pretty sad to have to post this post. However I promised to share with you my yoga journey in complete honesty so that's the good and the bad. This week I went to yoga but I thought I'd go to the circuit training class straight before, after circuit training I was absolutely exhausted, boiling and had no energy left in my body to do a yoga class, but I went anyway. Unfortunately, because I was so utterly exhausted I was pretty much useless in yoga, I was hyperventilating and over heating and actually thought I might faint at some point. I genuinely considered just walking out of the class half way through because I was just Incapable of anything but I managed to force myself to stay ( the one thing I am proud of ) until the end of the class and can whole heartedly say that I tried my best. I ended up in tears after the class, I just felt so disappointed in myself for accidentally savaging my progress in yoga by going to another high energy class first. So, that's how this week I fell down a few places on my development. I wanted to share this with you because I think it's important that people know that learning any skill from yoga to knitting, is not linear. It's a big squiggly lines of ups and downs and it can be really hard sometimes to pick yourself and go to the next class especially when you start to feel like a failure. You're not a failure, you're learning, and I believe in you.

What went well : I stayed for the whole class even though I wanted to give up

What I need to improve : Understanding that my energy is not unlimited.

How I'm going to improve it : I'm going to prepare for every yoga class by drinking lots of water and having some quiet time before to get me in the right frame of mind.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Gifts For Kids | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People ! 

We all have a kid in our lives that makes us smile.Whether it's your own, your sibling or a family friend, they can be so sweet and naively funny that you just want to get them a present that makes them smile too. So I've put together a list of a few gift ideas for kids !

Joke Present- B&M £3

This is a great gift for older kids who enjoy being the joker of the family, I'm sure they'll have a great time causing havoc hehe !

Build a Bear Workshop £12-£20 

Boy or girl, no matter the age, there is no child ( or adult ) who would not enjoy going to build a bear workshop and making their own furry friend ! They all vary in price and there's plenty of adorable clothes for boy and girl bears. There's something for everyone.

Books £4

Books are a great present that kids can enjoy at bedtime and they're educational as well as exciting. You can fit this gift to the child. There's cooking books, fairy books, pirate books and coloring books. You really can't go wrong with a good book !

Disney Tsum Tsum £3 

Disney's tsum tsums are adorable little teddys in the form of  all the Disney characters ! I personally have sixteen of them hehe !

Personalised Crayons £7.25

My girlfriend recently bought me some awesome crayons and she had them personalised with "MyHappyBubble" written on them. ( Best Girlfriend Ever ) and I found some that are similar online because they would be an amazing present. Kids would be amazed that you found pens with their names on and would love the idea of Santa's elf writing their name on them.

And that ... concludes my gift guide series . I hope you've enjoyed it and found it helpful in your hunt for Christmas pressies ! Tomorrow there will be another installment in the Yoga diaries and then on Saturday I shall be resuming the Christmas spirit and sharing my list of my favorite Christmas coffee shop finds ( and they're all vegan ! ). Are you feeling Christmassy yet ? What's your favorite thing about the festive seasons? Let me know in the comments !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Gift Guide For Him | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

Who really knows what men want for Christmas ? When you ask them, they say they don't know. When you buy them slippers, they look at you in despair. There's just no winning ! So I've written a gift guide especially to help you decide what to get the man in your life. Whether that's your dad, your boyfriend or your brother, I've found something !

Fudge Kitchin Hot Chocolate - £10

Fudge Kitchin is an awesome brand that makes it's own version of hot chocolate called 'Drinking Fudge' and it's absolutely delicious. There are loads of  yummy flavors from winter spice to sea salted caramel and nothing could beat a great hot chocolate on the sofa while watching Doctor Who.

Box of There Favourite Treats - £ Varies in Price 

Why not buy a little box and make a compilation of all of their favorite treats ? I'm making one of these for my girlfriend's dad who's diabetic. I'm going to fill a little box with sugar-free chocolate and lollies.

Aramis After Shave - £30

Aramis is my dad's personal favorite after-shave and it's a great go-to gift. Obviously, it would be best to buy the after-shave that your dad/brother/boyfriend likes. Currently, in B&M they're selling gift sets of linx after-shave for only £8 and they come with a toiletries bag.

CD - £10 

This one is easy enough just find out their favorite musician .. and buy their latest CD ( Be sure to check that they don't already have it) . This a great gift that you know they'll love so it's risk-free !

Costa Gift Card - £5-£20

A costa gift card is a great little extra that gives them some choice in what they're getting. Coffee shop gift cards are a particularly good gift because they can be stored away for a rainy day when you're broke but really need a hot chocolate !

What are you buying for the men in your life this year ? I can't wait to hear from you in the comments! If you're struggling to buy for your younger cousins or siblings or even your own kids then be sure to check back tomorrow for a gift guide for kids.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :)

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Gift Guide For Her | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

Women, can't live with them, can't live without them, eh ? Aren't they a nightmare to buy for ? Luckily I've put together a selection of gifts to please any of the women in your life from your mother to your sister to your girlfriend. It's all here !

Pyjamas - Debenhams £27.50

These stunning Pyjamas are already tied up in a gorgeous silver bow and ready to present to a very happy woman with a gorgeous wildlife design. Who wouldn't be happy to receive these ? I definitely would be over the moon ! A perfect edition to the pyjama drawer. And a tip for the men out there, if you think she already has enough Pyjamas .. you're wrong .

Jewellery 

You can't go wrong with a delicate little necklace and there's a whole range to choose from you could look in Accessorize or Pandora for something a little more high-end ! 

Photo Frame - B&M £12.00

Filling a photo frame with photos is the perfect gift for the more sentimental women ( I know my mother would love something like this ) and this wooden frame holds 12 photographs and those 12 photographs will hold 12 treasured memories , what better gift could there be ?

Scarfs - Market Stalls 

I found this particular scarf on a market stall in summer and picked it up for my mother knowing that i would be perfect ! I often see beautiful scarves particularly at Christmas markets so they're definitely something to keep your eyes out for .

Crystals  - £2-£5

If you're looking for a personalized gift then why not head into a local crystal shop ( there tends to be one somewhere in most towns but if you can't find your local crystal shop then just google it ) and ask at the counter for crystals that help problems that the person you're shopping for has. For example, there are crystals to remove negative thoughts, decrease anxiety, increase romance, help creativity flow . There's sure to be something that's perfect !


What do you like to buy for the women in your life ? Who do you find hardest to shop for ? I can't wait to hear all of your thoughts in the comments. If you struggle shopping for men ( Because what can you really buy your dad other than slippers, right ? ) then be sure to check back tomorrow for a complete gift guide for men.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Secret Santa Gift Guide | Blogmass 2016

Hello, Lovely People !

Welcome to the first in a four part mini-series that will give you lots of brilliant gift ideas for those people who you just don't know what to buy for. To kick everything off, I've made a little gift guide for those pesky secret Santa's who you just don't know what to buy for ! These range from £1 to £10 so you'll find something to fit any budget and suit anyone .

Jelly Tots ! £1 or two for £1.50 in ASDA 

These sweet little tubes of fruity goodness are lovely little extras in any gift and the jelly tots in the uk are suitable for vegans so you can keep everybody happy ! This is especially useful when buying for people you don't know very well so that there are no problems with their dietary requirements.There are also lots of other options for those chocoholics out there.

Baylis and Harding Christmas Crackers - Asda £5 

These sweet crackers are an amazing novelty gift with a good quality and beautiful twist as these violet and pink crackers reveal mini Baylis and Harding products when you pull them ! They're available in both gold and violet.

Lush Lip Scrubs £5.50-£5.75 

All Lush Products are a winner, but their lip scrubs are a personal favorite of mine. They leave your lips feeling super soft and mistletoe ready. There are lots of flavors from bubblegum to popcorn ( my favorite ) to their special Christmas edition " Santa Baby ". They also sell the most gorgeous bath bombs that will be loved by men and women a like.

Polar Bear Mug  - ASDA £3

Do I even need to say anything ? This mug is absolutely adorable. Just imagine snuggling up by the fire with your hot chocolate in this cute little mug and watching Christmas Films.

Merry Christmas Slate Sign - Poundland £1

What an amazing price for this stunning, homely slate sign, anybody would love to receive. I couldn't believe me eyes when I found this for only £1 !

Are you doing secret Santa this year ? What are you getting them ? How's your Christmas shopping going, are you super organised and all finished or like me and have only started hehe ? I can't wait to hear all about how your Christmas is going in the comments !

Check back tomorrow for a whole selection of gifts for the women in your life from your mother to your girlfriend there's something for everyone.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

Five Essential Tips For A Stress Three Christmas | Blogmass 2016

Hello Lovely People !

There's no denying that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be pretty stressful. There's money to find, gifts to buy, arguments to ... well, argue hehe . In avoiding all of these stressful things I've found that organisation is key. So I've compiled a list of five essential tips that can help you make the most of your ( Stress free ) Christmas !

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

Prepare ! Organize yourself. Do not, I repeat DO NOT leave your shopping until the last minute. Get shopping as early as possible to make sure you get the gifts that your friends and family will be sure to love. If you're struggling for ideas, for the next four days of Blogmass I've got gift guides for Secret Santa, Women, Men, and Kids. There's something for everyone so be sure to check back over the next few days for lots of ideas.

Always Take  A Tote Bag

Talking of shopping ... If there's one thing that I've learned in years of Christmas shopping it's to always take a tote bag ! They are so incredibly useful. Too many times I've finished up my shopping and am walking back to the car exhausted from a day of Christmas shopping when in the middle of York city center all of the plastic bags simultaneously fall through. So this year I'm taking tote bags so I don't have to worry about them and for the added bonus I won't have to pay 5p for a bag , Yay !

Budget EVERYTHING

The last thing that you need at Christmas is to be stressing about money problems. So to avoid this, make sure you budget everything and know both what you have to spend and what you've already spent. For a step by step guide on how to budget your Christmas then check out yesterday's post here.

Post Those Christmas Cards 

 In the Uk Cards need to be sent by the 20th December second class or the 21st December first class to get your cards to their destination in time for Christmas. However the earlier you send them the longer they can be up so get writing!

Buying Wrapping Paper 

We've all been there on Christmas eve when we've run out of wrapping paper with no time to buy any more. I also remember pulling a present out of my Santa sack as a kid while my mum mumbled something about the elves running out of wrapping paper hehe. Make sure you stock up on plenty of wrapping paper and buy tags. Last year I didn't buy any tags and handed everyone their presents with a post-it note with their names on ... not a good look.

What are your favorite tips to stay organized at Christmas ? Have you ever had any funny Christmas organization disasters ? I'd love to hear from you in the comments !

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for the first of four posts in my new mini series of gift guides.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

P.s. M<y blog now has a facebook page and i'd really appreciate you took a look and maybe gave it a like for regular updates on when I post!

How To...Budget For Christmas | Blogmass 2016

Hello Lovely People !

Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be the most expensive. and nobody wants to ruin the Christmas magic with money problem. It can be particularly tricky as a broke student so I've put together an easy five step guide on how to budget for Christmas !

Making A Realistic Budget 

Work out exactly how much you've got to spend. Try to be realistic here, it's far better to  underestimate than overestimate and end up without any money left to buy that nice scarf for your long forgotten second cousin twice removed hehe !

Ensuring You Don't Forget Anyone 

Make a list of everyone that you've got to buy for and separate them into four categories. Family, Friends, Work and Relationships. This makes it easier to break everything down so you can clearly see who you've got to buy for. ( Double check the list before you move on, you don't want to forget anyone )

Creating Individual Budgets  

Delegate a segment of your budget to each person, so that you know exactly how much you've got to spend on each person. Breaking the budget down into smaller, more manageable pieces makes it harder to over-spend. If you're on a really strict budget like me you can take the money and separate it into separate envelopes for every person on your list ( remember to label the envelopes ). This way you can clearly see exactly how much you have left ( Or don't have left ) to spend on each person.

Christmas With All The Trimmings

Whatever is left of your budget after buying presents can then be dedicated to all the trimmings eg. cards and gift wrap to add that extra bit of sparkle to your Christmas ! There will be a post with lots of pretty wrapping inspiration later this Blogmass so keep your eyes peeled .

Organisation Is Key 

Make a clear table so that you can see clearly what your budget is, what you've already spent, who you've finished buying for and what to buy ! If you want to be super organized like yours truly you can buy a little notebook ( Mines from Wilkinson's and it cost just £2) and use it to write down all your Christmas budgeting and to jot down present ideas when you see them !

I really hope these tips help keep Christmas on a budget , for a whole bunch of tips to help you keep Christmas stress free, check back tomorrow ! In the meantime, let me know in the comments what you do to help keep your Christmas on a budget ! I can't wait to hear all of your fantastic tips.

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

lots of love, Marianne xxx

The Yoga Diaries | Week Three

Hello, Lovely People !

I've just got back from my third yoga class and I have got to say, I'm feeling the benefits far faster than I imagined ! Today in class, I was doing downward dog ( If you've read my previous posts you'll know I struggle with this ) and was waiting for myself to collapse into the extended child's pose when the instructor called out for us to move to the next position! I managed to hold it for as long as the rest of the class ! I'm not saying I didn't struggle but It was nothing compared to the aching and pain of the last two classes.I think in total I collapsed down from a pose twice and fell over only about four times ... which is pretty good for me. All through the class I couldn't help but think, how amazed I was by my progression over that week and I felt so proud of myself. After the class, I was full of energy and felt wonderful. To top it all off, on the way home my dad offered to get a Chinese and I declined. I was really pleased with myself for this because it just shows how yoga is helping me move towards a healthier mindset !

What went well : I could really feel an improvement in how long I could stay in each pose for !

What I need to improve : I think my accuracy in how I do the poses is affecting how well I do them and how long I can do them for so I'd like to improve my accuracy.

How I'm going to improve it : I'm going to watch some videos on YouTube with step by step instructions on how to do yoga poses, if I find any good ones I'll let you know in next week's update.

I'd love to hear from you guys in the comments, what have you done this week to make you feel proud ? Also, do you feel more inclined to eat healthily after exercising ? I'm curious to know if it's just me !

Stay Strong <3 Stay Smiley :) 

Lots of love, Marianne xxx

This is the cat's pose, we use this a lot in flow yoga with the cow pose which I will be sharing next week !