March favourites


I cant believe that its almost April already, this year seems to be flying by so fast! I thought that I would stop and take a moment to look back on the things I have been loving the past month.



Home-made ginger biscuits


One of my earliest childhood memories is of visiting my Nan in Ipswich, who just happens to be the BEST baker of cakes that I know. She would (and still does) make the most amazing home-made scones, chocolate muffins, and my favourite, ginger biscuits! Since I have been seeing my Nan a lot more the past month, I have been munching on a fair few of these bad boys. Also, it turns out that ginger is so good for you, preventing colds and flu, reducing inflammation & has been known to be good for your skin too, so you don't have to feel as bad whilst you indulge yourself!




The Game of thrones book series


This is a series of books that I absolutely adore. Once you pick up the first book, you honestly wont be able to stop reading. I seriously recommend the 'A song of wind and fire' series to anybody that enjoys fantasy, Kings and Queens style genres, and being number 1 on most book charts, a lot of people seem to agree with me. Unfortunately, I finished the last book in the series a few days ago which sucks for someone as impatient as me, especially since the next book is still being written. Oh well, looks like I will have to make do with being addicted to the TV series in the mean time instead!




5 Seconds of summer


I am an absolute music addict, listening to music at every given opportunity, so I love finding new artists or songs that I have never listened to before. I came across 5 seconds of summer by chance, when I accidentally clicked on a link that led me to one of their songs, and I was hooked from the first listen. 5 seconds of summer are an Australian band whose songs follow a kind of pop rock genre. If you haven't heard them before, I definitely recommend that you go and have a listen.



Battlefield 4


A bit late, I know, considering the game came out last year, but I finally got round to picking up a copy towards the start of the month. Normally I am a massive fan of Call of Duty, but I fancied a change and decided to go for Battlefield, having never played any of the previous versions, and I am happy to say that I didnt regret it one bit! I love every aspect of the online multiplayer of Battlefield 4, especially the rush and obliteration game modes and the large variety of maps available. I am sure that I will be addicted to it for many more months to come!

I cant wait to see what April brings.





Mother's day


Its mothers day, where you take a day out of your busy schedule to celebrate just how wonderful your mum is. While im standing here preparing a mother's day breakfast treat, trying not to drift off after waking up super early, I thought I would write a post on just how amazing my mum is.



I dont think some people realise just how much their mum has done for them in the past, and if you're anything like me, you dont get chance to thank them anywhere near as much as you should. I cant even imagine how difficult it must have been to carry a little baby James inside her stomach for 9 whole months and give birth to me as well! (and thankfully will never have to find out, few!). My mum was there to comfort me when I had nightmares, to teach me my first words and to help me learn how to ride a bike, picking me up when I fell amd telling me to try again.

Every Sunday morning my mum would act as a taxi service taking me all over the countryside to play football, standing on the sideline cheering me on whatever the weather. As well as this my mum always pushed me to do well at school, making me do homework and spend the majority of my free time revising for exams, and forcing me out of bed on the most miserable of Monday mornings. It would get frustrating at the time, but i see now that she just wanted me to do well and I wouldnt be the person I am today without her.

Mums support you through everything, and no matter how much of a naughty child, moody teenager or stubborn adult you are, she will always love you.

So while you are spoiling your mother with cards and gifts and enjoying a lovely Sunday roast on mothers day, just take a minute to appeciate and thank her for just how incredible she is.

Me (in the really cool thomas the tank engine jumper and chinos), my brother and sister with my mum.


Would you rather?

                                                                                                                       

I thought that it would be a good idea to do a 'get to know me' kind of post, and what better way to do that than with 10 would you rather questions, right?!



Would you rather...

Eat 6 big macs or Eat 50 chicken nuggets

Anybody that knows me will know that I absolutely adore chicken nuggets, so 50 chicken nuggets would be like heaven for me.

Have a lightsaber or Have a helper monkey

I would like to think that my helper monkey would be a jedi with a lightsaber, so it would be a win win situation for me...

Be half your height or Double your weight?

I think that I would rather be double my weight, because at least then you could lose the weight. Also I dont think my big head would suit a body that is half the size haha.

Live an average life and be forgotten or Go down in history for something terrible?

I consider myself as a generally nice person, so I really couldnt see myself doing something terrible, let alone something terrible that would make me go down in history. Even little things like forgetting to say please or thank you make me feel bad! Living an average life wouldnt be so bad, as long as you enjoyed yourself and did the things that you love, with the people that you love.

Eat the same meal for the rest of your life or Eat whatever you like except one poo sandwich a month?

For a food lover like me, eating the same meal for the rest of my life would be absolute torture, even if it was chicken nuggets! I think that sacrificing my tastebuds for one meal a month to eat a poo sandwich would be worth it to eat whatever I wanted, even if it would be hard to stomach (ew).

Have 20 million subscribers on youtube or Produce a blockbuster movie?

Creating a blockbuster movie would be awesome, especially if you were able to work with some of my favourite Hollywood actors, not mentioning any names *cough* Jennifer Lawrence *cough*. However, this doesnt mean that the movie would be successful or you would get any credit for it. On the other hand I have always wanted to start a Youtube channel myself but have never had the self confidence to follow through with it. Reaching 20 million subscribers would be a dream for anyone doing youtube, and you would get such a satisfying feeling knowing that people were watching to see you, and not for the actors.

Be the first person to set foot on Mars on a one way trip or Never go to space?

I am fascinated by everything about space, and would absolutely love to go if I had the chance. Being the first person to step off the space craft onto the 'big red planet' with the whole world watching would be such a surreal feeling. You would also go down in history, like Neil Armstrong on the moon. The only down side is that you would never see Earth or any lived ones ever again, so until there is a possibility of a return travel I would rather keep my feet planted firmly on this planet.

Go to the past and meet your ancestors or Go to the future and meet your great grandchildren?

This is a really tough question because I really want to do both. Going back to the past to meet my ancestors would answer so many questions that I have. What were they like? Where did they come from? Were they involved in any important parts if history? Dispite this we know more about the past and practically nothing about the future so I would go to the future and see my grandchildren, just to see what the future is like and if we still live the same way, and how everything has changed.

Be James Bond or Be Doctor Who?

Being James Bond would be pretty cool, but the chance of travelling anywhere i wanted to go though space and time (with a rather attractive female companion) would just be too good to refuse.

Have nipples that constantly change colour like a disco light or Have nipples made of diamond

As cool as having party nips would be, I think that flashing nipples would get quite annoying after a while, especially when you are trying to sleep. But, can you imagine how much your body would be worth with diamond nipples, not to mention how fabulous you would look.

Hope you have enjoyed reading through these rather random (and slightly strange) would you rather questions. Would you have gone for the same answers?








Clothes purchases



River Island is one of my absolute favourite places to shop, so when my procrastination brought me onto the website, i couldn't resist doing a bit of internet shopping.








● Red space dye beanie - £12

● Light acid wash denim shirt - £35

● Reverse colour block stripe vest - £12





I spent the mojority of today doing a bit of spring cleaning (so much fun...not), which included tidying up my ever so messy bedroom. While sorting through some old ps2 and computer games I managed to stumble upon an old gem of a movie from when I was younger. 


I remember going along to my first car boot sale when I was around 6 or 7 years old, full of anticipation for finding some fun games or add to my ever growing obssession of pokemon cards, for a bargain price. At one of the stalls I picked up this box with a funny blue ant on the front, with no idea what it actually was as this was the time of the VHS and DVDs were just starting to emerge, and a few minutes later (with a bit of little bit of convincing  and sweet talking to my mum) I brought my first DVD.

This movie brings back so many memories of the numerous times I watched it during my childhood such as the long, winter walks in the English countryside with my family. We would get home cold and achey and slump down on the sofa to watch bugs life while mum made us THE BEST hot chocolate to warm up. It was really one of those films where I could watch it over and over again and still absolutely love it.

I would love to know about any of your childhood memories!





Track of the day: Closer to the edge 30 Seconds To Mars


         
      
       I have always had a love for 30 Seconds to Mars. I still remember the first time that I heard them, standing outside a local shopping centre watching them on the big screen performing at the Reading festival (A big British music festival). From that moment I became more and more engrosed in their music, after listening to their albums and watching their impressive music videos. Plus, Jared Leto (The lead singer) is one of the coolest guys.


30 seconds to mars have helped me through some prety tough times in the past, and even still, when I am feeling stressed, upset or depressed i know that i can put on my headphones and block out the world.

One particular song that stands out to me, and also happens to be one of my favourite songs, is Closer to the edge. The song itself is all about reminiscing on past memories, and that everytime you dont forget a decision that you have made, good or bad, it brings you 'closer to the edge' (closer to living and loving your life). A line in the song 'maybe on day we'll meet again is about appreciating the moments that have made you who you are.

If you are feeling down or upset and in need of motivation, then I highly reccomend that you watch the powerful music video while listening to this song. It makes you feel like you want to be free from what the world expects of you and stepping out of your comfort zone.




You have to live your life and take each and every moment and learn from it.


How to: Revision



So exams are coming up really soon, and I know how much of a struggle revision can be, so I thought that I would share a few tips that I have researched and learnt through experience to hopefully help you get the best out of your revision.

1. Dont leave it until the last minute!

Yes, i know this may seem like such an obvious tip, but it is the most important! It is so difficult not to slip into the depths of procrastination and there is only so many times that you can use the 'I'll start tomorrow' excuse. Make sure that you plan a revision timetable including what you are going to revise on what day and the dates of the exams, remembering to take into account that some exams may need more revision time than others. I know that starting weeks/months in advance may seem a bit over the top, but trust me, this will definitely help you to avoid the dreaded last minute cramming.

2. Revision techniques

There are so many revision techniques out there, so dont worry if one doesnt work for you because everyone's brains work differently, and you're sure to find one that works. Some of the more popular and effective methods are:

● Flow charts & Diagrams

If, like me, you have the memory of a goldfish and struggle to take in information just by looking at endless paragraphs of words, this technique is the one for you. Visual aids are helpful as all the information is in one place and in a really easy to understand format. Also, you will be able to picture your chart or diagram in your head and be able to pick out the bits of information that you need to answer the question, like a sherlock mind palace (sorry im a bit of a Sherlock nerd lol).

● Practice old exam papers

This is the technique that I used most when revising for A levels. It helps you to get used to the timing and format of questions, and theres only so many questions that examiners can ask you so theres bound to be a differently worded repeated question somewhere right?!

3. Revise with others

One of the best ways to make revision a bit more fun is to revise with friends. (Okay so revision is never fun, but it might make it that little bit more bearable). Organising a study group and meeting up regularly means that you actually get revision done, and questions that you may have about a particular topic, your friends may have the answers to, if not theres always google!

4. Take regular breaks

After hours of grueling learning and a rather sore head, a break is definitely welcomed. Studying for a long period of time can actually be counter productive, so make sure to take regular breaks to relax and try to get some good ol' fresh air.

5. Food and Drink

You may not associate food and drink with studying, but it is one of the most important factors when it comes to revision.

Healthy food has a big impact on raising energy levels and keeping you focused, so try and stay away from the junk food. Foods that have been proven to boost concentration and memory are:

● Fish
● Nuts
● Seeds
● Yoghurt
● Blueberries
                                         



Dont worry though, you will have plenty of time to pig out after your exams!

Also, water is like brain fuel so staying well hydrated is crucial for you to work best. Make sure that you drink plenty of it during revision and throughout your exam.







I know it's not much, but I hope you have gained something by reading this.

Good luck!






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