Twenty Things we're all guilty of at Christmas time.

It's definitely true. It's the most wonderful of the year. If you didn't sing that line, are you even celebrating Christmas? So much joy and festive spirit occurs around this time of the year; from the sweet smell of turkey cooking on Christmas morning to turning on every fairy light or lighting every scented candles that you own. Some people say that Christmas changes when you become an adult, whilst that is somewhat true as you think about the cost implications of Christmas and when you're actually going to get time to Christmas shop when you work full time but the true meaning and spirit of Christmas stays the same and you do feel like a child again. 

At Christmas everything from Instagram and Pinterest to high-street stores are surrounded by glitter, festive colours and the sound of Christmas tunes. Unfortunately all of these things seem to be only acceptable at Christmas time. So here are my top 20 things that you can only get away with during Christmas time: 

1. Eating chocolate for breakfast everyday in December and not giving a damn because everyone else is doing it too. 
2. Being allowed to sit and do absolutely nothing because you've got a date with stack of Christmas movies. 
3. Being able to sing out loud because you know someone around you is going to join in the singing of Christmas songs.
4. Consuming your daily amount of calories, eating only mince pies and Christmas cookies. 
5. Cracking out the Christmas jumpers and working it like Sharpey Evans. 
6. Instagramming every Christmassy-themed object.
7. The one time of year you can practically re-decorate your home with more fairy lights, glitter and scented candles than usual. 
8. Having an excuse to buy new homeware items.
9. Taking time to perfect your wrapping skills with colour ordinated bows, ribbons and gift bags to match your wrapping paper.
10. Create a wishlist that you know family and friends are likely to pay attention too. 
11. To do an excessive amount of baking which includes plenty of Christmas spices, cinnamon and cranberry.  
12. Eating too much and not needing to worry about what everyone else thinks. 
13. Reliving childhood traditions that you are only able to do once a year.
14. Unearthing old Christmas decorations that you forgot you had and getting over exciting like a child hyped up on sugar. 
15. Wearing super festive pyjamas and knitwear that no one can judge you on. 
16. Expressing your seasonal joy to every stranger you come into contact with during December. 'Have a good Christmas' or 'Merry Christmas!' 
17. Wearing paper hats out of a cracker like they're in fashion. 
18. The smell of fresh turkey and cranberry everywhere you go becomes like a drug during December. 
19. Not keeping count of how many bottles of fizz you've open during December. 
20. Having an afternoon nap after you've eaten what feels like a lifetime of food in one sitting. 

Until the next festive blog, Au Revoir! Oh and Merry Christmas to all! 

Workwear Wardrobe Wishlist

1. River Island - Black Frill Blouse | 2. Mango - Coat | 3. Miss Selfridge - Tie Cropped Trousers | 4. New Look - Grey Suede Loafers | 5. Oliver Bonas - Black and White Skirt  | 6. River Island - Grey Striped Bardot Shirt  | 7. Oliver Bonas - Shirt | 8. River Island - Light Blue Cami Top | 9. New Look - Waterfall Duster Jacket | 10. Zara - Faux Leather Skirt | 11. Topshop - Pinafore Dress | 12. River Island - Striped Cami Top | 13. New Look - White Spot Shirt | 14. New Look - Black Cropped Trousers | 15. New Look - Burgundy Shirt | 16. Topshop - Tie Sleeve Bardot Blouse

Why is it, when you’ve got money to spend, I can never seem to find any clothes that I want but when my funds are lacking, I seem to be able to create an entire wishlist as long as my arm.

However after creating said wishlist, my excuse legit and very plausible reason for shopping spending my money on said clothes on that wishlist is that I have a ‘new’ job. Well I’ve actually had said new job for about six months now but I never actually managed to replenish my wardrobe after having a massive clear out and de-clutter before moving. So I need some workwear.

My usual daytime attire consists of both jeans and a baggy t-shirt/top – depends on my mood - so I needed to step up my game a little in the office wear world.  My office is quite ‘relaxed’ in terms of wardrobe, however I tend to go for the ‘smart/casual’ look on a day-to-day basis unless I have a client meeting when I tend to dress it up and make a bit more of an effort.

Luckily, I have found some great additions to hopefully add to my workwear wardrobe; New Look and River Island have some lovely items in at the moment as well as Oliver Bonas – however this is likely to stay on the wishlist, a little longer.

If there is anything else out there you think my wardrobe needs then let me know!

How to make Winter Mornings more bearable?

I hate mornings. Well I don't hate mornings if something is good is planned for the day - going on holiday, visiting friends or frankly doing something that I love but sometimes those types of mornings don't tend to happen where Monday to Fridays are concerned. However, I think that we all can agree that getting up on a cold, wintery morning can be somewhat difficult, even if you have something planned. I mean your bed is warm, comfy and desirable - this is probably why getting up in a morning is so damn hard and who doesn't love sleep. 

I haven't always been a morning person but when you start working 8:30am - 5pm, it kind of a given that you have to start becoming a morning person but on the plus side being a morning person can be a good thing too.  Lately, I have been looking at different ways to become a successful morning person; instead of walking downstairs at 7am, half-dressed, my hair looking like I have been electrocuted and sounding like a zombie. So here is what I've come up with so far...

1. Let the morning in 

Okay, so during the winter months this is slightly impossible what with it still being dark when us 9-5er's get up and go to work. But in summer? There is no excuse! However as a tip for the winter months, I still feel that opening your blinds is a good place to start and the light will eventually shine through but whilst it is still dark using table lamps (or fairy lights) and candles because they aren't as harsh as ceiling lights which no-one wants to look at in the morning. 

2. Refresh your skin 

The first thing I do when I wake up is wash my face, it instantly makes you feel refreshed and 'awake', once completed finishing the routine off with a cool moisturiser is bliss. Sometimes after I finish washing my face, I splash a quick blast of cold water on my face - so if I wasn't feeling 'awake' when I finished washing my face, I do when the cold water hits. 

3. Have a 'hearty, healthy' breakfast

I never used to be a lover of breakfast but now... It's the one meal that I look forward to the most and I generally don't understand people who feel the need to skip it. I mean, how are their stomaches not screaming at them to be fed first thing in the morning? During the working weekend, I tend to stick with either cereal (Cheerios or Special K), smoothies or cinnamon porridge with fruit (mostly apple). However on a weekend because I have a little extra time, I tend to treat myself with something like scramble eggs on toast, or pastries. Yummy. 

4. Wind down in the evening 

Give yourself at least an hour to wind down, before going to bed is a must, otherwise your sleep will be restless and your morning will feel a lot worse than it needs to be. Chances are, you have been extremely busy during the day, running around trying to complete what feels like an list of endless tasks and your mind is working overtime; which is why it's so important to try and wind down at night. Whether you wind down with a good book, try a calming chamomile or de-caffinated tea or listen to music (I would stay away from the heavy metal and loud music though); the most important thing to remember is turn off or put down your technology a bright screen isn't good for a night-time routine. 

5. Do something you enjoy, first thing in the morning. 

I know getting out of a warm bed doesn't seem like a positive or very enjoyable but to help make your morning (and day) a success, doing something that you enjoy first thing in the morning can set you up for the rest of the day. Whether that is waking up to the best breakfast, arranging to meet a friend after work for dinner or planning your favourite dinner for after work, doing something you enjoy can set you up ready for the day ahead. 

6. Get going, as soon as you open your eyes. 

Who doesn't love sleep? Or their bed? Especially in a morning, when it's all warm, toasty and cosy. This is why a lot of us fail before the day has even begun; as soon as your alarm goes off, we mute it and go back to sleep and then panic station - we are running late! This is why it's so important to get going as soon as possible, giving yourself the chance to flop back down into bed is a disaster waiting to happen. I find that once you've made it out of bed to the bathroom, going back to sleep is out of the question. 

7. Socks or cosy slippers? The choice is yours. 

I hate having cold feet. One of the main reasons that I refuse to get out of bed in the morning is knowing that I am going to get out of a warm, toasty bed into a cold, icy bedroom. So, before I go to bed I always make sure that I have either a warm pair of socks on my bedside table or my cosy EMU slippers on the floor by my bed; when I hear my alarm clock go off, the first thing I do is put on either my socks or slippers - the comfort just makes getting out of bed ten times easier. 

Until the next top tips and advice post, Au Revoir! 

Love,
Lauren xo 

What I got for Christmas?

Office - Suede Brown Easter Buckle Knee Boots | HMV - Disney DVDS (including The Jungle Book and 101 Dalmations, my favs!) | Olivia Palermo Nail Polish in "My Haute Vacation Coral" | Cath Kidston Billie and Friends Cream Stanley Mug | The Body Shop - Christmas Scented Shower Gels (Frosted Cranberry, Frosted Plum and Glazed Apple) | Kindle PaperWhite | Boux Avenue Fleecy Pyjamas | Frozen 'Olaf' Pyjamas | Christmas Yankee Candle Melt Warmer (with lots of Christmas scents to go with it - Bundled Up my new favourite scent!) | Personalised Heart-Shaped Photo Garland with bestie photos included | New Look Super Skinny Indigo Jeans | Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate | Olly Mur 2016 Calendar (Christmas wouldn't be the same without an Olly Murs calendar) 

Christmas. A time where we all eat too much Chocolate, consume a few too many glasses of Prosecco and the entire nation complains that they've put on too much weight and they promise that they're going to hit the gym in the New Year - a promise which half of us say but never do! 

Yet again, I have been well and truly spoilt this year; after getting over the fact that a twenty-one year old still like Disney, my parents gave me a number of different Disney films - including The jungle Book, my fav! -  a new Kindle Paperwhite, and not to mention the cutest pair of boots I've ever recieved (*insert heart shaped eye emoji here*), along with plenty of pyjamas (which seem to be the 'in-thing' to get people for Christmas these days along with plenty of shower gels and other smellies). Getting new pyjamas for Christmas is the best though, don't you agree? With regards to the 'token smellies' that you always seem to get at Christmas time, well I think my family must of empty the shelves at The Body Shop with the amount of shower gels and facial washes that I have stored in my bathroom right now - don't get my wrong being topped up with shower gels and smellies is what Christmas is all about but I think I'm going to need a bigger bathroom shelf.

It is scary how well my university friends know me; to be honest I think they know me better than I know myself at times. 101 Dalmations is now on repeat constantly whilst my room is filled with beautiful scented candles and I munch on some Christmas choccy - thank you! 

However, where there is Christmas, there are Boxing Day Sales just around the corner, don't worry I am not one of these people, who get up at 5am just to queue outside a store to get the best bargain and fight with another shopper over one item, I do it 21st centure style, yes that's right, I visit the online shop where manic shoppers and stressed out shop assistants are nowhere to be seen and I can do it all whilst in my pyjamas, snuggled on the sofa with vanilla latte and comfy slippers. Bliss. Watch this space for Boxing Day sale treats post...

Another Christmas over and done with; I mean it's scary to think that we are almost in 2016, Au Revoir!
Love, 
Lauren xo