The 'Lauren Marie' Bucket List

WARNING! This is NOT your average Bucket List… 

I am twenty years old and in the past I've been told to write a ‘Bucket List’ but if I'm not mistaken a bucket list is something created when people want to achieve or accomplish something before they die...  But the idea of having some kind of goal-orientated, organized and purpose filled content, that would hopefully one day make me feel like I have got an achievement of success on my back and a life long list of memories rather than someone who doesn't dream, want to succeed or just can't be bothered with doing anything... Sounds just like something I need to do! So this bucket list of mine is about finalizing my life ambitions that float around in my mind all day, flow through my diary and come to bed with me every night; life slips through your fingers so fast that it can’t be stopped but you can hold onto the great things and memories that you do in your lifetime. So here it is, My Bucket List which is full of my simplest of dreams to those that are just waiting to prove everyone who said ‘you can’t’ wrong…

1. Own a MacBook
2. Graduate University
3. Let my hair get really long
4. Read ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy. Twice.
5. Visit London
6. Visit Monsters University
7. Take my mum on the vacation of her dreams
8. Learn how to apply false eyelashes (it still amazes me how people do this!)
9. Go on a spontaneous road trip
10. Visit Walt Disney museum
11. Have flawless skin
12. Live life without regrets
13. Take a photo everyday for a year
14. Be the girl of someone’s dreams (cheesy, I know but it’s nice to hope!)
15. Own the car, I’ve always wanted
16. Shop on ‘Black Friday’
17. Spend an entire day watching Disney movies (in Pj's) 
18. Own a Dream Catcher
19. Write something in wet concrete
20. Have a wardrobe I actually like
21. Be kissed unexpectedly yet romantically
22. Stop eating fast food for at least a month (I've actually done more than a month!)
23. Save money (not so easy when your surrounded by super cute shoes and clothes all the time) 
24. Find my dream job
25. Go an entire day without using any technology (If social media could just shut down for a day, I would really appreciate it!)
26. I want to be (more) organized
27. Visit the 7 wonders
28. Grow old with someone I love
29. Visit the Walk of Fame in LA
30. Go to Winter Wonderland, London
31. Make a time capsule (Planning to do this after university!)
32. Be a good parent
33. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef
34. Go skinny dipping
35. Meet an amazing guy
36. Be proposed to in a unique way
37. Have a romantic date under the stars
38. Go to a spa
39. Release a paper lantern
40. Start running
41. Feel great in a bikini
42. Write a letter on Juliet’s wall in Verona, Italy
43. Go on a road trip with friends (Bournemouth in 2013 was amazing… I think its time for another one girls – Louise, Eleanor and Charlotte don’t let me down!) 
44. Walk on the Great Wall of China
45. Live in my dream house
46. Fall in love
47. Have best friends who will never let me down
48. Kiss in the rain
49. Live to see cancer cured
50. Go to Atlantis Bahamas
51. Attach a lock to the love bridge
52. Kiss under the Eiffel Tower
53. Complete a scrapbook (I need to actually start one first) 
54. Go to Disney Land
55. Eat healthier
56. Visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
57. Visit Australia
58. Go on vacation with my best friends
59. See as much of the world as I possibly can
60. Go to California
61. Ice skate in Central Park
62. Own a pair of Ray Bans (I will be doing this after I learnt NOT to sit on my sunglasses)
63. Go to Hollywood
64. Get engaged
65. Experience Christmas in New York
66. Stand under the Hollywood sign
67. See a Broadway play
68. Go to Times Square
69. See the Statue of Liberty
70. Shop in New York
71. Have Children
72. Visit the Lourve, Paris
73. Go on an African Safari
74. Go in a hot air balloon
75. Say ‘I Do’
76. Pet a baby lion
77. Stay in touch with all my university friends
78. Fly 1st Class
79. Be someone that everyone wants to be friends with
80. Do everything on my bucket list (Cliché, I know!)

If lists aren't your thing; check out my Pinterest account 'Bucket List' pin board! {Bucket List Picture...} I hope one day, you will fulfill your dreams, just like I plan to with mine but just in case you don’t think I can do it; check back in 20 years time, when I will be writing my best seller about my high-powered, purpose filled, beautiful lifestyle when my ‘Bucket List’ is complete…

Remember Readers: Never stop dreaming!

- Lauren xo

This blog post is in loving memory and incredible honour of an old family friend, who was a loveable, friendly and a truly honest man, who was suddenly taken from us with such shock and upset 12 months ago today – Unfortunately he didn’t get to finish his Bucket List.

{This is for you H!} x

12 Things that every 3rd Year at University knows to be true!

So, I thought that I would try a funny post this week and because third year is a stress-testing, emotional rollercoaster but enjoyable time in my life, I thought I would show you some of the things that most third year will know to be true! After being in third year for the past 4 months, I've started to learn a few things and I think most  third years are likely to agree with me! (I am actually glad that only a few of these things have happened to me… Coffee being a best friend is one of them!) 

How many are true to you? Check it out…

1. The realization that you need to have more nights in than you do nights out.

2. Hangovers are now deadly bombs that you cant just disarm within 24 hours.

3. You spend loads of time reading 20th century novels and theories and you still don’t understand what your dissertation is going on about…

4. All your days seem to roll into one…

5. Coffee is your new best friend!

6. Although, you’re older and wiser than the fresher’s, you’re still envious of their late nights and party spirit.

7. You have more meetings with your dissertation supervisor than you see your friends… Awkward!

8. You constantly hear THAT
optimistic dreadful question that gives you a dry lump in your throat that you just can’t seem to get rid off….

“So, what are your plans for after you graduate?”

This is when most people (especially your parents) want to hear that enthusiastic answer of “I’m going to get a full time job, earn a living and stop eating you out of house and home, like I have done for the past twenty-one years.” 

- Sorry Mum and Dad!

9. When your brain reaches boiling point as you hear your friend has landed their first ‘proper’ job or internship and your still sat at home with the dog.

10. Trying to resist the urge to scream or cry when you look at your workload!

11. The intervals of relief you get when you have given an assignment…

But then you suddenly realize how much work you have to do, in so little time.

12. When the reality hits that your graduating and entering the real world of work in less than 4 months.

- Lauren xo 

New Year, New Me

The title of this blog post is probably one of the most cliché sayings that is spoken every new year, when the clock strikes twelve… 'New Year, New Me'. Every year, I promise myself new year resolutions that I can just never seem to keep; things like: lose weight, be a more confident person or blog twice a week (which isn't so easy when you have the biggest deadline of uni on the horizon!) So this year, I have decided that I am going to find 15 things that I want to achiee and don't worry this isn't going to be one of these Oscar-worthy style summaries where I say 2015 is going to be my year because actually nothing I say ever seems to go to plan. In place of the new years resolutions that I never seem to keep is going to be a 2015 Bucket List where I have one of the most memorable years to date because I have so much to look forward to already like: my graduation, turning 21st and a holiday with my lovely uni girls.

15 things I want to achieve in 2015:

1. Find my 1st (proper) full time job
   Since I'm graduating this year, it's probably time to start to thinking in terms of the real world and earning a living.
2. Drink more water
   I know this is a type of resolution but realistically I feel 100% happier with myself when I drink the recommended amount of water.
3.  Visit (at least) two different countries
   I think it's about time I see the world while I am still young.
4. Start to read more books
   Ever since my dissertation started, I've been reading 20th century novels that analyse theory after theory and I miss cosying up into my duvet with a good book.
5. Start saying 'Yes' to more opportunities
   I think this is self-explanatory really!
6. Visit Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
   I've always talked about going but my uni schedule just seemed to get in the way but when I finally graduate I will have no excuse not to go.
7. Visit Harry Potter World
   I've waited so long and this will be acheived this year! (Don't let me down Louise, Eleanor and Charlotte)
8. Go on another spontaneous road trip with friends
   Being spontaneous is always super exciting and when it's with friends it's even better.
9. Start a scrapbook
   I will finally put all my photos from university into a scrapbook (I've only been saying it for the past two years)
10. Graduate
11. Visit all my uni friend in the summer
    Okay, maybe not all of them as that would be a lot! Just a few to begin with…
12. Take better care of myself
    Take pride in my appearance but looking after myself a little more.
13. Do a good deed for someone
    I wouldn't say I am selfish but it's always nice to put a smile on someone else's face.
14. Go a whole day without ANY technology
    Now, I already that this is going to be extremely difficult as I have grown up in an ages where technology is on our doorstop but I suppose having a whole day without technology has it's benefits…
15. Complete the 30 day abs challenge
    Now, I managed the 30 day squat challenge surely the ab challenge can't be that much harder… can it?

So, that's a wrap! Maybe check back at the end of 2015 when you can see if I have achieve my 15 things in 2015 and see what the next chapter in my life is going to be in 2016.

- Lauren xo

John Lewis makes the Brit’s cry again!

Wham, bam, boom! They have done it again and there isn’t a dry eye in the house!

John Lewis has swept the nation with a two-minute festive sensation, which creates a powerful yet emotional bond between a boy and a penguin. With last years, Christmas advert creating an enduring relationship not only between the ‘Bear and a Hare’ but the public and John Lewis; the only question to ask is whether the public’s love will grown even fonder this year?

With the perfect soundtrack (John Lennon’s song ‘Real Love’, performed by Tom Odell) and the love story of a boy and his penguin companion; viewers were happy to admit about the tears that rolled down their face when watching this two-minute advertisement as the young boy gave his penguin companion the best of all time… Mabel!

Every year John Lewis creates a theme to go with their Christmas advertisements, this year is ‘Give someone the Christmas they’ve been dreaming of’ opening up the eyes of millions to make sure that they give that extra special something to someone they love this Christmas. However, the clever thing about this uplifting experience that John Lewis brings every Christmas is how they show the desire, love and purity of the brand through a child’s eyes making it relate to every family out there, which just want that perfect Christmas.

Monty the Penguin, 2015 

John Lewis has spent £1million creating the ad, while £7million will be spent on the marketing campaign. With the digital world at its peak and still growing, John Lewis saw it best to share the ad on their social media pages before our television screens (which it will be doing on the first ad break of tomorrow nights Goggle-box, Channel 4). I have to admit, this was definitely an interesting move for such a big retailer pinning all its hope on whether consumers would share, retweet or take to it on a platform that people are still learning about. But whether you agree or disagree this is the best John Lewis Christmas advert to date and sharing on their social media sites first was a risky yet smart move because the buzz off social media is still growing and will continue no doubt through Christmas as well.

The £7million marketing campaign fund will be spent on the Christmas adverts merchandise. John Lewis always gives something back to its consumers and this Christmas they are creating ‘Monty the Penguin’ merchandise to sell in their stores; cuddly toys, umbrellas and even a book called ‘Monty’s Christmas’ will be sold; where proceeds will go to the Barnardo’s charity. If that’s not enough, consumers will be able to come visit ‘Monty the Penguin’ by going into store to check out ‘Monty’s Den’ which is fun for all the family.

Every year they do it bigger and better and every year, we as consumers don’t know how they will top it. Adam&EveDDB are the advertising agency behind the magic and every year, they find away that emotionally engages consumers to visit John Lewis at Christmas time. The creatives behind the magic are simply geniuses, who have learnt about the consumers wants and desires at Christmas and they play around with the power that is human emotions – Well Done to Adam&EveDDB!

As an aspiring advertising student I hope one day that I will be able to pro-create or help to make an advert that inspires so many people and creates such strong and devoted loyal relationship between brand and consumer.

Well Done John Lewis another heart-melting Christmas ad.

- Lauren xo 

You Haven't Seen It?Well... if you haven't seen this ad then get your tissues at the ready because its going to be an emotional one…. Check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iccscUFY860

#Bendgate KitKat tweet kicks back at Apple’s iPhone 6.

“Have a break. Have a KitKat” is one of the most iconic slogans and brands in advertising, definitely a Lovemark to some the KitKat is known for either its two finger easy break, and it’s chunky peanut butter centre or its four-finger delight. With KitKat being voted ‘Brand of the Year’ back in May 2014, JWT has taken every opportunity to make the brand, bigger and better than its fellow choccy competitors on the market. But it’s not only the choccy competitors that KitKat have been up against… With Apple’s latest baby, hot and ready to fly off the shelves on its launch day; it wasn’t long because consumers found out that the iPhone 6 handsets bent into a 45 degree angle when they placed them in their pockets. This gave JWT an idea!

With KitKats brand equity being “Have a break. Have a KitKat” they were the perfect fit to JWT’s new social media campaign idea that would give KitKat the edge. Soon after the bending iPhone 6 was common knowledge, JWT London creative teams got on the case in creating a KitKat finger snapped into a 45 degree angle with a witty yet simple tagline: “We don’t bend, we #break.” If that’s not genius, I don’t know what is!

The tweet took the world by surprise achieving 100 retweets in the first 10 minutes but now with the popularity of social media, the tweet has been retweeted over 28,000 times, favourited over 13,000 times and collected a few thousand followers along the way. It is now bigger than Oreo’s famous Superbowl 2013 campaign “You Can Still Dunk in the Dark which only reach 15,000 retweets. Let’s be honest, in advertising timing is everything and JWT London did indeed, strike while the iron was hot! 

As a follow up to the witty yet brilliant tweet, JWT London came up with a second tweet “So what else bends or #breaks?” which links straight to the KitKat Tumblr account where the consumers can decide what bends and what breaks. It wasn’t long before brands latched onto the #bendgate idea such as: Pringles and LG Mobile who made their own versions but it was KitKat that led the way in punking Apple on one of its biggest mistakes yet.

WHAT DO I THINK?
Genius, just genius. I don’t think that JWT London could have had their finger on the pulse any quicker than they did. It was so simple yet it drove the world wild, I mean to have over 28,000 retweets and become bigger than Oreo’s “You Can Still Dunk in the Dark” is an achievement in itself but JWT managed to collect thousands of followers along the way showing that consumers loyalty to KitKat is at an all-time-high. As many know KitKat has an extensive brand arrangement with Android as JWT worked on the famous Android KitKat 4.4 last year but after bending the Internet out of shape, I think that the great Apple VS Android debate is about to become very interesting. I think the brand loyalty and the Lovemark status of our beloved brands maybe at loggerheads soon with advertising changing every minute, consumer perception isn’t always far behind.

- Lauren xo 

Is Social Media becoming part of your personality?

Did you know that 72% of all internet users have some link to social media?

It wasn’t long ago that people were picking up newspapers instead of iPads, Walkman’s and CDs instead of iPhones, books instead of a Kindle or even having a face-to-face conversation with someone instead of texting them when they are sat right next to you but times have changed. It’s true that social media and more-able technology has been a success; ideal for companies to deliver their daily message or perfect for those regular travel updates you need to get you home on time, instead of 2 hours late. But are people getting to use to it and growing accustom to it?

Social media is effortlessly becoming part of us, in what we say and what we do, every minute of every day. Every day we find ourselves tagging each other in where we’ve been today on Facebook or uploading a photo to Instagram of a Starbucks with friends but some more than others dedicate their lives to making sure that their friends and family know what’s going on. However, the rapid growth of technology in the 21st century is also starting to control the amount of access we have to our social media accounts when we are on the move or away on holiday. While having a portable device to access everything is ideal, it does stop us from showing our holiday snaps in person instead we put in on Facebook or Instagram for everyone to see or whenever we are ill, we tell everyone on social media first so that they can diagnosis us before we go to see our GP. Just last month I found myself discovering those outrageous life stories being told on Facebook, Twitter and even via Instagram, that I really didn’t need to know but social media has become this way of life that can’t be controlled, where everyone feels the need to share stories that leave readers amused or corrupted.

Social media is all around us even if you don’t want to be part of it; you’re connected in some way via your friends and family. Its open knowledge that the older generation didn’t grow up with smartphones, tablets or the worldwide web at their fingertips but most of them are fully functional to the way the web works and rely on it to keep updated with what their kids or grandkids maybe up too. I suppose the older generation didn’t have a lot have a choice in the matter, other than to adapt? Believe it or not, 57% of us using social media talk to more people online than in real life; making me think that social media really is becoming part of our personality? We use it to talk, send pictures, keep up-to-date, learn about local events and much more but no matter where you go now, you will hear someone go ‘I’m going to tweet that’ or ‘that is a definite Instagram photo’ but like all things, social media has created itself as part of a humans day to day life…

QUESTION TIME!
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Grab a cuppa? Have a Shower? Get some breakfast?

I bet you don’t do any of that! You probably do what most of the population do, instead of getting your morning caffeine fix, you spend your morning scrolling through your Facebook or Twitter feed or catching up on what Snapchat’s were sent to you last night or the who has posted the most selfie on Instagram. Yes, I am one of the many that do that every morning, I think most of us our ‘one of them’ but some just don’t like to admit it!

Why don’t we have a look at the range of social media that is out there at the moment and see how actually it has become part of our personality and life without realising it… I bet there is at least 1 thing, you do from this list and take part in on social media:

1. FACEBOOK
Since its arrival, Facebook has done something different, it’s created this open forum where we can share, like and comment with people that we don’t really know but we have let into our circle of friends. While social media has become a catch up with friends for some; it’s become a natural addiction for others, you end up telling Mark Zuckerberg you’ve moved up to Manchester before telling your friends, it’s just one big vicious cycle! Either way people are using Facebook instead of talking face-to-face.

2. TWITTER
After the invasion of Twitter, social media became a platform for news, politics, travel and gossip, making the information gets to people as soon as it happens and before the traditional newspapers went to print. Twitter gave people the option to retweet, favourite and follow people like celebrities or companies that would tweet about their findings or experiences of the day. While, this is one of the benefits of Twitter, people have now started to use it as a way of complaining to companies that don’t answer emails or phone calls, knowing that the complaint can be see publicly to all that follow them on Twitter, companies act quickly. The famous #Hashtag came from Twitter which gives people a chance to pick areas around what they are talking about or something which is starting to trend because everyone else has used it in their tweets.

3. INSTAGRAM
Soon it will be law that no photo can be uploaded to any social media without a filter, thank Instagram for that one! Anyway, Instagram has become a way people can show images that mark a special event with things like a ‘selfie’ or family group shot but like Twitter, Instagram has become a personal way that people can privately link to celebrities. With Instagram able to connect to other social media so everyone can share, like or comment on your photo; people are using images not words to keep up-to-date with everything that they are up too.

4. SNAPCHAT
Here is another reason to take 5 second ‘selfie’ shots that you can send to anyone you choose! It’s a way to show your night out in the moment and not waiting to upload to Facebook or Twitter the next morning. Alternatively, Snapchat can be seen as positive tease for some companies as they can use it to give clues and information about what’s coming up without giving it all away, Hollyoaks is an example of this.

5. LINKEDIN
So we have our social media that can be for fun like Instagram and Snapchat but we also have our sites that can be used seriously and for fun like Twitter and Facebook. LinkedIn is something different and used a bit more seriously - it can help to connect people in industry together, which may help with questions, job enquiries or just as a relevant connections to their work. LinkedIn offers the chance for people to promote themselves by showing a person’s details like work experience, education history and a personal statement to relevant employers.

6. ABOUT ME
About Me is similar to LinkedIn with the way it can be used to spot potential employees or connections in your industry but About Me is connecting all your professional social media sites like Twitter , Blogger, LinkedIn and more into 1 place making it easier to access and employers find this a great benefit when hiring.

7. PINTEREST
Finally, Pinterest does what it says in the title, you pin your interests! You can create relevant interests or hobby boards and groups of picture which people can then view and pin themselves if they want to. You could maybe link them to your work industry or you may just use it for fun and pin some ideas for your perfect summer or bucket list but either way it is more of a low-key social media site that only a few people tend to use but it is growing every day and more people are pining their interests.

So there you go! Did any of them sound relevant to you? Of course there are loads more that can be accounted for like MySpace, Foursquare and even Blogger. While social media maybe good in one sense as it keeps people interacting with each other, the news, politics and day-to-day life; there is going to be a tipping point where doing too much of one thing can’t be good for you.

As a user of social media myself, I love having the ability to group chat with as many friends as I want or uploading a photo with a filter to make myself look a little better than I do but there are times where I think that I have too much on social media sites and I may be using it slightly too much. I will admit I check my social media accounts more than once a day; mostly on my lunch breaks, when I’m stuck in bad traffic, before I go to bed and probably a lot more. Maybe there are some benefits to social media and the ever-growing technology we have, I suppose we save on the amount of paper used as fewer newspapers and books are being printed because we are accessing it on our iPads or grabbing a book on our Kindle. But are we now using social media to determine the good and bad things in our lives and personality a little too much?

- Lauren xo

Work Experience at Big Wave Media, Exeter

Over the summer, I complete 2 weeks worth of work experience at Big Wave Media, who are Digital Marketing agency, based in Exeter, Devon. I learnt a whole range of new skills, met loads of great people and furthermore expanded my knowledge ready for third year. Here is a bit about my work experience with Big Wave Media...

Eager to learn and fresh from second year, I was ready to find some work experience within the advertising/digital marketing industry that I so long to work in. Big Wave Media were kind enough to offer me, 2 weeks of work experience with their hard-working, friendly team. Whilst I was nervous, I was also very excited to see what it was like working in that type of environment.

I began working with Big Wave Media’s Digital Account Executive Hayley, who taught me about the social media management platform, Hootsuite. Whilst Hootsuite wasn’t something that I had heard of, it didn’t take me long before I was composing over 300 tweets and Facebook posts that would endorse a company’s offers, discounts or events that were happening in the up-and-coming month. Soon I was bulk uploading, managing and scheduling those tweets and Facebook posts on Hootsuite with no help needed. With the tweets and Facebook posts ranging from 5 days in the month to everyday for a month, I was soon comfortable in making tweets and Facebook posts suit different target audiences, ranging from tots to teens and onto adults as well. Condensing a sentence with all the relevant bits of information into only 140 characters was difficult, especially if you needed to squeeze a URL into the tweet as well. I understood what was important to leave in and take out of the tweet; helping my knowledge of copywriting grow and hopefully this skill help me in my future.

My aim of coming to Big Wave Media was to learn and understanding about what a Digital Marketing team does in the field and to brush up and develop on skills that I already had or needed to learn. Seeing the dedicated and friendly staff of Big Wave Media work hard every day has made me more determined to complete my degree and get into the industry. I started 2 weeks ago feeling nervous yet excited but I have left feeling stronger and more knowledgeable than before.

Thank you Big Wave Media, you’ve been great!

- Lauren xo