THE SUMMER DOUBLE STRAP SLING SANDALS

For a while I have been eyeing up some Doc Marten sandals which are £90. Now, I know you're probably thinking something along the lines of  'that's a lot of money for a pair of sandals' but DMs are brilliant quality shoes. However, as soon as I saw these sandals in Office, I knew I was better off with these (price wise). As you can imagine, I was a lot happier seeing the price label on these compared to the Doc Martens. Of course, you pay for the quality, but with the British summer being of somewhat a flash-flood of sun (and rain), I thought I might as well go for the cheaper option. Plus, the quality of these sandals is also amazing; I cannot fault them. 

These sandals have brilliant soles! They are extra thick; adding to the comfort and appearance. The side of the soles have a slight blip that goes up which I love because it makes it all that more comfortable. I have managed to go on coastal walks in these shoes. And yes, before you ask, I did risk trekking up cliffs with sandals on. The soles of the shoes are a bouncy rubber material, so they are great for walking in. The strap at the back of the sandal provides the support. These sandals are adapted to many people as you can change the tightness of the strap. I have found that if they are too tight they cause quite a bit of pain, so you do need to secure them suitably. The little buckle on the side also adds more detail which I really like as the sandals themselves are quite simplistic. 

I paid £38 for these sandals, which I think is a decent price as they are good quality. Everything seems very well attached by secure stitching. The sandal material, PU leather, is of very high quality and is very durable. This type of leather is brilliant as it can be easily cleaned, it is waterproof and it is also very sturdy. Brilliant for wearing to the beach for a paddle in the sea. Overall, they are the most supporting and well-designed sandals I have ever purchased. I would definitely recommend these sandals if you are looking for a supportive, comfy, simplistic, and everyday sandal. 

I must also say that I am not one to get my feet out often, but I really like these because they still have a few straps that cover your feet. Clearly, they provide more support and coverage than the normal flipflop style sandals and are also 10 times comfier. I am not a fan of the average sandal/flipflop because I require more support and I prefer thicker soles, as I have quite sensitive feet. These sandals are definitely perfect for what I was on the look out for. I cannot wait to wear them more when the sun finally decides to come out for a few weeks. But, to be honest, I am not expecting much of a pick up, I mean, I do live in Britain after all.

What do you think about my sandals? 

SELF-LOVE SUNDAY: DEALING WITH DEPRESSION

It's not always easy to remain strong, when all you can think about is how weak you feel inside. It's not always easy to get out of bed in the morning because you know that what the day brings is challenging. You know that anything can hit a past wound and tear it open again, causing the mental pain that you thought you had escaped. Mental illnesses are challenging, limiting and life-threatening. They are like any other disease, except there is no cure. Medication and therapies don't cure depression, they just try to help you cope with it. The worst part is knowing that it is your own brain that is causing such severe unhappiness. It's knowing that you are almost doing this to yourself, but you can't do much to change it. It's the not knowing what to do, who to go to or why to get help, or whether you want help at all. It is the feeling of being alone and trapped in a cycle of unhappiness, anxiety and confusion.

The most important things are without a doubt, the hardest things to say. It is so hard to step out of your cycle of sadness and tell someone how you're feeling. Seeking help is what scared me. I am not really sure why, I guess it almost became a lifestyle. Depression became my way of living. I wanted to escape it, but I knew that I would have to talk about what caused it, and I knew I was weak. I knew I would crack, almost like an egg falling from a height, crashing down, smashing, ruined. I had accepted that maybe there was no way out of depression, maybe I had to just learn to cope with it. I guess I was partly right with that, in the fact that it never really goes away, it just gets less painful at times. But what I didn't see was that I needed recovery, I needed to see what was on the other side of depression. I didn't deserve it. Depression likes to trick you into blaming yourself for everything, and thinking that you deserve such severe unhappiness. But, you couldn't be any more wrong.

Learning to manage my depression was one of the hardest things for me. Along with having to see other people around me so hurt. The last thing I wanted to do was metaphorically break someone else; especially those I love. Although it may seem like you are hurting someone, a lot of the time it is the opposite. Many people cry in relief that you finally want to talk about it and get help. Getting help will give you that chance you need to get better, one step at a time. There are quite a few ways to deal with depression. These are the ones I used.

1. CBT Therapy. I started CBT a few months after developing depression. I definitely found it hard to accept that I needed to talk about it. I also in a way, found it hard to let go of my depression. It became kind of comforting to me. However, CBT has definitely given me skills for life. It taught me to change my thoughts to be able to see the grey part, along with the black and white. Finding happiness through CBT took longer than was expected for me and my case, but I still got there in the end.

2. Getting out, going for a walk. I know that depression makes you want to huddle up in a duvet den for your whole lifetime, but getting out can really make a difference. Going out with family members or friends can also benefit you as you will find yourself having less time to think about things that may be pulling you down.

3. Finding something I enjoyed. I got into photography as a way of coping with my depression. I knew it was something I had always wanted to learn more about and I knew it would be something to get me out of my comfort zone (the house). I began to use photography as a way to escape depression and see the beauty in nature. It helped me to see the uplifting things, rather than the dull things in life. This post's picture was taken while I was away. I sat on the pier reading until the sun was in the right place for a beautiful picture. It is so relaxing to sit and read outside, while the people still move around you.

4. Spending time with friends. Although this wasn't something I did often - due to the fact I had lost many friends - going out with friends is important in recovery.  It helps them to be able to keep up with how you are doing, and it gets you out, giving you the opportunity to enjoy yourself for a while. Being with friends can be very uplifting.

5. Self-help books. Although, I didn't always find these books terribly helpful, I kind of turned to them as a last chance thing; kind of my last attempt to help myself. I knew that there would be a time that I was left to deal with it myself, I wanted to learn how to cope with it myself before leaving therapy. I found the most helpful book was Ruby Wax's Sane New World. Although, it isn't really classed as a self-help book as much, it still helped me a lot.

Depression is difficult but there are ways to make it less unbearable and possibly fight it away for a long time. There are plenty of people who do recover from it. If you do struggle with it, go to see your doctor. It is scary but it is worth it when you find yourself happier. Learning to live with depression is easier than living as depression's victim or prisoner. I am here to give advice or support anyone as much as I can (email if needed). Good luck in your recovery if you are suffering. If you aren't suffering but read this anyway, thank you for expanding your knowledge and reading something I care so much about!

(I did just want to say that although this post is about depression, I am not trying to undermine any other mental health illnesses, it is just what I know the most about in personal experience. I wanted to use my experience to attempt to help others. Of course, I am not a professional, and I hope I didn't come across as thinking I know it all. I can only do so much to attempt to help people with my experience, so I have tried it.)

MINDFULNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Recently, mindfulness has become a buzzword of some sort. There are hundreds of different mindfulness books and colouring books floating around in almost every shop you go into. Mindfulness originated in Buddhism. It is a very ancient religious practice which helps many religious and non-religious people in today's world. Mindfulness is focusing, non-judgmentally, on our emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring at one given moment. It helps us to accept our thoughts and feelings and adapt the way we think, feel and therefore act in everyday life. Although mindfulness is often used to treat mental health illnesses, is it not just restricted to those that suffer with mental health. Mindfulness has been proven to help all kinds of people. 

Patterned colouring books have become the new craze, although they have been around for a long time. They are designed to help reduce stress and therefore help people to control and improve their well-being. Many students use these books around exam period to reduce stress and to have a slight calming period before getting back onto revision. However, many people also use this in every day life. I came across this book while out shopping and just had to grab one myself. If you are thinking 'oh I definitely wouldn't have time for this' just dedicate 30 minutes a week to sitting down, relaxing and reliving child-hood memories with a colouring book. If you are finding that you really wouldn't have time for that either, maybe you need to find time for yourself, no matter what else is going on. Just 10 minutes a day really can change a lot! 

The first time I tried mindfulness was when I read Ruby Wax's book, Sane New World. I cannot explain how much it changed my outlook on life. It is such an amazing and quite literally life-changing book. I definitely think it helped me to get out of severe negative thinking. Ruby Wax studied mindfulness and psychotherapy for years and so the book is full of important and helpful explanations. If you are looking for a new read and would like to venture into the world of mindfulness, I would recommend that you read this book first! As Ruby Wax is a comedian, she also adds in humour which makes the book more interesting (than it already is). 

Reaping mindfulness into your everyday life can be very helpful and beneficial to your well-being. There are several different ways to do this: 

1. Take a couple of minutes to notice your surroundings and breathing. Use your 5 senses to evaluate your surroundings. 

2. Plan a few minutes out of your every day life every day where you don't do anything. Just sit, relax and be calm, thinking about your surroundings once again. 

3. Slow yourself down at some time, don't feel like you have to be busy for every moment of your life. We all have busy lives, but we have to find time to relax. Take a slow walk once in a while, listen to the birds chirping and take in the fresh air. 

4. Prioritise your well-being. The more often you practice mindfulness, the more beneficial it will be for you. 

5. Be patient, mindfulness doesn't help to improve your thoughts and feelings immediately, it takes time. If you don't think mindfulness is helping, you're most probably wrong, keep at it! 

Have you ever taken some time to practice some mindfulness? Do you think you would ever try mindfulness? 

KEEPING ORGANISED AS A BLOGGER

Being an organised blogger takes several lists and huge amounts of organisation. There's so much to keep organised, from emails to blog post ideas to invoices and other financial documents. It is definitely not an easy job to do, but it does teach good organisation skills.

Weekly Organiser and Diary

Personally, I find weekly organisers very useful. I generally use them for organising which posts I want to post on which day. I also use them to organise when I need to have emailed people back by. I make a new page every week. I also use my diary a lot for blogging. I use a diary to organise what Twitter chats are happening when, and what the topics are. I also use it to organise when different events are happening to see if I can attend them in the future.

Emails

Blogging brings many emails, whether it be subscription emails, PR emails, personal emails, or update emails, there's always emails to catch up on. I use folders in my email to keep them organised into specific topics. I have 'PR/Adversiting', 'Personal', 'Blogger Emails', 'Subscriptions' and 'Other' to organise my emails. Since I started organising my emails, I have definitely found it easier to find and sort out my emails, keeping my inbox tidy. I delete all spam emails I get through also, to keep my inbox clean, 

Invoices and Financial Documents

I do not have many financial documents and so I do not need to organise them as much as other things. However, they do have their own folder in my blogging folder, named 'Financial Documents'. I would definitely recommend having them neatly organised so that you can keep an eye on what is where just for future reference if you ever need it. 

Pictures

As a blogger, I have so many pictures to store, it is often hard to keep them organised and safe. At the moment I have them organised by date on my laptop, but I do need to buy a large memory stick to keep them on to prevent my laptop being slowed down. I have the majority of my pictures backed up on 3 DropBox accounts (of course, one isn't enough!). I also have two different folders for my everyday photography pictures and my blogging pictures as I like to keep them separate so that I can find different folders easily. 

Blog Post Note Book

To-do lists and blog post ideas are my nightmare in blogging. I always have so much to write down. I always take my blogging notebook everywhere I go because there's no doubt that the day I don't take it, will be the day I get a genius idea! I always date the pages just to keep track of what I write when. There are so many to-do lists in the book, but they help me so much, I would forget it all if I didn't write it down. 

Scheduling Tweets
Buffer, Buffer, Buffer! I cannot explain how much I depend on this app for getting the majority of my blog views. It is the best app that I have stumbled upon for blogging and scheduling tweets. You can schedule which times you want to post and which days, and it'll post your tweets on those times. When I am really busy and cannot be on Twitter, this app is just amazing! It keeps my blog active, even when I am not active. It is so important to send out your links every few hours if you want to get a decent amount of page views.

Scheduling Posts 

Ah, this is my saviour. As I am going on holiday this week, I will not have time to blog. I have scheduled 3 posts for when I am away, so that I can still have an active blog, but not actually be here. It is fantastic! Best Blogger invention ever! I know that some people struggle with scheduling posts, so I will quickly explain how to do it (skip if you know).
1. Click on 'schedule' at the side of your post.
2. Press 'set date and time' and set when you want it to post.
3. Press 'done' below that.
4. Press the publish button !!

I hope these tips help some of you, but I guess the majority of you already have yourself organised. Is there anything that you do to get organised that I have missed?

SELF-LOVE SUNDAY: BREAK THE CRITICAL HABIT

Some days, being a human can feel wonderful. Happy days can make us all feel internally happy and loved, but sadly, that doesn't last forever. The problem with being human is that there is always going to be that day where everything seems to crash down on you. Everything you have been holding up, whether it be alone or by the side of someone else, it falls down and you just don't have the emotional strength to pick it back up. You feel crushed. You go into a realm of self-pity and start to blame your self for everything you can possibly blame yourself for. But the truth is that what ever you would have done, you would have always come across this day. Whether it have been in a week or a years time. It is inevitable. Life was never meant to be perfect. That quote 'there's no rainbows without a little rain' is so true. Nothing is perfect. We can't just pick a day from a pot and say 'oh yes I'll have that one' and put back the ones that we don't like the sound of. We all know that it doesn't work like that.

Equally, happiness doesn't come without having to metaphorically work for it. It's like having a friend, there has to be an equal amount of effort put in, otherwise it just doesn't work. Life has it's fated events but you have partial control over that. YOU can control what happens. If you put that extra effort in to be happy, further effort than some people may put in, you will find your happiness. Obviously, you won't be forever happy but when the bad days come, you will then have that emotional strength to pick up those pieces and keep going.

I don't think there are many people that can say they are internally happy all of the time. It proves that we aren't to blame for those crappy down days because not everyone could have done wrong. The bad days are there for us to appreciate the good days. It's to teach us to dance in the rain.

Always remember that we are our worst critics. If you were to spend every day, every hour and every second with someone, you would begin to see their flaws too. Other people don't see all of the flaws that you see. When you are having a down day and picking yourself apart like you would pull the petals off of a flower, sit back and for a while try to ignore what you think about yourself. At that moment, you are totally wrong about yourself. This is where we need to learn to break this habit of self-hatred. Make a little pot with compliments that you receive over time and when you are feeling down like that, pick one up and open it. Read it to yourself and convince yourself that it is true because I can guarantee that it is. Gradually, you will be able to build up your emotional confidence and strength.

You were put in this world to be happy. If you weren't meant to be here, life would have taken you by now. But it hasn't. So be brave and don't let the horrible days pull you down. Put in that effort just to get ONE step closer to happiness everyday. Take a deep breath and look around you. Look at where you are. Look at what you have and appreciate the life that YOU are living. Appreciate the amazing person that YOU are. Concentrate on yourself for a little while because YOU are amazing and so complex, don't be afraid of this life, embrace it! I believe that you can control your own happiness and life has a way of getting you to realise that. Wake up tomorrow morning, look at the sun rise and remember how incredible you are. Remember where you are and be proud of you!

FACE MASK GALORE!

Without a doubt, face masks are my favourite skincare products! I just think they are so fun and I always end up laughing at myself when I look into the mirror. I currently have 3 different face masks that I use alternately. I have the Lush Mask of Magnaminty along with The Body Shop's Tea Tree Face Mask and Warming Mineral Mask. It's fair to say that I am collecting a good amount of face masks.

The Body Shop's Tea Tree Face Mask

This mask is more matte than the others. It is also quite firm but you can only really apply it in thin layers. The mask gives a cooling sensation to the skin, I think the thin and smooth formula adds to this. It feels really light on the skin which contrasts with the Mask of Magnaminty. It is perfect for those days when you have a few painful spots, it soothes your skin so well and leaves it feeling very fresh. This is a mask that is relatively easy to get off as it is quite a thin formula. I have also found that it does last quite a while because you only have to apply a thin layer which is really handy. No one wants a face mask that runs out after only a few uses, and at £11.00 for 110g, you definitely want your monies worth!

The Body Shop's Warming Mineral Mask

I can definitely say that this is the most intriguing mask I have ever come across in my experiences with face masks. Before purchasing this mask I had never ever heard of a warming mask. As soon as I applied it for the first time, I was hooked. It started warming straight away which felt so strange. The formula is originally quite thick as you squeeze it out of the tube, but once it is onto the skin and begins warming, it becomes a lot thinner and wet looking. The only problem I have had with the product is the fact that it does clog up in the lid a little, meaning that it is sometimes quite hard to get out of the tube. Once it is out, I cannot fault it. It is an amazing product!  Every time you rub the mask, it warms the skin and then opens the pours. This is the easiest mask to get of as once again, it is quite thin and as you rub it, it heats and becomes wet again, making it easy to remove with a flannel and some water. This mask also lasts quite a while. It has a similar kind of formula as the Tea Tree mask and is also £11.00 for 110g. 

Lush's Mask of Magnaminty

I may have to say that this is my favourite out of all 3. The formula is firm which I love because it is so easy to apply and doesn't move off of the face at all. I love the little bits in the mask which can almost exfoliate your skin while you apply it. The mask is very fresh and the peppermint gets deep into your pores; you can feel it cleaning the skin. It gives a slightly burning sensation as it cleanses your face. At first I thought I was having some kind of allergic reaction but then I heard that it was just the mint cleansing the skin. The burning sensation is the only thing that puts me slightly off. However, at least I know that the mask is doing good to my skin. When it comes to taking off the mask, it is a bit of a challenge if you leave it on for too long. It dries a bit and as it is quite thick, it's hard to not get into a huge mess. I find that most masks are quite hard to get off, but this one is slightly more challenging. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing though. I definitely think this is a mask that I will buy over and over again. The fact that it is only £5.50 for 125g also makes me jump for joy. A budget mask is important! 

I am always on the look out for new face masks, do you have any recommendations? 

10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BLOGGING!

Just over a year ago, on the 25th of June 2014, I began this blog! It has been an experience in itself, and I am glad I gave myself a chance to experience that. Now, I can't imagine my life without a blog. It has brought so much more into my life, more people, opinions, experiences, just to say a few. Of course, it hasn't been easy to get where I am now and I still have a lot to learn about blogging, but I still got to where I am now and that's a huge step for me. Blogging isn't just about having a place to write a few words on the internet. It is about speaking to new people, reading people's views about different topics and widening your knowledge about the world around you. Blogging brings a whole new perspective to life, and that is definitely what I love about it. 

1. Friends. Personally for me, making friends and being active on social media is so important in blogging. Being proactive with friendships is vital (in my opinion) to becoming a well-rounded person and a happy, friendly blogger. I just find that the blogging community is so friendly and we seem to accept everyone through different ways of communicating. I have made so many friends since I started blogging and although they are not 'real life' friends that can be there with you all of the time, there is a lot of support you can still receive through online friendships. 

2. Blogging chats. The blogging chats are the absolute best thing about blogging, without a doubt! I cannot even begin to imagine what blogging would be like without the blogger chats. I feel like there is so much support lingering around in the chats. I always head on to Twitter to join the chats when I am feeling down because I just know that there are so many lovely people that will make my night so much better. 

3. Feeling of accomplishment. There is nothing better than feeling like you have achieved a goal. Whether that be something small or something a bit bigger, blogging always gives you goals to set. I think my biggest achievement would be working with some brands within blogging. The fact that they actually contacted me about my blog makes me feel like I must be doing something right. Also, reaching almost 200 followers is such a big achievement for me. Blogging is just so uplifting. 

4. Learning how to work HTML. When I first ran into HTML, I was writing a post and accidentally clicked on the 'HTML' button. I cannot explain how much panic went through my mind, I sat, face looking like I had seen a ghost, staring at the screen in fear. After just over a year of blogging, I have learnt so much about HTML and I am beginning to make my own codes. It is such a brilliant skill to have in a world with forever-expanding technology. 

5. Different opinions. In today's world, I feel like we all need to adapt to having an open-mind and accept the different people and situations that we experience. Learning about other people's opinions and widening our minds is always important. 

6. Trusted reviews. When I am thinking about buying a new product, I always search around for reviews just to see what other people think about the product. Especially when it is for an expensive product like the Naked palettes. I find that most bloggers give really trusted reviews which always comes in so handy. Twitter also helps for a quick search for reviews - I just ask a question about a product and you end up with plenty of opinions and reviews flying at you in your time of need. Just brilliant! 

7. Inspiration. I know that I shouldn't rely heavily on other bloggers for inspiration, but sometimes if I am running out of ideas I will find myself flicking through Bloglovin' for inspiration. There is just such an incredible range of ideas from different bloggers and being able to read such a wide range of different writing styles and ideas helps me to develop my ideas and writing skills. These are also skills that you need for life. 

8. A place to express myself. Before I started blogging, I didn't really have anywhere to talk about my love for beauty, cooking, fashion and other philosophical topics. I love that blogging gives you your own space on the internet where you can just write to your heart's content about any old blabber you want to get on to a page. There are always people willing to read about your increasingly random but interesting topics. And as always, it is always brilliant to be unique! 

9. Confidence and support. With my personal struggles, knowing many people also struggle makes me feel less alone. I know that there are quite a few fellow bloggers that also love the support that there is within the blogging community. One of my favourite twitter blogger chats is #healthyselves. It is almost like a therapy. We talk about real life topics which impact many people's day-to-day lives and I know that it helps so many people to be able to talk out their feelings. The support is just incredible! 

10. Anyone is welcome, it's not a restrictive thing! Blogging is a wonderful community. Not to say that there isn't negative parts to blogging, but the majority of the time the community is very welcoming. Being a part of that community is so lovely and it feels like a big family. I'd love to think that I will forever be a part of that community.

Blogging is just so much fun! There are no limitations. It is a brilliant time-killer and boredom-cure too. What is your favourite thing about blogging? Let me know in the comments.