My Top 10 Beauty Wishlist | December 2017

1. Jeffree Star Velour liquid lipstick (shade 'Doll Parts').

2. Jeffree Star Velour liquid lipstick (shade 'Unicorn Blood').

3. MAC Giambattista Valli matte liquid lipstick (shade 'Eugenie').

4. MAC Glaze matte lipstick (shade 'Rubby Woo').

5. Hard Candy Glamouflage Invisible Camouflage foundation (shade 'medium').

6, MAC liquid eyeliner (shade 'black xx').

7. NYX Cosmetics single eye shadow (shade 'ES25 Silver').

8. Technic conceal & blend full coverage concealer (shade 'medium').

9. Anastasia Beverly Hills glow kit pallet ('That Glow').

10. Anastasia Beverly Hills glow kit pallet ('Moonchild').

What I Got For Christmas This Year Announcement

I know that not all of us will be getting a present this year. Just like not all of us will be getting a Christmas meal this year.

I will be taking part in this tag shortly after Christmas Day and I know a lot of my readers and fellow bloggers will be taking part in it this year.

For  those of you who are taking part, please think of those who aren't as fortunate as you this Christmas, please be wise with your words and be grateful for what you get.

For those of you that follow my blog and may end up reading that post, please don't think I am being stuck up for taking part in this blog tag and please don't take offence. I am very grateful for everything I get and would be just as happy with getting nothing at all. The thoughts are what counts.

Merry Christmas, Amethyst Family!

Glossybox Unboxing | December 2016

I'm so glad to have subscribed back to Glossybox this month. As many of you already know from my old blog, I was subscribed on and off with Glossybox for about a year but this time I'm going to make this a monthly thing. Every month I will be posting an unboxing post.

I'm actually super excited about all the goodies in this month's box. I've never been subscribed to Glossybox during the winter period so never got a Christmas box. The box looks so much cuter than the boxes I was used to getting, the gold and white thing was on point.

Anyways, lets take a look at the products I was sent this month. Bare in mind, if you are subscribed you may have gotten different products to me. Not everyone always gets the same.

There was an option to choose between two colors, and I just had to choose this one. It was just more ''me'' than the other one. This is the semi-matte lipstick from MDMFlow in the shade 'Vamp'. The lipstick itself is quite difficult to apply from the tube, you have to go over the same area a few times to get the true color. So I recommend you apply this with a lip brush. It's actually super creamy and soft on the lips but if you don't exfoliate your lips, it will make it super obvious. It looks super good if you apply clear gloss over the bottom lip.

This product's RRP is £18.00, considering the box itself totaled me at £13.00, it's already a bargain. Find it at www.mdmflow.com

I have been the proud owner of Revlon nail enamels before but I have never had this specific color. Which ironically matches with the lipstick shade I picked to have in this box.

This is Revlon's Nail Enamel in the shade 'Valentine'. I absolutely love this color, I'm super into reds and purples this season so  I can't wait to actually try this nail enamel. It claims to be chip resistant so I guess I'll have to try it out and write a post in a week for you guys with a picture a day for you to see and make your own judgement.

This product's RRP is £6.49 and you can find it at www.superdrug.com .

This is the Define & Perfect Eyebrow Powder by Collection Cosmetics.

I was actually so glad when I saw this in the box because if there is one thing I struggle with is defining my eyebrows. My problem isn't having no eyebrow, it's having too much eyebrow that doesn't grow evenly at the front of each brow.

I have never tried this product so I can't wait to try it and let you all know what I think of it.

This product's RRP is £4.19 and you can find it over at www.boots.com .



This is the Lipcote. I have actually never heard of this product before but it really sounds promising. It claims to be a natural lipstick sealer to keep lipstick fresh.

I can't wait to try this out and put it to the test. I always wear matte liquid lipsticks because I hate the idea of having to keep touching up my lips.If it works and does exactly what it claims to, I can see myself purchasing one of this in the near future again when I run out of this one. But it's going to be a long time...Because this is the full size product with 100 applications.

This product's RRP is a surprising £3.99, you can find this product over at www.lipcote.com .

I actually saw this palette in a shop the other day and I was so tempted to get it. This is Essence's Light Up Your Face luminizer palette.

The colors are super eye-catching and look super warm and cute on the skin. I haven't tried it on my face yet but I have swatched it on my hand and the colors are just, oh my God. 

It comes at such an affordable price as well. This product's  RRP is just £3.00. You can find it over at www.essence.eu/uk .

I am overall super pleased with what I got in my box this month. It's all things I'm going to love giving a try. I will be posting individual product reviews for all of these products once I have tried them on a few times in order to share a fair opinion on them all.

Want to subscribe to Glossybox?

Go over to http://referme.to/IhrAtmo

Blogmas 2016 | My Favourite Thing About Christmas

I literally love Christmas as a whole. I could say my favourite thing about Christmas is the snow and everything but it barely snows anymore where I live so I can't really say that.

I love all the decorations and the whole spirit of putting them up with your loved ones, whether human or animal. I love having the house looking all Christmassy outside and inside, all the lights flashing. 

There's always the presents too. No, not getting, even though getting presents is always lovely. I mean going out and getting presents for people. Actually making the effort for someone and having to think what they would like this year or what they might need. Even making something for someone and writing a personalised message in their card.

A Week Of Juicing For The First Time Ever | Day Seven

This juicing challenge definitely got a lot easier towards the end. Either way, I'm so glad it's over. I can't wait to be back on food tomorrow morning. Even though I'm a little scared as to how my body is going to react to having food again.

I think my biggest fear is of my pains coming back. My pains have been completely gone since I started this week of juicing so I'm super scared it will be too much for my body. I don't want to be stuck on juicing until my surgery. Especially with Christmas coming up. How the hell am I meant to resist a lush roast dinner on Christmas Day?

Either way, I am super pleased with how well I did this week. Even though I was unbearable for the first couple of days. It's been quite exciting to also see that it really helped with my weight loss and that's a huge unintentional achievement from all this. But the best part was definitely having a pain free week without having to stress and worry if I will be able to go out the following day due to not knowing if I will be in pain or not. It's definitely been a success and I can't wait to try this again a week at a time once I have recovered from my surgery.

A Week Of Juicing For The First Time Ever | Day Six

I'm so happy that tomorrow is my last day of this huge challenge and then I will be able to be back on solid food again, even if the solid food all has to be healthy.

This week has been so hard so far but I'm so glad I have been able to do it because I really didn't see myself lasting this long with no solid food whatsoever. Smoothies have actually turned out to not be too bad and I'm starting to enjoy it more because it's a super effortless, healthy mini diet and all the smoothies are super easy to make.

If you are interested on which smoothies I put up with all week, let me know I will dedicate a post entirely to that.

A Week Of Juicing For The First Time Ever | Day Five

As easier as this is getting I still can't wait to eat solid food. Just a nice chicken loin in the oven with stuffing, steamed veg, sweet potatoes and smothered in gravy. I'm getting myself hungry just thinking about it so I really need to stop.

At this point, the cravings aren't as much there. The fact that my fiance eats whatever he pleases right next to my face and then asks me if I want some even though he knows I'm juicing, isn't annoying me as much anymore.

I have decided I'm not going to make a list of my cravings anymore because if I do, then I will binge eat and that will make all of this completely pointless. I don't fancy being in pain again any time soon.

A Week Of Juicing For The First Time Ever | Day Four

I'm definitely finding everything much easier now. The smoothies don't taste as horrible as they did at first. To be honest, I think the smoothies only tasted horrible to me at first because I wasn't used to them. I'm used to eating fruit and vegetables but not in the form of a smoothie. Especially the vegetables because you shouldn't cook them, if you do then most of the nutrients you need from them will be gone. We don't want that.

The whole 'fruit smoothie in the morning and then veggie smoothies for lunch and dinner' has actually been working. I'm not going as crazy for food as I was before and I'm sure as hell not as hungry as I was either.

A Week Of Juicing For The First Time Ever | Day Three

Someone bring me a Big Mac with large fries please. If giving up on this whole juicing malarkey was an option I would have done it already.

However, we learn as we go along and I've figured out that the whole banana and apple smoothie three times a day thing from that blog is utter BS. So shame on you, anonymous blogger. I have figured out I am always hungry because I'm literally just having fruit and water mixed together which obviously isn't filling me up at all. So, ladies and gentleman, if you're planning to drag yourself through this journey... DO NOT JUST HAVE FRUIT SMOOTHIES. YOU WILL BE HUNGRY, MISERABLE, AND WILL SNAP AT THE TINIEST THINGS BECAUSE SOLID FOOD IS LIFE AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED ANY RIGHT NOW. Instead, have a fruit smoothie of your choice in the morning  (strawberries, raspberries and banana is my favorite so far), and then have a veggie smoothie for lunch and another one for dinner. This will keep you filled up for longer and you won't find yourself constantly thinking about food and dreading the next meal time because you're only allowed to drink and not eat.

On a plus side, I have lost a lot of weight from this. And even though it's something super good, it wasn't the main objective of starting all of this. In fact, my doctor didn't give me much of a choice.

It's definitely getting easier as the week goes on but I don't think I will be able to push this for a whole month like the doctor suggested for me to do. We will see how the rest of the week goes on.

A Week Of Juicing For The First Time Ever | Day Two

Never ever did I think I would be doing this whole juicing business but you've gotta do what you gotta do for your health when it's on such a down low.

What was it like for me today?
Don't even go there. I have had every craving I can think of all day. From grilled tiger prawns with lemon juice to crab mixed in mayo eaten from the crab's carcass. I had an apple and banana smoothie three times throughout today because I read it on a blog. Worst idea ever, I feel so hungry and my fiance keeps eating in front of me and I just want to attack the fridge but can't.

I have no idea how I'm going to deal with another 4 days of this. I'm super hungry and I'm super hormonal. I feel sorry for anyone having to deal with me right now because I'm a snap machine. Did you not wipe your shoes on my rug before coming in my house? I'ma snap.

Tempted to make a list of my cravings and then just binge eating my day away when this week is over but I have to be sensible with my health so that isn't an option.

A Week Of Juicing For The First Time Ever | Day One

Okay, so this morning I had a chat with my doctor because I have been awaiting surgery to have my gallbladder removed as I have a lot of gallstones. I have had this since I got pregnant so for about 11 months now. I have given birth and am now awaiting surgery. But sadly, my body is rejecting all foods, even as healthy as it can be like straight up fruit and vegetables.

So my doctor advised me to do juicing for a month but I love food too much and cooking is just me so I agreed to try it for a week first and if I get the hang of it then I will carry on for as long as I can until the month is over.

Today was my first day and I feel horrible. I'm hungry and super moody because I have so much food in the fridge and I can't even attack it for a midnight snack. I have been on a healthy diet since getting worse early last month so right now, I'm even craving Avocado. I hate Avocado but I can only make juice and smoothies with it.

Today I have been mainly on tea and water because my stomach is still very weak to go on to the juice and smoothies so I will be starting those in the morning. I can't remember the last time I was actually this hungry. It's like I have a hole in my stomach. But I have also been in pain all day due to my gallbladder so that's distracted me from wanting food as I lose appetite a little when I have my pains.

I hope this helps me get well sooner as I don't even have a date for my surgery yet. And if I can get a bit of weight loss out of this, that would be great too because I need to lose weight for my health as well.

I will keep you updated on what smoothies and juices I try throughout this week and how I'm coping with it all. I'm a good lover so I don't know how I'm going to do this. Have you ever juiced before? How long did you do it for? And do you ever stop feeling this rubbish while doing it? Please enlighten me with some positivity because this week is going to be so hard, I can already tell.

This or That TAG | Beauty Edition 2016

This month I have been tagged to do the This or That TAG Beauty Edition. Here are the questions and my answers. I tag anyone reading this to do this TAG. Feel free to send me a link on Twitter to your post if you complete this questionnaire.

Make up

Blush or Bronzer: Bronzer any day.

Lip gloss or lipstick: Definitely lipstick... especially liquid lipstick.

Eyeliner or Mascara: Eyeliner. Nothing beats a good winger liner.

Foundation or concealer: Foundation. On my skin, there is no point wearing concealer without having foundation with it at the same time.

Neutral or color eye shadow: Color, if blended really well, of course.

Pressed or loose eye shadows: I'll have to say pressed for this one because I hate the mess loose eyes shadows create.

Nails

OPI or China Glaze: OPI.

Long or short: How about medium?

Acrylic or natural: Acrylic any day,

Brights or darks: Darks.

Flower or no flower: No flower. Unless the flower is in white.

Body

Perfume or body splash: Perfume for me.

Lotion or body butter: It's definitely body lotion for me, it feels so much better on my skin.

Body wash or soap: Body wash.

Lush or other bath company: Lush are definitely the best for bath stuff and I do purchase things from them but only on special occasions, like for example I'm visiting a city and pop in there to get some things. But on an every day basis, I would usually go Boots, pop into The Body Shop or order from AVON.

Fashion

Jeans or sweat pants: Jeans. I don't think I even own a pair of sweat pants.

Long sleeve or short: For an event or day out, long sleeve. On a daily basis, short sleeve.

Dresses or skirts: I love both but definitely dresses.

Stripes or plaid: Plaid. You can match clothes a lot easier with plaid.

Flip flops or sandals: I hate feet and I hate both.

Scarves or hats: Hats.

Studs or dangly earrings: On an every day basis, studs. For events or special occasions, definitely dangly.

Necklaces or bracelets: Both but if I really have to choose on, I'll choose bracelets.

Heels or flats: Heeled boots are just... Oh my God.

Cowboy boots or riding boots: Neither. Ever.

Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe: Neither have my size.

Abercombie or Hollister: Once again don't have my size so I don't shop in either for myself.

Saks 5th or Nodstorm: Neither.

Hair

Curly or straight: I currently have curls... So curly.

Bun or ponytail: Ponytails are so much easier to do.

Bobby pins or butterfly clips: Bobby pins.

Hair spray or gel: Hair spray.

Long or short: Long.

Light or dark: Every color under the rainbow.

Side sweep bangs or full bangs: If by that you mean a fringe then I'll say a full fringe.

Up or down: Down.

Random

Rain or shine: Shine.

Summer or winter: Winter.

Fall or spring: Spring.

Chocolate or vanilla: Vanilla.

East coast or west coast: Can't comment. I don't live in the United States.

Advent Calendar Blogger Challenge | 26 Days of Christmas | Raisin Platform Edition 2016

This year I will be doing a blogger Christmas challenge. I have seen many challenges before and thought I would do my version. I will be taking part in this challenge and I would like you to join me too.

Here is the challenge.

Day 1- My favourite thing about Christmas.
Day 2- My Christmas tree this year.
Day 3- My Christmas decorations this year.
Day 4- Goals for 2017.
Day 5- My favourite Christmas decoration this year.
Day 6- Who's hard to shop for this year?
Day 7- How I organize myself around Christmas time.
Day 8- Christmas Look book | Top 3 Christmas looks.
Day 9- Favourite drink around Christmas time.
Day 10- My earliest Christmas memory.
Day 11- My favourite Christmas scent.
Day 12- What I would wear to a Christmas and to a New Year's party.
Day 13- My Christmassy photos this year.
Day 14- How I celebrated Christmas when I was young.
Day 15- When did I put my Christmas decorations up this year?
Day 16- Favourite Christmas tastes.
Day 17- Kids Christmas gift ideas.
Day 18- Best shops to shop in for gifts.
Day 19- Has it snowed so far in my area this winter?
Day 20- What was my 2016 like?
Day 21- Gift paper and bags I used for gifts this year.
Day 22- Am I a last minute shopper?
Day 23- When do I open my presents?
Day 24- My Christmas Eve this year.
Day 25- My Christmas Day this year.
Day 26- A sparkle of what I got for Christmas this year.

Are you going to take part in the challenge? Tweet me your blog post links each day (@Raisin_Platform). 

Get To Know Me Challenge | What Is My Best Physical Feature?

People always tell me my best physical feature is my eyes and hair. I can kind of see about that eyes because they aren't all that ugly or anything but I can't see about the hair.

My eyes are brown and have a light blue outline around the iris and then at times they have a golden tint to them closest to the pupils.

My hair though. I'm always changing my hair and I guess that's why people seem to like it. Whether it's a change of color or a perm, my hair never stays the same for more than 6 months straight.

I actually have three favorite festive times. Probably really obvious ones too if you know me or have been following my journey on Twitter or on my blogs.

My Birthday

One of my favorite festive times has got to be my birthday. It's a day for me, you get what I mean? It's a day for me to see who actually remembers and who only wishes me a happy birthday because of a little Facebook reminder. I like all the dressing up all fancy and everything. My favorite part though? The cake! A personalized cake!

Halloween

I love Halloween. No, not because of the sweets. But because of all the crazy and creepy make up ideas I can create on my face, post, and not have people complaining ''Why did you do a skull make up tutorial? It's not even Halloween yet''.

Christmas

My all time favorite of all though. It's got to be Christmas. I absolutely love Christmas. I love all the lights and the decorations around the house. I like how it's kind of a push for the family to come together. I like the giving and the receiving. I'm not a very materialistic person, for me it's the thought that counts. But I love giving people presents and seeing their reactions when they open their presents.  I'm a creep like that, give me a break. I love all the cooking and the baking, even though massing the turkey and stuffing it is one of the weirdest and most awkward things to do ever with other people in the kitchen. I just love the whole festive spirit... But then with that, also comes the depressing facial expression when it's time to take all the decorations down once it's all over. 

Get To Know Me Challenge | Goals For The Next Year

My goals for 2017

• Get back to doing something I love. Photography. It's been about a year since I took up photography like I used to. It's time to get back to it now.
• Take as many pictures of my child as possible so we can have memories of his growth. I love taking pictures and I think pictures and videos are the best way to keep memories alive.
• Expand my blogs and reach a higher number of readers. I love writing and blogging, so knowing I have a group of readers that keep coming back to read my posts means a lot to me. It gives it all a purpose if you get what I mean.
• Lose all the weight I have to lose in order to become healthy again. Need to get down to 75kg (ideally 61kg) in a year. I'm currently 107.6kg so I have a very long way to go.
• Become more active. I don't care if it's out jogging or mornings on the Wii Fit. Just more movement and less sitting.
• Get a whole new wardrobe. Losing weight hopefully will mean I will be more comfortable in my own skin too, so that calls for a whole new wardrobe.
• Perhaps move into a bigger house with a bigger back yard and a garage too... Just a huge kitchen and downstairs bathroom and I'm happy with that. But I'm not fussed if we have to wait another year or two, I'm cool with that.
• Do Christmas shopping throughout the whole year. Call me crazy but I love Christmas and if there is something I hate, it's gotta be last minute Christmas shopping. And by that I mean November is already last minute for me so I want to do the shopping throughout the whole year so I don't have to cramp all the stress of it all into 2 months.
• Get new sofas. This may sound stupid but I really want to get a corner sofa or some cute sofas for our living room, make it look more like OUR living room.
• Most importantly, I want to kick my anxiety in the butt. I want to be more happy, giggly and smiley and less stressed, anxious, scared and worried.

You Can Be A Beauty Blogger On The Cheap

Am I the only one that gets annoyed when looking through beauty blogs and everyone has got the latest trends and most expensive make up brands, or when on YouTube and you're looking through make up tutorials and the beauty guru is like "you have to use this shade with a MAC 13834927 brush"?

I can't be the only girl that has wanted to start doing make up videos and posts but was afraid of being judged for not being able to afford the latest trends. But I can let you in on a secret...

You can become a make up blogger or do make up tutorial videos without having to spend all your cash on make up and brushes. I know it sounds cheap and so be it, but you can find dupes for so cheap on places like Wish, Amazon and eBay and these do the exact same thing. Only difference is that instead of spending £25 on a MAC lipstick, you're spending £5 instead. Obviously it is very important that you pick a trustworthy seller and also test the product on you to make sure the formula hasn't been majorly changed in a way that will damage your skin. This is extra important when buying products for your lips and eyes.

But with that all aside, yes... You can do all these things without having to spend so much. And you can also teach people how to use make up with cheaper brands because once again, I think we all know that not everyone can afford to spend so much money on make up.

Get To Know Me Challenge | Where I Want To Be 5 Years From Now

Five years from now I hope to:

• Have had a second child or to be pregnant with a second child.
• Have married already.
• Have expanded my blogs.
• Be back to work at a fixed career or have completed all college courses I wish to complete.
• Be on our way to purchasing or mortgaging our very own home.
• Have lost all weight I have wanted to lose and maintain it in a healthy way for my body.
• Have lost my fear of dentists and hospitals.
• Be healthy and back to my old (healthy) self.
• Be more careful with myself, physically, emotionally and mentally.
• Have overcome my anxiety and feel free from all anxieties and worries again.
• Be stronger for my family, myself and those who love me. Basically to keep my shit together.
• Be less of a crier (I'm a super emotional person) and more of a smiler (sometimes my fears and worries get in the way of that).
• Have at least a few friends that are always there for me and that I can count on no matter what. Quality over quantity.
• Have made my partner, my family, my friends and my child (or children) proud.

Get To Know Me Challenge | What's In My Bag?

I'm guessing this means my handbag and not my kid's bag because everywhere I go I have to take both so it's like they are both basically mine.

Anyways, what do I usually have in my bag?

• Keys. Always have to have my house keys with me.
• Phone. I literally can't go anywhere without my phone.
• Facial Moisturizer. Don't ask me why but I literally always have it in there and I have absolutely no idea why.
• Hand anti-bacterial gel. I always have it in my bag. It's not that I'm crazy about germs, it's just in case I can't get to the water tap asap.
• Lipgloss or lipstick. Whatever lip gloss or lipstick I wear that day, I usually take in my bag in case I need to touch up at any point. 
• Eyelash glue. Just in case.
• Hair de-tangler, y'know, one of those that looks like half an egg. Because I have curly hair and it gets super tangled outside, especially inn the wind, it's a nightmare.

You probably think I have a huge bag but it's actually quite small.

Get To Know Me Challenge | How I Organize Myself

Every year I have this diary that has a page for each day so I can write all my appointments in there and everything I have to do for that day.

I literally use it for everything. I used to take it everywhere as well but lost it this one time and messed up my schedule completely so I always leave it at home now. I usually check it in the morning and put reminders on my phone for things I have to do that day and tick them off as I go along my day. If anything comes up for another day then I just write it in before I forget because I'm always busy and forget things if I don't put them in the diary.

I even write all our bills in there and which day they come out of the account like a checklist so I know when we've paid things which is kind of helpful when it comes to managing all the money and also in case the bank messes a payment up like before.

Get To Know Me Challenge | Becoming A Better Me

A better you is whatever you see as a better you in your eyes. Looks aren't everything just like personality and the inside isn't sometimes everything either. It is whatever it is for you.

For me, a better me is how I wish to see myself when I look in the mirror. I would really like to achieve that in the following year.

First of all, I want to lose weight. Not because I want people to like me. Even though it would be lovely to stand out for a positive thing and not because I'm a large size. I want to be able to shop in other shops like New Look and Primark. Currently I can only get clothes online and from Yours and Peacocks because of my size and that really sucks. I want to be able to look good in a dress without having to wear a corset or waist trainer under it and cover my legs with tights. I don't want to become skinny, don't get me wrong. I just want to get to the ideal weight I meant to be as suggested by my doctor.

Due to my weight, I had to have a lot of extra folic acid tablets throughout my pregnancy. I had a risky pregnancy for myself because of having a higher risk of developing blood clots and trumbosis. I want to lose weight so that I don't have to worry so much about everything in my next pregnancy, so that I can enjoy it more without the worries and stresses. I want to be the ideal BMI so that when the time comes I can have a water birth if I wish to. I want to be able to take pictures of my bare bump from the start instead of only taking pictures of it like that towards the end because the rolls weren't visible by then anymore.

I want to lose weight so that I fit in my dream wedding dress. There is nothing worse than dreading looking at wedding dresses because you either have to get a custom size because they don't have plus sizes or because the dress you want is meant to show off the curves and not the oversized rolls on your sides and your back boobs.

But most of all, I want to lose the weight for my health. I want to be able to walk up the stairs and not be out of breath as I get half way up. I want to be able to not worry so much when the doctor asks me to step on the scales. I want to be able to achieve this for me. Because if I can do this, I can do anything.

Get To Know Me Challenge | My Life Currently

What is my life like currently? Well, where on Earth do I start? If this time 3 years ago you had asked me if I would see myself in the future where I am now I would have thought you were having a laugh.

My life has changed so much... And I literally mean ''so much''. But in such a positive way. I know this post is meant to be about my life right now but I just want to sum it up for you so you can see why I'm so happy and surprised how my life is right now.

3 and a half years ago, I met my current partner, fiancee and father of my baby boy. We didn't even go to the same high school so I know what you're thinking, 'kinda high school sweethearts from another school but whatever', but that's a story for another time if you girlies want me to write about it. Eventually I went on to do my GCSEs... Okay, fair enough, I did a lot better than I expected in subjects I never knew I could possibly pull myself together in, but I did and that's good.

But that didn't mean anything because I applied for sixth form, for courses I really wanted to do and had a real passion for. Art, Photography, Forensic Science and Music... However, I got rejected in all courses and they offered me a place in the following courses if I wanted to: Spanish, Art, and Business... Not the combination I was looking for so chucked that one out of the window. Do I regret it? Yes, 100%, I wish I had taken that opportunity and maybe it would have opened up more doors for me since it was stuff I was actually super good in, but ah well. Life goes on and I'm young, still have plenty of time on my hands to complete those courses if and when I want to as long as I work hard enough. I ended up applying for a local college to do Beauty Therapy, but guess what, my friends? The spaces were all filled up and they said I would have to wait for the following year. But Jess was like, 'Hell no', got inpatient and applied for another course at the same college and finally had some luck and managed to get in. Hallelujah! Jess finally had some luck. What course though? Business Administration. Yeah, I know, what even. 'Jess, why on Earth did you go for that? It is so off from what you've said you wanted to do and applied for''. Well, my friends, I am one very impatient girly, I thought, 'Well, I've had a bit of a taste of what working in administration is like so lets wing this''... Never did I think I would have to learn all the security and customer safety legislations on the face of the Earth though. Felt like I was studying to be a lawyer or something. But at least I actually enjoyed it. I had the most amazing class, we were literally all girls and then there were literally just 3 guys, and I'm almost certain non of them wanted to be there. Everyone was lovely though, so many laughs and giggles and I love seeing how their lives have improved and what they have achieved since we left. I passed my course though, hell to the yeah.

What did I do since I left college? I did work experience at the beauty and hair salon as a receptionist at the exact same college and they wanted to keep me on as an apprentice. God knows how much I enjoyed working there, it was super busy and I was always rushing but I like that. You get to come home, have a nice warm bath or shower and then just relax for the rest of your afternoon and evening. You pretty much don't have time to overthink, and that's beyond lush because you guessed it, I'm an overthinker, my moods were so much better when I was working there. However, my bad luck obviously had to come out at some point, I didn't get the apprenticeship because of a mess up that happened with my documents to start up and I couldn't sort them out in the time they needed them sorted by. Not my fault, but once again that's a story for a different post if you want it. Since then, I worked at a market store in town that belonged to my mom and then I fell pregnant, so I quit whn I turned 3 months pregnant because it was too cold and working outside while pregnant and getting constantly ill obviously isn't good so I took the safer side for my baby boy and I quit. Shortly after, my mom closed the business anyway.

I have also come so far with my anxiety disorder. I was having various anxiety and panic attacks a day and once I found out I was pregnant, I haven't even had one since. And I'm so proud of myself for that. Anxiety is something super difficult and stressful to live with.

Moving on slightly, yeah, I got pregnant. Conceived on 15th December 2015. It was actually a shock for me, for the both of us actually. And I remember it like it was yesterday, I was sat in the bathroom doing a test in early January and my heart was beating so fast while I was waiting for an answer and then I got an answer and started hyperventilating, as you do. We didn't have our own home, I wasn't getting much from work and my fiancee was working in a garage as a vehicle engineer doing an apprenticeship, earning £450 a month, which is really rubbish by the way, but better than nothing I guess.

But we managed to turn everything around. Completely. In July, my fiance moved in with me over at my parents' house when he started working at his new job, it only took us a month to get the deposit for our own home so after a month, we both moved out of my parents house and into our own home. FINALLY! We moved in on 12th August 2016. Pretty much a month before our baby was due, our baby was due on 11th September but was lazy and cozy in there so arrived 3 days late, meaning he was actually born on 14th September 2016.

So where is my life at right now? My baby is going to be 2 months already this month. I'm still not working or doing any courses because he's too young and obviously needs me. Plus I can't bring myself to leave him yet, not even for an hour. My health has been up and down since I got pregnant, mainly after my 12 week scan. My health just started going down hill, organ infections, I was constantly in pain. It was horrible because all the pains sort of set me back on actually enjoying the pregnancy fully. My pregnancy was sort of high risk as well because of my weight so it meant I had to be extra careful with my diet and vitamins throughout my pregnancy. But with our baby now here, they have been finally able to figure out what's wrong with me and my gallbladder is full of stones and one or two are travelling to other organs so I'm due for surgery in 2017. I'll keep you guys updated on that one.

Right now, life is right where I want it. I have my little family, we have our own little cave to call our home. All I need is my surgery now so I can fully be happy without so much fear and stress over my pains and trips in an ambulance to the emergency unit at the hospital various times a month due to how bad my pains get. Once the surgery is over, once I recover and my pains are gone, I will finally be able to be my fully happy and jolly self again. And I can't wait for that.

I seriously have a feeling that 2017 will be my year. Pray for me, girlies.

Get To Know Me Challenge | A Day In My Shoes

Morning

I always start the morning with some coffee or an English style tea. Nothing starts the day off better than a hot beverage, especially in the winter. Obviously the morning usually starts with feeding our little one and changing him and putting him in his clothes for the day. Then it's time for breakfast, and then teeth and make up come along. I usually check my diary for the day somewhere in between so I can organize my day properly.

Afternoon

From around lunch time, I usually keep the TV on ITVBe because I just like to watch everything on there and background noise always helps when doing other things around the house. If I need to make any phone calls or sort things out, this is the time of day I choose to do it. So, at this point I fill in my diary. This is usually the time I do my online shopping and also go out and enjoy the day a bit even when the weather sucks.

Night
At night time, I usually cook dinner. I love cooking so I usually spend an hour cooking dinner, especially if it's a typical British roast day. I get things ready for my little boy's bath, night time baths are always the best because he always sleeps through the night without fail when he has one. This is the time I usually talk to a friend or two or simply lay in bed blogging on my phone. This time of year is way too cold not to be in bed all night. 

Obviously when my partner is off work things are a lot different. We are able to do a lot more of our days and go out when he's off as he works long hours and needs a lot of rest in order to be ready for his next day of work. 

Get To Know Me Challenge | Meet The Blogger

Hello, my lovelies. For the first day of the Get To Know Me challenge, I will be answering a selection of questions from a template I was given for this post.

LAYER ONE: THE OUTSIDE

• Name: Jess

• Eye color: Brown

• Hair style/color: I have my hair permed and it's currently burgundy but that will soon change again, I'm sure.

• Height: 161cm... I'm a total short-ass.

• Clothing style: I like to wear dresses and clothes that show off my curves, especially since I've been losing a lot of weight.

• Best physical feature: In my opinion, my eyes. I just like the shape and the color looks pretty cool (tinted like fire) in the sun light... You know, that brown that goes a red/yellow tint towards the iris. You get me.

• Your fears: Spiders, heights (bungee jumping height, not roller coaster height), just creepy crawlies in general. I will hold a python and walk around with it all day, no problem. But come near me with a spider or a bug and you'll never see me again.

• Your guilty pleasure: I love watching those real housewife shows. Like, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Potomac, New York City, Cheshire... you name it, I watch it.

• Ambitions for the future: I'm currently a mommy to a little boy and would obviously love to get married in the next 2 years (as we have planned) and have another 2 or 3 kids to complete our family. Other than that, I would love to get back to being a photographer because I really miss it.

• Your first thoughts waking up: As a mom, my first thought when I wake up is to check on my offspring. Only after will I even think of taking care of myself and looking in my diary to see what I have to do for the day.

• What you think about most: My head is always thinking of so many things. 

• What you think about before bed: Usually what I'm going to have to do the next day.

• Single or group dates: Like, what? A single couple date?... Hate group dates.

• To be loved or respected: Can one possibly pick both?

• Beauty or brains: Brains, any day.

• Dogs or cats: I would pick both if I could but for me at the moment, I would rather have a dog than a cat.

• Lie: No. Unless I'm surprising someone. Or for example when I don't feel like leaving the house so I say I'm busy... Just innocent little lies really.

• Believe in yourself: Yeah. I believe that if I can put something I really want to do in my mind, I know I can do it.

• Believe in love: Of course. I have the best soon to be husband ever.

• Want someone: Relationship wise? Yes, my partner, every day. Life wise? Yes also, my partner, my son and our future children too.

• Been on stage: Yes. I'm a bassist, so I did a music course (GCSE) when I was in high school. I was in a band in that course and we performed a few gig nights together and even performed in a theater at an awards ceremony in front of 800+ people (JedWard performed on the same stage a few weeks later and had less of an audience than us.

• Done bad drugs: Never.

• Changed who you were to fit in: Never. If you don't like me for who I am then you don't deserve to hang with me and I don't want to hang with you either. I don't believe in becoming someone you're not just to copy someone or fit in too a group of people. Having your own personality is key, no one should be a copy.

• Favorite color: Turquoise, purple and burgundy.

• Favorite animal: Dog, white tiger and dolphin.

• Favorite movie: Stay Alive.

• Favorite show: American Horror Story and A Modern Family... Both very different, I know.

• Favorite book: Girl, Missing. It's such a good book. I read it once in middle school and absolutely loved it, that book really got me into reading. 6 years later I purchased it myself and read it all over again. It's a book that never gets old, I could read it a hundred times.

• Day your next birthday will be: My next birthday will be on a Saturday, I kind of can't wait.

• How old will you be: I will be 20, oh my God... I will be 20.  Really feeling the need to pop out and buy some eye wrinkle creams already.

• Does age matter: Of course not... There are some exceptions though, of course.

The 'Get to Know Me' Blogger Challenge | November 2016

Take part in the 'Get to Know Me' challenge with me this month. I know we are almost half way through the month but I will catch up all in a few days so you can see what I write and can then write your own if you wish to do so.

Here is the list of topics for each day of the month

1. Meet the blogger- a description of who you are, what you do and your interests.
2. A typical day in my shoes.
3. My life currently.
4. Becoming a better me.
5. How I organize myself.
6. What's in my bag?
7. Where I want to be in 5 years time.
8. Goals for the next year.
9. What is my favorite festive time?
10. What is my best physical feature?
11. Why I blog.
12. Where I have traveled to.
13. Something beautiful to me.
14. TV shows that I secretly love watching.
15. Two things I'm proud of.
16. How I did in high school.
17. My biggest regret.
18. My dream job/career.
19. Thoughts about my looks.
20. What I'm like during each season.