How Do You Sum Up 2020?!

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Seriously, how do you sum up the sh*t show that has just happened over the last 12 months?! How do you sum up 2020?!

At the end of 2019, I made so many travel plans, I had such high hopes for the start of a new year and technically, a new decade (kind of). 

Being Disabled In 2020

Approaching 10 Downing Street 

*tap on the door*

Hi Boris, it's me, I'm part of the millions of people who are vulnerable and shielding because of Covid who have been forgotten about by you and your government. Any updates on when we can have a normal life again?

There's only one way I can describe what 2020 has been like as a person with a disability - forgotten about.

How To Relax Before Christmas

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Christmas, as much as it is joyous and festive and magical and special and cheery, it can sometimes be bloody stressful.

From present buying and wrapping, to running around giving gifts and seeing relatives, including long-lost Aunty Vera who lives two towns away (well, maybe not too much travelling this year) and getting the food and drink in (be prepared to see limited delivery slots on your favourite supermarkets websites), let's face it, Christmas isn't as totally joyous as those soppy Christmas films make it out to be.

How To Spend Christmas 2020

*Items in this post are PR products. Please read the end of this post for more details. 

I don't think we'll have a more weirder and sombre Christmas than this one will be this year. The rules seem different in the four nations of the UK. Up to three households can meet for the Christmas period. But you can't guarantee that people will 'really' follow these rules. I can already envisage another lockdown in January. Sigh.

6 Tips On What To Buy Someone Who Is Difficult To Buy For

You know that person that leaves you stumped or leaves you scratching your head and you're thinking "WTF do I buy Sandra?!"

You're wondering what on Earth they would like, you think of an idea then realise that they already have that scarf in a multitude of patterns and colours. Or it's that person who owns everything and you have no clue what they don't have unless you rummage through their house when they're not in (don't do that, that's pretty much illegal). 

How To Have A Sustainable Christmas

Christmas is full of food, wrapping paper, gifts, trees, baubles and advent calendars. One thing Christmas also brings with it is a lot of WASTE.

Over the years, I've noticed how wasteful I, and so many others, can be in the festive period. Think of it, all the wrapping paper, food packaging, packaging from our gifts...the list is almost endless.

Estrid Razor: A Review

As a blogger, surely at some point during the first lockdown you came across Estrid on your Instagram. In a variety of colours, Estrid is the most talked about razor on social media right now. 

Now I'm somebody who shaves my legs all year round. I don't like having hairy legs in the winter, or, in honesty, at all. I prefer shaving my legs to waxing them as it's painless (unless you knick your skin, especially on the knees or ankle area!) and much quicker, lather your legs in soap, shave, and bang, you're done.

Why I Sometimes Skip Instagram Stories

Ok, this may sound quite harsh, but hear me out. I was a guest speaker at a workshop for House 21 (a blogging magazine) a while back and we were discussing how to get the best out of your Instagram Stories. When I happened to mention that I sometimes skip or even mute people's Instagram Stories, the looks on people's faces on Zoom were a picture. I kind of forgot to explain why I do that. It's not that I'm being nasty or anything like that, I do have legitimate reasons for skipping or even muting Stories.

The Health Benefits Of Going Alcohol Free

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I can still remember the first alcoholic drink I drank - WKD. A lovely blue, fizzy concoction that I would drink at every night out with my family or friends. Fast forward to 2020, you'll find me with a cheeky vodka or a large glass of rose. 

However - things have changed.

Why I Don't Have Guest Posts On My Blog

I started blogging back in 2016 to fulfil my passion of writing. If I had a pound for every time I've said that in Twitter blog conversations...

Anyway, back when I started blogging, I never knew that there was the option to have other blogger's write something for your own blog. 

Why I'm Hoping To Get The Travel Bug Back In 2021

*There are PR products in this post. Please read the end of the post for more details. 

At the back-end of 2019, I had so many travel plans, I planned to visit at least six different parts of the UK in 2020. Then what happens, a pandemic takes over the world and completely blew mine and so many other people's travel plans out of the water.

I don't whether it's just me, but while we were all in lockdown, I felt the urge to want to travel everywhere! Maybe being locked up in the house for almost six months like a caged animal didn't help much. I'm hoping to keep the travel bug feeling until 2021 when (hopefully) it'll be safer to travel again.

Blogger Or Not, Aren't We All Influencers?

I had this little brain wave for a blog post when one of my neighbours sent me a link for some CF style masks on Messenger. After sending the photo and link to my Mam, she wanted to buy one instantly.

This got me thinking, even if you're not a blogger, are we all an influencer of some sort? Even though my neighbour isn't a blogger, she influenced my Mam to want to buy a mask which she thought she would like. 

Being Proud Of Where I Come From

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We all come from different corners of the world. There are 7 continents, 195 countries, 25 million cities, 2.5 billion towns. We all come from one of each. I live in Europe, Wales, Newport and an area called Ringland.

They say that home is where the heart is. I totally agree with that - but it doesn't have to be where you are actually from. Home should be a place where you feel safe, comfortable and more importantly, happy. For a while, I was so unhappy living in Newport. After travelling solo to a few places around the UK, I started to doubt as to whether I was born in the wrong city. Before the pandemic, I became a lot more adventurous and wanted to explore different places, I felt like getting out of Newport was more like an escape rather than a break. 

Why My Fourth Year Of Blogging Has Been My Best Yet!

It's the beginning of November which means that I am now celebrating my fourth year of blogging! Around this time four years ago, I hit the 'Publish' button for my first post (soz, I haven't got the link for that) and I sat there nervous at what people's reactions were going to be!

Since I wrote my last bloggerversary post, so much has happened. This time last year, Coronavirus didn't exist. TikTok was barely used. Shielding and lockdown were about to become everyday words in our vocabulary, tiers were things you'd only find on a wedding cake. 

Why I Prefer A Daily Social Media Detox

Ah, the social media detox. A time where you feel that a step away from social media is the solution when your mental health doesn't feel right. 

As a blogger, I'm pretty much on social media for a huge part of the day. For example, in the morning when I wake up, I grab my phone and scroll through Twitter and Instagram like I'm reading a newspaper, check my emails and delete the crappy ones and maybe post an Instagram story welcoming the day. If I have the time to, I'll promote my latest blog post and promote it all over my social media channels. That's the first 20 minutes of my morning most days. Then I'm rushing around like a tit in a trance trying to get ready for work and getting my meds done. It's a sight to see, believe me. 

What Sexy Means To Me

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I never thought a blog post title of mine would have the word 'sexy' in it. Sexy can be taken in two different ways, it can be seen as a compliment or as a derogatory remark. I've never been a fan of being called sexy. I don't call men sexy. I would much rather say that a man is attractive or good looking. But this is my opinion, insert your opinion at the end of this post, I'd love to know your views on this!

What Is A Media Kit & How To Create One

For those non blogger's wondering what the chuff I'm talking about, a media kit is kind of like a blogging CV. It's a graphic where brands can discover all about your stats, about you as a person, about your blog, what you blog about, what brands you have collaborated with in the past and it's a great opportunity to show off your creative talents and also allow brands to get to know you.

What's In My Bag Post Lockdown?

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Oh, my current handbag is being stretched in all ways possible after lockdown (kind of) ended. I'm having to fit so much stuff in there now and I've fully come to realise that I need to get myself a bigger bag.

24 Small UK Businesses Selling Face Masks

This is a simple and snappy post for today! 

I'm a great believer in supporting small businesses. As I work for a local business, the importance of supporting, promoting and helping them is something I am familiar with, especially through these uncertain times. Small businesses need our help more than ever, at the end of the day, these business owners have mortgages/rent to pay, they need to put food on the table and they may even have children to feed. 

My Blogging Regrets

Oh my goodness me, I'd be lying if I said that I didn't make some right ooh ha's since joining the blogging world. Blogging is a learning curve for all new bloggers, even the ones that have been creating content for years still learn something new everyday. 

I've been blogging for nearly four years now, I still consider it as one of the best decisions I ever made. Hitting the publish button on my first ever post opened the door for new and exciting opportunities that I never knew existed. 

Tips For Preventing Maskne

Maskne - breakouts and irritation around the mouth, chin and cheeks from wearing face masks.

Maskne is a thing guys. It's not just a word that has suddenly been invented by social media, it's real. Maskne seems is an (un)popular trend right now and people are scrambling to watch This Morning to hear Caroline Hirons' (AKA an absolute legend) skin tips about how to avoid the dreaded mask breakout. 

I Hate Being Called...

...cute. 

It's something I get called quite often and I'm just not a fan of it. Cute is something you call a puppy, a kitten, something pink and fluffy or a baby, not a grown woman. I think the reason I hate (I know hate is a strong word) it so much is that I've been called it so many times on Instagram posts and in life that it's started to get on my nerves. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the compliment and the sentiment behind it, it's so kind of people to call me something nice, but it's just not my fave word anymore!

I don't know why, I find being called cute more of an insult than a compliment these days. I understand why people call me cute, I have the facial features of a 12-year-old, I'm small at only 5ft 3 and I have chipmunk cheeks that would make Chip and Dale proud. Maybe that makes up to being called cute? Who knows. In the beginning, I didn't mind being called cute as it was quite sweet that people saw me in that way. Now I'm 27, I just don't find it a compliment so much. 

My Current Exercise Routine

I can take one positive of being in lockdown - I have gained a better and more well structured exercise routine. Before the pandemic, I was doing the same routine everyday and it was becoming very monotonous. With the extra time I (as well as everybody else) was given when lockdown commenced, I decided to test what I could do to make my exercise routine a little, well, less monotonous. 

I didn't want to be in the position of completing the same workouts everyday on YouTube. It worked for a little while, but it got to a point where I wasn't feeling any real benefits. When you feel like that about your exercise schedule, you know its time for a change. 

Tampons vs Pads: Which Are Better?

*This post has PR Samples included. Please read the end of the post for more details.

I still remember the day when I learnt about pads and periods. It was a special class for the Year 6 girls and the nurse came in to talk to us about periods and what products we could use during, as she said "that special time of the month" - nah love, there's nothing special about "the time of the month" - unless I was pissing money and not blood, than yeah, it's special all the f**king way.

Why You Should Wear Scrunchies

Surely I'm not the only person to have noticed the scrunchie trend?

Scrunchies have made an iconic comeback in recent weeks. I remember them being worn by some many girls in my class and the scrunchies were always co-ordinated with their school uniform. If you wore a red gingham dress, a gingham scrunchie had to be worn with it. Ah, the good days. 

Facebook - Our First Taste Of Social Media

Ah, Facebook. The first time most of us (particularly people around my age - 27) had our first taster of what social media would be like. Facebook was THE website everyone wanted to create a profile on in 2008/2009. After MSN, Facebook was the next thing I would check to see if any of my school friends had updated their status. Facebook allowed us to connect with so many people in our local town/city, even beyond that.

Fast forward to 2020. Well, Facebook is not seen as everybody's favourite app. I think it's safe to say it's caused us some grief one way or another over the years. Those direct/indirect status at someone, the arguments in the comments section and being pissed off at Sandra next door for lighting fireworks at 1am and broadcasting it on her profile. I think the only reason I use Facebook now is to check for any gossip and find out who's having a baby. moving into a new house or getting engaged/married. 

Perfecting My Skincare With PMD

*This post features a PR sample. See the end of the post for more details. 

I've always been quite airy fairy when it comes to my skincare and establishing a routine. I've only recently put my stamp on a skincare routine that really works well for me and one that benefits my skin and it's complexion.

Nowadays, anything that will help my skin and give it the nourishment it needs and to stop the wrinkle process from progressing quicker than it should, I am all for! 

Charities That Are Special To Me

All charities are wonderful organisations and are worth donating to if you are able to afford to.

We all support different charities in our lives. Some are supported because you believe in the work they're trying to achieve and some you support because they have a special place in your heart and some because a certain charities we can relate to on a personal level eg an illness or traumatic event. Today is International Day of Charity, a day to highlight the charities that mean so much to us individually.

The Isolation Diary: Part Four

Ok, let's hope that this is the last installation of The Isolation Diary series. I don't think I could cope if I had to do a part five! I just want to say a quick thank you to those who have (hopefully) read and enjoyed these posts! Like somebody said in one of the comments, it'll be great to look back on in a few months time. When things go back to some sense of normality, I'll be remembering the days I discovered my cat growled like a dog, the first Clap For Our Carer's and when I baked for the first time EVER. 

Ok, let's crack on with this last edition of the diary series -

Why I Chose The College Life Over The Uni Life

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At the moment, there are youngsters having to make huge life changing decisions now that their GCSE/A Level results have been given to them. I wish them every success and I hope they get to go down the path that they want to travel down.

When my GCSE results came out, I didn't do overly brilliant, I got just about enough of the right grades to get into college. 

I knew from a young high school age that I wasn't be cut out for university. The uni life was never a life I envisaged for myself. I never really thought that taking that advance into further education was something I REALLY wanted to do or was the right thing for me to do.

How I Balance My Four Lives

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If I'm not thinking about one thing, I'm thinking about another 4-5 things instead. My life is a busy and hectic one, there's so many things going on, it's sometimes a little overwhelming. 

Life is a balancing game, it's up to us to find the right balance to make our lives a little easier and a little less frantic. 

I have four different lives to juggle. And no, I don't mean a husband and kids. I'm talking my blogging life, my CF life, my work life and my general life. Juggling four lives isn't easy. It's like being in the circus and being the juggling act and trying to keep four balls in the air without making an absolute mess and dropping them all. 

Shielding Is Over! But I'm Still Afraid To Go Out.

22 weeks

154 days 

3696 hours

221,760 minutes

…

Shielding is OVER! For now anyway. 

I have finally reached the end of my shielding sentence without going completely insane. Well, mostly. It's been a proper rollercoaster (scuse the cliché) of emotions, highs lows, lots of watching The Repair Shop on repeat (new addiction) and wearing pillows for a lockdown challenge. 

Why I Eat Breakfast & Breakfast Ideas For You

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I was going to write a post about why we should all try and eat breakfast, but I didn't want to dictate to you all why you should. Eating breakfast is a personal preference in my opinion and I know quite a few people who choose not to eat first thing in the morning. 

So rather than offering some wisdom and advice, I thought I would give the reasons why I eat breakfast everyday. Ok, that does sound a little self centred.

Six More Books I've Read So Far In 2020

I haven't left it as long to read six more books than I did reading the last six books. I've read quite an eclectic range of books in the last few weeks. I've had a lot more time on my hands (obvs) and I've managed to buy and delve into more books. I seriously need to buy a bookcase for all the books that are stacked in my wardrobe. I'm playing a serious game of Jenga in terms of balancing with my books right now.

Anyway, here's another six books I've read in the last few weeks:

The Benefits Of Listening To Music

Those days in school when I used put my headphones underneath my school jumper, pull the wire up through to my collar, put my earphones in and hope my Physics teacher Mr Allen never twigged I was listening to Ne-Yo or Drake. Ah, good times. That's why I rarely wore my hair up in school - it disguised the earphones better. Also you were a banging friend if you were willing to share one earphone with someone if they didn't have their own.

Anyway, music - I've loved listening to music ever since I can remember. It's one of my favourite things to do and I find it very relaxing.

How To Be A More Of A Morning Person

*Items in this post are PR samples. Please read at the end of the post for more details.

I'll be honest, I'm not an overly enthusiastic morning person. Even when I know I have to wake up early, it doesn't fill me with much excitement going to bed that night knowing there is an alarm set for a few hours time. Also there's fighting the temptation to not hit the snooze button as soon as the alarm rings it's high pitched tone. Plus the bed is so warm and cosy first thing in the morning that I just can't find the heart to leave it. 

What's It Like To Be Healthy?

Friend - "What's it like to have CF?"

Me - "What's it like to be healthy?"

Can a normal healthy person really say what it's like to be a healthy person? Can I really say what it's like to have CF? This CF life is my normal, as you being healthy is your normal.

With having CF, I'll never know what it is truly like to be healthy. To have no health problems, to not have to worry about prescriptions, to not have to remember to take medication, to not have to adhere to a exercise/physiotherapy regime everyday and to not have to worry about what the future may or may not bring. 

What Does A Blogger Actually Do?

Write, photograph, edit, post, repeat. Welcome to the life of a blogger.

A lot of people underestimate what a blogger ACTUALLY does. We don't just write things and post them. There's so much work that goes into one single blog post and we barely get paid for it (well, some do), we do it because we love what we do and we love being part of this amazing blogging community. 

The Isolation Diary: Part Three

Right, I've only done pictures for this series for up to four parts. Surely to god I won't need a fifth one?! Well, after finding out the news during this period that I'm going to be shielding until the 16th August, that may seem possible. Let's get started with this diary entry then:

Bras That Every Woman Need

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My Mam always taught me that as long as you got a black and white bra in your underwear draw, you're good to go. 

She was right. You always need a black or white bra on different occasions. Nowadays, there are all types of bras that come in a range of different materials, patterns and styles, it can be hard to choose which bra is what you need.

Before choosing the bra you want, get yourself measured (obvs a little tricky to do so right now). But you can measure yourself at home if you follow the fitting guides on lingerie websites. It can be a little tricky to measure at home though. I tried it once before I felt confident enough to let somebody else do it for me and I swear I made the discovery that I was double jointed during the measuring process. I think I might have misread the instructions. 

What's It Like Being A Modern Day Female Football Fan?

I've written a post in the past about what it's like being a female football fan. But I kind of wanted to elaborate a little bit on it about what it's like to be a female footy fan in this modern day.

*In David Attenborough's voice* 

It's August 2006, there's a 13 year old girl sat in her natural habitat, the living room. She is just starting to appreciate the world and sport that is football for what it is. She is just about to start her new life as a Liverpool Football Club supporter. She is also grazing on a pepperoni pizza as she watches Steven Gerrard (my hero at the time) score an absolute belter from outside the box.

Summer Indoors?!

*Items in this post have been gifted. Read disclaimer at the end of the post for more info.

I've resigned myself to the fact that I shall be spending my Summer sitting in the front/back garden talking to the birds and watching my cat attempt to catch them.

With me and so many others having to shield for a lot longer than we thought we was going to be, our shielding sentences will go on long into the midst of Summer (August 16th for people in Wales) which means no beer gardens, no beaches (except for the idiots who decide to crowd down there on weekends) and no holidays (same for everyone also). But I've grown to accept that and I shall be trying to make the most of Summer at home. 

What The Shielding Life Has Taught Me

*Disclaimer - be prepared to see the word 'shielding' a hella of a lot in this post

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to tell you, shielding stinks. I've been shielding and in lockdown for such a long time now that I can feel myself going a bit crazy. I think people have spent less time in prison than I and so many others have shielding. I've found myself doing the most weirdest of jobs from readjusting all the bra straps that felt loose on my shoulders to organising the cat food boxes. Yep, I'm officially going barmy.

This shielding was never what I expected. It's been a hell of a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Maybe that's because I never thought I would spend 95% of my days indoors for such a long time. Maybe I had high hopes that the pandemic would be nearing it's end by now. But nope, me and so many others are stuck with this lifestyle for the foreseeable.

Why I Still Use Bloglovin'

That feeling when you see someone comment on your blog post and realise you've missed out on their last three posts as you forgot to check that they posted. Whoops.



Sometimes I struggle to keep up with my favourite blogger's on Twitter and I heavily rely on comment threads to keep me up to date of who's posted what new post. It's like my daily blogging news bulletin.

Getting The Summer Glow with Bali Body

*The items in this post were gifted. Please read the disclaimer at the end of the post

Seeing as we're not going to be stepping foot on an aeroplane this Summer due to current circumstances, the only way that we can get that Summer, sun kissed, gorgeous glow is to get the fake tan in and walk around the garden in the pretence that we're somewhere abroad. 

Ok, it may not be the best idea. But still, we got to make the most out of a bad situation surely?! 

My Biggest Health Turning Points

I nearly called this post 'My Biggest Health Milestones' but milestones is like when you start walking or your 18th birthday, not the first time you ever have a bowel blockage.



I've had Cystic Fibrosis ever since I was a foetus but I wasn't formally diagnosed until I was six weeks old. As you can imagine, I've encountered some serious ass problems along the way. Some to be expected with the severity of my illness, some really shit scary and some that have changed my life.

A Letter To CF

Dear CF,



I'm not sure if that's how I should start this letter.



It's not like I'm writing to Sandra who lives in Australia (disclaimer - just a hypothetical Sandra, I don't happen to know anyone called Sandra) I'm writing to a disease, it's weird as it's not like you can write back to me.

My Favourite Home Insta Accounts

One thing I cannot wait to do one day is move out. I'm already saving for a deposit on a house right now and I can't wait to move in and decorate a house to how I would like it to be.



I've scrolled endlessly through Pinterest envisioning how I would like my house to be like, what colours I would use, whether I like to approach the decorating with a minimalistic or country feel to it. I have so many ideas, if only I had a house of my own to do it in. I have a Pinterest board just for interior inspo alone, it'll be great to properly delve into that when I have a paintbrush in one hand ready to paint the house away.

The Isolation Diary: Part Two

Ok, I'm slowly losing my mind. Surely this has to end soon? I can't clean my house anymore, I'm running out of things to do and I miss KFC and Gregg's terribly. If you haven't already read part one of my Isolation Diary series (I may as well call it a series now as it's slowly turning into one) give the first part a read if you want before reading this one! Here's hopefully the second (and last) part of my isolation diary:

How To Create Banging Instagram Stories

I've grown to love Instagram stories over time. I have always felt that you get to see a person's authentic and true selves through what they upload on their Stories. Since Instagram Stories came into our lives in 2016, it has evolved so much. From introducing GIFs, stickers, polls and questions, it's something that most of us enjoy using everyday when we're on the app.



From what I've found, followers to look at my Stories more than like what I post on my grid. Like I said, you can get to know someone's real personality through Stories. I like to make my stories fun and engaging. I like doing polls on a weekly basis, I like to ask questions and answer my follower's responses and ask for recommendations on moisturisers.