Author: ifyouseerachel

My Bladder Disease and Me

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Ah yes its finally time to talk about my problematic bladder and if you have ever experienced any sort of bladder pain or difficulties, you will know how awful and life controlling it can be. On April 1st 2018, so 3 years ago today, I was diagnosed with a rare and incurable bladder disease called Interstitial Cystitis, a chronic condition causing bladder pain and discomfort.

So how did it start and what were my symptoms? Towards the end of 2017 and early 2018, I kept getting UTI’s (Urinary Track Infections/bladder infections) constantly with various trips in and out of the doctors and even trips to A&E at times where the pain was just unbearable. At the beginning of 2017, I had just got into a relationship with my boyfriend and shrugged off the worry of UTI’s knowing it was probably the urmm … physical *cough* side of our relationship being the cause of it. But as time went on, the pain and discomfort got worse and just would. not. stop. It then got even more worrying when some of the lab results for my urine samples would come back negative, so no infection, but why was I in so much pain? After many different doctors all just giving you the same “hygiene” talk, I finally had a Doctor who also had experienced bladder pain in the past and referred me to a specialist. After various tests and scans, I was then told about Interstitial Cystitis and the good news was I finally had some answers to what my pain was and what I was doing wrong. The bad news? It’s incurable. Them words just shook through me and instantly knew this was going to change my life.

After now 3 years of suffering with interstitial cystitis, I’ve learnt to live with my condition with lifestyle changes, plus various treatments, medication and surgery along the way. So what changes have I had to make? What treatment did I have and what do I do to cope with the pain?

1. Drinks and Diet

(This is a big ol’ section, so take a deep breath and try not to get a headache lol)

Probably one of the biggest changes I made was what fluids I drank. I remember the day the doctor sat me down and said to me “from now on it’s JUST WATER, okay?” thinking she was joking or just meant for a short period of time…but no, she wasn’t kidding. Everything I used to enjoy drinking like alcohol, tea, coffee, coke and fruit juices were now off the table as these were classed as irritants to the bladder. She described to me that I need to imagine my bladder as a cut or a graze on my arm and said “when you put alcohol on your cut or graze it stings, right? That’s what’s happening inside your bladder” ah, so that explains the pain. All those times thinking I had weeks of suffering from a UTI, I was actually having something called a flare up from all those cups of tea and weekend drinking. These flare ups can last for weeks to even months and cause the most awful pain, like peeing lava and having someone stabbing your bladder 24/7. URGH. So for a least a year I did what she said and drank JUST WATER. Oh how depressing that was, until I went on a google hunt to find websites and support groups from other people who also suffer from IC and found a list of “bladder safe and not bladder safe drinks” which I will link here.

DISCLAIMER! Every person is different and has different experiences so in no way am I saying these drinks are 100% safe. Please try drinks at your own risk and consult with your Doctor if you are unsure, do so at your own risk. This is just from my personal experience, yours may differ.

Safe Drinks

  • Water: The safest option. HOWEVER depending on how sensitive your bladder is, sometimes even the type of water can cause flares. For example tap water sometimes gives me a small, but bearable, amount of pain. To avoid this, I have a water filter to get rid of them nasty irritants. If I’m out for a meal or at a pub, I have to make sure they DONT put a lemon or lime in my water!
  • Hot Drinks: Peppermint and chamomile are 100% natural and completely caffeine free. Peppermint is my absolute favourite and is even great to help soothe a flare up as well! HOWEVER I have to make sure its 100% peppermint, some places like Costa for example have 70% peppermint and 30% spearmint, SPEARMINT is an irritant! So I make sure to always ask for 100% peppermint. Hot water and honey is also a fab choice for a winter warmer.
  • Milk/ milkshake: Milk is a bladder friendly drink! When having a milkshake, vanilla is the best option flavour to have. Anything else like chocolate or strawberry can be a pickle and is a possible irritant.
  • Juice: This is when it gets quite difficult. The only juice I can drink at the moment is pear juice, and it may sound weird but its actually SO NICE! Where the heck do I even get pear juice? I get mine from Tesco and will link the brand here. It does contain a small amount of lemon juice but not enough to cause a flare up (my personal experience). Blueberry juice is also classed as bladder safe but I am yet to try it!

NOT Safe Drinks

  • Alcohol: my biggest personal irritant. My god when I drink alcohol it feels like my insides are on fire, and even alcohol free still causes irritation. I’ve now lived 3 years sober and you know what? I dont even miss it (well sometimes but it’s not a big deal)
  • Caffeine: Oh to have a pumpkin spiced latte or have a nice morning brew again…those days are long gone. So what about flavoured teas? Nope. Green Tea?! Nope. Even caffeine free is still an irritant, but other people’s experience may differ.
  • Juice: Most juice is unfortunately off limits, including orange, apple, pineapple, cranberry, basically anything citrus. Squash is also off limits for me personally but it differs from person to person.
  • Fizzy, Sports and Energy drinks: anything carbonated or has caffeine is a no go. This includes sparkling water but its worth a try.
The only pear juice I can find in supermarkets!

It was all about trial and error, but was also getting the confidence to try new drinks as well. It can be very daunting when trying to drink something new, knowing it may cause me pain for endless amount of days. I always tired to make sure I tried a new drink when I had a few days off work and made sure I drank a whole big glass of the stuff so I knew for sure if it hurt me or not. I’d wait a good 24 hours to see if I had any pain and if I didn’t, it was good to go!

Food isn’t really much of a bladder irritant to me but can be for some. I know sometimes when I eat lots of chocolate or have a big bowl of tomato pasta, there sometimes can be a small flare of pain, but not enough to cause much distress. I dont, however, eat any citrus fruit like mangos, pineapple, oranges etc as I know these do cause me pain. Lastly ice cream is also something I keep an eye on, as essentially once its all mixed up in your tummy, it is really a milkshake drink. BUT saying this I haven’t had much trouble with different flavoured ice-cream in the past so maybe I should try different milkshake flavours? Hmmm.

And that’s that for diet and drinks. It may not seem like such a big change, but for me it was definitely the social aspect of drinking that was the hardest. If I had a penny for every time someone asked me why I wasn’t on the alcohol on a night out, I’d be a rich girl indeed. It was constantly having to explain myself and having them pressuring me to “just have one!” or questioning “so when can you drink again?” do you know how belittling that is? Invisible illnesses are real and people need to think before they question someone’s lifestyle choices. I’m honestly quite happy to not drink alcohol ever again and if that’s a problem to someone, that’s says more about them then it does to you.

2. My Medication

ANOTHER DISCLAIMER! I AM NOT A DOCTOR! All my medications are on PERSCRIPTION which were chosen for me by many doctors. YOU MUST see a doctor before trying ANY of these medications and am not suggesting you must have them. These are just what have worked for me PERSONALY and am only writing to give options to what you may suggest to you doctor and what my PERSONAL experience has been.

Lucky enough, my journey with finding the right medication to help me cope with the bladder pain has actually been a short one. For some though, it can be a long process of trial and error trying to find the right medication specific for each persons needs, as like I’ve said, everyone is different and has their own personal experiences.

Oxybutynin – Tried but didn’t find it right for me. Oxybutynin is a bladder relaxant which can help stop pee urgency and stop spasms. I found this medication way too strong, yes it relaxed my bladder, but to the point where I didn’t even know I was peeing! And found it very hard to push the lasts bit of wee out (sorry gross alarm) which is dangerous and can cause UTIS – the exact thing I was trying to avoid. Plus it made my pee green!!

Amitriptyline 10mg/20mg – A pain killer, took a while to get used to but works perfectly for me to keep the pain at ease. I take 10mg every evening 2 hours before bed (it makes you drowsy) and 20mg if I feel like the pain is worse today or having a flare up.

Trimethoprim 100mg- a non penicillin based antibiotic and I take one 100mg tablet every 2 weeks to keep my UTI’s at bay. Now, taking antibiotics often isn’t the best for your health and can cause complications down the line, however this was the only option to stop myself getting recurrent UTI’S. Not only are my UTI’s extremely painful but they can actually worsen my condition, so it was decided my Doctor that taking a low dose antibiotic every 2 weeks would be better then having UTI’s constantly. It was also suggested to me by my doctor that I should time taking the 2 weekly tablet after having s3x, as we sort of worked out this was my main UTI cause. This has been working really well for me and, fingers crossed , haven’t had a UTI in nearly 2 years!

Once again do just want to mention to please check with your doctor before taking any of these medications! Also do not giving up going to the Doctor if you feel like you are getting no answers or help from them, it took me a good year to finally see one who had bladder problems herself who put my on the right medication and also made a referal to a specialist.

3. Treatment

Oo here’s where it gets a bit more complex! So I was told my bladder disease was not curable right, but was it it was treatable with various medications and procedures. This really was a turning point for me and finally going down the right track to manage my condition.

Cystistat® Treatment – probably the best thing I’ve done to help my bladder but also not the most fun. Cystistat® is a solution that gets inserted into your bladder through catheter (so basically had a tube up my wee hole) and I had this done ONCE A WEEK for a good two months, then it went down to every 2 week for a couple more months. Really early in the morning as well ew but it was a very quick in and out job. Once the solution was inside my bladder, I had to hold this in for at least an hour for it to do its work. Not going to lie, having a nurse put a tube in your wee hole was not the most pleasant thing in the world, but after a while I did eventually get used to it. It did sometimes leave me in a lot of pain during the day, as the catheter could sometimes scratch my insides and wow did it hurt to pee for a day or so. It was also very emotionally draining having to wake up that early, to strip off and wear a gown, lay on a hospital bed and a nurse poking around down there! And not knowing if it will hurt today, will I need to take the day off, is it even working etc, however thankfully it was all worth it and the treatment did wonders for me. I could of chosen to still have this done even after the course was finished, but I was just about to have another procedure done (which I will discuss in the next paragraph) and felt like it did it’s job well enough for me not to go again. If you want to find out more about the treatment I had, click here.

Hydrodistension and Cystoscopy – this was done to reduce pain and discomfort in my bladder and to further the investigation to see if there was any abnormalities that wasn’t picked up on previous scans. A hydrodistension is where my bladder was slowly stretched out with fluid. I was on general anaesthetic at the time so was fast asleep and didn’t feel a thing. But oh goddddd the pain when I woke up was a weird one. I felt like I needed a wee really really REALLY bad but was still too sleepy to get up or even ask. Once I finally came to, I saw I had some sort of nappy/sanitary towel thing down there to catch any blood caused by the surgery. I ate A TON of bourbon biscuits and was told I wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital until I had a wee. OH. MY. GOD. I must of been in that toilet for AT LEAST half an hour, peeing literal blood and in the most excruciating pain. I finally come out of the toilet in tears, but the nurse just goes “ah yes I see you’ve passed urine then! Off you go home xoxo” WHAT? THIS IS NORMAL? Spent the next 3 days in bed drugged up on co-codamol to wait for my bladder to heal up and stop peeing literal blood. It eventually all cleared up, cystoscopy came back with nothing unusual and was sent off on my merry way. This procedure has helped me coped with my condition a lot more and dont feel the urgency to pee as much as I used to.

All this took place in the space of about 6 months, adding on another 6 months after that for recovery, so it was a long, tiring and worrying journey, but knew it was something I needed to do in order to live, somewhat, pain free again. I could of had the option to continue with the Cystistat® treatment but decided against doing so as I felt I was doing okay and didn’t really need it, plus it put me under quite a lot of stress and anxiety getting up early and worried about the pain that would follow. I would definitely recommended any of these treatments and just think its always worth a shot if you’re willing to put your body and mind through the bad side of the treatments in order to feel the benefits afterwards.

4. Changes to lifestyle

And finally after sorting what my pain triggers were, had my meds prescribed and had the right treatment done, it still wasn’t over yet and I had to make lots of lifestyle changes that were also causing my flare ups or things that could worsen my condition.

  • Bladder Friendly soaps, bubble bath etc – oh wow the confusion I used to get before discovering that soap can irritate the bladder too! I would hop out the bath in absolute agony down there, not knowing I was using all the wrong soaps and bubble bath! So no more fancy lush for me, even baby bath irritated me and it was a case of trial and error trying to find the right brand and ingredients that allowed me and my bladder to wash pain free.

The brand of soap I use the most is Sanex’s “Zero %” range, with absolutely no fragrance, sulphates, colourants or soap, which can all be bladder triggers! I never have had any problem with these products and I can finally relax in a bath without having the stress of after pain. The two products shown on the right are the ones I use the most, the Kids Head to Toe Wash is what I use for my bubble bath and the Shower Gel is what I use when having a shower and for a body soap when in the bath. It’s also a big plus that the product is vegan, recyclable and has a 93% of natural origin.

Another bladder friendly soap (for me anyway) is Dove Sensitive Skin Micellar bars, which is fragrance and sulphate free. I mainly use this for shaving, pairing it with a bit of coconut oil for the perfect shaving cream combo. Also love that it contains plant based cleansers, comes in a recyclable carboard box and is safe to use on the face!

If I had to use something that wasn’t bladder safe, I’d try my best to avoid the soap or scrub coming into contact with the area ‘down there’. So for example if I wanted to exfoliate my legs with a body scrub, I’d simply stand in the shower with just my lower leg wet, scrub it up and wash the scrub off COMPLETY before properly showering or running a bath.

  • No Swimming in Chlorine Pools– Now I’ve always HATED swimming pools anyway and still cannot swim for the life of me to this day, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to cool off from the heat in a pool or even warm up in a nice, cosy hot tub…sigh. Unfortunately for me chlorine is a complete no go for my bladder and I avoid it at all costs. I’ve never actually tried to see how I would react to chlorine, but to be honest, knowing I react badly just to soap and fragrance in bubble bath, I’m terrified of the idea of swimming in literal acid. I did consult my doctor and do a lil research and both said that chlorine is best to be avoided, but depends on person to person.

Swimming is a great low impact exercise, especially for people, like me, who have bladder conditions and sometimes find cardio difficult. I cannot swim for my life, but give be a hand float and damn I could swim the English Channel (well not actually but you know what I mean). I LOVE going to the beach and swimming in the sea doesn’t irritate my bladder! There are also facilities available across the country with salt water pools which I haven’t tried yet but is something I will consider if I want to avoid dirty sea water.

  • Planning toilet breaks and fluid intake – another side effect of living with a bladder condition is needing to pee constantly. Luckily after treatment and medication, my urgency to pee is a lot better than it used to be and I can hold it quite well, but still I have to go many times in the day and need to make sure that wherever I’m going, there needs to be toilets available. I do try controlling this by decreasing my fluid intake… but then the less water I drink, the more my bladder hurts, so its a double edged sword. I always just try to plan my day ahead in advanced and whenever I see a toilet, I GO. I remember back in 2019, I was in Belfast and my boyfriend had booked me an 8 hour walking tour of Game of Thrones locations which were all in the middle of nowhere. I’d just recently had my bladder surgery and instantly thought OH GOD what if I need to pee. I contacted the tour company and they put me at ease by saying that there were lots of toilet opportunities throughout the day and I made sure I went at every stop! So yeah, it can be frustrating but there is lots of ways around it and it’s just all about planning ahead.
  • Low Impact/Low Weight Workouts – 2019 was a rough ol’ year for my bladder, having it poked with a tube once a week AND then being expanded to its max compacity to the point where it tore and had to re-heal it self, it’s safe to say I took it easy when it came to working out. I didn’t want to stop completely so knew I had to do some research on what I could and couldn’t do.

I mainly focus my time at the gym on legs and abs, but my booty wasn’t going to do anything without any weight increase. Lifting anything heavy during my healing process was a complete no go, and for the most part of 2019, I simply couldn’t put my body under too much pressure. My dream booty just had to wait and decided on working on just toning found the best way to go was using cable machines and resistance bands. I practically LIVED on cable machines for a whole year just because I found it easy to add weight gradually and test my limits. The weights being on a cable was also a safer way of training, if I was to fail and drop the weight, it wouldn’t cause me any harm. Resistance bands were great for me also, as it added that extra bit of resistance without putting strain on my injuries. I used these methods mostly for my leg/glute workouts but did incorporate them into ab and arm workouts too. It was a tough old year but in 2020 I finally go the confidence back to try heavy weights again, and yes lockdown did ruin that goal a bit and I’m completely writing off my gym goals for that year. 2021, I hope to get back to the gym as soon as possible and start training consistently again.

Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading my post about my bladder disease, if you’ve got this far. It’s been a long journey of pain, worry and fear, but it definitely has made me a stronger person and I hope I’ve raised some awareness around IC and general bladder problems people may come across. It used to be something I was so embarrassed by and was ashamed of telling people what was wrong with me. I’ve learnt to accept that I’m going to have this for the rest of my life, so I might as well share my story in hope that I give someone else the confidence to share theirs as well. I want to also just mention that thousands of people suffer with invisible illnesses everyday, going through pain and tiredness, but looking completely fine on the outside. You just never know what someone is going through so never be quick to judge them.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me or leave a comment below. Here are a list of sites that you may find helpful if you are also suffering from Interstitial Cystitis or Chronic pain.

If I remember or come across any more helpful sites, I’ll be sure to update them on here.

Once again, thank you so much for reading. Remember you are never alone and there is always support out there if you are suffering from a chronic illness.

“You’re not a victim for sharing your story. You are a survivor setting the world on fire with your truth. And you never know who needs to your light, your warmth and raging courage”

Alex Elle

How To Stay Sane During Lockdown

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Ah yes, here we go again. Lockdown 3 and it looks like we’re gonna be in this one for a while. And even once this lockdown does finally end, you just know there are still going to be tiers and restrictions *sighs*. Remember back in March when we thought this was going to last 3 weeks? LOL nope and that first covid lockdown is nearly at its one year anniversary. Not good.

Oh how we’d all just wish everything was back to normal, but if we want that to happen, I guess we do need ANOTHER lockdown (and fingers crossed this is the last.) So with that being said, I’ve come up with a list of ways to keep yourself sane during these hard times of loneliness and isolation which have helped me through all lockdowns and tier restrictions.

1. Stay Connected

During these times of isolation and social distancing, I sometimes forget that we’re LITERALLY in a pandemic and cannot leave the house, but I still feel as if I’m being very anti-social. My inner introverted self is saying YES stay in bed…..but my extroverted self is crying and craves social interaction. Luckily enough, I have ways in which I can please both my introverted AND extroverted self:

  • Zoom Calls: get you and all your pals/family set for a zoom call all at the same time. Do quizzes, play games and chat just like you would at the pub or out and about! Some of my favourite games to play over zoom are Among Us, an phone app game trying to find out who the imposter is, Psych, which if you’ve played any of the Jackbox TV games, its like a phone version of that, and All Bad Cards, which is basically cards against humanity online! You can host a quiz by making it on PowerPoint and simply sharing your screen for the rest of your zoom call to see.
  • Reach out to your friends and family: don’t be afraid to reach out to people you haven’t spoken to in a while. Drop them a message, send them a Snapchat or even organise a catch up call just to see if they’re okay. Everyone is coping with lockdown in different ways and sometimes all it takes is a message just to cheer someone up and make their day.
  • Get on socials: Fully aware that if your choice is to stay off socials for your mental well being and safety, that is a-okay. But if you’re all good with being on socials then GET POSTING AND SCROLLING. Nothing is better than seeing other people in the same situation and how they are coping with it. I definitely gave in last year and downloaded TikTok (sorry Vine, RIP) but ohmygod I could sit scrolling on that app all day long, with no guilt knowing I have absolutely nothing better to do. And why not create you own? Post on your Insta/Snap story more and keep yourself occupied telling people what your up to!

2. Gaming

What’s better then living vicariously through pixels on a screen? I deffo would not call myself a “gamer” in any way and will not be doing a Twitch stream any time soon, but honestly, games have been a vital part in getting myself through lockdowns. It a great form of escapism and makes those hours FLY BY if you get fully invested in them. Here are some of my tips to get into gaming over lockdown:

  • Pick you console/platform: a week before March lockdown, I suddenly got the most RANDOM urge to buy an Xbox. My boyfriend has one and so do a lot of my friends, so I knew that when we went into lockdown I’d have those people to play online with, so definitely keep that into consideration when picking what console to buy. Xbox and Playstation’s also have the ability to play DVD/Blu Ray discs and can download streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+ etc, which was an absolute lifesaver for me to quickly switch from playing games to then watching films. If you dont want to splash the cash on and brand new console, I bought mine second hand online through CeX for only £150, delivery was so quick and it was in perfect condition. Then for Christmas this year, I was gifted a Nintendo Switch which I have wanted for SO LONG. Being a Nintendo girl from birth (still cannot beat Matt the Mii at boxing) I knew there was a lot of games I wanted to play on there. My switch is now like my third arm and is currently getting me through lockdown 3.
  • Choose your games: There were ALOT of games that got me through lockdown but here are my top picks.
    • Sims 4: I played this game heavily for the first two weeks, using the motherlode cheat and basically fully building my dream house and creating the better version of myself. I did eventually get bored of it, but I do put that down to the fact I cheated with the money hack and didn’t play properly, so maybe if you buy Sims, don’t cheat if you want it to last.
    • Minecraft: Ohmygod this game actually became my life for a good few months. I was paying for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate which I really recommend subscribing to if you have or thinking about getting an Xbox. You pay £1 a month for the first 3 months and then it goes up to £11 a month, but it includes Xbox Live and you get loadssss of games practically for free, Minecraft being one of them. You bet I built a whole god damn kingdom on there, with my house having a hot tub, about 20 different horses and made a big Tesco, Greggs and Wetherspoons just to make it feel less like lockdown. I recommend playing in survivor mode, as it means you have to find materials and craft them yourself, making the game play a lot more interesting than creative mode. You an also invite friends into your world through Xbox live, it was honestly so much fun and for a long time was the closest thing to seeing my boyfriend.
    • Golf with Friends: I’d only really recommend getting this game to play if you have friends to play online with, as on its own its a boring golf game. BUT with friends all on an Xbox party together, playing this game was SO FUNNY. You basically are all playing Golf together on these crazy looking mini golf courses, but you all play at the same time! And if you knock your friend over, its hilarious seeing there ball go in completely the wrong direction. It can be quite glitchy but I think it makes the game funnier and some of the courses on there are MENTAL. At the time, I downloaded it through Xbox game pass which was a big bonus for me but if you haven’t got game pass, you can purchase it through the store.
    • Animal Crossing New Horizons: leaving the best till last is of course the latest Animal Crossing game, New Horizons, which is only available on Nintendo Switch/Lite. It came out just at the right time during the first week of lockdown 1 and is honestly the perfect game to play when you have nothing to do, as you can spend HOURS on it. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have a switch during this time (if I did you bet my island would be 5 star by now) and was saving up for one. THANK THE LORDS I was surprised at Christmas by my boyfriends family who gifted me one and my mum on top got me a bunch of games, which included Animal Crossing (eternally grateful). You get to design your own island and meet a bunch of residents, including lots of characters from the original Animal Crossing universe. I’ve only been playing it for a month and I’m already obsessed so if you have a switch, GO BUY THIS GAME.

If gaming is your thing or you think it could be your thing, give it a go and do not feel guilty about living a second life through pixels, we all could do with some escapism right now.

3. Exercise and Working Out

Ew yeah I know. Gyms are shut, its freezing cold outside but you’re fed up with looking like a potato 95% of the time. Gyms being shut has definitely taken a tole on a lot of peoples physical and mental health, including my own, as I feel the gym is really a good place for me to go where I know I can work on myself. But, like most things in a life last year, we all had to compromise and use what little we had at home, without breaking the bank.

  • Replicating gym weights from home: For me, the hardest part of this all was not having access to heavy weights which I would use for my leg days. Lockdown happened so suddenly that I didn’t have the time or money to buy the weights I would need to use in order to copy my workouts at the gym. But, like I said, I had to compromise and make my own weights using what I had at home. The best tip I have for this is to find any old rucksack that you dont use anymore, and just fill it with heavy household things and any gym weights you have, to make it one big weight. This was a complete lifesaver for me and although it wasn’t nearly half the weight I’d use at the gym, it was enough to work for me and I just increased my reps to make up for the missing weight. The other plus side of the rucksack method is that you can add or take away weight really easily by simply adding more stuff in or taking things out, just make sure none of these household objects are fragile or can cause you any harm.
  • Finding your workout space: We all hate it when the gym is packed full of people and you feel like you have no personal space to workout…..yeah this kinda happened at home too. When you live in a small house, with everyone in it either working from home or on furlough, I found it very hard to find a space big enough to workout in, but not the same space everybody would be living and working in i.e. the living room for example. Of course, if you have a big ass house or live on your own, you wont have this problem and you can skip ahead to the next point. But when you do have a small house with multiple people living in it, the key to getting around this for me was timing and setting a plan for when you wanted to workout, just like planning to go gym. I would ask other family members when there lunch is or when they plan to be doing something like housework or going for walks. In this time, I’d have the room to myself where I felt more confident and have more space, without feeling like I was in anyone’s way or felt like I was being watched. Of course if you are are unable to do this you can find another free room, like your bedroom, but I think its important to have a workout space separate from the room you can be lazy and relax in, to get your head in a better headspace for exercise.
  • Get that cardio in: when you have no social plans, no job to go to or nothing exciting happening in your life, its very easy just to slump around all day and watch Netflix. Which is fine btw, that literally takes up half my life at the moment, but I do think it’s important to keep your body moving. Get yourself some running shoes and get out there, and who knows, you might surprise yourself at how much you enjoy running. If running isn’t your thing, just a simple walk round the block is all you need to clear your mind, even doing housework gets those steps in!

4. Start a New TV Show

There is honestly no better time then now to start that TV series you just haven’t had the time to get around watching…and now you have no excuses not to! Get a good streaming service, most popular being Netflix, and find something you’ll get hooked to. I LOVE TV shows and much prefer them to films, so I really am the perfect person to give advice on what to watch, and here are some of the few TV shows that kept me sane through lockdown (there’s a lot and couldn’t write about them all so please read through the honourable mentions!).

  • Breaking Bad: if you haven’t watched Breaking Bad by now, you must live under a rock, but saying this my mum only just started watching this ICONIC TV series last year during lockdown 1. And she loved it. I dont know a single person that hates Breaking Bad? To summarise, a chemistry teacher is diagnosed with terminal cancer and worries about how he will pay for his medical bills and how he will still provide for his family after his passing. He joins up with one of his ex students to cook and sell meth…but it gets verrry messy. Probably one of the most well written, bingeable shows out there and not one to be missed.
  • Game of Thrones: AH HERE WE GO. If you know me, you 10000% knew that this was going to be on the list, being my favourite show of all time. IM NOT going to blabber on because, honestly, I would take up the whole storage on my web hosting. All I’m going to say is that its great but confusing for first time watchers, as there is a lot of characters, houses and kings that all you do sit there watching it, going “eh?”. BUT once you get your head around who is who, the complexity of the story line and how they executed it onto screen is just WOW. Disclaimer though: its definitely 18+ only, contains a lot of gore, sex, full nudity, bad language and upsetting scenes that include rape. So just keep that in mind before watching!
  • The Office US: “Its Britney bitch” ahh another iconic tv series I have watched 100 times over. With most episodes only being 20mins long, its a great easy watch if you dont want anything too complex but still with a good plot and characters.
  • Homeland: Ooo so I had tired watching this years ago but stumbled across it again over lockdown, and ohmygod did them first 2 seasons have me on the edge of my seat! You follow a CIA agent that believes an American marine, who has been held captive for years and named a hero on return, has actually been turned. It’s so thrilling and has you stuck to the screen. After season 2 I did stop watching it as season 3 didn’t really appeal to me, but I’ve been told to keep watching!
  • The Mandalorian: This is the way. If you are a Star Wars fan, this is an absolute MUST watch for your list. Set after the empire has fallen and following a Mandalorian bounty hunter that comes across a mysterious child, or “baby yoda” as you may of seen or heard of. If I say any more it will give away spoilers!
  • Some other honourable mentions include: Orange Is The New Black, You, Ratched, The Walking Dead, Stranger Things, Friday Night Dinner, Black Mirror, Tiger King, Don’t f**k with Cats, The Crown

5. Cleaning and Decorating

I feel like in everyone’s home, there’s always something you can be doing to make small or big improvements, and there’s no time like the present to do so. When it comes to cleaning, I just know you have that cupboard in your kitchen that welcomes you with an avalanche as soon as you open the door. Or the windows haven’t been as clear as they used to be. Your oven door, can you even see the food that is cooking in there anymore? Well lets hinch away guys and gals and do a little spring clean. A tidy house is a tidy mind, but can also be very therapeutic once you get into it. Over lockdown I think we all discovered the miracle cleaning cream Pink Stuff, which was made famous on TikTok and what an absolute lifesaver it is! I wouldn’t be surprised if it could fix a broken bone, its that good (me exaggerating obviously, do not expect it to fix bones lol) but damn the oven has never looked cleaner.

And maybe there’s a room in your home that is starting to look a little dull? The colour isn’t quite right or the arrangement of furniture just isn’t working. Why not give yourself a decorating project to give you some sense of achievement during these troubling times. I suggest either going on TikTok or Pinterest to get some genius design ideas that you would never see in any DIY magazine or store. Like, for example, if the tiles in your kitchen/bathroom just look lifeless, get yourself a coloured grout pen and make them old tiles POP! A simple change like that which would take a couple of hours can complete change the look and feel of the room. Go round your home and see if you can see anything you could clean or revamp!

6. Baking and Cooking

I think everyone at some point during lockdown 1 attempted the banana bread trend, but why stop there? Get out your bedroom, off the couch and give the kitchen a try. Change up the food on your plate and actually enjoy what you eat and have the pleasure in knowing you made it from scratch. We all want to go out to a fancy restaurant now and again and just have someone make all the food for us, but oh guess what? They’re shut. And if you can’t be asked to cook, your only option is a takeaway. Which I must admit I love a good Chinese or Dominoes pizza, but after a while the cost of these luxuries can really add up and eat away at your bank account. Instead, try making your own takeaway, or a “fake-away”, at home! Like freshly cooked pizza for example. Yes it might turn out looking like its been flung around by a 5 year old and not the most appealing, but it tastes good right? And it only cost you less then a fiver for the ingredients compared to your £20 Dominoes one. Give it a go and you might surprise yourself at how good you are at cooking your own food from scratch.

If you really wanna shake things up, why not try going vegetarian or vegan for while? You never know, it might drastically change your health concerns, like acne or dry skin for example. My boyfriend decided to go vegetarian for a few months through lockdown and noticed how much better he felt in himself when he didn’t consume meat products, like feeling less bloated and more energetic. He has now gone back to eating meat but mainly only at weekends and special events, like Christmas and birthdays. Being flexitarian is still such a big lifestyle change and does make a huge impact on your health and the climate for the better, why not try making some plant based swaps next time you have a meal.

You can also try just making some nice snacks and treats to nibble on whilst your lounging around watching all them tv shows I recommended you watch. I came up with a protein pancake recipe as a healthy alternative dessert to have when you get them sugar cravings, but you dont have to make healthy food all the time. Don’t be so hard on yourself and try baking the fattest cake you’ve ever made, just because you can. No-bake recipes, like cheese cakes or trifles, are perfect for people who dont feel confident enough using ovens to do baking or simply dont have the right equipment to do so. A simple putting together of the ingredients and whacking it in the fridge for a few hours is all you need to do. Yes, me and my boyfriend tried making a lotus cheesecake, and yes, it looked awful and didn’t even remotely look like cheese cake and more like a flat biscuit with an off colour cream cheese topping, but MY GOD did it taste like heaven. All I’m saying is you dont have to have anything particularly exciting or complex in mind when deciding you want to get working in the kitchen more, even if its making a simple fry up, its getting you out of bed and having your mind focused on something else other than the pandemic (and the result of that is nice, tasty food, so, win win).

7. Try Something New

Finally, with all this spare time on your hands, why not try something you never thought you could do or maybe something you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the time? Last year over lockdown, I stared two new things, one of them being the blog you’re reading right now which I’ve had the idea of creating since I was 18. WHY it took me this long to get my lazy self to actually create the bog I just dont know, but here we are and I couldn’t be happier. The other was starting to go yoga classes which is something I’ve wanted to try for a while, and in many ways it’s helped my physical and mental health through these tough times. Why not think of something that’s always been in the back of your mind to do and give it a go!

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And there you have it! My advice on how to keep yourself sane during yet another lockdown. Lets hope this is the last and we can all get back to normal life in the near future.

If you’re struggling with you mental health, do not be afraid to reach out. I will link some useful help lines here with contacts and help lines wherever you are in the world

Stay safe and see you on the blog!

An Update: Where I’ve Been and 2021

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Hi there! Just a quick one from me this week. Just wanting to let you know that I haven’t disappeared off the face of the earth or abducted by aliens, no, I have in fact just been taking a break.

A lot went on with me at the end of that sh*t show we call 2020, including the passing of my beloved nan. It definitely hit me hard mentally, caused a major writers block and lack of motivation to do, well anything really! Also Christmas came along soon enough and I just wanted to focus on being relaxed and present with family at that time, which brings me to now. 2021. What’s this year going to throw at us! This year I really want to work hard on this blog and post as much as I can, but only when I feel confident to do so. When starting this blog, I think I put too much pressure on myself to write a post weekly, which sometimes I know I can do, but just don’t expect weekly posts otherwise its going to feel very forced. I want to be able to write when I have the inspiration to do so but also keeping consistent at the same time.

So what are your goals for 2021? Let me know what they are in the comments!

Also just to end this post, I will be running 10k in the Race For Life this year in memory of my nan. The link to donate and for more information I will link here for you to view! I also have the link on my homepage just underneath my intro.

That’s all for today folks, see ya on the blog 😉

Maintaining A Long Lasting Relationship In 6 Steps

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Now before we get started, I am NOT claiming to be any sort of advice guru that knows everything about every relationship ever, nor do I know the secrets of living happily ever after. However, I’ve been with my boyfriend for nearly 4 years now, which I know is a long time for some and a shorter time for others, but over these years we’ve been through ALOT together. I think I’ve learnt what it takes to make a relationship work and have helped out a lot of couples along the way to work out if they are in the right one. SO you lucky loved up (or not) lot, I’ve gathered a list to pin point once and for all what you need to do to make a relationship work or if its time to leave and find love elsewhere.

1. Communication

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Going straight into the deep end first off with the big C, communication. I feel a lot of partners struggle with this especially in these days of technology, social media and texting. Bottom line, TALK TO EACHOTHER. It could be something as simple of discussing what you’re having for dinner or big future plans. Keep your partner in the know.

If there’s something that is bugging you or you feel you’re upset about a certain thing that they said or did, don’t stay silent and be petty about it, or worse let it build up in your mind. Simply say to you’re partner “hey can I speak to you about something quick” or just be up front and ask them straight out. It may be confusing or upsetting for them at first, but they’ll 100% appreciate you having a discussion about it. Especially when it comes to arguments or disagreements, try sort it out as quickly as possible, and most of the times its all a big misunderstanding or not seeing their point of view. Discuss with each other your plans for the day and keep them in the know, or maybe even at the end of the day tell them how your day went. These simple conversations can really build strength in a relationship and its a great way to bond and learn how to listen to each other. It shows you care enough about that person to learn about the ups and downs of their day and how it effected them.

It isn’t always about what you communicate either, it can also be HOW you communicate. Yes instant messaging/texting is quick and easy for them simple conversations, but when it comes to important discussions or arguments oh my god DO NOT TEXT! Messages can be read in completely different tones and come across differently. So lets say your having a small argument with your s.o, you could read something as being rude in your head, but in theirs they didn’t mean this, which would anger you more and only escalate the situation un necessarily. The best way is just to either call each other or meet up face to face, get it all out in the open and be done with it. None of this silly ignoring messages or leaving them on read.

2. Manage Your Time With Each Other

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Ahh yes “time management”. Something you would expect to write about on your CV or boast about during a job interview. But time is also a very important factor in relationships too, and it’s mostly about getting the right balance of time, together with your partner and apart.

Whatever your situation may be, we all have lives and stuff going on, which could either be work, school or various other commitments. So I can fully understand sometimes when it can be hard to find time for each other. I experienced this in the second year of my relationship with my boyfriend when I changed jobs, with very long hours and only weekends free (and he wasn’t really available all day at weekends). This was very tough for us and I eventually left this job (for other reasons I wont go into) but we did find our way around this.

The best way to find time with each other with busy schedules is to really stick to a plan for when you can see each other. Even if its for a small hour or so, this hour will make all the difference when it comes to spending more time together. Plan dates in advance, organise time off work at the same time so its something to look forward to and also a great opportunity to plan a holiday together. For a really simple fix is, if your comfortable with this, stay round at each others for the night for various days in the week, doesn’t have to be everyday just enough to get that connection we all need sometimes for when you are sleeping. I am lucky enough to have a new job now that is very flexible and they allow me to take every Monday off , which is the same day my bf has off. This is really great for both of us, because I always know no matter how busy I am in a week, I always have that whole day to spend with him.

I know I’ve blabbered on enough about finding time to see each other, but it’s also really important to find time for yourself as well. Yes I know they may be the love of your life and you just really want to spend every second with them blah blah, but you need to give each other space. Go see other friends and family, have solo shopping days or go to gym on your own. Just always try to have that healthy balance of you time and together time. It’s also very attractive for your other half seeing you as this independent person with their own life and plans. (Also a p.s for the girls/guys with male partners, withholding information from them about plans for your day and what your doing can really drive them crazy, in a good way. If you want him to miss you, give him that time to miss you and he’ll be craving you like mad!)

3. Take Interest In Their Interests

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Whether you share the same interests or not, you should always respect what they enjoy and show that you appreciate this part of them (I mean, unless its something illegal or something idk lol). It can be very attractive to your partner if you sit, listen and learn about something they’re passionate about, it shows you really care about them.

If you share a common interest, GREAT! Thrive with this and use it to make you both stronger as a couple. If its a certain TV show, maybe watch it together, or if its a type of sport go out play together! Sometimes if its a hobby or skill you both share, you can find ways to help improve each other and give feedback that you know is coming from someone you trust. Literally any interest you share you can always find a way to incorporate it within your relationship.

So what happens if your partner doesn’t share the same interests as you, does this matter? Nope. Never shrug these un common interests away and ignore them, just to let them go and get on with it. Instead, build this into a way of finding out more about your partner and show them you really care about something they are passionate about. For example, when I first met my boyfriend he was really into football and supporting his team, something I literally hated at the time and swore I wouldn’t get myself into a relationship with a footie fanatic. Now 4 years down the line, we have matching Man City shirts, I watch the games with him and I also go watch him when he plays for his local team. Still do not have the foggiest idea what the offside rule is and I do tend to fall asleep during some games, but all that matters is that you are tying, and that little bit of effort really means a lot to most people. Even if you’re really not interested in what they’re into, at least give them that time to do what they love and don’t put them down for it.

4. Arguments Are Not The End Of The World

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At the end of the day, something you always have to remind yourself is that we are all human (unless you’re a racoon reading this, hello). We all are entitled to hold our own opinions and feelings and, no matter how dramatic they sound, they are always relevant and should never be ignored. Which does ,unfortunately, mean arguments will happen, and that’s totally okay.

The most important thing to note is that no matter how bad you think an argument may be, if you love this person enough, there is always a way to resolve it. In fact sometimes I think arguments can actually be healthy; it means you’re comfortable enough around someone to express how you feel, or that you care about this person enough to be upset by them. In my own experience, I know that our first year together we had are ups and downs with an argument or two happening every month or so. But we learnt so much about each other during this time. I now know what makes him upset, I learnt how he reacts to certain situations, and most importantly we both know how to resolve these little tiffs quickly. 4 years later, I honestly can’t remember the last time we had an argument and our relationship is stronger than ever.

My biggest advice would be is to never go to sleep on bad terms. We all know that life can throw us into awful situations and you never know what is round the corner. This makes it mega important to resolve your issues quickly and carry on loving each other unconditionally. It also just helps with less stress and anxiety that arguments can cause. I know that if I was to have an argument with my boyfriend, I find it so hard to sleep or even go about my daily routine without him constantly on my mind filled with worry and upset. We have now established this rule to always resolve these upsets before bed, even if its not completely resolved or still a bit meh, at least you know in your mind the next day you did something productive to move past this.

5. Trusting Each Other

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Ah yes, trust, another big one and I honestly believe that no relationship is capable of working without it. And sometimes trust can take a very long time to build, especially if this is a new relationship and their trust has been broken before in previous relationships.

Trust isn’t always about knowing if they’re cheating on you or not, in fact its a lot more then that. Its knowing if they’re going to make it to a date on time, knowing that they’re not bad mouthing you behind your back, feeling like you can confide in them without any judgement. So yeah its a pretty big deal and it’s the key to happiness and comfort in your relationship. Its not just something you can build over night and can take months of knowing each other to see if you have trust in one another, and that’s okay! It doesn’t mean you don’t love them, because of course you do. It just takes time for your brain to recognise these interactions involving trust and building and up a good trust rapport.

So what happens when this trust gets broken? What if they have lied to you about something? Yeah it really sucks doesn’t it and I can tell you we’ve all experienced it before. Especially if you suffer from anxiety, its really hard when you have these un-trusting thoughts swirling around your mind and it can really damper your relationship down. But before you start thinking about bringing this partnership to an end, try to have honest decisions with each other, asking why they did this and explain how much this has hurt you. Give it some time to build this trust up again, even if it means taking a break, and give them that opportunity. Then hopefully like when you first met, this trust comes back gradually with time. But remember, if this is a constant re occurrence of breaking trust and forgiving again and again, this is way too draining for the both of you and it may be worth thinking about bringing the relationship to a close, and finding someone who has all the trust in the word to give.

6. Keep That Spark Alive

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Last but not at all least, keeping that love spark alive. Remember the time when you first met your partner? Remember them first couple of dates and how you had all them butterflies in your stomach? Ah the good o’ days, but just because these moments were all in the past doesn’t mean you still can’t experience these feelings months or years down the line.

Sometimes once you’ve been with someone for so long, it can feel as if you’ve just fallen into a very spark-less relationship, just being with them feels normal and, dare I say, boring. You can easily avoid these dull feelings by reconnecting with your younger selves and do things you would do when you first met. Go on dates to the cinema, bowling or even to where you first met to bring back that fun and excitement you shared. Buy each other gifts “just because”, like flowers, cookies and jewellery to put an un expected smile on their face. Have adventures together, from small walks to travelling the world, a perfect opportunity for alone time together and make them all important memories. And for the bedroom department, don’t have dull, boring sex all the time just to say you’ve done it. Try new things, go to a hotel for the night, dress up and laugh together to bring back that sexual energy you both had in your younger days. All in all, just remember to make each other smile the most you can every day and strive to be the light of their life. Remember why you both fell in love and never forget it.

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And there you have it! I’m no expert but I really do believe these are the key building blocks to create a perfect relationship with your partner. Love is an amazing thing and if you share it with someone, do all you can to keep it.

“No relationship is all sunshine, but two people can share one umbrella and survive the storm together.”

– unknown

Belfast: The Land of Game Of Thrones

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Ah Game of Thrones. Lets face it, I was going to talk about it on my blog sooner or later considering its one of my biggest obsessions and favourite TV shows of all time. So why not start by telling you fellow GOT fans out there about one of my favourite holidays, which was to Belfast in Northern Ireland. The Holiday itself was a gift to me from my wonderful boyfriend for my 21st birthday. We both love the show and was one of the things we both connected with when we first met, so this holiday was perfect not only for me but for the both of us.

“So what does Belfast got anything to do with Game of Thrones?” I here you say, well you may not know but Titanic Studios in Belfast was one of the main filming locations for the show and where most of the important production meetings were held, its main “hub” as you might say. And with its fantastic countryside only being a 20 minute drive from the main city, it was the perfect location to venture out for various filming locations in the show.

If you’re not much of a reader (because I’m fully aware of how much I blabber on) but still want to know what our little Game Of Thrones adventure was like, head over to my Instagram @ifyousee_rachel. Here you can scroll along my highlights and find these and see what I experienced when it happened!

The Exhibition

The moment we hopped off the plane and checked into our hotel, we headed straight out into to the city to hunt for the Game of Thrones Touring Exhibition (looking like absolute trash from my early flight but honestly at this point I was so excited I didn’t even care). We was lucky enough to go in July 2019, just after the season 8 finale, meaning the touring exhibition had arrived in Belfast a few months beforehand and was there until September. We arrived into the Titanic quarter of Belfast city and followed the signs heading towards the exhibition, around the same area as the filming studios. To my surprise once we arrived, right next to the exhibition all fenced off and quite badly hidden, was THE SET still all there, for burnt up Kings Landing and the massive green screen! I was amazed.

Once I had taken a few pictures of the set and the massive exhibition signage, we headed inside! It started with a proffesional photo taken of us in front of a greenscreen, pretending to be on top of Drogon! A group of us all then crammed into one room and watched a small clip highlighting the best bits from the show to get us all hyped up for what was outside the room. The doors then opened and we was let in to view all the amazing costumes and set props from the show! It was honestly so surreal and amazing to see all these beautiful creations up close, knowing they were the exact items and clothing the actors used and wore on set. You didn’t have any time limit on how long you spent in there and you didn’t have to follow a group, which was great to make sure you got to view and take pictures of everything. There was also lots of interactive bits, like getting your face put on the wall of faces and various picture opportunities (I did all of them of course). Andddd finally at the end of the exhibition, there was an AMAZING gift shop where I could of honestly drained my whole bank account but controlled myself and bought a Stark t-shirt and a neat lil stark keyring. Then at the very end, there was another proffesional photo shoot of you sitting on the throne and then a desk to purchase and print your photos (this was an extra cost to buy these but hell it was my birthday and spent ALOT getting them all printed, whoops)

Overall, The Game of Thrones Touring Exhibition was such a great experience and seeing the set outside the entrance was such a lovely little bonus! Below you can take a look at some of the photos I took.

My Pictures from Game of Thrones Touring Exhibition – July 2019

The Tour

On the next day of our holiday, we had no time to have any sort of lay-in, as today was our 11 hour walking tour of a few filming locations in Northern Ireland, including Winterfell’s beautiful location set at a real castle. This tour was also a gift for my 21st birthday, but worked out so well as today was also my boyfriend Jack’s birthday as well! Once we’d opened his birthday presents and got ourselves ready (both wearing stark t-shirts, blue jeans and boots how cringe) we headed out to meet our group at Belfast’s Jurys Inn hotel at 8:15am. Me and Jack in our excitement were one of the first people there and got the front seats on the coach like the eager GOT nerds we are. Once we had all arrived, we were introduced to our tour guide of the day, who was an extra on the show and obviously was a huge fan like the rest of us.

After about an hour on the coach and a short ferry trip, we arrived at Castle Ward, which was the filming location for Winterfell. It started to rain a little bit (typical of Northern Ireland) but I was honestly living the dream knowing I was walking around the same area where all my favourite actors and actresses had been. Out tour guide was so well prepared and had big, laminated photos with him to show you what the location actually looks like compared to what your saw on TV. After our time at Winterfell, we carried on walking around the area to various other filing locations, including the hanging tree, Robb Starks camp and Walder Frey’s twin towers.

It was defiantly time for a quick break to rest our legs and have some lunch, and where better place to go then The Cuan! This was the restaurant and hotel some of the actors stayed at during the filming of the show, as it was so close to the filming locations near by. The owners embraced its relevance to Game of Thrones, displaying pictures and costumes from the show, and even had its own beer called “The Hodoor” and sold “Kings Gold Mead”. Our tour guide quickly called us outside and said he had a surprise for us, and well, he did not disappoint. Outside waiting for us in a small courtyard was the two Direwolf dogs, named Odin and Thor, that played Robb Stark’s wolf Grey Wind and Bran Stark’s wolf Summer. Omgggggg I was in love. Their owner was amazing and let us all take turns taking pictures and stroking them, whilst telling us some amazing stories of what it was like being on set with his puppies. You can check out their Instagram page here to see for yourself how beautiful they are and keep up with their adventures. There were also some other guys there that were also extras on the show, selling lots of merch and painted photos (I of course bought a massive Stark banner which currently hangs on the ceiling above my bed!)

We hopped back onto the coach and headed to our next location “Inch Abbey” where Robb Stark was crowned King of the North. When we arrived, we all got given these hand made Stark cloaks, shields and flags to get fully immersed into our Game of Thrones adventure and took lots of photos which looked awesome! Our tour guide handed around some of the swords from the show and had us guess the names and which character it belonged to (my favourite obviously being Long Claw belonging to Jon Snow). After we had our fun, we headed back onto the coach to our last location Tollymore Forest. A beautiful forest park that covers over 1,600 acers of land and was used to film many key scenes in the show, including where Wills finds the dismembered bodies in the very first scene of the show, Tyrion and Jon’s campfire on their way up north to the wall and where the Starks find there Direwolf puppies. After our very long day, we headed back into Belfast city centre, thanking our tour guide and feeling fully immersed into the Game of Thrones world.

I would fully recommend going on this tour, especially if you’re a fan of the show, but even if you’re not! It’s an amazing way to get to see some of Northern Irelands best scenery and meet some amazing people. It was so well organised and was looked after very well, making sure we all had many toilet breaks, handing out ponchos when it rained and kept us entertained on our long coach journeys. All this for only £45 each which I honestly think is an amazing price for the experience you get. If you would like to also go on this tour, we went of The Winterfell Trek which you can click here to read about OR you can also do The Iron Islands Tour which we haven’t yet done but can read about here.

My Pictures from the Winterfell Trek – Game of Thrones Tour

Belfast City

Now there is a reason why I named this post what it is, because Belfast and Northern Ireland in general truly is the land of Game of Thrones. As soon as you hop off the plane and into Belfast airports, you are welcomed with posters everywhere advertising various tours, experiences and merch all related to the show. I honestly think this is fantastic and our tour guide explained to us how Game of Thrones has changed this country for the better.

Before the show, Belfast was really only ever known for building the Titanic, yes and incredible and famous boat but didn’t really interest most people (and lets be honest it sunk so it can’t of been built very well, oops). But ever since Game of Thrones came to Northern Ireland, tourists from all around the world have travelled here to fulfil their GOT fantasy’s and learn more about the show. This has been FANTASTIC for the tourist industry in Northern Ireland and has created many job opportunities in and around Belfast city. He explained to us that most of the extras from the show are from Belfast and loved their job so much that they didn’t want their Game of Thrones lives to end. This is why most tours and experiences are all lead and managed by these extras, so they can share their love with Game of Thrones with the rest of the world and get to carry on their fantasy.

It seems like every corner you turn in Belfast city, there is always going to be something GOT related about to jump out at you, but one of my favourite parts was a project called “Glass of Thrones”. Dotted all around the city was 6 stained glass windows, beautifully decorated to depict some of the most iconic scenes from Game of Thrones. My favourite being the very last, and most hidden one, The Iron Throne, with a little seat on it to have a photo on! This was such a lovely little touch to the city and really showed how much Belfast appreciated Game of Thrones.

You can also find lots of other Game of Thornes related things in Belfast city, like themed escape rooms, shop window displays selling merch and jewellery, even down to random graffiti saying “jon snow waz ‘here”. We visited the Ulster museum which displayed an iron throne made all out willow, created for the European premier and for final season after party. And if you’re being really adventurous, we went on a hunt to find more set around the Titanic quarter which at the time was all still there and very interesting to look at! Obviously it was all fenced up and hidden, but that didn’t stop me having a little peak through the fences! Another little touch that I love about Northern Ireland is that the created something called “The Journey of Doors” . The filming location for the Kings Road in the show was hit by a storm and some of these trees fell, but they used two of these trees to create 10 GOT themed doors and dotted them all around Northern Ireland pubs. In each of the pubs you can gain a stamp on a little booklet to say you have visited each one. We unfortunately on got to find two as we had a very busy holiday planned out, but if we ever went back to Northern Ireland, this is something I would defiantly like to continue and find them all!

I’m so glad Game of Thrones has made such a positive impact to the tourist industry in Northern Ireland and I really hope this continues even after the show has finished… or has it….

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And here we are again at and end of a blog post. If you really have sat and read this much thank you so much for reading! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my little Game of Thrones Adventure to Belfast and would love for you to visit their too!

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7 Make-Up Products I Use Religiously

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Personally, I’m not really the type to spend excessively on materialistic things unless it’s really worth it, like make-up for example. And when it comes to make up, its either a quick 5 minute job or a full 2 hour session in front of the mirror, working through sweat, stress and tears to get that perfect going out-out look. But either way, make up is a part of my daily routine and over the years, I have tried and tested a wide variety of brands, from the very cheap to the very expensive.

Today I will be revealing to you all the 7 products that I use EVERYDAY and literally don’t think I could go a day without them in my make-up bag.

1. Nyx Micro Brow Pencil – Shade Brunette

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Now my journey with eyebrow products has been a wild one, and that’s putting it kindly (scroll to 2016 on my insta and you will see brows half the size of my face).  But making the discovery of this product, the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Shade Brunette has honestly been a GAME CHANGER.

Its thin shape makes application so precise you can draw on fine lines, but the formula is creamy enough to fill in the whole brow. This make up product lasts ALL DAY, with it being smudge and water-proof. And if that wasn’t good enough, it’s double sided! With a small spoolie brush on the other side to help you brush the product through the brows.

Now like everything in life, this brow pencil isn’t perfect. With the width of the pencil being so thin, it means there’s less product and does run out very quickly. It’s also a bit on the pricey side, costing £9/£10 a pencil, which doesn’t sound much at first, but with the little product you get for the price, it does eventually start adding up when you buy them frequently. Lucky for you lot, I’ve worked a way around this. When you buy from Amazon, you have the option to “Subscribe and Save” meaning once you sign up to regular orders of this products, you can save yourself some pennies! Another bonus with amazon is that they are ALWAYS having these random price drops now and again, like recently I got one sent to me for just over £6! So that’s how I do it folks, buy the Nyx Micro brow Pencil on Amazon, get monthly deliveries, save yourself some cash and worry less knowing you’ll always have it in stock

2. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Now this bright orange egg shaped sponge has probably been in everyone’s make up bag at some point in their life. For me, the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge still remains there all these years after its first launch in 2013, perfect for the application of liquid and powder make up.

If you’re looking for a high quality make up sponge that won’t break your bank, I’ll tell you now this is probably the best and cheapest one you’ll find, ranging from about £5/£6 depending from where you buy it from, but you can save more pennies when you buy them in multipacks! What I love most about this product is its shape, with a rounded side to cover large arears of the face, its pointed tip to get into all the tiny corners and for precise coverage, and finally the flat side, PERFECT for blending out foundation and packing in loose powder. I use this sponge when its slightly damp for a better and smoother application,

Again, nothing is perfect. The only downside to this product I find is how long it lasts, which isn’t very long at all. Within weeks this bright orange sponge, bright enough to replicate Trump, eventually turns into a gross brown shade, so full of product that it turns as hard as a rock and riddled with bacteria. You can wash and care for the sponge all you like, but eventually this will be your outcome no matter how hard you try. But saying this, I do feel for the price you pay for this sponge, it doesn’t hurt to go buy a new one after 1/2 months once it’s got all dirty like all make up sponges do.

3. Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation – Shade 100, 105 & 128

When it comes to this foundation I have two words. CRY PROOF. Yep. For years I have tried and tested a ridiculous amount of foundations, proper expensive ones too, only to realise after a mental breakdown (we all have them xo) you’d have these AWFUL tear lines coming down your face! And for someone who cries an awful lot (I’m a cancer what else would you expect) this is a deal breaker.

To me it just made me think, if a foundation can’t handle a couple of tears, surely this would be the same with oils, rain and sweat? You pay all this money for expensive, fancy make up for it to just slide away off your face, Thankfully I discovered Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation when trying to find a new foundation for my yellow under-toned skin. If you also have fair skin and yellow undertones, the shade I mostly use is 105 all year round. Then shade 128 when I’m tanned or for a bit of contour and 100 for the really dark, wintery months when I’m pale AF and to also use as a highlight. I love this foundation SO much, it covers up my pores effortlessly, but the formula is light enough to not make your face cakey. All this for, wait for it, £6!!!

The only negative I would say for this foundation is that it needs to set with a loose power to really get it to stay all day and can sometimes get a bit oily round the t-zone later on. But if I’m honest I really can’t fault this foundation anymore. So if you want to switch up your foundation or try something different I would defiantly give this one a go! I always go to my local Superdrug to buy my Maybelline Fit Me! Foundation as they always seem to always have all 40 shades in stock and quite often have deals on!

4. Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer – Shade Lite

“Hold tf up, didn’t you literally say at the beginning you’re not the one to spend excessively on make up?!?” Yes, yes I did…”…and isn’t this bronzer £27???” YES I KNOW not like me at all, but let me explain to you how I came across the Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer in the first place and why I can 100% justify buying this make up product.

So for a long time I had been trying to find a nice bronzer which wasn’t too intense but not really having much luck. One night I stayed round at my friends uni and saw the Hoola bronzer on her desk…BUT IN LITE. Me being dumb thought Benefit only produced one shade…but there’s 4. The next day I went into Boots and found the nearest Benefit counter TO JUST TAKE A LOOK. I asked the lady about the Hoola Lite bronzer and she said they had some in stock. NEXT THING I KNOW I have a card machine thrown at my face and her saying “that’s £27 please do you have a boots card xoxox” URM. I came here to look hun…but me being my socially awkward self just smiled politely and tapped my card whilst slowly dying inside that I just spent £30 on the smallest box of bronzer ever *sigh* it all happened so quick.

But I must say, I dont think I can even begin to think of reasons why I would dislike this product. It’s the right shade for me all year round, can be easily distributed around the face for a soft glow, but then layered for a more intense contour. The box may look small but I tell you what it might as well be a bloody Tardis because my Hoola bronzers have always lasted a year AT LEAST. So in this case, I do really feel you can justify those extra pennies when it’s your exact shade AND lasts a very long time. Why don’t you pop along to your local boots and buy yourself a Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer but let’s hope you don’t see the same lady as me who Jedi mind tricks you into buying bronzer.

5. Rimmel Scandaleyes Wow Wings Mascara Extreme Black

Oh how I wish I could spend half my monthly wage on lash lifts and extensions, but unfortunately because of where I work they’re currently not allowed (rip). And when it comes to false lashes, christ they are such a pain to put on, and harmful to the natural lashes too. So that leaves me with only option, plain old simple mascara. Me being be, I wanted to find a perfect daily mascara that wouldn’t break my bank but still work amazingly with my natural lashes, which was when I discovered the Rimmel Scandaleyes Wow Wings Mascara.

They named this product very well because my first reaction was indeed WOW. The application brush itself is two-sided, one winged side to get that insane flicked up look and a rounded side to add that extra length and volume. It comes in two colours, black and extreme black which is the shade I use. The price? £8! which is an amazing price for the result you get AND lasts literally forever (well a good few months but you know what I mean).

I would say though I’m not a huge fan of the packaging. It looks and feels like something you would buy in year 9 for your local school disco. It also does clump up very easily after a couple of uses but for a drug store mascara I really think this is worth the price you pay and more. So if you want to give you natural lashes a chance and take a break from harmful fake lashes, I would seriously recommend Rimmel’s Scandaleyes Wow Wings Mascara. Give it a try!

6. Elf Poreless Putty Primer

This is it. The primer EVERYONE and their mums have been trying to get their hands on ever since it broke the internet in early 2019. Why did it break the internet you say? Jeffree Star, world famous YouTube beauty guru and CEO of Jeffree Star cosmetics reviewed the Elf Poreless Putty Primer on his channel and claimed it to be the perfect dupe for high end Tatcha primer. And that was it. Elf primer sales went through the roof. No matter what your opinion on Jeffree Star is with his VERRRY controversial past, you can’t deny he knows his make up quality well and any make up product that is Jeffree Star approved is a product I know I can trust.

On his video where he compares the two products (which you can watch here) he explains the Tatcha primer is worth £40 but the elf primer is ONLY £8 but both work exactly the same. After watching the video, I tried getting my hands on the Elf primer for MONTHS and one day I walked into Superdrug just to have a little nose, AND THERE IT WAS. That’s going straight in my basket. I use this primer almost every day an honestly it’s like my pores don’t even exist and thankfully, you only need a tiny amount, so I can treasure this product until I have to go on a quest to find another one.

You know the drill by now, here comes the negatives. Now in my pure panic to pick up the primer and run, I didn’t realise there was actually 3 types of this primer, The Poreless (which I have), The Matte and The Luminous. And I’m slowly realising I should have bought the Matte putty, as this is designed for oily skin (which I have) instead of The Poreless which is for dry skin (I most certainly don’t have). So throughout the day my foundation does start to get a bit oily where the primer is working to keep the skin hydrated. But saying this, it really does work brilliantly on covering up pores and for smoother finish.

SO if you’re out looking for this primer (good luck) make sure you get the one right for your skin type. I highly recommend the Elf Poreless Putty Primer and hope it works for you too!

8. Maybelline Instant Anti Age Eraser Eye Concealer

Finding the right concealer has also been a bit of a quest for me over the years. Remember when everybody bought the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer just because Zoella swore by it? Ah the good old days of YouTube and simple smokey eye looks. But now I’m an adult and start work at 5am most mornings, I need something to cover up them dark under eyes so bad they’d make a panda jealous. This is when I discovered Maybelline’s Instant Anti Age Eraser Eye Concealer.

For a long time, I thought “surely the more expensive the concealer the better it will work” and used to use the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer. Don’t get me wrong I loved this concealer, but £24 for 6ML? No thank you that’s not how I roll. This is when I started looking into finding a dupe for my Nars concealer and found out about Maybelline’s under eye concealer having the exact same results. It has a really cute sponge applicator to easily apply the product under the eyes and uses a twist mechanism in the tube to add more product into the sponge. I use the shade “06 Neutralizer” which is perfect for my skin tone and also works as a good highlight. In a INSANT them dark circles disappear, lasting all day long for only £9 for just under 7ML. If you want to go really wild with this product, buy a darker shade and use it to contour!

The only negative to this product is it does run out pretty fast and the twist mechanism can be quite frustrating when the product doesn’t go quite into the sponge. But id take the twist mechanism over a simple applicator any day if it means my product doesn’t dry out every time I open the tube!


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Anddddd that’s it! 7 Make up products I don’t go a day without using! I hope you don’t mind that most of them are simple drugstore products and not high end layered with gold leaf, I honestly just cannot fathom why on earth you’d spend so much on a make up product when you can get the exact same results with a cheaper one? But whichever way you choose to use your make up, I really hope this post gave you some ideas on what products to try if you’re looking to switch up your routine. Thanks for reading!

My First Blog Post

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Omg I’ve actually done it, after YEARS of procrastination and putting off creating a blog I’ve finally done it *applauds myself for actually doing something productive with my life*.

So yes what you’re reading right now is my first ever blog post….if you couldn’t tell that already. And as you can probably tell, I’m not really the type to be all lovey-dovey and happy in my writing, like “(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ heyyyy my lovelies!!! xoxoxxox what a time to be alive ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ” nah nah, I dont even puts Xx’s in texts let alone write like that. This blog will be straight to the point, easy reading, no fancy English involved (and I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a few spelling errors to come too…)

So who are you?

…good question… who tf am I? (starts having an existential crisis) Nah in all seriousness, I’m just a simple 22 year old, living in Essex who wants to share my life and advice with my followers.

In my spare time, I like to go to gym, yoga classes, the OCCASIONAL run (dw I’m not that much of a fitness freak) and watch my fave TV shows. Top favourite being GAME OF THRONES which I’m absolutely obsessed with (probably a few posts about that coming soon lol) and Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow (duh), is my BAE. Now when it comes to films, I love simple animated films, SHREK being my favourite (not including the 4th one, what even was that?) and My Neighbour Totoro. I do, however, like the Star Wars films, all thanks to my boyfriend who forced me to watch it the first time going round his!

What Made You Want To Create a Blog?

I’ve always been quite a creative person. Growing up in my early teens I 100% was one of them weridos making video stars music videos after school instead of doing homework (yes I also uploaded them to YouTube and yes, they’re still out there). The only subject I ever really enjoyed was drama and the only time I did well in English lessons was during creative writing tasks. One of my biggest passions throughout school was musical theatre, which I studied for 4 years and even gained a scholarship at a theatre school. Soooo why didn’t I pursue drama/musical theatre? As much as I loved, and still do love musical theatre, I just could not see myself going into a career on stage.

I was, however, very interested in media. In college I started studying media and even had my own weekly radio show. A few years after school I got myself a job in marketing (uh oh) since I was pretty good at I.T and spent my whole life on social media.

Now here’s a little life advice from my past mistake: ALWAYS read the job description PROPERLY, which something I didn’t do.

I just saw “digital marketing” which then I fully assumed “omg imma be doing social media posts all day and writing blogs and ahhh” haha nope xo Instead I worked as a SEO executive, sounds fancy af don’t get me wrong but my goD was it boring. I cannot sit at a desk all day sending email after email after emaIL reaching out to 1000s of webmasters everyday to ask for links, just to get rude responses for doing my job. BUT every cloud n’ all, I did learn a lot about managing website and good SEO.

SO what do you do when you have creative writing, a quirky personality, I.T and marketing skills and a few thousand followers?

*°:⋆ₓₒ　you write a blog 　ₓₒ⋆:°*

AND SO, that brings me to here and now. Lets just see how it goes yeah? See you on the blog….