20 WAYS YOU CAN BE LESS OF AN AS*HOLE TODAY.

Sunday 29 July 2018

Usually when I start writing a new post, I don't insert the title until I'm half way through and decide where I'm going with it. This was going to be a lovely post titled 'how we can all be a bit kinder' but then in the space of 15 minutes on my walk to work I encountered two a*sholes - a man who literally walked into me because he was looking at his phone, and then didn't apologise, and a woman who I held the door for who seemed to have forgot the word 'thank you' in her vocabulary. Thankfully I have this little space on the internet to rant to, so here we go guys - here are 20 ways to be less of an asshole. 

adexe watches


1. When somebody holds the door for you, say thank you!
2. Show up on time to places, and if you're going to be late let the person know before they're sat waiting half an hour for you at a restaurant alone. If you have a lovely watch like this Adexe one I'm wearing above, then there's no excuse! 
3. If somebody doesn't know much (or anything) about the subject you're talking about, teach them, don't belittle them. 
4. Give out compliments, when you mean them. 
5. Offer to help someone when you think they might need it. 
6. Don't judge people based on what other people have said about them or their social status. 
7. Don't scroll through your phone when you're in someone else's company.
8. Stand up for people when they're not there to defend themselves.  
9. Take an interest in what people are saying when they're speaking to you, ask questions. 
10. If you know you're going to flake, don't agree to doing something in the first place. 
11. Buy a reusable bag for your groceries/bits and bobs. 
12. Don't use somebody's insecurities as the butt of one of your jokes. 
13. Appreciate the people around you, let them know when they've done something good instead of picking at all the things they do wrong. 
14. Offer to make a cup of tea if you're always on the receiving end. 
15. Pay people back or at least offer to. Even if it's £4. 
16. Be patient with people in customer service. Usually the decisions aren't up to them and after a long day the last thing they need is you complaining that your pizza isn't toasted enough. 
17. If you're watching a TV show with someone, don't watch more by yourself!
18. Don't walk into a shop 5 minutes before it's closing time. 
19. If you enter someone's room, and the door was closed/light was off, close the door/turn off the light behind you! 
20. Admit when you're being an asshole.

Which one of these annoys you the most? Do you have any other little things that people do that annoy you? 

G

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* THIS POST WAS WRITTEN IN COLLABORATION WITH ADEXE BUT ALL WORDS ARE MY OWN *

LISTOGRAPHY | 5 PLACES I'D PICK FOR MY SUMMER HOLIDAY HOME.

Wednesday 25 July 2018

Sometimes when I'm bored my mind drifts off to places where I'd rather be. On a beach in Barbados, at Tomorrowland or in my dream holiday home laying on a hammock in my balcony overlooking a lake whilst reading a Nicholas Sparks novel. As you must know by now, I love making lists. So on this blog post I'd like to share with you guys 5 places I would like to have a holiday home in. I should probably start by saying that I live in a relatively hot country (Gibraltar) and so the sunshine isn't my first reason for finding a holiday home, but rather the location and ambiance and I guess somewhere where it doesn't rain often, because I wouldn't want to spend my summer indoors.

miami

Miami, Florida 


For those of you who don't know, I spent a semester studying in Orlando, Florida back in 2015, and was actually the reason for starting this blog. Of course, whilst we were there we had to pop over to Miami for a couple of days and see everything we'd seen in the movies IRL. Sadly, I was only 20 at the time so there was no wild partying for me, but I still fell in love with the place for its atmosphere, the culture, the vibrant colours and the fact I could also speak Spanish here (ole). I just imagined this was the kind of place I could picture myself living in when I was older, or even retired. On a study conducted by Schofields, it was actually Kissimmee that topped the list for getting the most out of your holiday home when renting, with a ROI of 18.78%. Miami wasn't far behind on the list but did drop to 6.82%. The head of inbound marketing commented that “It’s not surprising to see that Kissimmee tops the list of best return on investment property areas considering the climate and attractions. It’s a hugely popular vacation destination for people around the world, even during the low season." 

Nice, France


Maybe if I vacationed here it would force me to pick up my French again because right now all I can do is ask for 'un glace de vanille si vous plait'. Firstly, I think this is on the list because it would be a very romantic city to have a holiday home in. I'd love to be able to take weekend trips to the French Riviera. Nice came in 4th with a ROI of 11.96%. 

Lake Garda, Italy 

I probably couldn't stay here long, because I bloody love Italian food. I haven't seen this place in the flesh, but I am taking a trip to Milan in November and hoping we can take a day trip here. As with France, Italy is a very romantic country this place in particular looks like it's been captured straight out of a fairytale. 

Albufeira, Portugal


I've recently spent a week here and come here quite often as it's only a 4 hour drive to Portugal from where I live. So this one would probably be the most practical one. If one didn't have to work in the summer, I'd love to spend my summers here and then rent it to some lovely expats during the quieter months. Let's face it, the sun and tourism is still buzzing here until October! I actually put this place on my list before I was handed the press release, and was surprised to see it was also on the list with a ROI of 4.50%. Although come to think of it, there were definitely more Brits than Portuguese in the area (you just need to look out for the sunburn!)

Marbella, Spain 


If I wanted to keep things even closer to home, then Marbella is only a 45 drive so it's the ideal place to vacate at in the weekends when I want to get away from everything, and go have my favourite frozen yoghurt in Puerto Banus every weekend. Thanks to Airbnb, it also means it's easier than ever to rent out your place when you're not staying there. Although I think I'd just have all the basics there as I'd be scared someone would take my record player or something. In the study conducted by Schofields, Marbella came 8th on the list on where to find the best ROI on your holiday home, at 6.32%.

I do enjoy working on these informative posts because they still allow me to be creative and use my imagination (whilst learning a bit more ei). Do you guys have a holiday home? Where would you buy your dream home in? 

G

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* THIS POST WAS WRITTEN IN COLLABORATION WITH SCHOFIELDS BUT ALL WORDS ARE MY OWN *


STAYING HEALTHY WHILST TRAVELLING (AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON'T).

Sunday 22 July 2018

I want to start this post by stating that, you shouldn't go on holiday to stick to a diet because you're on holiday and you're there to enjoy yourself and try new foods and not worry about macros. Instead, being mindful of the things you eat and do can mean you can indulge but also not ruin all the hard work you've put in in the weeks coming up to your holiday. I've just returned from a week in Portugal, and by some miracle I've come back weighing the same as when I left, and I definitely haven't been skipping any meals and was being ruthless with my ice-cream intake. When I go on a city break for a couple of days like Copenhagen or Barcelona, I don't watch what I eat at all because I spend so much time walking that it all balances out, and in my head I'm just imagining that all the extra fat is going to my butt. However on slightly longer trips, if I'm eating burgers everyday I end up feeling bloated, lethargic and bleh. Here are some of my tips for staying relatively on track whilst on holiday/vacation and what to do after you've returned if things haven't gone to plan.

tea with gi

1. Be realistic.


It's all well and good to tell yourself you're not going to eat after 9pm, or only have 1 ice cream in the whole trip, but when everyone else around you is doing the opposite it's the last thing you're going to want to do. Chances are you will gain a bit of body fat and you will slip up, but know that in the same way you didn't get to where you are now in a day you're not going to undo all your hard work by eating 1 Oreo cheesecake. Have a good time, make healthy choices where you can and know you can solve any slip ups when you get back home. 


2. Choose lower calorie ice-creams.


So that way, you can still have two a day and not feel an ounce of guilt. If I fancied one during the day then I can always count on Solero! They had this peach flavoured one in Portugal with like a jelly centre that was only 50 calories and tasted delicious. The evenings were another story, there were chocolate orange, honeycomb and after eight milkshakes all round. 

3. Buy a refillable water bottle.


Aside from helping the environment, you'll be a lot less tempted to buy other drinks if you've got water already on you! Just make sure to check the quality of the tap water first. I bought an aluminium water bottle off amazon and they're so great because you don't have to worry about keeping it in the shade as it keeps your water nice and cool (or hot if you want to make a cuppa at the beach). 

4. Have your heavier meals at lunch time. 


I don't know about you, but whenever I'm on holiday we end up having dinner at 9pm and then if it's a heavy one wake up feeling bloated and like a boulder. A lot of the time for dinner I opted for piri piri chicken, fresh fish or any sort or protein with veg and potatoes. Bearing in mind that lots of places in Albufeira were offering 12 euro menus which included wine, soup, salad, bread, your main and a dessert. I've got a massive sweet tooth so I'd rather eat healthier starters/mains and then indulge a bit more later. 

5. Walk where you can!


Admittedly, we didn't do much walking on this trip but there were a hell of a lot of steps to get to one of the beaches. But when travelling through Europe, it's very easy to walk around most places so you can feel less guilty about everything you're consuming and you get to explore as well. A 40 minute walk at home is a lot more boring than when you're in new surroundings and it goes by a lot quicker.

6. Buy healthy snacks. 


Since I practice intermittent fasting 80% of the time at home I don't really have an appetite when I wake up. So instead, I was carrying these very handy Nutreelife protein bars in my bag so I could have 1 during the course of the morning if we were heading out to the beach or for a walk. Each bar has over 21g of protein and are completely natural, vegan and gluten free. The bars are over 250 calories so they're definitely filling (probably not best as a snack before dinner), and have more of a powdery 'jaffacake cake bit' taste than a crunch. They kindly sent me over a box of 12 to try and my favourite flavours were the chocolate orange, chocolate mint and maple syrup. If you have space in your luggage, then you might also want to bring along some of their pea protein powder so you can have a quick shake in the morning with your breakfast to reach your protein goals for the day. Each serving has 26g of protein and unlike some other protein powders, are very low in fats and carbohydrates.


nutreelife protein bars


7. Use the hotel gym (or pool).


So me and my sister started off the week really motivated, and were at the hotel gym by 10am ready for our 30 second sprints on the treadmill. Sadly the treadmill had other plans and every time you took your feet off the belt it stopped. It was humid as it was next to the indoor pool so after day 2 we kinda gave up. Instead, we went and did water aerobics woo! 

After your holiday.....



8. Don't panic.


It's perfectly normal to go on holiday and come back a bit plumper or with a different body composition to when you left. As I said, in the same way you didn't get to where you are in a week you're not going to lose all your hard work in a week either. Most likely you'll be back where you left off after a week or two of adjusting your diet. 

9. Don't weigh yourself straight away.


If you're feeling bloated and heavier then you probably are, but a bit of ignorance is bliss. Weighing yourself straight away will just piss you off and you're probably carrying a lot of water weight that will disappear once you start eating clean again. Stick to low sodium meals and drink plenty of H20, moving on to my next point. 

10. Increase your water consumption.


If you've had one too many mojitos or G&Ts then getting your 8 glasses in a day is vital now to rehydrate your body and flush out all that alcohol (and regrets). 

11. Revamp your eating/fitness schedule.


Sometimes your body needs a break to eat whatever you want to claim back your sanity and then come back pumped and ready to get into it again. Take some time to plan out your workout schedule for the week and your eating plan. If you want to find out a bit more about intermittent fasting and how it can work for you head over to my post. Additionally, you may want to use all those extra carbs you've consumed to implement a carb cycling routine. The key here is to eat cleaner, work out what your maintenance calorie intake is and then subtract 200 or so if you're looking to lose the weight.


As always, I'm not an expert and I'm only speaking from experience here and what works for me! Are you guys going on a summer holiday or have you been anywhere lovely recently? 

G









A LOOK AT MODERN DAY ROMANCE, AS TOLD BY LOVE ISLAND.

Wednesday 18 July 2018

So somehow I found myself on a post I wrote last year about how we date now, and I think all these opinions about love came to mind because I was indeed watching Love Island at the time. This year is no different, and in some ways I think some of this years cast have been a bit more muggy than last year and my amount of #LoveIsland tweets have doubled. One thing I'm taking away from the show this year is never state you love/hate someone straight away because chances are your opinion will change on them within an hour of the next episode (or in their company). Of course there are a lot of things that separate me and the people on Love Island - for one they're all flawless, with no stretch marks or flabby bits and us regular folk don't get to spend 8 weeks just faffin about in a villa passing spag bol from one sexy singleton to another. That being said, just like us they still deal with insecurities and bumps in the road that a lot of us can relate to when it comes to relationships. As narrated by Love Island, here is a look at what modern day romance is like. 

tea with gi


1. We don't put all of our eggs in one basket. 


This is probably a good thing at the beginning because we know that giving your all to someone 100% in the beginning, usually means the sting is harder when the other person decides to call it quits unexpectedly. With social media and the likes of Tinder, it's easier than ever to 'date' several people at the same time. Unless you live in a small community like myself, where people will still think you're cheating/seeing someone else if you're out for a drink with your distant relative who's come to visit. 

2. We're happy, but we could be happier. 


Could this phrase be any more annoying? This mentality isn't healthy and if you're always striving for something better then you're never going to be satisfied. No one should settle for the first person that looks your way, but if you enjoy their company, have a physical attraction and they make you laugh, what else do you need really? We're spoilt for choice nowadays and that's the problem. The grass isn't always greener. 


3. It's easy to find someone who's 100% you type on and off paper. 


It is now easier than ever to find someone who you have a real connection with. Be it because you travel a lot so are constantly bumping into like minded individuals, or you live in a city filled with lots of singles from around the globe. Heck sometimes I find myself passing a hot guy and thinking to myself, 'I hope he's on tinder'. Social media and dating apps means you can find someone who also shares the same love for pottery or Star Wars roleplay. I know lots of people who have successfully found their S/O through the internet and hit it off right away. So as long as you're yourself and don't catfish anyone, there's no shame in it. 


4. We're afraid of labels. 


'We're coupled up but we're not in a relationship' is a common one thrown around the villa ei. There are two kinds of people in there at the moment - those who ask their partner to become their BF/GF after a week of canoodling, and those who hit it off perfectly well but still insist they're not in a relationship so can still look at/get with other people. I definitely see this a lot in the 'real world' where someone shows all the signs that you're mutually exclusive (going for dinner, to the cinema, staying over, telling their family about you) but then any sign of jealousy or serious talk about 'what are we' and they hit you with the old 'we're just dating not in a relationship' line. It's each one to their own with this, I don't really see the point in casually dating someone if it's not going to lead to anything (unless you're moving away/travelling/they're on holiday). Especially once you're in your mid/late twenties because you're essentially wasting your time when you could be with someone who wants to be with only you and will tell you that. 

5. Women are doing equally as many bits.


Ok so I had to throw this one in there for the lols. From what we've seen on the show this year, women are embracing their sexuality just as much as the men. Megan may have got her fair share of hate for switching up guys every couple of days and planting a kiss or two on each, but why does it make her a shlag and Adam a 'top bloke' for doing the same thing? If men can keep their options open, so can women. Leave that boy on read girls. 

6. It is possible to fall in love after spending 3 weeks with someone.


Not going to lie, I've spoken to people on trips and after a week thought to myself 'I'm in love'. When you spend a lot of time with a person everything is a lot more intense and I don't think there's a timeline of when you should/shouldn't be doing things in your relationship. One of my close friends met her now husband on a night out, she moved in with him two months later, and a year on they're married with a beautiful baby girl. On the other hand, I'd say 70% of my close friends and myself included are single. We're technically at the age where we should be looking at engagement rings but there is literally no rush and not everyone is going to be looking for the same thing at a certain point in their life. 

7. There's always going to be someone prettier, smarter or funnier than you. 


But that isn't any reason for them to jump ship! I guess this kind of carries on from the point about always looking for more but there is also the aspect of knowing your own self-worth. We saw it last year with Camilla and this year with Laura, Kendall, Rosie (and everyone else who was Adam's type).  There was nothing wrong with any of them, but sometimes people will leave you for the wrong reasons and that has nothing to do with your worth. The right person will stand by you and think you're the greatest person in the world, and if they don't see that then there's plenty more salmon in the sea. 


Have you been watching Love Island this year? Who are your favourites and what are your thoughts on them?

G




MY HAND LUGGAGE AND TRAVEL ESSENTIALS WITH MIA TUI.

Sunday 15 July 2018

For someone who travels a fair bit, it's taken me a while to get a bag that it suitable for weekends away/days out that doesn't involve wheels. I don't mean hand luggage suitcases because I just bought a gorgeous purple one that makes me feel like Daphne from Scooby Doo, but rather a bag that fits your iPad, purse, travel docs, sleeping pillow and all that stuff that you want easy access to. I came across Mia Tui and they kindly sent me over their Sydney backpack which has been very handy during my very recent trip to Portugal. Admittedly, I didn't quite check the size of the bag and was expecting a tiny backpack the size of an A4 sheet of paper, so when I opened the package and saw it basically spanned the length of my back I was like WOAH, look at all these compartments! This is everything I keep with me in my backpack when on a day trip/day at the beach/on the airplane/train and such.



1. Ipad.

If I'm on a short-haul flight and have no entertainment system then this is always good for watching Netflix (yay for downloadable shows!) and writing up blog posts or university assignments. If you're on a long-haul flight check out my blog post on how to keep yourself entertained on a flight. If you need your laptop for work, then the Sydney backpack also has a pocket for your laptop and can fit a 13 inch Macbook perfectly.

2. Portable Charger.

9/10 times I forget to charge it, so then it becomes pretty useless. This is a must when I'm travelling anywhere out of Gibraltar because the chances of me using up all my battery when listening to music or using Google Maps is high. If not, I'm then the idiot who has to sit on the floor in Gatwick Airport waiting for my phone to charge.

3. SPF face cream.


If you're gonna be walking around for a few hours, then don't neglect your skin! Nobody wants a pale face but just think of how smooth your skin will be in 10 years if you take care of it now. The one I'm currently using is....

4. A book (or two).

I actually packed two books with me on my trip because I knew I was going to be spending most of my trip poolside, and they weren't the lightest of books either! I wish my kindle still worked cause it's a lot more handy when travelling and takes up a lot less room, but alas the battery gave up on it and there is something I prefer about holding a real book. If you want to take a peak at what I've been reading you can see my 2018 reading list here


5. Magazine.

For when reading small words with no pictures starts to become a challenge. 

6. Document Wallet.

I bought one of these from Accessorize years ago and it comes with me everywhere! They're so handy for keeping all your important stuff in one place and not crumpled at the bottom of your bag (how can people do this!). If you have a friend who likes to travel, this would make a great gift as they have sections for your documents, passport, tickets etc. 


mia tui 2

7. Travel Minis

I recently bought this Clinique 3 step travel kit so that even if I'm travelling hand-luggage only I can still look after my skin. I'll be writing a summer skincare post soon so more on the products later, but a mini moisturiser like this one is always a good idea if you're flying for hours and your skin is feeling particularly meh

8. Hand Sanitiser.

For when you spill your in-flight meal and the flight attendant is on the other side on the plane. 

9. Facial Mist.

I bought mine at The Body Shop as they have quite a large range of facial sprays and they're all HL allowance friendly. I seem to find it very hard to spray things on my face so watching me spray this or setting spray or whatever is always rather entertaining. 

10. My Journal (and pen).

I usually tend to journal most when I'm flying cause I have nothing else to distract me, or use it as an opportunity to write down a random abundance of lists, like 'things to learn about when I'm bored'. I'd really like to give bullet journalling another go, and when you have free time when travelling it's always a good chance to do it. 

11. Eye mask.

I find it hard to fall asleep when I know people can see me, especially because my mouth sometimes ends up opening when I doze off. Plus if the person next to the window doesn't want to shut it, then you can block out the light this way.


The Mia Tui Sydney Backpack is currently retailing at £45 and features two pocket compartments, an insulated bottle holder, space for your phone and pens, and also comes with a clear zip bag (which I used to keep my travel minis). The thick straps means that even if you're carrying a lot on your bag throughout the day your shoulders won't be killing. 

mia tui 3


What are some of your travel essentials? Do you have any products you always carry with you?




NOTE TO SELF; LIFE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXCITING ALL THE TIME.

Wednesday 4 July 2018

Social media can be a great thing, it means I can see what my friends are up to half across the world on Instagram, interact with people on Twitter who are watching the same TV as me #LoveIsland and enter Facebook competitions to win free cinema tickets and food on Facebook. Although sometimes when I'm scrolling through Instagram at night and see that every other person is either travelling through Asia, wearing a GG belt and eating £100 sushi or partying at an exotic festival I can help thinking to myself - 'wow my life is so boring in comparison'. 

tea with gi

HOLA JULY! A MID YEAR UPDATE AND MY PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

Sunday 1 July 2018

I feel like just yesterday I was still wearing my Primark parka jacket and Joni jeans and now here we all are (even in the UK) in sundresses and flip-flops. I stopped doing monthly updated a while ago just because some months are busier and others I just work, go to the gym, go out and blog. On a whole, the first half of 2018 has been pretty alright. I've squeezed in quite a bit of travelling - including Barcelona, Krakow and Malta. I've finally got down to my goal weight after a year and I've managed to find a balance between my work/social life. I just wanted to check-in with you guys to let you know what I've been up to and what my plans and goals are for the rest of the year.

tea with gi

My accomplishments and highlights so far. 


I think it's just as important to look back at the things you've already achieved and not just what you want to do. No matter how small or insignificant they may seem. 

I've travelled to 5 new cities. 

The great thing about having paid off your overdraft and working a FT job is you actually have money to do things! Sure now I have to be a bit smarter with annual leave but thankfully we have a lot of bank holidays at the beginning of the year so it's made it possible. I've travelled to 6 different cities over 4 trips and they have all been with a different mix of people and they've all been memorable in their own way. I reunited with my best friend in Madrid to see Lana Del Rey after 4 years, went on a mini euro trip with Mariah and Joanna that was filled with constant laughs, and then pulled together my sister, Mariah and my other friend Gabriella for Malta. Funnily enough they didn't know each other that well prior to the trip but it was probably the funniest 4 days I've had in a long time. 

I've lost 14kg and managed to keep it off. 

It's exactly a year since I embarked on my 'fitness journey' and even though I could have done this in 6 months I still wanted to enjoy life so didn't want to be eating leaves every night. The best part about this is that I've actually grown an appreciation for food and what I feed my body. I haven't drastically cut down my calories, I enjoy going to the gym and I'm in a good place. There are elements I preferred when I was a bit plumper (I'm not as curvy and I could do with injecting some more fat into my face) but it's just getting used to a different kind of look. Even my fashion choices have changed because of it. I always find it funny when people make comments about your weight and that they 'preferred when you had a bit more/less lbs on you' because at the end of the day it's your body and your opinion that matters. If you're looking on a bit more info on how I lose 10kg (at the time) click the link. 

I've earned over £800 from my blog. 

This might not seem a lot to some bloggers and I won't be going full-time anytime soon, but when I started blogging 3 years ago I definitely wasn't thinking about making any money from it. I don't rely on my blog for my income so it's always a nice addition and surprise when an email lands in my inbox about a sponsored post, or somebody uses my booking.com affiliate link to make a booking (please do). It always gives you that extra bit of motivation when you're being paid for the stuff you write and feel valued. 

I've managed to read 2 books per month.

As I said on my reading list, joining the library means it's kind of forced me to do this so I can return the book in time, but I've got into the habit of reading every night before bed instead of using my phone and it's definitely help me sleep better too. 

My friend moved over to Gibraltar! 

What's better than having blogger friends? When someone who you met on Twitter/through blogging moves to the same place as you! Becca moved over here just under two months ago and it's so great having someone new/different to hang around with and of course, to go on blogger outings with and take 500 photos of our food. 

Our weekly cinema club. 

This one sounds lame, but having something to look forward to weekly brings me joy. It's funny because even though we go every week none of the staff (there's about 4 of them) have ever mentioned 'you're always here!' which kind of makes it more embarrassing for us because they probably think we don't have a life or we're not that memorable. After every film we say 1 line to sum up the movie and that line usually ends up on my one-line movie reviews post. 

My goals and plans for the rest of the year. 


Get my driving license!

Ok guys so I have been putting this off for the longest time because I don't feel the need to drive here and if I ever need to pop over to Spain for anything, there's always my mum, sister or lovely pals. That being said I know I can't rely on them forever and want to have my own independence when it comes to driving (even if I'm a little bit scared of it). Fingers crossed I can publish a post at the end of the year saying that I got my license! 

Reach 10K followers on Twitter.

I've been hanging around 7,000 followers for months now because I haven't actively been trying to grow my Twitter following. However we all know now that numbers are more important than ever in the bloggersphere so I want to dedicate more time to engaging with other people on Twitter, joining chats and finding new people to follow. 

Reach 5K followers on Instagram. 

It will be a miracle if I accomplish this because I feel like with Instagram I gain 10 followers and then lose 15. I'm going to make a real effort to grow my engagement here over the next 6 months and hope for the best, and if not pray that someone with a huge following does me a solid one and gives me a shoutout. 

Reach 1000 likes on Facebook.

I only just hit 500, so another 500 is doable right?

Read 25 books by the end of the year. 

As long as I keep on track and spend a few more hours reading on the beach in the summer this should hopefully be an easy one. I'd love to know what summer reads you recommend! 

Be up to date with all my TV shows. 

Does anyone else feel like they have their life together when they're caught up with all their TV shows? I'm dedicating this month to watch the final season of The Originals and next month to catching up with Gotham because I did quite enjoy them but Love Island has taken over my evenings. 

Visiting another 2 cities. 

Currently my only travel plans left for the year are Portugal with the family, and then I'm heading to Milan in November for a concert with Sarah-Jane (because it was cheaper to fly there than the UK) and then I'm treating my mum to a weekend in Brussels/Bruges for the Christmas markets and such! If any of you have any travel guides or tips for these places send them my way!

Get down to 20% body fat and increase my muscle mass. 

If you're not an avid gym goer then you might read this and be like eh? I'm not really focusing on losing any more weight, but I'd like to take this second half of the year to change my body composition - building muscle and losing some fat so I can look lean and mean like Mulan. 

Make £1000 from blogging. 

Probably very ambitious of me, but if I practice the law of attraction/manifestation hard enough maybe it'll happen. 

Have £5000 in savings. 

I've already cut down buying my iced skinny vanilla lattes to twice a week, so that's a start. Before buying any more clothes/make-up/materialistic things I try to ask myself 'is this going to add any value to my life?' Another Pandora ring would be nice but do I really need to add another one to my hand and then cry when it falls off on a night out because I was waving my hands too quick in the air? 

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That's about all that I can think of right now guys, nothing too exciting unfortunately. All I really want for the rest of the year is a chilled, fun, memorable, easy-going, adventurous, successful and accomplished 6 months - so not a lot to ask for really. I'm off to Portugal for a week with my family this weekend and I'm looking forward to having sometime to chill, read, get a tan and play hotel bingo. As much as I love reserving my holiday leave for exploring new places sometimes you just need some time off to relax and unwind. 


How has 2018 been for you so far? What have been your highlights and what are you looking forward to for the rest of the year? 

G









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