My Half-Term in Pictures!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!
Those of you who are still in school, I hope you had a fab half-term!
I thought I'd tell you guys about what I got up to over my break!

As expected, I did a lot of baking over the week- and when I say a lot, I mean a lot! My mum asked me to help her out with her university project, which involved baking a load of food, photographing it, and then eating it (of course). It took hours, and hours, and hours...but was really fun! Photography and baking are two of my favourite things to do, so that was time well spent!

A beautiful walk home from work

I also had my first shift at Cancer Research, which was great! I'm incredibly passionate about the charity, so I'm really glad to have the chance to be a part of what they do.




For a majority of the break, I was babysitting for a couple of my younger sisters. This meant trips to the park, visits to the cinema to see things like The Peppa Pig Movie (which was unbelievably lengthy...), and endless games of dolls houses. Nevertheless, it was great fun and I love those girls to bits!

On the Thursday, my mum, two of my sisters and I had a day out in London! It has to be one of my favourite places in the UK; the bustling streets, the endless rows of shops, the unique characters- all of it!

We got the coach there, which meant an early start! Once we'd arrived, we hopped on the underground (avoiding the classic Paddington Bear moment where he gets trapped by the barriers, which yes, has happened to me not long ago...) and arrived at Southbank!

First we got lunch (of course) from the Southbank centre cafe- butternut squash and feta salad and a chocolate cupcake; delicious! My mum had a lemon and thyme cupcake which, after hesitation, I tried and really liked! 




We then watched 'Charlie and Lola's Bestest Best Ever Play' at the Southbank Centre, which was incredibly cute and thoroughly entertaining! I'm a huge Lauren Child fan, so it was so much fun to see one of my favourite childhood stories made into a play!

We then had a quick walk around the comic festival at the Southbank, and of course couldn't leave without buying a few books!

Afterwards, we made our way to the London Eye. I hadn't been on it for a few years, so was really excited (scared, yes, but excited!). With my camera at hand and a packet of chocolate buttons, I was ready for the ride! It took about half an hour in total, and we had such a breathtaking view of London! When we got off, we headed home after an exhausting yet thoroughly enjoyable day. Here are a few more shots from the London Eye and of the gorgeous streets of London:

The next day, some friends and I had lunch at Pizza Express; I had half a pesto pizza, and half a goat's cheese and red onion pizza (my friend and I were stuck between the two, so had half each!). We then visited a modern art museum, which I had never been in before. It had a great exhibition on, and some of the pieces there were just breathtaking! We then did a spot of shopping (of course), before heading home.

Enjoying my last Starbucks before Lent!

On the Saturday, I met up with a friend from church, and we had a coffee and a catch up before heading to hers for lunch. Such a great day!

And there we go! You may have noticed that my week involved absolutely zero revision...terrible, right? That was my last revision-free week before exams; from now on, its full on work!

Thanks for reading! Have a great week!

Crazy Not-To-Be-Missed Holidays and Celebrations!

I'm one of those strange people who keeps up to date with crazy holidays and celebrations throughout the year (for example, Happy Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day)! Like, honestly, I feel sorry for some of my friends that receive random messages in the year with me telling them it's 'Chocolate Mousse Day'! So, I thought I'd update you guys on some of my favourite, not-to-be-missed celebrations!
Here's a list of my favourite day (or two) of each month:

January 22nd- Answer Your Cat's Questions Day
Let your curiosity get the better of you, and spend a day trying to figure out what your cat is trying to tell you! Whether or not you'll actually achieve anything, I don't know; it could be a total waste of your life. But, anyhow...give it a go!


February 17th- Random Acts of Kindness Day
Go kindness crazy! Give out flowers, randomly smile at strangers and make it your challenge to compliment everyone you see!

March 9th- False Teeth Day
Celebrate false teeth; where would we be without them? 



April 5th- Read a Road Map Day
Exactly what it says on the tin; ditch the GPS and appreciate good old road maps!

May 9th- Lost Sock Memorial Day
This is an emotional one, guys...
I feel like this could've perhaps been invented by Dobby! I could be wrong, but...

June 15th- Smile Power Day
Here's your challenge: don't stop smiling!

July:
13th- Embrace Your Geekness Day
Do exactly that- embrace your geekness! Throw a geek party, dress up, play Dungeons and Dragons; don't be afraid!
The Second Friday of July- Cow Appreciation Day
Eat ice-cream, dress up in cow print and appreciate cows!





August 9th- Book Lovers Day
Take this as a great excuse to sit back with a good book and read for the day!





September:
The Second Friday of September- Stand Up to Cancer Day
If we unite, we will beat cancer sooner.
29th September- International Coffee Day
I literally love coffee. I don't think anything else needs to be said on the matter...

August 4th- Taco Day
Time to appreciate the best food on Earth!

November 22nd- Go For A Ride Day
Get out of the house and see the world! Or just your street, at least...

December 8th- Pretend To Be A Time Traveller Day
Do exactly that! Go all out with a costume, and spend the day acting confused about what year it is, sneering at modern technology and confusing strangers with your craziness!

I hope you've enjoyed finding out about these weird and wacky days as much as I did!
See you soon!

Five Things I'm Looking Forward To for the Year Ahead!

Happy Wednesday!

Now, I know we're already well into the year (February, how crazy is that?!), but I wanted to post about some of the things I'm looking forward to this year!

1) Go Set a Watchman

As you might know, To Kill a Mockingbird is my all-time favourite novel EVER, so when I heard about the sequel that's coming out in July, I literally died! I can't explain how excited I am! I preordered mine yesterday to arrive on the release date. Yes, I'm aware it comes out in July. Yes, I'm aware that's in five month time. Let's not dwell on how sad I am...

2) Goodbye GCSEs, Hello A-Levels!

For me, 2015 means exams, and lots of them (nineteen, nearly half of which are sciences!). However, finishing GCSEs is an incredibly exciting prospect, as I'm really, really looking forward to sixth form! Being able to study four subjects that I'm really passionate about is going to be great! Stressful, yes, but still exciting! I'm hoping to study Physics, Philosophy and Ethics and English Literature and the Extended Project, all of which sounds super fun!

3) Moving House

My family and I are moving in the late Spring, which I'm really looking forward to! The new house is in a really cute area, where pretty much everyone knows each other! In all honesty, it slightly reminds me of Emmerdale...

Also, a new house means a new bedroom and a whole lot of decorating! For my fellow decor and homeware geeks, I'll be sure to keep you updated on it; watch this space...

4) Summer!

Yes, I love winter, but the thought of summer has me completely buzzing! Warm weather, holidays, fun with friends and family; I'm just so excited! Our family holiday this year is to the gorgeous island of Mallorca, where we went a couple of years ago, immediately falling in love with the beautiful scenery, amazing food and lovely people. Mallorca is also the place where I started reading Harry Potter for the first time; oh, the memories! Don't get me started...

I usually go on a Christian camp each summer, too, which is always the absolute highlight of my break! However, the time has come when I'm too old for the one I usually go to; sad times!

5) Learning to Drive

Guys, watch out, as come November, I can learn to drive! I'm not gonna lie, I'm slightly nervous, but still really looking forward to it! Really, though, I'd stay safe inside and keep clear of the roads if I were you, as I'm really not sure how driving's gonna go for me...

Comic Relief: What They Do and How to Get Involved!

Hey guys!

This week I'm going to talk about something really important, not just for me, but for you too. As you may know, Red Nose Day is coming up on the 13th March.  This is a day when, across the UK, people wear red noses and get sponsored to do crazy and comical things, for example sponsored silences, danceathons and fancy dress! These things can be super fun, but more importantly, it's a chance to raise money for a truly fantastic cause.

Comic Relief is a charity that specialises in tackling poverty and social injustice across the world. To do this, they hold two main events: Red Nose Day and Sport Relief. However, as well as raising millions of pounds each year, these events also help raise awareness of issues that need addressing throughout the world. Examples from recent years are rights for the disabled, the importance of education for young people, and tackling widespread diseases such as Malaria and HIV. 

But, for these things to happen, they need help from you and I!
By raising money, a real difference can be made.

Here are ten fun and effective ideas for getting involved and raising money:

1) Buy a red nose!

2) Organise fancy dress

3) Hold your own Great British Bake Off

4) Sponsored Silence

5) Host a Red Nose Day quiz

6) Host a talent show

8) Car washing/dog walking

9) Give something up e.g. chocolate

10) Sports challenges

Don't forget to donate the money you've made to Comic Relief.

Leave your fundraising ideas in the comments!