This is probably one of the most stressful time of year so preparation is key.

I try and stay as organised as possible and one way that I manage to do that is by making a list. I try and keep a list of gift ideas, who I have to buy for, what I need to get food wise and what activities we might do that month. It’s so easy to feel like you are pulled in all directions so it is important to keep grounded and have a clear plan.

I like to make sure that I have a great selection of gift wrap and cards for the big day. I tend to gather these throughout the year grabbing a lot of my gift wrap from the sales and places like home sense and the pound shop. It’s important to have a mixture of gift wrap, labels and gift bags just so that you can work out what’s easier for you but also so you can have some fun with finishing of that gift.

I have a pretty full in life as it is so one thing that I love to do is take the time out at the end of the year to enjoy the little things. Preparing for Christmas isn’t just about the things you need to buy and give it’s about getting into the spirit! One thing I love to do is organise Christmas activities for my friends and family whether that is a Christmas movie night with my friends or a trip round the Christmas markets with my husband or even a festive baking competition with my family it’s important to enjoy the little moments and make memories.

S

It’s finally here! The nights have drawn in, the temperature has dropped, the Christmas lights are starting to go up and I am having all the festive feels.

I don’t know what it is but there is something about this time of year that just fills me with joy, and all the cosy feels.

So the candles are burning, the present lists are written and the festive activities are planned. We may be a month off but this year like every year I am determined to be organised and really enjoy the end of the year.

One thing that we can take away from 2020 is that we need to make every moment count and that’s what I plan to do. This is the best time of year to spend time to make memories and spend time with friends and family so enjoy it and let’s start afresh in the New Year!

S

YouTube is very much part of our everyday life, wether it’s a tutorial on how to fix a washing machine, a game walkthrough or a simple vlog and beauty haul there is something for everyone.

I made the decision couple of years ago to start a YouTube channel to see if I could do it. I had a lot more time on my hands and wanted a new challenge and I loved it for a while. I was very quickly overwhelmed with the lack of confidence and felt that nobody would want to watch me so decided to stop it. I never really looked at my channel after that but recently kept thinking it might be worth giving it another go. I rewatched some of my old videos and realised that I did have a following and my videos were being watched and the comments were all positive so I decided it was time.

One thing you don’t see with YouTube’s is just how much work goes into just one video. It takes planning on what you going to say, lighting, back grounds and most importantly content. To make it easier on myself I decided to give vlogging a try I mean it’s easy to just talk to yourself isn’t it? I found I actually enjoyed chatting away and just walking people through my everyday life. Of course there is some sit down videos and I have loads of content planned for the coming weeks.

One thing I must say that takes forever is editing! It’s a tedious task and I have had countless computer errors meaning I have lost hours of edited footage! It’s hard to get it all completely right but I find that the more I edit the quicker I become and I know what I am looking for and yes I did loose footage but I recovered a lot of it and managed to work at getting it uploaded.

I must say it is hard keeping to a schedule when you have so much going on, not only do I blog and need to get my content ready for posts but I am studying for a masters, learning to drive and working full time. It’s a wonder I can fit everything in!

I decided not to pressure myself with a schedule I aimed to publish weekly but have already found that schedule hard to keep at times but that’s ok. I realise that I am trying to juggle so many balls that if I don’t post weekly then I am not letting anyone down this is a hobby not a job.

So all in all it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, I love filming content but trying to juggle the workload as-well has proven difficult but I wouldn’t change it. I love being creative and sharing my life if not just for my viewing.

I will leave the links to all my recent videos below so feel free to check it out you never know might be right up your street.

S

Scentsy is a brand that wasn't really on my radar until the beginning of the year, originating from the USA scentsy sells a variety of products from wax melts and warmers to laundry and body products. 

I was drawn towards the warmer's and waxes and when I saw this autumnal warmer I was sold. I picked up a variety of scents from autumn scents to some fresh scents to melt all year round. 

Well my first impressions are I love these products, though the large warmers are an expense they of course last for such a long time so they offset the cost quickly. What I love about the warmers is the variety, there are warmers for all styles of home but also you can choose between a small and large table top warmer but also a plug in option if you don't have the space. 

So let's talk about the scent's, I love the variety of scents there is literally something for everyone and they are constantly releasing new fragrances. I love that the bars are long lasting and the smell is so strong, we melt our scents in our living room but you can smell it throughout the house. What I also love is that the bars are split so you can mix scents but also only burn what you need. I have had my warmer for a couple of weeks and we light it daily and we have only used 2 cubes of one scent. 

For those Disney lovers out there they have such an amazing variety of products to warmers and wax bars but to little scented plushies and baby products, there is something for everyone !!! 

So overall I am in love! it's such a lovely edition to our home and I have had so many compliments on the look and smell of our warmer. So if you wanting an alternative to a candle then give Scentsy a go! I have linked the seller I bought from below and this particular seller does some amazing bundles and giveaways so make sure you follow on social media also! 

https://Scentsofoccasion.Scentsy.co.uk/ 

Check out my seller and don't forget to follow Scents of Occasion on Facebook and Instagram!!! 

Enjoy 

​S  

It’s quickly approach my favourite time of year Halloween! I love everything halloween related from the food, spooky films and a good old scare night it just fills me with so much joy. So here are a few little decor bits that I have picked up to get me into the spirit.

A lot of my Halloween decor comes from home sense they just have the best range of products and I love how they have such a variety. These are some new purchases that I have picked up this year, I love these little gnomes and I think they are adorable they are a perfect way of creating a spooky effect and they look adorable on my mantelpiece.

I needed a centrepiece for my mantelpiece and these little characters were perfect! A spontaneous buy from home sense I have no regrets I am in love!

One thing you need to have on a Halloween is pumpkins! I always have them dotted around my house in a lot of different styles some are more for Halloween and some are just perfect fall decor. Some of these I have picked up from home sense and the pound shop (which normally has some great Halloween decor!). I like to for them around the rooms just to get into the Halloween spirit!

One of my favourite pieces of Halloween decor is my Disney Nightmare before Christmas Lazy Susan. This was a find in the Disney sale and to me screams Halloween, I love getting this out to entertain friends or even just for a movie night.

Hope you guys have a great Halloween!


S

It’s no secret that I love this time of year and every year I try and embrace this season.

It’s very easy to sit in the house nice and cosy while outside it may be a cold and blustery day but in my opinion there is nothing better than getting out and experiencing the autumn season.

One of my favourite things to do is go on woodland walks there is something about the cold crisp air and the multi coloured leaves that just makes me smile. I always find it clears the cobwebs away and leaves me feeling refreshed and happy. If you feeling lucky it may always be worth doing some conked hunting (I always fail at this and go too late in the season)

An all time favourite autumn activity is pumpkin picking, we go every year without fail and I absolutely love it! I love Halloween so I enjoy going and picking out the pumpkins and planning our masterpieces for this year. It’s a great activity to do that gets you out and is suitable for all the family. It does help that our local pumpkin picking spit has a great farm shop so we always pick us up so goodies along the way.

I love to travel around and go to garden centres at this time of year it’s the perfect mix of seasons with autumn treats, Halloween and a little bit of Christmas sneaking in. Each garden centre does it differently so it’s always fun to travel and see what’s around.

If the weather isn’t quite in your favour then a night in the sofa with some Halloween classics is always an option. Pop on a candle and a classic (I always suggest Hocus Pocus) an it will be worth it.

And if you are feeling creative then you could always make a autumnal wreath. Popping down to your local craft store is always a fun trip out and the best thing is you can theme the wreaths to whatever you want!

Hope this gives you some ideas of things to do to embrace the season!

Enjoy

S

The nights are drawing in and there is nothing I love more than running a hot bath, so obviously this calls for a Lush trip! Lush recently launched some of their autumn/winter range and I thought I would give you guys a run through on what I picked up!

Getting into the spirit for the spooky season I picked up some of the Lush Halloween range. I choose a few favourites such as the Monster's Ball (a classic halloween product) and Punkin Pumpkin which is a delicious orange scented bath bomb. I decided to give Bat Art a go which is an interesting product due to the ink black design and I am intrigued on what hides inside. 

Of course I decided to pick up a couple of Christmas products just to fully embrace the seasons  picking up a couple of bath bombs in my favourite scent Snow Fairy and I couldn't say no to a shower gel too. I noticed a new bath bomb in the Christmas range called I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas which boasts a delightful raspberry scent so that ended up in my basket. 

I also picked up an IRL bath bomb which was the Lush collab for Digital Detox Day which smells so fresh and of course proceeds go for a good cause. 

So I only picked up a few items but I am excited to see what the full Christmas range will bring! 

S

It's that time of the month again, it's time for a favourites post!

So this month I have a mixture of new and some returning favourites which I have rediscovered. My first love this month us my Jade Roller. I have always wanted to get a jade roller and incorporate it into my skincare routine so when one turned up in my monthly subscription box it was the excuse I was looking for. This roller is from Brushworks and I am in love, it feels so nice to spend time on my skincare but also use the roller to massage my skin makes me so happy and relaxed! 

A returning favourite of mine is the Garnier Deep Conditioner, I love this product but recently I have started to use it as part of my daily hair care routine. I have seen such a difference in my hair and it feels so nourished and healthy and what makes it so much better is that it's so affordable!!! 

One of my new discoveries this month is Snag Tights, getting into the autumnal spirit tights become a staple in my wardrobe. I have always just gone for cheap tights but I was sucked in by the Instagram ad and decided to give Snag Tights a go! I loved that the sizing is down to your height rather than your dress size, they are so comfy and easy to maintain, I would highly recommend!!

My Final favourite this month is Netflix, it's a little bit more unusual but all I can say is that the content this so good. What I love about this month's releases is that there is something for everyone from horror to comedy and all the bits in between. 

So these are just a few of the bits that I have been loving this month, I find September a bit of a strange month as a summer comes to an end and autumn and winter begins. 

​S

We have all been spending more time at home lately and no doubt have watched the entire contents of Netflix but here are a few gems that have stood out to me.

If you like a good drama then SnowPiercer on Netflix is for you, set in a post- apocalyptic world it follows the story of a train containing the last people on earth set on a loop. The train is separated into a class system and a murder on the train brings a lot of new things to the surface. This is by far a binge worthy show and we finished it over a weekend so make sure to clear your schedule!

If you are wanting some light hearted entertainment then look no further than Ghosts on the BBC, this comedy follows a young couple who inherits a haunted manor house and the ghosts are not too happy about it. This show is a great laugh and a good for a nice chilled evening with a glass of wine.

Sticking with the comedies I have recently discovered the US Office on Amazon Prime, I know that I am late to this party but I love having it on in the background while I am blogging or editing. It's such a great show to dip in and out of and I can't seem to work without it on in the background and with 9 seasons it should keep me going for a while!

If you don't have the time to commit to a TV series then I couple of movies that I highly recommend.

All Together Now on Netflix is a perfect feel good movie that doesn't hold back! It has romance, drama and loss and make sure you have the tissues at the ready as it sure does tug at the heartstrings.

And finally if you are wanting a good old trip down memory lane then I recommend The Mighty Ducks on Disney + , this was one of my favourite movies from my childhood and until recently I had forgotten how much of a gem this movie was. It has everything that any good old 90's disney movie has and more!

So as the nights draw in pop your feet up with a cuppa or a glass of wine and give these a try you wont regret it!

S

It’s that time of year again, this year has been a difficult one but we are wanting to start fresh and put it behind us.

So here is how I am preparing for my second year doing my masters.

It’s no secret that I am completing my qualification while working full time as well as my many other projects so it is important for me to stay organised and structure my time. I have found that giving myself time slots doesn’t work as I either do too little or overbook myself so blocking out days where I can dedicate to my course allows me to be flexible. I use a mixture of online resources such as my COZI app and a written diary to help organise my time more effectively.

One thing I love about starting a new year is the stationary! I found these pads last year from WHSmith’s that are perfect for my uni content. I also stocked up on an arch file for my research papers and a box file for my books. In the coming months I plan on organising my space properly but for now this system works perfectly.

It’s always important to keep all my work backed up so this 4TB external hard drive from Seagate is perfect. It helps me have piece of mind that everything is backed up.

Most importantly is making sure that you have a designated space to do your work with minimal distractions. I shared over on my YouTube channel my new desk I still need some more storage and a new chair but I am in love with my setup and it inspires me to work.

I am so excited to start this year!

S