Vans Iso 3 Unboxing and Review (+ a rant about shoes)

I love shoes. I'm always browsing for shoes online and keep having to stop myself from ordering 100s of pairs of the same ones in various colours. However, it's a long time since I bought a pair of heels - now I'm more of a trainers girl! So I thought I'd do a little unboxing of my most recent purchase, because I didn't even know of the Iso 3's existence until I came across these! 

Also prepare yourself for a little rant from me, because I've got a few things to say about shoes. Money definitely does not mean quality...

Why are we so ashamed of Twilight?

Earlier in the year I read The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness and really enjoyed it. I loved that it gently poked fun of the YA fantasy genre. This, coupled with the fact that the films were recently added to Netflix (but not Breaking Dawn Part 2, why?), made me want to rewatch the Twilight films. Because Twilight was such a huge deal for a few years, then faded into obscurity a little bit. It's not forgotten, but it's not like you really bump into Twi-hards any more. Once upon a time I really loved Twilight. But I grew out of it just as quickly as I got into it. And for a while I was kind of ashamed that I ever liked it. I don't think I'm the only one...

Dr Martens Docs For Life

I haven't owned a pair of Doc Martens since I was a little kid. I had a pair of blue croc boots and a pair of burgundy sandals and loved them both to death. I walk 30 minutes each way for work, so I've really come to appreciate durable and comfy shoes. I've already worn down through a pair of Timberlands (which is pretty disappointing considering the cost) so I thought I'd try some Docs For Life...

Why you should apply for The Juice Academy graduate programme

Back at the beginning of November I celebrated my one year work anniversary. Even though I'm due to move onto a new job in the next few weeks, I really value my time at Pharmacist Support. I've learned so much, and I wouldn't be here without The Juice Academy.

Next Tuesday is The Juice Academy's second graduate boot camp and there's still time to apply (applications close on the 28th November). If you already have, here's what to expect...

Blogging Goals and Blogging Self-Doubt

I've been blogging for a while now, I celebrated by first 'bloggerversary' earlier this year and I feel like I've gone from strength to strength. Slowly but surely, my blog is growing. I've found the last month or so to be quite tricky, but I'm pushing myself to keep going and power through. I feel plagued with self-doubt, which doesn't exactly make content creation easy.

So I've set myself a couple of goals...

Aging Pop Culture: Does popular culture have a sell-by date?

Recently I feel like I've travelled back in a time machine. The Harry Potter craze has taken hold (did it ever really go away?), Pokemon is popular again, and I've been reading The Princess Diaries books. Looking at clothes in shops currently, I could quite easily put together an outfit that my mum would have worn when I was a kid. This whole 90/00s feel has been around for a while - I remember a few years ago actually debating whether to buy a pair of jelly shoes (I thankfully didn't waste my money).

Popular culture seems to be so fond of nostalgia. Already the "millennial" generation (urgh, still kind of hate that phrase) seems to spend a lot of time looking back at memories from their past, in a way that makes us seem like old grandparents in their armchairs talking about the Blitz. But I wonder, does pop culture have a sell by date? At what point does it stop being trendy and start becoming dated?

2016 Playlist

Back in my November Favourites, I mentioned that I've started using Spotify Premium. I didn't really use it that much until I switched from the iPhone 5c to the Samsung Galaxy S7 last month. Now I have loads more storage for saving my favourite tracks.

I've always been guilty of listening to the same music over and over, and not trying anything new because that would involve buying new music or stealing people's CDs to burn. In the past month I've really got into using Spotify, and out of my old lady funk. So, here's a list of tracks that I've been loving lately!

(Disclaimer: none of these tracks are really new releases, but most of them are new to me!)

Anxiety and Video Games

The other week I was getting ready for bed whilst Kris played Far Cry 4. I ended up watching him play for a bit. But when we tried to go to sleep, I started to get anxious that I was going to have nightmares about Far Cry - more specifically its trippy hallucinogenic sequences and the prison camp mission. Then I started to think about it more and realised that my anxiety affects my relationship with video games.

H&M: Close the Loop

A few months back, I was browsing H&M and saw some green leaflets near the till. Turns out you can bring in old clothes for recycling and get a £5 voucher in return! I think it's an amazing concept. For clothes that are still perfectly wearable, I think charity shops are a better option, but for those falling apart items H&M is perfect!

Diary of a dinosaur addict

So if you read my March favourites post, then you'll know I have a weird thing for dinosaurs right now. I don't even know why, I just do. I've been playing the Jurassic Park game on my iPad mini and am currently reading said book, by Michael Crichton. Obsessed.