HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE

All emotions demand to be unapologetically public, especially for the age group that I am currently in! and for some people it is easier to cover over their true emotions for a higher purpose.

Emotions are in the very foreground of every single second of every single day and for the most part are the biggest pain-in-the-arse I have ever experienced. I would be completely lying if I said (wrote) that I can keep myself happy every day of the week because I can't, really I am just about able to keep myself content for seven hours on every week day and that's only because I am in a professional environment where I am representing an organisation and can't be moody! 

Emotions/feelings have never been that easy for me to handle, im sure I am not the first nor the last person to admit that, I could never handle being angry very well - It would make me scream and cry and get quite violence with my pillow! I don't think in the past year anger has been a problem for me - Potentially I could have mastered keeping myself calm - and I am putting this down to me deciding that being happy is a choice. As much as there are some moods I don't want to be in I make the effort to allow myself happiness at the things I have achieved and not sadness for what I haven't. Because what's the point? 


There are a lot of things that we do on a daily basis that are so instilled in to our 'norm' that are not acknowledged as achievements anymore. Things like getting to work that extra bit early, or tidying the house on your own, or even having the energy and time to put on make up in the morning (the 'small things in life). It isn't easy to forget about the things that drag you down, for some reason staying sad is the easiest thing that I have ever been able to do, but soon enough a new habit is made, and higher levels of contentment and then happiness replace the sadness and disappointment we face so often and sadness is a thing of the past.

The true beauty in life is seeing it how it is - yours.

Natasha

HIGHLIGHTS OF TODAY - 25/09/2014

So today was a pretty average day - wake up late, rush around the house getting ready, 9-4 work blah blah blah. But today I tried making garlic bread. 

Garlic bread is one of, if not my favorite food, of all time EVER, And being able to make it is something that I really want to be able to do. I've made garlic butter in the past so that was of not stress to me but making bread dough is not something that I have ever tried to do before. Annoying there is a lot of waiting around and arm aching in the dough-making-process! They are two things I do not enjoy very much.

I think it helped that because I was making a different form of garlic bread - it was more of a personal-sized pizza base with garlic butter on the top -  because I always get the baguettes so I didn't really know if it tasted/looked right. However it has been just about enough time between eating it and now and the food-poisoning-sickness hasn't peaked its unwanted head, so I think I am safe!

Another thing I did today is actually use my Netflix account...I've been on there a few times over the past months and haven't had the time to watch any movies (normally because I look on it just before getting in to - or whilst im in - bed) but today I finally watched something. Hooray! I started out watching 'Fred: The Movie' but got about 30 minutes in to it and couldn't justify watching anymore of it so looked around and stumbled upon 'Not Another Teen Movie'. It was definitely another teen movie as it seemed to quote almost every single one every made but I still found myself laughing and cringing throughout. 

Let me know if there is anything you are liking/loving on Netflix right now, and if you have ever made your favorite store-bought food - how did it go? :)

Natasha

"YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT" - MUM

This may cause a little controversy in my family (if any of them actually read my blog) but I am all for eating whatever I want to eat. I wouldn't say that in doing this I am the unhealthiest person in the world, I just mean that I'm not going to torture myself over how many calories are in the food I want to eat. I eat to stay alive not to look good and I don't think I am harming myself for doing this, if anything I have little to no stress in my life because of it. I exercise ample amounts (for me *) everyday which probably helps the situation a little more than it used to.

(* I used to walk to and from school which is literally at the end of my road but now my walk to work takes me about 30 minutes and im pretty much always late so it is more of a speed walk/run.) 

I wouldn't say that I have the most desirable body but I am 17 after all and who at 17 had 'the ideal body'? I am able to accept the fact that I have flaws in my figure, of course I do - I'm not trying, AT ALL, to slim down or tone up because I'm happy with where I am now. I'm sure that I'll reach a stage in the next few years where I want to improve on my fitness and when that time comes I will know where to turn at least (Franki, Jamie that will be you!)

But for now (mum!) I am going to eat what I choose and continue to not turn in to the food that I eat because fantasies, unfortunately, do not come true.

Natasha

TATTOOS, DRINKING AND GROWING UP

I do not turn 18 for another eight months, but I am sure those eight months are going to fly right on past me just as the previous 208 months have. I don't like that I am growing and ageing at the rate I am, I feel like I should be at the age where it's acceptable to not be able to read properly and where having shoes that make a light show whenever you stamp you feet hard enough makes you the coolest kid in school. I want to stay at the age when nobody expects anything from me! 

I have been trying to savour every part of my 'youth' before it disappears (if you couldn't tell), however there are some things that I am looking forward to about growing up.

I am looking forward to being the legal age to get ink shallowly scratched into my skin and I am looking forward to properly living up to my title of 'mother of the group' and taxiing my friends home after a sloppy drinking session.

I don't feel the necessity to celebrate my 18th with the messiest drinking session ever experienced, as I know some of my friends are edging towards, because I am not a big drinker and that is why I am not fussed about celebrating my 18th. Most of the times I have had alcohol have not been experiences I care to remember and those times where all brought on because I was ignoring the fact I didn't enjoy the taste one single bit.

I would much sooner, after a long and possibly stressful day, treat myself to a hot bath, cold glass of water and bar of chocolate than have a glass of alcohol. Now this isn't me saying "I wont ever drink alcohol in any capacity ever in my life EVER!" because there was a time that I didn't like the taste of coffee, and I managed to get over that, I am saying however that drinking on my 18th, or anyone else 18th isn't going to be something I am looking to do.


What were/are you most looking forward to for your 18th?

Natasha

DAILY ROUTINE AND ACNE

I have suffered with acne for as long as I can remember. I'd say that I have probably had mild acne for about three years now - it used to be a lot worse, The worst being when I broke out from head to toe! - Within this time I have used things such as antibiotics and acid gel creams but have found what works best is basic exfoliation.

My daily 'skin-care' routine goes a little something like this:

In the morning I will wake up and go straight to the bathroom as this is normally the longest part of my morning routine. I will exfoliate my face using a face scrub, from Simple, mixed with a body scrub, from Soap and Glory, and dry with a fresh towel. After that I go back in to my bedroom to spray and wipe a toner water over my face and neck, apply a small amount of bio-oil and lather my face with a small blob of light moisturiser, by Palmer's. I put on my make up and that's just about it in regards to face-stuff.

In the evening I take my eye make up off first and then my foundation and such. I then exfoliate again using the same products as the morning as well as the toner water. I use a different moisturiser, from lush, in the evening as it is heavier and I have time for it to sink in when I am sleeping. 

I find that this helps my break-outs stay to minimum but it does not cut them out completely, I have also found that drinking water helps, obviously, but to remember that if I have a hot drink (i.e. coffee or tea) or a fizzy drink then I need to drink a bit more to re-hydrate.

Products mentioned and used:

• Lush Tea Tree Toner Water
• Palmer's Moisturiser
• Lush Moisturiser
• Soap and Glory Body Scrub
• Simple Face Wash
• Eye Make-up Remover
• Face Make-up Remover

Natasha

WHAT I SPEND MY MONEY ON

One of the things that I want to get better at is budgeting. I don't get enough money each month for it to go towards anything 'grown-up', even if I had anything 'grown-up' to pay for, so I end up blowing it all by the end of payday! I have a phone contract and I pay my mum pittance for rent, after that I have just over £400 to spend on whatever. Looking back over the months that I have had my current job I've tried to think of what I have bought, which hasn't gone successfully.


From July onwards have spend £20 each week on a driving lesson, Starting from the middle of September I will be paying monthly for contact lenses and I'll sometimes buy food for work or home. That means I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on unmemorable things and in realising this I have decided to make a conscious change.

Conscious change:  I will not spend money on anything unless deemed necessary.

Well what is necessary, Natasha? Surely that make up product that has just come out that you want to try is necessary?...

As much as I would like to keep ahead of the game with make-up and such things that is not, in my book, deemed necessary. My kind of necessary varieties from 'urgently important' (e.g. deodorant) to 'part-of-my-daily-routine products' (e.g. Tea Tree water).

If the worst comes to the worst and I cannot decide then my mum will be consulted.

This is just one of my ways I hope to stop spending. Something else I am trying is learning new things to override the memorisation of my card number!!!

Have you ever had this problem before? What have you done to solve it?

Natasha