LIFE: DOWNSIZING

Yesterday, I received an email notifying me about the River Island sale. I was delighted. I logged onto the website during my lunch break at work and promptly filled my virtual basket with a monochrome A-line skirt, striped sleeveless top, belted nude skirt, lace-backed cami and two pairs of shoes. The whole basket came to under £100 and I was about to make the purchase when this story appeared on my Twitter timeline.


I promptly closed the River Island window before I placed the order.


I've realised that I waste a lot of money on 'fast fashion'. Whenever I slimline my wardrobe, it's always pieces from ASOS, River Island and Topshop which are tossed into the charity bag first. I'm trying to purchase well-made, investment pieces and focus on the quality of my wardrobe, not the quantity of items in it. Obviously, I can't own rails upon rails of Chanel or Chloe, but I can make the most of what I do have. I won't stop shopping but hopefully this will make me think twice about impulse purchases and develop some better habits!

LIFE: Hello 2016

Out with the old and in with the new...



2015 was one of the toughest but most fun years yet. Highs include lots of travelling and exploring new places with my boyfriend, starting a new job which is a massive step up from my old job and discovering yoga, which has transformed my life (dramatic, much?!).

This year I saw Norwich win at Wembley, Taylor Swift perform in my local park (cheers, Radio 1!) and spent a blissful week practicing yoga and relaxing in Turkey.

I've learnt to deal with a lot of lifestyle changes, including a long commute to work, and being a homeowner by myself for the first time.

2016 is full of promise. Here's the list...

• Run the London Marathon in April. To find out more, click here I've always been a runner and I ran the London Marathon in 2013. This will be my final marathon because the training is so intense. Once May rolls around and the 26.2 is under my belt, I'm going to join a yoga class and become super bendy.
• Take better care of my skin
  Working long hours can make me a little lazy and I know my skin can benefit from the hundreds of new products sitting in my beauty basket which I am yet to try. Expect a lot of reviews coming your way this year...
• Read and write more
  Commuting to and from work gives me plenty of time to read but I do miss writing. I worked as a journalist for three years and since then, I have barely written. I'm hoping to post regularly on here.
• Spend more time with my loved ones
  My best friend moved a few hundred miles away at the end of last year so we're already planning roadtrips.
• Celebrate the small victories
  We spend so much time trying to better ourselves that we rarely pause and congratulate ourselves on how far we've come.
• Travel more
  I travelled a lot in 2015 and while that will continue this year, I want to document it more. I'm so lucky to spend so much time in beautiful places, I want to document my travels and share them on here.
• Learn to cook new dishes
  My boyfriend is a great cook; before we were together my boundaries stretched as far as an omelette. But now I love spending Sunday afternoons in our kitchen creating feasts for us both.

I can't wait to get started....