tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67026394812551269692024-03-16T01:10:21.197+00:00Lucy AlanaLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.comBlogger657125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-90513652723069822192021-03-12T07:30:00.045+00:002021-03-12T07:30:02.177+00:00Netflix Picks #6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidceNHKh-R0e4yMtz6Y-4S2Ea9nf8FkKHttScdt-DEMGoRZmfN_xd9sQ7_dCS8RwptI3y96FYmzSYkDvpy7Y2kEvt9GU9YeDKshjFhGv0m4aJQqcnHnWhgG32vlxFq1HonCzsxIx4qTIA/s750/netflix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="750" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidceNHKh-R0e4yMtz6Y-4S2Ea9nf8FkKHttScdt-DEMGoRZmfN_xd9sQ7_dCS8RwptI3y96FYmzSYkDvpy7Y2kEvt9GU9YeDKshjFhGv0m4aJQqcnHnWhgG32vlxFq1HonCzsxIx4qTIA/w640-h448/netflix.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Bling Empire is classic reality TV, it is set in the glossy hills of LA and is based around the Chinese community who live there. It focuses on the rich and famous, and how they live their day to day lives. As always it involves the nitty, gritty gossip from around the area. It wouldn't be an american reality show without some catty comments and fall outs. I found it very interesting and it is an easy watch. This will definitely be back for season 2, as it became very popular for Netflix.</p><p>Bridgeton is the most watched series so far in 2021 for Netflix, it took the UK by storm. It is based on the novels by Julia Quinn. It is set in London and follows the lives of the rich and elite in the 19th century, and it portrays the line between the rich and poor. It is centered around the Bridgeton family, Daphne is a young woman who is forging her way within the heirarchy to find her future husband, she has to delve her way through many prospectful men. She makes a side-line deal with her brothers best friend the Duke of Hastings that they will court so their families will give them some breathing space. On the side lines is Lady Whistledown, she is a secret and anonymous newsletter columnist who breaks all of the gossip and scandals to the public. The story follows Daphne and her family as she marries and learns she has lived a sheltered life and has a lot to learn once she is married. Bridgeton has been praised for being a racially integrated show and showing how life should and could have been for those living in this era.</p><p>Emily in Paris follows Emily a young millennial who moves from America to France as part of her work. She struggles to fit in to the office and french culture. It follows her work colleagues and the drama, it shows the challenges of life in a new country, new friendships and love life. It is an incredibly easy watch, and I look forward to series 2. It also makes me want to get on a plane and go to Paris as it is such an incredible city. </p><p>Million Dollar Beach House is set in the Hamptons following the young and money-hungry estate agents who are battling to make the most commission. They are selling the most luxurious, multi-million pound houses to the rich and famous within the area. As all reality shows, it explores the individual lives of those working within the office. It isn't quite as entertaining as Selling Sunset which I cannot wait to return. It just doesn't quite have the same spark, however I really enjoyed it and I hope a second series is on the way. In all honesty, I love being able to sit on the sofa, with a cup of tea, and ponder at all the magnificent houses. </p><p>Tiny Pretty Things is set in Chicago and follows aspiring ballet dancers at an elite school. It starts with an accident of one of those dancers and the twists and turns behind what has happened. It sheds some light on the realities of life in a ballet school, the competitiveness, and the grueling regimes involved to try and battle and make it to the top. It follows new girl Nevaeh and her trails and tribulations and the behind the scenes of ballet being from a working-class background. It really enjoyed this is I still attend ballet classes, and I love watching how amazing the dancers are.</p><p>The Fall is based in Belfast in Northern Ireland, it follows the story of Paul Spector who is a serial stalker and attacker, and occasional murderer. It is a sinister and twist-turning watch and I was totally engrossed. DCI Stella Gibson has been brought in from London to help solve and catch this killer. It is a cat and mouse chase, as Paul is super deceiving and takes obscure changes to complicate things further for the police. Meanwhile, Paul is going home and leading a double life with his wife who is a nurse and their two children. There are three series to this drama, and wow I was gripped the entire time. </p><p>Lucy</p><p>xoxo</p>Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-31632213434574681122020-09-16T07:30:00.017+01:002020-09-16T07:30:02.465+01:00Holiday Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_gdsS4FLAMWRa3n_TPujS_9jOkCGxXbl6PGO6Tzdjt9Fn2dnfhsBgjz8L3glGTSQ76z6zzkFCA7vApNNQuNbdPZ4Opx_EPaj4WRzO0W7NPqx9O_tWiYNhoH_RD5WtOEY-BaIrloopLk/s4032/books.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_gdsS4FLAMWRa3n_TPujS_9jOkCGxXbl6PGO6Tzdjt9Fn2dnfhsBgjz8L3glGTSQ76z6zzkFCA7vApNNQuNbdPZ4Opx_EPaj4WRzO0W7NPqx9O_tWiYNhoH_RD5WtOEY-BaIrloopLk/w640-h480/books.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>Queenie is a book focused on a young woman trying to live her life and page her career in journalism. It discusses her prejudices towards her race and her struggles with modern day relationships. She has a lot of challenges in her love life and work life, and I was engrossed in her story. Queenie is a strong, out-going character who strives to overcome all obstacles which may face her.</div><div><br /></div><div>The prison doctor follows Dr Brown as she tells her insight into being the duty doctor inside Britain's biggest female-only prison. She helps women who have and are facing many battles such as drug and drink addictions as well as abuse. Prison can be a place of shelter and a place away from harm for many and somewhere to recuperate. It is a real eye-opening book as it delves into the different stories of women and how they are trying to create a new start from themselves on the outside. </div><div><br /></div><div>An almost perfect holiday follows Em, Maggie and Olivia all in dire-need of a break. They all find themselves in a little village of holiday cottages which shares an outdoor pool. They end up chatting and opening up about their own reasons for escapism to the countryside. The story line is engaging and moves at a good pace with lots of unexpected additions to the characters. There is lots of drama as well as laughter and different secrets along the way, however all in all the women are brought together in a very unexpected friendship develops.</div><div><br /></div><div>The little book cafe follows three women - Tash, Emma and Amy who are all in need of a break from work. They all live in a small village and build their friendship around the book club at the local cafe. Their love of books and cake brings people from the community together. It is three short novels who follow the three main girls on their own adventures and relationship turbulent along the way. </div><div><br /></div><div>One stop is a lovely book written by fellow blogger Laura Jane Williams. Daniel notices Nadia whilst on his commute to work and writes an advert on the local newspaper. After weeks and weeks of missing each other on their daily commute, they finally reach out to each other and arrange a death. The recent death of Daniel's father means he is called away by his mother in a moment's notice and Nadia turns up thinking she has been stood up. She is </div><div><br /></div><div>Someone we know is a great novel by Shari Lapena who also wrote the couple next door which I reviewed previously. In this book a teenage boy starts to break into houses within his neighbourhood which is all fun and games until his mum finds out. Then a local woman is founded murdered and as the whole community tries to discover who was involved and in what way. This was favourite book that I read on my holiday I was gripped from start to finish. The twists and turns had me gripped and I was totally engrossed page to page. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lucy</div><div>xoxo</div>Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-69105778359892734282020-05-24T07:30:00.000+01:002020-05-24T07:30:07.128+01:00Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Hydrating Primer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been meaning to put up a review of this Fenty Beauty primer for so long. I have had it for over a year so I can definitely say I have put it to the test. Everything which I tried from Fenty Beauty so far I have loved. I opted for the <a href="https://www.harveynichols.com/brand/fenty-beauty/761999-pro-filtr-hydrating-primer/p3581753/">pro filt'r hydrating primer</a> as I have dry skin. This is advertised to target dry patches on the skin. It has a lightweight texture which I love as it feels really thin when you apply it to the face. I don't usually opt for thicker primers as I feel as though they often sit heavy on my skin. This acts as a really good addition on top of my moisturiser and blends together effortlessly. The selling point to this primer is that it creates a "filter-like blurring effect" to the skin.<br />
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This product contains grape seed oil and sodium hyaluronate which are brilliant for hydrating all skin types. It feels silky smooth and fresh which is exactly what my skin needs. This bright and lovely weather which we have had for the past few weeks has been such a pleasant surprise.<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span></span>But, it has left my skin uber dry. I am yet to treat myself to the Fenty foundation it is on my treats list. However, I have tried the concealer and I really love it (I reviewed it if you fancy a <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/04/fenty-beauty-concealer.html">read</a>).<br />
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It isn't cheap at £24 I got it as a present, I am not sure I would rush out to buy it again. I think I am basing that view solely on the price tag. I have really enjoyed using this. From testing many primers over the years I have learnt that I much prefer a cream over a gel consistency. Cream primers just seem to sit and mesh with my skin so much better. They also sell this in a mattifying version if your skin sits more on the oily side. Overall, I do really like this primer from Rihanna's Fenty Beauty range and if you're wanting to treat yourself you won't be disappointed.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-74189673268749248962020-05-13T07:30:00.000+01:002020-05-13T07:30:01.611+01:00Happily Ever Headbands<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxQIiy9-sl0qTevGgyINhyUD149LAngHX3k8rGB1AK6PFLF0qZZ9wzEImLkVgomAjBnJjDkkN1K4LRmeTBoc0Fr61bX4BmZKWEbxzDRiMbYnBn-lKW_Ii9ChPKkOToaKX6XY1VqYSd7k/s1600/headbands.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxQIiy9-sl0qTevGgyINhyUD149LAngHX3k8rGB1AK6PFLF0qZZ9wzEImLkVgomAjBnJjDkkN1K4LRmeTBoc0Fr61bX4BmZKWEbxzDRiMbYnBn-lKW_Ii9ChPKkOToaKX6XY1VqYSd7k/s640/headbands.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
Back in February my sister and I decided to create a headband business called Happily Ever Headbands. It had been an idea which we had early last year on our first visit to Disneyland Paris. We wanted something different to the classic ears, and wherever we searched we couldn't find what we were looking for. Therefore, we decided there was a gap in the market for what we wanted to make. We have been making lots for friends and family. We have lots of Disney inspired headbands which are personalised to whatever the customer may like. We originally made one for each princess or theme. Since then we have had lots of requests for many different headbands inspired by a variety of different movies which we have loved making.<br />
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We have since branched out into simpler headbands which can be worn on a more everyday basis. This has included the use of gems and pearls in a variety of different patterns, which has opened a whole new scope to our designs. We have made many styles which a customer can simply opt as it comes, but we love for people to get their creative juices flowing and allow any changes to an original design in any way which they prefer.<br />
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The pricing of the headbands are all headbands with a thicker band are £6.50 and all thinner bands £6.00. We then add on a standard fee of £1.50 for 2nd class postage.<br />
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We cannot wait until we can go to Walt Disney World and take lots of photos of our designs. We absolutely love receiving pictures of our customers wearing and loving their designs. If you want to see any of our creations then the best place to find everything is on our Instagram page - Happilyeverheadbands. If you have any enquiries about purchasing a headbands you can direct message the Instagram page or email us on happilyeverheadbands@hotmail.com.<br />
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Thanks for the continuous support<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-49424980319354580832020-05-06T07:30:00.000+01:002020-05-06T07:30:01.668+01:00Beauty Bay's Thirst Trip Rich Moisturiser<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the start of the winter this year my skin has been super dry. When you've had combination skin for years after have an oily t-zone and acne, adapting your skincare routine takes a while. I was on the lookout for a new every day moisturiser as my holy grail from Kiehl's had ran out. I am not really a sucker normally for clicking through links from my emails, but I received an email from BeautyBay about their new skincare range and I instantly clicked the link. I was intrigued by their <a href="https://www.beautybay.com/p/beauty-bay/thirst-trap-rich-moisturiser/">Thirst Trip Rich Moisturiser</a> as I always need something that adds some hydration in to my skin. This contains oat lipids which contain ceradmides, research tells me that these help to retain moisture but not clog the pores of the skin. I am happy to report that I have been using this pretty much every morning for two months and it's a really good skincare product. Although the consistency is rich and thick, it has a light texture which easily soaks into the skin. I can feel that it has actually done something to my skin and it gives my complexion some life and a little glow.<br />
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I have enjoyed using this cream as it does what it says on the packaging. It is a no frills product, with not a lot of ingredients which I think is sometimes for the best. For just £7 I think this is a steal for 90ml of product. I think this is fine for normal and dry skin, I would not have used this when I had oily skin. This has enticed me to try further from their range as they have so many great products on offer and all ranging from £6.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
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Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-57684435055836962812020-04-26T07:30:00.000+01:002020-04-26T07:30:00.260+01:00Netflix Picks #5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So lockdown has sent me into a deep spiral of endless Netflix. Everyone is finding a way to get through this unique time.<br />
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Love is Blind was released just as lockdown started and it was perfect to binge watch. I love trashy reality tv and this did not disappoint. It is a new way of dating, but it is very unrealistic, however it is an interesting watch. Contestants are put into 'pods' where they can only hear and speak to potential dates through the pod. They then have to try and decide who they have a connection with. When they are sure they have found the one, they then propose and they finally get to meet in real life for the first time. After this, they are whisked away to Mexico to get to know each other more, and see whether they can really work as the ultimatum is at the end of the series they will decide whether to get married or not. There is a lot of drama and the wedding days are full of surprises.<br />
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Too Hot to Handle is also a dating show. A number of the hottest people get put together thinking they are on a retreat, however they are really there to resist temptations to win money. It is revealed to them that they have potentially 100,000 dollars to win. Every time any couple choose to physically make contact they will loose money. The aim of the show is all about building a real connection. It is full of scandals and twists and turns. They will definitely be bringing a second series of this out.<br />
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I absolutely loved Cheersquad which I wrote about in an earlier Netflix picks <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2018/01/my-netflix-picks.html">post</a>. They have brought out Cheer which is about a college school called Navarro which is known for being very successful. It follows the team as they try and balance college life with cheer. They are essentially competing to win the national competition. It really highlights just how much work goes into being a cheerleader, and the amount of time and risk it goes into being the best. You see their journey to get to nationals and find out whether they manage to win or not.<br />
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Next in Fashion was something which I had on my to-watch list for ages. Hosted by Tan France and Alexa Chung, it has vibes of Project Runway but it has its own twists which I really enjoyed. It takes contestants from around the world, and they compete in weekly challenges to create clothing to represent each weeks theme. They then hold a runway show and judges decide who they want to take through to next week. I really loved this, I was fascinated at watching how to take things from nothing to a beautiful creation. I instantly text my best friend who works in fashion to ask her to teach me how to sew! Maybe I should add that to my lockdown to-do list.<br />
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The Trails of Gabriel Fernandez is an eye-opening and tear-jerking series all about a young boy called Gabriel who is essentially beaten to death. The series follows the police as they investigate what happened, whilst highlighting the flaws within the social services department. His older siblings open up about the torture and violence which existed within the family dynamic. It follows the trials and verdicts for sentencing for those identified as his killers. Before I worked in my profession I was blind sighted to what actually goes on in terms of child abuse. I cried watching this as it definitely has harrowing parts to it.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-832349525172817552020-04-05T07:30:00.000+01:002020-04-05T07:30:09.245+01:0018 months Post Roaccutane<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I cannot believe that it has now been 18 months since I finished roaccutane. After being on it was over 8 months it pretty much consumed the whole of my 2018. However, it was the best thing I have ever done for myself, and that is no exaggeration. I sometimes forget just how bad my skin was. When you are living with it in the moment, life just goes by and you learn not to let it bother you. It was a big risk, and it was difficult at times. In all honesty, after the process had finished I was absolutely terrified that in a matter of weeks my skin would return to its previous spotty self. I have not had any cystic breakouts since I have come off it. My skin used to be the worst around my time of the month when my skin would rage. I have had a few minimal pesky red spots around my chin area but nothing which a little bit of concealer can't handle.<br />
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In all honesty whilst the process was happening I always had an end goal. I did not anticipate how I would feel in the pending months after it had all finished. In March 2019, I went for a three month follow up appointment with my dermatologist. He was really happy with my skin, and said that if I was going to have a major outbreak it would have hopefully have happened by now. I am still a little dubious every day that I will wake up and my skin will have to started to erupt. It is like anything in life, you learn to live with things. Having acne is what sprouted my love of makeup and the start of this blog. I saw all these girls with perfect skin and there was no one I could really relate to at the time except Em Ford (mypaleskin). She has been on her own battle with acne for years and I could relate to her so much. My favourite part of being acne free is in that in the summer I now leave the house with nothing on my skin. Previously when it was hot even though I had grown a lot with my self-confidence, I always put some concealer or foundation on before stepping out the door. I think as you grow into your 20's and people realise it is no longer just teenage acne, people are genuinely confused by the idea of adult acne.<br />
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One of my friends who has had her own health battles said she didn't know me pre acne treatment. I said I'd show her a picture when it was at its worst and I was just starting my treatment. I found it very strange showing her those pictures as it was a distant memory. I felt as though all those years which I battled with my acne had just disappeared. It has definitely changed my life for the better. I know people have much worse health conditions, and I very much accepted in the end it was just some spots on my face. I count my blessings that all it took was some medication to get mine sorted and that some people don't respond to roaccutane at all. I think as I am a success story I would always recommend it, but before I went on it I did a lot of research and my dermatologist laid out in black and white the high chances of some of the side effects. I had had this acne since 13, so 10 years on it was just an experiment for me as my dermatologist had said it was time to try it. I had literally tried every cream and antibiotic available with minimal results. I have written a full diary of my roaccutane journey from the <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2018/04/one-month-on-roaccutane.html">start</a>, <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2018/05/months-2-and-3-on-roaccutane.html">during</a> and <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2018/10/finishing-roaccutane.html">after</a> which outlines clearly the dosage and process at each point.<br />
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Now 18 months on, and approaching 26 I definitely have found a new confidence in myself. It is so strange as I still naturally gravitate to full coverage concealers and foundations. I have also had to adjust to my skincare choices as I have gone from having oily skin to very dry skin that needs all the moisture it can possibly get. It makes me feel a little emotional as I know how deep down during the whole time of having acne, I just tried to ignore it on a daily basis. All mine stemmed down to after all those years of trying different options was a diagnosis of polycystic ovaries. Once that was confirmed with blood tests and an ultrasound, the dermatologist knew the hormonal cause of my acne and the treatment could start. There is a tiny part of me who wonders why it took 10 years of dermatology testing, for a GP to determine my underlying condition. However, in the grand scheme of things it all got completely sorted in the end. I am so grateful that it worked so well and that I am still acne free.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
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Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-90850451371373702292020-03-20T07:30:00.000+00:002020-03-20T07:30:01.560+00:00Remaining Positive <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the outbreak and overwhelm of the last week, I think it's very difficult to remain positive. The prospect of the unknown and also the feeling of knowing things have a potential to get a whole lot worse can be frightening. I have put together a little list of how I have being trying to keep a positive outlook and ways to keep my mind from wandering and worrying.<br />
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My number one has been keeping in contact with family and friends. This is the time where we all need to be checking in on each other and seeing if anyone needs a hand. My friendship group messages have never been so wild. There is no doubt there is an overall sense of worry and rightly so. People are terrified for their own families. The hardest thing that I have found is having to cancel all social gatherings. The way that my friends and I have overcome this is by using video chat. We have being using an app called Houseparty where you can have as many people as you want in the chat and also play games. Tonight we have a wine and video chat planned and I cannot wait.<br />
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It may sound obvious but reading has been an escape from reality. I have always loved reading, but I had massively got out of the routine of picking up a book. I bought myself some new books and every night before bed I have dedicated 30 minutes to reading. I have found it has massively reduced my anxious thoughts allowing me to sleep a lot easier and for longer.<br />
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I have dedicated some time during social distancing to start refocusing and dedicating time to blogging again. Finding something which you enjoy doing and most importantly something which you can focus your mind on can give you a sense of achieving. My biggest barrier has been that all my hobbies e.g. dancing have cancelled their classes meaning you can feel a little bit lost, which can easily lead to boredom and anxious thoughts. This could be the time to take up classes on YouTube, or like myself have put in my diary days where I going to get some fresh air whether that be going for a jog or just a walking around the local country park.<br />
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This is probably the most important of them all and definitely the hardest. Staying off your phone could be a daunting thought, but I have found that I have had to physically take myself off my Twitter feed. Honestly, this is the most damaging to your mental health. I think as I work on the front line of the NHS I know what to believe and what not to. However, I really worry for people believing so much untrue information which is re-surfing constantly on the internet. I have had family members and friends contacting me daily with worries as to what they have read. I understand how easy it is to be pulled into believing everything you read. I am not saying to not go on any social media, but I have actually found that Instagram has been the only platform which has been some form of escapism. Twitter and Facebook has been wild. A brilliant idea if you want to properly escape from it is to mute or ban all hashtags and word associated to the epidemic. It will probably leave you feed very bare, but it will allow for your mind to be free for a little while.<br />
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Even though I am carrying on with my daily work routine, whilst at home I have created a new little routine and I would encourage you to try and find one to suit yourself. Mine involves not staying in bed scrolling in the morning. Each night before bed I have made a to do list of what I need to get done the next day, and also a list of extra things I could get done over the week. This has kept my mind focused and actually leads to productivity. When I wake up I look at my to do list and organise it into a chronological order of rough timings for the day. Throughout the day I then re-look at the list and tick it off as I go which gives some sense of achievement.<br />
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I am no way trying to brush everything which is going on under the carpet. However, it is so important to look after both our physical and mental health. As things unravel and things change on a daily basis there it is definitely an overwhelming prospect of the unknown. I think this is why worry starts to build as we do not know what is going to happen next. If you are feeling lost or are filled with constant worry please reach out to someone.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-85215626283165018922020-03-04T11:00:00.000+00:002020-03-04T11:08:18.207+00:00My 10 minute everyday/work makeup routine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I feel as though my makeup routine since I started working as a nurse has slowly got less and less. I wake up at 6.30am and head out the door just after 7am.<br />
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I normally start by applying the Too Faced <a href="https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/too-faced-hangover-primer.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP3yBRCkARIsAABGiPp3_zmrvrpWf18j2fEbuo8AKKczfOKLpn2EfdSPBZEz293vtObaC6QaAu2VEALw_wcB&variant_id=22048&ef_id=Cj0KCQiAwP3yBRCkARIsAABGiPp3_zmrvrpWf18j2fEbuo8AKKczfOKLpn2EfdSPBZEz293vtObaC6QaAu2VEALw_wcB:G:s">hangover primer</a> I tried a sample size of this and loved it so took the plunge and bought a full size. It works really well with my very dry skin adding an early morning boost which is exactly what it needs.<br />
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Primark's glow foundation was one of my greatest finds of 2019. The beauty industry talks about dupes a lot and this is a perfect example. This is a great dupe of my holy grail sheer glow foundation from Nars. It really is a steal for just £6. I have been using this for over a year now on a daily basis, and I recommend it to my friends all the time.<br />
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In 2019, Fenty Beauty was the year that it took the brand to new dimensions. Their stand out product is their <a href="https://www.boots.com/fenty-beauty-pro-filtr-instant-retouch-concealer1-10263143">pro filt'r concealer</a>. I absolutely love this for adding brightness. I put it under my eyes as who knew that turning from 24 to 25 had such an effect on those under eye bags. I love the consistency of this, it is thin, light and their shade range is absolutely superb. Rihanna knows that there was a gap in the market and has filled this void well and truly.<br />
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The Sephora <a href="https://www.sephora.fr/p/anticernes-haute-couvrance---fini-naturel-P2415018.html">natural finish concealer</a> was a find at the start of the year, and every time I or a family member had visited a European city in 2019 I asked them to pick me one up. I had read a review before going on a Sephora trip so I thought I would give it a try. The formula is a little bit thicker than the Fenty Beauty concealer which is great for covering blemishes. It is still light and easy to apply. The applicator is fantastic as it is flat and wide and speeds up the application process.<br />
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I have been a Beautyblender lover for years, but the Real Techniques <a href="https://www.boots.com/real-techniques-miracle-complexion-sponge-10164142?cm_mmc=bmm-buk-google-ppc-_-PLAs_HeroCompare-_-Real+Techniques-_-Boots+Shopping+-+Category+-+Beauty+-+Desktop&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwP3yBRCkARIsAABGiPovC93VPafBxSrMZvcUTp0L0gtcsjwQcjSFgpCVrAxtTtXi2p7mG0IaAuQTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">real complexion sponge</a> has recently taken prime spot in my foundation application routine. It is light and what sets it apart from the Beautyblender is its unique shape. It is round at the top like an arrow shape, but also flat on one side. I do a little combination of dabbing both sides to get the perfect coverage.<br />
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I saw someone on Instagram using this MAC <a href="https://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/products/13842/products/makeup/face/blusher">blusher</a> and I instantly bought it. It is a gorgeous pinky shade with a subtle shimmer through out it. I no longer apply powder in my everyday makeup as I found it dried out my makeup and takes away any kind of glow. I have being using Mac's blush in fairly precious for months now. I love the light amount of luminosity it adds to my face. Highlighter is not a part of my daily routine as the lights are already bright enough at work without my face dazzling like a disco ball.<br />
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I have been using this from Benefit religiously for years. I am yet to find an eyebrow product that does the job better than Benefit's <a href="https://www.boots.com/benefit-goof-proof-brow-pencil-10215950">goof proof eyebrow pencil</a>. The formula is light and easy to apply, I have tried many eyebrow pencils which have a heavy formula which can be dry and causes tugging when trying to apply. This has a more waxy texture to it allowing a very quick application. It also comes with a spoolie which is always helpful for brushing the brows through and getting an even application of product throughout the eyebrow.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-3533319312295443772020-02-26T07:30:00.000+00:002020-02-26T07:30:09.005+00:00Charlotte Tilbury Lustre Lipgloss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So from the pictures you can see just how much I love this lip gloss from Charlotte Tilbury. It is definitely well loved and well used. This is part of their lip lustre line. I love the formula of these, you can tell that they have taken time and effort into making this perfect, which is what Charlotte Tilbury does with every release. It is light on application, not sticky and not too thick. I have tried and tested lots of lip glosses over the years, and I have found the main downfalls are often how thick the formulas are and how they often dry to feel tacky on the lips. I wear this lip gloss over the top of many different formulas of lip sticks. The shade is <a href="https://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/products/makeup/lips/lip-gloss">Blondie</a> and it a light pinky shimmer with a slight nude and golden undertone running throughout it, which makes it very versatile. This feels light and smooth on application, it does have a slight stickiness to it but I think all glosses need stickiness to an extent. The finish is high shine and it is definitely a 'glossy' gloss. I also really like the doe foot applicator as it makes application super easy and fast. It also has the little curve at the top to help with accuracy.<br />
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It is 'that' lip gloss which lives in the bottom of my handbag and I can pull out on any occasion. I have always preferred a gloss or satin type finish to all lip products. I think it pulls together a look and makes me feel ready for whatever occasion I am heading too. In terms of pricing Charlotte Tilbury is a high end brand and this lip gloss costs £19. There is no denying that £19 for a lip gloss is expensive. However, every now and again we all deserve a little treat and I had wanted to try one of their lip glosses for <i>so </i>long. Therefore, one pay day I treated myself and I do not regret it one bit. I bought this at least two years ago and I wear it on a frequent basis, and there is somehow still a good amount of formula left in the bottle.<br />
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I know that one day soon I am going to cave and I will buy another shade to add to my collection. My sister owns Ibiza Nights which is a lovely pale nude shimmer. I have got my eye on Pillow Talk which is the best seller out of the range, it is a mid range pinky nude. Although, I might have to wait until a special occasion to buy it as I have got many lip glosses on the go currently. I feel that Charlotte Tilbury has definitely made a stamp on the beauty industry, and this lip gloss has definitely got my approval.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-16761522069792671192020-02-19T07:30:00.000+00:002020-02-19T07:30:05.109+00:00In a world where you can be anything, be kind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago I started to write a post about women pitting themselves against each other purely based on their looks. I only wrote a couple of paragraphs and then I decided not to continue. This year I wanted to ensure that all the heavy feelings which I feel I get off my chest as soon as possible to stop it building up inside me. I can be hot headed and I am trying to be less reactive and let myself thoroughly think about my actions, so I have no regrets. I think this an approach we need to undertake as an online community. If you have any source of social media, you have to be responsible for what you write. When I first got Twitter, Facebook and Instagram way over 10 years ago now, the internet was a very different place. From my perspective, it was a more positive place; however there was a lot less responsibility in what we wrote. In that aspect I think we have moved forward. Where we haven't made any progress is the nastiness that people <u>choose</u> to write online.<br />
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In the light of Caroline Flack's death it has taken a bigger toll on me than I ever expected. I was on a galentines night out with my work friends when we all woke up to the news. We were literally all floored and in these short few days later I am struggling to process just exactly how she must have been feeling. I just cannot fathom how we can allow this to happen time and time again. You don't have to have liked or even known Caroline to accept that some kind of change has to happen and fast. It will be a few weeks of sorrow and tributes and then the media will be finding someone else to circle on a daily basis stopping someone from being able to leave their own front doors.<br />
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We now live in a society of cancel culture, and I feel as though it has become such a toxic place to be involved with. When I first started blogging back in 2013, the internet was such a different place as to where we are now. I can't remember everyday seeing on my timeline, someone slagging another person off not even a celebrity but a standard Joe Blogs who has said something slightly controversial. People tend to jump on the bandwagon and set fuel to the fire and within an hour a whole hate campaign can be started against someone, this usually stems from a tabloid story which has provided a completely biased and unjustified point of view. I used to buy gossip magazines and then one day I thought as a forward-thinking female why would I ever want to be involved and be contributing to a culture of picking at another woman's flaws and putting them in the worst dressed category. These small changes and distancing yourself from this type of source can be really refreshing for your thoughts. I recently realised that I had been following lots of people on Twitter who consistently have something to say about any bit of gossip that might arise. It has been noticed and talked about quite frequently about how toxic the blogging community has become, and this is what saddens me the most. I started blogging to meet friends, and be involved in discussions about things with people who shared similar interests. It's very much okay to unfollow anyone who you feel may be spreading consistent hate or is ultimately having an effect on your mental health.<br />
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This for me all stems down to just being a little bit kinder. In my every day job role I see on a daily basis the effects of online bullying and the harrowing realities of teenagers attempting and committing suicide as they have no way of coping. When I started high school nearly 15 years ago now, social media was just emerging and I feel that within my social group it was used as a way to interact with my friends. However, apps didn't exist and you couldn't just get on it with a click as we do now. We had top ups on our phones and to use the internet it cost, it provided you with a break away from the online world. Now, this doesn't happen. We don't give ourselves breaks from social media, and we have all fallen down a rabbit hole. The rise of memes in the Twitter world has taken online bullying to another level. I am not acting innocent in any way saying I haven't had a private little giggle on the group text with my best friends about something relatable. Imagine though everyday constantly being tagged in something negative about yourself and having to block users consistently, it must become draining. When you are in the limelight there is to a degree as expectation that you are going to be featured in the media, but I really don't think I would have the strength to constantly battle the negativity which is found daily online.<br />
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I was thinking in depth as to what I could do to contribute to this change which is so necessary within society. I can't imagine how it must feel to spend your day being a keyboard warrior or consistently trolling someone. We need a forward movement in spreading a little more kindness, as things have to change we can't allow ourselves to continue like this. I feel helpless to some degree as to what I can do to help. Deep down I take pride in knowing that I do not spend my days spreading hate. On Instagram, I wrote a post about how lucky I feel to be surrounded by a group of girls who cheerlead me on in all I do and how grateful I am. I often show my appreciation to these girls as they have helped me through a lot. Imagine having no one to talk to, and all you read everyday is how people want you to die. No matter how strong you are, this will start to chip away at you and there is no doubt that your thoughts and feelings will start to alter. I am a very sensitive person and I myself have experienced people publicly staring and pointing at me due to my looks. I don't know when or where my strong-minded resilience to block out these people came from, but boy am I glad it did. I literally do not let anyone's negative thoughts or words to process in my brain. I literally let it in one ear, and straight out the other. There is no doubts this took time, but I normally just tell myself what sad lives they must lead, and I am sure they are fighting some demons of their own.<br />
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I am just so sad that it has taken yet another person's death for us to think about the absolute need for change. We choose how we use our social media platforms and we choose whether we choose to be kind or not. We are presented with these life choices and we choose whether to spread hate or comment on a trolling feed, or whether we share someone's achievement and champion on a campaign for change for women. This the opportunity for us all to make some changes if we need to, if you have said things in the past which you regret look forward with a new perspective and strive to change. We all make wrong choices at some point, but its ensuring we don't make those choices again is where the progress happens.<br />
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In a world where you can be anything, be kind. This quote has resonated with me and had been swirling around my brain. I have been thinking about my impact on how the words I say can affect others. I think this is where we need to place the emphasis on the impact of our actions. I promise being kind and sharing a bit of love can make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. We can use our kindness to help those who need it most, who may need a glimmer of hope in their lives. We have a choice about what choose to share and do online and let's all choose to be kind. Get rid of negativity from your timeline, and spread some positivity.<br />
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If you are struggling or going through a hard time, or you know so someone who is, I know it's so easy for everyone say to just reach out. I really think that is somewhere you can start so I will leave a few numbers and websites of charities who you may feel can help you.<br />
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Mind - 03001233393 / <a href="https://www.mind.org.uk/">https://www.mind.org.uk/</a><br />
Samaritans - 116123 / <a href="https://www.samaritans.org/">https://www.samaritans.org/</a><br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
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<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-79799917551239251422020-02-07T07:30:00.000+00:002020-02-07T07:30:09.457+00:00How I am planning on budgeting and saving in 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For 2020 I have made goals about what I want to achieve and where I want to go. I am going through some kind of mid-20 crisis and it has been a light bulb moment in where and want I want to be spending my money on.<br />
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I have tried to look at my wage each month and look at the areas where I can definitely make savings and places where I am spending and essentially wasting money. I have made end of year saving goals and also have adjusted it depending on what is happening in my life. For example, I am lucky enough to be going to Florida in May and it is going to be a holiday of a lifetime. Therefore, I am paying off the holiday and want to have money to spend whilst I am. However, after that from the mid until end of the year that it where I am looking at being able to save the most money.<br />
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I think you have to really look at the finer details looking at exactly what is coming in and going out. My monthly wage changes slightly each month. I have created an average which is a nice round figure which I can work off. My first tip is using the notes app on your phone. I have a list off all my out-goings that I pay month to month. I total at the bottom what I will have left. I then look at my calendar as to what social events or other things I have going on in the month and list those. Next to each item I give myself a budget, for example a meal out with my friends £20. I then finalise the total costs. You can then see what if anything is left over whether this is £20 or £200. That is your target for the end of the month. After this every time I pay the bill or buy something it goes on the list I deduct the money each time. Once you have done it for one month you will realise exactly what you are spending your money on.<br />
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Patricia Bright is the queen of all aspects of money. This YouTube video she did on her channel - The Break Platform on how she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC5dXZYTO1A&t=2s">budgets her salary</a> is fabulous. She uses an excel spreadsheet which lays out clearly exactly what she has coming in and out of her wage. She gives hints and tips as to what areas you can make little savings, and she talks about how should always be investing which is something which has never crossed my mind. She makes reference to how she suggests spreading your money around so you always have pots which you can dip into where necessary.<br />
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I think it it always good have an approximate end of year goal whether it is £1000 or £10,000. It is important to stay in your own lane and stay focused on your own goals as it can be easy to compare yourself to others. My end of year target is to have saved at least £5,000 to put towards my house savings. I have looked at all my outgoings and realised it is a realistic goal. There is no point saying you want to save a huge sum of money if you are literally going to have absolutely nothing left.<br />
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One saving tip which I have been doing since I qualified in my job three years ago is whatever I have left at the end of the month I move into my savings. Whether this is 10p or £100, I move it over in my savings so that each month I start on a clean slate. This means each month I can go through and make the list which I mention earlier, and budget for that month on what I have earned. I love doing this as you realise that you can actually make more savings than you realise.<br />
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Another way how I make little savings here and there is using apps. One which I have loved to the latter end of 2019, is an app called Airtime Rewards. You can attach all of your debit and credit cards to your account and if you shop in an shop which is attached to the app you can a reward to your account this may vary from 1%-15% cashback. Once your account reaches £5 you then cash it in and it takes if off your next phone bill. If you are wanting to join if you enter my code: WRPHF3MJ then we both get 0.50 added to our accounts. Other little saving regimes which I use all the time are the good old supermarket clubs. Tesco is always me favourite as there is nothing better than getting your clubcard vouchers through the post. I have found myself shopping in Morrison's recently so I have recently signed up for their points regime. It is so much easier now you can upload these cards to your phone so you don't have to carry them around with you. I also love the good old Boots and Superdrug cards as you can collect points and spend them. These little amounts of money add up and for real little effort.<br />
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So here's to 2020 and making the goals a reality. Let's stay in our own lanes and smash those savings goals!<br />
<br />
Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-48162336557037299022020-01-22T10:00:00.000+00:002020-01-22T09:51:40.743+00:00Disneyland Paris at Christmas <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How lucky was I that I had the opportunity to go to Disneyland Paris at Christmas. As soon as we got back from our first ever trip in February we literally booked this trip a few weeks later. We had the disney blues <u>bad</u>. We thought what could be better than going and combining both disney and Christmas.<br />
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As my sister is a teacher and I am a nurse trying to find a weekend in December where we could go was proving impossible. We managed to find some dates and booked to go from the 21st- 23rd. With our previous two trips we have always got on the first flight available out and then come home on a late night flight. This time we got a flight from Manchester to Paris at 06.10 and the flight took 55 minutes. We then got our luggage and got on the magic bus which took around an hour. We then arrived at the hotel which was the Hotel Cheyenne (post <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2020/01/hotel-cheyenne-at-disneyland-paris.html">here</a>). We checked in, and dropped our luggage off as we couldn't get into our room until 3pm. After this, we headed straight into the park and we were in there for about 09.30 which I think is pretty good going. It is such a short flight you can still have your entire first day.<br />
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We had made a bit of a schedule as to what we wanted to do each day. This day was dedicated to meet and greets in the main park. We were really excited about the meet and greets, but as always the queues can be big. We queued for Thumper and it was definitely took way over an hour. The most exciting thing on the first day was the parade. My sister had seen sneak peeks of the parade, but I wanted to save it to see it for myself. It was such a fabulous parade and they definitely went on all out with theming. Everything was as you would expect Christmas themed, but it was really magical. There were lots of new characters on the parade who I hadn't seen previously, which is always exciting. It completely got me into the spirit and I watched it twice on the first day.<br />
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Before we went this time we had fully prepared ourselves that it was going to be sooooo busy especially as it was the weekend before Christmas. To our surprise it was the same kind of busyness as at Halloween. The queues for the rides were big, but a few of the bigger rides were down due to the heavy spouts of rain. As always we took advantage of the fast passes and used the disneyland app to keep up with the waiting times of each ride.<br />
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There was no denying that they have decorated Main Street amazingly as they had a huge Christmas tree at the start of the street. It looked incredible and as soon as you walked through the gates, and it put an instance smile on my face. My sister and I did however find that some areas had no decorations at all and it didn't give me the same excitement the entire way round the parks. It was slightly disappointing and I think there was actually more decorations when we visited at Halloween (<a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/11/disneyland-paris-halloween-party.html">post</a>).<br />
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My sister and I decided to treat ourselves to breakfast with the characters at Plaza Gardens. It was a lovely experience. We met lots of characters including Eeyore, Piglet, Winnie, Minnie Mouse and Donald and Daisy duck. The experience did however feel a little bit rushed as it was a very quick picture and they move on. With some of the characters if you were not ready and waiting, you literally missed your opportunity and there was no going back. Overall though, we had a fabulous time and I would definitely book and treat myself to a character breakfast again on another visit.<br />
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We booked onto a full board meal plan for this trip. If you book through the disneyland website itself you can build your holiday and adapt it to what you want. I think I would always opt for some kind of meal plan whether it is half board or full board. There is no denying that the food is expensive, and even if you eat at the counter service rather than the restaurants you will easily spend 50 Euros each on food a day. The meal plans are normally less than this for and you can eat in the restaurants and fill your boots.<br />
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On the last day we decided to treat ourselves and eat at one of the Disneyland Hotel's restaurants called Inventions. It was another character meal and it was such a special end to the holiday. The food was incredible at this restaurant, it is part of the premium meal plan and you could tell. On the standard meal plan which is what we opted for each meal has a worth of 35 Euros. You can exchange this worth in and pay the difference. I think we had to pay an additional 35 Euros which is a lot and I would never have paid 70 Euros. However, with the meal already being half paid for it was one last treat to us.<br />
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In 2019, I was lucky enough to visit Disneyland Paris three times. We went for the first time in February and were instantly hooked. If you have read my recent travel plan <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/07/current-travel-plans.html">post</a>, you will know that my sister and I have booked to go to Walt Disney World Florida at the end of May and I couldn't be more excited.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-83935118089877694702020-01-15T07:30:00.000+00:002020-01-15T07:30:16.532+00:00Hotel Cheyenne at Disneyland Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When we went to Disneyland Paris back in February we stayed at the Hotel Santa Fe and we loved it. This time when booking to go at Christmas there was literally no difference in price between the Cheyenne and the Santa Fe, so we decided to go for somewhere new. This trip was for 2 nights and I have to say we spend very minimal time in the hotel.<br />
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In comparison to the Santa Fe there really isn't that much difference between them. The differences are the theming of the two hotels. I was interested in staying at the Cheyenne as its theme is western and the rooms are decorated surrounding Toy Story. My favourite disney character is Jessie so I thought this would be cute. On arrival, I loved how the outside of the buildings looked as they are in blocks spread out around the site. Initially I loved it and I couldn't wait to get to our room. However, when we entered our room I was a little underwhelmed. I thought that the rooms looked a little dated. The rooms are never massive but they fit everything in that you need. I thought it looked quite plain and could do with a refurbish. My sister felt the same way.<br />
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On this trip we opted for the standard full board option so we had breakfast in the hotel. The breakfast was really lovely, as it was on our last trip. It offers everything which you can want. It has cold food options, hot food, cereals and pastries. It definitely sets you up for the day and you are able to fill yourself up. If you are going with children, even the fussiest of child would be able to find something to eat. The breakfast in the hotels open really early so you are able to get in, eat, and get into the parks for 8am to be able to take advantage of your extra magic hours. My little tip would be that if you want to meet a princess at the princess pavilion, we always get to the park for 8am and head straight there. The queues for the pavilion can be soooo long. If you go and it is less than an hour then you have been lucky. They normally vary from 75-90 mins.<br />
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We didn't actually book to eat in the Cheyenne restaurant on this trip for our evening meal. However, you can book to eat in any of the disney hotels if you want to. With the standard meal plan you can eat in the Santa Fe or Cheyenne and you do not need to pay any additional costs. If you chose to get an afternoon flight and you arrive in disney later in the evening, I think it is a good idea to eat in your hotel on arrival at 6-7pm and then if you choose to you can then head into the park for the fireworks. We did this on out first trip and it worked fantastically.<br />
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As always the staff in the hotel were lovely and the check in process was easy. From the airport, we got on the magic bus. This time we booked through Hey's Travel and you got the magic bus included in the price which was a bonus. Back in October, we got on the train from the airport and it was 19 Euros each way and it took about 20 mins. The bus takes about 50 mins as it goes to the different hotels. The Cheyenne was the second drop off so it was a really easy journey.<br />
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All in all, I would stay at the Hotel Cheyenne again. The room was clean and it provided us with exactly what we needed which was to sleep and shower. Me and my sister always love getting back to our hotel and having unlimited disney on the TV. Come on there's nothing better than coming back from the fireworks and being able to dance and sing along to High School Musical from your bed! Like I have already mentioned, I think they could do with an update and a lick of paint. Maybe this will come after they have the new Marvel hotel which is opening in autumn 2020 and to be fair looks like it is going to incredible. It is my sister and I's goal to stay at the Disneyland Hotel but unless we win the lottery, that is definitely in the distant future.<br />
<br />
Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-63360479306644189942020-01-08T07:30:00.001+00:002020-01-08T07:30:04.606+00:00new year, new me?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some people love new year resolutions, some people think they are pointless. I sit somewhere right in the middle. I am a big believer in setting goals and trying to make them realistic. There is no point me pledging to save £10,000 and buy a house by the end of the year as 2020 as it is clearly not going to happen. However, telling myself I am going to try and save an extra £50 a month is a goal which can be achieved.<br />
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I really like to make a few goals and try and think as to how I am going to keep them. For example I want to continue to run as often as I can. I am making it a realistic target to go at least twice a week. With my shifts I can't say I will go every Tuesday as my rota changes from week to week, so just simply stating twice a week I can plan it and make it much more manageable.<br />
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What I do not think is achievable is wanting to implement multiple resolutions which are simply not going to happen. If you have had a really rubbish 2019 and you are in need of an urgent change and a fresh outlook, then I really believe you can see a new year as some kind of fresh page in a new book. In every day life I am a reflective person, and I often seek ways of improvements and how if something was to reoccur how I would manage/ change the situation differently. If you struggle with the idea of wanting to implement a change no matter how big or small, it can helpful to think ahead as to any if unexpected barriers do occur how you will overcome them. I do this often, but you have to try and balance a fine line of managing it without taking too much on, and being disappointed when the outcome you expected or needed does not happen.<br />
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I have been saying for years I want to start writing a diary. This is my main goal of this year. I want to mainly focus it around my work and have it as a mixture of personal reflection but also gratitude. I want to be able to look back in years to come and see how I was feeling in the moment. I feel as though I sometimes struggle with my emotions and how to express them, and I know that writing things down can be great as it feels like a relief as you leave it on the paper.<br />
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I think have been thinking a lot about my blog recently, and the direction which I am hoping to take it in. I am still unsure as to what I want to do with it, so at the moment I have decided to not put too much pressure on myself and dedicate the time to it as and when I can. I find the management of this blog quite a stressful aspect of my life. I want to get so much out of it, but at the end of the day it is a hobby not my career and I have to constantly remember myself that.<br />
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For me 2019 was the year of the to do lists! You may be thinking, to do lists have existed since time began, and you'd be correct. However, I only really incorporated them into my life in the mid to latter end of 2019, and I found they helped manage my busy days so much more easily. I would make my to do list at the start of the day, and then rearrange it in to a chronological order so I know where to start first. Honestly, there is nothing more satisfying than ticking things off one by one once they are completed. Sometimes there simply is not enough time in the day to get everything done which I would hope to have completed. I will therefore look at my list and prioritise and think what do I have to get done today that cannot roll on into tomorrow. I then underneath write an ongoing to do list - things which need to be done and can't be forgotten about, but it's not imperative in that moment there and then. Going forward the do list is definitely coming with me into 2020.<br />
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Where I am trying to go with this post is make the new year what you want it to be. If you had a really rubbish 2019 and you feel you need that fresh start then grab it with both hands and go for it. Make sure you stay in your head space and I find that constantly reassessing where you are and where you want to be, can definitely help you to keep on track and continue to move you closer to accomplishing what you set out to achieve. I also learnt in 2019 that the reassessment of goals can be imperative in order for them to be achieved. Life isn't simple or straight forward and you can be thrown many obstacles into the mix when least expected. But, however upsetting or rubbish the change can make you feel, it is about readjustment and getting back on track ensuring that that goal is achieved one way or another. One thing which I think can be the most important of all, is not putting all your time and energy into something which you are not sure of. I definitely learnt the hard way last year and accepted that many things need to be taken with a pinch of salt.<br />
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Here is to making 2020 whatever you want it be.<br />
<br />
Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-66008636125494208902019-11-29T07:30:00.000+00:002019-11-29T07:30:00.824+00:00Netflix Picks #4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think my Netflix viewing statistics are only on a rise. They are consistently releasing outstanding content which I find myself engulfed in to watching. Amongst my friendship group I feel as though I have rightfully gained the title of Netflix queen.<br />
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First up, is Jailbirds I stumbled across this as it turned up in my recommended for you category. This is set in America in a high security prison and follows the life of mainly women who have been locked up for all kinds of reasons. It highlights the reason issue of drugs in prison and the lengths people go to in order to get their kicks. It also shows the men's part of the prison and how different the units are between the genders. One thing that made me shocked about this series is how much emphasis inmates make surrounding building relationships. The inmates empty the toilets in their units and put together a chain of material so that it reaches toilets of others, this means they can pass notes and contraband easier between themselves. An interesting watch and I hope they do future series of this.<br />
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60 Days In is a series which has been set up by the prison itself in Arizona. The prison has recently seen a huge surge in violence and smuggling and the chiefs are trying to eliminate this, they do this by enlisting members of the public for help. The volunteers are all prepped on what to expect, but even I was shocked at what they endured. One inmate was assaulted and ultimately asked to leave the show. The most interesting part was how hard the volunteers had to sell and keep up their story of their reasoning's for their arrests. There were many occasions where they became the subject of hounding from other inmates about their reasoning for being locked up. I thought this was a very interesting concept for a show and it gave a real insight into life in prison.<br />
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Unbelievable follows the story of a series of rapes which take place in Washington and Colorado. It follows a young lady named Marie who was charged with lying about being raped as she struggles to piece together what happened to her. With lots of pressure on her she ends up changing her statement to say she lied about being raped. As the story unravels more rapes happen in surrounding areas and everything links back to her. At times I found this tear-jerking and also thought-provoking. I binge watched this as it definitely kept my hooked and I found myself wanting to know right away what was happening next. I think this highlights real life issues and how young girls struggle with the pressures from authorities on these awful life-changing experiences.<br />
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Styling Hollywood is based around a celebrity stylist agency and the behind the scenes outlook on what really happens. It follows a married couple Adair and Jason who are well-known for their work with the stars of Hollywood. Whilst Jason is known for his interior side of business, Adair focuses on dresses the stars for the red carpets. I like that this offers two insights in to their lifestyle business as it flickers between the works of them both. This gives me the same good feels which Queer Eye and Selling Sunset did. I have featured both of these in my previous Netflix picks <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/04/netflix-picks-3.html">post</a>. It is an easy watch show which you can flicker in and out of and pick up at any stage. It features some very well-known celebrities, and in one episode there is a major wardrobe malfunction which needs resolving at the last minute. I most enjoyed seeing the time and input which goes into finding 'the' best outfits for the red carpets.<br />
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Our Planet is a nature documentary which is narrated by the ever-so-loved David Attenborough. This follows the success of his previous planet based series which the BBC has created. Netflix brings the same vibes with this focusing on the human impact on the environment, centering on the importance of climate change and the effects it is having on creatures. This programme was four years in the making and was filmed in over 50 countries. I love this type of series as it is such an eye-opener to what it actually going on in the world and the devastating effects which are taking place. There is no lying that this is thought provoking, which is what makes this such a special show as it doesn't hide the real realities of what is happening. The frozen episode following the penguins had me in tears. I was completely gripped from start to finish. It genuinely leaves you asking yourself how you can help to improve the ever-expanding impacts of our behaviours on our environment.<br />
<br />
Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-36056044368447354152019-11-20T07:30:00.000+00:002019-11-24T12:25:54.443+00:00Sephora Individual Eyeshadows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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(swatches top to bottom - unicorn dust, milky way and let's party)<br />
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The British beauty stores both high
street and luxury have really stepped out and bought into the brands which we
used to only be able to get from Sephora. I feel as though this has had a
massive impact as a whole on the beauty market, and the old Sephora hype has
taken a back burner. However, over the last few months I featured on this blog
quite a few on Sephora's own brand products, and today I am here to discuss
their individual eyeshadows. There are so many colours and finishes in this
range. I have spent quite a long time in Sephora stores swatching many shades
deciding which ones I want.</div>
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I finally choose these three and I
have been very happy with all of these shades. I bought two from the glitter
collection in <a href="https://www.sephora.fr/p/colorful---fard-a-paupieres-P3288050.html">unicorn
dust</a> and <a href="https://www.sephora.fr/p/colorful---fard-a-paupieres-P3288050.html">let's
party</a>. Within this line they also have pearl and matte finishes. Unicorn
dust is a beautiful light lilac which has a full silver shimmer running
throughout it. I have worn this in the centre of my eye to add a pop of colour.
Let's party is a mid toned gold which has a little pink/rose gold, which is a
great combination and it looks really pretty on the eye. This glitter range has
really impressed me and I don't often wear glitters but these are not too in
your face or full glitters. It is finely milled into the formula and when
applied to the eyelids it is nice and soft. I do like chunky glitters for
certain occasions, but having it as a fine consistency makes it more wearable.</div>
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I also bought <a href="https://www.sephora.fr/p/colorful-magnetic---fard-a-paupieres---effet-metal-et-effet-sequins-P3666060.html">milky
way</a> from the metal effects range. Milky way is a classic me shade, it is a light to mid toned golden which is super gorgeous. It
has a very creamy consistency which is something I always look for in an
eyeshadow with high pigmentation. This is a shade which requires a good primer
in order to really get the full effect. The finish is beautiful and is super easy to apply which is always a bonus. This is really pretty but I wouldn't
wear it on an everyday basis, it is one which I will gravitate towards when I
want a more intense look. There is also
a sequin range which runs alongside the metals collection which I would love to
try.</div>
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I have really enjoyed wearing all
of these shades and for just 6.99 Euros I feel as though they have been a great
find. Many other brands would sell these for much higher prices and the
consumers wouldn't bat an eyelid. Sephora have done really well with this range
and have got a very wide array of colours and finishes available. Having used
these products I would definitely recommend them to others, and I will
definitely look at purchasing more on future visits.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-84589085248444109432019-11-13T07:30:00.000+00:002019-11-24T12:26:10.721+00:00Disneyland Paris' Halloween Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For this halloween trip it fell that on the Saturday whilst we were they, Disneyland Paris were holding one of their annual halloween parties. My sister and I had never heard of these parties and we were excited that it was being held whilst we were there. This year they had two parties, one on Saturday 26th October and one on actual halloween the 31st. It took us a while to decide whether we could afford to pay for tickets to the event, and also whether it was actually going to be money well spent. The tickets costs £60 per person. We did a bit of research and there had been a lot of good feedback about some of their parties, however there had been some negative feedback regarding the length of queues for the character meet and greets.<br />
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My sister is an absolute gem and is always surprising me and whilst at work she sent me a ticket to the party. This is funny as in hindsight I had been planning on doing the same, but waiting until pay day. We were both so excited and instantly changed our initial plans for the weekend. I did a blog <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/11/disneyland-paris-on-budget.html">post</a> all about how this time we decided to stay outside of Disneyland Paris, this meant that we had to be a lot more organised with our time. At this point, we had already bought our three day park tickets. With the halloween ticket any guest can get into the park from 5pm and have access to the rides. On this evening, the park closed earlier than usual. Over the Autumn months we hadn't realised that the park closes much later than usual. When we went in February the park closed at 8pm, whereas this time it closed at 10pm. We were surprised at this as we thought 10pm was late for children to stay up in order to be able to watch the fireworks. On the day of the party the park closed at 8pm and the fireworks took place earlier than normal. We decided to leave the park around 6pm and got back to our hotel to get changed, we got back to the park for 8pm for when the party officially started. We were astonished to find out that the party goes on until 2am!<br />
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We had managed to get our hands on the programme for the evening before the actual night of the event. We are planners just for the plain fact that we want to be able to make the most out of time at the parks. We had looked to see the meet and greets which we were available, and we were really happy as they have party exclusives that they don't have at any other times of the year. The party also features other favourite characters who wear special halloween attire and they all just look so fancy. They released the times and locations of each meet and greet so we had a rough idea as to where we needed to be at what time.<br />
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It is no secret that we are both massive lovers of the parades as they just make the whole experience 10x more special. On these two evenings they put on a special exclusive parade which they only perform at the night time parties. They did two performances of the parades in the evenings which we both absolutely loved. They had all the classic villains but also some special guests.<br />
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My sister's favourite character is Daisy and she looked super cute in all her attire so we headed there first. We then decided that we would get into the queue for Marie and in retrospect this was the worst decision. She isn't normally a character which you can meet in the standard meet and greets. We queued for about 45 minutes and quickly realised that the queue was not moving at any kind of normal pace. It was one of those situations where we had dedicated ourselves to the cause and in the end the queue was for over an hour and a half. If you like villains such as jack skeleton, oogie boogie, or the evil queen, I would for sure recommend heading there as soon as the party starts. We met two girls the day after the party and they said that the queue for oogie boogie was 5 hours!<br />
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We headed to frontierland which is where they had this fantastic fiesta style party going on. It had djs, goofy dancing and performers everywhere. We were stood waiting for the mickey and minnie meet and greet and having a fabulous time as the atmosphere was absolutely fantastic. Everyone in the queue and all of the meet and greet staff were dancing and singing along to the music, it definitely made the 45 minutes of queuing fly by. We were sad that by the time we got to the chip n dale queue it was already closed. Each character had specific time slots, chip n dale's was between 11-00.30. We got there by midnight and the queue was already closed for any more guests to queue which was slightly disappointing.<br />
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Another great aspect of the party is that every guest member is able to get on every single ride in the park. This is fabulous as lots of the guests buy just the party ticket and you get all the benefits of the normal park tickets but all of these exclusives as well. For £60 it is good value money and I think this is the reason why it is such a popular event.<br />
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All in all, if you asked me if I would go again the answer would be yes. In all honesty I don't think I would book to go back to the halloween party again next year unless we planned to go again for halloween. However, if they had these parties at other times of the year, for example at Christmas I would for sure be up for attending a special party as we did both thoroughly enjoyed it.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-69321970840661685322019-11-06T15:00:00.000+00:002019-11-24T12:27:19.524+00:00Can you do Disneyland Paris on a budget?<br />
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If you have read my latest <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/10/halloween-at-disneyland-paris.html">post</a> all about our trip to Disneyland Paris at Halloween you will know that this was very much a last minute trip. It was approximately two weeks before we had a crazy idea to just "have a look" at prices. Back in February as it was our first <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/03/disneyland-paris.html">trip</a> so we decided to book it through Disney directly to make it a little bit easier. This time when we looked at booking it through Disney the prices to stay at any Disney hotel were extortionate. I'm sure it was due to it being last minute, so we have definitely learnt to book it in advance. When we go at Christmas we are staying in the Hotel Cheyenne and have booked it as a package through magicbreaks. It is definitely about looking around at the best prices and deals which are out there.<br />
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My sister and I have read lots of blog posts and watched vlogs about staying outside of Disney and how you can save so much money. We started to look around at booking everything individual and we soon discovered it was working out much cheaper. Lots of people had recommended staying at the Ibis hotel at Marne de Valle. We decided to stay there and for two nights it was £180, which for £90 each we thought was a decent price. Honestly, this hotel was in the best location and we were super lucky that we had fallen upon this. We got on the RER at Chessy (the stop for Disney), and it is just one stop which is a 3 minute journey to get to Val d'Europe which is where the hotel is located. You go up the train station stairs and the hotel is literally directly in front of you. The RERs are every 9 minutes in the morning and about every 15 minutes at night. My sister and I were convinced that we were able to get on the train and to the Ibis hotel, quicker than the 20 minutes walk it takes to get through the Disney village and to the Disney hotel which we stayed in last time which was Hotel Santa Fe. The tickets for the short train journey cost 1.90 Euros each way. We actually bought a book of ten tickets for 15.80 Euros which saved a little bit more money. We have both said that for future trips we would definitely stay here again. It was also easy to get from Charles de Gaulle airport to Val d'Europe. The tickets were 19 Euros each and the journey was about 15 minutes. This saved a lot of time compared to getting on the DisneyExpress bus which goes around the houses and takes well over an hour to get to the Disney hotels. </div>
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Once the hotel was sorted it was time to sort the flights and this was the biggest test of all. They were all so expensive. As we were only going for two nights we wanted to ensure that we had booked good flights so we could make the most of the time we actually had there. We for sure could have saved £100 or so on flights if we wanted to fly out at 1pm and come back at 11am. However, we would have lost so much actual time in the parks. We decided to fly with EasyJet there and back, the flight out was at 7am and on the way home at 8pm. The flights were expensive at around £200 each, but like I have said it ensured we had time to do everything we wanted to do with only having such a short time span. We thought it was 100% worth paying the extra money. </div>
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We researched the best and cheapest way to buy the tickets for the Disneyland parks. On the Disneyland Paris website for two three day/ two park tickets it costs £371. We looked on Attraction Tickets Direct which is who we have booked some of tickets for Florida next year through and made a small saving as it totalled £354. This was very easy to book. </div>
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In total we paid £490 each. I know some of you will be reading this and saying to yourselves that this on not on a budget, and in some respect I completely agree. On this trip it was the flights which made the total cost increase. However, we did only book it two weeks before and as already stated the flights are always expensive if you want an early morning flight out and a late one home. Both flights there and back were completely full to the brim, there wasn't one free seat. For future though I would recommend booking the flights as far in advance as possible to save as much money as you can. I think it is difficult to actually do Disneyland Paris on a very tight budget as the ticket prices are always going to be the same amount. I think our hotel was a very reasonable price and as a whole Paris is not a cheap place to stay. In the end we were both happy with the amount we paid. The deal offered by Disney including hotel, flights and park tickets was coming out at a minimum of £800 each.<br />
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An important aspect to think about is the price of food. Back in February when we went we booked a full board meal plan. I would recommend looking at the price comparisons between staying in Disney with a food package and the difference compared with staying outside of the Disney complex. The quick service diners are the cheapest food option that they offer, but I would definitely not describe it as 'cheap'. If you opt to buy a dining plans I would definitely recommend using the restaurants over counter service as you can pre book all your reservations meaning you can utilise your time so much better. As we experienced the quick service counters can have huge queues, we queued for one and a half hours in Videotropolis. You may be thinking why did we queue for so long, and the answer is it was one of those things where we were in the queue and we had dedicated ourselves to it and we thought if we left we would only end up in another huge queue some where else. It was frustrating however in the end the food was nice and we managed to get on with our day. A burger meal in there with a drink was 20 Euros. I would say over the three days on dinner and tea in the parks we spent at least 50 Euros a day each. Therefore, like I have said already you have to think about the different in price between getting a dining plan and paying yourself.</div>
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When we go at Christmas we have booked a package just like the first time we went. It is about going and doing it in different ways and working out what is the best way to make it work for yourselves. I know for myself that going for your first time it can be very overwhelming, and I have a <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/03/first-time-visitors-to-disneylandparis.html">post</a> with some other tips I wish I have known about before our first trip. My one top piece of advice is to definitely shop around look around the internet for different deals, and like we did this time the different options which are available.</div>
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Lucy</div>
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Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-68790855040709841392019-10-31T07:30:00.002+00:002019-11-24T12:29:02.113+00:00Halloween at Disneyland Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since going to Disneyland Paris for the first time in my life back in February, I have been dying to go back. In May we booked a trip to go at Christmas as we thought it would just be so magical. However, we then saw the theming for Halloween and my sister and I decided we just had to be there. It just fell that we both had annual leave the same week, and after a short conversation of should we / shouldn't we? we quickly decided we needed to be there and started the process of scrolling the internet for the best deals. As it was last minute we thought we might be able to get a fabulous deal. We were definitely too optimistic and to stay in any Disneyland hotel like we did last time it was coming out way above our budget. With a bit of research we decided to stay in Paris and travel in ourselves. I have an upcoming post on how we did it on a budget.<br />
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Once we went through the gates at Disneyland Paris we were overwhelmed with the spectacular theming throughout the park. They really do go to town which is great as it makes the experience even more magical. They change their programme for October and have special parades, performances and meet and greets.<br />
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No matter what time of year you visit they do two different parades each day. In the morning they always do two of the same parades which have the theme as to whatever season you are going. Then every night at 5.30pm they do the disney on stars parade which is just the most fabulous spectacular, and every single person watching has a continuous smile on their face. This time it was obviously a halloween themed parade in the morning featuring all of the disney villains. It was led by mickey and minnie dressed up in the absolute most divine and cutest costumes you have ever seen. This parade had lots of characters who you would not normally see on a daily basis and it was great to have more variety and not to just have the 'bigger' characters. It featured cruella de vil, queen of hearts and jack skeleton. It is also huey, dewey and louie who are just the cutest next to donald and daisy.<br />
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There was also lots of exclusive meets and greets. I love that the programme of meet and greets change throughout the seasons and the characters change up. Throughout halloween the meet and greets include characters such as stitch, queen of hearts, cheshire cat, max and daisy duck. As always they had all the princesses in the princess pavilion which you can meet, but the queue is normally very long. I discussed in my first <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/03/disneyland-paris.html">post</a> all about using an app called lineberty and how you can get exclusive meet and greets with characters such as woody, buzz and minnie so head over to that post for more details.<br />
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They decided to have some halloween exclusive food and snacks which we thoroughly enjoyed. I have written an in depth a <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/03/where-we-ate-in-disneyland-paris.html">post</a> about where you can eat in disney and my recommendations. This time we didn't have a meal plan and had a very different experience to last time. There is no denying that the food everywhere is expensive. However, using the counter services makes things cheaper. We queued in videotopolis for over an hour and a half just for burger and chips as we thought the prices were reasonable, but it was just soooo busy. If you do book any kind of disney meal plan I would very much recommend taking advantage and booking in advance restaurants for all your meals. The counter service although much cheaper than all the restaurants, we found on all three days we had to queue no matter where we chose and it added a lot of time and effort on to the day.<br />
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Overall, we had an absolutely incredible time and we both said we would recommend to everyone and anyone to visit at halloween. The whole feel was just so special and we had a fantastic time. Going for a second time means you have so much more knowledge on just the simple things which we spent our first trip trying to get our heads around. We used the fast passes to our full advantage, used the Disneyland app to watch for the queue times, find the parades information and we planned our days out so much more to ensure we got everything done. When I came back from my first trip I wrote a <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/03/first-time-visitors-to-disneylandparis.html">post</a> listing all of my top tips for first time visitors, as I would have found it so useful to have read something similar before my initial trip. We also treated ourselves with tickets to the halloween party which is an exclusive event which happens twice during the week of halloween. It costs £60 per ticket but the park closes to all non-party visitors earlier than normal at around 7pm. The park is then only open to party members for the entire night until 2am. The party has exclusive meet and greets and one-off parades, you can also go on all the rides and enjoy special food and snacks. We thoroughly enjoyed the party but it was a very long day and also very busy meaning the queues for all the meet and greets were huge. Although, if you are a huge disney lover I would recommend going and treating yourself as it was lots of fun.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
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<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-85293299277252653012019-10-23T07:30:00.001+01:002019-11-24T12:27:33.496+00:00Santa Ponsa Majorca<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was lucky enough to be able to escape the normality of life and head off to Majorca for a family holiday for two whole weeks. We are very lucky that we have a close family friend who owns an apartment on a private golf complex. It is amazing to be able to step out of the back garden and be at the pool. It is so peaceful and tranquil and it was the break that we all needed.<br />
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We have stayed here before so we know the surroundings very well. The apartments are situated on a golf complex between Santa Ponsa and Port Adriano. Santa Ponsa is the biggest town near to where we stay. In a taxi it takes less than 10 minutes to get right into the heart of the town. Santa Ponsa itself is a lovely bustly place which brings tourists on mass each year in the summer months. It has lots of shops offering a variety of goods, it is great to take an afternoon just to walk around the many streets and go in and out of the shops to see what they all have on offer. There is also the beautiful beach which is clean and enjoyed by everyone. Surrounding the beach there are lots of bars and restaurants which you can stroll to, to have a little break and refuel. There are a variety of hotels and apartments both budget and high end depending on what you are wanting.<br />
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Most nights we went into Santa Ponsa for our evening meal and some drinks. If you want to just go for drinks there are some lovely bars situated on the beach front, or if you are wanting to have a little more of a messy night you can definitely indulge into that! We have pretty much eaten in 90% of the restaurants within the area over the years and I am going to go through some of my favourites. The area has a great variety of cuisines which is fabulous if you are a foodie like me. If you are wanting some american type foods like burgers there are two restaurant recommendations - O'Brady's and Fat Sam's which we have been too many times. There is a lovely restaurant on the edging of the beach which is always very popular it is called Empathia. This sells a variety of foods including more traditional spanish foods such as paella, we all had lovely food on this visit and my pizza was delicious. Jackie's is a little restaurant on the main strip near the beach which we always ensure we go to, and on this trip we went twice. They do incredible pasta dishes and my rigatoni bolognese was delightful. To add some variety to our palate we ate at both chinese and indian restaurants. Bombay is a little indian restaurant which is always busy which is obviously a great sign, they do a lovely set meal and the food was delicious. On the same street is a chinese restaurant called China Ming which the entire family love, it does great food at very reasonable prices, it is not fine dining but it is all round somewhere we all leave with full tummies.<br />
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If you are staying in Santa Ponsa you can easily get to Port Adriano and is definitely worth a visit. It is a secluded port where many boats come in and out of on a daily basis. The port is surrounded by a variety of restaurants and bars which are all high end, however in the day you can definitely have a nice chilled lunch overlooking the port. We love going to down to the port and it is lovely just to stroll around it.<br />
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I have already done blog posts on visiting both <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/10/palma.html">Palma</a> and <a href="http://www.lucyalana.co.uk/2019/10/soller.html">Soller</a>, they are must see places if you have the time and money to get to them. Santa Ponsa is in a very central location which is great meaning you can easily get out and about. There are lots of local buses to get you around. If you are going with children or just want a great day out you can get to Western Water Park easily it is a great day out and we have visited many times, unless you go like we did this year on the only day of the year where there was a storm and flooding! All round, Santa Ponsa is a lovely place to visit and it caters to everyone.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-48950332819434425152019-10-09T07:30:00.000+01:002019-11-24T12:29:14.462+00:00Palma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Palma is a beautiful city and one which I have been fortunate enough to visit numerous times. It is a city which is full of vibrancy and style. As there is a big port in Palma the city is often full of tourists who are on worldwide cruises and they stop here. We visited in August and the city was definitely bustling with both tourists and locals. It has lots of picturesque buildings and churches. It is home to their stunning cathedral which is one of the main tourist attractions. It is very clean and well maintained and you can tell that they take pride in their city and its surrounding. </div>
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As always there are lots of little coffee and cake shops which you could stop off at to refuel. There is a main street called Paseo de Borne which houses lots of fabulous shops. Some of these are higher end and if you want to treat yourself then you will definitely be able to.</div>
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We spent the day strolling and exploring the city and ventured into the Old Town which consists of narrow cobbled streets, pretty quaint squares and courtyards, and little bakeries to stop at. When the sun is shining it is a perfect time to go for a stroll into the quieter parts of the city. Like I mentioned before if you are a little bit of a shopper like me, you can definitely take advantage here. I love high street shopping and the Zara here is huge and three stories high. I always take a few hours looking around the shops every time I visit, as alongside the well known stores it is lovely to see the individual shops. There are so many great shops selling lovely gifts and clothing. Me and my sister love to look in these stores and pick up some unique pieces such as jewellery. There is also Palma's city beach which is easily accessible from the centre and is beautiful at all times of the year.<br />
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We keep saying as a family it would be lovely to take a weekend away and to stay in Palma itself. I think me and my friends would also love it. I know a few people who have been to Palma for weekends away and they have all thoroughly recommended it. If I was to take a weekend away I would do it in the summer months in the nicer weather. I say this is as in some cities there are lots and lots of tourist attractions to see and do. This city is not somewhere to visit if you want to be able to constantly have things to do and have to rush around in order to get everything done. It moves at a much slower pace and whilst there are things to see and do it is more about taking a relaxed approach.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-61390499002003503782019-10-02T07:30:00.000+01:002019-11-24T12:29:46.657+00:00Soller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been lucky enough to visit Soller a few times now. I was trying to work it out and I think this was my fourth time visiting. It is a lovely little quaint town located on the northwest coast of Majorca. It is quite interesting as to get to Soller there is a train that runs from Palma on a daily basis. If you miss the last train you are basically stuck! </div>
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We got on the train early in the morning from Palma and the journey took about one hour to get to Soller. This journey is a very popular tourist attraction and our train was full to the brim. The trains run approximately every hour and the last one back is around 7pm. One piece of advice would be to sit on the right hand side of the train as it is more of a picturesque journey. The train is a pleasant but slightly rickety journey which is expected as you are literally spiralling up in to the mountains. Once the train has pulled into Soller you enter the main square of the town. There are some lovely shops, the church and lots of cafes. This area is always bustling with both tourists and locals.<br />
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If you want to get down to the port you can either walk or you can get the tram which run every 20 or so minutes from the train station right into the port. When you buy your train ticket in Palma you can get a combination ticket for 32 Euros return and you get the tram included. If not you can buy the tram tickets once you get on for 7 Euros. As expected these are also very busy with tourists but it is a short and pleasant tram ride. Once in the port it is beautiful. It is surrounded by lots of little cafes and souvenir shops. There is a great range of restaurants some along the front looking over the port, and a few set back into the little streets. We got off the tram and were in desperate need of a pick me up so stopped at the closest coffee shop we could find. I have to say it was a great choice it was called Can Tambora and had such a wide range of cakes and treats.<br />
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We spent about 6 hours in Soller strolling around and taking in the views. It is a lovely day out and I think it is a must if you are visiting within the vicinity. One of my work colleagues visited Palma last year and took a day visit to Soller. She loved it that much that this year she actually stayed in Soller for three days. She said she would definitely recommend staying there if you have the chance and they also have a beautiful beach. Everyone is so welcoming and it has such a lovely relaxed feeling to it. We sat having a drink looking over the gorgeous port for well over an hour.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxoLucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-87859742613915741912019-09-11T07:30:00.000+01:002019-09-11T07:30:17.448+01:00Listening to your own advice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sometimes in life on top of the challenges which we are constantly trying to tackle and work on, other obstacles get thrown into the mix. I feel amongst my friends I dish out advice often. It can be hard to give advice on situations which you have never faced yourself. However, you are still able to give advice and I base this upon what I think I would do if I was in their shoes. The advice you give out I often don't think I will ever need to deal with myself, but then life happens and a spanner is thrown into works. This has happened to me recently. It can be crazy to think about how easy it is to dish out advice which you think is correct left, right and centre but when it's yourself everything changes. I have constantly been thinking about what I would say to others. This is so important in any decision making. Giving advice can at times be brutal, but I always want to give an honest and open opinion as that is what I would want to receive in return.<br />
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When my friends have asked for advice I like time to think about what I want to say. There are situations when advice is needed in an instance and that can be hard. I like time to process and think. I have often been in situations where I have gone back in a day or two and put in a different spin on my take. Recently I have learnt that sometimes I can beat around the bush on what I really feel in order to protect the feelings of my friends, I'm often the person who puts in an alternative opinion to try and help them see things from both points of view. I am not however a person who holds back, but I like to think I am protecting their feelings as sometimes they need a gentle approach. I listen to everyone in the discussions input as this may trigger your opinion to slightly change when you hear it from someone else's perspective.<br />
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What I have learnt is listening to your own advice can be much harder than you may think. It becomes frustrating as often you know what's right, but you are thinking of the alternatives on repeat. My friends have often said to take a few days to think about things and let it stew. I am not great at this and like to get things sorted as soon as possible, but in this scenario it worked for the better. I allowed myself to think of all the different options knowing that it's up to me to put a time limit on my decision. If you are certain of what you want I would always say go ahead and nip it in the bud. If you need time, give yourself time. These situations always seem to happen when you are at your busiest, already trying to juggle life and work and then this gets thrown in as well. I think it is often important to prioritise it when you can in order to make a decision which has been well thought through.<br />
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Depending on what you have decided it will now be the time where you actually need the most advice from those around you, whether you have made the choice to go against what they have said or not. As the person receiving the advice though you have to sometimes understand that it can be difficult for the other person to see it from your point of view. I would always hope that this would only happen because they love and care for you. I have been in situations when someone has asked me for advice which I think has been open and well-rounded. The person has then done the complete opposite. That can be hard for you to get your head around, and can be difficult to offer support but that's what friendships are about - being there in their hardest times. On top of this it can be a time where you learn who your real friends are. Who actually sends a text to ask if you're okay and who doesn't bother.<br />
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I have found in many different situations that consciously you know what to do. I often think about the bigger picture, think about in a month's time or even a year where do you see yourself. This may be that you're thinking about getting a new job, but you've been too scared to take the plunge. It could be something completely different to do with friendships or relationships. I am often a here and now person which can be great. I would say I try to be as optimistic as I can be, but I struggle at times. I do believe in having a gut feeling about something and it is a lot of the time right. Contemplating backwards and forwards can you leave yourself feeling crazy. Depending on what is going on, taking a risk can sometimes be worth taking. It is important to think about all the possible outcomes, and if it ends badly whether you are willing to take the risk and be able to deal with the consequences. Most importantly, you know some decisions are only going to end in hurt and the likelihood for a happy ending is very unlikely. Something which makes you happy for a short period of time is better to end now, rather than prolonging and ending in a much more complicated and hurtful way.<br />
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Listening to yourself and following what you know you should really be doing is the best advice which I will ever give to anyone. You have to be selfish and think about yourself and what is best for you. Taking a few days or even weeks to make a decision is fine. We often feel as though everything has to be done there and then, if it is something important to you ensure you are not going to regret your decision. You are in control of your decisions and outcomes. In months or even years you often look back and reflect on decisions you have made. In my job we are encouraged to do a lot of reflection, in order to look at the positive, negatives, barriers and improvements which can be made. This has made me an open thinker, but also an over thinker. I allow little things to build up and bug me and others probably think I am just over thinking which I know I am. I do however think I am good at listening to my own thoughts. We need to learn to all be kinder to ourselves, and this is something which I try to continuously work on and often encourage others to do as well. I am also a firm believer in what is meant to happen, will happen.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702639481255126969.post-65600202340708001922019-09-04T17:30:00.000+01:002019-09-04T17:30:14.274+01:00Holiday Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am sad to say I am one of those people who doesn't read on a daily basis. I am a bit of a binge reader, when I go on holiday I read consistently and then when I get home I just don't seem to find the time to pick up a book. I really want to change this habit and read on a regular basis and put it into my weekly routine. On holiday I managed to get through seven books, so I thought I would give a little run down of them all.<br />
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Lullaby was quite a short story compared to my other reads. It is a very interesting read about a young couple living the average millennial life trying to juggle work with a baby. They decide to hire a nanny, from the start you get an unnerving feeling about her and the introduction actually lets you into the nit and grit of what is the final outcome. Overall, this was a very thought-provoking and sad book which shocked me with its ending.<br />
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Who doesn't love David Attenborough really?! Adventures of a Young Naturalist is a trilogy of adventures which he went on when he first started in TV in the 60's. This was by far one of my most interesting reads in a while. I thought it was a little bit crazy to see how things have changed from then to now, as we now live in age which rightly so highlights animal conservation and welfare. This book explores how David and his team went to different countries to find a variety of exotic animals which had never been seen before all in aid of a TV programme called Zoo Quest. In the grand scheme they go and catch these animals and bring them back to the UK to then feature on the TV programme. They then take residency in London Zoo. It was interesting and laugh out loud funny at some points imagining them to trying to catch these animals especially the story about the pig!<br />
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The Sister is a thriller where Grace's best friend Charlie dies suddenly, and Charlie's wish has always been to find her biological dad. Grace sets out to find him and in the process she meets a girl named Anna who tells her she is Grace's half-sister. There are lots of twists and turns in this book, and I was definitely sucked into the story line. I really enjoyed this book and I was shocked at the ending, this has made me interested in reading Louise Jenson's other books.<br />
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As a children's nurse I am always into reading and watching films which can be very sad, but delve into the true realities of teenager illnesses and the harsh realities of their lives. If you have read or watched My Sister's Keeper or The Fault in the Stars then this will be right up your alley. Five Feet Apart follows a teenager friendship of two friends Stella and Poe who met whilst in hospital over a period of time receiving the same treatment for cystic fibrosis. Another teenage boy Will then arrives on the unit, he is not following his regime and has essentially just given up as his mum struggles to accept the reality of the situation, and she is constantly sending him for different therapies all over the world. Stella falls in love with Will and takes him under her wing. However, there is a rule in order to not spread any bacteria between them which could be life-threatening they have to officially keep six feet apart. They decide they should keep five feet apart. This is a tear-jerker and an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. It is a book which made me think in great depth and I highly recommend it.<br />
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The Sunshine Sisters is a story around an actress called Ronnie Sunshine and her three daughters. Ronnie has always been dramatic and her daughters feel there upbringing was not the most loving. The girls grow up and all leave to lead different lives, when Ronnie asks them to all get together they are all expecting a different reveal as to what is the real problem. She tells the girls she is seriously unwell and only has a few days to live. The girls all have their own major personal life troubles and this is just a big spanner thrown into the works. It is a great book which explores the ins and outs of being in a celebrity family and the challenges along the way.<br />
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The Couple Next Door really had a great element of suspense to the story line. My dad and I sometimes have similar interests in books and I have given this to him to read. It all starts with a normal loving couple who has a 6 month old baby. The parents are left down by their babysitter last minute and their neighbours suggest leaving the baby in their house with a monitor on and to take it in turns checking every 30 minutes. However, when the mum goes to check the baby is missing. The book holds great suspense and the story line moves on at the perfect pace. I did at some points find some elements a little unrealistic, but by the end it all comes together and I was shocked to discover who and what caused the disappearance of the baby.<br />
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The F Word is a book I had wanted to read for ages. It is by Lily Pebbles who is a blogger who I have been following from day dot. She is always so down to earth and relatable and she always comes across as a strong independent feminist. This book explores female friendships and it is interesting as Lily delves into different types of friendship and puts them into categories. Whilst I was reading this I was thinking of my own friendships, and it really made me cherish the friendships that I have and realise how special they are.<br />
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Lucy<br />
xoxo<br />
<br />Lucy Alanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04529443303277224734noreply@blogger.com0