Elle

Before I start I wanted to thank all my readers for their support this year - I hope you had a lovely Christmas yesterday if you celebrate the occasion and if not I hope you're just having a great week. I was drying my hair the other day and began to reflect on 2016  (my hair is very thick - I have a long time to think) eventually coming to the conclusion it has been one of the biggest years of my life so far. Exams I might make another post about exams because although they did dominate a lot of my year, I don't want to make this all about that period... I probably should try and forget it. I learnt a lot in the academic year 2015/16. I remember in 2013 in Spanish writing my examination year (2016) at the top of my coursework and thinking the time would never come, and, to an extent even in Year 11, I didn't really take it in that GCSEs were happening, it was all a bit surreal. Perhaps a good comparison would be Christmas when you were little. You build i...

About a year ago I did a speech as part of my GCSE English course. It was about misandry (hating men) and how misandry was often labelled with the brand 'feminism' therefore leading to a negative view (and general misinterpretation) of feminism in the eyes of many; consequently making a laughing stock of anybody that was bold enough to call themselves a 'feminist'.  The fact of the matter is that feminism is as much for men as it is for women, regardless of what 'Tumblr feminists' might tell you. Feminism means equality and making women equal to men is by definition the same as making men equal to women. So frankly you could call it meninism if you really wanted but that might be a little silly. I know many have said "well I want equality but I'm not a feminist" (Kim Kardashian I'm looking at you) and obviously if that's not something you want to call yourself that's perfectly fine. I don't blame you, someone shouts 'feminism...

Like many Year 11 students around the country, towards the beginning of July, I had a prom hosted by my school to celebrate the end of GCSEs. Although I don't have all of the photos as I still need to get hold of some of the photos taken on the night, I thought I would share with you my experience and the few photos I do in fact have. Morning I had traveled back from Hexham (where my first week of NCS residential was) the night before, a day early, so I wouldn't be incredibly rushed, meaning I was able to wake up in my own bed for the first time in a week which was the height of luxury. I went in to the bathroom to run the bath, only to discover that the electrician had turned off the boiler to work and so there was no hot water... commence emergency phone call to grandparents. Around 9:45, my grandad came to pick me up and I washed and got ready for my make up appointment at their house - the day wasn't off to a great start but it was rectified. Mid-day I didn...

Since I was little, the 'Easter bunny' has left clues around the house in the morning for myself and then my brother to go on a mini Easter egg hunt. Despite being 16 and 11 now, for the 'Easter bunny' 's enjoyment and the generally fun, on Easter Sunday morning (or the day before if we're going on holiday ) slightly terrible poems will be left around the house, sending us on a journey in our pyjamas around the house... And cellar... And garden.  And so I thought I would post these amazing clues on here for a but of Easter fun to see if you can guess where the eggs were hidden, or take some inspiration for your own Easter egg hunts! 1 - in the hallway between mine and my brother's bedroom  I told you they were awful... Answer: loft 2 In the potato bin 3  In the cellar (very cold) 4 On top of the kitchen cupboards (Boo is our very greedy black Labrador)  5 Easter bunny ran out of creativity.... Shed was also very cold  Egg hunts or hunts for anything I think ...

There's no quick fix to getting fit and healthy, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done easily on a budget. I thought I would write this blog post to give a helping hand to those who don't want to spend £50 per month on a gym membership or £100 on a pair of leggings but still want to find a sustainable way to stay healthy. Create a list of things that you will need. This will obviously depend on how you plan to exercise. In my mind, however, whether it be running, dancing, Pilates or anything similar, I would say that my essential items are as follows: Trainers -  you don't need to spend a fortune on these, don't worry. One of my biggest tips in this entire blog post is to make Decathlon your new best friend. For under £30 you'll be able to find a decent pair of trainers; don't buy something specialised at first, you always have the opportunity to buy something specific if your regime goes well. Vests / t-shirts. - personally, I prefer to wea...

Hello So this post was going to be in video format and then hey ho, my throat went funny and when I solved this, my camera battery was flat! I apologise for the sporadic posts, I have been very very busy recently! Nonetheless, yesterday I turned 16 (such a big number oh my word!) and thought that I would share with you a few presents that I got (although thanks to online shopping not arriving, some haven't come yet haha). I thought that this amount of presents would make a tolerable post as I got my main present (my iPad, which makes a common appearance in videos) back in August and many people gave me money or vouchers. Quick disclaimer: I am not bragging about the presents I received, I am overwhelmingly grateful for anybody that bought me a present/ money, gave me a card or said 'happy birthday'. I know many people are not as lucky as my family to be in a comfortable financial state but I'm simply posting this as I love reading/ watching these!  Any links wi...