5 Things To Do On Halloween

Hey guys!

One day until Halloween, yay! Is there a name for this day? I’m going to call it pre ween night. Preen? No, ok I’ll stop now. Anyway as it’s Halloween tomorrow I thought I’d write about some of the things you could get up to on the spooky night.

Party it up

Vampire Makeup

Hey guys!

So, Halloween is this Saturday and I'm really buzzing for it this year. Usually I don't get into Halloween that much but I'm really excited for it. I've been watching lots of YouTube tutorials lately trying to get inspired. I've decided that I'm going to keep it quite simple and be a vampire so here's the sort of make up gives you that vampy vibe!

Appreciation

Hey guys!

So this is going to be a different post from my usual kind. I’m gonna steer away from the beauty stuff and just ramble. I haven’t even really thought about what I’m going to say at all but this is just something I’ve been thinking about lately. Basically, I think that sometimes people, and I’m 100% guilty of this, get caught up in life and forget to appreciate what they have. I mean of course I realise that my life isn’t that difficult and things could be worse but when I really think about it, I’m so so lucky.

It’s especially when I hear about living conditions in developing countries, natural disasters and wars that I realise how easy I have it. Because I live in a “first world” country it’s easy for me to almost forget these things even exist. I think sometimes I just don’t want to think about horrible stuff going on in the world so I can forget about it. But it’s really important for us to care about these things because we are the ones who can make a difference. Of course there are many problems in Ireland too and I’m just so grateful that I’ve been lucky enough to experience such little hardship in my life.

The thing is though, that it’s fine to say all these things when I’m actually thinking about how fortunate I am but most of the time I just get caught up in stuff and forget these things. When something bad is happening in my life, I get really down about it and of course that’s natural and that’s ok but some of my problems aren’t really that awful and I’ve still got it much better than so many other people. I have a loving family and we're all healthy and happy, I get to go to school and university and I always have warmth and shelter. In the same way there’s lots of things that I think I need, like new clothes, shoes, make-up and all these stuff are great but I don’t actually need them. There are some people who can’t even afford food and shelter and here I am complaining because I don’t have enough money for new autumn clothes!

Of course I don’t mean to be annoyingly preachy and I have to be honest some of these things rarely even cross my mind. But I do think it’s important to remember to appreciate what you’ve got. Think about it, even if you’re reading this it means you’ve got internet access, a computer/phone and electricity. That already makes you better off than millions and millions of people. So those are just some thoughts I’ve been having recently, do you agree that sometimes we get to absorbed in our own lives to remember how lucky we are?

I’m sorry that this post was a bit random but I wanted to discuss the topic with ye because I think it’s important!

Join me next time for more “Catriona contemplates life”.

Joking, but that would be a great series. Or book. Watch out for this exciting phenomenon..

Catriona xo

What's In My Night Away Bags

Hey guys!

Sometimes if I'm going away for just one or two nights I don't want to have to pack all my makeup, face stuff etc. So I have these two little overnight kit bags which I bring with me, and they are just so handy. One of them has all the stuff I might need for the bathroom and the other one is beauty bits. My sister actually made up the beauty bag for me and I just added a couple of things to it. Goes to show these little bags make great presents too because I use mine all the time!

How To Live A Healthier Lifestyle

Hey guys!

Alright let me first start off by saying I don’t wanna be getting all preachy. I am not an extremely healthy person, nor do I claim to be. I do however try to live the healthiest lifestyle possible. That definitely doesn’t mean that I always achieve that. There are times when I’m not very healthy at all, but that’s ok too. Today I just wanted to share a few tips with you guys about how I attempt to live a healthy life. Phew, disclaimer over, let’s get on with the post!

Exercise as often as possible

I try to exercise every day of the week, except Friday when I give myself a day off. The key to getting a lot of exercise is doing something you enjoy. If you have to force yourself to go to gym it’s much less likely that you’ll actually go. Two years ago I was really into running, I would go about 4 times a week and even ran a relay marathon! However last year I stopped enjoying it so much but would still make myself run once a week. It’s much harder to get exercise when you’re dreading it. Joining a sports team/exercise class is a great way to keep yourself motivated. Things I like to do at home are YouTube workout videos and dance workouts (check out Dance Fitness with Jessica and Refitrev!). Just find something that you like to do and can look forward to.

Buy attractive workout gear

Another great way to keep yourself motivated is to have nice clothes to exercise in. I know that whenever I buy some new workout stuff I want to exercise asap so I can try them out. You don’t have to buy the best highest quality stuff, you can get pretty good workout gear from Primark/Penneys.

Take time to prepare healthy food

Sometimes it’s just so much easier to grab a packet of crisps or heat up a pizza instead of making your own food. I know that that option always seems appealing to me. But if you just spend a bit longer you can make yourself some tasty and healthy meals. Breakfast is probably my favourite meal so I don’t usually mind taking a bit of time to prepare it. The picture above shows my breakfast from the other day and something I make quite often.I mixed honey and chia seeds into greek yogurt and then topped it with goji berries, strawberries and a little granola, mmmm.

Snack less

Now I definitely struggle with this one. Because I only have small snacks I don’t think they count as much but if you count together all the snacks from one day it’s probably quite a lot! My tip is to try and cut out one at a time. For example I usually have a snack when I get home from school and later at about 8 o’clock. So I’m trying at the moment to cut out that evening snack. Obviously treats every now and again are fine though.

Drink more water

Now, I don’t have problems with this one because I drink lots of water. I don’t know why, I just get dehydrated really easily I think! My tip for you if you want to start drinking more water is too carry water bottles everywhere. I always have one with me, in school, in the car, wherever I go. If you’re not a fan of the taste of water then try adding things like lemons, limes, oranges, mint leaves, cucumber. Infused water tastes really good and supposedly is good for weight loss which is an extra bonus.

Try herbal teas

I love herbal teas and have at least one mug a day. They’re a great alternative to orange juice in the morning or a sugary drink in the evening. Also, they’re a great way to take in more water! There’s so many different types you can get, some calm you, some energise you, some make you sleepy. My favourite is definitely peppermint but the fruity varieties are really good too!

De-stress

I think people often forget that part of a healthy lifestyle is a healthy mind. Try not to get too worked up and worried about things. If you’re feeling stressed out take time to relax, do some yoga, read a book, have a pamper evening (tips here!). Practice positive thinking, if you feel happy and good about yourself, you’ll look good on the outside too. In many ways a healthy mental state is more important than a healthy physical state.

Well that’s it guys, I hope this helped you and maybe got you motivated.If you have any tips for staying healthy please don't be shy and share below!

Catriona xo

A Very Small Candle Haul

Hey guys!

Today I wanted to share with you a few things I picked up in town recently. It really is a tiny haul but I decided I would write a post on it anyway just because I love everything I got. Also if you’ll believe it the whole lot came to just under 7 euro so I’m pretty proud of that too! Not much beats the feeling of picking up some great bargains does it? Everything is candles or candle related because I’ve burned up my others and wanted some new scents in my room.