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Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award | Life Chats, Self-Love & Getting Out Of A Slump!

/ Catherine / 35 Comments

Honestly, I’m a little bit drained of energy, Although I am incredibly excited to write this post, my eyes are barely open. I’m sat in a really thick jumper on a summer day, and I’m still cold. I don’t know what is wrong with me! Perhaps it’s because all I’ve eaten today is watermelon and cake mixture… and a cookie… oops? Although my window looks out into the garden so I can see a barbecue being cooked up outside. No meat for me, just a veggie skewer, but exciting all the same.

This morning I woke up at the grand hour of 9:00. That’s very late for me, but it did not deter me from having a good day. I ate watermelon for my breakfast, then baked a cake. I washed up the breakfast dishes, let the bunnies out for a run, then took a ton of bookstagram content. From tomorrow, the first official day of the summer holidays, I am going to be posting on my bookstagram every day. Make sure to check out my account to stay up to date with all of the bookish content!

Following that, I went for a walk with my brother (that autocorrected to bother, which is a little bit hilarious). We had a nice chat while walking in the sunshine! Once I arrived back home, I decorated the cake I had baked previously that morning. Of course I put on an episode of Doctor Who while doing so.

We didn’t have lunch, because we are having a mid-afternoon barbecue. I don’t know why we decided to have it mid-afternoon, but oh well. Hopefully I can eat soon! I’m terribly hungry! 

Oh, and then I sat in the sunshine editing the photos I took in the morning. While doing so I listened to Niall Horan. I absolutely LOVE his album Flicker, so it’s been playing on repeat.

That brings us to now, quarter past three in the afternoon where I have decided to write a blog post. I’m really excited to bring you this post, the ‘Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award’. I was kindly nominated by the lovely blogger behind ‘Hiddenzzzzz’. I highly recommend you check out their awesome blog! They are so lovely too. I look forward to answering the questions, so I hope you look forward to reading them!

Stick around until the end to see if you have been nominated. Without any more rambling, let’s get into the post:

Rules

1. Thank the person who have nominated you and provide a link back to his/her blog

2. Answer their questions

3. Nominate up to 9 other bloggers and ask them 5 new questions

4. Notify the nominees by commenting on their blog

5. List the rules and display the “Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award” logo

6. Provide a link to the creator of Ideal Inspiration Blogger Award: Rising Star

Questions

What motivates you to keep growing your blog?

Seeing my impact on other people’s lives inspires me to continue branching out to other creators, therefore growing my blog. ‘The Plastic Plan’ in particular (my climate change series) has gained so many positive responses from young activists like me. Seeing my writing help other people be more environmentally conscious will never fail to inspire me. Because even my small platform of 730 followers can make a difference. That’s a school full of people that want to listen to my ramblings!

These were some initial ideas for The Plastic Plan series!

What message do you want to give to the world?

I wish for my lasting legacy to be kindness. Sometimes, more often that I’d like, I snap at people. I might give up on something too soon because I’m tired of it. I want to build resistance against that, I want to be less selfish and give my time to worthy causes. When I eventually depart from this planet, I hope the small amount of people who did know me remember me as the kind one.

What is your current favourite book?

I can’t answer that question! There are so many current favourites. But also I’ve been in a reading slump which isn’t fun. With the libraries not being open, I haven’t been able to get my hands on any physical books. Although the eBook option is available (which I’m eternally grateful for) they don’t spark the same sort of magic. I’m sure readers will understand what I mean! If you do love reading, you should check out my bookstagram. Cheeky little plug I know! But I post bookish content every day on there.

These are the sorts of photos I post on my bookstagram!

When was the last time you felt uninspired?

Probably last week. I wish I had a better relationship with inspiration. It naturally comes in waves, but those waves differ in size. At the moment I have loads of ideas, but I’m too excited by them that I don’t have the commitment to sit down and properly write them out!

Sneak peek to my August bullet journal set up!

What do you love about yourself?

I love that I don’t care what people think about my blog. Offline, there are bitchy girls that tease me about my blog. But it doesn’t affect me in the slightest. I don’t even know what their aim is, because they would never be able to stop me from blogging. In fact, the more they tease me, the more motivated I am to prove them wrong! I like that part of my personality. I know some people are really sensitive to teasing. 

I Nominate

Francine @ Ancine’s Alley

Meg @ What Meg Means

Jessica @ Jessica E Larsen

Pooja @ Life’s Fine Whine

Rachel @ Little World Of Rachel

Everything Me

Victoria @ The Cozy Potato

Anushka @ Times Of Trials

Rose @ Girl Online

My Questions

  1. What book are you reading?
  2. What song/s have you playing on repeat recently?
  3. How do you stay motivated?
  4. What tip would you give to anyone trying to get out of a writing slump?
  5. What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given?

Right, so that’s it for today’s post! I’m really looking forward to seeing your responses. Don’t forget that if you weren’t nominated you can still take part! Just copy and paste this link into your post so that I can see it. Hope you have liked the rambly posts this week! I will probably go back to a less chatty style on Friday’s upload. Please leave your honest opinion on the long posts this week! I don’t mind receiving your criticism. 

What song/s have you been playing on repeat recently?

Stay tuned, because I might react to your favourite songs in a later post!

catherine x

My Instagram: full of cats, flowers, and little chats.

Check out what I’m reading via Goodreads.

For all the bookish content your heart desires: click here! I now have a bookstagram where I post book photos every day. 

My Top 10 Favourite Feelings | Expressing Gratitude & Another Huge Announcement!

/ Catherine / 18 Comments

I want to thank Xandria for coming up with such an original idea for a tag, and to Pooja from lifesfinewhine for nominating me. Pooja is the absolute queen of blogging and I’m honoured to participate in this! I know you nominated me a month or two ago but in came school work to ruin the plans of being productive with this blog. So let’s get on to the tag, despite its delay in being written.

The Rules

List out 10 of your favourite feelings! It’s honestly just that simple!

Heavy rain as I go to sleep

Rain at any time of day has a satisfying sound, but particularly at night with the window slightly ajar. Water in any form brings me a sense of belonging – a cosy, homely feeling – especially the ocean! My dream is to have a house on a seafront, ideally in Scotland.

The satisfaction of writing a lengthy journal entry, and getting everything off my chest

Since chatting with some girls about LOA on a group chat, I have become fully invested in journaling. Lots of people recommend it as the activity to do as you first wake up, but it doesn’t matter the time of day for me. It could be 11pm and I would still feel the same satisfaction! Journaling honestly DOES change your life. And I know you hear people talk about it a lot as the ‘best thing that has ever happened to them’ but they’re not lying. I was in your position once, thinking that I don’t need to journal or not having enough time to journal. Now I do and it’s the best daily habit to implement. 

Completing my to-do list!

I rarely complete an entire to-do list, so when I do it feels so satisfying!

Sitting down on the sofa after a long and tiring walk

Nothing beats this. Sometimes I go for a fast-paced walk, get a *bit* sweaty, and because of how fast I’m walking, I can’t really feel any sensation in my body. But when I return home and I finally stand completely still, I am overcome all exhaustion and usually just flop on to the sofa with a cup of tea. 

Seeing someones face light up when they see me, and vice versa

It’s the specific moment when someone turns from a concentrated frown, to then lift their eyes up and smile at you! It never fails to give me a warm feeling. A smile is like carrying your own sunshine. It does genuinely brighten up people’s day!

A breeze on a hot day

Anywhere in the world this feels good, but by the seaside especially. You could be a hot, sweaty mess then this gentle breeze passes through the trees and you suddenly feel grounded and less bothered by the heat.

Finishing a hardback book

Book lovers can relate! Whenever I finish a hardback, I snap it together so it makes a loud clap. I’m currently reading a hardback, and that’s one of the motivators to get me through it. 

The cat coming to sit on my bed during the night

If you don’t follow my Instagram (you should), you won’t know who Pikachu is. Our family’s gorgeous cat tends to sleep on our beds at night, usually taking her pick between my brother and I. It’s a silent sibling competition, that we never voice aloud. But when Pikachu comes on to my bed at night it’s an unspoken win over my brother hehe. 

Going outside in the early hours of a frosty morning, and inhaling the cool, fresh air

It’s 6am on Monday 22nd November. You have just woken up to a dark sky, and you hear the cat meowing downstairs. You let her out of the front door, to be confronted by a wall of cool air. You take a big breath in, but the cold makes your nose numb and senseless. On the exhale, you can see your warm breath against the air, forming a cloud. It’s an unbeatable sensation, one that you can’t wait until winter to experience again. 

Opening a can of beans with a ring pull

I don’t use a snazzy plastic device like this GIF does. But the visual is there.

I Nominate:

Ebullience

Meg @ Baking By Meg

Thank you for reading today’s post! Let me know in the comments what one of your favourite feelings is. You can also participate in this tag if you would like! Pingback to this post so that I can see it. 

What is one of your favourite feelings?

catherine x

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HUGE Announcement For All Book Lovers!

If you’d read this far, you may me interested in my new account on Instagram! This time last year I had a bookstagram. It gradually morphed into a lifestyle account, which now has over 1.4K followers (thank you all so much!). Posting book content on there seemed a bit inappropriate, considering the audience are more interesting in the positivity and lifestyle niches. SO I went the extra mile to start up a new bookstagram, @kittyjadebooks, to satisfy all of my bookish needs! I post daily photos of books, regularly update you on my story and am always chatting about books with all of you. If that’s something you’re interested in, click here. Thank you so much for the support already! I’m very excited for the future of that account. 

The Hustler Blogger Award | Why I Started Blogging, My Inspiration & Favourite Bloggers

/ Catherine / 36 Comments

It has been such a while since I was nominated for this award that I have completely forgotten who nominated me! Whoever it was I’d like to thank very much. From the questions I can already anticipate that this will be an interesting post. 

Rules

1. Include the banner in your award post.

2. Be sure to give the creator credit (markanthonyswall.wordpress.com) so he will be able to read them.

3. You can nominate no less than 5 bloggers, but more if you choose.

4. Answer the questions

5. The person who’s being nominated can add one more question of his/her choice to his/her nominees.

Questions

  • Why did you start a blog?

They are many people who got their inspiration from right where I did: Zoella. From reading her books a few years ago I was very intrigued by the idea of having an online platform to share my writing. Since I was a very small child I’ve always enjoyed the process of writing books, poems songs and anything creative. Having somewhere to share my writing really excited me! 

  • What/who inspired you to do it?

As I mentioned in the previous question, it was definitely Zoe Sugg and her books. Although I don’t make any content similar to Zoella, just that initial idea of sharing my thoughts was the inspiration. Since then I’ve found a lot of inspiration through YouTube, bookstagram, Pinterest and other people’s stories.

  • What motivates you to keep pushing and creating content and make your site alive?

The idea of giving up on something really scares me. Even if at points I am not enjoying blogging, I will push through until that spark is reignited again. If I were to take a break, I may never return. So what really motivates me to keep going is failure. I know that taking a break isn’t failure but to me it seems so. I’ve always had that mentality. It may not be healthy but it does help me sometimes! And of course, flicking through my reader always help me to stay motivated. That leads us on nicely to the next question:

  • Who are your fave bloggers? And how do they urge you to grow as well?

Okay, so there are a lot to choose from. However, if I were to make this answer as concise as possible, I’d have to list these five beautiful people:

Maryam @ Infinitely A Day Dreamer

Sophie @ Sophie’s Corner

Pooja @ Life’s Fine Whine

Gracie @ A Light In The Darkness

Zoe @ Zoe Ware

Their blogs always provide me with post ideas for my own blog. Sophie has especially inspired me over the last couple of weeks! What is even more special is the fact that they will always take time to reply to your comments and engage with your account too. That is what I find really important about the blogosphere: there will always be someone out there to help and encourage you. 

  • What lesson/s have you learned through your experience?

I don’t suppose I have learned many ‘lessons’ as such, however I can definitely give advice! Such as replying to your comments, keeping to a schedule and remembering that it’s just a hobby – you don’t need to spend ages and ages of time on each post! I’m slightly perfectionistic but blogging has taught me to care less. No-one sits there analysing the structure of each and every sentence. 

  • Has blogging brought impact to you as a person? If yes, what are these?

Ooh, I don’t know if it has or not! It’s really hard to identify what factor has impacted your change of style, aesthetic and interests. Through consumption of blogs I may have changed up some parts of my life, however I can’t pin-point what these are. In a way, yes. But I wouldn’t know unless I had never blogged in the first place! (that sounds like nonsense – does any one understand those last few sentences?)

  • Not everyone is confident enough to start a blog. What advice can you give them?

I’m not confident within myself, so I began an anonymous blog. There’s nothing to be afraid of if no one is aware of who you are behind the screen! Of course I don’t mean to encourage catfishing, but instead just hiding little parts of your identity that you’re not ready to share yet. If you’re not confident to start a blog, perhaps it isn’t the right thing for you. If you do have a passion, however, don’t be scared of sharing it. People will hear you. There is so much encouragement awaiting you! There may be set-backs, a few nasty comments here and there, but there is much more love in the blogosphere. Don’t be afraid – this little community is awesome!

  • Give 3 facts about you as a blogger (strengths or flaws)

Trying to stay positive, I’ll mention three strengths. We need some self-love in the air!

  • I’m good at writing post way before they are scheduled. 
  • I’ve not missed a single day of upload in about two years (three times a week!)
  • I have found an editing style on VSCO which works for almost all of my photos.

  • Drop down your blog post which you are most proud of (together with the link so we can read it)

Usually I stick to awards, tags and ‘list’ posts however this one was a bit different – I talked about yoga. Just a small little rant about what I enjoy about yoga! You all seemed to love it which was quite a shock. We have smaller attention spans by the day so I wasn’t at all expecting so much love on a chatty post. You can read it here.

  • Do you think you’ll love meeting all the bloggers you got to know in the blogosphere?

Wouldn’t it be nice to see all of the people you interact with online? I don’t think I could meet you all at once since I get drained by social situations, but it would be cool to meet little groups at a time. Beginning with my little UK friends, then branching out to Europe, America, Australia and Canada! I would love to meet you all, but I don’t think you’d want to met me haha since I’ve not revealed my face to the blog yet. I promise you I’m a teenage girl, not a random alien trying to steal your information then cause an invasion.

My Nominees

Sophie @ Sophie’s Corner

Rhi @ Marshmallow Harmonies 

Jules @ Casual and Up Close

Millie @ Millie Button

Grace @ Grace Ariya

Neve @ Neve Frank’s Blog

Emily @ Princess Emily M

Rachel @ Emma Blether

–  and anyone else who would like to take part! I love reading posts about blogging, and how people find inspiration. So do make sure to tag me in the post if you answer the questions (link my recent post so I get a pingback – otherwise I won’t be able to find it).

Woah! That was a pretty substantial post. Thank you so much for sticking to the end. I really appreciate it! Please leave in the comments your favourite blogs if you have any. I would love to know what you’re reading and branch out to new people. 

What blogs are you reading at the moment? What inspired you to begin a blog in the first place?

erin x

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Top 7 Things To Do In Quarantine Tag

/ Catherine / 30 Comments

Welcome back to the blog, hope you’re doing well. Today’s post is another tag which I’m super excited about. After seeing the trend circulating YouTube, my friend Girl Online decided to bring it to the blogging community. This tag is all about ‘what to do in quarantine’. Thank you so much for the nomination!

The Rules

  1. Thank the person who tagged you and provide a link to their blog
  2. Post the rules on the top of your post
  3. Give credit to the creator Girl Online
  4. Tag as many people as you would like and let them know
  5. Write at least 7 things to do in quarantine 

7 Things To Do In Quarantine

Start A Journal

Journaling is really beneficial for the mind! Since quarantine began, I started a journal and have been writing in it ever since. When I was in school I didn’t really have the time, though now I update it day and night (or at least try to). You can write anything you like in it: problems, goals, gratitude or even keep it as a diary and update it with what’s going on in your life! Through beginning this practise I’ve learned many things about myself.

Begin A Blog Or YouTube Channel

Honestly, these hobbies take so much time! You will not be bored if you decide to do this. It’s really fun to have an online space with online friends, I’ve not met a single blogger who regrets it. Once you have your channel or website running, you may want to open a shop and try to make money from it! 

Do Some Creative Writing

Try writing creatively! Whether you choose laptop or notebook doesn’t matter, either way I encourage you to write something imaginative. You might ambitiously decide on a novel, or something smaller like a poem. If you are a musician, you could even have a go at writing your own song! Things like this are abandoned in our busy lives, so make use of this extra time. 

Create A Playlist

Making a playlist takes a lot of time, and it’s a very fun activity! I certainly don’t have time to make playlists doing school time, but I can make playlists for when I go back. You might decide on a playlist for different moods! I have one called ‘cry in happiness’ then another called ‘happy vibes’ and finally my ‘sad tunes’. Have fun doing this one!

Read A Book

Pick up a book and start reading it (or listening, whichever is most comfortable). During this difficult time I’ve been escaping to new worlds with my books, and spending too much time wrapped up in my duvet. However, it’s a productive use of time. It also means that you’re not on your phone and being away from social media is just what we need right now! Give it a go, and I’m sure you won’t regret it.

Play An Instrument

I’ve been using this extra time to do more cello practise and it’s benefited my musical brain so much! You may have a musical instrument in the house that you’ve never learned to play properly, or you might even be a musician (that’s so cool if you are). So make sure you’re practising, and just expand your brain a little bit. I am very fortunate to have a keyboard, though I don’t play it as much as I should!

Write Down All Of Your Goals

Getting a clear idea of what you want to achieve helps you better work towards it! I like writing it down on paper, though you may prefer making a dream board on Pinterest. Everyone has dreams spinning about in their head somewhere, and visualising it makes you understand better how to reach them. If you’re still wondering what on Earth I’m rambling about, search up the YouTuber Sadie Aldis. She creates loads of videos on this subject!

My Nominees

Jasmin @ The Writer Of Letters

Rachel @ The World Of Rachel

Alexandra @ You And Me And Cup Of Coffee

Sophie @ Sophie’s Corner

Grace @ Grace Ariya

Hope you can all take part in this tag! If you do, make sure to tag me in it and I will definitely read it. 

What have you been doing the most during lockdown? What has kept you motivated?

Stay safe everyone, and have a lovely weekend.

erin x

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The Food Award | Am I A Baking Blog Now?

/ Catherine / 23 Comments

Does this mean I am officially a baking blogger now that I have been nominated for the first food related award? It’s very exciting! Before we get on to the questions, I’d like to say a big thank you to Alexandra (YouAndMeAndCupOfCoffee) for nominating me in this award. I really enjoyed answering your questions!

Rules

1. Thank the person that nominated you

2. Pingback to the creator Elisha at https://africaboy.home.blog

4. Answer the five questions

5. Create five questions about food

6. Nominate 5 people

Alexandra’s Questions

What is the fanciest, most exquisite dessert you’ve ever tried? 

Once I was out with friends and we had some really posh macaroons! However I don’t have much of an expensive taste so my expectations aren’t high.

If you could swap your current diet for a specific country/region cuisine for one week, which would you pick? (e.g. Mediterranean, Thai, Chinese, etc.)

The traditional French meals are really lovely! When I went over to France (there’s a travel diary all about it!) I had a really good time trying their foods. My favourites are onion soup, goat’s cheese and baguette dipped in hot chocolate (for breakfast!). Of course croissants are a staple as well.

Breakfast of your choice: espresso and croissant with jam or pancakes with bacon and maple syrup? 

I’d have to choose the first option, as I’m vegetarian! But I am incredibly interested in the bacon and maple syrup combination. Have any of you tried it? 

If you’re hosting a family and/or friends gathering, what dish is an absolute ‘must’ on your dinner table? Would you prepare it yourself or let your guests help? 

Unless it’s Sunday dinner, we usually do pizza for family and friend gatherings. And we do let them choose their own toppings! That’s the fun of making your own. Although we do prepare the dough without guests help, because it needs to be proving way before they arrive.

Processed with VSCO with m5 preset

What’s the first dish that you learned to cook from scratch?

I’ve been baking from a very young age, and my first ever baked good by myself was Victoria Sponge. However, on the savoury side, I think the first was beans on toast! It’s basic, and that’s exactly why I learnt it so early on.

My Questions

Do you prefer sweet or savoury snacks?

Which meal is larger in your house, lunch or dinner?

What’s your favourite meal to make?

Do you use any ready-made ingredients in your cooking (like pastry or pasta sauce)

If you could eat anything in the world right now, what would it be?

My Nominees

Tag! You’re it! As I don’t follow many food blogs, I didn’t know who to nominate for this award. So if you’re interested, please use the questions above. Make sure to tag me in it and then I’ll give it a read!

What’s your favourite pancake topping? Have you ever tried maple syrup and bacon?

Thank you again to Alexandra for the nomination. Please go and read her blog if you haven’t already! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, so give it a follow while you’re there. Hope you’re all well and safe,

erin x

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