Lorna Cole

So, it’s safe to say that it’s been a while since I’ve posted on here! The last time I posted I hadn’t even started university and now I’m sitting here, a few weeks into my Second Year.  I moved to Brighton last September and I love it. It was a place I was drawn to for years, so there wasn’t much deliberation once I knew there was a course I liked and so began my journey as a Media Studies student.  I’ve met so many new people in the past year and a bit and it’s probably been the busiest I’ve ever been. There are always things on in Brighton and I’ve definitely made the most of what it offers! Brighton has a crazy amount of pubs and whilst I can’t say I’ve visited them all I’ve definitely found some favourites and look forward to trying our new ones over this next academic year. Just recently my housemates and I went to a pub quiz at one of our local pubs which were great fun! Some of the other things I’ve got up to in the last year include karaoke, mini golf, an escape room,...

Although the heat can get a little exhausting, I’ve been trying to make the most of it by spending time outside. After a pretty dull and rainy June, I was really looking forward to summer days and we’ve definitely had our fair share of sun this past week!  Earlier in the week my sister and I visited my Grandparents and spent time with them for a bit which is always nice. My Nan is one of those typical Grandparents that always has snacks to offer and the ice creams she gave us were definitely appreciated in the heat!  A few days later we went for an early evening stroll and found ourselves exploring down various footpaths. Most of them led to a lot of trees and overgrown greenery but after following one path for a bit we found such an amazing view. This spot would be absolutely perfect for a picnic as long you don’t mind walking through a lot of long grass, the scenery is definitely worth it though! We also stopped at Costa and I tried the new Golden Caramel Iced Latte - would ...

I'm not really sure how we're already halfway through the year but here we are! I thought I'd take a look at the plans/goals I wrote in January and have a think about the latter half of 2021. You can read my initial 2021 goals and plans post here ! Goals & Plans I set in January The first goal I shared was to choose a university course and I'm pleased to say I did that and am now really looking forward to starting at The University of Brighton to study Media Studies in September! Going on from this, are the ongoing university preparations but things have definitely progressed! I've sorted my student finance loan and applied for accommodation which I'm currently waiting to hear back about and have got a few things that I'll be taking with me. I'm glad I joined a few university group chats with others starting at Brighton, it's been great getting to know people and it's nice knowing I've connected with some people before moving somewhere ne...

I've been seeing people post 'photo dumps' on Instagram a lot recently and since I take a lot of photos, I thought why not share some of them on here! Also, this means I can write a bit more about them as well, I don't think anyone wants to read a blog post as an Instagram caption! Sunsets are one of my favourite things to see and also photograph. I've found that my iPhone often can't quite capture the colours so recently I took out my camera whilst on an evening walk. All of these photos were taken on the same day and from a few different points along a field near my house! The sky was pretty cloudy but I really think it added to the photos, it was definitely a moodier sunset in comparison to the lighter pink hues below. Although I'm writing this on a very grey and rainy day, we have had some sunny days and I made the most of them by getting outside and going for walks. What's not shown in the photos above is the state of my shoes after I found myself w...

  I never used to be a fan of Sundays, I just saw it as the end of the weekend and a reminder that the same weekly routine would begin again. Sunday's are often the more chilled day of the weekend and this makes it perfect for a sort of 'reset', and this can mean something different for everyone. You can do this anytime but I think it's natural to be in the mindset of making changes at the start or end of a week/month/year, but do whatever feels good for you! There are so many ways to reset, most of which involve slowing down (both mentally and physically) and focusing on yourself. I know that dedicating a whole day to this is a complete luxury but many of these things can be done in a small window of spare time, or alongside something else.  A vital part of a beneficial reset experience is self-care. There are many different forms of self-care and only you know what is best for you but here are some of my suggestions!  Get outside and going on a walk Have a bath Listen...

For this post, I was kindly gifted a Pick N Mix box from Panda Sweets to review but as with any gifted post, all opinions are my own. I'm also very pleased to say that you can use the code ' LORNA' for 15% off of anything on the Panda Sweets website until 31/7/2021!  I was really impressed by the amount of sweets you get in the box, it's pretty hefty at 1kg and is super affordable at only £7.49! Imagining getting anywhere near that amount for the same price at the cinema!! You get a great selection - including jelly/chewy/fizzy sweets, as well as some chocolate and marshmallows so there should be something for everyone. The fizzy sweets are my personal favourites so I definitely didn't share any of them though! As there is such a huge range there are probably sweets you haven't tried before, I remember some sweets that intrigued me when getting pick n mix but I always ended up sticking to my favourites! The contents of this box is a surprise so you get the cha...