Lorna Cole

You don’t have to wait for a new year to make better decisions, habits or goals but I think it does motivate people to reflect on what they want to do over the next 12 months.  After the Christmas period and when no one really knows what day it is, it can often be a relief when January rolls around! It’s an opportunity to get back into a routine and be a bit more organised again. I took some time to have a think about my goals and plans for 2020 so thought I’d share them here! Creative Arts degree  In late April 2019, I started studying for a Creative Arts open degree (you can read more about it here). I’ve made a lot of progress and am really getting into it now. Obviously studying is something that is a priority and I want to dedicate a lot of time to over the next year so I can continue learning and working my way through the degree. I’ve enjoyed it so far and am looking forward to the upcoming stages!  Regular exercise  ...

It's so weird that we're getting close to it being halfway through the year already and I know it's a little late but I do have a good variety of things to share so here are my monthly favourites for April!  Movie Like a lot of people, I recently went to see Avengers Endgame at the cinema. Technically I went on May 1st but as it was released in April and I didn't want to wait for my May favourites I thought I'd just put it in here! Anyway, I thought it was a really great film, I enjoyed Infinity War so was definitely intrigued to see how it panned out! Personally, the 3 hours went by pretty quickly and I liked the action you expect from a superhero film, alongside snippets of humour and of course the deeper story (no spoilers here). If you've not seen it then I'd recommend it for sure! Music I've been a fan of Bastille pretty much from the beginning and I'd probably say they're my favourite band so it's certainly not a new thin...

I'm not one to make resolutions particularly but I do think it's quite useful to make some goals, though it doesn't necessarily have to be January!  →   Start a Creative Arts degree - This year I plan to begin studying with the OCA, this is part of the University for the Creative Arts but you can do it from home which will allow me to continue working as well! →  Work with more companies - I've had a couple companies reach out to me already this year so I'm really looking forward to working with more brands to create content. → Create a list of book ideas - Writing a book is on my bucket list and although it's not something I plan to do yet, I would like to think of some potential ideas and themes. → Guest posts - I've done a few guest posts previously and would like to do more to build up my portfolio. I'd also like to contribute to places like Buzzfeed since it's a platform I use frequently. → 4000 followers on Twitter - I'm al...

This year I participated in a Secret Santa for bloggers which was organised by the lovely Casey. Despite a few hiccups, it was a lovely thing to be a part of because I was able to connect with so many new bloggers and we all have a great support system now! You can check out Casey's post here if you'd like to see what everyone else got too as she kindly provided links to all of our blogs! My gifts arrived quite a while ago, packaged in some really festive Christmas Pudding wrapping paper and I really had to resist the urge to open them, I always used to be one of those kids that would feel around and try to work out what a present was when I had to wait to open it, haha! My Secret Santa was Eloise who blogs over at The Longing Wanderer . She absolutely nailed my gifts and I couldn't be happier with them so I can't thank her enough! Firstly I opened two bath bombs which smelt amazing even before opening them, I quickly recognised that they were from Lush whic...

It's that time of the year again when everyone is trying to think about what to give people for Christmas, as well as making their own wishlists. I thought I'd do a quick post with a range of ideas because I know I always look for posts like this to get some inspiration! Beauty: → Bath or shower set - I mean you can't go wrong can you, they make a great gift and can be used by anyone. I love this set from the brand Hugg that I got from Waitrose . → Perfume/Cologne - Also a super simple idea but it's so nice to get something new to wear. Also Fragrance Direc t has 70% at the moment! → Bath bomb - A good bath is underrated and of course Lush is the ultimate go-to for amazing bath bombs but of course, lots of places sell some lovely ones. → Makeup palette - For the makeup lovers, I feel like a palette is a gift that will be appreciated and you can get eyeshadow, contour, highlight etc. James Charles x Morphe Palette is insane for those who l...

For all you stationery and homeware lovers, I've got a haul that you're going to enjoy today! I recently shared a competition that Old English Company were running and looking through their site made me so excited to get some bits of my own! I sort of wish I was redecorating or moving into a new house because their stuff would be so perfect for that, anyway let me share some of the bits that caught my eye! 'Notes' A5 Notebook For as long as I can remember I've been a hoarder of notebooks, mostly for my extensive list making! Since starting my blog I've used notebooks to plan blog post ideas quite a lot and I had started to come to the end of the one I'd been using so it was definitely time to get a new addition! It's great quality and I also really like the simplicity of the design too.  Grey and Gold Planner Being organised is something I'm always trying to improve, I would say I'm fairly good at it but hey if a planner can ...

Each and everyone has a different opinion of New Year's resolutions, personally I don't think you should put too much pressure on them, as you can't always achieve them! However I do think setting yourself some sort of goal to help better yourself and to open up new opportunities is a great thing to do! Here are 10 resolutions or goals I have set myself for 2018! Be healthier A fairly common one here and one of the hardest to stick to I'd say! I really want to start being healthier in general, for instance I'm planning to make smoothies as a replacement for breakfast or lunch on some occasions, as well as making sure I drink enough water. One of my biggest downfalls is snacking so that is also something I want to work on! I've recently made a Pinterest board with some ideas for smoothies, you can find it  here ! Start exercising more I definitely want to start being more active again, I used to love sport so this is something I hope to get b...

As the temperature drops and the delightful grey, rainy days become even more regular, I often find myself watching TV shows that I couldn't care less about and feeling unproductive! So to combat this feeling of boredom I have made a list of things to do in the Autumn. Go for a walk - I love going for walks in Autumn because the air is so fresh and crisp. Plus the trees are so colourful at this time of the year so going for a little walk is always nice! Whether you just pop into town, visit your local park or head out to your favourite spots, I guarantee a quick walk will make you feel productive. It's also great if you need to clear your head or just want a break from your everyday business!  Cook  -  Sometimes cooking can feel a bit like a chore but it's always rewarding when you have a delicious hearty meal at the end. My personal favourite at the moment is a creamy tomato, chicken and chorizo pasta bake. I've made this a few times recently and I absolutely lo...