Autumn/Winter Essentials

December is almost upon us now and as much as I do love autumn/winter and I'm so excited for Christmas and New Year's Eve it can be a struggle to get through winter without some of these essentials!

• LIPBALM. First and foremost lipbalm is so important, there is nothing worse than dry, cracked lips that just get more and more painful! My favourites are Palmers cocoa lip balm or the classic Carmex
• Moisturiser. Similarly to dry lips, there is also nothing worse than dry hands so a good moisturiser is essential!
• Scarves are my favourite accessory in winter, just as much as they can add to an outfit, they give surprising warmth and I'm definitely going to be wearing mine everyday!
• Jumpers are the one winter essential that everyone loves to own. I have so many, especially turtle neck/roll necks. I keep buying them and buying them and buying them. I think the style really suits me and they're super easy to wear. 
• Dressing gown. I may sound like an old woman but I love nothing more than cosying up in my dressing gown with an essential hot chocolate to watch a Christmas film (it's November, it's acceptable okay!) or the X factor on a Saturday night. Mine is so soft and covered in hearts, I find it super comforting and the hood makes it soooo cosy
• Hats. This year seems to be a super windy year so it's the perfect excuse to throw on a cute little beanie to keep your hair tame. But hats also keep you surprisingly warm (who knew eh?) 
• An Electric Blanket is something I never knew I needed until I had one. It is the most incredible thing I currently own. There is no feeling quite like getting into bed and it's already warm and toasty for you and there's no need to do the bed warming dance (you know the one where you wriggle all about to warm every inch of the bed? We all do it don't lie).
• Coffee is key. It'll warm up your insides and your hands all at the same time. What more is there to say really?
• Boots are 100% the essential winter shoe. It's no good having a bit of your ankle showing when its about 3 degrees outside. I've had my little furry brown Topshop boots for almost 2 years now (I mentioned them in a post about a year ago)  and they're still going strong but I am definitely eyeing up these beauties from River Island, they have the perfect heel size (basically nothing, ideal for someone who doesn't want to be any taller) and they are a lovely material and shape (i'm obsessed someone pls buy them for me?)
• Thick woolly socks, because lets face it there is nothing worse than cold, numb feet! 

Hope this 10 essentials help you survive the cold winter months. If all else fails get into bed, hibernate and come out in about April/May when the sun decides to shine again! 

Thanks for Reading!

Charlotte

XO

Acceptance

It's been far too long since I last posted- apologise but here is a mid-week post to make up for it! 

If you were truly honest with yourself do you think you really accept yourself for who you are, flaws and all. Or do you constantly wish to change something about yourself like your big nose, your tummy fat or your chubby legs. I'm sure, like me, majority of you are in the latter group, but it's not your fault (and it's probably not even true!)

We live in a society where doubting yourself, striving for an unattainable perfection and knocking yourself down is the norm. How many people do you hear actually say they like things about themselves on a regular basis? Or if they do someone will reply with a sarky comment or they'll receive some rude words in return (this has happened to me before when I've tried to be confident and comment on part of my appearance). How many young teenage girl's profile pictures do you see with their friends commenting 'oh my god babe you look gorgeous' or 'ugh your face.. jealous' etc and generally the girl in question always replies 'hahaa says you' or 'no not really but thanks anyway' and continue to put themselves down. Now I realise some girls do this for attention as they just want people to confirm their perceived beauty but some genuinely think this about themselves and it's quite sad. We spend hours criticising every part of ourselves because we cannot accept who we are and now I've decided this needs to change. 

I don't want my sons or daughters growing up hating themselves because it is tiring and life is too short. I want them to grow up happy with their body and their personality. Not worry if perhaps their laugh is a bit odd or if they have a mole on their skin etc. It's these little quirks and perfect imperfections that make us all unique. 

I want to help promote self-acceptance because I really don't think enough people are truly happy with who they are (me included). Why should we feel ashamed with what/who we are and what gives people the right to make you feel that way?? Be strong in yourself and know that you are good enough or pretty enough or clever enough. Know that it doesn't matter what other people think of you, the only thing that is important is that YOU know you are a good, kind person and that actually you are beautiful. 

In the end we're all going to die and the years you've spent worrying you weren't good enough or you weren't perfect will be wasted years you could've spent being yourself and just being happy, so make the change now before it's too late! 

Thanks for reading!

Charlotte

XO

October Favourites

So we've somehow already finished October and while it has been a cold and rather quick month I've done so much and actually tried a few new things which I've fallen in love with.

First and foremost can we please discuss Perfect, the first single to be released from One Direction's new album, Made in the A.M. I heard it just as I was getting out of the car to go to work and as soon as I had finished coaching at 9am I listened to the song on repeat for the next 24 hours. It is literally perfect. 

I've been testing out a few new makeup products such as the Makeup Revolution Iconic 3 palette and three Rimmel London lip products. I've written a full review of the Makeup Revolution palette here explaining exactly why I love it. The Rimmel products are two lipsticks and one lip pencil. The pencil is the highly raved about Eastend Snob which I'm obsessed with and the two lipsticks both work really well with it. The first lipstick is from the most recent Kate Moss collection of nudes in shade 45. It was something I'd had on my wishlist for a while before I bought it and it is the perfect nude for my skin tone. I'm always worried that nudes don't suit me but this has a slightly peachy tone to it, I used the Rimmel guidance which was on display with the product and it was spot on. the pigmentation is good and the staying power is impressive. I wore it to the Rowers Ball and I certainly had a lot to drink, I ate and did a hell of a lot of talking and I only had to top it up once! The other lipstick is from the new collection called 'The Only One' which claims to provide 'long-lasting colour, comfort, moisture and wear'. I tested it on a pretty normal day of driving, talking and lots of eating and the longevity is definitely there. As is the moisturising and comfort properties. I chose it in 'It's a Keeper' which is very different in real life than on the boots website but thankfully I actually bought mine in store and after about 20 minutes stood in front of the Rimmel counter making swatch after swatch on my hand before finally deciding on a colour! 

Being able to do my own food shopping has been quite liberating because I can literally buy the food that I want so I have been buying exactly what I want and every single week sweet potato is going into my trolley. I have only made sweet potato mash as it's my favourite but I'm soon going to venture into fries/wedges as mash could get a little boring. In true Nando's style I've been using the 'rubs' you can buy in Tesco to give my chicken some added flavour. Mine is the medium garlic and I find they're such good value for money. They last around 3-4 meals, depending on how much chicken you want to eat/how spicy you want it to be! 

Whilst trying to cut down on my processed foods and eating a little healthier I'm on the search for the perfect snacks and soft apricots are slowly becoming my favourite. I first used them to cook my Fruity Flapjacks (which will soon be a blog post) and I had a few left over and I loved snacking on them so since then I've bought more and they're always in my bag in case I'm ever a little hungry! 

Despite the cliche I do love Starbucks, especially when it's cold after training and all I want is a warm coffee!Thankfully I think I've finally found my perfect drink. It's quite boring but it's a simple Vanilla Cafe Mocha. The perfect mix of coffee, vanilla and a little bit of chocolate- what more could you ask for?! The food in Starbucks is also super tasty right now. I tried the Mumbai flatbread and it was DELICIOUS, I highly recommend.

But my favourite favourite of this month is this video. It is a selection of some of the best moments I had rowing this past year and I cannot help but smile every single time. I made it with my best friend and it was so much fun watching old clips and reliving the memories! 

No fashion favourites this month but I have just been shopping (huge haul post possibly) and so we'll see what I love at the end of November!

Thanks for Reading

Charlotte

XO

P.S. Pics coming later

Strong Not Skinny

Probably since I was around 10-11 years old I've been worried about my appearance. I was a goofy, lanky, spotty, greasy-haired young teenager and I hated how I looked. From then on it kind of only got worse and I ended up pretty much hating every part of myself. I was obsessed about being stick thin and for ages I was following loads of 'thinspo' blogs on tumblr because all I wanted was to be as thin as the models and I wasn't which made me so unbelievably self conscious.

While I do still want to be skinny and I still look at my body and get frustrated at things I see, I am a lot happier with my appearance than I have probably ever been. I still see people on tumblr or instagram with the most incredible figures and they're so skinny but still have good boobs and bum and I'm so jealous of them but I know that's probably not the best body shape for me or the shape I am meant to be.

If I want to be a strong athlete I need to have a different body shape to the likes of Kendall Jenner or Karlie Kloss with their tiny waists and skinny legs. I need muscle and a bit of weight on me so I'm stronger and I can produce the most power. So I'm starting to worry less about the size of my waist. I've kind of re-evaluated my life and I've decided it's more important for me to be strong than skinny. I'm trying my hardest to eat well; wholewheat pasta, lots of protein, veg and cutting down on my sugar but it is hard. This week has probably been a bad week, I've snacked a lot which I shouldn't have and I've eaten more sugar than I should've but everyone has bad weeks. I have to keep it all in perspective. Some weeks will be really good, others will be not so good but it's completely about balance. I'm still working out loads, I'm training hard and I'm really pushing myself. 

Aside from that I'm learning to accept that everyone has a different body shape and it is okay. Maybe I'm not meant to be that skinny girl with the 24 inch waist and narrow hips. But that is okay, it's hard to accept when I would love to look like that, but it is okay. Just like it's okay that I currently have a little more fat on me and my bum isn't as Kim K as I would like it to be. The main thing is I'm actually trying to change it. I have a new weights programme, I'm trying my best to eat well and I'm working out to skim off some of the fat. 

Waiting to see the change from the work I'm putting in is one of the hardest things. I do lots of ab exercises but it's taking a while to see a change and it'll take a while to see a difference so patience is definitely key! 

At the end of the day your body is your body and you have every right to be happy with it. It's likely to take some time, maybe even years but don't base your idea of perfect on someone else, just be you

! 

Thanks for Reading

Charlotte

XO

Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 3 / Review

It's been months and months since a sole makeup post, probably because I haven't found something I could write a whole post about but this eyeshadow palette is something special. I wish I'd taken pictures of the palette before I used it but I forgot so sorry for the slightly less-than pretty pictures! 

I've been so desperate for any Makeup Revolution products for about 7-8 months since the brand first really blew the makeup world away with the quality but ridiculously low prices. The eyeshadow palettes were the first things I set my eyes on and the main things I really wanted to buy so it only seems fitting that it was the gorgeous Redemption Palette Iconic 3 that I chose! 

This palette has 12 shades ranging from rose-gold tomes to darker brown shimmers and grey tones. I LOVE IT. I pretty much chose it soley for the pink-copper tones, I've got the Urban Decay Naked Palette so I didn't really want any more browny-neutral shades and I felt my makeup collection was lacking pinks and rose-goldy tones. Now it is the first palette I reach for on a daily basis. 

The shades don't seem to have names but I have some definite favourites. The brown shimmer tones are quite deceiving, when I first used them I expected a brown shimmer but they come out with much more pink undertones than I was prepared for but I love them. 

My most used shade is probably the matte pink-brown shade. It's the perfect 'no makeup' makeup look and I tend to wear this to work, on the days when I can be bothered to put on a bit more makeup! The matte shade applied gently to the eyelid adds a little colour but is simple and not OTT for a day at work.

Swatches- which are surprisingly difficult to get right! 

The staying power of the shadows is INCREDIBLE. I wore it for a night out, got home and forgot to take my makeup off (naughty I know but I was tired ok). I woke the next morning, had to rush out to work and didn't have time to take it off and freshen up my makeup but I got home an hour later and I was so surprised to see that the shadows literally had not moved. Not even a tiny millimetre. The highlighting shade was exactly where I left it, the crease shade was still there and the main base shadow hadn't budged. 

The pigmentation is also pretty decent. I actually had to re-do my eye makeup the other day because I under-estimated how pigmented the shade would be. I put a fairly decent amount on my brush, started to apply it to my lids and I was shocked at how pigmented it was! 

One thing I'm not a fan of is the double-ended applicator it comes with. I HATE these things so much as I never found a decent use for one because the application is horrible. But, I used one end when I forgot one of my eyeshadow brushes and had to use it under my eyes and it worked relatively well so it's not all bad! Another slight negative is that some shades, particularly the mattes can be a little crumbly when applying the shadow to your brush. However, if you just pat your brush over it you can collect it up and apply it to your eyes, wasting is not an option. 

I cannot recommend this palette more and I can't wait to buy more Makeup Revolution products in the very near future. Such great products for such a cheap price you really can't go wrong! 

Thanks for Reading

Charlotte

XO

Be Brave

There's a phrase one of my coaches used to say all the time when we were on the ergs which really motivated me. He'd say 'be brave'. He'd tell us push through the pain and believe in yourself and it's something I'm trying to put into my real life.

For about 2-3 years I let anxiety control me, I stayed within my comfort zone and didn't challenge myself. I just wasn't brave. I kind of remained in my shell and didn't venture out of it unless I was with friends I trusted with my life. But since I've been thrown head first into the adult world I'm feeling more confident and I'm learning to be brave and just put myself out there (but not in that way!). 

I basically have no choice but to be confident now, I can't just get my mum to do everything for me, I'm a real life adult now. But being confident and brave is quite a new thing to me but I like it. I don't feel as anxious (there's still some anxiety there) in new situations or meeting new people, I actually feel comfortable doing it. I don't shy away from giving my opinion and speaking up when I have something to say and it's great. 

Being brave takes some courage but it's so worth it for the results. I've never felt more in control of my life and generally happy with the direction it is taking (aside from worrying about UCAS, resitting and reapplying to uni). I think what I mean is in my actual self and who I'm becoming as a person is actually someone I like! 

When it comes to being brave, to quote Nike, just do it. If you think for too long you'll talk yourself out of it so just say yes! You never know you may actually have a good time and meet new people and make friends. Or it may not work out but you'll have learnt from it so it's never a bad thing! Being brave means you take a risk, you risk being judged or wrong or even being hurt but 99% of the time nothing like that will happen and if someone does judge you then that's there problem not yours! If you can just let go and enjoy yourself then that's what really matters.

But being brave doesn't mean you can't worry at all, it's okay to worry and it's not a bad thing but you can't let it hold you back. One thing my trail guide in SA said that's been one of the main things I've kept with me since the trip is 'Don't let fear hold you back'. From experience I also know to not let it hold me back as some of my best memories come from situations I was so nervous about to begin with but once I was there or once I'd done it I had the best time! If you let fear hold you back you'll never really live. You'll stay in your sheltered, safe life which is fine occasionally but it is so important just to live. Spend time with friends. Meet new people. Go new places and don't let anything hold you back. You just have to be B R A V E. 

I found this and like it very much: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shyness-is-nice/201305/50-ways-you-can-be-brave-today 

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte

XO

Trust In Change

My favourite vlogging family, The Michalaks, always start their vlogs with a quote or a little motivational phrase and this weeks was quite apt for what I wanted to blog about. 

'Trust in Change'

I used to hate change. For years I have had a set routine for every day of every week and it worked. I'd get up at the same time, go to school and training at the same time and I'd get home and sleep at the same time. My school days had an exact routine that I followed every week. To a lot of people this probably sounds so boring but I'm not saying each day was like groundhog day and I did do a lot of spontaneous things, but  security and continuity are things I definitely need in my life. 

So, when it came to moving to a completely new city, 3 hours away from my family and only knowing a few people who would soon be leaving anyway, it's safe to say I was so far out of my comfort zone. Aside from the aspect of moving to a new place, I was also starting a whole new job in the real adult world and it was a huge step up from being in my sheltered school environment and living at home where my parents did so much for me.

But I have started to settle in, and yes I do have a routine but a change has been so good for me. I already feel so much more confident, I'm learning more about myself and what I'm capable of and I feel so independent, like I can actually survive as an adult. Admittedly it is early days and I know there are a lot of mistakes to be made on the way but this change has definitely been a good thing. 

So why is change a good thing?  Well, it allows you to grow and develop as you experience new things and new people. Getting away from my old environment was one of the best decisions. I could've stayed at home and got a crappy waitress job and not met people that can actually help me with my goals and dreams like I already have here. Additionally, it helps you realise what is most important to you in life and it opens doors to new opportunities, encounters and meeting new people. I've done so much in one month and met so many new people and made new connections I just know it's going to be such a positive gap year for me and not going through clearing was the right decision! 

So welcome change, don't fear it. Allow it to happen and don't resist it. You never know, it may be the best thing that's ever happened to you! 

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte

XO

Why I Love the Wilderness

I've always loved nature and animals. As a child I spent 80-90% of my time outside, riding horses, playing in the garden or going on walks. So when I went to South Africa I LOVED being with nature

We spent a 5 days and 4 nights in the wilderness, in a nature reserve called Umfolozi which was just outside Durban. 1/3 of the reserve is closed off to the public and only a few trails are allowed in, I was lucky enough to be on one of those trails. 

We had a short drive into the reserve and we soon came to the end of the road for our transport. We had a quick lunch, arranged our bags and then we were off, waving goodbye to the other group and contact with the outside world. Within the first 10 minutes of walking we saw rhino prints, a rhino midden (Basically an area where they come back to poo!) and then a breeding herd of 20-30 elephants! On top of that we passed hippos, buffalo, impala and nyala! It was completely overwhelming and it took a while to set in that this was my home for the next few days. I was scared, oh my god I was so scared. Every potential noise made me flinch and I kept my eyes peeled for lions and rhino. But it was an exhilarating feeling. I remember first seeing the elephants and I was terrified there would charge at us but I was also mesmerised by their peacefulness and playfullness. The babies were messing about in the water and the adults were slowly moving across the river, it's a scene I'll never forget. 

Our first camp was just above the river and we could hear some animals below in the water but unfortunately couldn't see them. We made our first dinner and got to know each other more and then it was time to start night watch. It was during my first nightwatch that I first felt at peace and so unbelievably calm in such a long time. I could hear a lion roaring in the distance, some animals drinking in the river and all I could see was the moon and the stars in the ridiculously clear (and lacking any light pollution) sky. 

1st camp at sunrise and sunset

From then on we had routine jobs we'd all do but they were only little things. The rest of the time I could really immerse myself in South Africa and nature. We walked in silence so we wouldn't scare off any possible animals around us and it gave me such a good opportunity to think and not worry about anything. On the way to SA I had worried I'd get worried and have panic attacks but nothing happened at all and I felt completely the opposite. I think it was in the wilderness I began to really accept myself and feel more confident. I realise the scale of this cliche but it's true. Nature, or more specifically the South African wilderness, does something indescribable to you that just changes you. At the time I didn't really notice anything changing at all but somethings have definitely changed. 

Night watch was actually one of my favourite times. It was the only time I had any privacy and was all to myself so I did actually get really deep into thought sometimes, until I'd hear a crunching of branches and the sound of a large animal's heavy breathing! The stars were beautiful and the brightness of the moon is just indescribable!  But my all time favourite moment was seeing a male giraffe walk towards us as the sun was setting. OH MY GOD it was genuine magic. He was so graceful and majestic yet so powerful with that. Ugh I'm getting post-trail blues just thinking about it but it is one memory that will never leave me which is good because I didn't manage to get a very decent picture of him due to the fading light. 

Spot the giraffe! 

It was also so nice not to have my phone. I know people won't believe me when I say that but it was! Not knowing the time, as we had not watches or electronics was so refreshing. We simply used the position of the sun to estimate the time but didn't rush at all, we simply glided through with no real importance of time (except sunset for obvious reasons). I did miss music a little bit but I did love hearing so many birds and animals and not hearing cars!! Going back into civilisation was actually surprisingly loud and it genuinely took a while for me to adjust back into it! 

While I'm so disappointed I didn't see any lions or leopards, (even though one lion was less than 10m away from me and I couldn't quite see her!) I am so grateful to have seen all these other animals. I've always been a HUGE animal lover and actually being in the wilderness with wild animals roaming around us. It was so crazy seeing hyenas which aren't actually what I pictured previously at all, Lion King lies!!  And the eyes of the crocs in the river at night just blinking back at you is quite an experience (so was crossing in the river just 50m above them). Wow all the memories are flooding back now, I could probably talk about this for days but the only way you can truly understand what I'm saying is if you visit the place for yourself. Not on stupid tourist safaris which intrude on nature and are just there for people to make money. But go on trails with the 'leave no trace' motto and just immerse yourself in nature. 

One of the many thousands of baboons we saw

If you want to use the Wilderness Leadership School here is their link:  http://www.wildernesstrails.org.za/trails

Hope you enjoyed my little taster of the SA wilderness! 

Who wouldn't love a view like this?

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte

XO

Dealing with Defeat

Dealing with defeat is never easy and there's no one way that works for all. 

Personally I'm a crier. I let out my emotions in tears and then eventually stop crying and spend the next few days/hours thinking and contemplating. A few months ago was no different. I was racing in a junior coxed four at Women's Henley, the biggest all women's regatta in the world in one of the most beautiful settings and one of my favourite places. 

We had a time trial on Saturday morning to qualify us for the heats which we managed to do. We then proceeded to win our heat with a verdict of 'easily' and were into the quarter finals on Sunday. 

Spirits were high because we'd never got into Sunday racing before and we'd had a fairly solid row but we knew Sunday would be much tougher. We were drawn against an American crew who were quick up of the blocks so we knew our start had to be quick and snappy. On the way to race the next morning, we practiced two starts and they went well, my nerves were calmed a little. But as we lined up on the stake boats the nerves in my tummy almost made me throw up. 

All of a sudden the umpire stood up and it was 'ATTENTION......GO' and we were off. The start wasn't perfectly clean but it was quick and we were ahead which felt good. By the end of Temple Island we were ahead and that had been our main goal. We had distance from them but it wasn't enough. We needed more but we didn't have a working cox box so the calls fell to us, the rowers. 

We needed to push off them but we weren't going together which meant nothing was happening and soon the Americans had caught us, then we were level and then they pushed ahead as we got to the finish. It was the most disappointing feeling in the world. 

We got off the water so disheartened and disappointed that we hadn't won and that the race had been messy. We had a debrief with the coaches who told us exactly what I already knew and then we de-rigged the boat, packed up the trailer and went home. 

Up until then I hadn't cried, I was gutted, absolutely distraught but the tears hadn't come yet. But as soon as I plugged my headphones in I sobbed. I was so upset that that was my last ever race for my school and it hadn't gone to plan. We could've beaten them. We should've beaten them. 

I cried on the bus. I cried driving home (not recommended) and I cried in bed when I got home. But eventually the tears ceased and all I was left with were thoughts. Now in the wrong hands (or mind) thoughts can be dangerous but I try to think of the positives. In every race I do I learn  something new. Something about how to race well. Something about myself. 

I still haven't quite distinguished what I learnt from this race. I think I need to push myself even more than I have ever before, obviously I pushed hard because I have such a strong desire to win but clearly it wasn't good enough. I do know I need to be physically stronger. But I've gained valuable racing experience from it and with any luck the next race I race will be different and we'll get ahead and push off and off until that crew are rowing in our dirty water. 

There is probably more I've learnt but I'm yet to discover it yet. What I do know is that crying is okay, feeling sad is okay but what is most important is that you get back up, dust yourself off and try your hardest to not let it happen again. 

Thanks for reading!

Charlotte

XO

My Summer Favourites

*before I start I realise this post is about 2 weeks late but it's been in my drafts and I keep forgetting to edit it but I still want to post it so here we go....*

Wow wow wow wow wow. How on earth is it the end of summer already?! Ever since I got back from South Africa the weeks have just flown by and it's been quite a whirlwind but I think the future is looking up now!

I have a whole lot of favourites from this summer and majority resonate from my trip to South Africa. I have fallen head over heals in love with Rooibos (Redbush) tea. I've drunk so much of it I don't remember what English tea tastes like. Rooibos is very different to English teas but I don't quite know how to explain it but I can recommend that you try it because it is DELICIOUS! I also fell in love with beetroot and before you say anything, I know this isn't just South African, but I'd never eaten it much before I went. We'd eat it for lunch everyday with crackers, cheese and mayo. It was delicious, I highly recommend it to everyone. For breakfast every morning I had muesli and fell back in love with that too. We had to use creamer/powdered milk and warm water which may sound a bit weird but it tasted lovely and warmed you up after a cold night. My final food favourite comes in the form of rusks. In the UK they're most well known for giving to babies when they are being weaned off milk and onto food and I don't like the British ones but the South African rusks are a different story. Each night we had different flavours, some with raisins, some were buttery and others were vanillary. Despite them being extremely crunchy and hard, dip them into some Rooibos tea or hot chocolate and you're onto a winner! I'm yet to find them in the UK though which makes me very sad.

I loved all the South African food so it is all my favourite but I can't go on for so long about the food so I'll go on to my other favourites. Throughout my trip I wrote in a journal and since I've been back I've enjoyed writing in one since. I like being able to write all my thoughts and feelings of the day down. I'm also reading more on my kindle as I find it so convenient. I just chuck it in my bag and I can read whenever I want. I highly recommend The Girl on the Train, it's a psychological thriller and it is incredible!! 

Dolphins and horses are my ultimate favourite animals but I've always had a soft spot for giraffes and elephants which only increased when I visited the wilderness. The gracefulness of the giraffe is just beautiful and the unlikely elegance of the elephants took my breath away. Also in the wilderness I encountered hundreds of impala. The impala has the most beautiful, silky looking coat I've ever seen and their horns are incredible. I guess I just love animals! 

Slightly random favourites include the classic french plait, perfect to keep your greasy, hasn't-been-washed-in-5-days-hair out of your face! My beanie because it kept me unbelievably warm at night when my head was poking out of my sleeping bag. Finally for my SA based favourites is water. Now this obviously isn't exclusive to South Africa but while I was there I realised just how much we take it for granted and actually how much I like drinking a cold glass of water from a tap that isn't brown and mud-tinted! 

Aside from all my South African favourites I do have a few general summer favourites. I've fallen in love with the Rimmel Wake Me Up mascara again. It makes my eyelashes ridiculously curled, thick and lengthened. It's definitely my go to mascara for all events.  I've been having a lot of trouble with my skin and it seemed the face washes I used were making me breakout more like the Neutrogena Grapefruit wash or the Garnier Pure Active anti-blackhead deep pore wash. So I bought the Clearasil Ultra 5-in-1 Scrub and it seems to be working a treat. I've not had anymore spots and I think my blackheads which have constantly been present on my nose are reducing in visibility quite a lot. My skin feels a lot smoother after I use it too.

I hope you've all had a lovely summer but I fear it is over as the rain has really set in but that can only mean one thing; baggy jumpers and cosy winter clothing! 

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte

XO

How to Adult

As scary as it may be I, and so many other people, are currently in the transition from teenager to adult. For the past two and a half weeks I have been completely independent. Doing my washing, food shopping, going to work, doing ironing, scheduling and generally learning how to adult. So to help those who are off to uni, or others who are leaving uni and heading into the big wide world I thought I'd share some tips on how to adult effectively. 

1. Plan Plan Plan. This is something that will keep you from forgetting or failing. Have a big diary with at least half a page per day (I prefer a whole page for each day) so you can write down all your appointments, your to-do list etc. I also use my diary for food planning (see point 3). If you write down everything you will never forget it, I have done this for about a month now and I've not forgotten a thing. 
2. Do your washing. It may seem tedious but it only takes 2 minutes and what would you rather; spend a couple of minutes doing your washing and have lovely clean clothes or wear dirty clothes and smell bad/ wear clothes that don't actually fit you anymore? 
3. Plan your meals. I have been doing this since I became more independent and it's helped me stay on track with being healthy. If you just go into the supermarket and buy whatever you want chances are it'll be random, less healthy food and you won't even be able to make decent meals out of it. So what I suggest is plan your meals then do your food shopping around what you need for those meals
4. Stay tidy. It's simple, life is just some much easier when everything is tidy and you know where everything is. Being tidy will help you to stay organised and efficient!
5. Write lists. I have become addicted to carrying a notebook with me (plus my diary) pretty much where ever I go. I write extra to-do lists, notes and my shopping list down and it's extremely hand to always have with you!
6. Go to bed. Even though there is probably something on TV or Netflix that you really want to watch your body will thank you for having an early night. Especially if you work early/have early lectures. Who wouldn't want a few hours in bed over a TV show which you can watch on catch up tomorrow!
7. Cheese. Yes I realise this is slightly odd but cheese will save any meal. Boring brown rice...add grated cheese. Plain salad...add mozzarella. Basic chicken and  potato....add halloumi. Seriously, cheese rescues every meal, I eat it everyday and I think I'm slightly obsessed. 
8. Tea is your friend. And if you don't like tea have coffee. It'll wake you up and in the winter months (which it already feels like where I live) it'll warm you up!
9. Talk to your parents often. While you may argue when you're together everyday, keep them updated on how your life is going! In the first week they may seem overly interested (or at least mine did) but that soon dies down and you'll be grateful that they care!
10. Don't lose touch with your friends. It's going to be so difficult to  all meet at one time, keep in touch with those school friends who really care about you. At the end of the day, they're some of the people who know you best so try your hardest not to lose touch with them! 
11. Have fun! Yes, learning what to do and how to actually live is hard and making mistakes will happen. Enjoy being young, making new friends and learning about life! 

Hope this was helpful! 

Much love,

Charlotte

XO

Worth

I got the inspiration for this blog post sat on a rock in South Africa overlooking the White Umfolozi river as the sun was setting and a baboon was sat a few metres away from me in a tree. That is the beautiful thing about the wilderness, you get so much time to think about things and this was one of them.

I was thinking about how I hadn't worn makeup in a week yet people had still spoken to me, still treated me like a human being and it showed that your appearance does not define your worth. This then led me onto other things that don't define your worth and I got quite into it and ended up writing about 11 pages in my journal for that day. The exact thoughts I had are slightly too personal for me to publish on here but I'll share the general  the premise of what I was thinking.

There is so much pressure on young people (from their peers and society) these days to appear perfect, to be sexually active or to know what they want to do in life and in the end we forget what we are worth. 

We are worth more than the number of likes on a selfie. We're worth more than the number of 'friends' we have. We're worth more than the letters on our results sheet or our report card. We are worth more than how many people we have or haven't had sex with. What I'm saying is that we are worth what is inside of us, our personality is what matters. Good people will value the good in you. If you're a kind person, a helpful person or a hard-working person for example people are likely to gravitate towards you, no matter what you look like or what you do in your private life. 

If they don't see beyond your appearance or your private activities they're probably not worth being friends with because they judge a book by its cover and they're not people you want to associate yourself with. You deserve more than someone who will only be friends with you if they think you're attractive enough to be part of their group or someone who is only friends with you because they can use you for something. 

So next time you feel a little low remember all the good things about you. Forget anyone who is negative or rude. Just think of what is good about you and what makes you so unique to this world and I'm sure you'll feel a little better!

Thanks for reading,
Charlotte

XO

Making an Effort

I've recently been faced with a lot of situations where I've been with people I hardly know and I've been forced to make more of an effort in conversations.

Normally, I'm the type of person who shies away from conversing with other people and waits for them to talk to me. I do this because I am a shy, introverted person before I really get to know people, but I've realised that it makes me seem boring and perhaps quite grumpy/snobby. Deciding to make more of an effort in these situations happened over time as I was exposed to them more. I witnessed people easily conversing with strangers and I wished I could do that. So, I took a deep breath, braced myself, opened my mouth and just spoke. And guess what? Nothing bad happened. 

With each situation I've gained more confidence and I'm now so much more comfortable talking to people I don't know. I've had interviews, made phone calls to strangers (which I used to dread) and I've met my new colleagues and I now feel so much more confident in my abilities. Before my voice would do this stupid squeaky thing and words would come out all funny which was so embarrassing and would make me want to speak less but I've found when I speak more confidently the squeaky-ness subsides. 

I think the main reason for my shyness was lack of confidence and worry of judgement but I now know I was worrying over nothing (just like usual really!). People will only judge you if you say something completely shocking or controversial. In a day to day conversation or in a little bit of small talk there is a very slim likelihood of you being judged (unless that person is a complete a**ehole then you don't want to talk to them at all!!

I realise that for a lot of people this is not an issue at all and you may read this and think it's a little pathetic and I just need to 'man up'. But having suffered with anxiety for about 4 years I know other people with anxiety/social anxiety may really struggle to talk in social situations so I really hope this post can help them a little bit to deal with these encounters and know they are going to be okay! 

Thanks for reading,

I hope it was helpful!

Charlotte

XO

Growing up

I've finished school.

Saying that is so scary and surreal. I can't believe that I am old enough to be leaving school and having a gap year. It honestly feels like a week ago that I was choosing my GCSEs, now I've left school. 

The prospect of living away from home is quite daunting. I'm not bothered about cooking for myself, that actually really excites me. I can do my washing, drying, ironing and cleaning all fine. But the thought of having to pay tax and bills and manage my own money is scary. I've never been much of a saver, if I have money it is likely I'll spend it. Not because I can't control myself and just buy upon impulse but simply because I constantly need new things (I realise how stupidly materialistic that sounds and I hate myself for it). 

The thought of having to think about taxes is rather scary seeing as I barely understand taxes at all. Some of you may wonder how I cannot understand taxes but it's not something I've been taught or ever learnt about. Obviously I understand the general concept of it but the whole thing seems so complex I feel like I need to read 'Taxes for dummies'. When I eventually live in my own place I'm going to have to deal with water and electricity bills, a TV license, car insurance or a mortgage. But I don't know what the best deals are and I can easily see myself being ripped off and ending up spending so much more money than I should be simply because I don't understand these things. 

I really believe schools should teach us what taxes are, how a mortgage works, how to get a good deal on bills etc. instead of teaching us about trigonometry or algebra. Yes if you want to do maths those things may be important for you to learn but for me wanting to do Psychology and sport related things the likelihood of me ever needing to use Pythagoras' Theorem is very slim. 

I realise I have digressed from the scariness of growing up. If I think where I was five years ago I was a shy, timid, not at all sporty, introverted 13 year old with a greasy bob, a full fringe, awful glasses and braces. I'd be about to enter year 9 and start rowing which turned out to be the best decision of my life hands down. But when I think about where I'll be in 5 years time it's scary. I'll have just finished my first degree, I may be planning on studying for a masters or I may have a job, who knows? I've no idea where I'll live, if I'll be in a relationship, where I will be rowing, who my friends will be, who I'll live with, if I have any pets... the list of questions is endless. 

I know I shouldn't be thinking about all these things because they are five years away but five years goes very quickly (and anyway, we all know by now that I'm a worrier!). In 5 years I visited Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Portugal, France and had the experience of a lifetime in South Africa. I've rowed for Wales, won medals at top events, had my own horse, made so many new friends (and lost a few on the way), met some of the most inspirational people as well as the kindest people who I hope will never leave my life and will one day be at my wedding. I've had ups and downs and been on a tiring emotional roller coaster but I've come out pretty okay at the end!    

I don't want to worry about the future, instead I want to live for now. Enjoy my gap year, make new friends and spend time with my old friends too. I also need to stop worrying about the smaller things that I'll have forgotten about in 5 years because I know they're not that important. 

Whatever happens I'm going to try to enjoy life and be happy!

Thanks for reading

Charlotte

XO

My South African Experience

As some of you will know I recently spent two weeks in the beautiful country that is South Africa and it is safe to say I have fallen in love. With the country, the people, the food, the animals and the weather. Everything was amazing.

We spent the first week living in the wilderness and I was quite scared about it purely because I didn't know what to expect but it was INCREDIBLE. We saw so many animals and I learnt so much about myself, nature and what is important in life. On the animal side of things got so close to the most magnificent creatures. Within 5-10minutes of being in the wilderness we saw a breeding herd of 20-30 Elephants drinking in the river, Impala, Nyala, Black rhino and Hippo! That day we also saw buffalo, baboons and heard a lion during night watch! We then went on to see giraffe (including babies), zebra, white rhino, more elephants, many more baboon, nyala and impala, wildebeest, hyena, vultures, eagles, warthogs and crocodiles. Thankfully we didn't encounter any snakes or spiders close up which I was very grateful for! I felt so priviledged to be in such close proximity to these wild creatures. Our camps were in incredible locations and our second camp for the 2nd and 3rd nights was right next to a family of baboons whilst our final camp on the 4th night was just 10ft above the river where 3 hippos and 3 crocodiles were! It was amazing that we could get so close to them and just watch them be. (I will dedicate a whole post to my feelings from the wilderness soon!)

The beautiful sunrise over the river below camp 2

Blending in with nature in my neutral coloured clothes!
p.s. who loves my hat??

The food throughout the trip was incredible. In the wilderness we cooked altogether making dishes such as mac'n'cheese, beef stew with biltong (dried beef) and tuna pasta. Lunch was always bread or different variations of crackers with beetroot, mayo, cheese, tomato then dried fruits and sweets and breakfast was porridge or museli which was really tasty. We also had tea, english and Rooibos (redbush), I fell in love with Rooibos, coffee and hot chocolate which was greatly appreciated on nightwatch. Back in civilisation we had lots of different curries including curry bunnies which is minced beef curry with fried dough buns and you put the curry into the bun and then eat it (hence the name curry bunny). However, we also had rice with ours which led our South African counterparts to laugh at us and call it 'Funny Bunnies' because it seemed so alien to them for us to eat rice with it!  I also ate ostrich which I loved, I'd say it was a mix of duck and beef maybe, so tasty! 

South African people are possibly the kindest and most fun people I've ever met. Despite any hardships in their private life they smile and laugh like they haven't got a care in the world. They never complain about their life they just get on and deal with it, such a contrast from people in the Western world, I think we complain way too much about such unnecessary things, we could definitely learn something from the South Africans I met. To them family is so important and they all support one another which is lovely. Another thing I love about them is that they have such rhythm. One night in our second week we had a little dance party in the residence where we were staying. We did things like gangnam style and I think someone did the classic british dance moves like the sprinkler. Then some of the South African guys who were with us cracked out a few moves and it was crazy how they didn't even seem to try they just looked effortlessly cool! They even managed to make 'Happy Birthday' seem cool and almost jazzy. 

During the second week we visited some schools and different projects associated with the Wilderness Foundation and Umzi Wethu (the companies we travelled with). We helped paint the toilets in a school in Motherwell which is the second biggest township in South Africa after Soweto. The toilets make the worst public toilets in the UK almost seem like luxury. There was no toilet roll, broken taps, peeling paint and blocked toilets yet no one complained. It definitely makes me feel so guilty for not appreciating what I have. We then planted trees called 'Spekbooms' which are indigenous to SA and take up a lot of CO2. I enjoyed meeting the students who were the same age as us. They may live hundreds of miles away in such a different country but we have the same troubles like too much homework and we chill out in similar ways such as going to the cinema. I met a lovely girl called Kulula 'Coolz' who was so lovely and we'll hopefully stay in contact! Another place we visited was SAMREC (South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre) where they rescue and rehabilitate penguins and a few other marine animals whilst also educating the public about the importance of looking after our marine life and some of the threats to marine life such as rubbish getting into the sea. I helped out by cleaning syringes and the kitchen of the ICU whilst some of the other hosed down the penguin enclosure. I really enjoyed that day. On another day we visited the beach in PE which was glorious, it wasn't very hot but it was so pretty. The final day saw us visit the Born Free foundation where they look after lions and leopards who can't be released due to mistreatment in their old homes such as circuses and small cages with little food. We also visited Shamwari Rehab centre where they look after animals and then try to release them. This is where Hope lives. Hope is a rhino who's horn was cut off by poachers but they cut into her face and into her nasal passage making it difficult for her to breathe. We couldn't see her because she is in such a bad way and if she survives it could take 2 years for the wound to heal. If you want to see the picture I'm sure it's on google, it is very graphic though I warn you! 

Planting my Spekboom! 

A little penguin in the ICU at SAMREC

Overall, the two weeks I spent in South Africa were incredible. I met the best people I hope I will still be friends with in 20-30 years time. I fell in love with the country and I cannot wait to visit again. And I learnt so much about life, I became stronger in myself and I feel more ready to grow up now. I still get scared but I know that a little bit of fear is good I just can't let it hold me back otherwise I will regret it. 

The beautiful Atlantic Ocean from the beach in PE

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!

Charlotte

XO