Things I've Learnt in 2016

I can't believe it is already the first day of 2017! Time just seems to be flying by, and this past year has certainly been an eventful one. Looking back at what my life was like a year ago, it's quite crazy to see just how different things are simply one year later. A lot changed in 2016, including myself, but I genuinely feel like it was a good year overall. There's been a lot of ups and downs, but I'm thankful for all of the support from my amazing friends and family.

I definitely feel like I learnt a lot of important life lessons last year. From moving out and getting my own flat, to having people walk in and out of my life, to even just starting my second year of university, I've definitely had a lot of growing up to do. However, I feel like everything I've experienced over the last 12 months has made me a much stronger and better person overall, and I can't wait to see what 2017 will have in store for me.

1. Being an adult is extremely confusing and expensive! 
 Now I understand where my parents were coming from when they told me to enjoy my youth and not take things for granted.

2. Not everyone will like you, and that's okay! Know your worth.
No matter what you do, you just can't please some people. There's no point trying to change who you are because, in the long run, it probably won't be worth it.

3. My parents are usually right. 
It might have taken me almost 20 years to realise this, but it's definitely true. I'm not sure how they do it, but they always know the right things to do and say, and I don't know how I'd have coped this year without them.

4. Heartbreak is a real thing. 

5. Self-confidence is important.
Cue the cliché; but one of the most important things I've learnt this year is that in order for other people to believe in you, you must first believe in yourself. This is something that I still struggle with, but I think I'm definitely getting better.

6. Everything happens for a reason.
This one was more of a harsh reality than a lesson to be honest. However, I now truly believe that everything happens the way that it does in order to lead us on to the next stage in our lives.

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Home Sweet Home

The past two weeks have been extremely hectic for me. What with finishing the semester at university, studying for exams and then working crazy hours at work, I haven't had an awful lot of time for myself. I'd been counting down the days until Christmas Eve, but not for the same reason as most people! It was simply because I couldn't wait to finish work and spend a few well needed days at home with my family. The last time I was home for longer than one night was back in September, so I've defintely missed all of my old home comforts.

One of my favourite things about Christmas and this time of year is having all of my family together. It's not very often that I get to see my extended family as they all live in England, so Christmas means we all get to see each other and spend some quality time together. My Grandad had also come to stay with us for a few days, so it was lovely to spend some time with him as I really don't get to see him as often as I'd like too.

One of the things I miss the most about living at home has to be my mum's cooking. I definitely think I took it for granted before, my own cooking just doesn't even compare to hers! Being home for Christmas meant one thing - the Christmas dinner! And my mum certainly went to town, making wayyy to much food and having enough left over to feed another small family. I've eaten more food over the last few days than I even want to comprehend, but I suppose it's only Christmas once a year. The thought of going back to Stirling and having to cook for myself again is actually making me quite sad!

My Mum is definitely my best friend, so I was looking forward to spending some quality time together. The last few weeks have left me feeling pretty stressed out, so phone calls from my Mum have been one of the only things that have kept me feeling relatively sane. My head has been a little bit all over the place too recently, so it's been nice to offload and hear her advice about things. It's taken me over nineteen years, but now I understand what people mean when they say Mum's know best!

My family really do mean the world to me, and it's at times like these that I feel really lucky to have them. One of the things that I've learnt over the past couple of years is to fully appreciate the moment and everyone around you, as you never know when things might change. This Christmas has been one of my favourites, simply because of how relaxed and chilled it's been, and I now feel ready to face everything that I have coming up over the next few weeks.

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Exploring Edinburgh at Christmas

 I've lived in Scotland for almost ten years now, and every year I get just as excited to visit Edinburgh's Christmas market. Walking out of the train station and being greeted by the warm glow of the glittering lights and attractions always fills me with so much joy. 

Last week, my friend Emily and I decided to head into Edinburgh for a fun day out to celebrate the end of our exams. After a few too many celebratory cocktails the night before, we were both feeling a little bit fragile, so we spent the day just walking around and taking in all of the Christmas festivities. I genuinely had the nicest time! Later that evening, I also met up with my mum for dinner and another wander around the market. 

One of my favourite things about the Christmas market is all of the different food and gift stalls. There are so many different stalls selling a variety of European foods and cuisines that make it so hard to choose what you want to eat, and the gifts always looks so unique and pretty. Pretty much every year I go for a pretzel, and this year was no different. My mum and I both decided to get one, and we also had a hot mug (or two) of mulled wine at the Bothy bar. The bar was really well decorated and cosy inside, and if you head up to the very top of the bar, you can get a really great view across the gardens and the Christmas market.

Of course, no trip to Edinburgh at Christmas time would be complete without a trip to The Dome to look at their classic Christmas decorations. The Dome is always decorated so beautifully at this time of year, and like many other people, I couldn't resist taking a photo. 

I had such a lovely day wandering around and exploring the Christmas market. It was so chilled out and relaxed and exactly what I needed to celebrate the end of a semester of stress and exams. Every year I get excited to visit the market and take in all of the festivities, and this year definitely didn't disappoint.

The Christmas Tag

It's taken a while, but I think I'm finally starting to get into the Christmas spirit! I've put up my Christmas tree, hung up my fairy lights and started wrapping all of my presents. As my exams are almost over, it means I can finally get excited and start celebrating the festive season. I'm really excited to visit the Christmas market this year, and I also can't wait to give everyone the presents that I've bought for them. My friends and family have defintely helped me through a lot this year, so I'm hoping they all love their presents! As my blog is yet to feature any sort of festive post, I thought The Christmas Tag would be the perfect place to start!

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

One of my favourite things to do in December is get all snuggled up on the sofa with plenty of blankets and snacks, and spend the day watching Christmas films. I think my ultimate favourite Christmas film has to be Love Actually. There's just something so charming about following all the different characters and their lives. Hugh Grant as Prime Minister is defintely my favourite storyline, his dance scene never fails to make me laugh. I would say that I watch this film at least four or five times over the Christmas period. Some of my other favourites are The Holiday, Home Alone, and of course, Elf.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

I've always opened my presents on Christmas morning. Opening them on Christmas Eve would just feel weird to me. It's a tradition in my house to open our stocking presents in bed once everyone is awake, and then go downstairs as a family and open all of our presents together.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

I don't think I have one specific favourite memory, but I used to love waking up on Christmas morning and rushing into my parent's room ready to open my stocking. I also used to love going downstairs and seeing all the mess that "Santa" had made in the kitchen. My parents would always make it look like Santa had left footprints and crumbs in the kitchen, and I used to get so excited thinking about Santa eating cookies in my kitchen.

4. Favourite festive food?

My favourite festive food, of course, has to be the Christmas dinner. I have so many fond memories of my Grandma's amazing Christmas dinners with copious amounts of trimmings. My Mum now makes an amazing Christmas dinner too. But I couldn't survive the festive period with chocolate. Terry's chocolate orange is definitely one of my favourites, but I also love the golden Lindt reindeers.

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

I had to think really hard about this one as presents were all so exciting when I was little, no matter how big or small they were. But the present I seem to remember the most was a pink Barbie trampoline. It was quite a small one, (although it seemed huge to me) so I could use it in the living room, but I absolutely loved it. I actually remember running downstairs and getting so excited when I saw the giant box.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Christmas is definitely my favourite time of year when it comes to scents. I love the smell of cinnamon at Christmas time, and another of my favourites is gingerbread. My mum is obsessed with candles, so there's always some sort of festive smell filling our house. But I absolutely love the smell of real Christmas trees. We've had a real Christmas tree for the past few years now. I just love the way that it makes our living room smell so festive.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

I don't really have any traditions anymore as I usually have to work Christmas Eve. The perks of retail! But my Mum usually buys my little brother and I a new pair of pyjamas each to wear on Christmas eve, and we usually just watch a Christmas film if there's one on TV. I feel like the excitement of Christmas definitely isn't the same now that I'm older, so it's nice that my brother is still young enough to believe in Santa.

8. What tops your tree?

We usually just have a simple glittery star topping our tree. My family Christmas tree is probably the most colourful thing you'll ever see. We've never been one for a themed tree. However, since having my own Christmas tree, I like to give it a colour theme as I think it looks really festive. 

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?

I'm honestly not sure about this one. My parents always used to try their best to get me what I'd put on my Christmas list, but I don't think I ever asked for anything too extravagant. I used to really want a cat but my mum would never let me have one, so that's probably the only thing.

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

The best part of Christmas for me is probably the lead up to Christmas. I love Christmas day and spending it with my family, but there's so much build up for it and it's over so quickly. The festive period is defintely my favourite as I love watching Christmas films, decorating the tree, buying presents, baking festive treats and going to Christmas markets. It's just such a happy time of year.

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What are some of your favourite Christmas traditions? I love hearing about the different ways everyone celebrates Christmas!

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6 Things I Love About Winter

To be completely honest, winter definitely isn't my favourite season. It's a little bit too cold for my liking, and even more so now that my current flat doesn't have any central heating.. However, there are a few seasonal things that I look forward too every year. 

Dark evenings

I love it when the nights start to get dark a lot earlier. It might sound a bit strange, but I just find it really comforting. I like coming in after work or university and putting on lamps and candles. Even more so in December when I can turn on the Christmas tree and watch all the twinkly lights. 

Cosy nights at home

One of my favourite things to do at this time of year is curl up on the sofa next to the fireplace, cuddle up with a fluffy blanket and watch a good film. Even more so when the nights are spent with family or friends.

Seasonal drinks at Costa/Starbucks

As much as I hate to admit it, I really do spend far too much money on coffee. It's just so easy to run to Costa on my way to a lecture, or to pick up a coffee on my lunch break at work. My typical 'go-to' drink is a skinny vanilla latte, but the seasonal options available at this time of year give me the perfect excuse to "treat myself" and not feel too guilty about it. My personal favourites this year are the gingerbread lattes from Starbucks, and the melting marshmallow hot chocolates from Costa.

Dark Lipstick

I'm definitely not the best when it comes to doing my make up, but one thing that I've always loved about this time of year is being able to wear a dark red or purple lipstick. So far this year, I've been really loving the famous 'Leo' lip kit from Kylie Cosmetics.

Crisp winter walks

I'm really not an outdoorsy type of person, but I do enjoy going for walks when it's cold and I can get all wrapped up. I also love how pretty everything looks when the trees are bare and the snow covers the ground.

Christmas

Of course I had to mention Christmas. I actually prefer the build up to Christmas more than actual day itself, as it all seems to be over so quickly. But I love visiting Christmas markets and drinking mulled wine. I love shopping for our Christmas tree and decorating it with my little brother. I love spending Christmas Eve night curled up on the sofa, when I FINALLY get home from work, and watching Home Alone with my family. There's just something so magical about this time of year.

What are some of your favourite things about the winter months?

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The Liebster Award 2016

I was recently nominated for the Liebster Award by the lovely Emma. I'd never actually heard of this before, so I thought it was a really great idea. I'm still a fairly new blogger, so I'm always looking to meet and discover other bloggers. 

If you are nominated you must follow these rules:

1. Post 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions that your nominator has asked you.

3. Nominate 11 other bloggers.

4. Ask them 11 questions.

5. Let them know that you have nominated them.

11 Facts About Me
1. I recently turned 19, however I also get told how I look a lot younger.
2. I study sociology and criminology at the University of Stirling.
3. I was born in Germany but I moved back to England with my parents when I was still a baby. I then moved to Scotland when I was nine.
4. I am a total dog person and would love to get a Cocker Spaniel one day.
5. I rent a flat in the centre of Stirling.
6. One of my all-time favourite films is Matilda. I used to watch it on repeat when I was younger, and I've seen it so many times that I pretty much know it word for word.
7. My favourite TV series is Gilmore Girls. I can't wait to find out what happened for the girls in the new episodes.
8. My star sign is a Virgo and I think it fits me quite me well. .
9. I have an unhealthy addiction to crisps. I really do eat far too many, it's a little bit out of hand.
10. My dream is to travel the world, so I'd love to get a job in the future that enables me to do so.
11. I currently work part time in a jewellers and I absolutely love it.

11 Questions by Emma
If you were a ghost who would you haunt/spy on? ;)
Probably just my mum, as I bet she's not really as tidy as she leads us all on to believe.

 Favourite time of year? 

I always used to think that Autumn was my favourite time of year as it's so pretty and picturesque, but now I'm almost always cold and having to wrap up warm, so I'd probably say summer.

 Favourite clothing brand?

I genuinely don't think I have a favourite "brand." I'm not really into brands as it is, and I tend to change my favourite shop from season to season. At the moment I really like River Island, though.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I really like my name to be honest, so I'm not sure that I would. But my mum once told me that if she hadn't called me Jade, she would've called me Amber.

What is/are your guilty pleasure/s?

My guilty pleasure is probably reality TV.  I love spending my evenings at home watching TOWIE, Made in Chelsea, etc. I also have a total soft spot for Keeping up with the Kardashians. 

Halloween or Christmas?

Definitely Christmas. I love dressing up for halloween but it's never been all that big a thing in my family.

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?

I've been trying to think how to answer this for ages now, and I've still no idea. I can't think of any actresses who I look like, but I would love Emma Watson to play me. I've always loved her as an actress.

Bath or Shower?

I only have a shower in my flat, but nothing quite beats a bath when you're cold or stressed with a deliciously scented Lush bath bomb. 

What is the farthest you have traveled from home?

The furthest I've ever traveled was to Florida with my parents when I was 8 years old.

What is your go-to breakfast?

To be totally honest, I never really eat breakfast. But when I do, I usually stick with my good old toast.

Who in your family are you most like?

I found this question really hard to answer actually. I'm like my mum in so many ways when it comes to my character, but I think I get my passion for travelling and exploring from my dad. I'd like to think that I also take after my Grandma in many ways.

My Nominations

I actually found it quite hard to think of 11 bloggers who haven't already been tagged, so I apologise if I've tagged you again, but here are some of the lovely ladies who's blogs I love to read;

Sophia Violet Blog

itsbeccajayne

Jems Journal

Juniper Daze

Words of Quigg

Lauren Matthews

Born to Blend

This Charming Life
Kimberley Jessica
Life of Sapphire
Call Me Caz

My 11 Questions

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

What is your favourite film?
What is your ultimate dream job?

What do you love the most about your life right now?

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

What is your favourite thing about Autumn and why?

What is your most embarrassing moment?
What is your favourite quality about yourself?
What is the number one thing on your bucket list?
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Do you have any hobbies or interests beside blogging?

My First Fringe Festival Experience

I've lived in Scotland for just short of 10 years, and I'm ashamed to say that I'd never actually visited the Fringe before. There really is no excuse considering I live a mere 20 minute train journey away from Edinburgh. But last weekend, I finally got the chance to explore the festival, and I have to say, it was one of the best weekends I've had in a while! 

On Friday evening, Jordan and I had plans to go to the cinema (we went see Nerve and absolutely loved it, I'd defintely recommend it), but we had a few hours to kill before the film was due to start, so Jordan suggested checking out the Fringe. We headed to Cowgate as there seemed to plenty happening and we fancied seeing a show. The one that we saw was at The Three Sisters pub, or "The Free Sisters" as it is currently known for the Fringe. I can't remember what the show was called, but it was a comedy with 4 different comedians each taking the stage for around 10 minutes to showcase their talent and to entice us to go and see their individual shows. We sort of just stumbled upon this show, but we actually really enjoyed it and it was surprisingly funnier than I'd expected. 

Everywhere we walked there would be someone trying to hand us a flyer and get us into their show, which got a bit crazy in the busier parts of town. I was quite surprised at how many shows there actually were, and the range of different talent available to go and see. We then headed up towards the university as it had been transformed into the Gilded Balloon for the Fringe. There were also lots of food and drinks stalls up at the university where you could get things like crepes and waffles or pizza. I couldn't resist a crepe, so I got one filled with Nutella and strawberries. It was delicious, but Jordan refused to have any since he's on a major health kick, so I couldn't finish it all by myself! But I've been craving one ever since. Everywhere was just so busy, but it was really nice to see so many people appreciating the city and enjoying themselves.

On Sunday, Jordan and I decided to go back through to Edinburgh and explore the Fringe a little more. I'm pretty sure I must've walked about 100 miles over the course of the weekend, as Jordan had me walking from one end of the city to the other! We went for a really nice lunch at Revolution as were given a voucher by a lady stood outside the restaurant, and then Jordan wanted to show me the Pleasance as I'd never been before. It was actually really cool, with loads of string lights hanging from the top of the orange tent, and there was even a Prossecco Bar, but we didn't get anything to drink. There was loads of things for kids to do at the Pleasance so we didn't stay all that long. 

On our way back to George Square, we walked through the Meadows and I spotted a fun fair! I turn into such a child when I see the rides, and immediately dragged Jordan over to the fair so I could have a look. We ended up going on one of the rides as it looked like fun, but Jordan wasn't too sure and kept saying the funniest comments as it spun us around. We didn't stop laughing once! I haven't laughed that much in a long time. It sounds a bit lame, but that was one of my favourite moments of the weekend.

Once we made it back to George Square, we headed into the Underbelly. The huge floating purple cow was defintely intriguing. The Underbelly was full of bars and food stalls. The one that intrigued us was a giant tent called the "Hilton Hideaway". On the inside, everyone was sitting on cushions on the floor, and it had loads of Moroccan style lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Jordan and I love to travel, so we found this place really interesting. We only got one drink each,  but the tent had a really cool atmosphere so we stayed for a while.

That evening, Jordan had tickets to see The Showhawk Duo. His friend unfortunately couldn't make it, so as Jordan was really looking forward to it, I offered to go with him so he didn't miss out. The show was down in Cowgate again, so we headed down a little bit early to ensure we could get a good view. The Showhawk Duo take acoustic guitar playing to a whole other level by playing of mix of electronic dance music and trance classics. I wasn't sure what to expect of the show, but I have to say, I absolutely loved it! Jordan had showed me videos of the duo before, but they were so much better in person. They're no longer playing at the Fringe, but I'd defintely recommend searching them on YouTube. 

My first experience of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was defintely a good one. I had so much fun wandering around all of the different venues and seeing a few shows. We had plans to see a few more, but plans unfortunately changed, so I'll defintely be going back next year to see a few more. The Fringe still has a few days left, so if you haven't been yet and you live close enough to visit, I'd definitely recommend checking it out whilst you still can. Jordan will be moving into Edinburgh in just over a weeks time, so I'll definitely be spending plenty of time at the Fringe next year! I'm already looking forward to it!

Have you been to the Fringe Festival this year?

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Lush Livingston's Blogger Event

Last night, I attended the exclusive bloggers only event at the Lush store in Livingston. I've been shopping in that store for years, so it was really interesting to go back after hours and learn all about the company and the products. The theme of the night was "fresh matters," so we were taught about how important the use of fresh produce and ingredients is to Lush when making all of their products. We also got to learn a bit more about their "naked" range, which meant all of their products with no packing.

Upon arrival at the store, myself and six other bloggers were greeted by the lovely ladies that work at Lush and were handed a drink. They then told us the plan for the night and we were split up into small groups and sent to different stations. The first stop for my group was the spa station. The lovely Fiona talked us through one of the treatments that the Lush spa has to offer, and she made it sound like a total dream. The treatment was called "The Comforter?" and we were treated to a hand and arm massage, giving us a little taster of what the treatment would be like. "The Comforter" is a full body treatment lasting 60 minutes and is priced at about £85, but from the little taster that I had of it, I definitely think it's worth the price. I think I might have to add it to my birthday wish list.

This is the invitation for the "The Comforter?" spa treatment.

 Fiona added the liquid to the candy-floss and it created
the sweetest tasting drink I've ever had. Definitely a sure
 fire way to get a sugar rush.

We then moved on to learn about Lush's "naked" range of products. These are all products that come with no packaging, such as their solid shampoo and massage bars. Last year, by selling their "naked" range of products, Lush stopped a whopping 16 million plastic bottles from being thrown into waste. How amazing is that? We were taught about their solid shampoo and conditioners, which can last up to 80 uses. Both products come in a solid form and require no packaging at all. They would be perfect for travelling if you need to bring down your luggage weight! I've tried one of their shampoo bars before, and I really liked it, so I was interested to find out they now have conditioners in the solid form too.

Here are some of the solid shampoo bars that Lush have to offer.

These are the solid conditioners. The one
that we sampled was called "Daddy O" and
was actually created by the CEO of Lush.

The flagship Lush store is down in London on Oxford Street, and they have many products that are exclusive to the flagship store. We were lucky enough to get to see some of the them and watch them in action. The one that we got to sample was the "Cyanide Pill" bath bomb, which fizzed around the bowl with tonnes of silver glitter. Some of the other exclusive products were a variety of bath bombs, a shower jelly and two fragrances, one of which had the same scent as the popular "Snow Fairy" range. 

The part of the night that I was most excited about was making our own face masks. Our group made one called "Catastrophe Cosmetic" and was packed full of blueberries, calamine and chamomile, which help to soothe and repair the skin. Lush use only fresh and pure ingredients, and never test on animals. They also make sure that all of their suppliers are also cruelty free and do not test on animals. The other group made a mask called "Cupcake." which contains rhassoul mud and cocoa powder to cleanse the skin and draw out any dirt that may cause impurities. When I got home, I got Jordan to try out one of the face masks with me. Jordan tried the "Catastrophe Cosmetic" mask, and I'm pleased to say that he was really impressed with how his skin felt afterwards. I was also really impressed with the "Cupcake" mask, and I'm looking forward to using it again and seeing the affects it has over time.

Crushing up the blueberries ready to add
to the mixture.

Mixing the ingredients together before the mixture
was added to the pots.

To finish the evening, we were taught a little bit about Lush's cosmetics and the thought process behind them. The range is called "Emotial Brilliance," and each of the products is named after a feeling or emotion, which is supposed to represent the mood you are in on that particular day. To test this out, we did an "Emotial Brilliance" reading to find what our colours were. Mine were calm, passionate and fantasy. I thought this was a really cool concept, and I was pretty impressed with the colours that I picked and the thought behind them.

 As we left, we were kindly given a goodie bag tied up in one of their knot bags. These were beautiful pieces of fabric that were used to tie up all of our goodies, but can also be reused and worn as scarves. The pattern on mine was beautiful, so I'll definitely be re-using it.

We were kindly given a small pot of each of the face masks we made on the night, a pot of the Angels on Bare Skin facial cleanser, a bar of the Daddy-O solid conditioner, a block of their new Sea Salted Caramel hand soap and my personal favourite, the Creamy Candy bubble bar.

I had such a fun evening at the Lush Livingston store, and it was really clear to me just how much the staff at Lush truly love the company that they work for. This made the whole evening feel a lot more sincere, and it's obvious how much Lush genuinely care for the planet and it's future. I'd like to thank the staff at Lush Livingston for such a great evening, and I'll definitely be back soon to purchase the long list of products now on my want-list.

A Short Break At Alton Towers

Last week, Jordan and I decided that we wanted to get away for a couple days and do something fun, so what better place to visit than Alton Towers! We managed to get a deal online in which we got two days in the park and an overnight stay at a hotel for only £150. This worked out at a really good price when halved between the two of us. 

We set off on Monday morning at about 4am and managed to arrive at the park around half past 10. We got stuck in so much traffic, and our sat nav kept taking me down all the wrong roads, so it took a lot longer than we'd anticipated. 

Our first ride of the day was Thirteen. Jordan was pretty scared for this one but I really liked it. It's supposed to feel like your riding through a dark forrest, and the eerie music really set the tone for the ride. Apparently, Thirteen is the world's first freefall drop rollercoaster as the whole track drops five feet down. 

The next ride we went on was Rita. To be honest, I didn't really like this one. I'd been on it before, but I couldn't remember it being so fast. It reaches speeds of 100kph in just 2.5 seconds, but it made my body feel like it was being tossed all over the place. I didn't go on this one again. I didn't manage to get any photos of these rides as the weather was horrendous on our first day and I was scared to get my phone wet. Such a bad blogger!

We took the Skyride to the other side of the park and tried out some of the smaller rides, such as Blade and the Runaway Mine Train. Although these ones are probably more for kids, they were some of my favourite rides as we had such a laugh on them. Across the two days, we ended up going on Blade three times.

I've been to Alton Towers twice before, but one of their newer attractions that I hadn't seen before was Sharkbait Reef. It's sponsored by Sea Life, so it had tanks full of really pretty fish, and even some interactive pools in which you could touch or hold some of them. I thought this was a really nice addition to the park, and it was nice to just wander around looking at all the different fish.

Our final ride of the first day was Galactica. Jordan was really excited to try this one, especially being the total physics geek that he is. Primarily called Air, the ride is now a virtual reality coaster in which all riders have to wear a visor. The ride uses virtual reality to immerse you in space as the rollercoaster lays you on your front, creating the feeling that you're flying. This was definitely a new experience and I really enjoyed it.

The next morning, we arrived at the park around 10am and headed straight for The Smiler. We were hoping to avoid a huge queue, but even at 10am the wait time was 110 minutes! It was definitely worth it though. The ride has a record breaking 14 loops and makes you feel extremely dizzy, but it's definitely the best ride at the park. 

Enterprise was our next choice of the day. It had no queue and I'd never even noticed before, but I really enjoyed this one and we went on it twice. We sat in this little pod, with nothing but the rails to hold onto, as it spun us round and round. It even goes upside down, with only the sheer force of the ride keeping you in place. This one made us extremely dizzy, but we ended up going on it twice.

Every time we tried to go on the Spinball Whizzer, for some reason, they kept telling us it was closed. When I finally noticed it was running again, I was excited to try it. Only 4 people can sit in each car, but as it moves around the track, the car itself spins around in all different directions. It made me feel awfully sick, but it gave us such a laugh.

Before heading home, we decided to buy some souvenirs. We went a little bit mad in the gift shop and bought an unnecessary amount of mugs. But since Jordan and I are moving into new flats in September, I figured we could justify it. We also bought a couple of key rings with some of the pictures taken of us on the rides. Pretty cheesy, I know.

We both had a really nice few days away and it was nice to get some time to ourselves. As much as I enjoyed Alton Towers, I probably won't go back for a while now. Now that I've been three times, I feel like I've done everything that I wanted too. I'd definitely recommend going if you love rollercoasters though, as it's a really fun place to visit.

My Month In Photos // June

This month has been pretty hectic, but I've loved it! So many things have happened this month, such as going on holiday and celebrating Jordan's 20th birthday. I love reading other people's monthly round up posts, so I thought I'd try one myself. It'll be nice to look back at it in a few months and remember all the fun things I did.

By far the highlight of June was going on holiday. Jordan and I went to Tenerife for a week at the start of the month, and we had the best time. Everything went to plan, and we were able to fit so many fun things into our time away. I'll always have special memories of this holiday since it was the first proper holiday Jordan and I had taken together. I did a whole blog post about our holiday, which you can check out here.

The highlight of our holiday was definitely the day we spent at Siam Park. I've been to plenty of waterparks on family holidays before, but this one was amazing. All of the slides were great fun, and we managed to get on all of them before we had to leave. My favourite slide was Singha, which is the park's newest slide. I also loved the wave pool (I know, I'm such a child) and made Jordan stay in it for ages with me. 

The first few weeks of June treated us to some very nice weather, so my best friends and I decided to go for a picnic. We drove to Linlithgow and found a really nice spot next to the palace. We even did a bit of baking. As you can probably tell, Jordan and I aren't the best when it comes to baking, but our brownies tasted so much better than they looked. I love spending hot summer days with my friends, so I had a really nice time that day.

I also attended my first blogger event this month. I'd never been to one before, so I was fairly nervous. The event was organised by Ruth Whyte, and was held at the White Stuff store on George Street in Edinburgh, where we were treated to some Prosecco and cake. Lots and lots of cake. I met some really lovely bloggers at the event, including Emma from Emma Langlands, and Xandra from Heroine Training. You should definitely check out their blogs if you haven't already. 

This month I finished reading 'Me Before You' and I really enjoyed it. It was a total tear jerker with such a shocking ending. After finishing the book I couldn't wait to see the film, so Jordan and I went to see it on Saturday night. I thought the film was an okay adaption from the book, but I was a little disappointed with some of the parts they'd left out. I hadn't told Jordan anything about the story or the book, so he couldn't stop crying when it came to the ending. I'd recommend going to see it if you have the chance.

June was a really good month for me, and I can't wait to see what July has in store. 

Did you get up to much in June? Or do you have anything special planned for July?