Adventures with Laura

Hi everyone, hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year.

I wanted to take this opportunity to write about goals for the new year.

So many of us talk about new year’s resolutions, only to keep them up for about 2 weeks before quitting. What exactly is it that means so many of us fail? What is the difference between the ones that succeed Vs the ones that give up?

I think the main thing with new year’s resolutions is you have to see if they are S.M.A.R.T goals or not. As in: Specific, Measurable, Achieveable, Realistic and Time. Do I have a specific goal in mind? Or is it a rough idea? How will I measure this goal? How will I achieve this goal exactly? Is this goal realistic? Could I actually achieve it? And what time frame am I setting myself to achieve it by? If our goals aren’t thought through in this way they become much harder to achieve.

For example. Someone who’s goal is “I want to quit smoking” as a new year resolution, but with absolutely no clue how to do it, has a lower success rate. Instead of a goal such as “I’d like to smoke 1 pack a day by next month, by cutting down a cigarette a day.” And the next goal might be only 5 cigarettes a day, 3, etc. Or maybe the goal might be to add patches for a month, and cut the cigarettes out entirely. You see my point about how it must be a specific goal?

Having a thought out plan can make all the difference when it comes to achieving our goals. This is something most don’t think of in January.

That said, I don’t like to make new year’s resolutions for exactly this reason. But what I do instead is I look at where I’m at, and where I’d like to be in the coming year. I take stock of things. I write a list of all the things I’d like to do in the coming year. And I S.M.A.R.T goal them. The main reason I don’t make them is because I believe we should all be working on ourselves continuously, nobody is perfect. But we can all review our lives once a month to see if we are on track. I have a notebook I go through with short term goals every month.

Have you set any S.M.A.R.T goals lately? Or are you thinking of changing yours as a result? Let me know!

Do you use a Cashback website? No? You really should give it whirl! I was somewhat sceptical when i first heard about these sites, Top Cashback, Quidco etc. It seemed too good to be true, but so many folks use them these days.

I saw a friend banging on about how much money she had saved using Top Cashback just by shopping through them. I was intrigued and signed up myself through her link to get us both more cashback.

How does it work? Summed up in simple terms, commission is earned when you click a link to buy something, this is returned to you after the purchase. How much this comes to, is dependant on the retailer. The website benefits through traffic and adverts, which is how they profit from people using it.

You were going to buy the product beforehand anyway. It’s a no-brainer to click through before you buy, and save some of your hard earned cash. Buying a new mattress? Car Insurance? etc. Check first, because you may be able to get cashback!

This year I have saved £121 of my money just in things that i would have bought anyway! A new phone contract, buying presents for birthdays, holidays. The possibilities are endless. You can choose to pay it back into your account, or use it for vouchers for things you’ll use throughout the year.

If you don’t already do this, I highly recommend it. Especially with Christmas coming up. Think what you could save on the Christmas Presents you’d usually buy for your friends and family.

Sign up here and check it out:

https://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/winchestergirl64

Let me know how it goes for you!

Do we all live in a culture for owning too much stuff? Buying things we don’t need, and then buying duplicates when we can’t find them. I think we’ve all done it.

I’ve recently realised I needed to de-clutter my room. My reason behind deciding this? I learned that a messy room is not good for your mental health. Think about it, do you really need the extra stress, energy and time consuming moments in your day to find things? I know i’d rather relax and focus on myself. That’s one reason, but another reason was that I (eventually, given I am a millenial) plan to move out. And I don’t want to be taking things with me I don’t need, and adding to the time taken to sort things when the moving day comes. The less I own, the easier it is and the happier I will be!

I have slowly been doing this over the course of a few months, and I can honestly say it’s been a big help. I feel happier and more relaxed in my own space. And I know where everything is!

From selling things, donating to charity, throwing out rubbish. And sorting anything I wanted to keep, it’s been a tough job. I tried to stick to the “keep 7 things on the side” rule. And only keeping things that bring me joy, or are useful.

Obviously sentimental things are harder to part with, so instead I’ve chosen to only keep a few of those things. Maybe one day I can bring myself to part with more. But I think it’s nice to keep a small amount.

I have learned the most about how emotionally attached to objects we all are. It’s ridiculous really when you think about it. I de-cased my DVD collection to save space. And it looks fantastic now and saves so much more space. However i was shocked how even throwing out the cases was difficult!

I would encourage all of you to take a look at your surroundings, and if you don’t love it. Change it! Throw away the clutter. It will make you free and happier just owning less stuff. I still have a little way still to go, but just the art of parting with things you don’t want or use is a fantastic habit to have.

Read a few books or articles on the subject. I found Pinterest a great source of organisation and room inspiration.

Have you had an experience de-cluttering? Let me know how it went, was it good, tough, exhausting? My experience was all of the above!

#Declutter #Tidy #Organising #Minimalism #Mindfulness

I love the Superdrug own brand products. Albeit I’m a tad biased as they are my employers, but any excuse to review some beauty products! I’ve used Superdrug own brand face masks for years because they are cheap and excellent value. But I have yet to try this one. So I thought I’d review it for you guys!

This afternoon I’m trying out the Tea Tree skincare range. Specifically the Deep Cleansing Mud Mask. I have combination skin, so tea tree is definitely something I can benefit from!

Upon application I can smell the essential oils, the tea tree and peppermint are nice and strong! If you like a strong smelling mask then you won’t be disappointed. The clay felt really smooth on my face when applying. Then it started to harden, which is always a sign of a good mask. I left this on for 15mins before removing it, but 10-15 mins is fine.

To remove you simply wash with warm water. And you’re left with smooth skin! I noticed a difference in the lack of oil on my face after use. It can be a little drying, so I would definitely recommend following with a moisturizer.

Suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians, Superdrug don’t test on animals either which is great. Good little mask for just 99p!

If you’re trying to cut down on skin care costs, definitely worth trying the own brand mask range.

Welcome! I’m Laura. I am someone with lots to say, and I have finally made a blog. Expect lots of my life. Mostly nerdy things like Marvel. Pretty scenery, and no doubt reviews on things I’ve tried lately! I love Make-up & Skincare. TV & Film. Technology. Gadgets. Gaming. Mindfulness. Cats. Disney. Nature. Good views. So if anything at all peaks your interest.

Come give me a follow as I start out in the big wide world of blogging.

I’m sure it’ll be a fun ride!