Typically of a weeknight i'll come home from work/the gym, and all i'll want to do is get straight into bed, as I don't know about anyone else but the cold evenings always make me feel tired and it always seems so much later than it actually is. Having said that i've been adding a few things into my routine just help me unwind and to also give myself some 'me time' and self care, as they are always important.

Putting your Pj's on a radiator - Typically before I jump in the shower or bath, whichever, i'll put my clothes on my radiator to warm through as it's true that there is no better feeling than getting out of the shower, into the cold to then put on warm Pj's, am I right? Or am I right?

Making yourself the biggest hot drink - Whether it's a big ol' mug of tea or a hot chocolate, I bloody love snuggling up on the sofa with a warm drink, as it just instantly warms me up. I've also been treating myself to a few marshmallows on top of my hot chocolate when i've got a few calories left over for the day, because who doesn't love some marshmallows on their hot chocolate!

A long relaxing soak in the bath - Recently, especially after a really hard gym session i've been having a bath to help soothe my muscles and i've been getting through my Lush stash more quickly than normal! One of my favourites for this time of year is their Magic of Christmas Bubblebar (£5.95), which just smells incredible and gives me all of the Autumn vibes!

Putting a hot water bottle under the covers - Similarly to the pj's on the radiator, if i'm feeling really cold i'll pop a hot water in my bed about 30 mins before I go to bed so that it's nice and warm when I do get into bed. 

Lighting all the candles - For me my room is above the garage, which means my room is always a lot colder than the rest of the house so of an evening i'll light a good 2-3 candles to just warm up my room and boy does it make my room smell amazing!

What are you doing to make your evenings more cosy?

October for me is the start of Autumn, as we're officially out of September and the weather really starts to get colder and crisp around this time of year. Now I never used to be an Autumn kind of gal and to a degree i'm still not but I have learnt to embrace what Autumn and also Winter brings, and I do look forward to the change of season, as it brings a fresh approach to many things in my life.

Instead of doing a typical 'to do list' style post as mine never seem to go down that well, I thought i'd share some things i'd recommend doing through October which involves a few things I too will be doing, and some ways in which you can also embrace this change of season and what it brings.

Get into the Halloween spirit - Halloween was probably my favourite holiday after Christmas when I was growing up, as i'd love to dress up and go trick or treating with my cousins. Now that i'm older trick or treating isn't really something a 24 year old can do, so instead i'm embracing and getting in the Halloween spirit in other ways, such as - Watching Halloween movies (Hocus Pocus, Harry Potter etc..), planning Halloween blog content, picking pumpkins and adding some Halloween decor to my room.

Bake - If you saw my 3 Easy To Bake Halloween Cookies post last year, then you'll know how much fun I had baking these tasty treats! One thing I really enjoy doing in Autumn is baking, as it allows you to enjoy yourself with making an endeavour out in to the cold, and when you've got Halloween coming up it makes for a perfect excuse to whip up some tasty treats! 

Buy all of the pumpkin scents - It seems during October everywhere goes crazy for pumpkin products including shower gels, candles and even drinks, and although i'm not the biggest fan of pumpkin, I do like some of the scents that companies bring out. This year i've already picked up a few candles, including the B&BW Pumpkin Pecan Waffle Candle ($22.50) which you can purchase through shipping companies such as MyMallBox or GoSend. I also saw a few people posting about The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin range and I just had to see what it was like, and low and behold I ended up purchasing the Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel (£5). As I love vanilla scents, this mixed with the pumpkin smells absolutely incredible and I can't wait to start using this!

Stock up on Lush goodies - We all know that this time of year is a Lush addicts dream come true as they have both the Halloween and Christmas products out, and like everyone else i'm lusting on a few bits! I put A Lush Shopping List up last week of all of the products I want to try, but i'm on a massive spending ban at the moment so i'm staying away (although I am going to a Lush event on Thursday so i'm not sure how restraint i'm going to be lol!)

What things do you have planned this month?

Blogging events for me were something i'd not done for the first few years of blogging, purely because I felt I didn't have the confidence to attend them but as my passion, and confidence to talk about my blog grew so did my want to attend blogger events. Having now attended a few, I thought i'd share some reasons as why I love blogging events, especially for those who too may feel scared to attend them.

Blog events essentially are the next step to getting yourself and your blog noticed, whilst also meeting more bloggers babes which personally I think is amazing, but I know that sometimes events can be daunting especially if you don't know any or many people attending. So I thought a few tips on finding events and the benefits of attending them would be useful!

You get to meet and network with brands in person - The one thing I love about brands is meeting and getting to know them in person, as I personally feel I learn more, I can ask questions and gain not only knowledge of them but also advice on their products! For me attending blog events it isn't just about the freebies, it's also making relationships with brands who you can then approach to work with on future projects. As they always say, it's who you know not what you know.

The freebies - Now, going to blog events for me aren't all about the freebies, but it's a lovely little extra that makes attending them feel even more fun, and it gives you the opportunity to try products that you probably wouldn't ever of thought to try. I've found some of my favourite products through the freebie bags at blogging events, so it always a lovely bonus!

I remember back when I started blogging and I just found myself doing things purely for 'the blog' or 'the gram' and looking back it's funny now that it's just a part of normal life for me, and probably most bloggers. So here are a few things that I've noticed that I do because of blogging.

- You find your hand cream collection has grown excessively.

- You have a never ending collection of pretty notebooks that you'll never write in.

- You spend hours scrolling through Instagram wondering what you're doing with your life.

- You can't eat out without taking a photo of your food before you begin eating (which is thoroughly annoying for your friends/family apparently).

- You've totally ran out of beauty storage for your never ending beauty purchases/blogger mail.

- You have about six different highlighters on the go at one point.

- You own far too many brushes, of which all of them need a good wash.

- You spend your weekends blogging, rather than watching an entire series on netflix.

- Your phone battery barely lasts until lunch time due to too much social media scrolling.

- You have a folder on your laptop fully dedicated to blogging that you should probably organise.

What blogger traits have you adopted?

When it comes to taking blog photos, the biggest thing for me is the styling and the props that I use in order to add a little extra something to my images. I absolutely love seeing how other people style their photos, and taking influence to switch mine up every now and then. I thought i'd do a little round up of my favourite and most used blog props, as I haven't done a photography post in a while!
When I first started blogging blog props were alien to me, and although I am so embarrassed of my old blog photos i'll never update them purely so I can see how far they have come in along in the past four and half years! Since then i've invested in a range of blog props, that I love to incorporate into my blog post images and switch up from time to time.


What props do you use in your photos?

For me I love nothing more than having a pamper evening, but sometimes I find that they aren't the only ways in which you can wind down after a busy start to the week. Self care is something I want to really work at the moment, which is why i've been upping my fitness game but also doing things I normally wouldn't in order to take care of number one. 

Switching off for an hour - Although when i'm at work i'm not on social all that much, but having spent an entire day glued to my laptop screen that last thing I want to do is then stare at my phone or a tv all evening. Usually i'll come home from the gym and take that hour to just completely switch off. I turn my phone onto aeroplane mode, put some music on, have a shower and just spend some time for myself.

A good soak never hurt anyone - Another way that I relax of an evening is having a really long soak in the bath, especially if i've had an intense gym session and i'm in need of relaxing my muscles. As you will of seen i've been loving the Being X Sanctuary Spa range recently, as their products smell absolutely incredible and do absolute wonders to your skin. 

Starting a new book - Now i'm not the biggest reader but it is something that I want to incorporate more into my life and evenings, as a way of putting my phone down rather than scrolling through social media for hours. The thought of whacking on a face mask and getting lost in a book and ignoring everything else that is going on for an hour or two sounds perfect! If you have any good recommendation, please leave them in the comments!

Go for a walk - When I was little, i'd be outside playing with the local kids on my street until at least 7pm and there is always something about fresh air that just does something to you. For me it relaxes my mind, gets me moving but in a way that i'm not going to tire myself out. Even if it's to the shop and back, getting some fresh air can do the world of good.

Comment on some blog posts you've loved - On the flip side of all of the above, of an evening where I'm not doing much I love catching up on the blog posts I haven't read, and just spending some time commenting on them. For me I don't get much time to do this, so I get enjoyment out if when I can find the time.

What do you do to unwind after a Monday?

I remember back when blog pods were a bit of a new thing, and I joined a few firstly on Instagram to try and 'beat the algorithm' and to generally engage more with fellow bloggers, which then turned into a few more for various platforms. However, after a while of being in them I just found it to be so hard to keep up with them, and essentially is sucked all of the fun out of it for me, so I removed myself from all of the pods I was in to have a bit of a break and find the passion I used to have for Instagram and blogging. 

I felt doing this post would be good and beneficial to those with little experience of pods, to give two sides to it from someone who has been in pods, and then also the after effects of leaving them etc, and just my general thoughts on them.

WHAT IS A BLOG POD

Essentially a blog pod is a pod of people who share their latest posts, whether it be Instagram posts or blog posts etc and then everyone in the pod has to like and/or comment depending on the rules of the pod. Typically everyone communicates through DM on Insta or Twitter, but I have heard of it going further into apps such as WhatsApp etc in order for a larger amount of people to communicate.

For me personally there are definitely pros and cons to blog comment pods, as some people love them and some people hate them, the same as most things in this world.

PROS

- You get to engage more with bloggers, those you may already know and those you may not.
- It gives you opportunity to discover new bloggers, those you may not have seen because of the algorithm.
- It allows you to gain extra exposure, thus creating more impressions, likes etc.
- You're a part of a support system, one where if you do need advice on pretty much anything you'll get it (this obviously depends on each individual comment pod, but the girls in all of mine were babes).

CONS

- They're hard to juggle, especially for those who like me have a full time job (with an hour commute, and one where I rarely leave the office 'on time').
- They create a lot of pressure to keep up with, especially because you have to do it, you have to comment and like, making everything seemed forced and non genuine.
- Some pods are stricter than others, and often some of the rules make it harder to find enjoyment.
- Although 99.9% of the comments you receive are genuine, you will always get one or two that comment 'nice photo' or 'that looks cute', which in turn come across spammy or non genuine.

WHY I LEFT MY BLOG PODS
For me personally it was just too much, as I mentioned briefly above juggling them with a full time job, one that isn't your a normal 9-5 and also fitting in blogging, friends and everything else just made me feel so down about everything to do with blogging. Fair play to those that do it and make it look easy, because I can tell you it is not easy not one bit!

I know i'm not alone either, as i've spoken to many bloggers and social users who too felt that it sucked all the fun out of it for them and felt like forced engagement, rather than genuine engagement. One thing I prided myself in was actually being genuine with every comment I left, but I would then feel other weren't being genuine, thus making me think 'why do I bother?'. Having said that I did make some genuine friends from the pods I was in, and I still support those gals now just more from a far and when I can. Whereas others i'm pretty sure have unfollowed me, purely because I left the pods, but thats life and i'm not going to get myself down about that.

Since leaving the pods I haven't really noticed much of difference other than I don't get anywhere as many comments, but my likes are still pretty much the same and my followers are still stuck where they have been for the last three months (joys of Instagram). As for the pod I was in for Bloglovin', essentially I am just getting genuine likes from those who have actually enjoyed reading my post, which is all I care about essentially.

If you are thinking about joining Instagram pods or blog pods, I would honestly say go for it! You have absolutely nothing to lose, but just be mindful there are always going to positives and negatives, and some things don't always work for everyone.

What are your views on blog pods?

This time last year was when I finally got my blog mojo back after what felt like months of being so lost with just life in general. I'd just come back from a holiday that taught me a lot, and opened my eyes to a lot of things that I am now thankful for, even though at the time it was pretty crap but you live, learn and move on, thats what makes you stronger even when life can pretty cruel at times.

With all that being said, when i'm going through a bit of a rough time with life I tend to throw myself into the things I love, which for me were my blog, work and friendships that truly mean the world to me, the people I can really count on, not those who have constantly let me down. So with that throwing myself whole heartedly into my blog, it really taught me some vital lessons, ones that I will always remember because blogging is always changing, and with that the way we blog kind of changes as well. So here are a few things i've learnt, and things I wish i'd of known this time last year.

Your time will come - This time last year so many bloggers were beginning to absolutely boss it, of which I was so proud to see but it's often hard to not compare yourself and wonder why you weren't bossing it like they were, and getting the opportunities they were. Which I know straight away sounds pretty selfish, but like I said it's hard not to compare especially when you've been blogging for almost four years. Looking back it was evident that my content just wasn't evolving as others was, and it took for me to really switch up my content and approach to blogging to do a complete 180, and it's safe to say that your time will come, you just have to work for it whilst trying to be as individual as you can in the massive fish pond that is blogging. The opportunities will come, you just have to be patient which i've definitely learnt, and have since had some amazing opportunities to work with some amazing brands.

Stepping out of comfort zone always pays off - This time last year I remember roping my bestest gal pal into shooting my first proper outdoors outfit post, and although I felt completely out of my comfort zone if it weren't for that post I wouldn't be incorporating the fashion content that I have been for the past few months. Although I don't post fashion content as regularly as some, I'm so glad i've pushed myself to be comfortable to get in front of the camera and show off the pieces i'm absolutely loving at the moment. For example, i'm loving the embroidered trend at the moment and this beaut Zaful Floral Mesh Top* (£12.35) is the perfect example as i'm loving discovering new trends, and actually sharing them with you guys, which come a year ago I wouldn't of dreamed of doing.

Don't ever apologise - A few years back i'd feel like absolute crap for not posting, or sticking to my schedule but in all honesty we are only human and apologising for who you are, or apologising because life is just a bit hectic isn't what life is about. Those who genuinely support you will still be there, and you can't please everyone is this world. I've made some of the best friendships through blogging, even if we don't speak in a months I know who will be there and who won't, which is what true friendship is all about.

Instagram will always be a mind f*ck - The constant struggle with Instagram has gotten to the point where I've actually stopped caring, mainly because the stress of it all was really affecting my stress levels, of which for me just isn't worth it. I've come to learn that social media will always be a struggle, especially if you juggle a full time job around your blog like myself, and the best lesson I have learnt is to just do you, and not worry about anyone else. I may gain and lose 50 followers a day, but thats life (sort it out Instagram).

BE YOU! - This is definitely by biggest blog lesson to date, and is one I always tell myself but it's so important to stay true to yourself and not force a persona that just isn't real. If you don't take yourself seriously, no one else will!

What blog lessons have you learnt in the past year?

During my short trip to Australia I spent around five days in the city, and I did a whole variety of different things whilst I was there, from touristy things to finding some amazing places to eat that I often dream about because they were that good! 

Coogee To Bondi Walk - One of the most popular things that many people do is the coast line walk from Coogee to Bondi, stopping off at all of the little beaches along the way and taking in the amazing views! Luckily we chose to do this on a day where it wasn't too hot, and it took around two hours to fully complete, and if you love going a good walk, or even a run and want to soak up some of the amazing views then i'd definitely recommend it! You can find out more info about the walk here, which has a coastal map of the route and what to expect.

Taronga Zoo - Now I know this maybe a little of a controversial thing to do, but visiting Taronga Zoo was one of my favourite days during my stay in Sydney! Essentially you can drive to Taronga but it's easier and much more fun to catch the ferry boat over, which allows you to get an amazing view of the Sydney Bridge and also the Opera House. The zoo itself is on a hill, and you essentially start at the top, and zig zag down to the bottom whilst being able to take in some amazing views of the skyline, whilst also seeing all of the amazing and exotic animals.

Opera Bar - On my final night in Sydney, we headed down to the Opera Bar to see the Opera House and the Sydney Bridge all lit up at night, and we also chose to have a cheeky rosé whilst soaking up the views. It was so peaceful and lovely to see the views, whilst toasting to my last evening in Sydney, and if you want to do something to remember then i'd definitely recommend visiting the Opera Bar, where they also serve food if you fancy grabbing a bite to eat. 

Brooklyn Depot - If you love a good burger, then i'd definitely recommend heading down to Brooklyn Depot as they have an amazing menu of burgers, as well as having limited edition burgers each month and the tastiest milkshakes that i've ever tried! We visited to Surry Hills location, but they have a few different ones around Australia as well as one in Melbourne. 

So those are a few places that i'd highly recommend visiting if you're ever in Sydney, as there is so many different things to do and things to see! 

Have you travelled to Australia before?

In the run up to Australia I was on it in terms of content as I knew that although I was having a break from life, I didn't want my blog to have a break as such as i've been working so hard to get my blog and content back on track. So in preparation I ensured that I got myself ahead in blog content and I really pushed myself, my time and my organisation to the ultimate in order to ensure the blog was left ticking over whilst I was away, and here a few ways in which helped me in terms of organising content.

Planning content in advance - With the way that I blog, I essentially plan weeks in advance in order to then organise my time in a productive way to ensure that I get the content scheduled ahead of time. I literally live by my Paper Chic Co Weekly Blog Planner (£8) to note down which blog posts I am wanting to get scheduled, and then ticking of each stage from taking photos, up until the post has actually gone live, which is great as I love the satisfaction of ticking things off a list! I also rely on my Kikki K Weekly Planner (£7.50) to plan out which posts are going up on which day around all of the other things I have going on with my life, and again I tick off once a post is written and ready to go so I know it's all good to go!

Schedule content for the week ahead - At the moment i'm currently working about a week ahead of myself schedule wise, by ensuring that all content for the next week is all written and scheduled to go up by Sunday evening. Making sure the posts are ready to go to allows me not stress, as I used to find i'd stress so much if I wasn't ready content wise for the week ahead, so planning in advance allows me to get ahead and on top of content!

Bulk photo taking - Before starting my full time job, bulk taking photos was something I never did but now only having essentially two days of the week to take photos, means I have to be on it to get as much use of the day light as I can. With planning content so far in advance, it then means I have a set goal for what photos need to be taken, which means those photos can then be edited and the posts written as and when needed.

Schedule all social - With working full time, more and more I can't be on social media even during my lunch breaks so I rely on scheduling social media content heavily. I tend to do this during an evening, or first thing in the morning just after my alarms have gone off, as I really rely on promoting my blog through social media. I always use Buffer for scheduling content as the app is so easy to use and makes scheduling content so quick!

In the past few months i've really upped my game in terms of interaction across the majority of my social media apps, which with having a full time job is not easy and it's safe to say i've definitely run myself into the ground a little bit recently with trying to keep up. Having said that, there have been a select few apps that have just made upping my interaction so much easier, and I couldn't not let you in on which apps i'm currently loving.

IFFT - Now if you're the queen of scheduling content like me then no doubt you'll have already heard of IFFT, which I think I have briefly spoken about before. IFFT is essentially an app, and also can be used through their website to create recipes in order to schedule content to different social media channels. I mainly use this for automatically posting new blog posts to both Pinterest and Facebook, as I neglect these two platforms the most. I personally love this app, as it takes away some of the hassle and provides you with a bit of piece of mind.

Snapseed - In addition to the apps I mentioned in my previous post here, i've been trying out a few new editing apps and since learning about the 'dodge' tool in Photoshop from the lovely Claudia from Beauty and The Chic, I wanted to find an app that also had this tool just to allow a little extra whitening of dull images. This is where I found Snapseed, which is a free app and has so many amazing editing features to choose from, and i'd definitely recommend checking it out if I were you.

Preview - If like me you like to ensure you've got your Instagram somewhat scheduled for the week, but you're unsure of how an image is going to fit into your theme then Preview is an absolute life saver. It essentially helps you to plan you Instagram without uploading and deleting pictures to see if they fit. Again this app is totally free, and one i'd definitely recommend!

So those are just a few apps that i've recently been loving and would highly recommend for scheduling and planning content!

What apps do you enjoy using for blogging?

Since starting up this little blog of mine just over four years ago I never thought it would give me the purpose that it does, and although blogging daily like I once did or as regularly as I do now is no easy task especially when working full time. Having said all of that, I can't help but feel some sense of achievement and pride in sticking at something for so long, something that a small selection of people actually enjoy and without sounding big headed i'm so proud to see how far this little space on the internet has come, and if you're a blogger like myself you should also feel a sense of pride for these few reasons.

Blogging brings so many new skills - One thing that in the beginning never occured to me was that blogging doesn't really require any type of skill set to begin, and if like me many bloggers start out without knowing what they're doing and sort of wing it with a little bit of help from google and other bloggers along the way. Looking back it's amazing to see how much blogging has brought me in terms of skills that I can actually apply to my career or future opportunities, and it's amazing that blogging can teach so many new things without even realising! 

Blogging opens you up to new opportunities - Back when I started blogging I never thought i'd find myself attending events where i'd get to meet brands, new and old, and also fellow girls and guys that also pour words onto a screen for others to read and love. Also getting the opportunity to work with brands is something that still blows my mind, and is something I will always be grateful for. Blogging is also something that has always gotten a positive reaction to when interviewing for jobs, especially with blogging being something new and upcoming, people are definitely interested to know more.

Hard work will always pay off - Whether it takes you a few months or even a couple of years working hard towards something will always pay off, and the same applies to blogging. In my experience of many things, not just blogging, if you're not dedicated to something it will most likely not work. For a good year I just plodded along with my blog and I didn't really get anywhere with it because I wasn't dedicated, my heart wasn't in it and that was okay. Since I began dedicating more time and working hard to get my content back on track i've seen first hand how far you can come, and don't get me wrong i'm not blowing my own horn because it was bloody hard, but it definitely does pay off in the end.

You grow and learn so much about yourself - For me personally blogging has improved my confidence so much! I was always the shy girl who never really spoke about the positive things in my life and I never thought i'd find myself attending events, meeting new people and doing things that were outside of my comfort zone. Whether blogging grows your knowledge or makes you care less about your flaws, for me putting your heart into a hobbie will always allow you to grow in some way.

So those are a few reasons why you should be proud of your blog, as I come across so many bloggers who somewhat hide, or are embarrassed to tell their friends and family about their blogs (which is totally fine, you do you boo) but in reality you shouldn't be embarrassed. Blogging is an amazing thing and gives you so much more that many people think.

What achievements has blogging brought you?

Firstly I wanted to start this post by saying Happy New Year, as this is the first post of 2017 and I can't believe i'm entering my fifth year of blogging! With that being said one of my goals for this year is to really focus on my blog, and really push it to it's full potential, and I thought there was nothing better than to kick of the year with a post dedicated to getting organised for 2017, and how I plan to further my blog. I will also be doing more of goals style post at the end of the week, so keep an eye out for that.

This past year i've definitely gotten my blog back on track to a point where i'm really happy, although it took a while and a lot of motivation i'm finally at a point where I can keep to a schedule that works for me and my life currently. Having said that, I really want to push my blog and it's content further but in doing that I need to get myself and my content more organised going forward as I currently don't plan ahead all that much. If like me you too are wanting to get yourself more organised, then I hope these pointers/tips also help you to get organised in 2017.

Plan, plan, plan - For me planning is always key, and is one thing I somewhat pride myself in. See for me planning content is the easy part, is just finding the time to get photos taken and content actually scheduled. In order to stick to a schedule it's key to have some sort of plan in hand, whether it be making lists or writing on a calendar which posts you want to go up on certain days and ticking them off once you've written/posted them will really help in the long run. Finding your own groove when it comes planning will hands down make your content/blog easier to run and it means when you've got a free hour or so, you can try to get ahead of yourself a little.

Be aware of timekeeping - Timekeeping for me is what has allowed me to get my blog somewhat back on track this year. For me when it comes to the weekends, I always ensure that no matter what i've got planned i'm always aware of the time, and what spare time I have in order to work on my content. One way in which I stay on top of my timekeeping is of course from wearing a watch, as I don't always have my phone on me and a watch is so easy to allow you to keep on track. If you're a long follower then you'll know I love my Daniel Wellington watches and my current favourite it the Classic Black Reading Watch* (£139) as it goes with everything I wear, and since I began wearing watches i've noticed how much more organised and on top of things as i'm always aware of the time. 

Set yourself realistic goals - One thing I always remind myself is to be realistic with the goals that i'm setting myself for my blog, as there are definitely times where I get myself quite stressed out when i've set myself unrealistic objectives that I know i'm just never going to meet. If you know that you can get a good two blog posts written in a day, maybe three if you really focus on the topics at hand then that's great but don't push yourself to try and go overboard because I find that my posts often lack that connection and heart if i've rushed my content. Remember be kind to yourself, and allow your writing to flow naturally.

Be persistent and motivated - The way in which i've managed to get my blog schedule to three posts a week is through persistence, as I vowed to myself that I wouldn't let my blog content to fall off like it did a year or so ago. If like me you're motivated and driven to do better with your blog, then persistence is key as it gives you that drive and that goal to work towards in order to push yourself and your blog forward. Having said that, and going back to my previous point remember to set yourself a realistic schedule that works to you and your life/workload.

So those are the ways in which I have bettered not only my blog but also myself, and will continue to do so and build upon over the next year. Lastly I want to say a massive Happy New Year to all of you lovely people who have stuck with me through this year, and also a massive thank you to all of you who have followed this year. Without this little space on the internet I wouldn't be where I am today, and for that i'm forever grateful. (Don't forget there's still time to get yourself 15% off at Daniel Wellington with the code 'SPLURGING').

How are you getting yourself organised for 2017?

Over the four years that i've been blogging promotion has changed in many ways, and back when I first started blogging I knew absolutely nothing about promoting my blog through the means of social media. Through the years I have picked up some great tips, but everyday i'm still learning more and the platforms in which many bloggers use or have used shift constantly. Back in the beginning Blogger and GFC were the main ways in which you followed and read blogs, and then it shifted to Bloglovin' and now I find that I gain the most exposure or following through my social media channels, with Twitter being the main driver for my blogs promotion. With Twitter being that main driver utilising it in the best way possible will benefit your blogs exposure, so here are a few simple ways to promote your blog through Twitter.

So those are a few ways that I promote my blog through Twitter, of which I find to be the most effective in order to gain as much exposure as possible. Make sure you're following me on Twitter as I love following everyone back, so come say hi!

How do you promote your blog through Twitter?

If like me you are usually very swamped with work, as it does take up a lot of your time and energy I do think it's important to take some time to yourself to basically do a whole fat lot of nothing, or nothing that desires much energy. It's always important to rest, and although we are in the lead up to Christmas if you can take a day or even a few hours to yourself I can guarantee you'll thank yourself for it. These are just a few ways I like to chill on weekends and I hope this will give you some ideas for your next chilled opportunity.

Read A New Book or Magazine- For me I don't do enough reading, but it is something that I definitely want to do more of. If you love getting lost in a book and also want to switch off from social media for a few hours then i'd definitely say getting stuck into a new read is the way to do it! On the flip side, I love nothing more than getting lost in a magazine. As I work within the fashion industry reading magazines and seeing the latest trends that they are forecasting is a part of my job, but I also love a good gossip mag, and i'm currently loving reading my Grazia (£1.99) subscription, and as it's digital it means I can take it anywhere with me. Also what is great is that digital magazine subscriptions are a lot cheaper, as you get instant access instead of a physical copy which costs a lot more to make, and I prefer digital subscriptions as they are easier and clearer to read in my opinion. Leave me some book or magazine suggestions that your loving at the moment.

Pamper & Refresh - One thing I love doing in order to relax and just make myself feel refreshed is to give myself a mini pamper. Whether thats painting my nails or whacking on a face mask, it just instantly calms and makes me feel somewhat reenergised and relaxed. One of my favourite nail shades at the moment is the Essie Ignite The Night (£4.99) as it's perfect for Christmas, and I can't wait to give my nails a refresh especially for my Christmas party.

Grab a Takeaway or Visit a Local Pub/Cafe - One thing I love to do is eat, and when I say eat I mean trying out new places or cuisines. Where I live there are a few cute pubs/cafes and if I want to get out for some fresh air and try somewhere new I always venture to somewhere local and more low key, as apposed to big chain restaurants. Some of my favourites have to be independent Italian restaurants as i'm a huge lover of anything pizza or pasta. On the flip side if you're not wanting to face the world, get yourself on Deliveroo or Just Eat and try out something new!

Have a Movie Marathon - One thing I don't do enough is watch all of the films i've been wanting to watch for a while. Around this time of year I love to get my Harry Potter box set out and rewatch basically my childhood! Having said that, I really want to go and see Fantastic Beasts, but I just haven't had chance yet.

Catch Up On Your Favourite Bloggers/Youtubers - On weekends where I plan to not do anything, I always catch up on the bloggers and vloggers that I follow, as I tend to not get the time during the week. It also allows me to think of new content ideas, especially if there is popular tag going around or there is topic I also want to share my thoughts on. Some of my favourites at the moments have to be Pint Sized Beauty, The Makeup Directory & A Girl Obsessed.

So those are a few ways that I like to spend a chilled weekend, and honestly even if you manage to do this once a month you'll honestly feel amazing and refreshed!

How do you chill on the weekend?

When I first started blogging, safe to say I didn't understand lighting at all but once i'd gotten into using natural light and understanding it more it became very apparent that during the autumn/winter months the light was very hard to work with and just often unreliable, in comparison to the summer months. As I now work full time, it's really hard for me to actually shoot my blog pictures as I can't shoot in the evenings, which means i'm limited to a couple of days within the week but last winter really allowed me to learn and get myself into a good routine in order for me to still shoot blog photos that I was really happy with and happy to put out. So here a few tips that I hope will help, as i've definitely learnt from them!

- Sophie's Makeup

- Thirteen Thoughts

- Beauty & The Chic / Blogging Gals

How do you survive taking blog pictures during the winter?