Living With Bipolar Disorder...

No, I don't have Bipolar myself but I still live with it on a daily basis. My mum has the disorder and it's definitely not easy to be around some of the time. My mum has Dysphoric Bipolar Disorder which means that she has depressive episodes which are brought on by her mania. 

This is a different type of Bipolar as the most common type involves the individual to be experiencing depressive symptoms most of the time (low mood, lack of motivation, fatigue) and then experiencing a manic episode all of a sudden for a short period of time (increased level of energy, hypersomnia, increase in productivity).

But with my mum she is predominantly manic and then goes through a sudden stage of being severely depressed. When she is manic (which is most of the time) she shops several times a day, every single day; our house is full to the brim with food, "inspirational" quotes on the wall, ornaments, fairy lights and other things that we have no room for. You're probably thinking "why is having a house full of food a problem, surely that's a good thing?" Yeah, it is a good thing, we would never go hungry, for sure, but when the cupboards are that full that every time you open it, things fall out on top of you. Or every time you open the freezer, you have to put a chair against it to keep it shut, that's when it becomes a problem.  

She is very unreasonable sometimes (most of the time) because her mind doesn't work in the same way and she perceives and interprets situations differently to how we would. It's also hard to reason with her about normal things; because she'll see it in a completely different way. 

She's always been a good mum. We have always had anything we needed and wanted and we've always been loved. I know that a lot of people with this disorder are sectioned and their children get put into care so we're definitely lucky. My life could be a lot different if she wasn't the way she is and i probably wouldn't be interested in psychology if it wasn't for her. 

I'm not sure what the point in posting this was but I wanted to get it off my chest. 

The Versatile Award!

Thank you to the lovely Ana Taylor for nominating me! I love doing this sort of thing! 

Seven facts about me:

1. I suck my thumb. (Yes, I'm 21. Yes, it's disgusting. Yes, it has ruined my teeth. Yes, I wish I cared).

2. I was always a bit of a loner at school, at the time, I didn't really enjoy it but now I wish I had less friends because there's more than I've ever handled before. I mean, I did have people at school that I'd talk to, I wasn't a social outcast or anything but I wouldn't say that I had any real friends. All of the friends that I have now are the bestest friends ever. I have a handful of really close friends who I know I'll be friends with for life! (Soz, for the soppiness/cringeness).

3. I first got with my boyfriend at the age of 15 and when we were going into year 11 (I think). When I first met him, in year 10, I had never ever seen him before or noticed him despite going to the same school for 3 years prior to that. 

4. I come home from university feeling really drained because of the people in my class. I struggle to understand how most of them will go into a caring profession when they graduate as the majority of them are self-absorbed and have no regard for other people (may sound harsh but it's just my observation and after spending two years with these people, it's hard to see them being any help to those in need because of the way they are).

5. My boobs have gotten bigger recently and I'm not sure what to do with them as I'm not used to actually having boobs.

6. I really enjoy exceeding people's expectations and it happens a lot (unfortunately)! I feel like a lot of people assume that I'm a "typical blonde" (ugh, I hate when people say that) and have nothing else about me. It's nice when people say "ooh, you're actually quite clever" but I find it patronising at the same time.

7. I get great pleasure out of binge watching YouTube videos and reading blogs as I getting an insight into other people's lives and perspectives on things. I love learning about new people.

I also did a '50 Facts About Me' post quite a while ago if y'all wanna know more about me (I'm not that interesting, although I think I am). 

The Rules:

- Thank the person who gave you this award and leave a link to their blog

- Tell the person who nominated you, 7 things about yourself

- Select 15 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly

- Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award

Jeannie- She has such a lovely blog and takes beautiful pictures of her travels!

Abbie- Has a great blog full of DIY beauty tips! I still need to try the lip scrub!

I've only decided to tag two bloggers because I can't think of 13 more to tag! 

xx

The Past Few Weeks

I've had such a busy few weeks that I haven't had chance to do anything! I started my first university placement which was very nerveracking but I survived the two weeks and will be there every Wednesday for a month before started seven weeks at my next placement. 

My placement involves intervention groups which are run on a daily basis for older adults whom have an early onset of dementia. Memory management, cognitive stimulation therapy and self memory management groups are run and are designed to help older adults manage and accept their diagnosis of dementia whilst learning strategies and techniques to help them as their dementia progresses. I've never really had an interest in dementia or working with older adults; my interest has always been with young adults and adults who have disorders (bipolar, personality disorder, schizophrenia, addictions, eating disorders). But I have enjoyed my placement so so much and I've learnt a lot. I've recieved really positive feedback from my mentor and supervisor and reassurance that I'm going in the right direction! I'd advise anybody who wants to go into a career in psychology to volunteer or apply for work experience within the NHS; I've learnt so much is such a short space of time and have gained a lot of good contacts. 

I had to wear really boring clothes for the time I was there. The first day I got a fob which was number 23 (ooooh freakyyyy). 

After my first day, I felt really drained due to a mix up. My mentor was not aware that I would be starting placement on that day so for the whole day I was left to read through booklets which definitely was not fun. When I got home, the first thing I did was get in the bath with a lush bath bomb and lay there wallowing in self pity for a while. 

Since that first day, I have absolutely loved the whole experience. I think I have fully embraced it and took on extra responsibilities. I had to blag it a few times and pretend I knew what people were talking about when really, I had no clue! 

After a good week two weeks at placement, I decided to treat myself before going back to uni!

H&M £29.99 (I think) 

H&M £14.99 

Gym top = Tesco F&F £6 

Gym bottoms = Fabletics.co.uk £22

Trainers = Nike Free Runs 5.0 (gift from last christmas) 

I barely went to the gym whilst at placement as I felt too tired and had s lot of work to do so I did a little home workout. 

Gymshark

 

Brita filtered water bottle £12 Debenhams

Workout: 

30 second sprint and then 30 seconds rest - five times 

10 press ups 

10 burpees

10 toe touches 

15 low squats 

15 hip bridges 

10 jumps over the treadmill 

20 mountain climbers (10 each leg) 

I nearly died after doing no cardio for two weeks. I absolutely hate it! Gimme weights any day! 

Have a lovely week:)!

Liebster Award!

I was tagged by the lovely Jessica Bird; she is just starting out with her blog and will be uploading on Mondays and Thursdays. I can already tell that I'm going to love reading her blog posts; thank you so much for the nomination :)!

What is the Liebster Award?

The idea of the Liebster Award is to help spread the word of less well-known blogs and those who are just starting out in the world of blogging. 

Rules

1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the questions given by the nominator.
3.Nominate 11 other bloggers, who have less than 200 followers and link them. 
4. Create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer. 
5. Notify all nominees via social media/blogs. 

Questions from Jessica

1. What is your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is sitting at home ALONE with a nice cup of coffee, Yes, I know that that's quite lame considering I'm 21 years old but it's my favourite thing!

2. How would your friends describe you?

My friends would probably say that I'm annoying! In the past they've said that I'm honest and don't stand for things! I think they're good things? 

3. What ten things make you happy?

1. COFFEE. 2. My boyfriend. 3. My friends. 4. My family. 5. Dancing when no body else is in (to judge me). 6. The gym. 7. Entering competitions (Lol, I'm beyond lame). 8. Meeting new people. 9. Volunteering. 10. Sitting in my PJ's all day. 

4. When did you start your blog?

Over the past few years, I've started a few and then ended up deleting them. I've always wanted to blog for myself as an outlet for my thoughts. I've mentioned previously that I'm everybody else's "counsellor" so I tend not to talk about how I feel to many people and sometimes I don't want to tell anybody but I need to get my thoughts out or write them down somewhere. So I thought that this would be the perfect place to do so. 

5. What is your favourite word?

Hmm.. I like the word iridescent. No idea why. There's no cool story behind it. It just sounds cool. 

6. Where do you want to travel to most?

I'd love to drive all around America. I think it would be such an amazing experience. It won't be happening any time soon as I can't drive, have no money and have around 4 years left in education. But one day, maybe. 

7. Where do you get your blogging inspiration from?

I don't really. I'm not looking for this to be a groundbreaking blog or anything. I'm using it to let out my thoughts and if a few people read it along the way and can relate to stuff/enjoy it then that's cool with me. 

8. What is your favourite quote?

"You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the whole world and there will still be someone who hates peaches" 

-Dita Von Teese. 

I think it's so relatable and important to remember. No matter how good you are at something, there will always be somebody who is better. I think the main message to take away from it is that just because you're not somebody's cup of tea, it doesn't matter, You can't please everybody:) 

9. Who is your celebrity crush?

I have loved Rupert Grint for years! You know, Ron Weasley from Harry Potter? He's got a little something about him. 

10. What is your favourite lip product?

I'm not really a lipstick wearer. Sometimes I wear lip gloss but not often enough to have a favourite. I like the Burt's Bees Pomegranite Chapstick. 

11. What is your goal for 2015? 

I did a short post of my resolutions for 2015; my main goals are to get on track with my health and fitness and make a good impression whilst on placement. Which I start tomorrow, eeeeeeeek!

I Nominate:

Lucie Rebekahh

Chloe Perkins

Whitney Jacks

Hannah Katie

Anna Care

India Snow

Claire Eve

Lydia Leigh

Alexandra Louise

Laurenna Jade

Connie Flower

My Questions:

1. What is your current job/dream job?

2. What is your favourite thing to do?

3. Why did you start your blog?

4. What is your favourite colour?

5. Describe yourself in three words.

6. Which is your favourite: fashion or make-up?

7. What is the best joke you know?

8. What are you doing tomorrow?

9. What is your favourite microsoft word font? (I think this says a lot about people:p)

10. What is your favourite song at the moment?

11. What is the best advice you could give to somebody?

Thanks for reading!

De-Stress and Pamper Routine | Rachel McLaughlin

I'm not usually one to get stressed often but sometimes, like a lot of people, I let things get on top of me. I find that the best thing to do in this situation is pretend that whatever is stressing you out isn't happening and have a pamper sesh! I always like to grab a drink (usually coffee, oops), grab my favourite products, get out some fresh pajama's and have a relaxing bath! 

I love Lush products but I hate spending money but I got bought quite a few goodies from Lush for Christmas so I decided to use the Dashing Santa. I was a little disappointed to be honest; it didn't smell amazing and didn't look great although my skin did feel amazing when I got out the bath. 

While my bath bomb is dissolving, I like to remove my make using Micellar water (this is superdrug's own brand which is meant to be a dupe for Bioderm) then I exfoliate, concentrating on my nose and t-zone (currently using the Garnier scrub). I then use the Clearasil mask and get into Le Bath. 

I usually just lay there for a while and usually spend my time snapchatting pictures of my weird feet to my friends! :P 

I then wash my hair in the shower to remove the residue from the bath bomb. I use head and shoulders smooth and silky shampoo and conditioner. I have a really damaged scalp so this helps repair it. I wouldn't recommend as it almost leaves your hair too silky (if that makes any sense?!) and sometimes it can look greasy even though it's been freshly washed! 

I then use my strawberry shower gel from the body shop. It smells SO SO good! After getting out of the shower I put my hair into a turban and use the strawberry body sorbet; this is fast becoming one of my favourite moisturisers! It literally absorbed into your skin straight away and doesn't leave a greasy residue on your skin. 

Believe it or not link is my least favourite colour after red (who would've guessed; pink socks, pink pajama's). I got these PJ's for Christmas off my mum and they are so so cringey but so cosy! They have unicorns all over them and say "Don't mess with me, I'm magical" oh lord. 

What are some of your favourite ways to de-stress? 

Christmas Haul 2014!

I absolutely love seeing what people got for Christmas. It excites me more than it should. Which is a little sad but I really don't care. I thought i'd do a little post on what I got for Christmas (excitement levels = 1000). 

Presents from my mum

My mum has something that we liked to call "Christmas Phobia". This is a term that I actually made up... Basically, every year, she panics that we don't have enough presents and always says to us "now, I know it doesn't look like much" and we always have absolutely loads of stuff. We are all very lucky and so grateful for everything we get. 

I had a load of other things but most are in the wash or I've eaten them, whoops! I've wanted a tangle teezer and the Muji make-up storage draws forever!

Presents from my dad

My dad bought me the one line a day book which i'm very keen to keep up and the soap and glory eye mask. I also got some money, the big soap and glory set and a Nike top. My stepdad also bought me a big soap and glory set and perfume. 

My boyfriend definitely did well this year. He bought me a Nespresso machine which I've wanted for ages (I'm a self-confessed coffee addict. He also got me loads of the coffee pods so I could try each flavour. He also got me the below and a lots of Reece's chocolate goodies. 

My sister bought me stuff from the body shop and tickets to see magic on ice which I'm so excited about! 

One of my best friends got me a personalised latte glass and other goodies. And my other best friend got me some healthy snacks! 

That's most of the stuff I got! I had a good Christmas apart from an incident on the night which I won't go into but I hope everybody reading this had a lovely Christmas or a break if you don't celebrate it and I wish you a very happy new year! 

What are some of your favourite presents?

Reflections & Resolutions

I've seen quite a lot of bloggers and vloggers doing this kind of thing where they reflect on their year and express what they hope to achieve in the new year. 

When I sat down to do this, I realised just how little I've done this year and every other year before that. Obviously I do many things but nothing notable. For example, one vlogger whom I love, Zanna Van Dijk, managed to graduate, travel for three months around asia, become a sponsored athlete, amongst other things! It made me realise just how little I have to look back on. 

Reflections

-Going on my first couples holiday with my boyfriend of six years. We've never been able to afford to go before, but we finally had enough money. We went to Paphos, Cyprus and it was so so lovely. 

My boyfriend has an ice cream obsession. Safe to say we were here EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Me having a pose and wearing one of my favourite holiday outfits.

CINNABON. Literally the tastiest thing I've ever tasted. I'm obsessed with cinnamon. 

Coral Bay Beach. White Sand and clear sea.

Me with wet boobs.

Hotel ft. boyfriend.

We wanted to stay healthy whilst on holiday. As you can see we both stuck to that. 

Mojito Costa Frappe. Obsession.

Me and Nathan walked for about 4 hours to take this picture and it really doesn't do the view we had justice. Nathan also got sun stroke after this, but it was definitely worth it. 

This water park was extremely disappointing.

That was probably the highlight of me year. It was so nice to just wake up in the sun and not have to worry about the general worries in life. Me and Nathan are hoping to go on a few city breaks this year! 

Resolutions/Goals

This year it would be nice to be able to look back and have a list of different things that I achieved or were at least notable. I'm planning to go on a few city breaks with both Nathan and some with my family too. Hopefully Rome, Paris, Barcelona will be visited. 

I start placement in two weeks which is so exciting for me. I'll be working with group interventions and also an inpatient psychiatric hospital. I'm hoping I make a really good impression while i'm there. 

I really want to complete my hypnotherapy course this year and train and start working as a hypnotherapist. I vowed to do it last year but unfortunately due to finance issues, I was unable to. 

I also said last year that I would learn to drive. I'm going to aim to get the ball rolling with that one even if it does mean just completing my theory. 

I want to get to where I want in terms of my fitness. I'm not very fit and can't run for too long so i'd like to build up my stamina. I'd also like to build on my flexibility. 

Thanks for reading if you bothered to read all the way down to the bottom. Although, i'm not expecting anybody to read this, it's mainly a blog to reflect my thoughts and feelings but if someone reads this,

hello:)

 If you took the time to read this, comment some of your reflections and goals for next year:)