Hello again

Oh what a weird and wonderful few months it has been. And by a few months, I of course mean around one and a half years. I won't go on and bore you all with an explanation but lots of things have been happening over the last wee while and this has resulted in me not having time to dedicate to my blog. Boy, I missed it. 
I hope to be back in the swing of things again soon and aim to have a post or two out every week for the foreseeable. I also want to implement more travel alongside lifestyle and beauty which is what I already posted about.
Who knows, I might even start blog designing again as this was thoroughly enjoyable.
I hope you have all been well and am excited to be chatting to you all again soon!
♡

Wishlist: Cushion Galore

I've been doing up a few rooms in the house recently, specifically transitioning the rooms from the Autumn/Winter decor to give it a more Spring/Summer type of feel. This obviously means brighter colours or even pastels - something a little more vibrant. The easiest way to transition rooms into the next season, I feel, is by upgrading your cushions. This small change can bring around such a huge difference to any room, be it the lounge or even the bedroom. I thought I would share a few of my picks today...
I'm loving this bright yellow cushion, it features a quarter foil print and would make such a huge difference to a room, it's from Yorkshire Linen Co's linen cushions collection and is so inexpensive. I have one very similar in the office and it looks great against my white furniture, really brightens up the area. Bright colours are really eye catching, but cushions with one-liners are too. This cushion from Etsy is dark in colour but the bright white slogan is apt for the current season! The next two cushions are from H&M, they have such an amazing range of homeware and the items are so inexpensive. I love these geometric cushions! My fifth pick is a lot pricier than the others but you totally get what you pay for. The geometric print is on another level, and the blue and peach shade blend together perfectly - it's from Urban Outfitters. My last pick is a must have check cushion cover from Dunelm, this light blue shade would look perfect with white decor.
Hope you enjoyed this post - I included a few different stores just to give you some variety. In the Spring and Summer, I always go with brighter cushions in general. Geometric patterns seem to have carried through to this season which is nice to see so that too is a great way to update your rooms!
Let me know what you think? Do you update your decor often? I probably do it excessively! 
♡

GIVEAWAY + Box Of Wax Monthly Candle Subscription Box

I've tried a few monthly subscription boxes so far this year, this one involves candles! I was so excited to see this box from Box Of Wax land on my doorstep, the variety in the box is just amazing - I have been making such good use of some of the candles already and you can too with my giveaway below...

House of Wonderland: monthly subscription box

This is literally the first ever subscription box I have tried, what even. I am only around 18 months late to the hype, but it was because I never really came across a specific box I really wanted to try until the other week. House of Wonderland (HOW for short), are a company who sell quirky items whilst placing a huge emphasis on the art and design of them. As a 'designer' myself, this totally drew me in. I really love quirky graphics they have across the whole range - plus, they are based in Edinburgh so what's not to love...

Debenhams flowers x Valentines Day + 25% off code

I was so excited to see this huge bouquet of flowers delivered to me the other day - who doesn't love receiving flowers? If it was up to me I would have probably ordered every single bouquet off the Debenhams website.

Two Oh One Six

Oh hey, nice to meet you again. 
As cheesy as it sounds, I actually cannot believe 2016 is upon us - where has the year gone. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was sitting down and writing my 2015 goals.
2015. What a year...

Increasing motivation/productivity for work and university

I can't believe it is September already, this year has flown in super quickly. Bitter-sweet, but I am so happy that Autumn is finally here - even though I am currently loaded with the cold due to the slightly colder weather!
Anyways, as you are all probably aware, I feel like this I have had a constant battle with finding motivation this year and last. I have been researching endlessly looking for techniques to keep me focused, so today I thought I would write about what has and hasn't worked. Hopefully, it will help some of you, particularly those who work from home or go to university.
+ Plan and organise This is probably the most obvious one, plan, plan, plan. I invested in the Filofax earlier this year and whilst it took me a good while to get used to it; I have finally come up with a way that works for me. Personally, next year I will look into buying the day per page layout as you can fit more in, but the miracle for me was the check list stickers! I found these online, and as someone who loves ticking off  to do lists I am now able to do the same in my planner. It helps keep me so much more organised. I am also still loving my today's activities pad from Sighh Designs, I really love the style of it.

I have an idea of what needs to be completed in that day and then with the checklist stickers I tick them off as I complete them. Some people, however, plan their day by the hour; this isn't something I have ever done, to be honest, but I will be giving it ago when the new weeks starts to see if it is any better.
+ Switch off technology Social media is such a distraction and it is sometimes hard to switch off if you are the Queen of Procrastination. In the past, I have found that I'd say to myself I would just quickly check my Twitter feed, and then one hour later I am still on Twitter! There is a plug-in on Chrome called StayFocusd and it allows you to temporarily block sites. This avoids you getting distracted.
+ Listen to music I love listening to the 'work' playlist on Spotify. The playlist is an accumulation of calm music that apparently helps you to focus better - I personally think it works. If you don't have Spotify, there is a 'work playlist' on youtube - just search for it.
+ Take breaks This won't apply to those who work for other people, but if you work for yourself or are still in education it is so incredibly important to take multiple breaks. I have quite a short attention span as much as I hate to admit, so for me breaks are vital. If I work around 20 minutes straight I normally then have a short 5-minute break. It helps refresh your mind allowing you to concentrate when you recommence your work.
+ Set goals I love setting goals, long term or short term they are a way of providing motivation. I have a section in my planner where I keep both and again, once completed I tick them off. If you are passionate about something, you will be determined to complete the tasks required to achieve that goal.
+ Eat healthy The biggest bane of my life, probably. Eating the right food is so important. I notice if I eat something heavy, I feel sleepy and de-motivated and that's no help at all. I came across an infographic here from Citrix GoToMeeting which shows a few healthy alternatives you can snack on. I have personally found fruit smoothies, trail mix and wholemeal toast with avocado increases my productivity. 
I hope you enjoyed this post, I really hope it helps some of you guys! If you have any other tips, do let me know.
♡ *sponsored post all opinions my own

A short London break

If you follow me on Twitter you will know that I have been wanting to take a short break away to London for a while now, particularly in the later part of the year. Whether that will happen or not is another thing - damn you commitments!
Regardless, I thought I would write a post of all the things I plan to do in the hopes it might give you guys some ideas should you be planning something similar. I have divided this guide into 3 distinct categories.
PLACES TO EAT + Laduree, Harrods: What would a visit to London be without dining in Laduree. As you may already be aware, Laduree is home to beautiful macarons and pastries. They are the best macarons I have ever tasted. This place screams luxury, but I would confidently say that it is money well spent. +Aqua Shard, The Shard: I am not particularly fond of heights, or places that have an open view of what's below, but I have heard so many great things about Aqua Shard. This cosmopolitan restaurant is situated on the 31st floor with panoramic views of London. They offer British cuisine.
THINGS TO SEE London is full of places to see and I assume everyone knows the famous tourist attractions! So whether it be a peruse in the London History Museum, a walk along the Tower Bridge or even a lift up to the 87th floor of the beautiful skyscraper, The Shard, you will definitely have something to do and lots to see.
And if you are a theatre kind of person, seeing a show is a must. On my list is The Lion King (of course) and Wicked. I have already seen Wicked, but because it's a classic I just have to see it again!
PLACES TO SHOP What's a trip to London with a bit of shopping?
+ Harrods: Even if you don't buy anything, I think a trip to Harrods is a must just because of the experience. Nuff' said.+ Sephora: I absolutely love Sephora, it's like an absolute dream. The variety of makeup is just amazing and you are sure to come with a small bag of goodies to try! + Tourist shops: I might be in the minority here, but I absolutely love touristy shops. Yes, they may be brimming with tack at times, but souvenirs hold memories so many great memories.
PLACES TO STAY And of course, finally a place to stay. I recently came across Rosewood | London, if you are looking for something luxurious this beautiful hotel is ideal. Not only does this hotel allow pets, they also have their own spa and fitness suite. The decor is divine and the location is appealing. Rosewood is quite centrally located, not far from Covent Garden and Soho, so you are fairly close to all the major tourist locations. London has a great underground system too! If you are looking for something a little less pricey you can, of course, find an alternative. 
I hope you enjoyed this post, these are just some of my ideas at the moment. Do let me know of your recommendations in the comments.
♡ *sponsored post // all opinions my own, as always

Sighh Designs

I love stationary and so have been following Sighh Designs on social media for quite some time now. Polly,  the lovely girl behind Sighh Designs started the company a few years ago and since then it has gone from strength to strength. Polly hand designs all of her products and there is a real sense of quality and originality that shines through each and every item. Where possible, I always prefer to support small independent shops like Polly's, over chain stores.

Polly very kindly sent me a few items last week and I also made a purchase on the day of the new product launch. I am so happy with the products I received and excited to bring you this review.

First up we have the Cross Stitch phone case (£12.50), this is a best seller in the shop and I can see why. I have been eyeing this up for so long and I'm so glad I finally own it. The print is just beautiful. Simple, yet classy. There are so many lovely phone cases on the sight, it was a tough choice but a girl can never have too many phone cases though, right? I am already planning my next purchase!

Next we have the Desk Pads (£4.50ea) There are two to choose from, one of which is a desk doodle pad which I definitely need. Great for procrastinating with! The other desk pad is a to do list, I really like this because it comes with tick boxes on the side which allows you to neatly check off tasks you've completed. I love the style of both of these and they look great sitting on my desk.

Last but not least we have the Wavy notebook (£8.00), I cannot explain enough how high quality this notebook is. I have purchased many notebooks in the past and nothing compares to the quality of this one. The papers feel thick and the notebook itself is very sturdy. Again, the print is simple but very classy and would be perfect for popping into your bag. I almost don't want to write on it because it's  so pretty!

I absolutely adore all the items I got from Sighh.co. Polly sells a wide range of phone cases, available for nearly every phone! The added bonus is that if you purchase a phone case you will get free UK delivery. Furthermore, Polly also sells pocket mirrors, mugs, notebooks, desk pads, pencil cases and even reusable tote bags too! All of which are hand designed. The items are priced very fairly and everything is super high quality. I am already planning my next wishlist.

I hope you enjoyed this post, do let me know what you think of the products?

10 signs you might be becoming a crazy cat person

I am a self-confessed crazy cat lady. As much as Oliver drives me insane half the time, he still holds a very special place in my heart. So today I thought I would write a light-hearted post with a few signs that show you are becoming/already are a crazy cat person. Enjoy...
+ You have a collection of mugs with cats on, so many in fact that you don't know what to do with them. When birthdays arrive you are almost guaranteed to find a cat mug in amongst your other presents. 
+ Lint rolling your clothes has become second nature. You cuddle your cat and then notice your newly washed clothes resemble some sort of animal themselves, with all the fur on them. But of course, you don't care, it's easily rectified with a lint roll.
+ Your camera roll is full of cat pictures, you share them with friends and family but no finds it cute or as funny as you...

+ You download cat games on your iPad for said cat. Like, why don't they make a cat version of Candy Crush already? Why should cats miss out on all the fun!
+ You have purchased a cat harness with the aim of taking your cat on a leisurely stroll. Cat then proceeds to act like he has forgotten how to walk and freezes. 
+ Scrolling through various sites, you find yourself looking for a new cat because your current one needs a friend. But deep down you know your cat doesn't care and you really want it for yourself.
+ You save shopping bags and cardboard boxes for your cat as you know it will keep the cat entertained for a while. Be it a cool hiding spot or somewhere to take a snooze.
+ You jump at the chance to buy your cat presents, with not so great results. You know like, toys he will never play with, that Halloween costume he didn't find funny, oh and that cat birthday cake he turned his nose up at.
+ You know the difference between each meow and therefore, feel you have a real connection with your cat. So much so in fact you meow back, but all you get is a cold, hard stare.
+ Very often you strategically try and place yourself on the sofa/bed so as to not disturb the cat who is fast asleep and all curled up. The cats sleep comes first, even if he has around 20 hours sleep a day.

I hope you enjoyed this post, please remember it's light hearted! Let me know if you can relate to any of these? Or do you have any more, I can't wait to have a read at your comments.
♡

My Filofax in Patent Nude

If you have been a long follower of my blog you will be aware of the various planners and diaries I have purchased over the years in a bid to get more organised, all of which have failed to work (read as: I have lost interest in them) It's safe to say that I have finally come to the realisation that you need more than a diary to stay organised. It's all about your mindset and for someone like me who feels stressed pretty much all the time getting used to having a planner is something that I really needed to do, especially as I am juggling so many things at the moment.

I had been wanting to purchase a 'high end' planner for quite some time and because I can only justify purchases like this If I get enough use out of it, this has motivated me more to make the consciousness effort to actually make use of it.  Now a few weeks in I can honestly say I have used this planner every single day and it has definitely helped me organise my time so much better.

Anyways, onto the actual beauty itself. I went for the Original Filofax in the Patent Nude colour. I was unsure whether to get this one, the mint green or the lilac shade initially. However, I am so glad I went for this one in the end. I absolutely adore it and feel like it is a lot more chic. Filofax planners are made in the United Kingdom and this particular one is made from real leather. The planner feels really good quality. Size wise, I went for the Personal size and again I wasn't sure whether to go for this or the A5 version. I asked people on Twitter and almost everyone said the A5 would be difficult to carry around due to the size and because I wanted a planner that was portable, the Personal size would be best.

 
Inside, the filofax comes with the standard one page 2015/2016 calendar, a few to-do list sheets, a few contact list sheets, plenty of spare paper in various colours, six dividers in mint green and pink, a dashboard pocket for you to pop stuff into, 2 flyleafs for you to stick post its on and finally the most important bit, the 2015 diary. I have the week on two pages dairy which is just about okay at the moment but next year I will most likely opt for the page per day insert. That's the beauty of filofax planners, each year all you have to do is purchase the inserts you need and swap them out. With the help of the binder rings the beautiful diary is yours to keep for years. 
In addition to this you can really personalise Filofaxes, I have been going WILD with Washi tape, polkadot and gold being my favourite. Not only do they compliment the Nude planner perfectly but they were also only around £1 each. 
I got my planner from Amazon as it was/still is on sale for £45.59 delivered free of charge. The original price on the Filofax website is £65.
I hope you like this post, do you have a filofax or any other planner? How do you decorate and make the most of them? I am always looking for inspiration on Pinterest but it would be great to read your tips and comments too.
♡

Update

So here we are again, update 2.0... It's not been long since my last update post on return from a blog break but somehow I've managed to stay away from my blog for around 6 weeks this time - the longest I've ever had a 'blogging break'.
If you follow me on Twitter you might have a small insight as to why I've been away, but with that being said I think it's obvious that I don't share much of my personal life on my blog or even Twitter. 
This will potentially be the most 'personal' I will ever get on my blog so here goes nothing...
For starters 2015 for me has been a bit of an odd one so far. I went into this year thinking it's a new year, a fresh start but in reality we all know that a new year means absolutely nothing. Your problems from the year previous stick with you - they don't just magically disappear and well, that is what's happened. New year, new me what?! Don't get me wrong I am in a much better place now than I was a few years ago but for any of you who suffer with anxiety (I hate saying that because of the trend it has become recently) you will know that you will be fine one minute and totally out of your depth the next. 
Further more the end of April and May have been particularly hard for me, and not because of anything in particular, surprisingly! I have just had a lot to think about in my personal life and also a lot of deadlines to meet with work. This is stressful enough for the average Joe but when you have anxiety it's like stress x100.... there were a good few tears shed, let me tell ya! When I tried to fit my blog into the mix I just couldn't. I feel like being under so much stress had an knock on effect on my blog whereby I started being really picky with my blog photos and how they were not good enough to upload. I just kept comparing my blog to other people's amazing blogs. I feel like because blogging is so competitive right now it sometimes is really hard to fit in and so easy to get discouraged.
I don't want this to turn into a negative post but let's just say that I have been feeling pretty down and sad these last few months; - this is silly in itself because I have so much to be grateful for. 
I started this blog in 2013 and it turned into my little happy place quite quickly, recently it has felt like a chore and that's due to a mixture of the changing dynamic of the blogosphere and just me not being in the right frame of mind. My blog design shop however has kept me busy since it was initially launched last year and nothing brings me more joy than working with bloggers in creating the perfect blog design for them. I want the same joy with my blog so with a fresh new blog design and lots of blog post ideas jotted down I will slowly but surely turn this blog back into that happy place! 
Reading this post back now has made me want to delete it as it's just my incoherent thoughts , but it's midnight and I have work in the morning so I am going to hit publish. See, I'm already making progress! I want to thank each one of you for sticking with and being so patient with me whilst I work out what it is I want from my blog and the direction I want it to go in. I honestly appreciate it so much.
♡

A few things I'd tell my younger self

- You don't have to wear all that eyeliner, you will look back on it when you are older and think you looked like an absolute Panda
- Don't worry about not knowing what you want to be when you are older, things often fall into place perfectly. What's for you, won't go by you
- Time is a healer and you will soon know what people mean when they keep telling you "one day you will look back on this and just laugh"
- Stop wishing you were older and just enjoy the time you have of being young and care-free, you will soon wish you were young again
- Be you and don't ever let anyone change the way you are. Quit being such a people pleaser all the time
- Bin the Sims and go out and get some fresh air, don't be so consumed in the virtual world
- Friends come and go. You will soon learn that best friends are not the ones who you spend the most time with, but the ones who you think of first when you need someone to talk to - the ones who don't mind 3 hour long conversations about absolutely nothing
- Comparison really is the thief of all joy. There is no such thing as a 'perfect life' so you've got to just take the good with the bad
- A smile really is the best accessory a girl can wear, so smile because you have so much to be grateful for
I hope you enjoyed this post, it is a little different to anything I've done before. Let me know if you agree with any of these and feel free to list any of your own in the comments. I look forward to reading them.
♡

Loving lately

I was so eager to break out the pink nail polishes and lip products and finally now that Spring is here I can! I have 3 top beauty picks for this post. First up is the Barry M nail polish in Pink Flamingo, this bright pink colour is perfect for the Spring and Summer and is the type of nail shade that brightens your mood, if there was such a thing. I also have been loving Essie, Fiji. It's quite a pale milky pink and it really makes your tan stand out. In terms of lip products I have really been loving the Clinique Chubby sticks, I have almost all of them but find myself gravitating towards this colour particular, Mighty Mimosa. The reddy, pink shade is definitely a 'your lips but better' kind of colour. I love Chubby Sticks as they are really moisturising.

 I saw this little Double Bell Chrome clock when out shopping in Asda the other week and knew I had to have it. It was around £5, such a steal. I love how it looks against the pink and white in the room. I haven't tried the actual alarm on it yet, like many I can imagine it to be really loud and annoying!

Lastly, I was sent these Peanut Hottie hot drinks the other week. I absolutely adore peanut butter so these sounded ideal. All you do is mix a few tea spoons of the powder with water and you have a peanut butter hot drink. It's really sweet but not too sickly and tastes identical to peanut butter. The peanut butter & chocolate one tastes very much like the chocolate bar, Snickers. How cool?! They are available to buy in most supermarkets.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know what you've been loving recently and what you thought of my picks.

♡

Cupcake nests with Nutella and Mini eggs

With the long weekend ahead of us I'm certain most of us will be baking something... I'm a cupcake fiend so went with the easy option and decided to make some cute cupcake nests with Nutella and a few Mini eggs popped on the top for decoration.
For my long time readers I'm certain you are aware by now I don't really use any fancy recipes so this is really easy to make I used a standard vanilla recipe for cupcakes which can be found here.
For the 'nests' I melted Nutella in the microwave for around 10 seconds and mixed it in with some Shreddies. (You can use crushed Wheetabix, Shredded wheat or even bran flakes. I don't really think it makes much of a difference once you have added in your Nutella.) 
I then spreaded some Whole Earth lightly whipped chocolate hazelnut spread over the top of the cupcake (you could use nutella) and this helped the 'nest' stick to the cupcake better. Finally, I added 3 mini eggs to the top of each cupcake.
I think I need to try some more fancier baking recipes but do let me know what you think of these? 
Hope you enjoyed this post and happy long weekend! 
♡

Changes

I’d like to apologise for my little blogging hiatus. I’ve had a few of them this year. There has been a lot going on behind the scenes in my life, I was unwell for quite a few weeks and that coupled with my lack of motivation to blog has resulted in my blog being abandoned for a little while.
I thought today I would write a little update post. I finally have an ‘office room’ so now that it has all been decorated I finally have a place to properly sit and blog. Above is a little snippet of what it looks like, how predictable is the colour scheme haha.
Other than that my lack of motivation to blog arose from a few different reasons.
As you may know last year I purchased a DSLR, stupidly I thought this would solve all the problems  I have been having with the lack of daylight. noob. But I have been getting to grips with all the settings and feel a little more confident in using my new camera now. Lighting wise I just need to make sure I make use of brighter days and take blog pictures in bulk like a few bloggers have suggested.
Another reason for my hiatus is that I just feel like I don’t quite know what niche I want to slot into with my blog. My blog is beauty and lifestyle and forever will be, I know that much but the style of posts is something I am working on. I want there to be a ‘theme’ almost in my blog (that probably doesn’t make sense, but it does in my head) 
Blogging for me is a hobby and forever will be. I never want it to get to the stage where it feels like a chore but lately I have. I am working on organising a schedule and putting aside some time each week to blog. I am all for quality over quantity, and I will only ever put up posts I am happy for others to read but that also makes me put a lot of unneeded pressure on myself. I feel If I spared time out specifically to blog that would allow me to write up posts and stick to a schedule somewhat. I have downloaded the WunderList app and hope this keeps me on track.

Moving forward, blog wise I will still be blogging about beauty and lifestyle - the style of the posts might change a little, don’t worry nothing drastic! I am also working on another little project will I will share with you in May hopefully.
This is turning into a longer post than I initially thought but I just thought I would get my thoughts out onto a blog post. I don’t even know why I wrote all this to be honest but to conclude, I will be blogging more regularly again especially now that I have my own space.
I want to thank you all for sticking with me, I am so lucky to have my blog and it makes me happy knowing you enjoy reading aleelily x
eta: I’ve just re read this post and its mush. Oh well. 
♡

St. Helens Farm

A little bit of a different post from me today, as you may be aware I am currently *trying* to have a more healthy balanced diet, so today I thought I would let you know one of the ways I am trying to achieve this.

St Helens Farm got in contact with me a while ago and asked if I would like to receive a hamper full of goodies made from goats milk. Other than fruit and veg, dairy is also really important for your diet; calcium is good for your bones, magnesium is good for muscle function and more.

So with me being somewhat lactose intolerant to everything apart from cheese (thank goodness I am okay with cheese) I was a little apprehensive in trying out goats milk - after doing a little bit of research I found various sources stated goats milk is easier to digest than cows milk and it was also lactose intolerant friendly. So I just had to say yes.

The hamper arrived in a Cool Bag and was full to the brim with lots of goodies to try along with a little bearded goat beanie. Oh the little things.

Goats Milk

Previously I really struggled with drinking cows milk as I always found it made me feel unwell after. I received Skimmed, Semi Skimmed and Full Fat milk. I tried the milk first and found there to be a distinctive goats milk taste. This might put some people off but it takes some time getting used to. If you are lactose intolerant you will get what I mean by saying it didn’t feel heavy on the stomach, it definitely is more easier to digest goats milk than cows.

On a side note, the cat absolutely loved it and kept begging for more. Don’t worry, I researched before giving it to him, it is fine in moderation and easier for them to digest than cows milk. (I don’t know how this post has turned into me talking about cats but there you go!)

Goats Milk Yoghurt

I was able to try out the Live Natural and Low Fat yoghurt. We really enjoyed these with fruit, cereal and also in smoothies. The distinctive taste isn’t noticeable at all in these yoghurts and they feel very light on the stomach.

I wasn’t too keen on the flavoured yoghurts but others enjoyed them. The yoghurt itself was quite thick with a fruity later at the bottom (which I loved). I just  found the texture of the yoghurt part odd, it was almost mousse like and there was a distinctive aftertaste.

Goats Cheese

My absolute favourite has to be the cheese. The Mild and Creamy, and Mature cheese were so yummy and I have since purchased another one of each. I really enjoy popping these in salads and also heated up cheese and tomato toasties. I also made Grilled Cheese and Courgette rolls the other night and they went down a storm. The texture of the cheese is quite smooth and when paired with other foods it really brings out all the distinctive flavours. I have been using the cream cheese in pastas.

There are so many recipes online that use goats cheese so I will definitely be trying those out and if they turn out well I might even include them in a future blog post.

Goats Butter

I haven’t had butter in years so this was a little treat. Nothing compares with this butter spread on freshly popped warm toast! It is really creamy and so, so delicious. I didn’t notice a difference between this and regular butter.

Overall, I really enjoyed these products especially the cheese, plain yoghurt and butter. I feel the distinctive goats milk taste of the other items put me off a little but I’m happy I have come across the brand and have already repurchased a few of the products! Products are available in supermarket nationwide.

Hope you enjoyed this review, let me know if you have tried anything from the range and what you think of these kind of posts, would you like to see more?

♡

Baking: white chocolate and pecan mug cake

 

I have been wanting to bake a ‘mug cake’ for quite some time now and recently they have been dotted all over the internet. Mug cakes are single serving cakes made in the microwave in around 1-2 minutes. 
There are quite a few variations on the internet and as somebody who doesn’t eat regular milk chocolate finding a recipe with only white chocolate was a little tricky... I managed to make a White Chocolate and Pecan mug cake through adapting some other recipes online, this cake I suppose may also be known as a ‘blondie’ (the opposite of a brownie)
So let me tell you the recipe:
Ingredients  3 table spoons self raising flour 2 table spoons sugar 1/2 table spoon vegetable oil 3 table spoons milk 3 squares of white chocolate 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans
Method In a microwavable mug mix together all the try ingredients, then add the oil and milk and finally add in the white chocolate and pecans. Microwave for around 50 seconds (950 watt). For the top I melted a little more white chocolate and decorated it with some sprinkles!
This cake is so simple to make, I was apprehensive about how it was going to turn out but it actually tastes pretty good! Imagine making lots of different ones at the one time, I would probably end up eating them all. 
Let me know if you give this a try or if you have heard of this before?
♡

When a Disney lover gets a new phonecase...

I was thinking I should start a little series on my blog dedicated to my love of phone cases. But then I remembered there aren't nearly enough as many nice phone cases available for a Samsung phone as there is for iPhones. 
I received really good feedback from my last personalised phone case so I thought I would do another one but this time incorporating my love for Disney. I found a really nice image on Pinterest not too long ago, it was of the Cinderella Castle at Disney but it had been edited in such a way that it looked a like a painting of some sort - or maybe somebody just went WILD with filters. 
Anyways I was able to work with the same company as last time (link) and make another case for my phone. The process is simple and on the site you can personalise almost every phone on the market - this is great as with many other stores you can only ever get iPhone and Samsung cases. I uploaded the image onto the site and resized it until it fit within the lines.
I really love the way it came out, it looks so cute and a few people have come up to me and asked where I got it from. My last phone case from the same company lasted a good while. The cases are not shiny, they are matt. This is ideal as it is scratch resistant. 
The personalised phone case is £14.95 and includes free worldwide shipping. It took 3 days to arrive which is excellent as usually personalised orders on other sites take a while.
Let me know what you think of this case?
♡

2015

I can’t believe 2014 is over. I literally feel like I’ve blinked and the year has just flown past. 2014 has been one huge roller coaster. I have learnt a lot about myself through the many highs and many lows. Overall is was a great year, I feel so blessed to have been able to complete so many of my goals.
I’ve wrote a little about the blog related things I achieved last year and the goals I’ve set for this year. Personal achievements wise I have decided to keep this indeed personal, with that being said I am still writing down my goals for this year anyway.
I also enjoyed reading a variety of blogs last year, funnily enough they weren’t beauty blogs but more of the lifestyle kind. I enjoy lifestyle blogs a lot more and only ever read beauty reviews when buying a new beauty product. Anyway I have listed a few of my faves - these are the ones I check throughout the week to see if there is a new post!

THE BLOGS I’VE READ AND LOVED

The Wonder forest I had been reading Dana’s blog way before I started blogging, so thats almost over 2 years ago. Also fun fact, before I actually started blogging I purchased Dana’s ‘everything you need to know about blogging’ book - Blog Wonderful. It helped me so much as it contains lots of tips and tricks! I love Dana’s lifestyle posts but she also has blog tech kind of posts too.
Milkbubbletea I have been reading Becky’s blog for the longest time. I absolutely adore her blog photos - they are so pretty and totally inspire me to improve my blog photography -something which I desperately need to do! Her little pup Oscar is a cutie and her baking posts look incredibly delicious. Oh and Becky’s room decor is absolutely dreamy.
Carrie Brighton I’ve been a follower of Carrie’s blog for a while but only recently really got into it. I love her blog photography and lifestyle posts. They are a real mixture almost diary like. I also love Carrie’s dairy free recipes - they are so useful. Did I mention her photography is on point?
Little Winter Katy has two little cats, Ralph and Runkle. The cat lady within me absolutely adores the beautiful pictures Katy takes and I love hearing about their adventures! Katy also writes about home decor and fashion too. Her blog photography is lovely too, especially the pictures of Ralph and Runkle!

THE THINGS I’VE ACHIEVED IN 2014

001: Blogging I reached the big 1000 milestone this year - around summer time if I remember correctly. As of yesterday I was just over 1460 followers. I cannot thank you all enough for supporting my blog. It really does mean a lot. I was also fortunate enough to work with so many lovely brands, even a company like Pets at Home; yes how amazing, somewhere I’ve shopped for years!
002: AleelilyDesigns I launched my blog design shop just before the summer last year after a few design requests from bloggers. I didn’t think much of it at the time but it has grown into something I couldn’t be more proud of. I am so happy you like the designs and place orders. It still all feels so surreal. All those evening and weekends working on designs have definitely paid off. 

THE THINGS I HOPE FOR IN 2015

001: Blogging I really do hope to post more than once a week this year, I posted twice weekly in December which gave me a good feel for it. Content wise working on more lifestyle kind of posts is something that really interests me as well as home decor. With the help of my new baking books I would love to try out more baking recipes on my blog. I will still of course be posting regular beauty reviews. I also hope my blog grows as well as it did last year - if not better.
002: Photography Something I’ve been wanting to improve on for the longest time is my blog photography - I purchased a DSLR a few weeks ago and it’s been on Auto mode since, this totally defeats the purpose in purchasing one. I really hope to set aside time this year and learn how to actually use it and with that I hope my blog photography gets better.
003: AleelilyDesigns I couldn’t have hoped for anything better with the way my blog design shop has gone, I am honestly so grateful and I hope 2015 is as good. This year I will be setting aside time to make more premade blog designs which will be great for those of you who don’t want to commit to a full custom design just yet. 
004: Instagram Apparently Instagram is the new Twitter. I really hope to use my Instagram account more this year - the thing is I just never know what to picture and the perfectionist within me was always worried about the lighting etc. I have been trying out various apps though and feel like I’m confident enough to start using it to its full potential. I would love to see you there! @aleelily Let me know if you follow as I am looking for more accounts to follow too.
005: Stop procrastinating, start organising With amount of diaries and notebooks I have you would think I would be organised but this is something I really need to improve on. Working full time, blogging, blog designing and other general life commitments do sometimes turn into am juggling act. Something I hope to work on this year is my organisational skills - if you have any tips I would love to hear them.

I mentioned this on Twitter yesterday but one quote that seemed pretty apt with my 2014 was, “What’s for you won’t go by you.” And by this I mean everything happens for a reason, and everything does really work out in the end. I hope you all have a great 2015! 
Make some memories and stay happy x
♡