Mental Health Series: Me.

I've been sat on the fence with posting this for ages; funnily enough a result of anxiety. But here I am taking the plunge and being brave.

'Mental health' is still something that is very taboo, even in this day and age. I think whenever someone hears the term 'mental illness' their mind diverts them to an image of someone strapped to a bed screaming or bashing their head against the wall. I think what people don't realise is that there are cases that aren't necessarily smaller in comparison, but when looking at someone's face are less obvious. It's bubbling just underneath the surface, waiting until they get back to their room where they can scream into a pillow, letting out all of the energy that's been spent fighting their own brain 24 hours a day. Various mental illnesses affect many of my family and friends and it's something that if you don't really know much about, it can easily be shrugged off or forgotten. I think the most common way this happens is that mental illnesses aren't really seen as 'illnesses'. A panic attack is a symptom of increased anxiety, just as a fever is a symptom of the flu. Neither can be helped, and neither are easy to deal with.

Recently i've been told I have anxiety, social anxiety to be specific. At first, it doesn't seem that big of a deal, and whilst I don't want a massive deal to be made about it, I feel like people need to be educated about it as there really isn't enough awareness about mental illnesses.

Throughout the next couple of months, I will be publishing various posts about mental illnesses written by different people with their own experiences and feelings about the subject. This is with the hope that it will help someone, anyone. Even if just one person benefits from the various tips or feels encouraged to go get some help, then this post will have achieved it's purpose.

Little quote from my Queen, Michelle.

I will be honest, the first time someone told me they had anxiety (before I knew it was a thing), I thought to myself "so you just get a little bit nervous every now and again?". I couldn't have been more wrong. I feel like this is many people's reaction as a lot of individual's aren't educated in this at all. Anxiety isn't just feeling nervous. It isn't something that someone can help. And panic attacks can happen out of nowhere. I myself have never had a panic attack, and the way some people describe them, I don't really want to. But that's out of my control. Anxiety means your brain is different to others, and I know lots of people flinch at the word 'different' but it's true. The best way I can describe it to those who aren't familiar is it means your brain is hardwired to go into panic mode from certain triggers, and this 'panic mode' can't be controlled or reigned in very easily. Sometimes you don't even need a trigger, your brain just panics.

For as long as I can remember I have never been able to relax in a room of people, I am permanently on edge: my brain in a constant state of panic waiting for something to happen or wondering what everyone is thinking about me. I struggle to speak in front of a group of people, I am extremely uncomfortable when meeting new people, 90% of the day my brain is trying to figure out what people think about me - and I wish this was an exaggeration. Just think about how tiring that is, constantly battling the thoughts that are trapped in your brain, even when you don't want to think them. Whilst writing this post i'm thinking about how I will be judged by anyone who reads it, but I want to be as honest as possible in the hope that it will help someone. It was a big step for me when I decided to post the links to my blog on Facebook, and it's still something I struggle with now. Every time I post a link to my blog on social media i'm thinking about who will read it and what they will think about me. Someone said to me a few weeks ago, "you're the most confident person with anxiety i've ever met". This isn't true. In fact, I don't think my self confidence has ever been so low, my voice just seems to get louder to overcompensate and to cover up the fact that my body is completely on edge. It's either one or the other, i'll come across as confident because i'm overcompensating and being forward, or i'll be completely reserved and just listen to conversations rather than partaking in them.

I'll be honest, it's also affected situations at University too. Sometimes I just get so tired of arguing with myself in my head about worrying what people will think about what i'm wearing, how I look, what bag I use, how I talk, what my hair looks like, what shoes i'm wearing... that I just decide my day will be easier to just stay at home and pretend i'm physically ill. Every morning I get changed and i'm not picking out clothes because of what I want to wear, it's what I think people i'm seeing that day will think look nice.

But that's enough about me. There are a few more people that you're going to hear from throughout the next couple of months, so I hope you'll stick around and listen to them. If you would like to contribute a post to this series - let me know via the contact me page. And if you've listened to me, thank you, because that was hard for me to write.

Annabel

PS. I found this article the other day, it's only a short one but it sums it up really well; Thought catalogue

February.

Finally back to a proper monthly round up. It's always nice to look back on these and remember everything that I was up to.
This month I had my final first day at University. This summer i'll be graduating (hopefully) and that's the scariest thought i've ever had. A lot of my free time was spent on a hot date with my dissertation, writing towards my goal of 10,000 words of complete and utter bollocks.

Kiri is one of the closest friends I met whilst I was in Australia, and luckily enough, she only lives 2 streets away from me here in Leeds. We've been meaning to meet up for ages but we've been busy, and when we talked about it we figured that we'd been putting it off as we didn't know if things would still be the same now we're not in that amazing country any more. We couldn't have been more wrong. We had an amazing catch up and talked for hours. Both of us needed to be up super early in the morning so we agreed to "have a few drinks" and aim to leave Box at 11pm. This did not happen. At 3am we were sat in a girl's room that we had met that night (she wasn't a weirdo she was lovely), when Kiri turned to me and said, "Annabel, we definitely need to go to bed now". Miraculously, I still made my 9am lecture and Kiri made it to work. A nap was needed.

One of my most favourite things not just in February but like ever was seeing Green Day at Leeds First Direct Arena. I really don't know what to say now because I can't put into words how amazing they were. Billie-Joe Armstrong was the most entertaining artist I have ever seen, and he was so natural and genuine with it. The performance the group gave was amazing and I really hope I get the chance to see them again. I pretty much just spent the night screaming with my sister, Emma and cousin, Natasha. (Shout out to Posicle Riley & Uncle Simon for getting the tickets and taking us).

Best. Gig. Ever.

For Em's Christmas present, I surprised her with tickets to go see Jack Whitehall, and finally the day came! He was hilarious, I laughed so much my cheeks hurt. I've been to see a few comedians before but it was a first for Emma, who thought it was really weird sitting down in Leeds Arena.

I honestly had the best Valentines Day. I spent the evening with Kiri, Peree, Harriet and my Mum. I'd just won my stone and a half award at Slimming World so I felt like celebrating (we ate, A LOT, of shit*). There was Daim ice cream, cookie dough, melted chocolate, pizza, Walkers Sensations, wine... But we had a lovely night in with my Mum telling the girls embarrassing stories about me, watching TV and laughing at various memories when we'd consecutively go; "do you remember when..." or "remember that time...". All in all, it was a great night, however I ate nothing but vegetables for the few days that followed!

I feel like this month it would have made more sense if i'd just moved into Leeds Arena. This time it was to see Kings of Leon, a band i've loved for years. Jordan, Harriet (both cousins), Emma (sister) and I went and they were absolutely awesome.

My dissertation deadline is next month...i'm not freaking out yet but there is still time.

Annabel

Slimming World update: Got my Stone and a half & Club 10 awards this month, 1st 11lb lost in total.

*not literal shit...

Rambling Post #11: What Do I Do Next?

I'm pretty sure 99% of Undergraduates experience this, but right now, i'm a little freaked out. Graduating from University always seemed like something that was far away and it was something that 'Future Annabel' would have to deal with, not me. But now i've started my final semester at Uni and it's all starting to get a little real.
So what do I do next?

Samuel L. Jackson memes are always relevant.

Obviously the usual thing to do after graduation is find a full-time job and become a proper adult.
No.
Not for me.
Not yet.

Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to have a proper job and get earning more money so I can get my own car and maybe a flat. However I get the feeling that as soon as I get a full-time job, i'll get comfortable and forget to do other things that maybe when i'm older i'll wish I had done whilst I had the chance. My problem is, I just don't know what order to do them all in.

24 weeks to Graduation.

So there's Camp America, travelling the South-East, save up and get myself a car, summer working at Disneyworld, Masters Degree? (still unsure about this one), volunteering abroad, move out...
I know this is totally a first-world problem kind of thing but it's been stressing me out and I suppose it's always easier for me to write things down to make sense of them.
I suppose the logical way to go forward would be to get the majority of the travelling and volunteering done, then go for a Masters if I decide it's something that i'd want to do. Then I suppose it will finally be time for a graduate job and to get my own little flat.
This is the first time in my life where I don't really know what's going to happen next, and whilst it's quite exciting with endless possibilities, i'm used to having a plan and a structure and knowing what to expect, so it's a little scary.

For now I guess I just need to focus on graduating.

Annabel

January.

Happy New Year!
So here's a fresh new year before us, I wonder what it will bring? Fingers crossed it brings everyone success and happiness. For me, 2017 will bring my graduation, a trip to Canada to visit my sister from another mister Priya, my 23rd birthday (it freaked me out the first time I said that), and being a Bridesmaid for one of my close friends, Rachel.

Now this is quite possibly the shortest monthly round up I've ever done and hopefully will ever do. In all honesty i've been quite busy this month but i've been too occupied with enjoying it to take any pictures or to remember to write about it, so i'm just going to do a few bullet points.

• I recovered from NYE just about (I actually fell up some stairs that night and really hurt my knee - I couldn't walk properly for a few days!
• I gave my cousin her birthday present, which is tickets to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.
• Did non-stop work for Uni because it seems like deadlines are coming out of every orifice.
• Mum and I started shopping for bits and bobs for the room swap (I can't wait to completely redecorate).
• I actually needed to take a dyslexia test at Uni, but i'm all clear.
• Us Bridesmaids went to Rachel's house to sort more things out for the wedding but we ended up just ordering a takeaway and watching Bridesmaids.
• Viv and I went to see Passengers at the cinema and very much enjoyed Chris Pratt's derriere. 
• Mum's Christmas present was tickets to go to the Emmerdale Tour at ITV Studios, so we had a grand day out along with lunch at TGI Fridays (and lots of cocktails).
• On the same day it was my work Christmas do. We went for food at Akbar's and the food was great, but I was stuffed beyond belief. We then went for some drinks afterwards, then I made my way to the cinema.
• Because I was now meeting Megan and Charlotte to see the final episode of Sherlock at Vue. It was amazing. Ben C is bae and Hudders is the Queen of sass.
• I got drunk with my work friends. Again.
• My sister had GymFest performing at Leeds First Direct Arena. Like what?! I just saw my sister on the same stage that i've seen Bastille, Lee Evans and McBusted, and will see Green Day, Kings of Leon and Russell Howard on. It's just so bloomin' cool.
• I moved back up to my Uni house for my final semester EVER.
• The final event of January was going to see Two Door Cinema Club at Leeds O2 Academy for the 4th time. They were brilliant.

So really I just wanted to enjoy January and make the most of what was going on after a busy Christmas, which is also why I didn't write a December round up. But hopefully February will be more exciting!

A quick update on Slimming World, i've now lost a grand total of 1st 5.5lbs. Feeling pretty chuffed with myself to say the least.

Annabel

A Letter To My Younger Self.

A company called Earnest is encouraging people like me to share advice I would have for myself back when I started University. It's fair to say i've been through a lot between the ages of 19 and 22, and whilst I don't think 'wise' is a word that would ever be used to describe myself, I know i'm definitely wiser. I don't have any regrets, and wouldn't change any decisions I have ever made, but i'd love to go back in time to just give myself some reassurance.

Me, Anya & Emma, on holiday in Mallorca, a few weeks before I started 1st Year.

So if I could write a letter to my 19 year old self, what would it say?

Dear Pre-University Me,
Get ready. Because you're about to enter the weirdest and most roller-coaster-ish 4 years of your life, and you won't even recognise yourself at the end of it (that's a good thing).

You're going to meet a hell of a lot of new people, but remember, you're all in this stress-inducing experience together. You'll meet people that are nice, mean, judgy, helpful, kind, funny, annoying, intelligent... But the most important thing to remember, and something you're going to struggle with for the next few years is just to be yourself, who cares what anyone else thinks. You're going to get judged whether you like it or not, so at least let it be whilst you're enjoying yourself.

Remember that everyone is different. No one is the same. You won't find another human being who treats you exactly how you treat others, so if someone's a little frosty or maybe a little over-enthusiastic; cut them some slack. They're not you.

Make the most of absolutely everything. Even the rubbish bits. Embracing the rubbish bits make you appreciate the great bits. And making the most of the great bits just goes without saying. Nothing lasts forever so appreciate what you have whilst you've got it.

STOP SPENDING YOUR MONEY. Somehow I don't think you're ever going to get a handle on this, but you can at least try. Learn to budget. Stop spending your money on food and stupid stuff you'll like for a week then forget about.

And for gods sake, don't leave assignments to the day before. There's nothing worse than getting a stress on when you've done an all nighter and you're hyped up on coffee with 600 out of 2,000 words done. Just learn to manage your time better and stop having Netflix marathons.

Annabel

Earnest's student loan refinancing page is a great resource for information on paying off loans and financing for University!

What the Sherlock?!

*Spoiler alert!*

Okay so last time I was this shook after a TV episode it was Game of Thrones' Battle of the Bastards. After watching Sherlock's The Lying Detective I just couldn't resist writing another excited, adrenaline-fuelled post.

After scrolling through Twitter minutes after the episode had finished, the #Sherlock mentions had already blown up, it was crazy. Theories were flying around left right and centre, the Sherlock fandom had gone into complete and utter meltdown. Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffatt had finally ruined us. I'll admit, the first episode of this season I wasn't impressed; I found it difficult to follow and just generally didn't have a clue what was going on. Then this episode started, and I began to feel the same. That was until around halfway through. Then shit hit the fan and things got real interesting. It was a bloody brilliant episode, possibly my most favourite one yet. I'm not going to go into a synopsis of the episode because chances are, if you're reading this then you've already watched it, and if you haven't, don't read any further.

Pretty much how the entire Sherlock fandom was feeling after that emotional rollercoaster.

Here's a few theories that i've seen flying around. I'm not taking responsibility for these theories or claiming that they're mine, they're just what I have seen flitting about the Twitter-verse.

1. Euros is Moriarty in disguise.

Let's think about this for a sec. Sherlock had already encountered "Euros" in a disguise. Surely he would have recognised his own sibling? Yes she was disguised but with a wig and some contact lenses. I'd still recognise my sister if she changed her hair and put some glasses on. I just don't find this one very credible, there are too many plot holes with it.

2. The Power of 3.

"There must be something comforting about the number 3. People always give up after 3." Just when I had lost all hope of series 4 getting exciting (or understandable), Sherlock says these beautiful words that have stuck with me since. I seem to be seeing the number 3 everywhere. 3 Holmes siblings; Sherlock, Mycroft and now Euros. Who's to say there isn't a fourth? Is Euros just a means to cover up Sherrinford? And if so why is Sherrinford being protected?

3 episodes a season. To me it seems like there is a lot to be tied up in one more episode. Could Gatiss and Moffatt have the last laugh and watch us all completely lose our shit when we find out there is a fourth episode? I believe it's possible, there just seems to be too many loose ends, and whilst they love to keep us hooked on a seriously annoying cliffhanger, I think due to the extremely long waiting period we'll have, it won't be such a big one. So we'll see, just something to think about.

3. Moriarty is alive.

We saw him blow his brains out. I know we were all blown away with Sherlock's miraculous return, but we saw that from John's point of view. They had clearly thought through an escape clause with that one. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the character Moriarty and I love Andrew Scott bringing him to life, but I just don't see this one being feasible without him getting a ridiculous story like it was someone in a mask.

4. Euros works for Moriarty.

Well she did use his infamous catchphrase, "miss me?". So I believe this to be possible. Why else would she have a reason to stalk and trap John? At the very end of the episode we also hear Euros talking to a third person "he's pulling a funny face, i'm going to put a hole in it". Who is she talking to? Could it be another radio device like the ones Moriarty has already used in The Reichenbach Fall?

5. Sherrinford is actually a place.
In past episodes, he/she has only been referred to as "the other one" which was by Mycroft. Since, the name Sherrinford has been used with very little context. With the way the name has been used, it's totally believable that the characters are referring to a location rather than an actual person. Have you seen the trailer where a house bursts into flames...?

6. We already know what 'The Final Problem' is...
Wasn't it in Series 2 Episode 3 that Moriarty was talking to Sherlock in 221B and asked him what the final problem was? When Sherlock replied that he wasn't sure, Moriarty replied "I've already told you". At that moment in time we were assured by the end of the episode that it was that Sherlock needed to die. But what if it's bigger than that?

Something else for you to think about...

Mycroft Holmes

Irene Adler

Sherlock Holmes

Sherrinford Holmes

Moriarty

Euros Holmes

We all know Mycroft loves a good acronym...

Literally me losing my shit during and after the episode.

I could go on for days about the endless conspiracies and theories. But I suppose all we can do now is sit and wait for everything to unravel. I for one, can not bloody wait.

Special mention to Hudders who was the real MVP of the episode, the absolute Queen of sass.

Annabel

2016 In A Pretty Large Nutshell.

This is where i'd usually put a lovely header with '2016' on with some nice pictures from this year, however I found it impossible to choose 4 or 5 of my favourites so I gave up.

I'm just going to start this one off by saying WHERE THE HECK HAS THIS YEAR GONE?!

I think we can all agree that for the world, this year was an absolute disaster. Whilst some people argue that bad things happen every year and there's worse things happening around the world than a few celebrities dying, i'd just like to politely shut you down by saying they weren't "just celebrities". Many of them were role models, icons that many people looked up to. Alan Rickman was a phenomenal actor, and I was genuinely upset when he left us. Victoria Wood, a comedian showing us that girls can be hilarious too. Prince and Bowie, 2 artists proving that being quirky and different isn't something you should shy away from. Gene Wilder! I must have watched Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory a billion times when I was younger. And of course, champ himself, Muhammed Ali, one of the most celebrated sports figures of the 20th Century. Then, when all things seemed calm, the past week seemed like the grand finale after we lost even more legends; Rick Parfitt, George Michael, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds all left us within a few days. For some reason, I think Harambe's death will be the most remembered. Don't even get me started on the politics. Brexit and Trump? I'm just going to leave it at that or i'll be here for hours. So yeah, that sucked big time.
This year has also brought us the Mannequin Challenge, the Rio Olympics, another wonderful series of Sir David Attenborough's Planet Earth and the short-lived craze that was Pokemon Go. 2016 for the world has just been the most bizarre year yet.

But selfishly, for me, this has been one of the most exciting years yet.

It was the year that I finally moved out of my family home...to Australia. It was there that I met the most amazing people from all around the world and will hopefully have a bond with them for a long long time. I cuddled koalas, swam in the Great Barrier Reef, I got drunk (a lot), fed kangaroos, held a snake, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, gained an appreciation for Crocodiles, learnt to surf, went to the Grand Prix..blah blah blah.  I wouldn't change anything about my 5 months in that wonderful country. I miss it every single day, but I know i'll be back at some point in the future.

Australia.

Come home was honestly amazing. I was so excited to see my family and friends I nearly knocked a kid out with my suitcase pulling it off the conveyor belt. My sister, Emma had been telling me that she wouldn't be at the airport to pick me up as she'd be doing some sort of Duke of Edinburgh thing in Scotland, and that she'd be home that night. So coming out of departures, I saw Mum and Dad and got the biggest hugs, feeling emotional but holding it together. That was when Emma stepped out from behind some strangers, and I wasn't holding it together anymore. I burst into tears at the sight of my best friend whom i'd missed a hell of a lot. So yeah, thanks for making me cry you little shit.
I got home and had a bath (sitting in a seat for 24 hours makes you v v stinky), and I just remember sitting there thinking, 'what do I do now?' it was such a weird feeling and to be honest, I felt a little lost for a few days.
A week later we had a BBQ at the house and invited everyone round. It was so great to see everyone again and everyone kept asking me how it was, but how do you put something like that into words?
About a month later, I went to Spain with my family, where I actually got a proper tan for the first time in my life. After settling back into work and having a busy few weeks seeing everyone, it was nice to have a week of just relaxing, however I did get to knock another thing of my bucket list that i've been wanting to do for years; parasailing!

Back with all my friends & fam.

Is it me or did the second half of this year just slip by us? I'm honestly finding this part difficult to write because it all just feels like some big massive blur.
September saw me move up to University and experience real student living for the first time (in the UK). My housemates, Sian, Ellie, Erin and Sophie are luckily very easy to live with (i've heard a lot of horror stories about housemates from hell, and these girls are nothing like it). Most night's we'll get snug in the living room and watch a good film or TV Show. But we also have our nights out, where some overdo it more than others!
I also ventured to London with Viv to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It was amazing. Watch it now. We also made some good use of our free Merlin Passes and went on the London Eye (another ticked off my list), Sealife Centre and London Dungeons.
For Halloween my Dad (a zombie), Emma (a mash up of the characters from Stranger things) and I (Harry Potter post-war of Hogwarts), went to my cousins for a mini-party.
Then in November I finally got to take Emma to her 16th birthday present (almost a year later). The Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour. A few days earlier we'd been to see the midnight showing of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, so when we walked in and saw they had props and costumes from those films too, we were in our element. Of course, every student gets a wand, so as a "little" extra, she picked out Newt Scamanders wand for me to buy her.

Such Potterness.

Then came the panics of Uni assignments and present buying for Christmas which took up a lot of time. Then finally, myself, Jagger, Danny and Em went to Disneyland on the 18th December. And guess what? I ticked another off my list. We went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and I absolutely shit myself. The 3 days following we spent in the parks going to the parades and on the rides. We've been on Space Mountain 6 times now, and every time we've either been right at the front, or right at the back. Em had a massive birthday badge on the whole time and was wished Happy Birthday by Ariel, Eric, the Soldiers from Toy Story, Peter Pan, the Fairies from Sleeping Beauty (who argued about whether they should make her a green or pink dress) and Jessie - who got a queue of strangers to sing her Happy Birthday. My only claim to fame was a snog from Tigger. All in all we had a brilliant time and didn't seem to stop laughing for the entire 4 days. It was a great ending to the year.

I miss it already!

Throughout the year I got to knock 13 things off my Bucket List in total. I conquered fears, travelled to 3 different countries, met new lifelong friends of many nationalities, learnt a lot about myself and gained so much independence.
So just like Kylie Jenner, this year I realised a lot of things.

If you're feeling bored and want more reading, here's what i've been up to all year in more detail;
January/February/March/April/May/June/July&August/September/October/November

2016, you've been an absolute rollercoaster ride. Here's to a more positive year for the world and to seeing what 2017 will bring.

Annabel

November.

November had the perfect start - I went to see Bastille in Leeds First Direct Arena. Last time I saw them was when they supported Two Door Cinema Club in 2013 (and I bumped into Dan in Baa Bar next door, feeling pretty smug). The gig was awesome. For the encore, Dan miraculously appeared right next to us on the tier 2 balcony and sang Two Evils and we pretty much just died right then.

Dan & Will on the balcony during the encore.

The night after I went out with my housemates for a few drinks. As i'm sure a lot of students understand, a few drinks never usually stays "just a few drinks". I went into town around midnight to meet up with a few friends from school, and we went to Key Club for a few hours. I ended up bumping into my cousin who I spent the rest of the night with. We then wandered down to Stone Roses where we danced until around 6am (I was wearing heeled boots and my feet started to hurt so I took them off at this point. My feet were soaked with what I can only assume was a cocktail of drugs, alcohol and piss. Bit of advice: don't do that). Needless to say those socks went in the bin and it took me over a day to recover from that night.

Me and my cousin Harriet stumbling home at 6:30am, lipstick half gone.

I had also been editing the annual backstage video for Showgroup. I think it's a great way to showcase all of the hard work that goes into the shows and it's a nice way to thank all of the helpers for everything they do. If you want to give it a watch, here it is!

We also started rehearsals for our annual Christmas Show, in which i'm going to sing The Power Of Love (not technically a Christmas song but it was on a Christmas advert) and my sister is going to dance to it. I'm also choreographing a routine to 'Carol Of The Bells' by Metallica (bet you weren't expecting that), so i'm hoping it will be an excellent start to the holiday period.

Towards the end of November, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them was finally released, and of course, myself, Emma, Viv and Nathan went to see the midnight showing - we weren't going to wait any longer! The film was awesome and Eddie Redmayne was the perfect choice. 

Then on the Sunday, Emma finally got her 16th birthday present from me (11 months later), we went to the Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London. Although we had to get the Megabus at 6am, we had an amazing day and even got to squeeze in a quick visit to Madame Tussauds. I promised Emma i'd buy her a wand, so she chose Newt Scamander's from Fantastic Beasts, then we made the long journey back to Leeds.

Chilling on the Hogwarts bridge.

And of course, to finish the month off, there was lots of alcohol. I went out with my cousins for lots of shots and cocktails, then on the last night of November I went out for my housemates birthday, we had a great night but in true Annabel style I crashed and burned way too early.

Me and the cousins; Josh, Jordan, Sam, Chaz, Haz and Me.

Sian, Ellie and I in Canal Mills. I really need to get a longer lasting lipstick.

I wasn't going to write about this, but I always try to be honest when i'm writing my posts and one of the reasons I write this blog in the first place is for me to look back on everything in the years to come. Last week, I joined Slimming World, and to be honest, i've found it a lot easier than I thought it would be. it's a fantastic way to lose weight but still have little treats to enjoy! So after my first week weigh in, i've lost 4 and a half pounds and i'm on cloud 9 right now. Next month I may start a little weight loss counter on my round ups!

On a final note, it's Christmas in 24 days!

Annabel

Small Business Saturday.

It's November! Christmas is around the corner and i'm sure the majority of us all are well on with our Christmas shopping (for once i'm not lying, i'm actually very prepared this year).
We've all no doubt seen the huge festive adverts from the likes of John Lewis, Sainsbury's and M&S which annually compete for the most heart-wrenching advert. Whether this actually works in improving their sales I don't know. But what I do know, is they're not the companies that need it.

On Saturday 26th November, it is 'Small Business Saturday'. It's a way for everyone to appreciate the small, local businesses around them and equally give them the well needed support. These big corporations make enough money, but what about that small business trying to get on their feet? This is why it's so important that we give them support.

In this day and age it's so much easier to support all of those little businesses trying to hit the ground running. Websites I use are Etsy and Not On The High Street. These websites enable small business owners to post their products online for you to buy. A lot of the products on offer are quirky little gadgets or personalised gifts for someone special. Products from small businesses are usually cheaper than products from large shops too, so it will also save you some pennies!

It's also Christmas, which as all the movies say "it's the time for giving" (cheesy as heck, I know), but it's true. Let's kill two birds with one stone, by buying wonderful gifts for our friends and family, and supporting some amazing local businesses.

This blog post has been written by me in collaboration with Fundera, a company that helps small businesses get the funding they need to get off the ground. Go check out their website!

For the Christmas period, my blog will proudly be wearing this badge in support of Small Business Saturday, as I will be trying not to do the majority of my Christmas shopping from large corporations. Let's help them all get on their feet!

Annabel

October.

So for the majority of October i've been doing Uni work (yes, i've only been back 3 weeks and have shed loads to do) and organising for my dance show.

As i'm in 3rd year, this was my last Varsity (as a student), and unfortunately, Leeds Beckett lost the rugby final for the first time in 12 years. It was a little annoying, the Leeds Uni students got a bit cocky but i'll let them enjoy this one. Despite our defeat, we all went out and got smashed anyway. On the way out, our Uber driver, Ali, was telling us his life story and our drunken selves were giving him some advice (oh dear).

Yeah, we also got a selfie.

October half term. Every year since I was 5 years old, this has meant it's time for the annual Showgroup show. 17 years and still going strong. It stresses me out to the max but I just love teaching the kids and bringing together a show with the teachers, trying out different things every year. Every weekend of October is pretty much taken up with rehearsals and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

Us Showgroup teachers! Harriet, Me, Emma, Sarah and Jess.

The show went amazingly and we all recieved such good feedback. It really does make all the stress worth it in the end to see the kids enjoying themselves.

A quick snapshot from our backstage video which will be going up next month!

I also finally uploaded my video from my Aussie adventures to YouTube! It was difficult squeezing 5 months of my life into 15 minutes, which is probably why it's taken me over 4 months to finish it. But here it is if you want to give it a watch!

Annabel