Life Update | What's been happenin'

I felt like it was time for a life update.

Sometimes I forget that I don't share all of my life online, I share what I choose to and I often assume people know what is going on, when really, I never actually shared it. Nothing particularly bad has happened recently, just a few things that I thought were worth mentioning.

I stopped weekend vlogging after Vlogmas. I did a couple of vlogs in January but haven't really picked up my vlogging camera since. If you weren't already aware, I have a YouTube channel, where I post beauty, lifestyle and all of that sort of content. I post minimum once a week, more often than not on a Sunday, and I love it so much. It's my outlet, my space to express myself and all of that other cheesy stuff that people say. You can check it out here - https://www.youtube.com/tamzinlena. I would really love it if you subscribed.

Stopping weekend vlogging meant I lost the ability to fill you in on my life every week. And I miss that, I really do. I chat through different topics here on my blog, but all they all tend to have a set agenda, not a chatty life based post like this, and that's why I felt like this was severely overdue. Fear not however, I am dusting off my vlogging camera this weekend, to share my overnight trip to Derby which is occurring on Sunday/Monday, so I am sure we can have another catch up then.

The reason I am going to Derby is actually because I have gotten a place at the University. I am so excited for September to roll around now. Fresh starts, gorgeous accommodation and new people. September is also exciting because I managed to bag Arctic Monkeys tickets this morning, giving me something else to look forward too. Fun times! We are going to explore Derby this weekend, me and my mum, to get to know the city which I will shortly call my home.

As I am writing this, it's Friday the 13th. Typically unlucky. I think I've been pretty lucky today so far, bagging AM tickets for their opening night in Manchester. I am typically unlucky however, so fingers crossed nothing bad will happen. Avoiding all the grates today!

It's 15 days until my 18th birthday today too. Oh how time flies. It's crazy to think it's been a whole year since my 17th birthday, let alone 2 since my 16th, 3 since my 15th... You get the drift.

My 17th birthday was a struggle so I am determined to make my 18th birthday one to remember for all the right reasons. It should me memorable regardless - I am officially becoming an adult! I will be for sure vlogging all the celebrations. I am going to Center Parcs, my favourite place in the world, so I know I will have to capture it all. I actually vlogged when I went to Center Parcs back in October, and you can watch that here if you missed it.

Next weekend, so before my birthday, I have a lot planned too. I am going to Leeds with a good friend for a spa night, and then I am going to an another good friend's for afternoon tea too. Feeling very spoiled (and grateful) for sure! I am also feeling very lucky with the people I get to call my friends right now. They may not be the people I ever thought I would be close to, but recently I have been shown who the true ones are, and I couldn't be more thankful for that.

Summer is the next big thing on the agenda and I can't wait to feel the warmth on my skin. Winter has gone on for too long now, and I can't wait for longer days and happier memories. Am I going on holiday you ask? Well, the answer to that is yes, I am going somewhere a little bit different, and a little bit crazy.

If you had asked me a year ago if I would go on a plane, alone, to the other side of the world, I would have literally said, "fuck off." Now, I would say, "yes please".

It's crazy how a little bit of motivation, true friendship, and passion can do for your anxiety. I am overcoming obstacles by myself that I thought were far too complicated for me. I am making plans, and moving mountains. It is a very exciting time. All I can say people, is surround yourself with the right people - it is essential, essentially.

Speaking of which, If you were wondering how my essentially campaign went, it was amazing! We managed to raise enough money to take Amy to her target, which I was super proud of. Thank you so much if you bought a t-shirt.

Another milestone that happened recently was I hit 100,000 views on my blog, thanks to you happy clickers. Thank you so much for reading my posts (or just looking at the pictures, I know that's some of you). It means the world to see people looking at and engaging with my content. Big love!

A change that I have made in my life recently, that I haven't spoken much about, is that I am trying out vegetarianism. Let me say this, I never thought I'd say that. I was a HUGE lover of meat, but one day I kinda went off it and I haven't eaten any for a few weeks now. I started off by not choosing to eat it out and picking alternatives, to now having none at all. I don't know if it is something I will stick to forever, I am not committing myself to it entirely. It gives me anxiety to put so much pressure on myself with things like this, so I am just going to take it as it comes, and if I eat meat again one day, I'm not going to hate myself for it.

I guess that is almost everything I wanted to say. It feels so therapeutic to type it out. I am finishing this blog post off sat in my hotel room in Derby, at 11pm, at the desk and feeling half like I'm some swanky business woman and half like I went a bit hard on the Barcardi cokes and I can't wait to get into bed. Let's hope I am making some sense.

A great way you can get updates from me in real time is by following my two main socials, Instagram and twitter. They are both @tamzinlena.

Imma leave this here, I think I have addressed everything (that I can talk about, I haven't mentioned my secret endeavours that I have coming up or my (non existent) love life.)

Bye for now,
Tamzin xxx

Personalized clothing, yay or nay? | Royal Rose

The internet recently has seen an increase in the amount of personalized clothing bought and worn. 

I ain't complaining. 

I don't care what it is, stick my name on it. From Nutella jars to dressing gowns, if something can be engraved, embossed or embedded, do it. 

I especially think personalized items make amazing gifts, and that's why today I thought I would introduce you to personalized clothing brand, Royal Rose. 

They make and personalize clothes for youngsters aged 0-13 years, but they are pretty accommodating, so be sure to ask for more details if necessary. 

One of my favourite designs from them is their "little blogger" print. I would totally dress my baby in this.. if I had one.. If you know a blogger with a little one, I would definitely check out this piece from Royal Rose. 

Here are some of my other favourite pieces:

If you have a birthday or event coming up, Royal Rose have got you covered. Their pieces are affordable yet high quality, and can be found on their Etsy store,  and Instagram. Support Small Business and check them out! You can sign up here to their mailing list to receive offers and product news, you won't want to miss them. 

Do you own anything personalized? 

Bye for now, 

Tamzin xxx

*this post is in partnership with Royal Rose and MWoosh. Links used are affiliate links. 

What makes a successful relationship?

I want to say before I divulge into this post, that a relationship doesn't have to be romantic. A relationship can and does relate to friendships and the relationship you have with family members or even just acquaintances. As soon as you say the word "relationship" to someone, they automatically presume you mean romantic, and that's not always correct. Friendships and relationships with family members/others are equally important and can be analysed in a similar way.

What exactly determines a successful relationship is the question I am asking today.

Does every relationship that you have had have to be successful?

Can a damaging, negative relationship be successful, as it has still taught you something?

What is the end goal? What is the scale of success?

I would say a successful relationship is one that makes you happy in one capacity or another. 

Whether that relationship lasted for 2 minutes or 2 years.

If you think about it, you have a relationship with everyone that comes into your life. Whether it be someone you spoke to on a flight, the guy who works at your corner shop, your auntie or your ex work colleague, you have formed so many relationships in your life time. Some may only last for 2 minutes, and that's it. Others may linger for years and years. But they are all successful, if 1, they brought some sort of happiness, or even 2, if they taught you something. These relationships are fed to us for a reason. That's how I see success anyway.

I always say that I don't believe in coincidences.

I believe in fate.

I believe every occasion, every person and every relationship is put in your life for a reason.

Fake friends are there to teach you that not everyone has your best interest at heart, ex boyfriends are there to teach you what to avoid in your next relationship, best friends are there to show you what genuine kindness is, work pals are there to show you how to laugh about any situation, even on a bad day.

Google defines success as "the accomplishment of an aim or purpose." 

But the archaic definition is "the good or bad outcome of an undertaking."

Does this mean that success can be defined by either a bad or a good outcome, and in fact it is just the result of something? Does that mean that not all successful relationships have to be good ones? 

Could this also show that our attitudes towards success have changed over time? 

To me, it is presented as now, we believe that success is this accomplishment of something that you initially set out to do. Where as back in the day, success was either a good OR a bad outcome. Have we become more caught up on what is actually success, and what is actually just, life? 

So let's go back to that first question, what is a successful relationship?

Is it, A) A relationship that is good at one point but ultimately ends/turns bad 
or B) A relationship that is long standing. 

If we applied the archaic definition, you could go with option A. According to the old definition, whether the outcome is good or bad, it could still be described as successful. 

If we applied the current definition, you could go with option B. According to this definition, success is determined by the accomplishment of an act. But then again, if you think about it, what is that act? 

This is about to get deep, so buckle up. 

Yes, my brain is fried too. 

What is the end goal? What are you accomplishing by being in a relationship? (Just to reiterate, this applies to any kind of relationship) Does the end goal depend on the individual? To me, all the possible options I could think of are quite "in the moment" situations, not something you need to achieve long term. For example, overcoming loneliness or general happiness, these are things that are not necessarily strived towards for a long period of time (as in your whole life), but they are things often brought to you by people. I guess for some people (including myself) happiness can be an end goal, but at what point do you feel as if you have achieved it? And as the old saying goes, happiness comes from within. Or as my mum says, happiness is an inside job, and can't come from others solely. 

Taking this into account, can successful relationships be short? Can you be in several short relationships and they be successful? Or to be in a successful relationship, does it have to be long? But how long? What is the cut off point? Is a successful relationship one that ends on good terms? Or is it one that you have to "get something out of"? Or can it be successful, even if it has a bad outcome? If it taught you or showed you something? 

How would you define a successful relationship? Or how would you just define, "success"? 

I asked a male colleague of mine what the word success meant. Not what it meant to him, simply what it meant. He said, something is successful if you've achieved what you want to.

I think that pretty much sums this up.

By being in a relationship, if you achieve what you want to, then it's successful.

If we're talking about the relationships you have with friends, this may be company for a while. If we're talking romantic relationships, this may be marriage, kids and a long term relationship for some, where as it may be more of a "friends with benefits" situation for others.

I spoke to my mum about this blog post/research last night and she said one thing that stuck out to me.

She explained that in order to have a "successful relationship", the people involved in said relationship, need to share the same vision on what they want from being in each other lives. If we're talking friendship, is it support? Is it company? Is it for work reasons? If we're talking romantic, is it casual? Is it serious? Is it for the long run? If you share the same idea of "success" then it will work, if not, then you will be growing and moving in different directions right? Knowing and managing your expectations will limit disappointments, right? If you know what you are going into, with your eyes wide open, you can't be angry - nor frustrated when someone doesn't see it the same way as you.

My mum also said that she thinks that so many people get divorced/break up/fall out because people don't communicate what they want before investing in a relationship and end up growing apart because of it.

Since starting this blog post, or as I like to call it, "research project", I have noticed how much people talk about and put emphasis on success. I read of a blog post from Inthefrow today (I have been going back and forth on this post for many days) that described success as aiming for something in life, something we really put our heart into. I guess by reading these definitions as such, it has helped me realise what society defines success as and how I analyse people's perceptions internally,

If I really had to define a successful relationship, I would say it's one that...

is mutually beneficial. 

We haven't even touched on mutualism, symbiosis or any of those words that are used to describe something that simply, works both ways. I think a successful relationship is one that both mutually benefits and makes both people happy in some capacity.

If you google "what is a successful relationship" all the results focus on them being "long term". Why is time the definition of success? I was close to someone, both friendship and relationship wise, for many, many years of my life and it's one of my biggest regrets. It was a WASTE of time. It wasn't "successful" (if we apply the societal definition) in the slightest, I only ended up worst of after it.

Or was it successful? It showed me how to love, it showed me laughter, it showed me how to care deeply for someone. It gave me company, a bond that will last a lifetime. It gave me so many things, good and bad, but it did end. So does that mean it was a failure? Just because it ended? Or can something that ends still be classed as a success? It should in my opinion. A lot of the time, things end. It doesn't mean they didn't work for some of their duration. They should still be acknowledged. 

How about we be more positive? Look at thinks in a better light, rather than talking about failures all the time, why don't we talk about things that we have done, and describe them as successes.

I am so worried about contraindicating myself in this, and I am trying not to think that I am too much or I won't say what I want to say. I want to discuss, I want to ramble, even if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Personally, I think time means nothing. I think you can form a bond with someone over a month that it might take 3 years to form with someone else. Honestly, it's the person, not how long you've been around them. I hate the concept of time, and how society puts so much importance on it. Yes, celebrating milestones and achievements is all well and good, but isn't it what happened in that time that is more important? The memories, the care, the love, it's not some sort of race to who's been besties or lovers for the longest. The majority of my bestest relation(friend)ships are the ones that I have formed in the last year. These are the people I feel closest too and have bonded with the most. Time means zilch to me. It's the people that do. 

If you are going to take something away from this essay, remember that you can choose what is successful to you. You can define it. Don't let other people dictate how you should feel and what is successful to you. You can choose what matters. And that's for relationships and everything in between.

Bye for now, 
Tamzin xxx

Last minute Easter Gift Ideas

If you know me, you know I love gifting. I love buying presents, I am sure I have spoken about this before on my blog. I find it so exciting. I would much rather spend my money on others - I get more satisfaction out of seeing other's reaction than I do by just buying pointless stuff for me.

Any excuse I have to buy presents I will. Now that Easter is just around the corner, it is the perfect time to find some cute little gifts for the best people in my life, my friends and family who deserve some treats!

Let's get the obvious out of the way. The classic. The Easter Egg. Obviously there are so many different kinds of Easter Eggs (side note, what's your favourite? I could eat any tbh) so there is plenty of choice. I tend to just go for their favourite kind of chocolate, as an egg. One of my friends was eating M&M's a few weeks ago and she said how much she loved them, so I made a mental note to get her that Easter Egg!

Check out my Easter Eggs through the years below! (LOL)

2014

2015

2016

2017

I seem to get more as the years go on... If you don't already know, just like me, my mum loves gifting, so she goes overboard at any opportunity she gets! 

Flowers are always a lovely spring like option. I think they are gorgeous, and there are always more options around Easter time. Think Spring pastels and muted colours, your bunch will look just the part! 

Bunny themed things! Mum and I are both so obsessed with bunnies, and at Easter, they are everywhere! I have bought my mum a ceramic bunny this year, just like I did for Mother's Day too ha ha. Don't worry - she already knows about it, she picked it out! Please don't buy real bunnies though for people, just like puppies at Christmas, they are likely to get abandoned / neglected as not everyone wants one of the cuties in their lives sadly :(

Bake! You could always bake someone a big box of Easter themed cupcakes! How about egg nests or cookies? Who doesn't like home baked goods? 

Some buns I made in Food technology 4 years ago!!!

I put together some Easter bundles for 2 of my lovely friends which included an Easter Egg, a mug, a scratch card (something fun!), a creme egg and a toy egg (like a kinder egg) and they went down so well! I found some Easter gift bags in Home Bargains which were perfect. 

Another fabulous Easter related idea would be a full on Easter hamper. Think wicker baskets, cheese, crackers, wine, chocolates, and most importantly, Chutney. 

I think chutney/pickles are a great gift idea, they are something a little different, but so tasty and ideal for this kind of transitional period around Spring/Easter. 

Check out these Chutneys, from the English Provender. 

I was very kindly sent these on behalf of English Provender and I have to say, I am thoroughly impressed. The jars themselves scream the best Spring gift with their floral decals. These, in a box of goodies, would be a welcome treat from the Easter bunny! Plus, they are a great alternative to chocolate. I can't wait to cook up a storm with them, and of course, enjoy them on a cheese and wine night! They are vegetarian and vegan too so they will be appreciated by many. 

Do you have any last minute Easter treat ideas? 

Bye for now, 

Tamzin xxx

*this post contains a product that was sent to me free of charge. In no way does that shape or form my opinion! :)

My thoughts: Hempz Original Herbal Body Moisturizer

If you are an OG reader of my blog, you might remember that back in the day, I used to do a mini-series called "My thoughts". I neglected that series a while back, but I thought I would resurrect it and potentially start doing more of these posts in the future. You can check out my previous ones here and here.

Today's post is going to be all about the Hempz Original Herbal Body Moisturizer. Now, I have to admit, I suck at moisturizing my body. I don't do it everyday (whoops) and it takes me a while to find one that I like enough to actually stick to it. It has to be the right consistency, and I have to say, I am pretty impressed by this one.

I hate thick lotions. I am all about thin, lightweight formulas. I can't stand that heavy, sticky feeling that some lotions provide. I like more watery / whipped textures. I started to apply this and it felt lovely. Refreshing and light, but moisturizing enough. It smelt like bananas, I didn't know if this was just me, but when I googled it, it said it was scented with bananas and "florals". The banana scent isn't too prominent or over powering, it just has that kinda twang to it. I do enjoy the smell which is always a massive bonus obviously.

My skin felt glorious after using this. Straight afterwards and after a few days use. I think it's lovely and definitely worth a try. It's weird, it's actually making me excited to moisturize my body, which is something I never thought I would say. My skin is feeling super soft and I think once I get into a routine of using it everyday (yes, I am trying to be that person) it will make a difference to the overall feel of my flesh. I look forward to that.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you did, leave me a comment, and don't forget to follow me on Instagram, I'd love to see you over there! My username is @tamzinlena or you can follow this link - https://www.instagram.com/tamzinlena/

Bye for now,
Tamzin xxx

*this product was sent to me free of charge. In no way does that shape or form my opinion! :)

Baking Tanya Burr's Chocolate Cookies - Vegan Style

Many moons ago, I did a blog post named "Baking Tanya Burr's Chocolate Cookies" which was one and is still one of my most popular posts ever.

It was so fun to do, and very tasty of course, so I thought I would recreate it, but using Vegan alternatives.

I am not Vegan, and it is not something I will dedicate myself to long term, but I am trying to eat more plant based, and less meat. This is just a personal choice, I want to be healthier, and consider what I am eating more. I want to eat more vegetables etc, and I love exploring alternative diets and I think this is a good way to motivate myself to eat cleaner. Like I said, I am not committing to it.

These cookies, originally, are amazing. And the Vegan ones were just as good, and I am not just saying that. You couldn't tell a difference. If you want to, you can follow the original recipe here.

You will need:

75g of cocoa powder (make sure it's pure cocoa powder and not drinking chocolate, the latter contains milk powder)

A dash or two of Soya milk (or any other plant based milk), depending of how dry your mixture seems to be

300g of caster sugar

275g of self raising flour (I used plain and some baking powder but it doesn't matter!)

220g of vitalite (dairy free butter)

A large bar of dark chocolate

Method:

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Cream together your vitalite and sugar in a large mixing bowl. You then want to stir in all your dry ingredients. At this point you want to add your Soya milk if the dough is looking dry. After this, you want to break all your chocolate up into the squares and chuck it in. (And eat a piece or two - of course!) Start using your hands to form a dough, and when it is all combined, you can put in on a surface and separate it into rather large balls, ready for baking. You should make around 10 balls. These cookies come out huge so you could make 20 smaller ones if you desire. Place the balls onto a greased or lined baking tray and bake them in the oven for 11 minutes - ish. Tanya says this is the perfect baking time, however, this time I did mine for around 15 minutes and they were still gooey but held together slightly better. 

 My mum took the above picture for my blog - she wanted me to include it ha ha and I think it's a good one!

I hope you enjoyed this, and let me know if you decide to bake them for yourselves. I took some for my friends to try and they both loved them so much. One asked if I can make some for her birthday, which then made the other chirp up and ask if I can make some for him too. Of course I agreed to both, because then I have the excuse to make some for myself too. :)

Bye for now,
Tamzin xxx

It's FINALLY Spring! | Feeling productive, and pro-active

Wasn't that the longest Winter of our lives?

I can't believe it is finally Spring.

It's actually crazy that it is already the 20th March and we have had no glimmer of Spring. 2 years ago, I posted a blog post, named Spring Things, and by the time it was published on March 27th, it had already been Easter, Flowers had sprouted and the Weather had picked up. This year, we've had snow blizzard after snow blizzard, I can't remember what the sun looks like and I am desperate for those longer and brighter days.

One thing that is making my dull mornings a little cheerer is breakfast.

I have to say, it's an expensive habit to have, but eating breakfast out a few times a week has done wonders for my pre-work morning mood!

Finding great breakfast spots and eating (of course) sets me up for the day perfectly. First of all, I am excited to leave the house, the WiFi is often great (and free) and I get the energy out of it. Oh, and I can take cute photos like the one above.

I often have time to kill in the mornings so this is a great way to pass it. I find myself being productive most of the time too, whether that be by editing a video or pictures, writing blog posts or organizing content. Often in these kind of cafes, a lot of people are there for the same reason too, so the atmosphere is perfect! Some days I watch YouTube videos, but that doesn't matter...

Finding your muse is key to getting productive, and I think my early breakfasts and an initial boost of work energy is mine. I never thought I was a morning person - but recently, it is where all my energy is at. I crash as soon as I get home in an evening - but in a morning prior to work I am all go.

Have you ever considered waking up earlier to do something like this? Find a favored spot and get your creative juices flowing? It has definitely made a difference in regards to me getting out a rut. You could work, chill, read a book, and overall feel more ready for the day ahead!

I am going to leave this here before I ramble too much - but I am so excited to get back into blogging and sharing some super fun content with you all! April is going to be a crazy (but very exciting) month and I have so much planned, which I will definitely share over here, so stay tuned!

Bye for now,
Tamzin xxx

Amsterdam! | My top recommendations

I went to Amsterdam a year ago yesterday and had a wonderful time. I thought I would share with you some of my top things to do there, as well as the best things to eat and the greatest things to see.

I look so different. Ha ha.

I actually vlogged whilst I was there, you can watch that here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGtxVUMWRRs&t=350s

I also filmed a haul on my return which you can watch here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Ms3MDy_-E&t=34s

I am not going to go into too much detail about what we did, as you can see that in the videos. Instead, I am just going to share the top 12 things I think you should do/eat/see whilst you are there, and course share a few (or a lot) pictures along the way. Most of these are from my instagram/snapchat, so if you want to keep up to date in the future, you can. My username for both is @tamzinlena

I thought I would also mention that we actually got such a good deal on this trip.

We booked it via Wowcher, and paid £100 each which included both the flight and the hotel for 2 nights. We flew with Easy Jet. Not spon, just thought I'd tell you. The hotel we stayed in was Botel, which was interesting and different! It's essentially a floating boat hotel, and it was fun to stay in! It was actually quite far from central, we had to get a boat across everyday, but we actually all enjoyed this aspect! The boat transfers were free and not too much of a hassle.

1. Not really a recombination, but a point. Avoid the bicycles. Do not get in their path. You will get run over and probably die. Seriously though, those bikes stop for nothing. Be careful! And, don't ride them if you're not confident. Like I said, they don't stop for nothing, they are very fast paced and INTENSE.

2. Eat New York Pizza. All around Amsterdam, there are pizza shops that sell these huge slices of pizza, and let me tell you, they are amazing! If you find a shop, be sure to drop in. It's not that expensive and they offer lots of toppings!

3. If you want something slightly healthier, you NEED to try the falafel place in Dam square. It's called Maoz (vegetarian) and it is amazing, just see the pic below. Do I need to say more?

4. Eat all the desserts. I know this is all food related so far, but trust me, Amsterdam has ALL the offerings.

There are millions of places for Crepes, I went to Yo Tella.

5. Visit the Anne Frank museum. I couldn't recommend this enough. Before I went, I heard very mixed reviews, but I thought it was amazing! So insightful and interesting, and of course emotional, but very worth it.

6. Go shopping! Amsterdam has a great mix of smaller boutique style shops and European chains. You can see exactly what I bought and the places I went in my haul video.

7. Take a stroll to the Fault in our stars bench! If you are a fan of the book or the movie, this is a great thing to do, and of course, a great photo opportunity!

8. Ride a river boat! We did do this but I have no photos. It's so much fun and a great way to see the city, floating down the canals is very dutch!

9. Go to the Hard Rock cafe, but be sure to book. It gets very busy and the wait time can be very long if you don't book in advance. However, it is very nice, expensive, but nice, and an experience.

10. See the AMSTERDAM sign! The lettering is so cool. I wish I had gotten a better photo but it rained so much whilst we were there it was difficult.

11. There is also the Van Gogh museum near by which is a great place to visit too. We went into the shop and picked up a few bits!

12.  Enjoy the little things Amsterdam has to offer. One of which for me was the little cafes and bakeries that were dotted about. This one near our hotel was lovely and overlooked the harbor. It's actually where the below photo was taken that I have posted before.

I really enjoyed putting together this little travel guide. If you would like me to do more in the future, let me know! I would love to go back to Amsterdam, maybe when it won't be raining. Below, I have included a list of other popular things to do in Amsterdam that we didn't do, but may be of interest to you! Oh, and be sure to go to a cheese shop and buy ALL the cheese. You won't regret it. I went and oh my god, it was heaven! 

- Sex museum 

- Tulip fields! 

- Ice bar 

- Efteling (theme park)

- Madame Tussauds 

There are so many others things to do to, you can always have a gander on Trip Advisor to see if anything appeals! Also, leave your suggestions below so others can use this as a (hopefully helpful) resource! 

Bye for now,

Tamzin xxx

Why stepping away is important

Do you ever just feel foggy? Like you can't see properly? Like there's this huge fog in front of you that you are trying your hardest to push through, but it won't budge? Like there are so many things on your mind, and in order for you to see clearly, you need to get rid of some?

That's how I have been feeling recently. Foggy. I can't tell you how frustrating it is. How overwhelming it is. The voice in the back of my head exclaiming "you need a fucking break" whilst I am scrambling for air in a seemingly oxygen free world.

I just wanted to switch off. I wanted to turn off my phone, curl up in my bed and listen to slow, comforting songs and only come out for food.

This is unrealistic because I work a full time job, a part time job, study, manage a YouTube channel, blog and socials, do freelance content creating, and try to lead some sort of life.

I just wanted to sleep in all honesty. I have been exhausted.

Let's take the plate analogy. It's overused but even my analogy loving brain can't think of a better one right now.

Imagine having a plate (or a bowl, side dish etc, no discriminating, whatever is your preference) that is full. I love having a full plate in the literal sense, I mean give me all the food. But imagine being given this plate when you're full. You love food, so you should be happy with it, but you.are.stuffed. You can't take any more. That's how I felt.

Whether it be stress, friends or love that was driving me insane, I needed to eradicate something from my plate because I couldn't stomach it all.

So last week, I got rid of social media, in an attempt to clear my head, stop myself from getting caught up in things, and be more present and less foggy.

I went to work, went home and did no more work. I listened to music, I walked the dog, watched things I really wanted to watch and slept earlier.

I stopped trying to chase after things that are a bit too far away at the moment. Things I want that may not happen soon. I am not giving up on them, I am just realizing that now may not be the right time. As you know, I am a big believer in fate and I think if things want to work out, they will. I just need to allow things to happen in their own time instead of rushing everything, always. I am much of a go person and sometimes I need to go slow and steady.

It's always important to remember that you don't owe anyone anything. Your time is precious. Don't waste it on people that wouldn't do the same for you. 

I can see clearer now.

I know you were thinking it.

Bye for now,
Tamzin xxx

GIVEAWAY! (and the T&C's)

To win this package from Kiss Cosmetics and Alex Silver PR, go and check out this tweet - https://twitter.com/tamzinlena/status/967361271745138690

All you need to do is retweet that and follow me on twitter.

Terms and conditions:

- you must be following me on twitter
- you must have retweeted the above tweet
- winner will be chosen on the 3/3 RANDOMLY
- this competition is open to people in MAINLAND UK only due to shipping retsraints

GOOD LUCK!

xo

Bye for now,
Tamzin xxx

23 random questions

As you know, I have recently enjoyed doing more personal posts and things that I typically wouldn't talk about. I thought that today, I would answer 23 random questions, completely honestly, so you could maybe discover something that you didn't already know about me. Feel free to pick a question and answer it in the comments, or if you have you own blog you could answer these yourself! I am going to do a part 2 to this post, but those questions are going to be "deep", where as these are more lighthearted!

1) 3 turn offs

- selfishness
- smoking
- people who take them selves too seriously.

2) 3 turn ons

- people who aren't afraid to say how they feel
- smiley people
- laughter

3) phobia

mice & rats

4) celebrity crush

sam clafflin

5) do you smoke/drink?

i don't smoke, never have, but i have consumed alcohol.. numerous times

6) favourite movie

wild child

7) name

tamzin lena snelling

8) fave band

scouting for girls / coldplay

9) fave music artist

florence and the machine + so many others

10) embarrassing memory

when i thought i had already put my shorts on for PE in primary school, but i hadn't, so i walked into the hall in a top and pants

11) last thing i ate

cadbury's creme egg pot of joy thing (they are insane!!)

12) last text received

"it does my box in"

13) 4 things you hate

- hypocrites
- ear wax
- pins and needles
- mixed signals

14) 4 things you love

- laughing
- bonding with people
- food
- finding a song that reflects your current emotion

15) random fact

i have never broken a bone

16) 3 people you miss

- my old best friend
- my internet best friend
- a close friend i met through YouTube who lives in the US

17) tattoo you want

there's a few, but the ones i want first include a taurus symbol on my finger, a wave on my arm, some song lyrics on my shoulder, and some forget me not flowers, also on my arm

18) a regret

wasting too much time on the wrong people

19) an 11:11 wish

happiness

20) craziest thing i've ever done

i guess i'm not that crazy

21) your fave colour

blue

22) nickname

looby / looby lena by my mum

23) fave author

jennifer niven

Bye for now,
Tamzin xxx

What I am listening to recently

I thought it would be fun to do a post all about the music I am enjoying recently. Typically, I don't have a set genre that I like, I kind of listen to anything. However, if I had to pick one genre, it would be indie pop rock. If that is even a thing. Think Florence and The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, Of Monsters and Men, Kate Nash, Lilly Allen, Coldplay... Here are 5 or so (I had to keep it down) tunes that I have loved jammin' to in the past few weeks.

Speaking of Coldplay, my most listened to song of the past few weeks has to be Yellow.

I have loved this song for years but for some reason I have just wanted to listen to it over and over again recently. I love it so much. It actually came out in June 2000, just 2 months after I was born which I find crazy.

I love that this song is both sad and happy. It is filled with so much emotion and the way it is portrayed is beautiful. My favourite lyrics? The opening lines - Look at the stars, look how they shine for you. My other favourite Coldplay songs include The Scientist and Christmas Lights (which yes, is a Christmas song. I haven't been listening to it recently, don't worry.)

I have also been OBSESSED with the Greatest Showman soundtrack. I have listened to it all most days, sometimes twice. It is incredible.

My favourite songs from it are This is me and Come Alive, but honestly I love every single song. If I had to pick one it would be This is me, and my favourite lyric is I know that I deserve your love. 'Cause there is nothing that I am not worthy of. 

A song that never fails to make me cry is Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men. For some reason, when they start singing after the intro, it just hits me.

I think I have just developed an attachment to the song and its lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, my faves are Though the truth may vary, This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore. 

A current chart hit which I like at the moment is Dua Lipa's IDGAF. 

I think it is such a bop and a real feel good, girl boss kinda song. My favourite lyric is So I cut you off,
I don't need your love. 

Another older song that I have been loving recently is Paolo Nutini's Last Request. 

As you can probably tell, I have been listening to rather emotional songs these past few weeks, which I think accurately represents my recent mood. I listen to sad songs when I'm sad and happy songs when I am happy. That's just what I do ha ha. None of these songs are particularly sad, they are just more mellow and slow, which I do prefer typically. My favourite lyric is Oh, and I realize all about your lies

But I'm no wiser than the fool I was before. 

I am going to leave this post here for now, I hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, I will do more music themed posts soon. 

Bye for now,

Tamzin xxx

Unlovable?

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I wanted to do a post to remind you that it is okay if you are single or without a beau. I am asked more often than not if I am with someone, (I don't why this is such a general assumption) mainly in real life but on the internet too, and the answer to that is no. I don't have a boyfriend. I have seen people recently but nothing concrete, and that's okay. (Ish, I am not going to pretend that I don't cry about it on a weekly basis)

Valentine's Day is a weird one. I love any kind of occasion, so I am not bitter or petty towards anyone in that way, but it is hard not to feel kind of down when everyone around you is so loved up, and you might not be so lucky. Whether this be because you have just gotten out of unhealthy relationship or you are struggling with your feelings for someone, Valentine's Day can trigger a lot of issues within someone who is currently feeling that kind of heart ache. Also, even if someone does have a partner, but they can't be with them for whatever reason (long distance relationship, family disapproval or they work away for example) this can also be difficult for them. 

It is so hard to write this post because I am trying not to get it caught up in my present feelings. I guess the whole point of this was to, just remind you that if you are single, it is fine, and Valentine's Day can still be fun and enjoyable, it doesn't have to be tinged with bad memories or bad people. Go out and enjoy yourself, or stay in and watch your favourite film, or just have a good cry (trust me, it helps!) Check out my post I did on The Growing Up Guide, all about things you can do if you are single on Valentine's Day! 

You may be physically alone, but you are never alone! If you do happen to feel that extra pang of loneliness on the lead up or on actual Valentine's Day, speak to someone! Whether that me a friend or family member, find someone that you think will understand and have a good chat. It is always nice to have an outpour of feelings. And if you can't do that, buy some Ben and Jerry's. I ain't judging. I may join you. 

Additionally, if you have feelings for someone, tell them! Valentine's Day is a great opportunity to do so. You might just get the response you wanted. (insert how much of a hypocrite I am here because there is no way I am declaring my love for anyone tomorrow) 

I hope you liked this post. To be honest, it was more for me. I do enjoy writing more personal posts as it gives me a kind of outlet for any feelings that I am currently, ya know, feeling. I try not to give too much away but it still feels good to put some of it out on a page. - 

I'll tell you on thing though, I do often feel "Unloveable". This jumper was pretty fitting. 

I am going to share a tip with you, and it is something I have done before. It's not Valentine's specific, but it may come in handy around this time. Write a letter. Write a letter to the person you wish you could pour your heart out to but can't for whatever reason. Seal it, and don't give it to them. Hide it, burn it, trash it, it doesn't matter. The fact you have written down on a page everything that you feel, can really help you reflect upon the situation. I mean - you can give it to them if you want, but I ain't that confident. I just keep it to myself, and I still feel as if I have said everything I want to say without causing a stir. 

Bye for now, 

Tamzin xxx