The other week I went to visit two of my friends that live in Germany. It's true that as we get older, it gets harder to make time to see everyone but it's always possible to make time for those that matter most...even if it means jumping on a plane - they're worth it!

Also, at £23 return can you really complain? (yes Ryanair!!!)

I brought along one of my best friends and we were impressed with Germany the moment we arrived at the train station McDonalds...sounds crazy but that's because you haven't tried their white hot chocolates yet now have you?

And did I mention they also sell muffins oozing with nutella. Makes sense now doesn't it. Can the UK McDonalds pleeaseee make note. 

Aside from gawping at any place that sold 'brotchen' and currywurst, we actually did some visiting too!!

As a surprise, our friends took us to Harz for some traditional sledging...but not like the plastic sledges we have here in the UK. The proper wooden ones you see in old fashioned films etc!

I wasn't expecting to be going anywhere snowy so it all felt quite magical and narnia like. I definitely got butterflies of excitement like a small child!!! Snow makes everything look so clean and peaceful.

They did have ski lifts, but some of us have to be bikini ready this summer, so we manned up and walked up the mountain...in the snow.. dragging sledges...things got pretty sweaty but I was promised gluhwein if we made it half way.

Everyone looked so happy and it was cute seeing couples. parent and child and friends racing eachother down the slopes, some of them tumbling off!

We had snow up to our knees which meant there was a lot of tripping up (and some voluntary rolling around making snow angels)

Dare I say, I felt a little Christmassy?!! Maybe more so than I did on actual Christmas!!!

The half way point eventually came and that meant warm alcohol was the order of the day. The walking was worth it!!

Now feeling a little tipsy, we continued our journey up the mountain. Going where no sledgers had been before (because it was actually forbidden)...to the ski slopes!!!

 We whizzed down, dodging the skiiers and clinging on for dear life. It was sooooooo funnn!!!!

And obviously we returned to the gluhwein hut halfway down because you know, it's good to keep warm for health reasons.

Stick fairylights on anything and I'll find it adorable.

After hours of sledging, drinking and getting a LOT of bruises along the way, it was time to go home. Jeans soaking wet and muscles aching, we climbed back in the car and headed home. 

A perfect day was ended with peppermint tea, candles and blankets whilst we watched one of the best films ever made, Chocolat. 

There's definitely some days that I will always treasure because they were just that extra special and this is one of them. 

A few things you may not know about me..

1. I play 'white noise' from my phone to help me sleep at night

2. I hate wrists..they just freak me out..keep your tendons to yourself please

3. If I'm buying a bottle of shampoo or something similar, I'll never take the one from the front of the shelf - oh no!

4. I love Sean Paul, Pitbull and Fuse ODG and have no shame - the sound of summer

5. I am part french, scottish, italian, german, swiss and irish..shall we just say European?

6. It's not the most exciting of choices but my favourite animal is the dog

7. Before wanting to be a vet, I wanted to be an astronaut

8. Sometimes I cry for what appears to be absolutely no reason

9. I love weird twisted films like 'Knock Knock' and 'Misery'

10. If I turn down a big social event then it's probably because I'm too anxious to go

11. I would love a pet chicken purely so I can call her Nando...and well free eggs too

12. I think capers are the most disgusting food out there

13. I don't really have a favourite colour, but I like when there's a colour scheme in rooms

14. My Aunty used to call me 'Emma-Jane' when I was little and I hated it...my middle name is Jane

15. Eating out at restaurants is one of my absolute favourite things to do

16. If I have a disappointing meal out then I genuinely will feel sad

17. If you've upset me in my dreams then I'll be holding a grudge against you in real life the next day..I'll just try not to let you know it

18. I wish I read more books but honestly, I just go through the odd reading phase here and then

19. I love buying new PJs and will put them on as early as is sociably acceptable after a day out

20. Baths > Showers (sorry environment)

21. I never watched Fresh Prince of Bel Air so I just kinda dance awkwardly whenever everyone starts singing the theme tune on nights out

22. I used to fancy TJ from Recess

23. My hands are almost always freezing

24. I used to drink Sunny D with a spoon

Things you come to realise in your twenties...

1. You still haven't got a clue what you're doing and are basically winging  life - when I was little I used to look up to people in their late teens even and think they just had it together - nope, we don't.

2. You still feel like a child and are shocked when members of the public refer to you as a 'lady'

3. You and your friends are in all different stages of life - some are engaged and have children, some are working and now earning money...and here I am, still a student...

4. Your 'Granny' side starts to come through - looking at girls in teeny dresses and saying "they must be freezing"....When that was me not so long ago (and still is sometimes) and only occasionally choosing a night out over a night in

5. Home decor shops are actually really fun - I used to hate being dragged into furniture shops with my parents but now I actively choose to go in and make big plans in my head for the house I don't yet own!

6. You're still trying to find yourself - people always go on about 'finding themselves' but I believe we change all the time and that's why the people we have in our lives do too.

7. You care less about what other people think of you - definitely getting better at this one!!

8. You can name a few red, white and rose wines - still learning but it's nice to name a wine when ordering at the bar rather than just asking for 'the house white'

9. Your siblings are the closest people to you and are a blessing - I used to constantly argue and fight with my older brother but now we ring each other all the time and he's given me so much support over the last year!

10. Sleep is the best thing in the world (after food) - I literally have no idea why I used to get upset at being sent to bed early as a child.

11. Even grown ups are mean to each other - I was so shocked when my aunty told me about a colleague at work who gets bullied by fellow adults! It's sad because I always thought this sort of stuff ended after school

12. People are in your life for a season, a reason or a lifetime - someone said this to me last week and thinking back to people that have come in and out or are still about in my life, it's definitely true!

13. A year is nothing - Time seems to get faster and faster every year and it's terrifying - cherish every second

p.s. I now have a facebook page which you can find here

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January Blues

Christmas has been and gone and New Year resolutions have failed. Not to mention, the weather is freezing cold!! It's easy to see why people get the so called 'January Blues'. It can be hard to return to the routine of school/work/uni after so many happy festive activities with our nearest and dearest. I felt pretty miserable coming back to uni because I had such a lovely time with my family and I just didn't want it to end...yep at 23 you can still get homesick, who knew!

But then, after a while I remembered that actually, what you think is what you feel (see What 2015 taught me). It's all about perspective and making the best out of whatever situation you're in.

January isn't actually so bad. The days are getting lighter and longer which means you no longer wake up to the Moon, there's the chance of snow (controversial one but perspective again makes this a good thing...yay narnia!) and if you have failed your new year resolutions, you still have another 11 months to make this right again.

Little things like flowers can really lift a person's mood. Debenhams Flowers sent me this beautiful bouquet called Moonlit Meadow*. I picked this one because I think the colours are perfect for the winter month. I'd always thought of flowers as more of a summer thing. This shows how 'the blues' can look very pretty!

They arrived in immaculate condition and with a care guide on how to look after them so you can get the most out of them. A week later and they're still blossoming away. Did I mention these ones come with a box of chocolates too?!

If you'd like some then you can use "DFBLOG25" to get 25% off. Now you can't tell me discounts don't make you happy! Go, on treat someone or yourself..either will make you feel fabulous.

One thing me and my housemates do every evening at dinner is go around the table and ask each other what our favourite part of the day is. Often it's something very small and unusual. I'm trying to take that approach in my one line a day diary so then I'll have 5 years worth of happy memories...so far it's mostly about food..

And for all those people missing the summer and beach well did you know you can hire hot tubs for your back garden?! My friend hired one for her birthday which meant that this January, the bikinis were out! Teamed with some outdoor fairy lights, it really was a magical experience! See, it doesn't have to be Christmas to have that feeling still!

I know this was quite a strange mix of photos and thoughts but it represents my January :)

So, I better refer to my first photo here...is your glass half full or empty?

p.s. I now have a facebook page which you can find here

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What 2015 has taught me

Some of these are very random but I wanted to pick things personal to me this year based on real events (haha sounds like a film now doesn't it)...

1. Check your car often. Lets just say brake fluid is essential and it's not so great when the container in your car that contains it decides to burst!!! I also found myself driving back in the fog at night wondering why it was impossible to see and then got home to find one of my headlights wasn't working.

2. How you think is how you feel. I have had trouble with anxiety and worrying and this is something I've worked really hard to fight this year because otherwise it takes over your life. I've learnt that I can control how I feel so it's best to think positive so that you feel that way too :)

3. Time is getting faster. I know this is something people always say but remember when a year used to feel like such a long time? It's almost new year's eve but I remember my last one so vividly. I find it scary sometimes but it's also a reason to try and enjoy the present and not think too much into the past or future.


4. Blogging should be fun. I've had my blog for almost 18 months now and I'm so pleased I've kept it up. I do sometimes get a bit stressed at not having much material or time to make it as good as I'd like but then I remember that it's meant to be a fun hobby for me to enjoy and everything else that comes with it really is a bonus.

5. Go for it, even if it's a little scary. There are so many opportunities that present themselves to us everyday and I know there's stuff I've turned down because I've been too scared/anxious/worried about it. I've signed myself up to go to India to do some charity work next summer and I am absolutely terrified but I'm hoping it's something I'll look back at and be glad I did. Hopefully, I'll feel like Julia Roberts on Eat, Pray, Love and come back a more spiritual person who knows who they are....or maybe not!


6. There are some particularly good souls out there. The news is always full of depressing stories but we should also remember that there are a lot of lovely people out there. Recently, a family member took ill whilst getting a haircut and despite the salon being stupidly busy, the barber drove said family member home and even rang that evening to see they were okay!!

7. I don't need to wear make up every day. If you had asked me to step out the house without make up a few years ago, I would have point blank refused. I was so self concious about my skin and worried about people judging me, But then I realised how little I focus on other people's skin and never noticed their spots so I figured it must be the same for everyone else..we're all too busy worrying about ourselves! My skin has got so much better by giving it a break and letting it breathe and I no longer care if people do judge. Live your own life!

8. Taste buds change so keep trying different foods. This year I have found a love for prawns, squid and olives; all three of which I used to bork at the thought of. I love food so having an even wider option of foods I can eat is definitely a bonus :)

9. How to be a bit more money savvy. I spent a little bit too much on a trip to London not that long ago. It was the first time I'd been there (yes I know I couldn't believe it took me that long either).. and I got a bit overexcited. Looking at my bank account was heartbreaking so I have since made an effort to stop impulsive shopping. I wrote post about my money saving tips here.

What have you taken from 2015?

p.s. I now have a facebook page which you can find here

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My Favourite...

Bit of a new style of post but I thought this would be quite fun to write and if it goes down well, I might write a series of post with lists of my favourite things. Some are well known and others not so much so I hope you discover something new that you like from my recommendations below :)

Chick Flicks

The Other Woman

The Holiday

Under the Tuscan Sun

About Time

A Tale of Two Bunnies

The Proposal

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

Scary Films

Insidious
House of Wax
The Orphan
The Skeleton Key
The Others
Case 39

Tv Series

Grey's Anatomy

Pretty Little Liars (of course!)

One Tree Hill

Desperate Housewives

American Horror Story

Happy Songs

Slide by the GooGoo Dolls

On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

Sexy Lady by Jessie J

Cheerleader by Omi

There She Goes by The La's
Send Me on My Way by Rusted Root

Chill Out Songs

Sail Away by David Gray

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

Let it Go by James Bay

Have you heard of any of these before? What are your favourites?

12 facts about me :)

1. I speak fluent French thanks to having a French mother :) My writing isn't the best though!

2. I hate seeing the tendon on the inside of my/other people's wrists - there's something about it that makes me cringe and shudder ughhh

3. My perfect meal would include goats cheese, chorizo and sweet potato!

4. Despite studying to be a Vet, I've never owned a cat or dog :(

5. I do however, own a little hamster called Darcey and a terrapin called Squirt

6. I used to do ballet and got up to grade 5 but stopped because it hurt my feet so much when we started going on pointe

7. I own soooo many owl items in my room

8. I blush very easily but please don't test that out, I hate when people do!

9. I found out I was scared of heights when I was hanging off the side of a cliff, abseiling in the Lake District..never again

10. I once ate a customer's food by accident whilst working as a waitress in France. This comes pretty high on my most embarrassing moments!

11. I used to want to be an astronaut but then realised my chances of going to space were slim so settled for becoming a vet!

12. If I'm not eating food then I'm talking/dreaming/thinking about it