Thoughts | 50 Things That Make My Soul Happy

1. Long and meaningful chats

2. Feeling confident

3. Receiving post

4. Staying in hotels

5. A book I can't put down

6. Finding a dress which fits perfectly

7. Matching underwear

8. Milkshakes

9. Pinterest boards (have a nosey at mine here)

10. Laughing so hard it hurts

11. Cocktails

12. A good cuddle (bonus points if it's with a puppy or a baby)

13. Car Boot Sales

14. Date Night

15. Receiving a lovely comment or two on a blog post

16. The run up to christmas

17. Lazy days

18. Freddos - the price however has the opposite effect.

19. Spontaneous messages from loved ones

20. Stationary

21. Taking photos

22. A "good makeup" day

23. Catching up with old friends

24. A good Rom Com

25. Cooked breakfasts

26. A hot bubble bath

27. Wicked

28. Skype

29. Not having to set an alarm

30. Musical Theatre sing-a-longs

31. Pyjamas

32. Looking through old photos

33. The Beatles

34. Fairy lights

35. Takeaway and movie nights

36. Payday

37. Manicures

38. Trying out new Lush products

39. Receiving a compliment

40. Harry Potter

41. Taking makeup off

42. Planning things

43. Fresh sheets

44. Giving presents

45. The run up to Christmas

46. Roast dinners

47. Lie-ins

48. Late night talks

49. Having spare money at the end of the month

50. Scented candles

What makes you happy? Can you relate to any of these points?

Beauty | Lush 'Dreamtime' Bath Oil

It's been a little while since I tried and tested a new treat from the gods and goddesses at Lush HQ, I'm practically having withdrawal symptoms. But today I wanted to share with you an old favourite of mine: meet the Dreamtime Bath Oil, a sleep-inducing bath time beauty.

 

At the heart of this concoction are lavender oil and chamomile oil; the dream team for ultimate relaxation. This combination will also ease the aches and pains of the day, perfect after a days work.The other key element of Dreamtime is shea butter, to moisturise your skin to perfection whilst you enjoy a completely blissful bathing experience.

 

 Even though this product (like its bath oil siblings) appears teeny tiny, you only need to pop a single one in a warm bath to create the perfect pre-sleep treat. When it is left to float, oodles of purple Lush goodness bleed from the product creating puddles on the surface. Swish the water around a tad and you'll have a purple-tinted bath of herbal beauty.

 

Although I was a tad skeptical about bath oils - being the bath bomb fan girl that I am - Dreamtime got me well and truly hooked and I'm working my way through the range. The bath oils are a lot more affordable than some of the other lush bath products, in my opinion, which will guarantee that even those of us who have tighter purse strings can enjoy a Lush bathing session.  

 

'Dreamtime' retails at £2.00 for a 20g product.

It is available online at Lush.com here.

Do you have a go-to bath product to induce a good nights sleep? 

Thoughts | The Blogger Blues

Over the past month or so, all has been quiet on this little website of mine.

 

In the past, a hiatus in blogging on Yours, Chloe has always been down to bloggers block. Occasions where the normally buzzing part of my brain that creates my post ideas has become silent and empty. On this occasion, bloggers block was far from the diagnosis. If anything, the polar opposite. My brain - and notebooks alike - have been over-spilling with post ideas: products I'd like to review, outfits I'd like to share, tales I'd like to tell. This time, inspiration was not the problem, it was motivation.

 

As of late I've been suffering with a case of what I've been calling the blogger blues; a bit of a blogging slump if you will. My mind has played all post ideas off as bad ones, created negative thoughts surrounding my photography and writing skills in comparison with my blogging colleagues and - if truth be told - made me feel pretty shit about the piece of the internet I have created. 

 

In part, I blame my mental health. At times when good mental health days feel few and far between I find myself doubting my abilities and talent in regards to all manner of things, not just blogging, but on this occasion its my self esteem in regards to my online rambles that has taken the biggest hit.

 

The blogging world has erupted in recent years. Of course at least partially due to the success of the so called "big bloggers" who are following the path of Zoella and her blogger-turned-youtuber counterparts. Whilst I'm unbelievably proud of the way that the community has grown and the amazing content that is being created, there's a growing feeling of being a small fish in a big pond.

 

A huge part of blogging is reading other peoples work but with that you witness the posts that get 100 comments, the posts that have faultless photography, the posts featuring bloggers who are the definition of photogenic. And you only have to spend two minutes on twitter to notice the blogger cliques that are emerging; it's like blogging has turned into a popularity contest but I'll save that rant for another day.

 

I guess in summary I need to learn to appreciate the value of the content I create and not feel the need to compare my work to the works of others. Easier said than done I know. I've taken a bit of time away from blogging, and the blog-reading and social media interactions that go with it, to clear my head and think about why I blog in the first place.

 

I blog because I love to write and express my thoughts and ideas in the creative manners of the written word and photography. I didn't set out to be a popular blogger that creates content read and adored by thousands, so why am I being so hard on myself for not achieving this? Let's get back to the real goal: staying true to myself and creating content I'm proud of.