Running my first ever real 5K (I actually sorta did it?!) and a fundraising update

On Sunday I ran my first ever 5K as an adult. I'd done a couple as a kid, but I'm not sure they really count ... mostly because I remember my dad having to come around with me, telling me I couldn't stop half way around. 
This is the only snap I managed to get of me pre-race (no one wants to see the post-race sweaty mess). At this point I finally started to get a little  nervous. I was about to run this thing on my own, and seeing everyone else lining up in pairs or groups at the start line was a little unsettling.

Fundraising for BCRT in 2018

This year I want to give something back to the world that gives so much to me, so I've decided to dedicate the year to fundraising for the Bone Cancer Research Trust. This is an absolutely incredible charity that funds PhD students looking into cures and better treatment for bone cancer, and it's the only charity that raises money to help bone cancer survivors. 

Giving back during the festive season

Christmas is a time for giving. Whether this comes from a religious viewpoint, a traditional one, a moral one or just a gut instinct, we all know that Christmas is about sharing and loving and being kind. Today I'm chatting about ways to give back this year, and I hope it inspires you to do a little something too, and spread joy to those around you.

February and March book haul

I love book hauls: I love reading them, writing them, stocking up for them, everything. My last one was a December and January book haul and you can read it here. But, as it's 2017 now and environmental concerns are getting ever pressing, I've been thinking more about my impact on the planet. So, one of my goals for 2017 is not to buy any brand new books. From now on (unless temptation gets to me and I fail), all of the books featured in my book hauls will be second hand. And once they're read, all of my books will be going on to a new owner, either via Depop or a charity shop. I'm not someone who really keeps up with new book trends religiously, and so it seems like a good way to be a little more friendly to the environment by re-using things. 

The first three books in this massive little haul are all young adult fiction books. I've started to get back into the genre a little bit recently, so I picked up some new reads to help me continue with it. 

Every Day by David Levithan is something that I've seen in book stores a zillion times, but have never picked up. Now that I've read the blurb I am SO gutted I ignored it. It's all about a kid called A who wakes up in the body of somebody new every day. His one rule is not to get attached to the people he meets. But one day he meets a girl that changes everything - he now knows who he wants to spend every day with. 

All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls is a historical novel all about the Black Death. I'm a big fan of historical books but I haven't read a young adult one in what feels like forever, so I'm excited to see how the topic of the plague in England is dealt with. The title is also a reminder that the nursery rhyme 'Ring a Ring of Roses' was actually about the Black Death.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is the first Gothic novel that I've bought in ages. It's all about a small town called Mercy Falls, in which a girl called Grace meets a pack of wolves who seem a little human. One has piercing yellow eyes that seem almost too similar to the yellow eyes of the new boy in town ...

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote. I've honestly had the 'and I said, what about breakfast at Tiffany's / She said I think I remember that film' Deep Blue Something song stuck in my head since I picked this book up, ffs. But, it's such a big part of American culture that I really want to see the book that inspired the film and the song. 

The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis. I'm looking into the list of '1001 books you should read before you die' (way to procrastinate packing for holiday Steph, I know) and this author's name kept popping up, so I've decided to see what the fuss is all about. The novel was written in the 1980s and is based around a uni student in America who is sexually promiscuous and indecisive about her university career. It also features her relationship with a bisexual man, and I'm intrigued to see how the author discusses this.

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is a novel by another author that kept cropping up on the 1001 books list. This is a murder mystery novel set in an Italian monastery in the 1300s. As I mentioned before, I love historical fiction, but I don't know much about Italian history during this period, so it'll be interesting to see what I can learn. 

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossini is a novel that I've been hearing about for a good decade. I was told to wait until I was a little older to read it when I was in my teens, to understand everything fully, so when I spied a copy in my local charity shop I knew I had to have it. I'm fully prepared to have my heart broken by this novel, and to learn more about the history of Afghanistan.
More Than This by Patrick Ness. I was a massive Patrick Ness fan as a teen. The Knife of Never Letting Go trilogy was something I was obsessed with, and would recommend to anybody that asked. I'm so excited to see what he offers in this standalone novel about a boy who dies ... and then lives.
Room by Emma Donoghue. This has been on my mental TBR list for about five years. No joke. It's been recommended to me time and time again and I just kept forgetting to buy a copy. Room is all about a five year old boy named Jack who lives in Room with his mother. Those four walls are his home, his world. Jack has no idea there's a world outside of Room, until one day Door opens.
The Secret by Katerina Diamond is the final novel on my list, and the only thriller. I've been loving thrillers over the past year or so, and this has got me hooked from just the blurb. DS Imogen Grey, the novel's protagonist, is on a search for a missing girl. As she gets deeper into the mystery she uncovers a terrifying trail of murder and abuse, and she ends up delving into secrets from her own past as well as the victim's.
So there it is, my book haul from the last two months. *This post contains affiliate links* Follow me on Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Facebook

10 Ways to Give Back this Christmas

One of my favourite things about Christmas is how much more inspired people are to be kinder to those around them. It may not seem like that as you see a mother elbowing someone else's child out of the way to get the last toy left in The Entertainer, but it is true. The turn in the weather, and the fact that Christmas forces us to spend quality time with other people, and think about what they would like most in the world all help in the lead up. I also think that more people thinking about their faith at this time of year helps to remind them to give to those less fortunate. So, if you're feeling inspired to help others this Christmas too, then here are ten things you can do:

1.) Spend some time talking to a local homeless person, and wrap them up a gift that you think they'd enjoy.

2.) Send money to support the citizens of Aleppo, or simply spread the word about the massacre that's occurring (something that the media seems to be overlooking)

3.) Make sure no relative or friend dines alone on Christmas Day. There's always room for one more around the table.

4.) Challenge yourself to buy people thoughtful gifts. And if you can't think of something, talk to them, and find out what they're loving or lusting after at the moment.

5.) Give a Christmas card to everyone you know: it could be their only one.

6.) Gift toys to a local children's hospital.

7.) Help out at a retirement centre, or get a group together to put on a show.

8.) Do something extra to make a child in your family's Christmas that bit more magical.

9.)  Surprise your other half with something on Christmas evening that lets them know how grateful you are to be spending the most wonderful day of the year with them.

10.) Make your New Years resolutions about what you can do for others, rather than yourself. 

What would you add to the list?

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A Lovers' Trip | Hunstanton Seal Sanctuary

Me and the boyfriend were lucky enough to celebrate our third year together at the Hunstanton seal sanctuary last month visiting rescued seal pups. This sanctuary takes in both adult seals and seal pups from UK coasts which have been wounded in some way or another, either by other creatures, or unfortunately by physical or environmental human impact. 
So, we did something to help them out, and adopted one of the rescued seal pups, a little lady called Feast. When Feast was first brought in she was seriously underweight, and needed a lot of TLC, and that's exactly what she's getting from the guys in Hunstanton. We had such a great day seeing Feast happily playing with the other seal pups, and I was overjoyed to realise that as part of our adoption of Feast we would get to return to see him released back into the wild, to make new friends and finally be back where he ought to be. 
The best part of this day was realising that we could do something positive with our love, and improve another life. So, this Christmas I've decided to engage with charity, giving away 1/3 of my clothes and books, rather than selling them as originally planned. What are you guys doing this Christmas to help others?

No More Loneliness | Raising Awareness with Sunrise

We all know how awful it can be to feel lonely, yet it must be so much worse to feel lonely and either less mobile, or more isolated than us young'uns would be. So, I teamed up with Sunrise Senior Living to create a meal to raise awareness for the often crippling loneliness that elderly people feel. I invited my dearest grandmother to come along so that I could make her a meal, courtesy of Sunrise and the recipes they sent me, and play some games with her.
I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. My grandma is basically the master chef of our entire family and I wanted to make something to finally prove that I'm basically an adult and totally capable of cooking things for myself. So, I went with a goat's cheese and roasted cherry tomato salad (one of my own recipes which you can find here) for a starter, and Sunrise's beef bourgignon recipe. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with myself. Despite the bottom of my pan looking a little cinder-y, the main itself was delicious, and I've definitely saved the handy recipe card it came on for future use.
When Sunrise first contacted me, I was given a choice of potential games that they could send for us to play. After we'd eaten our meal together I got my whole household (well, the three of us plus Grandma) together, so that we could all play some card games. I am so glad to say that grandma absolutely loved this - though maybe that was the wine from the meal talking?! The entire day gave us a chance to spend some quality time together, as well as for her to learn some new card games and finally get out of the house. As we lost my grandfather earlier this year, it's become even more important that as a family we spend time together, so Sunrise provided me with a perfect opportunity to do exactly that.
Finally, I challenge you to do what I did: spend some time with a neighbour, friend or relative who is elderly: cook them a meal of something they wouldn't eat everyday and take the opportunity to listen to their woes and joys this Autumn.  

Go Gold for September | Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

If you guys didn't already know, September is Clic Sargent's Go Gold month, in which they campaign for all of us to wear gold to inspire awareness about the effects of childhood cancer, as well as raising money for this amazing charity. This is a cause which strikes incredibly close to home for me, and as such me and my sister bought some of Clic's gold ribbon badges, whacked out the gold eyeliner and nail varnish and spread the word!
Now, this is probably going to be the most personal post I've ever done, but I want you guys to know why it is absolutely vital that we support charities like Clic. When I was 10 my younger sister, aged 8 at the time, was diagnosed with a very rare form of bone cancer called Ewing's Sarcoma. The treatment for it was very intense, and the specialists trained to help cure it were located over an hour's drive away. However, opposite the hopsital was a house run by Clic Sargent. It offered a safe space for families and children with cancer to stay so that, if appropriate, they could attend hospital appointments during the day, but go back to somewhere that felt a little more like home. Plus, it meant that I was able to visit her with my dad whilst she was undertaking chemotherapy; thus offering us an invaluable opportunity to spend time with her when we didn't know if her time was going to be cut short. Due to financial difficulties at the time, staying near her would have been utterly impossible without Clic, and all the money people have raised for the charity over the years. So, I implore you - keep up the good work, and raising awareness for childhood cancer throughout this month and the rest of the year!
What charity do you support, and why?

OOTD: Transitioning into Autumn with some Summer Blues

Sorry I haven't posted in forever, things have been crazy hectic at my work experience (hello 2 hour commute each way). Although I'm loving the experience of working at London at the moment I'm missing the freedom I had earlier in the summer, like I had in Devon in this picture. We've been holidaying in Devon since I can remember, and it was so much fun heading out on a little adventure with my sister here (public walkways for the win) and doing this mini photo shoot.