Popularity and Other Lame Social Characteristics

Hello!

It certainly has been a very long time since I last wrote to you. 

I needed some time to clear my head. Recently, I went on a three day school trip to an adventure centre. It was great and it made me realise a lot of things. This entry could probably be all over the place so bear with me.

No. 1 I have had such a huge urge to just be popular. I think I know why but I will elaborate later on. 

I can definitely talk to all the people in my school who I think are popular I jus find it super hard. I feel like they think I'm annoying. I'm not good at the things that make them popular, like sports. If popularity was based on clumsiness I would literally be queen, but that's not how it works... I'm trying to figure out a plan to succeed on my crusade of popularity (damn, look at that sentence, I'm so fancy.. And devious mwahaha.. No). 

No. 2 I have become a lot, a lot happier in myself as a person. For example, before if I used to see a girl in my class that was pretty I would just be jealous, nothing else but jealous. Whereas now, if I see that girl I think maybe "she's got lovely skin, I wanna improve my skin" or "oh I love her hair, good for her that she can pull it off like that". I find myself to be a lot more appreciative of everyone and everything. 

No. 3 kind of counter-acting everything I just said. If I wrote down everything on paper that I have you'd think I was 100% happy and positive, but I'm not. I should be happy but I feel like a part of me isn't there and I don't know how to fill it. Going back to my first point, I'm a strong believer that popularity isn't everything but I still want it. I suppose you always want what you don't have. My anxiety tends to get in the sometimes as well.

No. 4 I really like somebody. I have done for a while. I already know this sounds so lame. I haven't liked anybody for ages, and I thought it was great not caring what you looked like or how you acted. Unfortunately, now I am back to that stage of caring too much. Also, back to my first point, he is popular. He gets on really well with another girl. Even though she probably doesn't like him because she is quite tom-boyish I still worry. Though it's not like I have a monopoly over him or anything. My other friend also likes him. She is in the same class as him, and I recently had to sit through a long conversation they had which I wasn't involved in and just stood there like an idiot. And because she doesn't know I like him afterwards I said, "you guys are so cute together" (through gritted teeth, although I love my friend to bits). 

So that's my latest update. Hope you enjoyed hearing me rant about my problems. Feel free to comment yours and give me tips. 

~ Tee xox

Twitter:     @gingerbreadtee_

Instagram:  @gingerbreadtee_

Hot Weather Essentials

Hello!

Long time no see. Although you may not have noticed my absence, I have certainly felt it. 

Back from a week in Malta, I am in a fantastically good mood. What better way to share my positivity than praising all of my favourite things for the spring and summer?

No. 1 The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil

 I use this product once a week, running it through my fringe and the ends of my hair when it is wet. I have noticed quite a difference in my hair. It has become a lot shinier and more moisturised. I used to take a great amount of time to maintain my hair but now I don't as much. I'll try to get back into the swing of things especially as summer is just around the corner! *excited squeal*.

Can anybody recommend a good moisturising hair mask for me?

No. 2  Maybelline Baby Lips in "Cherry Me"

Unfortunately, this is the only one of tthe Baby Lips collection that I have. I really want to try more. This product adds a lovely hint of red to the lips. It is great for days when you don't want to wear make-up, or you're like me and you just don't wear make-up often. They also moisturise your lips! I  can't wait to try out brighter colours for spring.

No. 3 "No.7 Mini Eye Palette"

If you are really into make-up and have a huge collection you may want to skip this. The shades here are lovely, neutral colours. They all contain shimmer but I find them easy to blend and to create different looks with. The shadows are not very opaque but for someone like me who has not yet mastered eye shadow, I don't mind.

No. 4 The Body Shop Vitamin E Internse Moisture Cream

I have very dry skin and I recently purchased this moisturiser, it has really helped re-hydrate my skin. It works really fast. I apply this both morning and night. I find a little goes a long way and it is absorbed into the skin fairly quickly.

So I know that's not a lot of things but I'm just dipping my toe into the world of cosmetics (OK I'm getting weird so I'll end this quickly). So thank you if you have made it this far and please tell me products you think I should try, as a beginner. 

I  shall also leave with you with a few of the photos I took whilst in Malta. I took them on my sister's iPhone.

Twitter: @GingerbreadTee_

Instagram: @GingerbreadTee_

  

   Popeye Village in Mellieha

Also I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

~ Tee

A Diary, in List Form.

I'm not great at keeping a diary. I tried. But it didn't work. My alternative is writing lists. It sounds weird and I don't even know why I'm doing this.

I started this blog as a type of diary, to record the things that I love and my experiences. Today I am going to share with you one of my lists.

Reasons Why I Started a Blog

1. I love reading other peoples. Simple, I know. But the name of my blog comes from this. I don't think there's anything better than snuggling up under the duvet with a cup of tea and a biscuit (preferably gingerbread) and reading a blog.

2. I want to be more interesting. My favourite book of all time is "The Manifesto on How To Be Interesting". The title is pretty self-explanatory (it's not a life guidance book though!). The main character starts a blog and writes up steps on how to become more interesting. I just felt like I was pretty boring, and even though I haven't told anyone about this, I still feel better as a person for writing it.

3. I've got nothing else to do. I know, that sounds really bad, like I don't care about this but trust me I do. Like I've mentioned a gazillion times previously, I feel very un-motivated. This blog is something that keeps my brain active and well, I'd rather be contributing something to society then watching Netflix and eating chocolate.

4. It might motivate me. I thought that if I write a blogpost every few weeks it will motivate me to do more things and make myself more exciting. Granted, it doesn't work like that. Some things have, some things haven't. I feel bad sometimes because I don't have a professional camera to take photos. I feel that I'm letting the people reading this down. I try to make this a blog that people get excited about when I post something new. I don't want people to think I just spend two minutes typing nonsense and throwing it up on the Internet. I work hard and I hope people notice. 

So that's my little ramble over. I don't know, do you like these more personal little posts? Let me know if you do.

Oh, and Happy St Patrick's Day! (I got the day off of school which is great!)

Stay happy my little bees!

~Tee

Twitter: @GingerbreadTee_

Motivation and Other Helpful Ideas

Hello!

So as we are officially in spring and everyone is getting pumped for summer (or maybe it's just me) I thought I'd do a post about fitness. 

Fitness:

Now I am by no means healthy but recently I have been working out and changing up my diet a little. It is hard if you work 9-5 or go to school and study a lot. So I have written out a list of general things you could do throughout the day to keep you fit. Now these are all little things but they will help with the bigger picture:

1) If you have a roommate or sibling that spends AGES in the bathroom why not plank whilst your waiting?

2) Brushing your teeth. I know a boring part of the getting ready routine. Try squatting 20 times while brushing.

3) if your like me and you have a lot of hair try lunging while brushing it.

4) Partial to a cup of tea or coffee in the morning? Whilst your waiting for the kettle to boil do some burpees (I know I hate them too but they have to be done). Also try it if your waiting for a curling wand or your straighteners to heat up.

I know people may think your a bit deranged if they see you doing these things but it's a way of slowly sneaking exercise into your life.

Clothes:

I have to say nothing is nicer than working out and feeling good but looking good doing it. Cute workout clothes are essential for me. I'm obsesed with capris from Nike and a website called Fabletics. I am also testing out sports bras from different places (gotta keep those puppies in. TMI). Trainers/sneakers are pretty important if you like to run again Nike have pretty good ones.

Motivation:

If you have read my last few blog posts you'll probably know how unmotivated I've been recently. I think it was just generally being stuck in a rut with the same old boring routine. The way i like to keep myself motivated with fitness is to follow fitness and healthy food pages on Instagram because damn I wanna have those girls' bodies and that food looks amazing. 

Following healthy people on social media in general really motivates me. I love Marcus Butler and Niomi Smart. Niomi is vegan (hopefully I will be one day soon) and such an inspiration. She posts amazing recipes on her blog and in Marcus' daily vlogs the food looks great too. 

I'm also really motivated by Ella Denton's blog (WeNeedToLiveMore). She is Jack Harries beautiful girlfriend and even the name of her blog is cool.

Last but not least is Cassey Ho or Blogilates. Today I've just started her workout calendar for March. She is a fitness instructor and posts workout videos on her YouTube channel. Cassey posts awesome recipes too, and her workout merchandise is gorgeous.

Snacks and Activities:

I am just starting my fitness journey so I haven't tweaked my diet completely yet. My worst habit is having biscuits or cake with a cup of tea. I put sugar in my tea so that's already bad enough. (Just a quick tip if you stir your tea LOADS you'll need less sugar ;) see i got your backs). I'm not a massive chocolate eater but I'm lucky because dark chocolate is my favourite. Most of you probably know that dark chocolate is the healthiest so try it instead of milk or white. There are loads of flavoured and healthy chocolates if you don't like dark on its own (check out Marcus' vlogs). 

Moving on to healthy snacks my favourite food at the minute has been blueberries. Man, they are so good! I love stir frys too. Try and find healthy versions of noodles or if your feeling adventurous whip a cauliflower into  a food procesor for a few seconds and you can make cauliflower rice!

To most people jogging and going to the gym doesn't sound too appealing. Here are some activities i like doing:

1) Cycling. I live in the middle of nowhere so it is really calming to just cycle around a bit.

2) Swimming. Some people don't like it but I do. I don't do it often enough as the closest pool is about an hour away.

3) Yoga. It's the latest exercise craze and I can understand why. It's easy to get into and you don't need equipment. It's just a lot of fun!

4) Horse Riding. People don't count it as a sport but it really should be. I love animals so it is great to combine that with keeping fit.

Thanks for reading this weeks post! I know it's super long but thanks if read the whole way through. It makes up for the lack of posting last week. Also I would have added in music favourites but I thought it would be too long. Let me know if you would like to see that soon!

I would also like to say that I'm not trying to be stick thin. I just want to feel confident in my body and be healthier. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. 

Stay happy my little bees!

~Tee

Twitter: @GingerbreadTee_

Take A Stand

Hello!

And a Happy Valentines Day to you!

I'm spending today alone watching "A Film For Ella" 200 times in a row because 1) I am obsessed with JacksGap and 2) that video is so cute.

Now, I don't know about you but I'm all about empowering women. I haven't found myself yet and I'm in no means confident but I feel like this is a topic I need to discuss. Since Fifty Shades of Grey has just been released there's been a lot of controversy. Women are treated like objects. People say that women have come a long way since the 60's and I do agree but there's still a long way to go. i heard a few weeks ago that in Ireland the male football players are payed crazy amounts of money and have it as their main job. However, womens football players don't get payed at all even though they have made it to various sporting finals. 

I just don't find that fair. I was reading the comments on the Rickshaw Run video by Jack and Finn and one of the commenters was talking about how she would love to do that and go to India and travel but she couldn't because she was a woman and it was unsafe. 

So many girls right now are probably sitting at home crying because they think they're ugly or fat or that a boy would never date them. It's sad that in this day and age women still rely on men like this. Being a female shouldn't dictate who I am or what oppurtunities I have. Emma Watson is a huge role model for me. She stands up for what she believes in. She wears what she wants because she wants to. 

As Taylor Swift once said something along the lines of "If you surround yourself with strong and confident women, you too will become strong and confident." I think it is so important to surround yourself with people that make you happy. 

So this week I want you to take a stand. No matter how small stand up for something you believe in whether it be to do with women's rights or not. I will try to do the same.

I'm sorry if some of this post may be WAAYYY too much cheese for you. I hope you all have a good mid-term those of you at are still in school! I will also be making a cheeky little mid week post.

Stay happy my little bees!

~Tee

Twitter: @About_A_Blog

Life begins Now

Plans. Hard to make, even harder to accomplish. I'm sure you all have plans. Whether it may be small things like doing the weekly food shop or bigger things like becoming a doctor and creating a cure for cancer. 

I've begun to realise that plans are what shape my life. I'm lucky because I know what I want to do when I leave school.

I plan to take a gap year and travel the world. I plan to go to a university and study to become a vet. It really intimidates me that I'll have to go to Uni for a minimum of 7 years but it's what I'll have to do. 

I plan to move to England also. I plan to meet my favourite YouTubers. I have so many plans I know they can't all be a reality.

That's where dreams come into it. Plans are what make your dreams a reality. All the things I've listed above are dreams. I have started the planning process now. I've started looking at different universities and what the requirements are so I know from a young age what to study for. I've started saving my money in a "Travel" piggy bank so I know I'll have a small amount of money saved to visit the places I'd love to see.

I've been watching a lot of Louis Cole and Jack and Finn recently. They've really inspired me to do something with my life. 

I want to know all your dreams and how you plan to make them a reality. 

Because even though they say "life is too short" life is the longest thing any of us will ever experience. And we need to make it the best experience it could possibly be. 

~Tee

Spring | A Time for Pastels

Hello!

I've come up with something some-what original for a post today. I've decided that each season I shall make a post about the things I like to do with thra season. I know, sounds a bit weird but bear with me here!

I have to say spring is one of my least favourite seasons but hey-ho I shall crack on...

Low and behold! Is that a book I see? Of course, it is me writing this. Spring, although the sun is coming out can still be quite a chilly time so it's nice to put your feet up and read (and also watch a few sneaky episodes of PLL). My picks are:

We Were Liars - E. Lockhart

An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

Paper Towns - John Green

Unfortunately, I was at a loss about what to buy my sister for her birthday this week (🎁🎉) so books were the safest option. Which means I'm going to have to wait until she's finished them to read them!

I know your probably thinking "what has 3 musical instruments got to do with spring?"

As it's too late to put this in my New Years resolutions I'm just going to mention it here. This year I shall become a musical prodigy! No, not really but I am going to try harder to focus on learning and become better at playing. I can play 5 musical instruments:

Wooden Flute (used in traditional Irish music)

Guitar (pretty self explanatory)

Ukulele (it's so cool isn't it!?)

Tin Whistle (we had to learn it in primary school)

Piano ( wouldn't fit in the picture >_<) 

I have joined a traditional music group in school and that should hopefully encourage me to play more. I really want to learn the violin too. Is that too much?

Look at me being all arty-farty. Cartooning and drawing is so much fun. I do art at school and we are doing linocuts at he moment. I found a really cool printer called "Janet Doub Erickson" and her lino's are so amazing. As I've said before I'm feeling down and uninspired and illustrations always cheer me up. I do have to get some new markers or water colours though. Hopefully they have the Copic Ciao markers in Ireland because "Frannerd" (amazing illustrator check out her YouTube) raves about them and I want to try them out. 

P.s I did make that bookmark with the quotes on it. The mocking jay is not orange it is actually made out of gold glittery paper. 

Nail polish!!!! As said in the title I think spring is the time for pastels. These are the best ones I have at the moment. I really need to upgrade my collection. The quality of these aren't bad but there are better out there. I would love to try Tanya Burrs and Essies nail polishes. This may seem odd to you but I don't have a mint coloured nail polish. :o *gasp*. I can't seem to find one anywhere but if I had one it would definitely be in this post. 

Can I just mention how cute that cupcake pillow is! Again I got it for my sisters birthday but I thought I'd use it as a decoration till then.

Also I shall be doing a Q&A next week. I just haven't accumulated enough questions yet so please comment as many as humanly possible, or tweet me. 

Stay happy my little bees!

~ Tee

Twitter: @About_A_Blog