Let's Make A Fresh Start: 2020 Edition

I love fresh starts and always find the New Year gives me more motivation to be a better version of myself. 

Throughout 2019 I learnt many different things about myself whether it was at work, at home or just about me as a person.  In all honesty, 2019 had a mix of emotions. I achieved my goals of buying my own car and gaining a new job but struggled to find myself and the direction I want to go in. My boyfriend's hard work kept paying off and he moved up in his job every single day, but this means that we can go weeks without seeing each other (I'm still super proud of him everyday). I struggled to figure out where I wanted to go in life and to be honest, I'm still not there yet but 2020 has given me more motivation than ever to find the answers to my questions. I have set myself goals to achieve by the end of the year but also promises to myself which will hopefully make this year kick last year's ass.

No. 1: Plan, Prepare and Perfect.

I'm naturally a very organised person. I like to make lists, I like to know what I'm doing and I like to have everything in a set place. This year, I want to give myself plenty of time to prepare and perfect everything that I do. Whether it is a blog post where I spend time planning out each paragraph and photos I want to add or buying birthday presents in advance rather than rushing out a the last minute. One of my flaws of 2019 was not being as organised as I'd like to have been. I found myself running into town the day before someone's birthday and buying their present and then panicking because I couldn't find any wrapping paper (which resulted in late night trips to Tesco). I want to utilise my resources this year, and that means actually using that box full of notebooks that I've bought because they're pretty (I know I'm not the only one!) As well as my diary and notebooks, I want make the most of my spare time. No more lazing around thinking about what I could get done and actually doing it. Making the most of my days off by planning my weeks and getting ahead of the game.

No. 2: Be Realistic.
Throughout 2019, I thought I was capable of doing 3 blog posts a week, 4 gym sessions and 5 full days at work. The honest truth is that this is not the case. I'm not saying I'm not capable of doing all of that, but I need to be more realistic. Every time I planned to write 3 blog posts for one week, I ended up writing one. I would pencil in when I would like to go to the gym but realistically that never happened. Don't get me wrong, having a plan set in place is one way that does motivate me, but planning too much can become quite overwhelming. This year, I need to be more realistic with my time but also reassure myself that it's okay to cut down what I am doing to make it more manageable! By taking lessons from myself, I am not going to get 3 blog posts up in a week, but I will cut it down slightly and aim for 2! I also want to be realistic with my money and budget myself depending on what events or appointments I have on. For me, 2020 is the year to be wiser in my decisions!

No. 3: Be Ruthless
This is an interesting one. This year I am making a promise with myself to be strict when it comes to money. No more pointless buying. I want to use the clothes that I have in my wardrobe rather than always buying a new outfit. I WANT TO BE AN OUTFIT REPEATER! I am trying to also use up beauty products that I currently have in my cupboard rather than buying a load and never using them. This year is the year where I save up for necessities and so far so good! I also need to be ruthless with myself. You know the saying, shy bairns get nowt. It's time to start speaking up for myself and stop shying away when I'm worried about what the outcome may be. Shy bairns literally get nowt if you stay quiet.

No. 4: Take care of my mind and body.
Every year I always make resolutions to drink more water, look after my skin, eat healthily and exercise more. It's safe to say, this year is no different. I noticed towards the end of last year how important it is to take care of our skin. I always get myself into a proper skincare routine and within weeks I give up. This year I've decided to educate myself on the importance of different products and how to properly take care of different areas of my skin. It's safe to say, my skin has massively improved and I now love not wearing any make up! As well as a skincare routine, I have made a conscious effort of drinking more water. Whenever I'm at work I always forget to drink water and by the end of the day I feel lethargic and downright crappy. It's important to stay hydrated not only for your health but for your skin and mind as well.  

So that's my 2020 fresh start! I'm looking forward to what 2020 brings and would love to hear all of your goals and ambitions which you plan to achieve this year!

Charlotte xxx

10 Things I Love About Autumn

I don't know about you, but I LOVE Autumn. We all know when Autumn has arrived when Starbucks announce their pumpkin spiced lattes and the shops are filled with all things knitwear. I think for me, the Autumn months have to be my favourite months of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love Summer too, but once my birthday is over at the end of August, I just want it to get colder and wrap up in my jumpers and coats.

To get us into the Autumn mood, I thought I'd kickstart with a good old '10 things I love about Autumn' (standard). Who doesn't love a list?

1. Dark nights. I love light nights in the Summer but when the dark nights start to creep in, it makes me excited for Christmas. As I'm sitting here writing this blog post, it's actually really dark outside (and raining), and I've never been so relaxed. I always love the cosy feel that they bring and especially when you're wrapped up in bed and not going anywhere, it's the perfect feeling.

2. Candles. Oh my goodness gracious me, I love candles. What's not to love?! I light candles all year round but it doesn't get as serious as it does from September. I light a candle nearly everyday, just for a few hours, and it makes my room smell so Autumnal, particularly when the cinnamon and pumpkin scents come out to play. 

3. Rain. This is funny because I hate rain when I'm out in it but when I'm all warm and cosy inside and I can hear the rain hitting off my window, I'm in heaven. And what's better than that? Thunderstorms.

4. Chunky knits. I love a good woolly jumper and what is a better time to get them out than in Autumn. In England, it's always cold, and I have already whacked out the chunky knits. A jumper and a pair of leggings is my cosy Autumnal night outfit. What's not to love?

5. Boots. It's officially Autumn when the black boots appear from my wardrobe. Give me a pair of chunky heeled boots anyway.

6. Fairy lights. I actually don't think there's any better feeling than coming home from work, changing into some comfy clothes, lighting a candle and turning on my fairy lights.

7. Fires. We have a log burner at home and to be completely honest, we've already started lighting it!

8. Coats. I'm a coat fanatic. Most people tend to buy one Autumn/Winter coat for the year but me? No, I have 10. 

9. Autumn colours. Khaki, burgundy, black, grey and white. I love wearing these type of colours. I feel like they're the perfect Autumnal combination and match the leaves on the trees. Because who doesn't love to coordinate with trees ey?

10. Baths. I have baths all year round and there is no secret in that. But there's something about a bath in Autumn/Winter when it's cold outside that makes them much more special. Using a bath bomb that smells just like Autumn would smell, if it had a smell (SMELL SMELL SMELL), puts the icing on the cake.

What's your favourite thing about Autumn?

Charlotte xxx

'Life is better in rose gold'

'Rosefield watches are a tribute to the great vibes, the energy and the tolerance for free thinking that is typical for both Amsterdam and New York City*.'
Watches have always been a big love of mine. I've never been a jewellery kind of girl. I'm not really sure why as my Mam absolutely adores her jewellery but I have just never been that interested. However, when it comes to watches, I'm in my element. I always feel that a watch can really complete an outfit, and if you do wear other jewellery, can tie every piece together. For my 21st birthday, I was mainly looking for a present that I could keep as a memory of this milestone. I was given a Daniel Wellington watch for my 18th birthday and thought it was time to invest in a new one. I found the online store, Rosefield Watches, which I had actually seen across Instagram and Facebook so I thought I'd give it a browse and found my PERFECT watch: The Mercer. I subtly sent a picture of the rose gold watch to my amazing boyfriend with many hints saying how much I loved it and here it is. The little beauty.

Background
Rosefield claim that they make 'fashion-forward watches where classic meets modern*' where they aim to combine both the style of Amsterdam and New York and create fashionable, functioning watches. The brand combine both Dutch minimalism with the contemporary aesthetics of New York fashion to produce beautiful pieces. They very much value the quality of their designs with high quality materials, for example luxurious leather and stainless steel mesh straps. These straps are also interchangeable, giving you the option to pair your watch with your style. With a range of colours and styles, Rosefield really do give you a range of watches to choose from.

The Mercer
"Paying tribute to an exciting street in one of NYC's signature shopping destinations, the MERCER collection features stainless steel mesh straps for an exquisite look that suits this fashionable neighbourhood*."

I decided I wanted a metal strap in rose gold, as my previous watch was brown leather and felt like I needed a bit of a change. I am a massive fan of rose gold and always have been, so it was inevitable that my choice would be just that. I picked the Mercer because I had originally seen it advertised on Facebook and loved how it looked but I also found that compared to the other similar watches on the website, the face was the perfect size for my wrist. I have quite small wrists so I have to be careful that watches aren't too oversized and are the perfect fit. I also chose to go with a black face rather than white. I chose this because it was a lot different to the watches I've had before and I thought it looked extra classy.

Details:
The diameter of the watch face is 38mm, making it just the right size for my tiny little wrists. The strap is rose gold-plated stainless steel mess and can be easily adjusted to minimum of 15cm up to a maximum of 21cm, according to the Rosefield website. The strap can also be interchangeable, allowing you to change your style. The dial is black with rose gold detailing, including the hands and indexes and also includes the Rosefield logo in small print.

All Rosefield watches include a 2-year warranty from the date of purchase just incase anything goes wrong with your product which is fab! I absolutely love my watch and I've had so many compliments on it, especially from customers when I'm at work. Everyone seems to want to know where it's from and where can they get one from. I haven't taken my watch off since my amazing boyfriend gave it to me, I am literally in love with it. You can buy it from the Rosefield website, John Lewis, Topshop and many other stores. The watch itself cost £89 which, in my opinion, isn't actually that bad! Feel like another purchase may be on the horizon...

All my love, Charlotte Rose x


*All quotes are taken from the Rosefield website.