100 Happy Days Day 27: Thunder Storm

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On our journey home from visiting our friends in England, I think it's fair to say the heavens well and truly opened upon us. I would not have liked to have been the one driving us home, since visibility was definitely not what it should be. By the time we made it home and under the covers with a hot chocolate the rain sounded like it was going to smash right through the window and the thunder was booming on the other side of the glass. You may ask why I'm writing about this under the heading "100 Happy Days". Well, I'll confess. I love thunderstorms! There's something so exciting and also comforting about being inside in the warm with loved ones when all hell is breaking loose outside. To make it even better, it was a massive relief to finally have some rain and a little shiver for the first time in weeks due to the crazy heat we've been experiencing in Britain this Summer.

100 Happy Days Day 26: A Trip Into The Past

Since the day we decided to visit our friends down South, we had planned this day out. We visited the open air museum of Beamish, which "tells the story of life in North East England during the 1820s, 1900s and 1940s". The museum is made up of 300 acres of countryside and has a town, railway station, pit village, 1940s farm and more. The people working and volunteering here are dressed in Victorian-era styled clothing and will talk to you as though you are part of the town in the 1800s. 

To get around the museum, you can either walk or take a tram like this one.

We took the tram to the town first, where you can enter the various shops and find them just as they would have been in the 19th century. We popped into the pub to get a ginger beer each before looking around the houses, again made to look just like homes from long ago. 

These pictures certainly do not do them justice but I think these were two of my favourite rooms to explore. I find the first one both beautiful and terrifying, since it reminds me of a horror film and I found myself, the entire time, waiting for a creepy 'little-girl-ghost' to jump out at me. The kitchen was incredibly warm and homey and there were fresh, homemade scones to try. 

After exploring the houses, we took another tram down to the pit village, where the miners and their families would have lived. 

Again, we were able to take a look around the houses, which were a lot smaller and quainter than the town homes. There was also a school to explore, with a man dressed as a teacher heading up a classroom, and old playground games to try in the courtyard.

I had an amazing time at this museum and would urge anyone who has the means to to go and take a look for themselves. It really is incredible and I hope to visit it again as much as possible throughout my lifetime as they are constantly adding new attractions.

100 Happy Days Day 25: Road Trip

My family and I drove down to England to visit friends and stay for a couple of days this week. I know a large amount of people detest long car journeys for a number of reasons but I am one of those weirdos who love them. I love long journeys by most forms of transport as long as I can sit comfortably, stare out of the window and listen to music. To me, it's one of the most relaxing things life has to offer and also one of the most exciting things if you're going somewhere special. Fortunately, it was one of the easiest and pleasant drives down we have ever had, with nice weather and little traffic. Since there's not much more to write about this, I thought I'd take the time to show you some of my road trip essentials for a journey like this.

1. Earphones/Headphones

Here, I have some fabulous (not fake at all...) Beats headphones, perfect for plugging into my iPhone and internally singing the journey away.

2. Portable Charger

Now, I know this isn't particularly 'essential' but I have to say it's one of the best investments I've ever made. I actually ordered it a couple of weeks ago for going camping, knowing I didn't want to be phone-less without a real adult (I don't class myself as one of those yet). It's perfect for just keeping in your bag at all times, ready to be reached for on a day when your phone's about to die and you can't get to a power supply. I think this one was about £15 on Amazon and I would definitely recommend it.

3. Something to Read

This may not be to everyone's taste but as a self-proclaimed bookworm, I cannot attempt a long journey without a book or my Kindle. I'm currently reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Granted, I started reading it because one of my ultimate man crushes, Dylan O'Brien, is starring in the film but I am LOVING the book. It's exactly my type of work of fiction and I cannot wait to see the movie.

4. Body Spray

Yes, I like travelling. No, I do not always like the grungey feeling that comes with it. I am a major worshipper of Impulse body sprays and I think they are made for days like these, when you haven't felt fresh air in hours and need a little sprucing up before you venture back out into civilisation. 

5. Hand Cream

I may or may not have just added this in to emphasise my amazement with my new hand cream...

6. Chewing Gum

How fantastic are these huge tubs of chewing gum? Their novelty will never wear off for me. Again, perfect for long journeys, when you sense your breath is getting mildly odorous or you're just a little bored.

7. Lip Balm

And last but not least! Lip balm is something I always have in my bag so it's easy to reach for at any time. My lips do get very dry occasionally and I've always believed that Vaseline is the best product for combatting this. An extra advantage of having this with you on a long journey, however, is to brighten your face a little after all the travelling. I usually feel very tired when I reach my destination so I always feel that adding just a little something to my face helps to detract from the zombie look.

What are your 'Road Trip Essentials'? Do you agree/disagree with any of mine?

100 Happy Days Day 24: A Greasy-Haired Girl's Dream

As a member of the greasy-haired family, I know that it can seem like an end-of-the-world problem at times. For this reason, I am always on the lookout for new tips and tricks to combat this massive genetical letdown. I've watched countless videos on YouTube about all things hair and a good majority of them mention build-up removal shampoo or clarifying shampoo. I don't know if I'm just a little dim at times but I have found it extremely difficult to get my hands on such a thing. Until I finally came across this lovely bottle in my trusty Boots store. 

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a link for this product but I think it was around £3 to purchase and I am telling you now, it's worth it! Get your hands on a bottle ASAP! I have integrated this shampoo into my weekly routine, using it once a week, meaning the bottle is going to last me forever. I have definitely noticed a difference in my hair since I started using it. After a wash using this shampoo, my hair feels and looks lighter and takes longer to grease up. I'm one of those people whose hair can be used to fry eggs just one day after washing, so for me this product is fantastic and I will definitely continue to invest in it. 

100 Happy Days Day 23: Mend A Hand

First of all, I'd like to offer up a big fat apology for my absence throughout the past week. I've had a lot going on, meaning I've struggled to post anything. I was actually considering giving up on the entire challenge after finding myself a week behind until a friend convinced me to catch up. So over the duration of the next couple of days, I will do my best to get up to speed and back on track. Starting now...

Another item I've been on the hunt for for a long time now is a good hand cream. My hands have been getting very dry since I started using my new topical acne treatments so it seemed only logical to invest in something that would combat this. While shopping in Boots last week for an entirely different 'something', I found myself in the Soap & Glory aisle. Soap & Glory has always been a company that I have heard great things about and have been anxious to try but never have. So I decided this was the time to finally give them a go and picked up this luxurious hand cream.

Soap & Glory Mini Hand Food Hand Cream 50ml

The bottle reads "The most astonishing hand cream ever? You decide! Hand Food. Non-greasy hand cream with shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow." This product really does do what it says on the tin. I've never found a hand cream to be so unbelievably non-greasy, it simply sinks into your skin immediately, leaving your hands feeling smooth and nurtured. Equally importantly, in my opinion, it smells INCREDIBLE. I find myself applying this probably far more often than I need to, purely because of its heavenly scent. *applies hand cream...sniffs...sighs contentedly* This was my first Soap & Glory purchase but I am certain it will not be my last. I'm fairly confident this product will be one that I continue to buy again and again. I also can't wait to try as much as possible from the entire range. What's your favourite Soap & Glory product? I'd love suggestions on what to buy next!

100 Happy Days Day 22: Purse Shopping

At long last, I decided to treat myself to a new purse. My previous one (now making a new home for itself in the bin) was amazing and it is to this purse that I owe my loyalty to River Island purses. If you haven't yet discovered the brilliance of River Island purses, you need to! Not being the most well off person in the world, I shop on a tight budget, meaning I have never purchased anything from a high-end brand. To me, £17.50 for a purse is a major spend. However, I am willing to sacrifice such an amount for an item like this. As you can see from the photos, there is a huge amount of space, with lots of card slots, openings for notes, a zipped pocket and yet more space behind all this. It is great quality so I know it will last me a long time, justifying its cost. The pictures aren't great but in real life this purse is a gorgeous pale pink and it's safe to say I am in love with it!

100 Happy Days Day 21: Leg Stretching

I apologise if it seems that my blog is getting a little 'samey' at the moment but the challenge is to document what makes you happy and if I get out in the fresh air, that's sure to be what does it. I'm one of those people who cannot deal with being inside all day, everyday for long periods of time. If I don't get fresh air, I will go absolutely stir crazy. So today, my mother and I dropped off my little brother at his friend's house about a 40 minute drive away and on our way back came across a beautiful country park. We decided to take a stroll around the place and see what it had to offer. First of all, we each got a drink in the cafe, which was situated in a pretty courtyard. I opted for a mocha!

As always, I was attracted to the stunning greenery so after this we went for a short but sweet walk around the river and found an old monument. It's days like these that make me want to start vlogging since I never feel I can get across the sheer beauty of these places in a short blog post. But for now I hope these amateur photos taken with my humble iPhone camera will give you an idea!