Festive feeling

10:40:00 Neona 2 Comments

I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve!! Honestly this is my favourite time of year, the build up to The 25th of December is one of the most magical things ever. I love spending time with my family and friends, making the most out of the cold weather by having cosy days in and eating lots of comfort food. This year I will admit has been so jam packed this festive season so I haven't managed to do everything I normally would but saying that, over the last week or so things took an absolute Christmassy turn for the better!

One thing I always find ups the festive atmosphere is a bit of baking, whether it be puds, cakes or cookies! Having a couple of friends over to mess about and attempt to bake in unison along with some classic Christmas tunes never fails to put me in the best of moods! Whether it turns out to be a sophisticated masterpiece or... a more 'abstract' display, what matters is you're spending time with the people you love which for me is definitely what the Christmas spirit is all about!

Another of my favourite traditions are Christmas jumpers! Putting on a wacky jumper without having a care in the world is just fantastic, I love how there's a worldwide respect for ugly jumpers at this time of year, I always think if you've been given the go ahead to wear a funky outfit then go all out! Get the coolest jumpers you can and rock them!

Christmas movies are 100% a must, I mean how can you go a year without watching Elf? I love snuggling down with some comfort food and watching a good film! I can never have enough of my favourites so really Christmas for me is full of nostalgia! I do love stepping away from the commercial Christmas too and remembering the true meaning of the holiday season. This year I watched my little brother in the nativity play at his school and it just reminded me of how much I love the Christmas story!

Lastly Christmas is all about the ones who mean the most to you, I've probably said that a few times this post but I really do mean it!! Making memories is so important and it's just just tiny bit more special at this time of year! Go out and have fun that little bit more!

I hope you all have a wonderful

Christmas full of joy!!

❣

2 comments:

The big one eight!

15:34:00 Neona 6 Comments

It's been way too long since I last put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and blogged for you all, but I am back! After a jam packed last few months full of parties, concerts and an 18th birthday! As Christmas quickly rolls in, my life is starting to slow back down and so I decided get all deep on you guys about life now I feel back to earth (honestly I've been on cloud nine for about a month and a half!)

So rewind to the biggest night of my life, my joint 18th birthday party with my best friend pictured below:

This was hands down one of the best nights of my life! Having all of my friends from the age of 4 up until 18 in the same place was the most surreal thing! I was beyond happy to be spending one of the most monumental moments of my life thus far with all of them. As stressful as it was to plan such a huge party, it was so worth it in the long run! The aftermath was a mixture of sadness because it was all over but also extreme giddiness, I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be surrounded by such amazing people that cared so much about me! I realised that so much has happened so far in my life, and it would be silly not to use this milestone to reflect on it!

This inspired me to write this week's post, 18 things I've learnt over 18 years...

1. The best of friends come from where you least expect them to!

2. If you've got a good set of friends hold onto them tight, don't let them go!

3. Try and find the little positives in everything, a positive mind attracts positive vibes!

4. Say what's on your mind, nothing's sorted by keeping things bottled in.

5. Work hard for what you want! But it's all about balance, always.

6. It costs absolutely nothing to make someone's day- do it as much as you can!

7. Your family is important, cherish them with all you have.

8. Sometimes it's just great to spend time alone, put your music on loud and enjoy your own company!

9. Being your absolute self is the best decision you'll ever make, and you'll be happier for it!

10. It's okay to say no sometimes!

11. Sometimes you'll want to stay in bed all day and mope and that's okay!

12. Step out of your comfort zone every now and then, you won't regret it!

13. Your parents are really looking out for you, as annoying as it really can be sometimes, just remember they care!

14. Your self worth is not to be governed by someone else! Never let anyone make you feel anything less than extraordinary.

15. Not everything is meant to be and that's okay, something's waiting just for you!

16. Take pictures but also live in the moment, memories don't always have to be captured.

17. Always and I mean always be open minded, considering things from another's point of view makes you so rounded!

18. Your health and your happiness always come before anything and everything- there's only one you, treat yourself well!

I'm so beyond thankful for my life so far, bring on the next chapter!!

❣

6 comments:

Travel

The Pearl of Africa

16:03:00 Neona 6 Comments

Hello everyone!!! It's lovely to finally be back, and blogging again!! I decided to hold back on posting whilst I was away so I could do a summary post afterward, so I could really reflect on how amazing my trip was. Four weeks away was bliss and it was lovely to spend ample time with my family, but now I'm back I can get back to blogging!!

What I love about being in Africa is the change of culture, there are so many things to do of which are both different and similar to home, but being in another country just makes everything so much more intriguing! From weddings to jazz shows, sushi to mocktails I had fun from start to finish, making the best of memories with my larger than life family.

One thing I just adore about going on holiday is the change of scenery, sunshine almost all day every day made for amazing photos, really beautiful places that just made me appreciate Uganda so much more, it truly is an extraordinary country!! I tried to take as many pictures as I could, capturing all the moments that I knew I'd want to keep with me forever (believe me, there were very many of those).

I went on holiday with the plan that each week I'd want to do at least one thing that was really fun and interesting and I'm glad to say that we really did!!

Here are some of the highlights from each week:

WEEK ONE: my first week was concluded with my uncle's amazing wedding, it was nice to get dressed up and go on a long road trip to the venue where we had delicious food and beautiful scenery.

WEEK TWO: this was a big family outing, one of my favourite things to do when I'm with them! We all pile into cars and mess about, sing songs and make up stories as we travel to our desination which this time round, was the wildlife centre. I love animals and it was nice to see them in enclosures that were big and spacious, and as close as possible to their natural habitats. After a nature lesson it was off to a cafe for a big lunch.

WEEK THREE: this was a week of great food and amazing music, we were able to visit an authentic Japanese restaurant where I had some deliciously indulgent sushi. And of course being the big children that we are we got a little creative with our plates and cutlery (we apologise to the restaurant). The Jazz show was also great, lots of classics songs were given some interesting renditions and the atmosphere was electric! By the end of the night we'd all had a a little shimmy.

WEEK FOUR: This was the saddest week as it was full of goodbyes however we did try to make the most out of it by spending time together! I also made sure that I had one of my favourite treats for the last time, frozen yoghurt. I honestly can't get enough of the stuff over there! As the week drew to a close it was time to think about the journey home, four weeks spent in bliss were truly over!