A quick 2015 summary

The run up to Christmas is currently in full swing and the final days of 2015 are upon us (14 days to go!). As I was thinking of what blog topic to write about next, I took a browse through my previous blog posts and came across one I had written almost a year ago entitled 'New Years Eve'. Towards the end of the post I had written 

"I have two new years resolutions for 2015:

1. To make the most of the year, being happy. 

2. Work hard succeed goals, maintaining a positive mind-set and sharing this on my blog."

Successful Advertising Campaigns

Advertisements are everywhere,  the media today presents advertisements in practically every single format whether it be TV, radio, billboard or print. The success of an advertisement campaign can either make or break the success of the company behind the campaign and is a vital component in the overall marketing of a product or company. In this blog post I will be my sharing with you my favourite advertising campaigns and discussing why I find them so effective.

University or Apprenticeship

University or apprenticeship? A question so many school and college leavers (including myself) will have been asking themselves this summer.

Growing up I had always heard stories of university student life. The parties, meeting new friends and living away from home seemed like the dream yet the financial side was not so inviting. I would then speak to friends who went in to an apprenticeship after finishing school who would boast about the concept of learning and making money at the same time; allowing them to gain experience within the work place and progress in their job role.

My eighteenth birthday

Turning eighteen is one of the best, life changing things for a teenager. It is the beginning of adulthood, independence and more opportunities. Once you are eighteen you can legally buy alcohol, buy fireworks, bungee jump and learn to fly a plane in the UK... Not that I'm planning on flying a plane any time soon.

I turned eighteen on the 17th August; I was one of the youngest in my year at school. As all my friends turned eighteen earlier in the year and started going out to bars and clubs, I hated it and had to miss out on a few nights out due to only being seventeen. However, the wait is now over and it feels great to be asked for ID and know I can successfully get in to clubs.

Dublin 🍀

I recently turned 18 and as a way to celebrate, me and my best friend booked a three night trip to Dublin in Ireland.
We booked this trip a while ago, as we are both interested in travelling and were aware of the fabulous sightseeing opportunities and activities available to do in Dublin. We stayed at the Ripley Court hotel which is based central in the city and a 10 minute walk from the main road O'Connel street and shopping area Henry street.

My Mum had previously been to Dublin days before for a day out with her friends and had told me that I would enjoy what Dublin has to offer, so it is safe to say me and Becky were both excited to get away for a couple of days.

The #yestojess campaign

Any of my twitter followers may have noticed that I had recently set up another twitter account under the username of @itsyestojess. The whole purpose of doing this is with the intention of trying to increase my publicity on the internet, as an attempt at succeeding in this mission I have started using the hashtag #yestojess.

I set up this campaign initially to seek exposure within social media and as a way of getting myself talked about online and noticed. I felt this campaign would be beneficial to me due to seeking for employment within the media, marketing industry which is domineeringly online.

Turkey!

It was only a week ago that I experienced a taste of real independence, I went on my first holiday abroad with one of my friends to Marmaris, Turkey. 

I had never visited Turkey before and neither had my friend Holly, so we were both unaware of what to expect. I had heard mixed reviews off friends and family telling me to "be careful" and "stay together" as I was warned of the hype over blonde hair and blue eyes, but I was also informed that Turkey is one of the loveliest places to visit. The scariest part of travelling without the comfort of a parent is the amount of self reliance such as finding the correct gate and remembering essentials such as your passport and boarding card. The amount of people in the airport is unbelievable, and I took enjoyment in people watching, guessing where they were travelling to and what they would get up to. 

The pros and cons of social networking

It is a fact that 74% of us internet users own a social networking account. When I first started using social networking sites, it was Bebo, MySpace and Youtube that dominated the scene. Now the tables have turned, the more popular and modern forms of social networking are Facebook and Twitter taking the internet by storm. Facebook was said to have 1.32 billion active users in June and Twitter 236 million.

Call me Caitlyn: Why I think Bruce Jenner is inspirational

When logging on to social media sites last night I saw that 80% of my timeline was stories, tweets and posts about Bruce Jenner's sex change.

Photos such as the ones bellow were publicised online yesterday, presenting Bruce's new appearance and lifestyle as Caitlyn. Many made comments on this story, tweeting various opinions causing it to attract a lot of media attention.
I personally respect Caitlyn for her decision to openly announce her new lifestyle and see her as both iconic and a role model for all people. No one should live their life unhappy in their body, you need to be who you are and if you feel most comfortable with a different appearance than you should not think twice about making that change.

Work experience

It is usually around June when pupils are encouraged to engage in work experience, whether it be at a local café or school. The possibilities are endless, as long as you have the confidence and manners to convince the company to take you on.

I completed two weeks of work experience whilst at school, one being at a local care home and the other being at the marketing agency Katapult ltd. Participating in work experience not only helped develop my social skills, but additionally provided me with a sense of what to expect in a work place. These placements also helped me gain knowledge in to my GCSE subject choices: health and social care and media studies, concluding in success with my GCSE results in these subject areas.

10 ways to pass the time...

Too often I see people tweet/ update their Facebook status informing their followers about how bored they are. When I'm not up to my eyes in college work or working at the weekend, I'm most likely to carry out one of the following as a way to pass the time.

Easter Break

When we think of Easter immediate connotations of chocolate, rabbits and eggs come to mind. There is then the religious side to Easter that celebrates Jesus rising from the dead, and those who have given up confectioneries for 40 days get to once again indulge . 

To Christians Easter is a massive event with huge importance, likewise to Christmas . To me personally it's another day and an excuse for people to celebrate the next day bank holiday (good for the bars and clubs).

The Boy Next Door review

"The Boy Next Door is a 2015 American thriller film directed by Rob Cohen and written by Barbara Curry. The film stars Jennifer Lopez, playing a high school teacher named Claire who, in the midst of a divorce, has a one-night stand with a younger neighbour Noah, who develops a dangerous obsession with her.[4]" - wiki

When I first saw the trailer advertising this film I was intrigued. Firstly to see JLO taking on the lead role in the film ,and secondly to see if I could find an interest in the American Thriller genre. After reading various reviews claiming the film to be "One of the stupidest films ever made"- (rotten tomatoes), I went in to the film open minded, preparing myself for either half decent entertainment or humorously bad entertainment. 

Race for Life 2015

Today I signed me and my sister up for the 2015 Race for Life. This will be Kate's first Race for Life event and my second one. We are both excited to raise money for such a brill cause and all donations count.

As seen in my previous post focused on the previous years event, I am very passionate about the charity Cancer Research. Participating in the events provides as sense of self achievement as you are aware of the impact that the money you have raised, will have on someone's life.

February Half Term diary

One of the highlights of still being a student in full time education is the half term holidays and although this one has only been a week, it has stilled allowed me time to relax and organise myself for the upcoming exams this May/ June.

I like to keep track of what I've been up to over the half term as in most cases I forget and the week seems to fly by.

❅ Snow ❅

I don't think anyone woke up this morning without being surprised at the amount of snow we received last night- 8inches of the white stuff! With snow comes various pros and cons.

Make-up favourites

Left to right- 1. NIVEA lip balm pearly shine 2. The Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals 3. Eyelash curlers 4. Benefit they're real! 5. Eylure false eyelashes no 101 6. Rimmel Salon Pro nail varnish 7. MAC studio finish concealer NC 15 8. Rimmel BB cream light 9. Soap and Glory Hand Food 10. MAC studio sculpt NC 20 11. Naked 2 eye pallet 12. Garnier Moisture Match

This is my first 'beauty based' blog post as to what are my twelve essential beauty products when it comes to achieving my ideal day or night makeup look.

When the cold weather hits it is easy for skin to become irritable and dry, this is why I find it important to keep skin hydrated. To prevent this happening I have recently purchased Garniers 'Good bye dry' moisture match cream for £3.99 from Superdrug and have so far been impressed, already noticing an improvement in my skin condition. I also keep soap and glory 'hand food' (off my lovely secret santa Keri) with me all the time, as I find the fruity smelling cream keeps hands nourished and smelling pleasant all day. When it comes to my nails I find Rimmels 'Salon Pro' a long lasting wearable polish in a variety of colours, a great product to which can last days without chipping.

Summary of this week and a fat lip

This week has been a strange one in a sense that it has felt as though it has gone very slow, but at the same time fast as the weekend fast approaches.

I will have celebrated three birthdays this week, my sisters and two close friends eighteenths which is great - that's two meals out, a party and a lot of cake!  Its nice to have something to look forward to in January as its such a dark, cold time of year.

Taken 3

Taken is a 2008 French action thriller film directed by Pierre Morel, written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, and starring Liam Neeson (wiki), it is the first of three in the Taken film series. Although I have never sat down and watched the introductory two Taken films I was briefly aware of the plot and had heard various reviews stating that it was a gripping story adapting aspects of both thriller and action genre.

This time last year...

I find it strange when thinking back to how different my life was a year ago. For example, I entered 2015 with new friends, a new hair colour and a new outlook on life as well as opinions. To me, 2014 was an eye opening experience to which I learnt a lot about myself and life lessons a long the way.

The fresh start of 2015 motivates me even more to make the most of everyday, working hard to achieve goals especially relevant in terms of further education and future university options. 

Race for life 2014

Last year I took part in the annual race for life 5K event at Woodbank park, Stockport in aid of Cancer Research UK. This was my first independent running event so I found myself experiencing a whirlwind of mixed emotions in the build up prior to the event.

The fundraising, unitising run was something I had wished to take part in for a long time, as it was raising money for a charity I feel passionate about as well as a challenge for both myself and my motivational skills.

Exams, Cold weather and a lot of brews

Today was the first day back at college after the Christmas holidays and I am now aware of what our grandparents mean when they talk about the 'winter blues'. Everyone seems to have post-Christmas depression detected through lack of enthusiasm, Christmas decorations slowly dissolving and minimal contact with the outside world. 

January seems to be the month where people stay in doors on a Friday night as reality verges in as people can no longer avoid the haunting thought of the money blown over the festive season.

The Woman in Black: Angel of Death

I have never been a huge fan of the horror genre but after receiving the first 'Woman in Black' film on DVD and enduring in to the dark story line, I couldn't resist but to watch the following sequel 'Angel of Death'.

Unfortunately, unlike the first film Daniel Radcliff is not featured but instead the story line follows the protagonist Eve and her school pupils as they are evacuated to Eel Marsh House during the WW2 time period. Eve soon comes to realisation with the paranormal goings on within the house and one by one death becomes a frequent happening.

New Years Eve

2015 is finally here and I find it crazy looking back at how much things have changed in the space of a year. Experiencing my second year of college, a new job and learning how to drive I am reluctantly confident to say I've come out of 2014 having learnt a lot.

New Years Eve 2015 for me was lovely, I spent it with a group of close friends and couldn't have wished for a better night. Although the build up to events such as New Years Eve can be in some ways overrated, It has been a great start to the year leaving me with high hopes to the various events yet to happen within the next 12 months.