My Playlists for Anytime and Everywhere.

Now we all have those songs that fit any occasion, right? it's not just me. I'm pro list, I love a list, making them makes me happy. I'm weird don't judge. Haha. One of my favourite lists to make are playlists and currently I have 4 playlists in my life and they are titled as such.

Songs To Sweat To

Bath Tunes

Driving Music 

Running

They are not very creative, I my lack in creating titles for things, but that stops at creating titles. So I have my workout playlist, my bath playlist, music you need to be listening to whilst in the car and my running music. Workout and running to me are two totally different things so both need different music.

I thought it would be fun to share with you guys my top 5 favourite songs from each playlist with a little why to why they are there. 

Songs To Sweat To

Labrinth - Earthquake ft. Tinie Tempah 

Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk 

 Now tell me how this song wouldn't get you pumped up to push yourself a little more.

Ariana Grande - Into You

My workout playlist wouldn't be right without this lady, also I seem to start clicking my fingers and start to dance between reps listening to this song.

Flo-Rida - Club Can't Handle Me

Well just because....

Imagine Dragons ft. Wiz Khalifa, Lil' Wayne and more

This song comes on during those last moments of my workout where my legs and arms are starting to shake, when the sweat is falling off me when I want to quit, this song comes on and I think yes I can do this, the pain is nothing. COME AT ME! That's the mentality this song gives me.

Bath Tunes

Now don't laugh but my bathroom has great acoustics fit for one musician, the one and only Celine Dion, now you didn't see that coming, but listening to this goddess whilst soaking my troubles away is the best thing ever and the five songs that are my favourite are.

It's All Coming Back To Me Now

My Heart Will Go On

Taking Chance

Tell Him w/ Barbra Streisand

Because You Loved Me

You can judge me now if you want, I'll understand. Haha.

Driving Music

This playlist only continues great music you can sing a long to loudly in the car, act like a gangsta in your car and really rock out in the car.

Bon Jovi - Living On A Prayer

Evanescence - Bring Me To Life

R. Kelly - Ignition

If I'm on a long driving journey this song would be missed if not played.

Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

You can't be in a car without this being played.

Usher - Yeah

You know the Ludacris part is designated to the one in the passenger seat. que ME.

Running

I have a few songs for this playlist that I believe should be on every running playlist.

Darude - Sandstorm
I believe if this isn't on your running playlist then YOU ARE NOT RUNNING.

N-Trance - Set You Free

Jonas Blue - Perfect Strangers

The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk - I Feel It Coming
I honestly feel like I'm about to bust a move when this song comes on mid run. Haha.

Christina Aguilera - Dirty
This song also makes me want to bust a move or two when I hear coming through my headphones.

There they are, my top five favourite songs from each one of my playlists. I love music and it is a huge part of my life, I couldn't imagine life without music.
Do you have some favourite songs from your playlists that you look forward to hearing when you hit that shuffle button? Let me know in the comments below?

x

Vogue 73 Questions Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Katie and I've had so much fun answering these questions.

1. What's your favourite movie?

This one is easy - Rocky II

2. Favourite Movie in the past five years?

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 & 2. I saw both movies in the cinema and I loved them.

3. Favourite Hitchcock film?

Rear Window - I love this movie.

4. A book you plan on reading?

I don't plan to read books, I buy them I read them. Simples.

5. A book that you read at school that positively shaped you?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It was the first book I'd ever read, the teachers thought it would be too much for me and even spoke to my mum about it. I think reading that and loving it shaped me into the book worm I am today.

6. Favourite TV show that's currently on?

Supernatural. I have been a fan from the beginning. I love that show.

7. On a scale of one to ten, how excited are you about life right now?

I would say a 9, a 10 would be if I won the lottery. Hahahahaha!

8. iPhone or Android? 

Android

9. Twitter or Instagram?

I love my Twitter but I'm more active on my Instagram.

10. Who should everyone be FOLLOWING right now?

EVERYONE. Everyone should be following everyone. Supporting everyone. Bringing up everyone, am I drunk writing this? YEs, follow EVERYONE! except the perves don't follow those.

11. What's your favourite food?

This shouldn't even be a question, it should just be PIZZA, Pizza all the time. Pizza is my answer. Hahaha

12. Least favourite food?

Baked Beans. That shizz is rant, I can't even stand the smell. Haha.

13. What do you love on your pizza?

 Pepperoni and cheese lots of cheese. 

14. Favourite Drink?

Jack Daniels and Coke. The drink that is helping me answer these questions actually. Hahaha.

15. Favourite Dessert?

Apple Crumble and Custard. Particularly the one my mother-in-law makes. 

16. Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate?

Does it matter, I love all chocolate.

17. Coffee or Tea?

I would choose Coffee.

18. What's the hardest thing about being a mum?

It's seeing your children ill or in pain and not being able to do anything about it. You can give them medicine but really all you want to do is what the big guy in The Green Mile does and take away all the pain yourself.

19. What's your favourite band?

Avenged Sevenfold. Have seen them in concert once and once at a signing where M.Shadows hugged me and I nearly passed out.

20. Favourite Solo Artist?

Lana Del Rey. She is an Angel.

21. Favourite Song?

This is hard, I have so many. ABBA - The Winner Takes it All. Faith Evans - There You'll Be. Come What May from Moulin Rouge. Everything from David Bowie, Queen and pretty much every thing made in the 80's Haha.

22. If you could sing a duet with anyone, who would it be?

Celine Dion. 

23. If you could master one instrument, what would it be?

Piano.

24. If you had a tattoo, where would it be?

I actually have 3, I have one on each bicep and one above my wrist.

25. To be or not to be?

To be

26. Dogs or Cats?

I love dogs but I couldn't have one so I'll choose cats. 

27. Bird-watching or Whale-watching?

Whale-watching.

28. Best gift you've ever received?

The gift to create life. Yep that one! Oh wait also what my mama did by giving me life, I'll throw that in here also. Haha

29. Best gift you've ever given?

Myself. HAhahaha no I joke, I don't know I'm poor all my gifts are shizz hahaha, urm anything I've hand made for anyone, handmade stuff I think is super special. 

30. Last gift you gave a friend?

Did I mention I'm poor. Hahahahah no I'm joking, urmmmm. I think it was something handmade with her name on it. I've been drinking my memory is a bit fuzzy right now.

31. What's your favourite board game?

Monopoly. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

32. What's your favourite country to visit?

I've only ever been to France, it's too early in my travelling days to answer this but I do love France.

33. What's the last country you visited?

France

34. What country do you wish to visit?

Besides all of them. Italy. That's top on my list.

35. What's your favourite colour?

Coral

36. Least favourite colour?

Pink

37. Diamonds or Pearls?

Diamonds please......

38. Heels or flats?

 Flats.

39. Pilates or Yoga?

Yoga

40. Jogging or Swimming?

Swimming

41. Best way to de-stress? 

I'm sorry I do not know what this de-stress thing is? Hahaha. Closing my eyes with my headphones in listening to a playlist of killer tunes.

42. If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Invisibility. 

43. What's the weirdest word in the English Language?

Throbbing - It's just weird.

44. What's your favourite flower?

Roses

45. When was the last time you cried?

Yesterday, I was reading a really great book and the ending took me by complete surprise and I was crying happy tears.

46. Do you like your handwriting?

Yes I do.

47. Do you bake?

Why yes I do.

48. What is your least favourite thing about yourself?

My ability to become addicted to something.

49. What is your most favourite thing about yourself?

My creativity, I think. 

50. Who do you miss the most?

My mama, she live about 300 miles away.

51. What are you listening to right now?

The Good Dinosaur right now and my two children having a blowing raspberry competition.

52. Favourite smell?

I want to say Jack Daniels, but that might make me sound a tad alcoholic hahaha but MINT. Amazing smell especially if it's mixed with chocolate.

53. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

My nan.

54. Who was the last person you sent a text to?

I think it was my mum.

55. A sport you wish you could play?

Rugby

56. Hair colour?

Natural Blonde, am still blonde.

57. Eye colour?

Blue

58. Scary film or Happy ending?

Happy ending.

59. Favourite Season?

Summer

60. Three people alive or dead, that would like to have dinner with?

Elvis Presley, David Bowie and Lana Del Rey

61. Hugs or Kisses?

Hugs

62. Rolling Stones or The Beatles?

The Beatles.

63. Where were you born?

Essex

64. What is the farthest you've been from home? 

France

65. Sweet or Savoury?

Sweet 

66. Lipstick or Lipgloss?

Neither

67. What book have you read again and again?

Little Women. I used to read it every Christmas 

68. Favourite bedtime story?

Winnie the Pooh

69. What would be the title of your autobiography?

Well what can I say

70. Favourite sound?

Bagpipes. I love bagpipes.

71. Favourite animal?

The Lion

72. Who is your girl crush?

Can this be a list. Right now it's Kate McKinnon.

73. Last photo you took?

My mini book haul.

I'm not going to tag anyone mainly because I think everyone I follow has actually done this already, but I encourage anyone that hasn't done to do it. It has been so much fun answering these questions, I was sad that they stopped at 73.

Peace and Love. x

I Have Some Explaining To Do

Some time this week I posted a pretty impromptu image saying I was taking time off my blog, without giving any explanation or reason why, for anyone who cares. Hahaha.

Now as most will know I'm in the middle of writing my first book and I began this blog to write on whenever I lost inspiration on my book or I had writers block, I didn't want to stop writing, so if I was going to be not writing on my book I would be writing on my blog, but more so on my book then this blog. It started that way, then 6 months passed and I hadn't touched my book. I was though posting regular blog posts and I actually found myself looking at stats, comments and views and that scared me because I didn't want that.

I love writing on my blog but I didn't want it to become as consistent in posts as it became. My blog is a little part on the internet where I can share my personal stuff, things that inspire me and where I could express my frustrations of writing a book, but that got lost and I want to get it back.

That's the reason behind the post I put up, I'm not quiting blogging, I'm not closing my blog down. I'm just taking it back to the simplicity it was when I started. I hope this makes sense, I'm not leaving the blogging community because it is pretty awesome and I have met some amazing people through it, I would be a fool if I was to leave, but for now I will be putting more focus on writing my book than writing on my blog.

Peace and Love x 

My Dream Writing Space

We all have that place right, where we go to write, a space that's completely disconnected to every thing, a space you go to where words fly. If you don't then I do, I'd like to think I'm more of a creative writer as a lot of what I write besides what goes on my blog are my stories which are all fiction. So the space I need is like a dessert island, it's pretty much just me.

Whether your space is the corner of your bedroom or that little room in your house that you have cushioned up to go and write or it's that imaginary space in your mind. Mine is a bit of both, as for me I need to switch off completely, so I sit up at my desk which I love because it keeps little hands off my paper, because that's another thing I love writing my stories on paper, I can't concentrate when I'm looking at a bright white screen.

Now I'm at my desk and that's step one really then in my mind I go to my other writing space and this space is my favourite place in the world. It's comfy and I can write for hours when I'm there, depending my kids don't wake up then I have to leave. I don't visit as much as I would like but when I'm there it's used well. I will show/describe you this room but first I AM NOT CRAZY! If you are a creative writer (write stories) and you don't have a physical or imaginary place you go to to switch off completely to be able to write, I don't think you're a writer, as you can't write about another world, and a different life if you're switched on to your own.

I have sketched, like rough sketched my writing space and to be honest it hasn't changed in years, it's a room, you enter and are immediately facing two doors that look out to the ocean, where else would I want my writing space be but by the sea, on the side wall there is a couch that is so comfy it's where you could go if you've been sitting up at the desk for hours, at the foot of the couch is a record player where I have all of Elvis Presley records. Opposite this is my shelf, floor to ceiling book shelves filled with every book, my favourites, I have my dictionary and Thesaurus also my Encyclopedias because there is no Internet in my writing space, I have my laptop for only inspirational purposes. Next to the book shelves I have a cork board up where I put my favourite photos, a few inspiring words, and my writing desk is huge, it's not where my laptop is, it's a separate desk that allows me to look up at the ocean when I'm not looking down at my own words.

That's my writing space, that's where I go when I sit down to write because I can't write any other way, never actually been able to, I've always needed to switch off and for so long it was just a blank space but now I have a word inducing room in my mind I get to go to and write.

I know this post makes me sound a little crazy but I don't care because I know a lot of writers do this, I'm not embarrassed by it. 

Do you have a writing space you wish was real, a place you could go and just write and write? What would you have in it? Or what do you have around your writing desk to keep you inspired and writing for longer? Let me know, drop me a comment. X

Being Happy.

When I type 'Happy' into google the first thing I see is the definition which is 'The Feeling of pleasure or contentment' Now when I think about my life I check things off, In my relationship do I get the feeling of pleasure and contentment - YES and then some. Do I have the feeling of pleasure and contentment in my home life and as a mother. YES. Am I happy in myself, do I feel content with myself. NO. That last answer in my opinion needs to change, that's clear because I'm tired, I am god damn tired of looking at myself in the mirror and being disgusted and unhappy, I am tired of working out to punish my body for getting big when really I should be celebrating the fact my body can workout and my body is changing. It's easy when it's written like this, so why isn't it easy like a flick of a switch in ones mind to be happy with oneself. 

Now if I break it down, I like my eyes, my lips I've thought were always a little small but in portion to my face and don't get me started on my nose, the honk I inherited from my mother and so did my brothers, my sister was the lucky one, so I'm ok with certain features of my face but why in my mind have I always told myself I'm the ugly one, the ugly sister, the face only a mother could love? Why? It's frustrating because some days like today I feel good about my appearance but I can't tell you what tomorrow will be like. 

I love taking care of my face, I'm in love with face masks especially ones that work, I love putting on a little make-up (mascara and eyeliner) I love keeping my face and body fresh and clean but on bad days when I'm down and I'm hating myself for looking how I look, I forget about myself, I neglect myself so bad to the point where sometimes I can pull my hair tie from my hand and it would stand for a little while. That's me on really really bad days that turn into falling into a spiral of self hate that lasts a week, but that's what I want to stop. Because I know this is my only body, it's the only one I'm going to get and I've already said I like certain things, so why can't I keep that positivity and contentment, why can't I make it last and radiate it to other aspects of myself?

I've set myself a challenge, a Happiness challenge if you will. Where everyday even If I feel like falling into that dark abyss I will practice being happy with myself, even if I have to force myself in front of a mirror and say things that will embarrass the hell out of me. I will do it because I'm raising two beautiful baby girls, who will look up to me as they grow and I want them to see a mother who is happy with herself and confident in her own skin. So yea that's what's happening right now and to think I thought about all this whilst watching Grease last night and remembering a summer a long time ago where I ruined my mums VHS tape by watching it over and over, singing and dancing and just not caring. 

I am still dieting, I am still working out and staying active, I'm still trying to get to my goal weight, I'm still writing and I'm drawing again now. I don't just want to do one thing and leave out all the things I used to do that made me feel good about myself, so I will be doing it all, after all I am a women, the master of multitasking. The maker of her own happiness.

X

The 30 Disney Questions Tag

Now growing up watching Disney movies have me branded as a Disney addict, which is fine but as an adult you get looks when you say how much you love watching Disney movies, well guess what suckers I have kids and Disney movies are essential in my home now a days.

I was so happy and pleased to have been tagged by the lovely Claire from ThatMummaRocks to do this tag because it was quite simply the best thing I could think of doing, answering questions about Disney.......so exciting, how I'm going to answer some of these questions fairly I just don't know, but I'll give it a go.

1. Favourite Character

Mulan. I love her and her story and she kicks ass.

2. Favourite Princess

Ariel. She is a mermaid, she lives in the sea and she has the most gorgeous colour red hair.

3. Favourite Heroine

Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, I was mesmerised by her as a child, she was so exotic and I loved what she wore. I had a jumper with her face on it that I wore all the time. Calm down I was 9.

4. Favourite Prince

Hercules. I love a bit of the zero to hero.

5. Favourite Hero

Flynn Rider, I feel like he is the animated embodiment of Ryan Reynolds but besides that he literally sacrifices himself to save Rapunzel, and he is funny.

6. Favourite Animal

Marie from the Artisocats, she is just super cute and so sassy, I love it.

7. Favourite Sidekick

Mushu from Mulan.

8. Favourite Villain

Hades, the sass the blue flamed hair.

9. Favourite Original Character

Minnie Mouse

10. Favourite Love Song

Part of Your World - The Little Mermaid

11. Favourite Song

I'll Make a Man out of You - Mulan

12. Favourite Villain Song

Hellfire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame

13. Least Favourite Song

Love is an Open Door from Frozen, I want to rip my ears off, it physically makes me feel yuk.

14. Favourite Kiss

I think it has to be when Ariel comes strutting her stuff out of the Ocean with legs and she runs into Erics arms and they smooch. I LOVE IT!

15. The First Movie You Saw

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

16. Favourite Classic

The Aristocats

17. Song That Always Gets Stuck In Your Head

Try Everything - Zootopia

18. Favourite Pixar Movie

The Good Dinosaur

19. Least Favourite Pixar Movie

Up

20. Favourite Sequel

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets (I haven't seen any of the animated sequels)

21. Overrated Movie

Frozen

22. Underrated Movie

Oliver and Company

23. Movie That Makes You Laugh

Zootopia

24. Movie That Makes You Cry

The Good Dinosaur

25. The Saddest Scene From Your Favourite Movie

When Arlo in The Good Dinosaur, pushes Spot to the Cave family and Spot doesn't want to go, to be honest I'm a mess throughout this entire movie

26. Saddest Death

Coral from Finding Nemo

27. Favourite Quote

'A true hero is measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart' - Hercules

28. Favourite Theme Park

I haven't been. *sobs gently*

29. Favourite Theme Attraction

I haven't been *sobs harder*

30. Favourite Theme Park Show 

I haven't been *sobs uncontrollably into laptop*

*Although I remember when I was really little, I was taken to see Disney on Ice and I recall Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on blades :D

I hope you enjoyed this tag and encourage all Disney fans to do this, if you haven't already.

Thank you Claire for tagging me.

PEACE AND LOVE. Zoe X

My Revenge Body - (a little weightloss journey post)

Now if anyone has seen Khloe Kardashians Revenge Body on E! you'll have seen people want revenge on their partners, their ex's, their mothers and fathers and even friends. I started this journey June 2016 and I had people like Khloe Kardashian to look to among others as inspiration, she was the bigger sister, she seemed to have settled with that fact until a major event happened and she wanted to make a great change for herself.

Now I don't care what your opinions are on the Kardashians but the only one I 'keep up on' is Khloe, I watch her workouts on Snapchat and she kills it every workout, she inspires people and she inspires me. Simple!

You see I was the bigger sister, if you want a mental picture of what me and my sister looks like just look at Kourtney and Khloe standing next to each other. I was always putting myself down because I wasn't like her, I hated that I couldn't wear the small, cute, petite clothes she could, I hated that at 14 I was wearing big mummy bras with a 3 inch straps and she was wearing little bras with a half a centimetre strap. I didn't hate her, I hated myself. I was big, I was fat and I wasn't going to be anything else, and it always bothered me. I don't think it was until I went to college that I started to accept that this was my body, it wasn't going to change so I had to accept it. I then got in my first relationship ever with Nick and I got myself happy (yayay) and I got 2 stone heavier, I didn't mind though because I was active enough that it wasn't a problem and I'm 5 8" so it was spread around evenly.

I got pregnant in 2013 and it was amazing, we couldn't wait to expand our family by one, but in 9 months my weight gained by 6 stone, although I was happy in my relationship, my home and where I was in my life, I wasn't happy with who I was and what I looked like but guess what I did, something I've been doing for years, I accepted that I was big, this was me now so what if I was miserable and depressed nothing was going to change. In Mia's first year I had naturally lost 2 stone in weight which I never took notice off because I was too busy being a mum. It was on Mia's 1st birthday that we announced we were pregnant again. Again we were overjoyed that our family was again expanding and Mia was going to have a little baby sister.

During that pregnancy I gained a stone and a half which never bothered me, was I still annoyed I was big? Yes. But there was nothing I could do, because I was big, this was who I was, I was constantly taunting myself, bullying myself just because I was big and I'd settled with that fact. But something happened about a month after Robyn was born. I snapped it was June 2016 and it was like that part in my head that was always saying,

"You're fat, you're always going to be fat, this is who you are,"

That part in my mind finally pushed it's last button and the accepting, timid, beaten and weak side of me flipped. I began telling myself, 

"I wasn't fat, far was something I had, I wasn't always going to be fat because I was going to eat healthier and workout regularly, and this wasn't who I was going to be."

That's when my weightloss journey began just to prove what I was telling myself, I had enough of being just big, I deserved to get my body to a point where I'm happy to accept it, not accepting it just because I'd never tried to change. I kept telling myself I couldn't, but I could and I can do anything I wanted, and that's what I'm doing, so you could say my revenge is on me, it's to that part of me that never let me be happy, my revenge will be on myself for letting myself believe I didn't deserve to be happy in my own skin.

I'm so close to my 4 stone weightloss mark and I'm feeling so strong, my muscle gain feels amazing and now I don't feel the remaining fat on my body that I know is there, all I feel it muscle and half the time they're sore. it's like that fat I have left really isn't a part of me anymore and it's fitting because the words me and fat are no longer associated with each other any more.

So I would like to list a few things that I have learned on this journey:

Be Patient

Now I'm writing this as the most impatient person ever, so a lot of will power and determination is thrown in there also. It doesn't get easier but you get stronger and the progress and the results you start to see make it all worth it.

Find People Who Have Been On The Same Journey

On Instagram there are hundreds, literally hundreds of people on there who started their journey just like I did and all they did was eat healthy and exercise, fill your brain with real success stories. Get your motivation from real people, not photoshopped celebs in magazines.

Ditch Celebrity Workout Plans

They are SHITE, they just want your money.

Learn To Love YouTube For It's Workouts

Who knew watching youtube could make me sweaty and out of breathe, YES. There are tonnes of workout videos on youtube you can follow in the comfort of your own home. I LOVE them, they are what I do, and I wouldn't want to do any other workouts.

Learn About Your Food

Seriously I can not stress this enough. don't take notice of newspapers when they tell you coconut oil can give you cancer when there is proven research that tells you it prevents it among other life threatening illnesses. Do your research people, learn about what foods are good and what they do for your body.

Believe In Yourself

Because anything is possible, 'possible' it self is in the word 'impossible' anyways, it's really a self contradicting word. but seriously if you believe you can do it and stick to an easy plan with realistic goals you can do it, why? I may hear you ask, well I'm doing it!

Peace and Love. X