Graze Snack Box Review + Discount Code

If you have bought a magazine or ordered something from Amazon within the past couple of years you will no doubt have come across a voucher offering you a 'free Graze box.' How many of you have thrown said vouchers away or alternatively actually taken the offer up? I am one of the many who have done the latter.

I have been subscribed to Graze for over a year now and I still feel that same buzz of excitement every fortnight when my delivery arrives. For those of you who don't know, Graze is a subscription company that offers you a huge variety of healthy and balanced snacks that are delivered straight to your door as often as you please! Not only do they have their 'variety box' which I am a loyal customer of, but they also offer breakfast boxes, chocolate boxes, 'light' boxes and even a kids box. Snacks range from flapjacks to dried fruit to their own take on the classic chocolate brownie and the best part is that they are all healthy alternatives to the usual snacks you find in the supermarket. Prices can vary depending on the box, but the average price is around £3.89. The company have also recently began selling some of their punnets in Sainsbury's and Boots so if you don't want to commit to a subscription you can still try a few of their best snacks. I highly recommend the salted fudge & peanut cookie! 

Every few months Graze introduce new snacks to their collection and in my most recent box all four of my snacks were brand new so I thought I would write a short review on each snack and tell you how I rate it out of 10!

'Belgian Speculoos' (cookie dip with cinnamon pretzel sticks)

This was by far my favourite punnet out of the four and definitely makes it into my list of 'loves.' I am a huge fan of the lotus biscoff spread so when I saw that Graze had a new snack with cookie spread I knew that I HAD to try it ASAP. It didn't disappoint. The cookie butter is nice and smooth just how I like it (I've never been a lover of crunchy spreads) and the pretzels have a pretty good cinnamon taste to them. Together they make the perfect combo! I highly recommend that you click 'send soon' on this bad boy. 9/10

'Sesame Garlic Crunch' (oat bran sesame sticks, garlic sesame sticks & multigrain soy rice crackers)

This wasn't my favourite punnet as overall I thought it tasted a bit bland with the exception of the soy crackers. The taste of soy was significantly strong so if you don't usually like the salty taste of this flavour then you probably won't like the crackers. As I expected, the oat bran sesame sticks were bland with no distinct flavour while the garlic sticks were a little more flavoursome but not by much. However, I do think they would have been a lot nicer dipped in salsa! I don't think I will be requesting this punnet again any time soon. 3/10

'Louisiana Wild Rice & Beans' (wild rice sticks & chilli broad beans)

I much preferred this savoury punnet to the other. The rice sticks had a salty taste but it wasn't too empowering. Just the perfect amount in my book! Admittedly I didn't expect the broad beans to be as spicy as they were. Not my favourite savoury snack from Graze, but this punnet does the trick if you're craving a savoury snack! 5/10

'Salted Pecan & Chocolate Tart' (milk chocolate & salted almond buttons, pecans, chopped dates & pumpkin seeds)

Over the course of my subscription to Graze I have came to realise that I much prefer the sweet snacks to the savoury ones and this final punnet was an absolute treat. There was nothing particularly special about the pecans, dates & pumpkin seeds. The chocolate however MY OH MY! There were small pieces of salted almonds in among the milk chocolate and they were delicious. A great way to get your chocolate fix in a nutritious way! Sometimes with punnets like these I'll combine the ingredients together in hope that it will taste similar to what the name of the snack is. Wanting to save the chocolate buttons for last, I didn't combine them all this time around but I did try the dates and pecans together and the taste was divine! 7/10

Here's hoping that after reading this you might think twice about throwing those Graze vouchers away! In my opinion, they're definitely worth the money and with so many snacks available there's something for everyone. Alternative to the vouchers, feel free to use my friend code! This code allows you your 1st, 5th and 10th box free! And do you know what the best part is? There is no commitment and you can easily cancel the subscription at any time.
Code: ELIJAH5XP

Until next time,
Elijah xo

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I HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

The time has come where I have FINALLY started my own YouTube channel! I've wanted to start my own channel ever since I was 13/14 and I watched 'sarahxxlou.' 6 years later I have finally taken the plunge. My first video is an unboxing of the June Kawaii Box and it would be great if you guys checked it out. Please excuse the awkwardness and my shitty editing skills, but we all have to start somewhere, right? 

I'm hoping that I'll be more active on my YouTube channel than I am on here but I'm going to try my hardest not to completely neglect my blog. I hope you guys enjoy the video!

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Holiday Essentials

It's that time of year again when most people will be jetting off to somewhere sunny, warm and exotic. I, however, will be setting off down south to the usual holiday park with my family but that doesn't mean that I don't have those items that I have saved just for the week away. Here are some of the top essentials that I will be taking with me on my trip.

Even if you're not going on holiday this year, it's important to wear SPF. Yes, even if you live in the UK you gotta protect your skin from those rays! If you wear make-up then you will know the dilemma of whether to put sun cream on your face or not, but worry not as there are plenty of products available that contain SPF from foundations to moisturisers. I am an avid user of the Simple light moisturiser but instead of opting for my usual I thought I'd change it up a bit for the warmer months and go for one with SPF 30. My foundation also has SPF in it but over the past few months I have grown to prefer going out with no foundation so this will be perfect for when I just want to put on a bit of concealer and avoid a shiny sun creamed face. The warmer weather also brings with it the emergence of bare legs which brings with it the frustration of shaving them more frequently. I saw this Venus snap razor in Boots for half price and just had to pick it up. It's travel friendly and comes with a case! Another hair removal essential for me is the Nair facial brush on. Having dark hair means that I have been blessed with a moustache so gotta keep that in check. This is a new one with argan oil. I'm not too sure if there's much difference to the standard one but I thought I'd give it a shot.

I doubt I'm the only one who finds washing their hair a chore let alone washing it when on holiday, so dry shampoo is an essential for me. My go to brand is Batiste, specifically the tropical scent which smells like coconut! I also picked up a mini body scrub and mini body lotion from Soap & Glory. I am an absolute sucker for travel minis and it's probably one of my favourite things about going away. When I'm at home I am incredibly lazy when it comes to skincare and pampering myself. I'd much rather spend the evening catching up on YouTube videos and scrolling through Tumblr. Being on holiday means that I have zero wifi access in the evenings so I like to take the opportunity to spend some extra time on pampering myself and this year I will be trying this yogurt smoothie mask from Superdrug!

Restricted wifi access means that I must find other ways to entertain myself. I always make sure to take a new book with me on holiday and this year I have chosen 'How To Build a Girl' by Caitlin Moran. This has been on my 'to read' list for ages so I'm excited to finally read it! My inner child will also be kept happy with this beautiful patterns colouring book. Colouring for grown-ups has become a huge craze recently and both me and my sister have jumped onto the bandwagon.

Last but not least, what would summer be without a new pair of sunglasses? I had been on the hunt for the perfect heart shaped glasses for over a year and I finally found these beauties on the website CHOIES. They have a pink & blue ombre tint to them and they are just so cute!

Whether you're going away this summer or staying home, I hope you have a carefree, fun-filled time.

Feel free to let me know what some of your holiday essentials are!

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Japanese Street Style

Take a walk down the Harajuku district in Tokyo and you will undoubtedly be greeted by the bright colours and extravagant fashions of Japan. It is common knowledge that the Japanese aren’t afraid to push the boundaries in almost everything they do. Just look at the variety of Kit Kat flavours produced by the Eastern country. These flavours may not be catching on in the Western side of the world just yet, but the fashion hasn’t gone unnoticed. Welcome to the world of wacky fashion.

Much like the different styles found in the UK, Japan fashion ranges from cute and girlie to dark and gothic. The main difference however is that they take each fashion to the extreme. A popular street fashion found in Japan is ‘Lolita.’ The Lolita style has a number of different subcultures within it – sweet Lolita, gothic Lolita and punk Lolita to name just a few. This style takes the Victorian and Rococo era and gives it a modern twist. The end result is something very unique indeed. Not to be confused with the Western connotations of sexualised youth, the term ‘Lolita’ in Japan references elegance and modesty resulting in high neck collars and full skirts.

[Images from Tokyo Fashion]

Another popular fashion is ‘Decora.’ In English, the term ‘Decora’ translates to ‘decorative’ or ‘decoration.’ This style is widely based around the layering of accessories including both hair accessories and jewellery and is known for being bright and colourful. It is also common for small toys to be used to accessorise. Like ‘Lolita,’ this style can be divided into different subcultures ranging from pink and girlie to dark and gothic.

[Images taken from Tokyo Fashion]

What happens when you combine 1950s Americana with music and fashion? You get ‘Rockabilly.’ This style can be found almost anywhere in the world, but naturally Japan step it up a notch. Looking like they have stepped right out of ‘Grease,’ the men sport greased back hair and leather jackets while the girls step out in high ponytails and poodle skirts. Alternatively, girls can be found wearing pencil skirts and sweetheart necklines for a more pinup look.

[Image taken from Tofugu]

Finally, one style that you may be more familiar with is ‘cosplay.’ The shortened term of ‘costume play’ refers to an outfit inspired by video games, anime and a variety of other pop culture icons. In Western countries you will more likely see this style at conventions such as Comic Con, however on the streets of Tokyo, it is common to see individuals incorporate their favourite character’s style into their own every day outfits.

[Images taken from Tokyo Faces & Tokyo Fashion]

These are just a select few street styles that can be found in the streets of Tokyo. Other popular fashions to be found include ‘Ganguro’ and ‘Mori.’ The Japanese will continuously be admired for the confidence they seem to possess to express themselves in a way that most in the UK and other Western countries may find a little OTT. Hopefully one day we might be able to feel free to express ourselves in similar ways. Maybe without the use of small toys as accessories though.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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References:

Tokyo Fashion

Japanese Streets

Alpha City Guides

Done With Diet Culture!

Yesterday I watched a video where a young woman spoke about her recent weight loss journey and there was something about it that didn't sit right with me. A few elements of the video came across as slightly toxic and I put it down to this diet culture that has become the obsession of many in recent years. From fad diets to the media linking ones happiness to how slim someone looks, I want to tear my hair out every time I see the promotion of low calorie diets.

Now, I am all about feeling good about yourself and being in a place where you are happy with your body and if losing a few pounds will do that for you then that's great, just as if you are happy with your body the way it is at the moment then that is also great. But what isn't great is when people think it is okay to promote low calorie diets and/or a substantial amount of exercise without doing the appropriate research and having some sort of professional input and guidance.

Did you know that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calories a day is just an average? It all depends on your gender, age, height, weight and amount of physical activity. Your body actually needs a good amount of calories to just sit and do nothing! Yes, even sitting at your computer or lying in your bed needs a good, substantial amount of energy. Now, of course I'm not a professional but even I know that if you are following a low calorie diet without doing so with caution and with the correct research you are at risk of developing unhealthy behaviours and an unhealthy relationship with food and/or exercise.

When you start to live off a low number of calories a day your body can enter 'starvation.' This means that slowly your body will begin to shut down as it is no longer energy balanced. Your body's main priority is to keep you breathing and your heart beating, so your body will take the energy that would usually be used for other bodily functions and put it towards keeping you alive. One of the main examples of this for females is the loss of your period. If you are serious about losing weight in a healthy way it is important to remember that if you are consuming a low number of calories and also doing a substantial amount of exercise then you must make up the calories that you have lost. It is also important that when you have reached your goal weight and are happy with what you have achieved, you MUST increase your calorie intake slowly to a number where you are able to healthily maintain that weight. If you continue to eat the same number of calories that you were losing weight on, you will continue to lose weight.

It is possible for you to be fit and healthy and still eat a slice of pizza. It's all about balance!! The media is forever highlighting the negatives of fat, carbs and sugar yet they never seem to highlight the positives of these and how they contribute to a healthy body.

To conclude this slightly different post, I want to remind you all that if you are wanting to lose weight then make sure that you are doing it for yourself and nobody else, and also make sure that you do your research, query a professional about it and ensure that you are doing it in a healthy manner.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Kawaii Box Review | April 2015

Another month, another 'Kawaii Box.' Admittedly I've been pretty lazy when it comes to reviewing these boxes but I'm determined to change that! Now that I've almost finished college for the summer, I'm hoping to find more time to blog and I have a few post ideas already so watch this space.

Anyway, on with today's review!

One can never have too many stickers and this months addition to my ever growing sticker stash are these super cute 'Love Rabbit' puffy stickers. The box also included another pack of these jewelry seal stickers that you can use to decorate your phone, iPod and pretty much anything else you can think of. These decorative stickers have been included in a previous box and I still haven't used them so I can't see myself using this packet either. Since subscribing to this box the number of pencil cases I own has increased drastically and it doesn't show signs of stopping anytime soon. The April box included this adorable alpaca pencil case.

When I first opened the box I was greeted by glitter. Literally. By the time I had finished looking through everything both myself and the sofa were covered in it! This glitter would have come in handy when I was studying childcare and doing a work placement in a nursery. Even though I doubt I'll have any reason to use it in the foreseeable future, it's always handy to have some crafty stuff in storage! One of my favourite items in this box was this cute pen and I was also incredibly excited to see this Rilakkuma notepad! Not that I actually need anymore notepads but I am an absolute sucker for Rilakkuma merch. And of course no Kawaii Box is complete without a key ring or phone charm and this months box features a squidgy paw.

Snack-wise this months box came with these 'Collon' snacks. My mum said that they look like dog treats, but I'm sure they'll be delicious. They look like they'll be green tea flavour and anything green tea flavoured is a winner in my book. At first I wasn't sure what the purpose of the macaroon was. I thought it was only for decorative purposes which I thought a bit odd, but I later discovered that it's actually a little storage box! I'm thinking of storing my nose rings and studs in it. Finally, much like key rings and phone charms, no Kawaii Box is complete without some sort of cute plushie.

The box also came with a super cute bow hair clip that I forget to snap a picture of. I will definitely be putting it to good use as I'm always pinning my fringe back these days and it will make a super cute alternative to the usual kirby grips.

I will 100% be back with a review of next months box. If I'm not then I give you all permission to hunt me down and give me a good slapping. 

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Top 5 Favourite Anime

A few months ago I watched THIS video by one of my favourite YouTubers where she spoke about her top 5 favourite animes and it got me thinking: what are my top 5?

Over the past few years I've watched a good number of different anime series ranging from action to fantasy to 'slice of life' and choosing five of my favourites didn't come easy. After careful deliberation I managed to narrow it down to these five in no particular order.

1) Yuru Yuri

[Image courtesy of 'gentokyo']

It has become apparent in the past two years that my favourite genre of anime is 'slice of life.' I'm a sucker for anime with no set plot and a bunch of characters who just goof off. Yes, I'm talking about those anime that are usually set in a school, more specifically a club, where the main characters are usually all female. I've spoken about 'Yuru Yuri' before in a previous favourites post, but here's a quick lowdown on the series. The main protagonist, Akari Akaza finds herself joining the 'Amusement Club' which is a club where they pretty much bum around and do whatever they want.  My favourite character of the series would have to be Kyoko Toshino who has an obsession with Rum Raisin ice cream and a slightly obsessive crush on Chinatsu who resembles one of her favourite anime characters. I also think it's worth mentioning that in one episode she wears a tomato onesie. 

2) K-On!

[Image courtesy of  Wikipedia]

Sticking with the 'slice of life' genre, the first anime that I really fell in love with was 'K-ON!' Like 'Yuru Yuri,' the series is set in an after school club: the 'Light Music Club.' Yui Hirasawa signs up to the club with the inability to actually play an instrument and all she wants to do is pretty much slack off and eat cake and drink tea. The club is threatened to be disbanded so her fellow classmates convince her to stay and she begins to learn to play guitar. This series is ridiculously hilarious with my personal favourite scene being one were Yui has a dream that Tsmugi's eyebrows are actually in fact pickles. You can see that I have a rather strange sense of humour. If you've seen and loved the anime then there is also a movie in which the girls go to London that I highly recommend.

3) Attack On Titan

[Image courtesy of  'mangauk'] 

If you have even the slightest knowledge about the anime world then you will know doubt have heard of this series. Completely different from 'Yuru Yuri' and 'K-ON!,' 'Attack On Titan's' equivalent of the cherry blossom in most anime series is blood. I am not exaggerating when I say that this series isn't for the faint hearted. Set in a town that is surrounded by a high wall, civilisation has been wiped out by the Titans - huge, flesh-like creatures who show no mercy whatsoever. Only a small part of humanity have survived. After seeing his mother being devoured by one of them, Eren Jaeger vows to destroy the Titans and take his revenge. Excited isn't even the word for how I feel about the second series. The anime has proved so successful that there is also a live action movie set for release in Japan!

4) Clannad

[Image courtesy of  'dualshockers']

Not many films, TV shows, anime or books reduce me to literal tears. My eyes may glaze over a little, but no physical tears will fall. 'Clannad' is one of the few exceptions to this. This anime is known within the 'anime world' for being one of the saddest, and I can vouch for that. The story is based around a boy named Tomoya Okazaki who meets Nagisa, a quiet girl who has been held back a year in school due to a severe illness. The two become friends and Tomoya agrees in helping Nagisa achieve her goal of reviving the school's drama club alongside the help of four other girls. I'm not going to give too much away, but you'll definitely need a box of tissues at the ready by the end of the first series.

5) Fairy Tail

[Image courtesy of  'animetvn']

It wouldn't feel right if I didn't include this anime in my top 5. 'Fairy Tail' was the first anime that I ever started watching and I am still watching it to this day. Whenever I hear the 'Snow Fairy' intro song I can't help but feel a tad bit emotional. The series is about the wizard guild, Fairy Tail, where each member possesses a different type of magic. Their magic comes in handy when taking job requests in order to earn a living. The guild is known for being rowdy and for causing mayhem and it's usually down to the pink haired, fire eating Natsu. The series is currently ongoing and there are over a hundred episodes to date so if binge watching isn't your thing then you may want to give it a miss, but it's definitely worth the time.

Are you an anime fan, and if you are, what are your top 5? I'm always looking for more anime to add to my never ending 'to watch' list.

Until next time,
Elijah xo

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March '15 Favourites

It's been a while since I've done a favourites post and for once it isn't down to the fact that I've just been too damn lazy. Believe it or not I just haven't had any new favourites, or should I say enough new favourites to write a decent post about. These past four weeks however I have discovered and also rediscovered my love for a number of things so I thought I would share them with you all.

Skincare/Fragrance

I'm going to hold my hands up and admit that I'm no skincare expert. I'm rather lazy when it comes to looking after my skin and I don't really have a regime that I follow religiously. Much to my skin's delight however, I have been loving three products this past month. The first is the Green Tea Cleansing Foam from the Korean brand, Etude House. You may remember this product from my YesStyle haul post a good few months back, but I had completely forgotten about this product and it was left sitting on my shelf gathering dust. I decided to try it out again and remembered why I loved it so much in the first place! It leaves your skin feeling fresh, clean and much more awake which is great on the days I'm up at 6am. 

From my face to hands, I have also been loving this chocolate vanilla scented hand cream. I usually stick with Soap & Glory's Hand Food but my friend got me this for my birthday and I can 100% confirm that the stuff smells amazing! I've been putting it on before I go to bed so I've been waking up not only with my hands feeling super soft, they also smelling like chocolate! 

My third skincare favourite is an oldie but a goodie: the Coconut Body Butter from the Body Shop. Their body butters go on really nicely. There's none of that sticky business. The coconut scent is my favourite scent from the Body Shop so this was obviously a winner for me. 

My final beauty favourite is the Vanilla Body Mist from the Boots Extracts range. I'm not usually the biggest fan of body sprays and body mists as I prefer to wear a fragrance that lasts all day and quite frankly I'm too lazy to spritz myself every hour, but this smells so good that it's definitely worthy enough of a mention.

Book/Music/TV

I'm one of those people that goes through phases with reading. I'll read a lot for about two months and then won't pick up another book for about five. Recently the latter stage has passed and my current read is a bit different from the usual books that I pick up. 'The Hourglass Factory' by Lucy Ribchester is about a young journalist who is trying to solve the case of Ebony Diamond, a trapeze artist who goes missing during a performance. It's set in London in the early 20th century and the novel also focuses quite heavily on the suffragette movement. Even if this sort of book isn't your usual cup of tea, I highly recommend that you give it a chance! 

Music-wise I have been obsessing over Marina & the Diamond's new album, FROOT.  Marina is by far my favourite female artist, but I was skeptical about how good this album would be. Surely nothing could live up to her previous record, Electra Heart. And I was right. Electra Heart is still her best album in my opinion, but FROOT comes in at a very close second. My favourite songs on the album would have to be Savages, Forget and I'm a Ruin. Another music favourite this month isn't so much of a new one. I've been listening to 5 Seconds of Summer for over a year now, but recently I have been listening to them non-stop. 

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not the biggest TV watcher. I usually just stick with anime and YouTube videos. One of the few shows that I do watch however is Pretty Little Liars and I have been absolutely obsessed with this last season. I'm not going to say too much as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who isn't all caught up yet but what I will say is that I cannot wait for the next season!

App

I don't usually include apps in my favourites but I couldn't not give this game a mention! What happens when you mix Disney with Japan? You get Tsum Tsum, that's what happens. Tsum Tsum is one of those games that you become addicted to the second you start playing it. All you have to do is connect the matching characters in order to make them disappear. You earn coins and with those coins you can buy new Disney characters to play with. Each character has a special feature that you can use to boost up your score! And it's not only the app that I've been obsessing over. I've recently also started collecting the mini plushies! I only have Marie, Eeyore and Pluto so far but I plan on collecting them all. You can find them in Clinton's for £3, and they also sell larger ones.

As I type this it is freezing cold outside and there was ice on the ground when I was walking to the bus stop this morning. You honestly wouldn't think it was Spring. Here's hoping that the weather will warm up soon. I am so over wearing jumpers and big jackets.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Putting Yourself First & Saying 'No'

Raise your hand if one of your favourite feelings is making someone else happy? Seeing a smile on their face and knowing that you're the reason the corners of their mouth are lifting upwards. Whether it be a family member, friend or a stranger in the street, it definitely makes me feel warm inside knowing that I've made someone's day just that bit better. But often we can get carried away with making other people smile and making other people happy that we end up not being happy ourselves. We get so caught up in putting other people first that we forget to take care of number one. In the past I have been guilty of trying to please other people despite not being 100% happy myself and it's definitely gotten me into some tricky situations.

For me, part of the reason I get into these situations is that I don't want to be branded as selfish. When I was younger I was referred to as selfish from a number of people. It didn't matter whether they were saying it as a joke or if they came out with it in the heat of the moment during an argument, it still hurt. As I got older I developed this fear of being thought of as a selfish bitch and this lead to me bottling up my emotions and going out of my way to make sure the people around me were happy.

In a way my personality contradicts itself. On one hand if I don't want to do something then I won't do it, but in certain situations and with certain people I have been guilty of forcing myself to do something that I really didn't want to do because I was worried that I would hurt them. What I failed to realise, and sometimes still do, is that it's okay to put yourself first and think about what YOU want even if it isn't what someone else wants. If the person you fear of upsetting or disappointing really cares about you then they will understand and respect the fact that you don't want to go somewhere or do something and will appreciate that you told them. They're not going to suddenly turn against you or laugh at you and if they do then you need to take a step back and think about whether or not you want someone like that in your life.

It's okay to say no to things and it's okay to take a step back and look after yourself. Self-care is important. It is difficult to let other people love and accept you if you don't love and accept yourself. At the end of the day, you're pretty much stuck with yourself for your whole life so treat yourself like you would your best friend.

So next time you find yourself saying 'yes' to something that you don't feel 100% comfortable about, think again and have the courage to say 'no.' Not only can it prevent you from getting into tricky situations but it may also help you realise who the people that really matter in your life are and who the ones that aren't.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Eating Disorder Awareness Week

I've been deliberating whether or not to make this post for a while now and as today marks the beginning of Eating Disorder Awareness Week I thought this would be the perfect time to do so.

For about a year and a half now I have been struggling with anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is an eating disorder which involves restricting your food intake in order to lose weight and can also include over exercising, binge eating, purging and laxative abuse. There are two types sub-types of anorexia nervosa: restrictive and binge eating/purging. For almost a year now I have been seeking help in recovering from the restrictive sub-type and have made some good progress over these past few months.

I'm not making this post to share my story with you, but if that's something you would be interested in hearing about then feel free to let me know and I may write a separate post on it. Instead I am making this post in order to raise awareness of this mental illness. There is still a huge amount of stigma and stereotypes associated with eating disorders and I want to help in challenging these and inform you of the harsh reality of what it is like living with this illness.

The first thing I want to emphasise is that having an eating disorder is not a choice. There are still people out there that believe it is. It isn't. Many people believe that being anorexic is simple about losing weight and wanting to be "skinny." The truth is that the weight loss is actually only a side effect of the disorder. There are even some individuals that are anorexic but are actually of a healthy weight and BMI. Anorexia is first and foremost a mental illness. It is often an individual's way of coping with a traumatic experience. It gives them a sense of control in a life where they may feel they have no control at all. There are a number of different factors that can influence the development of an eating disorder including both biological and social factors and it can be different for everyone.

The first initial symptom of an eating disorder is weight loss. The individual will purposely restrict their food intake and may cut out complete food groups from their diet such as carbohydrates. Due to this restriction their body will go into starvation mode. I'm not going to go into the details of starvation but you can click HERE if you would like to read more about it and what it actually means. One of the side effects of starvation is an obsession with food. I am not emphasising in the slightest when I say that you think of food 24/7. You can find yourself preparing food for others, looking at pictures of food or recipes and even buying and hoarding food. I find it ironic that the thing we fear the most is the thing we obsess over.

Another thing I want to pull to your attention is the glamorisation or romanticising of eating disorders. It disgusts me when people do this. There is nothing glamours about a skeletal figure, hair loss, making yourself throw up or being fed through a tube. Eating disorders are not something to promote and speak positively of. If I could ban every pro-ana site then I would. An eating disorder will take over your life in ways you never thought possible. It takes away your energy, your interests, your personality and all the little things that make you you. It effects your relationships with family, friends and partners. Living with an eating disorder isn't living at all. It is simply existing.

For being the mental illness with the highest morality rate there really isn't enough awareness raised about it. I hope that this post has given you a little more insight into the reality of the disorder and that you too can help get rid of the stigma and stereotypes that continue to surround it.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask or if you'd like to read up a bit more on eating disorders you can visit the Beat website HERE.

Until next time,
Elijah xo

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Kawaii Box Review | January 2015

Today I'm back with another Kawaii Box review! I hope you don't mind too much that I didn't review last months box but you can take my word on it that it didn't disappoint.

On with the review!

Snacks, snacks, oh glorious snacks. Everyone loves them but what makes a snack even better? When they come in cute packaging of course! This months box came with two packets of Rilakumma rice crackers. You may recall that I received a packet of these in the Kawaii Monthly box that I was previously subscribed to and if I can remember correctly they were delicious!

Kawaii Box is known for its charms and keyrings and January was no exception. I'm running out of places to keep them all! I'm not sure what the pink plush is meant to be but it's super cute. There was also a squishy, foamy phone charm with what looks like the :3 face on and a decoden one with a mirror on the back.

I am always more than happy to welcome any new pens into my humble abode as they tend to disappear faster than a cat spotting a mouse. Other stationary items included these cute monster stickers and a stamp that says 'magic is happy.' My only problem with the stamp is that it doesn't come with anything to cover the stamper over with so once you've used it you may end up with ink everywhere.

My favourite item in this months box was most definitely these Hello Kitty glasses. I actually squealed when I saw them! Complete with bow and whiskers they are the definition of 'kawaii.' I love them so much that I had to post a picture of me wearing them on Instagram. You honestly wouldn't think that I was 19 years old! I was also treated to a new nail polish! Mint green is one of my favourite colours so I was beyond happy with it. I did have to apply a good few coats of it but it does the job!

I'm not a huge jewelry lover but I do really like this mermaid-esque bracelet. Unfortunately I haven't worn it yet as it doesn't go with any of my winter attire but I do have a few summery outfits that it will go perfectly with!

The final item in the January box was this coral polka dot coin purse. However, I'm not using it to carry around my loose change. I like to keep my two USB sticks for college in here so that I don't lose them!

Overall I was pretty happy with this months box! If you're interested in signing up and receiving cute items like these every month then you can subscribe here.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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No To Resolutions, Yes To Goals!

New years resolutions. Does anyone actually stick to them for the full year?

 "I'm going to start going to the gym." "I'm going to eat less chocolate." "I'm going to do this." "I'm going to do that."

It's one thing saying you'll do something but another thing actually doing it.

I gave up on the new years malarkey ages ago and beforehand my resolution was always the same - to stop picking at my nails. Much like everyone else, I'd stick at it for a few weeks tops and then I'd be back to flinging stray nails into the bin (gross, I know). Why must we make these resolutions every year when we know we're not going to stick at them? Why is the saying 'new year, new me' still a thing? Why can't we decide to change something in July? Is that not allowed? Well, I say yes, it is allowed! If you want to change something for the better, you shouldn't have to wait until the new year to do so. We shouldn't have to wait for a certain time of year to better ourselves!

But as I mentioned above, nobody every really sticks to these resolutions. So, why not set goals instead of resolutions? Why not make a list of things you want to achieve within the next year, be it the beginning of January or the middle of July, instead of making the same old 'promises' you make every year? It's about time that we focused more on the positive things in life, and setting goals can be a long term thing. There's no pressure for you to start the very next day which I feel is the case for resolutions.

I have set myself a few goals and I plan to write a post at the end of the year looking back on the past 12 months and seeing how many I actually managed to achieve.
Here are a few of the goals that I've set myself.

1) Spend more time with friends.
Over the past year I've found that I have been spending less time with my closest friends. This is mostly due to busy college schedules and just not being free on the same days. This year I want to change that. Obviously I can't change the amount of college work one has to complete, but I am determined to find the time even if it's just for a quick catch up!

2) Be happy and healthy again.
My health hasn't been up to scratch over the past year and a half and I am determined to make this year the year I get back on track. I'm not going to share any details as it's quite a personal thing but I am already heading in the right direction and I hope that by the end of the year I have made further progress.

3) Try and open up to people more.
Obviously I'm not wanting to go and share my life story with a complete stranger, but I want to try and talk about how I feel and be more honest with my friends, family and boyfriend. I'm terrible for closing off and just not talking about how I feel. I fear that I'll appear selfish or sound stupid despite  being reassured that it's neither selfish nor stupid! It's a flaw I really want to work on in 2015.

These are just a few of the goals I've set myself for this year. I also hope to pass my Media & Communication course at HNC level and then progress onto the HND. And of course another one of my goals is to post more on here! I feel like I'm already beginning to slack on the latter.

Have any of you guys thought about setting goals for this year and if so what? Do you think resolutions are starting to become a bit outdated and pointless?

And yes, to this day I still pick at my nails.

Until next time,
Elijah xo

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