Growing Up And Taking Chances

Hey Guys!

It's scary to think that in just a few weeks I'll be celebrating my 18th birthday! Of course, I am excited but I feel a sense of fear at the thought of growing up, school seems to have gone so quickly already and the panic of what I am going to do after school has started to occur.

I decided from an early age that I didn't want to go to university, despite a lot of my friends who have now started the application process, I felt that it wouldn't be the right decision for me. I have been wanting to set up my own business for a few years and hopefully I will have the opportunity to do this after school, that's the plan anyway.

This year I have felt like I have started to grow up a lot more, in a good way. I went on a weekend away with friends and had the most amazing time, started learning to drive and looking at going travelling next summer, for the first time in a long while I have started to feel excited at the opportunities that are to come.
There are so many things to look forward to in life and I am feeling very optimistic about the future, despite the pressure on things such as school there is a sense that everything will be okay in the end.

x~Jess~x

A few days in Ingoldmells/Skegness

Hey Guys!

So I recently had a few days away to end the summer holidays with my boyfriend and one of my best friends. I always enjoy getting away and the beach is one of my favourite places to go, although I also enjoy adventure and always being on the go, I hate sitting still! 

This was my first break away just with friends and I had a lovely time, we hired a lovely caravan near fantasy island which was very reasonably priced at £100, I would definitely go again!

On our first night we decided to eat at a place called the beachcomber which was recommended to us, we didn't realise it was a 3 mile walk away until it was too late!

We discovered a play park in skegness on the second day which nobody seemed to be using, although I've been to Skeg a few times I never knew this was there! We enjoyed the rides and being by the beach and generally having a very busy day

On our last day we decided to go to the beach which was good to have a bit of a rest as we were all quite tired by this point (and feeling slightly ill) the waves were massive but absolutely freezing 

Thank you so much to Hannah for taking all of these photos (I think the others were a little camera shy) 

x~Jess~x

A week in Zante!

Hey Guys!

I know I haven't posted much recently and I'm really determined to try and getting better at more regular and consistent posting. 

Yesterday I got back after spending a week in Zante, the island is beautiful and it was lovely to be able to get away from everything and relax, travelling is one of my passions and everytime I go somewhere like this it makes me appreciate the world and makes me curious to explore it more. 

I'm not the type to sit by the pool and aim to get a tan, I don't tan I burn too easily, so I was determined from the start to explore the local area as much as I could. I went on two trips, to see the turtles and a jeep safari of the island to take in some of it's amazing views

One of the most curious things I saw whilst there was a floating shop, I thought if was such a great idea with all the boat trips around the area and had a unique appeal, I thought there was something genius there.

From a young age my parents have always seen the importance of travel, I live in a small village and although it is lovely to be able to know everyone and be in the countryside it is also good to know that there is more to this world, there is so much left to explore and one day I hope to travel to world even more! 

Let me know what you're up to this summer and if you have anything excitif planned

x~Jess~x

#TrySomethingNew

Hey Guys,

So today's post is only going to be a short one to let you know about a challenge that I am taking part in, starting at the beginning of next month.

The challenge goes by the #TrySomethingNew which is when I will aim to try something new whether that be a new activity, food or place that I have never tried before.

The purpose of this for me is to experience new things, I love travel and experiencing new places and the idea of change excites me, I'm looking forward to doing something that's out of routine.

I will try and post as much as I can during the course of the month, however as it is unlikely that I will be able to post everyday I will do a quick mention on twitter of what I've been getting up to and try and update the blog as regularly as I can.

If you'd like to get involved with the challenge let me know in the comments so that I can keep up to date! I hope as many of you as possible will get involved.

x~Jess~x

Twitter: @simplyjess97
Instagram: @heyitsjess97

Lincolnshire Garden Show

Hey Guys!

So I've always tried to get out and about as much as I can, my mum is really into her gardening so recently we went to a garden show at the Lincolnshire Showground,

Admiringly, this wouldn't usually be my sort of thing although it happened to be linked with a dog show which was also taking place which was interesting to watch and kept me occupied whilst mum was looking around for plants.

There was lots of activities going on throughout the day and lots of different stalls to nose around!

Despite not being a big fan of plants and gardens myself, the variety that was at the show meant there was something for everyone and it would be something I would attend again.

After we left we went to a local cafe called The Tea Cosy which is a lovely village cafe serving a range of hot food and snack and has a lovely community atmosphere. 

I have been here many times with family and friends and the staff make the effort to get to know you which adds to the community feel.

It is also decorated with vintage ornaments which adds a shabby chic look to this cosy cafe.

x~Jess~x

Ah, Politics.

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Guys!

 

So recently the news has been full of the build up and the results of the general election and what another Conservative Government means for the UK.
When I was younger I used to sit and listen to my Grandad talk about politics and generally thought that it was a concern to the older generation, I realise now that it actually affects the younger generation (or us) quite a lot.

A lot of young people don't vote and I understand why, I'm not old enough to vote yet but when I am I will do. I think it's a case of being unsure of the policies and generally a lack of interest and trust in politics.

I have had a bit of experience and gained some knowledge about politics. My parents were never interested in politics so I'm not sure where this interest came from but I have always believed in standing up when you disagree with something and that is what I hope I can do.

 

When I was younger I joined the Conservative Future, this wasn't particularly because of the party, I didn't know too much about the Conservatives then if I'm completely honest but it was the only group for young people interested in politics that I know about in the area.

I learnt a lot from that experience. I was the youngest person in the group and I wanted to have a voice, particularly for young people. They were nice people but our views often contrasted. I remember one meeting they had a debate between comprehensive and private schools, I admit, I was at a disadvantage. Everyone in the group had gone to private school except me. I knew that there was going to be someone giving a speech on why private education was better and so I thought it only fair to do the same, with comprehensives.

I was nervous. Very nervous. I've always struggled with confidence and I knew I was fighting a losing battle and everyone in the group would disagree. The other speech was a lot more articulate, using complex vocabulary that I didn't understand and still probably wouldn't. It wasn't about that for me, it was about getting my point across in a relatable way.

 

The truth is, for me it's not about who's in power. Politics is weird and that's the only way I can think to describe it. Whoever is in power and whatever they're doing there's always going to be someone else that isn't happy about it. The message I think is to most importantly, stand up for what you believe in and if you don't like something, don't moan about it, have a go at getting your voice heard and you never know you might change it.

 

It Doesn't Have To Be Perfect

Hey Guys! So today I thought I'd try and clear something up. I started blogging through an enjoyment of writing, I liked the fun and the confidence it gave me. It felt great when people commented on my posts or told me they enjoyed reading one of them but for me, it was never solely about followers, it was more about a voice. I admit, I have to been caught up in this culture of blogging 'competition' a few times myself. There is so much pressure for everything to appear perfect but in fairness, the blogging world is an entirely different world to reality and that is exactly why my blog is not perfect. My layout isn't professionally designed, I make some mistakes in spellings sometimes, my photos don't always fit properly and I am definitely one of the least technologically 'savvy' people. But despite its many flaws I enjoy writing here. I know mainly its about fashion and beauty but I definitely want to bring a new side to the blog on subjects that have affected me and are of a concern to me. I want to share more about my life and I hope that by doing this it could help go someway into helping others too. There is so many posts around now on blogging content, design, tips, stats etc.. and although many of these posts are by successful bloggers who I respect and have many followers I think to an extent the real reason behind blogging has been lost. I believe it should be done through passion. I know this is a slightly different post and I understand that everyone has their own blogging preferences, this post is probably most likely for bloggers like myself or new bloggers who don't know too much about layouts etc but enjoy the concept of blogging for what it is and the experiences it can provide. x~Jess~x