Lincoln Christmas Market

Hey Guys!

Apologies for being out the loop for a little while, I’ve been in hospital with a severe vitamin deficiency. Luckily I’m on the road to recovery now and aiming to get back into blogging properly again!

Yesterday I went to the Christmas market in my hometown of Lincoln, it’s a yearly tradition and one that I always enjoy a lot. This year we went just as the market opened which is definitely my favourite time to go, we could see most of the stalls and try samples of the cheese, gin and vodka they had on offer. I bought a small bottle of toffee vodka, if you’ve not tried it I’d definitely recommend it!

The market is set in the historic part of Lincoln called the Bailgate and you enter through the castle, there’s also a medieval market nearby which is always interesting to look round! 

I really love the atmosphere of a Christmas market and it definitely represents the start of Christmas for me! I’m looking forward to putting on some Christmas films and wrapping up with a blanket and hot chocolate!

How are you spending Christmas this year?

J x

Instagram: jessmcguire97 

Twitter: simplyjess97 

WIN A Brand New Zara Top

Hey guys!

So to celebrate the start of the month I’m holding a series of flash giveaways! This is to win a brand new Zara crop top. It’s a size large but would also fit smaller sizes. 

To enter comment on this blog post with your favourite thing about Autumn, for a bonus point you can comment on another post (comment below which one) and follow me on Instagram @jessmcguire97

This is a flash  giveaway and will end on 05/09/19 at midnight. The winner will be contacted via Instagram so make sure you follow me on there for the best chance to win. 

J x

Sometimes you have to get lost

Hey guys!

So I haven’t posted on here in a while and as much as I’d like to tell you that I have a good excuse for that, I don’t. I’ve been lacking a lot in motivation and feeling very uninspired recently but I’m hoping to get back into it. 

I absolutely love travelling and I’m looking forward to taking on challenges in the future that I never thought I would, such as travelling solo.

There’s a lot of pressure on bloggers to post regular content but sometimes it can be good to have a bit of distance, get lost in a new city and come of social media for a while. 

I’m starting to get back into a healthy routine now and hoping the blogging will come back with that. 

I’d like to thank anyone that reads this for sharing the adventure with me!

J x

Sunsets in Salou

I recently was lucky enough to visit Salou, Spain for a week and also visited Barcelona for a day.

I absolutely fell in love with Salou on day one. There’s the right mix of stunning beaches and nightlife to make this the ideal place to come with either family or friends. It’s somewhere I’d definitely go to again in a heartbeat. 

We stayed at an all inclusive hotel which isn’t something we have done since I was a child. It was nice to be able to not worry about food and know that everything was catered for but we couldn’t resist finding the odd small local restaurant for a break away from the bustling buffet at night. 

On our first few days we visited the beach. It was nice to just relax and not worry about anything. We found a really nice alcove which was a bit of a secret as nobody was there. It was like you could be somewhere else entirely. 

After a few days looking around Salou and visiting the local market, we then went into Barcelona on a bus trip. We used a local tour company and they gave us a brilliant guided tour of Barcelona as well as stopping at iconic locations. We was there all day and was lucky enough to see the magic fountains at night which is something I can’t recommend enough, even just seeing the city come together like that is such an incredible experience and I found it to be one of the less touristy parts of the trip. 

I was very sad to leave Salou and Spain has become one of my favourite countries but I hope to go back soon and as always am always looking forward to the next adventure. 

J x

Finding balance

As this week is Mental Health Awareness week I feel it’s important that we raise as much awareness as possible on this subject. 

As someone that suffers with anxiety like many others, it is a topic I feel passionate about and although I believe the stigma surrounding mental health is reducing its something that still needs a lot of work. 

One in three people will suffer from a mental health condition at some point in their lives. Young people increasingly face added pressures due to things such as zero hours contracts and universal credit. It shouldn’t be like this. 

Despite the additional awareness a lot of people feel that they cannot speak out about how they feel at the risk of being judged. It’s so important for me to find balance in my life. Whilst I work hard at work, I have learnt ways to manage stress and understand the importance of having hobbies outside of work. 

I’m very fortunate that I have a good friendship group that I know I can talk to. My main advice this mental health week and a small way you can make a difference is simply by asking someone how they are, taking an interest in their day and making them feel valued. It can mean so much to someone that is suffering. With the ease of communication today, nobody needs to feel as though they have no one. 

Getting my energy back with Virtue Drinks

Hey guys, so recently I’ve been knocked down with a chest infection and it’s only recently I’ve started to recover. I’m trying to be healthier both in wha I eat and drink but also with the amount of exercise that I do. Being in good fitnesss can have such a positive impact not only on your health but also your mental wellbeing, it’s definitely something I’m keen to work on!

I recently worked with Virtue Drinks which is a brand of energy water, aiming to bring positive energy to people everywhere! All the drinks contain zero calories, zero sugars and zero sweetners whilst coming in a variety of flavours, I was very keen to give it a try! 

My favourite out of the ones I tried was the Berry flavour, however with all the ones I tried I noticed that the flavours were very strong which is something I liked, it would definitely be more ideal for those that like sparkling water too.

Overall I loved the unique feel of the brand, I thought the packaging was very modern and I liked Virtue’s aims and what the company was trying to achieve, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any friends that drink sparkling water however it may not be so ideal if that’s not your kind of thing! 

J x

Thoughts of travel

I think about travelling probably an unhealthy amount. I’d like to think that it was part of a passion to see every inch of the world and to immerse myself in different cultures and I think to a large extent it is. However, I also think it’s the desire to get away. At 21 I’m already scared of getting old, of not being able to do and see everything I want to, I know how short life is and it scares me, it’s a fear that few understand. 

Nobody’s stopped me from going and travelling the world, booking that plane ticket, although that doesn’t mean that they have doubted my ability to achieve it, knocking me into a sense of self-doubt. Sometimes I picture myself with a backpack and my phone loading google maps and thinking “I’m doing it, I’m actually doing it” but I’m starting to feel myself slipping into this routine that we’re conditioned to of getting a job, getting a house etc.. and the more I catch myself looking at rent prices, the further I feel myself slipping away from the life I truly want, the life I’d planned to make happen years ago. 

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it on this blog before but my favourite place is always by the sea. The world is so chaotic and although the nearest beach here is probably about an hour from the city, it seems like a world apart. It provides a sense of calm and I find myself looking for that more. It’s about £8 on a bus here to get to the beach, I think about doing it so many times but I never do. I’m scared of going alone but I’m also scared of relying on someone else. My partner isn’t into travel as much as me so I wouldn’t expect him to just think of going to the beach as a date and I can’t blame him for that. I saw a quote once from a girl who had travelled the world “if I waited for others to come with me I’d never go anywhere”. This year I’m determined to find the courage to do the things I want even if it means doing them alone, not because I necessarily want to do them alone but because it’s the only way I’ll be able to. 

Anxiety often makes this difficult but I don’t want to let it stop me. Earlier this month I went to an all day festival with a friend from work, it felt odd at first not having my boyfriend there with me who would know what to do if I had a panic attack, who always sensed when I was getting anxious, I got through it though and I was proud of myself for doing so, I’m hoping it’ll give me the push I needed.

This year I’m hoping to visit some friends at university, I might even go abroad by myself (it seems a little far off at the moment though). I know that I can’t wait for others to come with me, I’ve lost count of the amount of years that I’ve told myself I’d do it anyway, I’m starting to trust myself that soon I will, I think there’s a point in everyone’s life where they realise that it’s only them that can make their dreams happen. I’m starting to feel like soon it will be my time. 

J x