The toxic side of the blogging community

   This post has been a long time coming. There's just never the right way to word it. Everyone has their own perceptions on what defines toxicity. Just like people have their good and bad sides, so does the blogging community. On the whole, I adore it because it is full of supportive, engaging and quirky personalities and it is such a pleasure to read all about them.

   Unfortunately however, there is a whole other ugly side to it and I am now going to reveal it to you based on my own experiences.

The Boathouse in Bohortha

   In June, myself and my parents fancied a mini getaway to somewhere tranquil by the sea so that we could forget about the stress of everyday life and bury our faces in books.

   After hours of aimless searching on the internet, I finally checked Airbnb and came across this beautiful blue boathouse in Bohortha. It was remote, small but snug and the hosts allowed pets so my dog - Spit - could come along too!

Pretty in pink at Peggy Porschen's

   Having seen this picturesque pink parlour all over my Instagram feed for well over a year, I knew a visit to this place was long overdue. With the promise of pretty cupcakes and the perfect floral backdrop, how could I delay it any further?

   Let us find out if it lived up to the hype...

The next wave of influencers is coming

   It seems only yesterday when it was 2009 and you could find me huddled with my friends around a small screen with tears of laughter streaming down our faces as we watched YouTube videos from The Annoying Orange.

   The internet has certainly come a long way since then! Over the years, we watched hilarious YouTubers come to prominence such as Smosh, Fred and MisterEpicMann but then emerged the first wave of influencers: people like Zoella, Tanya Burr and Sprinkle of Glitter (now rebranded as Louise Pentland) began to take the fancy of the public. But this was only the beginning. 

My worst characteristics

   You probably think this is going to be a negative post. To an extent, yes. But this week's post is more about acceptance. We all have aspects of our physicality and personality that we dislike.

   However, what I have come to learn is that the traits we hate are not necessarily disliked by those around us. I would even go as far to say that what we would define as our worst traits are often loved the most by others because they are an integral part of what characterises us.

Summer goals for my blog

   I am a firm believer that setting small and manageable goals is essential for life, particularly when it comes to my blog. It's the small victories of achieving them that allows me to plough on through the hard work needed to build a successful blog!

   This is the first time I've written a post like this but I think it is important to share your goals with other bloggers and readers so people know exactly where you want to go with your content. This allows for the provision of constructive feedback.

Breakfast at Élan Café

   Élan - situated in both Park Lane and Brompton Road - is renowned for its awe-inspiring floral decor and intricately prepared dishes from avocado toast to assortments of cakes and sweet treats

   I ventured there a few weeks ago with my best friend, Sav, and we were stunned by the sheer beauty of the place. All we knew - at this point - was that it was incredibly hyped up on social media by various bloggers and food enthusiasts but did it live up to these built-up expectations?

The floral decor blew me away; it was the first thing I noticed when I entered the café.

My second year at university

   It took me several attempts to write this post. The first few drafts were angry, pessimistic and dripped with regret. I talked a lot about the dwindling of both my mental and physical health, increased university stress and my consistent desire to drop out despite spending most of my life wanting this. 

   But then I remembered one very important thing: I'm still here.

Suicidal People are Attention Seeking

And so they should be if it means getting the help they need...

   National Suicide Prevention Day yesterday saw the spreading of love, support and awareness for mental health on social media. Unfortunately, it also laid bare the harmful mindsets surrounding those who choose to speak out about their mental illnesses.

   I ask you this: when you saw this blog post on your feed, did you click on it expecting to read a full blown rant about how mental health sufferers play the victim to get their two minutes of fame?

I don't blame you if you did.

Discover My Blog - The Liebster Award

   I have been nominated by the lovely Lily of Covet Luxe for the Liebster Award, which helps readers like yourselves discover the person behind the blog. Lily has presented me with 11 questions so I shall do my best to answer them. I hope you enjoy getting to know better through this week's post!

Revolution and The Alchemist Bar

   Seeing as I finished my studies for the year and my best friend - Katie - had an interval between her law exams, we decided to take some time off for ourselves. What better way to treat yourself than to explore some beguiling city bars?

Three Days in Dublin

DAY 1 ♡

   February was a trying time for me and my friends at university so, by the time the days dragged to March, we were too ready to get away. After some deliberation, we decided on visiting Dublin as flights were fairly cheap. I had never been to Dublin before so I was on a whole new level of excited!

Out and About: London Day Trip

Even after downing several shots of Archers and Baileys (confidence juice), my frail attempts at making a video last Friday night amounted to nothing! Immediately, I began to brainstorm new ideas hoping that I could salvage something in time to upload that night. I hated inconsistency. When I began vlogging, I knew what I was letting myself in for. I've only been observing other bloggers do it since I was twelve years old. The thought of letting myself down only a fortnight into it was almost unbearable.

However, like the flick of a switch, an idea occurred to me. The very next day, my friend Holly and I planned to spend the entirety of it in London. I could vlog the entire trip! I was already glowing in excitement at the prospect of this.

The ensuing morning was, regrettably, a late one. However, once we were on the tube to central London, the elation set in. As I lived in Northamptonshire, I never got to familiarise myself with the bustling city but now that I am staying on a university campus in west London, I have countless opportunities. Holly could not wait to show me the sights.

Our first stop was at Harrods, which - much to Holly's dismay - I had never visited before. The remarkable building was about just as lit up as our expressions as we feasted our eyes on the festive displays. We stepped inside and were completely taken aback by our own exhilaration. It was every make-up enthusiast's dream! Like a magnet, I was instantaneously drawn to the MAC cosmetics department. I purchased a MAC warm neutral eyeshadow palette, a Diva matte lipstick and, finally, a Velvet Teddy matte lipstick for my mum's birthday. (She always used to borrow mine!) 

Exploring the department store was so much fun even though we had to refrain from making further purchases; that wouldn't be the smartest idea for broke students! The prices were indeed tremendous. It was a wonder anyone could consider it a chore to shop at Harrods; to me, it's a dream! My favourite parts were the Princess Diana tribute statue, the tea room and, of course, Christmas land! There was an assortment of trees complete with beautiful decorations; I wanted to buy them all! Whilst we were waiting in the queue to make our purchases, the classic Mariah Carey's All I want for Christmas Is You started playing and I could not help but sing along even though I did get a few weird looks. Most of which I received from Holly. 

Across the street from Harrods was a colossal TopShop, which is one of my favourite stores so going there was definitely a must. By then, I already obtained a lot of footage for my vlog but, unfortunately, I was stopped by security in store. We looked around upstairs and I caught sight of the most gorgeous black suede over-the-knee heeled boots. I've wanted a pair for quite a while now but I was disheartened yet again by the price. One day, Meg, one day! 

Our next stop was to get food so we promptly found a Costa where they were serving some scrumptious Christmas treats and drinks. I settled for a cheese and tomato toastie with crisps and a toasted marshmallow hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. The drink was delicious and I would certainly recommend it to any Costa fans out there! 

After our little lunch break, we headed straight back to the tube station so we could get to Waterloo before dark. I was the most excited for our next destination: the London Eye. When we emerged from the station, we first noticed the range of beautiful bars and clubs that lined the streets. They looked like great places to dine at so we mentally noted that down for future reference. After making a wrong turn on the pier, we stumbled upon a very odd encounter: two men arguing about walking into one another on the steps. Much to my astonishment and amusement, we saw them again when we came back down the steps only - this time - they obstinately remained in their positions, refusing to move out of each other's way. The human race never fails to surprise me! 

Briefly after we bought our tickets, we were pointed to a dark room where a short 4D film was due to take place. When it did, it blew me away. Holly had already been to visit the London Eye in the past so she knew what to expect but, for me, this was a completely new experience I would never forget. The effects were so real; I don't want to spoil it for anyone who wishes to see it for themselves. On the other hand - I must say - when someone in the film blew bubbles, I was not expecting one to actually pop in my face! 

By the time we joined the winding queue to get on the London eye, the sky was jet black and speckled with stars. Thankfully, the queue progressed quite fast so it was not long before we staggered into the clear slow moving pod. When our height was peaking at the colossal wheel, I was gobsmacked by the sights before me. I towered above all of the buildings I marvelled at earlier and the skyline was alight with fireworks as it was Bonfire Night; we could not have picked a better time to do this! I captured some pictures and videos to use for the vlog later and to show my family. Below me, boats cruised down the River Thames and the bright clock face of Big Ben reflected off the rippling water. I literally felt like I was on top of the world - well, London anyway! I felt very accomplished when I got off (or rather tripped off) because going on the London Eye had been on my bucket list so this was a big deal for me.

To round off the night, we decided to assuage our appetites by visiting China Town in Leicester Square. There were lots of restaurants to choose from and the aromas lured us to so many windows. It was a bit of a pain to locate a cash point, which is required because a lot of these places only accept cash. (There is one situated opposite M&M world - you're welcome.) We soon managed to locate a restaurant that offered an all you can eat deal for a mere seven pounds. Holly and I piled up our plates high but the pressure was on to clean them completely because it turned out they charged you for any leftovers to prevent wastage. By the time we were done, we were fit to burst! What a delightful way to end the night; Chinese food is my favourite food after all.

It was fair to say, we were pretty worn out by the time we hopped back on the tube. A full stomach never fails to make me tired. What did manage to snap me out of my drowsiness was our odd encounter with a man, who seemed to have had a little bit too much too drink. I vividly remember him saying, "Seeing you young beautiful girls really gets me thinking about the world. It's quite literally screwed." He went on to talk about World War Three and conspiracy theories much to mine and Holly's bemusement. We were able to laugh about the whole awkward ordeal later although, admittedly, I do love a good conspiracy theory.

The evening came to a frustrating close after I said my goodbyes to Holly and I filmed myself concluding my vlog. I wanted to kickstart my editing so I transferred all of the day's footage from my phone to my laptop only to find that the videos were extremely bad quality when enlarged. What did I expect? How could I be so naive as to think I could film a good quality video on my phone? These critical thoughts cast a dark cloud over my mind and I sat for a while on my bed in consternation. I was really looking forward to creating that video. 

Life does go on, however. At the end of the day, I still made memories to reflect on with my friends and family and I also managed to take some lovely pictures to share with you on my blog. I will eventually be able to afford a good quality camera but, in the meantime, I shall stick to filming videos on my webcam in my room. All YouTubers start small, right? If you are reading this now, I hope you will stick around for the long journey ahead.

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The Importance of Family

Being a student, I know that the importance of family is often undermined. Although you may not realise it yourself, you could possibly - amidst your own stress - forget what else is really significant in your life.

It has reached that point in my school life where I have to practically swim through seas of textbooks and mock exam papers in my room to get to my bed. So, of course, coming home in a tired, dishevelled mess is a daily thing for me. Nonetheless, my mum is always there - all smiles - with my steaming hot cup of tea in her hands. She times my arrivals perfectly. Every time. She helps me -  a heap on the floor - to my feet and asks me how my day was as I sip moodily away at my tea, uttering nothing but groans in response. She still listens; somehow also deciphers them. It is a one way conversation and, the moment I finish my tea, I'm off upstairs to my room faster than I've demolished the biscuit. It's like the whole thing might just as well not have taken place. But I realise now that if, one day, I were to come home and not find my mum standing there with a cup of tea and her Fox's biscuits, I would truly be lost.

We must learn to appreciate the family we are lucky enough to have whilst we still have it. Next time you complain about how your dad has not bought you the latest iPhone, how you wished your brother did not exist or - if you are a parent - how your daughter is always "stroppy", step into their shoes. Perhaps your parents cannot afford to buy you expensive gifts because they are struggling to keep a roof over your heads. Perhaps your younger brother pesters you on a daily basis but looks to you, the grown up sibling, for guidance. Perhaps your child is giving you attitude because they are enduring a living hell at school. These vexations may get on your last nerve but remember that you too must drive your loved ones up the wall on occasion! Acknowledge the little things they do that bring brightness into your life. How you would be lost without them. Because, one day, I will come home and not find my mum standing there with her tea and biscuits. But, what I don't want to do, is look back and think, "I wish I showed her how much I loved and appreciated her more often."

We all have our 'off-days' and they have the power to make us feel incredibly disheartened. But, taking the time to give your sibling a hug - even if it's completely spontaneous - or say a simple, "I love you" to your parents will immediately lift their spirits. You will be surprised at the delightful feeling you will get from it and, also, what you will get from them in return. Just like you, they have their 'off-days' and the simplest sign of love from you might be all they need.

Cherish your family. You never know what the next day might bring to your door.

Megan