Instagram Moments - January & February

I love using Instagram, so here are my Instagram moments of January and February. This is something I might do every month, but make sure to follow my Instagram (@dxni.lee). 

~ Polaroids ~ Spectacle selfie ~ Throwback to the Bruno Mars concert ~ Cosy day in watching GG ~ Prettiest sunset ~ Black and white selfie ~  Finished reading Looking for Alaska, it was fab ~ Pancakes and strawberries ~ Best bud ~ Cute little sister's birthday ~ I cut Shanice's really long ponytail and she donated it to the Little Princess Trust, I'm v proud ~

Have a good day, and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' and find me on Twitter too (@dxni_lee). Huuugs X.

Anxiety.

Everybody experiences feelings of anxiousness at some point in their life. It feels horrible, but overall, if you feel anxious before a test or interview it's probably because it matters to you and pushes you to do well. Everyone gets that feeling of nausea, sweaty palms, heart palpitations etc when they feel nervous. It's normal. But imagine having those feelings everyday, but even more intense.

General Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobias, OCD, PTSD and Social Anxiety are all examples of conditions that fall under the general 'anxiety condition'. When a person suffers from anxiety it's a constant battle between what you want to do, and what your anxious thoughts want you to do. Personally, I love the idea socialising, travelling, going new places, but far too many times I've had to miss out as a result of all of the negative and anxious thoughts that come to mind. 

"What if I have a panic attack when I leave my house?"

"I'm being stupid."

"People will look at me if I start panicking."

"Where's the way out?"

"What if I'm sick in front of all these people?"

"I'm gonna pass out."

"People think I'm doing this for attention."

"I've let myself and everyone else down."

"I can't breathe."

For people who deal with severe anxiety will probably experience these thoughts on a daily basis, I do, and it's physically and mentally exhausting. I spend so many hours of my life worrying about what other people think of me, and worrying about things that shouldn't need to be worried about. Getting out of bed and leaving the house in the morning is a challenge most days, never mind leaving the house and entering an unfamiliar situation. 

Many people who suffer with anxiety, well, they suffer alone. They don't feel comfortable with talking to friends and family about how they are feeling. I went through a stage where I avoided social situations just to avoid the terrifying idea of taking a panic attack in front of my friends and strangers. I hated the questions and too often made excuses to stay home by myself. There's still so many occasions when I do this, and my hope for the future is that one day I won't let my negative thoughts ruin positive opportunities. 

While there are so many amazing charities and organisations that help people deal with and overcome their anxiety issues, too many people don't get the help they need. YoungMinds is a charity that provides help and support to children and adolescents (their families too) that suffer from anxiety and other mental illnesses. In the UK, around three children/young people in every classroom suffer from a diagnosable mental illness, and many of these people will not receive the help they need for many reasons. So, on a more positive note, I am organising a sponsored fancy dress walk with my family and friends to raise funds for the YoungMinds charity. I've also set up a JustGiving page that I've inserted a link to in case anybody decides they would like to donate. It's an excellent cause, and every penny counts!

If you suffer from anxiety, please remember that you are not alone, and it's just a small part of you no matter how severe. I'll leave some helpful resources for you to look at if it interests you.

If you know somebody who suffers from anxiety, don't make them feel more uncomfortable than they already do. When they cancel plans, or seem distant, don't get mad at them. Do what you can to help them, and generally be understanding. Unless you've experienced it, you don't know what it's like to experience these physical symptoms and the dark and scary thoughts. So next time you see anybody, even a stranger, look like they are at optimum stress levels as they rummage through their purse for their bus fare in front of you, or look like they want to run for their life out of a crowd of people, you don't know their situation, and don't stare at them, it only makes it worse.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to drop me an email and I'll try and answer them to the best of my ability (tartanvibez@hotmail.com).

Thank you for taking the time to read this slightly more serious blog post, and I'll be back in a few days with a new post! Stay positive and see ya later!! X

Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin', and my other social media (Instagram and Twitter).

Resources

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/
https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/
http://www.mind.org.uk/
https://www.headspace.com/

"Being Ill" Routine

So, already I've spent a fair amount of 2015 being ill (this week being no exception). In the winter months, everyone seems to come down with the cold or some other nasty virus. I don't know about anyone else, but when I get the cold, it hits me hard. So, here are a few suggestions of things you can do to make being loaded with the cold or some other germy yuckiness a bit more bearable.

1. Have a bath. I'm not a bath fanatic, but there's something about getting in a warm, bubbly bath containing your favourite bath products, and taking time to relax. It's not only relaxing, but it soothes aching muscles and clears your airways.

2. Sleep. They say that the best way to fight off illness is to sleep it off. When you're ill you're body needs uses a lot more energy to fight off the infection, therefore hours of sleep and rest are essential.

This is my little cousin sound asleep after a long walk. He's so precious I want to squish his cheeks.

3. Stay hydrated. You need water to survive, blah blah blah. For real though, everyone knows how important it is to keep hydrated, especially when you're ill. 

4. Eat your favourite foods. Being ill is totally an excuse to eat as much of you're favourite food as your heart (or stomach) desires, no matter how fattening. Personally, pasta and chocolate are the perfect remedy when I'm feeling ill and down in the dumps.

5. Have a hot drink. Put the kettle on (or even better - bribe someone to do it for you), pick out your favourite mug, and fill it up with a hot drink of your choice. Maybe a hot chocolate with cream and melted mini marshmallows, or perhaps a standard cup of warm tea. Whatever it is, I can guarantee that it will make you feel a little better. 

6. Relax. Get changed into a cosy onesie or pyjamas, curl up on the couch with a hot water bottle and your hot drink and snacks, and stick on your favourite movie or TV show. There's no point being stressed out when you're feeling unwell. 

How cute is my little brother, CJ, in his giraffe onesie that Santa Claus brought him. I can't even ahhh! I think I want one too...

I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can make yourself feel a little bit better. Or even if you're not ill and just need to relax. Anyways, I know this post won't be suited to everyone, but I hope those of you who read it did enjoy. Lots of love. Xx

Follow me on bloglovin' if you would like to. I'm also an active tweeter (dxni_lee), and I have Instagram too (dxni.lee), follow me over there!

25 Facts About Me

Hey everyone! I haven't had much time to write a proper blog post for this week yet, so I thought I'd post something easy and fun until I get a decent post written and uploaded. So for now, here are 25 facts about me. 

1. My name is Danielle, and almost everyone calls me Dani, except for my two best friends (ironically). 

2. I live in Fife, Scotland. I have all of my life, and as much as I complain about it, I love living here.

3. I'm in my fifth year of high school. I'll be doing my Highers this summer in maths, english, human biology, chemistry and modern studies.

4. I want to be a primary teacher when I'm older. I currently volunteer at a local primary school every week and I love it!

5. I want to visit California, Hawaii and Florida so much.

6. I have eight siblings. Five brothers and three sisters. As much as it is always chaotic, it's like having eight extra best friends who will stick by you regardless.

7. I became an auntie to my niece Jessica when I was 12 years old, she's turning four in a few months and I love her so much!

8. I swallowed a battery when I was younger and it was rather traumatic.

9. I find it hard to trust people, and that makes it hard for me to make new friends etc.

10. I'd love to start a YouTube channel one day, but I'm a tad awkward.

11. As mentioned in my first fact, I have two main best friends who I love lots, but refuse to let them know that. Their names are Rachel and Shanice. Rachel has a YouTube channel where she has started posting covers of songs, and you should subscribe! Shanice also writes a blog, which is always fun to read. Check it out!

12. I'm sure I've mentioned before, but since 2010 I've been madly in love with Bruno Mars. He is just amazing. His music is incredible, and his studio recordings do his live performances no justice. If you ever have the opportunity to see him live, then please do!! I can't help but feel so proud of how far he has come in such a short time, from performing in bars and his first music releases with Travie McCoy and B.o.B, to his Grammy awards and Superbowl half time performance. The man has so much talent it's unbelievable. (Sorry, I'm getting a bit carried away haha)

13. I tried to learn guitar, but my hands are so small that they couldn't even fit around the neck of a 3/4 size guitar, so instead I'm determined to learn to play ukulele.

14. I hate rollercoasters and rides so much, I'd much rather go to a water park instead!

15. I went years thinking I had no tonsils after being told by a doctor that I must have been born without them, until one day I got tonsillitis and I became very aware of my tonsils to say the least.

16. I used to have a needle phobia, but I've kind of gotten over it. They do still creep me out though.

17. I hate maths.

18. I met former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, when I was little. It was before he was Prime Minister, but he was a fairly famous politician. I met him at Forth Park Hospital just after my little brother was born in 2001.

19. I really want a golden retriever puppy, but my brother has a dog allergy. It's heartbreaking really.

20. One day I'd love to attend a YouTube event like VidCon or Playlist Live and meet all my favourite YouTubers, but I'd especially like to meet Charles Trippy.

21. Hoodies or checked shirts are my go-to wardrobe item. I have so many of them haha.

22. I have an irrational fear of sponges. I hate the feeling of them, and the sound they make when someone touches them. It freaks me out.

23. I'm the queen of procrastination. I spend way to much time tweeting about how I've got so many things to do, or how I want to try new things, rather than actually getting on with it and doing things.

24. This blog post is actually me procrastinating instead of finishing biology homework. 

25. I'm obsessed with Harry Potter.

That's about it from me. Thank you for taking the time to read this post (if you actually got this far, I've just realised how dull I am). Have a good week, and I'll get a decent post up when I can. 

Huuugs x 

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Twitter: @dxni_lee

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January Favourites 2015

The month of January is over (I hope your month was better than mine), and we're met with the equally unexciting month of February. However, last month I discovered some new and exciting favourite things, and here I am to share them with you!

Gossip Girl 

I'm a bit late to the game on this one, but recently I started watching Gossip Girl. I'm already on season 4, and I'm hooked. *Disclaimer - do not start watching if you have plans to be productive, it is ridiculously addictive.*

Mac lipstick - Living Legend

My next favourite item is this matte lipstick by Mac. It was a Christmas present, and is in the shade Living Legend, which is a purple-dark red colour. It is really dark shade, so obviously not for everyone, but it's just so pretty! Obviously, Mac products are usually quite pricey (this one was £15.50), but this is a good quality product.

Barry M nail varnish

I looooove painting my nails, and going out with bare nails makes me feel naked haha. Barry M is my favourite nails brand, and I couldn't just pick one shade to feature in this blog post because they are all to die for! (Left to right - Matte Top Coat, Matte Vanilla, Aquarium Collection Pacific, Aquarium Collection Arabian, Raspberry, Diamond Glitter, Nightshade, Gelly Sugar Apple and Gelly Chai)

Wreck This Journal

This was also a Christmas gift (thanks Shanice) and I'm enjoying filling it out. It's a good distraction when you're feeling stressed, and is just generally a lot of fun!

Polabora

I bought some of my iPhone photos printed as polaroids using a website called Polabora, and I really recommend this company. Service was quick, and it was easy to upload the photos I wanted printed. When my polaroids came through my door, they were in cute hand made packaging which made receiving the photos even more enjoyable. These prints were a cute addition to my room, and are also perfect for scrapbooking. I highly recommend this service, as polaroid cameras can cost a lot, and I got twenty of these prints for about £8.

Rimmel Stay Matte foundation 

Another make up favourite! I have oily skin, and I'm really pale, so finding a foundation that is both matte coverage and is the right colour is so difficult for me. I kind of bought this foundation on a whim last week, and was pleasantly surprised when I used it. It stays matte for a good few hours, provides a good  and smooth coverage, and is a good shade that suits my skin. The only problem I have with this product is that it is very thick, which makes it slightly more difficult to apply, but I find that it is easier to apply with a brush.

PVRIS - White Noise

I mentioned this in my Music Faves blog, but I think it deserves a mention in this post too. PVRIS are one of my most recent music discoveries, and I couldn't recommend this album enough. It's so good!

I hope this post gave some inspiration into new things you could try out. If people like this sort of post, I'll most likely do it at the start of each month. Thank you for taking the time to read, lots of hugs and have a good week!


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