| my month so far: january

I feel like every post that's gone up recently has featured a little grumble about how I never have any time to post, so I'm deciding to scale back and focus on quality (and minimal quantity!), so that I don't feel guilty about hardly posting.

My new monthly feature will be "My Month So Far" and will be a similar format to the 5 Weekly  Favourites that you may be accustomed to. Fret not I will still be here to update with bits and bobs I've been up to!

So what have I been up to this month so far? Let me update you..

Deadlines and a new job
As expected, I had some very tight deadlines to meet at the beginning of January which frankly left me exhausted. I was so tired of writing once I sent off my last on Monday, so it's been really nice to have a break at home for the last few days.

It didn't last for too long, however! On Wednesday, I started my first ever paid internship as a Marketing Assistant for a company based in Southampton through the university's Excel Internship Scheme. In fact, it was this very blog that secured the job which I was chuffed about. I will be writing for their blog, product descriptions for their range of personalised gifts and helping with PR and blogger outreach (keep your eyes peeled for opportunities fellow bloggers!).

Coffee, coffee and more coffee
 

This leads me to introduce you to my best friend the last few weeks - wonderfully tasty coffee. Bursting with notes of nutty and sweet flavour without tasting sugary, this coffee by Whittard has given me much-needed energy when in dire need of a boost. I love the smooth taste of Whittard's coffee, and I was overjoyed to recieve a set of 6 different flavours for Christmas (the parents know me way too well!).

New beauty bits

I don't think an update post from me would be quite complete without a mention of some lovely beauty products would it?! My parents excelled in present buying this year for Christmas, and as a result I was the recipient of a much sought-after beauty advent calendar from Marks and Spencer. I recieved a whopping 24 products in it, in which most were full-sized, which is incredible value. Above are some of my favourite products:

Look Good Feel Better Powder Brush
Burt's Bees Peppermint Lip Balm
Josh Wood Radiant Shine Hair Treatment Oil 
Percy & Reed Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm
Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Balm

I'm planning to get up a post at a later date all about my favourites from the advent calendar because so many of the products have simply blown me away! Also, I was a little naughty and bought myself a skincare giftset from Gatineau through Feel Unique, a brand which I haven't tried before previously but had seen good reviews about it! I was devastated to reach the end of my REN Hot Cloth Cleanser but it's been fun to try out a different brand and I'm interested to see the results within the next month!

House of Marley Headphones and Earphones

Over the last few weeks and Christmas, good pairs of earphones and headphones were vital in helping me to focus and concentrate when finishing off my essays, especially when in the house or working in public places. I discovered House of Marley a few months ago and I listen to these earphones every day, when out and about on campus or walking home. I love the fact that the cord is fabric covered, which prevents them tangling so often, and the cable is rubber and secure, meaning that the cord won't snap out of place or break!

I've been so impressed in fact that I decided to buy some new headphones as my trusty Sonys have started to fatigue after over a year of use, the cable became bent and now the sound can be dodgy if you twist the cable too much (would still recommend them as a cheaper option for good quality sound though!). I saw the above pair by House of Marley (they're currently on sale) and it was love. I love the deisgn as it's pretty but not too bright! Most importantly, the sound quality is insane, combined with noise-cancelling and comfy on ear cushions I can fully focus without distractions!

New food and drink discoveries and cooking at home

The last week I've been able to try out lots of new places in Southampton, although during deadline time I saw cooking as a welcome break from essay work, so I tried to enjoy my time away from the screen when I could! My favourite Itsu recipe book came in handy with this - all the meals can be prepared in under 20 minutes and are healthy so perfect for impatient chefs like myself who don't want to cook for too long!

Myself and the boy decided to take a well-earned study break one weekend and went to Halladay's Tea Rooms to have cream tea with scones. It was perfect. Everything. The adorable interior was asking for an Insta and the scones, my god. They were warm, soft and didn't crumble under the mountain of clotted cream we slathered on them! We decided on coffee instead of tea with our scones and I was very impressed with my latte! I would highly recommend for an afternoon gossip, and I've heard their breakfasts are heaven too.

On Thursday we headed down to the opening of All Bar One in the new food quarter of West Quay, the Watermark in the city centre. I was taken aback by the interior of the restaurant, it was really unique and intricate. When we arrived it was half packed with lots of office-workers and fellow bloggers. We were able to try some of their cocktails, and I really recommend Trouble in Paradise (the yellow one)! I'll be sure to return for the food as their burgers were yummy.

Thanks for reading my new monthly feature! What have you  been up to this month?

Follow