Most people who meet me would describe me as organised (correct) and therefore assume that I am tidy (incorrect).

My room mostly displays the stunning 'floordrobe' that can mostly be found in the humble abodes of teenagers. Cups of tea enter my room, shaking in their porcelin boots that they will never re-emerge.   Hair shed in front of my dresser provides an extra layer to the cream carpet and my bed is only made when I'm in it.

However, during the Christmas holidays I purchased the much hyped book 'The Life Changing Magic of Tidying' by Marie Kondo. This book has been reviewed by many bloggers and YouTubers, some claiming it is a life changer and others that it is a pile of rubbish (ironically). I decided to take it with a pinch of salt, knowing that my life is not really comparable to that of an OCD Japanese lady who lives in a box like flat and has committed her life to thanking her material objects that 'work so hard' for her and to putting away the entire contents of her handbag every evening.

However, reading the book did inspire me to have a mass clear out over Christmas resulting in many bags of clothes, books and other junk going to the charity shop. Love a good charity shop drop off. I had been feeling quite overwhelmed at the amount of clothes I had and the fact that if all clean, there was no way they were all fitting in my wardrobe. Never a good thing when your wash basket becomes storage! Anyway, after a big clear out where I decided whether each item 'sparked joy' or was something I was keen to wear again, I reorganised the storage of my clothes.

Rolling - who knew this was a thing. Rolling your clothes and then standing them all up so you can have a birds eye view means no more messing up of piles when looking for that one top you have to wear. Marie also recommends folding your knickers and my socks, which I took on board much to the amusement of my very sceptical Mum. Mum, if you're reading - I've kept it up! Marie claims that rolling your socks into balls causes them 'unnecessary stress' and wears out the elastic, limited their little sock lives. I quite frankly think this is a load of "ballocks" (hehe) but there is something quite satisfying with pairing and folding your sock buddies and standing them all to attention in the drawer.

You've probably read the majority of this post thinking, wow - this girl needs to get out a bit more. And you're probably right. But I'd say that so far, it has been ever so slightly life changing! I've adopted the method of tidying for 20 minutes a day (I actually set up a timer)  and it just means that things don't get to the extreme disastrous state that they used to. I still need to do the weekend Mary Poppins act of an extreme tidy/clean but during the week I am getting by with 20 minutes a day to avoid max floordrobe and an over flowing wash basket.

So, thanks Marie for your wise words. I won't be thanking my shoes for their hardwork any time soon but hopefully I am on the road to being just that little bit less of a teenager. 

Don't you worry 'bout a thing

We all worry, but I believe I worry enough for a small lesser economically developed country. I'm working myself up from an LEDC to an MEDC in fact. However, as I grow older (and older and older) I am starting to realise that worrying really isn't something I should be spending so much of my time doing.

I worry if I'm going to be too early, or too late. I worry that I've left my straighteners on; even though I have never done this before and even if I did... they can turn themselves off. I worry that people around me are having a good time and when they appear to be enjoying themselves I worry that I'm not having as much fun as they are and that there must be something wrong with me. I worry, about worrying.

If you're reading this - hello - I have finally let this little blog known to other human beings. I worried for quite a while about the way the blog looked, how people would react to it, would they think I was a weirdo for writing about nothing and expecting people to potentially maybe take something from it?

When I posted the link last week on my Facebook page (to a bunch of people that I haven't spoken IRL to for years/colleagues/best friends/and those I just keep for stalking purposes - you know you all have them) it was quite a relief to finally hit 'send' on the post and see that I wasn't drowned in negativity. My 'friends' were lovely, encouraging and intrigued - which was very gratefully received from my end. I'm sure there were those who rolled their eyes, oh here we go another "blogger" in the making let me click on the link so I can have a laugh at some bad grammar and cringey 'OOTD' posts - but that's okay with me.

So, here's a post for me to look back on when I find myself drowning in a pool of classic worry wart. Start using your brain for something a little more productive and remember that there are others out there just like you. Getting things in perspective is so important and already this week I am learning about the beauty of just going for it and throwing yourself into something - that's usually when magic things happen. Contemplating, ooming and ahhing, writing a pros and cons list - it just extends the process of making a decision, usually for no good reason at all. So my advice to myself is to take the plunge - and if you really have to, worry it about it later.

New Year, New Me?

It's the time of year where everyone tries to re-invent themselves, to curb those bad habits they will inevitably always have and to think of some unachievable new years resolutions. The gyms are packed and the sales of tupperware soar as 25 year olds around the world kid themselves into thinking they will save money and make their lunch for work everyday.

As cynical as my introductory paragraph to this post is, it is refreshing to have a new year and fresh start to focus on. I am starting a new job next week, which goes perfectly with the 'turning over a new leaf' vibe. I am hoping to be bright eyed and bushy tailed, find that it has taken 26 years to become a morning  person but that I've finally changed and to embrace exercise and find myself 'addicted'. However, I'm sure come February I will be running for the train, hair half brushed and make-up still to be done whilst I am pushed up against a stranger on the tube, thoughts of a healthy breakfast of instagrammable overnight oats out the window and that pre-work run I've been planning to go on for the last four weeks now just a cloud of guilt that pops up when I hit snooze.

It is so good to make positive changes in your life. If something isn't right or is making you unhappy it is absolutely the right thing to do to take note and endeavour to change it. However maybe one thing at a time should be the motto. In 2016 I made some big changes, but over the course of 12 months. None of them were too easy, I procrastinated, changed my mind about what I wanted several times and didn't exactly take the easy route to getting where I wanted to be but at the end of the year I can say I am proud of my achievements. I jumped out of a plane - something I never thought I would do (and something I will never do again!). I started this blog - just didn't get around to actually publishing it...! I ran for 10 miles in one go, which considering I could barely run for 1 minute a year previously (no exaggeration here, I was kidding myself that running from one lamppost to another was progress) and signed up for my first ever half marathon. I got a new job, which I am so excited to start and feel super positive about. I made some really lovely new friends who I know will not just be around for 2016 but for many years to come.

As quickly as 2016 seemed to go, 12 months is a long time and though there were plenty of days 'wasted' with my face 2 centimetres from my phone watching YouTube in bed or moaning to myself that I would never drink again, I did achieve rather a lot! So. Bring on 2017, let's make it a good one!

6 things I would tell my 16 year old self

Lately memories of the first days of Facebook (i.e. me at the age of 16) have been pushed back into my life on a daily basis thanks to the social media sites new "memories" function. Pictures of awful outfit decisions, embarrassing status' and conversations with people I haven't spoken  to in nearly 10 years are thrust upon me every morning as I roll over to check my phone. So what would I say, if I could, to my 16 year old self?

1.) Stop with the pouting. It isn't helping your selfie game. You don't know what a selfie is? Oh yes wait you won't know until around 2011. Well, when you point the camera towards yourself - try not to do a duck face - you look a lot better without it.

2.) Spend less time on MSN. In four years time you won't use it and in six years time it will be removed completely from the internet. Don't aspire to be like the other girls in your year and put all of their best friends names/favourite song lyrics/ a boys name they've been 'seeing' for two minutes into your username. The only thing you can thank MSN for is your freakishly quick typing - other than that the embarrassment you put yourself through of logging in and out so that the boy you fancy will see you, it's not worth it. Just so you know, he's seen you - he just doesn't want to talk to you. Do your homework.

3.) Appreciate being 16 and stop trying to grow up so fast!  Yes I know you want to drive and I know you want freedom but guess what... that all comes with being an adult and that is absolutely no fun. Enjoy being a kid for as long as you can and stop trying to convince everyone you're anything but.

4.) Have some originality! Being different doesn't have to be a bad thing. Berksha is gross, not every bra you buy has to have that much padding and that top is NOT a dress.

5.) One day, you'll have unlimited texts and something magical called Whatsapp. No more using your lunch money on phone credit to waste it texting utter rubbish to a boy you won't want to even look at in 2 weeks time.

6.) No, your parents aren't letting you have a house party for your 16th birthday because surprisingly they don't condone 100 15/16 year olds underage drinking, smoking and making out under their roof. Get over it! You'll do enough of all of the above later on in life and guess what, in four years time you'll be the one in the corner of the club refusing to check your coat in, tapping a finger on your watch and waiting to pounce on the first person that stifles a yawn, just so you can persuade them to get the hell out of there and instead demolish a box of chips smothered in garlic sauce in the comfort of your own bed.

Trend Whore

My name is Zara and I am a self confessed trend whore. If something is talked about, tweeted or instagrammed enough I will be there jumping on the bandwagon and purchasing that latest fad. I thought it might be a good idea to write a post on my four latest faddy purchases and my honest opinions on them.

1. FitBit Charge £79.99 from Argos

This was one of those things that I told myself would be life changing. The normal process goes like this - I find out about the item and I listen to the shpiel about how it will change my life. I then consider my life with it and without it and convince myself I'm really losing out, make the purchase and then reality sets in. I figured that if I was to get a FitBit (a watch which tracks how many steps you do in a day, plus the distance, calories burned and the amount of stairs you've gone up) that I would suddenly become this crazy athletic being who walks/runs everywhere. I'd also be competing with many friends online who'd be racking up the steps and making my competitive side come out - thus causing me to become even more fit in the process.

The reality was I bought the FitBit and religiously wore it for a few weeks... but after that like most things it lost it's charm. The major issue for me is it is ugly. It's a rather large masculine looking rubber band which doesn't go so well with the majority of my wardrobe. There is the option to double watch and wear it on my right hand but somehow I think that's even less cool.

The second issue is that it's quite depressing. Working in an office means that you do spend the majority of your time on your bum at your desk and if you're walking around the office enough to reach your 10,000 step target you're not likely to be getting any actual work done. When I would get home with a measly 4,000 steps on the clock it pissed me off more than motivated me - how was I supposed to go for an evening walk/jog and do more steps in 45 minutes than I had all day!?

The third problem was I didn't actually have any other friends that had a FitBit to compete with, plus there is the small issue that I am the least competitive person you will ever meet. The battery life is also appalling which is a problem when you think you're doing a good job of walking everywhere one day only to check and be greeted by the annoying flashing battery sign and no track of how many thousands of steps you've done.

I don't regret buying the FitBit but I do think the battery life is a big issue. After writing this post I think I will try to get into more of a routine of charging it on a nightly basis to avoid it dying on me at midday and make more of an effort to wear it - it hurts to think it set me back £79.99 (or £80 stop kidding yourself Zara) and it's gathering dust.

2. NutriBullet £69.99 from Argos

The NutriBullet was another one of those - this will change my life - purchases (I think you might start to see a theme here). Similarly to the FitBit this was bought on a lonely Sunday afternoon when the only accessible and open shop nearby was Argos... hey, when a girls got to shop she's got to shop! This was also something that I put off for a while as I had a juicer already and didn't think I could warrant having another appliance.

Fast forward about 6 months later, I am so glad I bought the NutriBullet. The juicer hasn't been used once since I took the plunge - mainly because of how easy the NutriBullet is to use and clean in comparison to the juicer. I of course do go through weeks where I don't use it once and then other weeks where I can't get enough but I would say I have consistently enjoyed using it since I got it. My favourite and most frequent combo is spinach (love how green it goes), banana, frozen mango and coconut water. The plastic cup that you blend in acts as the cup to carry it to work in and means that you only have to wash up one thing  - what a dream!  Have I lost a ton of weight or seen a transformation in my skin for drinking more fruit and veg? No - but it is easy to use and has made me eat more fruit and veg which can only be a good thing.

3. Spiralizer £25 from Amazon

2 years ago, no one would know what the hell you were talking about if you told them you ate courgetti or zoodles for dinner. Now, it's the norm! When all my favourite food bloggers and YouTubers started going on about spiralizing courgettes as an alternative to carby spaghetti I tried to refrain from buying yet another kitchen gadget. I held off for about 6 months, but after many a soggy trial with my potato peeler, I realised there really wasn't anything I could do. If I wanted to join the no carb club I'd have to invest in a spiralizer. At the time the one that I bought was the most recommended so I didn't think too much about the somewhat hefty price tag. It does the job that it's supposed to but my goodness this thing is cumbersome. Awkward to clean, too large to store in a cupboard and after a couple of injuries I can confirm it is sharp and unforgiving! Since making this purchase some other options have come on to the market which are both neater and cheaper... if I could go back in time and swap I would. Also, shockingly, I don't want to eat curly courgettes every evening. I also will never be able to completely replace spaghetti because who could live without spaghetti!? So overall - complete fad and I fell for it.

4. Lumie Light - £59.99

And now to the latest addition in my fad buying - the Lumie Light! I can't write much of a review on this as it has only just been unboxed and plugged in but basically I'm hoping it will be the answer to my dreams. I can never get up in the morning and when I do get up early and get some things done before work, I feel so much better for it. Instead at the moment I am falling into the trap of snooze, snooze, snooze, SHIT.

The Lumie Light is designed to light up your room gradually half an hour before you need to wake up so that your body stops making melatonin and starts making the energising hormone you need to get up and seize the day. Why don't you just leave your blinds open I hear you ask? Well, because that wouldn't be as fun as spending £59.99 on a substandard and quite frankly ugly bedside light that you can later write a disappointed blog post on, would it?