Why I Stopped Blogging For A Month

Hey everyone?

How are you? Good? Bad? Forever tired?

Welcome to a brand new blog post! Today, I'm talking all about why I haven't blogged since the 30th of December 2018.

Work

I got myself a 'proper' job for the Christmas period at somewhere that I absolutely adore. Having a job meant that I was spending most of my time, well, working. If I wasn't spending my time working, I was probably travelling back to my flat from work, or, sleeping. If I got any spare time, then, I ended up relazing/trying to do other things. This all meant that I would write down blog post ideas and then, end up never actually getting around to finishing them off. I'm actually considering creating a blog post about my time working for said job, so if you would like me to create that post, then comment down below.

Uni

Carrying on from the above paragraph, I also was juggling uni at the same time as working. Now, doing University can't really be used an a excuse to not blogging as I've been doing Uni and blogging for over a year. Even though this is true, trying to juggle working, being a human and rushing to get deadlines done, means that well, you get sick of looking at a laptop screen really quickly, thus not wanting to do the latter to create blog posts.

Mental Health

This is a major reason as to why I kind of stopped blogging for a while. My mental health ended up in such a bad state, that, i just didn't want to do anything. I just didn't see the point in doing anything, including writing a post for the blog. I just felt like, at the time, everything that I was doing was utter crap, but at the same time, the longer that I left stuff, the more anxious I felt about, if I did write a new post then nobody would notice due to being away for such a long while. Everything just got on top of me. I wrote and deleted posts, I didn't sleep for days, I was an irritable and depressive shit to everyone. When I should've pushed myself into my blog, I just crumbled and sighed every time I loaded the blog up.

Blogging Community/Comparing

This one kind of relates back to my mental health. I love the blogging community with all of my heart. I can't thank enough for when I was first creating 'Jamie Sowden', but the community can be competitive and problematic at times. I know that a fair few blogger friends may read this, so by problematic, I mean that, as bloggers, a lot of us including myself from time to time try to trump each other instead of being an actual community. I just ended up finding myself comparing myself to a lot of other bloggers that I know quite a lot. By doing this, it just reinforced the idea that my blog was, well, garbage. I know that it's not, and trust me, this post isn't a pity party, but when it comes to views and seeing blogger friends get achievements and opportunities that you could only dream of, it makes you wonder, why can't I get that? It also felt worse when you'd see bloggers that create posts with a few lines of content do so well, whereas I was putting my heart and soul into posts with content, accessible pictures, the works. I don't know. I've stopped comparing myself to others, and, I'm slowly getting back to the point where I want to create posts for my own happiness and not for views etc.

The last reason, as to why I stopped blogging for a while, is a simple reason.... I stopped blogging for a while, because, frankly I am a lazy bitch.

So, without further ado, halleloo, I'm back! I won't be sticking to a schedule, as I'm still working out on when I can blog with Uni kicking back in and such.

I hope that you have enjoyed this post. I hope that you come back next time for another blog post.

If you missed my last post then don't forget to read it.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Let’s Talk About Being Polyamorous

Hey everyone!

How are you?

Welcome to a brand new post! I've been wanting to write this post for such a long while! So, I thought that I would finally get on and do it!

To start off, sorry that this post is serious, It's something that I've wanted to talk about for a while, without knowing the best way to talk about. I always believe in that the way to break down stigmas, is to talk about it, which is what I'm doing today.

Hi, i'm Jamie, and, I identify as polyamorous. It's something little to say and even type, but boy am I proud that i am typing that I identify as poly. 

What is polyamory? It is defined as: the practice of engaging in multiple sexual relationships with the consent of all the people involved.

Poly means many, and, amory, well means, love, therefore, it basiccally means to love many.

Polyamory can be closed and open. Closed is more towards, sort of triad/throuple. A throuple is, three people in a relationship, or more, like two people in a relationship having another partner that they both know about. Open is more of a well branches of relationships, which is what I am. \

is polyamory just a way to be a slut? No. I mean, first of all, let's reclaim the word slut. Slut isn't a bad word. It's fab and we should use it more and more in an empowering way! Polyamory isn't just a way to be sexually promiscuous. It's understanding how you feel about love and relationships. It's about understanding that monogamy isn't for you. It's understanding that there's more to love than what's represented in the media. It's being who you wanting to be and being accepted for it.

Why do people identify as polyamorous? Again, a lot of the above comes into this particular answer. Furthermore, kinks and interests come into play. Some people when going into relationships, know that their partners may be into other things, that they are not and letting them go off and find others that are into the things that you're not, means, that they will come back being happy and fulfilled. The interests could be sexual or non sexual.

Is it stressful/complicated? Of course it is, any sort of relationship, whether this be with friends, family can be stressful though, so it's not that different to that. I've been in a few poly based relationships before. They included both, open and closed relationships, and they broke down for the same reasons that a monogamous relationship would. It was gritty, messy and complex, but I think the main difference and I don't know why but it was easier to be pure friends with at least a couple of them after the relationship, because of the polyamorous aspect of it being more open, and, free flowing. I realise that makes zero sense, but, I think a lot of people see being poly as an alien concept that a lot of the mainstream public don't understand thus don't want to be educated on it, due to ignorance and not wanting to know what other possibilities are in the world.

Why are you identifying as poly? Anxiety was a main factor of it, and I realise that sounds weird, but what I mean by that is, that I have forever thought that being in a monogamous relationship, from saying hi for the first time onwards, creates tension for me in my brain. I always worry about everything, from stupid things to major things, and i knew that some point they'd get sick of me. Being in a poly relationship would calm that down, because I'd know that they'd have someone else to talk to and half my worries would be banished, because I'd be able to talk to more than one person that i feel truly and deeply connected with about it. Going off from that, I mean that worries about wondering if the other person is okay or if they're safe or having a good week or whatever, is halved, because I already know that they're spending time with people that they are interested in too.  That sounds worse than what i was intending it to sound. I also just love a lot. Anyone that has met me, knows that I'm loving and passionate in everything that I do, and, honestly i just want all the love to flow around the world, and as selfish as it sounds, all the love to be shown to me. This will probably sound worseI intend for it to sound, but, it means that the sexual tension of trying to get to know new people is broken a bit, because, you already know that they have the same ideas and values and you don't feel as tense thus you can talk about anything safely with people that you probably would have never met in a monogamous setting. There is also things like jealousy, but, unlike in monogamous relationships where the other person bottles stuff, you can have more open conversations and explore why you're jealous. A lot of monogamous relationships break down due to the lack of communication.

I realise that this is a kit if information to understand, in one go, so I'm going to link a video to help you understand it further.

If I've said anything that you think is incorrect, or, that you want to add to then please do comment!

I hope that you've enjoyed this post and I hope to see you next time!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

The Truth About Beauty Influencers

Hey! 

How are you? 

Welcome to a brand new post! I thought that today, I would talk about my 'truth' on the beauty influencer sort of drama that has been happening lately. Honestly, I think that I'm going to talk about the beauty influencer thing from a blogging aspect. I have a few opinions on the stuff that's happened and I might mention it at the bottom of the post. I am a beauty influencer myself so I felt like it might be good to talk about it. (The photo is owned by Pexels and is a stock image and not of anyone specific.)

Warning: This post will content language of an adult nature throughout the post. 

So, let's break down the beauty influencer drama. It's about, 1: influencers forming cliques (let's call it the Matte Plastics, get it?), 2: money, 3: contracts and collaborations, and, 4: brands deciding to work with big influencers. I'm probably missing something, but it's probably best if I stick to a fair few.

Cliques:

Okay, so cliques are going to form no matter what. We're shown early on in life that it's good to make friends, and end up in groups that share a common interest. We're shown via primary and secondary socialisation that a friend is a friend, and that it's good to bond. The only problem with that is that cliques form and the whole message of becoming friends with others and being friendly and open, are well, thrown in the sea somewhere with all of the other suffering sea creatures in the world. Cliques become well, messy and disgusting just like when you leave your makeup on overnight after a good night out, and you decide to look in a mirror the morning after. They promote exclusion and honestly discriminatory behaviour. This is all well and good, when you're a child in school still learning your times tables, you learn from it, but when you're still doing it in your twenties and owards? That's when it becomes problematic. When you're doing it professionally, when you have a mass audience following your every single move and they see that you're being messy and childish, they might think that it's okay to do the same and it's not. The fact that you know that you're in the public eye and you think that no ones going to clock you for being a five year old? Newsflash, they are going to, they will and you will suffer the consequences for doing so. When it comes to bloggers, Youtubers, influencers, whatever you want to label us all, doing this, it does the above and shows brands that might want to work with you that you're unprofessional, but also, it shows that you're pushing people that are in your own community trying to do the same thing out of the way. Why? Because you might not like them, they might have different views to you, they might make a different bracket of money than you? Doing that is petty and dirty. Trust me, I've seen it with my own eyes, it's just wrong. We all say that us digital workers need to stick together, then you join cliques with other influencers and decide to talk crap about them and be shady? Bullshit. Practice what you preach or expect consequences to your actions. Don't write shady posts about other influencers. Mean Girls came out 14 years ago, have you learnt nothing from it?
Cliques do not work. End of.

Money:

Okay, so as I mentioned a bit in the previous paragraph, when it comes to working as a digital influencer, money comes into play. You are doing a job, whether that be creating images for instagram, posts or videos, and brands may think that you're suitable for their brand, and approach you to work with them on sponsored content. They may ask you for a fee, and they will normally negotiate what they can offer you, and vice versa. If a brand pay you x amount then that's fab, but do not try and come for them and ask for more money. You're not god. The brands know that you're doing a lot for them. Being an influencer isn't easy, yes its full of amazing things, but there is admin and editing and so forth. Brands get that, but as soon as you've set down a price, don't try and get more money out of them. Where the fuck do you think you are? At an auction? No, a company can only give you so much, so get down from your pedestal and stop thinking you're the shit. All of us influencers are trying to make a living out of something that we love to do, and honestly brands are more than likely going to offer us a measly price for a lot of things that we're doing for them. Why? Because you've screwed up their experience with working with influencers and now guess what? They think that your behaviour is how all influencers act, when it's very far from the truth. Yes, you might have a large following, but you never know, your audience may drop dramatically if you're churning out the same content. When that happens, what are you going to do for your obscene amount of money? Stop thinking that you're the shit, you're not, you're like the rest of us. A influencer making a living via something they love. Honestly, I've seen this happen quite a bit via various influencer groups on the internet.

Contracts and Collaborations:

A lot goes into a collaboration,  and the way that most collaborations are secured are via a legal contract. When it comes to a collaboration, a contract will state things like the brand or PR company you're collaborating with, the fee, the deadline, what the brand want you to do, hashtags to use, handles to include when promoting the post. Once you sign this, you are legally bound to do what the contract says, and the brand pays the amount they've stated. Sometimes, the brand might not pay. I've seen that happen, it's happened to myself, but you don't randomly pull out three quarters through a contract, because you want to. That's not how it works. You don't just cut out of a contract when you want. If you accept a contract, then you and the client have a legal obiligation to follow it through. Don't get shitty and shady/one answered questions when the client asks you something. If you knew that you weren't able to do it or wasn't sure then tell them. Brands need to follow through and pay us when we've done a post but we also need to make sure that we read the contract well, and know what we are getting ourselves into. If you cost a brand a lot of money by pulling out of a campagin without a good reason as to why, then expect the professional bridge to be burnt. They've spent a lot of time, just like you do in everything that you do.
Communication is key.

Problems Working With Big Influencers: 

Before, someone tries to come for me in the comments, trust me, I'm not a big blogger. I guess that I'm slowly getting there but I still wouldn't class myself as a 'big blogger'. My social following is nowhere near what a 'big blogger' would have. Brands work with big influencers is that they are normally only doing it due to their following. I get that. Brands want the most amount of audience checking out a new product or campaign, but the problems with big influencers is that they might have a large following, but where's the substance? You might get a click from their audience, but will you get any organic interaction? Probably not. You'll get a big influx of people checking out your brand but they will instantly fly to the next thing that the said influencer says is great. That's another thing, do you get an honest opinion from a big blogger or will you get a general this is good or bad? Can you improve your product or brand from that? Hell, no! With a smaller influencer, you'll get an honest and probably in depth review/opinion, telling you exactly what they think of it, as they want to be honest to their trusting audience. You can build on that, you can resend the influencer the product once it's been sorted and see if it's better. You might not get a massive amount of traffic compared to a bigger influencer, but, you will get substance. You'll get the audience probably buying something or checking other things that the unfluencer hasn't mentioned. Who knows? They won't be unprofessional and cancel halfway through a campaign, which means that you can create a trusting yet professional relationship with them, hence being able to rely on them for future opportunities.

That's the tea spilled. What do you think about the whole beauty drama at the moment? Would you like me to create more beauty based posts? Let me know down below! 

I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and that you come back next time for another post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Posting Onto The Internet | Digital Drop In With Google Digital Garage & Post Office

Hey everyone!

How's your day going? Good? Bad? How are you coping with the weather? Have you finished your exams? Have you finished uni? Let me know down below!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! Today, I thought that I would talk to you in depth about the digital confidence event that I went to with Leeds Central Library, Post Office, and,. Google Digital Garage.

I started off the day by rushing to get ready. For all you fashion headed people out there, I thought that I would take a slight bit of inspiration from Queer Eye, and, attempt a sort of french shirt, jean combo where the shirt is french tucked (the front of the shirt is tucked, but the back isn't) with the Jeans. I grabbed my DSLR and headed to Leeds Central Library. I used Google Maps to get there, because, like most independent students, I hate awkwardly asking a stranger for directions to a probably obvious location. After finally finding the beautiful building, I made my way to the workshop.

When arriving at the workshop, I met the wonderful Lucy from Lucy At Home, and, Sophie from, Mama Mei. It's always great to meet some fellow Yorkshire Bloggers! I took a few snaps and then got to talk to a couple fo the people from Google about all things technological, such as Google Home, and how they've helped people with disabilities, and, how Hey, Google, has helped cut time for busy people such as students.

The main reason why I wanted to come along and improve my digital confidence, was because, even though I'm pretty young, technology is improving at a alarming amount. Ten years ago, I would never think that I'd be able to get so many opportunities with great brands via just typing my opinion and thoughts down on a laptop. I never thought that we'd be able to use our phones for things such as Just Eat, Uber, and the likes. So, I want to stay on top of technology and ensure that I have the best skills possible so I can make sure things such as my blog are in good form, and, that I'm improving just like technology. I also wanted to make sure I knew my stuff for when certain members of my family ask the inevitable, 'how do I do this?' because it's best that I know the easiest way to do things like that.

At the workshop, I got to help out a couple of people with their technological problems, including, a wonderful woman who wanted to know more about Social Media and how to promote the things that she wanted to, via social media. I also helped out some of the team from Post Office with camera and photography tips. Trust me, I'm definitely not a professional photographer, but, it was nice to actually spread on information that I had learnt from others who are amazing with photography!

The workshop also talked about how broadband can affect your digital confidence. i mean, if your broadband has a constand bad signal, then it means that it takes longer to do anything, thus, making you want to give up on doing something digitally quickly, because let's be honest, we don't always have the patience to wait for something to finally do it's thing! If your broadband isn't that great, then it might be a good idea to check out Post Office's Broadband which is £18 per month.

After the workshop, we got to have an amazing tour of the library. That might sound a bit boring down on words, but honestly, Leeds Central Library is beautiful. You could shoot a sort of period or high class (think like Dynasty) sort of film, and no one would know that, it's 2018 Leeds! i adored the rooms, the history, and even the tapestry behind the library! Theres even a sort of Art Studio that's connected to the Art Gallery, a digital based room for 16-29 year olds, and even a space to talk about starting your own business!

Carrying on with the day, we all then went for my favourite thing in the world. Food! We went to banyan in Leeds which is actually located in the old Post Office. When entering the restaurant, you're met with grand chandeliers, cool modern accessories and cute chairs. I decided to go for a Steak Sandwich with Bearnaise Sauce and Fries. I first had Bearnaise Sauce when I was in Paris a good few years ago, and, I've loved it ever since! The Steak were succulent and juicy, the sauce added a cremy yet herbal punch, and, the bread had a bit of crunch against it which went well against the Steak. Banyan definitely seems like somewhere perfect for a date or a special occasion,

I then chatted to the guys from the Google Digital Garage, about everything, from SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), to trying to cater a blog more towards it's audience. We even talked about things such as the 3 second rule when it comes to food, to, the world being taken over by cyborgs, and, literally everything in between. I loved talking to them, and, honestly I learnt quite a lot from them!

During all of this amazing talk, dessert happened. Dessert is always a good thing, and, as I had already had lactose, I thought that I would treat myself and enjoy something. I decided to go for a Chocolate Delice, mainly because, the blogger in me wanted to see what it was. This was a sort of cross between a Cake and a Torte. It was delicious but very rich. The dessert came with a Lime Sorbet which was to die for, especially in the weather that we've been having recently!

We chatted some more and the wonderful guys from Google showed me how to make a GIF on my Phone, and, gave me a Cardboard VR, which I'm still very grateful for! If you want to see me do a separate post on that, then, let me know down below!

Click here to check out Google Digital Garage.

Click here to check out Post Office Broadband.

Click here to find out more about Leeds Libraries.

I hope that you have enjoyed this student/lifestyle/food/technology based post. I hope that you come back next time for another post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This post was in collaboration with Google & Post Office. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own. 

Dropping It Down & Low Into The Internet | Post Office Digital Drop In

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that today, I would talk to you all about being digitially confident, as we are living in a world that is becoming more and more dependent on being digital.

As with all blog posts, if you're not interested on reading this post as it doesn't appeal to you from the title/intro above, then please do not read on, but instead read something on the blog that appeals to you, as, this blog contains content from food, to, beauty, to, lifestyle, and everything in between.

Post Office Broadband conducted a survey amongst 4,000 UK citizens, and found out that, 20% of the UK don't feel digitally confident whether this is people of an older age who don't know how to tackle technology, parents of those who have children who are surrounded by technology even in the school, or, those of us who just feel like we're lacking when it comes to being tech savvy. In Leeds, more than half struggle to use newer devices including smart music devices

73% of people who took part in the survey, said that, they would like digital support to boost their confidence to ensure that they're on top form when it comes to anything digital.

After hearing the results of the survey, Post Office Broadband have teamed up with Google Digital Garage to help out the public/any of you reading that sometimes has trouble with being digital confidence, via, having digital drop in sessions to ensure that you learn everything that you need. The drop in sessions will cover help with thins such as emails and the internet, all the way, to protecting yourself online. They'll even help you with problems concerning your devices if you bring them in with you.

Digital drop in sessions will be in locations including, Leeds, Southamption, Plymouth, Cardiff, Norwich and Belfast. If the listed locations are nowhere near you then you can still suggest a location for the digital drop in sessions to visit.

The first session will be at Leeds Central Library on the 22nd July between 10am and 1pm. I'd definitely go if you have any queries that are digitally based, as, the best of the best will be able to help you. I'd also go in case you need to top up on anything such as how to keep up with your children when it comes to being online, or, bring any of your older members of family so they can get to grips with things that they feel insecure about when it comes to the digital world.

If you want to find out more about the sessions then click here.

How are you with technology? Lets open up the discussion, by, commenting down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and that you come back next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This post is in collaboration with Post Office/Post Office Broadband. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own.  

Chin Chin \ Trinity Kitchen Vendor Tasting

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new post. I haven't posted on here for a while, due to finishing a massive bunch of deadlines, all in a few days, therefore I needed to rest and put my wellbeing first. I thought that today, I would talk to you all about the vendors that are at Trinity Kitchen at the moment.

DISCLAIMER: The vendors at Trinity Kitchen have changed. If so, then still please, go and check out the vendors via Social Media.

Trinity Kitchen is a open plan food court in the heart of Leeds city centre, that offers a plethora of food from different cuisines and countries, such as Vietnam, America, Mexico, and many more Trinity Kitchen also offers the citizens of Leeds, brand new food vendors on an eight week rota, which ensures that they get to enjoy a selection of different food vendors throughout the year.

Eat Like A Greek 

Back by popular demand, Eat Like A Greek is here again serving up their locally sourced free range Pork, Lamb, Chicken and Beef Souvlaki wraps along with some other Greek favorites! All their seasoning and olive oil comes directly from their Samos farm or the surrounding Aegean area- beautiful! I love Greek food. I remember the first time I tried Greek food, as it was whilst I was on holiday in Crete where I tried lots of different Greek food, therefore, whenever I have it, it transports me right back to that first holiday. Eat Like A Greek keep authentic to Greek food whilst applyling slight tweaks to the dishes to make them be that bit more delicious. I had some of the Beef that Eat Like A Greek served and I wanted just a massive bowl of it on the go! If you've never had Greek food then I urge you try it within Trinity Kitchen! 

Jah Jyot Punjabi Street Food

Combing the flavours and authenticity of North India and fresh local produce from Sussex, Jah Jyot is the perfect Indian street food experience. Enjoy tikka wraps, crispy samosa's and the most authentic Indian curries.I'm not the biggest fan of curries, but, I did quite like the food that this vendor was serving as it wasn't what I've had before when it comes to Indian food. It was warming, but, not spicy. I tried their flatbreads and they tasted like pieces of heaven. I would love these on the colder days when I'm out in Leeds City Centre. 

Chimney Chicks

Inspired by a trip to Budapest, this family own business is perfect calling for all with a sweet tooth! Kürtőskalács is made from sweet, yeast dough filled with delicious toppings including brownies. chocolate sauce and whipped cream to name a few. I would describe a Chimney Cake, sort of as a, portable churro vehicle for a smorgasbord of goodies. Myself and Abbey decided to go for a Chimney Cake filled with Ice Cream, Nutella and Strawberry Puree/ There are others including a Unicorn one, but, when I see Nutella, I have to get it! These were one of the best things I have ever wrapped my lips around. I would definitely drag someone else to Trinity Leeds, just so they can try them, and so I can get five more. Definitely go and try these! 

Gondola Raclette 

All cheese errything! Inspired by the cold slopes in the Alps, Raclette has arrived in Trinity Kitchen! Think British potatoes, cured meats and silverskin onions doused in the creamiest cheese straight from the raclette! I tried this, even though I knew that it would kill my insides due to intolerance, mainly because I was intrigued on seeing if the Raclette lived up to the hype that it has received. It did and it was delicious. The guys behind Gondola were amazing to talk to. You can get the self melting Cheese with potatoes and other goodies, or in a hotdog. Me and Abbey went for the potato version and honestly, I think that this dish would be the perfect thing for a post hangover dish. It was gorgeous! 

Bangwok

Bangwok are back with a bang! Thai street food at its finest, make sure you try the sri-racha rice and grilled meats- not to be missed! Me and Abbey tried the Chicken Fried Rice, and honestly, I loved it. It was everything that you would need when you want something a bit comforting. I loved the tectures and flavours that were bursting including the tenderness of the Chicken against the fluffiness of the rice. Definitely something to try as you can tell the love that has gone in when you take a bite of the food. 

Vincenzo the Prosecco van

Fizz on tap- literally! Flash cooled, chilled Frizzante 1754 straight up or add a little flavour with elderflower, blackberry, blueberry and lemon. Okay, so I'm not the biggest fan of Prosecco. I know thats probably not the norm, but, honestly Prosecco burns my throat and chest when I drink it. Well, that was until I tried Vincenzo.. It's rare to find a Prosecco that doesn't burn so I was amazed when I drank this Prosecco. I tried a Strawberry one and I absolutely loved it. 

What's your favourite food from this? Have you tried the latest vendors at Trinity Kitchen? What do you think? Let me know!
Check out Trinity's latest vendors here.

I hope that you come back next time for another amazing post.
Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Sniffing The Scent Of New York | Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Men

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought, that today, I would talk to you all about another amazing fragrance, that I've been loving at the moment. Carolina Herrera 212 VIP Men.

If you can cast your mind back to the beginning of the year, I wrote a blog post about the amazing Limeyard within White Rose Centre. The person that I brought along to the event, was wearing this exact scent, so, the following week, I decided to check it out with another great female friend within Boots. Whilst we were slowly making our way through the thin white aisles, we found our way to the scent, and I realised that it was on offer! I uhmed and ahhed, and after a while, I bought it due to the gift set of the fragrance being on a great offer.

Top notes: Vodka Zubrowska, Caviar, Lime.

Vodka sounds weird in a fragrance, I know, but it adds a spritzy note to the fragrance, which reminds me instantly of Summer. Caviar adds a deep note to the scent, and Lime adds a refreshing kick which works in tune with the Vodka, to give the fragrance a real Summer vibe, as soon as you spritz this onto the skin.

Heart notes: Hot Ginger, Black Pepper

I love how the Heart/Mid Notes are a complete juzposition of the light and refreshing Vodka and Lime. The Hot Ginger and Black Pepper add a warmness to the scent which cuts against the freshness of the Lime.

Base notes: King Wood, Amber

Wood normally plays a major part in male orientated fragrances, so King Wood being a note which is the last to settle on the skin, doesn't surprise me that much. Amber is a little surprising, but I love how the spiciness of the Ginger and Black Pepper settles down into the warming Amber.

I also got the Shower Gel within the gift set that I received, and it embodies the fragrance, but, I feel like that the Wood is a bit muted, and, the Lime and Black Pepper come out a bit more via the product. It helps intensify the scent of the fragrance, and helps the scent last longer on the skin.

I think that this would be best worn (no matter whether it is worn by a man, woman or anyone in between on the gender spectrum) in either the Autmn season, a warmish evening which is rare in England, or when you need a little pizzazz on a boring day, as it will definitely perk you up.

Have you smelt 212 VIP Men? What do you think? Let me know down below!

Check out Carolina Herrera Fragrances.

Thanks for enjoying this beauty based blog post! I hope that you come back next time for a brand new blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Reading Your Way Into A Great Weekend | Follow Friday

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! Follow Friday is back! If you're not used to the concept of Follow Friday, then just like the beloved version on the social media platform, Twitter, I promote a few bloggers, that I think you should all be following!

Lifestyle By Jennie

Lifestyle By Jennie is a Swedish lifestyle blogger who likes to speak her mind, whether thats about where to check out in the heart of Leeds, why you should be ensuring that your body is in the best health that it can be, or talking about quirky topics including symbolic meanings of colours. Lifestyle By Jennie has it all, and is an amazing blog to read first thing in the morning

Culturebean

Culturebean talks about all things well, culture. She talks about everything from travelling to new and exotic locations around the UK and the world, to trying out new places to eat, to theatre shows to check out and much more. If you're looking for some good knowledge on all things culture, then check Culturebean out.

Jorlaska

Jorlaska talks about all things lifestyle and reading. She also talks about things such as what she would change if she could go back in time, and her experiences of customers whilst working within retail. She also likes to draw from the media that surrounds us today, via TV show characters and such forth. If you want something new and a little interesting to read then check out Jorlaska.

Glasses Girl

Glasses Girl talks about everything from delicious restaurant reviews, even when hungover from a night out out the night befire, to feeling yourself, and embracing your natural curly hair, to going on holiday alone. If you're looking for an interesting yet beautiful looking blog to read then Glasses Girl is for you!

Have you checked out any of the blogs mentioned above? Do you have a particular blog that you read eveey morning? Let me know down below! 

PS: Anyone that uses a screen reader/VoiceOver or anything of that sort, to read pictures out to them, please do let me know if my alt text is okay/helping you to understand the photo. All comments would be helpful. 

Thanks for reading this loving post. I hope that you come back next time for another amazing blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Keeping Out Of The Cold & Being On Twitter | Follow Friday

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that it would be best to do a Follow Friday post as I'm planning to take the next week off from the blog to spend time with my family/to enjoy the festive holidays so I thought that I would tell you who to follow during the holidays.

Michelle Walker

Okay, so Michelle might not be a blogger but she's been featured on this blog enough times now to be classed as a feature blogger so I thought that I would give some Christmas cheer and make sure you're al following her for tweets about anything and everything which includes the events that I take her along to, her everyday life, photography and Disney. Click here to follow her on Twitter (shes on private so definitely go follow her!) Click here to check out her photography.


Luke Sam Sowden

I'd follow Luke during the holidays because I'll probably be spending most of the holidays with him so it might be best to follow him to check out what we're both up to which you can do at the moment via checking out his YouTube channel as he has been doing Vlogmas at the moment. Luke's blog talks about things from a visually impaired point of view so instead of focusing on the aesthetics of items such as food, clothing and beauty, he talks about how they feel and what they smell/taste like. He also loves to do a good haul from time to time! Check out his YouTube channel here and his blog here. Check his Twitter out here.


Big Fashionista 

Kellie (also known as Big Fashionista via her blog) talks about things that are ticking on her mind no matter how controversial they are. She also loves to talk about clothing that she is loving at the minute (especially anything that has a sleeve/a print to it) and colourful things such as lipsticks. She has also created a post that can be found on her blog and social media which gives the links and numbers for the helplines that you can contact if you're feeling lonely this Christmas. Check out her Twitter and Blog.


Lucy Loves 

Lucy's blog and social media will keep you going from Christmas Eve all the way into the New Year as she talks about everything including home decor, lifestyle, fashion and food including all things plus size fashion so if you love a bit of that then you know exactly where to go. Her photography is always on point! Check out her Twitter and Blog.

Glitterbat 

Some of us love a bit of spook no matter what time of the year it is and if this includss yourself then Glitterbat's blog is for you. This blog talks all things lifestyle, beauty and fashion. They mainly talk about events and venues within Leeds such as Issho Leeds but also talks about other events that happen within the Yorkshire region such as Sheffield and much more. Check out her Twitter and Blog.

I hope that you check out all of these lovely people and have fun enjoying their content! 

Thanks for reading this loving blog post. I hope that you come back for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Five Bloggers To Check Out And Follow | Follow Friday

Hey! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I thought that tjat today I would try something different and do a Follow Friday but in a blog post due to being busy most Fridays. I also wanted to showcase some of my favourite bloggers so I thought that I would do the two within one. 

A large tall black smartphone next to a cup of black hot beverage in a white china mug on a light brown table on a light background, 

Katie Cupcake 

Katie is an amazing blogger who focuses on testing beauty products out so you know exactly what is good and what's horrible. She also focuses on her battles with ME and Fibromaylgia Katie's blog is amazing and is a great place to start if you want to learn the ins and outs of knowing about surviving with chronic pain such as Fibromalygia. Click here to read it. 

Jada Quotes

Jada talks about a variety of topics on her blog including living within pain and at the moment her baby progress and how it is to be a citizen of ethnic minority. If you want a blog thats honest and truthful yet with a bit of love then I'd definitely say to check out Jade's blog by clicking here. 

Faith 

Faith who is also known as Music & Eyeliner who is known for talking about great music including indie and unsigned artists. She also talks about amazing Beers from time to time and how she gets around the city of Leeds within a powerchair including the good, the bad and ugly (which includes public transport.) If you want to read more of her amazing posts then click here. 

Lucinda 

Lucinda is an amazing person and is the host of the blog The Fashion Fictionary which contains wonderful posts on fashion including her favourite trends and hauls but also contains a lot about food and her love for a good old brunch. Go and check out her blog if you want some delicious content by clicking here. 

Have you checked out any of these blogs? Let me know down below. 

Thank you for checking out this rambly sharing blog post. I hope you come back next time for a brand new blog post. 

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x

Jamie Sowden Is Going Through Some Changes

Hey! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! 

A large silver Macbook with black keys and a white xcreen on a rectangular light wood table with two white hands on the keys of the laptop with a large green plant in a light brown plant pot on a bright background. 

This shall be a pretty short post but as you can tell via the title, this blog will be going through various changes and as the current blog template hasn't been working out for myself or the blog for a while/ I've decided that it would be best to change it to a simple template until I find one that fits with the blog and myself. 

The latest this change shall be is by the 8th of January. I shall still be uploading content so don't worry about getting your fix of rambly yet great blog posts/ 

I hope that you're having a great week! 

Thanks for reading this blog post! 
Jamie x 

Travelling The Food World In One Single Step | Trinity Kitchen Supper Club

Hey!

Welcome to a brand new post! The wonderful guys over at Trinity Kitchen invited myself and Luke over to try out the new vendors that are serving delicious food within Trinity Kitchen at the moment and I thought that today I would tell you all about it!

(Sorry if the pictures aren't great. I did these on my phone due to the weather being difficult to understand like normal British weather, I decided not to bring my DSLR.) 

If you havent heard of Trinity Kitchen then let me tell you all about it. Trinity Kitchen is an open plan food court within Trinity Leeds that serves a plethora of food from different cultures such as Vietnamese food from Pho, Italian Pizza's from Pizza Luxe, Mexican food in the form of Tortilla and much more. Every so often, Trinity Kitchen like to bring in six different street food vendors to give variety but to also ensure that new businesses are getting exposure

The five new vendors that are within Trinity Kitchen at the moment are Baked In Bricks, Steak Out, Thai Khrim, Persian Kitchen, Sela Bar and Chowdown Streatery. All of these vendors are here for 8 weeks so do go and check them out if you can!

Baked In Bricks

Cooking out of a converted Mini Cooper, so for anyone who wanted a kitchen in their car, it is possible! Baked By Brick deliver the best BBQ Chicken Tikka Wraps and wood-fired Neapolitan style pizza!

 I had one of their Chicken Tikka Wraps which came with your choice of salad which includes vegetables such as Cucumber, Lemon Juice and a choice of either Mint, Chilli Sauce or both. I had it with all the salad and Mint Sauce as I wanted to taste the Chicken more than anything therefore I thought that more spice would take away from it. The Chicken was tender and tasted exactly like lovely Chicken Tikka should do. The Salad added a fresh note against the warm Chicken and that Lemon Juice just gave it such a kick! I loved the fact that it came in a sort of Chapatti style wrap. I think that a couple of these and a beer or two would make the ideal Lunch!

Steak Out 

Meat lovers will be pleased to hear Steak Out is at Trinity Kitchen. Marinated with unique flavours and served sizzling steakhouse style on toasted brioche rolls, options range from The Texan with BBQ sauce and smoked bacon to The Eiffel with garlic mayonnaise and crispy onions.

Sadly, I really wanted to try one of Steak Out's offerings but sadly there was nobody there when I went to the vendor. I'm not sure why but I will definitely try them out when I can!

Sela Bar 

The next place on Trinity Kitchen's guest list is Sela Bar.

Local favourite Sela Bar will also be serving up their famous grilled cheese sandwiches with a range of toppings that will satisfy even the fussiest cheese fans.

Sadly, Luke is weird with Grilled Cheese's for some reason so I thought that as we're sharing then it would be best to stay away from it but they did some amazing Grilled Cheeses including one called Blue Balls which contained Meatballs and Stilton! The name is an odd one but it sounds like a pretty good combination as Cheese and Meat is always good!

Persian Kitchen: 

Persian Kitchen are arriving in Trinity Kitchen for their first residency. Get those taste buds tingling with their delicious Middle Eastern cuisine.

Again, sadly I didn't try this one but I did love the sound of an amazing stews and Middle Eastern food. If you want something to warm your insides up then I would definitely try these guys out!

Chowdown Streatery: 

Chowdown Streatery will also be joining the line-up, offering American-style street food made with locally-sourced produce. Make sure you try out their popular chilli dog and The Chowdown Burger.

I had a wonderful little chat with the owners of this vendor. We talked about all things sustainable and everything about Wales. Chowdown base all their food on being able to get their meat fresh and local to ensure that you know exactly what is going into your mouth. They also do a meal deal at £10 which is good as you're paying for quality not quantity. You can also try their Chowdown Platter which contains a little bit of everything for £10. I tried one of their Boston Burgers and I absolutely loved it! The Burger was tender and delicious and everything that was within the burget made the whole thing sing in the mouth! They also made me a special little cake which was Apple, Cinnamon and Caramel, I believe, and it was delicious! The Apple gave it texture, the Cinnamon gave it warmth and the Caramel added sweetness. I love Cinnamon so I definitely loved this!

Thai Khrim: 

Last on the Trinity Kitchen train is Thai Khrim.

Back by popular demand is Thai Khrim, whose fresh, hand-crafted Thai ice cream served with a mountain of toppings has proved such a hit that they are staying at Trinity Kitchen for the next two change-overs!

The whole process of making Ice Cream Rolls were a completely new thing for me. I decided to watch it whilst it was being made and it honestly looks like it takes many years to perfect this craft! The process included chopping a filling into the ice cream and ensuring that it was flat so it could be rolled up which included cleavers to get it fine as possible. The clanging of the cleavers sent me straight to the streets of Thailand! I had an Oreo and Hersheys Chocolate Ice Cream Rolls with Whipped Cream and a Brownie on top. The Brownie was wonderful and so was the Whipped Cream. The Ice Cream was sweet and had texture due to the Oreos but I think that due to the rolling it had made the ice cream hard which meant it took longer to eat without making an absilute mess of it. It is wonderful though and I do recommend trying them out just to watch the process of making it!

Have you been to Trinity Kitchen lately? If so then let me know what you had to eat from there and your thoughts on Trinity Kitchen! 

Thank you to the amazing staff that invited me to the Trinity Kitchen Supper Club and the wonderful vendors that were amazing when I had a chat with them and for the others that I didn't get to see as they all put in so much hard work!

I hope that you've enjoyed this food based blog post and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

This post is in collaboration with Trinity Kitchen. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own. 

Talking About The Last Few Years | Education

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! As results day was last week, I thought that it would be a good idea to talk to you guys today about my experience with the education that is available to all citizens within the United Kingdom.

A stock image from Pexels.com containing small white square Scrabble tiles spelling out the word Teach on a light wooden table with stacks of different coloured books behind it on a light background. 

Education is a weird thing in my opinion due to the fact that we go through it without any choice, we learn things that have been written into the history of mankind such as Kings and Queens, Sciences and social skills (that's just via primary education, when it comes to secondary education we're socialised to be submissive and behave like little puppets via things such as sanctions in the form of detentions) but then as soon as we've left, we forget everything that has been kept under lock and key in our minds via the summer holidays and then the cycle is repeated until instead of education, its a workplace.

I decided once that I was done with secondary education, that I would go straight into catering due to loving everything food based such as creating a dish from another chef all the way to messing about with different components to create a completely different dish for someone who has an allergy or an intolerance... I also definitely liked eating it too but who doesn't? Sadly after a while, I had to leave the kitchen due to the heat of it especially as I was having frequent anxiety attacks due to a plethora of things. Unfortantely, all of the above slowly made me lose my love of food and cooking and that is something that I'm still getting back in touch with to this day. After all the things that happened that year, I now dub it the year that I spent in the cubicles due to amount of attacks that I ended up having over everything.

After that I decided to brush up on my skills to ensure that I had everything ready for my life which I did, Within this year, I learnt quite a lot about myself and this is when the platform that I am talking to you on was created.

After that, I decided to do A Levels within Media, Film and Sociology where even though hurdles came up, I managed to jump over them. I also learnt that its good to sometimes be outspoken and sometimes be yourself. Within these two years, I learnt a plethora of things but the main thing that I have learnt is that people aren't always ignorant due to wanting to be ignorant but because society and socialisation have not taught them the information that they should know about the matter whether this be about sexuality, gender, mental health and much more.

I've jumped through many personal and unpredictable problems within the time that I have been in education but I have trumped through them all and I'm now going to University where I hope to carry on jumping through hurdles, smashing the glass ceilings of society and teaching other students about culture that they might not know of.

I hope that you've enjoyed this slightly rambly education post and I hope that you come back next time for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Why We Should Support Kesha's New Music

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! The title really says it all but I thought that today I would talk to you about Kesha's return to the music industry.

If you have been following Kesha for a while via Social Media or the News then you will know that she has been through a lot such as legal battles and eating disorders therefore to see that a new album by Kesha is coming soon is a massive ray of sunshine on the world.

Kesha has already released tracks from the upcoming album 'Rainbow' such as Praying which talks about topics such as spirituality and finding her inner strength and getting over bad people and demons within her life. Another song 'Woman' that has been released from her soon to be released album talks about being a woman and being able to do things for yourself. It also talks about not needing anyone else. These are both amazing tracks that we need within today's society.

The fact that Kesha has spoken about being an LGBT+ ally is also amazing as especially in the world of where violence just for being openly gay means that we need more people that have a mass audience to talk about the struggles for everyone and the ability to ensure that we have a less ignorant and more tolerating world.

I know that I've kept this blog post short but I completely believe that we need more female influencers/artists within the world that are for themselves as they can show the world that you can be whoever you want to be no matter your past, present or future and to be able to conquer the world however you want to. It's amazing that Kesha is showing that its good to be tolerating therefore if we support Kesha then we can show the world and ensure that more powerful artists can make the world a better place.

Click here to listen to Kesha's music via Spotify.

I shall link Kesha's latest song Hymn at the bottom of this post.

Have you listened to Kesha? Let me know down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed this music based post! I hope that you come back next time for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Hunting For That Storage | Business Storage Tips

Hey!

Welcome to another post! I thought that today I would talk to you guys about business storage tips as I know that some people nowadays have their own business and need to make the most out of their office space.

www/pexels.com

Pallet Rackings

I know that this sounds like a big word but all pallet rackings are basically a device that helps to free up space and helps to ensure that the office space can be used in the best way possible and consists of a massive rack and many big pallets/trays. The best way to think about is the storage set up at supermarkets/warehouses. For pallet racking in Derbyshire and other local areas you can check from Warehouse Storage Solutions. 

Self Storage Units

This might sound weird and a bit dodgy/unprofessional but self storage units are great for when you need to take things that are cluttering up office space and sort them out another day/give them back to whoever they belong to if they're not yours etc. I think that it's a great thing and the unit's are normally quite cheap.

Creating Stationery Pots

Stationery pots are a great way to free up space and to keep the office desks organised at these professional yet classy pots can ensure that stationery such as pens are rolling around on the table with their lids nowhere to be found and they also add a touch of elegance to the office.

Do you work in an office? Whats your tips on creating space? Let me know down below!

Thanks for reading my post and I hope that you come back for another blog post!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

This post was in collaboration with Warehouse Storage Solutions Limited. All views, opinions and ramblings are my own. 

Metamorphosis - Changing From One To The Other | Lush York Revamp Event

Hey!

Welcome to anoWether post! Lush York invited me a couple of weeks ago to the pre-launch to their revamped store so I thought that today I would talk to you guys about what went on during the night of the event.

Metamorphosis Bath Bomb 

On the day of the event, I had an exam before finding Luke at the bus stop (finding because he's normally never at the same place due to wherever the bus decides to stop) therefore I had to run down the hill and find him as soon as my exam was over. We then got the train to Leeds then the first train possible to York. The train was absolutely packed which meant I found the first two seats and sat myself and Luke down on them for the duration of the train journey.

We arrived and weirdly I didn't struggle to get out of the station like I have done many times before. We then made our way to Lush which again, I actually knew where I was going which was oretty amazing as I haven't visited York in about 12 months before this event. We arrived a tad bit too early so we decided to wander on to Starbucks to kill some time so I mainly ended up charing my phone up to ensure that I could do some social media exposure of the event.

We wondered over to the store which was about a minute away from Starbucks and introduced ourselves to a couple of other bloggers who were very friendly. We were greeted by a member of staff and offered a glass of sparkling juice and to help ourselves with nibbles.

We then roamed around and had a little look at the general layout of the store. We were then brought to silence via the staff that were looking after us and was told that we would be shown demos and would have talks about some of the products that were new to Lush.

We were then shown a demonstration of the new bath ballistic at Lush which is called Yellow Submarine which is obviously a homage to the band The Beatles but also it has been available (I think) via the Hard Days Night Spa Treatment which is again based on The Beatles and is only available at the Liverpool Spa store (I think) but this ballistic is shaped like a little Yellow Submarine with a pink tail which whizzes through your bath. This contains Brazillian Orange, Coriander Seed and Lemongrass Oils which sounds like a weird mix but due to the Brazillian Orange and Lemongrass Oils it creates a tropical scent which reminds me of Pina Colada's somehow. £3.95.

After this we had a little look at the bath bombs as a whole and the hair section as Luke has wanted to get into the hair products that Lush have to offer as he hasn't really been encapsulated within it due to the solid concept od shampoos, conditioners and hot oil treatments that Lush sell.

Once we had a quick glance, we were then called over to have a demonstration of another bath ballistic which has just arrived to all Lush stores. This is called Metamorphosis. This is a grey ball with a quirky design on the top of it. When you drop it into the water, it turns the water a sort of black/grey colour but this bomb doesn't disappoint as the bath product has different colours within therefore making the water different bright colours such as yellow and pink... (I think that Lush are loving the Yellow and Pink combo at the moment.) This product has Black Pepper and Cinnamon Leaf Oils and Myrrh Resinoid which creates a Spicy scent but all of these three actually help to calm sore muscles. £4.25

We also had a demo of the new Gourmet Soaps which are different to the other Lush soaps for many reasons but the main two are the texture and the ingredients. The texture is more squidgy compared to say Honey I Washed The Kids Soap or Karma Soap and thats because of the Oil quantity within the product and the oil being from the Slush Fund which ensures the connection between the communties that provide the Fair Trade ingredients that go into the products at Lush, Ro's Argan Soap contains Slush Fund which cintains Moroccan Slush Funded Argan Oil, Lemon, Rose and Egyptian Geranium Oils, Rose Absolute, Red and Yellow Rose Petals. These soaps cut like butter. The other Gourmet Soap is Olive Tree which contains SLush Funded Olive Oil from Palestine. Green Olives, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Cypress, Pettigrain and Rose Oils. £9/120g.

Myself and Luke looked at the new Gorilla Perfume Wall which reminds me of a massive bookcase and I absolutely love it! It means that every different scent has a perfect little section such as Sun having its own section and Karma etc. My only problem is if more Gorllla Perfume Volumes come out with more scents then where will they go? I sprayed a bit of Sun and I remembered instantly why I love this citrus based scent., I also found Kerbside Violet for Luke but I'm sure Luke can tell you why he likes that particular scent.

We then had a demonstration of Scrubee which was a part of the Mothers Day 2017 collection which is a scrub on one side and a moisturiser on the other side but sadly it contains Honey so Vegans can't use it but honestly I'm not sure if Vegans would want to use something that looks like an animal as it slowly dies from you using it... This product contains Ground Almonds and Coconut Shells to exfoliate and Shea and Cocoa Butter to nourish the skin. £6.95.

After this demo, a staff member asked if I needed any help and as I use a lot of beauty products I wanted to ensure I was using the correct things for my skin so she talked to me about my skin and brought over a cleanser and a toner to try out, The cleanser is called Angels On Bare Skin and this cleanser is the best thing for all skin types and was one of the first beauty products that Lush released (I think.) This product contains Ground Almonds and Lavender Oil. The almonds help to exfoliate and Lavender Oil is known for balancing out the sebum oils within the skin which a lack of or an excess of can produce spots and can define whether you have dry, oily, normal or combination skin. It also contains lots of other goodies to help the skin out and Eau Roma Toner Water which helps the pores and contains Rose Water to calm down and soothe skin therefore this is perfect for post shaving or for sensitive skin.

The Lush staff then called us over to try out Sleepy Body Lotion which was a massive sell out at Christmas 2016. This shares the same scent as Twilight which contains Lavender and Tonka whcih helps you to drift off into a natural sleep. I like this due to the fact that it helps you drift off but I cant use this all the time as the scent is quite strong in my opinion.

Once the demonstrations were done with, we roamed around and decided to get a few little goodies. Luke browsed and decided on a couple of Violet based products and if you want to find out what those are then you can find out on his post. I browsed the store and decided to pick up an Intergalactic bath ballistic as I love the colours of the water with this product but at the same time I love the strong scent of Mint.

We also received a goody bag which contained a Metamorphosis and a Yellow Submarine to try, a sample of Sleepy Body Lotion to use and a bottle Pan Galactic Garge Blaster Solid Mouthwash Tabs

We said bye to the staff and made our way back up to the train station and headed home.

Check out all these products and more via checking out Lush's website here.

What's your favourite Lush product? Let me know down below! 

Thank you to the amazing staff at Lush York and the PR staff at Lush HQ for inviting me to the event and for putting on an amazing night and being stars throughout the night. I hope that you have enjoyed this post and that you come back for another blog post.

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x