Backpacking Adventures

Again I've been M.I.A for a looooooong time (10 months, holy cow new record), but there's been something that's made me want to get back into blogging and that was our travel plans. We spent two years talking about traveling and finally as our apartment lease was coming to an end and we had no more ties at home we made the decision to just go for it and jump for the experience. Now, looking back, as I write looking out over the gardens of a  French Chateau (no biggy), I can't believe we were so scared and put it off for so long. I really don't know where to start in how to catch up on what has happened but I guess somewhere towards the beginning is a good start.
For the last month and a half, my boyfriend and I have been backpacking in France using HelpX, a website that allows you to exchange work for free accommodation and food ( basically broke travelers gold mind). We are now at our second location and in a few days moving on to our third location, this time in Germany. There has been many, many experiences and adventures in the first month, it may take me another 10 months just to talk about them but I'll try to narrow them down...

 We made our first flight together successfully and then as we tried to follow our hosts directions, we got on the first tram we saw and never even thought about checking where it was going or where we had to go and we couldn't ask anyone because we don't speak any french, but hey it actually worked and we managed to find our way correctly. Our first location was i.n.c.r.e.d.i.b.l.e (I will do a separate post on it) and we were so lucky to have it as our first experience. The people we met, the places we got to go and the care we were given will never be forgotten and only now looking back do we appreciate it all.

Our second location was a little, em, basic. We were way too spoilt in the first place so I didn't take too well to all seven helpers being housed in a separate building from the main chateau, where we did have our own dirty rooms, but Rich and I had separate broken beds, we never met our actual host until the third day and literally everything was broken. But now that we are here our third week I have relaxed and gotten used to all the massive bugs, broken shared shower, unclean laundry and being pretty much dirty and stinky the majority of the time. I mean this is real backpacking and what you would expect in a hostel.

Our whole idea of traveling was to get experiences in any way we could.

•  I've danced with professional Argentian dancers in a park, 
• had a 5-course meal with part-owners of Morgans cars,
• been shown around by a local French guy who we had met at a festival and said he would take us to his favorite sights, 
• fell off my bike into a huge nettle bush and cried for about six hours, 
• had a bonfire in rural France with an Italian woman, a German man and an awesome girl from New York, 
• and lastly enjoyed every second. 

We have the next two locations planned out and know where we are going up until the new year, but between now and then (and after) is anyone's guess as to what will happen.

Bullet Journal: Next 4 Pages

My Bullet Journal journey continues...

I'm a complete numpty at saying "oh yeah, sometime" or letting things and opportunities constantly pass me by.  This page is dedicated to me stopping that and starting to say yes. It could be simple little things as going for coffee with a friend, to new events to push myself to get out there more.  Everything that pops up lately I'm going to add to this page and use it as encouragement to tick off.

Another day, another bucket list.

This one is dedicated to our new area, after moving. Donegal is famous for lots of things, one of those being the scenic views which I tried to tie in with the design for the bubble in the middle of the page. 

We're in a totally new area and that means lots of things to tick off while we're here from little things like trying the local drink (what even is Football Special) to climbing the biggest mountain in the area.

This page, I absolutely love after spotting similar posts on Pinterest. My old school dodgy tvs are where I keep track of the series I'm currently watching and what episodes I'm on. Simple yet very effective. 

One of my favorite pages is my read tracker. I've set a goal for the year to read a minimum 20 books to get back into my passion and I love the idea of keeping the name and author of the book to look back on and even re-read. I added in little book quotes on the open book page such as the classic Dr.Seus 'you can find magic wherever you look, sit back and relax all you need is a book'.

I'll be honest I haven't had a lot of time to be creative and add new pages lately, starting new classes and lots of assignments on day one its been very hectic but hopefully, when I settle down I'll get back to my perfectly organized colored pens. 

Primark & Essence Bargain Beauty

 A little while ago I picked up some new basic makeup as the pieces I've been using I've had for months (bad, very bad). I'll be fully honest here the reason I am so excited for this post is because of the beautiful purple roses that made my shots look professional. I always stick with the same brands, colors and pieces so I went straight for Primark/Penny's to their Essence stand to find my usual, and was surprised with my results.

As I said I always go for the same Essence pieces and that includes my mascara, although this time I went for one a bit different and boy am I glad I did. Eyes are my main focus when I do my makeup, I want them to pop and be the focal point. With this mascara they certainly are. I love a good dark lash and this mascara offers a vibrant black and even curls and gives an extension of the lashes.
Roughly €3.50

This one, I always go for the same, although I went slightly lighter this time. Roughly €4.50 I can't quite remember although I think it may have been cheaper. I live for soft touch mousse it was actually one of my first ever makeup pieces as my mum used it and I followed suit. I usually apply foundation first and then a light layer of the mouse to give a complete flawless soft coverage. If you've never tried mouse I can't recommend it enough as it really lives up to it. There are higher priced alternatives available but I find Essence and incredible quality and affordable brand, plus they're cruelty-free.

Lastly, I picked up this new foundation, stepping out of my comfort zone to try a new brand which was the Primark/Penny's P.S for just €3.50. I can not shout from the rooftops enough how AMAZING this smells, I mean smell is just as an important factor as everything else, it is truly beautiful. I barely use as much as I would normally as a tiny amount goes a long way with fantastic coverage and another amazing thing is the lasting effect, it lasts an entire night out (and even through to the next day, but we don't fall asleep with makeup on, and pizza in our hands) without any need for finishing spray which I would normally use. 

I'm a proud bargain beauty user, are there any bargain brands that you use without fail?