A Look Back at 2017

We're all seeing these Snapchat memories of our best bits of the year (although I can't find my own yet) over on our stories and it's made me think back over the past year. I started out thinking "I haven't actually done a whole pile", to know smiling to myself while I'm writing this in the corner of the room while my boyfriend and his brother begin celebrating and feeling very proud of myself and all I have accomplished throughout the year.

It started off last year pretty much how it is exactly on this New Years Eve, we were both dosed with the flu but from then on things got better and better.

One of my biggest things to get over this year was finishing my one year course in college in Monaghan. Being so far from home by myself was a challenge but I got through it to when I took this photo after coming out of my last exam.. which I passed with Distinctions.

And then drove home for four hours by myself, after passing my driving test in the same week.











From then on it was adventure after adventure...
From Sligo to Derry and Donegal, Cork, Cavan, and Monaghan in between.

One huge adventure for me was traveling to Aberdeen by myself for a college interview. This was incredibly huge for me as a nervous flyer and have never gone anywhere by myself, and what an experience it was.

There's been plenty of parties and celebrations including my boy graduating from college and celebrating Kurdish Newroz with my besties and making it to Sea Sessions Festival for a third year... 

In March we celebrated our one year together, in style <3 

We moved into our first apartment together in Letterkenny.

And to finish off the year my best friend gave me a new best friend... 

It really was one incredible year and I appreciate every step off it.

Heres to 2018 and making more dreams become reality. 

Christmas 2017

Christmas this year was a little unchristmassy as on Christmas Eve I came down ill, and I came down hard. So I spent the entire night up with my dad and brother looking after me and then sleeping all of Christmas day as the rest of my family enjoyed Christmas dinner (inserted sad violin) but hey I was well enough to get up for our usually tradition of exchanging gifts in my parents room first thing in the morning and then in the evening opening presents from other family and friends.
Plus I can't completely complain that I missed Christmas as my boyfriend and I had our own mini Christmas in our apartment before we came home to our families so I still had the whole Brussels sprouts, bucks fizz and mince pies shebang.
Christmas for me is all about spoiling my family and we had the best time beforehand going around lots of shops searching for the perfect thing to sit back and smirk at while they open (we all do it right?). So as well as giving gifts, I received some amazing ones and would love to share them because they are so cute and I mean who doesn't love a little nosey at birthday/Christmas hauls.



My boyfriend completely blew me away with his thoughtful gifts this year (soppy ew!). I mean this is the guy who got me a calendar for my 21st birthday (WE SHALL NEVER FORGET!) so when I saw how much thought he actually put into picking out these little bits made me cry, I kid you not the dog book made me snot cry. 

There aren't enough words for this beautiful Harry Potter charm bracelet, little insight it has spells written on the charms for that extra magic. This GORGEOUS diary is almost too beautiful to use, he knew I would love the old style bohemian cover (he also told me it took him a good 10 minutes to pick which one to get). This little dog book is the one thing I lost my head over, now it may sound crazy but I'm a total dog mom and  this is basically a baby book for your dog where you can write all about him and his favorite things, memories, stick photos and there are even recipes for dog treats and a vaccination and health record part, it is  just incredible to have a little book to keep all the deets of my boy in one place to treasure forever.  Lastly but never leastly is this adorable travel fund money box, it's so simple but SO cute. We've been talking about traveling for over a year and we will do it now with this. 

My brother is insane with presents like he always goes OTT and he really did again this year with EVERYTHING being Harry Potter I mean even down to the adorable tea towels. Also, a little hard to see, are two notebooks, a picture frame, bauble, light, socks and hanging decoration. His girlfriend who is practically my sister-in-law got me the amazing Hogwarts pajama set which even includes an eye mask which I badly need (Rich being a night owl has all the lights on when I'm trying to sleep). All of these are from Penny's/Primark's incredible HP range that is so so magical, just look at the detail on the pajama set box. 

A gift for both Rich and I are these super cool Boss Man and Boss Lady mugs from his mum,  perfect for our new home. 

From friends, I got this adorable rose room fragrance, an amazing necklace that actually looks like my dog and a lovely little bath set. 

Also from Santa, I got this brilliant toothbrush set, which anyone who travels will understand, your forever needing to buy new toothbrushes because you leave yours in the last place you stayed, this way I have one for each place. 

Lastly, is it really Christmas if you don't get lots of chocolates? 

All in all, I had a lovely Christmas with family, I hope you all had a brilliant one and an adventurous New Year <3 

Home 'Warming' Gifts

My Mum takes things literally. 

I recently came home from town to find this gift bag (not actual Gosh products) in my room (clearly from my mum). Inside was exactly what I have been looking for, large long lasting candles and scented melts, along with some incense.  Nothing feels more like home for me than relaxing with the lights off and scented candles or incense lit. Scented melts are a new thing I found after been giving a candle diffuser and finding out that these little-scented wax melts on top and fills the room with aroma.... Not just putting some essential oil on top and it burning. 

 The scented candles I was given are lavender and apple (very different), the melts are Tropical Retreat (kinda like soap) and incense are Sandalwood scented (warmly scented).

When we actually moved into our new apartment my mum hid a parcel and texted me later where to find it, and this is what I found. 

Again some more candles but again what I needed as I've loads of tea light holders but no candles to put in them at the minute. She also gave me another candle holder but this one is quite large so can possible fit some of the pillar candles from above in them. On it the quote says ' I love my home'. She also made these little name plaques which I hung in our bedroom... because Rich wouldn't let me hang them on the front door because 'its embarrassing'. 

Richards mum also gave us a gift of a huge mint plant which I asked her for as since meeting him I learned how they use fresh mint leaves in tea and its divine (and so healthy).  Also, she gave us a new jar of her delicious homemade jam which she wrapped up so nicely in this gorgeous jar. I love homemade and natural foods and that's one thing I really love about Rich's culture, they home grow a lot of products and then make them into many things.  

Lastly, but not least, From a good friend of my mums are this beautiful gifts. This kind lady had only met me once and gifted these amazing little pieces. A gorgeous elephant (my favourite animal how did she know) necklace, a beautiful Buddha with amazingly vibrant colours for good luck in our new home and some warmly scented incense. 

I can't wait to find more melts in different scents, lit up my candles and sit back and relax with some mint tea and jammy toast... before the pressure of college begins. 

Magical 22nd Birthday Gifts

Starting off  I'm not one of those people that brags I merely love the gifts I was given and love to share them as gift ideas for others and for myself to look back on.

Also, I'm not a super crazy Harry Potter fan I've always loved it, it's just the merch lately has been INSANE (thank you Primark) just don't judge okay, my family think I have some kind of HP obsession... 

maybe I secretly do. 

First up from my brother's girlfriend (practically my sister-in-law, its been 8 years) these amazingly cosy fluffy pyjamas, a gorgeous woolly hat and huge snuggly plaid scarf... well set for a warm winter. 

My brother always gets the most amazing gifts and always out dos it on the HP things. I mean look how he wrapped the music box in a package with a stamp like Hogwarts. 

Getting to the music box, how INSANE is this <3 <3 I had seen one on an advertisement on Instagram never thinking you could buy it then I open it up and find this beauty. I'll admit I have sat cross-legged in a corner just playing this over and over very creepily but its just so cute. 

These incredibly cute notebooks are so adorable and the detail on them is amazing even inside the covers are illustrated. 

Along with the notebooks from Primark, there are also these coasters with are you guessed it INCREDIBLE. I actually wanted these for our new house but have never seen them in stores in our area so am so over the moon that I can now decorate the table. 

Lastly from my brother is this adorable HP blanket which  I can not tell you how soft it is. Any bedding from Primark is always incredibly soft I don't know how they do it but this one is the coziest and the best way I can describe it is a soft bear. 

My boyfriend went all out this year (with some hints from me) and got me the cutest things. We'll pretend we didn't eat that huge box of Maltesers in one night. 

One I actually had not seen before was this amazing pack of 26 reusable gadget stickers which are so cute and really well detailed. 

These insanely incredible HP pieces have to be my favorite the signs are that little touch of Hogsmeade in your home and the journal is so beautiful I am keeping it for some special occasion to write about in. 

Lastly from my boyfriend is a candle for a replacement that he broke/blew up and this super cute chill pill bath bomb that  I saw and now we have a new bath thought it was so cool. 

From my parents I actually got another of the same HP blankets but their so cozy and unique its good to have two and plus I can have one at home home and one in our apartment. They also gave me this incredibly cute Gryffindor tote bag perfect for shopping which is actually full of shopping already in this photo its the cutest. 

I was so lucky with my incredible gifts this year from my loved ones. How amazing is the Harry Potter range in Pennys/Primark though?