What a year you've been, 2017.

2017... Where do I begin? 

Thank you. Thank you for being challenging to say the least. Throughout I have had good moments and not so good moments but let's just focus on what truly matters. So at beginning of the year, I set myself some resolutions and for once, stuck to them. Not going into detail every single thing I have achieved or what has challenged me so I'll just list a few. 

I Graduated from the University of Lincoln with a BA Honours Degree in Film & Television. It was a great opportunity to have, to walk across the stage within the most beautiful Cathedral, ever. I can say I finally have my degree & my best friend, alongside my family were there to witness it. Forever thankful. 

I met my other half and ever since we went on our first date, we have been together. 10 months down the line and we are about to move in together in our first flat! So exciting yet so scary!! 

If you told me at the start of 2017 I would be moving in with someone I'm madly in love with, I'd have laughed in your face. Look at us now, January 2018 we will be seeing each other every day (help) haha. 

First tattoo actually happened. I kid you not, I barely even flinched. I think this was mentioned in my March favourites but it's a fantastic memory to look back on due to the fact, I had broken ribs at the time and it was so spontaneous. "Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase" if you sang that, I'm proud.

I left a job that was destroying me as a person, literally. I didn't recognise who I became as I dedicated the best part of 16 months of my life to serve the community whilst being slammed to the ground. Let's just say, leaving was the best thing I ever did. Finally have my life back and definitely much happier, healthier and more relaxed.

Had my surgery and battled a tough recovery. As hard as it was, it has made me stronger for the better. I see it as an opportunity to keep myself healthy while still recovering and not to fall downstairs into a brick wall again hahaha! But no, the whole experience was definitely eye-opening and I'm ever so thankful to have gone through what I did.

Achieved amazing things. Such as taking part in a relay drive for Children in Need again for the second time. Although I didn't drive the relay, I drove home and had so much fun in doing so. On roads I've never been on the challenge was gratefully accepted and achieved. I am due to pass on 18th January 2018 after a previous cancellation (due to poor weather) and let's hope I nail it!

All in all, 2017 has encountered so many good memories I will cherish forever. Although going through harder times made me want to give up, I kept going and I'm glad because tonight is all about putting the difficult times to bed, embracing the amazing moments and looking forward to the future. 2017... again, thank you for being a whirlwind of good and bad, I've achieved more than I expected. 7/10 resolutions to be exact which is fine by me. Here's to 2018, let's make more incredible memories and kick ass!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! <3

Thanks for reading!

Find me here: 

Instagram: @jaydeekelly 

Twitter: @crashl0nelystar 

xo

Thor: Ragnarok Review/Fangirling moment | 2017

Photo credit: google.com

I haven't done a Film review in about a year or so & I've been itching to do this for a while now but rarely ever go to the cinema anymore as I'm always busy with work. Lame excuse, yes, but when I managed to go, Thor: Ragnarok was on and it did not disappoint.

Marvel films are literally the best, I mean Stan Lee is the ultimate hero for giving us these amazing comics and letting people lose themselves in the illusion of superheroes kicking ass. Films like these are the reason I studied FTV (film and television) at University. The people who make these films possible, make me jealous... extremely jealous as I'd love to be able to direct a superhero movie, or just be behind the scenes, I mean, how cool would that be?

*SPOILER ALERT*

Thor is imprisoned on a different side of the universe, fighting against time to get back to Asgard to defeat his new foe, The Ruthless Hela, in order to stop Ragnarok which would see the end of his homeworld. Taking Loki under his wing after learning he isn't dead, they team up with a familiar ally who he has to defeat to gain his trust once more. Along the way, Thor becomes 'pals' with Korg and Meek, a beloved duo within the plot. All coming together as one to allow the storyline to unfold.

My main focus was on the story, the cheesy one-liners and the AWESOME costume designs, CGI, and all the immense camera work. Suppose you can say I was in my element, film degree is handy for something. I cannot praise the development process, the actors/actresses, directors/producers and all the team behinds the scenes, enough for all the time and effort that has gone behind this film. Such dedication to keeping the iconic Superhero stereotype and genre more alive than ever. The entire film as a whole did not disappoint, going to watch it I had quite low expectations and didn't think it would be that great... how wrong I was. The camera work and each angle just fit, there were a few things I would have done different but that's what makes peoples style of the film so unique. However, you could tell how much passion had been put into every element of the film. From camera work to costumes, to the scripts being on point, actors looking so amazing and just wow. Am I fangirling? not sorry!

I'm babbling and this probably doesn't make a single bit of sense, but oh well. Can we just appreciate how beautiful Chris Hemsworth is though? I mean come on we are all thinking it. I cannot get my head around him not playing Thor... Physically can't visualise anyone else in that role. He fulfills his character so well and even his cheesy jokes just have me in stitches. The transition of his appearance within this film, well, I had to double take a few times and more or less became hypnotised by his hot-I mean nice looking face (nice save right? haha). Jokes aside, the fact the directors/writers or whoever made the decision to have Thor with short hair just made him more dreamy.

Mark Ruffalo, legendary actor to say the least. I've followed his films since I was younger and never fails to amaze me. Playing Hulk, just makes me love him more. Although his character is a crazy green wild child in a giants body, he's literally the ideal match I reckon. Can't praise him enough as his acting is flawless. I rarely ever say that about actors so when it's said, that's how you know it's won me over.
There are so many characters to sing praises for but I won't continue to do so as I will just be typing until next December haha. Although one of my new favourites is indeed "Korg" who's played by Taika Waititi who also directed the film, HOW INSANE is that?! Jealously level has just increased for sure. But no, Korg is probably the funniest and cutest on-screen personality with his partner in crime Meek, watch the film to see why.

This has been no means a review... it's been a post of me fangirling, again. Can't be helped though, so go watch this film. It's SOOOOO good. Maybe I should promote films for a living? mind that I'd be a crap promoter hahaha!

Thanks for reading!

Find me here: 

Instagram: @jaydeekelly 

Twitter: @crashl0nelystar 

xo

5 ways to overcome a tough day

Photo Credit: Jaydee Kelly (me)

What do you consider a hard day? How do you unwind?

These are the questions I ask myself when I have had an unsettling day. Whether that's at work, shopping or spending the day at home. A hard day can also just be suffering from mental health which happened to me quite a lot in the last couple of months. 

1. Step away from social media

Whether you're watching Snapchat stories, reading on Twitter/Facebook or scrolling endlessly on Instagram, put your phone down and step away from any aspect of social media. I recently found myself on social media after a hard day and all I did was tear myself apart, comparing my "crap" life to other people's and to be honest, it's just not worth it. Nobodies life is perfect and social media is a false representation of what people live like. So step back, put your phone or laptop away and find other ways to focus your mind. 

2. Listen to your favourite music 

A song that has really helped make a hard day more bearable is Move you by Kelly Clarkson as the lyrics are just... comforting. As sad as the song is when you're singing you just forget everything. This song has helped me recently through the transition of leaving a job which destroyed me as a person, took away the excitement from my life and just drained me mentally. My boyfriend introduced me to this song & now I am obsessed. Highly recommend it to anyone who is finding it difficult to unwind after a tough day.

3. Read a book 

The best books to read are the ones you can get lost in, those that leave you in awe. I am a HUGE Nicholas Sparks fan and his writing just makes me feel so happy especially dealing with a difficult day. One of my all-time favourites is "A walk to remember" - read it and you'll see why :) 

4. Take a very long shower/bath

Washing the stress you feel away is the best feeling in the world. Spend those extra 10 minutes washing your hair, or singing so badly your housemates/neighbours bang on the walls to shout "shut up" to you, give yourself a nice soak in the bath and throw as many bath bombs in as you can. Just have that time to bring yourself back to normality and relax. 

5. Write it all down 

If you have a journal, great... write in it. Or if you have a blog, then write it down. Personally, I put all my stresses into scriptwriting. I turn my "hard day" into a story and expand on it for the characters I have created. I explore my creative side and use it to my advantage to make myself feel better & to dramatise some plots for my scripts. It's definitely a good way to focus your mind creatively and to spend time doing something you love. 

Thanks for reading!

Find me here: 

Instagram: @jaydeekelly 

Twitter: @crashl0nelystar 

xo

Strawberry Shower Gel | The Body Shop Review

Photo credit: Jaydee Kelly (me)

The Body Shop is one of my favourite shops, ever. Recently I was in here with my boyfriends mum when we saw the Strawberry shower gel. The best products for me personally, is the strawberry range, it smells so nice & well, who doesn't want to smell like a juicy strawberry? 

I have never used this product before, hence the title... so let's get reviewing. Although, reviewing things isn't my strongest point, oh well, here goes. 

Anything fruity, chocolatey or something that just signifies freshness is what has my vote. I'm easy to buy for when it comes to shower/bath toiletries, most of the time. Usually, I just use what I'm used to which is Soap and Glory but it's nice to branch out your comfort zone here and there to find what works for your skin type. Pushing the scent to the side, what's in the products is also a high factor as having skin that is more temperamental than you on a monthly period, is hard to keep up with occasionally. I wish that was a joke but unfortunately, it's the truth. I make sure the ingredients are suitable for my skin as it's important to know whats flowing over your body... or is it just me? ha, anyways. It is weird, yes, BUT if it's going to help nourish and aid your skin helping it look great then why not check on these types of things? :) Soap-free products, like this shower gel, are like heaven for my skin. Keeping it as PG as I can without sounding like a creep, if my skin could you know, scream with pure joy... it would! hahaha.

A few questions to answer: 

Is it tested on animals? 
No. I know most products for different brands are, which is sad really and these days its unavoidable to get products without them being tested in that manner, but the body shop are strict on what they test their products on, which makes my love for them a lot stronger. Visit TheBodyshop.com to read their "Against animal testing" campaign page :)

Does it aid your skin?
Yes. Well, it does with mine... it has, in fact, helped my skin stay clear and soft every time I use it, accompanied by my moisturiser (any moisturiser is ideal). It cleanses the skin leaving it feeling so so soft! I like how it's soap-free as soap does irritate my skin if used too much, I found this out the hard way and have never looked back since!

Would I recommend this product?
Of course. I would recommend anyone looking for a skincare product to go to The Body Shop. They have a range of products that are good for all different skin types. I have dry skin & eczema so it's hard to find a good product which I am not used to that will aid my skin, but since using this product there have been fewer irritations.

Is this post sponsored?
I wish... but no it's not :)

Since using this shower gel, I have noticed a HUGE difference in my skin. It's been a lot more manageable and the bumps I had on my arms are more or less fading. It's helped my eczema as well, which I am so pleased about as most products help it then all hell breaks loose, but this time around that problem hasn't occurred just yet *touch wood*. I'd like to try a few more scented body butter/gels from The Body Shop in the near future. If you have any to recommend feel free to leave me a comment below :)

Thanks for reading!

Find me here: 

Instagram: @jaydeekelly 

Twitter: @crashl0nelystar 

xo

Life Update | Post-surgery & New Beginnings

Let's get real... The past month has been, exhausting, to say the least. I knew surgery would drain me, just didn't cross my mind with how much. Quick story short...

September 2015 - I fell downstairs at University (completely sober) and more or less face-planted the brick wall at the bottom of the stairs. I went to the hospital a few days after and they booked me in for a manipulation. I genuinely thought nothing of it... one way to go into the final year, right? Anyways, long story short, the manipulation was a waste of time for both me and my doctor back then. 

This year (2017) I began to go downhill... next thing I know I'm being told I need septoplasty surgery to straighten the wall within my nose, as my breathing was very restricted. 6 weeks ago I had my surgery, now I feel so much better being able to have my breathing back to normal. I have my check up on the 31st October, so hopefully, I get the all clear from my surgeon!! (another update to follow)
See below for the aftermath photo's ha... not much to see but funny to look back on.

A week or so during recovery, my body took a turn for hell... literally. One night I was fine, eating and drinking with no issues. Next day, I woke up finding myself running for the toilet to be sick. In that moment you think it must have been something you ate... wrong. 6 hours later after being unwell, over my temperature and still being sick, I was rushed to the hospital.
They say that if you gain a fever fresh after surgery to go in and be assessed. First, they thought it was my appendix (it wasn't) but it was a 50/50 chance. 5 days went by, being restricted to a hospital bed/ward, I was slowly going insane. The end diagnosis was Mesenteric Adenitis which is more common in children than adults. This means your lymph nodes around your tummy are inflamed and can cause a lot of pain. Which it did. I went from not eating waiting for scans etc, to eating and being sick more... my body has definitely turned against me lol. I also had to have several cannulas put in my hands/arms which has damaged my blood donor arm, very upsetting as I was due to give blood again on 19th Nov.17

A few weeks on, I'm still in recovery and unfortunately not getting as much rest as I should be getting due to working so much, which fits with my next update.

After a year and a half working as a care assistant, I am finally moving up in the world and leaving my full-time job, moving onto better things. Although it's a very sad time leaving behind the amazing clients I have bonded with, I am ready for the next adventure. I have been working two jobs since July 2017 and it is exhausting. I will have more time for my blog and to spend time with family and friends instead of saying the words "I'm working", it'll be nice to just have free time.
After leaving my job, I will be moving to the city of Sheffield too. Hopefully, I'll be going back to University in 2018, but also because of my job, partner and some of my friends are there. I'll finally be able to have my own place & not have the worries of a shared house again. The only good shared accommodation is at Uni, but even then it can get chaotic.

Thanks for reading!

Find me here: 

Instagram: @jaydeekelly 

Twitter: @crashl0nelystar 

xo