You may know by now that I’m a huge Disney fan – especially when it comes to the Disney parks. I was lucky enough to visit Disneyland California in 2017, and Disneyland Paris the year before. However, it’s been four long years since I last visited Disney World, and I’ve had serious withdrawals.
I had some money saved up to move out with, but as my plan kind of fell through I decided to take full advantage of my early twenties to be a bit reckless and go to Disney World instead!
I was recently flicking through Wag, Dogs Trust’s fantastic quarterly? magazine, I saw a DIY that seemed perfect for my dog Fidget – a make at home snuffle mat.
Snuffle mats are great for fast eaters or for dogs who need mental stimulation – by hiding treats or kibble in the mat’s fabric, your pet has to work double time for their food! Fidget’s beagle nose comes in handy for this game but my sister’s Labrador loves his mat, too.
For this DIY you will need:
If you read my latest blog post, you’ll know that 2017 wasn’t my greatest year. It was definitely filled with great moments but a lot of the time I felt like I wasn’t moving forward in life or, even worse, I was going backwards. 2017 was very much about just getting by and making the most of some hard situations, but I’m really hoping to change this in 2018. I want to set myself goals that will improve my life and my happiness, and so I thought I’d list them below to set them in stone.
2016 was a huge year for me – I graduated from university, got my first full time job and moved into my own flat. I had two amazing holidays and was bridesmaid at my cousin’s wedding. There really weren’t many downs and I entered 2017 happy and with high hopes for the year ahead.
I think because of the success of 2016, 2017 had a lot to live up to and felt quite stagnated, or like I was going backwards. Unfortunately in January my work life changed quite dramatically which led to me leaving my company and finding a new role back in Teesside. Because of this I moved back home to save money and time commuting. Although the job change has helped my career, moving back home feels like the polar opposite to the moves I made in 2016.
It’s easy to reflect on the things that went wrong, but I’d quite like to look back on the good bits 2017 brought, as there certainly were a few.
After a few stressful weeks at work, my sister and I decided to treat ourselves to a relaxing day at the spa. We chose House of Savannah in Newcastle, which is situated just outside of Old Eldon Square. I’ve previously visited this spa for a manicure with gel nails, as well as a blow dry in the salon, but have never been inside the spa or had any treatments. We booked a spa ritual, which was one hour private use of the spa and then one hour of treatments, as well as another blow dry and head massage.
Owning a dog is great – you have a tiny friend who is always excited to see you and is always up for a cuddle. But fellow dog owners will know it’s not always easy – below are thirteen issues dog owners face.
This weekend I visited some family in Widnes and had a great time with lots of food and drink involved, of course. After an amazing brunch at Harefield Farm, we headed to one of my favourite nearby spots – the Dog Barn.
Before I went to Disneyland Paris in September 2016, I was on the hunt for a pair of Mickey ears. The accessories are quintessentially Disney and no true fan would be caught dead in a park without wearing them (ok, maybe a tad extreme – but they’re very cute). While the designs of the official Disney ears are beautiful, they can be on the pricey side and they can hurt your head after wearing them for a while as they’re typically created for children.
There are some amazing varieties on Etsy and I was blown away by the creativity of some of the sellers. However, a lot of the ones I liked came from America and so I knew I’d be hit with a high shipping charge and potentially customs charges, too. I decided to create my own and loved the results. I even had people coming up to me in the parks asking which Disney store I’d bought them from as they wanted a pair for themselves!
These ears are simple to make and so I thought I’d share a tutorial so that you too can be the envy of all other Disney goers!
I’m back with another recipe post, and this could be my favourite one to date. I first tried this Chocolate Orange Fudge at work, as my friend made it as her Secret Santa gift to another colleague, who kindly passed it around the office. As soon as I tasted it I needed to know the recipe, which she kindly shared. I made this for the family at Christmas and it went down a treat.
There are so many things I love about Disney vacations – the food, the hotels, the parks, meeting the characters, watching the shows and parades… I could go on. But one thing I’ve always loved is the merchandise. I think my favourite place in the world is the World of Disney store in Disney Springs and every time I go to a Disney park I spend far too much money. I was excited to see the merchandise that Disneyland California had to offer, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed.
Lauren's Lifestyle NE 