Little Geordie Lass

People around me all know that I love a challenge and that I love setting new goals to keep me motivated for the future. Moving to a new city where I knew little to no people was going to be tough so I knew I needed something to help fill the void to keep me focused. So I took to my bucket list and figured it was about time I ticked something off the list. Little did I know that it would be to complete the Great North Run, one of the worlds biggest half marathons! When I told everyone I know they all laughed, responding "Elisa, you can't even run for 2 minutes without getting tired!" So here I am, 6 months later after completing the run and I wanted to share with you how I went from novice runner to finishing the Great North Run in 2hrs 40minutes. Grab a cuppa, It's going to be a long one...

It's been a while... I feel like I kind of told everyone I was moving, got engaged and then never gave a proper update on life. I have now been, what I call, "proper adulting" for 6 months now, passed my probation at work so now which I am buzzing about, have my own place, trying new hobbies, meeting new people, surviving on my own and have my independence. But there is still something missing... My other half who lives 200 miles away. I don't like to mention him too much on here as this is my blog and it's not his place to be broadcast online, however it would be wrong of me not to address our current situation. If this blog post can help one other person in a similar position then I think I've done my job.

The title speaks volumes to be honest... However, my blog wouldn't be right if I didn't do a full anecdotal post about my engagement and the proposal. March for me has been a bit of a rocky month as my Grandad sadly passed away and trying to get to grips with my new job and living in a new city on my own has been a bit stressful, this is as well as not seeing my boyfriend- sorry, now fiancé- for 6 weeks due to the Beast from the East. But with a trip to Venice planned to celebrate our 5 year anniversary and a surprise proposal, I can honestly say I am over the moon with happiness and I am so excited to prepare to take the next steps in our lives together...

Call the police! I think I have found my new "every day foundation". Well, not necessarily a foundation, it is marketed as a skin tint which implies that it would be something similar to a tinted moisturiser or a BB cream which is fair enough, and something that I have been looking for. Intending to walk into Space NK to test and possibly purchase Nars' new Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, I ended up walking out with their Velvet Matte Skin Tint- quite the contrast considering one is a full coverage, long wear foundation and the other is something of a lighter coverage. Let me explain further...

Don't panic! I will still be here, however I will not be blogging from my lovely home in Newcastle... Let me explain...

If you have seen my Instagram lately, you will know that I have recently returned from a last-minute holiday to Egypt. Picture this: 23rd December working a 12hr shift during panto-season, have just cleaned up sick rolling down the wheelchair ramp and you get a text from your better half; a screen shot of an all-inclusive deal to Hurghada in Egypt for the start of 2018. "Book it" was my response, and half an hour later I had the confirmation. This was exactly what we both needed to recharge our batteries and spend some time together before we begin our first year uni-free. And, boy, was it a treat!

It is no secret that cardio is not my fave. I will do whatever I can to try and avoid feeling breathless at the gym, however if goals are fat loss- needs must. So if I have to do it, I try and do it in a class so I have that slight bit motivation. Or I try and get it over and done with as fast as I can. Today was one of those days. I was in a rush but I wanted to get a workout in and burn off all the Christmas food (particularly the amount of cheese I ate...) so I started off the new year right (lies) and I did a full High Intensity Interval Training workout in the space of 15 minutes, it only involved 6 movements and includes rest time but is enough to get your heart racing...

Happy New Year! 2017 was a year where I did some pretty awesome things; I graduated my MA with distinction, I was part of a team which raised £60k for charity, I got to do more travelling this year. However this year has also come with a lot of self-reflection and a lot of wake up calls. I am going into 2018 feeling lost in the world of work; with no more education to turn to and trying to find my place in society to earn a living. It's stressful and is tough, however, temporary as I am keeping positive and something will come my way! 2017 has been great for self-reflection and really focusing on myself, what I want and what I enjoy. Anyways, enough self-reflection for now! I wanted to kick start 2018 off by sharing with you some of my favourite things that are coming into the new year with me that I have been loving, will continue to use and recommend to you guys!

One of my favourite memories of my childhood was playing 'Narrator Number 3' in my middle school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. So when I saw that the production was coming to Metro Radio Arena this Christmas, I couldn't say no to reliving my youth.

One of my favourite things to do when I have a lazy day doing the odd jobs where I don't feel like wearing too much makeup is to have a very simple routine. Concealer, powder, bronzer, brows, mascara and lippy. That's all I need. I have my staple make up items, however the one thing that I do like to change up and have variety to is my lip colour. Although I want to wear a minimal look, the lip colour changes on my mood, what I am wearing that day, how much moisture my lips need etc. I have chosen 5 of my favourite affordable lipsticks (which I prefer over the liquid lipstick hype as it is less maitancence and looks more natural than a full-on matte lip), which I think are perfect for just throwing on for a minimal makeup look.

No, this isn't deja vu. I got to witness the presence of Queen and Adam Lambert once again after seeing them for the first time around 2 years ago  (see my review of their last show here). I will not beat around the bush, there were some similarities to the last time I saw them on tour, however there were a lot of things that were very different which divided my opinion on if I thought that this was better or not. Luckily, this time I was seated so I had a full view of the stage (short people problems at standing concerts) so I felt like I had a more fulfilling experience which will give me a much more rounded review of their performance at Metro Radio Arena on the 1st December 2017.

With Christmas just around the corner, less than a month now, it is time for us to start thinking about buying gifts for family, friends and maybe that unwanted person. Now I say that with the assumption that many people who read my blog work or have a circle of friends where they feel obligated to buy presents for people that they don't really want to buy for. Or I may just be completely absurd and you are super excited about gift giving. Nevertheless, when it comes to Christmas, the older we get the more we think about saving money. And that's where Secret Santa comes into play for a lot of people. Everyone who does Secret Santa develops their own rules; this can be in regards to spending limit, silly or serious gifts and so on. But I hope to help those out who may be reading this thinking' what the hell do I get Maggie from Marketing who I only ever see in the break room?'. Or even if you are struggling for friends and want some ideas on present ideas or where to sho...

Let's get real... Cardiovascular exercise can be a bit of a bitch. I HATED cardio. For a very long time, I found it really boring and repetitive which really made me lack motivation to go to the gym. It can be very demoralising knowing that you have basically move more to burn more fat, and the thought of being on a treadmill or a bike for ages just makes you want to rip your hair out. But it doesn't have to be like that. I am going to share the ways in which I incorporate cardio into my fitness routine without it being mind-numbingly boring and are quick and (sometimes) fun.

Rewind back to my 16 year old self who had just started sixth-form and had asked her mam to try and get her and her friends tickets for her favourite band and imagine the heartbreak of failing to get them. Fast forward to the 10th November 2017 and that same girl has just come home from seeing said band after waiting to see them for so long. Elated. That is probably the best word I can use to describe my experience of seeing The Killers live in my home city.

When I started my fitness journey, I didn't have a clue! I had never stepped foot into a gym in my life which is why I decided to begin getting fit by going to gym classes as I didn't know what to do in the gym on my own. My motivation is when I am in classes as I am very competitive, I always want to be the best in my classes and do better than the people around me. That may sound quite conceited, however it is definitely what motivates me and many others. However, on thing I have become quite observant about is that people would rather do classes because they have no idea where to begin when it comes to planning a workout on the gym floor. This can be from how to use machines, the difference between reps and sets, what weights to life, how to not get bored, what exercises are good for different muscles, and so on. This is something I wanted to learn more about and wanted to get into, there were some times where classes didn't fit in with my personal schedule so doing my o...

One of the things I get complimented on a lot is my nails. It's always "ooh, I like your nails" whether I am wearing a neutral nail varnish or have gone all out wearing something brighter. I always respond with a "thank you" before following up with a "they're real, you know". That is when they are really impressed. And when I say 'they' I am referring to lots of people, from my friends to a waitress at a restaurant, a cashier in Primark, on one occasion even a drag queen responded by exclaiming that my nails were "#goalz"... on to a winner there, aren't I!

It has been a while people... The fact that my last blog post was in June speaks volumes. Well, since June I have been doing what some people describe as a 'living hell'... The Dissertation. For those who don't know, I have spent the last year doing my Masters at uni, and due to it being a 12 month course, while all my friends have been enjoying their Summer off I spent mine doing my 15,000 word dissertation. I celebrated hard though; the hand in date was the day before my birthday, I did a 4 day bender, was kept busy by a trip to Southampton, did some stage management work experience and enjoyed my final Freshers' Week. And then it all stopped...

As you are reading this I will be just returning from my holiday in Lanzarote! And as I am writing this I am currently packing (and procrastinating) for the holiday, so I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you some of my favourite makeup picks that I like to take abroad with me. I don't usually like to wear a lot of makeup when I go abroad, I get hot and clammy really quickly- lush, I know! So when it comes to holiday makeup I have a few easy rules that I like to follow. 1. Be minimal. 2. Pack light. 3. Pack cheap. I often go for simplicity when I am abroad, and only really wear a full face in the evening; during the day I barely do concealer, brows and mascara and a bit of tinted Vasaline. I also try and choose smaller products which won't be much hassle for me to take abroad and don't want to overwhelm myself when I am out there with too much makeup when I only need a quick fix. And finally, because I do travel with it, I will often go for high street ma...

I have been on my fitness journey for nearly 1 year now; and even though I feel that I haven't had a drastic transformation due to my uncontrollably bad eating habits, one thing I do know is that I have found a new hobby which is in health and fitness. It is crazy to think how much I have learnt in a year, I didn't even know what sets and reps were and I had never even stepped foot into a gym, so what changed? This blogpost is going to be for those who, like me, may be scared about getting into the world of fitness, which for some can be quite overwhelming; with all the different machines and equipment and what not and what is best to do for people who either want to get into fitness, may have never stepped into a gym or just to have an idea of what to do when you get there. Newbies- this one's for you!

Whoops-a-daisy! Student loan is in, assignments are done... Time to spend some money! have been eyeing up Colourpop Cosmetics for a very long time, particularly their lip line as they seem to have so much choice; from colours, finishes, liquid, sticks and more! An d for the price it was very easy to spend £60 on lip products, but considering that I ended up getting 9 lip products and an eye liner, I honestly don't think that I did that much damage...