Happy New Year | Highlights & Resolutions

spain with the besties / becoming a benebabe / four years with the boy / class of 2013 / model moment / meeting my beauty idols / my new blogging baby / living the glee life

Happy New Year lovelies! I hope you all had an amazing (and preferably drunken) night seeing in 2014. I hit the town with my boyfriend and a couple of my best home friends and had a really great time, despite my head being rather sore today...luckily I'm just having another relaxed family day now involving copious amounts of food that doesn't fit in with my new fitness regime and the sort of silly games that will sadly be put away for another year soon. But anyway, I thought I'd start 2014 on the Budget Boutique by having a little look back at my 2013 highlights, which I've put together in a little photo montage, and also look forward to the coming year with some New Years resolutions. Without wanting to bang on about it too much 2013 was truly the best year of my life- I had an amazing last semester at Sheffield uni living with the best housemates and doing lots of performing (and going out...) before graduating with a 2.1 in English Literature and Theatre and going on an incredible holiday in Spain with all of my best uni friends. I then landed my perfect job doing social media in the marketing team at Benefit Cosmetics HQ and I absolutely adore it, particularly as it's allowed me to move into a gorgeous flat close to London, spend a weekend in Dublin and meet some of my blogging idols. And throughout all this I've enjoyed growing my blog and YouTube channel so much and can't believe how many lovely people read/watch my ramblings or the amazing opportunities it's given me like taking part in a video shoot for Primark and I have to thank every one of you for helping this all happen! I can't forget my boy Dave either who has been the ultimate babe for the past four years now despite the long distance and I'm rather hoping this year might bring us a bit closer together geographically. I didn't do too bad in terms of resolutions either managing to achieve 7 out of 10 of the goals I made last January. Let's hope I can achieve even more of them next year and maybe even stop biting my nails for the last time...

2013 Resolutions 

1. Graduate from uni with a 2:1. ✓

2. Get out of my overdraft and stay out. x

3. Get a job that I love in the magazine or PR industry or at least get some great work experience. ✓

4. Make more time to read books and magazines cover to cover. ✓

5. Change my eating and fitness habits so I can feel great all year round. x

6. Save up for and buy an Olympus Pen camera that I can blog and do videos with. ✓

7. Grow my blog and youtube channel, develop their design and hit more milestones. ✓

8. Make sure my nails look gorgeous at all times. x 

9. Now my hair's longer get it cut and coloured the exact way I want. ✓

10. Have as many amazing times with my family, friends and boyfriend as possible. ✓

2014 Resolutions

1. Achieve all that I can as Social Media Intern for Benefit Cosmetics and make career progress in September.

2. Expand and improve my blog, YouTube and other social platforms in terms of content, design and followers. Aim to blog every other day and upload videos once a week. 

3. Save money each month and reach my September overdraft target as well as go on a Summer holiday.

4. Go to the gym twice a week, cook fresh nutritious meals most of the time, snack healthily and drink more water.

5. Get to bed earlier and make time to switch off the laptop and relax/read before sleep.

6. Find a good skincare routine that I can easily keep up and that works for my skin- also wash my make up brushes more often so that I'm not undoing all the hard skincare work.

7. Finally stop biting nails and get them into great condition!

8. Be tidier, more organised, helpful and on time- maybe even early! 

9. Make time to regularly see and keep in touch with all my friends and family. 

10. Worry less, enjoy the moment more.

I hope you all had an amazing 2013 and have an even better 2014 to come!