Who watched The Game Awards 2016?

The Game Awards have come and gone, I never had a chance to watch them although I was planning on watching it, I fell asleep instead. I did however, catch up on it all this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see That Dragon Cancer has won the award for games for impact, I've not played this game yet but I have watched the gameplay for it. It's an emotional roller coaster of a game that puts people in the shoes of those going through cancer and having a family member with cancer. The reason I'm so glad it won an award is because it's so different to other games, seeing how heartbreaking and exhausting it is for a family to deal with cancer and making people more aware of what it can be like might help others understand the lasting effects it has. I watched some of the live footage from last night this morning and decided to make a list of who won what award In case anyone missed it last night:

What's new?

I've been thinking of writing an updated blog post about what's been going on in my life seeing as I haven't in a while now so here goes! I recently moved in with James, I know that a few people have been saying it's far too soon and that we've been going out less than 2 years but who cares, It's my choice and no one else's business. I'm looking forward to spending our first Christmas in this house together and to make new memories, Gizzy has even joined us here and she has settled in better than I thought she would. I was worried that she would pine a lot more for my mum's cat Penni but I whenever I go to my parents I usually take Gizzy with me so I guess that helps things, Gizzy is currently running around the house with her toy mouse in her mouth (she's a cutie). Now I have moved in with James we have big plans for the spare room, let's just say it's to do with a gaming and I will be doing lots of posts on it! My health has been a bit crappy, I get palpitations more often than I use to these days and it makes sleeping difficult, I've been getting shortness of breath and an increase in dizzy spells too, to top it all off I ended up with an abscess and was put on antibiotics and codeine, I can't say I will miss taking either, they made me feel so sick and throw up.

My thoughts on Life is Strange.

If you've never played this game you're probably not going to have a clue about what I'm going on about, if that's the case read my previous post about it HERE. Being a teenager can be hard, it comes with its ups and downs but being a teenager at a private school? Well that's something else I did a post a while ago on life is strange but I've finally finished you, it left me with so many emotions and it was such a whirlwind kind of a game. Through the game max (the main character) has a doe on her t-shirt, This beautiful creature is very important to the story as it appears a lot through the game and shows max the way, to me it feels like her conscious guiding her through life and the game so it's one thing you should all keep an eye out for in regards to playing this game. We first meet Max and her classmates in her photography class along with Mr Jefferson, it was clear from the get-go who the popular one in the class was (Victoria) and it wasn't Max. Max is a shy 18-year old who didn't enjoy speaking up in class, but it didn't stop Mr Jefferson trying to make her speak out. You could see how uncomfortable she felt when he did this but it was obvious that she was one of his favourite students. The second main character we get to meet in the bathroom, we see a teenage boy fighting with a girl who has blue hair and then he shoots her, somehow max manages to rewind and save the girl, max is taken back to the photography classroom and thinks everything that just happened was a dream. She soon starts to realise that this was really everything that happened minutes before she went into the bathroom was happening again, she eventually goes back in the bathroom and saves this girl with blue hair life by setting off the fire alarm. From that moment on I was hooked on the game, I needed to know why had Max only just found her powers and who was this girl with blue hair.

Nintendo Classic Mini: NES

This has caused a little bit of a stir, some people are excited for it but others hate the thought of it, it's a love hate kind of console. The new version of the Nes is an official Nintendo product that has up to 30 games on the system. It is so small that it can fit in the palm of your hand which makes it handy for when you want to take it places with you, it comes with a HDMI port so you can hook it up to an up to date tv and a brand new style gamepad. The price tag of this cute little console is £40, to me, that is a fantastic price for a console if you want to get something for your kids to play on without breaking the bank.

There are a lot of differences in the new NES which is what has stirred things up, some people think you should be able to use the original cartridges in it but let's face it, it's a tiny console there is no way the original ones are going to fit in the mini. All 30 of the games are stored on an internal memory card inside the mini and you won't be able to download to it. As I mentioned before the gamepad is different as is the controller port so you won't be able to use the old style gamepads with the mini either. The new port on the mini is essentially the same one as a Wii u controller has, you can use the Wii controller on the Mini NES so it would basically be like playing the Wii on an old skool console.

S+ by Resmed review.*

*Disclaimer: I was sent this product to review and have given my honest thoughts on them, all opinions are mine and mine alone. This device is NOT a cure for insomnia if your sleeping problems persist please see your GP.

This sleek looking device is to help you sleep I was sent it to try our and review, it detects noise, light and temperature levels around you, this will then help the device work out the perfect sleeping environment for you. Once you're eventually ready to sleep the device syncs up to your pre-sleep breathing and will play soothing sounds to help you fall asleep. When it's time to wake up the S+ will lull you from a deep sleep to a light sleep until it's ready for you to wake up. you will be able to set it to a time window that suits you so you're not late for the coming day. *Resmed have taken a lot into consideration when it comes to this device, one thing I do a lot is stress, seeing as stress plays a big part in bedtime and can affect your sleep the S+ is designed tode-clutterlutter your thoughts and mind with Its mind clear function. You will even be able to add your to-do list via text or voice (through the app) so the device can sweat the small stuff so you don't have to.

Astro A30s: Gaming Headset.

I've had this headset a while now, I got them as an anniversary present this year from James and have loved using them. I was originally using the earphones you get free with the ps4 but they broke so I ended up using my iPhone earphones as a mic for a bit (they work really well). I told James I really needed a new one so could I have a new headset as an anniversary gift. We settled on the Astro A30s as they're affordable and can be used on both PC and PS4, they arrived very fast and in the coolest box I've seen, I actually put them away in it so they don't get damaged.

Samsung Gear VR: First Impression.

The Samsung Gear VR was released in November 2015, it's a mobile virtual reality headset which was developed by Samsung Electronics in collaborating with Oculus. I was so Happy that I got a chance to Try out the Samsung Gear VR , I've wanted to try it out for a while now and was pretty impressed with it for the price tag, It's a very affordable VR compared to others, it retails at around £80 but you can get it cheaper if you shop around. I'm not completely sure if It's easy to put the phone inside the VR as someone else put it in before I tried the VR out. But what I can say is the phone stays in place, it doesn't move around and is very snug when connected to the glasses. The head strap can be tightened or made loose to fit what ever size your head is, I had to tighten it due to having a small head, The strap wasn't uncomfortable and the inside of the VR is nicely padded so it doesn't dig into your face, It felt lovely and cushioned. The glasses have no light gaps, they blocked everything that surrounds you out so you're only concentrating on the screen inside the glasses, making the experience feel more real. The VR works with:

Journey: The Game.

This game has been one of the most beautiful yet simplistic games I've played (besides flower). In wasn't sure journey would be too appealing to me at first because it didn't seem.to.have much substance in it, obviously in was wrong. The fact that it's so.simplistic and easy to play draws me in, I loved walking around and exploring my surroundings a lot of the time, especially because the artwork was so beautiful and eye catching. Journey, was developed by that game company and published by Sony entertainment for the PlayStation 3 originally in 2012, so it's been out for a while. It has since been released on PlayStation 4 (2015) and is as, of not more beautiful as the first time I played it on ps3. Within this game you're a traveller, you travel towards a mountain in the distance and along the way you meet companions who you can.play and interact with by playing musical notes/chime. These notes/chimes help turn stiff pieces of cloth that look like ribbon into a beautiful flowing red material that blows in the wind and moves when you play the note/chime near it. This material helps players progress throughout the game and help the players ribbon attached to their robes grow, once the ribbon around them is a vibrant colour (not dull) they're able to float in the air for a short period of time. 

4 underrated geeky movies I love.

I've always stopped myself from writing more about movies on this blog, I'm not sure why because I did media for a while because of how big of an influence movies were in my life. I wanted to put together a list of 4 movies that I feel don't get spoken about enough and because I enjoy them immensely but also feel that they can be very underrated. First up on my list is the Mario Bros movie; 

I can remember watching this movie a lot as a kid, most people say it was a flop but my sisters and I absolutely loved it. The story goes as follow: Over sixty-five million years ago a meteorite crashes into earth killing the dinosaurs and all life on earth (just the same as history tells us) but lucky for a few dinosaurs some of them ended up surviving and the crossed into another dimension and began to evolve into a humanoid race. In the present (the present in this movie was 1993) two Italian-American plumbers named Mario and Luigi come across a young woman named Daisy, Luigi ends up falling in love with her and ends up having to save her from two men trying to kidnap her. Mario and Lugi end up crossing over into the other dimension where daisy has been taken. Unfortunately for them, the person who had her kidnapped was King Koopa. I don't want to go into it too much into it because its such a long storyline but lets just say Daisy is a princess and ends up getting saved from King Koopa and that Yoshi is the cutest dinosaur I've ever seen. My reason for this movie being so underrated is that people expected so much from this movie, they compared it to the games a lot. Yes it is suppose to be like games but obviously they changed it up a bit to make it work as a movie. I absolutly love Mario and Luigis charecters in the movie, they're whitty and adorable and make a great duo. The set for the movie was put together so well as were the humanoid dinosaur considering it was 1993 the costumes were awesome! It was always remain as one of my favourite geeky movies that I will go back to watching.

I'm a gamer, not a nerd.

The word Nerd is something that use to upset me, it made me feel like I wasn't the kind of person who others could make friends with all because I got on with my work and it was of good quality in school and because of this I was bullied badly, not only for being ginger but also because I was a nerd/boffin/geek/neek (nerd geek). I use to think it was something to be ashamed of and that I wouldn't be able to make friendships last because I wasn't good enough. Now I'm older I have learned to accept that being a nerd isn't a bad thing and no one should be ashamed to be one just because they're the smart kid in school or in life in general. I don't wanna step on anyone's toes but to me, a Nerd was someone who is very smart and intelligent and a geek was someone who enjoys certain hobbies and spent a vast amount of time doing these hobbies, I still stick by this. I don't play into the whole notion of a Nerd being someone who plays video games or enjoys reading a certain book and writes fanfiction based on it, that to me is a Geek. I don't mind if people argue with me over it but that's my opinion.

Stranger Things!

I drew this, so don't steal it!

Jumping on the bandwagon is something I hate doing, but sometimes I end up doing it because I'm bored and want to see what all the fuss is about. These past few weeks all I had been hearing about was a show called stranger Things, I had a few people telling me how great and creepy it was and I didn't believe them as things get so hyped up that they end up being disappointing. I was so wrong about this show, I put my hands up and say it's one of the best shows I've watched in a while. I asked James if he wanted to watch it with me, we put it on not expecting much from it, we were pleasantly surprised with the theme song and how retro it was, along with the opening title. Stranger things is set in small town in Indiana (Hawkins) in 1983, Some strange things have started to happen, a young girl (Eleven) with a shaved head has suddenly appeared but she refuses help as some bad people are after her, this girl is very important to tell whole story line. Then there is a young boy (Will Myers) that's gone missing, no one knows where he is or how to find him but his mum has found a way to communicate with him through lights. It is an homage to both 80's music and 80s movie genre. 

Harley Quinn and The Joker are not relationship goals.

I want to start this off by saying that I all the opinions I express in this post are my own, I'm not trying to point fingers I'm just expressing an opinion. Now we have that out of the way I want to address something that I've seen growing all over social media that has made me feel a little uncomfortable and that is Harley Quinn and the joker being "goals". The word goals are something I've started to hate, the fact that people strive to have a relationship like certain couples is worrying. I would never want the same kind of relationship as another couple due to the simple fact that each relationship ship has their ups and downs and are unique to that couple. No one truly knows what happens behind closed doors. Good thing for us the world knows exactly what kind of relationship Harley and the joker have. For those of you who don't know who these are they are the character's from a DC comic book, there are a number of different comics by DC that they're featured in as well as the cartoons on TV, which I use to watch a lot as a kid. More recently Suicide Squad was released, to put it in simple terms they're bad guys put together in a squad to save everyone a bit like Marvels Avengers and DC justice league except the bad guys are the heroes.

Microsoft are releasing a Wheelchair option for Xbox Live Avatars!

Microsoft has recently announced that there will be a wheelchair options when customising your avatar, why is this a good idea? The avatars that stand up don't really represent those gamers who are wheelchair users, I personally think it's a wonderful idea that a wheelchair user can represent themselves in the gaming industry through their avatar. I get that people are worried that they will be trolled, it baffles me why anyone would troll someone who is disabled or a wheelchair user. Originally this idea started out on twitter when a group of people wanted to start a petition so that wheelchair inspired avatars were added for Xbox, the head of Xbox (Phil Spencer) saw this and addressed it stating "no petition is needed, we hear you. This is something that we've already looked at, not far off". The fact that he addressed this so quickly and that they already had this in the works (so Phil said) puts a giant smile on my face.

Why is Pokemon a positive influence?

Pokemon has always had a place in my home, growing up it was one of the most popular TV shows/ games. Although I wasn't that good at the game I enjoyed watching it every Saturday morning with my sisters, my sisters and me loved both Digimon and Pokemon., but I would say Pokemon was the bigger thing in my house. In fact, my twin sisters still have their plushies, games and Pokemon cards and Pokedex's not sure how valuable they all are but they can go for a fair bit on eBay if they're in good condition. As I got older the Pokemon hype did die down, but Pokemon never disappeared from our screens or lives, it's one of those things that's hard to forget and brings hours of enjoyment on a rainy day.

You're worthy despite not being nominated for a blog award.

August is just around the corner, that means you have around a month now to get your entries in for the Bloggers Blog Awards. For those of you who aren't sure what this is, the Bloggers blog awards was created by Hayley from Tea Party Beauty, she set it up for the blogging community to celebrate bloggers. The way it works is all candidates will be chosen by bloggers or blog readers, then once the closing date has ended the people with most entries will be shortlisted then a panel of randomly picked bloggers will score, along with voting numbers to pick a winner from each category. The closing date for votes is August 14th 11.59pm (GMT) so remember there is still plenty of time for someone to nominate you. 

PS4 Game wishlist.

I haven't treated myself to a game since I bought Life is Strange, which I completed pretty quickly (I may replay it again, this time a bit slower). I have been lusting over a number of games which I can't afford right now, I feel like I have neglected my PS4 more than usual as I have been getting bored of Destiny. Not because I think it's rubbish but because less people are playing it these days and I find it more enjoyable playing with other people rather than on my own. Here is my PS4 game wishlist:

1. Overwatch:

This game is a multiplayer first person shooting game which was released in May this year, you can get it on PC, Xbox one and PS4. As soon as I saw the trailer for this game I knew that I had to get it the characters looked pretty cool as did the game play footage. This game involves two teams of six, you can choose from a number of different heros each with different abilities, there are 4 different roles your hero can have; offense, defense, tank and support, each of these roles are unique to your hero. Overwatch does have a story, it's set 60 years in the future on a fictional earth where robots with artificial intelligence are used to achieve economic equality, I do know more of the story but I don't want to say too much in case people don't want it ruined for them as it's not been out that long.

Why I love my Smile.

Smiling is something I always hated doing from a young age, I hated my teeth a lot and being called goofy constantly didn't help. When I was 15 I managed to chip one of my front teeth. I was in Spain sunbathing topless, I put something over the front of me and sat at the end of the bed. The sunbed decided to flip and this piece of fabric came off of the front of me showing everyone my boobs. I was mortified and got myself so worked up, I needed to cool myself down so I went to shower, my sister was making me laugh so much that I started swinging the shower head around (messing about like a silly child) and it smacked me in the tooth which chipped it. It's safe to say I will never be doing that ever again. From then on I learnt how to speak without showing my teeth and I always covered my mouth when I spoke and people would think I was just being rude.

We all have something that makes us paranoid or uncomfortable about our bodies, I have a long list of things but my teeth was the biggest thing I hated. I was told by the dentist I needed corrective jaw surgery as my jaw sits further back and isn't aligned with the top of my mouth. I haven't had it done, I was thinking about it last year but it's a painful operation and an expensive one too. Because of my chipped tooth I was first given a cap on it that lasted all of a day, it fell off so easily, I was gutted about it. Then about 4 years ago I finally had a veneer fitted on my front tooth, unfortunately, it cracked and fell off. I was so upset because I had to stick it back on with this stuff called toothypegs, luckily the tooth stayed on until my dentist appointment. 

The dentist told me that she will be replacing it with a crown instead of a veneer as veneers aren't as strong, I was fine with that as I didn't want it breaking again and I was worried that I was going to have months of pain after like I did with my veneer. Before she could fit my crown she took some moulds of my mouth and put the ugliest temporary tooth on. I was back to covering my mouth for two weeks, everyone was reassuring me that you can't really notice it so not to worry. I was so so pleased that the two weeks went past so fast, I'm really happy with my new crown as it looks perfect with my, I feel more confident now than I ever have about my looks. I'm normally very critical of the way I look but now I'm not so hard on myself. When people compliment my smile these days I feel so so happy because of how many years it's taken me to get a somewhat nice smile, it's not perfect but I don't care, It's good enough for me and that is why I love my smile.

Elle May x

Organic Aromas Magnificent Essential oil Diffuser.*

I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic illness Bloggers network, this is a sponsored post. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company. Now we have that out of the way let's crack on with this awesome post, there are a number of different diffusers on the *Organic Aromas website and I was sent the Magnificent essential oil diffuser which is the perfect size and has a cute design, it retails at $95 which is around £65. It took just over a week for my diffuser to arrive the company gave me a tracking number and just as I was checking where it was the other day It arrived. 

I have surfers ear but I don't surf.

The name they give this growth is surfers ear, it's normally surfers who get it but I somehow developed it. It happens when Irritation from cold wind and water exposure causes the bone surrounding the ear canal to develop lumps of new bony growth which constrict the ear canal. Most people who develop it are in their 30's or 40's although people can still get it at any age it's just seen more in older people. I don't think I've ever spoke about this on here before but I've decided what the hell I might as well! When I was 12 I discovered I had a growth in my ear, I was freaked out and scared as to what kind of growth it was. I had a MRI scan of my head to see how big it was and if I had more than one. At 13 I was booked in to have it removed, I was told it's just a bone growth and they will be able to remove it. After I woke up it was a great feeling I could hear things louder and it felt awesome, but a few years down the line I discover it had grown back. It turned out they didn't remove it all they left the stem attached to the inside of my ear and the end grew back, it's in a mushroom shape so they just took the big end off. Since then I've had earaches, bleeding ears, trouble with balance and a horrible time trying to clean it out. In some cases (not mine) the growth grows back when the ear is exposed to cold water and wind, but it can be prevented if you keep your ears protected from these elements.

My ear still looks perfectly normal

Over a year ago I went back to the hospital to see about getting it removed, they told me it wasn't possible as they could damage my ear removing it in the position it's in. They also said that the first operation I had should never have gone ahead because of where the growth is and that's why they most likely only took the end off. I basically have to live with this bone growth in my ear for the rest of my life, it's a pain in the bum! I have it cleaned at the hospital every 3/6 months and it's so so painful. I'm very self-conscious of my ear even though the growth is on the inside I always get worried that people can see it or see ear wax. Keeping it clean myself is painful and can cause it to bleed that's why I have to go to the hospital to get it done, I have to make sure I cover my ears in the winter as I'm prone to getting infections in my left ear (growth ear) to make matters worse I have a hearing problem in that ear both because of the growth and because of another issue. I don't know anyone else who suffers from this, nor do I understand how an earth I got it but I thought I would share it on my blog maybe to see if anyone else who doesn't surf has surfers ear, who knows! 

Elle May x

Eco friendly Cat Litter.

Choosing the right cat litter is always important, you can't just choose any old cat litter you like. Cats, like us humans can have allergies and get infections, some litter can cause allergic reacts and infections around their private areas. Odour control is one main thing people look for when buying litter, no one likes their house smelling of cat poop so a good litter that masks that it needed. buying litter with a strong odour can lead to a cat not wanting to use it, so you will have to compromise when it comes to how strong you want the litter to be. Dust can be a big issue, it can irritate both the cat and it's owners, it's messy and annoying. Some people tend to look for a litter that has good clumping power, good clumping means less work, so when scooping the litter out it doesn't take as long, but there have been a number of arguments over how safe clumping litter is as it can swell up, if a kitten or cat eats it then it could be very dangerous. I have put together a list of safe litters that your cats can use:

May 15th Hyperemesis Gravidarum awareness day.

As a lot of people know I suffered with Hyperemesis Gravidarumin two pregnancies, most of you kind of know what it is thanks to the news reports of Kate Middleton suffering with it, but not everyone understands it or even believes that this kind of illness in pregnancy is real. May 15th is hyperemesis gravidarum day, so I wanted to take this opportunity to write a post about that it is and how it effects pregnant women such as myself. What is Hyperemesis-Gravidarum? Hyperemesis Gravidarum is a name given to women who experience excessive vomiting during pregnancy. It usually starts between 4 weeks to 7 weeks and is said to ease off around the 14 week mark. Unfortunately for a lot of women this isn't the case and they suffer with it throughout their whole pregnancy. HG makes it very hard to keep anything down, seriously anything! I couldn't even keep water down and was being sick every 10 minutes, it was exhausting.

Why is it different from normal morning sickness? The answer to this is very simple, with normal morning sickness you don't excessively puke every 10 minutes, nor do you become so dehydrated that you need to be put on an IV for fluids. I found out I was suffering from HG was when I took a trip to the ER after not eating or drinking for days, My ketones were very high and I had a fever, the doctors and nurses had a hard time trying to locate my veins as I was so dehydrated. HG makes it hard to even move from your bed, communicate with others in fact it makes it hard to carry on with everyday life in general. I was very depressed and lonely in the weeks I suffered with it, Crying was pointless because it took so much energy out of me.

Life is strange PS4.

Recently I purchased the game life is strange from the PlayStation Store online, I purchased all the episodes so I could play them one after another, the game was half price so I thought at the price of around £7 it's not going to hurt giving it a go. I was a bit sceptical and not sure if I would like it, it focuses on an 18 year old girl called Max (Maxine) who is a photography student, who goes to a private school and discovers that she has the ability to reverse time, change her actions and she can also see into the future. It took me a little while to get used to going back in time and changing what she said and did, as the game play went on I was very aware of the choices I was making and kept thinking about what kind of outcome my actions would have. What I've also noticed is I tend to look at around at everything in a room and comb over every inch of it to make sure I haven't missed anything, it's made me more aware that if I miss something that could even have bad consequences and I really would prefer avoiding that, maybe on my second play through I won't worry as much about the consequences. 

Fresh Rose Face Mask.

A few weeks back I applied to get my free sample of one of Fresh's face masks, it is a decent size and has surprisingly a nice amount of product in. Fresh are a cruelty-free brand, you can buy a 100ml pot for £60 which is a bit pricey for me yet it I love it and would love to try more of it! This is a gel asked face mask with rose petals inside, the gel is made to cool your skin and hydrate it, this face mask is great for those with sensitive skin as it's such a gentle face mask. It is also perfect for people who want the appearance of their skin to look better, mine is very red and sometimes can look sore but since using this the redness has gone down a lot.

What is cat acne?

I just want to start this off by saying that this post was original written on my cat blog which has now been deleted as I had no time to blog on both, but the posts which I had on their I will be reposting on this blog, this post is just one of them. I had no idea cat acne actually existed, I didn't even know cats could get acne like us humans that was until Penni developed it. We noticed these tiny black marks on the bottom on her chin so we rubbed our finger along them to discover bumps, one of them had burst which has caused a nasty red mark under her chin. My parents decided we should take the vets as the red mark looked angry and they didn't want to take any chances, me and my stepdad had to basically wrestle Penni into her cat box, she hates getting inside of it and hates being took away from the house because she thinks we are going to leave her in a cattery again (no chance of that ever happening, it turned her into a nervous mess last time). Before we finally got her into the cat box Penni had peed all over me so I smelt delightful, I couldn't change as we were in a rush and catching Penni took a while.

Beets Blu heart rate monitor*

* This product was sent to me to review, all opinions are mine and mine alone.

I was lucky enough to be asked to review one of the *Beets Blu products, I chose their heart rate monitor as I suffer from heart problems and thought it would be perfect for a review. Beets Blu was founded in 2012 by a group of specialists specifically in the field of mobile apps, fitness technologies, and electronics. They decided to focus on Bluetooth technology and from that came the pager tag, smart scale and the heart rate monitor which all work wirelessly via Bluetooth.

What is a heart rate monitor for? The name is a big give away really, whether you are training or just want to keep an eye on your heart, the heart rate monitor will keep a track of it, it's great for the older generation too and the apps are easy enough for them to use! The thing I like most about this product is that you don't need to plug it into anything, it connects via Bluetooth on my iPhone5s and is compatible with the iPhone 4s and up and a number of different android phones. Not only that but there are over 25 different apps that it's compatible with, which you can find more info about on their website which I have listed at the end of this post.

Good-night snoring ring review*

* I was sent these products to review and have given my honest thoughts on them, all opinions are mine and mine alone.

I'm a girl and a snore, it's not unheard of even though some people find it hard to believe. My snoring can get pretty annoying and I'm surprised I don't get pushed out of bed because of it! I've recently received these snore bands, to try out and review. They are made by a company called *Good Night, You use them by placing the ring on your little finger, this ring comes in 3 different sizes, small, medium and large and are fully adjustable.You may be wondering how on earth can a ring stop me from snoring? This ring works by using acupressure, I've always been a bit skeptic of these things but A lot of people have told me acupressure can really work which helped me in thinking that this ring just might stop my snoring. If you're like me and don't want to take drugs to help aid your sleeping, this is a great and natural alternative, Here is what the goodnight snoring says about the ring:

An interview with Kelly//MYFAIRPIXEL.

As a person who has always supported artists and smaller businesses I wanted to do an interview with a blogger, artist and a wonderful girl who always brightens up my day with her art, tweets and blog posts, Her name is Kelly she lives in the South West of England, her artwork has a witchy artist and illustrator style to it (she explains more about what her style of art is below). I have been speaking to Kelly on twitter a while now and her artwork is beautiful and unique.

An interview with Kelly//MYFAIRPIXEL

Have you always loved art?

Yes, for as long as I can remember! I was that kid that was always drawing and telling everyone I wanted to be an artist when I grew up, haha. Even when my parents and teachers were trying to persuade me to aim for a more “academic” career I still had to keep my art classes for my own happiness. I’m glad I stuck by that because now I’m fortunate enough to be able to sell my artwork and be commissioned by wonderful people!

Honey can lighten hair?

Today's post is about a natural hair lightener made from everyday kitchen ingredients, I originally wanted to buy some colourb4 for my hair but I couldn't stand the smell another time, so I decided to try a gradual natural way to lighten my hair. The main ingredient for this is honey, I'm not a big fan of honey as a few years ago I made a honey oak face mask and the smell lingered for a long time, I've slowly got over my hate for the smell and decided to do a hair mask with it (I hope I don't go off it again!). I looked everywhere online for a natural way to lighten my hair when I came across this Snapguide post, I changed up the way I did mine a bit, so here is what you need:

Jewellery Box UK*

* I was sent these products to review and have given my honest thoughts on them, all opinions are mine and mine alone.

I was lucky enough to be sent some pretty and dainty products from jewellery box the other day. I love jewellery, I collect a lot of it and I wear nearly of it, so being given the opportunity to review jewellery box products makes me so grateful! *Jewellery Box Uk is a shop who sell gold and silver jewellery, they stock rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and even nose rings amongst other products. The kind of jewellery I prefer is very simplistic, I'm not the kind of girl who likes to go over the top so each product I received was perfect for me. The first thing I saw was this pretty bird on a branch necklace It looks bigger in the picture than it is, it's actually small and hangs very prettily around my neck. This necklace is available for £12.20 on their site. I first thought this necklace was a bracelet until I turned it around and saw it would have to be a very large bracelet! I love that their prices are reasonable and affordable for everyone and they have products to fit everyone's style.

Am I a mother?

I got this ring for my mum for Mothers Day

For a lot of women, Mother's Day is rough, stressful and depressing. I don't mean because they never got a card or a present from their child I mean because they don't have that child around. For me Mother's Day is awful, I always end up crying or feeling down, I torture myself with what if's and why! Here in the Uk, we celebrate Mother's Day in March, other countries celebrate it in May. Mother's Day is always on a Sunday and called Mothering Sunday.

Why do we celebrate it? As far as I know, Mothering Sunday is a Christian holiday but it can be traced back to Ancient Greek times. It is a holiday which honours mothers, some might even say it's for women who care, look after and have brought up their child. I beg to differ, I say that even if you have lost a child in pregnancy, still birth, if a surrogate gave birth to your child, If your child has passed away at any age, adopted a child that still makes you a mother. Those people who say otherwise irritate me, I'm a very compassionate person and when I see people tell women they're not a mother because they lost their baby it really grinds my gears. I can't keep my mouth shut and end up having arguments with these narrow-minded idiots, they don't usually listen so I'm not sure why I even bother sometimes. But why should I? letting others upset people who have gone through such a hard time is not something I can hold back on.

My chronic illness and periods.

This post is going to be a short one but this is something I've wanted to write about for a while, I've been a bit worried about posting it as I know a lot of people love their periods and this post is about why I hate to love mine personally and why having periods is a struggle for me! When I first started my periods I was 13 years old, I knew what to expect as my older sisters and my mum explained them to me, so when the day came that I got mine I wasn't scared I was more relaxed knowing that I knew what a period was and ways to help my period pains. As the years progressed my periods got heavier and longer and would make me feel very dizzy and sick, at this point I didn't know I had neurocardiogenic syncope so I just put up with it and carried on hiding my fainting and dizziness from the world. 

The Mirena coil, Me and my life update.

I was trying to think of what to write about but I wasn't getting anywhere until I realised I could just do an update on what's been going on with me, so here goes. I haven't been feeling very well over these last few months, the pains and cramps I've been having had got worse, they had been making me bleed (sorry tmi) and effecting my NCS a lot. My appointment for my Mirena coil has finally been as gone now, I would love to say it went well and was painless but the truth is, it hurt so bad that I ended up shouting out really loudly. I signed myself in and waited for my name to be called, they were a little late so my nerves had started to get the better of me. Once I went into the room I was asked loads of questions about medical history, family history and a few other things. They went over what other problems I've had with the Mirena them being, headaches, heavy bleeding, breast pain, bad cramps and a few other issues. The woman explained that before I have it taken out she would see what form of contraceptive would be best for me to use, turns out my only options are the copper coil (no way) and one kind of pill (which I chose).

I asked if it would be possible to get a smear test at the same time which she said was fine. After all the forms were done and my next form of contraceptive was sorted I lay down on the bed with my legs up and a speculum was inserted so that she could see my cervix better, the speculum was very uncomfortable and too big to go in as I was so tense so she had to use a smaller one, I had my smear test done first which didn't hurt at all, it was more of a strange sensation than anything, but that's not to say it doesn't hurt other people! The speculum was still left in so I could have my coil removed next, the doctor then told me she was just unhooking the strings, not sure what that meant but I didn't feel that, she then told me to take a deep breath in and then breath out. I was breathing the way I was told and as she pulled it felt as if my uterus was being completely pulled out, the pain was so bad I shouted out and could feel myself about to throw up and faint. She tried a few more times and told me that the coil had embedded itself slightly into the wall of my uterus which is why it's so painful and hard to get out, she said she would give it one more go and if she isn't able to get it out we would have to go down another root to get it out, but thankfully she was was able to get it out. As soon as I had it removed I started too bleed, it wasn't a period bleed it was from having the coil removed which is totally normal, I was told that there was some blood when she was taking swabs for my smear test but not to worry.

It's now been a week since I've had it removed, I've had bleeding and cramps which have been pretty bad, luckily they're starting to slowly subside now and I'm not in as much pain as I was before. I believe that the Mirena was fitted wrong and that is why I have had so much pain from it and discussed this with the doctor who removed it and she said this was more than likely the case as it was at an odd angle inside me and had started to embed in my uterus. My breast pain hasn't been as bad over the week as it normally is which I'm very relieved about, I'm hoping that my weight will start falling off again too. I ended up going up two dress sizes since having the Mirena, my bloating has gone down a lot and it's very noticeable, but my skin has broken out horribly this week, I'm sure it will clear up soon (I hope it does). I was warned that if my random bleeding still continues I need to go back so they can investigate it further, so fingers crossed that this won't happen! Now that I have the Mirena out of my life I feel so much more relaxed! Today is my one year anniversary with James and I'm so looking forward to spending many more years with him. He has put up with my moaning and crying over this dreadful coil, I'm sure he is just as glad as I am that it's gone for good now. I hope everyone had a lovely Valentines day yesterday, whether it was spent alone, with friends and family or with your loved one,

 I had a lovely breakfast in bed brought to me by James and got my joint Valentines and Anniversary present on Wednesday last week, James got me a Astro A30 headset which I had been swooning over for a while now and I got him some Pokemon badges and a picture of him and I framed. We ended up going to F&B for our meal but it wasn't a great experience, there was kids being naughty and loud and it was all around a little bit shit (sorry for swearing), I think next time we will either go a little later or go somewhere else! I'm also jumping on the Deadpool bandwagon and hopefully going to see it on Wednesday or the week after this, anyone seen it yet?

Elle May x

My anxiety kit

Like a lot of people these days I suffer from anxiety, I hide away and don't like talking to anyone about it. I feel like I'm being judged and if anyone sees me they will assume I'm just being lazy or making up excuses. Over these past months, I have used a number of things to make me feel better, I put these things in a basket next to me (you can use a box) so I have easy access to them, so this is what's in my anxiety kit.

1. My favourite game - My reason for this being in my kit is because gaming helps me unwind and block out all the worry and anxious feelings I get.

2. My Kindle - I download and read books from it, you could put your favourite book in the kit. Reading helps me think about the story rather than focusing on when is happening around me which is making me anxious.

3. My sheep teddy - There is just something very comforting about holding something soft and cuddly, I also have a penguin that British gas sent me, I cuddle it of a night time when I sleep.

4. Paracetamol - All that worrying and anxiousness gives me a huge headache, so I keep these near just in case a headache is coming on/ I have one.

5. Nail Varnish - I find painting my nails relaxing, I love giving myself a nice pamper to unwind.

6. Earphones - Listening to my favourite songs helps me block out all the mayhem that I feel is around me.

7. Beaded Bracelet - Feeling the beads and moving the bracelet around my wrist or in the palm of my hands makes me concentrate on counting each bead rather then what's making me anxious.

8. Fluffy socks - These are a bit worn now, I like to feel warm and comfy and they somehow make me feel safe.

 9. Perfume - Spraying my favourite perfume is another comfort thing, having a familiar smell makes me feel like I'm in a good environment.

 10. Chocolate - It's one of my favourite things in the whole wide world and when I eat it, it makes me feel so much better.

11. Hand cream - Having soft and moisturised hands makes me happy, rubbing my hands together is kind of soothing.

I want to make it clear that I'm not telling people they have to put these things in their kit, you can choose anything that makes you feel better. My anxiety is still very present these days but having things that help me, makes me feel as if I can overcome my anxiety one day. Let me know what you would put in your kit, feel free to do your own post on your kit too!

Elle x

Unique chocolate Valentine's gifts.

This is going to be a short post today, as I'm not feeling too good. I love chocolate but I love unique looking chocolate even more. Sometimes it's nice for someone to go out of their way to give you a gift that's a little different, even if that gift is chocolate and a little more expensive! I probably should cut down on the amount of chocolate I eat, I've tried to quit it once before but let's face it, it's yummy and addictive so I may as well enjoy it. Here are just a few yummy unique treats I have come across on Not On The Highstreet:

Robot Chocolates

These Chocolates are £10 and made from Belgian white chocolate which is tinted with pastel colours and tiny gold hearts, they're not gluten free and may contain traces of nuts. I think they're a great idea and quirky for chocolates for Valentine's day.  

Cloud Bar White Chocolate

These chocolate bars cost £5.95 and are made with white Belgian chocolate, I'm not sure what kind of marshmallows are on top but I think the name of the bar fits perfectly. This bar isn't gluten free and also, may contain traces of nuts.

Emoji Chocolates

These Emoji chocolates made me chuckle, I'm sure your other half who loves emoji would chuckle about them too! They are on the expensive side with a price tag of £17 but they are hand painted with special paint. They're also made from Belgian white chocolate and aren't gluten free also, may contain traces of nuts. 

Cake Filled Chocolates

These are very prices, £29.95 for a box for 12 cake filled chocolates, it is filled with 12 different flavours (honey and brownie cakes in mixed flavours) some of these do contain nuts, so please be aware if you have a nut allergy like I do!

Day Of The Dead Chocolates

I find these skulls very pretty, I love the little crowns and the gold eye sockets, these cost £17.50 and come in a pack of 8. They are not gluten or dairy free and made from Belgian white chocolate and edible gold glitter, but if your partner is into skulls and pastel these chocolates are a perfect present.

Chocolate Pizza 

I've had chocolate pizza before and it's lasted me a while, this is what I like most about it! You can choose your own toppings and it comes in a pizza box! The price tag is £15.50 which is a lot for a chocolate pizza, to see what ingredients it has please click on the title.

Pyramid Chocolate

These chocolates remind are gorgeous I love that they're ombre but it makes them all the harder to eat! They cost £15 and would make a wonderful picture for Instagram, these chocolates are cookies too, filled with cream they were also made with Belgian white chocolate and tinted with pastel colours. Out of all the chocolates, these ones and the Robot chocolates appeal most to me (yes that was a hint!)

 I know not everyone likes Valentines day nor do they celebrate it, so why not get some unique chocolates for your partners anniversary or birthday instead!

Elle May x

How I conquer my boredom whilst bedridden.

My bed is my favourite place to be, It's sort of like my safe zone, I can rest as well as keep myself entertained from the comfort of my bed, I can even do yoga poses from there! I get people asking me if I ever get bored, sometimes I do but other times I like to make my own fun. I do get depressed not being able to get out as much as I like but I can't sit around and feel sorry for myself all my life can I? I know most people will see it as me being lazy or they think fresh air will help but that's obviously not going to help me, I have a chronic illness not a silly cold, that's what a lot of people tend to forget. Here a few of the things I like to do that make me feel like I'm being active but from the comfort of my own bed.

Gaming.

Gaming is a huge part of my life, I enjoy it and I see nothing wrong with unwinding on a game. I've been called childish for playing games but who cares, we all have hobbies right? I mostly play Destiny and Fallout4 and I recommend them highly! I would love to have my own gaming PC or laptop but unfortunately, I don't have the money nor space for a PC. I own a PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and a Nindento 3DS, unfortunately, most all my consoles but the PS4 have gone unused for a number of months now, that's not to say I don't enjoy playing them because I do! I might give Heavy Rain and Ni No Kuni another play through on my PS3 soon, seeing as they are coming to PS4!

Crafting.

I love crafting it's been something I have done since I was little, my sisters and I would sit and make jewellery with beads from the huge bead sets our parents got us for Christmas. The kind of crafting I enjoy doing now is garland making, I use to have my own shop but stopped due to my health and an unwarranted bit of hate from another crafter. My favourite garlands I have made are my flower cat ear headbands, I find them adorably sweet and they soon anyone.

Reading.

This is an obvious one, I normally sit on my bed with my kindle reading, I'm currently reading reasons to stay alive. It's actually a really good book, especially for those like me who suffer with depression, in fact it's also a great read for those who aren't so understanding of depression. The kind of books I tend to enjoy are historical, fantasy and crime books, I'm not a big fan on romance as they all seem to be a bit rhetorical. One of my favourite crime/murder books is a book called Natural Causes by James Oswald set in Scotland, I don't want to say too much about it as I don't want to give anything away.

Yoga.

I have put on weight since having my coil in and find it hard to work out as it is, so when I know it's a bed day I try my best to do some gentle yoga. It makes me feel a little better about being active, I have a yoga matt which I use for when I'm out of bed, I love the fact that I can do my yoga just as well as on the matt as on my bed. Lately, I haven't been able to do as much Yoga as I have wanted so It's took a back seat in my life until I get this coil removed, once I'm feeling up to it I will get back on track with my yoga and losing weight.

Picture Editing.

I love taking pictures, I need a new camera but for now it will do. I'm always taking pictures and editing them slightly. I love nature photography but I find it hard to get out and about to take pictures so sometimes I will go through all my old pictures and edit them. I have been uploading my pictures for my camera memory card to VSCO cam and using the app on my phone to edit and upload them to my Flickr account and VSCO can account.

Blogging.

This is one thing I could sit and do for hours, but only when I'm inspired. Sometimes I hit a wall and I'm unable to think of what to blog about but other times the ideas come to me all at once so I have to write the down and get my laptop out (or write a draft on the blogger app on my phone). I'm not sure what gave me the idea to do this post but I thought it would be nice to share!I don't always like getting my laptop out so I would love it if the blogger app was a bit better and allowed me to edit my blog post properly but alas I doubt that will happen. My sister is to blame for my blogging, I couldn't thank her more because it has in a way changed my life and helped me deal with things head on, being open about depression has helped me pinpoint what has been effecting me the most.

Elle May x