Goodbye 2016

Wow, I can not believe how fast 2016 came and went. I feel like we've come full circle way to fast and the year just slipped through my fingers. I can't say that I'll miss 2016 very much, I achieved a few things I never even considered doing and learnt a lot about myself in the process. On the health front I finally learnt that in some cases, learning to care less and not stressing out about things outside of my control isn't a bad thing and it is actually best to separate yourself from the stress. 

LIFE AND HOBBIES

I’ve now officially spent a whole year up in Scotland, I’ve travelled to a few places and experienced a bit more, but there are still things that I wanted to do up here that I haven’t gotten round to yet. There are still plenty of sights left to see and this year I really want to get out with my camera more.  I enjoy photography, in particular landscapes, and the scenery is breath-taking if you take the time to stop and look.

Whilst it quietened down on here my work life got a bit crazier. I completed two training qualifications, both which ran over 7 months and as stressful as it was at the time to do them simultaneously, now that they are over and completed I feel all the more confident for it.

In 2017 I want to press forward with work, health, photography and this blog. My health and fitness kick at the beginning of last year fell to the wayside after injuring my back, so I ‘d like to get back into it and back up to the running level I was at before.

I also lost contact with my blog mid year and I just put it down whilst work commitments got bigger, this year I plan to organise my time better, making sure I put time aside to do the things I want to do.

BLOGGING

Whilst I was keeping up with my blog last year I did write a few posts that I am still quite proud of. I even think that my photography has come on a bit in the last few years. I would like to continue blogging and its processes as well as the feeling of accomplishment when you hit ‘publish’. This year would see Lotties Thoughts fourth birthday, and I am determined to keep at it! In the past, the best way for me to be constant is to organise my time and write up posts a few weeks in advance, on days off, utilizing my time with taking photos and writing.

HEALTH AND FITNESS

At the beginning of 2016 I wanted to work on my fitness, in the hope of strengthening my back. It’s always been an area of concern for me and I have never experienced worse pain than when I’ve injured my back. Last March I spent a whole week in bed not able to move because I’d injured my back, then I spent the next few months literally being so careful in my movements so not to strain it, that all the exercise I had been committed to in the first few months of 2016 went completely out of the window because I was too scared to hurt myself like that again.

This year I am starting it back up, continuing from the end of last year, to keep a closer eye on what I eat and slowly working on some exercises to improve my fitness. I’ve had a lot of problems with my back in the last 10 years and I don’t want have the risk of injuring it as easily as I can right now.

2016 is officially over and we are starting a whole new year with all the best hopes for it! What have you reflected on and do you have any plans for this year? 

Best Wishes and lots of luck for 2017 

x

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25 Facts About Me

It's been a while since I last did a personal sharing kind of post, and I have seen few of these '25 Facts About Me' posts recently and I thought it would be nice to do an updated one! I personally love reading these kinds of posts, it feels like you are getting to know the author behind the blog a bit more, so without further ado here are 25 Facts About Me ...

1. I am 5ft6".

2. I will be turning 24 at the end of the year! I've NO idea where the years have gone?

3. I share my birthday with my eldest cousin.

4.  I am an animal lover, even if they terrify me, I can't hurt them even spiders *shivers!*

5. I LOVE films! All the aspects that teams go through! The creating, producing and editing, I'd love to experience it all first hand! Marvel films have pretty much captured my heart.

6. Action movies are my favourite, James Bond,  Bourne or any Marvel Movie.

7. Autumn if my favourite season, because of the beautiful colours of nature and the warmish weather.

8. I am a 'What if' thinker, which isn't always a good thing it often leads to negative thoughts and feelings. However it also make me ask questions about anything and everything sometimes you have to let your imagination run wild.

9. I hate working in silence, I just can't concentrate on what I am supposed to be doing, I'll usually put a film on or F.R.I.E.N.D.S just so its playing in the back ground.

10. I enjoy drawing if I have the time.

11. White or Deep Red roses are my favourite flowers. (As well as those little flowers, I think they are called 'Baby's Breath'?)

12. I could eat Strawberries all day everyday (I've also decided to try an grow my own! This strawberry in the picture was my first home grown strawb! Tasted pretty good too!)

13. For some reason, I can't go to a beach and not pick up a shell or pebble.

14.  I've always enjoyed makeup and beauty, and I am glad to say I've come a long way since my green eyeshadow phase back in secondary school.

15. Pink lipstick has never been my thing, I don't think pink suits me at all.

16. A black cat eye liner is quite possibly my favourite thing to do for my day to day makeup.

17. I love to learn new things, I'd call myself a 'sponge'.

18. I am trying to learn French.

19. I am a visual learner and I am inspired by images more than words.

20. I also hate reading instruction... but I'll surrender to them If I can't work it out by myself.

21. Pinterest is addictive and I am 100% addicted to it.

22. Witty comments and quotes from films are commonly used in my house and possibly the best way to communicate.

23. I am terrified of open water, not knowing whats below you or what to do! I can feel my pulse rising just thinking about it!

24. I am a quite a private person and struggle to make and keep friends. But even if we don't talk everyday, they are still in my thoughts.

25. Seeing other people happy makes me happy.

That's it for this weeks post, hopefully it gives you a bit of a better idea as to who it is behind Lotties Thoughts! I love reading these kinds of posts and always find it so interesting to find out a bit more about the person behind the blog.

Love Charlotte xo 

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37/52

1. Bank holiday monday and the sun was shinning!

2. I found one blogging mojo again and started trying to get back onto of the scheduling of posts. I managed to get two post finished and finally get back on track with these 52 weeks of positivity!

3. First day back from a weeks holiday, I caught the train into work on Tuesday and to see the sun rise over the sea makes it 100% better.

4. Getting back to work, and although my back is still bad it was good to get back and do something.

5. Early mornings are no longer dark sad times!

6. The weather on Thursday afternoon was beautiful! It was so sunny and warm?! We may have been stuck in rush hour traffic but to sit in sun made me hopeful that spring and summer is really on the way! Oh and the daffodils were starting to open up! Soon Aberdeen will be covered in them!

7. With the sunshine on Thursday afternoon it reminded me to buy some prescription sunglasses (I had a voucher with turned out it expired in the next eight days) So on Friday we went out to order them! Hopefully I will actually get to use them some time soon, at the moment all the sunshine has gone and its grey cloud as far as the eye can see!

8.  I love driving but I haven't really driven in the last three years because I've been at uni and didn't need a car, so to drive to work on saturday morning was a nice little reminder that I need to get back into it and gain back all that confidence I once had.

9. Towards the end of this week my back has felt better and better so I finally got round to tidying my room,  giving it a real spring clean and now, with everything dust free, clutter free I can not wait to get into a clean bed in a clean room! They do say you shouldn't sleep in a messy room.

10. On friday my blog got a crazy amounts of hits, 200 more than I ever have received before in one day?! I couldn't figure it out but my gosh I was shocked and so happy! I hope I'm doing something right and you are enjoying reading or looking at my little piece of  the internet, I am really enjoying blogging and I am completely besotted with my blog right now!

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend and best wishes for the week ahead!

Charlie xo

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36/52

1. I put my back out some how on sunday night, probably the worst start to a holiday ever, but the silver lining means I can have a relaxing day in bed, all cosy and watching films

2.  One benefit of being in bed and having spare time on my hands has meant that I've caught up on all those blogs and youtube video's that I haven't had chance to see after finishing work in the week.

3. I had so many plans for my week off from work but after hurting my back I haven't been able to bend down or move my back from any sort of up right position so I haven't done any of it. However I did manage to get a small section of my room tidy on thursday, no where near what I wanted to do but it's something that has made me feel a bit better, it's not been a total loss.

4.  I've had more cups of tea this week than I have all year, but each one I've had I've sat down with my mum and we've talked a lot this week

5. I managed to move around a bit better towards the end of the week and so I moved from my bed to the living room - charging my camera and getting some blog photos done!

6. Over the last few weeks I feel out of love with my blog, I really wasn't feeling it anymore, but after looking around the Blogosphere and finding some amazing blogs and instgram accounts I'm slowly getting back into it! I posted a blog about those accounts that inspired me in my last post which you can read here!

7.  So talking about falling out of love with my blog I decided to give it a spring clean and a face lift as it were! Spending a good part of my thursday I decided to change the header and the colour scheme - bright and spring like, sometimes all you need is a change in scenery!

8.  I've been in bed all week because of my back but on saturday we ventured out, it was nice to get out of the house, even if it was tipping it down with rain.

9. Sunday Roast after three week - long awaited but so worth it!

10. Happy Easter Sunday!

Happy bank holiday, hope you aren't in too much of a chocolate hangover!

Charlie xo

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31/52

1. No filters needed - the picture above was one of the sun rises from this week! The sky looked beautiful in a violet colour, a little bit later it turned a bright orange colour!

2. The mornings are getting brighter, we are beginning to see a full sunrise before getting to work now, spring is on its way!

3. There was still snow lying around at the beginning of the week, not a lot but it was there - there was a lot more ice around out house than there was in the city so walking to work wasn't as bad as I imagined

4. Another morning the sky wasn't as colourful as the picture above but there was a big rainbow, also a very nice way to start your day.

5. There was a bit of craziness at work during the week and I not happy to say but my anxiety peeked just a bit, so I am incredibly thankful for Alex at work, she a star coming in to help me out when she could of had a day off!

6. I tried going for a run at the beginning of the week, although I should really say it was actually a jog, pretty please it didn't pass out, throw up or died - pretty successful if I do say so myself.

7. Its been a long week, too many down and no up unfortunately, things just seem to go from bad to worse, so to finish at 1pm on thursday and get out of work to enjoy the limited sunshine was great. I feel like I go to work in the dark and leave in the dark, so to see everything in daylight was really nice to see!

8. Sunday roast on a saturday... I'd have it any day!

9. The last few weekends I've been working, so I was over the moon on friday afternoon, a weekend to chill is just what I need and time to spend on my blog is what I plan too do!

10. I woke up at 07:30 on sunday so it's given me extra time to work on my blog and get a post ready for later on in the week, it also meant that I got onto the internet before the rest of the area did and I managed to watch one episode of Pretty Little Liars, have to restrain myself from watching another though, binged watching is not something I want to do again! (ps. Hercules is now on TV perfect for a chilled sunday afternoon!)

Hope you have a had a good week!

Charlie xo

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30/52

1. I love blogging here on my little piece of the internet, and I love the photography process - although it is the most time consuming, so to get to focus solely on that process made me remember how much I do love this thing!

2. I've worked in retail for a few years now and I enjoy it, not all the time but a lot of the time, especially when I'm working with great people, well this week I had a love comment from a customer I was serving, it was nice to be thanked and commend on my customer service, defiantly made me feel lot better that day!

3. Pancake day, we experimented a bit more this year than we have in the past, normally is just pancakes, sugar and lemon or maple syrup, we branched out and tried Nutella and banana, have to say I'd have it again! But the could be the chocolate talking!

4. It's funny how much a prepared lunch is so much more satisfying and filling than having to go out and buy your lunch, I've been enjoying a lot of home made/ put together salads for my lunch at work this week.

5. I know I'm late on this bandwagon, but I've started to watch the TV series Pretty Little Liars, I'm only on episode 4 but I can easily see me getting into this, just have to avoid all those spoilers.

6. It's been  while since I've gone outside and just looked up at the stars, I can see them when we drive home for work but, just popping into the garden just be fore bed to look up at them really makes me feel all peaceful. Its the one thing I love about living in the middle of know where, there's light pollution to wash out the brightness of the stars.

7. I had to catch the train to work on saturday, I get there to find out that the train I normally get has been removed from the time table (annoying) which meant I had to wait another 25 minutes till the next one (annoying) however it was all made ok when I got to see the sun rise over the sea, being that bit later meant that the sun was fully up and quickly rising (something I don't get to see when driving in) and it real is a beautiful sight.

8. A long week at work is coming to an end, I  haven't looked forward to having sunday off in ages, even if it is just the one day I am looking forward to spending my time how I want too, (I hear as an introvert alone time is defiantly needed to recover and recharge your batteries)

9. Apparently it's tried to snow and sleet over the week, but being in work all day meant that I haven't seen it, I've just had to listen to everyone else talking about it. However whenever I've left work there hasn't been any sign of snow.

10. It snowed again on sunday, only a little sprinkling of snow, but it was nice to finally witness snow falling even if it was for just five minutes.

Happy Valentines day to everyone, hope you are all having a lovely day.

Charlie xo

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29/52

1. A monday spent at home relaxing and getting some things sorted for the week, a productive yet peaceful day

2. Mum and I went out for the day on tuesday and spontaneously decided to look in Clarks for a pair of black boots. I've been looking for some riding like boots to wear at work, and it has been the hardest thing to find. I will admit I am picky when it comes to shoes but I struggle to find ones that fit me nicely and comfortably enough to be able to wear there pretty much there and then. So this spontaneous trip into Clarks was perfect as the first pair I picked up fitted so well that I now wear them everywhere! Right place right time maybe?

3. I know this is such a small thing but whilst my dad was away with work, mum had brought some Viennetta ice cream - something I haven't had in years! Although they have drastically cut down on the chocolate sheets in the ice cream (you had to hack through it with a very sharp knife) it was still a flash back to when I was a kid and the treat for the week was Viennetta Ice cream!

4. The weather hasn't been the greatest this week but one day in the week we had a pretty colourful sun set, always puts a smile on my face.

5. Considering how crazy things went at the beginning of the week with things at work, I am incredibly thankful for the people at work and how they kept things together and kept all calm, it could have easily of stressed people out but everybody at work came together and it really helped out the entire team, it could have gone a lot worse but everybody was super helpful, we really do have a good team!

6.  This week I woke up to find that Lotties Thoughts had reached 100 Followers on Bloglovin! It was such a great feeling to see and it honestly has made my week, so a huge thank you to anybody reading and coming back week after week, it really does mean a lot to me to see this grown, so a big thank you to everybody!

7. I don't normally get home until gone 7pm after a day of work, so it was a nice change to get home at 17:30, having that extra time to sit down and relax before getting back on with things for the next day was really nice

8.  I think if you work in retail and have a lunch break you must know how it easy it is to just pop out and get a meal deal for you lunch. I often have to buy something for my lunch because I either don't have anything in the fridge of even forgot to make something the previous night. But this week I prepared a salad for my lunch and I have to say it was a lot better, I felt better because I know what is in what I am eating, I didn't spend money on it and it actually filled me up for longer. Pluses all round! I strongly recommend it if you are anything like me, it really is a lot better than a meal deal!

9.  Working at the weekend does have its benefits when you can catch up with people you haven't work with in an age! Plus its even better if you spend pretty much the entire day laughing

10. I don't know whats going on right now? Maybe its the January and February blues but apparently we are having a Sunday Roast again... Aren't you surpassed to fatten up before winter? Don't get me wrong I'll love it but this means I have to exercise hard!

I hope you all are having a good weekend and the the next week will be better and brighter!

Charlie xo

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28/52

1. After such a nice weekend celebrating dads birthday I jumped straight back into work. Monday isn't the nicest of days during a working week but the weather was nice, not too cold and there were plenty of jobs to be done. Best things to do to forget the feeling of monday morning is to be kept busy!

2. Driving home for work on tuesday, a little bit later than normal and with a clear night, we got the see the moon like I've never seen it before. It was so low to the horizon that it looked massive and it was a bright golden colour, really quite a sight!

3. When we got home I decided to go out and see if I could get any pictures of the moon, but of course it had moved by the time I got home and grabbed my camera, but it was still worth the try!

4.It's been a while since we've had good enough lighting to take any pictures of my blog but it always seems to arrive just in time plus it helps to have that extra bit of vitamin D this time of year.

5. After this week it's been nice to get back on my feet with blogging and socialising, not to meant ion tidying up my room - I'm ashamed to say it looked like a tornado had passed through.

6. IT SNOWED! only a dusting of snow but none-the-less there was snow outside my window! (First time I've seen snow whilst living in Scotland)

7. The weather on friday was absolutely hideous! I had to catch the train in the morning and from running from the car to the shelter on the platform I got soaked. Something that did make me chuckle though was seeing a giant mass of people filling the sheltered bit, I never thought so many people could fit!

8. Catching up on the weekly happening online was really good on saturday - by the time I get home from work the kids in the area are all online too, so it's virtually impossible to watch anything!

9. Having the house to myself on Saturday and a bit of Sunday was enough to get me back on track and feeling better after a long week at work.

10. Sunday Roast. I feel like this is happening every week but I can't help myself it just soo good!

Happy Weekend!

Charlie xo   

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27/52

1.  Considering monday was considered 'blue monday', the most depressing day of January I was happy to be going back to work. It might be because payday in creeping closer and closer, I don't know but monday wasn't as bad as I thought a blue monday could be.

2. I got my hair cut on tuesday and to be honest, I didn't have anything prepare, I'll usually spend time on looking for a cut I like and maybe have a few pictures to spare to demonstrate what it is I'm thinking to the hairdresser but tuesday I through it all up in the air and just went with it. Turned out alright, I didn't go too crazy but its nice to have a fresh cut!

3. We started watch the TV series Merlin again (I brought it for my dad's birthday present a year ago) and I forgot how much I loved the series!

4.  Wednesday was another day off, so I got back into the workout plan and it's surprising how much better you feel after.

5. Again I just want to say thank you to the new followers on Bloglovin this week! I've been thinking back to this time last year and how far this little blog has come, I am very grateful for you all, and I hope I can improve the blog even more as the time goes on!

6. (typically british comment here) The weather has been so much better this week, it's been so mild and lovely that I'm not stood at work shivering until close, so I'm thankful that its been warmer, but I hope everyone in America is alright with the recent bad weather they have been having.

7. It's been a long five weeks since I was last paid,  so thank god it's pay day!

8. We went on a road trip on saturday, it's always a fun day when you go to new places!

9. Its my dads birthday this week and it's really nice to actually be home for it and get to spend the time with him, over the last three years I've been at uni so a quick Skype was all we could do so its nice to finally be there on his birthday.

10. Continuing the birthday celebrations, we've decided to treat dad to a TGIF's, always a win!

Charlie xo   

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26/52

1. A busy monday meant that the slowest day of the week flew by! And with good company it makes the start of the week a good one.

2.  During the week I joined one of the Life bloggers and Beauty Bloggers chats on twitter - I have only really just learnt and joined in on twitter chats, I didn't use the social media platform too much before meeting blogger Eilidh from Velvet Winter, who by the way you should check out if you haven't already, recommended I have a look at it. If there's one thing I would recommend to new bloggers it would be to join a #blogger chat on twitter, you can meet so many people with similar interests and help you find some really amazing blogs!

3. I having be focusing on my blog a lot more since finishing university - I'm really enjoying it and love to see it grow, so I would like to say thank you to everyday who has recently started following Lotties Thoughts, and interacting, it really does make my day so for that I would like to say thank you!

4. Its been weeks and week since we have had a clear sky at night -  I forgot what the star filled sky looks like, so it was beautiful to see again during the week! It really is breath taking.

5. I managed to catch a beautiful sunrise in the week, the sun started to peek out from behind the trees and I can not describe the beams of light it left in the front room, not to mention I was so in awe I didn't find my camera battery in time to catch the rays of light but I did get a contrasting picture of the sun behind the trees.

6.  Being at work at the end of the week got a bit tough. And by that I mean the weather made it a lot harder. It was so cold that customer were zipping the coats back up, gloves back on and I just want to add here that our shop is inside a shopping centre, however we are directly opposite the main doors (electric ones which one when somebody walks to close to them, letting in all the cold air and breeze!) Thankfully tiny hand heaters have saved us from turning into shivering ice women, wondering around the tiny shop trying to keep active and get some heat into us! So a HUGE thank you to whoever invented those beautiful things!

7. Working a saturday isn't my favourite, but if you've got good company you can't really complain!

8.Waking up on Sunday morning to see a few new followers and my first actually SAVED post made my entire day! I am so thankful for everybody who has taken time out of their day to read something I've written or even just to look at a picture or two, I am so thankful for all of you, we have almost doubled in size from where we were this time last year! I am very excited and fully enjoying this little space online and I hope you are too, long may it continue!

9.  Always a nice surprise when something you order online arrives before planned! I really love getting packages!

10. Apparently we are having Sunday Roast again today ... I think a bigger workout will be require this week!

25/52

I know Christmas was two weeks ago now but I'm having christmas withdrawals, so please don't mind the photo! Anyway half way through this series here on Lottie's Thoughts and I can not wrap my head around how fast this series is going! It started out as something to remind me about all the good things that have happened week to week or even the small things that just made me smile and that I am thankful for. I feel perhaps I lost this sense for a bit, but half way through and I am reminded of the reasons I started this -

1. I got the house to myself on monday - I started to pick up the pieces of my blog that had been put to the way side over the christmas holidays. I lost my motivation for a while there, however having space to myself on monday I found a bit of motivation to kick start this blog again, hopefully it will continue for a long time to come.

2. Back to work on tuesday - ok I was the same as everybody else,  not wanting to get out of bed, but the day is going to happen whether I want it too or not. It was nice to see people at work again, having catch ups I mean I haven't see the since last year!!

3. I managed to do some finishing touches to a blog post for next week - I'm actually excited to have it go live, I feel quite proud of it and I've realised thats how I should feel when posting each and every post, otherwise why am I posting it?

4. Moving on with life and leaving uni, finding a jobs or just trying to get on with life, keeping in touch with friends can be very difficult. Time can slip away so quickly and things tend to distract us, so thank goodness for Skype! It's not the same as grabbing a drink or going out for food but the hours defiantly fly by when your catching up on Skype.

5. Although the weather has been so dull and grey, everybody seems to be in a good mood. The Sale madness has died down and people are relaxed shopping. You might find some amazing deals in the sales but its not worth being rude to sales staff.

6. I havent seen one of my best friends since 2014 I believe, so we have planned to take a trip to Glasgow in February and catch up! Since finishing uni she's moved to another city and got a fantastic job and I'm back up in Scotland so we don't get to go for a coffee catch up! However we got the hotel booked this week so I'm so excited that it finally feels like we are going to have a good long catch up which is well and truly over due!

7. The commute to work on friday morning had a few surprises. Although it was lightly spitting at home, during the night it had snowed and there was a good inch of snow on the fields. I haven't seen snow in Scotland since moving up here so it was nice to see some final!

8. Saturday morning, house to my self, a lighthearted film and all the time in the world to work on my blog. Thats what saturday mornings are for.

9. This week has generally been quite relaxed, so it's been a really calm week and after christmas and everything it's been nice to slow down the pace.

10. The best way to end the week, especially when the weather is like it is, is to have a Sunday Roast, so that what we are going to do.

I hope you are having a lovely week, and may the next one be even better!

Charlie xo

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Twenty-Sixteen

Over the Christmas period I have had the time to think about the things about myself I want to change over this next year. You can change what ever you want at any point of the year, at the end of the day you are doing it for you. The new year is giving me the motivation to change several things that I have been sitting on over the last year. So here are four of my targets and resolutions for 2016. 

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FIND MY OWN STYLE WITH MY PHOTOGRAPHS.

I love photography, I admit my favourites are landscapes and hues of colour. I feel that at the moment my images are lacklustre and I am without a style for my blog photographs. I see so many amazingly talented people with beautiful pictures and I feel that my images don't have the look I am after. There might be a lot of experiemently images coming up on the blog this year but fingers crossed I will finally find a style that suits me and my work.

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BE MORE ORGANISED.

Theres nothing that feels as good as being organised. I love to write notes and check lists but unless you actually physically do something about it, organisation goes right out of the window.
If I spend a day doing nothing, at the end of the day I look back and feel like I've wasted it. I think if I write a list of things to do, whether it's day to day or week to week, If I have something written down I can find something on the list to do on a day that might otherwise be wasted. I really want to improve my blog and improve my content - and I believe organisation is the way to do this!

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COME OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.

My anxiety has taken a back seat since coming home, and I know why. My 'comfort blanket' as it were is my dad. He can make me feel right at ease and safe. I know this is a state of mind more than anything, but I don't want to be restricted to where I feel safe. I want to travel around and meet new people and go new places, but I can not enjoy myself even in a safe environment with people I know. I'm not sure how to over come this problem but through out the year I don't plan on it holding me back. I need to learn to put my trust in others, quicker and without worry. Its a mental thing but I am determined not to let it control me life so much this year! I know where the comfort zone is, and I want to explore whats around it instead of staying inside that little, controlled box.

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WORK ON ME.

After finishing uni and moving home, finding a job which is now part time, I have decided to look at myself and think about all the things I want to change about myself. I have had a body image issue for several years, nothing to extreme but something I really do not want to keep. I really want to focus on my body image and weight. Whilst at uni my weight fluctuated, especially during the last few stressful months in my final year.  I'd spent almost three years not gaining or loosing weight, but the stress and timetables I set for myself really messed up my eating habits and resulted in weight gain. This year I am setting myself a target, whether I do it before the end of the year or not I am going to try and shred some excess weight. I understand its not the most important thing to focus on, but I know that for me, to finally feel confident in myself and my size, It will change so many things about me, even the way I try to hide myself. Confidence starts from inside yourself, do it for you!


I've made resolutions in the past, admittedly too many to handle, so I've decided on theses four plans, things that I've had on my mind over the Christmas period and even before. Do you have any new year resolutions? What are you planning on this year?

Happy New Year 

Charlie xo

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24/52

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1. Of course working in retail means the christmas break isn't enjoyed for very long but thankfully I didn't have to work on boxing day just the day after boxing day. And every shop workers dream is for the day to pass quickly, which I am thankful that it did!

2. I always felt that the week between christmas and new year was super long and it always felt, at least to me it felt like it was over a week long. This week however, I haven't worked as much as I used too. The length of time between christmas and new year felt shorter and time just flew by!

3. So thankful that Costa is open before I have to start work, to sit down and have a hot drink whilst waiting to start work is my appreciated. Although I am a little bit concerned that the staff seem to know what I want to order... maybe I should take a break... or maybe not

4. The weather has been so mild the last couple of weeks, but there has been a few mornings where there has been snow on the hills, always adds a little smile to my face in the morning!

5. Up until late october last year, I had had the same glasses for five years. Apparently you are meant to have your eyes checked for change every two years. Well with uni and moving I haven't had chance to find an optician and get an appointment. So I got my new glasses at the end of last year but my mum had only ordered some just before christmas. On wednesday however we received a message to say her glasses have arrived in store! Great timing and she is ecstatic about her new glasses which is just so nice to see!

6. New Years Day! I can not believe how fast the year has gone! Its beyond crazy! I'm not quite the 'new year, new me' type of person, but I for some reason felt very enthusiastic about having a clean out. So a productive day cleaning and sorting out my room went pretty well, I guess it's out with the old and then there is space for anything new.

7. I didn't finish going through my room and getting rid of things on friday so I am continuing today, saturday, time to tackle the wardrobe!

8.It feels good to have a clean, tidy and sorted room to wake up to. I've thrown out things that are just way too old and worn out, and there is a pile of items, clothes, bags, belts and scarves to go to charity. I do get really attached to things so I often cling onto things, thinking 'I might wear that again' or something along those lines but clearing out really has made me feel better, I'd strongly recommend a good clear out to start of your year! (It'll give you more room for the things you brought in the sales too!)

9. We went out on sunday, just to get some fresh air really. The weather has been awful, and being inside on a dull grey day doesn't do anything for your mood. So we went out and I managed to get into a TK Max which I've been wanting to do since before Christmas. I've been looking for an exercise ball. With all the trouble my back gave me last year, I am looking to do something so I don't have to struggle so much this year!

10. With bank holiday monday tomorrow, we have decided to sit down and watch some TV, something we didn't do over christmas. (They weren't showing as much christmassy films on TV this year, not sure why but it left me feeling very behind, if our internet were better we'd consider getting Netflix but it's just not an option right now) Any way New Endeavour was on so I guess we'll get back into a good series to start the year.

I hope you have had a lovely holiday season and a brilliant New Year! 

Wishing you all the very best for 2016!

Charlie xo
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20/52

1. It snowed again on Sunday, huge, fat snowflakes drifting down from the sky! Theres something so beautiful about it, put a smile on every bodies face! (It didn't settle to well so there wasn't ice to worry about either, added bonus)

2. This is the first week of my new 12 Days of Christmas blogging series, I'm excited but nervous! Scheduling like crazy!

3. I'm only working two days this week which means I can focus more on my blog

4. The work Christmas Party, I've never been to one before but I'm so glad I went to this one. Getting to spend some time with people from work, outside of work was really nice, not to mention we all got dressed up)

5. Perhaps as a kid, a december birthday wasn't the greatest, but I always loved Christmas more than my birthday! However getting to spend it with family was really nice after not seeing them on the day for the last three years and you can't replace that feeling.

6. The weather has been a bit mental this week, the wind has been unbelievable at some points!

7. Getting back in touch with my cousins, we've all grown up a lot since leaving school and since moving I haven't liked not seeing them on sundays or sharing a TGI's dinner to celebrate our birthdays. I do miss them lots.

8. I've never been to a work's christmas party before, but this year I really wanted to go, and I'm glad I did. Sometimes you have to do things that make you feel in easy, but it's often worth the courage.

9. Saturday the 5th was my birthday! I can not believe how quickly time flies! I feel like It was my 18th birthday only a year or two ago, but no it was quite awhile ago!

10. Sunday we completely got into the swing of things for christmas and started putting up the decorations, so far we only have the kitchen decorated so we've still got the rest of the house to do!

November Life Round Up

I honestly can not wrap my head around the fact that it is the end of November. December, the last month of 2015 is tomorrow and I feel like it should be May or something, I just don't know where the days and months have gone?
When I was little my parents used to say 'when you are older the years will flash by' and I couldn't ever quite understand how 365 days could just pass me by, but now, I don't know how I get the to end of the year and feel like the year has snuck up on me. Time really does fly and we need to make the most of it. With everything that has gone on in the month of November all around the world, it has made me feel more aware and conscious of the time that I do have. Instead of wasting my time having a lye in in the mornings I have off work I will get up and get started with my day. In the evenings, instead of going off to my room and catch up with social media or finding old and new blogs to read I want to spend my time with the family I have. I want to sit and watch TV with my family, I want to have good, proper catch ups with old friends that, now I've moved hundreds of miles away, I don't get to see or talk to everyday. Small talk is nice and polite but I want to keep that connection just as strong as it was before I moved away and grew up.

2016 is fast approaching and I am looking back at this year and looking at myself, thinking what I want to work on, what I want to do and I think some resolutions are beginning to form. Maybe its the time of year but or everything that has happened not just this month but all year, around the world, but I'm thinking of things to improve. Have you had any of these thoughts with everything that's gone on this month? Or maybe are you beginning to think about your new year resolutions?

My best wishes to you all, 

Charlie xo

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19/52

1. Its always good when monday flies by!

2. Tuesday night I wasn't feeling too good, I think the cold weather from last week had gotten to me. So along with drinking plenty of water (a great tip from an old friend) I used the good 'ld Olbas Oil, that thing is brilliant! I felt so much better in the morning and I could actually breath through my nose! The small things can really get you down but thank you Olbas Oil,  I'd be in a much grumpier state if it hadn't been for this piece of gold!

3. Maybe we left earlier than normal, but the moon was still visible when we got into Aberdeen, not only was it clearly visible but it was the biggest I've ever seen! There was a pretty spectacular sunrise too...

4. So far the weather has been quite mild and not too unbearable. It was something like 11° one morning, so not too bad really for November!

5. After two weeks of 9-6 shifts at work it was nice to finish early on friday and go around the shops to get some christmas shopping done, luckily it timed in nicely with Black Friday, I was surprised by how manageable town was?! It was quieter than your average saturday shopping day

6.  It feels good to finally start my Christmas Shopping.

7. This week has been crazy busy with work, nothing like feeling rushed off your feet to get you back into work. It's definatly a good thing as the week flys by and before you know it, it's the weekend again!

8. I had the whole day to myself on saturday, relaxing getting a few jobs done, it feels good to catch up with everything blogging

9. Sunday morning and I woke up to snow! Okay it wasn't settling when I woke up but it was still a beautiful thing to see.

10. Theres no better time than a cold, sunday evening at the beginning of winter to sit down and have a stew. Shame I don't like dumplings , but hey thats more for everybody else.

Hope you too have had a good week, may the next one be even better!

Charlie xo

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18/52

1. I am so thankful for the Met Office website, Aberdeen's weather can be miles different from where my home is so thank you Met Office for giving us a heads up! Have to love it!

2. It feels weird to return to work after time off, no matter how long you have off, returning to something that has continued on without you, is confusing, you have to get back into it and learn everything that you've missed whilst way in a short period of time! But hey who doesn't love a challenge?

3. Having wednesday off work and just catch back up after work was a welcomed break, and not only did I have time to relax but I managed to order some Christmas presents!

4. There have been some stunning sun rises, they really do deserve to take up your time in the morning, they are just so beautiful.

5. The beginning of the week was quite nice and mild but it's 100% time to crack out the thick jumpers and scarves!

6. Catching up with the girls at work after not seeing them in ages always brings a smile to my face :)

7. We are almost at the end of November and December is literally round the corner! It's crazy to think how fast this year has gone!

8. It tried to snow over night, thankfully it looks like the ground by us was too wet for the snow to actually stick! I'm not ready for the cold harsh winter and I'm defiantly not ready for snow and ice!!

9. The parker came out of the closest! Friday was FREEZING and planning ahead and getting my parker coat out was a very wise choice!

10. It snowing again, right now (Saturday eve) and I can not get over the fact that it's snowing in Novemeber, this is alien to me! January yes, but this side of christmas is just so much cooler!

Charlie xo

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17/52

1. Little indulgences, face pack, cuppa tea and relaxing time! A little pamper is always nice.

2. Although I am meant to be on holiday from work, I haven't really been able to sit down and blog. To get it all out and line some posts up ready, or at least almost ready. So to sit down on monday, take some pictures, work on the layout of my posts felt good and a hopefully a step forward in the right direction.

3. I hate the feeling of unruly eyebrows, when they are just to stubborn to keep a desired shape and have grown out of shape. I am far too impatient to shape them myself and I'd defiantly know I'd pluck them too far. So having them wax by somebody who knows what they are doing is the best feeling!

4. I've never been to keen on a packed cinema screen, so we decided to go and watch the new James Bond film 'Spector' during the week in the middle of the day. The cinema was almost too quite but it was nice to just sit back and relax and watch the film

5. Mum and I decided to pop into town and do a bit of christmas shopping!

6. On our shopping trip to town I wanted to pop into MAC and see if they have the refill pan of Soft Brown, now I've been back there for five weeks in a row asking whether they have it in yet, unfortunately they didn't so I just ended up buying the normal eyeshadow pan, I wonder if anybody else is finding this problem? Can anybody else find Soft Brown in a refill pan in the UK?

7. Getting sorted and cleaning out your wardrobe, helps clean the mind

8. We don't go out for food very often, so when we went out for dinner on thursday to Bella Italia it was really nice, not to mention the food- that was delicious!

9. The first week of my holiday went super quickly but this second week took it's time, which is always nice when the second part of your time off doesn't flash past you in a blink of an eye!

10. A nice chilled weekend topped off with a beautifully tasty sunday roast, what better way to finish the weekend?

Charlie xo

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16/52

1. Taken mum to Boots and introducing her to makeup brands she's never tried was a great bonding thing for us.

2. Dads back from the hospital and all is back to normal.

3. I forgot how much I love watching Time Team, such a guilty  pleasure! I used to watch this when I was home ill and feeling sorry for myself!

4.  Catching up with people who you haven't seen in a while

5. Not ashamed to say it, but I loving visiting gardner centres, granted not for the plants, for the kitchen ware and home decorations and anything else they sell! I especially love going to garden centres around this time of year, christmas just takes over everything in garden centres around late August early September and I'm just loving it!

6. I finally went and box dyed my hair, unfortunately it hasn't turned out as planned, infact its way off. I wanted red hair, brought a dye called deep red and my hair is brown with a warm tint... never mind it could have gone a lot worse, live and learn, live and learn.

7. Having time to spend on yourself. I love having my own space to do anything, sit and watch tv, be on my laptop, watch a film or just singing my heart out. However coming back from uni and moving back into my parents house time by my self doesn't come up with often. The house is far to small for me to sing without annoying anybody so when mum and dad went out on saturday I sang my heart out, because why not!

8. Seeing the beautiful vibrant colours of the autumn leaves, is just breath taking in the sunlight

9. Summer may be over but orange juice and lemonade is still one of my go to refreshing drinks, no matter what the time of year.

10. The weather finally started to clear, no fog in the mornings and the day actually had some sunshine, so much better than the grey atmospheric feel of the rest of the week, hello sunshine!

Charlie xo

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October Life Round Up

It crazy for me to think that I've almost done an entire year of monthly life round ups. But they say that if you love something your passion never really dies. Unlike the taps and modern dance lessons, and all the other out of school activities I did throughout my life. Blogging on Lotties Thoughts has been so fun and I'm so interested in the whole idea of blogging. I never stuck to anything for this long and I'm still so excited as to the endless possibilities that I could do with this blog. It's become my bobbie and a passion.

I feel that this year has been a very positive outlook for posts, making me look back on the month and even the weeks in my other series of posts, 52 weeks of positivity, and I'm glad I've done them. Whether I continue these types of posts through next year is still a question I'm yet to decided the answer too but its in the full front of my mind.

October has been a busy month, full of work and all new challenges. Some things went well, others not so much, but it's all a learning curve at the end of the day. Not too much else has happened, but we tend to have those kind of months where work takes centre stage. Hopefully now, with two weeks off I can get back on track with everything else I've been neglecting. Two months to go until the new year (not to mention Christmas!) Any how onto the next one, November what have you got for us?!

Charlie xo

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