Addressing The Drama

It saddens me to say that after four months of being away from blogging, I came back online and the blogging community has gone to shit. What happened to all the love and support we all had for each other? Because right now all I have seen is hatefulness, bullying and drama. I hate it.

Why I Left; Storms Don't Last Forever...

Can you believe that a week today is Christmas Eve? I can't. I can't believe this year has gone so quickly, it only feel like yesterday that I was celebrating the New Year of 2017 and what a terrible year that turned out to be. It's nearly the end of 2017 and I cannot wait to start a New Year and a new chapter in my life. But before I start a new chapter, I need to close this old one and explain to you all the reasons why I quit blogging for so long.

Blogging has been something I have been doing since I was in my very early teens so not doing it for months has been so strange, but I wanted to sit down at my laptop on this freezing cold Sunday afternoon and pour my heart out about what has been happening in my life, how I have been feeling about it all and explain to you why I really quit blogging for so long. So, go grab a yummy hot chocolate and a festive mince pie and get comfortable because this is gonna be a long post...

What's Been Happening...

I've been trying to write this blog post for way over a month now and I still don't even know really where to begin. But every story has a beginning, a middle and an end, and I'm really hoping that I'm reaching the end to this chapter of my life. This is what's been happening...

End of August

August has been and gone, and summer is quickly becoming pretty much over which makes me so sad. I thought I'd be a question and answer tag to share with you all everything which has happened this August with me and my life.

Meet My Advertisers | August 2017

This month three more beautiful ladies advertised with me so I would like for you to get to know a little more about them and give them a follow on their social media accounts.

My Mother's Story

Alder Hey Children's Hospital Blogger Campaign

I was recently contacted by Ruth from Hit Search LTD and asked to promote Archie's Story and to raise awareness about the amazing work that Alder Hey Children’s Hospital is responsible for. 

Happy Birthday To Me!

Daily Blogging Checklist

I wanted to make this blog post in hope that it will help some of the bloggers out there who are struggling to keep up with a daily blogging routine or just some of you who may need a little helping hand. This is my Daily Blogging Checklist of how I stay on schedule with my blogging routine.

Meet My Advertisers | July 2017

If you didn't know already, as of this month I have decided to offer free advertising for bloggers. The reason for this is because I know how hard it is for bloggers to get noticed so I want to help as many bloggers out as I can and help them grow their blogs. It doesn't matter if you have less than one hundred followers or thousands, I want to help in every way I can. Here are my first three bloggers who I'm advertising this month.

Help Me "Bring Sunshine Into A Cloudy Day" | Review

I'm currently sat on the chair in my living room, with the TV on as background noise and our blinds open on our patio doors to reveal a horrible miserable dull day. I hate these type of days. Rain. Grey. Dull. I want the sunshine. I love the sunshine. But thankfully, I feel like I'm sat in my living room where the sun is shining and the air is fresh... and that is all thanks to a candle and a room spray which I have fallen completely in love with.

Summer Fashion | Wishlist

I am one of the people who don't have a massive wardrobe full of clothes, I prefer to buy clothes because I need them, not just because I like them. I don't like having items in my wardrobe "just because" - hence why I'm not a fashion blogger! I always try and wear the same things over and over and try and improve them or change them with different accessories etc. However, after taking a look at the George Asda* website, I realised that they have so many clothing items right now which I really want to add to my wardrobe.

Summer Afternoon Tea | DIY

If you read the blog post that I posted on Saturday then you'll know that when I was asked by BBC Good Food* to post some of their summer cocktail recipes on my blog I was very weary about posting something that wasn't written by myself. Well the same goes for today, I wouldn't normally have someone else publish something on my blog for me but I really had to share this recipe for Summer Citrus Iced Tea with you all because it really is amazing!

Vegan Summer Cocktails | DIY

When I was asked by BBC Good Food* if I would share some of their best summer cocktail recipes on my blog I was a little hesitant as I really don't like sharing creative "do-it-yourself" things on my blog unless I have come up with them myself, to be fair I don't like sharing anything at all on my blog unless it's wrote by myself completely. However, after searching through their website I fell in love with two of their vegan summer cocktails that I just had to share them all with you.

Summer Yankee Candle | Haul

You may remember this blog post from a while ago where I showed you all some Spring time Yankee Candles* which I had been sent to test and try out. I got such a good response from the blog post that I received some summer Yankee Candles to test out and share with you all so here are my favourite candles from what I was sent to share with you all...

Summer Essentials

If you've followed me for a while you'll know already how much I adore the summer time, it's everything. I love early mornings in the summer, sitting outside munching on some fresh fruit for breakfast with an iced coffee with Phil and our little Daisy running around our feet playing with her toys... it's the little things which make me so happy. Since Summer is now here I thought I would share with you 'My Summer Essentials'.

Birthday Wishlist | 2017

I'm turning twenty-nine years old on 31st July this year, old I know, so I thought I would share with you all my birthday present wishlist. This is not in any way, shape, or form me asking for anyone to buy me presents or things for my birthday, these are just things I would buy myself for my birthday if I could. I make a deal with myself, my husband, and my family to not buy anything for myself in July so they can buy me what I want so these are the items on my current wishlist.

Help Me Organics | Review

When the beautifully stunning Claire got in touch with me and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing some of her products from her aromatherapy oils range Help Me Organics* I was over-joyed.

Alisha Valerie is 2!

I cannot believe that it's my blog's second birthday! I want to share with you some experiences which I've had involving my blog in the past two years; the good and wonderful to the bad and the ugly lies.

Home Wishlist

When we moved into our gorgeous little home last August, little being the main word there, I've been wanting to do the kitchen up so when it came to the challenge of doing a "home wishlist" blog post with Amazon* it turns out that I just want new things for the kitchen to make it beautiful. This is what I came up with...

Khadi Face & Body Oil | Review

When the beautiful Harles from SVPR got in touch with me and asked if I wanted to review some products from some cruelty-free vegan brands they're working with I was so happy! When my parcel from them arrived containing some awesome stuff the first thing I started using (literally like right away) was Khadi's Face and Body Oil*. Since then I've pretty much been using it every day so wanted to share my thoughts with you all.

Acorn Farm | Our Day Out

I was recently asked if I'd like to spend the afternoon at Acorn Farm*, and as I am a massive animal lover I jumped at the chance. So on Tuesday 23rd May 2017, Phil and I popped in our car and took a drive into Knowsley to spend the day with some animals. This is how we got on...

Barry M Summer Lipsticks

When Barry M Cosmetics* released their Genie and Neptune lip paints I was fascinated by them, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them to try them out.

Father's Day Gift Guide

When it comes to picking the perfect gifts for Father's Day, things can get quite tricky. This year, be sure to thank Dad for everything he does for you by gifting him with something that will make him thank you back. From shirts and ties to foodie gifts and accessories, treat your Dad to something special this Father's Day with a little help from Metquarter Liverpool...

Ann Summers Wishlist

When most people think of Ann Summers* they think of sex, dildos, bondage and other sexual naughty things but what a lot of people aren't aware of is that Ann Summers* do amazing underwear and PJam range too. I've had some stunning pieces from them in the past so I thought I would share with you, my Ann Summers* wishlist for this summertime.

Recent Blog Mail Treats

Being a blogger I'm very lucky and extremely grateful to be sent things from brands and PR companies. Sometimes they make my blog and sometimes they don't so I thought I'd share with you all some of the latest things I've been sent over the past few months which haven't made it onto my blog yet.

My Summer Goals | 2017

Summer time is right around the corner and since it's my favourite time of year, I thought I would share with you all some of my goals for this summer.

MySpace Throwback

This morning I was curled in a ball, under my duvet in bed with pretty bad period pain and like a lot of girls, I was scrolling through pretty much crap on my phone just to try and take my mind off the pain in my tummy. That's when I came across BuzzFeed's "29 Things You'll Only Remember If You Were A MySpace Kid", now I don't know about anyone else but MySpace was pretty much my life when I was a teenager, well that and MSN...

Bungalow Life

Like a charming, old bungalow;

the bumps and bruises made along the way simply add character.

My Makeup Wishlist

Being a complete makeup fanatic, I really love reading about and seeing people's makeup hauls on their blogs but I never seem to see their makeup wishlists, so since I am trying to save some money I thought I would share my makeup with you all rather than a makeup haul.

Mum's 50th Birthday

On 6th May 2017, my family and I celebrated my mum's 50th birthday and I thought that I'd share with you all some pictures of the memories we made.

Superdrug Essential Facial Cleansing Wipes | Review

I had heard so many great things about these wipes from friends that I had to try them out myself. So when I was given £20 to spend on the Superdrug website, of course I added a pack to my basket to try out for myself.

F.E.T.E. Toothbrush | Review

Caring for our Earth doesn't have to be as difficult as it seems, and sometimes the little things go a long way. These one hundred percent biodegradable natural bamboo toothbrushes by F.E.T.E.* (which stands for From Earth To Earth) are perfect for giving you that winning smile, as well as looking after the world we live in.

A Day in The Life of a Full-Time Blogger

I thought I would share with you all what I get up to on a typical day of my week now that I am a full-time blogger.

Sabai Soaps 'Spiced Orange' | Review

I was so thrilled when Sabai Soaps* got in touch with me, I'd heard about their soaps from a few bloggers in the past and hadn't gotten around to buying some of my own so when they asked me if they could send me a soap to review for them I was over the moon! Forget what you know about soap... because Sabai Soaps* are more than just soap. The natural oils and vitamins in the soap moisturise your skin leaving it more cleansed and refreshed than liquid soaps or gels, and beautifully fragranced.

Alchemy Grapefruit Hair Remedy | Review

When Alchemy Oils* got in touch with me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing one of their hair oils for me, I jumped at the chance. I'd heard so many great things about this brand from other bloggers that I was so excited to try their stuff so when one of their amazing hair oil's landed on my doorstep, I was testing it out right away!

Spring Yankee Candle | Haul

I don't know about anyone else but for myself, once a new season is here I love adding a couple of new candles to my collection to make my home smell beautiful. I thought I'd share some recent Spring candles I was sent with you all.

#MyBodyMyStory

If like me and you love watching Loose Women on ITV weekday lunch times then you'll have heard about their body confidence campaign and about the beautiful ladies stripping off and laying bare to feel good about yourself. If you haven't heard of the campaign then you can read all about it by clicking here.

Since all of the Loose Women have shared their body stories, then I thought it would be wonderful to share mine with you all. I have to admit, I am SO NERVOUS about this blog post so please be nice and friendly if you leave me a comment below because it's taken A LOT for me to share my story and personal pictures with you all.

Hi, I'm Back!

Opening up and talking about mental illness is one of the hardest and scariest things anyone suffering ever has to do. How do you ask for help for something when you have no idea how you're feeling or why you're feeling like this? How can you talk to someone when you don't know if they will laugh at you or think you're weird?

Goodbye.

Since starting full-time blogging, I've never really taken a break and taken time out for myself. I've always just got on whatever needs doing and got on with it, but over the past couple of months, my health has really started taking a bad turn for the worse. I'm not blaming blogging for that in any way, shape or form but I do feel taking some time from blogging and social media will help me recover. Now I'm not going to be completely off social media so you may see some tweets here and there and a post or two on instagram but I am going to come off my blog for a month or two and get myself well again. 

I feel like I've been on this none-stop rollercoaster ride for a while and I think it's finally time to come off, relax and settle down a little bit. I stress so easy and I take on too much than I should, I know this, but I also know that if I keep doing this it's only going to be me who suffers. So for now, I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who supports me and takes the time to read my blog, and I hope you all have a wonderful couple of months ahead. I'll be back soon!

With love, Alisha Valerie. x

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Coconut Lane Wishlist

Coconut Lane is one of my favourite online stores, and if you're a blogger I'm more than sure you'll have heard of them too. Coconut Lane was set up by the wonderful Charlotte Stagg and as I really love their stuff I thought I would share with you, my wishlist of Coconut Lane.

Taking Care of You

I'm guilty of being someone who's always looking after and taking care of someone else; my husband, our dog Daisy, my friends and family, other bloggers, basically everyone I can help in someway or another I will put my whole heart and soul into helping them and making them feel better. Which means a lot of the time I forget to take care of me, which means that I hardly ever get a big break time for myself so I wanted to share with you some of my favourite ways that I like to take care of myself whether I have five minutes or an hour to myself, or on days where my mental health and/or anxiety is bad or whenever I'm generally having a bad day. These are some of my favourite things to do...

Phil Blogs: I'm Not Obsessed, I'm Passionate | TAG

I was tagged in the "My Boyfriend Takes Over My Blog Post" TAG so I spoke to Phil about it and he seemed more than happy to be involved. If you don't know what this TAG is all about, you basically let your boyfriend, or in my case husband, take over your blog and write a blog post about something they love which is totally different to what you usually post about.
Phil, of course, chose to blog about his passion for wrestling...

What I've Been Loving Lately | TV Edition

This blog post was planned to be my February Favourites but since I haven't been doing too well and have spent a lot of time relaxing and getting better, I have been watching a lot of new TV shows and movies. So I thought instead I would share what I've been loving in the past few months with you all, this is going to be part one of two TV edition blog posts.

Blog Planning & Organisation Tips

Two of the most frequent questions I am asked on a daily basis are; what do you do as a blogger? and how do I plan my blog posts three months in advance? So I wanted to make a blog post explaining my top tips for blog planning and organisation. I really hope some of these tips are helpful to some of you who are bloggers or who are thinking of becoming bloggers.

From Blog to Business

How to turn your hobby of blogging into a business. 

I started my first ever blog when I was twelve years old. It was on a website called Freewebs, which was taken over and renamed Webs. Originally I wanted to start a blog to share my thoughts and ideas of what I was going through, I was suffering from undiagnosed Ulcerative Colitis and spent a lot of time alone in my bedroom in pain. So I started a blog, and I had no idea back then that this would take over my life.

Beat Online Bullying with Bullying UK

When the amazing people from Bullying UK got in touch with me and asked me if I'd be interested in doing a blog post about online bullying, of course, I jumped at the chance!

I see it all the time, I log onto one of my social media websites and see people having an argument on my newsfeed, calling each other names etc. Then I see the other people liking these hateful comments as if it's their entertainment for the day, and I wonder don't people realise this is bullying? 

Bodyform Period Products

I think every girl will agree with me when I say periods are one of the hardest things girls go through. Cramps? More like mini ninjas inside you trying to kill you.

Valentines Day | TAG

Valentines Day is literally days away, so what better time to do the Valentines Day tag? I hope you all enjoy reading my answers.

Top Four Valentines Day Dresses

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and it really is one of my favourite times of the year to shop. I love looking for that special dress which I'm going to wear, I thought I would do a quick blog post and share some of my favourites which I found this year with you all.