I don't quite know how to start this; it seems a little bit obvious to say, "Where has December gone!?" but that's kind of how I feel! Another month seems to have just disappeared on me, in a weird kind of way, because the first two-thirds of the month flew by, and the week since Christmas has dragged on without me managing to feel like I've achieved anything at all. Typical.
...Unless eating my own weight in cheese counts as an achievement?
![December_In_Retrospect]()
Empties.
I haven't finished a huge number of products, compared to last month, but nonetheless I'm popping a few empties into the recycling this weekend!
![December_Empties]()
Sample Sachets.
Erm. Whoops. I totally neglected my sample stash in December - we'll blame it on too much else going on! I'll do better in January, hopefully.
December Goals.
As always, I set myself some goals at the beginning of the month, so let's take a look at how those worked out for me!
•See friends at least twice. I had a catch-up with one of my best friends before he jetted off to Bali for Christmas (from where he has complained about the sea being too loud, the jammy bugger!), cooked a Christmas dinner with a group of friends, went to a Christmas Eve fun run for a catch-up with a few more friends, and had all the usual Christmassy gatherings. It's been lovely!
•Keep up going to the gym regularly. I have to admit I've been slacking a bit here since Christmas, because the gym is open such awkward hours, but I'll be getting right back into it when I go back to work this week. I've really missed my morning workouts! Up until Christmas I'd been doing pretty well, and I think I made it every day before work which I'm quite proud of.
•Have a proper make-up cull. I did this at the start of the month but actually only just put the make-up in the bin. I'm not sure why I was keeping it in a box? Anyway, it's gone now - I've said goodbye to quite a few dubious-looking lipsticks and eyeshadows and a couple of dried-up mascaras.
• Reach 4000 Twitter followers. I fell quite short here, sitting at 3855 as I write this on the evening of the 30th - I was also hoping to reach 1500 on Instagram but again, I missed that and am currently on 1335. I've not been very active on social media this month, however, so it doesn't really come as a surprise!
December Loves.
Christmas is far from my favourite time of year for a number of reasons, but I've been lucky to receive some gorgeous presents (like the tea selection from my brother's lovely girlfriend, and the hedgehog mug in the work Secret Santa!) and have some really fun festive gatherings, which I've enjoyed. I do love that Christmas gives everyone an excuse to get together and catch up with their near and dear.
![Christmas_Gifts]()
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xo
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...Unless eating my own weight in cheese counts as an achievement?
I haven't finished a huge number of products, compared to last month, but nonetheless I'm popping a few empties into the recycling this weekend!
Will Repurchase: Collection Sheer Loose Powder| I have no idea how many of these I must have been through! Cheap and cheerful but it does the job. I ran out unexpectedly (because I'm a dozy cow - the packaging is see-through!) so I had to pick up what was available in Asda on my dinnerbreak, which was the Rimmel Match Perfection powder, but no doubt I'll get this again in future. // Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream | I have so many eye cream samples to use - does anyone else find they last an absolute age!? - but this is one of my favourites that I've tried, so I will repurchase it at some point. I just need to remember to use it regularly!
Might Repurchase: Dr Organic Vitamin E Conditioner | I quite liked this but didn't think it was amazing; I might pick it up if it was on a good offer, but I won't go out of my way to buy it again. // Schwarzkopf Supersoft Fixing Hairspray | I rarely use hairspray and, truth be told, this isn't actually empty - the spray has just broken so I'm chucking it anyway! I do quite like this one and hairspray is handy to have but, again, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this particular product again. // Boots Tea Tree Oil | I love tea tree oil! I actually replaced this with an unbranded one off Amazon, but I would buy the Boots one again - I just wasn't going into town and really needed a new bottle. // Vitamasques Pomegranate Firming & Lifting Sheet Mask* | I did enjoy using this, although for some reason I don't tend to reach for sheet masks. I don't think I'd buy this particular one again as my skin doesn't really need firming and lifting yet, but I'd like to try other masks from the Vitamasques range! // Balance Me Revitalising Hand & Body Wash | I really enjoy using this as a shower gel and, whilst I probably wouldn't buy it myself as it's quite pricey, I'll definitely grab it if it pops up as a magazine freebie again!
Sample Sachets.
Erm. Whoops. I totally neglected my sample stash in December - we'll blame it on too much else going on! I'll do better in January, hopefully.
December Goals.
As always, I set myself some goals at the beginning of the month, so let's take a look at how those worked out for me!
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• Reach 4000 Twitter followers. I fell quite short here, sitting at 3855 as I write this on the evening of the 30th - I was also hoping to reach 1500 on Instagram but again, I missed that and am currently on 1335. I've not been very active on social media this month, however, so it doesn't really come as a surprise!
December Loves.
Christmas is far from my favourite time of year for a number of reasons, but I've been lucky to receive some gorgeous presents (like the tea selection from my brother's lovely girlfriend, and the hedgehog mug in the work Secret Santa!) and have some really fun festive gatherings, which I've enjoyed. I do love that Christmas gives everyone an excuse to get together and catch up with their near and dear.
I was hoping to find the much-coveted blogger favourites Olympus Pen in the Boxing Day sales but alas, it wasn't to be... So I ordered it anyway, promising myself that I'd skip the sales to make up for it. I then promptly treated myself to a YSL Black Opium gift set because I have no self-control, apparently. Ohwell.
My brother graduated earlier in the month, after a tough couple of years where he nearly didn't complete his degree - it hasn't been easy by any stretch of the imagination but I was so proud of him! ♥
I haven't had time for much blog reading lately, and I have really missed it - but a couple of my favourite posts this month include Charlotte's reflections on sharing your children at Christmas (warning: it's a tear-jerker!), Gwennan's 2017 blogging goals, Hannah's 10 moments that made 2016 pretty awesome for her, and Paula's tips on easy ways to simplify your life, which I could definitely do to put into practice! Amongst my own posts, I was really proud of '25 Ways to Practice Self-Care in Five Minutes (Or Less!)', and this is a topic I'm hoping to write more about in the year ahead.
I haven't had time for much blog reading lately, and I have really missed it - but a couple of my favourite posts this month include Charlotte's reflections on sharing your children at Christmas (warning: it's a tear-jerker!), Gwennan's 2017 blogging goals, Hannah's 10 moments that made 2016 pretty awesome for her, and Paula's tips on easy ways to simplify your life, which I could definitely do to put into practice! Amongst my own posts, I was really proud of '25 Ways to Practice Self-Care in Five Minutes (Or Less!)', and this is a topic I'm hoping to write more about in the year ahead.
December In Summary.
Overall, December has been crazy busy, and I'm ready for things to slow down a little come January! There have been some highlights for me this month, but overall I've found it pretty tough going, and I know I'm not alone in being glad that today signifies the end of 2016. Have a safe, fun evening if you're celebrating the New Year, and I'll hope to see you here in 2017!xo
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