Blogmas Day 10: Camper van conversion update!

So I’m building a camper van! And I’ve started the conversion, but not made much progress so far if I'm quite honest! I’ve had the van maybe 2 months and so far I've brought lots of stuff and not done much with it! 

Lets start at the beginning.

The first job I had to do was removing two crew seats from the back, I had planned on selling them with no luck, hell I can’t even give them away! So if you're reading this and you're in the market for some van seats, hit me up!

Then it was removing the panels lining the van and a good clean up. I also had to fill the holes left in the floor from the bolts from those annoying crew seats. Turns out I brought the shittest filler cause I was messing in the van today and noticed 2 have come out leaving a nice hole in the floor of my soon to be home on wheels! Not a happy bunny! Gunna buy some better stuff and refill them in the week.

My biggest expense so far and probably overall was having windows fitted. You can buy the windows fairly cheap if you're willing and capable to fit them yourself, but cutting holes in the van and dealing with glass was not something I wanted to take on so I got mine done by a professional. Which obviously cost a bomb and a big chunk of my budget! But they look so good and there was no way I'd have been able to do them myself.

Next it was insulation. I used silver foil bubble wrap for my moisture barrier and a huuuuge roll of  polyester insulation. Not sure why, it was probably cheaper, but I kind of wish I’d brought something a bit more substantial now like boards with the moisture barrier on so all I would have to have done was attach them and be done with it. I used double sided tape and duct tape, I know a lot of people opt for glue but I have asthma and really didn't wanna be struggling with that so tape was easier for me. 

After that I decided to re use the panels that came with the van as they were already pre cut to the shape of the van and in good condition. A good point to remember is to run any wires through the walls before putting panels back on. I have all my electrics in one point of the van, and in the ceiling for the lights. 

I also left a section of the ceiling un-insulated for the time being as I needed my Dad’s help to put the solar panel on and cut the hole for the cable but I finished insulating before he had chance to help me. 

Solar panel! I brought a kit on ebay, but thought I was getting a full kit with all the bits and bobs to hook the entire thing up, but nope! I got the solar panel, fixing brackets and charge controller. Read the description carefully kids! I also wish now I’d spent a tad more and got a flexible panel. I can’t fit under car park barriers by a an inch or two, and having a flat flexible panel would mean I’d be able to. Its something I might look at changing in the future if it becomes a pain in the arse! 

I think I’ll do a separate post about hooking up my solar panel and circuit because this has by far been the most difficult thing I've had to try and do and I've not done much at all yet. I’ve asked probably a billion questions to my online friend Mark who's nearly finished a much bigger van than mine, I'm surprised he hasn't lost his shit with me yet haha!

I recently decided I wanted wood cladding on my ceiling, and to possibly stain it white so the wood grains show through. I brought the cladding a couple of weeks ago and had no idea my dad had started on it till I went in there today! Go Dad! 

This morning I worked a bit on the electrical circuit, hooking up the solar panel to the charge controller and running the wires to where I want my spotlights but thats all I've done so far. After help from Mark I've managed to draw a diagram of my circuit which has helped tonnes so hopefully I’ll feel more confident now but like I said I’ll do a separate post on that when I've finished putting the circuit together and have half an idea about what I'm doing!

And thats as far as I've got so far, my problem with my arm pain has put me off working as much as I should but I'm coming to the end of a flare up of pain so can hopefully get more stuck in now!

I’ve been thinking too a lot about how I want the van to look, pintrest as my inspiration and think I'm definitely heading for a white and grey with pale wood furniture but that could all change! I like to keep my decor quite neutral so that when I get bored with it I can just change the soft furnishings or decorations and things without doing a full redecorate! 

Keep checking in for more van updates, I’ll be posting more stuff when I get more done and hopefully making some more videos of the conversion too. 

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 9: 2 year update post back surgery

Seems like a blink since I sat down to write my one year update post but here we are. 2 years out of spine surgery! More specifically a l5/s1 microdiscectomy. 

For those who might not know my past, this is a procedure to go in and remove a piece of disc material that has herniated and is pressing on the nerve root, commonly the sciatic nerve which causes “sciatica”. I struggled with the most crippling pain I've ever felt, numbness, weakness, in both my legs, left worse than right and had a pretty bad herniation pressing on both my left and right nerve roots and pushing into my spinal cord. 

I’d love to have been at a point a year ago where I could say I as feeling better and better but sadly I’m not as good as I hoped to be. This isn't related to my surgery but another condition I’ve had for 13 years. I’ve had chronic pain in my right arm, its normal for me now so I don't talk much about it but recovering from my back surgery I was getting a heck of a lot more active, I was doing pilates classes twice a week and at home and my back was getting super strong and I felt fab. But the more active I got the more the pain in my arm increased, now its to the point I can’t carry on with pilates or strengthening exercises and this has obviously had a knock on effect on my back recovery. I’ve lost the strength I gained, my core gets weaker every day and it fucking sucks! I was the healthiest I’d ever been when exercising, I’d lost most of the weight I gained while vegetating waiting for surgery and I was happy. Now I’m a wobbly unfit and aching potato again. I try and do a bit of pilates when I can but can manage 5 mins before the pain becomes so intense in my arm I can’t move. I’d actually say the pain in my arms is worse than my legs ever were. And I’ve had this for 13 years. 13 years of doctors telling me its all in my head and I’m too young to have something wrong with me. But finally I got a doctor to listen after an MRI earlier in the year showed issues with 3 discs in my neck. I have an appointment with a surgeon in January, funnily enough the same surgeon who sliced my back open! 

I think I’m going to talk about my arm issue more in another post because theres so much history and so many symptoms that It would turn this from a 2 year update to a splurge about my arm and that aint what this is about is it now!

So despite my lack of exercise my back is still ok, it aches a bit if I overdo it and I can get the odd niggle of nerve pain, well its not really pain more like a twinge if I do too much or move too fast. I think its my body’s way of telling me to calm down cause its usually when I'm up to something stupid like trying to carry something heavy or falling over!

My whole back in general feels tight and knotty, I should really be going for regular massages but it gets expensive! 

I’m currently doing a lot of diy, I'm converting a van into a camper van on my own, my awesome dad is helping when he can! But I’m trying to do as much as I can alone, kind of feels like something I want to do to be proud of, and that just because I've had back surgery doesn't mean I can’t do anything. Plus I’m feeling like I need to get the years back I lost out on being a carefree twentysomething. I missed out on so much. I hate that I had to cancel my masters degree for surgery, I kick myself now thinking I’d have a masters in forensic anthropology right now if my back didn't get in my way. Instead I work in a food store. That really gets me down! I know I can re apply and go again but I don't think I’m over the grief that I never got to go in the first place, so for me its not right right now.

One other little symptom I do get even now, it just happened which reminded me! Is that I have a patch of skin on my lower leg that goes tingly and numb! Doesn't effect me at all other than it feels weird but I find it strange I still get that even now!

So overall I’m doing ok. I’m not where I wanted to be fitness wise, but soon as my arm is sorted I’ll get there. I’ve got a lot to look forward to, and have been doing so much since surgery I’m feeling alive and hopeful again. 

Just keeping my fingers crossed for my arm to get fixed soon! Hopefully the next step is an accurate diagnosis! 

If you wanna read more about my back and surgery then I have a post you can find here about my symptoms and journey to diagnosis and surgery in my one year update.  

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 8: Who inspires me/Opinion on Exploring withJosh.

I’ve not been watching Josh’s channel long, a matter of months really, but I haven’t yet found a more beautifully stunning, endearing, exciting and interesting channel as this one.
I remember slobbing on my sofa one day, dog asleep next to me, scrolling through youtube at abandoned videos and came cross an abandoned asylum video by Josh. And I was hooked! I must have spent hours binge watching videos and I am still as excited by his channel as I was that day.
I hate the word fan, but I guess that what I am! A fan girl as my bestie calls me haha!
But I cant help it, without finding this channel I wouldn't have picked up my camera again, I wouldn't have brought a van and be converting it into a camper to see my beautiful country and beyond.
Josh is currently in the UK doing some abandoned places and I’m gunna watch and learn and hopefully take myself to a few places to explore when my vans finished. I’ve always wanted to do some abandoned but never had the confidence to go alone, and probably shouldn't go alone for safety but I haven't much choice! I’m independent and head strong plus I just don't have anyone who can stop their lives to travel the country with me. But thats ok!
At the end of his trip here he’s doing a meet up in London which I've been so lucky to get the day off work to be able to go, and I'm already incredibly friggin nervous! I really struggle meeting new people and I get very awkward and never make a great first impression and I really want to try and make the most out of the entire experience of meeting him, hopefully be able to ask questions and learn and gain some confidence with travelling and exploring abandoned places. I’m gunna try my damn hardest not to clam up and leave!
One thing I’m obsessed with at the moment is Josh’s drone footage! I want a drone so bad but just cant afford one right now but when I watch his footage I'm literally dribbling with awe! And then he did a review of his new drone and did that video at the end and gaaahhh! STUNNING!!
I like to dabble in photography and hope to keep getting better and better the more I shoot and Josh inspires me to do that. I love his instagram and can only hope to have photos like that I can call my own one day. Before we head to Josh’s meet up in London me and my buddy Ellis are planning on a bit of a photography sesh on our visit to the capital city! Leicester just doesn't cut it so were majorly taking advantage of a trip to London!
Josh seems like such a humble, creative talented guy with such an endearing personality. The combo of his content combined with his personality is what wins over any other channel in my eyes. I feel so privileged that I’ll hopefully be meeting him soon. Such an inspiration!
I’ve just thought now finishing this that its occurred to me I'm probably gunna write another post after London about how the meet up went and a general London festive fun trip post so expect more Exploring with Josh ramblings and maybe a video....who knows! I’m getting quite into making videos at the mo so watch this space!

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 7: Supporting small businesses

Supporting small business

I’m sat now, at a Christmas market with my good pal Ellis helping out with her Pastel Elixir stall and thought what better a time to write a post about supporting small businesses than right now surrounded by small businesses.

For small business owners, Christmas starts super early, planning and producing stock to hopefully sell in the run up to Christmas fills a lot of their time. The least we could do is support them for all their hard work.

I know for a fact shopping small business can be a tad bit more expensive than online or the high-street for those of us on a tight budget at Christmas. So one thing you can do is to start your pressie shopping early. This way you're not forking out a tonne of money in one go, or if you like a good splurge then save up a Christmas pressie fund so you can get everything brought in one go. Have a think about the people you're buying for and get searching for some unique handmade gifts. You kill two birds with one stone here, first off you get an awesome gift no one else will have, that will surprise and amaze the gift receiver, and second you are handing your hard earned money over to someone who actually deserves it rather than a greedy corporate snob who wipes their arse with £50’s every day!

So how do you actually find small businesses? Get yourself on websites like Etsy. You'll find some beautiful stuff on there. Some businesses on there will have their own websites and social media accounts you can check out too and from there you might find other small businesses that you find interesting. Small business owners regularly follow each other, supporting their fellows work so chances are if you find one small business you'll find another, and another, and another. 

One way I’ve supported small business this year is to start early. I’m on a tight budget this Christmas but I wanted to try and do my part to help support small business, even if it is only for a few gifts. One trick could be to buy one main pressie and then get some stocking fillers from the high street or online. I’ve done exactly this with a friends birthday present. I brought a vegan soy wax candle in the shape of a skull from a store on Etsy called waxandbonesuk, I got to choose the colour and scent and this was my main pressie, then from Primark I got a picture holder for £1 and some cute fairy lights for £2.50. I also added in a bubble bar from lush! Together they make a nice little bundle of gifts and I spent well under £20. 

Because I managed to save a bit more than expected I was able to get some custom artwork done from Pastel Elixir for my two godsons and my friends baby. Normally I wouldn't spend this much but I really hate buying kids toys and clothes at Christmas! So now they have a nice keepsake! The commissions were £20 each which on reflection is actually pretty cheap when you consider the time the artist takes and the fact you're getting a one of kind piece. Its unique! 

I also got my brother a custom piece for his birthday and he was so thrilled to see something he’d never seen before, and something no one else has. 

It really is easy to shop small business at Christmas. And if you get a couple of gifts from a small business there is a real person at the other end of your order letting out a little squeak of joy because they know they can pay their bills this month! 

Even if you buy one gift this year from a small business you'll have made such a difference. 

Thanks for reading and support small business!

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 6: Donating to the elderly at Christmas.

Last year my Nana was rushed into hospital unexpectedly just before Christmas. We found out she had cancer and she passed away after her 8 day stay in hospital over the Christmas period. On our visit to her on Christmas day the ward staff wheeled in a big trolly full of gift bags and handed each patient a present. 

Turns out AgeUK collect donations of gift bags for the elderly who are in hospital on Christmas day. I didn't know this was a thing! I’d heard of people donating toys to children's wards but didn't realise there was anything for the elderly.

I was overwhelmed at how happy the patients, including my Nana was at receiving a gift on Christmas day. The entire mood lifted and we managed to share a moment of festivities together as a ward. The staff clearly enjoyed themselves too which was lovely to see. My nana received some body cream, which she didn't hesitate to try out, a puzzle book, a cake bar and a few other bits and bobs. As trivial as it sounds it really made a difference to not just my nana but to every patient. 

It broke my heart that some patients I spoke to hadn't had a single visitor since being admitted, nothing. And thats why this year I just had to get involved. 

I don't have much money, so this year I've decided to skimp a bit on friends and families pressies so I had some spare money to buy gifts for my bags. I don't know why but I decided on putting together 6 gift bags! I wanted to get things that would actually be useful for a stay in hospital so I went for things like face wipes, hand wipes, lip balm, hand cream, cosy socks, and things to keep occupied like puzzle books, a small colouring book and some pencils, in the mens bags I've put a maze puzzle in there. And for that festive feeling everyone has a candy cane and Christmas card. 

Please have a think this Christmas if you can spare a few pounds to put together a gift bag to donate. Some of the elderly in hospital this Christmas wont be coming home and even though it may not seem like much it really will make a difference and brighten up their Christmas day.

I will be taking my bags to AgeUK, they will then sort through them all and get them to Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield Hospital and Leicester General Hospital for Christmas day.

Have a check with your local charities and hospitals to see what scheme they run for donating and always make sure you stick to the guidelines when donating with regards to gifts. Some items are prohibited.

There wont be a Christmas that goes by now that I will not do this. Next year I'm going to try and get my workplace involved and start getting gifts together a bit earlier so I can hopefully make 10 gift bags next year.

But if you've read this post and feel inspired to donate its not too late, AgeUK and the Leicester hospitals are taking donations up until the 16th December so if you would like to get something together for this Christmas then you still have time.

I will definitely be sparing a thought for all those who have found themselves in hospital this Christmas and the staff who spend their time away from their own families to care for yours. They really are true heroes to us all.

If you decide you'd like to donate but don't have time or don't fancy putting a gift bag together then maybe consider a donation to a charity you care about this Christmas, while its not a specific gift going to a person its helping a charity to continue doing incredible things. Most charities are easy to donate to by going online.

Thank you so much for checking this post out.

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 5: Am I an anti blogger?

I started blogging just over a year ago, and I’ve come to learn in that time that there seems to be a blogging 101 handbook that I’ve missed!
Rose gold, marble, copper, flat lays, plants, ootd, bumming zoella, are all very absent from my blog. And I’m flipping proud of it.
I blog because I love it. It makes me feel happy. Its become a hobby I can’t see giving up any time soon. Its a very informal place, I make spelling mistakes, my grammar sucks sometimes, do I give a fuck? Nope!!
Its my blog and if you've come to it for perfection then you've come to the wrong place.
I spent a lot of time when I started my blog worrying because the majority of bloggers I saw on social media were beauty bloggers. I am the opposite of a beauty guru and I'm allergic to make up so I panicked that I wouldn't fit in if I didn't conform to the mass of beauty bloggers out there. But the more I wrote about stuff I wanted to write about I realised that you just have to do you. Your blog is your personal space, whether you use it for work or a hobby like me you have to have some sort of passion, interest or feeling about what you write or the reader won’t be interested. It will be boring. So I decided from then on I was gunna write about whatever the heck I wanted. And I've done just that! You'll find a mass of topics on my blog, some would say disorganised, but thats the kind of blog I run, sloppy, chilled, unprofessional, but I loooooooooove it! The thought of spending hours taking photographs of shit I don't care about makes me wanna gouge my eyeballs out! Writing about things I have no interest in feels like complete torture. So none of that is found here! I write when I want to, not to a schedule, and if I have a nice photo or write a post about somewhere I've been then I’ll bless you with a photo or two but other wise it will just be my incredibly spectacular and awesomely epic writing! Pfft as if! Haha!!
Its become aware to me too that stats and views and shit is something I should be looking at. Is it? I used to check how many views my posts have had and it wasn't many and I got super self conscious that I sucked, but again, as I've been blogging more I've started to care less and less about views and followers. If it happens then fab, if not then thats also ok. For right now I am loving blogging and I do it more for myself than others.
I put no pressure on myself with regards to my blog. I’ve gone ages without posting then I’ll have the urge to write and I’ll bash a load of posts out, much like right now! This is the 3rd post of the day! But after this I might not wanna write for 3 weeks and thats ok. Writing is a passion, not a chore and I feel that if I had to keep to a schedule like most bloggers seem to have I’d be throwing out shit content I and others wouldn't enjoy at all.
So does this make me an anti blogger? Maybe, but thats ok. I am unique and so is my blog and I'm proud of that, no matter how many views I get.

Am I even doing blogmas right?! I saw a thread on twitter saying it should be Christmas posts only! But mine won’t be, I don’t even know if I’ll have a post for every day, but we shall see! I’m gunna give it darn good try!

What do you all think? Do you stress about content and views or are you a laid back blogger, writing when the inspiration hits you? Do you try and stay within one niche or do you write about anything and everything?

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 4: Victorian Christmas Market & Pastel Elixir.

Yesterday I had an amazing day spent with Ellis and James at the Victorian Christmas Market in Melton Mowbray Leicestershire. After a bit of a flop of a Christmas market a few weeks ago with Ellis working with her on her Pastel Elixir stall we were a bit apprehensive about what to expect from this one. 

But the whole day was fab! We got more sales, more people interested in Ellis’s products, we were in a great location in a courtyard of a coffee shop in an adorable cobbled street along with a couple of other small business owners and a kids craft stand, with people enjoying their coffee and cakes and snacks around us. 

As always I have the best time when I’m with Ellis and we had a blast selling, chatting, laughing, eating, meeting people and seeing some family and friends who popped along to visit us.

We went for a wander around the market and there were live singers on stage throughout most of the day singing everything from Christmas songs to Disney! 

James took the opportunity of a themed market to dress up and he looked fab taking inspiration from Peaky Blinders!

And I took the opportunity to get my camera out and went a bit snap happy shooting James, the market, the church and the lights!

This brings be slightly off topic to spread the word about supporting small businesses. Seeing people admiring Ellis’s work really warmed her heart and made her hard work feel justified and you really must remember that behind the screen you order from is a real person letting out a squeak of excitement when they get your order through, they pack it with joy, and wave it goodbye for its journey to you. You don't get that anywhere else! 

I made a cute little video of the day which you can watch here.

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 3: Who inspires me?

Righty-ho! I’ve got Our Last Night blasting out my speakers, dinner in the oven and a pack of chewits to nibble.

I

AM

READYYYYYYY!!!

Kicking off number 2 in my “Who inspires me” series and I’m gunna be talking about the first You tuber I ever watched regularly. Evan Edinger. 

First off I became hooked on his travel channel, I was struggling with crippling pain waiting for spine surgery dreaming of a life outside my home and Evan kind of gave that to me. I could get lost in his videos and pretend I was pain free and exploring the world. Sounds daft but at one of the lowest times of my life when this outdoorsy and active gal had became almost housebound, Evans travel vlogs were a huge inspiration and motivation for me to have a successful recovery from my op and to get out and see the world when I was recovered. Now, I’m building a self build campervan to go travelling the UK and Ireland and hopefully take to Europe! Craaaaazy!!

I’ve always has an interest in photography and hope to one day on my travels have a snazzy portrait of epic travel shots inspired by Evan, and I’m saving for a drone too! Thanks Evan, my bank balance hates you! Haha!

Through his travel channel I began to watch videos on his main channel and I found a few that were quite personal and eye opening for me. I’m personally not ready to talk about which ones I’m on about on the internet but I can pin point a time in my life, after watching said videos, where I changed for the better. The self doubt and loathing lifted away and the acceptance I felt because I knew I wasn't alone was life changing.

I actually met Evan at a Comicon in London a couple of years ago, I was petrified, super awkward and it was frankly embarrassing! I’ve always been fairly awkward talking to people I don't know, which usually leads to me struggling to make new friends and I hate myself for it. Inside I wanna be able to have conversations with people, to know what to say and enjoy meeting new people. But when I get put in a situation where I have to meet someone my brain just shuts down! I can’t find words, I struggle holding a conversation, I make the whole thing incredibly awkward, then like a weirdo I just leave! I wanted this to change so after meeting Evan and doing just this, plus the encouragement I was getting from my amazing friend Ellis, I was inspired to start this blog with the intention of getting over my social awkwardness and being able to meet new people. One year in and I'm still an awkward mess but I’ve grown in confidence and embrace my weirdness so I guess thats a good thing! Evan, you inspire me to be weird and write about it on the internet! Love it!

Thinking about it Evan has had quite a lot of positive impact on my life and I can’t help but feel inspired by the guy. I’m possibly facing some more surgery on my spine in the near future and I will definitely be turning to Evans travel channel to keep me inspired to once again have a strong recovery and to get out and see the world. One thing I am greatly aware of having years of my twenties taken up with illness is that life is short and it passes quickly and there is a whole world out there to experience and I want to get out there and see it, no matter what my health throws at me. 

So in short, Evan inspires me to be confident in who I am, and to live my life. Thanks bud!

My dindins is ready now so with that I draw this post to a close to go and stuff my face!

See ya guys until the next one!

Vikky

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Blogmas Day 2: A nut free Christmas.

Having allergies at Christmas can be a right pain in the arse. Lots of new Christmas food coming out that looks so tasty you check the ingredients list and bam! There are those loathed words: may contain nuts. But its not just new food in the supermarket. Christmas parties and days out shopping present new obstacles of eating out. Luckily most places are fab with allergies, but for some reason, with the arrival of Christmas, comes the swift arrival of nuts, nuts and more nuts! They're every sodding where! I’m changing the name of Christmas to nutmas! 

Families can be a problem for allergy sufferers. Often not understanding how to prepare a nut free meal which can cause stress for allergy sufferers, particularly parents of allergy children. Sweets and chocolates are a pain, most Christmas chocolate isn't safe and we often see a rise in reactions this time of year.

So here are my tips for having a safe nut free Christmas.

1. Shop around. Chances are you'll be able to find all the Christmas goodies you want, but not often in one shop. It can be annoying but keeping an eye out in different stores can mean you find an absolute gem of a nut free product! For me this is the chocolate coins in Wilkos! Big kid!
2. Learn to bake! I’ve never found a nut free mince pie. Anywhere at all in the 6 Christmases I've had with a nut allergy. So I bake mine. I have made pastry in the past but a lot of the time I just can’t be bothered so ready made pastry is a godsend! I know a few places do nut free mince but I buy coop own brand, only because I work there and its convenient! 
3. Get on pintrest. There are some yummy recipes on there, I always search for whatever I want to bake or cook and hope it has no nut ingredients, if it does carry on searching or leave the nuts out. Theres usually an alternative nut free recipe on there.
4. For kids, Christmas can be frustrating with all the extra treats about that they can’t eat, so think of ideas to keep their mind off missing out like Christmas crafts, baking new Christmas treats. And keep an eye out for Kinnerton chocolate treats. I’ve seen these in Wilkos and Asda and I'm sure they're in many other places, but Kinnerton are nut free and do a great range of advent calendars each year for little and big alike!
5. Following on from advent calendars, if you don't fancy, don't like Kinnerton chocolate or just don't like chocolate at all, one option is to buy a diy advent calendar. This could be something with pockets or draws to add your own treats. This doesn't have to be food, it could be tiny toys, or something like lego pieces and at the end you've got a lego toy. And you're never too old people! I’m 28 and my mum is doing just this for me and filling the pockets with chocolate coins from wilkos!! 
6. Don't worry about food. Asking an allergy sufferer not to worry about food at Christmas sounds crazy but really, don't worry. Keep Christmas at home, invite the family over instead of eating out and you know what is exactly in the food and that its safe. Family, no matter how understanding they are, can easily miss nut warnings or make a mistake, its happened to me before, actually even today my mum had been eating nuts and I went to share something off the same spoon and almost had it in my mouth when mum slapped it out the way remembering she’d eaten nuts! If you prefer to eat out on Christmas day have a look around restaurants beforehand and have a chat about the menu and safe options.
7. If you take allergy medication, or have piriton for example in your emergency pack make sure they are in date and if they run out around Christmas time make sure you get your prescription done in time so you're all set for Christmas. This goes with epipens too, make sure they're in date and haven't gone cloudy and get them replaced if needs be well in time for Christmas.
8. This leads me to my last tip. ALWAYS carry your epipens everywhere no matter what. I’ve heard of people leaving them at home for party season because they don't fit in a clutch bag, or men not carrying them because its inconvenient. This is absolutely mindbogglingly stupid! Carry your epipens!!

So theres some tips for a safe nut free Christmas. Have you got any of your own? What does your allergy Christmas look like?

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

X

Blogmas Day 1: Lush Review!

So turns out I’ve been living under a rock. I’ve never been to lush before! How can that be you say! Everyone is obsessed with lush! Well people, I’m allergic to many many things, including nuts, and the couple of times I've peered in the windows like a little weirdo I saw so many nut ingredients I ran for the hills!

But I’ve been having a small flutter deep inside telling me to have a second look, to peruse their yummy looking stuff and dig a bit deeper into their ingredients. 

So my fantabulous buddy Ellis took me into lush to ask about a shampoo and conditioner I’ve been looking at. I didn't realise lush did samples and I've been struggling to a) find a shampoo and conditioner that I didn't react to and b) something that would suit my fine and greasy hair. 

The gal in store (wish I caught her name) went through the products with me for nut ingredients and we settled on I love juicy and veganese. Both nut free! Woohoo!

I’m not kidding you I have 6 bottles sat at home that I’ve bought and reacted to, it gets expensive buying and trying different products when you're so reactive! So the samples she gave me filled me with relief that I wouldn't have to spend more money and have the embarrassment (and a surprising amount of paperwork) of returning something you've had a reaction to. 

So I've been using the samples for a few days and I'm so happy, my greasy hair hasn't gone but I’d a tad better which I'm hoping will improve the longer I use the shampoo. 

Cue trip number 2 to Leicester and I have my I love juicy, veganese, dry shampoo and a birthday pressie! I spoke with a guy today (again I've forgotten his name, I'm ashamed!) and he was lovely, so helpful and guided me through their products to find something that hopefully will be loved for the birthday pressie! 

I love the whole ethos that lush has, fighting animal testing and I didn't realise either that 80% of their products are vegan which is fab! They also use non plastic glitter so are reducing the amount of plastic going down those plug holes and to landfill! 

The price in lush too has also been a reason I've avoided, but even though I've spent 20 quid on a big bottle of shampoo its going to last me absolutely ages! The tiny sample pot I got has lasted me 5 uses so far and theres still about a quarter left in there! Plus its cruelty free and you really are supporting a company that is making a difference.

I will definitely be a regular face in lush now, I'm actually in shock that I didn't check them out sooner! 

Thanks lush for being so helpful and non judgemental, I've had some really awkward encounters with staff in other places when I've asked for help finding nut free things and I've just wanted to shrink into the ground but not here, the staff have been wonderful and I'm so happy I finally went in!

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

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Who inspires me?

I’ve been feeling super inspired by a lot of people recently and thought a fun idea would be to start a bit of a series on the ol’ blog to share the lovely people I find inspire me.

First up is my wonderful friend Ellis. 

I wanna start off talking about her courageous and inspiring decision earlier this year to leave full time employment and follow her dreams of being a self employed full time illustrator. Not many people have the balls to do something like that, what with the fear of it not working out, but most people wont even try. But Ellis is doing just that, and whether she sinks or swims in this unpredictable world of freelance she will always be a huge inspiration to me. She makes me feel like anything is possible and that maybe one day I might have the skills and confidence to try and work for myself. 

Knowing Ellis has had a troubled past with mental health, especially at her old job, I admire that she put herself and her health first and left a job that was so corrupt it was seriously impacting on her mental health. She reminds me that putting myself first is key. And thats so important because you only get one life, and theres no guarantee you'll live it till you're old and wrinkly so you have to look after yourself. 

Recently I’ve been inspired by Ellis to think about the way I view the world and how I have an impact on it. I knew things like animal testing went on and that I was more than likely using products that had been tested on animals, but I was so close minded I didn't want to think about it but Ellis has opened my eyes and I couldn't thank her more. She made the decision to go vegan and in doing so has been exploring where food comes from and how important it is to be cruelty free. Because of Ellis I am now cruelty free and have majorly cut down on the amount of meat I eat. I’m heading towards vegetarianism but I have so many allergies and have found out I’m allergic to quorn so I want to slowly cut meat out while I learn about what foods I can and cant eat and how to keep healthy with already having a restricted diet. I can 100% say I would not be cruelty free or cut down on eating meat if it wasn't for Ellis. 

And d’ya know what, this blog of mine wouldn't exist without Ellis either, through her encouragement and support I’ve found a hobby that I love and have even made a few videos on youtube! 

Ellis is an incredible friend who never ceases to amaze and inspire me with her ventures and triumphs, she's supported me through my toughest times and I truly am privileged to have a friend like her in my life. 

Thanks for reading!

Vikky

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