Are you a winter or summer person? Personally I'm either Spring (my birth season) or Autumn as neither season is too hot or too cold. That fresh crisp air. The sunrises. Easter. My birthday. Warm clothes. The budding flowers. Daffodils and Sunflowers. Yellows, reds and pinks and oranges and browns. 

Have you got any plans or ideas for Autumn? Check out my Bucket list and ideas if you want some inspiration. One of my favourite things for the early darker nights is having a movie marathon with hot drinks and my favourite snacks. It's a bit too early for Christmas films but perfect time for Halloween films... even if you don't like Horrors.

Non Spooky (My favourite type)

• Casper
• Hocus Pocus 1 + 2
• Halloweentown Franchise
• Harry Potter Franchise
• Hotel Transylvania Franchise
• Scooby Doo
• Twilight Franchise
• Edward Scissorhands
• The Haunted Manision
• Caroline 
• Twitches 1 + 2
• Sweet Home Albama
• The Lost Boys
• Ghostbusters - Original and New version
• When Harry Met Sally
• You've Got Mail

Spooky

• Haunting of Hill House
• The Conjuring
• ET - This actually has haunted me as a kid so it's going in the spooky genre haha - Don't ask...
• The Addams Family
• The Woman in Black
• Labyrinth
• Gremlins
• Beetlejuice
• Series of Unfortunate Events (And film)
• Monster House

Horror (My worst nightmare)

• Eli
• Candyman
• The Sixth Sense
• Halloween Franchise
• Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise
• Scream Franchise
• Final Destination Franchise
• Insidious Franchise
• IT
• Scream Franchise
• The Mummy

What kind of Halloween film do you like? Are you braver than me haha?

Hey guys,

It's offically Autumn!!

If your looking forward to Autumn and are looking for some plans (whether it's solo, with friends, family, partner etc) get that notebook (or the Notes section on your phone) and jot down some of these activities you can add to your list:

• Visit a pumpkin patch & do some carving
• Get some clear cups & glasses and decorate with autumn themes 
• Walk - That feeling of the leaves falling and stepping on them crunchy leaves
• Seasonal hot drinks - Pumpkin spiced latte, Hot chocolate etc.
• Firework display - Get them sparklers out
• Light autumnal candles
• Blackpool Illumination lights
• Bake Halloween goodies - Cookies, Cupcakes etc.
• Do Halloween crafts
• Trick or treat (If you have kids)
• Roast marshmallows/smores on a fire
• Take photos
• Apple picking / Apple bobbing
• Cook seasonal foods - Apple crumble, Scouse (or stew depending where you live), Pumpkin soup, Hotpots, Casserole, etc.
• Have a bonfire
• Build an indoor fort 
• Play board games/jigsaw
• Autumnal films - Get them winter pjs on, fire lit, your favourite snacks with hot drinks and throw on Halloween films - Whether it's Horrors or Disney-related; some of my favourite are - Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Casper, Edward Scissorhands, Bedknobs and Broomsticks 
• Make an autumnal wreath/garland
• Decorate your home with some autumnal decor
• Declutter 
• Time to get the darker nail polishes and lipsticks out - I'm a sucker for red with purple undertone lipsticks and dark orangey-brown nails,
• Enjoy the darker mornings on your days off
• Star gaze
• Harry Potter Marathon - And if you can go visit Harry Potter World in Watford - Read my Experience here

Nadine Alex x

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Hey guys,

So you've made it through Part 1 - If you haven't check it out here. After an eventful, busy day yesterday we decided to have a little lie in, make the most of the all inclusive breakfast (stocking up on about a stone's worth of croissants haha) and then checking out. We had to get the Eurostar back to London about 5pm so we then tried to make the most of the day aswell as being more spontaneous as we had such a busy structured day prior. 

Day 2

This day just consisted of walking around into the town's (including the beautiful Montmartre) and wondering around the cutest little cafe's, restaurants and shops. 

When we was in Montmartre we found the Sacre-Coeur Basilica, which is a gorgeous Roman Catholic Church, which is also named the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Oh my goodness, it is massive and just so remarkable. We took a seat on one of the benches catching up about our previous day and just soaking in the views. It was so peaceful, I was like next time we come we are definitely having a picnic in the gardens. 

After Sacre-Coeur Basilica, we carried on wondering and found some cute fountains that we also just sat and admired haha. We then wondered into the main part of the city and went onto the Pont Des Arts Bridge, also known as the Love Bridge. You used to be able to put a padlock onto this bridge but sadly it was getting overcrowded to where they had to remove the padlocks. Instead they have put bicycle chains on some of the posts so it is a lot easier to remove the padlocks once they get full. We placed our locks and will remember this as a symbolic and romantic holiday. 

It was time for some lunch so we found a little café near the Pont Des Arts Bridge called Cafe Des Beaux Arts. We ordered ham and cheese toasties which honestly looked like a massive omelette. It was so satisfying but no way was I declining a chocolate crepe straight afterwards. The eyes being too big for my belly was well deserved haha. 

Now for the even exciting bit... We are big fans of Emily in Paris and it was a given that I was going to hunt down the film locations (praying they were near - and they were!) We didn't realise that Emily's flat is literally a few steps away from Gabriel's Italian Restaurant. I was in awe that we was actually standing right next to the film locations. I was in my element. Next door to Gabriel's Restaurant (Properly known as Ristorante Terra Nera) was the Boulangerie Moderne Patisserie shop in which Lily Collin's character, Emily, visits a few times. We of course went in and bought some little cakes - We was so full up but we just had to. And I thought it was so cute that they had little white paper bags which said '.... in Paris' so you can write your name on it, such a thoughtful touch. 

Next on the Nadine in Paris (hahah) tour was the Jardin du Luxembourg and Jardin Du Palais Royale. The Jardin Du Palais Royale is famous for the start of Emilly and Mindy's friendship. The Jardin is filled with gardens, lawns, ponds and a fountain that was actually built in 1620. Unfortunately, we didn't get long in there as we ended up in a rush for getting back for our suitcases and the Eurostar. (Turns out our train ended up delayed anyways...typical). However, whilst we was there it was so spacious that I felt so peaceful. If we had more time I would have definitely packed a picnic and spend a few hours there watching the day to go by. 

Whilst we was power walking back towards the taxis (back to the hotel to pick the suitcases up) we ended up coming across the Panthéon. This is an iconic building for being the resting place of some of France's notable figures (including Marie Curie, Victor Hugo & Jean-Jacques Rousseau). You can actually book tickets to explore it's history. However, for those Emily in Paris fans you'd know this building as the scene where Emily broke up with her boyfriend back in America. 

Hey guys,

With today being a Sunday, beginning of the month & with us being more than halfway through the year (scary I know), what post is better than an Organisation/Reset kind of post. My goals at the beginning of the year was to stop procrastinating, be more organised with aspects of my life (including blogging) and some other things I want to achieve. But in January I put myself out there and started dating and now it's July - I have a boyfriend, we've been on countless holidays, I have been given more of a role in work so it has consisted on quite a bit of overtime and training and I became an auntie to another little one. I cant believe I'm an Auntie of 4 under 4. Hectic haha. 

Anyways, I have had quite a few hits during the year (which is too long winded to put onto here and I'm trying to be positive & not get off track with this post haha) so why not reflect and give myself a 'reset' ready for the remainder of the year. Blank exciting canvas. A new opportunity to get prepared & organised. Why wait for the year for goals? Actually, why wait til the following month to get organised and set goals? Try doing it on a Sunday, so you can have a good week and then that good week could progress to a good month. 

Brain Dump

I am so, so, so bad at this. I have so much going on in my brain of things to do and then I feel overwhelmed to the point where I just crawl into bed to binge watch a programme. I have always wanted to do facials& reflexology on the side but it means having clients and renting a room so currently it's not a viable idea but at the same time I am also thinking of starting an Etsy job. Also, I have been thinking of maybe putting my head back into the books and doing my AAT's, but wanting to keep on top of my blogging and being sociable. As I said, a lot going through the brain and nowhere for it to go. The best idea is to get a spare notebook or even make a Word Document on the laptop where you can just throw the ideas. You'll feel the weight off your shoulders. Even if it's breaking down the tasks into priorities and what you can put on hold.

Finances

I am trying so hard this year to keep on top of my Finances on a day to day basis - including using a Word Document in which I highlight the days of the month in which I haven't spent any money. Basically, I create a 7x5 table and label the boxes 1-31 (or amount of days in the month) and then I highlight the days where I haven't spent. The days I do spend I write in the column what I did spend (minus bills) and how much. I then at the end of the month can do a summary of the total expenses. I set myself a target of not spending as much as the previous month. See below for an example. This has actually beneficial and has helped me keep track and feel much more in control of my expenses. 

Finances should definitely be kept on top of (if you can't weekly, aim for monthly) in order not to miss a payment, become overwhelmed or forget what you have spent. Amount of times I have checked my bank account and been like 'what the heck is that payment' haha. It's also good in highlighting the pointless and non essential purchases you make and how to limit it the following month. It is even more important now to keep on top of your Finances & Budgets with the current climate and ongoing rise in prices. 

I have also been using an app called 'Plum'. Omg this app is a dream. I didn't realise how much I can actually save without having to think. This app is linked to my main account and weekly it'll take a certain amount. There are different toggles you can switch on and off (depending if you have used premium or not) which includes;

• Automatic - It analyses your income & expenses and it calculates what it can safely set aside without affecting you massively
• Weekly depositor - Sets aside a certain amount every week
• Round ups - It rounds up your transactions to the nearest £1 - You can even do Pound Ups - This rounds anything that's .00 exactly - e.g. £5, it'll put away £1
• Rainy Days - This is quite similar to Weekly depositor
• 52 Week Challenge
• The 1p Challenge

Reflect & Set Goals

Take the time to sit & reflect on the month you have left behind. Grab a cuppa, get your daily journal, a word document, whatever will help you 'brain dump' and list what you achieved in the previous month, what tasks you haven't completed and what you want to achieve in this current month. This is the perfect opportunity. Reset your alignment and focus. As I said at the beginning of the month I have so much going on in my head that dumping into a notepad, word document or even a draft blog post helps me clearer my mind, get a better aspect of what I want to achieve and not feel overwhelmed. From looking at the brain dump you can then set your goals into certain focuses whether it's health, finance, professionally, socially or personally. But remember to be realistic and smart.

For example:

• If you exercise twice a week - Try aim for 3 times a week
• If you manage to drink 4 glasses of water a day - Aim for 5
• If you manage 3 blog posts a month try 4
• If your trying to break a habit - Try a day at a time
• If your trying to save money - Go a day at a time of not spending 

It's always good to reflect on your month and acknowledge the small wins. You may be surprised on what you have achieved. Even if you've got depression or anxiety and struggle to get out of bed - getting out of bed that one day is an achievement. Before thinking of new goals, analysis the goals you had made the previous month and think about what their priority is to you - Will it help you grow? What are the benefits? And what does it mean to you? Don't create a big list as this will overwhelm you, keep it short and simple and then build it up when you have ticked them off your list or keep a note for the following month. 

Clear Out

Clear out everything. Whether it's your phone, emails, photos, purse, bag, your bedroom, wardrobe, makeup/skincare, makeup brushes, workspace, other aspects of your house etc. I am useless at clearing out & decluttering things whether it's because I haven't had the time so it's built up to being a huge task or whether it's because I'm a hoarder for useless things but coming up with a valid reason of why I need to keep the items. 

As I still live at home technically I only have my bedroom to clear out (and some of the attic haha - I have a tendency to throw things up there haha). Therefore, I have currently made a list on my Notes app on my phone of different parts of my room to do (such as makeup drawer, dressing table, junk drawer, wardrobe, chest of drawers, etc etc) and I can tick them off when I have completed them. 

I have 3 personal email accounts and 2 of them I am quite good at keep on top of and and only keeping the essential emails and unsubscribing to the pointless (and shops) emails. I even have folders created on my main email address for payslips, important events, tickets, receipts, refunds I am waiting for etc. But the 3rd email address I hadn't touched for years so its very overwhelming to deal with. I still haven't got the encouragement yet...

Having a clear out not only helps reduce stress & anxiety but helps you feel clearer and focused. Don't ask me to clear out my phone though as I am constantly on it and as I have a passion for photography I actually have 51,400 photos and 13,000 videos. I pay for monthly storage and if I did clear it out I wouldn't have to pay but hey ho. I am trying to get there with clearing out the photos as I do have a hard-drive but it's just getting the time management correct. I am good at clearing out the 'Recently Deleted' though haha. And halfway through removing the Screenshots haha. 

If you do have your own home, there is quite a lot of checklists on Pinterest that look helpful in getting your house decluttered and organised. There are checklists for things to clean and tidy out on daily basis, weekly basis and a monthly basis. Whether it's kitchen drawers & cupboards, the fridge, desk drawers, bathroom cabinets, under the sink supplies, the pantry, etc. For my makeup and skincare drawers I actually use drawer organisations and oh my goodness it has made cleaning them so much easier as I can see the products clearer and can just put them out of the drawers neatly to give a deep clean.

As for paper I tend to just throw them in the junk drawer but I actually bought myself a Box File which has dividers in. I then sort the paper into statements, important documents, receipts, bills, car documents, etc. This has benefitted me so much as it literally takes me 5 seconds to find what I'm looking for instead of rummaging through the junk drawer. Why do we even consider it normal to have junk drawers haha?

Example of Pinterest Cleaning Schedules

Hey guys,

So for my birthday I got surprised with tickets to Paris (and what makes it interesting was the fact I had only been dating this lad for 2 months and he had made such a gesture). And we was also getting the Eurostar from London to get there. I know plane is quicker but this was a more exciting journey as I had never gotten the Eurostar before. There is so much to offer from the history to chic coffee shops to cobble-stoned streets to the gorgeous River Seine - Paris was a dream. Also, a big positive if you are an Emily in Paris fan. I was definitely Nadine in Paris haha. 

I've been to Paris before - but when I was a child - Obviously it was Disneyland so this was a completely different holiday. It has always been on the list to go back to explore and it definitely has captured my heart. Paris is one of Europe's most visited cities with many popular attractions (which I'll definitely mention). So before we went to Paris we made a list of things we wanted to do and we looked at whether or not it would be easier to book the attractions online beforehand - which it was. We used the website Get your Guide (click here) to purchase our attractions and then it was one less thing to stress about. 

I had the most beautiful time there. There was so much to see and explore. The food was exquisite, the sights were surreal and seeing the film locations of Emily in Paris was just a dream. My first little city break with Stephen was one not to forget…

Arrival

We arrived in Paris about 9:30pm on the Saturday Night but because it had been a long day from travelling up from Liverpool to London the Friday Night to then Ste's Graduation on the Saturday we decided to just have a chilled one, go explore around the hotel, go the local shop and get some drinks and snacks. We had also booked the Effiel Tower for 9am so a decent sleep was needed.

Day 1

        9am - Eiffel Tower:

So because of the early start we grabbed a filling breakfast from our hotel whilst we waited for our Uber (Don't judge - it was too early to figure out transport haha) - Our breakfast consisted of French Toast, Normal toast, Croissants, Pain Au Chocolate, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon & Sausages. We got to the Effiel Tower for 9am and met up with our Tour Guide.

I am extremely scared of heights - I don't even like them in films. So I was adamant of not doing it and keeping my feet firmly on the ground. However, the Effiel Tower is one of the most visited landmarks so it was one of them - you have to do. We opted for the stairs instead of the lift - which for me personally was a regret. You see yourself climbing up which probably made my anxiety of heights worse than if I was to have done the lift. The views were absolutely gorgeous though. Without a doubt. Also, it'll always hold a symbolic place in my heart as Stephen asked me to be his girlfriend. My response was 'Yeah go on, now get me down' - I made it to the first floor and that was enough for me. I think we had climbed about 360 steps which took us 187 feet above ground. We visited one of the cafes for a hot chocolate, went the gift shop and got the lift back down. 

If you are a lot better at heights than me, there are some romantic restaurants on the 2nd floor (including a pricey 5 star Michelin restaurant), which people recommend you book in advance. Also, people recommend the summit but I've heard there's not much difference from the views for the 2nd floor to the highest point.

        12pm - River Seine Cruise:

This is the attraction I was massively looking forward to - Seeing the architecture and Parisian sights from a different perspective. Don't get me wrong it was cold but I do love a boat cruise. This tour lasted an hour and it was just so relaxing, getting my snaps whilst soaking it all in. Excuse the pun ahahah. 

The River Seine is Paris' main waterway which runs alongside the Louvre Museum and Tuileries Garden. The tour has a guided commentary which gives in a depth knowledge about the city's landmarks - However we forgot our headphones so we decided to just watch by. On the open-top cruise tour you get to see Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral (which unfortunately had a fire in 2019 so is under construction), Louvre Museum, Hotel de Ville, an old prison which has been converted to a Conciergerie (It's most famous prisoner was Marie Antoinette, Ile Saint-Louis, etc. 

Some cruises offer a meal - which I definitely want to try next time I visit. 

        2pm - The Louvre Museum:

We then walked 45 minutes to get the Louvre Museum - which is one of the world's largest art museum. We had booked skip the line tickets which was a god send. We had a tour guide but he wasn't a big tour guide - He basically showed you where to go and you was then left to your own devices. This Museum is home to Da Vinci's famous art - Mona Lisa. I recently found out it used to he the home to the French Kings including Louis XIV which it was then converted to a museum in the 18th century. We spent just under 3 hours in there exploring the Greek antiquities including the Mummy and Venus de Milo, Islamic Art, Crown jewels and the Winged victory.

Mona Lisa herself is so small, you don't realise ahaha. She is protected by a glass shield but you can still get so close to her for a selfie haha. It can be overwhelming at times with how huge the Museum actually is and how many people are also exploring. The Louvre's pyramids are also a beautiful architecture to see too. 

We grabbed something quick to bite from Paul's café as we realised we hadn't eaten since breakfast and we were starving.

        4pm - Arc de Triomphe:

After the Louvre Museum it was still go, go, go. We headed for the Metro to go visit the Arc de Triomphe as we had booked tickets for that day. We had planned to go watch the sunset fall on Paris and be all romantic but Paris weather had other ideas - I had sunglasses on, gloves on and an umbrella up haha. I felt more calm going up as the 284 stairs are indoors - Until we actually got onto the roof my height anxiety kicked in. Quickly took photos and was like get me down ahaha. But it also didn't help that it was windy and raining - and you can't have umbrellas up there for the safety of others. I mean the view from there was beautiful and seeing the Eiffel Tower from a different angle. It was quite interesting inside the Arc as before you get onto the rooftop you can watch a video clip on a big screen of the landscape getting designed, planning process to the building getting built and painted. There's also a little gift shop aswell. 

The Arc is based on the Champs-Elysees streets which you probably see all over social media. It is famous for being the finished of the Tour de France and the location of the Bastille Day Military Parade. If you are brave enough to look down when you on the rooftop of the Arc you are standing above the world's largest round-abouts. Good job I don't live in Paris as it seems to be a nightmare haha. 

*Fun Fact: The Arc is 50 metres tall and is inspired by the Ancient Rome as Napolean commissioned the Arc de Triomphe shortly after  his victory at Austerlitz. Unfortunately he never lived to see its completion. At the base of the arch, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier pays tribute to the 1.3 million French soldiers who died in World War 1. Every evening at 6:30pm they light an eternal flame in remembrance to those lost lives.

        9pm - Libertino Restaurant:

So Stephen booked this restaurant as a 'celebration' meal. Think next time I'll have a say of where we go haha. No, joking, it was a beautiful, busy restaurant. And it must be unreal as there was actually a queue to get in but luckily Ste had booked. Libertino is an Italian Restaurant (yes, typically eating Italian in France ahaha). It was quite a unique place, so you sit on a massive long table with many others so our date night was next to another 2 tourist couples ahah. There is an open kitchen which is nice. I did find it was quite loud and because you are so close to others sometimes it was either hard to heard or concentrate on what Stephen was saying, vice versa. I also did find the service was quite slow but that could have been because it was a packed place. We just used that time to catch up on our adventures of the day and for what we had planned for the following day. We ordered starters of - Lightly salted beef jerky seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil, lime zest and basil with Ham from the province of Parma which was served with breadsticks and sourdough bread. For mains, I got a Margherita pizza and I'm actually not sure what pizza Ste got haha. We both got Coke Zeros and Gin & Tonics for our drinks. The food portions were so good, I actually felt bad leaving half of my pizza.