Arthritis and Me

Hello :)

I've been wanting to branch out a bit and do a couple of lifestyle posts on my blog, so I can keep it a bit more varied than just beauty posts. I was trying to think of what to write about, as honestly my life  isn't all that interesting, but one thing I would like to share with you all is my experience of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a few months ago.

At only 24, I didn't think it was something I would have to worry about until much later in life. I have had quite a few health problems in the past, and suffer quite badly with eczema, but I have always been reasonably fit. Exercise regularly and all that. But around 8 months ago I started getting pains in my fingers and my ankles.

I didn't think much of it at first, just put it down to wearing heels and writing a lot by hand at work, but when it started getting unbearable, I decided to visit my GP. He ran some blood tests and took a family history, and a few weeks later put me in for a referral to see a rheumatologist.

Getting used to the daily pain was difficult. I take anti-inflamatories and painkillers daily to keep things under control, but flair ups are unavoidable. Wearing heels is completely impossible for me, and there are days where I struggle to do fiddly tasks with my hands such as buttons on a shirt, so I have even had to alter the way I dress to accommodate this illness.

For those that don't know, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, where your body's immune system attacks the lining of your joints. I have an appointment in a couple of weeks to look into some kind of steroid treatments which will hopefully help, but to be so young and feel like you have the body of an 80 year old can definitely get you down. I'm lucky in the fact that I can still work full time and have a social life without pain dictating my every decision, however there are days where getting out of bed is a job in itself.

I know there are a lot of people out there that have it much worse than me, but it has been difficult to deal with the changes I have had to make in every day life, as well as dealing with the pain which can get excruciating at times. Fingers crossed some new treatment will help.

I would love to hear any of your experiences with similar illnesses, and methods you use to cope.

Thank you for reading everyone :)

Love to you all x

Decorating Time....

Hello everyone!

One of my favorite things about Christmas is putting up my Christmas tree, and I was extra excited this year as it the first year me and the other half have our own house! We were living in a little studio flat last Christmas so there wasn't much room for decorations, but now I have a whole house to fill its going to look like Santa's grotto by the time I'm finished! All I've done so far is my tree and fireplace in the living room, but I just wanted to share what it looks like. Any excuse for a Christmas post!!

Love to you all x

Christmas Wishlist

Hello :)

I've been meaning to get back into blogging for ages now (yes, I know I keep saying that) and I've been getting so excited reading everyone's Christmas posts that I've decided to get back into things with a good old fashioned Christmas wishlist post!

There are so many amazing products out there that I'm lusting after, so I should have no problem putting this list together. I do just want to point out that I'm not greedy, and Christmas isn't all about the presents for me. But come on, who doesn't love thinking of all the lovely things they'd like to unwrap on Christmas morning.

1. Sleek Solstice Highlighting Kit: I'm sorry, but is this sleek highlighting kit not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen? Plus, at just £10 you don't have to feel guilty asking for it! View this here.

2. Brown Structured Tote Bag - New Look: I have a slight bag addiction at the moment. I don't always like to spend too much on bags because I'm clumsy and heavy handed so tend to mark, scratch or stain them. This beautiful day bag from New Look is perfect with any day outfit, and I do love neutral colours. All for £29.99. View this here.

3. NARS foundation: This is one of my all time favorite foundations. I don't like to splash out on expensive make up all the time, so foundations like this one at £32 is one that I like to keep for a special occasion. Because of that, I can make one bottle last almost a year, and that makes it worth every penny in my book. I believe its nice to have a special occasion foundation for nights out. I'd love another bottle of this for Christmas :) Find it here.

4. Dune Black Suede Ankle Boots from ASOS: Now I know that at £79 these are a tad on the pricey side. However I have always been a lover of heels. The higher the better. But a recent diagnosis of early onset rheumatoid arthritis means my ankles can no longer handle the pressure of heels. I've found it so hard to find a collection of flat shoes that I like, however these would go with so many things, and are the first flat shoes in a long time to get me excited. Find them here.

5. Paisley Print Shirt Dress from Boohoo: I am having a massive love affair with shirt dresses at the moment. My new need for flat shoes has found me teaming shirt dresses with black tights and boots and it is a look that I feel comfortable with. This paisley print dress from Boohoo is a bargain at £20, and manages to bring a splash of colour into a classic style. Love it! Find it here.



So that is my Christmas list for this year. What do you all think?

I'd love to know what you all are wishing for this year :) Feel free to leave your comments and links below!

Love to you all x