Hi everyone!

As you know last year me and my friend Aimee took up the challenge of giving up everything sweet during the month of March, in aid of the British Heart Foundation.(Last year's blog post here!) Our aim was to raise a little bit of money as well as some more awareness for this amazing charity. Needless to say, we both went the whole month without anything sweet and we hit our target too!

The first two weeks were HELL, I always end my lunchtime with something sweet to keep me energised and the fact that it's being taken away for a month (at first) made me feel constantly craving for chocolate! But weirdly, the beginning of the third week of the month I didn't even think about anything sweet to keep me going. Instead I put alternatives in place to keep me going! Let's hope I can manage that again this year.

It was strange on the morning of April 1st last year, I ate my first chocolate bar after the month and I hated the taste of it! Strange how my tastebuds changed over the course of March. However - the hatred didn't last long that's for sure!

Now once again this year, Aimee and I spoke about doing it again...Without realising that Easter falls in March this year - what have we let ourselves in for?! Regardless we're still going to take on the challenge second year in a row and this time we've recruited two more girls who want to take on the challenge with us - so this time round there is more pressure to ensure that I don't let the other girls down!

We've set up a JustGiving page once again and our target has gone up to £200 (yikes!) You can click through to it here.

I would like some money to be raised because it helps a lot with charities - especially one that is close to my heart (you can read why I want to do this challenge on last years blog post about Dechox 2015!) But more than ever awareness is the key part for this challenge over the next month. The fact that any heart disease can strike anyone at anytime (trust me I would know!) does shake me a bit - so supporting and spreading awareness of an amazing charity really helps.

Anyways - this year I will check in on here at the end of each week to see how I'm doing (I think this would be highly funny to look back at!)

​Thanks so much for reading, again if you wish to donate you can click here! Or if you would like more information about the Dechox click here. And as always,

​See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

I've always felt that being on this planet that I should give something back to others - whether it's cleaning the environment, helping the elderly cross the road or even volunteering a few hours in your local charity shop. Which is all well and good, and I desperately wish I had more time on my hands to do all of these things everyday where possible. But I feel something as simple as donating blood and possibly saving another persons life is quite admirable.

My blood donating experience has only been fairly short, I've only been able to donate 3 times since turning the age of 17 (I'll get into all of that in a bit!) I never thought of donating blood, I didn't think there was such a demand for it day in, day out so it never really occurred to me at the age of 16 to actually go out and do it. After scrolling through Instagram and Facebook for around 5 hours, I stumbled across the NHS advert saying "why wait to donate?" and a little buffer image. I thought nothing of it, tapped it away and it was gone. But then the same advert kept showing again and again - and I think after it appearing 30 times, I think that was a clear sign that I had to do something!

I don't have a fear of needles (thanks to travelling to Africa, needles won't become a problem after vaccines!) so it was a no brainer to donate. I feel proud every time that I do it, changing someones life for the better and I'm always eager to donate again!

I have a friend who's intrigued to donate blood and he wanted to know what you have to do and I wanted to know too before I donated - so I thought I would tell my experience of each time I've donated.

First time of donating you will be a bit sceptical on what's about to happen, theres 20 hospital type chairs in front of you, nurses running around and some people with a hint of fear in their face (well, that was only one woman who looks absolutely petrified whilst it was happening!) Anyways, after signing up online or through post you'll get mailed back to you a questionnaire which you fill in beforehand to take with you on the day of donation. After handing that in, the nice nurse at the front will tell you to go wait and drink water (definitely recommend that you stay hydrated 2 days before donating!) until it's your turn.

Your name will eventually get called, depending on the amount of patients there, and you'll be taken into a little tent and have all these little tests/questions before you donate. The test for diabetes is a lot more painful that donating blood itself! A little prick to the finger is probably the worst bit - doesn't sound bad at all does it? 

And once you've done all that, you're ready to donate. If you don't look, you don't feel a thing! The time it takes for your blood to get to the right amount (I believe its a pint) depends on who you are - mine takes about 5-6 minutes (I aim to get a PB next time!) After donating you will get plastered up and taken to a refreshment table. Make the most of this bit - you can have as many Penguins as you like!!

After your first donation you will also find out your blood group as they will send another letter and a donor card for your purse/wallet. I'm A-!

I've been thinking about this post for a while after seeing this on Tumblr - DISCLAIMER: I don't think body control through blood is possible...yet...

I hope you've enjoyed reading this and are not feeling too squeamish now! If you're thinking about donating blood, please consider it as you could save so many people! If you would like to know anymore - please feel free to email me (graces.view@gmail.com) or leave me a comment so I can get back to you. Or if you'd like the official information you can look on the NHS website: https://www.blood.co.uk/ 

​See you in the next blog post,

Hi everyone!

Yep - I've been missing again! I'm extremely sorry for the lack of blog posts for the past month or so, there is a bit of catching up to tell you all about quickly!

​I started back at college at the beginning of January, new project was set (probably the biggest task I've had to do at college to be honest!) and halfway through the third week in, my body decided that it wanted to get a virus...It was a Tuesday which was one of my busiest days of the week as I worked in the morning, had my lesson at college and then worked in the evening but all during the day I kept shivering. Me being me, I shrugged it off until I got the train home in the evening when I literally had no energy to keep my eyes open! So I slept for a good 18 hours and I didn't feel better, after a doctors appointment I was told I had glandular fever and a touch of a throat infection - brilliant! I missed around 2 weeks worth of college, making me behind on the work and spending all the time catching up! (I'm finally up to date thank goodness!!!)

So apart from being ill I also had my first university interview at Lincoln, and I GOT IN! I'm incredibly ecstatic as it's my first choice of university and I'm going to be studying something I really love! But don't worry - you've got another year with me sticking around, don't think you can get rid of me that quickly!

I hope you enjoyed that little catch up - now I felt like I should ease myself into the blogging world again by doing another little tag post, I haven't done one of those for a few weeks!

Tea to me just tastes like hot water...but then I was drinking Earl Grey. The times that I have had it, I would probably stick about 3-5 sugars in it...Don't judge my sweet tooth!

If it's a chicken roast - the chicken, but you can't go wrong with a Yorkshire pudding to finish it all off! (I do love a bit of mango and garlic chutney on the side too.)

Would it be generic to say a Rich Tea? Well, a Rich Tea biscuit then.

Going around the little markets & local shops. Lovely thing to do and you can't find most items you get in quirky shops like you would in high street stores!

Blooming! (i.e. "oh bloomin' hell.")

Ever since we've had Dillon, we frequently say in our household "oh pass us my dog and bone." I love it when you go into London and hear the cockney slang in market places there - proper British!

Chocolate over sweets any day, however - I would probably have to say that my go to choice of sweet from over the local sweet shops counter would be midget gems, the black ones are the best!

I feel like most pubs are known as: The (adjective) (noun). But me being me I would probably just call it "The Pub" so I would be well known in conversation... "Where you going?" Oh I'm going down The Pub - see how my brain works?

Non other than Mary Berry herself! A national treasure for sure (and she makes good cakes too.)

The Fox & Duck in a village near my town, serve probably the best pub grub around. I've only been a few times but they definitely made a good bangers and mash!

Shop wise I'd have to say The Body Shop. I love the products they sell, and their setting up story is one I looked into when I was studying business - I love it there!

Hands down, every time I think of British music it will always be Spice Girls - Wanna Be.

I have to be in the mood to eat it...Some days I'll love it but then I'll hate it the next. A majority of the time it's definitely hate!

That's all I have for this week (sorry it was a bit lame - I rushed it a bit!) I will aim to be back on the blog schedule starting Monday!

See you in the next blog post,