My experience at Greys

Salon experience at Welwyn Garden City Greys 

DISCLAIMER: I have not been paid by Greys, I have only recently been to this salon, yesterday was my first visit and not the last. 

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire

Snapchat: missamymcguire

Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com

If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Hello and Good Evening Little ones! How are you all? I've been filming and typing away today, just about to head out to dinner, but before I do that I wanted to tell you how my experience was with Greys yesterday. Some of you may be aware that I'm in the process of dying my hair grey balayage, it's going to take a few more goes but the process yesterday was fantastic ... You hear some horror stories on the internet, and this isn't one of them' time to spread some positive. If you are planning on getting your hair dyed and don't know where to go, then have a little read of this.   

Check out my recent blog giveaway click here!

Where do I start? The consultation? Yes ... Consultation! I was on my lunch break (only get 30 minutes) and I was researching where to go, didn't want to go to Stoneshills as last time was awful-I'll let you know in another blog post if you are interested.
Where I live there isn't much, but a BUNCH of: hairdressers, coffee shops and charity shops, so I seeked out Greys and went in there. I'm a very anxious person and get nervous when booking appointments, but as soon as I went in there, they greeted me with a warm smile and started a casual conversation. I told them what I wanted and they booked me a consultation right then and there! My hairdresser Claire walked me through the process and stated that it would take a few goes for my hair to turn that colour ... Which I thought was extremely helpful! She also did a skin test, and took a piece of my hair and showed me what colour it would go, again I hadn't even given her a single penny and she was treating me like royalty. Right off the bat I knew I was walking into the right place. It only took 10 minutes, I even had time to finish my lunch and visit my boyfriend, (we work in the same shopping centre).
Two days before I was due to go to my appointment Claire phoned me and said, "would you like to come in earlier, as you have thick hair". Of course I said yes! I was so excited! And I was so happy with the service as she actually thought about me, and offered if I wanted to go in earlier ... I was falling in love and was so content and I hadn't even had my hair done.

It was time! I walked into Greys at 12:00pm and Claire was there waiting for me ... I love people who are dead on time, I have so much respect. Me and her clicked, it felt like I had known her for years, the conversation was constantly flowing, I didn't feel awkward at any point. There was a point where I told her where I worked, which is a phone shop, and she was actually a customer at the phone shop I work at. Because I really like her, I thought that I should give her my friends/family discount .. I really hope that she comes in a day that I'm working, just because she's such a lovely person.
In terms of her work, she did an amazing job! Just watching her looking after my hair, and making sure that what she was doing was perfect was amazing. She never left me alone at ANY point, she was always there to make sure that the dye wasn't on for too long. Something that Stonehills was awful for! I went there a few months ago, and the "top" guy left me on my own, I had a massive panic attack thinking that my hair was falling out ... He left me for an hour on my own ... With BLEACH in my hair ... You can see why I wanted to change.
Anyhow, when it came to washing my hair she did it so gently, nearly made me go to sleep! She also used hair products that I wanted to buy; so it was like try before you buy. Claire was just amazing at her job, so lovely and kind! She's been doing her job for over 10 years, and damn my hair looks amazing because of her!
I was so thankful, and will always be! She's going to be my staple hairdressers for a while! I have another appointment booked in with her in Feburary, and I can't wait to see her again, and the team! They were all so attentive and kind ... I don't mind paying extra, simply because I get the service alongside.

I would highly recommend this salon, if you don't mind paying a little extra then you will love the experience. I had the full package done, dying my hair took a very long time ... 4 hours, and Claire made the experience amazing. To keep my attention, and a conversation flowing for that long on both behalf's was fantastic.
I hope that the team in Welwyn see this, you are all so lovely! Wouldn't mind working there myself!

Anyhow! This is now the end of the blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading this! I sure loved writing it! I hope you all had a lovely day, I will see you again very soon! I love you Little Ones! Stay safe and stay tuned :) x x x

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire

Snapchat: missamymcguire

Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com

If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Advice-IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

Living with IBS 

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Good afternoon Little ones! How have you been today? I've been doing my last week of training, mixed with preparing for University, it's literally so crazy! I'm sorry that I haven't been posting regularly, I hate that I'm not posting everyday; but as soon as I get into University and have my timetable I will be back to normal! 

As you can tell by the title of the blog post I am going to be telling you about my history with IBS and what it's all about! If you suffer from this condition, or just want to find out what it's like to live with have a little read down below :).

If you want to read other advice blog posts, click here!

WHAT IS IBS?

IBS, which is also stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. It's a condition that affects your large intestine (colon), it causes it pass food through your system as fast as possible; which means everything that you eat goes through you! It makes you insanely bloated, and the pain is immense, (the pain does vary); in my case the pain is so bad I pass out. With IBS it's a chronic long term problem, some cases worse than others, you may have to go to the doctors to maintain the pain, or to keep food down. For example, IBS can last a few hours, or a few days, it depends what's causing it. IBS can be caused from particular foods or major anxiety, which is what I suffer from, this is a huge factor for why I get IBS so often.  

SHOULD I GO TO THE DOCTOR?

Fundamentally, this is all based on how much pain you can take, and if you feel that this is a major concern. When it came to me I felt like I left it too late, simply because I would suffer with IBS at least once a month, for that one day of the month I would be in excruciating pain, could not move in the slightest; and it would last AT LEAST 6 hours ... Yes I would sit on the toilet for that amount of time. Let me talk about the bloating! I would be insanely swollen and bloated! I would look pregnant, that's the gas in your stomach expanding; IT DOES GO DOWN! Don't worry! When this first happened to me I was panicking, it takes a day or so to go back to normal; so don't worry :).

If this is happening to you very frequently, I was suggest that you head over a doctor, they will then be able to give you medication for your: pain, swelling and anxiety. Evidently, anxiety is a seperate issue; but if it interlinks with your IBS then your doctor can suggest if not give you new medication which suits your needs :). 

MY IBS STORIES:

• Caught in London:
  This happened 2 years ago, I was visiting a guy I was talking to in London, he was based in Kingston; this was the first time I was going there in my life! I was new to traveling alone, and testing the waters in a place like London was wrong! I remember arriving at Finsbury Park, heading down the stairs to the underground, and that's when the anxiety hit. My heart was pounding, the fear of getting lost or hurt was constantly spiraling around my mind until I arrived at Kingston. When I met up with the guy I was completely fine, I was happy that I was getting to know him more as well the area; Kingston is beautiful! After 3 hours of being there I started feeling a slight pain in my stomach, I knew straight away that it was IBS; but I put it to the back of my mind and tried to ignore it. NOT THE THING TO DO! After 20 minutes of me trying to ignore it, a wave of pain paralyzed my entire body, I could not move; I literally fell to the floor. I remember waking up with Mark (the guy I was talking to), he helped me up, I was BLOATED! I remember sitting up and being in so much pain. It then struck that I needed to get home; but I was 2 hours away. I had to go on 3 seperate trains, including the London underground. The longer I held this in for made the pain even worse, I collapsed again on the London underground, this time a doctor that was on the train calmed me down and carried me to my final train, luckily he was from Welwyn (Where I live) and helped me home. The thing with IBS, is that you can't do anything, you just need a toilet ;').
  I phoned my Dad, and he picked me up from the Welwyn train station and drove me home as fast as he could. When I arrived home I was on the toilet for 4 hours ... A lot of YouTube videos were watched in that time, and also to distract the pain. 
• The middle of the night:
  Fundamentally, I'm a VERY deep sleeper, so deep that a fire alarm won't wake me up ... Yes I'm being serious. So the fact that IBS did was shocking! All I remember is a strange dream, I was being stabbed over and over again, more like a nightmare right? :').
  I could feel everything! I woke up, and my stomach was on fire! I assumed that it had taken a few hours, as I was extremely bloated, and the pain was so intense! It was dead on 3am, I crawled to the bathroom with my duvet and rocked back and forth. The pain was out of this world, IBS pain is the worst pain I have ever felt; I would rather someone punch me in the face. After 3 hours I was exhausted, I wanted this to end, so I got up and went to bed. Not even 5 minutes passed and I had to rush back to the toilet ... 9am came around and I was done, I was finished on the loo! 6 hours! That was the longest time I have ever spent in the bathroom! After that IBS episode I went to bed and woke up later that afternoon, I tried to eat a dry bit of toast and that went right through me. It took 3 days before I could hold any food down at all. 

IBS that lasted 10 days:This was the most recent episode, as you may or may not already know, I have just come back from France, it was my first time abroad. Anxiety was surrounding me as per usual, mixed with different food and living environment. After 3 days of being there a constant pain in my stomach lived there, everything I ate and drank increased the pain,I would try and go to the toilet but nothing would come out; I was terribly bloated and the pain was like IBS. The week passes by and the pain is still there, I'm still able to keep food down, but I didn't want to eat because it hurt so much. As soon as I get back to the UK I'm terribly sick, everything I'm eating is going through me, I lost quite a bit of weight, the pain was getting worse and worse. This was absolutely terrifying! After 5 days of not being able to eat or keep food down I went to the doctors, they were worried that it might of been something else, but they came to the conclusion that it was IBS; but because of the climate change it had made the IBS even worse. They gave me medication which reduced the swelling, pain, and widened my intestines, this enabled me to eat without it hurting as it would make room for the food. After two days of this medication it enabled me to be able to keep hold of my food, it was still going through me; but not as fast as previous days. A full 10 days pass and I'm finally able to eat proper food while keeping it down at the same time. It was so scary for me, this was a different perspective of IBS that I had never experienced. Just to let you know, especially people that suffer with IBS it can last a few hours to a few days, if you are really worried go to the doctors and get checked out; that's what I did. 

This is the end of my blog post! I am very sorry that this has taken so LONG! I HAVE FINALLY FINISHED MY TRAINING! I am able to write as many blog posts as possible now, which I love! I will be doing a University blog post soon! And when I move into my new home I will give you a flat tour as well! I hope you have had a lovely day, I start my new job tomorrow and I am so excited! 

I hope you have all been well, I love you all so very much! See you tomorrow with a vegan recipe! 

I love you again! Stay safe and stay tuned Little ones :) x x x 

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

L'occitane store-my experience and review

 L'occitane shopping experience 

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Have you seen my giveaway? If not click here! 

Good afternoon! How are you today! It's been extremely hot and I've been loving every moment of it! I've been gardening, about to head into town to grab another flower pot; I have too many flowers! Any how, I went to London a few weeks back and headed into L'occitane for a few holiday bits; walked out with more than intended, but the shopping experience was wonderful! I thought I would share what happened in store :)
If you like these little blog posts then have a little read below and enjoy!:D

If you want to read another shopping experience click here!

Side note: I have been working in retail for over 3 years now, which have entailed: food, fashion, make-up, phones etc. I know what's expected in a store layout as well as customer service. 

PRESENTATION:

Store layout:
In regards to L'occitane's shop layout they are refreshing, tranquil and peaceful, not to mention the fact down right beautiful. The variety of colours burst from corner to corner; wherever you lay your eyes positivty is found in the darkest of places. It's a very clear layout, their products are easy to find and are sectioned out clearly For example, the hair care is given their own section with: shampoo, conditioner, masks etc, what you would normally find in haircare. The same applied to body care and skin care. I also noticed that they split the women and men's products which I thought was genius! If a man or women went to go shopping there they would know what products suit them best; L'occitane do their research and know what is best for men and women. 

On the other hand, I adored that they put their best sellers on the front table! Not only is it easy to grab, but ALL customers can see what they are best known for, they can trust the company because these are the most famous products. It puts trust into customers as well as giving L'occitane a better reputation. 

I also noticed that the store was very spacious, this is a must have in my book, simply because I have a disabled mother, I am always on the hunt for retail stores to make it easy for people with disabilities; and L'occitane is! If you know someone that has an electric scooter or wheelchair take them to L'occitane, it's stress free and a relaxing experience.

Product presentation:In regards to their products they are without a doubt perfect. They are all in line and match with the season, best-sellers, theme etc. For example, in the picture above, the lilac soap and matching lotion is in line, it's not wonky it's consistent throughout; the same applies to the rest of the products and displays. From a customers perspective this gives me a great first impression, if I walk into a store and their products are displayed beautifully like L'occitane then they not only care about their business, but also that they are what their customers think. Throughout their day the employees evidently clear up after customers; just to make sure that they meet potential customers standards, as well as secret shoppers. In addition, if I see that they have put in the extra effort I am more likely as a customer going to buy a product from their store, because I have seen the effort, they appear to be a great company as they are neat and tidy and have best sellers on their front table. 

Staff presentation:
They were stunning. Their uniform was matching and clean, they looked consistent, I could tell who was an employee and who wasn't. It sounds like a stupid statement to make, but you would be surprised that some shops I enter I can't tell who works there on not, for example Topshop is awful with this; I know that the Welwyn Store is anyway; they all wear different items of clothing, and some don't even ware their lanyard. I can't stress enough how well L'occitane present themselves, they are beautiful. Because their presentation is fantastic I am more likely to go up to them for help, as well as thinking that the business is professional as they care about what their employees look like. 

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

As soon as I entered L'occitane they gave me a smile, waved and said hello! Already I'm feeling humble and welcome, they weren't standing right by the door, they were around the shop floor. Which is perfect because they were not in my face, and they didn't make me feel uncomfortable. They let me shop around for a while, I had put some items aside. I was interested in some eyecream, sometimes my eyes get very red and dry. A kind lady came up to me and asked if I needed any help. I explained my situation and she showed me the array of eyecreams and said that this and this would be best for me. She tried them on my skin and let me compare. While this was happening she asked me what I liked and what were my hobbies, I said that I was a blogger and that I was going to blog this at some point! I can't remember her name but she works in the one on Regent Street! Long blonde hair? Anywho! I decided to get the Angelica Hydration eyecream, in which I will be writing a review on soon! I will also be using this cream when I head to France :).

She was very lovely and I can't wait to go back there again! Because of her excellent customer service I want to go back there! L'occitane know who to hire as I have never had a bad experience in there!

I would highly recommend heading into L'occitane, there are so many different people that work there and they are super kind and friendly! 

If you want to browse their beautiful website click here!

This is the end of my blog post! I hope you enjoyed reading and if you did thank you every so much! It means a lot that you can sit there and read my post. I put so much time and effort into every blog post; and it's nice to see that people enjoy what I do :). 

I love you all very much! I will see you again tomorrow! I am heading out to town now, so I will catch you there!

Stay safe and stay tuned Little ones :) x x x

If you want to talk to me, comment down below or use my social media! :D 

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com

Advice-breaking down

My mental breakdown (nervous breakdown)

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

DISCLAIMER: If you can't handle traumatic or upsetting stories I wouldn't read this blog post. 

Hello again! It's pretty grey where I am right now, I'm hoping the sun comes out soon :). I thought that this morning I would give you another advice post, you guys really seem to enjoy these; and I want to help you by telling you my experience; and giving you tips on how to avoid this situations. 

If you want to see how my depression and anxiety started click here. 

If you are out there are you are going through this, in my heart I feel awfully sorry for you; because this is when I hit rock bottom in my life and I know that's how you feel too. I love you all and we can get through this together :). 

I will be taking you through my BIGGEST emotional breakdown, what impact it had on me and my family and what happened after. 

If you want to see my personal experience, and advice on how to avoid this situations; keep calm relax and have a little read. 

In this blog post I can't say names, so I will refer to this particular person as: it, him, he etc. I also can't explain certain things this person did to me for legal reasons.

BACKSTORY:

This emotional breakdown was caused by another human being, someone that I thought I loved,someone that I thought cherished and cared about me ... But he did not. He hurt me emotionally and physically; which took it's toll on me in the end.

This person controlled me like a puppet: from telling me what to wear, what to say and how to act. As well as, telling me when I can and can't see him, what I should spend my money on. He would steal from me, or demand money by using mental and physical abuse.

But worst of all was the mental abuse, he would give me all the attention in the world, and then take it away from me in a heartbeat. He would be the love of my life one minute, and my stone cold enemy the next. He would tell me, "your life isn't worth living if you don't have me", "you wouldn't be able to cope on your own, no one would be with you", "you're disgusting, vile, hideous, why am I with you?" etc.

He made me feel that I couldn't live without him. It was a gradual decline, he was so manipulative and cruel. He wrapped me around his little finger until I nearly took my own life. I started self-harming when I was with him; the physical pain distracted the mental abuse. But he would still tell me to kill myself. He said I was "overreacting" and that it was "all in my head". He made me think that everything he did to me, was my fault. 

He then left me ... Everything he did and he left me, for no reason. I came home, previously having spent time with him; and he messaged me to say that it was over. At that moment in time I couldn't breath, I felt numb and had no idea what to do with myself. I wasn't upset that he was gone, I was devastated. He made me feel that I couldn't live without him, he made me believe that. He beat me emotionally and physically for him to leave? I broke, literally, I went to his home and destroyed his room. Everything he had stole from me, everything that he made me spend my money on ... I smashed. After all of that, I took him back ... He said he was sorry, that it was him and not me. And I took him back; at this point I wasn't a human being, I was a walking skeleton. 

Until one day I finally realised that it wasn't me it was him, I seeked  professional help without him knowing and left him. That was the best day of my life. 

THE BREAKDOWN:

After he had left I felt nothing. 

I came home, curled up on the sofa and stayed there for hours. I cried but said nothing. I did this for weeks. I couldn't sleep, everything I ate I threw up. 

To try and get me to sleep my dad had to rock me back and forth like I was a little child.

For weeks I didn't talk, the only sound I made was the tears that came before and eyes; at the tragic sound that came after that.

My eyes were red raw, they were as swollen as golf balls. My complexion was anemic, I looked like the walking dead. I forgot how to speak, I had no energy to do anything, this entailed, brushing my hair, washing my body. I just wouldn't do it. 

All I wanted to do was lay in bed and cry. On times when I had to go downstairs I would rock myself to feel at ease. Eventually I spoke, but only to mum, as she is the closest person I have to this day. I said, "maybe if I change he would take me back". Oh how I wish I never said that, how I wish that I didn't let him brainwash me; but at that moment in my life Amy was gone ... Amy didn't exist. Amy was kidnapped by him. He had taken her away, and replaced her with a dead soul. 

Eventually I learnt how to communicate, but only in the household and very close friends, being Eisha. On the night that this happened, she sat by my side and held me; bare this in mind she hates physical contact; and she held me. She made me feel safe, and for that I love her, I will love her forever. 

THE AFTERMATH:

The recovery process was draining. I had to live without manipulation. You may be thinking, 'that's fantastic'. But for 2 years of my life this person took over me, I was not Amy McGuire, I was somewhere else. I had lived by these rules for years, I knew nothing else. The anxiety of doing something wrong was ridiculous, I was scared to wear my own clothes the way I wanted to, as he had said that I couldn't do that. I would have been judged and called a slut, whore, ugly etc. if I dressed the way I wanted to. I would have been judged if I spent my money the way that I wanted to. Everything that I wanted to do I couldn't, because he was still there, controlling my mind. Even though he was gone physically, I was left with nothing. I was left with burning questions, of WHY? In which to this day I still can't answer. I still can't understand how he could treat me the way that he did. We are all human, and for him to do what he did to me, to another human being, is not only inhumane, but unquestionably vile. 

I still go to therapy, I still need to talk to people, because it's impacted my current relationship. I still get scared of being truly happy, because I am terrified of experiencing this all over again. 

I know that Chris (my current boyfriend) would never harm me in any way shape or form! But the anxiety is still there because of my past experience.  

I still have nightmares to this day, I struggle to sleep at night. The only time I can actually sleep is when Chris is by my side holding me; and even then I have night terrors. But I know he is there to protect me. Always. I love him so very much, and I'm thankful that I have someone like him in my life.

HOW TO AVOID THIS:

If I was as strong as I am now I would have said goodbye to that person a while ago. I was a weak and fragile person and he knew that; he took advantage and took me piece by piece until there was nothing left. 

If you are in a current relationship and he is even slightly controlling you, even if it's, "can I see your phone?", "I don't think you should wear that", "I don't think you should buy that", tell him to stop of leave! People like them start off small and then it gets worse! They get into your brain and then take control of it! 

PLEASE BELIEVE ME! 

I would not wish this to happen to anyone, this is the worst pain I have every experienced in my life, he took 2 years off my life ... 2 whole years I won't get back. 

Please stay safe and listen to what other people tell you about him, he they say that he's controlling please don't go there. 

I learnt the VERY hard way, and it still effects me to this day. 

If you want to know any personal details about what happened to me, you can message me.

Hopefully in the next year of so I will be able to tell you everything in detail about what he did physically. 

I want to say a huge thank you for reading this, and if you are going through this with a current partner, please leave them. I did and it was the best thing that I ever did. 

I am so sorry that you have had to go through this, but it will make you a stronger person. It sure as hell makes you view the world differently. 

I love you all so very much, and I will see you again later on today with another vegan recipe :).
Stay safe and stay tuned Little ones :) x x x 

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Little Adventures-Going on a trip

Going around London

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Good morning you lovely bunch? How are you today? Doing anything exciting? Please let me know on my social media above! :D 

I went on a trip to London yesterday, and like always it's such an amazing experience, I love London and I wish to live there some day. I thought that I would document where I went by taking as many pictures as I possibly could. As you know London is a vert crowed place, so I'm lucky to have this many pictures in my blog post :).

If you want to know what I got up to in London, please have a little read below :).

If you want to read other little adventures click here! 

Where did I go?

When I go to London nowadays, I don't have a set plan in where go, I know London at the back of my hand. I like to explore and engage with people and the architecture around me. My first stop was Oxford Circus, simply because my boyfriend wanted me to see him on his lunch-break, he was doing a training course for 4 days, and this was his last day in London. After I saw Chris, I decided that I would look around Oxford and Regent street, I was hunting for new clothes for France, and also giveaway prices; which I did find! More details on the giveaway will be later on today this evening-I'm writing a separate blog post on that. 

I then thought that it would be interesting to explore China Town, I love the culture, I feel like I'm walking into another world, different aspects of London carry different atmospheres, people, culture, food etc. I can be in a world of opulence, and then sink into the nitty gritty of London; it's purely amazing and worth the experience. Evidently, I couldn't not go to London and not visit some of the famous land-sites, for example Trafalgar Square, Waterloo-(where Big Ben and London Eye is located); Camden etc. Also, when Chris had finished work, we took it upon ourselves to spend some quality time in the History Museum, I was dying to see the blue wale, which I did, and holy moly ... It's astonishing! Completely breathtaking, and it's free to go there?! How fantastic is that! If you want to go there on a first date, or go there for the day just to explore, go ahead; it's brilliant, I would highly recommend. 

When exploring London, I found out that I'm brave enough to head there and travel alone, I feel at home in London; despite the overcrowded streets; it's a beautiful place to be. 

Will I go again?
This was a stupid question to write, as the answer is HELL TO THE YES! I love London, I love how I can go from one place to the other, it's an endless and enchanting experience. There are so many places to explore you can't do it in one day! Also, when I next go I'm sure to bring a group of friends, hopefully it'll be Chris, Levi, Jeyda and I. It's so much more fun to explore London, when you have your favourite people with you, and besides you can cover more ground; unless you find a nearby pub and get distracted; which is more than likely to happen when I have my University crew with me :').

What would I do differently?
As explained previously, I would bring my friends, I don't not like going on my own, in some aspects it better than being with people; as you can go to the places you want to, and you can enjoy the atmosphere for yourself. But, I enjoy the company of my friends, I want them to feel joyful and content with me; being surrounded by positivity only makes the experience better. On the other hand, I think I would also go deeper into London, I've always explored central London, I haven't gone any deeper than that, So I would definitely dive deeper and explore :). 

Would I vlog next time?

In regards to vlogging next time, I think I would or at least try to. Watching videos always makes it more personal, and having the person talk you through what's happening makes it a better experience. It might take me a while to get use to, but when I do I will post the videos on my blog :). 

Thank you for coming on this journey with me, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! If you want me to do more of these blog posts do let me know, simply because I want to share my time next month when I'm heading to France; and I might even vlog my time being there; except on my year anniversary with Chris :). 

I love you all so very much, and I will see you later on today with a detailed post on my blog giveaway :) 

Stay tuned and stay safe Little ones :) x x x 

If you want to talk to me about anything, have a look at my social media down below :) 

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire

Snapchat: missamymcguire

Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com

Shopping experience review

Lush Store review:

Hello and good morning Little ones! I'm heading off to get my retainers, but in the mean time I thought that I would write a quick blog post on my experience in most Lush stores.
Small disclaimer: I have not been paid by Lush to do this, I just wanted to share my positive experience at Lush. 

If you want to know my Lush experience, sit back, relax and have a banana :).

Side-note: I have been working in retail for 3 years now, I know what is expected from: sales assistants, supervisor, managers etc. This has helped me an awful lot, as I know exactly what to look out for when heading into a store; for example, customer needs etc. 

PRESENTATION:

• Store layout:
  I have been to a multitude of Lush stores, and they always have a wide and spacious opening, this is also consistent throughout the entire store. This is a massive thumbs up for me, simply because my mother is disabled, she owns an electric scooter, I see her swerving through stores at times and there is no room for her! This aggravates me so much, but knowing that Lush offer a wide shop floor arrangement makes me extremely content. It also benefits the average Jo, it makes it easier for us to walk around the store, and not get in people's way. I know how frustrating it is when you want to look at the dragon egg bath bomb, but honey, please move :'). Something also that I love with Lush, especially on Oxford Street, they place the same product in different areas, so that people don't crowd around one product, this is bloody genius! Thank you Lush God! Gold star for Lush!
  In regards to where the products are in the store, they are clearly labeled, and have their own individual section. This is the best invention on earth, it makes the shopping experience so much easier and less stressful! From a customers point of view, the easier the company make my shopping experience, the more likely I am to buy into their brand. With Lush it's a no brainer! I love them as a company, they are perfection! 
• Products presentation:Lush never fail to make their products look beautiful, and tasty! I remember when I took my boyfriend Chris, and he thought he could eat the soap; he was confused when I said he couldn't :'). As shown in the pictures above, the soap bars look like luxury chocolates; but they are presented in a straight line. This shows that they are organised and consistent throughout; and this reflects their outstanding business. In addition to this, I love the way they place their bath bombs in a triangle formation, it looks astonishing and so professional. From a customers point of view, having products that look amazing makes me feel that the business cares about their business, and that they care what their customers think. Being a fan of Lush for years I know that they go the extra mile when it comes to their customers, anyone that goes to Lush will know what I'm talking about, and if you don't just look at how stunning their products are. 
• Staff presentation:
  They are consistent throughout, they all wear black and have aprons, just so they don't get their uniform dirty. It also hints that they are professional, simply because they are going to get messy during their job, especially when demonstrating a product. It lets the customer know that they look the part as well as acting like it. The fact that they are all consistent shows that they care about their image, and the impact that this has on the company; they evidently want to spread a positive message to their customers; and I get this 100% when I walk into a variety of stores. 

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Without fail, every time I enter a store, there is always someone there greeting every customer that walks in. They are content and friendly; it feels like you've pumped into a friend. When you've wondered around the store, you get various customer assistants coming up to you and asking if you need help. But they aren't pushy, it literally feels like a friend talking to you. As a customer, this is so important, if you make me feel comfortable I will want to stay in the store. They make me feel wanted, they care about my needs and expectations, and are completely chill if they have to explain the ins and outs of a product. They make it hassle free which is a bonus! I hate it when I go into stores and they make you feel like you are being a pain; this in NOT the case at Lush. 

In addition to this, when you need a product explained to you, they will explain it slowly, they will tell you why it suits you, and if not they will recommend a different product. Which I find so helpful! As they want to make sure that they are benefiting you in every way shape and form. They also give you a live demonstration and let you test the products beforehand, this gives you the opportunity to see if you like the product or not, and if so they will pack it up for you.  

All in all, the people I have met in Lush are the nicest people I have ever encountered, I always love going to their store and I wish we had one in Welwyn Garden City. 

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this little blog post! Have a lovely day!

See you soon Little ones, stay tuned :) x x x 

Sixth Form

My personal experience at Sixth Form :

Disclaimer:

This blog post isn't the most positive, is anything it's rather depressing, but this is factual and what has happened in my life at Sixth Form. If you can't handle overwhelming situations then please don't read this.
This was a very hard post for me to make, and I was debating whether to post it or not, but I know that this could help some people.

Instagram:amymrmcguire

Twitter:AmyRoseMcGuire
Snapchat: missamymcguire
Email: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
If you want to keep up to date with that I do on a daily basis follow me on my social media above, and I'll be sure to follow you right back :).

Hello! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer holidays (if you've started them); if not then enjoy exam period, revise hard! I have finally finished Sixth Form, of which was an overwhelming experience. I thought that by sharing this experience with you guys would help some people; because you aren't alone. 

Throughout this blog post I will take you through the three years of my life during Sixth Form, and what ever year bought and taught me. 

I would just like to backtrack ... Year 11 embedded our minds with thinking that we SHOULD head into Sixth Form, it would "give you a better life", "if you want to be successful join Sixth Form", "don't go to college", "if you want to be a failure head into college" ... You get the point, Sixth Form really judged college students, you are seen as "stupid" if you go to college; I don't think this in the slightest now. I did back then and I'm ashamed, they brainwash you. As a year 11 student, I was quiet, shy, but polite. I did everything I was told, never missed any lessons, my attendance was 100%. You could say that I was the stereotypical goody goody.

I applied for Sixth Form with my Secondary School and I couldn't wait! I was full of excitement to start the next chapter of my life! I was going to be "successful" and "brilliant"; just like my teachers told me.

When my GCSE  results came through, along with my acceptance letter, I was overjoyed! I was starting year 12 (2013) in September and I couldn't wait to be apart of the higher School, to be seen as a leader. 

Year 12:

September 2013:

I was starting the new year with high ambitions, studying one of my passions: English. Whereas Business and Finance was based on School influences; to begin with I really enjoyed my subjects, they were interesting enough for me to keep up with my studies; but as months rolled past I lost interest; especially in Finance. I was told that if I passed both Business and Fiance I could change my A level subjects when I hit year 13; but this would mean that I would have to stay another year in order to finish those extra courses ... So that's what I decided to do. I had a new goal in mind, knew how to do it. 

April 2014:

Anxiety was getting worse. The stress and the pressure to do well in all three subjects was getting to me, alongside with a two week trip for business which was due any day. This entailed going to a business and shadowing various people for two weeks. This made it very difficult to revise, especially with exams starting next month; I was having panic attacks every other day, I didn't know how to cope, I felt like I was trapped in my own mind; I felt alone. Matters only became worse when two particular boys started hounding me, they bullied me to the point where I couldn't take it anymore. They were so cruel, reminding me of traumatic experiences I've encountered. They pushed me so far that I tried to commit suicide. On that very day, I came home on my first day of work experience, completely drained from the constant hassle they were sending me. And I tried to commit suicide. It was all a blur, I remember crying hysterically, looking at what I just tried to do ... And felt completely numb. 

Heading into School the next day was not happening, I didn't go for a while. My head of year phoned and demanded why I was attending School; this was strange behaviour, as I had 100% attendance. I couldn't talk on the phone, instead I went into School with my dad. I sat down in my head of years office and told him everything that had been going on from the very beginning. He took bullying "very seriously" and kept me and them apart. He demanded "serious punishment". I then went to the deputy head with my dad, I had showed her the messages that they were sending me; which entailed: "go kill yourself", "wouldn't it be funny if you died", "I wonder how deep she will cut into her wrists this time". She saw these messages, and I kid you not, she said, "I wouldn't take it so seriously, they were joking". I was livid, I have never EVER been rude to a teacher, but this was the time to speak; and I sure did. My dad wasn't so happy either, as you can obviously imagine. 

After a few weeks exams were over, nothing had been done with those boys apart from them not being allowed near me; but that was it, no punishment, nothing. 

Within 6 years attending my Secondary School I had never asked for help, but this was the only time where I needed there help, I wanted it, I wanted to feel safe at School and not trapped ... And they did nothing. 

August 2014

Results day was here, and within my hands was: A English, A Business and B Finance. My blood sweat and tears went into those results and I was overwhelmed with joy! I knew that I could change these subjects into my true passions! Which was: Photography, Media and Product Design. I was so proud, that after what happened the, previous months it didn't affect what I really wanted. I was so excited to start my subjects in September, I was going to be in year 13; which means "more responsibility, and stress; but I thought I could deal with it. 

Year 13:

September 2014:

You know what this means? New academic year, new courses, and the same boring induction. Everyone worrying about not doing their Summer assignments, extra reading etc. And I was just so happy to be in a place where I would experience true happiness. Especially product design, our class contained a total of 6 people. This making me less anxious; as big classes make me really intimidated. On the other hand, Photography was thrilling, our first lesson consisted on testing aperture and shutter speed. I remember running across the grass and jumping, hoping that somebody would take a clear photograph instead of fuzzy. In regards to Media one of the teachers made it sound amazing, and it was! The coursework side of things was exciting! It was creative and artistic which is what I love! I love to create. Whereas the exam side of things ... My other teacher wasn't so great, she didn't even turn up to the first lesson ... You can tell that this wasn't going to be good. 

November 2014:

Glandular fever had taken over. I have never been so immobile, so sick or useless in my entire life. I had to take a solid month of School to recover, and even then I wasn't completely well until January. I had missed my November mocks, and was made to take them in February; this triggered my anxiety. The workload was much more intense, I couldn't work from home during my sickness as I was too weak. I didn't know how to deal with the stress, so instead of facing it head on I ran away from the situation. I started missing most of my lessons, my attendance in Media was 50%, I basically taught myself AS media, as I was too scared to face my teachers and show them that I was weak. Deadlines were getting missed, this made my anxiety worse; which also triggered the depression. I wasn't motivated, as well as running away I didn't want to do anything. The phone kept ringing from School, demanding where I was. My parents were loosing their patience with me; which only made it worse. It got to the point where I didn't want to be there anymore, it was making me unwell for my mental and physical health. 

March 2015:

ALL PRODUCT DESIGN COURSEWORK DUE IN. Prior to this my classmate had destroyed the table I was making in order for my coursework to even exist. When I was too weak to make my table, I asked one of the people in my class to sand the table; I had left the room for no more than 5 minutes. They went to find me and said that they were so sorry, but they had sanded one spot for too long it had actually left a dip in the table. This was the only piece of wood I had ... They said "I will get you new wood for next lesson. The next lesson never came, and 5 weeks later the deadline was due in. 

You are probably thinking 'why didn't you buy some?'. I had already spent £200 on 100% oak wood, I literally couldn't afford it at that time. 

I handed in what I had and hoped that it was worth a pass. It wasn't. They handed me a straight U because of that person. What makes it worse, the wood that he was meant to give me, he used on his own work. 

I had the option of: building an entire table and updating my coursework in 1 week, or dropping the course entirely just so I wouldn't have a U on my record. At that moment in time I dropped it all, I physically couldn't handle the stress. I had 2 other A levels to worry about, I couldn't sacrifice them as well. 

August 2015:

At this point I didn't care what I got, I was already applying for apprenticeships. I looked at my results and was shocked to see two straight C's in Photography and Media. Despite my lack of attendance I had made it threw to year 14. 

With my parents persuasion ... I was entering year 14, but I wasn't happy, I had no motivation for this year. The slight enthusiasm was University. I wanted to study Marketing, this was my only goal left at this point, and I wanted it more than ever. 

Year 14 

September 2015:

Same old rubbish. Same old groups sitting at lunch, bitching about one another, who's had sex with who etc. I had my head down, I was heading to University, that is my one and only goal; this is the only reason I'm here. I looked alone, my year had left, all my friends had gone, I was alone. I didn't mind, I had my music, book and phone; I was good to go.
They tell you that the jump from year 11 to 12 is massive. It's really not. The jump from AS to A2 IS! The workload they expect you to do is insane! Media for me was no longer a passion, it was pure hatred. Photography not so much, I still relatively liked it enough to do mediocre.

March 2016:

Results for my photography coursework was due in (I handed in my draft in January), my teacher sat me down and said "I'm really sorry but I have lost parts of your work", I looked at the piece of paper she gave me and it said U. I thought it was backwards, because the amount of work I had produced since September was worth about a C grade; that's what she was telling me anyway. As you can imagine I wasn't a happy bunny. But this is March and you know what that means? To start exam preparation for Photography, which also means to put down the coursework you've been working on since September, and try and catch up on it when you can. The EXAM work is double the course work, and they give you 2 months to complete this, as well as amendments on your coursework. CRAZY RIGHT?! So for two months I had no life. I didn't go out, I put my head down and I did as much work as physically possible, while cramming in Media revision. 

May 2016:

Deadline for ALL photography work was due, I handed it in and didn't give a damn. I walked out of that room with my head held high, I put everything into that coursework and exam. Knowing that I started to feel fulfillment and joy, feelings I haven't felt in years. 

June 2016:

Media exam was finally here and I was excited. I knew what I needed to know and I applied that to my two and a half hour exam. I didn't stop writing, I wrote for that long I gave myself blisters. I kept smiling at the clock ticking by, thinking that soon ... I will be free from this School. This place that caused so much misery in my life, it's going to be my past and I can't wait to leave.
When that exam was over, I ran into Chris' arms (my boyfriend), smiled and cried with joy. To think that I was finally free from all the pain and depression. The weight that was lifted off my shoulders was overwhelming. I could finally do what I've wanted to do for years! One was writing my blog! To read a book! I have missed sitting down and reading books! I can also draw and paint! Things I haven;t been able to do for a long time, and I can finally do it! I can't express the happiness and fulfillment. I had left that School behind, and I didn't care, I was just happy.

To this current day, I have been free from my anti-depressants and anxiety tablets for months.
I'm so thankful for my boyfriend, family and friends that I have in my life.
I'll be getting my results this August, I will keep you undated to what University I'm going to :).

REMEMBER! This was my personal experience, if anyone out there feels like this, you are NOT alone! I've been there and I know how you feel.
If you want to talk to me I'll happily have that conversation with you.

My email is: missamymcguire@hotmail.com
Twitter: AmyRoseMcGuire

Like always, see you soon Little ones and stay tuned :) x x x