Tag Archives: blogging

Happy Birthday Blog!

Once upon a time, in a kingdom that looks a whole lot like Bournemouth, a little blogger was born..

Blog Birthday

That time was this day 3 years ago, when I published my first post on this very blog. This isn’t the first blog I’ve ever written, but its the first one that’s stuck, and gushy as it sounds, its become a huge part of my life. Let’s look at some of my favourite parts from the last 3 years!

  • Most viewed post ever – DIY Malefienct Horns
  • Total number of published posts – 547 (including this one!)
  • I’ve visited all 6 of the Disney parks in the world!
  • Organising Disney Secret Santa 2015
  • Becoming part of the #disneybloggerschat community
  • and so many more!

There’s also a bunch of people I want to thank for supporting my blog over the years, and because I couldn’t possibly name everyone, if you’re reading this, then thank you! I know I always say it, but I 100% mean it when I say that every single person who reads my blog, whether its your first time or your hundredth time, means the world to me.

Blog Birthday

Blog Birthday

Blog Birthday

I know I said yesterday that I was going to celebrate with cake, but I changed my mind and went with Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a huge amount of peach iced tea and a beautiful shiny balloon, and of course I’m celebrating with a giveaway!

This bundle contains a stuffed Chip toy, Mickey Mouse glove pen and chocolate bar from Disneyland Paris, some Redbubble stickers, Main Street Popcorn wax melts from Maple and Whisky, Fantasyland Print from ItsLizi and a Pascal Wikeez toy, and it can all be yours if you enter below! The winner will be announced on November 8th!

Enter here > > > a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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What 3 Years of Blogging Has Given Me

Tomorrow, this little blog of mine turns 3 years old.

Three years ago, LottieDoesDisney (as it was back then) came about as I began to document the planning of a family holiday to Walt Disney World, and I don’t think I ever imagined that it would become what it is today. In fact, I’m not even sure I knew what it would become.

LottieDoesDisney

Remember this?

I became prouder of my blog than I thought possible, and its growth and development meant that at the end of last year I made the difficult (at the time!) decision to rebrand into what it is today.

But what has 3 years of blogging given me?

Confidence

At the start of my blogging career, I was unsure of myself, and what my blog needed to be. What I’ve discovered is that it just needs to be me. I read back some of my old old posts from time to time and cringe a little at how stiff and fake my writing sounds; I thought I had to be professional sounding, and it comes across as stiff. Now, I know that I can write what I want exactly how I want, and my true personality shines through; my boyfriend once told me I talk like how I write, when really its the other way round – I type just how I would speak out loud.

I’ve become more confident in myself as well as my writing. I’ve never had problems coming across as confident, but my self-confidence is always where I’ve struggled a little, and yes I still have my moments, but pride in my blog has given me pride in myself.

Lifelong friends

The first year or so of my blog was very lonely. I had no idea there was a community to it, but since I’ve found my place in a community that I love (Disney bloggers, I’m looking at you!) I’ve made truer friends than I’ve ever had before. I’ve connected better with some of the beauties on my Twitter feed more than I connected to people I went to school with, and I’ve had the most amazing fortune to now have met so many of these wonderful people – people I can’t imagine my life without now, people that have been with me through bad times as well as good, and people that I can’t wait to have more adventures with.

A creative outlet

Even if no one ever read my blog, I don’t think I’d give it up. I’ve always called it my little corner of the internet, and I love that other people join me in it, but more than anything else I blog for myself. I love writing, and getting my crazy thoughts and opinions out of my head, and it still amazes me sometimes that you lovely lot like to read them!

Tomorrow I’ll be celebrating with cake, and you should definitely check back to see how you too can celebrate with me! (And more importantly, what the cake looks like)

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Fears of a Blogger

The Skinny Kitchen Bournemouth

I love bloggers, and I’m not just saying that because I am one. I’m saying it because they (or at least the vast majority) are a bunch of the funniest, most relateable people I’ve had the pleasure of reading the thoughts of. We all share the same obsession with social media, we all get excited by brand opportunities, and we all suffer from the same OMG moments; cue a classic tongue in cheek post about things we bloggers are afraid of!

Who will take photos for my outfit posts?

Can I ask my boyfriend to take them? How many times is too many times to drag my friend round with the promise of free food? Should I give up and risk another dodgy self-timer shoot? WHAT TO DO

What will happen when I move in with someone?

What if they don’t like all the blogging props and housewares that I’ve bought over the years? Will I have to get rid of them? Please don’t make me change my aesthetic..

Please never let my favourite products disappear

I’m currently spending my time trawling through Depop and eBay hunting down my favourite MAC highlighter that’s now been discontinued and I can’t cope with the thought of changing my makeup routine if I can never find a suitable alternative

THERE IS NO DECENT LIGHTING

Why is the sun not out all year round? What if I only have time to take blog photos in the evening? Great, now I’ve gotta change my Instagram theme..

What if YouTube takes over?

I can’t talk at a camera and I can’t edit video to save my life. The keyboard is my friend, please don’t let the written word be lost..

I really hope people like me IRL

I love all the people I’ve met through social media but what if I meet them in person and I do that thing I do where I get super awkward and weird and then they hate me

What are you afraid of?

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Ways I’m Trying to Improve as a Blogger

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They say that the first step to improving yourself is my admitting weaknesses, right? If I’m honest I’m not entirely sure who says that, or if I even got that quote right, but I think it’s got a certain amount of truth to it and therefore I’m gonna run with it.

This month there’s gonna be a bit of a common theme in some of my posts as I gear up for the 3rd birthday of this little blog of mine. The theme: my blog itself! Oh, and me as a blogger, which is what I’m really looking at today.

I know I’m no blogger superstar, and you know that too I’m sure, so today I’m opening the floor to some constructive criticism, primarily from my own head, but I’m also welcoming a bit of feedback so if you read this and would like to drop me a comment or DM me on Twitter, then go ahead! The title of this post is pretty self explanatory, so I’ll crack on without further ado..

Blogger confidence

Blogging has made me more confident as a person, but I still need to grow in what I have termed in my head as ‘blogger confidence’. It’s that confidence to approach a brand I’ve been dying to collab with, or go to a blogger event without chickening out last minute, or shoot an outfit post, as well as being able to talk to more people in my life about my blog.

Photography

I’m not awful at photography, but I have been stuck in a little bit of a flat-lay rut recently and I’m keen to change that. I’ve also just got myself a new little camera so I don’t always have to rely on my chunky DSLR all the time, and I’m hoping that it’ll give me the kick to make more of an effort to improve my photos. I also NEVER bother to edit my photos, so I’ll probably give that a whirl too!

Making myself known

I used to love getting involved in blogger chats on Twitter, but for some reason recently I just haven’t been participating in any. The blogging community is so amazing and so important to me and I know I need to be making more of an effort to be part of it: reading and following more blogs, commenting and sharing posts that I love and chatting with more of the lovely bloggers out there!

The blog turns 3 on the 25th, so stay tuned for more!

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Bloggers, Stop Apologising


One thing I see time and time again with so many bloggers is the word ‘sorry’, especially in regards to taking time away from writing, and its something that really bothers me.

Sometimes you need to step away from the keyboard for a little while, and this can be for many different reasons. Sometimes life gets in the way, sometimes inspiration just isn’t coming, but although it might seem like it, this doesn’t make you a bad blogger.

I get it, you love your readers, and you want to keep them happy and entertained, and that’s a really lovely thing, but by not posting, you aren’t failing them. Here’s the way I see it: unless people are paying to read your blog, you don’t owe them an apology. You should be blogging for you, as much as anyone else, and if you’re not happy then time away can be good for you.

I understand that for a lot of bloggers, your writing is a way of earning money, but that’s a different kettle of fish. Sure, if you can’t make deadlines for paid work then an apology might be necessary, but to the company you’re working with, not your followers. I bet 9 times out of 10 your readers will be supportive of you no matter what, and they wouldn’t expect an apology. I know that when I check my favourite blogs and find they’ve not been updated in a while, I don’t think ‘well, this isn’t very good’, I think ‘I really miss this person’s writing, but I hope they’re ok and I look forward to whenever they’ll post next’.

So next time you think about typing out the S-word, just stop and think about what you actually think you’re apologising for. Are you taking time out for yourself? Have you let life get on top of you a little? Writers block? Wifi down? I don’t know about you but I don’t see anything there that requires an apology.

Love yourself guys!

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Blogger Respect


When having to put myself into a single blogging category, I go for the slight cop-out broad grouping of lifestyle blogger. Quite honestly, I feel like I ramble on about way too many different things to describe my blog more specifically, but I also don’t feel specialised enough on any of the topics I write about (apart from Disney obvs haha) to put myself into a group of people who really know what they’re talking about.

I have a huge respect for other bloggers, no matter what they write about, we’re all slogging away at the same thing in our own styles and at our own paces, and whether you’ve got 2 readers or 2,000, its still a huge deal to be putting yourself out there on the internet for the world to see, so I want to tell you all just how much I respect you.

Beauty bloggers – You guys are flawless, quite literally. I had mad respect for your skills because while I’m not awful with makeup, if you were to ask me to contour or tell you what kind of foundation to wear based on your skin type, you’d see a Lottie-shaped hole in the wall. Also I can’t imagine how much blogging must cost you!

Book bloggers – I’ve always loved reading, but dreaded the book reviews I’d have to write at school, so the fact that you lot can write these daily/weekly whatever absolutely marvels me – in a good way! You’re also always so passionate about reading and I think that’s such a wonderful thing.

Craft/DIY bloggers – Creative people are amazing; your ability to think of something in your head and be able to not only translate that into a physical thing, but also explain exactly how you did it so others can replicate it blows my mind! I love crafting, but I generally make one-off masterpieces that fail miserably when I attempt to replicate it, ha!

Fashion bloggers – How do you always look so good?! Like seriously, you’re all so stylish and you inspire so many people and I also love how while you’re all blogging fashion, there’s so much variety! I have so my respect for how much confidence you must have too!

Film/TV bloggers – I love seeing how passionate you lot are about your favourite films and shows. You also manage to see so much more than what everyone else does, truly analysing the underlying messages and hidden meanings in everything. I could never put together my thoughts as well as you do!

Fitness bloggers – I dabble in fitness writing, but you fit bunch are so inspiring! You’re healthy way of life and positive attitudes are so motivational – I wanna work out with you! Your blogs are always true extensions of your lives and the perseverance that you show day in, day out is something I really admire in you.

Food bloggers – Not only do you make food that makes me want to lick my screen, but you take amazing photos of your dishes, which takes real skill. Your ability to put together an incredible meal and make it look like its from a top rated restaurant, while using ingredients solely from Lidl is outstanding – hats off to the chef!

Parenting bloggers – SO MUCH RESPECT. I can barely hold my own life together while keeping up with blogging, but you do it while having little people to look after too?! You really open up your lives to your readers, and get pretty personal sometimes which must take so much courage and did I mention you’re all awesome parents!?

Pet bloggers – I love how much you guys love your pets. It makes me love your pets too, and restores my faith in humanity when I see animals so well cared for. You devote all your spare time to your little (or large!) bundles of fluff/scales/feathers and I think that’s adorable and you’re awesome.

Photography bloggers – A picture is worth a thousand words and your photos are amazing. I don’t think many people know just how much work can go into one photo, and how many decisions you have to make: what camera, which lense, how to frame the shot, is the lighting good enough? Quite frankly anyone that doesn’t use the Auto setting on their camera amazes me but you guys are adding so much beauty to the internet.

Student bloggers – Sure I have to fit blogging around a job, but I can’t imagine fitting it around university and coursework or dissertations or research etc – you’re incredible! You also always seem to have the best cost-cutting tips which I always find very helpful, and I always end up feeling incredibly proud when you get your results haha!

Travel bloggers – You get my wanderlust going crazy. I’m amazed at how you always find the most beautiful places, and inspire me to go places I’d never thought about before, and let’s be honest, its not exactly a cheap blog subject! Keep exploring guys, you rock!

and a bonus.. Vloggers – Not only am I massively jealous of how confident you must be to talk into a camera, but also the amount of patience you have for editing videos and understanding YouTube – something I’m totally useless at!

I know I’ve only covered a small handful of blogging niches, but all bloggers are amazing – don’t you forget it!

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How I Live Blog My Disney Trips

You may have realised for yourself, but I love sharing my Disney trips with you lovely lot, and for me the only way to do it is by live-blogging. It started all the way back in 2014 with my family trip to Walt Disney World, and I’ve been doing it with every trip ever since!

Live Blogging

Now while I’m all for making sure I share every moment of the magic, I never want to be too bogged down with writing to be experiencing it all for myself, and since a few people have asked me recently how I manage to keep up with it all, here’s how I do it:

Writing

If you ever see me tapping away at my phone while I’m in the parks, I’m probably not socialising. During the day, if I ever find a few spare moments – in a queue, waiting for a parade etc – I use the notes app on my phone to write each day’s diary on the go, then at the end of the day, when I have wifi again, I just do a simple copy and paste into the WordPress app and save it as a draft.

Photos

I love my camera. Its a good few years old now and I don’t know the model number or anything but its a Sony DSLR and I don’t go to the parks without it because although I can get decent photos on my iPhone, I just always prefer the shots I get from a proper camera. At the end of the day, I use an SD to Lightning adaptor to download a small selection of photos onto my iPad.

Editing and uploading

I must admit, I really don’t like using the WordPress app for editing and uploading my posts, so instead I use the actual website on Safari on my iPad. It’s as simple as opening the draft I saved earlier, formatting the text the way I like it, and then adding in the photos – which I don’t edit at all – and sorting out the tags and categories, and hitting that publish button!

Job done, post up; it rarely takes more than about 20 minutes at the end of the day – wifi speed dependant!

Have you read my recent Shanghai trip posts?

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Hello Friday Freedom

Hi! I hope you’re sitting comfortably, because I’m gonna ramble a little bit today.

Friyay

If you regularly read this little blog of mine, firstly I love you, but more importantly, you’ll know that Friday is the day that I post my Friday Favourite Five. You may have also noticed that recently those weekly posts have become a little lack lustre, and if I’m being 100% honest, its because I’ve been finding having to write them a bit of a chore. Its my only weekly series, and coming up with something different every week is a challenge, but while each week they’re different, in terms of layout they’re pretty much the same post every week and I’m feeling restricted.

I take a lot of pride in creating great content, and they feel a lot like a cop out used to fill blank space, and I don’t want to ruin the blog I’m so proud of with posts that feel a little cheap.

Now this doesn’t mean to say I don’t like my FFF posts; its actually probably my longest running series since it began around this time last year and I’m kinda proud of that, so you might still find one cropping up every now and then (I actually have one planned for next week!), but I want a little more freedom to write what I want, when I want to write it.

So what will you be seeing more of with this extra day a week?

Well, I definitely want to be writing more non-Disney travel posts. I’m hoping to spend as much of this summer as possible exploring more of the UK, so I’ll be sharing more of those adventures, as well as going into my own travel archives, so to speak, and writing about some of my previous trips and experiences.

I’m also loving writing some of my more stupid posts – the confessions posts and Buzzfeed style relatable posts where I try to be funny and if nothing else I laugh at my own jokes, and at the total other end of the spectrum, I want to throw a few more serious pieces into the mix. OOH and outfit posts! I’m fully aware of being a walking contradiction.

Thanks for listening to my little vent today, I really hope these changes are received well! 

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May Monthly Favourites

Another month has gone, and we’re already almost halfway through 2016. I can’t even..

So something I’ve really loved this month has been sharing love, whether it be retweeting a blog post I enjoyed, helping a friend reach a follower goal or just throwing compliments around like confetti, it gives me warm and fuzzies, and on that note, I thought I’d start sharing some of my favourite things each month!

May Monthly Favourites

Blog Loving

First up, I’ve really been enjoying reading more fitness blog posts, including 10 Things Only Fitness Fatties Will Understand from My Healthy Curves, and pretty much everything that Hello, Steph posts. You go girlies!

My lovely advertiser Sam from Made From Beauty has the prettiest Instagram – I’m talking major goals right there – and I’m shamelessly re-watching all of Milly’s vlogs because I’m gonna miss her loads when she leaves for WDW at the end of next month, waa! And speaking of Disney, Amy’s Club Villain review has actually got me considering changing my firm anti-villain beliefs..

I’m really just loving the whole community right now, from the #disneybloggerschat on Thursday nights to the amount of love being spread on #FF Fridays. Bloggers rock y’all.

Pinterest

I used to pin fairly religiously, but it kinda went on the back burner a little while ago, so I’m really happy to be getting back into it now. I’m especially loving some of my new boards, Pastel Dreams and Summer Vibes, and of course I’m crazy excited to be adding things to my sister’s Wedding Planning board; if you didn’t already know, she’s just got engaged!

Body Confidence

I’m still not exactly where I was planning on being in terms of fitness and bikini-readiness, especially after a bit of a break at the beginning of the year and a few naughty weeks, but I’m actually finding my confidence again; wearing crop tops to the gym, more Snapchat selfies (sorry not sorry) and just generally feeling happier in my own skin!

Grey T-shirts

I’m never really much of a t-shirt wearer, but I got two of the cutest logo tees from H&M and I’m obsessed with both of them!

Holiday Planning

For me, the only thing more exciting than a Disney holiday is planning one, and I’ve got at least three coming up, eek!

Bullet Journalling

In an attempt to organise my fitness training, I decided to join this bullet journal craze with a Leuchtturm 1917, and while I’m not entirely on top of it just yet (I’ve yet to add any washi tape!), I’m pretty excited to really get into it.

What have you been loving this May?

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My Blogging Confessions

A little while back I wrote my Disney Confessions, and I had so much fun doing it that I thought I’d confess to more stuff, this time as a blogger!

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1. I have never scheduled a tweet

Blogging 101 failed. Every single annoying promo tweet you see was actually typed out by me at the time and I hit the tweet button. I keep meaning to look into scheduling – I’ll have to for when I’m away in July! – but its not a priority for me right now!

2. I’m a little bit terrified of chats

Other than the Disney Blogger Chat on a Thursday night, I’m always just a little bit too shy to join in with other chats! I went through a period of doing some, but at the moment I’m struggling to find the time or confidence..

3. My marble background is grossly underused

For starters, its actually sticky back plastic on a piece of Contiboard, but actually I’m really not a huge fan of it! It works so beautifully for some blogs, but I’m more into bold and colourful tones!

4. I do 90% of my blogging under a blanket on my sofa

And probably wearing pyjamas. We all do that though, right?

5. Most of my photos are unedited

When I do edit them, its on a free bit of software that I’ve used for about 6 years because I’m too scared to try anything else

6. I don’t subscribe on YouTube

Quite honestly, I hardly ever use YouTube. When I see my favourite vloggers post new videos, I’ll watch them, but I’m not subscribed to any of them and I’m not even sure I have a proper YT account. I will, however, always share your pleas for subscribers!

7. I don’t have, or see the point of Facebook pages for my blog

I see Facebook and Twitter as very different things. I think Twitter is for promoting yourself, and Facebook is for keeping up with friends, and all I ever see is people complaining about how few likes they get on their Facebook page. Really, I would never read a blog I loved and think ‘oh wow, I must go and find their Facebook page’..

8. I bulk-shoot a tonne of photos for Instagram when the sun is out

Y’know, just in case it goes away and never comes back. Typically I’ll take maybe like 10-15 photos and save them for days when I don’t have anything better to post.

9. I don’t use spreadsheets

I see so many super-organised bloggers sharing their tips on blog-planning using spreadsheets and colour codes and I’m just sat here with a notebook and a pencil, ticking things off as I go..

10. I fangirl a little when amazing bloggers respond to me on Twitter

Even if they just like my tweet, its enough for me. Bloggers be amazing.

Got anything to confess?

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A-Z of Me! Part 1

First up, I didn’t come up with this idea myself; I read a post by someone who had copied it from someone who had copied it from someone.. I just thought it was such a cute idea, and thought it would be a fun way to share a little bit more about myself with my lovely readers!

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The concept is simple, for each letter of the alphabet, I’ll be sharing a relevant fun fact/part of my life/little insight into me, yay! I’m kicking off with A-M..

A is for ASOS! I’d say at least half of my wardrobe was bought from ASOS.

B is for birthday! I used to be obsessed with my birthday, and then after one kinda rubbish year I stopped caring about it that much. It is, however, still a really big deal because I share my birthday with my youngest cousin, and I always want her to have the most magical day!

C is for chickens! I have 8, and I love them all.

D is for Disney! I don’t think this one needs explaining..

E is for Ellie Goulding! She’s my absolute idol in so many ways.

F is for flowers! My favourite are gerbera daisies 🙂

G is for green tea! Specifically matcha green tea, I drink it every morning.

H is for half marathons! I spent the whole of last year training for RunDisney, and have run two already this year, with at least two more to go this year, eek!

I is for IKEA! I love going to Ikea, and any excuse for a trip is a good one.

J is for Jess! My best friend.

K is for ketchup! I can pretty much eat ketchup with anything, and I’m not even sorry..

L is for Lottie! I’ve always been Lottie to everyone I know, but I was actually christened Charlotte. While I have absolutely nothing against the name, it just never felt like my name, and after years of waiting to do it, I officially changed it to Lottie when I turned 18.

M is for musicals! I love them, I could spend forever going to see West End shows.

Well that’s half of me! Stay tuned for the second installment..

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The ‘If I Could..’ Tag

I was inspired by Danielle‘s perfect responses to the ‘If I Could..’ Tag, and she suggested that I gave it a go myself, so I thought why not!?

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If I could live anywhere:

I really love Bournemouth, and I don’t think I could really picture myself living anywhere else, but I guess it would be kinda cool to live in Orlando or Anaheim if I had to choose somewhere else.

If I could have any home:

I really picture myself in a modern build house, with lots of light and space and quite an open floor plan. I’d love a big kitchen and a sewing/craft room, ha!

If I could have any garden:

I’d love a big garden, I’d love to be able to continue keeping chickens, and maybe a dog or cat so plenty of space would be welcome! I wouldn’t want anything too fancy or difficult to maintain, grass space, and an area to grow vegetables, and maybe an awesome tree for climbing!

If I could be on holiday right now:

All I can think about right now is my upcoming Disney trip, so if we could just fast forward a few weeks that would be fab! I’m looking forward to Disneyland California the most!

If I could have any job:

I’m still on the path to my dream job: I’m a cake decorator and would love to open a cake shop with tea-rooms because it would mean I could do what I love every day, and would also be able to put time into my blog and other hobbies, as well as making lots of people really happy!

If I could have any talent:

I’d love to be able to draw and do graphic design. I can draw a few things, and am creative in plenty of other ways, but I’ve always wished I could translate what I see in my head to paper.

If I could live any day again:

I don’t know if I would want to relive a good day again, or go back and change a bad day, but I must be pretty lucky because no day in particular stands out for me! Why look back?

I tag Amy, Shawnee, Lizi and Sammie, and anyone else who fancies it! Can’t wait to hear everyone’s responses!

xoxo

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The Love/Hate Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Sam over at The Belle Jar to do this tagged, originally inspired by another lovely lady, Danielle from Underland to Wonderland!

Aim of the game is simple – I have to name 10 things I love, and 10 things I hate, just a fun way for you to get to know a little big more about me! Lets do this..

Love:

1. Being part of such a great community of bloggers and Disney lovers

2. The feeling of finishing a really great run or workout

3. Christmas, especially giving presents!

4. Finishing a crossword, sad but true!

5. Planning and organising

6. Getting post!

7. Long hot showers – I don’t like baths

8. Meeting targets and goals

9. Clean sheet night!

10. Egg fried rice – I could just eat that forever!

Hate:

1. Cyclists on the pavement – if you want road users to respect you, you have to follow road laws yourself!

2. Foods that mix savoury and sweet concepts – savoury pancakes, cheesecake etc

3. When great things happen for people who don’t deserve it, or don’t even care

4. People who think they’re too good for others

5. Constant negativity and judgement

6. Tomatoes – I love everything tomato based, but actual tomatoes are weird

7. Being unable to sleep

8. Losing or wasting money

9. Bad drivers – not indicating, being in the wrong lane, cutting people off, using phones etc..

10. Rude customers – staff are only ever there to help, so treat them decently!

I tag Amy, Lizi, Shawnee, Kimberley and Sophie, and if anyone else wants to give it a go, drop me links!

xoxo

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Blogger Interview Tag

Thank you to Danielle for tagging me in the Blogger Interview Tag, its a great way for me to share a little bit more about myself and the motive behind my blogging!

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How did you get into blogging?

When we booked our 2014 Disney World holiday, I started researching ways to make the trip even more special, and I discovered that there is a whole world of Disney bloggers out there, and they inspired me! Plus, after spending the amount of time I did preparing for my time in the most magical place on Earth, I figured I might as well share my secrets in the hopes that others can enjoy it as much as I do!

What advice would you give to a blogger just starting out?

Do it for yourself; you’re not gonna become huge overnight, it takes time and effort, and if you don’t love doing it, you never will.

Also, become part of the community. Bloggers are great people, and blogging isn’t a competition, so make friends and have fun!

What would be your dream campaign?

I think this depends entirely on what is meant by ‘campaign’.. If we’re talking brands, obviously I’d love to get involved with Disney, or RunDisney, or anything Disney related really! But realistically, there are loads of great brands that I’d love to be able to work with: Asos, Lush, Barry M, Fabletics, I could go on..

Alternatively, if its not about charity campaigns, Children in Need and Parkinson’s UK are two hugely important charities to me, so the opportunity to raise funds and awareness on their behalf would always be welcome!

Do you have a plan for your blog?

Yes and no. I love my blog so much, and its growing so much which is amazing. I’m currently playing around with the idea of a slight rebrand for 2016, but its still just a vague plan, and nothing’s set in stone right now. One thing’s for sure, I will be blogging!

What do you think about rankings?

I like numbers, especially when they’re good ones! I check my blog stats daily, but its not a contest for me – every view, every visitor and every follower makes my day. I see stats as marks of my improvement, not medals.

I tag Amy, Lizi and Shawnee, and if anyone else wants to share their answers, drop me a link! 🙂

xoxo

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Disneyland Paris: This or That Tag

So the lovely Lizi tagged me in her Disneyland Paris: This or That challenge, and now I’m back from my trip, I’m finally getting round to my response! I went to Disneyland Paris a lot as a kid, but all before I was 6/7, so I have very few memories of those visits, so this is primarily based on my birthday trip, and as I hope to visit a few more times in the coming year or so, these may change, but for now..

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Disneyland Park or Walt Disney Studios Park?

Disneyland 100%, you just can’t beat that magic!

It’s a Small World or Peter Pans Flight

I may be the only person in the world, but I love It’s a Small World, cheesy and catchy as it may be

Hotel Cheyenne or Hotel Santa Fe?

I don’t think I’ve stayed at either, but I like the Cars theme at Santa Fe.

Cable Car Bake Shop or Market House Deli?

Cable Car Bake Shop is just a little bit prettier in my eyes

Crush Coaster or RC Racer?

Crush Coaster. It blew me away when I tried it for the first time on my last trip!

Halloween or Christmas?

Christmas, although I did love the Halloween buzz during my last visit

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Star Tours or Buzz?

I don’t really think you can beat a good Buzz!

Animagique or Cinemagique?

I love them both, I really do, but I think it has to be Animagique

Le Carrousel de Lancelot or Le Pays de Contes de Fees?

Oh I love carousels, no competition there!

Flying Carpets over Agrabah or Orbitron?

I’ve actually never been on Orbitron! And being on a flying carpet is pretty cool..

Sequoia Lodge or Newport Bay?

Newport Bay. It reminds me so much of The Boardwalk in Disney World which is one of my favourite places ever!

Mad Hatter’s Tea Cups or Dumbo the Flying Elephant?

Dumbo takes it for me, I can’t stomach tea cups so well these days!

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Pizzeria Bella Notte or Colonel Hathi’s Pizza Outpost?

I’ve not been to either, but I think Colonel Hathi’s because Bella Notte is just a little out of the way of everything.

Swing into Spring or Frozen Summer Fun?

I’ve never been in the parks for either of these, but I think Swing into Spring is just so much prettier.

Blanche-Neige et les Sept Nains or Les Voyages de Pinocchio?

I think it has to be Pinocchio, Snow White is just a little too creepy for my liking

Alice’s Curious Labyrinth or La Cabane des Robinson treehouse?

Treehouse for sure, I love this views from the top

Liberty Arcade or Discovery Arcade?

Liberty has Casey’s, I think we have a winner!

Fantasyland or Frontierland?

Fantasyland is really where the magic happens in my eyes

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Pirates of the Caribbean or Phantom Manor?

Pirates of the Caribbean will always hold a special place in my heart

Cowboy Cookout or Au Chalet de la Marionette?

Chalet de la Marionette is more my kind of food

Space Mountain or Hollywood Tower of Terror?

Oooh.. Space Mountain. I have a love/hate relationship with Tower of Terror!

Big Thunder Mountain or Indiana Jones?

For Disneyland Paris, it’s Big Thunder Mountain, but probably the other way round for Disneyland California

Inventions or Auberge de Cendrillon?

Um, Auberge has princesses..?

Disney Fashion or Disney Gallery?

Disney Gallery – I love Disney artwork!

Discoveryland or Adventureland?

Discoveryland has some of my favourite rides, and I always end up getting a little bit lost in Adventureland so..

Cafe Hyperion or The Lucky Nugget Saloon?

Not been to either, but I’ve always wanted to eat at Lucky Nugget!

La Gallerie de la Belle au Bois Dormant or La Taniere du Dragon?

As nice as the dragon is to visit, the castle is pure Disney Magic!

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Annette’s Diner or Planet Hollywood?

I’ve never eaten at Annette’s, so I have to choose Planet Hollywood, but that may change!

°o°

I tag Danielle, who in my eyes is queen of all things DLP, and if anyone else wants to give it a go, drop me your links!

xo

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Liebster Award Nomination

I know, I know, I’ve slacked on my posting again.. As I’ve said before, I’m only human!

But! The lovely Kacie has nominated me for a Liebster award, and I feel rather honoured! So here are my responses:

1. Where would you love to have a vacation home?

Easy. Orlando, Florida, so I can become an annual passholder and visit my favourite place all the time!

2. What is your favourite colour combination?

Yellow is my absolute favourite colour. Its bright and fun and me all over, and I love it with turquoisy blue, orange and pink, although I’m also a sucker for coral and gold!

3. What is one of your guilty pleasures?

Oh gosh, I have to pick one.. I’m not sure if this counts as a guilty pleasure, but when no one else is home I spend 90% of my time dancing to very loud music..

4. Whose style do you wish you could copy?

Um, um, um.. I’ve got a bit of a girl crush on Ellie Goulding at the moment cos she’s kinda perfect, but my personal style is all over the place so I don’t think I could really pick one person.

5. What do you do when you aren’t blogging?

Where to start.. I run my own cake business, but I also hold down another part-time job. When I’m not at work I’m probably at the gym or out running with my dad, or daydreaming/interneting.

6. What’s your current favourite TV show?

Once Upon A Time just became available on UK Netflix, so I’ve spent the last two weeks watching 3.5 series of that, and now I’ve caught up I’m devastated I have to wait each week for a new episode.

7. What was your favourite game as a child?

Its funny cos I actually can’t really think of many games I played as a kid, I was really more of a flying solo kinda gal, but I have some very fond memories of re-enacting Jungle Run (super old kids tv) missions with my sister and our friends Ellie and Oliver every New Years Eve when they came to stay with us.

8. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I’ve been asked this before, and I’m not sure I get the question. Does it mean like a single food or a meal? Mealwise I’d go for lasagne, but if I had to go for a single food item, probably bread, or marshmallows.

9. Which season is your favourite?

Cliche, but I think spring/summer. I’m not overly keen on cold and wet, although Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year.

10. What book could you read over and over without getting tired of it?

I’ve got a few of these actually. As a 10 year old I read Journey to the River Sea more times that I can count, but now I think any of the Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit.

I actually found that harder than I thought I would!

°o°

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I’ve been beavering away..

Ok, ok, so the last few weeks have been pretty quiet on the blogging front. I’ll be honest, I don’t have an excuse other than my wrist is still playing up and my work life being a bit of a rollercoaster..

BUT life goes on, and every good Disney princess knows the best way to deal with hardship is to have a big breakdown sob..

And then get up and get on with life.

So moving on, I’ve powered through a load of writing over the last two days, knocking out reviews for all the restaurants we visited during our Disney trip, and plan on spending the weekend finishing up show reviews, and then next week I have the whole week off work to put together my full LottieDoesDisney guide to Disney World!

I’m really excited to finally see some results from all the hard work I’ve been putting into this site, then once its out of the way, I can focus on blogging away in the new year!

°o°

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