August Achievements

Do not ask me where August has gone because I genuinely have no idea, but I thought rather than wrapping up the month with my usual ‘favourites’ post, I’d go for something a little different and finish the month in a more positive way by talking about some of the things I have achieved this month!

Blog blog blogging

Over the last few months, my blog has taken a little bit of a hit as a result of other commitments, but I really feel like I’ve gotten back into the swing of things and I’m super happy that my stats are reflecting that too! I was absolutely blown away with the response to ‘A Bloody Shame‘, which is definitely the most controversial and personal post I think I’ve ever written, but the number of people who agreed with the points raised in the post just proved to me that putting myself out there and sharing my experience was absolutely worth it.

Work work working

Over the last few months I have put in so much overtime at work, and I’ve finally completed all my pledged hours – yay! While I’ve probably done nothing but moan about it while I was actually doing it, the money I’ve made from giving up days off and weekends has meant I’ve been able to pay of my Walt Disney World trip in November and finally have enough money to book the flights, so definitely worth it!

What I’ve made

I’ve been busy at the sewing machine getting outfits ready for upcoming Disney trips, and this month I’ve made the cutest coral polka dot skater skirt, which will feature in one of my Disney Cruise Disneybounds, as well as accessorising some items with my new patch designs which you can buy on my Etsy!

Bikini body confidence

Despite saying that I wasn’t going to buy any more swimwear this year, I slipped while on Asos and bought two bikinis, and not only do I love them, I actually like the way I look in them. It may take a little push to wear them in public, but baby steps, right? Plus, I stepped out of my comfort zone last week and actually posted a photo of myself in a swimsuit on Twitter!

Milestones

This month I finally cracked the 1.7K follower mark on Instagram – yippee! While I doubt I’ll be hitting my goal for the year, just hitting the next milestone seems like such a mission on Insta at the moment so I’m pretty happy. I also pipped the 2.4K on Twitter and 750 on Bloglovin, and am now creeping up to 800!

What have you been up to in August?

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram

August 31, 2017Lottie 4 Comments

My Mid-Year Review

Can someone tell me where the first half of this year has gone?! ITS JULY.

The last few months have been pretty mad for me for a number of reasons, but also incredible for a whole load more, and I’m pretty excited about more things that are happening in the coming months, so watch this space! Today, however, I thought I’d have a little look back over my blogging year so far..

Blog Highlights

Smashing my Bloglovin target for the year at the beginning of March
Starting a new fitness series which was so much fun to create and has had a great response
Working on the collaboration of DREAMS with the Disney Store
Hitting 50,000 page views
My DA finally went up in the last update!!

While I don’t know if I consider it to be a highlight, I also took my first break from blogging for over 18 months at the end of June. Despite seeing it as a bit of a bump in the road, I do think that it was good for me, and I feel refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the year and keep adding to this list of highlights!

2017 Target Update

I last reviewed my targets back in March, but how am I doing now? (All figures as of last night!)

Bloglovin followers
- 2017 goal: 500
- Current: 680 – I’m so happy with how much I’ve been able to grow my Bloglovin this year, and I’m secretly wishing that I might hit 1000 before the year is out, so watch this space!
Twitter followers
- 2017 goal: 2500
- Current: 2183 – I’ve gained just over 200 since March, so there’s a chance that if I keep that steady over the coming months that this might be possible, but who knows?
Instagram followers
- 2017 goal: 2000
- Current: 1624 – I think everyone’s feeling the same about Instagram followers, but its just so difficult to gain numbers quickly! Back in March I was at 1445, so I’m about 200 up from then, so again its not totally impossible but I’m also not putting too much hope on it with Instagram being so silly..
Page views
- 2017 goal: 65,000
- Current: 51,338 – I surpassed the 50,000 mark a little while back, and I’m pretty confident that I’ll hit this in the next few months!

What’s coming up?

There’s going to be a fair bit of change in my life over the next few months. I’m starting a different work pattern, where I’ll be working 12 hour days but as a result will have more days off in the week so I’ll have a whole load more time to dedicate to my blog and my small businesses, and I can’t wait for that. I’ll also be posting a lot more real-life stuff as I’m expecting some big changes in the next few months!

I’ve also got more trips coming up, so you can bet I’ll be blogging those, including my first ever Disney Cruise (eek!), RunDisney in Paris and Matthew and my first Disney trip together, so stay tuned!

How was 2017 been treating you?

Twitter / Bloglovin / Instagram

July 1, 2017Lottie 3 Comments

Friday Favourite Five – My Europe Highlights

Aaannd I’m back to regular scheduling!

I would say you’ve heard the end of my European adventures, but I’m afraid that’s just not true because I’ve got a few more related posts up my sleeve, and as its Friday.. Wanna hear my favourite moments of my trip? (I am, of course, leaving Disneyland Paris out of this)

1. Mont St Michel

This was always going to be a big part of my trip; its no secret how much I love Tangled, and being on the real site that inspired the most beautiful fairytale kingdom was really magical for me.

2. Neuschwanstein Castle

Another from the bucket list, I truly fell in love with this castle, and seeing it in all its beauty truly made a difficult day a lot easier. I’d love to go back and see the inside!

3. Geneva

I really wasn’t expecting to be blown away by a city rather than a landmark on this trip, but I had an amazing day in Geneva, and while I don’t think my heart could cope with driving the city again, I’d 100% return for a city break.

4. Chateau de Chillon

This beauty was another place that I was looking forward to on this trip, but as well as living up to expectations, I was really impressed with it as a tourist destination; the access and information provided made it well worth the trip.

5. Amicitia

I know it seems silly to choose a hotel as a highlight, but staying on a real canal boat in Amsterdam was great. I loved curling up in the cosy common area, and despite the small cabin, it was a real experience!