A Look Through My Bullet Journal

Bullet Journals are the big thing and I started mine the other week and I'm absolutely obsessed with it! If you don't know what a bullet journal is, it's a kind or organisational way of life full of to do lists, tasks, notes and anything else you want to stick in there. If you want to know more about them, and how to set your own up, head over to the Bullet Journal website because it explains to whole process a lot better than I can!
I thought I'd do a quick run through my own bullet journal, mainly because I love reading these posts so much (probably because I'm so nosey!). FYI some of these pages are a bit rubbish because I just wanted to get started and it's a learning process!

April Ostomy Outfit of the Month

This months outfit is a summery one as I'm currently in Lanzarote (there will be more posts on that later). It's been a nice change to be out of layers and actually able to wear shorts!

The top is from Primark and I really love it! It's nice and loose for when it's hot (there's nothing worse that tight clothes when it's warm) and I just love the cut of it and the design of it - how it's denim colour on top and then the white at the bottom. It's quite lightweight and soft and just feels really comfortable on. I was actually really impressed with primarks summer range; there's so many shirts I wanted it was hard to pick just a few to buy!

The shorts I got are from primark too and fit really nicely. They aren't too tight on my Stoma and actually the waist band comes above my whole bag. I managed to get two pairs of shorts at primark; the other pair are denim boyfriend ones which are sort of high waisted but really comfortable. My tip for buying shorts, and any bottoms really, is just go and try loads of styles and cuts and see what you feel comfy in.

Finally my shoes! These are one of my trusty pair of Skechers and are in a deck shoe style. Anyone who knows me knows I rave about Skechers and I'm always wearing them. It's because they're so comfy, mainly because of their memory foam insoles. I've got about 5 different pairs now and all of them are so comfy and get worn all the time. Because my joints are always aching, I find that these help reduce the pain slightly and stop my joints from jarring because they're cushioned. If you have any type of joint pain, or just live having comfy shoes, get yourself a pair! As I'm writing this, I'm currently wearing a pair of their trainers (I think they're the air burst ones...they're the ones which Demi Lovato models) which are perfect for walking in!

So that's this months outfit! Let me know in the comments what you think of it and what your summer go to outfits are.

Pizza Express's Summer Menu

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Pizza Express. It's my go to chain restaurant and I've loved their food since I was little. I got quite a bit excited when I saw there summer menu and now that I've tried a fair few things off it, I thought I'd share with you all my thoughts on the menu! 

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Happy Friday everyone! I want to start with saying a massive thank you to all the support over the past week for my year with a stoma post; I've received some lovely messages from you which have meant the world to me! I also want to let you know that I'm doing the Manchester Walk It for Crohn's and Colitis next month. If you'd like to sponsor me, you can head over to my Just Giving page...I'd be so grateful plus you'll be giving to a great cause! Okay, onto my current favourites!

My First Graze Box Review + Get Your Free Box

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen that I got my first ever Graze Box and it's official; I'm in love with them! I've wanted to try them for a long time but shied away because I thought it would be full of fruit and nuts (which I'm not a big fan off) and I thought a lot of the food would be things which would react with my stoma. Oh how wrong I was! Once you've ordered your box you can tailor the things which you want and don't want and anything which you categories as "bin it" will never be sent to you. Whilst it might be a bit of a pain to go through all the different snacks they offer and binning the ones you don't want or like, it's actually quite fun as you can see such the wide variety of things they offer and I got so excited about what I might be getting in my box soon!
Also, if  you go to the end of the post, you can get a code to get your first, fifth and tenth box free! So, on with what was in my first box!

1 Year Stomaversary

We made it guys! A year ago today I had my ostomy surgery which removed my large bowel and created a stoma and a mucus fiscula. So much has changed over the past year and I thought it would be good to reflect on the past year with my stoma!

Sleeping with an Ostomy

When you get an ostomy, you suddenly become acutely aware of how you sleep. On top of this, you're unlikely to get a full nights sleep because you have to empty your bag in the night. For me, I don't mind too much and after a year (!!) of having my stoma, I've gotten used to it.

There are ways to reduce the amount in your bag in the night, the main one being not eating late, which is easier said than done in certain cases! I try and have my tea between 6 - 7pm and I've found that lately, my bag doesn't fill up anywhere need as much and I don't have to get up till 4am - which anyone with a stoma or IBD will probably agree isn't too shabby! I also empty my bag straight before bed, which definitely helps!

Before my stoma, I slept on my stomach and it wasn't till a few weeks after I came out of hospital that I was going to have to completely rethink that!

The first few weeks out of hospital, I slept on my back purely because I couldn't really move too easily. I hated sleeping on my back! I just don't like it at all. I then tried sleeping on my side, which isn't too bad, and then slowly I started curly up into a ball and after a few months post surgery that's quite comfy and didn't hurt! I sometimes now sleep half on my tummy, on the mucus fiscula side, and it doesn't hurt but I'm always so aware of going completely on my stomach!

Let me know in the comments how you sleep with your ostomy and leave your sleeping tips!

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This week I finally cracked down and started my revision and I've suddenly realised how close my exams are...only 5 weeks away! We've also booked a last minute family holiday to Lanzarote at the end of the month which I can't wait for (even if I do have to take my revision with me!).

So, here are this fortnights favourites...

BOOK REVIEW // Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

I could not put this book down once I started it and I didn't think that it would have the effect on me that it did. The premise of the book is about a girl who is in an electrical fire and half of her face is burnt off. It follows her coming to terms with her new face transplant and finding out who she is after going through such a big thing in her life.

March In Photos

• There's this great new coffee van, Casbah Coffee, at the train station which does the best decaf coffee! It makes early morning train journey's a lot more bearable 
• I got to meet Ben Miller at Words by the Water
• Mum brought home these delicious sheep cup cakes from her works Sport Relief Bake Off
• I took this beautiful picture of Derwentwater at dusk whilst going to the theatre
• Pizza Expresses new summer menu is out and it is gorgeous 
• I went to see the fantastic Let It Be in Blackpool
• Arthur has been enjoying these dog cupcakes whilst on our springtime dog walk
• It was easter! I have officially eaten by body weight and some in chocolate
• I had a fantastic night watching Chris Ramsey and Carl Hutchinson; I don't think I've ever laughed so much as I did that night