Making 2017 My Year - Pumped Up Playlist

Music makes any task ten times better, and you know I mean that 100% passionately. I have countless posts on this blog about music, from favorite albums to vinyl to throwback hits of my youth, to new artists I have discovered and want to share.

I find that music makes me more productive, feel more confident and sassy, as well as inspired. With that being said, today I'm going to give you ten songs I adore for upping my productivity and inspiration. These are songs you can work to, run to, clean to, or if you like strutting down the street like a boss ass bitch, they work for that too!!

Britney Spears - Work Bitch 

A beat you can dance to, and a message you can relate to. G'wan Britney, you fabulous fox!

Beyoncé - Run The World (Girls)

A never fail tune that makes me feel like I'm in Boss Mode every time I hear it! "Disrespect us? No they wont!"

Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude

This might be a bit near the knuckle, but I admire more male power figures than female, and this song reminds me to do it like a dude!

Pink - Raise Your Glass

If there's one thing I've learned in life, it's to be myself. I am a bubbly weirdo, a nerdy foodie, I'm not gonna be liked by everyone, and that's okay. It helps to remind yourself of your quirks - you will succeed, no matter what people think of you!

Timbaland - If We Ever Meet Again

Remember to reflect on the people you crossed paths with in your life. You're who you are because of them. The path you're on may not have been the same without them.

Muppets Treasure Island - Professional Pirate

Afford me a moment of cheese, please! This song just makes me smile, and very few people can deny the inspirational quality of show-tunes, even this one. "When you're a professional pirate, you don't have to wear a suit!"

Bon Jovi - It's My Life

Bon Jovi just have a song for every occasion and they really, truly inspire me when times are rough. It's your life, you have to do what's right for you, and remember that sometimes, that means taking a leap of faith.

Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way

Self explanatory really. Even if people don't believe in you, you have to do your own thing.

The All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell

Pardon me for this one, but sometimes you have to give the two fingers to some people, and use the anger they spark as motivation to climb up to your dreams!

Will-I-Am - Feeling Myself

I'm gonna close this one out strong, with a song that always always always makes me feel confident in myself, and helps me to believe I've got what it takes. It's unconventional, but that's me all over isn't it?!

So there you have ten of my top musical picks that make me feel inspired and motivated to get things done! I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed compiling it! I may even do a part two, who knows?! 

Have a lovely Valentines tomorrow folks, 

Amy, 

xo

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Making 2017 My Year - Quotes to Inspire

Does anyone remember Motivation Monday, the series I used to do when I was on my fitness journey? Well, motivation is a huge part of getting things done, and I'm a big fan of inspiring, motivational quotes, and I'm going to share a few with you today, as well as my thoughts on each one and what it means to me. In my experience, if you can make something truly real and applicable to you, it's more likely to stick!

Image: gnomeangel.com

One thing you have to do, if you want to get to your goal, is realise that you may have to get there in a more unconventional way than you forst thought. You might just have to walk in a straight line to get there, or you might have to double back a few times and veer off course in order to get to the finish line. It's not a failure to have to alter your journey to your goal!

If there's one thing I learned from my time in archery, it's that perfect practice makes perfect. You have to keep working at it, whatever it is. In order to be great you have to try, fail, try some more, maybe fail some more, but in the end you will succeed.

This Nelson Mandela quote is beyond true, no matter who you are of what you're trying to achieve, it always seems so much more insurmountable until you've reached the end! You have to keep the momentum going for your dreams or you will fail. That's the harsh truth. You have to keep studying, keep working, keep applying, keep practicing, just keep going.

Procrastinating is a terrible habit of mine. I will sit and watch Netflix when I have ironing to do, I will paint my nails instead of catching up on emails, I will cook dinner instead of working on something important. It's a really, truly, awful habit. I'm working on kicking it though. The main thing I want to be able to say is that I've achieved all my tasks and that I am sitting here, drinking this glass of wine because I earned it!!

Self-deprecating people will know the struggle all too well. You feel awesome for between five seconds and five minutes every day and the rest of the time you doubt yourself. I speak from experience. The thing is, I'm also a former glory-hunting sports person, and I don't do something if I don't stand a chance of winning. You know the phrase "It's not about winning or losing, it's about taking part"? Well, I understand that phrase, but I also disagree, if you're not doing something to win, why are you even bothering?? Show up, be amazing, aim to win/succeed/be the best!

This one is a stone cold fact. You're not going to get a great job if you're not willing to put in the work needed to get that great job, you're not going to get that gold medal if you aren't willing to train in the rain, you're not going to succeed if you're not willing to at least try to suck. You need to be brave.

The main thing you need to do is believe. Not in a hippy-dippy, pulpit-thumping, kind of way, though if that appeals to you then that's cool too - but you need to believe in the good things coming. You need to have faith that you're going to succeed, no matter how long that might take or how hard that may be. You will succeed, you will get there!

Image: GettingMyHealthyOn.com

And finally, remember, that no matter how slow you go, you're still moving towards your dreams. You're still going in the right direction.

I hope you feel inspired and motivated. This year is yours, go out and grab it! 

Amy, 

x

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I've given credit for images where possible, if any of these images are yours just drop me a line and I'll give credit!! :D 

Youngblood Mineral Makeup Gift Set* REVIEW

Hey all! I was sent a lovely gift set of the Youngblood Mineral Makeup and originally I was going to include it in a gift guide post, but I loved it so much I decided to natter on about it for a dedicated post!

I was kindly gifted a gift set in Light, which contained four pots, one of which was a blush, a sample of a translucent powder, and a lovely soft flat top kabuki brush.

The mineral makeup from Youngblood is beautiful. It's finely milled, applies beautifully and lasts well. I quite like to wear it alone on a minimal makeup day, just to color correct my red spots, and even out my skin tone.

The kabuki brush supplied is meant to be used to apply it, but I found it shed fibers quite a bit, so I opted to use a large fluffy Real Techniques Powder Brush for the base, and the Real Techniques Blush Brush for the blush. It also allows you more control over the product density and buildable nature.

As well as wearing it completely alone, I also like to apply it with a light hand to bump up the coverage of a light to medium foundation, and so it usually takes the place of a setting powder, because as well as upping the coverage, it mattifies the skin, leaving just a light glow to the skin. No flat, zombie like bases here, girl!!

I was also kindly gifted a beautiful lipstick from the Intimatte Mineral Lipstick range, and I am pretty much in love. Not only is it a beautiful red, but the matte formula is comfortable to wear, non-drying and doesn't seem to feather. One swipe is all it took to get that fully opaque swatch and the same goes for the lips. I will say that it does catch in dry skin so it's worth exfoliating your lips before you wear this, but that's the thing with red lipstick, it's quite high maintenance!

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics are Cruelty Free and their products are affordable as well as great quality. What's not to love??

Keep an eye out in the next week for a GRWM featuring some of these products! 

Amy 

xo

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These products were kindly gifted for my consideration. All opinions are my own.