A Goodbye...

Hello!

When this blog first started two years ago, the day I got home after my last GCSE exam, I did not ever think I'd be writing this post. Heck, it wasn't until this summer that I really thought it may be time. Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of this incredible blogging community. We have created a place on the internet where a bunch of people with a common interest can come together, from the comfort of their own homes to be in an environment where there is no judgement. Here we can all just be friends, support each other and be happy.

After that little ramble about only some of the many incredible benefits of being part of this lovely community, it does sound kind of stupid to even be thinking of leaving. Yet, the time has come for me to step away from the blog, as I don't believe I will have enough time to truly give it my all (with uni starting in a few weeks). I will, of course, still be present on social media (i.e. Twitter).

BerryBloomXO has been an incredibly fun project to work on, becoming committed to post a few times a week, and having wonderful opportunities like attending events, working with brands, interacting with people and reading such lovely comments are things that I will always remember. I hope you have enjoyed all that BBXO has had to offer.

Thank you for making my time as a blogger incredibly rewarding (we surpassed 100,000 views last month!), fun, and a great experience. Who knows? Maybe I won't be able to stay away for too long - haha! Either way, just remember I am beyond grateful of your support throughout this journey.

Farewell.

Day out at Sea Life London - DoMoreWithAvios | LIFE

Hello!

"see them being fed, swim under the sea, float near us and waddle about!"

I hope you're enjoying the bank holiday! Of course it has to rain (in London, anyway) on the day we have off! Luckily, there are so many things to do inside, including going to the Aquarium! I popped down to London's Sea Life Aquarium this weekend and had a blast! Oh, and to add to that, you could go for FREE. That's right, free tickets to anything is great, so read on to find out how. 

The thing with London is that there is always something to do, I'm talking the Shrek Attraction, London Dungeons AND the London Aquarium being neighbours to each other, so you can only imagine the other things you can see in London besides that street, let alone other things around the world!

We saw so many fishes including spotting tiger sharks swimming right past us, and every time we see a tank of fishies, my nephew would say 'Nemo, Nemo, Nemo!' - although ironically, when we got to the actual clown fishes and 'Nemo', he didn't utter the word! His and my favourite part of the aquarium? The penguins!! We got to see them being fed, swim under the sea, float near us and waddle about! I ended up buying a cute pink pearl bracelet with a penguin on it for memories (which I'm currently wearing as an Anklet FYI ;) )!

In terms of how you can get a free ticket, just do your groceries, go on holidays and adventures as you would normally and you can earn points with Avios, which you can then spend those points on more holidays, days out and even a chance to upgrade your economy ticket to business class! You can join and collect points via Avios Travel Rewards programme or British Airways Executive Club.

What I'd do next? Maybe take a trip to New York, or even go to a nice Afternoon Tea (Read: Afternoon Tea in London). Luckily, you can invite a friend to share the points with you, so you're not left doing it alone! Check out Do More With Avios for more!

Tell me, do you have a favourite Sea Life Animal? 

Guilty Pleasure: Kourtney & Kim Take Miami

Hello!

source, source
 just a care-free kind of show. (It's not like I pretend I live in that amazing house of theirs, oh no!)

As I'm writing this, my current go-to show is playing in the background. Why? Because it's pretty much always on, which, by the way, I'm not complaining about. Which show? You guessed it, it's Kourtney & Kim Take Miami.

Trashy? I don't think so. To me, it seems like some things I actually feel, but don't really talk about with others because it may be something I don't feel comfortable sharing, they talk about it on the show. It's almost like girl-time and it's just a care-free kind of show. (It's not like I pretend I live in that amazing house of theirs, oh no!).

The Kardashian sisters are known to be a lot of things, and don't have all that of a good reputation but I think all in all, they're not that bad, and are actually quite funny! Plus, their clothes are quite nice!

I have no idea how far behind I am in terms of series, but now that I've finished K&K Take Miami, Khloe & Kourtney Take the Hamptons is up next. All in the name of good (guilty pleasure) TV!

So tell me, are you a viewer of the Kardashian shows? What do you think?

One Direction FOUR: Music

Hello!

" songs you'd want to listen to when you're in the car on a rainy day and looking out the window as though you're in a movie"

With a new year (I'm probably going to start every post in January with that opening!), new music is called for. Is it really? No, probably not, but what can go wrong - other than being totally addicted to it and having to listen to it 24/7!

Well, I've never really been a huge, die-hard fan of 1D, until now. Literally, the most recent album, Four, has been on repeat. After listening to the Four album playlist on YouTube about a million times, I decided it was time to add it to the iTunes playlist - and I never looked back!

My top 3 favourites from the album are: "Fool's Gold", "Night Changes" and "Ready to Run". Special mention to "18" too.
*Click on the titles to be directed to a download link.

The album is great because it's quite relaxing. Like, it has the type of songs you'd want to listen to when you're in the car on a rainy day and looking out the window as though you're in a movie - catch my drift?

So, if you're looking for a couple of songs to add to your playlist, don't let any stereotype of 1D stop you. Their music is great and that's all that matters!

Tell me, are you a 1D fan? If so, what's your favourite song?

New Year, New... Instagram Account?

Hello!

You know what they say: New Year, New Life, New Clothes, New Makeup, New Mindset... New You.
Well, I finally jumped on the Instagram bandwagon and therefore have a New Instagram. With a mere few photos on there, it's enough to say I have a lot to learn. The filters are going to take a while to get the hang of, and lets hope posting regularly won't be too much of a challenge!

To keep things simple, the username is: berrybloomxo

So, what's one New thing you've done in 2015, & are you an Instagram person?

Christmas Inspiration Board

Hello!

"They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, well here's 12, 000 for you! "

Sometimes it's nice to get a little push in the right direction - this is exactly what inspiration boards are for! Now that it's Christmas in 27 days, the push is needed now more than ever! 

"it's Christmas in 27 days"

From decor, nail colours, socks, chestnuts and snow... it's all in here. They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, well here's 12, 000 for you! 

What makes you most excited for Christmas? 

source: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12

When you Just Can't Do the Day: Motivation Monday

Hello!

"There are a million good things that may happen today"

You know that dreaded feeling every Sunday night. When you know you're going to have to suck it up tomorrow and commute to work in that crowded train surrounded by people snoring? Or going to school solving sums you'll never ever have to use in your lifetime, wishing you could be home or out having fun? Well, this post is for one of those days you really don't want to go.

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"Pretend you have 100% battery"

Accept the thoughts. I don't want to go because I want to lie in my bed - the go-to excuse in my book. But think about it. The positives of going to work/school and the aftermath of being productive. Let's be honest, the so-called 'productive high' is pretty awesome. As they say, even it's undesirable in the short term it's worth it in the long run. If we didn't have Mon-Fri working days, would we be as excited for Sat/Sun?

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 "think about the potential benefits that could come your way"

 You'd think we'd be refreshed after our relaxing weekend, right? Then comes morning and we're like 'I need to be recharged' or 'I need another weekend'. Well, for me, this works: Pretend you have 100% battery (okay, 78%?!) and you'll feel better! :D

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"the so-called 'productive high' is pretty awesome"

Finally, even though you're dreading the day, think about the potential benefits that could come your way. There are a million good things that may happen today and you're not going to find out if you don't get up and get going... so move on and turn that 'I really don't want to go' to 'It could be a good day!' 

So tell me, what get's you up and going?

BerryWeekly: A Day At London Zoo

 Hello!

' Having never heard of these unusual creatures, I was intrigued. I must say, they had amazing legs!'

With the amazing weather in England at the moment, what better place to go to than the.. you guessed it.. ZOO! London Zoo has been known as the kindergarden trip - and that was the last time I had gone. Fast forward a couple of years and here we are again! 

'He was (to my surprise) very big and that cage was just too small'

First up was the Aquarium and Reptile House... neither of which I got good photos of (the lighting in those things is not good!), and didn't interest me too much. You probably didn't know this about me but I used to be a goldfish owner - but that and looking for 'Dori' fishes were as far as my interests went with the Aquarium! The Gorillas, however, were much more 'up my alley'. 

Seeing the gorilla in the cage like this made me sad. Poor Kumbuka didn't look too happy and I wish I could have set him free. He was (to my surprise) very big and that cage was just too small. He would only need to take about 8 steps and he's done the perimeter of the room. Though, it's quite cute that Mjukuu had a little crush on Kumbuka!

Llamas! Did you watch 'Zoey 101' and remember that episode with the llama?! 

Seeing these were pretty cool and later I spot them on a walk with a zookeeper around the zoo. Be aware: they smell... A LOT. 

Donkey's also smell. But they're super cute! Oh, and this camel had a loopy hump - didn't even know that was possible!

'If you've seen the 'compare the market .com' advert, you would know about meerkats.'

If you've seen the 'compare the market .com' advert, you would know about meerkats. They're so super cute and this one thought it was running a little meerkat meeting or something, standing on top of the rock like that! 

"we went during Tiger nap time"

Apparently we went during Tiger nap time. Three tigers were laying on top of a big tree and the daddy tiger laying near the glass where we can see it close up. His paw was huge! 

'was in the James Bond movie!'

Also, we saw some rather famous animals, this dragon (yes, it's actually called a dragon, how cool?!) was in the James Bond movie! There was also a snake featured in Harry Potter. 

'giraffe...looks like they're wearing falsies!'

Also, take a look at this 150 year old tortoise! He seems like a wise one. 

The giraffe was super cute too, they have the most gorgeous eyelashes - looks like they're wearing falsies!

'stripes were gorgeous and their little spiky hair looked adorable.'

Finally, we saw the zebras. They're breathtaking in real life. Their stripes were gorgeous and their little spiky hair looked adorable. In the same area as the zebras were the Okapi's. Having never heard of these unusual creatures, I was intrigued. I must say, they had amazing legs! The way the stripes blended into the rest of their body was so beautiful.

Well, that was pictures from the zoo! There were so many more taken, such as ones of teeny tiny monkeys, penguins and some taken in the deadly birds show. If you're thinking of going to London Zoo any time soon, I recommend the Deadly Bird's show - it is mind-blowing how well the birds follow their routines. 

Did you know camels can have a loopy hump?

Find YOUR Perfect Dress... for Prom, Weddings or Parties!

Hello! 

"dresses can be a bit of a hassle..."

This is the season for parties - with two MORE weddings coming up on my calendar this month, dresses can be a bit of a hassle to find. If you've read this post and this post, you'd know I have already had two weddings, so I'm a bit experienced this year!

Also, Prom dresses are quite important too and this site has it all!

"reminds me a bit of Princess Kate's wedding"

The lace detail on the blue and black dress is gorgeous and I have fallen for the design! I love the colour too. This would be perfect for a wedding and reminds me a bit of Princess Kate's wedding where she had lace sleeves on her dress. 

The blush colour is one of my favourites, and I recently bought a jacket in the shade (keep your eyes peeled for a post on that). I think it is so girly and elegant yet not an in-your-face shade at all. Also, I love the jewellery the model has paired with it, definitely simple but beautiful.

"One-shoulder dresses have a more fun vibe"

One-shoulder dresses have a more fun vibe, and slightly more relaxed. The blue and cream dress can be lovely for prom or parties. It can also be worn at weddings too - a very versatile piece.

I actually wore a dress similar to the black and white dress a couple of years ago at a annual celebration evening - it is quite formal yet laid-back at the same time. Plus, the floral detail is a lovely touch and adds a nice dimension to the dress.

"I actually wanted a dress very similar...but didn't find one like it during the time!"

These are perfect for prom. I actually wanted a dress very similar to the middle one for my prom but didn't find one like it during the time! If only I had known of victoriasdress.co.uk earlier! I love the pastel colours. Also, the high-low effect on the first and last dress is so pretty! Moreover, the bejewelled designs on all 3 dresses make the dress youthful and fun!

Overall, my favourite is the black and blue elegant lace dress! I love it! What's your favourite? 

Yes/No: Short Hair Trend?

Hello! 

If you're like me, you may have noticed the crazy amount of people that have cut their long hair recently, such as the likes of Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and Kylie Jenner. The thought of cutting off a lot of ones lovely long hair is slightly terrifying... until I went and did it myself.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6
 'blond short hair girls have more fun'

Last Tuesday (8th July) was the day 4 and a half inches of my locks were chopped off. Was I scared? No. Did I think it through? No. Would I recommend it? YES.

It's kind of like 'Blonde girls have more fun' but it should be: 'short hair girls have more fun' which is kind of true because it is a lot easier to manage! Though you can't do as many hair styles as you can with long hair.

I wouldn't be able to go for a pixie cut like Emma Watson but the length shown in the pictures above is perfect!

What do you think of the short hair trend: YES/NO? 

BerryWeekly: Boba, Babies and Buses

Hello!

It's that time again - a wonderful Friday to reflect on the pictures of the week! 

This week I had popped down to London twice - both very fun days and the weather has been amazing the entire week, making the experience even more fun!

Coconut Drinks are the Best!

These two drinks were drank on different days - for the record! The one on the left is a smoothie - it has a bunch of great ingredients like Guava, Lychee, Pineapple and my favourite: coconut! It is a superfood smoothie and tastes so amazing!

Speaking of Coconut, we went to China Town on one of the days we were in London and I got the coconut milk tea (with boba, of course) and it tasted AMAZING!! Definitely recommend that one. Plus, it was cold and great for a hot, summer day!

Also on the day we had boba tea/bubble tea (whatever you want to call it), we had lunch at EAT. If you haven't heard of EAT. it is basically a chain of healthier foods and it has great choices! It was out of this or Pret, but Pret was super busy as usual, so we went with EAT. I had a falafel and hummus wrap and I totally recommend it.

On another day we popped down to London, we saw a '1' bus! If you live in London or know about buses, this is quite cool - like the buses I know of are mostly 3 digits or sometimes 2, but I've never seen the 1 bus!

Finally, after college one day, I went to go visit my nephew! He is super cute and just begun walking - we gave him ice-cream for the first time ever and he loved it. Obviously, we didn't give him too much as he was hyper enough already! haha! I just love how he knew to look directly at the camera!

So, tell me, do you call it boba tea or bubble tea, and whats your favourite flavour?

BerryWeekly: Weddings, Lashes and Bill Gates!

Hello!!

I hope you're having a fab Friday (or weekend, or tuesday or whenever you're reading this!). If you're like me, all you hear and think about right now is EXAMS. For those of you in the UK, you'd know that although May is the season the sun pops out, it's also the time of year to stay in and STUDY.
Although, on the positive side: it'll be over before we know it!

Last weekend, I had a VERY important wedding to attend: the eldest of my first cousins got married! It was a super fun weekend and I want to do it again!! Anyway, considering I had dressed up for it and all, a selfie (or few) had to be taken, ovi*:

Secondly, the new mascara featured in this post is amazing!! I have been loving it and have received a few compliments so far! It's amazing!

Finally, a quote to keep you inspired, and possibly make you chuckle:

Well, that quote reminds me that exams are not everything - so stress less and be happy!

I hope you all had a fabulous week and tell me: any exam tips?

*ovi= obviously 

BerryWeekly: In the city of London

Hello!

Another Friday, another Week pretty much over! It's a good and bad feeling, that - well, on one hand we have two days to just… chill, but on the other hand, time is flying by too quickly. To be honest, do you find that the months of Jan-April just SLIP out of your hands and you just don't know where that time went? I find that during Sept-Dec, the time goes a lot slower, or I just tend to remember more of it?!
Anyway, that doesn't mean to say you and I can't make the best of every month and every week of the year!

This week, I took a trip down to London and being in the beautiful city, a blogger simply cannot forget to take pictures… and share it with you… duh! :D

Walking down the streets of Westminster, you could see the London Eye peeking out from the building! It looked so lovely! We took a little break from the exhibition we went to to grab something to eat - we hadn't realised it had been 8-9 hours since last eaten and suddenly realised we were hungry! As we were walking down the streets, the sun shining and clear blue skies, the London Eye was a nice sight - hence worth having 4 copies of the same image - haha! 

I have never been this close to Big Ben. Literally being at the foot of the famous building was astonishing - the weather making it look even better! It is such a lovely atmosphere in the area - clean, intricate and the Big Ben is very practical, especially when your watch has ran out of battery and the iPhone battery doesn't last long! 

One truly cannot get over the admiring architecture in London! Not to mention, the love that London seems to have with it's clocks - see, us Londoners really value time, don't we?! :P

Erm.. another pretty building! :) I love the pretty buildings of the city and the atmosphere is just sophistication with party - kind of like 'Work Hard, Play Hard' - I'm definitely a city girl! ;)

On another note, I got a new laptop cover! Yay! I'm using my laptop now and love the fact that the cover is new - it feels like a whole new laptop (with a much lower price tag!) and this time I ordered a keyboard cover too - it is still black and feels a little weird but I am almost used to it! Plus the cover matches my wallpaper!

What do you think of London, and are you more of a city/country person? 

PS. Notice the new title? Do you like 'BerryWeekly' or 'Weekly Roundup'? :D

Rhyming Life Lessons - from Dr Seuss!

Hello!

Being it Wednesday, mid-week, it may seem like your week is going on forever… or it might be going quite quickly yet anything to help you get to the weekend, right?!
Well, I found this and thought it was super cute:

Sometimes it's the simple, super obvious things we need to remember to get us through the week and bring us back to Earth.

I hope you enjoyed - which of these is your fav?

BerryReads: Wishlist

Hello! 

Reading is something I have not done in a while. Having redone my room, there are now a few more areas whereby I can relax and… well sit and read! Don't you just love having little areas to chill in?! Well, obviously that calls for more reading, right? Isn't that justice enough?! :)

Well, since a very young age I've been a reader yet I haven't read in a while. You may be like me: one that loves story lines such as those in movies, tv shows and even music videos! Well, books are like little movies in your head and you can direct them however you wish!

You may notice a slight theme in this BerryReads today: Movies. Well, not all of the books but 2 of the 3 are (soon to be) movies!

Wolf of Wall Street is currently a movie featuring Leonardo DiCaprio - it's about a guy who makes thousands of dollars per minute yet 'rinses' (spends) it all during the night on things such as drugs, alcohol and bad, bad stuff! I like that it's a different storyline based around greed and power. It intrigues me, and the fact that it's based in New York makes it even more interesting!
(GoodReads Rating: 3.6/5)

Cancer patients are being increasing by the minute in our day to day lives, The Fault In Our Stars is a love story about a cancer patient. You probably have heard of it, if not read it already! The first time  watching the trailer for TFIOS reminded me a bit of The Sisters Keeper in terms of the cancer idea - yet it still seems a must read before watching the movie!
(GR: 4.5/5)

GoodReads is a great place to find ratings of books and lists to choose books from. Looking at the 'Popular' list of what others are really enjoying, I came across Shatter Me. It is about a girl who has the power to kill someone at the touch of her fingertips. Sounds pretty gruesome, right? Actually, thats the part that repels me from the book! However, she wants to use her powers for good not evil (Frozen, anyone?) and it makes me wonder how she deals with it! Though, if it's too gruesome I won't continue reading it!
(GR: 4.09/5)

That's it, nothing too girly this time but quite a few to get my hands on!
What book is on your Reading Wishlist?

source: GoodReads, Image

Girl Time: Movies to Watch!

Hello! 

If you follow me on twitter (which I've been using a more - Yay!) you may have seen the tweet about my recent movie night! I like to have the occasional chick flick night where I usually end up bawling my eyes out and then feel really motivated after it - just inspired for life, you know?

Anyway, one friday night I decided to watch a movie and googled something to watch. I didn't get many great results so decided to make my own post about movies you could watch when you want a girly night in!

1. The Notebook

Image from here

A classic romantic movie that everyone will have heard of!

2. Safe Haven

Image from here

I didn't realise how similar the movie covers looked, but heres another one that is nice!

3. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

Image from here

This was the movie I watched when I posted that tweet! It's different from the other two listed but still is really girly!

So, why not watch a movie today!
What's your favourite go-to movie?