Tag: blog

My Myers Briggs Test Results!

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Recently, I retook the Myers Briggs personality test. I’d taken it before when I was at university but knew that some people changed over time, however, I’m still the same, an INFJ. This test is by far the most detailed and correct personality test I’ve ever taken you can take it here.

So, what’s INFJ and how does it relate to me?

INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging. This is also known as a rare personality type. Most people who know me will be surprised to know I’m an introvert but I definitely am. I love staying at home at the weekend and being with a small group of people rather than a huge party! I also trust my gut in situations, showing intuition. Additionally, in terms of feeling, I am known to feel deeply and care, even more, this can make some situations tricky. Judging, according to others, refers to wanting order and structure which…I might be partial to.

You really agree with this?

Now I get it, can these things really work? I’ve taken this so many times since uni and it sticks. I was surprised because it’s really like me in a specific way, so yeah, I think it can work. Only if you’re honest though.

What jobs do INFJs normally go into? 

The general consensus is that we fit best into creative jobs or those that can help people. Some that have been mentioned are Writer *cough*, Counsellor, Professor,  Designer or Scientist. We are dreamers, which definitely helps.

Who else has this personality? 

Now I can’t say I’ve tracked down these people and made them take the test but people seem to agree that the following are, or have been, INFJs.

  • Carrie Fisher (long live our Princess)
  • Oprah
  • Nicole Kidman
  • Lady Gaga
  • Adam Sandler
  • Martin Luther King
  • Prince

 

What do you think about this personality test? Have you taken it? Let me know if you have and what you are in the comments below! All of the full information is here from the website where I took my test!

 

 

 

 

You’re a Blogger

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I’ve seen a lot of questions on Twitter recently about when someone becomes a blogger. There are so many ideas out there about what being a blogger means and if you ‘count’ if your blog isn’t enough to provide an income. There have been a few times I’ve tried to write this blog post and agonised over whether I should but, well, here it is.

So I’ll  tell you a secret if you set up a blog and you write on it you are a blogger. There it is, it’s that simple. Are there different types of blogger? Of course but we are all still bloggers together. Whether you make money from blogging and that’s your job, well done because that’s hard work. If you’re doing it as well as working full time, like your girl right here, well done too because it’s also damn hard work.

I don’t care how many followers you have, how many times you’ve posted or what brands you work with if you’re blogging because you enjoy it. So many people get caught up with what brands want, what your DA is (domain authority) and being on par with the ‘big bloggers’. We didn’t start to compete or see who could have the most expensive flat lays. We started because we loved it and that, for me is what’s important. You don’t need an expensive camera or top connections, it helps but it’s not what you need. You need passion and love and that’s about it.

So if you’re smaller and perhaps feeling dismayed, we all do at times, don’t give up. There are some wonderful, wonderful supportive bloggers online that are feeling the same. This might not be as eloquently put as I would have liked it, but I needed to say it. I needed to remind people where this started. We’d all love to make money from blogging, have a million followers etc but that’s not the only measure of success.

Is there anything else you would add about being a blogger? Let me know in the comments below.

My Love-Hate Relationship With Exercise

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Yesterday I went to the gym. I’m sure a lot of you are thinking ok, so what? A lot of people go to the gym. It was my first time going this year and it hurt. A lot. I talk a fair bit about my accident a few years ago, the impact that has on my life and being able to exercise regularly can often cause me a lot of pain.

My relationship with exercise goes way back. When I was a kid I had much more fun with my nose in a book than running around. P.E was the lesson I hated most and I was the most clumsy person I knew. For that to change when I started riding was a minor miracle, there was exercise that I loved!

In the past 3 years, my weight has gone up and down. I lose the weight, I’m happy and then six months later I’ve put it back on and it goes on, again and again. This isn’t a vanity project. This isn’t me wanting to shimmy into some size 6 jeans and get revenge. It’s literally just wanting to be healthy, to get back to the size I was at university.

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Now, I know that my body has and will continue to change throughout my life, but that natural change can be controlled. I haven’t been looking after my body the way I should be in the past few months, I haven’t eaten right, I’ve done minimal exercise so this is on me.

I feel good after a workout, I feel accomplished. Sometimes I feel better, a bit sore and I can get on with my day. Other times the old pains come back and I can’t move the next day, so it’s kind of a bargaining thing. I’m determined that, when I can, I want to exercise in one way or another on a bad day swimming is better, if I’m up to it I can go to the gym. I’ll get there slowly, I might even learn to like it again.

I guess I wrote this because it’s easy to look in Instagram and see amazing people with amazing bodies talking about how much they love fitness and healthy shakes. If that’s not you, that’s ok. A lot of people aren’t athletic but you have to do it your way, I certainly am!

 

How do you feel about exercise? Let me know in the comments below!

Getting To Know You Better Tag

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Hello, hello, hello my lovely readers!

I was tagged by Sasha at Little Book Shelf for this tag and I thought it looked like fun. I love a good tag and it was great to show my own answers as well as being able to show some great bloggers that I’m reading at the moment.

The Rules:
Answer the questions down below.
Credit the tag creator InkGirlWords.
Nominate as many unsuspecting souls as possible! (or at least 5).

The Tag

How long have you been blogging?

I’ve been blogging since I was 17…that’s 6 years now (no idea how that happened). The first 2.5 years was just doing book reviews and then I’ve spent 4.5 on this blog, which is crazy!

Do you enjoy doing tags? 

I really like doing tags, I feel like you can find out so much about a blogger/vlogger through tags and I’ve got some amazing book recommendations through tags!

Do you follow the blogs that follow you?

I try to follow them all! Sorry if I’ve missed any.

Describe your blog in five words.

Books. Thoughts. Passion. Life. Everything.

How many posts have you made on your blog (not counting this tag)?

At the time of writing this post 1207…

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy blogging?

10, I love it. Love, love, love it!

Post some links to blogs you enjoy reading:

The Bellezza Corner  

Novels and Teacups 

Blonde vs Books

Currently, Lately

 

Writing or reading blog posts?

Writing, I can’t stop

I Tag: 

The blogs I like reading!

The Bellezza Corner  

Novels and Teacups 

Blonde vs Books

Currently, Lately

And anyone who wants to do this tag!

 

Have fun!! 

I Have a Skin Care Routine?

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As you all know, I’m not a beauty blogger, in fact, I wrote a whole post about it. That said, as I get older or should I say as my sister gets older I’ve gotten more interested. That and I’ve really had problems with my skin recently.  I get most of my recommendations from my family and friends, but I’m getting there. Now, I have a skincare routine!

Why now?

This wasn’t something I set out to do, I was just using wipes for my skin. Then in the latter half of 2017, I started having real trouble. I’d always had spots but they come and go.  Then my skin got worse and developed into acne and I got stressed, the most stressed I got, the worse my skin got. I needed to try something. My Mum decided to get me the stuff that she uses to see if it would help! I’m also pleased to say that Elemis is also cruelty-free!

What is my routine?

  1. Put some Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm into my hands to warm up. Once warm, spread evenly across my face. Using warm water, massage the balm into the face in circular motions. Once done, wash away with warm water. Pat face dry.
  2. Take Rehydrating Ginseng Tone and spray on to a cotton pad  (I get mine from Superdrug but you can pick them up anywhere) and wipe my face.
  3. Put on a layer of moisturiser and rub into skin.

 

Has it worked?

 I have seen a difference, in my skin. It’s definitely looking healthier and gradually it’s making a difference but, of course, when I have PMS my skin is awful and there’s not much that can help in that scenario, it’s a whole league of its own. That said, once I’ve completed my routine I feel so much better and so much healthier!

Do you have a skincare routine? What do you use? Let me know in the comments below!

This is NOT a sponsored post, these are my own opinions.

What Do You Do For Fun? 23 and ‘Boring’

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I was recently asked what I do for fun, what my hobbies are. I replied as I always do I blog, I read a lot and I write. People don’t really believe me when I say that’s what I do for fun. Don’t you go out? Don’t you drink etc, etc. That’s usually how it goes. So sometimes I think about it, am I boring for my age?

I’ve never been one for regularly going out to clubs and partying. When I was a teenager I went to house parties, hosted by my boyfriend. When I was in college I didn’t go out drinking still, only to a few house parties. In my first six months at university, I went out to a club grand total of two times the first I was on the night bus crying by midnight because I had an anxiety attack. The second time I came home early. In Second year I’d get drunk so I wasn’t anxious and go out with friends. In Third year I didn’t go out at all. Then I graduated and became even more comfortable with my own life.

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You might follow me on Instagram and think, hang on I’ve seen pictures of you out with friends. I do go, occasionally. Once a month my friends and I try and go out for drinks or I might go to see or do something. For a long time, I got hung up on the fact I didn’t feel ‘normal’, I felt ‘boring’. I had this idea in my head of what I was meant to be doing.

There is a pressure I think. Travel the world, but save money. Go out and party, but spend all your time networking and building a career. Have fun, but think seriously about your future, you only get one chance. All of these things going through your mind.

The thing is, I like staying at home and reading books or writing. Blogging makes me happy. Spending time on my craft, reading a really good book, having lie-ins or just chatting with my boyfriend is a good weekend. I like going out and seeing and doing too but I don’t feel like I’m missing out by not going out every weekend.

I thought, for a long time, the worst someone could call me was boring. I was fun right?  I was entertaining? People would want to hang out with me? I tormented myself worrying about this shit. Slowly, I’m working towards not caring about that stuff, about doing my own thing and what makes me happy. And, for me, that’s what’s important doing things I love to do rather than what everyone else is doing.

I want to hear from my lovely readers! Do you ever feel like you’re not doing ‘what you should’ or a bit boring? Do you ever feel under pressure to be or act a certain way because of your age? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Life Update: I’m Being Published!

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I have some super exciting news! I’m going to be published! Yes, a piece of my work is going to be published in an actual physical book! The plan for tonight was to do my normal Thursday book review, but then I got an email. So, how did this come about?

I was lucky enough back in 2015 to be offered the chance to go to Athens as part of Kingston Writing School and I got to learn from the wonderful K.J. Orr about writing as well as being with other writers. I loved the course, I’d happily go back again to learn. This summer that will have been 3 years ago. Each year writers of the Summer School get the opportunity to submit pieces for an anthology.

I submitted last year and, unfortunately, didn’t get chosen which is fine because I don’t think it was my best work. This year, however, I wrote two poems, worked on them and submitted them in the new year. I wish I could say forgot about them but I didn’t I checked my email every day and…it worked.

I got the confirmation email today and I’m so, so excited. I love to write, I’ve always loved to write as soon as I learnt how to. Knowing that my name, my piece is going to be in a book is incredible. I also pretty sure that it’s only the start. I want and am working on writing my first novel in a series.

I’m so excited and I couldn’t wait to share this with you because honestly, I feel like writing my blog for the past few years has made me a better writer. I think about my content, the language and what you guys want to read alongside my own ideas. So a big thank you to everyone who reads my blog!

I’ll keep you all updated!

 

I’ve Been Hiding My Face!

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I've Been Hiding My Face

Me on a good day!

 

If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed something. I like a good selfie when I feel good. I’ll show a new lipstick, hairstyle etc. But recently I’ve been shying away from the camera or at least I’ve been trying to hide a certain part in particular.

In the past few months, I have struggled with my skin and, it’s really impacted my confidence. I was piling on foundation to go to interviews and go to work. I was thinking of ways to cover the bottom of my face in pictures. This was completely new territory for me and I wanted to hide, I’d never had acne before!

I often try and promote body positivity, loving yourself and the like, but I also want to be honest. Of course, I have hang-ups about my body, who doesn’t. This was different though. I couldn’t work out why this kept happening and the spots growing and growing across my face. I hadn’t really dealt with it in my teenage years.

I spent so long trying to work out the cause and how it had changed so suddenly and taken my confidence with it. I’ve managed to get it down to a few potential factors, hormone changes due to a change in contraceptive and stress from losing my job being the main two.

After I’d gotten a new job and was feeling a little better I started thinking about all the time I spent putting makeup on. All the time I spent worrying about my skin and what other people thought I decided I’d had enough. I wanted to let my skin breathe. So I stopped wearing makeup to work and you know what? The world didn’t implode. I know can you believe it?

I’d got so caught up in my appearance I forgot that I wasn’t going to work or seeing friends because of my looks. I didn’t get hired for clear skin; I got hired for what I can do. I’m still self-conscious about my skin, but I’m working on it because there is so much more to life.

How do you feel about your skin? Is it something that you worry about? Let me know in the comments below!

10 things I’d tell 11 year old me

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Do you remember being 11? While most of us were pretty disappointed we didn’t get our Hogwarts letters, there was something pretty big going on for all of us, we were about to enter the zoo that is Secondary School. There’s a lot I wish I could go back and tell that scared kid because like it or not, it changed each and every one of us. Some for the better, others maybe not so much.

I had a think about things that I would tell myself, things I wish I could have known that might have made things a little easier. So here are my 10, don’t forget to let me know yours in the comments below!

Don’t be afraid of standing up for yourself.

I was bullied a lot as a kid, it was bad at the age of 11 but it continued. I didn’t want to get into trouble so a lot of the time I just took it. I wish I hadn’t.

You and your body are beautiful.

Ah Puberty, there’s nothing like it to destroy your confidence. This was the start of me worrying about my body. Was my stomach flat enough? Were my boobs going to be big enough? Why did my hair get so gross even when I washed it? Was my deodorant good enough?

This is when I started to doubt it and I wish I hadn’t because it takes YEARS to undo, I’m still working on it!

Don’t panic about not having any friends on the first day of school, you’ll find your friends.

I was petrified no one would like me when I got to secondary school. Little did I know I’d meet the best person in my life there a few years later…

Being nice will get you further than being a bitch, those girls won’t understand that for a long time.

BUT being too nice will get you walked on, it’s a thin line.

Don’t be embarrassed about being smart, keep reading, it’s going to help you a lot later on!

I got mercilessly teased as a kid for reading a lot…I was the 11-year-old reading Victoria Beckhams autobiography because I wanted to know more about her and had gotten through all of the Jacqueline Wilson novels the previous year. Don’t be ashamed of being smart!

Play with your sister as much as possible, she’ll grow up quicker than you think.

Having a sister that is nearly 7 years younger than me I wish I’d appreciated the time she was always at home. Now she’s 16 and off working, meeting friends and doing other things cherish the time!

Everything will happen for a reason.

The good, the bad, the ugly. Every damn thing happens for a reason and that’s what I believe.

There’s going to be some really shitty times ahead, but you’re going to get through them and it’s going to make you stronger.

My teenage years were really tough and sometimes I’m in awe that I managed what I did. But, I’m here, I’m still going.

Think about the future, you can’t do anything about the past.

This is something I’m still working on. It’s easy to get stuck in the past, think about who hurt you and where things went wrong but it won’t help you.

You’re going to grow up to be pretty awesome.

You’re pretty cool, kid.

 

What would you tell your 11-year-old self? Let me know in the comments below.

Homeowner Dreams www.chloemetzger.com

Homeowner Dreams

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There was once a time when owning a home was a milestone that the majority of people reached. It was a milestone of growing up, something you did before starting a family. When my Mum and Dad bought their house in 1996, this was the case, they’d never even had to rent before. Skip forward more than 20 years and meet me, their eldest child, and part of generation rent.

Think back to when you’d ask people what they would do if they won the lottery. Buy flash cars, luxury holidays etc. Now, say you won 20K on the lottery, in the South East of England that might get you a deposit for a small house. Not the whole house, just a deposit on a house. This is what young people like us are facing.

Will Young People Ever Be Able To Afford Their Own Homes?

The majority of you reading this are in the same position, the prospect of being able to save enough to merely put down a deposit on a house is more than most 20-somethings make in a year in their area. But, don’t forget people think if we bought fewer sandwiches, we could make the sacrifices to find that money…I’m not kidding that’s a genuine article I’ve linked to.

I don’t know when, or how, owning a home became something seemingly unachievable for most young people. While some are able to live at home until they are in their mid-twenties and save, that is not the case for the majority of us. That and we want our own space, not to live with our parents until we’re between 25 & 30. I don’t go on expensive holidays, I don’t drive an expensive car (I saved for 3 years while at uni for my current car), I take lunch with me most days but I am still paying almost double a mortgage to live in a 1 bedroom flat.

While my partner and I try and work out how we will be able to manage to try to scrape together money to put towards our own home, the prospects look increasingly bleak. A lack of affordable housing and sky-high deposit payments are just the tip of the iceberg. We’re told to give up any luxury, move out of certain places where it’s cheaper etc, this is completely ignoring the issues at hand. Most of which centre around greed.

I know this might have come across as a rant but, truly, this is a post born out of frustration. It doesn’t matter how good you are with money, we’re going back to a state of working people missing out. If you are able to get help from wealthy relatives, you might make it. Although for the average person Homeowner dreams have become just that, dreams.

What are your thoughts on becoming a Homeowner? Have you managed? Let me know in the comments below!