Tag: sunday seven

Sunday Seven: Best Things About Autumn

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This week welcomed the first day of Autumn, which I was stupidly excited about. I absolutely love Autumn, it’s my favourite season of the year, because the sun can still be shining but it’s also great to snuggle up with blankets, books and tea. To honor the amazing season finally coming around this weeks Sunday Seven is dedicated to the great things to look forward to in Autumn.

Going back to Jumpers, Scarfs and Hats! Come at me! 

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Although I am prone to losing a hat or a scarf sometimes I absolutely love getting snuggled up and I can wear chunky jumpers to work with some tights and a nice skirt, SO much easier to be comfortable and look good in the Autumn.

Lush’s Halloween and Christmas Ranges Are Out! 

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I’m a HUGE Lush fan, Autumn is my favourite time of year for their products with two new lots of seasonal items. After popping in to get some Pumpkin Bath Bombs yesterday, Abbie and I will be heading back next weekend when their Christmas range hits the shop! I’m also planning a trip to their Oxford Street shop to pick up some exclusives! To see the whole range (which is going to take most of my bank account) go to their website.

Hot Chocolate, Lots and Lots of Hot Chocolate

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Mmmm, mmm, mmm.

Morning Sunshine 

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Crisp air and August Sunshine makes getting up that little bit easier.

Comfort Food 

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Pies, Stews, Cakes, ALL THE FOOD.

Onesie and Fluffy Pyjama Life 

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I’m a huge onesie fan. I have more than I’m going to admit and there’s nothing better than a good pair of Primark chunky PJs on a cold night.

Bonfire Night (UK only) and Halloween  

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In the UK we have Bonfire Night. It’s a night full of Fireworks, Bonfires and Sparklers. I have so many fond memories of being wrapped up in layers and heading to the local War Memorial Park with my family to watch the town fireworks, sadly it’s been cancelled this year due to costs. That said Autumn also brings Halloween! Although this year it’s on a Monday, which means I will be eating sweets and waiting for Trick or Treaters!

What are your favourite things about Autumn? Let me know in the comments below!

Sunday Seven: Seven Things My Weekends Are Made For

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Lie Ins 

I try not to make plans before 12pm, after 5 days of having to get up early a lie in is all I want most weekends.

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Baking

I’m not keen on actually cooking, but baking is entirely different. There’s no pressure if you’re just baking for yourself or for family and, you know, it’s less likely you’ll go disastrously wrong with cookies or cupcakes.

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Sofa Days 

Being able to curl up with a duvet or big blanket, usually with a stack of books and mug of tea is one of my favourite parts about the weekend.

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Good Food 

I don’t stress about what I eat at the weekends. If I want a burger, I get a burger. If I want to eat a bag of cheese puffs, I eat a bag of cheese puffs. Life’s too short to be constantly worrying about what you eat and I’m speaking from experience.

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Travelling

Depending on where you want to go, a weekend or long weekend can be the perfect time to go exploring. Last weekend I was up in Durham , I’ve also spent a few days in Amsterdam before. Now that we’re working, Ali and I are also looking at going to different places across the UK for the weekend. I love a good relaxing weekend but exploring is great too.

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 Quality Time

The best part about the weekend for me is being able to spend quality time with the people I love. Waking up and dozing with Ali on a Saturday morning, not having to rush to get up and get showered just makes me so happy. It’s definitely the little things.

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Book Bingeing 

If I have a free day, I read. It’s as simple as that. I love curling up with a good book (or three) and just blissfully enjoying reading. Since finishing uni I don’t have the time to read as much as I used to, simply because I drive to work, rather than getting the bud everywhere. With that in mind weekends are the best, you can stay up late reading Friday and Saturday with no consequences, win!

Of course there are so many other things I could have added to this list but these are just a few. What do you like spending your weekends or days off doing?

Let me know in the comments below 🙂

Sunday Seven: Seven Things That 20 Somethings Are ‘Supposed’ to Do

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I’ve spent a lot of time thinking this week about what is expected of 20 somethings. People have a lot of opinions about your twenties, what you should be doing, what you shouldn’t be doing, how you should feel, how you shouldn’t feel. It’s both exhausting and annoying. While some people are truly trying to help and pass on wisdom after the mistakes they made, it is SO hard not to roll my eyes most of the time. Anyway, I’m hoping that I’m not the only one who gets these!

You should travel, all the time, everywhere! 

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Now, don’t get me wrong I enjoy visiting other places, seeing other cultures and their history BUT I’m not someone who’s into travelling. The thought of just having a backpack and all that jazz doesn’t appeal to me, it never has. I have a list of places I want to go but you won’t see me heading off for weeks or months at a time to share a room and a shower.

You should get experience, lots of experience! 

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I’m lucky enough that I’ve had some great opportunities, but very early on I learnt that coming from money can really help get your career kick started. There are so many industries where you are expected to get experience by working for free or on minimum wage. I know for a fact most 20 somethings really do want to get experience but simply cannot afford it without support.

You should/shouldn’t be thinking about getting married! 

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People are obsessed with when they think you should or shouldn’t get married. There’s a total divide on what people think in my life. A lot of people are like you guys have been together forever, when are you getting married? OR they will tell you under no circumstances should you do it in your twenties, I have to say though most people who say this are divorced.

Go out! Party and make the most of it! 

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I did a year of partying at uni, sometimes it was fun but it was never my thing. I’m quite happy to go to the pub every now and again or go out for some cocktails after payday but I’d rather save my money and do exciting things that won’t make me feel awful the next day!

Don’t forget to save!

Between all the travelling, partying and unpaid experience?

You’re in the best time of your life, remember that. 

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So far my 20s have been good, but they’ve also been pretty hard. I think people forget the confusion, the stress of trying to work out who you want to be and how to make that happen and all the expectations on you. Oh and not to mention the debt if you went to uni, so much debt.

What are/were you guys told throughout your 20s? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Sunday Seven: Seven TED Talks you need to watch

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I have spent a lot of time in the past few years watching various TED Talks, it’s one of my favourite things to do when I need some motivation. I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite TED Talks, these are just 7 of many but I think they’re important because of the messages they give.

 

How do you define yourself? – Lizzie Velasquez 

Lizzie was deemed the ‘World’s Ugliest Woman’, she’s honest in the fact that of course she cried but what she did next was incredible. Lizzie came back fighting, not only does she educate people on her illness but she also knows when to joke and make light of the situation. Lizzie wanted to be a motivational speaker and after a google search and a few more steps Lizzie did what she set out to do and is one of the most inspiring people and even has her own documentary.

We gotta get outta this place – Piper Kerman

With all of the hype surrounding Orange is the New Black, a lot of people forget that it is somewhat inspired by a true story. For me the book and this Ted Talk are preferable and talk about the real issues and day to day life of prison. Piper’s talk was eye opening and a rally cry for change. I’ve also reviewed her book here.

A broken body isn’t a broken person – Janine Shepherd

I only came across this talk today and it was emotional to watch. Janine was in a horrific accident meaning which broke her neck and back and left her hospitalised for months. I love this talk because I understood a lot of what she was saying about your body breaking and letting you down, in fact it was very emotional to watch, because I’ve learnt similar lessons.

Everyday Sexism – Laura Bates

I watched Laura’s talk before buying her two books. I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure before I watched it but after I realised that there is so much that we are told to ‘just deal with’ when we shouldn’t have to. Laura took a stand and I’m so glad she did, we need more women like her.  

Confessions of a Bad Feminist – Roxanne Gay

This was so important to me when I was trying to embrace feminism because she said what I felt like. Roxanne understands that sometimes you like things that ‘aren’t feminist’ and makes fun out of it as well as reminding us that feminism is so huge that it means so many different things to different people.

I got 99 problems…and Palsey is just one – Maysoon Zayid 

I love Maysoon, she’s absolutely hilarious. One of the things that can make people more comfortable around disability is injecting humor into the situation, which Maysoon does perfectly. It’s also a great speech about determination.

We Should All Be Feminists – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 

Like Beyoncé’s track Flawless? You partially have Chimamanda to thank for that. This is another great talk about feminism and how we teach kids about what’s expected of them. This isn’t her only great Ted Talk, she also spoke on The Dangers of the Single Story in literature (another talk I referenced in my essays for university).

Let me know your favourite TED Talks! I’m always looking for new and exciting ones to watch!

Sunday Seven: Seven Interview Tips!

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This week I was offered my first full time job! . I’ve been planning to write this post for a while but didn’t want to jinx it while I was going through the interviews, because how could I write tips and then not have a job? So, anyway here are seven of my top tips for job interviews.

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Remember that the past doesn’t define the future 

I’ve had a lot of jobs that I really didn’t enjoy but don’t bring negativity into an interview, instead if they ask talk about what you learnt from that job, turn your negatives into positives!

d317f12ee48146f03e4d5f8edd19e125Take a deep breath

Everyone knows that interviews are nerve wracking, my anxiety was through the roof and I was panicking. All I can say is take a deep breath before you go in.

15ddb97722812003985c308b15bac6d7Make sure you have plenty of time

Make sure you have time before the interview to get there, to find the place you need to be and, of course, being early is always a good sign.

68423d08fb6255374d33efd956d58e2f Do your research 

Always go into an interview with information on the company, know the background, what they do and how you can progress.

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Know what you want

As about long term opportunities, about what the company can offer you as well as what you can offer them. Remember that it works both ways!

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Be Yourself 

There’s nothing worse than pretending to be something you’re not. Be who you are and be proud of who you are!

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Don’t give up

You’re not going to get every job you apply for but be satisfied that you got an interview and that you did the best you could!

Sunday Seven: Seven of this weeks pics!

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I’ve spent most of the past week in Basingstoke, meaning I’ve been very snap happy this week, so for a little something different I wanted to share my top seven snaps of this week.

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Ed doesn’t like me shutting the door whenever I’m at home, he wants all the attention, no matter what time it is. I snapped this little pic while I wanted to sleep and Ed wanted to play.

IMG_7626 This week my little cousin and Godson turned 13. 13! Harvey and I are really close, he’s my little dude and I can’t believe he’s gone from this chubby cheeked baby to a really awesome little man. Also, check out the cake that my super awesome sister made!

IMG_7634 It was doughnut day this week so I popped to the shop and picked up these beautiful, scrummy pink ones. They tasted good, so good. IMG_7600

I was finally able to pick up my Illumicrate from my parents! I was not only surprised but loved every item in the box and can’t wait for my next one. If you missed my post, find it here.IMG_7627

Lottie is my shadow whenever I come home. This didn’t change this week, if you couldn’t find her you could guarantee she was on my bed fast asleep…even if it’s a choice between my Mum’s double bed or my single, she still chooses my bed.

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This is Betsy, my aunts puppy, she’s also known as Chewbacca by my cousins. I swear she’s like a little walking rug apart from she jumps up and wants cuddles and has a fondness for cake. Don’t you love this little smile too?!

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Another one of my little mischief maker in the evening.

If you want to keep up with more of my snaps, make sure to follow me on Instagram @chloemetz_!

Sunday Seven: My Next YA Reads!

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After having to read so many heavy (and sometimes dull) novels for my degree I decided to push the boat out and buy myself a stack of YA novels to get me through the summer months. More daylight means more reading, right? So for this week here are 7 of my next YA reads! I’m also on Goodreads if any of you would like to connect (link on the right of my homepage).

 

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A ‘Study Machine’ who cares for nothing else bust grades meets a fellow genius, after a podcast reveals more than it should both of their lives start to collapse. I won’t lie I was drawn to this initially by the title and cover, then I read the synopsis and was hooked. I can’t wait to get stuck in.

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After being told that they can’t afford to be taught at home anymore conjoined twins Grace and Tippi need to get the hang of the ‘outside’ world fast. They may have defied the odds medically their whole lives, but can they handle high school? This is something so different I needed to pick it up. I’ve always been interested in twins, but I’ve never read about conjoined twins, very exciting.

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Parker has his own set of rules don’t deceive him…especially using his blindness, don’t be weird and don’t betray him. It’s a fact that we need more books with disability in them and so I picked up Lindstrom’s novel off of the table in the book shop. I haven’t heard anything about this book but I’m hoping it’s going to be great.

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Despite being best friends for years, Caddy has always wanted to be more like Rosie and when Suzanne shows up she learns that a little trouble can also be fun. I keep seeing this novel everywhere and I caved and picked it up. It’s going to be interesting to see the effect that a third friend has on their relationship and just how much trouble they can get away with.

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Being allergic to everything sucks, being stuck inside your house and not seeing anyone but your Mum and your Nurse sucks…cute boy moving in next door? Now THAT might be interesting. I am really on the fence about this novel, the protagonist has a rare disease which means she is allergic to everything, when she see’s the new boy next door her thoughts start to change and she thinks that maybe she should start taking risks. I’m a little sceptical because it sounds like the whole, ‘this boy is going to save me even though the medical world can’t’ thing BUT I reserve judgement and hope that isn’t the case.

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What would you do if a character from your favourite story came to life? Jodi Picoult is one of my favourite authors EVER. So why haven’t I picked up the YA Novel she wrote with her daughter? I have no idea but it’ll certainly be interesting to see her writing style combined with her daughters.

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Auggie has always been different and now it’s time for him to finally go to school for the 5th grade. As well as living with a facial disfigurement Auggie has to make friends and deal with others who don’t want to give him a chance. I’m reading this at the moment and it’s already melting my heart. I haven’t seen ONE negative review of this novel, fingers crossed it stays as good as it currently is.

 

How about you guys? Anything to add to my list or have you already read any of them? Drop me a message in the comments below and let me know!

Sunday Seven – Seven Dr Seuss Quotes to Live By

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Lately I’ve come across a lot of really awesome Dr Seuss quotes and they’ve just made me wonder at his mind. I’m going to start counting him as one of my heroes. I won’t lie I have been feeling pretty rough lately and having confidence doubt about myself, my work and all that jazz. SO for this weeks (slightly late) Sunday Seven I wanted to share some of my quotes to live by the wonderful Dr Seuss.

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I want to scream this from the roof tops! I wish this was repeated to teenagers constantly. I wish I could say I was someone who wasn’t bothered by what other people say, but I am. I need to look at this quote sometimes to remind me of the people that matter.

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Ah, what a perfect quote for a bookworm. Book are one of the best and wonderful things that can really change a persons life. BOOK FOR THE WIN!

 

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I feel like I should put this on gym clothes and just have it made into a huge canvas to put in my future office/writing room. Everyone has been at that point where they’ve thought, why should I carry on? Why bother. Hell I feel like this now while I’m in the final few weeks of my degree but the magic Dr Seuss has made me feel a hell of a lot better.

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I know that for a long time I was consumed by my past. I was so terrified and stuck in the past that I wasn’t making the most of my present and future. This is really important especially when I’m about to go into the unknown. I’m determined to not be stuck in the past, I want to embrace the future are really take in what’s around me.1cbe9bd21bcddfd88f275d828656e69e

This is SO important. It’s a quote I keep going back to when I’m feeling really down. I might be struggling, but there is only one me. There is only one me and no one else can do what I do or has what makes me, me. And that’s pretty cool.

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When you were a teenager, didn’t you just wish you were normal? Just beg and pray at night to fit in and not be a freak. When you’re a teenager, especially one that doesn’t quite fit in, normal seems like a perfect thing. The older I’ve gotten, and I know I’m still pretty odd to some people, I still don’t fit into one square. My quirks make me, me and it’s part of what makes my successes happen. I love this because most of the best and most successful people are ‘odd’ and god damn it I really want to be one of them now and never slip into normal. Screw normal.  06971f03ccc83abf85df467b07a8950a

This, this, this, this. Another quote that I keep going back to at the moment. The past year has been life changing and it’s going to happen again. Sometimes I get sad thinking that university is going to be over soon or the fact that I’ll probably never ride again, things like that. I think it’s natural, but like this quote says I need to try and appreciate them for all the good times. Because damn, the past three years really have been full of good times.

Sunday Seven: 7 of my Famous Feminist Heroes

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This week I’ve been working on my dissertation, doing hours or reading on being a woman. On what a woman is, about feminism, motherhood and work. My dissertation may be on Plath, but the research goes further than that and it’s got me thinking about some of the famous feminists I look up to. So for this Sunday Seven I want to celebrate some of the most awesome feminists around.

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1. Malala Yousafzai

I don’t think there’s anyone who embodies the spirit of feminism like Malala. Even after the Taliban attempted to murder her, she carried on and made her voice louder than ever on an international stage. Malala stands for something that every feminist, I think, should fight for. Equal education for girls in all areas of the world. Malala’s story reminded us all that just because we have these things in the Western world does not mean we can take them for granted. Equal education should be for every child around the world, regardless of gender.

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2. Jennifer Lawrence

Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of The Hunger Games I caught on early that Jennifer Lawrence was something incredible. Not only does she not pretend to be an always glam, super cool actress, she reminds all of us she is just another woman. The quote above really hits home that alongside acting, Jennifer wants to change the way women are viewed by the media and the pay gap. Her, quite frankly, brave piece about why she gets paid less than her male costars made headlines around the world. I say brave because it could have made her career suffer. It could have meant that the film industry refused to work with her and that her fear of being called ‘difficult’ or ‘spoilt’ had come true. She make a point though and by raising this issue in public, she puts it in the spotlight for the rest of us in ‘normal’ jobs too. It get’s people talking, and that’s exactly what we need to do.

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3. Laura bates

While Laura might not be known internationally, she is a force to be reckoned with in the UK. Her Ted Talk and book of the same name ‘Everyday Sexism’ is an incredible piece of work. Personally, I read this and felt both sad and strengthened. I realised that it was ok to get pissed off when someone touched me, made me out to be just a sexual object or made fun of me for my gender. I basically did a U turn on a lot of things because I read her research, her statistics and her stats, I talked about things I’d never thought I could before  and it was all because of Laura. download (1)

4. Emma Watson

Again, a huge reason that I am now such a proud feminist. Emma’s He for She speech spoke to me as someone who didn’t want to use the label feminist and who resisted it at all costs.Emma is one of the amazing women of my generation who is reclaiming the word and what feminism means, as well as talking about real equality between the sexes. 0f6d1ce1e7f99e8b5a2be97b77a0ab8e

5. Sylvia Plath

There are a lot of arguments about whether or not Plath is a feminist. She is to me because she acknowledges the struggle between wanting a family and wanting a career. She believes she can be anything, but she also has self doubt. Her work on the 1950s and 1960s and the attitude towards women is something really incredible, as is the character of Esther in The Bell Jar. Plath is one of my heroes because she isn’t perfect and she doesn’t 100% seem to know what she believes, she changes her mind as as she gets older and I can’t help but resonate with that.

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6. Caitlin Moran

I have to include the woman who had me walking/ hobbling around my house shouting ‘I’m a feminist’, while clutching a copy of her book. Ah Caitlin Moran, what has the world done to deserve you. I’d read how to be a woman when I was about 12 and thought it was weird and terrifying and ended up throwing it in a fit of grossness. Fast forward to the age of 21 and it’s one of my favourite books. It’s funny, honest and makes you think. It’s thanks to Caitlin I am a feminist, I am a proud feminist and that I’m not afraid to say it loudly to anyone. All her other books are amazing too.

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7. J.K Rowling

Think about the women in the Harry Potter series they are almost all strong, independent and good. The fact that one of the main characters in one of the biggest selling series’ of all time was a girl with bushy hair, big teeth and a love for books,  while being friends with two boys and the smartest witch of her age. It gave those of us who didn’t always fit in someone to read about who was like us, it made being the smart girl cool! Women were not weak in the Harry Potter books (unlike some of the movies), they were often the strength and intelligence. For a lot of girls, she changed the way they saw themselves and saw the world, including me.

 

 

I do not own any of these images, they are the products of very talented people I found online. 

Sunday Seven: Stand Out Concerts

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Today I took my sister to see Little Mix (her christmas present from me). The concert was full of little girls, decked head to toe in Little Mix clothes, singing their hearts out and dancing to every single song. It really took me back, when I was growing up concerts were a big thing for me and my Mum, we went to a lot of concerts. I remember Mum sitting on the phone trying to get tickets to this concert or that (this was the early ’00, no internet shopping!). So as I’ve grown up and gotten into my own music I’ve gone to concerts as much as possible, spending my money on nights at venues rather than nights out. So here are just 7 of the amazing concerts that really stood out in my mind. No judging!

Spice Girls – 1999 

Way back in ’99 (yes I’m that old), my Mum, my pregnant Aunt and I went to Earls Court to watch the Spice Girls. I was obsessed with them from the age of 2 and the obsession carried on, even now I’m watching the rumors of a 20th reunion tour like a hawk. At the age of 4 it was the best day of my life, I ended up being on the TV filming (well the huge banner I made way anyway) and Victoria Beckham (then Adams) waved at me, putting me in serious doubt about who my favourite Spice Girl was. What a choice for little Chloe to make!

Busted – 2006 

Between going to the Spice Girls and going to Busted I’d gone to a few more concerts but this was the first one with guitars. REAL GUITARS. People won’t call Busted a band, that’s fine, but to me they played guitars which was the coolest thing. I also got to see Mcfly as the support act before they were a thing which was really cool. Unfortunately we didn’t know at the time I had Glandular Fever. I was really sick and only made it through about 2 songs before falling asleep on my feet and having to be taken home by Mum and Dad.

Paramore – 2010 

Ah, my first concert that I went to without my Mum. Ali and I got tickets to go and see Paramore for the first time at the O2. Of course I fell in love, I fell in love with the band dynamic, the way five people came to be one and just rocked out. It was the first time I thought, yeah, I could do this band thing. I’d always wanted to perform but there was something about this concert, at a time where I was really struggling in my final year at school, and this just gave me hope and joy.

Deaf Havana – 2013 

The first time I got to meet a band that I really loved. I moved into halls on the Friday, explored and got used to things on the Saturday and missed the welcome BBQ to go and see a band…sounds like me. It was amazing to go to a record store, watch a small and intimate set and then meet a band I’d admired for years. The first of many in store meet and greets.

Paramore – 2013

Paramore make the list again because this was a concert that was at a tough period in my life too. It was also the first time that Ali stayed at my flat in first year (not something that happened often because it was tiny). I think going to this concert gave me the push to be in a band again. I’d just started uni, my old band had broken up and I felt a little lost. I went to this show with my best friend, cried during a song and came home feeling in love with music again. Paramore will always be my favourite band. Always.

We Are the in Crowd – 2014 

Another meet and greet, I met WATIC twice in 2014 and was at the last show before they had to cancel the rest of their tour. It was so cool to just chat to these people who has been part of the soundtrack to my life and just chill with them and eat pizza before watching an absolutely incredible show. I’d seen them both acoustic and electric in the space of 24 hours, a really awesome time.

Ed Sheeran – 2015 

This might seem a little odd to be on the list. I went to see Ed at the O2 Arena, I really liked his stuff but wasn’t expecting to be blown away. It’s honestly the best pop concert I’ve ever been to. Just him, his guitar and a pedal board. I’ve never seen someone so talented on their own. It was nothing short of incredible.

I could easily fill multiple blogs with how much I love concerts and live music. In the next month alone I have 2 concerts with my sister (The Vamps and 5 Second of Summer), PVRIS with Ali and I’m hoping to book a lot more, although most of my favourite bands have either just finished touring or are currently writing/ taking a break. Roll on the next round of tours!