Monthly Musings: August 2016

To be entirely honest, I'm not really sure where August began and where it ended. Was I even there? To be fair, it's really hard to keep track of time when you're not in work or school. I very rarely know what day it is anymore. Roll on the start of my first semester back at uni!

But, for all that, it's been a pretty good month. My baby niece turned seven (seven!) and, partly because I want to be the coolest aunt ever and partly to wind up my brother, I bought her a six foot unicorn. I finally renewed my gym membership and went for a swim for the first time in about 10 years (I felt as if I was going to drown after a mere two laps, but, hey, I'll get there eventually). The sun finally came out a couple of times and it was even warm enough for a dip in the sea!

So all in all August has been an excellent end to my summer!

Magical Moment

Here's a picture of my touching a cow. A cow! I've been terrified of cows for most of my life. Nobody (including myself) understands why. It's not like I endured any bizarre cattle-related trauma as a small child of anything, but, whatever the reason, even the knowledge that there could be a cow somewhere within a three mile radius was always enough to send me into hysterics.
I knew I had to deal with this fear. After all, it's not acceptable to turn 25 and still have a crippling fear of lumbering herbivorous farm animals.

So, when my friend Beth and I went to a local country park and came across a miniature farm, I repressed my initial instinct to flee, arms flailing at the mere thought that there could be cows lurking nearby. In fact I looked them square in the face, sidled up to their enclosure and touched one (after a great deal of hyperventilating and crying).

Yes, it was only a very small cow, but it's still an amazing accomplishment for someone who couldn't even face watching the Cravendale advert this time last month.

#FAIL of the Month

Without a shadow of a doubt the most epic fail this month was the horrific state of my car. First the exhaust fell off. I was completely oblivious to the sound of it dragging along the road behind me because I was singing along to Little Mix and by the time I got home it was completely and utterly destroyed.
Then the motor cut out in my back window so I couldn't roll it back up. It was a week before the garage could slot me in to get it fixed so I had to drive around with black bags taped to the side of my car to keep the rain out...which they didn't. Not only did my car look like something out of an episode of The Inbetweeners, but one side of my head was constantly damp.

This month I'm obsessed with...

Victoria, the new eight part series on ITV starring the impossibly beautiful Jenna Coleman. I'm a big fan of period dramas and a lover of anything related to the Victorian era (seriously, when are top hats coming back into fashion?) so it went without saying that I would be hooked from the get-go.

It's packed full of drama, the acting is fantastic, the plot moves along at a brisk pace and all in all it just makes me want to courtesy at people and prance around in a hoop skirt (which is actually how I feel most days anyway).

Book

*The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas (again).
This month I finished Dumas's somewhat hefty novel and I loved every minute of it! Last month I praised the pace, suspense and twisty-turny plot and it must be said that the second half was even better than the first.
It had everything. Drama, romance, revenge and plot twists that made me audibly shriek more than once. If you haven't read it, don't let the sheer size of it put you off. It's so fast paced and intriguing that you can't help but fly through it.

Photo of the Month

Instagram: @aimee_oddball

Here's my mother and I sporting our obnoxiously large sunglasses on the seafront. And before you ask, yes we had ice cream. Mine was white chocolate and strawberry shortcake and it was every bit as glorious as it sounds.

The soundtrack of my month was...

Little Mix - Get Weird.
I have been listening to Little Mix's most recent album on repeat in my car all month and, despite the fact that I've played it right through at least 40 times already, it has yet to get old.
Personal favourites include Hair and A.D.I.D.A.S. The sass level in my car had been through the roof this month.

This month I discovered...

Or, rather, rediscovered coconut oil. I always have a jar (or two) of extra virgin coconut oil in cupboard. It's just so versatile! It makes an excellent shaving gel, lip balm, moisturiser and hair mask, not to mention the fact that sweet potato wedges fried in coconut oil are simply heavenly.

But this month I discovered my new favourite use for it when I discarded my once beloved face wipes in favour of using coconut oil as a makeup remover. Not only is it better for the environment (how many face wipes would I have tossed into a landfill somewhere over the course of my life?), but it actually does a much better job. Even waterproof makeup seems to simply melt away with just a little coconut oil and when I wake up the next morning my skin looks more fresh and (would you believe it?) less oily! And, of course, my face smells like a tropical holiday so what more could you possibly want?

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