A quick update.

Hello everyone.
Unfortunately I couldn't try Dragon's Egg today due to a long family dinner which meant as soon as I got home any natural light had faded - and I definitely want to review it, so that includes taking pictures.
However, just before the dinner started, I managed to squeeze in a very quick photography session while the morning was still here. An hour or so before that, I had my usual cup of tea, before heading out to the dinner and enjoying a cold but scenic walk.

Some words...

 lose yourself

to the morning light.

foggy heads

blurred by sleep,

pink lips, dry and bare,

milky skin

and honeyed hair.

thoughts numbed, rushing

still,

like water in a stream.

the cloud of obliviousness,

gently fades away,

as fast approaching

comes the busy day.

we pause for a moment,

and dwell on how the 

cold air touches the skin,

and rises the hairs

on our cheeks, nose and chin.

the morning hours, 

pass fast,

however much we want them to last.

There's something about skin or closeup pictures that is quite pure and simple, but beautiful in its own way. I don't get the opportunity to take pictures like these in such lighting all that often, especially around this time of the year as it's so dark the majority of the time.

I think another great aspect of these types of photos is the colours, and again the word "pure" comes to mind; these are entirely un-edited, but they still provide some sort of captivation.

The other day I purchased some goodies as a treat for myself, including Dragon's Egg from Lush, another notebook to write in, some stationery and chocolates. I was tempted to also buy Golden Wonder, but I decided against it as many relatives are looking for what to get me for Christmas and this could be one pending on my list!

*note, drawing is mine.

Olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 12/12

It's 23:27 so technically it's still the 12th of December!
So, I bring to you my twelfth and final act of kindness, and thank you for all your support throughout these twelve days.
Act 12:
Today I spread the Christmas joy.
I wrapped presents for my friend after going on a Secret Santa spree to bring in on Monday, and I can't wait to see the look on her face! It's going to be a fabulous Christmas, I can tell, and I'm super happy that most are embracing my hashtag as well as DMing me with ideas and compliments.
As the 25th fast approaches, I am going to get busier and busier, which means I will be a lot less active on both here and on Instagram. Please remain patient, although I'm sure most of you will be doing exactly the same as me!
I should be doing tomorrow a Dragon Egg review, and / or a blogpost on my trip to the city!
Also, just to tell you, my big surprise will be revealed very, very soon!
Merry Christmas.
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 11/12

AH! I can't believe it's the second to last day of my twelve random acts of kindness! It's gone so quickly! My winner for #thefestivetruth will be selected on the 14th, but that does not mean your gift will be posted on that day (check Instagram for details).
My eleventh act of kindness today was that I paid for my friend's pain au chocolat, I made my parents cups of tea, I tidied my room and did some jobs.
I have also bought Dragon's Egg, as I think I've mentioned, and it is releasing this lovely lemony smell all over my room even though it's still in its bag!
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 10/12 & Updates

Hi!
I'm both relieved and excited to say that it is nearly Christmas. But also, my 12 days of BLOGMAS is drawing to a close, which means that time is running out for you to join #thefestivetruth, so if you want to enter, do so soon x
Anyway, my random act of kindness today was that I gave my loved one a hug when they needed it. A hug that wasn't really expected, but definitely needed. Telling someone it's going to be okay is sometimes the only reassurance people need.
I've purchased recently Dragon's Egg, a Lush bath bomb (don't whine at me for not getting the Christmas range...they're already on my list), which means that a review should be up soon. I should be trying it this weekend!
My days are crammed of work and excitement and all sorts of distracting things, so I'm sorry if I haven't made time for you all, and that includes on my Instagram, but this is a crazy time of year as you know, and I'm only human. After the holiday frenzy blows over, I can start getting back into my normal routine.
Are you enjoying the Christmas holidays, or do you just want it to be over?
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 9/12

Christmas is fast approaching, and I'm happy to say that stress is being lifted off of my shoulders.
It's nearly time to reveal my big surprise that I've been keeping (don't get too excited...I'm not writing a book or anything like that) and plus, a new room to show (I say soon, it's still a couple of months) and school is about to finish for the holidays!
My random act of kindness was that today after buying some gifts, I donated my spare money to a choir singing publicly in town and sung their carols as I was walking past. They were a school of children, from toddlers to teenagers, their heads covered by woolly hats and bodies covered by fluffy coats, and their mouths open wide into 'O's as they bellowed 'Silent Night' and 'Good King Wenceslas' into the night.
I think carol singing is often somewhat shunned upon by people. They're famous for being the annoying kids that have doors slammed in their face two words into their song. But really, I think they deserve more recognition, raising money or simply expressing their spirit through their mouths, because after all it's all for a good cause and they're spreading the Christmas spirit (a phrase I overuse..!)
Do you like carol singers?
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 8/12

Hi guys,
The post is going to be super short today.
But my act of kindness was that I bought my friend's food because she forgot her money, and I also offered to pick my other friend up as a favour for her and her parents.
I'm really sorry for the abruptness, but I'll edit things in tomorrow if I have time.
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 7/12 & Christmas Jumper Day

My seventh act of kindness today was that I gave one of my gifts to someone that had shown me much support through some rough times (for obvious reasons I will not name any names) and really benefited me.
May I thank once again those participating with #thefestivetruth, I'm overwhelmed by your endless stream of support that comes through in comments, DMs and captions.
Next week at my school, we are holding a Christmas Jumper Day to raise money for charity. I think it's a spectacular idea because it really gets everyone in the spirit and it raises money for a good cause. My Christmas jumper is quite respectable considering the amount of jazzy and furry and bright (literally, most light up!) jumpers that are in every clothes shop nowadays, but my mum has vowed to buy my dad the most cringeworthy, merriest and ugliest jumper she can find and I'm excited to see the result!
Some people don't see the novelty in Christmas jumpers, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but personally I love getting into the spirit. It provides me with some sort of happy, stress-free (well...) bubble that gives me some sort of relief.
What's your jumper this year?
- olivia

BLOGMAS -- ROAK 6/12 & A Day Out at IKEA

As I mentioned on Instagram, I took a trip to IKEA today. Probably due to the time of the year, the car park was absolutely packed and it took several minutes to find a slot. But soon enough we were inside, pushing around a trolley and joggling many bags.
If I haven't told you, I'm moving into a new room which means decorating. As it's actually taking place closer to January, I only picked up things like duvets, pillows, etc, not things that would actually take up lots of space for the time being.
IKEA is one of my favourite places. For some reason, the showrooms just provide me with some sort of happy, homey feeling, and as well as the products being very cute and original. Soon, our trolley was stacked full of bits and bobs that we probably didn't need but had to get anyway, and we wandered aimlessly through the departments, grabbing anything that looked pretty.
This trip lasted for hours, so by the time I was home, the lighting wasn't worthy to show a bit more of what I bought, but hopefully I can do it tomorrow.
The warehouse was filled with frenzied shoppers so it became quite difficult to steer the trolley in the right direction - at one point, I had to stay in one place and let all the people flow past me, much like a rock in a stream when the water simply goes around it.
I was dismayed to see that IKEA has taken away their Broccoli and Carrot plushes, but luckily they have added new ones that are for a campaign where children design the toys. They all contained the childish fun of creating within them, with the lopsided smiles and messy colours, but I feel that it really is a heartfelt project!

Moving onto my sixth random act of kindness (which marks the halfway point - how quickly it's all passed!), today I bought and wrapped presents for my classmates, as well as people that have supported me. I want them to know that I appreciate that which is why I chose to buy presents for them to tie in with the Christmas theme of gift giving.
Are you buying your loved ones presents this year?
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 5/12 & Winter Clothes

It's the fifth day of BLOGMAS already! Not that I'm complaining - Christmas can come as soon as it wants:) Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you for everyone spreading #thefestivetruth! I am amazed how many people are doing it and I look forward to announcing the winners.
My random act of kindness today was that in the supermarket, a place that was busy and where people often get distracted from the little things we should act on and appreciate, and as we wheeled our trolley out we came past two elderly ladies with bright yellow buckets and happy smiles, collecting money for charity. As we were too enwrapped in our own world, we rushed on past, eager to unload the bags into the car. However, I found myself feeling a little guilty as I got into the car, my mind focused on how they were standing and braving the cold for such a good cause and so many people ignored them. In the spur of the moment, I grabbed a handful of pounds from the change slot and sprinted back across the car park to drop them into the buckets. The old ladies' smiles were enough for me to feel happy. I wished them a merry Christmas before getting back into my car and eventually driving back home.
Although (sadly) snow hasn't come to the UK as of yet, the cold and crisp weather is certainly approaching. Gusts of wind lifted my coat and I could breathe frosty smoke; the cars were dashed with ice and the fires roaring in every house. Many of the public were disguised by swathing scarves and woolly hats pulled down past their ears and I felt envy in my terribly underdressed ensemble. My teeth were practically chattering just in the freezer food aisle of Morrisons!
At home, I changed into something more warm and cosy, a long-loved outfit of mine that usually makes several appearances this time of year.

Grey turtle neck - Zara
Woolly cardigan / coat - Zara (purchased two years ago though, so I doubt it is on sale anymore!)
I also wore some dark denim jeans which I have been loving, from Abercrombie & Fitch. I paired these jeans with some good old black Chelsea boots, which can be bought at probably any shoe shop.

I am definitely loving Zara this year. I find that their products are of the best quality and it's not overly expensive, and even if it was a bit pricey, they often have sales or discounts. I don't post my outfits at all often as I'm not some sort of trendsetter and I don't feel like it's really my element, but occasionally I'll share some of my ensembles.
Anyway, I want to say I am going to IKEA tomorrow so I will probably be posting a photo-filled blogpost tomorrow! I never go to IKEA as it's a fairly long drive, so this is sort of a treat for me and I'm seriously looking forward to it.
Do you love IKEA?
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 4/12 & Secret Santa

Hi!
These two topics for this blogpost coincide with one another; I actually did the act of kindness whilst I was Secret Santa shopping. It was a spur of the moment thing during a browse at WHSmith for pens and other sorts of stationery as my friend and I tried out various pens on the small notepads.
I started to draw cats because I'm secretly a granny in a girl's body, as well as adding cute Christmassy messages with a 'from Olivia' at the top. I then proceeded to hide those pictures on cashier desks, shelves, etcetera. I didn't stay to see people read them - I can only hope they made someone smile!

There are some pictures shown as some of my drawings and messages, one saying 'I am the Scrooge Cat. Do not stroke me. From Olivia :)' and another 'Merry Christmas! Have a good day, from Olivia :)' (by the way in the photograph the 'have a good day' is cut off). I left these both on opposite cashier desks whilst the employees were quite coincidentally ducking to rummage for gift cards, and then jogged away as my friend and I giggled. It was like being some sort of secret agent, as weird as that sounds, sneaking around the shop and tucking in pictures. It's so nice to think that somebody might've picked it up and smiled, or tucked it into their pocket, or even acknowledged it.

Secret Santa is a small series of anonymous gift giving that usually takes place before Christmas in the early December. I was buying for a friend  and managed to cross from the top to the bottom
end of town repeatedly looking for the best bargains
and cutest things I could buy. Sadly, I cannot reveal
my gifts as I am keeping them cloaked in mystery
so my friend won't have any idea. Again, this secret
agent vibe is reoccurring...
The sky turned black pretty quickly due to the wintry weather, but the city was kept light due to the dazzling gold and silver lights hung between each row of buildings, shimmery and beautiful, casting the streets in a hazy orange glow. The air was crisp and cold, sucking the breath out of me, and steaming food stalls coaxed out my temptations but sadly I was too stingy to reach for any pennies jangling in my pocket.
But the smells still hit me like cannonballs. Every single scent that brought me right back to the past Christmas day - roasted almonds, mulled wine, rosemary, honeyed spices, chocolate - and I had to hurry past through the crowd to not draw to the food like a moth to a flame.
I am definitely settling into the mood for Christmas, what about you?
- olivia

BLOGMAS - ROAK 3/12 & Lush Review: Lord of Misrule

Hi,
So I suppose these posts are becoming a little tedious - they're short and fairly predictable, but I thought I'd keep at them anyway, because hey ho, I don't want to be a hypocrite.
Today my good deed was that I paid for my friend's film ticket after she couldn't find her money; of course, I'd like to think any good person would do the same, but I felt happy after she thanked me genuinely.
The Christmas tree is up and decorated with hundreds of lights, twinkly and inside little glass cases. It's a magical thing to watch, but I have to say the baubles and hanging icicles really add the final touch. Well, the star does too...I suppose that's actually the final touch. I'm really beginning to feel in the proper mood for Christmas, and that means some stress is leaving me. Or rather, more is coming...I have many presents to buy, as well as keeping up with BLOGMAS and #thefestivetruth! Y'all better be proud of me for my determinedness.
I thought, anyway, I would do a Lush review to add some sort of variety in relevance to my recent blogs. Unfortunately, the only bath bomb I took photos of (even though my computer is being tetchy at the moment and will not let me access them!) was Lord of Misrule, a Lush product I understand to be Halloween-y. And I don't need to be reminded again by the mechanical Santas stood tall in every shop window that Halloween is long gone, but there's nothing wrong with a small recap, right? It's 8:46pm and I am actually mustering the strength to put my hands on the keyboard, so just commend me for that.
Lord of Misrule is a fresh green bath bomb with small pink specks, and is priced at £3.95. Due to its colour, you can expect why it was put in the Halloween collection. Green is usually associated with gross and scary stereotypical things that surround the end of October; zombies, mucus, brains (although I am of haste when I remind people brains are not green), ogres, goblins, the Hulk, slime/sludge, etcetera. Having said this, I am going to push away those stereotypes. Here comes my unpopular opinion (that isn't really a big deal, must I add) - Lord of Misrule is definitely and infinitely a Christmas bath bomb.
Because you have to look past the image and consider other things, like the smell, the colour, the feel, the foam and the glitter. Green and red are the main colours of Lord of Misrule and they're also the main elements of Christmas in my opinion. And recently, even though LOM was released originally in the 2013 Halloween range - take a moment of pride for me actually having researched this - Lush now consider it Christmassy. Hallelujah!
Let's get on with the review! Please note I will be adding pictures once my Mac decides to simmer down (I think the fact that I dropped it rather suddenly on my bed earlier upset it to some extent).

Bath bomb: Lord of Misrule (the name is strange, but it is inspired by the Pagan ruler of the Feast of Fools...whatever that is - but it sounds spooky, so it ticks the boxes).
Price: £3.95

Colour outside the bath: It is a fresh green colour, dotted by pink and white specks. There is a star shape carved onto the surface, a subtle but pretty touch. I find that although the outside image of Lord of Misrule may not appear as appealing as some of its competitors (Christmas Pud, Shooting for the Stars...) I think that judging a Lush bath bomb by its outside look is ridiculous. I mean, Cinders is amazing and it looks like a yellow ball that has come down with one fierce case of angry chickenpox. Big Blue lives up to its name all right, but is still one of my favourite bombs I've used.

Colour inside the bath: As to be expected, the bath bomb first bobs a little in the bathwater and turns it a lovely green, the kind that is relaxing and somewhat subtle, if that's an apt way to describe it. Pure and bubbling white foam also fizzes out from the centre, and popping can be heard due to popping candy inside. After the green and the white, bright pink erupts - now the main colour, it completely pushes out the rest, like a more reactive chemical would push a less reactive one out of its original compound. The pink is determined to become the centre of attention, but this time, it's a good thing. It's surprising and it's fresh and it's pretty in an odd way. After those colours have been swished around and the soapy bubbles disperse, the richest colour finally emerges. Deep ruby red. My bath water is suddenly stained crimson all over, like someone invisible has bled out in my bathtub (okay. Maybe not the most appealing description).  I think it would be better to describe it like red wine; elegant and rich and beautiful, and the smell was floral and fruity and fresh.
Smells: A brief description is provided above - the smell wasn't overly strong, but just enough to let you breathe happy (copyright for that phrase goes to Febreeze). It was rather like the smell of meadows, of trees bearing ripe fruit, floral and very pleasing, but also peppery with the small hint of vanilla. But my favourite thing about the smell was that it stuck. Even hours after I was out of my bath, I still smelled like heaven, and my skin was dry and all!
Pros: To put them in short...great inside colour, lovely smells, pleasurable surprises like the popping candy concealed inside, left my skin soft and smooth, left no residue after pulling the plug.

 Cons: Slightly pricey (but all bath bombs are), and it's seasonal :-(
Score out of 10: 9/10 (my consistent scorings for all my reviews are very predictable...)
Would I buy this product again? Hell yeah!

Merry Christmas! (22 days to go).
*update: I added pictures!
- olivia

BLOGMAS 2/12 - Random Acts of Kindness

Hey!
It's BLOGMAS day two and that means my second random act of kindness. If you want the details about this mini mission, check out my last post below this one. The gist of it is for the next twelve days I am doing one random act of kindness per day and recording it along the way on my blog and on my Instagram.
But now I'm introducing a GIFT FROM ME - it's sort of like a small giveaway. Post any picture on Instagram under the hashtag #thefestivetruth and say why you'd want to win:
1) a personalised Christmas card, hand drawn and written by me
2) a small gift (e.g pencils, pens, cute notebooks and stationery, key rings, etc)
Two people from posts under the hashtag will be randomly selected, and then I will contact you via Instagram to get hold of your address so I can send the card and gift. Please be aware that this will remain strictly secret, and if you don't feel comfortable sharing your address, then please do not enter! Depending on when this information is shared, I will post the present around the time of when I pick winners but due to postage problems and timings it may not arrive until a week or so later. If it doesn't arrive, please contact me at @floatinginatincan, my Instagram!
Get posting!

My second act of kindness today was that I cleaned and decorated my tutor room (a main classroom at my school) because the displays were peeling off without being asked. It was actually quite fun because I did it with all my friends, and I can't wait until everyone sees the difference! I don't have any photos as of course I cannot put pictures of my school publicly online, but if you want to check out my Instagram, I have posted a video of what I did using paper and signs (even with a pretty snowflake to add that Christmassy joy!).

BLOGMAS 1/12 - Random Acts of Kindness

Hello!
It's the 1st of December, so now we can officially say it's nearly Christmas and blast Christmassy tunes out of our radios without being scrutinised by Scrooges. For some, Christmas is only exciting due to the pile of gifts under our tree - but this isn't what Christmas is all about.
Christmas was initially of course a celebration of Jesus' birth, but speeding up to modern day it has become a crazed time of year where presents and gifts are bought and wrapped and hid until appearing again on December 25th amid the pine needles of the tree. It has also been seized as an opportunity for various companies, as they Christmas-fy everything they can set their eyes on - clothes, teddies and even Coca Cola bottles. The Christmas adverts emerge and the advent calendars, and all the tacky trees and reindeer antlers.
I'm not saying my heart isn't in Christmas. In fact, it's my favourite time of year; the one time everyone can be cheerful and to be hopeful, to spend time with their families, exchange gifts, eat too much turkey and wear the most cringeworthy jumper without being looked at too weirdly. It's when adults become children again, and for some time at least, stress leaves us.
But what I'm concerned about is when in all that busyness that the true meaning of Christmas is lost. You may laugh at this, but rest assured I am not saying that everyone should follow Christianity and decorate their homes with babies in mangers, and I'm not suggesting that everyone should tear down their decorations, bin their presents and spend the whole twelfth month praying and praising in the pews. But when did the festive part of the year become a marketing ploy? When did our brains get numbed by all the eggnog and our bodies too lazy from the mince pies to spread the truest aim of Christmas -
unity and hope?!
I mean, three kings, three shepherds, Mary and Joseph, a donkey and an ox all gathered round to see Jesus being born. They followed a star just because they believed that it would lead to good. They risked and sacrificed so much, and then we do not follow that example - instead, we fool ourselves into thinking that gift giving and money spending makes us somewhat accomplished.

Even if you aren't religious, or you don't celebrate Christmas, it doesn't take away the fact that Christmas is a time meant for spending time with the ones you love and spreading those good feelings you experience. It is about having that small rush of hope as you wake on Christmas morning, and discovering your delight downstairs - which is not necessarily presents.
That is why I'm doing BLOGMAS. The pun of the title is not to entice you nor to try and make Christmas into something it isn't, but simply to allow more of the fun back into this holiday. It will run on for 12 days (hence the 1/12 in the title) and I will be writing a blog each day even if I don't want to. I hope I will keep up with it, but if I don't, then you have permission to pester me or call me a hypocrite.
My mission is to do one random act of kindness each day for 12 days (but hopefully many after!) and record it with you on my blog. This can be simple as making a cup of tea for someone even if they don't ask for it, or drawing them a picture, or making their bed, or asking how their day went, or holding their hand, sending them a message, or giving them a hug. Or it can be buying them gloves because they always complain their hands get really cold, or a new packet of eggs because they couldn't make that omelette they were craving without them. The great thing about this is you don't have to go to extensive measures to complete the aim, but that doesn't mean that it isn't making an effort!
I am also going to video snippets of these random acts of kindness and preview them on my Instagram. If you want to check them out over the course of these twelve days, my Instagram is @floatinginatincan. If you are influenced by this blogpost and you too want to do random acts of kindness (but no pressure!) then describe them either in a caption on an Instagram post or record a video or post a picture with the hashtag #thefestivetruth 
Please note that I will probably from day 1-12 include varieties of the kindness scale (from simple things to really going out of your way to please someone).
I encourage you greatly to follow this and try it too. It is beneficial both ways, and it spreads the Christmas joy.
I present to you my first random act of kindness, 1/12/15.
I gave tea to my dad after he had been working all day without being asked; he smiled warmly and thanked me whilst hugging me afterwards. He mentioned it to my Mum, and of course, she insisted for one too after accusing me of favouritism! This all ended in a very happy atmosphere and my parents ultimately focused on things positive.

- olivia