Sunday 21 May 2017

DONATING MY HAIR!


Hey everyone, it's definitely been a while. But I thought I'd come on to talk about me donating my hair! It was originally my sisters idea to donate her hair, and I kinda copied her because I really wanted to do it too! We've been wanting to donate our hair since last summer but have waited until now to do it!



We donated our hair to the Rapunzel Foundation, which is an amazing organisation that  makes wigs for people who have Alopecia (partial or complete loss of hair).


The Steps We Took For Donating Our Hair
  1. We first had to decide which organisation we wanted to donate our hair to. We had the choice of donating to the Little Princess Trust or Rapunzel Foundation. Ciara and I chose the Rapunzel foundation because we could donate 14+ inches, and as the organisation was really close to our hearts. 
  2. The second step we took was finding a hair salon that could help us donate our hair. I got some advice from a friend that had donated her hair, and she suggested one that close to where I live. The Rapunzel website gives hair salons that are registered with them, that are close to where you live. On the top of the website it will say 'Find your nearest salon' and will give a bunch of places that are close to you.
  3. We then made an appointment with the hairdresser and asked her what we should do to prepare our hair. I freshly washed my hair the day before, I put some oil in my hair because I have dry hair this softened it and made it less dry. I shampooed and conditioned as normal, after that I also used the L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Nourishing Mask Balm this is an incredible product, it helped my hair feel soft not dry and nourished and it smells incredible. I naturally dried it and then I straightened it.  
  4. After that the hairdressers (who were incredibly nice and really talented) did everything else. They brushed my hair, put it into the ponytail, cut the ponytail and then straightened my hair and styled it. 
  5. After that we just wrote down our name and address so the Rapunzel Foundation could confirm receiving our hair, and send us a thank you card.

We were so happy we did this, it was such an incredible experience and it is definitely an incredible cause. I also vlogged the entire experience. It is over on my YouTube Channel  

Thursday 9 March 2017

Chilled Evening Chats


Hey everyone, it's definitely been a while since I've sat at my laptop and written a Blog Post. It's definitely been a hectic couple of months and things have just been so crazy lately. My Blog is something I love writing and I need to find the balance between my Blog, my YouTube Channel, my school life, and my personal life. Balancing that at the moment has been crazy but I'll get there sometime.

My last post was just over a month ago, and since then I've been feeling great. I definitely had a few down moments but as of right now I am doing really well. To me there is nothing better than the comfort of sitting at my bed writing a new post with dimmed fairy lights. I love ittt.

I just wanted to talk about a few things tonight. This school year has definitely been one of the best ever. I am so happy I did Transition Year, even though it's an extra year of school this year so far has been so important to me. Because this year is less school work and academic based I find myself really enjoying it. If you've read my posts before you may know that I find school incredibly hard I am just not the brightest spark when it comes to school work. I would always find myself staying quiet in class because I never knew the answer and even if I did I would be afraid to say it. This year I have definitely come out of my shell, and become so much more confident and focused. Last year, I would never have talked to some people in Year because I was too afraid to, this year I have almost had a conversation with everyone. That definitely shows alot for me. Transition year gives you so many opportunities to do new things, and try new things. Things you wouldn't have ever really seen yourself doing or trying. My point is because of it, I've become so much more confident with myself, with talking to people and even with not giving a shit of what people think of me. I am me and if someone doesn't like that, that is not my problem.

 I used to be so self conscious of my YouTube channel, but as of now I don't care who finds out. Having a YouTube channel is becoming the normal thing, and it's something I love and something I want to work really hard on. If people don't like what I post that's fine.

The whole moral of this is to do what YOU want to do and what makes you feel more you and makes you happy. It's sad that some people have nothing better to do than make fun of others and over look their lives.

You do you and slay x

Saturday 4 February 2017

I don't understand


I don't understand how people can be so horrible? I'm talking about the people that make fun of people who are either doing something different to what is considered the 'normal hobby' or to people who simply dress differently, or talk differently or are just different in general. There is so much pressure on everyone to be a 'certain way' now and it's disgusting. There's even pressure in what someone wears, how someone does their makeup, or who someone is in a relationship with.

The harsh reality is we're all struggling with things in our own life, we all have shit to deal with and that is just life. No one needs that extra shit, being laughed at or made fun of no one fucking deserves that. For example at school, we can all think of people who get made fun of or are the center of people's jokes instantaneously. The fact that we can think of these people off the top of our heads is sad. Maybe it's just me but usually the people who get picked on are some of the nicest people you could ever meet, and they definitely don't deserve that. Imagine being afraid to walk into school or going shopping for fear that you're gonna be laughed at by people who clearly have nothing better to be doing. Going to school at least once everyday someone is laughed at, someone is made feel like shit and that is not fair. What gives that person the right to think it's okay to ruin someone's confidence like that? Nothing. Nothing gives anyone the right to belittle someone like that, but yet it's happening everyday all over the world.

I just have one thing to say to the people who laugh and belittle others, how the fuck would you feel if the tables turned and you were being laughed at? Just stop and focus on your own life, and leave people alone. You don't have to love everyone but you don't have to hate on them.

I have gotten made fun of and laughed at sometimes over my Blog and my YouTube channel, and being honest that hurt me so much. I have wanted to have my own Blog for years and my own YouTube channel for a while, I was super excited to finally do it but absolutely terrified. My Blog was the first of my adventures I guess and I love it to bits, I just love how you can communicate with people and it's perfect. I got a few people saying they didn't like it and even a few people saying they hated it. That's fine I don't expect everyone to love me or what I do. But if you don't like someone you usually don't want anything to do with them or let alone read something they've written, or in turn watch a video they've made. On the bright side at least I'm doing something I want to do with my life. And who the fuck knows maybe it won't be successful but that doesn't matter I'm still doing the things I love yet the person making fun of me or others is hating on me..

You can't control what people say about you but you can control how you feel about it. The reality is everyone's going to have something to say about you and not all will be lovely and sweet. You do you and don't let's someone else bring you down, life's too short for that.

Fiona.

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Why You Shouldn't Compare Yourself To Others


Comparing yourself to others is something I'm pretty sure we all do. I used to be someone who compared myself to others non stop. I won't lie I still do sometimes but nowhere near as much as I used to.
I'm 17 now and around the ages of 12 to 15 it got so bad that I emotionally made myself feel like shit. Like so bad. I would look in the mirror and see a list of endless things I hated about myself. My eyebrows were too big, my nose was too big, I hated how not flat my stomach was and the way my knee's looked. Anything someone could have felt self conscious about, I didn't like about myself. I hated when I looked in the mirror and just hated what reflected back.
Then going back on social media like facebook and instagram and seeing girls who looked so good. Who had a perfect stomach, who had perfect skin, perfect hair and girls who looked so pretty. I asked myself why I couldn't be like them. The 'Tumblr' girls are the girls I'm talking about. I'm sure alot of you know what I mean but incase you don;t here are a few examples.





That is a horrible way to put yourself down. It took me so long to realize that even the girl who I think looks perfect doesn't like something about herself and is self conscious of something. Have you ever looked at someone in a bus or a shop and in your opinion they look amazing, and you get a bit sad that you may never see them again. Someone could look at you like that at any time and you wouldn't know. Just because there are things you don't like about yourself doesn't mean that someone else won't see beautiful things about you. We all have flaws and things about ourselves that we hate. I think trying to accept them and feeling somewhat comfortable with them is very difficult but once you have almost achieved it, it makes life kind of easier.

As of right now I am definitely not as bad as I used to be. It took alot of tears and alot of feeling crap but without that I wouldn't have gotten to where I am. I still compare myself but thankfully it's not as bad.

I think it's so important not to compare because again everyone is so different so unique. This might sound so cringe for anyone who doesn't like reading things like this but.. there is no one in the world like you (unless you have an identical twin or a doppelganger, even then there are still differences) you may as well own it. And stay true to yourself. It's important to feel confident in your own body, but it's also okay not to, it takes so long to fully feel confident.

Sunday 15 January 2017

You're not Innocent!


In 2013 'You're not Innocent' by Australian singer and songwriter Codi Kaye went viral. It is a song about this girl who got bullied so much she turns to suicide, it shows the pain of her family and the pain of her friends. The people bullied  her so much she couldn't handle it. It asks the bullies how they feel now shes gone. 'You can try you can plead but you're not innocent'. I love this song so much, it is so descriptive and gets the message across so well. You're not Innocent- Codi Kaye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIRyM8b0pIM
I would highly recommend you to watch and listen it is incredible. This song gave me the inspiration for this post.

Ever since I stumbled across this song, I can't get it out of my mind, the message behind it is so strong and heartfelt. The sad reality of today is a lot of people are getting bullied, or made fun of. So many people are being laughed at either at school, at work or online sometimes even when they're not there. They are made a topic to laugh at, and they can't eve stand up for themselves because they're not there. It is disgusting and horrible. Anyone who thinks it's okay to laugh at anyone in a demeaning manner in my opinion is a bully.

I know from experience that having someone laughing at you is horrible and makes you feel like crap. Alot of people already have enough things going on in their life as it is they don't needed added sadness and stress. Bullying can range from anything from laughing or being mean to someone or
saying nasty things to people and physically harming them.

I really don't understand what someone can get out of making another person feel bad, making another person depressed and suicidal. Alot of people don't realize that what they are are doing is bullying.They simply think they are 'messing' or joking around. Although I know that there is extreme bullying where people can say really horrible things things like ' go kill yourself' I don't think that can ever be said in a joking manner. At the end of the day we are all humans, we all experiance pain we all have our own shit going on in our life, we don't deserve to be treated like this nor should we allow ourselves to do this to someone else. It is horrible.

Think of it this way. You find school really difficult, you don't like going. Alot of people think its funny to take the piss out of you. Yet they don't know the power of their words or the impact on what they are doing. They think it's 'funny'. Is it funny that you want to get out of school because you can't handle the constant sniggers or the 'jokes' the sarcastic comments?
 Do they think it's funny that you go home crying everyday? That it adds to your anxiety? That it puts you in a bad mood when you get home? That it can make you feel worthless and not loved. That sometimes it can make you want to go and end it all. The things that these people think are 'jokes' are the reason you find it hard to leave your house, and really hate gong to school.
That is not funny. NO matter what.

We all deal with pain in different ways and just because someone doesn't mind the 'jokes' doesn't mean that another person will. It is not fun to be the center of someone's entertainment and fun. It's not fun to go home wondering why it's always you people want to pick on. Wondering why people hate you so much.

How would you feel if you picked on someone because you thought you were only joking and having fun. And then that person commit suicide, how would you feel? That person was so hurt they couldn't live their own life anymore. Their blood is on your hands. Please be careful with your words and actions because you never know how what is going on in someone's life or how things can get to them. Again, just because it doesn't bother you doesn't mean it won't hurt another person.

If you think you're 'joking' or 'taking the piss' think again and think about how someone else would feel and how you would feel if people bullied you. It is bullying.

I may come across as very harsh in this, and fair enough. But I am SO sick of seeing people making people feel like crap and laughing about it. Just think before you speak that is all I'm asking.

If you or anyone you know is going through a hard time with people picking on you, please talk to someone you don't deserve to go through this. Talk to someone you trust you're not alone.

Stay strong x


Sunday 1 January 2017

A look back at 2016!!


Hey everyone, as promised I am going to do a little look back at 2016. As it is the first day of 2017 I decided to reflect a little on the year.

Personally I thought 2016 was quite a nice year. Although like Kylie said:




Although she probably could have phrased it a little better, I think she was definitely right. This year was challenging but showed me things that were very important.

This time last year, I was heading into my Junior Cert exams. I was very anxious and  nervous about them because let's face I'm not the brightest person there is. This sounds silly to say now but for the first 2 months of school I used to come home and cry because I was terrified. That sounds silly now because really the junior cert was nothing to be scared of (I'll talk about that later). This time last year I was getting very anxious about my upcoming mock exams that were going to be in February. I spent most of my Christmas worrying therefore I didn't enjoy my Christmas and New Year as much as I would've liked.  

Surely February came and I had to face my mocks, I'm not gonna sit here and lie. I was shitting myself haha. I really was terrified. However, they definitely weren't as bad as I had made myself believe. If you are facing mocks soon, just remember that they are there to help you so when you get your results back you know where you need to work on. Also just to have the practice of sitting an actual exam and the stress and anxiety surrounding exams. I definitely didn't do good in the mocks but they definitely helped.




I'm not gonna lie my 2016 (while I was doing my Junior Cert) was pretty boring. I didn't really have much time to go travelling or doing fun things. Although it was stressful it has been my favorite year hands down. My friends and I, I think because it was so stressful did everything we could to make it as good as possible. We tried to keep each other motivated and happy even though it was difficult. Because I didn't do anything like that important (that I can remember) and nothing important (that I can remember) happened. I'm gonna skip to MAY.

I remember there being one week to my Junior Cert and me being terrrrified. With that being said I definitely didn't study, I really did the lowest amount of study. Unfortunately the day before my exams started my grandfather sadly passed away. This definitely crushed me because I loved and missed him so much (and still do of course). That was a hard blow the day before the exams, I remember that night I just had a massive panic attack and really struggled. 
That morning I woke up and felt kinda sick. I was terrified. Thankfully it was English the first day and I love English so it wasn't too bad. Getting into the exam room, my anxiety kicked off and I was shitttttting myself. After the first half an hour I forgot that I was doing an exam and I was fine. Looking back on it now, the Junior Cert was not even that bad at all. I made myself think it was going to be awful and it really wasn't seriously. I am so glad there is the Junior Cert because you do need something that sets you for the Leaving Cert. I have a Vlog of the day I got my results (  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZN5yGMDSWc&t=1s ) If you wanna go watch it.

I ACTUALLY PASSED ALL OF MY EXAMS. Wow.  I was over the moon!! I really did so much better than I thought I would. The top and skirt are both from Topshopppp. I love the top so much and even wear it casually, it is actually a khaki green which I love. And the skirt is so comfortable. I just put this in black and white because let's be real this isn't exactly the most flattering picture of me haha. 


 I did Transition Year instead of going into 5th year (even though I am probably a little too old). And I am SO happy I did it. Because after the stress of the Junior Cert it is really nice to have that break and a little bit of funnn. The highlight of my year HAS to be going to Italy in October, that was so amazing. I actully did vlog that too if you wanna go see it (wow I need to chill with that self promo). It by far is my favorite video that I've done. So I wouldn't miss it, if I were you;). ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRPYtqqed0s ). If you follow my social medias, Instagram in particular you would've seen snippets of Italy because it's flooded in my feed but in case you haven't here you go:






Italy hands down was the highlight of a tough year. Spending time away in a foreign and beautiful country with friends and classmates is so amazing. You learn things about yourself and others that you didn't know before. 

Throughout the year I have struggled alot with anxiety. I cover that alot over here and a tiny bit on my YT. It is something that is always there and something that stops me from doing things occasionally. However I don't want it to let it stop me from doing things I want to do. Like going to concerts and things like that. It definitely has gotten better but I am not fully there yet. There is a massive stigma around mental health and coming out and talking about it. If you are struggling with ANY kind of mental health problem, you are NOT alone. I know that at times when you feel like everything is just crushing down on you and that you're crumbling and can't handle the pressure, there is always someone who loves you and someone you can talk to. Make the decision to tell someone and try and get help from there. It is something I am trying to work on at the minute. 
The buildup of exams got the better of me and I had panic attacks after panic attacks,the best thing you can do is sit down and talk to someone. Also I like to distract myself with things I like doing for example photography, or YouTube. Or I go for a walk to feel more refreshed. Stay Strong x



These past couple of months have been busy and intense. I lost my beautiful grandmother and another family member, that was a really hard blow. It never gets easier, but I know that they're in a better place watching over myself and the rest of my family. Through tough times you need the love and support of your family to help you get through it. 




Although the main reason we were in Birmingham was sad, it was beautiful at the same time. Funerals are so sad, it was a very difficult day but it was also a beautiful day because you remember the person and you celebrate their life. 

I had the opportunity of spending a lovely weekend in London with my family. I did actually Vlog this but because I was having so much trouble with editing and stuff I deleted it, which I actually regret a little. I went with my sister and my mom and I had a really lovely time. I did ALOT of Christmas shopping, I went to Big Ben and the Aquarium and Buckingham Palace, I had a really lovely time. The flag was up so the queen was home when we went. London is a really lovely place however if I'm being honest I definitely wouldn't like to live there. I am so used of living in the middle of nowhere where there is no noise and people to being put into chaos haha, but I did have a lovely time. Although I was in Oxford Street and my anxiety wasn't having any of it. It had just gone after 5 so everyone was coming home from school and work it really was delightful.   






I had an amazing Christmas, and I hope you did too! Christmas is my favorite time of the year, however this year it didn't feel as Chrismassy as usual.I was very very very very lucky to get a laptop off Santa. I'm actually using it now while writing this post. It is the Asus Transporter Book, I personally call her Alice the Asus ( I'm weird okay haaha) I got a bunch of other goodies as well. I am really am so grateful and lucky. I love how Christmas brings everyone closer together although I do find that it is the most stressful few months but I can deal. 


If anyone is interested I wore this beautiful playsuit and jumper combo from H&M: (Flash photography warning) 

I have also started exercising more, just because I want to feel more comfortable with it. And yes I do realize I look like I have a major food baby growing, but I am working on it haha. I don't want to call it a new year's resolution because I won't actually stick to it. Realistically I may not stick to it anyway but I can try.  Sports Bra: Dunnes Stores, Yoga Pants: H&M.




This year I am going to try and focus on my Anxiety, School, YouTube my Blog and my Happiness. If you have any suggestions on Blog Topics you would like me to cover comment and let me know, remember you don't have to have an account to comment you can comment Anonymously.  If you want to keep posted on my social medias give them a follow. My Instagram is: @http.lookitsfifi Twitter: @lookitsfifi Snapchat: fifimc99 (this my personal I don't have an actual Snapchat for my blog or youtube yet) And YouTube: Fiona McNamara 

If you have gotten to the end of this thank youuu. I hope you have an amazing day. I am definitely going to try to be more active over here. I am also trying to redecorate my Blog layout. Hopefully I can manage to do it.

Until next time, 
                         Fiona x