Visiting Liverpool, UK

Over Valentines weekend, I visited Liverpool with my boyfriend for a weekend away and I absolutely fell in love with this city within minuets of entering it on the train. The city is full of culture and breath taking architecture from previous centuries that give us little hints of a previous time. 

I've wanted to visit this city for a while as I've always been interested in the culture and history which surrounds Liverpool due to its famous links, i.e. The Beatles and its links to the devastating Slave Trade around the 1600 and 1700s. This curiosity may come from my roots of being a history enthusiast and of course growing up with many references to "Beatlemania" in our current musical culture such as the One Direction fad. 

It was in fact the architecture which first strung a cord within me when I entered the city centre from the train station. I saw white buildings with very classical elements to them which reminded me of the Georgian architecture in my home town of Bath. They were magnificent, enchanting and no doubt take a lot of capital to keep in check. Liverpool only became a big influence in the UK around the time of the Slave Trade in England where it became a big port town of which boats would leave with cargo to go on long journeys to Africa and then onto American plantations. Before this it was a small port town in the north west of England. It was also more famous for its link to the Titanic which was a Liverpool registered ship but was built in Northern Ireland. 

On the first day I arrived with my boyfriend, we walked through the centre of Liverpool's shopping facility which I again fell in love with immediately! Liverpool One is the biggest shopping centre I've seen outside of London in the UK and has some amazing shops to spend you pounds in. Once we go to our Hotel we rested up and got a taxi to the Dockyard which is beautiful in the evening being surrounded my boats, lights and water which beautifully reflects the deep night sky (very romantic too which was a bonus!). We ate dinner at a restaurant which sat directly on the Dockyard and then walked around the scenery then went back to our Hotel. 

The following day (which was Valentines Day) we made the most of as it was our only full day in the City and therefore got up early to head out. We had Breakfast at 'Bills Breakfasts' by Liverpool One which was a lovely way to start off the day and then went onto the Museums, which I know isn't everyones cup of tea on Valentines Day but I nevertheless, stay fascinated by history and culture no matter what day it is in the year. 

The Museums I visited were the Liverpool Maritime Museum and the Liverpool Museum. The Maritime Museum was about the cities maritime history which included its history with its ports, such as the Titanic and the Slave Trade being key to the cities port history and its links to World War II naval accomplishments.  The Liverpool Museum on the other hand, were about the city as a whole, i.e. how it got its name, how it gained its capital and it also included Beatles memorabilia.

During our time in Liverpool we also went on the SightSeeing bus which gives you a tour of the whole city and key information about individual sites which included Churches, monuments, memorial sites and many more. The tour I would give 4 stars as its a short tour (40 minuets) and gives you lots of good information about the City and isn't biased to one aspect like many tours could have been which might be more suited to visitors going to Liverpool just to see where the Beatles lived etc. 

In terms of food, I didn't get to try out any independent places within Liverpool unfortunately. However, the food I did have was amazing within the restaurants I went too. For Valentines Day we booked a table at 'il Forno' due to its good reviews on 'TripAdvisor' and the food was exquisite. The staff were kind too and everything went smoothly while me and my boyfriend were there. So even though this restaurant is an Italian chain, I do give it 4 stars out of 5 for having a pleasant experience.   

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Liverpool and can't wait to go back again as it is just a beautiful city and I really enjoyed myself during my 3 day trip there. It was my first time going away on my own without my family and everyone there is so friendly and I felt calm there so I do recommend people to go there if they ever have an opportunity to do so. 

Living next to Autism: Siblings perspective

Living next to Autism: Siblings perspective;

When you hear the word “Autism” what do you think? Some people say they think of Dustin Hoffman from the film Rain Man which is famously about a sibling (Tom Cruise) finding out about his autistic brother. However, not many people actually know what autism exactly is, which unless it directly involves you is understandable. 

The definition of Autism is according to the NAS (National Autistic Society) is a lifelong, developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people, and how they experience the world around them.

My older sister Nina, is on the Autistic spectrum. I don't remember my parents exactly telling me that my older sister was Autistic, but I now that I always knew that she was different to most people. I learnt that the hard way unfortunately by watching her get bullied countless of times during my school life growing up (she attended a state Primary and Secondary school as my parents wanted her to live life as normally as possible).

I do believe that children with autistic siblings have a valid part of the story, compare to the people and carers living with Autism because they see a different side of the story at schools and having a closer age connection to the sibling.

When I was younger I use to look up to my sister, because she would go to school before me and do lots of activities which I wanted to do. However, I did not receive the same enthusiasm in return for many years. This broke my parents hearts watching that. I never really understood the effect it actually had on me as a person until recently. 

One aspect of my personality it definitely affected is my fear of upsetting people, as well as always wanting to be a people pleaser. I believe due to the rejection I got when I was very young, I now have the need to always help people in order for them to like me and to avoid the rejection issue altogether. 

Nevertheless, I don't believe this to be negative, as it's not a bad quality to have to want to make people happy instead of annoyed or angry. My sister despite her Autism is a wonderful human being and I have many fond memories growing up with her which may have been different if she weren't Autistic. For example, we use to have a PlayStation 1 in our house and I would always want to beat my sisters score on the “Dancing Stage” game we owned and would always play it together. To the outside world we were normal sisters playing our games together.

I have an older brother too, who naturally is impacted by this too as well as the rest of my family. He has said in the past, that he feels protective over my sister because he sadly, also witnessed the bullying whilst at primary school with Nina. Since he is the older sibling, he obviously has a different relationship with my sister as she looks up to my brother more so than me, since he is naturally the next in charge to my parents. It is easier for him to communicate commands to her when he is looking after her for my parents which is a harder job for me on my own being the youngest. 

One thing I have learnt from having an Autistic sister, is that not many people are aware of what autism is. This leads to ignorance. Ignorance is the main reason for the bullying my sister received, one particular part the bullies at our secondary school focused on was the idea that if they said “happy birthday” to her when it wasn't her birthday, it was antagonise her and cause her great distress. Simple things which may seem funny can be really harmful. These events were nearly 5 years ago and she still talks about her “bullies” and how it made her feel at the time. The ignorance to how harmful and simple teases like that can be is what makes people living with autism lives a lot harder than it already is. I remember witnessing people laugh at my sister and just think if they knew what it did for her mentality. It caused her confidence to drop and she is still low in confidence due to the bullying. It was heart-wrenching. 

Even if one person reads this post and now knows about Autism in a different light, I will walk away from writing this a happy person. It's the spread of issues like the bullying and the people it affects that can help stop these issues and help the people with autism live happier lives without worrying about people laughing at them just because they do things differently. Think before you act when you see someone acting what may seem as “strange” to you, they may be going through a lot more than you see.

What to do on Valentine's Day

Whether you're in a long term relationship or going on a first date, the question about what you're doing on Valentine's Day is always a difficult one to answer. 

Last year I was lucky in the sense that my boyfriend organised everything and it was a very nice and romantic evening for me and him. This year it's my turn to organise it and that has worried me. 

Nevertheless I came up with a couple of good ideas and if you're too struggling with ideas then here are a few ideas:

1. Take Away with hot chocolate, popcorn and a movie you both like to sit down with blankets to enjoy; you cannot go wrong with this as its cute, enjoyable and requires little effort in your behalf. It is also a good idea if you are stuck for money and only want to spend a small amount on this day. 

2. Bowling and Dinner out; this idea is very teenage American I personally think but, you cannot go wrong with this adventurous yet simple and somehow romantic night out. You don't have to do bowling either, you can do mini golfing, cinema, laser quest, or paint balling! It's a fun, silly and exciting night which can end with a romantic meal to complete this picturesque night which you won't ever forget. 

3. A romantic weekend away; if where you live is a bit boring and you are in a long term relationship or a whirl-wind romance then this is quite a nice idea to get away for the weekend to make the most of the romantic weekend. You can go anywhere and have a nice time wherever you are. (hotel rooms can be just as romantic as a meal at a restaurant too…) 

4. Home-cooked dinner for two; again this is an idea for those who don't have a lot to spend on this day but still want to have a romantic evening. A little bit of music, candles lit, some wine and this can be the most enchanting night of your life. This is what my boyfriend did for me last year and it was so charming and romantic. Very good if you're looking to impress someone as well. 

Those were just a few ideas of what you can do with a special someone on Valentine's Day. However, you don't have to spend it with someone special. You can go out with your friends or family, one year me and my friends had a big sleepover watching chick flicks with lots of junk food. It was such a good night and I spent it with people I love, my amazing friends. 

This year I did choose the weekend away option with my boyfriend as it is a fun way to extend the one day into a three day fairy tale. I hope you guys have a great Valentine's Day on the 14th February, and let me know what you are up too. 

Pinafore Dresses, yes or no?

When I first saw on Instagram and magazines that pinafore dresses were in fashion I immediately had a flash back to my childhood years of being at school and wearing them under my cotton white shirt on a perfect summers day in the playground. I have a feeling many other people had this feeling when seeing this fashion item in stores. 

For me personally I think they look really good over a turtle neck jumper as an extra layer and with a nice jacket over the top, with some cute lace up heeled boots to complete the outfit. 

I've bought two of these and am in love with them. One I have recently bought from TopShop which I saw a YouTuber called Lily Melrose buy, on one of her TopShop hauls she does every now and then. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. It's a navy checked pinafore dress with a cute little pocket on the front which just adds to this cute piece of clothing. It's also so soft to touch and comfy to wear. You can look amazing in this with minimal effort in the morning. However, I would add that they are quite baggy around the chest area and I wish I had got a smaller size simply for the chest area but apart from that, I love this. 

The other pinafore dress I have I got from BooHoo.com which is an online store that's really good value for money. I got myself a little black one from there which tucks me in at the waiste which is very slimming and flows out like a skater dress unlike the TopShop one which is more bodycon. Again it was baggy around the chest area but I still love it nevertheless. 

Whether this fashion item will stay in fashion for long is another discussion as fashions change all the time. This is definitely I believe linked to the 60s/90s fashion trend I see coming in and out of fashion every so often. It isn't something for everyone as different trends suit different people. For me I believe this is a trend I will give a yes. 

I am in no means a fashion expert these are simply my opinions which I thought some people would be interested in reading about. 

What to do on those bed ridden days? - Guide on what to do when feelingill.

What to do when ill for the day?

By Misha Sandham-Bains

Everyone has those days where the common cold catches them out and forces them into motionless days where mountains of tissues form and bad movies/TV shows become our livelihoods. So what do you do on those days apart from mope around the house still in your pjs with greasy hair? I will tell you what I do and hopefully if you feel the same way then it will give you something to do while your body tries to heal you through the blocked noses or whatever illness has possessed you currently: 

1. Binge watch TV in your PJs/Netflix and chill on your own;

This is the time for you to watch all those shows you've been putting off due to having work and a social life to get to grips with. This is your time to relax with a film on Netflix or a new TV show (personally I binge watched the whole of the Netflix series called "Making a Murderer" and I highly recommend it if you are the person who likes documentaries on crime and the 'American justice system'!) and if you do not own Netflix then watch a film you have on DVD or a programme on TV which interests you. This is your day to be lazy and just watch TV. Its your birth right to do this while ill. 

2. Drink lots of Tea and Honey;

For me personally, I believe a nice cup of tea with a dash of honey can solve any problem I have. Particularly when I am feeling under the weather. It is also heavenly to drink if I say so myself. A cup of tea to me just spells out relaxation and warms/comforts me into feeling a whole lot better just from drinking it. Green Tea and Lemon Tea are also god sends when ill if you would like to try another different to a normal brew. However, for me Yorkshire tea is as they say a "proper brew".

3. Warm Soup accompanied by brown, seeded, buttered bread;

Again this spells out heaven to me as its a home comfort my mum always gives me whenever she is looking after me while being at home. If you don't like brown bread then i'm sure white bread will give the same vibe as brown bread does for me. Warm soup again is just a lovely warming thing to endure while being ill and personally, my favourite soups are; winter vegetable, cream of mushroom, chicken soup and carrot with butternut squash soup. What's your favourite soup?

4. A Social Media Examination;

When i am ill my phone is always at my side as it informs me of the world while I am bed ridden for the day or so I feel under the weather. I tend to always end up stalking old school friends or people I have a mutual friend with on Instagram or Facebook. I'm not saying this will help you get over your illness, but it is quite fun to stalk people on social media whether it is an old friend or a celebrity who has a rumour going round the magazines. 

5. Reading;

Now finally the last thing I enjoy doing while bed ridden is to read a book I have lying around my room which I need to finish. Reading has always been a passion of mine since I was little and I enjoy reading so much, but you do have some of those books which you just find yourself being unable to finish because of many reasons. So I use this time usually to finish then when I am not binge watching Netflix, drinking tea or eating or on my phone. Its a simple relaxation tip to complete my relaxing day which hopefully has helped my body get over my illness. 

I hope none of you are ill but if you are I hope this has been helpful to you in any way or just a good read if you're nosy. Just remember it is okay to relax and take care of yourself while ill so don't push yourself too hard and get well soon.