Hi there!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas? I actually can’t believe it’s over – seemingly endless days of eating chocolates and watching movies!

So with the end of 2018 fast approaching, I wanted to take a look back over the year and think of the highlights and the best things I did during the year. Obviously there were some “not so happy” moments during the year too, but I think it’s important to be grateful for the good times and achievements and not dwell on everything else!

I also want to say a huge thanks to everyone for reading my blogs this year, and for all the support throughout 2018- the likes and comments don’t go unnoticed! And obviously to the unseen heroes who take all my photos – usually Chloe or some of the girls 🙈 They deserve a mention too!So these are some of my highlights of 2018/best things I did!

• Being nominated for Best Newcomer in the Aussie Blog Awards.

So you might remember I was nominated for best newcomer in this years Aussie Blog Awards. It was such a huge honour for me especially because my blog is relatively new and I was nominated along with so many other amazing bloggers that I followed before I ever had my own blog! It was an amazing evening and to top it off I had my UCD Music ball afterwards!

Ok so this obviously had to be included in the list. The J1 as I have said before was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I would 100% recommend it! I had the summer of my life from starting in Cannes, coming home for two days and then flying on to Chicago for the summer and getting to travel at the end! Definitely one of the highlights of 2018! Click here to read my J1 blog!

Another milestone in my life this year was graduating from UCD. I absolutely loved my time in UCD, now don’t get me wrong there were a few times I thought about dropping out but thanks to the girls for putting up with my meltdowns, the degree is now literally in the bag and I’m so happy to be finished. Obviously I miss college life- not college work though. And for anyone doing the leaving cert or thinking of college next year, don’t worry if it doesn’t work out, just do your best because it will all work itself out in the end!

I have been so lucky to get some amazing opportunities since I started this blog, but I think working with Eyrebrushed Beauty and Skin Clinic has been one of the best opportunities. It has been such a pleasure to work with Emma, Marie and everyone at Eyrebrushed throughout the year and my skin is in such good condition compared to this time last year. I definitely didn’t think products and treatments would have such an effect on the appearance of my skin but starting my skincare journey at Eyrebrushed has really been a game-changer for my skin. So let 2019 be the year you start thinking about your skincare and treat yourself to a skin consultation at Eyrebrushed! They have some fantastic offers for January so there’s no excuse!

• Joining a gym.

Ok so I know I only joined a gym for the last two months of the year, but it was honestly one of the best things I did in 2018. I joined TJ Reid Health and Fitness and I can’t recommend it enough. The gym is absolutely fab and everyone working there is so helpful and friendly which in my opinion is a huge thing because joining a new gym can be daunting but after going once or twice I was completely settled in! You’d swear I was in a new job or something but there’s just a lovely atmosphere in the gym and I don’t feel pressured or self-conscious at all. It was also a fantastic distraction for me and anyone who knows me knows that I love to walk or run the ring road to clear my head, but on the long cold winter nights, its hard to get out and I don’t like running on my own in the dark so joining a gym was the perfect solution. I can also say that there was a few times I was fairly pissed off and the poor treadmill got the brunt of it but it really does help to burn off some steam- while getting fit. I feel like I’m going into 2019 much fitter and healthier and hopefully a few pounds down!

I would insert a photo here, but I can’t say I’ve been taking blog photos in the gym!

So that’s just a short synopsis of my year. Obviously there was some really hard times too especially finishing college and being faced with the future is probably one of the scariest things but you get through it and you just take one day at a time until you figure out what you want to do or where you want to go. Until then I’m enjoying life!

So may 2019 be a year of health and happiness and I hope everyone enjoys tonight! xx

Eva