EIGHTEEN

Welcome to a new post!

I can't quite believe it yet, that I am actually writing this blogpost. The day I am starting to write this, but very likely not finishing it, I have about a little less than 6 days left until I turn 18, and I am officially supposed to be an adult. Supposed because I don't really feel like one, or being able to act like one quite yet, but I am not sure whether moment will ever hit.

I guess I am not the only one when I say that when I was younger I used to think people at the age of 18 were so mature. Clearly got the thought wrong there :D. I don't think it has quite hit me yet, and I am not sure when it will, but I do know the first 'Oh shit'-moments I had, took place during my first driving lesson and straight after I had passed my driving test in September. I mean I'm allowed to drive a freaking car, I was dreaming of stuff like that when I was younger.

Usually people do these 'X things that I learned in X years', and that is a really nice idea, don't get me wrong, but I really didn't feel like going with the crowd here. I just feel like there's so many out there, no one would want to read another one by someone like me, so I guess it's only right I am going somewhere else with this post. Sometimes you just need to be a little more original I guess, and I just felt like doing that this time. To be honest, as I am writing this, I  have no idea where this post is actually going, because I haven't got anything planned, but as you are reading this, I am guessing the ideas came floating in.

18 years is such a young age, and yet at the same time, so many things happen in those 18 years. That's literally more than 6,500 days on this planet if I counted right. In those 6500 days I grew from a little screaming baby to a young woman. In those 6500 days you learn to walk and speak, you start kindergarten, you make your first friends, you move, you get pets, you have your first day at school, you make more friends and loose some others, you go to middle school and hit the mess that is puberty, you stress about school and struggle with so many things, you go through low times and high times, you try new things, you make mistakes, you visit new places and explore so much, not only of this world, but about yourself as well - you learn and have to learn so many things in these 'few' days, and there are so many more to come. There are so many more memories to make, so many more places to explore, people to meet, mistakes and right decisions to make, lessons to learn and so many things to discover about yourself.

As I always thought that you were so old and so mature at the age of 18, I thought I would have my life figured out by now, and know things like what I want to earn my money with after I finish school. Definitely failed at that 😂. I know that I would like to go into something that has to do with either languages, tourism or writing, yet there is so much too choose from, so many things to take into consideration, and I've still got no idea what I am going for. I guess that will be one of those adulty decisions that I will have to make. But, in my opinion, that's totally okay not to have everything figured out yet, some things just need longer than others.

In 18 years you have many many lessons to learn through mistakes and right decisions. I think it's a pretty good thought to think that you shouldn't regret any of your decisions. Mistakes make us who we are. Sometimes things just don't go the way we want them to, whether it's our fault or not. That's life.

I haven't properly celebrated my birthday with my friends for some years, as somehow they had kind of lost their magic for me, but I had the idea of celebrating my 18th a little bit bigger for a while. Pinterest is a really bad influence concerning that.
Once you join Pinterest, there's a really high chance you will want to make so much food, give so many presents and throw so many parties, it's not even funny anymore. I've not got too many people coming, but I am really happy with the people that are coming and I am really looking forward to the actual party.
I can't even tell you how I exited I was when I finally got my mum to go shopping for decorations etc for it. I've now got a box full of stuff that we are going to have to put up at some point this week, but I am even looking forward to that.

Hopefully I will be able to snap loads of pictures and do a little party planning post, maybe. There's also something planned that is similar to a photobooth but it's not really one, but I guess you will have to wait for my other post to see what I mean.
One main tip I have definitely got is that you can do a lot of stuff yourself that you find online, and you should rethink everything you want to get. Do you already have anything at home that you could use? What do I need to spend money, what could I easily make myself?

Also, I started a birthday playlist on Spotify quite a few months ago, which was probably a mistake, because we have now got 305 songs, a.k.a like 18 hours of music to listen to for the whole day. It's literally got everything in it:  stuff that's older to me, Hannah Montana, Christmas music, rock music, partly classic bits - I can't even think of more examples, but I've literally got almost every song on it that I ever listened to and liked quite a bit.

As I didn't really have a structure for this post yet, I thought I would finish this post of with 18 things I want to do once I am 18. I feel like that's a nice way of looking into the future and seeing what awesome things I can do now that I am officially an adult...on paper at least. 😆

1) Go on a road trip

2) Decide what I want to do after my gap year

3) Teach myself another language

4) Donate something to a nice charity

5) Edit and finish a book

6) Do a little online shopping session

7) Capture moments for the scrapbook

8) Finish my previous scrapbooks

9) Publish at least one to two blogposts each week

10) Use up those boxes full of way too many body lotions, shower gels, bath bombs, face creams etc

11) Invest in some better skincare

12) Save money for future plans and travels

13) Up my blogging game and get a better structure for my posts haha

14) Write each day

15) Try a new type of sport

16) Read at least 3 books a month

17) Be more creative with my clothing

18) Try more of all of the stuff I pin to my Pinterest boards

That was harder to come up with then I thought it would be, but I really tried to set some goals that I could actually achieve.

I don't honestly think I've got much more to say, other than I should definitely get better at planning what I am going to talk about in my posts before I start typing them and get frustrated because I don't really know how to continue writing.

Now I will go back to prepping my birthday and juggling last school bits before the winter break on the side, and then whilst you are reading this I will hopefully be in the middle of celebrating an awesome day.

As this will also be my last blogpost before Christmas, I hope you have an incredible time full of festive celebrations, filled with joy, food, family, friends and loads of presents. Make the most of it, it won't happen again for another year. 💝

Loads of love ♥

Jacqueline Xx

14 Christmas Questions

Welcome to a new post!

Today's post is another Christmas related one. I'm sorry that all that is coming are Christmas related posts right now, but I am so in the mood for them now, and I also don't have much time to write many blogposts at the moment as I have got quite a lot going on, so I better use the time wisely and spam you with some Christmas posts. 😏

It's all about answering some questions about Christmas today, because I thought it would be a really lovely but quick post, and I personally love finding out what other people think of these type of things. I didn't choose a particular Christmas tag because there were none that I felt like I liked all the questions of, so I decided to mix all of the ones out there together and add some of my own ideas. Let's dig into this!

1. What's your favourite Christmas film?

(Sources at the bottom)

Even though I haven't seen either of them many times it probably has to be either Elf or the Grinch. Both were bloody awesome and I really hope they will be back on TV pretty soon. German TV deffo doesn't show enough Christmas films, and that is so freaking sad, if you ask me.

2. Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

As I am German and I grew up in Germany I open my presents on Christmas Eve, just like everyone else around here. The 25th and 26th are usually the days we spend with the rest of our family and closest friends. I am really interested in seeing a British Christmas happening though, hopefully to happen in a few years, even though the urge to wait until the morning will probably be so hard.

3. Your perfect Christmas?

Well, it starts after a really good nights sleep and sleeping in. We then head downstairs and have a really nice breakfast in our pyjamas. And I need to have a Hot Chocolate! We spend the day not doing a lot, maybe going for a nice Christmas walk if the weather is nice, maybe playing a game or two, wrapping some last minute presents. In the evening we have a huge Christmas dinner, we clean up together, me and my brother go upstairs to play some more just like old times before our parents call us down to exchange presents. We all unwrap them together and then spend the night trying them out, maybe watching a Christmas film together. A day full of joy and happiness waaaah that sounded a little cheesy, didn't it? I can't help it, sometimes the author inside of me just can't stop herself.

4. Favourite Christmas Gift?

Probably my Urban Decay Naked palette that I got last year, because I totally didn't expect it , and I had been asking for it for like two or three years already and never got it, even though I wanted it so badly. I was so freaking happy, I legit stared at it for days, and it's still very well used and loved.

5. Any Christmas traditions?

No presents until after we have had dinner at night and cleaned up as a family!

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

You might be expecting a candle scent or something here, but to be honest, growing up German, I can only say my favourite scent is the smell of Christmas markets. They are probably the best thing ever, especially when you go at night, snuggled up in layers of clothes and having something hot to drink. The smells of almonds and Glühwein and crepes and popcorn and chocolate fruit and whatever the hell you would expect from a Christmas market - it's so freaking addicting!

7. Favourite Christmas song?

Bloody hell, this one's hard. I mean, who doesn't love a good Christmas song or two...maybe a hundred? One obviously has to be Last Christmas. I also love Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande and Mistletoe by Justin Bieber, All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey, Feliz Navidad and so many more I am forgetting right now. Even Frozen songs are on my Christmas playlist, there's just way too many.

8. Real or fake Christmas tree?

Real!!! Fake ones are a great idea, but I want the smell of a real one, the feel of a real one, and I can't deal with ones that don't have that, even if my dad tried to pursue me that we got one.

9. Dream place to visit around Christmas time?

Definitely Sweden. It's probably the only place that I dream about going around winter. I'd love to visit the Christmas markets and finally experience a proper white Christmas again.

10. Are you a pro-present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

Well, that definitely depends on what I am wrapping and whether I am having a good present wrapping day or not. I can do it quite nicely but as soon as it gets to weird shapes like circles etc it looks like a child wrapped it. 😃

11. Peeking at gifts or being surprised?

I hate knowing what I am getting, even if I make a list of things that I would like. I am not one to love surprises too much I think, but when it comes to presents, I would rather be surprised. Especially presents that you didn't expect and are really thoughtful are some of the best ones in my opinion.

12. On this year's wishlist?

Not that much actually. I would love to get some vouchers maybe from a few different places, and I have put some books on there, a DVD or two and some little beauty bits, and I think that's pretty much it. Oh no wait, a pair of Chelsea boots that I have been wanting to get ever since they started appearing on fashion blogs and in shops.

13. PJs or dress-up?

I think PJ's and comfy clothes are the way to go until the afternoon, and then I love dressing up a little bit, even if we don't end up going outside to see anyone. I don't do much, but I like putting some nicer clothes and a golden glittery make-up look on for an occasion like that. I mean, it only happens once a year.

14. Tree decoration colours?

I know this is a pretty random one, but I know we are not the only ones that have arguments about this from time to time. I personally am not a big fan of pink, blue or silver on a tree, but red and gold is the way to go!

Tell me some facts about your Christmas? How do you celebrate? I am so interested in finding out about different traditions, so please feel free to tell us all! :)

I hope you have an amazing week ♥

Love, Jacqueline Xx 👯

Picture sources: Elf DVD The Grinch DVD

All rights for the pictures go to their rightful owners! I do not claim any copyright for them! I do not use them to gain money, I use them for fun and inspiration only! Thank you.