It's that time of year once again. For me, it's the time of year when I vow to be more organised and plan my presents for friends and family and buy some of them at the end of November. Partly because I'm terrible at budgeting and partly because I despise leaving the house at the weekend in December because everywhere's so freaking busy. Cry face.

SO, in an attempt to be a better person this festive period I've put together loads of amazing gift ideas which are amazing not only because they're actually things people would want but also because they're all under £15!

New Look Pink Faux Fur iPad Mini Case, £12.99

New Look Detox Pamper Set, £6.99

New Look Magnetic Polaroid Frames, £5.99

Keep Calm and Colour On Colouring Book, £4.99

ASOS Christmas Star Hot Water Bottle and Cosy Socks Set, £12

Sass & Belle Copper Flower Jewellery Stand, £9.00

ASOS Cat Makeup Bag with Glitter Ears, £10.00

Marshmallow Toasting Kit, £14.75

'What Would Beyonce Do' Pencils, £5.00

Sass & Belle Retro Arrow Print Sign, £8.99

Ban.Do 'But First Coffee' Thermal Mug, £14.00

BOOKSHELF: THE CREEPIEST THRILLERS TO COSY UP WITH THIS WINTER

This time last time I would usually be curled up on the sofa or in bed reading a festive chick-lit novel and don't get me wrong, every now and again I do love a Christmas-themed read. However, for me, this year has been the year of the thriller novel and I've worked my way through some amazing, gripping stories throughout 2015, including You by Caroline Kepnes, The Never List by Koethi Zan and The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.

So don your onesie or winter pjs, make a nice hot cup of tea and curl up on the sofa with one of these books that I guarantee you won't want to put down.

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton *
What's the worst thing your best friend could do to you? Admittedly, it wasn't murder. A moment's carelessness, a tragic accident - and two children are dead. Yours. This is the first line of the blurb and I know, it sounds intense but bear with, bear with. This book wasn't exactly what I expected, of course there is murder and death involved but it's not all entirely as sinister and evil as it first seems which I rather quite liked as it's a little different to your standard murder mystery.

Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger
Sometimes your best friend can be your worst enemy. Ian and Priss have been friends since they were children playing in the woods outside their small town. But Ian knows there's a darkness to Priss. Bad stuff seems to occur when she's around. Fires start. People die. Still, Priss is his best friend, and best friends are forever.
This is a weird one. Like Little Black Lies, Crazy Love You isn't everything it seems and I similar to You by Caroline Kepnes, this book is written from a male point of view which can be refreshing to read every now and again. This is pretty much a creepy-ass story of a girl who can't let go of her male best-friend Ian and that can make things a little itty bit difficult when said male friend meets a girl who makes him want to change for the better. Unfortunately for Ian, Priss doesn't like change. At all...

The Lie by C.L. Taylor
Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist. Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should've been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two women. 

This book is gripping from the get-go which is amazing because we all know how much it sucks to hear great things about a book from other people but not be able to get past the first chapter yourself. You're instantly thrown into the story when 'Jane' receives a letter at work from someone who knows her name isn't Jane and it's in fact Emma. There's so much going on in this novel that I can't elaborate on the blurb any more without giving SO much away.

The theme and nature of this story is something that genuinely creeps me out a little which made for such a good read!

Disclaimer by Renee Knight *
Imagine coming across yourself in a novel, a novel that exposes your darkest secret. A secret you thought nobody knew. When an intriguing novel appears on Catherine's bedside table she curls up and begins to read. But as she turns the pages she is sickened to realise the story will reveal her darkest secret.

I'm only half-way through this one at the moment but really wanted to include it in this post because so far I love it. It's a little bit slow-moving but the general premise of the novel interested me so much that I'm going to persist because now we're getting to the juicy stuff and slowly beginning to discover who wrote the book about Catherine although we haven't uncovered the details of the dark secret she is trying so hard to conceal.

What are you reading this winter? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me over at @laurenfell

*These books were gifted to me by Transworld Publications.

BOOKSHELF: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN BY PAULA HAWKINS

A love of crime/thriller novels is one I think I've inherited from my mum, after first borrowing her James Patterson books I discovered a love for all things gruesome and grisly (I know, how weird does that make me sound) so when I first heard about this book I was dying to read it. This post won't contain any spoilers. Zero, zilch, nil!

The Girl On The Train* is told through the perspective of three different women; Rachel, Anna and Megan. Rachel is ultimately the girl on the train. She makes the same two journeys each day in and out of London and in the morning her train stops, like clockwork, at the same signal. From the train she can see into the lives of a couple that live in a house that backs onto the train tracks.

She names them; 'Jason' and 'Jess' and day in, day out she watches them, making guesses about their lives and relationship until one day the train stops at the signal and Rachel sees something that changes everything and she finally has a chance to become more than just the girl on the train.

The story is gripping, with insane amounts of twists and turns, some slightly predictable and if I am completely honest - which I always aim to be when writing my bookshelf reviews - the ending for me was less of a surprise and more of a confirmation of suspicions I'd had throughout. That's okay though, as it's not always necessary to be kept entirely in the dark where crime and thrillers are concerned, you'll want to keep reading regardless to find out if your theories are proved right in the end.

I quite enjoyed the fact that I found Rachel a difficult lead character to like, she had traits that I'm sure most women can relate to on some level but at times I was frustrated with her and I've rarely felt like that about a protagonist in a novel before.

It's tricky for me to talk about The Girl On The Train without spoiling aspects of the plot but I would 100% recommend this novel if you're a fan of twisting and turning mysteries and thrillers. This book isn't as gruesome or grisly as some others I've read, like YOU by Caroline Kepnes, but it's gripping nonetheless with a lot more insight into the emotional damage left behind by betrayal and broken relationships which is the recurring theme throughout.

Let me know if you've read The Girl On The Train, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

*This book was sent to me for review by Transworld Publications.

MY WEEK IN PICTURES: MOVIE PREMIERE, HAIR DYE & HELLA GOOD CHEESECAKE

I'm sitting on my bed in an oversized Wildfox sweater and tracksuit bottoms, watching a terrible Adam Sandler movie feeling sorry for myself because my sinuses are swelling up and causing me major face ache. SO, I thought, hey, why not reminisce on happier times like last week when I was eating heavenly cheesecake?!

The Best Cheesecake In The World  (So Far)
Okay, I say 'so far' because I'm waiting to try something at The Cheesecake Factory when I go back to Florida next year BUT for now, this is The Best Cheesecake In The World. It's the new Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake from Prezzo, where I've been twice in the last two weeks just so I can sample this delight. I'm actually salivating now just thinking about it which isn't great because I'm sure all we have in the cupboards is maybe a Kit Kat or a chocolate digestive.

Dinner With Old Friends
I was super lucky when I finished my foundation diploma but didn't want to go to University, I ended up temping at a company where I ultimately stayed for over two years. There I met some of the loveliest people I've ever come across and the other week a few of us met up at Las Iguanas for dinner and drinks. It was a lovely evening and man the food at that place is so good, I do love me a sizzlin' fajita.

Scorch Trials Premiere
I've fangirled over this movie so hard on Twitter over the last week or so that I'm sure you're well aware of this BUT if you didn't know, I was lucky to attend the UK premiere in Leicester Square, London last Monday for The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials. This is a photograph from our seats of the lovely Ki Hong Lee, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Wes Ball and Jim Chapman when they answered some fan questions before the movie.

Lush Tea Tree Water
This is my holy grail right now! I wrote a whole post about this last week because I abso-freaking-lutely love the stuff. A quick spritz of this toner water in the morning when I wake up and before bed makes my skin feel really clean because of all the anti-bacterial shiz that's in this product.

My Hair Dye Collection
I didn't actually realise I owned this much hair dye until I got round to sorting out one set of my Alex drawers at the weekend. It's obviously ridiculous as no one person can use all of that much product at one time - especially seeing as there's a good old mixture of platinum blonde, honey blonde, ash blonde, golden brown, dark brown etc in there but I think I like to have the options and they kinda look pretty in there don't they?! Okay I'm just trying to justify my hair-dye-hoarder tendencies...

Makeup Revolution Palette in 'Flawless'
I posted all about this awesome product yesterday and seeing as the packaging is so darn pretty I thought it was Instagram-worthy! This is a 32-shadow palette from Makeup Revolution and is sold in Superdrug for only £8 - I can't get over the price and as it's nearing the end of the month I am living in Bargain Town right now.

Follow me @laurenefell on Instagram for more!

BOOKSHELF: DEATH CURE BY JAMES DASHNER

This book, guys. I can't even. I finished it a few weeks ago and hadn't got round to writing up my thoughts on it until now but I suppose I should start by saying there will be no spoilers in this review, as always.

I've mentioned many times now that the Maze Runner series by James Dashner is one of my favourites ever and this third book just had me curled up in a giant ball of emotions. This book follows on from The Scorch Trials and the Gladers are trying to figure out what the hell is going on - still. They've endured two hugely challenging trials, the Maze and the Scorch and are now faced with another two challenge, maybe a little closer to home - having their memories back or not and finding out if they are actually immune to the dreaded flare or not.

This book is the final chapter for Thomas, Newt, Teresa, Minho and the other characters and it's hard to talk about the story in depth without giving too much away. The Gladers get separated at WICKED HQ and Thomas, Newt, Minho, Brenda and Jorge are on a mission to escape the wrath of WICKED once more and they venture to a new city, built behind tall walls and supposedly safe from cranks, to find the friends that they've lost. Here they encounter a blast from the past as well as discovering that nowhere is safe from WICKED and the deadly virus that is sweeping the earth.

This book is intense and honestly I never wanted to put it down until I read a certain chapter - when you read it, you'll know which chapter I'm talking about - and then all hell broke lose and I was a wreck, more of a wreck than I was when I read PS. I Love You or The Fault In Our Stars. Yes, that emosh.

I loved it though and the only thing that will stop me missing reading about these characters is knowing that I'll be able to do it all again when The Fever Code is released in 2016!

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS UK PREMIERE

Firstly, I'd like to say how sorry I am for not updating in such a long time. Life has just been manic and you know what it's like when you feel like everything's on fast forward and you could really do with a pause button while you have a cup of tea and let yourself catch up!

However, on Monday night (7th September) I was extremely lucky to be invited to the UK premiere of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials at Vue cinema in Leicester Square, London. Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of this book series - and the first movie which was released at the end of last year - so this was an opportunity I was not going to miss! It was a manic rush to get up to London after work on a Monday night but my gosh it was well worth it. As usual, no spoilers in this here post my friends, so don't fear.

The event was hosted by YouTube star Jim Chapman who was so, so lovely and did a great job getting the fans waiting outside the cinema excited for the arrival of the movie's stars. Unfortunately, Dylan O'Brien who plays Thomas in the series had major food-poisoning and was unable to make it but Kaya Scodelario, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and director Wes Ball all made an appearance before the film begun to answer some fan questions.

The Scorch Trials continues where The Maze Runner left off. The Gladers are just out of the maze and thrust into a compound, being clothed, fed and looked after properly for the first time in years all seems well and good, with the promise of a new life just around the corner. However, not is all as it seems and Thomas soon learns that not everyone can be trusted. He escapes the compound with Teresa, Newt, Minho, Frypan and others into The Scorch where they encounter those left behind after sun flares scorched the earth, unleashing a nasty virus called The Flare. The Gladers find hope in rumours of a rebellion army called The Right Arm and they make it their mission to find these survivors, but WCKD aren't far behind...

Now, I had a lot of expectations for this movie because I'm such a fan of the books but I was pleasantly surprised by the adaption for the big screen. Although there were quite a few things that were different from the novels, Wes Ball had directed it in such a way that kept the true spirit of the Maze Runner series, written by James Dashner. There were moments from the movie that made me glance over at the hardcore fans (some dressed in costume) to see their reaction and it was really lovely to see how much they appreciated the small details that had been included.

It was an intense, fast-paced roller coaster ride of a movie that had me screaming, crying and laughing throughout and I am already dying to see it again once it's released in the UK tomorrow, September 10th. 

Will you be watching Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials?

BEING A BLOGGER YOU'RE NOT

Although www.LoveFromLauren.co.uk is fairly new, I've still found myself struggling with branding both myself and my blog in a way that will appeal to my readers and followers but also staying true to myself at the same time.

I think when I was using LiveJournal to blog back in the day, I would probably write about anything that came into my head. I wouldn't worry about the URL i used, the style of writing or even the topics I discussed; I would just write about what I enjoyed. Now, that doesn't mean I don't do that now. I made a promise to myself when I began writing here on this blog that I would only write posts that I truly cared about, and not get sucked into the allure of freebies and paid-for style posts. I'm employed full-time at a company I love and work hard for my wage, so I'm much happier spending my money on products for blog posts, of course freebies and samples are lovely to receive and I'm not saying that I would ever turn these away but gone are the days of logging onto sites and submitting applications to review products I probably wouldn't ever buy myself just for the sake of it.

The blogging world has taken off massively lately, with people going full-time with their blogs and turning them into full-on legitimate businesses and I am in total awe of a lot of bloggers for their ability to transform a hobby into a career! I often get distracted reading lengthy articles about turning blogs into a business but at the moment my blog is for my enjoyment and of course the enjoyment of others! I've owned websites before where I haven't had the opportunity to be myself because the websites weren't about my or my life, they were about someone or something else. If I watch a great movie and want to write a post on it then I can, if I read an awesome book and want to share it with you then I can and the best thing is I can be 100% honest and that's what I try to remember every single time I write a blog post.

It's easy to get lost in a world of perfectly photographed, well-designed and professional blogs which, personally, I find extremely aesthetically pleasing for one thing but it would be a pretty dull and boring world if we were all the same people who liked the same things the same way. I often forget sometimes that there's a real person behind some of the blogs I read and I don't want that to happen with my blog, I want you all to read my posts and feel like I'm a real person and that what I write and post about is real and is my life.

If you ever feel like your blog isn't well-designed enough, professional enough or good enough then I can tell you now, as long as you are writing for yourself and staying true to your thoughts and opinions then that will show. I'll do the same and we can all vow to take blogging a little less serious and just enjoy it, you own a whole space on the huge world wide interwebs so make the most of it and do what you freaking feel like with it!

BOOKSHELF: THE MAZE RUNNER TRILOGY - THE SCORCH TRIALS

In my opinion, The Maze Runner series written by James Dashner, will give The Hunger Games a run for it's money! It took me a good few chapters to get completely sucked into The Scorch Trials; the second book from the trilogy, but once I was I couldn't put it down.

The Scorch Trials follows the same characters from The Maze Runner, Thomas, Teresa and the other Gladers as they face new threats following their escape from the maze. Solving The Maze was supposed to be the end and Thomas and his friends were sure that escape would mean freedom but WICKED isn't done yet. Phase Two has only just begun. In The Scorch there are no rules, no help, no mercy. You either make it or you die and the Gladers have one challenge; to cross The Scorch and reach a 'Safe Haven' in only two weeks. All bets are off and The Scorch Trials make The Maze look like a stroll in the park...

Like I said before, it did take me a little while to get stuck into this book and I think that was mainly because I read The Maze Runner almost a year ago and saw the movie back in January so the storyline and characters weren't fresh in mind, it took a little while for me to invest in them again. Once I had, I was sucked in by the fast-paced, exhilarating plot which twisted and turned when I least expected. There's no let up in this novel at all and just when you think things might be settling for the Gladers something more sinister and threatening than the last is thrown in their direction.

I don't want to say too much about this novel because I would hate to spoil it for you. After watching the trailer for the movie adaption there doesn't seem to be many similarities between the two so it's not going to matter a great deal if you watch the movie when it's released next month before you read the book. I would still highly recommend adding this to your reading list though, there are so many details and scenes which I'm sure they haven't included in the film, so don't miss out!

I've just started the third book in this series, Death Cure now and have the prequel to the series (but the latest book to be released) lined up afterwards. I know the author James Dashner wanted to expand the post-Flare world but did not want to involve the main characters, resulting in the prequel The Kill Order and the upcoming 2016 release Fever Code. Make sure you keep checking here and over on my twitter @laurenfell for my latest thoughts on this series - spoiler free of course!

BOOKSHELF: YOU BY CAROLINE KEPNES

As always, there will be no spoilers in this Bookshelf post so if you haven't read the book then don't worry, hopefully you'll want to by the end of this feature!

You may notice a recurring theme with my Bookshelf posts, I'm kinda going through a creepy-thriller phase which is probably partly down to the fact I had a bit of a chick-lit binge while I was on holiday earlier this year and now that's out of my system I needed something a bit more gritty.

I picked up YOU, written by Caroline Kepnes, while in Tesco which I love for book-buying because almost all of their paperbacks are £3.97 or two for £7 so my mum and I usually end up leaving the weekly food shop with three or four books between us. Once again, I was drawn to this book because of the amazing one-liners and ratings that adorned the back cover. I also really liked the comparison to 'Gone Girls meets a sinister Girls' as I thoroughly enjoyed reading Gone Girl and I'm hooked on the TV show Girls.

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

YOU is different from a lot of other books I've read because it's told from the villain's point of view. You read the book from inside Joe's head and as a result you discover his deepest, darkest thoughts. He also refers to Beck as 'you' throughout the whole novel and although at first it was a little strange, after a while it made everything a little bit more personal and a lot creepier. This book isn't for the faint-hearted, it contains a lot of very mature themes and violence and just as you think Joe can't get any crazier, he does.

I found this book utterly mesmerizing and it only took me a couple of chapters to become absolutely hooked. I loved the inclusion of modern day movies and celebrities , for example Beck has an obsession with Pitch Perfect and Joe seems to mention Taylor Swift multiple times throughout the book. If you're looking for a thriller that will really test your boundaries then you will absolutely love YOU by Caroline Kepnes.

Have you read YOU or would you like to? Tweet at me @laurenfell or comment below to discuss! 

MAKING TIME TO RELAX

Life has been hectic lately and taking the time out to unwind and relax my mind and body has unfortunately taken a backseat. We all suffer from stressful days, weeks and even months whether it be at school, work or home but just remember that there are ways that you can give yourself some much-needed downtime. Here are some of my favourite ways:

Read a book

Reading can be a pleasant distraction when I'm feeling stressed. I can chill out on my bed and escape to another world for a couple of hours. I also find it really winds down my brain and gets me feeling chilled out and mellow, another reason why reading before bed is also really great.
Hitting the gym/pool

I had no energy or motivation last week to do anything once I'd got in from work except on Thursday when I attended my weekly aquacise class at the pool. The instructor is leaving in a week or two so I really didn't want to miss the last couple of sessions with her and I'm glad I didn't. I enjoyed the 45-minute class and even stayed for an extra half hour to get some lengths in too. It really helped to clear my mind, wear out my body and gave me a great appetite.

Watch a movie with your favourite snack

Eating healthily during the week can be tough, planning meals and counting calories is tricky business so being able to sit down in front of a movie - this time it was The Riot Club which I loved, if you haven't seen it then I totally recommend it - with a little bag of popcorn or a cup of tea and a Kit Kat makes me super happy and content. I turn the lights off, put my fairy lights and candles on for an even more chilled out atmosphere.

Browsing through blogs

Grabbing my iPad and a cup of tea while curling up on the sofa is one of my favourite ways to spend my downtime on a Sunday afternoon. I head straight to my favourite blogs to catch up on any newer posts I may have missed and I also pay my YouTube subscription box a visit to check out any new videos from my favourites.

Relaxing is all about doing things that make you happy, spending time on yourself doing things that you love. Relaxing and unwinding doesn't necessarily mean sitting in front of the television for eight hours straight, nor does it mean hitting the gym and completely wearing yourself out. Relaxing and unwinding is so personal and is all about giving your mind a well deserved rest so it's refreshed and ready to tackle another week of whatever life may throw at you!

How do you choose to relax when you're feeling stressed?

Homesense Haul

How have I never been to Homesense before?! This is what I asked myself again and again as I lugged a wheely-basket around the Farnborough branch today. After visiting - and falling in love with -  Ikea for the first time last weekend to kit my room out with new furniture, I now needed somewhere a little closer to home to pick up a few accessories and finishing touches. So, here's my Homesense haul!











The first piece I fell in love with is the framed pin-board. I have been thinking so long and hard about which inspiring quotes I want to feature on my bedroom wall and 'she believed she could, so she did' is one of my all time favourites. When I noticed this quote was featured on this adorable, gold-framed board I just had to have it.

Next up is the white, vintage-looking 'L'. If you ever watched MTV's The Hills all those years ago then you might remember how Lauren Conrad had an 'L' and an 'A' up on her wall in her apartment and ever since then I've wanted one. This one was a bargain at £9.99.

Since buying a new, bigger make-up/work space for my bedroom I needed something to organise everything. I think I actually may have squealed with excitement when I saw the section in Homesense which housed a whole wall of these cosmetic trays/drawers so I went ahead and nabbed three - picking one up in the sale. They ranged from £9.99 up to £14.99 and came in all shapes and sizes.

Finally, I picked up this adorable weekly planner. I work a full time job along with blogging in the evenings and at weekends, so it's really important for me to be organised all of the time as I rarely have any time to plan and shoot last-minute blog posts. This weekly planner comes with little sections Monday-Sunday, post-it notes in various sizes and an envelope section where I can store any little notes that I might make throughout the day. The weekly planner cost £4.99.

Visit Mallorca

I recently travelled to the Spanish island of Mallorca for a week-long vacay with one of my best friends.

As we've gotten older the choices of holiday activities has drastically changed, with partying coming way down the list this time round and exploring was our priority!

The island is beautiful, tiny but beautiful. It only takes about 2 and a half hours to travel the widest distance across the island so exploring is super easy. We wanted to see more of the besutiful landscapes that the island has to offer, here are my must-visit places around the island of Mallorca.