Source Hello hello! So today I wanted to do a blog post about why it's okay to just be a big kid/have a general chat about growing up, growing old and why you should just enjoy life really, that's the bottom line haha. My new YouTube video goes live today (pretty please click here to subscribe to my channel, it would mean the world to me!) and I got so excited filming it (you can watch it below yay) that it inspired me to write this post. You know how much I love a personal post. I'm also going to show you the unboxing of something very exciting which brought out my inner child! Let's discuss... It all started when an email landed in my inbox a few weeks ago and I was invited to a Bratz doll event. Not just any Bratz doll event though, the launch of the all new Bratz dolls. The event was a blogger event and I was so sad to miss it. Blogger inspired Bratz dolls infact, with their own apps, smart phones and more. The new generation of cool Bratz dolls. I was so upset that I wasn't available to go to the event but ever since, I've been thinking about my childhood fun. I am a sucker for anything that brings back nostalgia and looking at this invite brought back so many childhood memories. I actually used to run a scoobie bracelet and Bratz club every week, where all the girls from primary school would come round to my house, play with Bratz and make bracelets. Those were the days. I have always been a huge fan. Source I find it crazy that I see young children with iPads, iPhones and more technology than you can imagine nowadays. I find it even crazier that they're so able with them, they know how to use them. I remember seeing my 3 year old cousin play with my phone and she knew exactly what to do with it. That's how much the world has changed. I was in year 6 when I got my first phone and it was the worst phone you've ever seen, it was like a brick and I honestly didn't even use it. I properly started using my phone when I was in high school. I actually like that and wouldn't change it for the world, I'm glad that as a child I preferred to kick footballs around and play kiss catch rather than lay in bed wondering which filter to use on Instagram (I now just do that as a 21 year old instead haha). I was a doll girl. I liked my dolls and I liked all things girlie but growing up with a brother meant I also used to try to be one of the boys. Nowadays though, I would love to go back to the simple life (sometimes), without social media, without mobile phones and play with toys/relive my childhood. It feels so nice to put my phone down and even do something simple like sit in the bath with a face mask on. Nothing beats getting away from technology. I could happily play with those lipstick making kits I used to get from Argos as a child as well as magic sand and Sea Monkeys (remember those?!) all day long, in fact, I think I'd get more excited about them now. Source As a child, I never went to Disney. In fact, I was barely even allowed into the Disney shop because 'the prices were too expensive' but, now, as a 'grown up' I squeal and scream with excitement every time I go anywhere near a Disney store. I feel like even though I'm older and more mature now, I get so excited over the tiniest, cutest things nowadays. Maybe I just appreciate them more now I'm older. I am officially a big kid. I used to love going round to see my little cousins purely so I could play with their toys. Source It was my delight then when a surprise Bratz doll landed at my door earlier this week and it honestly brought all these emotions out. I felt like a little excited girl again. As a young girl, I played with dolls, a lot. I had my Polly Pockets, my Baby Born (my Baby Born was literally my life - I loved my Baby Born. I collected all the accessories and so did all my friends, we had the coolest Baby Born club). I then moved onto Barbies but then soon decided Barbies weren't cool anymore. I think I was about 7/8 when Bratz dolls came out and I had them all. They were the new, cool, grown up dolls. I had ta big Bratz head so that I could do her hair (I ended up chopping all of her hair off actually) of course - thinking I was a hair dresser. Make sure you watch me unboxing the doll on my new video below to see the new doll (it would mean the world to me if you could subscribe to my channel here too pretty pretty please!!!) When this new Bratz doll came through my door, it brightened my day so much. I actually screamed. Even my Mum got excited. It made me realise, it is okay to be a big kid. It's okay to not take life so seriously. I always take life so seriously and recently, I've been trying to take time off. I've been socialising (wow) no but seriously, this is a big thing for me because I seem to spend so much time stressing, panicking and working that I never really have me time or even time with my friends. I am a workaholic it isn't healthy and it isn't good for anyone so I really have been working on taking planned pauses. Let's just say I'm in a much better place now I finally allow myself to have 'time off' - even if that is just to go to the gym. So back to the Bratz doll, I was excited when I was told that the new dolls are inspired by bloggers actually, yes they have selfie sticks and even Marc Jacobs-esque phone cases haha (not to mention quirky glasses and emoji earrings). I actually wish they'd make proper blogger ones so I could collect them and put them on my shelf. The power of the internet ey! I still have all my Bratz, Baby Born, Polly Pockets from when I was a child because my Mum wants to keep them for my own children. I think that's really special, I don't want my children (when I have them) to be brought up on a diet of Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp from birth - I know that's the way life is now, but I still think dolls, lego and running around parks getting muddy, are some of my favourite childhood memories. You cannot beat a rainy day playing with Lego or dressing up your dolls. Look how much she's grown up?! How cool are Bratz dolls now? It was the gorgeous, pink hair and amazing make up that got me haha. I actually have pretty much this exact phone case from Marc Jacobs haha. You can check out the new Bratz Dolls online here - PS, did anyone else used to love the Bratz movie?!?!! Source If you follow me on social media, you've probably see me tweeting about my Grandad. My Grandad is hilarious, he's never lost his sparkle or his banterous side. Even though he's over 80, his personality is like a giddy 21 year old. He is my inspiration, he's funny, smart and he doesn't take life too seriously. He goes into toy shops and sets off all the cuddly teddy bears and giggles as he runs out of the shop. To me, it's a big reminder that you're never too old to just laugh, mess around, have a giggle. Nothing is a better stress buster than giggling. A close family friend was killed a few years ago, his life taken from him before he even hit 21 and that really made me realise how life short is and how important it is not to take the world too seriously. Sometimes, we all need that reminder. It's crazy that unboxing a new doll, at the age of 21 brought all of this back. It's okay to want to see the world, to get excited over the little things because hey, it's the little things that matter! As much as designer clothes, fancy restaurants and 5* holidays are good, does anything beat a Sunday dinner with your loved ones? Or a candle lit bath all to yourself? It really is the little things that truly matter - like me, unboxing a doll from my childhood on a rainy day, aged 21 and screaming with excitement as it brought so many memories flooding back. Thank you to Bratz for sending me this doll, it brought back all sorts of memories, it made me realise that it's cool to get excited over little things and that you should never lose your sparkle, no matter how old you get. Sometimes we all need a reminder that life is too short. Enjoy it, magic does exist, you've just gotta believe in it! Source Yes, I do still love going to parks, I am the 21 year old swinging on a swing or doing a kart wheel. I love nothing more than just letting go, running around outside and just giggling until my abs hurt. I loved looking through all my childhood photos recently, they made me smile - in some respects I had a really dark childhood (personal reasons) but, my Mum sheltered me and my brother the best she could and look at us, we had such a blast and today, we're all best friends because of the fun the three of us shared (and still continue to share today!). Source Remember, we all have magic inside us! It really is okay to be a big kid and get excited about the little things. Are you a big kid at heart? What little things get you really excited? Are you similar to me in the sense that it's the small things that really excite you in life? Did you used to play with Bratz? *I worked with Bratz on this but as always it's 100% my own opinion and I love anything that sparks a nice personal post! Lots of love, Em x Don't forget to follow me on bloglovin! to stay up to date with my posts! I would also love it if you could subscribe to me on YouTube here! 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