Tips to relax and de-stress

Today I thought I'd create a post with some tips that help me to relax and unwind. Whether you've had a hard day in education, work, family life or may just have had a bad day I hope this gives you some calming inspiration!

Instead of my usual list style, I thought I'd make this blog a bit more chatty since there are so many options and things that might help calm nerves and inspire positivity.

I am very much a home girl and find having a good home life and a comfortable home can help to settle my nerves. If I'm having a bad day at uni or something has upset me, I love nothing more than walking through my front door and taking a deep breath. However I don't think staying in your home all the time is a good thing so make sure you get a healthy balance of both. If you're struggling at home, go to a friends house or find a hobby to keep your mind off things.

If you feel like you can't sleep and just want to shut off your brain, the next few tips are for you. I often over think things or find myself awake at night with my brain still wizzing so my top tip to get a calm mind is to stop. Stop, take a deep breath and then think, what would you benefit from doing. If you're having trouble whilst trying to sleep, don't force yourself to sleep, instead try writing. I enjoy writing lists and weekly plans as it makes me feel a lot calmer, a lot more organised and less worried because I can step back and see what needs to be done; I also get satisfaction from ticking off my to-do lists. Already do this? Why not do some meditation or listen to some music, concentrate on the lyrics of songs, calming songs or songs you enjoy and not ones that make you feel sad!

If I'm feeling stressed in the daytime, I love to relax, put my feet up and have a nice hot drink. If you don't like hot drinks then some flavoured water is usually my go-to cold drink. If you really are having an awful day, and you don't like hot drinks, then you can be excused a nice sweet drink of soda/pop, just to give you some more energy so that you can think positively. On the other hand, if you do like hot drinks, try out this peppermint tea. I find it relaxing, cleansing, tastes fresh and gives you a nice warm feeling.....(durr Charlotte, it's a hot drink). This one that I have is cheap, tastes the same as any other brand and does the trick...Ahhhhhh

Get those slippers on, grab some magazines or a book, sit back, relax and think....the future is bright!

Everyone is different so if you have any more tips or some feedback, feel free to write it in the comments section below! 

Hope you've enjoyed!

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Top tips for surviving university

I'm not an expert in anything as I always say and everyone is different, but I thought that these tips might help with getting you used to University life and some struggles you might encounter.

I am now going into my second year but I did have a very difficult first year. I wasn't sure whether I'd picked the right course, I felt trapped, it's a lot of money, was I clever enough etc etc etc. But, during my time, things got better but I had to go through a big learning curve to get there, so here's my story and some tips that you might find useful.

1. Try your hardest in everything you do (even though it may only be your first year).

Trying your best is sometimes automatic, but I remember hearing 'it's only first year' uttered everywhere. Yes it might only be first year and this year won't count to your final degree but you might enjoy the course more if you do try and that's what I found helped me. I found my course very dull at times if I wasn't fully immersing myself into it. Trying hard helps with grades, gets you into good habits for the rest of your life and well...why waste £9000 (UK university price)  a year if you're not going to try

2. Don't be too hard on yourself 

I'm addressing first years but this might also apply to other years. When doing an exam or a piece of coursework, the grade can reflect many things; you're effort, sometimes staff effort and then your general knowledge. My family has always told me 'you can only do your best', which was a very important thing for me to remember in first year. Be proud of what you've achieved and if you know you could have done more, then do more next time- one bad grade isn't the end of the world. 

3. Budget, know how to budget and remember how much you have in your budget. 

So I think I cleared up the first three steps just in the subheading, but many people fall into difficulty with money because they spend it on drinking and going out. Yes, university is an experience and you should enjoy it, but the experience of having no money.....well you don't even want to go there! You'll need money for; drinks, food, supplies, bills, fancy dress, clothes, travel.....the list goes on, so just make sure you've got enough! I recommend buying own brands and finding out what shops are best for price and quality, this goes without saying but it's a tip none the less.

4. Learning to compromise 

This one is pretty broad...But you will find yourself compromising on many things and it is a skill you can transfer into the 'real world'. Compromise with your flatmates, make a rota of chores, who cleans the kitchen on what day etc, compromise on going out if you have too much work to do or if you have lectures the next day, compromise on buying expensive clothes because you just wont have the money spare etc.....

5. Make a list

Make/find a list of everything you need for uni and make sure that you've checked everything off. Then remember to take it with you when you move into your accommodation because there's nothing worse than turning up to your uni halls and remembering that you've forgotten your hairdryer. 

6. Home comforts

You will probably get homesick at some point. Even if you feel fine by yourself when you're at home, you'll still miss it when you go away. The ability to go into the cupboards and grab what you want, to have a nice hot bath or have a cuddle with your pet/family is what you will miss. So to prevent this from ruining your time at uni, take home comforts like a pillow, a cork pin board to put up pictures of family and friends, some fairy lights to make your room cosy.....Whatever makes you happy

7. Try out a society

I started the dance classes at my uni, I also tried out the choir and didn't even end up staying in them for very long. Joining/trying out a society will help you make friends from different courses and it makes your life a whole lot nicer, knowing that not only have you got your flatmates and course mates, but you've met some other completely different people along the way. Also, see if the societies are holding free taster sessions as I ended up trying rock climbing and it was a lot of fun...Oh and it was free!

8. Don't worry about making friends

It will happen! I didn't feel like I belonged straight away because I was still finding my feet. I had a few friends but they weren't always in my seminar groups. However! It might just take a few weeks for everyone to settle in and get used to each other and remember they're probably in the same boat as you. 

9. Independent learning

You will be working on your own a lot. You will need to muster up the biggest load of motivation so that you do the work that you're set. You might feel that in college or sixth form you had no help, well imagine that X50. It will hit you like a brick, but once you've overcome the shock, you'll be fine

10. Enjoy it, don't sweat the small stuff and be careful

Going to a place that you don't know much about or just being in a town centre at night has its dangers wherever you are so just keep an eye out. Watch your drinks, be careful in relationships and HAVE FUN  

Disclaimer: (none of the pictures are my own)
These are all my top tips but of course there are some others. I'd also like to say to those of you who live at home...making friends can sometimes be slower, but you'll still make them so don't worry! 

Thanks for reading 

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Primark Haul

Hello again!

So it's time for another Primark haul! I'm going to keep this one pretty short as I only picked up a few things (being a non-working student sucks). I'm hoping to do more of these in the future, as I'd like to try out some different Primarks' and might also add some other clothing shops in as well. But enough rambling, here is what I bought...

First of all is the 'my stretch scoop neck top'. 

It is very stretchy and very soft which makes this just really nice to chill out in. However I do think that these tops can look good for evenings and going out if you pair them with some nice pumps, a leather jacket and a plain skirt. Although the top is quite thin, I don't think it affects the quality of it and think that because of that design factor, it makes it a good transitional piece between Summer and Autumn, but also for winter because you'd just have to layer up. My only issue is don't be fooled by the stretchy material because I ended up getting a size bigger which now means that the top is too big for me! However, I will be going back to exchange it as I think it's a nice enough top to do so and for £4.50, why not?

Next is another striped top.

I have been watching so many haul videos as I always mention and it seems that Primark has definitely gone big for stripes this season! This vest one I picked up is a thin knit style, making it again great as a layering piece or to just wear on its own when the weather is good. I got this in white and black but if I remember rightly, it is available in some other colours. It has a high neck, was £6 and I really like it. (Looks bigger than it is in the picture, it's about hip length)

Lastly on the clothing side of things is this plum blouse

 I was unsure about this but I have two other Primark blouses that I love. My favourite one which I already have is in a similar style but is black, so I thought that having a plum one would mix it up a bit. The neck tie is removable but I'm going to see how I feel when I wear it because I think I could style it both ways without the tie and a statement necklace or with the tie for a smart work look. It has a very nice feel and texture to it, the overlap in the middle hides the buttons which I think is nice and it was £10

Finally I bought some clips.

I wear clips all the time because I love having long hair but when I want to put it out of my face, grips don't always hold it in place. Quite a steal at only a £1 so I thought I'd try them out and might give my opinion in a later blog of whether they worked well for my thick hair. There are 12 in a pack which is good because I know they're likely to brake or get lost and you get 6 bigger ones and 6 smaller ones so I thought I'd just give them a go.

This blog post was short but sweet, I only spent £21 all together on those items so I'm very happy with that but keep your eyes peeled in the future for some more hauls as I love shopping!

Thank you for reading and I'll be posting again soon! 

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Holiday Essentials

Hello! I'm back with another blog post! Hopefully it's not too late for me to do this post and that people still have holidays to go on! If not, I'm sure there will be a few of you going for a long weekend or something of that nature so......Here's my 'Holiday Essentials' blog post!

I've chosen a few of the things I took with me on my last holiday. Many of these things have been featured in previous blogs so if you'd like further information about them then go check them out! The items I will feature are also more on the cosmetic/hand luggage side of things so if that's what you enjoy reading about then here you go!

Number One

Hand Sanitiser....
So you might be thinking, 'this girl is a clean freak', or you might be thinking 'yes! Someone else that likes to feel clean'. I bought this in a pharmacy in Cornwall, however they are sold in so many places. The Bodyshop has its own collection of fragranced hand sanitisers in fruity scents and I also saw Soap and Glory had brought one out, so I think the demand for these is on the rise! They're super handy for if you're going on a flight and need to freshen your hands before eating or after touching hand rails and I also found that these are handy in public situations e.g. public toilets if the soap has ran out because you wont be caught short and can always stay nice and hygienic! This one was £1 so they can be quite cheap, but prices can vary. I got this in the bubblegum scent so.....YUM!

Number Two

Glasses! A must have to prevent frowning which creates the weirdest tan lines. I got these ones from Primark (I love Primark if you haven't noticed). They were around £1.50/£2 and came with their very own material case which has been really handy because it isn't bulky and prevents scratches! I just love the tigers eye print on these

Number Three

Make-up wipes.

Now...the beauty guru's of this world will tell you how bad these face wipes are for your skin, that they don't properly cleanse etc... But it's a bit difficult trying to take cleansers and shampoos etc in hand luggage because of the airline/airport security rules, and rightly so. Therefore I don't really see a problem in using these for the duration of your travels. If you still would like to take liquid cleansers then go ahead, but I still find these really useful for freshening up for example, if it gets hot it's ideal to just wipe these over my neck to freshen up! I picked up the boots brand cleansing wipes and I think these ones actually get my make-up off. Inexpensive, super quick and won't take up too much room in your bag!

Number Four

Make-up! These are my staples that I use a lot of the time and they don't take up much room at all. I use the number 17 metallic eye pencil in gold as a base and then use my Rimmel natural bronzer as an eye shadow by building up the colour which makes it into more of a natural brown which looks really nice with the gold accent. I then use my blusher brush to apply my bronzer over my face giving me a healthy glow- one product, two uses!  I use the concealer under my eyes as I have dark circles and I think this just makes me look awake, hence the name 'wake me up'. This is by Rimmel and is in the shake classic beige. The lipstick is Miss Sporty 210 in Pearl Nude. I have featured this in a previous blog but it's just a peachy nude colour if you wanted to add a bit more elegance to an outfit in the evening times and smells like melon!

Number Five 

Smellies! 

I thought I'd speak briefly about these because it's pretty self explanatory but I enjoy taking a body spray and a deodorant on holiday and this body spray doubles up as a nice scent for the evening. The deodorant is a miniature, which makes it super handy and works just the same as any other deodorant-I really like it. 

Number Six

Hair bits and bobs if you need them!
Just a small assortment of bobbles (a few because they have a mind of their own), hair grips
 (also have a mind of their own), scrunchies to jazz things up a bit and maybe a headband, nothing major but in the heat, tying your hair up is very helpful.

Number Seven

Magazines
I'm not saying take this many. I just thought I'd show you some of my collection....looks like I hoard magazines haha! I like Glamour because it's cheap but even despite the price, is one of my favourites. My other favourite is Cosmopolitan which is a bit more money but if you're not a book person like me, magazines are easy to pick up whenever, and put down when you want. Easy to roll up and are pretty flat already.

Number Eight

And finally nail polish
This is the LP nail polish in an orange-y colour, great for tans! The gel finish makes the nails really shiney and it doesn't chip. A matching mani/pedi looks really great on holiday and saves you having to take more than one colour

And that's everything! A bit longer than usual because obviously you need to take more than two things if you're going away! These are only recommendations and aren't everything you might take. If going somewhere hot, remember that suncream, have a great holiday if you're going on one and I hope you enjoy this read

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