Keeping Sane and Stress-Free at University

If you're a university student and you're not stressed you're either doing it really right, and I commend you, or really wrong. I personally find myself getting more and more stressed as the year goes by, and admittedly I'm not the best at dealing with it, but I wanted to share some of my tips and tricks, so that at least I might start taking my own advice.

1. Get organised

This is fairly self explanatory. I'm incredibly guilty of leaving all of my work until the last minute and then getting myself worked up and stressed out about it, it could even be argued that me writing this blog post is just a way for me to procrastinate. But I don't think I'm the only one with this problem. It's only this past week or so that I've really got my head down and I've even surprised myself at how productive I've been. It has really made me regret not having this mindset from the beginning because I know if I had I would be in a much better place both mentally and with my workload. It's such a good idea to plan when exactly you're going to complete what tasks so a good diary is really important (says the girl who's yet to buy one) and try and complete work as soon as it's set. Basically, just do it.

2. Take a break

After having said all that about working hard, it's just as important to give yourself time to unwind. If you are constantly doing work in and out of university you'll only drive yourself crazy. Also you need to reward yourself for all the hard work you've been doing, just don't get carried away. My favourite things to do are to watch an episode of my current Netflix obsession, Archer (would 100% recommend) or if I'm feeling particularly edgy, a bath is the perfect thing to help me relax (lush bath bomb is not required but definitely recommended). I also like to light candles when I'm doing work in my room because it completely changes the atmosphere. Giving yourself half an hour to relax and get away from work honestly does wonders.

3. Mate dates

Slightly related to the point above, it's important to remember that your friends are there for a reason, whether it be to listen to your problems or to help you forget them, and chances are they're feeling the same way. Quite often, you're friends are also your flat mates so there's always going to be someone around you can talk to, unless you're me and they all have way better social lives. I'm not the best at talking about my feelings, but sometimes you just have to admit defeat. But like I said, you don't always need to talk, you can have a flat film night or all go out together. Life at university is so fast paced for everyone, and it's hard to see people as often as you like, but you can always make time if you really want to, and having one big catch up is always a ball.  I am a massive fan of coffee and cake, probably too much so, but feel free to give me your Leeds recommendations anyway!

4. Get out

Even just a change of scenery can improve your stress levels massively. If you've been working away in the library all day, maybe go to an internet cafe or walk home and work at your desk. I hate being stuck inside, and even just the fresh air can refresh me and make me feel motivated to keep going.

I'm definitely no expert but I thought some of these ideas might help with keeping yourself sane. It's impossible to avoid stress completely, but a lot of it we bring on ourselves, or at least I do but now I suppose I have no excuse not to follow my own advice, and neither do you..If all else fails, grab a cuppa, stick on some feel good tunes, and remember that everything will be okay.


Votre Amy

The Dream Dress

I have been lusting after this dress ever since I saw it on Megan's instagram, actually I lust after pretty much everything she wears (major girl crush) but I didn't want to splash out for it full price. The other day, when I was browsing ASOS for anything crochet, I noticed it was in the sale, and in my size, so I put it straight in my basket and it came the next day (sorry mum).

Honestly, when I first tried it on, I wasn't sure whether or not I liked it or if it suited me. Do you ever try something on plain faced, and then as soon as you put a bit of makeup on it looks about ten times better? Well, that definitely happened with this dress, some black eyeliner, a choker (of course), trainers and a leather jacket, I was good to go.

I wore this dress yesterday when I went to Bridlington with my friends, and it's fair to say we all got a little bit sun burnt, but it was worth it. I just paired it with my trusty black Adidas trainers - I would've gone with my converse but I was in a rush and couldn't find them. I did throw my black denim jacket in the boot of the car, but never had need of it. The bag I used is a very old one from H&M that I've had for years and is a bit battered, but it just goes so perfectly with anything and I haven't found an alternative that's nearly as good.

My sunglasses are from RayBan and are my new babies, I will probably do a blog post solely dedicated to them as I love them so much. (Before you mention it Dad, I will do the drive - stop nagging!)

We had so much fun in Bridlington; chilling on the beach; going paddling in the sea then running away when the waves came too high; exploring the arcades and attempting one too many times to win a Marvel cuddly toy, but failing. It's so nice to hang out with friends, and just forget about everything else, and going back to your childhood in a way. We were having a discussion about how much of a shame it is that places like Bridlington, and other beach towns on the east coast, are becoming a bit dishevelled, when 25 or so years ago, they would have been peak holiday destinations. Personally, on a day like this, there's no better place to be, and with no better company. 

Cheers to my sis, and Jonny, for being my photographers for the day x

A New Focus

Long time no blog. So I started writing this at 1am on Friday morning on Notes on my iPhone because I couldn't sleep, and knew I wouldn't be able to until I put pen to paper, so to speak. I wasn't sure whether or not to put this into a new blog post, but here goes nothing!

I haven't blogged in quite a while, partly because I've been lacking a bit of inspiration and because I'm not exactly sure what direction I want this little corner of the internet to go in, and partly because I've just lacked motivation, which is something I've felt in other parts of my life as well. Quite often this summer, with not being at university and living back home, I've been feeling like I'm just stagnating and I think a lot of that was down to not having any goals or not having anything I particularly wanted to achieve. I have had to deal with some problems *read: boy problems* which were definitely of my own making in many respects, and I've since realised that I can't rely on other people to make me happy and to assuage this feeling of unfulfillment.

I saw a quote from Buddha recently, I can't remember the specifics, but the idea of it was that everyone can learn something from their mistakes and bad experiences, rather than play the victim; that life is a great teacher. I've definitely had my fair share of rough times, and although I'd like to think I haven't played the victim (I am guilty of throwing the odd pity party now and then), I don't think I've made the best of it, or taken away the lessons that I should have - until now.

This has all stemmed from my new found love of the gym, something I never thought I would be passionate about - I never thought I would be one of those people who misses working out when they skip a session. Since becoming more serious about my work outs, I now know where I want to be in terms of fitness levels and appearance, and I know what to do in order to achieve it, and that feels awesome. I think the idea of putting hard work in, and getting visible, tangible results really appeals to me, which it is something to can actually apply to a lot of different things. But the reason why it was exercise that made me feel this sense of purpose comes down to one thing: self-love.

When people say things like that someone "loves themselves" it is usually said with negative connotations, but that shouldn't be the case. I am a big believer that loving yourself, and being happy in your own skin, and with the person you are is a big step towards being happy, plain and simple. Especially because my generation and younger generations face so many unrealistic expectations, on how to look, how to behave, how to feel - all of which are unattainable. Which is why i think it's important, especially when you're younger, to take a step back, be selfish, and just focus on yourself for a while, because you can afford to and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm going to the gym regularly and focusing on getting myself to a point where I'm happy with my body, not because I'm trying to impress anyone, or because I'm vain, but simply because I want to. And if going to the gym is not your cup of tea, that's totally fine as well, just do what you want to do and what makes you happy. Having a great support network of friends and family is so important and should definitely not be taken for granted, but often we feel pressure to please other people over ourselves so we don't disappoint them, but doesn't it feel worse when we disappoint ourselves? I know I have done many times. We are all human and we all make mistakes, but the important thing is to learn form them and to constantly try to grow and develop as a person, and to actually discover what kind of person you want to be. If you feel stuck in a rut, like I did and like everyone does from time to time, the only person that can get you out of it is yourself, so be that person - be yourself.

I think I'm going to wind this down before I ramble on too much, but congrats if you've made it this far - thanks for sticking with it. Feel free to share and comment, I'd really love to know what you guys think of this new kind of blog post. I think the overriding message of this is one of positivity so I'll leave you with the very wise words of Justin Bieber, love yourself.

here's a pic of me being selfish and taking time out on holiday recently

Where the Wild Things Are

As the weather's taken a bit of a turn this week, I thought it would be nice to reminisce back to a few weeks ago when I went to Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales with my family to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday. It was great to spend time with everyone in one place for the first time in a long time, and the scenery was almost as good as the company. My uncle and my cousin's boyfriend took part in a fell race on the Saturday, and some of us walked from Kettlewell to Buckden to cheer them on. It was a long and tiring walk, but the pretty pictures I was able to take are some consolation.

The next day we went to Bolton Abbey, and originally just wanted a leisurely stroll along the riverside, but ended up in the woods, which my grandparents handled surprisingly well. Apparently there are over 60 miles of walks around Bolton Abbey and the surrounding area, but don't quote me on it! It's definitely somewhere I'd like to revisit.

Hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane.

Votre Amy x

Flower Power

I feel like I haven't done an outfit post in ages, so here goes nothing! This has been my go-to outfit recently for when the weather is reasonably nice, but not too nice. The trousers are quite thin but not the most comfortable when things start to get a bit hot and bothered. I went to a family get together the other week, which was loads of fun, and quickly got my sister to take some pictures before we left.

I have had these trousers for ages, and they are one of my favourite pieces. They're super easy to style, you can just chuck on a black or white vest and walk out the door. They are also really versatile and can be dressed up, with heels, or worn more casually like I did. I decided to style them with a white vest, black cowboy-style boots, and a trusty leather jacket.

Jacket - Topshop

Top - ASOS

Bag - H&M (old)

Trousers - Miss Selfridge (old)

Shoes - H&M (old)

The pictures don't really do this outfit justice. This is definitely going to be a staple of mine over summer. What are your go-to pieces this time of year?

Votre Amy x

How To: Blue Lips

I actually love this look a lot more than I thought I would, and it is surprisingly wearable. I used the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creme in Moscow and I did review this product a little while ago (here) so I don't want to babble on too much about that. Although this isn't the best liquid lipstick ever, it does work if you persevere, and I found it worked best when you apply it one coat at a time and let it dry down slightly in between each one.

As this is such a bold shade, and I am still a bit of a make-up noob, I decided to keep the rest of my face pretty simple, just sticking to my everyday make-up routine, you can find the basics in this post. I just added a light brown eye shadow to the crease of my eye for a bit of definition, and added a lot of mascara. I wanted the lipstick to be the star of the show.

I personally think this looks best with a good contour and highlight combo, it just makes it look a lot more polished.

This isn't the easiest look to pull off, but I am in love, and am definitely going to be taking more risks with  my make-up in the future. Let me know what you think of this look. Is it something you would try? 

Votre Amy x