The Lust List: September 2016

Since I gave up my job on a whim to become a penniless student again, I've had to readjust to a fairly frugal lifestyle i.e. I can't justify my weekly Boots splurge, Yankee Candle obsession or unfathomable need to purchase a range of obscure homeware items from Etsy despite not actually owning a home. I have no doubt my postman is thrilled that he doesn't have to stagger under the weight of all my packages anymore, but personally I'm having shopping withdrawal!

I miss being able to treat myself to anything I fancied. I'm mourning a life where I could immediately replace my foundation without having to weigh up my expenses. Was being a student this hard the first time round? I have a list as long as my arm of pointless things I want for absolutely no reason other than that I just want them.

And then I thought, hey, I'll share them with you guys! We'll call it the Lust List.

So here are some of the things I've been lusting after recently...

Belle's Library Candle, Anthology Candles £12.49

The world is truly a cruel place! Here I find there's a company that makes Disney scented candles(!) and it turns out they only ship out of the U.S. I have no doubt I could justify £12.62 for a candle, but it's the £26 on top for shipping that well and truly puts them out of my reach.

DIY Halloween Costumes You Need in Your Life!

It's September, which means it's officially acceptable to start talking about Halloween. Many of us are already trawling the internet, searching for this year's costume inspiration. Others won't give it a second thought until the day before and will suddenly find themselves frantically searching Pinterest for something that can be thrown together in 30 minutes or less.

Regardless of which camp you fall into, I have a bunch of Halloween costume ideas that are quick, simple and, most importantly, super cute! You're welcome!

Unicorn

You know what they say. Always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn, then always be a unicorn! And Halloween is the perfect opportunity to do just that.

How to De-Stress Your School Year

Well, it's the start of another school year. Those lazy summer days are nothing but a distant memory and it's all algebra, HB pencils and pointless comprehension questions on Of Mice and Men for as far as the eye can see.

Regardless of whether you're a bright eyed Year 7 or a burned out Post Graduate, the school year can easily become a stressful haze of unmanageable homework loads, Chemistry topics that no one (including the teacher apparently) can grasp, indecipherable exam questions and timetables jammed with assignments, re-drafts and extra-curricular activities that nobody really wants to attend, but that you plough through anyway to tag onto the end of the CV you've been putting off writing for the last 3 months.

I've woken up in a cold sweat amongst my colour coded revision post-it notes more than once. I get it. Essays, projects, trying to learn how to be a competent human being...the whole shebang can get extremely stressful. So, for the sake of your sanity (or whatever's left of it), you owe it to yourself to take a little time off every now and then and slow down.

In this post I have a few tips and tricks to help you unwind when the worlds gets too hectic and exam stress starts to turn your brain to mush.

Stay Organised

Prevention is better than cure as they say and that's certainly true in this case. End of year exams will roll around, regardless of whether you're prepared or not. Just a little forward planning, organisation and 15 minutes or so each evening could be the difference between you weeping into a pile of poorly composed flash cards or sailing through revision with ample time for snack breaks and catching up on the new episode of Game of Thrones.

Start out with the best intentions and keep on top of things throughout the year.

• Keep a diary, noting all assignment due dates, upcoming exams and fabulous social engagements 
• Make sure all notes are legible and keep them all together, in order
• Get any homework or assignments done out of the way as soon as possible. Don't leave them until the least minute!
• Keep your mornings as easy as possible by packing your bag and laying out your clothes the night before

One of the best things about being in school is the cute stationery. Pick yourself up a new diary, folders, highlighters...indulge in all the things you need to keep yourself organised and on top of your workload.

Monthly Musings: August 2016

To be entirely honest, I'm not really sure where August began and where it ended. Was I even there? To be fair, it's really hard to keep track of time when you're not in work or school. I very rarely know what day it is anymore. Roll on the start of my first semester back at uni!

But, for all that, it's been a pretty good month. My baby niece turned seven (seven!) and, partly because I want to be the coolest aunt ever and partly to wind up my brother, I bought her a six foot unicorn. I finally renewed my gym membership and went for a swim for the first time in about 10 years (I felt as if I was going to drown after a mere two laps, but, hey, I'll get there eventually). The sun finally came out a couple of times and it was even warm enough for a dip in the sea!

So all in all August has been an excellent end to my summer!

Magical Moment

Here's a picture of my touching a cow. A cow! I've been terrified of cows for most of my life. Nobody (including myself) understands why. It's not like I endured any bizarre cattle-related trauma as a small child of anything, but, whatever the reason, even the knowledge that there could be a cow somewhere within a three mile radius was always enough to send me into hysterics.
I knew I had to deal with this fear. After all, it's not acceptable to turn 25 and still have a crippling fear of lumbering herbivorous farm animals.

So, when my friend Beth and I went to a local country park and came across a miniature farm, I repressed my initial instinct to flee, arms flailing at the mere thought that there could be cows lurking nearby. In fact I looked them square in the face, sidled up to their enclosure and touched one (after a great deal of hyperventilating and crying).