My Cheer Competition Check-List (Everything but the Kitchen Sink)

This weekend I'm going to my first ever cheer competition! I have a whole lot of feelings, but I'm not entirely sure which one I'm feeling most. Excited? Nervous? Achy from our last training session?

It's worth mentioning that Sunday's training session was our last chance to practise before the competition and we did more full-outs than I thought my body was physically capable of. (For those of you who aren't down with the lingo, a full-out is when you run through your routine, complete with every jump, every stunt and every tumble...full out.) It was like being hit in the face with a brick. 

My arms are still hurting and I have a foot-shaped bruise on my right boob.

As the weekend draws closer, I am being plagued by an array of anxieties. What if I forget the dance? What count does that clap happen on? What if I get so overwhelmed by the stress that when I step onto the mat I blank out and forget everything...not just the routine, but everything like who I am and where I live? What if I forget to pack my lipstick?!

To alleviate some of the stress I've drafted up a check-list. I've tried to think up every possible scenario to ensure I'm prepared for anything from migraines to smudged mascara and anything else you could think of, short of a tsunami. 

So I thought I'd share it with you guys in case any of you are going to your first competition too or in case you all just wanted to mock my obsessive compulsive need to pack everything.

Aimee's Cheer Checklist

Clothing:

Competition T-shirt (our uniforms aren't ready yet)

Nike pros

Trainers

Jogging bottoms

T-shirt to wear on the bus (in case of spillage)

Hoodie

Non-cheer shoes

Sports bra

White ankle socks

Spare sports bra

Spare white ankle socks

Spare pants (look, you never know)

Cosmetics:

• Hairspray
• Volumizing powder
• Hair gel (I don't even use gel, but seriously, you never know)
• Paddle brush
• Tangle Teezer 
• Comb
• Teasing comb
• Hair elastics
• Hair clips 
• Bobby pins (x 1million)
• Make-up (including brushes, eyelash glue, setting spray etc)
• Lip balm
• Make-up wipes
• Cotton buds
• Cotton balls
• Moisturiser 
• That grungy hair-band I use to hold back my hair while I put my make-up on 
• Deodorant

Miscellaneous Essentials:

• Money
• Camera
• Phone
• Chargers 
• Water
• Food
• Some form of sugary snack for a pre-competition boost
• Ipod
• Paper and pen (who knows what you might be inspired to write down?)
• Umbrella (I refuse to let the rain ruin my poof)

Emergency Items:

• Wrist/ ankle straps
• Plasters
• Beroca
• Deep Heat
• Sticky tape
• Scissors
• Tissues
• Painkillers 
• Prescription tablets 
• Spare contact lenses
• Glasses
• Tweezers
• Stain remover pen
• Emergency tampons (wouldn't that be the worst timing ever?)

I'm pretty sure that covers everything, but if anyone can think of anything I'm missing please let me know!

Now that I've got everything set out in writing, I feel a lot less stressed. At least I know the recurring nightmare about me having to perform in my pants because I've forgotten my shorts won't come true.

My next concern is working out how to get my hair into one of those cheer poofs.

 

It's going to take some practise...

DIY: Easy Peasy Valentine's Day Gift Tags

Just because I'm going to be spending Valentine's Day alone, pouring a combination of Jack Daniel's and Thornton's chocolates down my throat, does not mean that I can't get in on the festivities. Any excuse for a celebration (and/or copious amounts of chocolate).

So for the romantic, crafty, or extremely bored among you, I thought I'd share a really simple tutorial for these super cute handmade Valentine's Day gift tags. Even if your crafting skills are slim to none, these tags are really easy to do (and totally addictive to make).

Cheap and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes

Halloween is one of my favourite times of year. At our house we've always made a big deal of it, decorating the house inside and out, making paper mache heads, discussing pumpkin carving over dinner and the like. Personally, I love planning out my Halloween costumes and, even on the few years at uni when I didn't celebrate, I still had a costume on standby just in case. But I'm aware that not everyone has a box full of witches hats, vampire corsets and cat ears and that, for some people, the aim is just to find something quick, simple and cheap to throw on.

So I thought I'd write up a little post filled with ideas for last minute costumes made from things you'll probably already have hanging in the wardrobe. Zero effort and zero fuss.

Zombie

The cool thing about being a zombie is that you can be a zombie anything. If there is not something in your house right now that you can use to be a zombie I would be amazed. For instance, if you have any non-Halloween fancy dress costumes, you can splatter a bit of fake blood, darken up your eyes and make a very convincing zombie Snow White/ pirate/ doctor/ lifeguard...anything. I have even seen people taking it to a whole new level and opting to go as a zombie witch, so you could even recycle last year's costume.

If you have no fancy dress costumes to work with at all, a) seriously take a look at yourself because that is totally unacceptable in my eyes and b) don't panic. What's in your wardrobe? A school uniform could work or some converse with a band t-shirt to make a zombie rock star costume. Even your PJs are an option. And, if all else fails, just be a zombie you. Make up is key.

Superhero 

Forget overpriced Batman gear. All you need is bright, contrasting colours. Take a marker pen and draw your initial on a brightly coloured t-shirt, match it with some coloured tights or leggings and, if you're not comfortable going along with the traditional 'pants on show' thing that superheroes seem to be so fond of, you could always opt for a pair of shorts or a skirt instead. Then you just need an eye mask, which you could make out of spare fabric or paper and you're set to go forth and fight crime.

Animal 

If Mean Girls has taught us anything it's that all you need to make a convincing Halloween costume is a pair of animal ears. The lingerie is, of course, optional. But going as a cat, mouse, dog, rabbit, fox or whichever animal you choose is wonderfully simple. A few years back I went as a cat for Halloween. I reused my black lace dress I'd bought to be a witch the year before, attached a tail and popped on some ears and it was one of my favourite costumes of all time.

Witch

My mother does not like Halloween. She will put up with the parties, does her best to ignore the excessive amount of skulls and giant spiders we have spread throughout the house during the month of October, and even went along with us covering her bathroom in fake blood a few years back. But she will not wear a costume. Instead, what she does each and every year is dress entirely in black, grab a cheap broomstick and throw on a witch's hat. The moral of the story being never underestimate the power of accessories.

Creepy China Doll

I love creepy china doll costumes! You can get some really beautiful ones in fancy dress shops. Personally I am in love with this one:

But if you don't want to spend out any money and you just want to throw something quick and cheap together, then the creepy china doll can still work as the perfect Halloween costume. Look in your cupboard. Any a-line dress or skirt will work and ditsy patterns, ruffles and bows are all perfect. If you have a petticoat or tutu to stick underneath then even better.
Here's an example of what you can put together in a matter of minutes. I raided my cupboard and pulled out a few things at random in less than 60 seconds. Of course, it would be great if you could add embellishments or maybe take a look in some charity shops for something will puffed sleeves, but this is proof that you can put together a doll costume in a few seconds flat without spending a penny. Again, it's all in the make up with this costume.

Barbie

If I was blonde this would be my go-to costume. Think pink! Pink dress, pink shoes, pink lipstick. Providing you can find some kind of pink attire, rock some cute shoes and look unnaturally happy all night, you can pull this off without a problem.

Regina George

I saw this idea on Pinterest and simply had to share it. Mean Girls is one of those iconic films, loved by all. Quotes such as "She doesn't even go here" and "Four for you Glen Coco, you go Glen Coco" have been legendary and, despite it's simplicity, I really think this costume would go down a storm. All you need is a purple bra, white top, black skirt, and a bad-ass attitude.  

Wally 

Stripy jumper. Glasses. Bobble hat. Go.

Homicidal Maniac

And, if all else fails, take a leaf out of Wednesday Addams' book.

So, as you can see, there's no need to panic if you find yourself stuck without a costume on All Hallow's Eve without a stitch to wear. There are plenty of costumes you can put together with things you have at the back of your wardrobe. So go have a rummage and see what treasures you can find.

Happy Halloween!