As we bid farewell to my favourite month (as its my birthday month I do feel slightly bias), we must wave goodbye to the summer holidays, the Edinburgh Fringe and my birthday for another year.
Due to saving for my holiday, I haven't been trying out a lot of new beauty products however I did treat myself to some new goodies from Body Shop - including their much coveted tea tree range. I am a big fan of the Mango range and so I stocked up on some of their mango shower gel which I'm sure I will be replenishing a lot more soon.
I was recently contacted by Boutique of Molly who asked if I would like to do a review on them for an item of my choosing. I chose the Fleur High Neck Cut Back top in a size 14.
I have very recently gotten into tops with a halter neck or any off the shoulder tops so this one immediately caught my eye on the website. Whilst it is just a plain black, this gives it the ability to be dressed up or dressed down, with me choosing to wear it with jeans and heeled boots on most days.
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The halter neck does look great with a bold lip and a simple hair updo and I will most definitely keep an eye on the BOM website for one off tops. The material feels nice against the skin and washes well, and the top arrived within two days of me ordering it which was a nice bonus as it meant I had it in time for my holidays.
Overall, I am thankful for the opportunity to work with Boutique of Molly on the review but would recommend being wary on the sizes if you are on the slightly bigger side of size 12/14 like me.
Just a week before the sadness that is university starts back,
Benjy and I took a quick week away to Torremolinos, Spain. Located just beside
Malaga, we were about a 5 minute walk away from the beach whilst still being
away from the bars and clubs. A massive shoutout to my mum for driving us to
Glasgow Prestwick for our 6am flight - an airport famous for Elvis Presley once transferring through. You go Elvis.
The hotel itself was very quiet, with it mainly being older
couples which suited us fine as we weren't particularly wanting a very exciting
holiday, with the most drama being when Benjy lost at bingo.
In true 'Scottish person on holiday abroad' I did manage to get
spectacularly burnt - with my swimsuit leaving a lovely white cross across my
back and my thigh managing to only get burnt in one space about the size of a
side plate. Nailed it.
One of the issues with the hotel was the food, whilst it was
great it did revolve largely around seafood which neither myself nor Benjy are
particularly keen on. Other than that the drink prices were great, the hotel
nice and clean and the staff lovely so no complaints.
The nearby beach was lined with the typical tourist shops with
some really good little cafes, and we spent our final day just wandering along
the side streets and buying stereotypical tourist trash. One of my worst habits
is buying trashy, cheap key rings whenever I go anywhere. A Merlion from
Singapore, a Vespa from Rome and now a flip flop from Malaga.
Having booked this before we booked Rome we had been slightly
worried that spending a week just the two of us with minimal phone would result
in Benjy being drowned in the sea, but following the success of Rome we were
chuffed that there was only one threat of death passed between us (never attempt
to beat Benjy at bingo)
Despite complaining about having to go back to work I am actually
only back for just over two weeks before I head off to Singapore to visit my
dad, missing the first two weeks of uni. Oops.
Have you jetted off anywhere nice this summer?
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| my beautiful Edinburgh |
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have seen Lauren of loulabellerose all over twitter following her boyfriend receiving some unconventional university advice from UCAS - and in the words of Lauren Rosenbaum, "It wasn't even Ladbible worthy though"
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| the advice read "Uni is all about new experiences and meeting new people, so save the heartache now and start your university life as a free agent. Trust me, you won't regret it."
The transition from school/college can be a stressful time without adding the pressure of a relationship to the mix, however the topic is often one discussed well in advance between the majority of couples. I was fortunate enough to end up in the same city as my boyfriend - not through planning but by both of us getting into our chosen places in Edinburgh. Despite this we did still have the "do we or don't we" conversation, and with us both not planning on seeing anybody new, we decided to keep our relationship going throughout university.
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As far as I am aware, university is for studying a chosen degree, something that will (hopefully) go on to help you get a job in a specific field, not for ending a happy relationship in order to gain 'new experiences' in the bedroom or on nights out. I am still able to go on nights out with my friends, and I am more than happy to hold their drink whilst they get with a guy or take them for a consultation mcdonalds when they don't pull. One thing a lot of people don't tell you is that university can be lonely and that if you do have a partner having them there, whether it is in person or via FaceTime, can make the world of a difference.
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| after a lot of people thinking we wouldn't last 2 weeks, we are now approaching 3 years together |
There will be times when you get jealous or feel like you aren't getting enough attention, and when your boyfriend studies Musical Theatre there will be (a lot) of times you feel threatened by the size 8 dancers he spends 5 days a week with. Unfortunately that jealously is natural in relationships, and it is just making sure that it doesn't escalate into an uncontrollable state, I also wrote a post here about helping manage your time at university and splitting your time between friends and boyfriends. Long distance can easily intensify any feelings of being ignored or jealousy but you and your partner will know yourselves if it is worth it (and a good majority of the time it is).
At the end of the day, every relationship is different and every couple will know what works for them and what doesn't. Living in the same city as them doesn't even mean you will spend 90% of your time with them - I am a 10 minute walk from Benj and I haven't properly seen him (other than walking to work) in about a week. Being single at university isn't the end of the world, and neither is being in a relationship. Yes, I have missed out on nights out because I've rather gone to see Benj instead but personally to me its all worth it.
Are you dating at university or are you strictly no relationships whilst you study?
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Within the next month I'll start my second year of studying Psychology at university, something that frightens the crap out of me. Finishing last year with a 97% in one exam and being 2% of an A in the second, I ended first year feeling really proud of myself for juggling a part time job, a relationship and maintaining a social life whilst still passing all my modules and exams.
One of the downsides of my course is how much reading is involved - whether its textbooks for an essay or journal articles and studies for seminars. If I am not writing an essay, it is pretty much guaranteed that I will be reading a textbook that I will end up referencing for half a paragraph in the final draft. I will put my hands up and admit that I had skipped out on some (a lot) of the reading I should've done for seminars but for the most part I stay fairly on top of things. Obviously life does get in the way and I have found myself pulling an all nighter to get an essay handed in on time - 6pm till 6am anybody?
Keep a to-do list
It sounds so blatantly obvious but sometimes just having all of your chores written down in front of you makes a world of difference. I got this little pad from Kiko last summer whilst in Singapore and as well being absolutely gorgeous, I love the different sections including the 'something for you' section which comes in handy when reminding myself of the exciting things planned outside of deadlines and 9:15 lectures.
Make a shopping list and stick to it
One of my worst habits is getting home from work, completely ignoring the fresh food in my fridge and making a bowl of supernoodles for my dinner. Not only was I wasting food when it inevitably went off before I could eat it, but also money when I had to repurchase - and chicken is expensive when you're a poor student. I recently started writing out meal plans (with some leniency) and I have already saved so much money as well as restricted the amount of junk food I am binging on. I'm currently loving finding easy recipes on Pintrest, especially ones that require only having to shove something in the oven or use one pan.
iCal
This app is a lifesaver. Having originally downloaded it for my university timetable last year I have used it non stop since, with all my work shifts, parties, birthdays and deadlines all being located on one app. Just use the normal calendar on your phone I can hear people scoff, however the beauty of iCal is that I can sync it with multiple calendars including my university one, something my normal one on my phone is somehow incapable of doing.
Set out 'you' time
With lectures, essays and work rotas, life can get a little hectic without incorporating friends, boyfriends and general relaxation time into the mix. My boyfriend is lucky in the way that his collage schedule is pretty much set each week with only the occasional change around show times - with infrequent written work needing done outside of class (I say this, he probably does get assigned tons and just doesn't do it) meaning that a lot of the time it is up to me to work around my reading in order to spend time with him. Whilst I'm not saying ditch your work for your boyfriend and pals, having the occasional night off can let you tackle that final essay draft with a clear perspective the next day, and stop you from isolating yourself from your friends.
Plan ahead
Whether its planning around a special occasion or just making an essay plan, having that little bit of preparation can make your life a whole lot easier. If I am travelling to Dundee or know I am going to be working a lot around the deadline, I force myself to make sure I at least have a good 80% of my essay finished before any events happen - not only does this give you time to amend any mistakes but it allows you to go on nights out guilt free. If you are like me and have a course which is 95% essay based then you will either love or hate essay plans. For me, they help me get the ball rolling as I normally struggle with what to write after the introduction/first paragraph, and although I normally veer off track by the end of the essay it is a useful tool to help get rid of any writers block.
How do you stay organised at Uni/college? x
I love birthdays, whether they are mine or a friends, and so as soon as we reach mid July I immediately kick into countdown mode. Whilst 19 is a rather boring age in terms of having become a legal adult the year before and not quite being out of your teens yet, a birthday is still a birthday and I was determined to enjoy it nonetheless.
One thing I hate is surprises and its because of this I can be quite specific when I'm asked what it is I'm wanting from my parents - and I have been known to even make powerpoints to send to my parents. However I did still get some lovely surprises from both my family and friends, including my present from Benjy which he successfully managed to get in the right size this time.
With it being my first time away from home for my birthday it did feel a bit weird not having the usual present opening with the family, however I did go home a couple days before hand to go for a meal and some birthday cake. The cake was just one bought from Sainsbury's but I thought it looked amazing with the different shades of pink and it tasted pretty good too - if not a little sickly from the icing.
To make up for not being home, I was treated to a lovely breakfast at City Cafe in Edinburgh - it has some seriously amazing food for pretty good prices which is handy when you're a broke student but like eating out. As it is a little out the way for both Benjy and I normally, we don't tend to go there a lot but after sampling the pancakes hopefully I can drag Benj back some more
I did still see my mum on my actual birthday when she took me for lunch at Orocco Pier in South Queensferry - it is located with the most insane views of the Forth Railway Bridge and if you book a table its always worth asking for one by the window.
Despite being determined to last the whole night out, I ended up tucked up in bed with a drunken takeaway by 10 past 1 in the morning - a poor attempt on my behalf. I truly was spoiled by both my family and friends, and I was so grateful for everybody that contributed to helping make my day so special.
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Having recently bought a pair of heeled boots and loving them, I decided to treat myself to another pair. The heel is a nice comfortable height without making me amazonian height, and the black suede goes with a good 95% of my wardrobe.
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| £10 |
I did also buy another pair of shoes however I wasn't expecting the heel to be quite so high, which means I will probably have to keep them for nights out over regular day to day wear. Since both pairs of shoes are suede I'm not sure how often I will be able to wear them before they inevitably get marked by the rain but alas I shall try and avoid ruining them for as long as possible.
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| £20 |
One of my favourite items I purchased is this gorgeous skirt with plait detailing running down the middle which I think will go beautifully with just a plain white blouse and my black heeled chelsea boots.
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| £18 |
Last but not least I picked up a new clutch bag in the same material and colour as both the skirt and the heeled shoes (got a wee theme going) due to most of my night out clutches being various shades of black with the occasional gold element.
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| £5 |
Unfortunately, Missguided did pull the discount code once they realised what had happened with some people being given refunds almost immediately. Thankfully I did manage to get my order processed before this sad event and for that I shall remain grateful to the online shopping gods.
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After months of waiting the time has finally arrived for me to move into my first proper flat. Like a lot of first year university students I stayed in university accommodation last year, meaning I was still under the presence of security, accommodation services and student volunteers. We actually signed the lease for our flat back in January so the whole flat situation had been put to the back of my mind as exams, moving out of accommodation and general life took over. If you are ever looking for a flat in a city with a heavy student population my main tip would be to start look early on in the year, we started pretty much straight after Christmas break and were fortunate to get the 3rd flat we visited however I know of others that struggled finding places particularly later on in the year.
Having moved back home for the summer but still working in Edinburgh, the thought of being able to leave within the hour of my shift has made me so unbelievably happy. One of the most obvious things to do in preparation for moving is to make a list of both things that need done, and things you are planning on taking. However, despite doing this, I still managed to forgot coat hangers and an extension lead for the second year in a row. Go figure. I am also a big fan of using suitcases and asda bags over boxes - mainly for ease when carrying up the three flights of winding stairs to your top floor flat.
If you are moving out for the first time I would recommend making either your room, or at least one room in your flat, as comfortable and/or homey as soon as possible. Whether its putting up photos or putting a particular blanket on your bed, having something familiar around you will often help those first nights away.
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