School Essentials & What's in my School Makeup Bag?

A lot of people in the UK will be dreading reading this post as school doesn't start until September but I know in the USA a lot is schools start in August so I figured it was the perfect time to do a post about what's in my school bag/what my essentials are. 

Firstly, I always make sure I have notebooks which is what you'll need- I like to have an A4 one and a smaller one, both are very useful when in need of paper- especially notebooks that include lined and plain paper. 

I also find that keeping a plastic folder to keep loose papers in is very useful to have. The amount of times I have put a piece of homework that I'm proud of in my bag to find that it's ended up crumpled under my books- it's just handy to have folders to keep papers neat and organised. 

I also then like to have a planner. Some schools in the UK do hand out planner/journals to record homeworks and important school dates however I also like to have my own journal to record what I need to get done everyday and any plans I have. 

I also found some really useful little plastic boxes to keep record/study cards in. It just keeps them all together and this box I have organises them with plastic separators. 

Obviously a pencil case is necessary in a school bag and I'm that person that takes everything and everyone turns to to borrow a pencil. Apart from the obvious things- pens, pencils etc, I like to carry these thin highlighters which fit in my pencil case better as well as some Tipex or White Out to correct mistakes.

Finally, onto more fun items, this is the makeup bag I like to take. I take very little makeup to school as I don't like to wear lots of makeup to school. Mine contains: 

• Tissues - always necessary. 

• Plasters - these are great for new shoes blisters 

• Nail files - there's nothing more annoying than a ripped nail

• Deodorant - For obvious reasons

• Perfume - I didn't have my perfume atomizer with me which essentially is a little tube that you fill with perfume to prevent you having to take the full bottle.  

• Oil Blotting sheets - These mean I don't have to take a powder and brush, just touch up by wiping the grease off my face.

• Hair Ties and Hair Grips - the amount of times that I have had my hair down and wanted it out of my face at school

• A hair brush - My hair is the worst for knotting up and so this is an essential for me

• Hand sanitizer - I'm also that person that everybody steals hand sanitizer off of. I hate school soaps so I tend to use this instead

• Concealer - Sometimes I find that I get a really bad breakout at school from stress so I like to apply some of this to conceal it

• Lip Balm - Mg lips can get very chapped and school is the time I apply lip balm the most. 

• Tablets - For obvious reasons

xoxo

Previous Back To School Posts -
School Essentials - http://pinkcupcake7.blogspot.com/2014/01/school-essentials.html
Back To School Tag - http://pinkcupcake7.blogspot.com/2014/08/back-to-school-tag.html

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Staying Positive

I've spent a while preparing this post because it's something I really wanted to do and I kept getting new ideas on what I could include. Today I wanted to talk about ways to remain positive because we all may have our down days but I wanted to share some ways to cheer yourself up and maybe feel a bit more positive.

1. Music
This isn't for everybody but for me, music is an easy way to feel better and lift my spirits. When I'm down in the dumps for whatever reason, I find that Spotify has a playlist for whatever I am feeling but it has some great staying positive playlists which are full of songs to lift your spirits.

2. Write It Down
This is a new find for me but whilst I was in a little shop in Sarasota, I spotted these journals and had to give them a read. I am really into quotes and journals like these but basically the brand is "Write It Down" and they offer journals for lots of different things (some I will write below) and it has a date and time for you to fill out and then it asks questions or starts a sentence off for you to finish. It is the same each day unlike some journals like these and the thing I like is that it doesn't have the days already in for you so you can fill this in whenever you choose and not have a timetable to stick to.

• School Days - My School Journal
• Memories - Our Family Journal 
• Me & My Big Ideas - A Goal Journal 
• Celebration of Life Journal 
• Precious Friends - My Pet Journal
• Adventures - My Road Trip Journal
• Wedding Planner - My Wedding Journal
• Moving On - My Breakup Journal
• Maternity - My Pregnancy Journal
• Inspirations - A Gratitude Journal

It also has journals for hobbies like gardening and golf etc. They are available in 3 different sizes but I got the large one. I was torn between getting a Bucketlist Journal, First Times journal, Inspirations Journal and Goal journal but I ended up going for "Me - A Personal Journal" as it has a mixture of things inside. I have photos but I'll just repeat below what is said inside...

The first page of every journal has a quote:

"Life is an adventure

It's not a destination we reach that's most rewarding. 

It's the journey along the way. 

So Write It Down! & treasure the memory forever..."

Then the next pages are all the same. At the top it has space for the Date, Day and Time and below it has the following sentences and lines to fill them out...

• The Weather Today is:
• In the news today:
• News & Events with my family & friends:
• I am excited about:
• I am concerned about:
• Physically & mentally I feel:
• What I learned today:
• People/things that brightened my day:
• What I did to brighten someone else's day:
• Goals/Ideas for a better tomorrow:

I will leave a link to the website at the end of the post.

3. Count your blessings

I have to admit, this is something I am not very good at which is why I nearly got the Gratitude Journal. On a bad day, everything seems like the worst thing but I struggle to remember that there are people out there having days much worse than my own. I think a good way to count your blessings is to get a notebook and write 3 things each night that you are grateful for or there are apps you can get to do the same. 

4. Brighten someones day

I realised when I got my journal that i had not brightened anybody day today. I haven't opened the door for a stranger, I haven't told someone they looked nice, I haven't smiled at somebody in the street, I hadn't made any effort to make somebody else day better and it made me realise that I need to make it my mission each day to brighten somebody day with simple acts of kindness like a smile or a compliment. It can actually help to make yourself feel better too. 

5. Follow Quote Pages

This seems like a really stupid one but following simple quote pages on Instagram and Tumblr and Twitter can honestly help you gain perspective. Reading a quote that is tailored to your situation can often make you feel ten times better and I find quotes really help me.

6. Fill your time with the things and people you love

This seems like a simple one but by being with people you love and doing the things you love it can really help to brighten your mood. 

xoxo

Write It Down - https://journalsunlimited.com/shop/product-category/write-it-down-series/

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A Few Days In Sarasota

Day 1

The past few nights we have spent in Sarasota, Florida. We've been there plenty of times before so we know a lot of the best places to eat etc.. I thought I'd take lots of photos whilst there and do this post of the things I did during our stay. 

The first place we went to eat when we arrived was Owen's Fish Camp. From, the outside and the inside really but the food is delicious and I think the decoration gives it atmosphere. It's a lovely place to eat and everybody enjoyed there meals. It does get quite busy though so booking is necessary.

Then we walked to O'Leary's Bar and Grill for a drink and ice cream. This place has live music outside or you can sit inside with the air conditioning. 

Day 2

We started the day around the pool in the morning at The Ritz Carlton. I relaxed but my sister tried paddle boarding which she enjoyed. 

Then in the afternoon, we went to The Mall at University Town Centre which was very posh and modern but I bought some nice clothes. 

I got these four tops as well as three bras and three pairs of pants from Aerie. 

We then went to Caragiulos which is a nice little Italian owned by the same people as Owen's Fish Camp. 

I have to fess up and say that I did make my own pizza with my sister off of the kids menu because I didn't think I could quite eat a full sized pizza off the adults menu. I really enjoyed my pizza. 

Day 3

I spent the morning on Anna Maria Island which is a lovely little seaside place. The beaches are lovely. We started with a walk down the pier, looked in a few seaside shops and then spent the rest of the time relaxing on the beach.

In the afternoon we went to Tommy Bahamas in St. Armands Circle for lunch, looked around the shops and then went for a Ben & Jerry's. 

Day 4

My day 4 isn't all too interesting, I spent the morning by the pool and had lunch by the pool, I just had Cheeseburger and Fries and then went to the room for a little while.

I then went to Owen's Fish Camp again for dinner but I haven't included photos because I had the same as Day 1 and the photos are there. We then called in a few shops like Alvin's Island at St. Armands Circle.

I also then went to Ben & Jerry's afterwards.

I haven't included Day 5 because that's today and I'm just travelling back to Orlando and calling at a mall on the way home.

xoxo

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London: Top 10 Sees

London is such an amazing city. Whether you live there or just visit as a tourist, there is so much to do and see. These are my top 10 things to do/see in London.

1. London Eye
I was so scared to go on this as I hate heights, my best friend and I got forced to go on and I have to say it is such a great experience. If you don't like heights, the pods are so big and you're so focused on looking out at the beautiful city that you don't notice the height. I can't wait to go on it again.

2. Madame Tussards
This is really interesting as it is a waxwork museum of celebrities. Some celebrities are very realistic and you can walk up and have photos with all of them. There are also several shows and rides.

3. Buckingham Palace
This is a touristic thing to see. If it was my first time visiting London I would definitely plan a trip here but if you've seen it before I don't find it as exciting.

4. Covent Garden
This is lovely little square with shops. At Christmas at night it is especially pretty. In the dark, the Christmas lights and music is so magical.

5. Hyde Park

During winter, this is lovely. It has "Winter Wonderland" which is a great family place to visit. 

6. Tower of London
Again this is a tourist attraction but it's great for history lovers. I've been and I'm not particularly into history but this was fun. I probably wouldn't go again though.

7. Selfridges
This and Harrods are typically the bags that you'll see people carrying. It is one of my favourite things to do in London because Selfridges has such a wide selection of different products from food to clothing to makeup to stationary.. Everything.

8. Double Decker Red Bus Tour
To see all the sites, the double decker red buses or river tours are perfect. I personally prefer the open top red bus tour and I think that it's a must-do in London.

9. Underground/Taxi
My trip to London isn't complete without having used the Underground or a black taxi!

10. Goodmans Restaurant
As far as places to eat goes, Goodmans does the best steaks. Since it's near the centre of London, it's pricey but it's worth it. I love the meals there. 

xoxo

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New Year Goals

As the new year approaches, I wanted to look back at my goals last year to see if I have achieved them and make new ones for the future. I'm warning you now, this is going to be a long post! 

Re-visiting last years resolutions

Last year, I did a post, very similar to this one, stating both the aspects of my blog that I would like to improve and my own personal resolutions. I looked back at it today to see if I had achieved those goals and here's what they were...

Blogging Goals:

• Reach 3000 followers on bloglovin'

• Become people's "favourite blogger"

• Improve my posts

• Keep to my posting schedule

• Make my blog well-known

With around 2.6K followers on bloglovin, I haven't quite reached my goal but I'm ute it's not too far away which is great, thank you all. I would say my posts have improved since last year but there is still definitely room for improvement. I have roughly stuck to my posting schedule but there's been several points of the year where I've not but I am still proud of myself. As far as making my blog well-known and becoming people's favourite blogger, I can't really say whether I have achieved this or not. I know that I do get a lot more views now and am even sometimes tagged in your posts which is lovely so I am grateful for that, thank you. 

Life Goals:

• Always see a silver lining

• Eat healthy and drink lots of water

• Become a fitter person

• Look after my skin

• Study hard

• Have fun

I have become a much more positive person this year I personally feel as I do try to see a silver lining but my friends and family will probably still say I'm pessimistic. I have definitely drank lots more water this year which I am very happy about and I have looked after my skin but I still have not exercised. I just don't enjoy it but I will still try again next year. I have studied harder but I need to work even harder next year with lots of exams coming up. Overall, this year I have had fun which was my main goal. 

2015 Resolutions… 

As I said in my post last year, I try to think of these more as goals to reach than resolutions to keep as we all know most people break their resolutions within the first week of the new year. I like to treat them as something I need to work towards before the year is over so here are my goals...

Blogging Goals:

• Take better photos

• Improve the quality of my posts

• Keep a tighter posting schedule 

Next year I want to try and make my blog even better but lengthening my posts where I can and improving photos. I also want to make sure I keep to my schedule.

Life Goals:

• Do 10,000 steps every day

• Take more responsibility and be organised

• Improve my diet

• Always think positive

• Have fun

I thought that making exercising more a goal was probably wishful thinking so I decided to improve my fitness by ensuring that I do 10,000 steps every day which is the amount you should do. I also want to improve my diet because I eat very little as I'm so fussy. I need to be more organised and responsible because I have a lot of exams coming up this year. I have bought a journal from Selfridges to keep in my handbag that will hopefully make me slightly more organised and planned.

Finally I will always strive to become a more positive person and have fun which is my ultimate goal every year.

I hope you set yourself good goals this year and hopefully follow them through. 

xoxo

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London at Christmas

Recently, I've been to London a couple of  times and I wanted to show some pictures of how lovely it looks at Christmas.

For those of you that haven't been to London before, it has such a nice feel to it especially at this time of the year. This is the Marble Arch at around 4pm in the day, I loved the colours of the sky and Christmas lights above the streets.

Obviously with the amount of people and traffic, it was difficult getting a good picture but this is the best I could do. 

Another thing I loved was this ice skating rink with a large Christmas tree in the middle outside of the Natural History Museum. This reminded me of the one in New York which is something that I've always wanted to do. I had to take a photo of it although it isn't very clear as I was on a moving bus when I took it... Sorry! 

Another aspect of London is Hyde park. At Christmas, this is set up as 'Winter Wonderland' and has some fun activities to do. It is a lot like a fair with a large Ferris wheel (not as big as the London eye though) and several rides for both children and adults. I didn't manage to get any photographs of this but I'm sure there will be somewhere on the Internet. 

The final thing I experienced was "The Making of Harry Potter" at Warner Brother Studios which is slightly different at Christmas. Other than the Christmas trees in the great hall, the hogwarts mod used to film the outside of the school is covered in snow. It looks so festive and magical. 

That's it for today's post but I'm thinking about doing a series whereby I say my favourite things to do in my favourite cities such as London and Chicago. I'll probably be doing that sometime in the New Year now but let me know what ou think. 

xoxo

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A Day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure

After our night at the Hard Rock Hotel, we got an early admission to the parks. Although this meant getting up at 6am, it was worth it for the lack of queues for the rides.

We went to Universal Studios first and went to the Harry Potter section which is Diagon Alley because this would be the place that got busiest the fastest. My Dad and Sister went on the Gringotts ride but my Mum and I waited because I don't like rides. We walked around, went in the Menagerie, the Weasley's Toy Shop, got a Butterbeer and took various photos.

Then when they were back from the ride, we went into Olivanders and chose a wand, this was really fun I have to admit because we had an assistant help us to choose one. They asked us various questions about ourselves, our likes and dislikes and even taught us a few spells. They then suggested which wand would be perfect for us and we chose one from the hundreds in the shop. The wand came with an interactive map which meant as you walked around the parks, there were points with bronze medallions on the floor where you could cast a spell and make the object move or water come out. My sister really enjoyed this aspect.

Then we went to Gringotts bank and exchanged our money for some Gringotts Money. Everything was so authentic, even as you pay. In all of the shops, the servers would ask you to sign the receipt for the 'ministry of magic' and if you paid by card they would say 'paying by muggle plastic?'. It was a really fun day. We also ate at the Leaky Cauldron although the food wasn't great.

We stepped back through the hole in the wall where you access Diagon Alley by the 'London Underground' and red telephone booth. There was also the Knight Bus where you were able to take a photo. Having been to London lots of times, I could understand just how realistic everything was, even down to the pavement having rain on it.

We then went to Kings Cross Station, again very realistic with Buskers and posters on the walls as well as train times. We went up to Platform 9 3/4 where we had to step through the wall. Then there was a small station shop where you could purchase English food and drink for the journey. We waited for the Hogwarts Express to take us to the other park 'Islands of Adventure' where we could go to Hogsmeade.

When we got on the train, we sat in the small train booth identical to the film, even with the same material used for the chairs. The windows were screens so we could see the real journey the train would take as we went through London and approached Hogwarts. At several points throughout the Journey, we saw Ron, Hermoine and Harry's shadows from outside the booth and could hear them talking.

When we got off of the train we were at 'Hogsmeade' where you could see the school in the background. We didn't stay long at Islands of Adventure because there wasn't as much to do for non-ride lovers. However we did go to the toilets where you could hear Moaning Murtle.

We caught our train back which was different to the way there. The only other thing we did at Universal was see Shrek 4-D which was really fun.

xoxo

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