How to Pack like a Pro

Oh, packing. The activity we all have to do whenever any sort of travel is on the horizon, yet somehow it causes a lot of stress and problems. A lot of people I know don’t enjoy packing because they are worried they will forget things, it stresses them out, or they don’t pack the right things and end up not enjoying their trip. Well, today I would like to put a stop to all bad packing experiences. Packing doesn’t have to be a headache so long as you approach it and do it the right way (as with most things I know, but this is an easy one I promise). I have spent a lot of time packing in the last 9 months due to my travelling, and it gets easier every time because I have tips and tricks to help me. Now those who are regular readers will know that I am quite organised and tend to stress a lot so something like packing would seem to be a stress-inducing activity right? Well, once I started using these tips, I haven’t found packing stressful at all and in fact, find it quite fun. So, if you aren’t a fan of packing or would simply like to get some tips, here are some suggestions for how to pack like a pro.

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Ideas for Having a Relaxing Day (and why it is important)

Relaxing can often sound like a long-forgotten fantasy, especially when life gets in the way. Sometimes we get so busy working, completing things and running around to make sure we stay on top of things that we forget to breathe sometimes let alone make the time to relax. Well, today I’d like to talk about this ‘relaxing’ thing that we all forget to do because as much as it can sound like a waste of time when your to-do list is building up, it is absolutely essential. We all deserve to take some time out every now and then to relax because we are not robots. We cannot work all day every day for eternity – if you can that is both terrifying and impressive, please share your secrets. So, for all of you who work too hard and have forgotten what relaxing feels like, this blog post is for you. Today I will be sharing ten ideas for having a relaxing day but also why it is essential to have one. I hope you enjoy it and by the end of it, are inspired to treat yourself to a day of peace and relaxation.

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Tips and Tricks for Cooking for One

I absolutely love cooking. I get to destress and focus on something else, and by the time I’m done, I have something delicious to eat. However, I know that not everyone else has this same loving feeling towards cooking, and sometimes that can be because you are just cooking for yourself. When you are cooking for yourself, and have no one else to worry about feeding, you can often get quite tired of it or think about reasons not to. It takes too much time, it is far easier to just go out or order takeaways, or simply you don’t feel like it. Well, today I am putting a stop to those feelings because cooking for one doesn’t have to be something cumbersome. In fact, cooking for one can actually be a lot easier, cheaper and more fun when you do it the right way. Today, I will be sharing a few tips and tricks for cooking for one so if you happen to be living on your own or fending for yourself this weekend, the thought of putting on an apron doesn’t make you break out in a cold sweat. If you implement one or two of these tips and tricks, you may soon find that you actually enjoy cooking for yourself, it is saving you money because you don’t aren’t ordering takeouts six times a week, and it is no longer a hardship you have to force yourself to do. Here are my nine tips and tricks for cooking for one

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How to Deal with Loneliness

Loneliness – a feeling we are all familiar with. We have all experienced loneliness in some shape or form, whether it be when we are single, when we are far from home, travelling, or even at home. I am no stranger to loneliness, and I can attest to the fact that it isn’t a great feeling to be stuck with. It can make you feel tired, anxious, and depressed, make you stress eat or not want to get out of bed or just make you cry a lot. Whatever loneliness brings you to, it is a horrible state of mind to be in. One thing I’d like to mention, though is that loneliness is very different from being alone. Loneliness is a state of mind, a feeling and usually comes with negative emotions, whereas being alone can be very peaceful and is not necessarily negative. No one deserves to feel the crushing negative weight of loneliness because it has a way of holding you down and back in so many ways. Today, I’d like to share some tips for dealing with loneliness because no matter how lonely you may feel, you are never truly alone. There are ways that you can deal with loneliness, and that is what I will be talking about today.

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12 Tips and Tricks for Starting and Sticking with an Exercise Program

We all have big dreams to start exercise programs, stick with them and come out the other side with perfectly toned bodies that are ready for the beach, runway or both. In the beginning, we are so filled up with motivation that nothing can dampen our spirit. However, a day or two goes by, and we realise that our goals seem too far out of reach, or we are feeling sore and can’t keep up with the high benchmark we set. There are many reasons as to why we can fall off the bandwagon a long way short of the finish line when it comes to exercise programs, and this only leads us to feel less motivated to start one in the future. However, don’t let these past experiences stop you from starting an exercise program and sticking with it. Usually, adjusting one or two small things or changing your starting approach to these programs can make all the difference in ensuring you finish them, and that is what I’d like to share with you today. No more starting exercise programs and then bailing because you set your sights too high or got tired and bored. No – today, I would like to share with you twelve tips and tricks to starting and sticking with an exercise program. I hope that once you discover these tricks, you will no longer think that your summer body is an impossible dream, and with a few adjustments to your approach, you’ll see it’s actually a lot closer than you might think.

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A Fail Doesn’t Equal Failure – How to Deal with and Bounce Back from Failing Something

This is probably one of the most revolting words in the dictionary, especially when this word gets handed out to us. We all fail tests or exams of all sorts, and it is usually the worst feeling in the world. However, the problem with failing something is that it can start a very negative spiral of thinking. You might think that because you failed something, that means you are a failure, but today I am going to tell you that that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because you have failed something, that doesn’t equal failure. All you have to be able to do is learn how to deal with a fail and bounce back from it because while failing is horrible, it can lead to a change in attitude and strategy that starts your path towards success. We’ve all failed at something – you, me, even JK Rowling, but the trick is not letting failing define you and being able to turn that dreadfully negative experience into something positive. From all the times I’ve failed at something, here are ten tips for how to deal with and bounce back from failing something.

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Sweet Gifts for your Significant Other

There are many opportunities to give gifts to your significant other throughout the year. There are more obvious occasions like Christmas, Birthdays and Valentines Day. But, there are also anniversary dates, and these could be monthly anniversaries or yearly anniversaries (whichever ones you celebrate together). The only problem with all these chances to give gifts is you can sometimes struggle to think of something to give, or you might even be out of ideas because you’ve already been together for a while. Or sometimes your partner is just difficult to buy gifts for (I know how this feels believe me). So today I’d like to give you all, who might need an idea or two for your next gift, a few suggestions of sweet gifts to give your significant other. For all of you who are struggling to think of a gift idea for your next gift-giving occasion, no need to panic! Here are ten ideas you can use the next time you want to spoil your partner. Just a heads up though, most of these gifts do take some amount of time to prepare and are personal or homemade because I think that those kinds of gifts have the most meaning to them.

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12 Ways to Deal with Writer’s Block

Writer’s block. The plague of anyone who works with words. It can happen when you’re doing school work, college work, writing something academic for work purposes, or if you’re writing a novel, blog or even just a fun project. Everyone who has ever experienced writer’s block will know that it is a really horrible experience. It is overwhelmingly frustrating and sometimes tough to deal with, especially if you know that you have a deadline approaching. In actual fact, I had writer’s block while trying to come up with something to write about for this blog post. So, I decided to take that difficulty and use it as my inspiration. Yes, I know it is ironic – believe me, I chuckled about it for a while. So, for anyone who has ever had the misfortune of struggling with writer’s block, you don’t need to worry about it anymore. Here are, from the person who struggles with writer’s block often, 12 ways for you to deal with and get past writer’s block.

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Fun Ways to Spend Your Dorm Downtime!

Hey everyone! So I’ve spent quite a bit of time in dorms over the last six months, and have learnt a lot in the process. When you’re studying away from home and living in a dorm, no matter how long the course you’re doing is, it is very easy to get sucked up in getting assignments done, studying and just focusing on work. So when downtime somehow appears, because you’ve miraculously either finished all your work, have nothing to do or nothing urgent to complete, you now have the chance to have some fun. Now living in a dorm can bring some limitations on exactly what type of fun you can have in your down-time, so I’ve compiled this list of fun ways that you can spend your dorm down-time. You can choose one, or all if you have a lot of down-time, and adapt them to suit your personality and what you enjoy doing, but if you find yourself unsure how to spend your gift of free time then look no further. Here are some fun ways that you can spend your dorm down-time.

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How to Deal with Negativity (And Negative People)

Negativity. What a disheartening term, and unfortunately, it is something that is becoming more and more of a problem. There is negativity almost everywhere you look, and a lot of it can come from people who refuse to exist on the bright side. Negativity is particularly dreadful because it is toxic – it is like a disease. It has the ability to ruin what was a great day, and suck you into being negative too. It can also be quite hard to deal with, especially when it is coming from people around you, and once that devilish toxin has taken hold of you, it can often be quite hard to shake it. Now I know this might sound very optimistic (but you’re going to have to deal with it because I have always been the glass-half-full kind of girl), but there are too many things that you can be positive and happy about, if only you learn to think about that rather than all of the other things that are trying to drag you down. There are ways to escape the bite of this evil negativity creature, and so today that is what we are going to discuss. Keep reading to find out more xx

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