Reducing Stress

Hey there!
          We live in a very hectic world where we are pretty much busy 24/7. Plus with exams only a couple of months away (well for me anyway) you can soon be left feeling extremely stressed and tired out. 

Here are some tips to help reduce stress, I hope you find them useful.

Organisation: If you have lots of different things to do which come with deadlines this can soon leave you panicking about what to do first. Prioritize, make to do lists, organize what needs to be done. This allows you to set goals and prioritize what needs doing first, making all the things you need to do more manageable. 

Exercise: This can be one of the best ways to reduce stress! There are lots of different ways to exercise, such as: Running, jogging, dancing, doing a workout ect. Not only relaxes you but it helps to take your mind off things, plus doing a workout can leave you feeling great afterwards.  

Relaxing: Another really simple and effective way at reducing stress. Having me time and looking after yourself really does help! There are hundreds of ways to relax such as: Having a pamper night, reading a book, watching your favourite TV series ect.

Meditating: Meditating helps to unwind and relax your mind, it's leaves you feeling calmer. It doesn't have to be putting yourself in fancy yoga positions. One of my favourite ways to to meditate is by doing the one minute meditation (shout out to my ethics teacher for teaching me this) as 1 minute is sometimes all you need to feel more relaxed. Here is the link if you fancy trying it out yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6eFFCi12v8

Listen to music: Listening to music helps to blot out everything that's going on and it allows you to concentrate on the lyrics. I always find songs that have really uplifting/upbeat tune always help to perk me up.

Those are my tips on how to reduce stress! What do you do to reduce stress?

How to: Revise

Hi!
   Sorry for being inactive recently, my exams are a few weeks away so I'm focusing all my free time on revising for them at the moment. However by the end of May all my exams will be over so I will get back into blogging regularly.

On the subject of exams I thought I would share with you how I revise for my exams and some revision tips.

Revision- while it's something we all find tedious and try to put off its essential if you want to pass your exams. Here are some revision tips to help

• Create a revision timetable: If you are sitting different exams in different subjects then the first thing you should do is create a revision timetable. This makes it so much easier to revise as you can plan on what days you're going to revise different subjects. Don't forget to include breaks and when you have lunch and dinner in your timetable as well. 

Revision Timetable Idea

• Get rid of distractions: One of the main reasons little revision gets done is procrastination and distractions. If you find you get distracted during revision try turning off your social media and take all the thins that distract you (phone,ipod ect) out of your room

• Take breaks in between revision: With revising NEVER revise for more than an hour without taking a break in between because your brain will switch off and you will lose focus. When taking a break do something that will clear your head such as listen to some music, go on a quick walk, read a book ect.

• Create Revision resources: For me the best way to revise is to create revision resources. These can be mind maps, posters, tables ect. One thing is DON'T just rewrite out your notes as this will not help you remember. Also use revision guides to help you. With revision guides buy them under the exam board you are sitting (for example GCSE AQA Geography revision guide)

• Get some exam practice: After creating all your resources get some exam practice in there by answering past exam questions. If you go on exam websites (such as AQA) you can find past papers to answer.

• Handy revison websites:
• My Maths
• BBC Bitesize Revision
• MY GCSE Science (on youtube) 

I hope you find this tips useful for when you come to revise for your exams.

Beauty DIY: Get rid of dry hands

Hi!
   Its finally the Easter holidays (yay) which means oodles of revising for me (yes my exams are just over a month away which means I won't be blogging as much, sorry guys).

Anyway enough rambling from me. Today I'm going to share a beauty trick I learnt a couple of years ago and it really works. This particular trick gets rid of dry, flaky hands.

What you will need

• Olive oil
• Hand cream
• Hot soapy water

Step 1

Fill a sink (about halfway full) with hot, soapy water

Step 2

Put a small blob of olive oil on your hands and rub it in until it has all sunk in.

Step 3

Apply a thick layer of hand cream to your hands and let it sink in.

Step 4

Place your hands in the water and soak them for about 5 minutes.

Step 5

Towel dry your hands and apply some hand cream. The results= smooth, soft hands!

I hope you find this beauty trick useful, let me know in the comments below it it works for you.

Tutorial: Packing for your holidays

Hello beauties,
              Some of us will be lucky enough to be going away during the holidays. Packing for your holidays can be a nightmare and stressful so here are some handy hints to make sure you take everything that you need.

Golden Tips

• Don't leave it to last minute- you will be rushing round like mad and could over pack or ,worse, forget something
• Write 2 lists- one for going on holiday and one for coming back. That way you can make sure you have everything you need and when you return you won't forget anything.
• Use "travel size" products or buy "travel size" bottles to put your toiletries into- this means you have more space and your luggage will be less heavy
• Put breakable items in thick socks
• Put leakable items in a plastic bag and bring another plastic bag to put dirty clothes into
• Location- pack clothes based on where your going. EG if your going to the beach pack sandals, swimwear and beach clothes

Essentials

No matter where you are going here are some essentials that you need to bring

• Camera
• Money
• 1 pair of trainers
• Suncream
• Sunglasses and hat
• Books/magazines,games ect
• Evening dress (doesn't have to be super posh or fancy)
• Swimwear
• Lipbalm

I hope these tips help you when packing for your holiday

How to have a great summer

Hello! Like most of you I'm on my summer holidays. 6 weeks seems like a long time especially if your not going away or haven't got anything planned. Here are some tips on how to have a great summer.

1.Get homework out of the way- Unfortunately teachers do sometimes set homework during the summer holidays especially if your starting your GCSE'S. DO NOT forget about it because at the end of the holidays you will be rushing round like mad trying to do your homework. Instead do it as soon as you get it so that its out of the way and leaves you with the rest of your summer free.

2.Plan,Plan,Plan- If your not doing anything this summer then make lots of plans! Make plans to go out,make plans with friends and family. This means you will have a fun filled summer and not just sit around everyday bored.

3.Try something new- Okay you don't have to go sky-diving or tour the world but something simple. For example go somewhere you have never been before,try out new foods, start a blog ect.

4.Go to the beach- Summer holidays aren't the summer holidays if you don't visit the beach. So at least one day during your holidays why not have a trip to the beach with your friends or family. You could splash in the sea, make sandcastles, play volleyball, sunbathe ect.

5.Make a summer bucket list- Make a list of everything you want to do this summer and then do them. They don't have to be mega big and adventurous but small ones like: stargaze, bake, learn to surf ect.

I hope you find these tips useful to have a great summer.

Confidence

Hola!
     Confidence is something some of seem to have bags of while some of us can lack confidence. It comes from within us and people with confidence are the happiest and it is true beauty. Here are some tips on being confident.

In order to be confident you need a wipe out the following things from your life as they can destroy it:

• Doubting yourself
• Negativity
• Criticizing yourself
• Negative self talk
• Caring what people think about you (although you should care just a tiny bit) 

These are all things you need to get over in order to be confident. It might seem tough but you can do it.

If all else fails then...

Now for some confidence boosting tips:

• Walk with your head held high and your shoulders back.This instantly gives people the impression you are a confident person even if you don't feel like 
• Smile- Smiling will help relax you and people will see you as a friendly person because sometimes lacking confidence can be seen as being unfriendly
• Prepare yourself for the situation- Maybe its going to a party or your about to perform on stage. Whatever the situation is make sure you are prepared as this will help to to feel less nervous
• Believe in yourself- out of all the other tips this is probably the most important one. Believing in yourself is the key to being confident. If you believe in yourself other people will as well.

Remember!!!

How To: Bunny Nails Tutorial

Hello everyone, the Easter holidays have finally arrived and that means no school for 2 weeks YAY. That means I decided to paint my nails with an Easter theme and this post will teach you how do "Bunny Nails"

You will need: Pink Nail varnish, white nail varnish, nail varnish for the bunny eyes ( I choose blue but you could to black or green ect), clear nail varnish and 2 hair grips

Step 1:

   

Using the pink nail varnish apply the base coat to your nails. I would recommend doing 2 thin layers rather than one big thick one.

Step 2: 

  

Using the white nail varnish paint a small rectangle at the base of both thumb nails. Then carefully paint 2 thin rectangles coming up from the base rectangle.

Step 3:

 Using one hair grip, dip it into the chosen nail varnish for the eyes ( in this case blue) and paint 2 small dots at the top of the base rectangle on each thumb. Then using the other hair grip dip it into the pink nail varnish and paint 1 small dot in between and below the other 2 dots.

Step 4: 

           

Finally apply a clear coat of nail varnish on top to protect your nails from chipping.

Your nails should end up looking like this.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it has inspired you all to do your own bunny nails.

              

Tutorial: Life Hacks

Hello, Severina here :)

Recently I have been following all the tutorial accounts on Instagram (I'm sad I know). One of the things I came across on these tutorial accounts is something called "life hacks". Life hacks are basically sneaky and useful tips for life. So here are some of mine:

Search "Youtubeskip" instead of Youtube and you won't get those annoying adverts before a video

Drink a glass of cold water when you first wake up as it wakes you up faster than coffee can

When you have a cold drink Pineapple juice as its more effective than cough syrup

Put your phone on "airplane" mode to save battery life and banish annoying ads from games

To Get rid of a bruise soak a cotton wool ball in vinegar and then apply to bruise

Drink milk to get rid of a spicy taste from your mouth

Put emergency money in an empty lip balm tube

After painting your nails put them in ice water for a few seconds to dry them instantly  

Well those were some of my favourtie "life hacks" and I hope they help you all out

How To: Healthy Hair Tutorial

So are hair is one of our most worn accessories and it is our crowning glory after all. This is a quick tutorial on how to keep your hair healthy.

1.When using curlers/crimping irons/straighteners/dryers always make sure you use heat protection spray before hand. If you dont your hair will end up being badly damaged and will just look a mess.

2. Shampoo every other day ( unless your hair gets greasy very easily). Shampooing your hair every day can cause your hair to be stripped of its natural oils and all the chemicals will end up damaging your hair. 

3. Once a week use a leave in conditioner/ intensive conditioner- Conditioner is needed to make sure your hair is left feeling super soft and looking shiny. So use a leave in conditioner once a week to help keep your hair soft and healthy and to keep it looking shiny.

4. When rinsing out shampoo and conditioner do it with cold water. Cold water flattens the cuticles of the hair and makes it look more shinier.

5. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. Staying hydrated keeps your hair looking hydrated and shiny.

6. Get split ends cut off- otherwise your hair will become badly damaged and end up looking like straw.

7. Eat food containing lots of protein as this helps your hair to grow. Try eating: salmon,dark green vegetables,nuts,eggs ect.

Follow these 7 simple tips and you will have healthy hair that looks and feels fab! 

How to have a brilliant half term

Heyy its sev here :)
                   So like you I have a week off school (YAY)


Here is my simple guide on how to have the best week ever.

1. Catch up on sleep

A week of school means not having to get up early. So to catch up on sleep why not have long lie ins on the morning. That way you will feel refreshed and less sluggish and more prepared to face the day.

2. Do Homework early

Unfortunately we get given homework to do during the half term. So you have two options: 1. Moan and leave it till last minute causing stress 2. Do it as you as you can. I recommend option 2 as the sooner to do it the more time you have free. Also it means you are not panicking trying to do homework at the last minute.

3. PLAN PLAN PLAN 
So you have a week off school and that could lead to boredom. The simple solution is to make lots of plans. Why not plan to meet up with friends during the holiday. That way you can catch up on the gossip and have a great day together. Also why not plan some fun days put with your family. After all there is nothing better than spending a bit of quality time with your family.

4. Have a pamper night

Usually the night before I go back to school I have a pamper night to relax and prepare myself for school, so why don't you do the same. Have a hot bubble bath with plenty of bubble's ( or use a Lush bath bomb as they are amazing). Then have a facial and use some face masks. This will unclog any pores and leave your face feeling soft and refreshed.

Well that's all from me so I hope you all have a great week.

How To: Eat Healthy Tutorial

Healthy Eating. Yes it can seem like a chore but unfortunately we have to do it unless we want to suffer from health problems. I know we would all love to live on junk food but we can't do that. Instead we cut down on the junk food and eat as much healthy things possible. This tutorial will tell you how to eat as healthily as possible.

Breakfast

I wonder how many times we have heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well it is because it gives you the energy you need to start the day. Breakfast is one of my big let downs. On a weekday I'm rushing round on a morning getting ready for school so I'm not awake enough to be ready to eat breakfast. Consequently I don't eat it ( Yes I know its bad but it can't be helped). Instead I buy a healthy cereal bar from school at break and that keeps me going until lunch.

On a weekend it's different because I actually eat breakfast. Normally I eat 1 weetabix+fruit+juice+a cup of tea. If you have cereal you should drink fruit juice because it helps you to absorb the iron from the cereal. So a simple healthy breakfast plan is: Healthy cereal ( NO sugary ones)+ fruit juice + fresh fruit.

 Lunch

4/5 School days I take a packed lunch and I try to make it as healthy as possible. My packed lunch consists of a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a healthy treat ( flapjack or Kellogs biscuit moment and some juice. A healthy sandwich is made with a wholemeal bun or bread with cheese or meat on it. On a weekend I eat the same for lunch but I prepare a mini salad to go with it.

Dinner

This one is quite hard as my parents cook my dinner for me but usually 5/7 its healthy. A simple way to eat healthy at dinner is make sure your plate has at least 5 different colours on it. If they are mainly white,golden chances are it isn't healthy. If you follow the 5 colour rule for every meal you can't go wrong.

Snacks

If your hungry between meals you should eat a healthy snack. This could include fruit, nuts , cheese and crackers, vegetables with a yummy dip, flapjack, apple with peanut butter ect.

Junk Food

I love junk food as much as the next person but if I eat it constantly it's not going to do me any good at all. So I'm trying very hard to cut down by trying to eat junk food only once a week. For me my junk food day is Friday because I get pizza and chips for my lunch at school. Remember sweets,crisps,cake, chocolate and junk food are fine for you so long as you eat them in moderation.

Eating healthy will benefit you in so many different ways. It will help your hair, skin and give you loads of energy!!!

So if your stuck on how to eat healthy follow this simple tutorial.

Short Hair: Hairstyling tips

Hi!
I have short hair and I'm trying to grow it out ( Its just reached my shoulders). Only sometimes it can be hard to manage and my hair can flick out at the ends like this

So that is why I have a selection of short hairstyles to help my hair look funky as it grows out.

1. Straight

This is where I blow dry my hair straight. I usually get my hair like this on a weekend or during the holidays when I have more time to dry it.
To get the back I lie upside down on the bed and place the hair dryer under the back of my hair, while brushing, to blow dry it straight. Usually when I leave the house the ends curl due to wind so I would recommend using some hairspray to keep it in place.


2. Ponytail

I brush my hair back into a ponytail. Then I grip up the lose bits of hair at the back using hair grips. Then using a hair grip I pull a small bit of hair down by my ears so I have cute wisps. This is what It looks like at the end.







3. Half Pony

I brush the top half of my hair into a high ponytail and then secure with a bobble. I then leave the rest of it loose and this is what it looks like.









4. Headband

I follow the same routine for blow drying my hair straight. Then I use a headband to push my hair back slightly and It ends up looking like this. You can get a gazillion different ones which you can use to coordinate with your outfit. This one is black which I'm wearing with this outfit and I use for school ( as its a regulation headband)




For those of you with short hair like me I these tips help you.