School Organisation

I always find it a lot easier to stay focused and keep track of my school work if everything is organised. Here are are a few tips that find really helpful, to keep you organised at school and at home while you are studying.

The first tip I have is to colour code or highlight your notes. You can do this many different ways. You can only highlight new information so you know what you need to focus on, or you can use different colours for different types of information. For example you could highlight definitions in yellow, quotes in pink and important things to remember in green. This tip is a great way to help your brain process new information.

Flags are kind of similar to colour coding, they are just little plastic, sticky flags that I found at the $2 shop.You can use them to mark different places in your text books and notes, like your homework or relevant information to the work you are doing in class.

I think that keeping a diary on you throughout high school is really important. Using a diary is a great way to keep track of any notices you need to hand in, dates that you need to remember, upcoming events or homework due dates. My diary is by Uniti but you can find notebooks from any stationary shop or dollar store. Try and find a diary that you really like, so that you want to use it.

Your study space is very personal and it should reflect how you learn. More creative people tend to have busier desks. I say busier and not messier because their space is usually filled with things that inspire them to come up with new ideas. Other people may like to have more structured spaces so they know where everything goes and everything has a purpose. But regardless of what type of learner you are I have a few desk necessities. The first item is a calendar although it does the same job as a diary calendars are a great way to clearly see ahead what is coming up and whether you have any homework that is due. You can pin your calendar on the wall above your desk, this way you are saving space and it is clear to see. Another desk necessity is a pin board, I find this a really use piece of stationary because you can pin up any notices or time tables and they won't just get forgotten at the bottom of piles. The next stationary item that is very helpful is a vertical magazine or book stand, these are great space savers and you can easily see your work books so you can't forget them.

School Style Tips

Style tip 1: Clothes

When you are at school you want to wear something that is practical, comfy and trendy. In summer try to look for cute summery tops that you won't get too hot in, you could pair your top with a skirt or shorts. Dresses are also a nice way to go as they are easy to throw on and you won't overheat in them.

Try wearing some bright colours to get in the summer spirit and cool you down. Pair any outfit with some sandals or flats.

During winter look for large comfy jumpers that you can throw on with your favourite pair of jeans. T-shirts are great to wear under hoodies and they won't be too bulky. If you are like me and you really feel the cold put a thermal under your shirt and that will help to keep the heat in. If you are allowed beanies at your school they are a great way to keep your body heat in and they can cover up a bad hair day. Shoe wise, sneakers or chunky boots will go with anything.

Extra tip: Choose your outfit the night before and lay it out all ready for you in the morning. This will save you a lot of time that you can spend in bed instead.

Style tip 2: Hair

During the warmer months you might want to go for an up-do. This way your hair can be out of your face and off your neck so you don't have to deal with neck sweat. You could try a messy bun, dutch/french braids, a ponytail, space buns or a milk maid braid.

When it starts getting a bit colder you might want your hair down to act like a scarf and make your look more cozy. Half up top knots, halo braids or straightened/curled hair are great styles, or you could just chuck on a beanie and your good to go.

Extra tip: If you know you will be doing intense sport go for something simple and something that will stay off your face, like dutch braids or a ponytail.

DIY Small Organiser

Two days ago I was walking through my garage and I saw an old seedling pot. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to make it something new, so this is what I made and how I made it.

I took an old seedling pot and cleaned all the dirt out of it.

Next I spray painted the pot silver to match the decor in my room.

Then it was decoration time. You can decorate yours however you like but I used pink washi tape, some string and some letter stickers.

After you are happy with how it looks you can fill it with anything you want, for example pens and pencils, nail polish or lip balms.

DIY Tissue Jar

I've never liked the look of plain old tissue boxes so I decided to look for a way to make a tissue holder room decor. So here is how I made my tissue jar.

First take you mason jar and paint it any colour you like.

Next cut a piece of paper the same size as the lid. In the center of this circle cut a cross, this is where the tissues will come from.

Now you just need to add your tissues and and put all the pieces back together without the original lid. (You may need to cut your tissues to fit inside your jar.)
You can  choose different colours to suit you room or change the lid colour for different seasons.

Snickerdoodles

Here is how I made these delicious cinnamon cookies. Please follow my blog for more baking recipe's.

Ingredients:

• 250g butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2  3/4  cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Cinnamon and white sugar for coating

Method:
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light. Then add the eggs.
Gradually stir in sifted flour, baking soda and nutmeg. When everything is combined, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 30mins.
While you are waiting for you dough to cool preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Combine cinnamon and sugar on a plate.
Form you dough into small balls and roll through the cinnamon and sugar to coat them. Place them on an un-greased tray and bake for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

DIY Floating picture

The other day I was feeling crafty but I didn't know what I should do. I looked through Pinterest and Google but I didn't find any ideas that jumped out at me so I decided to put some things together. Here is the result.

Feel free to use a photo or another picture instead if you prefer, but to find out how I made this keep reading.

First I started with a square piece of paper that is smaller than my frame. Then I taped down a triangle in the middle of the paper (you can use any shape you like).

I chose four main colours and I started to paint around the edges of the triangle. I overlapped the colours and made the strokes different lengths and widths.

After the paint had dried I took some silver spray paint and sprayed some of the edges of the paper. I also let the paint drip a bit so it left little drops of silver.

Then I carefully pulled the tape and triangle off the page so I could fill in the spaces where the tape was.

Next I used my stamp set to add the phrase "Don't stop" into the middle of the triangle.

The next step was the frame so I took an old frame and applied two coats of silver spray paint to match the silver patches on the picture.

After it was dry I measured the sides so I could divide them into thirds so I knew where to place the string. I cut four pieces of string so that they could reach each side of the frame. I then attached the string with hot glue.

To attach the picture I added hot glue on the strings where I wanted the picture to sit.

That's the finished product. If you created this let me know how it went and follow my blog for more crafts and advice.

Top 10 good habits

The following are habits that can help you have a happier and healthier life.

Drinking lots of water
By drinking lots of water you are helping your body perform all the process it needs to complete. After sticking to this habit for a couple of weeks you will also find improvements in your skin.


Getting enough sleep
When we sleep our brain sorts out all the information we have taken in from the previous day. Also our growth hormones woks best when we are asleep so you will heal muscles and cuts faster when you get enough sleep. When we are tired our body releases a hormone called cortisol which breaks down skin collagen resulting in aged skin.

Exercise
You don't have to go to the gym everyday but gentle exercise a couple of times a weak can help relieve stress. Some easy exercises are yoga, walking, swimming or biking.


Changing your tooth brush 
You should replace your toothbrush every 3 - 4 months. If you have been sick recently you may want to change your toothbrush sooner as it can be home to bad bacteria. Also if your bristles are frayed then they won't be cleaning your teeth properly.


Replacing your loofah
Loofahs need replacing every 3 - 4 months, this is because loofahs are left in the shower or bathroom where it becomes warm and damp, those conditions are perfect for bacteria to thrive and the loofahs design makes it the perfect home for all of that bacteria.

Think positive
Try to see the glass as half full. Find the light in the dark regardless of the situation and you will be a happier person.

Cook
Instead of putting greasy, unhealthy food in your body make the time to cook a healthy nutritious meal instead. Also sometimes take out is more expensive than buying the ingredients for a home cook meal.

Face your fears
By facing your fears you are unlocking a whole other side to life you've never seen before.

Find friends
You need to find people who make you happy, people who support and encourage you. You may already have these people in your life, don't let them go. Sometimes you have to lose 10 average friends to find 1 really good one.

You time
Find some time to spend some time alone, reflect on your life and think about your goals. Do something you love and grow as a person.