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.

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!

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.  

Shopping tips

I am a huge fan of shopping, I love just browsing around shops and discovering new styles but sometimes I get a bit carried away. So these are some tips I like to remember when I go shopping.

Tip 1: Make a list
I always make a list before I go shopping. I will go through my clothes and look around my room to see what I should buy. Then I write down things I need in one colour and things I would like in another, that way I know what I'm actually looking for.

Tip 2: Shopping buddy
When you go shopping you should always find someone to go shopping with. But you need to find someone who will give you their honest opinion about what looks good and if something is worth it. If you go shopping with someone who you don't know really well they may be too nervous to tell you the truth. So call up a sibling or a best friend to help you out, besides you get to spend they day hanging out with them.

Tip 3: Choose where to go
When you go shopping you should choose to go somewhere that has a lot of the shops you like to shop in. Shopping malls are a great shopping destination as they have a wide variety of shops and styles.

Tip 4: Time
You need to make sure you have enough time to go to all the shops you want to visit. To do this you may need to put aside a whole day, half a day, or just a few hours for shopping. While you are shopping you should be thinking about what shops you need to look in and make sure there is time to visit them.

Tip 5: No impulse buys
If you see an item you really like but don't know if you need it, don't just buy it for the sake of it. Firstly look at your list and see if it's on there. If it isn't on your list but you still really want it think about whether another shop will have it for cheaper.

Hopefully these tips will help make your next shopping trip fun and successful.
 

Journaling: Equipment and inspiration

I've been keeping a journal for the past couple of months and I would highly recommend it to anyone. The thing I love most about journaling is that it is completely personal, I can write about what ever I want and I will be able to look back on it when I am older and see what I used to be like. My journal is like a review of my life, I write about my day, how I'm feeling, my idea's etc. Jouranling is a great way to clear the mind and stay organised because if there is something that's bugging you, you can just write about it and get it off your chest. A journal is also a great place to keep to do lists because you can flag it and then come back to it without having a loose piece of paper lying around.

When I was younger I made various attempts of keeping a journal but I never stuck to it because I was never happy with how it looked. I always ended up ripping out pages and eventually I just threw the whole thing away. So when I started my current journal I wrote down a few promises to myself. I promised to never rip out a page even if I'm not happy with it, to try and write regularly, and to make my journal as pretty as possible. I think that making an effort to make my journal look appealing really helps me keep my other two promises because whenever I open my journal it looks fun and creative.
Here is some of the things I use to decorate my journal:

• Washi tape 
• Sticker letters
• High lighters
• Stickers
• String 
• Tags

Some days are really exciting and I will just write about my day but other days I sit down and have no idea what to write about, so I will usually look at my journal ideas page for inspiration. Most of the ideas are things about me that I will be able to look back on when I am older. If you are looking for some ideas, here are some that I have on my list.

• Holiday bucket list - write down what you want to do during the holidays
• A list of your fears
• Write about your pet peeves
• Life goals
• Wishes
• Current mood
• A list of things to do when bored - (check out my post on DIY bored jar for ideas)
• Things that make you happy 

So there are a few ideas for starting your journal and how to decorate it.

Summer Activities

It is summer here in New Zealand but sadly it is raining today. So I've decided to come up with different ways to have fun this summer on hot sunny day.

The first idea I have is to go swimming, whether that's at your own pool, at the public pools, at the beach or in a lake. Swimming is a great way to keep cool during these hot months, also swimming is a great way to keep fit when running makes you too hot and sweaty. You could also invite a bunch of friends around, that way you can hang out, stay cool and have a great time.

Here in New Zealand Barbecue's are a summer must have. This is a great way to enjoy the warm weather and spend time with the people you love. You can ask your friends and family to all bring a salad, a meat pack or drinks, that way it's affordable for you. While your waiting for the meat to cook you can organise games to keep people entertained, some ideas for this can be backyard cricket or a water fight.

Picnics are a great way to get children outside and they are a perfect date idea. All you need is a basket of food, drinks and a blanket. A great place to have a picnic is at the park, at the local gardens or even in your backyard.

During the summer you will probably spend a lot of time hanging out with friends and catching up with family, but sometimes it's nice to take some time for yourself. So go for a walk or a bike ride alone. Think about you and your life. Just find some time to do something that makes you smile, you could try something completely new and find out you love it. you never know.