E N D O F A B L O G Y E A R
I remember posting a blog post last year about the blog posts that were most popular in 2017 and, after really enjoying seeing the kinds of content that were most successful, I decided to do it again this year. Check out which blog posts were most popular this year:
1. The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal :: Review // 2. My Routine for a Successful Blog Post // 3. The Best Place to Eat & Drink in: Edinburgh // 4. Being Unique as a Blogger // 5. 3 Ways to Increase Blog Traffic from Scheduling Tweets // 6. Mindfulness Ideas That I Swear By
As well as being very grateful for the reception of these blog posts, I'm also extremely proud to have worked on some amazing opportunities as a blogger this year too. From achieving my first ever sponsored content, working with fantastic companies such as Botanics, and being lucky enough to explore so many amazing places around my local area, I certainly look back on the year with a warm heart.
E N D O F A B L O G S E A S O N
If you've been following my blog for a short while, you'll know that I've recently decided to separate my blog into 'Seasons'. This means that I get a bit more time to produce content and even out the workload alongside my University commitments. So, as January comes right around the corner, that means that 'Season 1' comes to an end. Throughout January and February, I will be producing content but not publishing anything until March, where Season 2 starts. I'm nervous to see how the mini hiatus goes over the next two months and I'm really hoping that, when March comes around, people have still stuck around to see my new content.
Despite this, I wanted to look back at the way Season 1 has gone so far. To be honest, though, I reckon it's a bad Season to go off as I was just finding my feet and I didn't have any 'pre-season' free time to build up a bank of content. When I was busy (all the time... Uni life), there was simply no content and anything that went up was perhaps not always with complete maximum effort. I'm quite confident that having time to prepare for more posts will buy me that time that I need so I'm already very excited to see what Season 2 can bring.
E N D O F A G O O D Y E A R
JANUARY
This January was very wintery and full of snow. In this month, I finished my job at Superdrug and did a lot of walking. It was then that Jamie and I challenged ourselves to 1 walk every morning for 5 days - you can read about that here.
FEBRUARY
In February, we visited Lincoln. It feels like so long ago but I loved it so much and I'm desperate to go back again sometime soon.
MARCH
I passed my driving test - after so long of learning to drive this was a HUGE milestone for me! I was also lucky enough to visit Edinburgh for my Birthday. Unfortunately, I was terribly ill with a nasty cold the entire time so had to take it quite steadily - nonetheless, we managed to explore some amazing food and drink places and enjoy a relaxing weekend away.
APRIL
Not only did April bring with it some glorious sunny spring days, but it all also brought more local exploring and delicious cake baking.
MAY
More sunny weather came in May. I also got a mole removed (weird, but a big thing for me), joined the gym, and was gifted some amazing items and experiences for my blog - including items from Old English Co., YesTo, Botanics, and Living North Live.
JUNE
Amongst many other amazing things that happened in June, at the end of the month, I travelled to Nerja for my Summer Holiday.
JULY
After arriving home from Nerja, I enjoyed a bunch of free time with Jamie. I also began pen-palling Sofia around this time and I have memories of writing letters in the warm conservatory.
AUGUST
August was a big month as Jamie and I officially moved into our first ever flat together. We used this time to get settled into the new area and complete any errands that needed doing around the flat.
SEPTEMBER
Of course, in September, I started University and made some amazing new friends.
OCTOBER
This October, I started my new job as a Content Creator at University. I still can't believe that I got the job, to be honest, because the other candidates were amazing. I guess they just see something that I don't.
NOVEMBER
In November, I was just ultimately surviving through student life. That frequently required a lot of retail therapy.
DECEMBER
And, last but not least, December has been a case of plodding along and gritting my teeth in anticipation for Christmas. I've also been DOUBLE lucky as I visited Edinburgh again with family!
So that's my year through the months and through the eyes of a blogger.
Overall, it's been a year to never forget and, I've got to admit, looking back at the months like that and seeing all of the things I've achieved is just as shocking to me.
What did you do this year, both with your blog and life?
Obviously, aside from the odd few things in lecturers, I've learnt a lot over the past year. Some things good, some things not so good - but all worthwhile. Here are some lessons that I've learnt in 2018.
I ' M O N L Y H U M A N
At the start of 2018, I worked in retail. It's fair to say that it was around that time that I started really listening to my motto: 'I'm only human'. This initially came from the idea that customers in the shop would want me to run a marathon, perform magic tricks, and turn day to night for them - I quickly realised that it's normal that I can't be good at everything, make a miraculous change in customer service, or find their bloody order. However, this motto has, sure enough, followed me like a rather pleasant shadow all year. If I've ever found myself in bad moments of self-doubt or feelings of worthlessness, I've been able to remind myself that 'I'm only human'. It's physically impossible for one person to be good at everything, please everyone, AND be healthy all at once - but that's completely and utterly natural and okay.
C H A N G E C A N B E G O O D
It's without argument that I've undergone some pretty big changes this year, especially with the whole University malarkey (if you're new, you might not know, I started University this year). Nevertheless, I've loved every single minute of this change. I've welcomed new friends, new feelings, new places, new experiences, and new tasks. While not all of these things will have been a great success, they've definitely all managed to shape me as a person. I think, as well, that I've often worried a lot about changing. I'm often a home bird, attached to the village in which I grew up, and the friends and family that watched me grow; now, though, I'm embracing new chapters in my life and realising that embracing these things doesn't always cause 'bad change'. I'm in love with the city that I live in now, but still, have a special place for that village. I have wonderful new friends but have also found joy in meeting up with friends from years ago. It's things like this that truly give me the confidence to keep going.
W H O M A T T E R S M O S T
As I mentioned before, I've welcomed a lot of friends into my own bubble. From work colleagues to University friends, I'd consider myself a lot more social these days than I used to be. I've also started to realise, perhaps just as I grow older and maturer, that it's really important to hold on to those people who care for you. Whether that's parents or friends, I think that this year I've finally started to realise who matters the most in my own life. It is something that takes a lot of personal development and it helps to know exactly what you want out of a friendship and, in some respects, be a bit harsher on yourself. I'm now surrounded by people who care, people who will check up on me even when they don't just 'want something', people who want to spend time with me, and people who love me. Most importantly, I've learnt to reserve time for myself; after all, I have to live with me.
S H I N E A T A N Y T I M E
I've gone my whole life as the quiet one. I was never 'Head Girl', choir leader, Student Representative, or on the School Council - I've always kept my head down and pretty much plodded my way through education. After taking a gap year in 2018, I realised that I yearned for a 'purpose'. When I started University, I told myself that it was my time to shine. I went in with my shoulders back and my head held high. I borrowed books from the library, I threw my hand up in Seminars, and I landed a job at the Uni in the first few weeks. While I still have a long way to go, and a lot more waiting to be done, I am really proud of the things I've achieved so far. I've learnt that I don't always have to be the quiet one, I can shine at any time.
I C A N
Possibly most importantly, and possibly most stereotypically, I've learnt that there are more things that I can do than I thought. I can go to a nightclub and enjoy myself. I can go for drinks with the girls. I can pitch a blog post to a brand. I can get a job. I can go abroad. I can and I will. 2018 has been somewhat liberating. I've learnt so many things about myself, I've learnt my own capabilities, and learnt my own desires. I'm, of course, still (and probably always) learning the things that I can and can't do but, in some ways, I'm looking forward to being able to look back again and discover even more about myself.
What have you learnt in 2018?
At this time of year, I love to get creative. There's something so magical about Christmas that makes me want to make and give. Whether it's handwriting Christmas cards, gathering together a pamper hamper, or making the gift wrap look wonderful - I'm always down for a good go at it.
This year, I not only wanted to share my own ideas and inspirations for sprucing up presents, but I wanted to make sure I could do it in an eco-friendly way. Admittedly, my use of synthetic fabric ribbon does let my side down a little here but there definitely are alternatives out there as well as the possibility of reusing the fabric ones. Nevertheless, I simply wrapped all of my gifts in recycled brown paper and added my own personal touches. Here's what I did:
P O T A T O S T A M P I N G
I've got to admit, I was very excited to try this one because potato stamping is something I've never done before. The inspiration for this one came from this article but I put my own twist on it, using black ink instead of white and allowing for a more rustic-style shape. I adore how it turned out too!
If you plan on doing this, all you need is a basic potato with a steady hand for cutting. I opted for a Christmas Tree shape as it was pretty easy and quick to do but still looks festive and fab. I can't urge how careful you must be here though - please remember that potatoes can be quite soft and a slip of the knife can be nasty, perhaps wearing gloves and sitting in a calm, well-lit place would make this easier.
In terms of colour, I used a basic black ink pad. Of course, you can use paint for this too and the colour possibilities are endless. I reckon this would look wonderful with gold ink/paint. Similarly, you can do some doodling on top of your designs. I was going to add some white stars on my tree but decided to keep it simple.
G E L P E N D O O D L E S
I'm surprised that this one turned out well, to be honest. I laid the paper flat with a white gel pen in my hand and just went in for some doodling. Being the perfectionist that I am, I expected to look back and think it looked rubbish but, I actually really enjoyed that rustic, doodle style that I'd achieved. The inspiration for my design was from this Pin and ended up being so quick and easy to do.
If you want to give this a go, I recommend that you measure out your piece of paper, for the item you mean to wrap, then doodle across the whole sheet. You might feel as though some of your doodles will be wasted in the folds but it does end up giving a great effect when the drawings curve around the item seamlessly.
I used the Pilot Choose 07 white gel pen for my drawings which I believe gives great pigment but, with the brown paper being like a blank canvas, you could almost use any and every colour.
F E S T I V E F O L I A G E
The last one is something that I've seen being done a hella lot on Pinterest, including here, here, and here. Adding foliage to things seems to have been all the rage over the past few years and we all know that I'm certainly not shy of plants. They give this natural, minimal look to everything they appear on and it certainly works well with the brown paper.
I gathered a few leafy twigs from our outdoor conifer and just tucked them behind the label on my gift - it's as simple as that. This foliage could easily be added to any of the previous designs too, especially as it carries on so well with the green ribbon.
For my other gifts, I think I'll try adding some different types of foliage too, such as eucalyptus and pine leaves. What other plants would you add?
D I Y L A B E L S
When we came home one day, started wrapping, then realised we hadn't purchased any labels/tags for the gifts, I had to resort to making my own. Luckily, my first one turned out great so I kept making them on and on.
I cut these labels out of brown craft paper after creating my unique designs. For each design, I will write something Christmassy in my own typography style. For all of my calligraphy, I tend to use the Tombow Brush Pen which I adore (!) and completely swear by. It's such a trusty piece of stationery which would also be a good gift in itself for any of your bullet-journalling friends.
If you don't have the time to make your own gift wrap or find some foliage in the garden, you can opt out of plastic-coated card this Christmas by adding your own DIY labels to your gifts.
I'd love to know what ideas you all have for gift wrapping this year!
Let me know in the comments...
I've gone many years as a blogger joining in with the 'product advent calendar' craze. Opening the cardboard door on Instagram stories, googling my eyes at the minature bottles in my hand, and being very tempted to open the next door a day early. This year, however, I'm not going to follow the Piper and I'm finally going to give into my judgements and say 'no' to the advent calendars. Here's 3 reasons why:
Do I really need all that stuff?
Opening a door everyday for 25 days means that you're highly likely to be presented with something that won't quite be as useful as the rest (unless it's cheese, of course). I remeber opening doors over the past few Christmases to things such as bright blue glitter lip-liner or minature hand creams that, quite frankly, smell more like the plastic they're kept in that the 'strawberry' they're supposed to smell like. After the Zoella-Christmas gate of last year, we all know well enough now that a lot of the big companies will search high and low for their cheapest products to put into these advent calendars before slapping a big price tag on. And, to be honest, it's stuff that we just don't need and half the time, didn't even want. Of course, I'm speaking for myself here, but I'm sure I'd rather have useful gifts from my family than 25 minature gifts that will be stashed away and never really be used.
They cost an arm and a leg.
Carrying on from that point, these advent calendars come with some pretty heafty price tags. While almost everything in calendars such as the Lacome and The Body Shop ones are minatures, they're still both priced at around £80-85. Nevertheless, I'm sure a great deal of these advent calendars do have a lot of value for their price but, when it comes to spending £320 on a Diptyque Advent calendar or a mindblowing £999 on a Whisky Advent Calendar, I certainly won't be queing at the doors. If the whisky advent calendar flies off the shelves, I might just be Michael Jackson.
There's a LOT of waste materials.
Seeing as though there's been an influx in awareness of waste, specifically plastic waste over the past year, I thought it was extremely revelvant to pick up on the sheer amount waste created from these advent calendars. Not only do the huge plastic boards - those used for creating the structure of the calendars - make it difficult when it comes to recycling (if they're recylable, that is), but usually, by the time your all done with it, you're left with a bunch of celephane wrap, tiny plastic tubes, bottles, and whatnot. This christmas, I'm going to save the space in my recycling bin and give the sea a rest by stepping back from the advent calendars.
Despite the fact that I've just moaned on about these advent calendars for a short while, I can't deny that they are super cool and I do understand how exciting they can be for others. If you're going to be grabbing an advent calendar this year, do make sure to giveaway anything you don't need to someone else who may find it of better use and don't forget to do your best when it comes to organising waste.
Otherwise, you could just grab a minature stocking and get your friends and family to fill it with a chocolate treat once a day. I reckon that might be what I go for this year.
What are your advent calendar plans this year?
As a creature of habit, it's actually quite a rare occasion that I find new favourites. I've always been the kind of girl to get through a full tub of moisturiser and repurchase the same concealer but, every now and then, I live life on the wild side and pick up a new item.
Funnily enough, the 4 items in my Favourites this month are mostly those that have been sat in my draws for a little while and generally gone untouched. In a way, I've kind of rekindled a fondness with them and definitely enough to boost them right into my favourites this month. So, here's what I've been loving:
La Roche Posay Effaclar Clarifying Toner
After suffering my a mighty-fine blackhead on my nose for the past few months, I finally managed to remove the monstrosity recently. After removing it, though, I was left with a stretched pore that needed closing quickly and safely in order to prevent any dirt or dead skin from building back up in there. This toner, designed for tightening pores and mattifying the skin was a saviour for helping me close that pore efficiently. Nevertheless, this stuff also sorts me out on 'oily-days' - those long days that leave you feeling a bit greasy and in need of a good 'strip' (an 'oil-from-the-skin' strip, of course; get your head out of the gutter).
'Men's' deodorant
This one is quite random and, although I've captured pictures of the Cien Invisible 48hr Deodorant for Men, it was actually just the first one I picked up; so, I can't quite claim to be the expert in Men's Deodorant brands just yet. Nevertheless, this deodorant has fulfilled my expectation that Men's hygiene products are better, and often more effective, than women's. Don't get me started on the whole 'Men's' products, 'Women's' products gate - that's a topic for another time. This time, it's worth mentioning that this deodorant smells strong, fresh and definitely lasts all day. I'll definitely be sticking to these roll-ons.
KIKO Glitter Eyeliner 01
Not only did this glitter eyeliner serve me well for my Haloween Outfit as a Mermaid, but I just adore applying it over eyeshadow or eyeliner for a little bit of a pop. In a club, well-lit area, or anywhere the party goes, I really enjoy seeing my eyes sparkle all the multicolours. And, best of all, after the liner has dried, you can't even feel it or tell it's there. As someone who suffers from sensitive eyes, I've had no reactions whatsoever from this, so I'm over the moon.
Revolution HD Pro Brows Palette
It's certainly one that surprised me when it came into my makeup routine. I'm always the one to simply pencil my eyebrows in with the same old little brow pencil but, this month, I ventured out. I've got to be honest, this HD Brow palette is definitely something that I reach for when I have a little bit more time and less when I'm up at the crack of dawn. If I'm going out someone special, I'll definitely spend more time perfecting my brows with this palette - I use the gel for the basic shape and to add fine-lines (as hairs) throughout, then finish filling with a mixture of a few of the powder colours.
I've actually found the highlighter cream pan perfect for the inner corners of my eyes when doing an eyeshadow look - there's a little hack for you!
What have been your beauty favourites lately?
Once a month, a local food market pops up and reminds me of how much I adore eating Chicken Gyros, seeing the local produce, the friendly familiar faces, and the unique wonders.
Bizarrely, the Jesmond Food Market was something that Jamie and I stumbled upon by accident one month and now we just can't get enough. We especially invite friends and family along on the days it's scheduled for, in order to show them around, show it off, and as another excuse to see and eat the brilliant food ourselves.
Despite growing up in a village, I've never ever been exposed to a market like this which creates such a high sense of community and joy. It's great tastes and great people all packed into one jar and I'm actually extremely proud to call it my local market. While I'd love to keep it a secret, I can't help but share just one of the brilliant reasons for visiting Newcastle.
Kicking it off with one of my favourites stalls, manned by a friendly beekeeper, it is, of course, The Travelling Bee Company. Alongside the astonishing array of honey types, both local and 'guest', you can even find Honey Bee Pollen, Lip Balms, and Honeycomb, and more. Everything you could possibly get from a busy little bee, this guy has got it! I adore products like these; those that are locally sourced and made with so much heart and passion - this has to bee one to visit.
I wouldn't be able to miss a stall that sold houseplants, would I?
The market is actually held on a bridge that crosses over The Jesmond Dene. Armstrong Bridge is one of the most unique bridges across the Jesmond area and is rich in history. While it was once open to motor vehicles, it's now exclusive to pedestrians and it's very proud little market. When walking across this bridge on days other than market days, there are some fantastic views over the area - you might recognise the bridge in this Insta pic of mine!
Last but not least, is the Newcastle favourite: The Acropolis Street Food. I reckon I'd happily eat their food every day for my entire life - it's just a complete fistful (or three) of indulgent goodness. My order is typically the Chicken Gyros: A Pitta bread stuffed with salad, chips and chicken, then topped off with Acropolis and tzatziki sauce! Honestly, I don't dare to describe it anymore before I start drooling.
All in all, it's not only a lovely trip out for the family, but it's an even better way to support small, local businesses and the community itself. I think I'll definitely hold this little gem in my heart for a long time.
When I was planning my posts for this month, I decided that seeing as though I've been pretty quiet lately, it was only necessary to do a little catch-up. The thing with doing a catch up is that my life is pretty much a 'Uni life' these days. Therefore, I thought it was more than necessary to make this catchup a general look at how Uni has been for me so far. So, for anyone mildly interested or any future students who just wanna get a feel for this University malarkey, continue on.
Making friends.
I've been lucky enough to make an amazing couple of friends. The gals that I 'hang around' with are all on my course and, even better, totally except me for being the loser that I am. And by that I mean, I couldn't ask for better friends to expect me as the anti-party-animal that I am. Not only that, but they make me feel so much calmer in the city, in my lectures and around everyone else because we've all clicked so well. We got to know each other before Uni started, through a Facebook group chat so, if you're going to be starting Uni in the future, I'd definitely recommend taking advantage of these group chats.
My course.
If you didn't already know, I'm at University studying English Language. It's a subject that I'm really passionate about and so far it has not disappointed. As you can imagine, there's a lot of reading that comes with my course which can sometimes make me feel really pinned down - I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself with these kinds of things so I'm still trying to find a healthy balance. Nevertheless, I am pleased that we have got right into the learning and that there are challenges to face, rather than just painstaking, too-easy work. I'm definitely enjoying learning again after a year out.
General social life.
I touched on it a little bit up there but, to be honest, I have had a lot less worry and stress about not being a big drinker than I expected. Moving up to Newcastle meant that I was scared of being judged for hating nightclubs and being fast asleep after two glasses of wine but, to be honest, it's fine. I've found myself some friends that accept me for who I am and I actually think that people just generally prefer you to be honest. I've actually begun to realise that being honest is what makes you a better person in the eyes of others and, more importantly, yourself. Other than that, I feel as though I have a nice balance of work and social right now as I've been making sure to say yes to lunch with friends and stick around Uni to work together.
Living away from home.
Since I moved away from home, I've actually felt a lot better than I expected to feel. I am typically very homesick when I'm away from home (on holiday for example) but I think that being not too far from home, being able to FaceTime home whenever I need to, and having my boyfriend (and best friend) living with me, it just seems to be so much easier. I think I'm lucky with this one though - not everyone can go to a University that's the perfect distance from home, nor can everyone move in with their best friends, but I think the most important thing to know is that it's okay to feel homesick - definitely don't let it break you apart.
A new job.
I cannot believe I'm saying this. If you'd asked me a month ago 'Are you going to get a job while you're at Uni?', I would've point blank said 'no'. I really didn't want to come home from a long day of studying only to have to go back out and paint on a smile in retail. It wasn't until the role of Digital Content Creator came up within the University's Marketing Team - I just knew that, with my love for writing, my creativity, and my experience with having a blog for god-knows-how-long, it sounded completely perfect for me. I was incredibly lucky enough to get through the long and shortlist and was employed; I literally can't believe it, especially as those on my team seem to have so much talent. Everyone within the team seems lovely and I feel so grateful to be earning money to do something that I enjoy.
I recently sat down to an episode of the Ear Biscuits Podcast by the well-known Youtubers, Rhett and Link. If you don't already know, Rhett and Link are two family guys who produce daily videos on their Good Mythical Morning channel - I totally recommend that you watch some of their videos, they certainly never fail to make me laugh. It was one of their recent podcast recordings, though, that caught my mind.
The podcast was titled 'How do we deal with Youtuber 'Burnout''. Throughout the entire 1hr episode, the guys discussed the idea of 'Content Creator Burnout' and how, not only is it becoming more and more visible across YouTube, but that it was happening to themselves. They discussed 'burnout' as an issue which sees YouTubers under so much pressure (from both their audiences and themselves) to the limit where they're at breaking point. It's been seen where some YouTubers have taken a break from uploading content or, in severe cases, completely quit the job. And, of course, to quit or give up something that you first started for enjoyment and passion is sad.
The particular message that I got from this podcast was the moment when Rhett said: "You have to choose. You have to choose between complete creative control or mental health". This statement, for me, spoke a thousand words.
Obviously, you've probably already worked out that all of my thoughts were adapted to fit the context of my own content as a blogger, rather than a Youtuber. Either way, they're both platforms and types of content that bring along that inevitable fear of 'burn out'. The work that goes behind a blog post is a lot more than what's often seen on the other side. And, while I've been told before 'are you not just taking it too seriously?', I often think 'Well why would I have this blog, why would I work so hard, and why would I stick with it, if I just didn't care about it?'.
But that begs another question: is taking a step back showing that you don't care? Of course not.
As the guys mentioned in their podcast, it's coming to the point now, in the age of growing mental health awareness, that taking time to look after yourself and, in this case, avoid 'burnout' is acceptable. In fact, I wish I could say it's not 'acceptable', it's just 'expected'.
I started University at the start of this month and, boy can my stats tell me so. I had 3 posts up at the start of the month then even I started wondering where I went after that. In that time, I also started a new job as a Digital Content Creator within my Uni which meant that a lot of my creativity is being used within that role. At the end of the day, after working on content creation, understanding Uni work and battling through general day-to-day anxiousness, I am burnt out. I want my blog to stay where it is, I want it to succeed and I'd love to have content up there to show for myself but what happens when this burnout just means I can't. If I'm at home, I'm probably asleep - tired from the day's work. And I'm scared. Because what happens when Exam season comes around and I have even more to think about but that niggling thought of having a 'neglected blog' just sits in my mind?
Listening to Rhett and Link in that podcast has inspired me to make a new move with my blog. It's something that I haven't seen done before and something that, for now, I'm just going to experiment with to see how it goes.
I'm going to set my blog into 'Seasons'.
Just how your favourite TV show does so, I'm going to allocate certain parts of the year in which I'll upload blog posts and they'll be called 'Seasons' (for example, I'm currently in Season 1). I've been doing some planning recently and decided that, from now on, I will upload content to my blog between October-December and between March-June. There'll also be a week in August and perhaps some bits and bobs in between if I find myself with time and inspiration but for now, I've decided that the best way for me to look after myself and avoid any kind of downfall with my blog, this is something worth giving a go.
While I'll only upload content to my blog within these time, it does give me a better chance to focus on other parts of my 'brand' in the meantime. Not only should taking breaks build better content on my blog, but I should potentially be able to focus on new kinds of content for my Instagram. On the other hand, there could be some changes on my Twitter too. I'm going to tone my tweet scheduling right down. Over the summer, I was at the point where around 30 promotional tweets were going up per week but now I'm going to listen to my mind, body, and schedule and take that down to around 7 tweets a week. At first, this change might start off a bit slow, but I'm really excited and confident that it's going to work out in the long run.
There may be more changes along the way but right now I'm accepting the idea that planning my blog into 'seasons' isn't giving up or 'not caring', it's simply working out a way that's best for me in order to make the best blog I possibly can.
What do you think about Blog Seasons?
After living in the comforts of a village all of my life, moving to a big City for University was a huge step. Not only would I have to navigate busy streets, complicated public transport, and the sheer amount of people, I'd also have to tackle the nightlife. Of course, I don't have to go out at night in Newcastle but, as party season starts, and nights get darker, there's more possibility that I'll start feeling a lot more fear in the town.
I think it's something so important to talk about, too. Not everyone gets the chance to talk about the fears of night-life in such a public space like this and, in some cases, people don't even want to think about it. But, unfortunately, in this day and age, it's something that needs to be spoken about.
Luckily, the amazing campaign Shout-Up is coming back to Newcastle for their 4th stage of work and they're planning on making the 'toon' a safer place to be at night.
So what is Shout Up?
The campaign focuses on bystander intervention by making the venues and patrons collectively responsible for the safety of men and women by recognising the sexually aggressive behaviour.
Which venues are taking part next?
If you know Newcastle, you'll be delighted to hear that some of the most popular venues have already taken part in the group's 'Phase Two'. Venues in Ouseburn, Jesmond, and The Diamond Strip have already been part of the previous Shout-Up movement. The venues on The Diamond Strip include: Tup Tup Palace, Perdu, Flares, Retro, Florita’s, Madame Koo, House of Smith.
Next up, venues in the City Centre are taking part and Shout-Up is going to be focusing on the 'student experience' and set for keeping students, specifically Freshers, safe. The new venues of Phase Four include: Newcastle University Student Union, Northumbria University Student Union, Tiger Tiger, O2 Academy, Powerhouse, City Vaults, Bier Kellar, Digital.
What makes Shout-Up different?
Unlike other campaigns such as Ask for Angela, which, although are still a step in the right direction, inadvertently place the responsibility on the victims to remove themselves from the situation, Shout-Up trains venue staff to spot the signs of sexual assault and ensure that the perpetrator is removed from the venue. So, while I said "Of course, I don't have to go out at night", this fear of risk certainly shouldn't be stopping me. Knowing that there's going to be people around me that will be trained for the worst situations makes me feel like I'd be less of a responsible victim. This campaign changes the whole dynamic of sexual harassment, for me.
So what can you do?
To ensure that this amazing campaign is fulfilled to its full capacity, it would be amazing for you all to show your support. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter, spread the word amongst your friends, and make sure you visit Shout-Up Ambassador Venues.
With the help and support of campaigns like this,
we can all make Newcastle a safe place for a great night.
This blog post was sponsored by Shout-Up
Since starting University, you can probably imagine, I’ve been doing a lot of reading. I’m required to be clued up, not only on academic texts, but how the world around me is adapting and changing in regards to my subject. Of course, it came to no surprise that, as an English student, I’d have to become a pro when it comes to reading. Luckily for me, I found the most perfect app that I can use, not only to archive my favourite reading material but one that will suggest reading material for me and thus widen my topical knowledge - it’s a Uni Students dream! The app that I’m describing is Pocket. I’m sure a handful of you have already got the app happily sitting there on your phone or your desktop but, for those of you missing out, here’s why you should be downloading the best app for making you a better reader.
Firstly, I'll let you know exactly what I use this app for. As an English Language Student, a lot of my research is based on topical evidence - studies must always take into mind how the world around me is moving and shaping and how exactly that impacts language use. Compared to a typical maths student, this means English Language students have to look up from their textbooks a lot more often. For me, I really didn't want to go subscribing to Newspapers or Magazines in the mere hope that something English Language would pop up every blue moon. Nor did I want to sit and scour the endless swirls of the internet archives for the rest of my life. Pocket came into play right here and it was stepping up to Premium that made the app exactly what I needed.
But wait, let me just tell you how this works first. The app can be added as a button on your phone or laptop. This means that, when you're scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, or your favourite online news source, you can simply share the link to Pocket where it will be stored for you to read at a later date and even when you're offline. The basic level of Pocket means that you can download these articles/texts from over 800 apps, so you're almost definitely guaranteed that your favourite news source will be there.
One of my favourite features with Pocket is the automatic device syncing system. I have the application installed on my iPhone and my MacBook but that certainly doesn't mean that I have a mixture of articles jotted around the place - my saved downloads sync easily between devices which means that, wherever I am, whether it's at home, in the library, or even in the bath, I can have a read through one of my chosen texts.
As you build up an archive of content that you want to read or is relevant to your studies, you can then tag these items into more niche fields. For example, I've saved a bunch of texts into My List but, to save myself searching through them all when there's one in particular that I want to read, I can either search for its title or with Premium, search for it by Tags. I have one particular Tag called 'Accents' where I store all of my saved articles that are discussing accents.
Another related feature that Premium brings along here is suggesting tags. I have one article downloaded that is titled 'Why are there so many Posh British Accents in Star Wars'. While I choose to tag this one as 'Accents', Pocket Premium will present suggested tags such as 'Movies', 'Film' and 'Star Wars'. This feature makes tagging your items so much quicker and, overall, categorising them in this way, makes the world of articles so much neater and right in your hand.
Not only does premium allow me to search using Tags, but I can also search by Topic, Author, and even text pieces. Finding what you're looking for was never easier - I would never be able to go back to digging through the internet after this. With a tighter schedule, this certainly saves Students a bunch of time.
Of course, it doesn't stop there; while both basic and Pocket Premium provide brilliant customer support (which I think is one of the keys to a good brand), whether you need a simple question answering or help with your account, I found them really efficient and professional. But, Pocket Premium is completely the gift that keeps giving - uninterrupted ad-free experiences as well as a permanent archive. This means that, if the authors remove or change the text, you will have it saved away in your safe and soft blanket of Pocket. As a student, I never know when I'm going to need to refer back to these texts and I can imagine that there'd be nothing more devastating than being half-way through an essay only to find that one of your sources has disappeared from your sight.
This Publishers Weekly Article discusses the key things that make you a better reader. But what do we mean when we say 'a better reader'? How can we all improve on something so ritualistic and natural? The article explains perfectly that "reading takes time" and, I'm sure you'll all agree that, in the 21st Century, we're all living and breathing the desire to make things easier, quicker and more efficient, thus becoming a 'better reader' is becoming more and more necessary.
The points in the article that I found the most useful included: the idea that it's important to put down a book if you aren't enjoying it. What is the point of reading the material if it's not benefiting you or opening your mind to inspiration and thoughts? This resonates with the use of Pocket to me - if you choose an article to read in Pocket and don't like it halfway through, there's no buyer's remorse; you didn't fork out your wages to buy that one piece of text so removing it from your list is fine-and-dandy, just add in another text of your choice, and another, and another.
Similarly, it's essential to skim. If you hadn't already realised, not every piece of information is important within a text. With the majority of Pocket content being news articles and other digital content, there's often a lot of information to take in at once. It's great to teach yourself the skill of picking out the most vital information. Using Pocket as your source of information from across the internet means you can learn this skill anywhere from sitting on the Tube or your sofa.
As much as we all dream of living in a home where the walls are faced like that of a Lois Lowry Library, it sure would take up a bunch of space. The Gretchen Rubin article states that 2 of the crucial ways to be better at reading are having 'plenty of material on hand' and 'keep it handy'. You can see where I'm going here, right? Using Pocket completes those two things with a big-fat TICK but, instead of needing to install bookshelves all around you, the texts that you want will always be saved into the small, wondrous world of your device, subject to your use whenever you wish.
So what is it that makes you a better reader?
Are you on Pocket? Let's be friends - search aliceg17!
*This post was sponsored by Pocket.
With World Mental Health Day approaching on October 10th, I really wanted to do something for it. I really didn't want to share another one of my mental health experiences or write another list of Things Not To Say because, as much as I love participating in the online world of mental health support, I really feel as though there are so many amazing blog posts out there that are so helpful, put things perfectly, and deserve to be shared. Therefore, this year I'm sharing a handful of blog posts, based around all different aspects of Mental Health, that I believe you should all give a read on this lead up to World Mental Health Day.
Before I start I also want to let you know that you can access all of my previous Mental Health Blog Posts here.
This blog post takes me back to my job hunting months and how, even though no one called me unemployable, it's how my brain made me feel. I think that this blog post is exactly what I needed back then because anxiety isn't who I am and it certainly doesn't get to rule mine or your life.
A completely beautiful piece written with care, thought, research, and heart. The words really touched me and I felt so much passion when I finished it. Definitely, one to read if you want to be motivated to change the way society feels and acts about mental health in your own little way.
Such an honest and somewhat heartbreaking post. This post is an insight into Naomi's experience of her 2nd bought of anxiety and depression - she writes like a true novelist and opens it with a few sentences that have really hung around in my mind:
Quick and simple ways to add little bits of self-care into your day. They aren't difficult, they don't cost an arm and a leg, and the post is so easy to read through on the go, before bedtime or even with breakfast.
Another one from Flo La Vita because she puts what feels like the most complex issues into quick and easy to read blog posts. Not only do I love the way she addressed the topic of therapy, with its pros and cons, but I especially appreciate the way it's set up into bullet points for the reader.
This brilliantly links with those suffering from mental health issues as well as just others simply having a bad day. My favourite one has to be 'Binge watch your favourite TV show' because that's something that is definitely guaranteed to cheer me up.
If you've had a look through my own Mental Health blog posts, you'll know that I love writing about the tasks and challenges that I'm going to put forward for myself. Steph writes a different twist on this style of post, talking about the things that she's going to do in order to kick anxiety up the...
This is another one of those empowering blog posts that really makes you want to turn around and face your anxiety or mental health issues straight on. However, it's not only that, Rebecca writes about 'Letting Uncomfortable Feeling Pass' in the sense that sometimes it's okay to accept these feelings and symptoms, letting them pass without giving them the attention they long for.
A brilliant feel-good message on the little things that you can do, day to day, to relieve anxious thoughts and even just a bought of upset.
Another blog post showcasing a list of different ways to look after yourself this World Mental Health Day but I love how this one is written with a brilliantly informed head. I also really relate with Sophia's point: 'Focus your Energy Elsewhere' because I'm a firm believer that keeping yourself busy and distracted is a fantastic way to fight off anxious thoughts.
As you can imagine, there are so many more different blog posts out there about mental health and this is most certainly just a small handful of some that have really caught my eye. I really hope that even just one of them resonates with you and, if it doesn't change your mindset, that it brings you a small sense of support. There is so much out there to read and access if you aren't feeling your best self - never forget that there's help out there.
I'd love you all to share your favourite mental health blog posts in the comments or feel free to send them to me through my social media and we can discuss them together.
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