Tips for starting University

So the prospect of starting University can be extremly daunting especially if you are moving away however these are meant to be the best years of your life, so make the most of it!


Here are just a few tips that I would encourage you to do in order to make the most of your University experience😊

1. Sign up for a society right away! Societys are typically student led organizations that run outside of your course as a sort of 'after-school' club. There are tones of societies in most Universities that can range from sports, political, theatre or subject related societies to a Harry Potter, Disney or Anime society. Societies are a way for you to make new friends or just have a bit of an escape from your course. There are so many to choose from and if theres nothing you fancy there is potential to start your own in most Universities!   

     2. Get involved with your course! Something I wish I had done more of whilst at University. Most courses will put on extra events or workshops especially within the arts to help you build up your skills and it is a really great way to get to know your department and the staff within your subject area. There are often opportunities for students to get involved with projects within their courses and it will add a whole lot to your uni experience.

     3. Make the most of the facilities on campus. I wish that I had used the facilities on campus much more than I did because it would have made my experience as a third year much easier. Because I didn't take the time to get to know the equipment and facilities in my first years I've had to catch up now which is pretty unhelpful when I have at least a thousand deadlines (ok I'm exaggerating but third year is suuuuuper busy). 

     4. University can get very hectic and draining if you don't allow time for yourself so make sure to plan your time carefully and be productive! As much as the work is important and it should be a priority it is also important to enjoy things such as the nightlife, hanging out with your friends or having a quiet movie night in every once in a while! Be spontaneous and make memories because University goes by wayyyy too quickly! 

How to save money at DisneyLand Paris

So if you're planning a trip to Disneyland Paris on a budget there are definitely a number of ways that you can save money on food whilst in the parks and in the Disney Village. After visiting the parks numerous times I have definitely found the cheapest way of doing things to keep the cost down as it can be quite expensive!

The best way to save money at DLP is by planning where and how you are going to eat. There are plenty of restaurants all over the parks but with most meals costing at least 13.99 euros a person it can soon add up.

Here are a few of the ways/places that I use to save money:

• The train station right outside of the parks entrance is great for cheap snacks (crisps, chocolate, pastries, sweets, biscuits) and offers meal deals for as low as 4 euros consisting of a sandwich, drink and snack (crisps, cake or fruit). We usually grab this deal whilst hopping over to the other park around lunch time since you are allowed to bring this food into the parks. 

•  The Train station also sell water for much cheaper than the parks. The parks charge roughly 3.50 euros for a 500ml bottle of water whereas you can get nearly three bottles for that price in the train station shops. They also do 750ml and 1litre bottles for under 3 euros so it really can help you to save money, especially in the warmer months! 

• The Earl of Sandwich store in the Disney Village is another cheaper alternative to eating in the parks. Their sandwiches retail at around 6.95 euros, salads at 7.95 euros and soups at 3.95 (Soups are delicious by the way). The food here is really great quality and so filling, I would definitely recommend for a lunch time meal. http://www.dlpguide.com/planning/dining/restaurant-menus/earl-of-sandwich/

• Check the back of receipts from anywhere in the parks as sometimes there are vouchers printed on the back. Also if you book your park tickets online some websites will offer a percentage off  some restaurants if you book with them.  

• Take an empty water bottle because there are free water fountains dotted around both parks to save money on buying water!

• The Mcdonalds in the Disney Village is cheaper than the other restaurants however can still be quite pricey and is usually always very busy!

Florida

In March I was fortunate enough to go to Florida for two weeks on holiday with my mum and dad. This was my fourth time to Florida and its safe to say it gets better every single time! We stayed on International Drive in the Enclave Suites and bought tickets to all of the theme parks. Although the hotel wasn't quite what we were expecting we still had a fantastic time and the swimming pools were great. We loved walking down to the lake to see wild turtles, fish and ducklings. We also had a lovely view of the surrounding theme parks. International Drive itself was great for us since we enjoy going for meals outside of the hotel and the drive is full of varied restaurants. We had stayed on International Drive in 2014 and there had been so much improvement to the shops and general atmosphere of the drive. When we visited previously many of the shops were closing down and the place seemed quite dismal. However this time round the area had flourished and is now a very clean, welcoming and busy place with numerous new attractions including the I-Drive 360, outlets and SeaLife. There was always plenty to do and everything was very accessible with cheap bus fares which was great after long days at the parts. 

For the first few days we headed to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. I was amazed at how many new rides there were since I went in 2014. I was the most excited about Harry Potter World since they now had Diagon Alley which I had never seen before. Once we had explored Hogsmead (which is incredible) we took the Hogswart Express train to Diagon Alley. This train ride was incredible and the interactive screens were fantastic and so detailed. As soon as I got off the train it felt as if I were in Kings Cross, there were post boxes, timetables with city around England and the famous platform 9 3/4 sign. We walked along the street where there was the Knight bus and tall 'London' inspired buildings. Then we came cross a wall in the middle which people kept coming out from so we decided to see what it was and Oh my god. I could not believe how amazing it looked, the minute you walk round the wall you are in the heart of Diagon Alley. Its literally just like the film and the attention to detail is incredible. There are so many interactive things around that are compatible with the wands that you can buy there and you can purchase butterbear from the stalls. After walking round and taking it all in we queued up for the Gringotts ride. We queued for just over an hour the first time although I would recommend using the single riders due since that was only 15-20 minutes. The queuing experience was great as you walk through the bank and theres so much to see including the goblins and the bank itself. Its all very impressive. The ride itself was amazing, I am not a huge lover of big rides but this one was perfect and I really felt I was in the film. 

The rest of Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure was great. We particularly enjoyed the Simpsons ride, Transformers and E.T. Adventure and eating a giant dohnut! 

For the next week or so we tried to visit as many of the Disney parks as we could. By this time we were pretty tired so much of our adventures into the parks happened around three in the afternoon. My favourites were Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. For all of the Disney Parks we used the fast track system where you can book a time slot for a particular ride on the App. This meant that we got the chance to go on rides that we deffinatly wouldn't have been able to since it was spring break and the parks were super busy. 

Epcot was a lovely day since we spent hours walking round the 'World' and ate lunch in a Moroccan  restaurant which was so tasty and a change from the American food we had been eating. The test track ride is an absolute must! We decided to go single rider since the queue was an hour long. We waited around 10 minutes and the ride was really good, especially if you like speed. 

Magic Kingdom has to be my all time favourite park. The minute you walk in everything seems so magical and perfect. The disney music played round the park and the scent of candy floss, cake and popcorn fills the air. I always feel like a little kid at magic kingdom because everyone is so happy and theres just this huge magical feel about the place. I cannot wait to go when I eventually have children of my own! My favourite ride is Thunder Mountain, Im not a huge lover of big rollercoasters but this one is just the right size for me. I was disappointed that we didn't get to go on the new Dwarfs mine train since the queue was over 2 hours long and all of the fast passes were booked up for three weeks, so Ill deffinatly book in advance next time! 

The other park I thoroughly enjoyed was Animal Kingdom. I had not been to this park since 2011 so it was nice to see what had changed. We headed to Expidition Everest first. I was super nervous since its extremely high and fast, when I first came off it I swore I would never do it again but now looking back on it it wasn't that bad and the idea around it was really good. We also had an amazing time on the safari. We managed to get on one of the last safari rides as the sun was setting which was just lovely and the animal were really active and close. Im a huge lover of animals so this was a magical experience for me. 

My overall holiday to Florida was amazing, we went on many new rides than we had done on previous trips since I am more confident with bigger rides and the fast passes allowed us to pack more into our day. We also had a great time shopping down International Drive and tried so many new foods. 

Cannot wait to plan our next trip!x

Disney Land!!!!!

So after all of my exams were over I headed to Disney Land Paris with a few of my friends. It was over 30 degrees and bright sunshine which made the trip even more magical.

Disney Land is probably my most favourite and sentimental places to visit due to spending so much of my time there growing up. Every year my parents would take my brother and I at Christmas so it was nice to experience it in a different season.

We managed to get on a lot of rides but Thunder Mountain has always been and will always be my favourite ride ever. Ratatouille was also amazing and had such fantastic effects. Sharing this trip with my friends made it so special since we all share a love for Disney and had never been away from home with each other before.

June Birchbox and review

I decided to subscribe to Birchbox back in February of this year. It is a monthly beauty box which contains around 5 beauty related products that are mostly mini versions of the full size products that you can buy through Birchbox or other websites, although they do throw in a few full size things every now and again. Some months the boxes are great and I have received some really great products however there have been a couple of months where the products weren't so great. I think this months box is very well suited for summer and most of the items will be useful for me. Also the packaging is super cute this month!

So here you can see all of the products I got in this months box and I will go through each one and review them since I have tried them all out!

So the first , and probably my favourite product, was this Whish Coconut Milk CC body cream which retails at full size for around 15 pounds. It is an all natural lotion that has a slight shimmer to it to give you a bronzed glow. Since the weather in England has been really nice over the past few weeks I have been using this a lot on my shoulders and arms because thats where the sun hits the most and it basically acts as a highlighter for your body. It smells really nice without being too over powering and the shimmer is really subtle which I like. Overall it is a very lovely product for the summer, although you could probably find something really similar at a cheaper price.

The next product is this Absolution Le Nettoyant Purete which is a gel cleanser. It is made of natural ingredients and retails for 26 pound. I have used this a couple of times and it is okay. It feels really light on the skin and smells really earthy and fresh, however, I'm not entirely sure that it has done all that much for my skin, it feels more like a face wash rather than cleanser and I don't think it is worth the money.

I also received this hairspray by Percy&Reed which retails for 12 pound. I was quite disappointed this month when I saw that there was a hairspray in it (since I own so many bottles) HOWEVER, this hairspray is humidity-resistant and more of a mist so that you don't get the crunchy feeling which I think is perfect for summer, especially for when I go on holiday since England doesn't really get too humid. I think I will save this for my trip to Spain at the end of the month to see if it really works in humidity. 

Next I got this Pure & Light organic face cream which retails for 29 pounds. This moisturiser is packed with vitamins A, B, C, and E as well as omegas 3 and 6 to boost cell renewal. It is also an antioxidant which I love. I really like that this is an organic product and I know that the ingredients will really help my skin. It dries very fast and is light feeling on the skin with a subtle sandalwood scent. It is very hydrating and my skin feels really healthy the next morning which I love, its just a little pricey for me to repurchase again when there are similar products that a are cheaper. 

Lastly I got this Cynthia Rowley brightening illuminator retailing for 19 pounds. You can use this was highlighter on your high points or under your make up for a natural glow. It is VERYYYY shimmery so I tend to use it under my foundation and it can by hard to blend since it dries very fast. I would say that it is a good product if you want a liquid highlighter but there are definitely dupes that will cut the price a lot. 

So that is everything I received in this months Birchbox, as you can see they are mostly all summer related which I love and there are a lot of natural products which is always nice. Im not sure that I will use every product or repurchase them but they will be nice to take on holiday

x 

Spring Favourites 2016

This spring I have found a few new beauty/ cosmetic products that I have been loving. I love how fresh everything becomes in spring and how much more you can do when the sun is out. I literally cannot wait for summer now!

The first thing I have been loving is this deodorant by Soft&Gentle. I know that a lot of places such as Holland&Barrett sell natural deoderants with no aluminuim and I really like their Salt of the Earth collection (all natural) in particular, however, its really nice to see that other brands are taking a more natural approach like this Soft&Gentle one. The product also states that there is no alcohol or allergens either and claims to be the UK's first aluminium free antiperspirant deodorant which is great! There are three scents available as far as I am aware including 'Active', 'Floral' and 'Care'. I have purchased two bottles of Floral and one bottle of Active and I love them both. They work really well as an antiperspirant and use natural plant extract which does not feel harsh on the skin. This Floral scent is my favourite because its not sickly (if that makes sense) and I love the fact that it is better for you to use and less harsh than a normal deodorant. They retail for around 3 pound which is a little pricey for a deodorant but well worth it if its gonna be better for your skin, right?

My next favourite this spring has been this gradual tanning moisturiser from Dove which is a body lotion with self-tanners for a natural bronze glow. I have used quite a few gradual tan moisturisers from Garnier and Avon etc however I felt that they smelled quite biscuity. If you fake tan then you'll know what smell I mean! But this one just smells like a normal moisturiser and is really hydrating for the skin. I usually use this 2-3 times a week to keep a natural glow to my skin. I love how this doesn't go streaky or orange and genuinely looks like you've had a bit of sun. You can buy this product in fair-medium or medium-dark, I generally use the medium to dark one because I have a slight tan to my skin naturally. I have used this for around three months now and had so many nice comments about how healthy my skin looks. 

Following on from the tanning lotions, I have really been loving this dream bronze BB beauty balm by Maybelline. Its basically a liquid bronzer that can be worn under make-up or instead of make up to add colour to your face and illuminate the skin. It also has SPF 25 which is great as were coming into summer and you need more protection on your face. I usually use this under my foundation and it shines really nice through it due to the shimmer in the product and makes my face look really healthy and alive. Benefit also do a similar version called 'Dew the Hoola' apart from it is matte! I got this mini from a Birchbox earlier this year and it is pretty much the same, I just prefer the shimmer.

Another product I have been reaching for is the 'all about eyes' eye cream by Clinique. This eye cream reduces circles and helps with puffy under eyes which has been great for me during spring. I tend to get really dry under eyes around spring (maybe to do with hay fever) and it means that my concealer and foundation sticks to it and looks patchy. This eye cream is really thick but not balmy or oily which means that I can put loads on and it sinks in straight away meaning I can put make up on top and it has really helped with the dryness and makes me look more awake and fresh. 

   Lastly I have been enjoying this finishing shine spray from Toni&Guy. It is basically a spray that you put on after you have styled your hair to give it a really nice shine and it smells lovely! Its a really fresh and floral that is distinct to Toni&Guy products. This really does make your hair shiny which is nice to add for a spring/summer look. 

Manorca

So in June just after most of my exams were over my mum and I travelled to Manorca for a week. We stayed in a little place called Es Canutells which was around 10 minutes away from Mahon. It was a very quiet area amongst the Spanish people in which we stayed. There was a hotel, a couple of shops and a bar as well as a lot of Spanish villas. A short walk from the hotel was a beautiful cove in which the Spanish villas surrounded however they were exceptionally welcoming and didn't mind if we went for a swim in the cove.  The water was a little cold but was so refreshing after sun bathing in temperatures of around 28 degrees. Me and mum would often walk down to the cove after tea when the sun was setting and it was quiet. We would just stare out into the sea and watch the ducklings swim past, we also saw a baby octopus!

We ventured into Mahon a few times and it was stunning. It is a small port will a tone of restaurants and boutiques to explore. Mum and I went on a glass bottom boat trip round the cove in which we learned about the history of the island and historic buildings. There was a beautiful market in the square which sold an array of clothing, soaps, souvenirs and paintings which we enjoyed to look around. We also visited the church which was stunning and very heart warming.

One of the days we visited a near by beach which was lots of fun, you could hire peddle boats and snorkel.

I miss this place a lot!!!