My Pamper Evening Essentials

At the end of a long day, there is nothing I love more than treating myself to a little pamper evening to recharge and refresh myself. In my experience, there is just something so much more relaxing about giving yourself a pamper from the comfort of your own home. As a student, I don't have lots of money to spend on expensive products or spa days, so here's how I have the perfect night in without spending lots of money.

Bath

First things first, I run myself a nice hot bath and get something to read. I'm one of those people that likes the bath at an abnormally hot temperature, so I like to use a bath bomb whilst I'm waiting for it to cool slightly. My all time favourite bath bomb is 'Twilight' from Lush. It turns the water a beautiful deep purple colour, and has a really subtle lavender fragrance, which of course is perfect for relaxation and calming.

When I decide to have a pamper night, I don't tend to be as lazy as usual, so I like to properly cleanse and moisturise when I get out the bath. I don't use anything particularly fancy, just whatever I have to hand at the time. However, I recently bought 'Fairy Dust' from Lush which I love to use after I've had a bath. It has the same scent as their famous 'Snow Fairy' collection and leaves a lovely sparkle on the skin. Perfect for Christmas nights out! I usually dust it along my arms and collarbones to give them a bit of a subtle sparkle and to leave them feeling soft, but I also read that it can be sprinkled on your bed sheets to leave them smelling nice and fresh. 

Facemask

I always get really dry skin at this time of year, so I like to use a face mask when having a pamper night. I've heard so many people talking about the Garnier 'Moisture Bomb' tissue masks recently, and I have to say, I can totally see why. I have fairly sensitive skin, so I have to be careful with products that I use on my face, but this mask left my skin feeling super soft and rehydrated. I simply leave the mask on for fifteen minutes, and then once it's off I rub any of the excess formula into my skin with a cotton pad. At only 99p per mask, they're perfect for when you're on a budget too. 

Netflix and Nails
Next up, Netlfix! No cosy night in would be complete without binge watching Gossip Girl and eating plenty of chocolatey snacks. I usually do my nails at this point too, but as my nails usually chip really easily at work, I tend to just use some glue on ones. My favourite false nails are the Primark ones! They always last at least a week on my nails, and at only £1 per box, you really can't go wrong.

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So, there you have it! Those are my pamper evening essentials for when I just need a cosy night in to relax. But now it's your turn, what do you like to do to relax in an evening?

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Little Things I'm Grateful For

                                                                             

Fluffy blankets.

Hot Chocolate with marshmallows.

My amazing friends.

Clean bed sheets.

Skinny vanilla lattes.

Stationary.

Netflix.

Fairy lights.

Online shopping.

Gym enthusiasm.

Cosy pyjamas and fluffy socks.

Being able to have a lie in later than usual.

Feeling truly and completely happy.

Creating a 'to-do' list and getting everything done.

Long, hot showers.

Finding a new TV series to binge watch.

Knowing that I have a great support system.

It's only a few weeks to go until Christmas.

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What are you grateful for today?

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Six Things To Do When You're Feeling Down

I think everyone has those days where you just want to lie in bed all day and ignore the outside world. You know you have a million and one things on your to-do list, but just don't have the motivation to do them. Everyone has bad days from time to time - I know I do - but sometimes, all we really need is a just day to ourselves to relax and focus on ourselves. So what you can you do to make yourself feel better? Whether your "bad day" lasts for a couple of hours or an entire week, here are some of the things I like to do to cheer myself up a bit:

1. Have a movie day
I'm not a really a "movie person", but I do have a selection of films that I never tire of watching. So one of my favourite things to do when I'm having a bad day is just to stay in bed and put on a good film on my laptop. Try to pick a film that you know will make you laugh, too, as this will hopefully lift your spirits a bit. This is one of my favourite ways to relax.

2. Run yourself a bath
I think the thing I've missed the most since leaving home is having a bath. Whenever I feel stressed or down, I love to run myself a really hot and pop in a bath bomb. Lush bath bombs are always my go-to as they always look and smell incredible. If you want something soothing to help you relax, try and get a bath bomb with a lavender scent.

3. Talk to someone
It's easy to bottle things up when you're feeling down and pretend that everything is okay, often because we're afraid of looking weak. But I believe that talking to someone you trust about what is bothering you can really make you feel better. Sometimes we just need to off-load on someone and let out all our frustrations. Asking for help when you need it doesn't make you weak, it just means you need a little bit of support.

4. Do something you enjoy
Even when you have a busy schedule, it's really important to take some time out for yourself. It can be easy to get caught up in our busy lives when we have hundreds of responsibilities, but it's really important to schedule some "you" time as well. Try and set aside even just one hour a day to do something that you genuinely enjoy, and I swear it'll lift your spirits. Whether that's going to the gym, going our for dinner with friends or even just watching Netflix in bed.

5. Treat Yourself
Been eyeing up a top in a River Island? Been lusting after a new lipstick? Need an upgrade on your phone? Everyone needs a little pick me up from time to time, so treat yourself! Sometimes it's little self treats that really life our mood. Nothing wrong with rewarding yourself if you've been working hard recently.

6. Have an Early Night
I don't know about you, but when I don't get enough sleep at night, it's probably best to avoid me the next day. I definitely don't function well on little sleep. The average adult needs between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night to function at their best. So if you're a bit of a night owl and frequently have late nights, that could be the reason why. Try going to bed an hour earlier than usual and perhaps read a book or do something calming to help send yourself to sleep. Your body will probably thank you for it.

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The Liebster Award 2016

I was recently nominated for the Liebster Award by the lovely Emma. I'd never actually heard of this before, so I thought it was a really great idea. I'm still a fairly new blogger, so I'm always looking to meet and discover other bloggers. 

If you are nominated you must follow these rules:

1. Post 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions that your nominator has asked you.

3. Nominate 11 other bloggers.

4. Ask them 11 questions.

5. Let them know that you have nominated them.

11 Facts About Me
1. I recently turned 19, however I also get told how I look a lot younger.
2. I study sociology and criminology at the University of Stirling.
3. I was born in Germany but I moved back to England with my parents when I was still a baby. I then moved to Scotland when I was nine.
4. I am a total dog person and would love to get a Cocker Spaniel one day.
5. I rent a flat in the centre of Stirling.
6. One of my all-time favourite films is Matilda. I used to watch it on repeat when I was younger, and I've seen it so many times that I pretty much know it word for word.
7. My favourite TV series is Gilmore Girls. I can't wait to find out what happened for the girls in the new episodes.
8. My star sign is a Virgo and I think it fits me quite me well. .
9. I have an unhealthy addiction to crisps. I really do eat far too many, it's a little bit out of hand.
10. My dream is to travel the world, so I'd love to get a job in the future that enables me to do so.
11. I currently work part time in a jewellers and I absolutely love it.

11 Questions by Emma
If you were a ghost who would you haunt/spy on? ;)
Probably just my mum, as I bet she's not really as tidy as she leads us all on to believe.

 Favourite time of year? 

I always used to think that Autumn was my favourite time of year as it's so pretty and picturesque, but now I'm almost always cold and having to wrap up warm, so I'd probably say summer.

 Favourite clothing brand?

I genuinely don't think I have a favourite "brand." I'm not really into brands as it is, and I tend to change my favourite shop from season to season. At the moment I really like River Island, though.

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I really like my name to be honest, so I'm not sure that I would. But my mum once told me that if she hadn't called me Jade, she would've called me Amber.

What is/are your guilty pleasure/s?

My guilty pleasure is probably reality TV.  I love spending my evenings at home watching TOWIE, Made in Chelsea, etc. I also have a total soft spot for Keeping up with the Kardashians. 

Halloween or Christmas?

Definitely Christmas. I love dressing up for halloween but it's never been all that big a thing in my family.

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?

I've been trying to think how to answer this for ages now, and I've still no idea. I can't think of any actresses who I look like, but I would love Emma Watson to play me. I've always loved her as an actress.

Bath or Shower?

I only have a shower in my flat, but nothing quite beats a bath when you're cold or stressed with a deliciously scented Lush bath bomb. 

What is the farthest you have traveled from home?

The furthest I've ever traveled was to Florida with my parents when I was 8 years old.

What is your go-to breakfast?

To be totally honest, I never really eat breakfast. But when I do, I usually stick with my good old toast.

Who in your family are you most like?

I found this question really hard to answer actually. I'm like my mum in so many ways when it comes to my character, but I think I get my passion for travelling and exploring from my dad. I'd like to think that I also take after my Grandma in many ways.

My Nominations

I actually found it quite hard to think of 11 bloggers who haven't already been tagged, so I apologise if I've tagged you again, but here are some of the lovely ladies who's blogs I love to read;

Sophia Violet Blog

itsbeccajayne

Jems Journal

Juniper Daze

Words of Quigg

Lauren Matthews

Born to Blend

This Charming Life
Kimberley Jessica
Life of Sapphire
Call Me Caz

My 11 Questions

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

What is your favourite film?
What is your ultimate dream job?

What do you love the most about your life right now?

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

What is your favourite thing about Autumn and why?

What is your most embarrassing moment?
What is your favourite quality about yourself?
What is the number one thing on your bucket list?
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Do you have any hobbies or interests beside blogging?

Putting Myself First

If you're a regular reader of my blog, then you might have noticed that I haven't really been active recently. A lot was happening in my personal life that meant blogging just wasn't something I wanted to do. It was a pretty tough month for me, meaning I wasn't exactly feeling very creative, but I want to explain a little bit about why I haven't been active. I now feel so much happier both within myself and my every day life, and I want to start working on my blog again. 

Over the past few weeks, I've learnt a lot about myself and my character. When you're in a long term relationship, you tend to put your significant other at the centre of everything you think about and do. But when that person suddenly leaves, life can become extremely lonely. I've always been particularly independent, or so I thought, but I didn't realise just how little I actually focused on myself until I truly was on my own.  I've always put other people and their wants/needs before my own. A trait I seem to take from my mum. You could argue that this is both a good and a bad thing, but there comes a point when you have to start putting yourself first. Something I haven't done in a very long time

Being in love is amazing, and having someone to share your life with is a beautiful thing. But you don't realise just how much of your life is taken up by that person until they suddenly aren't there anymore. I put my all into my relationship, doing as much as humanly possible to make my ex-partner happy. Something I hope he would agree with. So when I became single, I had so much free time that I was unsure what to do with it. As I live on my own, one of my main worries after my break-up was that I would feel lonely. However, I've felt quite the contrary. I haven't actually spent all that much time on my own as my friends made sure they were keeping me busy, which definitely helped me get over everything I was going through. But even when I am on my own, I've just been enjoying focusing on myself. I actually feel less lonely now than I did before. 

There's no way I would've gotten through the last couple of months without the help of my friends and family, both of which have been the most amazing support network. My Mum was there for me when I was upset and needed a shoulder to cry on, and my Dad was always there to pick me up and give me the harsh truth that I needed to move on. All of my friends have been so amazing too, such as Sophie, who helped me realise how to be confident in myself and how much happier I am now, and also showed me that night's out and nightclubs are actually a lot of fun. Something I never used to think. But also Amy for still being there for me even though she's just started a new chapter of her own, and Annya for just being a text message away whenever I needed a friend. But I definitely wouldn't be as happy as I am now without Emily. Emily (my BFF for life) is the most incredible person I've ever met. The amount of support and comfort she's given to me over the past two months is something I'll never forget. From coming to my rescue late in the evening because I was upset, to cooking me dinner at least twice a week and putting up with my moaning for hours on end. Emily truly is one those people who is beautiful both inside and out. Everyone needs a friend like her in their life.

What the past couple of months has taught me is that time really does heal everything. No matter how low or down you may feel about a situation, as long as you have an amazing support network, you'll defintely get through it. Over the last couple of weeks in particular, numerous people have told me how much happier I seem and how they're glad to see that the "old" Jade is back. And I really am. My aim for now is just to focus on me, spend more time with my loved ones and just have fun. I'm excited to see what the next few months will have in store for me.

Goals For My Second Year Of University

I've just recently started back at University for my second year. I can't believe how quickly the past year has flown by, as it doesn't seem that long ago since I was moving into university accommodation and getting to know my flatmates over freshers week. I'm so excited to get stuck into my second year and get back into a proper routine again. 

This year, instead of staying on campus, I'm staying in a flat in the city centre. This means that I now have to get the bus into uni every day, so I'll have to make sure I don't get lazy and stick to my schedule. When I first started university last year, I started out doing my degree in history, sociology and education. Half way through the year, I realised that history definitely wasn't for me and I didn't really want to be a teacher either. So after a mini break down in December, and questioning if university was for me, I decided to change my degree and give something else a go. I'm now doing my degree in sociology and criminology, and so far I'm really enjoying it. I haven't started the criminology aspect yet, but I get to start that this year, so I'm excited to see what it involves. 

Now I'm not going to lie, last year I did a lot of procrastinating and defintely wasn't as studious as I probably should've been. Don't get me wrong, I was still very pleased with my overall grades, but this year I want to go that little bit further and put in more effort. So I've come up with a few goals to help make the most out of my second year.

1. Attend all of my lectures

At university, lectures aren't usually registered, which makes them super easy to skip as no one will know you weren't there. My university also puts our lectures online so that we can re-watch them later, which also makes them easy to miss. But this year, I'm going to make it my priority to attend as many of lectures as I can. Of course, if I only one lecture in a single day, I probably won't travel into uni just for that as I could be working. But I'm going to make sure that if I do miss one, that I make sure to catch up properly.

2. Try to do well in all of my modules, don't just settle

It's a known fact that in first year, you only really need to get 40% in each of your modules to pass them. I always aimed to do as well as I could in my modules, but at that point in the semester when everything seems to be getting on top of you and you feel like your work is never ending, the thought "I just need to pass" definitely entered my head. More so in modules that weren't actually part of my degree. But this year I'm going to try and do as well as I possibly can in all of my subjects by putting in that little extra effort. I'd quite like the opportunity to study abroad in my third year, so this year really counts for me.

3. Be open to trying new things

In first year, I was definitely a little bit reserved to opening up and trying new things. I didn't join any societies or sports, and I was quite happy to just keep my head down and do my own thing. But this semester, I'm going to be more open to trying new and different things and try and put myself out there more.

4. Be more organised

It's no secret that I am a total stationary addict. I have countless notebooks, diaries etc all to try and help me be more organised, but to be honest, I end up using them for a week or two and then I somehow seem to just give up. So this year I plan to be better at organising my schedule and making sure that I leave plenty of time aside to get all of my work done and on time.

What are some of your goals for the year ahead?

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A New Chapter

As I am writing this post, I am currently sat up in bed with a cup of tea, still in my pyjamas. I've been pretty busy over the last couple of weeks, and a lot of exciting things have happened, so I thought I would write a bit of a chatty post this morning just to update you all.

I finally moved back to Stirling on Saturday, as I only have one week left until I go back to university for my second year. I'm actually quite excited about going back to university. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it's because I have so many exciting things planned for over the next few months, and I'm also ready to get stuck back into my course again. Last year, I changed my degree to sociology and criminology, so I'm looking forward to starting the criminology part of my course. I'm also doing an extra business module on the side which I'm quite looking forward to trying. I had a lot of ups and downs at university last year, so I'm hopeful that this year will bring a lot more new experiences and happy memories. It sounds a bit cliché, but I feel like I'm about to start a whole new chapter of my life.

This weekend was the first time I had spent the night in my new flat, and it felt really surreal to me that I now rent my own little place. My mum helped me move the rest of my stuff in on Saturday, and I got so emotional when she left and went home. All of a sudden it hit me that I am actually on my own. Living alone doesn't scare me, but it hadn't felt real that I was moving out until that moment when my mum left my flat. All of my family seem to really like my flat, so I'm hoping that my family will come and visit me a little bit more over the next few months. As I lived in halls last year, they felt a little bit awkward when they came to see me. But now that I have my own space, they'll be able to come more often. 

Something else fairly exciting also happened last week. I now have my own domain name!! I've really been trying to put that little bit of extra effort into my blog lately, and I'm finally starting to see it paying off. So I thought why not purchase my own domain name, and move away from my blogspot domain. From now on, you will be viewing all of my posts at www.studentwanderer.co.uk! I'm going to keep trying to improve my blog, so if you have any feedback then please feel free to let me know.

Now that we're into September, it is officially my birthday month. In just under three weeks, I will be turning 19! I can't believe how quickly this past year has flown by, as it doesn't feel like that long ago since I was celebrating my 18th with all of my family and my old flatmates. I usually get really excited about birthdays, but for some reason, I'm not really about this one. I think it's because I'm in a really good place in my life at the moment, and I feel truly satisfied with everything around me. I just want to have a nice day with my friends and family.

During August, Jordan and I spent quite a lot of our time through in Edinburgh. We had so much fun exploring the Fringe festival, and even just the city itself. One of the highlights of my month was watching the fireworks at Edinburgh Castle on the closing night of the Fringe. They were just so incredible, and unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I've always loved Edinburgh as it is such a beautiful city, but during August I seemed to develop a greater appreciation for the city in a way that I hadn't before.

A lot has happened in my life recently, and I'm sort of enjoying all the changes! I'm excited to get started on my second year of university, but I'm also looking forward to being more independent and getting to do my own thing. Living on own was defintely the best decision for me, but it will also mean that I can see my family a lot more often too. It is also finally starting to feel more like Autumn now, which is my favourite season. Hopefully everything will go up from here, and I hope all of you have a lovely September, too.

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