August 2020 on 35mm Film
Despite coronavirus, I had one of my most social August’s ever and documented most of it on film. So here’s some photos from a week in Wales, a long weekend in Portsmouth, a day trip to Brighton and a rogue photo of me in a hot tub at Centre Parcs…
Lockdown on 35mm Film
Here are a collection of photos I took over the past few months which kind of represent my experience of lockdown, apart from the fact that they were mostly taken on sunny days (and there was a fair bit of rain) and there are no photos of me in pyjamas (of which I spent a lot of time in).
Paris Fashion Week on 35mm Film
I’m finally sharing my film photos from the week I spent in Paris for fashion week. I can only apologise for the lateness of this post due to lots of catching up on work post-Paris and some issues with my film that were mostly my silly mistakes as a result of extreme exhaustion.
But it sometimes feels nice to share photos retrospectively. Despite only returning from Paris just under 3 weeks ago, I already feel nostalgic about it looking at this roll of film. To explain why I was lucky enough to spend a week in Paris during fashion week, I went with the brand I intern for and was working in a British Fashion Council sponsored showroom on their behalf.
I didn’t actually take any film photos in the showroom or in any of the other fashion-y places I went to during the trip. The photos were mostly taken on the streets of Paris and in the amazing AirBnB we stayed in, but I hope you enjoy them anyway.
The apartment we stayed in was incredible. It was owned by an artist who lived in the apartment below and every corner was filled with incredible art, furniture and there was even a huge tree in the middle of the living room. It was the most interesting place I’ve ever stayed in…
There were mirrors everywhere in the apartment, even on the ceilings, it felt very Parisian.
Galeries Lafayette
The best way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Paris, at Janine Love Sundays- they do the most incredible vegan food.
My favourite bookshop in the world (despite how excessively busy it is)
The bathroom was the best part of the apartment.
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Corfu on 35mm Film (2019)
all photos taken on the Olympus MJU II
What I’m Wearing (affiliate links marked with a *):
Black V-Neck Mini Dress - ASOS* (now on sale!)
Yellow Floral Bikini - H&M (bottoms* & top* - now on sale!)
Blue Bikini - H&M (bottoms* & top* - now on sale!)
Red Gingham Midi Dress - & Other Stories
Daisy Wrap Mini Dress - Realisation Par
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Student Flat, But Make it Home (& Chic)
One thing becoming a university student has made me realise is that I’m very affected by my surroundings. Living in student halls with absolutely zero personality and a student house that was covered in mould and that we barely even tried to decorate made me miserable. I don’t think I realised, at the time, how much the places I was living in contributed to my feelings about university and student life, but after writing many pros and cons lists and really thinking about what I didn’t like about university, I realised much of it was down to where I was living.
So as I’ve touched on previously in my blog post on not fitting into the student stereotype, for my final year of university, I’m moving out of the student area of Manchester I’ve lived in for the past 2 years which I found to be depressing and anxiety-inducing and I’m moving into the centre of Liverpool. I’m sure commuting will come up with its own problems and I don’t doubt that there will be some moans and groans on my part when it comes to getting up an hour earlier and getting home an hour later, but I am sure that living in an area that I love in a flat that feels like home will make it all worth it.
But how am I living in a flat that I like and decorating it as such on a student budget, you might ask? Well, with about as much struggle as there is success but, again, the end result makes the struggle worth it. In terms of looking for a flat, my flatmate and I were determined not to settle. We looked at at around 15 flats, none of which we were besotted with, but most of which I probably would have been happy to take if I was looking at them during my house search for second year. Just as we thought we’d never find somewhere we liked within our budget, whilst standing outside in the pouring rain waiting for the estate agent to turn up, we found our flat! And it is pretty much perfect. Super close to the station for me, and really close to my flatmates uni. 2 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms and an open-plan kitchen and living room, with lots of added details you don’t usually get in a student house, like a dining table, tv stand and bookshelf. Plus, it has beautiful woodwork throughout and gets so much natural light.
All this, and it is well within our budget, much cheaper than many of the flats we had looked at previously that weren’t even half as nice, and also cheaper than my first and second year accommodation. So, if you’re in the same position as me and wanting to find genuinely nice student accommodation, or any accommodation I guess, within your budget, the most important thing to do is just keep looking for as long as you can and don’t settle on the first or second one you see.
Even if you’re not happy with the place you’re living in though, I think decorating it is the most important way to make it feel like home. This can be a struggle on a student budget but I’m already finding ways to find pieces I love for my flat on a budget and I am changing the way I spend money so I spend less money on clothes and eating out, for example, and more on interiors.
These photos were taken a couple of weeks after moving into the flat and so far, the living room is my favourite part of it. However I’m looking forward to adding a personal touch to every room and nook and cranny of it and making it more of a home for me to live in over the next year. But for now, I hope you enjoy these photos of the initial progress we’ve made with our flat.
I think it’s so easy to look at student houses from the perspective of ‘there’s no point decorating it- I’m only going to be living there for a year’. But a year is a long time, and these years you spend living in student accommodation add up to at least three years of your life, so it’s definitely worth making your student home a place you love, especially if you’re affected by your surroundings as much as I am.
I’m hoping that I can provide some tips and inspiration on student/budget interiors and interiors more generally on my blog and social media, starting with this blog post and also a brand new interiors page I’ve added to the ‘SHOP’ section of my blog, where you can shop everything that’s currently in my home and on my never-ending wish list.
There will definitely be a post coming soon on tips for decorating your home on a budget so if anyone has any particularly good ideas that I can add to that post, please leave them in the comments!
Products in this post (affiliate links marked with a *)
New York City on 35mm Film
So Sam and I spent 5 days in New York City at the end of June and we had the most incredible time. This was my second time in New York and so we left out some of the more stereotypically tourist things, but we still managed to fit in a few of them, as well as lots of great food and shopping. I’m planning on writing a mini guide to NYC based on this trip so let me know if that’s something you’d like to see. For now here’s the film photos I took during the trip (there’s a whole lot of them)…
The entrance to the incredible hotel we stayed at, Sister City
The view from our room.
and the chicest sinks.
I mean, look at it.
Another great sink @ Sister City
More photos of the hotel because I’m particularly obsessed with the details in the bathroom.
Look at the gold shower head/tap <3
The lobby was just as incredible as the rooms.
Springtime London on 35mm Film
Sam and I spent most of the last week of April in London, wandering around, shopping and generally relaxing. Sam organised this trip for my birthday (which was in January but this was the first time we both had time off to go) and the main event of the trip was heading to the theatre to watch The Book of Mormon, which was absolutely hilarious and I can’t recommend it enough. Anyway, here are some photos that were taken on my film camera during the trip…
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My Life on 35mm Film #2 | A Valentines Staycation, Sunny February Days and London Fashion Week
It’s been too long since I’ve shared a blog post dedicated to film photography but I’ve finally got round to it today! I love shooting film but I sometimes fall out of the habit, mostly because it’s expensive and sometimes, usually in the winter, my life just isn’t that interesting. But I am going to try and make these posts a monthly thing, at least, if my budget allows!
The photos in this post were mostly taken throughout February, which was intense in terms of university work but also a really good month. The sun appeared out of nowhere and although it was undoubtedly bad for the planet, it improved my mental wellbeing so much and I’ve been feeling so positive ever since. Sam and I also stayed at the Lock & Key Hotel in Liverpool for a Valentines staycation night and ordered burgers off Deliveroo, which was really nice and relaxing. On top of this, most excitingly, I attended fashion week for the first time ever! I was invited to help out backstage at the Nabil Nayal show and, as you’ll be able to see in these photos, the collection was beautiful and it was such a cool experience. So, on top of a whole lot of university work, I managed to pack a fair bit into February! Here’s some photos to prove it…
What I’m usually wearing when I work from home. I know, those socks are chic.
Half of these books are yet to be read (by me)- that’s my task for this year.
Didn’t take us long to mess up the room (note: the sheer amount of food)
City of Light Display @ Sefton Park
The flash on my camera ruins all mirror photos :/
And the flash ruins another mirror selfie. Take my word for it, this charity shop blazer is great.
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How to Become More Organised and Productive as A Student | 5 Tips That Will Make Your Life Easier
I would definitely describe myself as an organised person. In fact, I’m maybe too organised. I am by no means a tidy person or an ‘on time’ person so I’m definitely not organised in every sense of the word but when it comes to work, which in my case is university work, I like to have everything organised down to a tee.
This is a good thing in many ways, as it usually means I’m on top of my work, which prevents a lot of stress. But it also means that I become ridiculously stressed if I do fall behind my own schedule, which doesn’t even generally mean falling behind my university work, just my own made-up schedule.
So, personally I’m actually working on being more laid-back and trying to go with the flow a little bit more. But I know a lot of people do struggle with getting organised when it comes to work, and specifically university work. And because I have really perfected my methods of organisation over the years, I thought I should share them for those of you who are looking to become more organised and, at the end of the day, make your life easier.
Although putting all of these things into place will take a little bit of time, once you have done so, I can guarantee your life will be easier. They’ll make you less stressed by ensuring you don’t leave anything to the night before and, hey, they might even make you enjoy studying a little bit more, god forbid! Hopefully they will also ensure you spend less time procrastinating so you have more time do whatever you want with.
Get Prepared and Invest in All The Stationery
I’m hoping this tip will be music to some of your ears! I’m giving you free reign to spend lots of money on stationary! But if this doesn’t sound particularly exciting to you, stay with me, there is method in my (stationery obsessed) madness.
You couldn’t run a marathon without a good pair of trainers (I couldn’t run one with them, but you get my point) and you can’t get organised without all the materials you need to do so. You don’t necessarily need to spend a lot of money on the stationery you need either. Head to WHSmith if you’re happy for that do the job!
However, I personally find that investing in nice stationery that is also practical makes me excited to get organised. For example, since investing in a new desk planner, I love planning my week and don’t feel overwhelmed by it at all, because of the all the different sections to it which allow me to see my week in a balanced way. But like I said, whatever floats your boat is fine. This tip is more about making sure you’ve got the supplies you need to get organised.
Here’s a list of the things you need to up your organisation game as well as some shoppable links to the stationary I own or recommend, whether you’re after something a lil bit fancy or want to keep it simple…
A Diary/Planner for important dates, to-do lists and so you generally know what day of the week it is.
A Desk Planner so you can plan your days and weeks in advance and feel less overwhelmed by everything you need to do. I’m more of a weekly planner person but some people prefer daily planners or both.
Flash cards because they are essential for exam revision and having them on hand means you don’t have to run round the shops a few days before your exam, wasting valuable revision time.
Highlighters and coloured pens because colour coordination will change your life!
A notepad and/or desk pad so you always have somewhere to jot down random and important notes and thoughts plus a place to make to-do lists.
Post it notes because they always come in useful especially for revision and for making notes in books, very useful for an English student.
2. Plan, Plan, Plan and Write Everything Down
Obviously, a key part of being organised is planning but I’d also recommend that, in your planning processes you write everything down. Personally, as soon as I am given all my deadlines (whether they’re for essays, exams or just week-to-week reading deadlines) at the beginning of the semester, I write them all down in my diary on the dates when they are due, right up until the end of the semester.
I also write any other plans I have down, such as trips away, nights out etc. I use a paper planner for uni stuff but I tend to use an online Google Calendar and other online resources for blog organisation and any extra-curriculars as these things tend to change around a lot more than my university work does, so it’s just easier to do it online.
It takes about half an hour to write all of this down but it will make your life so much easier because every time you want to check when you need to read a certain book by, or when an essay is due, rather than logging in to your student account, you can just flick through your diary and see when it is. This also gives you more of a feel as to how long you have left to complete your tasks i.e. 5 flicks (assuming your diary has a week on a 2 page spread) don’t worry about it, 3 flicks maybe start thinking about it, 1 or 2 flicks, you really need to get started!
I’d also recommend colour coding everything, using your lovely pens and highlighters you’ve just bought! I’ve taken three modules this semester so I use a different coloured pen for each module and write all the reading, deadlines and whatever else I need to complete for that module using that colour. Again, when looking through your diary, this just makes it easier to see what’s going on that week and the module you might need to focus on a little bit more. See below for an example of a week’s spread in my diary:
3. Do Everything A Week Ahead
This one is a biggie for me in terms of how I keep up to date with my university work. After planning out all your deadlines in your planner, you can easily see when work is due, so you don’t really have any excuses to do things last minute! With this, it’s best to get everything done a week ahead.
My rule is, generally, everything for the following week must be done by the Sunday of this week. So if I have two books to read and an essay to write, for example, for the week starting Monday the 11th February, I would have ideally got started on all of them on Monday 4th February, or the weekend of the 2nd February, if my workload for that week is really heavy.
I know this sounds overwhelming but if most of your work is set in advance, like mine is, it just makes life so much easier to get it done in advance and it means you never get that overwhelming feeling of ‘I have so much work to do for tomorrow and the seminar tutor is going to ask me a question on the book I haven’t read’ because even if you do fall behind your schedule by a few days, you’ll still be on top of the current week!
4. Find Out How & Where You Like To Work
This one is essential in order to actually enjoy (as much as is possible) the time you spend working and, also, in order to get the most work done. Do you prefer working in the library or at home? I’m more of a working at home typa gal but a couple of hours spent in the library can sometimes be super productive for me, depending on my mood.
Do you work better during a ‘normal’ 9-5 working day or would you rather have your morning to yourself and do more of an 11-7 day? Personally, I think I work best during the hours of 10-6, so I tend to stick to that.
Do you work really well by turning your phone off for 3 hours and smashing out work, followed by a long break, or are you better with short bursts of productivity with short breaks (e.g. the Pomodoro Method?) I’m somewhere in the middle but I’ve learnt that putting a timer on anything makes me hate what I’m doing, so I just leave my phone in the other room and work for as long as possible till I feel like I need a break; sometimes I can go for a couple of hours, sometimes I struggle to do a couple of minutes.
What I’m trying to say is that to be organised and to get your work done in time, you need to be working in a way that suits you. Because if you’re not, firstly, you won’t enjoy it at all and, secondly, you won’t get half as much done as you could. So trial and error all of these different methods and find a way of working that is perfect for you.
Also, don’t just do things because they work for other people! Sure, some people are really productive when they do an all-nighter in the library but personally, I know my brain wouldn’t function at all in that environment. So really make it personal and don’t worry about other people’s judgement.
5. Allocate Time Off
And finally, a tip that seems kind of counter-productive right? How is taking time off going to make you more organised? Well, let me tell you! This is one that I’ve only started doing recently as I mentioned in my New Years Resolutions styled blog post. But taking time off has made the time I do spend doing work so much more bearable and has actually helped me reach my goals, because rather than just putting it off till tomorrow, I know that if I don't do it today, my day off will be spent feeling stressed.
So I personally take a day off every Sunday. When I say off, I mean off university work. I still work on my blog and all of my other extracurriculars but I do not allow myself to do university work, no matter what. It’s currently Sunday whilst I’m writing this post and I don’t feel stressed at all, as yesterday I pushed myself to finish the work I needed to for the week so I could enjoy today. That was my only motivation to get the work done though and before giving myself an official day off, I would always feel hopeless about my workload and view it as never-ending, because it essentially did feel like it could go on forever.
And here’s the thing, if you don’t give yourself time off, your work will go on forever! Not because you have so much work that you can’t fit into 5 or 6 days of the week but because you’re probably not using your time efficiently enough, maybe because you haven’t planned everything out, maybe because you’re not working in a way that’s optimised for you or maybe it’s just because you know you can always finish it tomorrow.
But if you don’t give yourself that final option, or any of the others, you’ll stop procrastinating as much, which means you can spend more time doing things you really enjoy, providing more motivation to get your work done; it’s a bit of a productivity cycle really! It’s revolutionised my productivity levels and made me feel more happy generally.
I’m very aware that this blog post is extremely long (who knew I had so much to say about organisation hey?) but I really wanted to provide comprehensive instructions on how to get organised as a student, and I hope I have!
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How I Wind Down & Relax Before Bed | Dealing with Anxiety at Night
As you may know if you’ve read my blog before (or if you know me in real life), I’m a bit of a worrier. I mean, that’s the understatement of the year to be honest, and we’re only 20 days in!
I’ve suffered with anxiety for a few years now and it’s always at its worse in the evenings. On a good day, my anxiety will start to materialise bit by bit (usually in the from of a stomach ache, feeling sick and/or jittery) as as it starts to get dark, on a bad day I often feel totally unable to cope with the amount of time I’m allowed to be left alone with my own thoughts during the evening.
This is why it has been essential for me to create a relaxing evening routine. I see my evening routine as a ritual, something I do every day to tell my brain that it’s time to settle down and to stop thinking about anything that might be stressing me out. And, so far, having a routine has really helped me.
Some days I do the bare minimum of this routine and sometimes I go all out, depending on how much time I have and how I feel that day. But I thought I’d go through the extended version of it with you step by step, in the hope that it might encourage or inspire you to find ways that you can wind down in the evening, especially if you struggle with them like I do.
I’d also like to point out that skincare is a really big part of how I wind down in the evening and I was actually going to include my skincare routine in this post. But, it’s fairly long and I wanted to go through it in detail so I’ve given it it’s own post, which you can read here if you’d like!
But here are the other ways in which I wind down in the evenings that I’d really recommend to everyone, whether you struggle with nights or not …
RE chocolate on the bedside table: if all else fails resort to something sweet and comforting i.e. your favourite chocolate
1. Relaxing Yoga and/or Meditation
I hope the suggestion of exercise before bed hasn't put you off already! The type of yoga I do before bed isn’t really exercise at all anyway. It’s mostly just lying down, usually with a pillow or blanket and focussing on my breathing, with a bit of easy stretching thrown in there. This is probably the step in my bedtime routine I skip the most due to laziness. But if I’m feeling really stressed or anxious before bed, I’ll always roll out my mat and take this time to myself. The only at home yoga practice I follow is Yoga With Adriene, who creates weekly yoga videos and is just brilliant. She has yoga for every mood but her bedtime yoga practices are particularly great.
Instead, or as well, as yoga, sometimes I do a little bit of meditation. It’s not something I’m totally convinced on as I often just sit there mentally-planning tomorrow’s to do list. But sometimes it does help me take some time for myself when I’ve had a busy/stressful day.
I’ve never done a meditation practice longer than 5 minutes because I’m almost sure I wouldn’t be able to get through a practice longer than that and I don’t want to make myself feel bad, so I stick to the 3-5 minute sessions. I use the app Headspace, although I don’t pay for it so I am very limited on my choice of practices. I would really recommend their beginners series though!
2. A Little Bit of Netflix
This is probably the one that I do manage every night! I’m not a big movie watcher but I LOVE a series. I think I like them because of the familiarity and comfort they provide and also because they’re usually only 30-60 minutes which is a lot more do-able and less intimidating than a 2 and a half hour film.
Anyway, I don’t need to tell you how good Netflix and TV is, you already know. I know the blue lights are supposed to be bad for sleep but, personally, I love the escapism TV provides before bed and it really allows me to get out of my own head and concentrate on something other than my own life. Some of my favourite escapist, easy-to-watch TV shows include Jane The Virgin, Crazy Ex Girlfriend and The Good Place, but there are many more.
3. Sleepy Candles
I was given a lavender candle just over a year ago as a Christmas present and since then, I will never go back. Burning a lavender (or any ‘sleepy’ smelling) candle before bed is so relaxing, not only because of the smell but because lighting a candle really feels like a ritual and a sensory reminder to your body that this is the time to relax.
I’m currently using this candle that I got for Christmas and I also have a This Works one ready and waiting to go, which is very exciting!
4. Some One on One Time with My Current Book of Choice
Even for people who don’t particularly like reading, I think reading before bed is something everyone should try! It might work, similarly to Netflix, in that it allows you to escape your own world, or it might work that you’re so bored you fall asleep. I choose to read before bed because of the former reason but whatever works for you is good!
Sometimes I read 2 pages before bed, sometimes I give myself an hour and read 40- it just depends how I’m feeling and how much university-related reading I’ve already done that day. The book I’m reading in these photos is Refinery29’s Money Diaries, which is all about how to sort your finances out. It’s not exactly the most relaxing book to read before bed, but sometimes because it’s slower it helps me to fall asleep. Plus, I only really like reading one book (for fun) at a time so I just read whatever I’m currently reading before bed. If you’re really struggling with reading, I have a blog post all about how to get back into it.
5. Pillow Spray the Day Away
Finally, we have my ultimate nightly ritual, the pillow spray! I’ve been skeptical of the humble pillow spray before, but after trying it, I don’t think I could ever go back. I use the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, which smells like a dream. It’s not really the smell that helps me relax though, it’s the ritual of spraying it and telling my body ‘it’s time to relax and sleep now’, much like the candles.
I sometimes use a de-stressing roller ball too if I feel like I need it. I like the This Works one and the Liberty one that they created in partnership with Aromatherapy. I also like doing a face mask before bed. They don’t even have to have a ‘sleepy smell’, I just find them super relaxing, even if it is a cliche. I talk a little bit more about this in my evening skincare routine blog post.
I hope you’re feeling inspired to have a relaxing evening tonight! If you’re reading this on a Sunday, which is when it’s going up, tonight is such a good time to carve out some time to relax and set yourself up for a great week. The time is so worth it as it will do wonders for your mental health, your quality of your sleep and therefore your happiness and productivity levels! If it’s not Sunday, start tonight anyway, I really hope an evening routine helps you as much as it has helped me!
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My Evening Skincare Routine (Cruelty Free)
Some links used in this post are affiliate which means I earn a small amount of commission if you purchase an item after clicking on my link.
I LOVE skincare. I’m crap at make up and often find it a bit of a hassle but I could lather lotions and potions all over my face (and neck, you don’t want a wrinkly spotty neck!!!) all day long. I shared my morning skincare and beauty routine a while back but I’ve been waiting to share my evening skincare routine on the blog until I got it down to a tee. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% there yet but I’ve definitely found some products I love and that work that I want to share with you. Sometimes I do all of this routine and sometimes I literally just take my make up off if that’s all I can be bothered with. But I think that’s why I love it so much, even if it’s just taking my make-up off, it ensures that there’s a little bit of me time every day!
I have oily-ish skin and used to suffer with acne throughout my teens but it’s not as bad nowadays. I still get spots during my time of the month and my skin is by no means clear. So I tend to focus on products that are aimed at people with oily skin and ‘detoxifying’ products, as that’s what I think my skin needs. But I’m not as strict nowadays and my skin can handle a little more oil than it used to be able to. Also, no I do not use a moisturiser in the evening. My morning routine is fairly focussed on hydrating so I like to allow my skincare one to deal with the oil and the spots and I just don’t feel as though using a moisturiser is helpful or necessary in dealing with that!
FYI: Everything in this skincare routine is cruelty free apart from the Garner Micellar Water, which I bought by accident thinking it was. I have still put a * next to all the products which are cruelty free just for confirmation.
I always start with a micellar water to take my make-up off, if I’m wearing it. At the moment I’m just using the Garnier Micellar Water as it’s cheap and the bottle is huge but my favourite micellar water is the Yes To Tomatoes Cleansing Water*, as it’s targeted towards breakout-prone skin. I’ll definitely be repurchasing this when the Garner runs out as not only is it effective in keeping my oily skin at bay but the applicator is just SO good.
Next, I move on to cleanser, to make sure all of my make up is off and to remove any dirt and oils that my skin has collected throughout the day. I’ve been using the Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel* for about a year, which I like but I don’t LOVE. In the last month I’ve switched to using the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel*, which I think I prefer. They’re both super simple cleansers but the Dermalogica one just feels as though its doing a bit more, although the Mario Badescu smells better, so it depends what you’re after really! I’ll use one of these cleansers if I’m feeling a bit lazy or if I’m going to put a face mask on. If not, I’ve been using Lixirskin’s Electrogel Cleanser* which is a 2in1 cleanser/mask. After wetting your skin you apply it and leave it on for a couple of minutes- I leave it whilst brushing my teeth- then wash it off. It stings a little at first but I like that as it suggests it’s actually doing something and the appearance of my skin is slightly improved after taking it off. Plus, the packaging is v. cute.
This is the point in my skincare routine where I’ll use a face mask if I’m going to do so, although I only do this around once or twice a week as I’m usually too lazy. My current favourite is The Body Shop’s Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask*. Again, it stings a little but I notice an immediate difference in my skin every time after using it- it really does help to detoxify your skin and add a little bit of glow. It’s GREAT if you have an event coming up the next day.
If I’m not using a face mask, which is the case most nights, after cleansing I’ll use a toner. Again, I’ve been using Mario Badescu’s Special Cucumber Lotion* for about a year but I’m not besotted with it. I’ve recently been trying the cult classic, Pixi Glow Tonic*, which I’ve used before and wasn’t fussed on. But that was when my acne and oily-skin levels were much worse and my skincare priorities were very different so I’m open-minded. I think I feel least secure in this part of my skincare routine but I do like using a toner so if anyone can recommend a really good one that would be great!
Finally, I use my no.1, can’t-live-without-it product which is The Ordinary’s Salicylic Acid*. This has SAVED my skin. I apply it all over my face, just with my fingers, every night, without fail. Or, if I have a spot I’ll apply it straight on to that and it’s appearance has reduced by at least 70% by the next day. If you suffer with mild acne, I can’t recommend this enough! It’s my skin saviour and I always break out even if I forget to use it for only a few days. Plus, it’s cheap as chips!
PSA: THIS IS ME APPLYING MICELLAR WATER TO MY EYES, NOT ACID. PLEASE DO NOT MISINTERPRET THIS AND TRY AND RECREATE WHAT I AM DOING. DO NOT PUT ACID IN YOUR EYES!!!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! I’d love to hear all about your skincare routine in the comments? Do you even have one? Some of the people with the best skin I know use nothing more than a face wipe so I’m always really interested! I put my skincare routine into place to improve my skin obviously, but what I have really loved about it is that it provides some sense of routine for me every night, at university, at home, wherever I am! In next week’s post, I’m going to be talking about the other ways I wind down in the evenings. So I’ll see you back here, same time, same place, next Sunday for that! Oh and there might be a cheeky extra birthday-themed blog post as I turn 20 mid-week too…
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Healthy Habits I'm Putting Into Place In 2019
Jumper- Urban Outfitters (old, similar here)
Necklace- ASOS
Jeans- Topshop (old, but these ones are basically the same)
We’re almost a week in to 2019 and this first week has been a weird one. I was expecting a rush of motivation and excitement about my work, but the reality is that a large part of my University work is just as dull to me as it was before Christmas, if not more! I’m trying not to put to much pressure on myself to feel super motivated though. After all, just because the calendar year has changed, it doesn’t mean anything else has or that it should.
That’s why when I was setting my New Years Resolutions, I tried not to make them too far-reaching or pressurised because that’s just not helpful. I know some people are totally against the idea of New Years Resolutions but I, for one, like them. They’re a good opportunity to take some time to think about what you’d like to do and how you’d like your life to be in the next 12 months and a year is a good amount of time to set and work towards any goals you want to reach.
Some of my New Years Resolutions are more goals based, although, like I said, none of them are too ambitious because I don’t want to be putting pressure on myself. But today I thought I’d just share my resolutions that are more about habits I want to introduce into my life, mostly to look after myself. In fact, more than half of my New Years Resolutions are focussed on self-care because the last 3(ish) years of my life I’ve been really difficult for me and my mental health and I don’t think I’ve focussed on looking after myself enough. So I’m hoping 2019 is going to be the year of self-care for me! Work and everything else is important but I can’t do any of it if I’m not functioning properly, so here are the ways in which I’m going to try and ensure I can be a fully(ish) functioning human in 2019…
Have A Day Off Every Week
This one is going to be the most important for me. Being a student, it often feels like if you’re not working 24/7 at unusual hours, you’re not doing enough. I don’t know where this attitude has come from but it’s well and truly embedded in student culture, at least at my University, and is upheld by most students. But as December came around last year and I felt not only physically and mentally exhausted but completely drained and bored by my work, I realised that this culture of overworking is not only harmful to my mental health, but also to my studies and the quality of my work.
I was literally counting down the days until the Christmas break because I was so desperate to just not think about work for a period of time. But as the Christmas break came to an end (it only really lasted about a week because I have January essays and exams) a feeling of complete dread came over me, and I was becoming so anxious and feeling really down about the thought of starting work again.
So I started thinking about my options. Dropping out of Uni? Doing barely any work and scraping a pass? Working myself to death and feeling miserable? None of these options seemed like they would have positive effects. And then I realised, what about if I take a day off every week? I wasn’t really sure if it was possible because of my workload. But I’ve thought about it and put some plans into place and realised, not only is it possible, but it’s going to be so positive for me, my social life, my mental health and (I hope) the quality of my University work.
I am still going to be doing blogging related ‘work’ on my day off, which is going to be on a Sunday, because, firstly, I don’t really have time to do it during the week very much and, secondly, because blogging doesn’t really feel like work to me. But my university work is going to be restricted to Monday-Saturday, no exceptions. My next habit will explain how this is going to be possible…
2. Get Into A Working Routine
As mentioned, student culture tells you that if you’re not staying up all night to work, you’re not really doing enough. But I’ve come to realise that this is only true for people who don’t wake up until the afternoon or would rather abandon their work for 3 weeks and, instead, pull a couple of all nighters and get it done then.
But, personally, I’m happy to get up at a normal time (pre-7am is kind of impossible but waking up at 7:30/8 feels completely fine for me). I also generally feel quite anxious in the evenings, so this really isn’t the best time for me to be trying to complete important work. I actually feel my best, and therefore do my best work, in the day time.
So I’ve decided that from Monday-Friday, my work hours will, mostly, be restricted to 10-6. I’ve gone with 10am because that’s when my University day usually starts (i.e. this is when most of my lectures and seminars start) and 6pm because an 8 hour working day feels like a good amount.
My working routine prior to 2019 was kind of similar to this, but some Wednesday afternoons, for example, I would decide to have a nap or go shopping, which would mean working into Wednesday night and feeling utterly exhausted the next day. Or sometimes it would just mean falling behind on my work which would mean I didn’t have a day off in months (Uni work can catch up on you very quickly). I don’t think I’ll be able to stick to this routine 100% but I think I can stick to it for about 90% of the time, which is enough.
So I’m hoping to be able to stick to this routine and, in doing so, I should be able to get enough work done during the week that I can always have my Sundays to myself. Oh, and on Saturday’s I want to do about 5 hours work, giving myself an extra 3 hours to sleep or socialise. It’s probably going to be an 11-4 working day or something like that, we’ll see!
3. Get Out In Nature At Least Once A Week
I am lucky enough, when I’m home from Uni, to have a beautiful beach literally on my doorstep, as you can see from these photos. But I just don’t make the most of it enough! Every time I visit, I vow to go more often as it’s so relaxing and refreshing to be by the sea. But I always forget or let life get on top of me. So this year I’d really like to get out in nature and head to the beach (or wherever else I fancy in the great outdoors) at least once a week, probably on my day off.
Whether it’s on my own or with my family, friends or boyfriend, I think it will be really beneficial for my mental health. I also think it will benefit me creatively, as I always feel super inspired after getting out in nature!
4. Exercise At Least Three Times A Week
On top of my weekly walk in nature, I’d also like to exercise at least three times a week. I started going to the gym (after a 2 year hiatus) in October, when I was going through a bit of a shit time with my mental health, as I was hoping it would help relieve some stress and clear my head. And it did! It really made me feel better and ‘lighter’. So this year I’d like to commit to exercising three times a week, at least.
It’s an easy habit to fall out of but as long as I’m paying for a gym membership, I generally feel motivated to go as it’s something I can’t really afford so if I am going to be paying for it every month, I feel the need to make the most of it.
I’m also doing Yoga With Adriene’s 30 Days of Yoga challenge this month, which, as the name suggests, means I will be doing yoga every day for 30 days. I’ve attempted this challenge every year for the last few years now, and have completed it a couple of times. It’s difficult both physically and mentally but it also has SO many benefits. Hopefully there will be a blog post on my experience with it when (if) I finish it!
5. Write More For The Love of Writing
I spend A LOT of my time writing, from blog posts to essays to Instagram captions. But I’ve fallen out of the habit of writing for myself, that is writing that is limited to my eyes only. Journalling is something I’ve tried and given up on, and tried and given up on a whole lot over the years and I’m still not really sure how I feel about it. But I’d really just like to pick up a pen and write about my surroundings, my feelings, my day or anything else I fancy more often as it is something I enjoy and I feel as though writing when you know no one else is going to see the words on the page is a really relaxing and freeing experience.
So there we have it! The habits I want to introduce to my life in 2019. Maybe I’ll do an ‘update’ blog post on how they’re all going in 6 months time, and then one at the end of the year? Maybe not though, if they’ve all gone to shit…
But I’m optimistic! I know that implementing all of these habits will have a really positive effect on my life, so hopefully my perfectionist mindset won’t get in the way of them. I’d love to hear about your New Years Resolutions, especially if any of them are centred around self-care, in the comments or over on my social media! Do also let me know if any of you’re thinking of introducing any similar habits into your life as well!
Oh, and FYI, blog posts at Words By Alice are going to be weekly from now on. There might be an extra post every now and then but as a general rule, there will be one new blog post a week every Sunday. So I’ll see you back here next Sunday!
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Festive Traditions | 11th Day of Christmas
Happy Christmas eve eve! Today’s post, like last Sunday’s, is a fairly short one. I’m going to be taking you through some of my Christmas traditions! I’m really nosey and am a big Christmas lover (not sure if you’ve picked up on that from my last 10 blog posts) so I always love hearing/reading about what people get up to over the holiday season, so hopefully some of you feel the same way.
So, without further ado, here are my favourite Christmas traditions:
A Cinema Trip on Christmas Eve: this is something that my family and I have started doing over the last few years but it’s definitely become a tradition. Last year we went to see Paddington 2 (which was exceptional) and the year before we went to see the modern version of Annie. This year we’re stepping it up a bit and are heading to Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, one of the most beautiful venues in Liverpool, to watch It’s A Wonderful Life, which I’ve actually never seen before!
Manchester Christmas Markets: I’ve really unfortunately broken this tradition this year, which is inexcusable considering I go to university in Manchester now! But a trip to the Manchester Christmas Markets has always been a tradition for me and something that really gets me in the festive mood. In all fairness I’ve walked through them a fair amount of times but I am really disappointed that I didn't get a chance to have a proper visit this year. In the photos included with this post, I’m at the Liverpool Christmas Markets which, to be honest, aren’t very good, but they made a nice backdrop for these photos.
Heading to the Pub on Christmas Eve: another new tradition- this one is new because I haven’t really been old enough to do this until 2ish years ago. But going to the pub on Christmas Eve with my friends is something I really look forward to! It’s a really nice opportunity to get together and feel festive together before spending the next few days with our families. I’m interested to see how this year’s pub visit will go completely sober…
Christmas Eve Pyjamas: my pub visit gets in the way of this one a little bit but Christmas Eve pyjamas are a mandatory part of Christmas for me (and my sister). Last year I opened them before leaving to go out and put them on when I got back at about 11:30 with my sister whilst watching Elf in bed. I will probably do the same this year, although I might leave the pub a little bit earlier as everyone else starts to get more drunk and I become increasingly aware of how sober I am!
A Christmas Quiz: a Christmas Quiz (or 10) is pretty important for my family at Christmas. We always do a big one either on Christmas day or on one of the days in between Boxing Day and New Years Eve when seeing lots of family, but various quizzes take place on a smaller scale on other occasions over the festive period. I am so secretly (or possibly not so secretly) competitive during these but so are most of the other members of my family so it’s fine.
They’re all the traditions that spring to mind when thinking about it. I’m sure they’re are loads more but I’ll probably be documenting them all on my Instagram over the next week! Make sure you’re following me over there @alicemayporter if you’re interested.
I’d love to hear about your Christmas traditions because like I said, I find it super interesting. Let me know in the comments or on social media!
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How to Be Vegan at Christmas | 7th Day of Christmas
Photography by Jenny Gavan.
Being vegan is trying at the best of times, and that’s generally not even because non-vegan food is tempting but because you’re constantly questioned on your choices and the food you choose to eat. So being vegan at Christmas, when the main event of the season for many is a turkey/chicken/pig, is even worse. From (often passive aggressive) jokes that you’ve heard a million times before at the dinner table, to the question that never ends of ‘but don’t you miss bacon?’ it takes a lot of will power not to get annoyed with people, and I think that’s where the label of ‘angry vegans’ has developed from (but I’ll save that for another blog post).
So I thought I’d write this blog post in order to provide some tips on how to stay sane as a vegan over Christmas as well as providing an extensive list of the best vegan food you can eat at Christmas (scroll to the bottom of the post if that’s what you’re interested in), because there’s absolutely no need for those with a plant-based diet to miss out on what is decisively the best season for food of the year. This is my third Christmas eating a vegan diet so I think I’ve really got both of these things down!
Here are my tips on how to stay sane:
1.Don’t Engage With The Age Old Vegan Comments, You’re Going To Get A Whole Lot Of Them!
As I started to discuss earlier, people LOVE to comment on the lifestyles’ of vegans, whether they’re making jokes or offering health advice. When I first went vegan around 2 and a half years ago, I would be asked/told on a daily basis questions like ‘Do you get enough protein? You need to be careful with that.’ Or, ‘But if we all went vegan, animals would overpopulate the earth, right?’ First of all, if anyone’s interested, yes I do and no they wouldn’t. But I’m going to stop there. During my first months of veganism, I would always engage with these questions, relaying facts and explaining to people why they were wrong, firstly because I was super passionate about it and also because I thought these were genuine questions and that I could actually help educate the people asking them. But the truth is, I couldn’t and you probably can’t either.
If people have these assumptions about you and your diet, they’re probably not even going to listen to what you have to say, so it’s just going to be frustrating for you to try and explain anything to them. I always give super simple answers (literally just yes or no) and if they push further, I keep my answers short (e.g. ‘It’s all good, I had blood tests last month and I’m fine, not to worry!’) Most people asking these questions really don’t want to know the actual answer and have their beliefs challenged, and this is especially true at the Christmas dinner table! So just answer the question simply and change the subject, unless you think they are genuinely interested.
With the jokes, just learn to laugh. They’re not funny and probably never will be but, again, the people telling them don’t want to hear that. So, again just laugh and move on. Whatever you do, don’t even bother trying to educate the joke-tellers, they’re even less interested than the question-askers, trust me!
2.Don’t Attempt to Convert People At The Christmas Dinner Table
This one is kind of similar to my previous tip, but don’t use Christmas dinner or any of the many formal eating situations of Christmas as a chance to tell people the facts about the meat on their plate. It can be tempting, especially if you’ve only recently learnt about how horrific the meat industry is, to become angry with all the meat consumption you’re seeing over Christmas. But telling people how bad their decisions are, especially when they’ve already bought the food and are in the midst of eating it, really isn’t going to be an effective way of turning people vegan and is going to leave you and the person you’re talking to feeling rubbish!
Just be content with the fact that by not eating animal products at Christmas, you’re making the right choice! I think being happy with your own decision and showing people just how much you’re thriving through eating a vegan diet is actually the most effective way of impacting other people’s decisions. My mum actually went vegan around 6 months after I did when she saw all the positive effects it was having on me, so trust me on this one!
3.Always Come/Go Prepared
There’s nothing I feel more uncomfortable with, in terms of veganism, than people fretting over me and feeling bad about there being a lack of vegan options. Obviously these people have the kindest of intentions and I always really appreciate that, but I don’t do well when being fretted over as I generally just don’t like the attention of lots of people, especially strangers, being focussed on me!
To avoid this, and to make sure you’re not left dipping carrots into hummus as your main meal of the night, take food with you to events if you’re not 100% sure whether they’ll be vegan options! I’m talking family events here, not a New Years Eve club night, BTW. This works especially well if it’s a family event with a buffet, as you can just add whatever meal you’ve made to the table and, if you’ve made enough for others too, your friends and family can taste just how good vegan food is! Easy meals to bulk make include veggie curries and chillies, but dessert always goes down well too (see below for a recipe for the best peanut butter filled dessert).
Waitrose Mince Pies
Linda McCartney sausages, Linda McCartney pork & apple sausage rolls, Tesco bubble and squeak
4. Stock Up On All The Vegan Alternatives/Treats
This one is especially for those of you who are newly turned vegan and are worried about the possibility of caving over the festive period. But it’s also relevant to all vegans, new and old, in because you don’t want to be left out of what is the best foodie time of the year. Stock up on all the fake meats, lots of vegan-friendly chocolate and anything else you’d usually eat over Christmas. I promise, your tastebuds won’t even know the difference if you do this effectively!
With that, here is a guide to all my favourite vegan-friendly food you can buy this Christmas:
SAVOURY:
Linda McCartney Vegetarian Beef Roast with Red Wine and Shallot Glaze
Linda McCartney Cocktail Sausages
Linda McCartney Vegetarian Mini Pork & Apple Sausage Rolls
Ready salted Pringles
Paprika Pringles
Violife Cheese Spread (I couldn’t find this one in the supermarkets so I made my own one for these photos, but Violife cheese is unarguably the best)
The White Rabbit Pizza (it’s expensive but it’s a nice treat and a good one to take to parties)
Ritz Crackers
Bubble & Squeak (Tesco’s frozen one is vegan)
SWEET:
Mince Pies (Waitrose & Lidl’s are vegan)
Tesco Frozen Churros
Mint Thins (basically supermarkets own brands’ answer to After Eights and they’re SO good)
Cadburys Drinking Chocolate (to be made with oat milk)
MooFree chocolate is the best, plus they do a selection box. Make sure to try their Bunnycomb bar.
Lazy Day products (including millionaires shortbread- available in Waitrose)
Vegan Magnums
Bendicks Mint Collection Chocolate Box
Co-Op Custard/Jam Donuts
Fabulous Freefrom Factory Dairy Free Chocovered Crunchee Bites (tastes exactly like a Crunchie chocolate bar)
Fabulous Freefrom Factory Dairy Free FudgeeBites
Fabulous Freefrom Factory Dairy Free Sea-Salted Chocolate Covered Bites
Alpro Custard
If you’re wanting to do some baking, this BBC recipe for peanut butter chocolate squares is always a winner. It’s not vegan but if you replace the butter with vegan butter, and use dark chocolate (my favourite is Bournville), as well as vegan digestives (most supermarket’s own brand digestives are vegan but always check) then it is suitable for vegans and it’s SO easy to make!
Being More Sustainable Over the Holiday Period | 6th Day of Christmas
Photography by Jenny Gavan
Christmas really is one of my favourite times of the years, mostly because it involves spending lots of time with family and eating more food than is socially acceptable. However, despite it being mine and many others’ favourite time of the year, it’s not a very good time of the year for the environment, due to the wastefulness and excess of the holidays generally. So, along with all my other typically festive posts, I thought I’d include one that can have some sort of positive impact on the environment, providing you with some simple tips on how to have yourself a more environmentally friendly Christmas (not quite as catchy as Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas but I tried!)
But first, here’s some facts on how the month of December affects our environment:
27,000 miles of wrapping paper is used each year in the UK alone.
Only 1% of consumer goods are still in use 6 months later.
The equivalent of 2 million turkeys end up in the bin every year.
1 in 10 unwanted Christmas gifts end up in landfill
(facts taken from https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/12-not-so-fun-festive-facts/)
Now I don’t always like sharing facts like these because often guilt-tripping can scare people off. But I think it takes reading these types of statistics to actually make some changes, even if they’re only small! I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t buy any Christmas presents or that you should carefully measure out all of the food you buy to ensure none of it goes to waste (although if you want to, great, go for it!) The amount of people who are willing to make changes like this is minimal, but if everyone could make just a few changes to the way they do Christmas, think of the positive effects this could have on our environment!
So, with that, here are my top 5 tips t be more sustainable this Christmas! They’re not groundbreaking but they’re easily doable so do try at least one of them…
1.Use 100% Recyclable Wrapping Paper & Switch Out Sellotape for Washi Tape
As shown from the previous statistics, wrapping paper is one of the main ways in which Christmas can be a very wasteful time of year. Obviously the most effective solution would be not to wrap your presents but I’m not quite ready to take this step yet, firstly because I really do love having wrapped presents and, secondly, because I don’t have the energy to explain to every family member why their present isn’t wrapped and have them assume that I’m just lazy!
So, instead I’ve bought one roll of brown wrapping paper (just the one you get in the post office). It’s 100% paper and totally recyclable, plus it only cost me about £3 and it’s about 5x the size of a normal roll of wrapping paper. I actually really like how presents looked wrapped in this. I must admit that I have bought a few rolls of ribbon to ‘jazz it up’ a little bit but I’m hoping to reuse that for next year (I’ll be that person crawling around picking it up off everyone’s presents once they’ve opened them).
Another way in which I’ve made present-wrapping more environmentally friendly is by sticking down paper with Washi tape rather than sellotape. Again, washi tape is 100% recyclable and it looks a lot nicer than sellotape too! Unless you’re going to pull all the sellotape off the recyclable wrapping paper you’re using, it can’t go in the recycling bin anyway, so by using this you can avoid that and still recycle all the wrapping paper you’ve used.
2. Give the Gift of Sustainability
The statistic that only 1% of consumer goods are used 6 months later is one of the most shocking to me! That’s a crazy amount of waste. So, for that person (those people) that you always have no idea what to buy, why not get them something that’s going to improve their climate footprint rather than something that’s going to sit around and eventually go to landfill?
I received a Chilly’s water bottle for Christmas last year and, not only does it look super attractive and is very practical, I’ve probably bought around 500% less plastic water bottles because of it. Other ideas for environmentally friendly gifts include a reusable coffee cup, such as the Keep Cup, bamboo toothbrushes, reusable straws and reusable shopping/tote bags (of which you can get very nice ones, see this Independent article). Some of these I would reserve for people who are actually interested in being more sustainable but things like the Chilly’s bottle and the reusable coffee cup would be great gifts for anyone!
3. Lower Your Consumption of Animal Products
This might be the point where, if you’re a meat-eater, you click off this post now. But wait! I promise I’m not telling you to go vegan tomorrow! Animal agriculture causes 18% of all greenhouse gases and consumption of meat, dairy and eggs is significantly increased over the festive period, probably making this number even higher.
I’m not telling you to switch out your turkey for a nut roast (definitely do so if you want to) but maybe try some vegetarian canapés rather than meat-filled ones? What about switching out some of your milk chocolate for dark every now and then? Little things like this, do make a difference, especially in terms of supply and demand over the Christmas period.
I have a post coming very soon (like, tomorrow) with some tips on how to be vegan during Christmas and lots and lots of examples of the best veggie Christmas food! So even if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, be sure to check that out to see how you could maybe swap out a few animal products for some animal-friendly ones over Christmas!
4. Leftovers
This is one that you’re going to like, I know it. I’m encouraging you to make the most of leftovers! Savour your Christmas dinner for as long as possible! Put it in sandwiches, eat it for breakfast, feed it to your pet. I know from my own experience, and I’m sure you do to, that the amount of food waste over Christmas can be crazy. Everyone panics and stocks up on enough food to last them a month on the days leading up to Christmas and so much of it ends in the bin, which then goes into landfill.
Firstly, try and not buy too much food! But when you inevitably do, make the most of it and eat ALL of the leftovers. Lots of food lasts for days even after it’s been cooked, such as all the vegetables that people avoid on their Christmas Dinner plate. So maybe even research/plan in advance the types of meals you can make with your leftovers, so your boxing day menu is just as good as the Christmas Day one. Also, if we’re talking about planning in advance, clear some space in your freezer so anything that can go in there for a later date instead of in the bin can fit.
5.Avoid Spending All Your Christmas Money on the Boxing Day Sales
There has been a huge increase in awareness of just how bad the fashion industry is for the environment over the past year. Black Friday, the Boxing Day sales and the January sales all fall in this period, causing many people to impulse buy clothes that they’ll only wear once, which will more than likely eventually end up in landfill. So, even though the sales are tempting, try not to buy anything that you wouldn’t already want to buy if it was full price.
It really gets on my nerves when bloggers tell people not too shop the sales, as, for many people, the only time that they can afford to buy clothing they want is when its reduced! So, I’m not saying boycott them. Just really think about the things that you’re buying (almost) as much as you would if they were full price items. Maybe even make a little wish list in the run up to Christmas of things you really like and have thought about, so when these sales do happen you can buy things you actually want rather than shop impulsively.
I hope this post has been helpful and that you’re considering taking some of these steps in order to have a slightly more sustainable Christmas! But, also, don’t feel guilty if you’re not having the most environmentally-friendly Christmas possible- we live in a world that generally has never really cared about the environment so you’re working against the odds in order to live in a way that is careful, especially around Christmas! So just try your best and hopefully, Christmas can become more and more environmentally sustainable every year.
A Gift Guide for Your Boyfriend | 5th Day of Christmas
*some links used in this post are affiliate which means I receive a tiny amount of commission based on clicks*
I’m sharing my third and final gift guide of the year as part of my 12 Days of Christmas blog posts today! I've saved the trickiest to last which is, predictably, a gift guide for your boyfriend. I know it’s a cliche but men really are so hard to buy for, at least in my experience. But I’ve tried to put an edit of gifts together that I think most people would like, but it might be slightly biased towards my boyfriend as some of the things in these photos are things that I’ve bought him in the past…
As always, starting with books! I’ve bought Sam 2/3 of the books here in the past, the Monkman and Seagull Quiz Book and the 101 Weekends in Europe Book. The former is probably only going to work as a gift if you and your boyfriend like University Challenge as much as me and Sam do but the latter is a great present for all in my opinion, especially if you like to travel together. The third book, Homo Deus, is the sequel to Sapiens but I’ve included this one because, firstly, I’ve lent Sapiens out to someone else, and, secondly, lots of people have already read it and don’t know that this sequel exists. Sapiens is subtitled ‘A Brief History of Humankind’ and that’s basically what it is. Despite this slightly scary subtitle, it's surprisingly easy and enjoyable to read and I don’t know anyone who’s read it and doesn’t like it. I’m yet to read the sequel but I think it takes a similar format to Sapiens, writing about the future of humankind instead.
My next category in these posts is usually skincare/beauty and although there are products in this category that you can buy for men, I’m not very clued up on them so I’m not going to even try and attempt to cover them. So rather, let’s just move on to the other miscellaneous items in this photo. I’ve included Nirvana’s Nevermind album on vinyl here (Sam actually bought me this for my birthday a couple of years ago) and if your boyfriend does have a record player, a vinyl is a really great gift to them. You can make it personal, choosing one you both like or associate with a certain memory, plus they’re really easy to wrap (I’m joking but I’m also not joking). If they don’t have a record player then this one isn’t really an option- if your budget is a little bit higher than mine, you could even get them a record player if you think that’s something they’d like?
Next up is something else that has come back into fashion in recent years, the film camera. If you’ve read my blog before, you probably know how much I love film photography. I’m not even massively into photography generally but I love the simplicity and spontaneity of film photography and obviously the way in which the images look as well. Film cameras can vary from £5-£500 so whatever your budget, this is a present that could work for your boyfriend. Do your research on the best film cameras within your budget but, in my experience so far, the best one is the Olympus MJU II, which vary in price from about £50-£250 depending on how lucky you are on eBay.
Finally, I’ve included this set of general knowledge quiz cards. As mentioned before, Sam and I are embarrassingly into quiz shows (especially University Challenge) so we’ve had a lot of fun using these since he bought me them a couple of years ago. If you and your boyfriend aren’t as into quizzing though, a game of some sort could still be a good idea. Whether you only use it over the Christmas holidays or play with it throughout the year, it’s a nice thing you can do together and you can make it particularly thoughtful if you find one to do with their interests.
Something I haven’t included in these photos but that is always a great idea is a scrapbook or even just a framed photo of you two together. Sam’s born in November and I’m born in January so we always set a fairly low budget for Christmas so a personal gift like this can be really nice without breaking the bank.
As always, here’s some more gift ideas…
Books:
Clothing/Accessories:
Other/Miscellaneous:
A Gift Guide for Your Mamma | 3rd Day of Christmas
*some links used in this post are affiliate which means I receive a tiny amount of commission based on clicks*
On the 3rd day of Christmas at Words By Alice, there’s another gift guide! This one is tailored towards mums, although would also work well for nans and friends (who are potentially older) who would benefit from some relaxation and a little bit of luxury. I always tend to buy my mum presents that are tailored towards de-stressing. My mum does so much for me and she is always busy so I always think it’s nice to buy her, slightly more luxurious, presents to help her relax.
Let’s start with books. I personally feel most relaxed when I’m completely engrossed in a book, it’s one of the only times when I can silence all the crazy thoughts in my head. So I think it’s a great present to gift someone to help them relax. My favourite book of the year (although Sally Rooney’s Normal People is a close second) is Stay With Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, This is a beautiful novel about a couple, Yejide and Akin, living in Nigeria who are struggling to give birth fours year into their marriage. One day, Yejide’s family arrive at her house with a young woman introduced as Akin’s second wife, who they have ‘recruited’ because of the couples’ fertility problems. From this point on, Yejide is determined to become pregnant, whatever the cost. As a book, it’s educational, thought-provoking and emotional and will have you hanging on to the edge of every word. I think it would be the perfect book to gift to your mum, especially because of its subject matter, but also because it would be a great book to spend a few days losing yourself in in the post-Christmas/pre-New Year period whilst eating leftover Christmas dinner and your body weight in chocolate.
There’s a whole lot of beauty and skincare products in this photo because they’re not only the most cliche ways to relax, but one of the best in my opinion. It’s always nice to buy someone something they wouldn’t buy for themselves, especially if it’s something that’s a little luxurious. On that note, the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray is such a great present to buy for someone. Using this product has improved how I sleep so much and, as someone whose anxiety usually materialises at nighttime, has generally just made my life better and easier. People don’t believe that it actually helps you sleep but it does so by buying this for your mum you’ll literally be giving them the gift of sleep. The one photographed here is mine but I’ve bought one for my mum in the past and she loved it!
Another relaxing product, that has actually come from my Liberty Advent Calendar, is the Susan Kaufmann Lavendar De-Stress Oil. I’ve been using this in baths and on my body and because it’s such a luxurious thing that I wouldn't really buy for myself, I think it’s such a nice present to buy for someone.
In terms of skincare, in the past I’ve bought my mum the Oksia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. It’s a cult item in the skincare world that works for all skin types but a little bit on the pricey side, so, again, perhaps something people wouldn’t want to buy for themselves. A face mask is always a good option for a gift that aims to relax, this Skin Laundry sheet mask is another one I received in my Liberty Advent Calendar that I might pass on to my mum anyway, as I don’t think it’s right for my skin type. But the packaging is beautiful and I’ve heard really good things about the brand, so it’s definitely worth considering!
I also think any kind of bath/shower product is a failsafe and at the moment I am loving all the & Other Stories body products, such as this Sicilian Sunrise Body Wash pictured here. Perfume, too, is a go-to gift for many, but for good reason! I personally cannot justify buying perfume for myself (usually) so I love to receive it as a present. I actually did buy the perfume in this photo for myself when I was in Paris, as a little souvenir. It’s by the brand Bon Parfumer and the scent is so unique. Plus, it wasn’t too far on the expensive side for a perfume (I think it cost me around €35) but it looks and smells like it should be.
And, of course, you can’t go wrong with a candle, especially a Diptyque candle. My favourite Diptyque scent is Baies but I’ve finished that one so included in this photo is the Figuier candle, which I also really like. Diptyque is expensive but the packaging and the unique scents do justify the price (kind of) for me. If you don’t want to spend that much on a candle though, you definitely don’t have to- I’ll include some more affordable ones in the latter part of this gift guide with further recommendations.
I’m almost done, I promise. Just one last thing- this Space NK airport scanner machine-friendly (I’m sure there’s a better way to describe it than that) travel bag. These bags look so chic and double up as toiletries bags that you can take in your hand luggage through airports- practical and good lookin’. If your mum travels a lot or even if she just needs a new make up bag that can also be used for travel, I think these toiletries bags are great.
Here’s some more recommendations of things that aren’t photographed here:
Books:
Beauty/Skincare/Body:
Homeware/Candles (etc.):
A Gift Guide for Your Best Gal Pal | 1st Day of Christmas
*some links used in this post are affiliate which means I receive a tiny amount of commission based on clicks*
Welcome to Words By Alice’s 12 days of Christmas! If you haven’t heard over on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook/some other form of social media, I’m going to be posting a new blog post every day for 12 days, from today (13th December) till Christmas Eve! I’m sure you’re going to be well and truly sick of me by the time Christmas Day comes around but for now, I hope you can enjoy the novelty of day one!
(DISCLAIMER: I’m very aware that this isn’t the *official* 12 Days of Christmas but I break up from Uni for Christmas today and starting today means I can finish on Christmas Eve, so I think it works pretty well- I hope you do too!)
Anyway, I thought I’d begin these 12 days with a gift guide, specifically one for your bestie! Because, let’s be honest, they’re the best people to buy for. Often you can just buy them something you love, knowing (hoping) they will love it too. There are so many different categories of gifts that you could buy for a best friend, from books, to beauty, to clothing and accessories, to novelty and personal items- I’m hoping I’ve covered most of these categories here!
Starting with books, something that is going to feature in all the gift guides I have coming up this year (yes, there are more) and my favourite things to give and receive. A book always feels personal, especially if you’re giving one you’ve read and love, and it really is the gift that keeps on giving, as you can talk about it with your friend as they’re reading it and bond over how much you (hopefully) both loved it. The books I’ve included in this photo are ones that I have read this year and think would make great gifts. Charly Cox’s debut poetry collection She Must Be Mad covers so many things that young women (from generation Z to millennial) deal with and it’s as fun of a read as it is emotional and relatable. The Anxiety Solution, as you may have guessed from the title, is a self-help book, one that helped me through some difficult patches this year and that I regularly return back to. If you know someone who has been struggling with anxiety this year, this could be a thoughtful and useful gift for them. Plus, the cover incorporates various shades of ‘millennial’ pastels, so what’s not to love?
Moving on to beauty and skincare, my go-to brand for myself and for gifting purposes is, of course, Glossier. It’s relatively affordable, the packaging is always adorable and the product is genuinely great in my experience. If you’re feeling a little spendy this year, Glossier ‘You’ is the perfume that smells different on everyone who wears it. I’ve never worn it without receiving a compliment and, although perfume can be a tricky one to gift sometimes, I think the adaptable nature of the scent means there’s no one who won’t like it. If you and your bestie have set a budget, go for the Balm Dot Com. My favourite one is the Birthday Balm Dot Com because it’s hydrating and sparkly, which is 100% the look I’m going for. If you’re still stuck on which Glossier product to go for, I have a blog post ranking the Glossier products I own from best to worst.
There are some other beauty/skincare brands that I love and are equally aesthetically pleasing as Glossier, such as Mario Badescu. My favourite product of theirs is the Rosewater Spray, it’s as bougie as it sounds and quite the indulgence, making it the perfect gift. Another brand that ticks all my product quality and aesthetically pleasing packaging boxes is Isle of Paradise, a tanning brand I have discovered this year who have actually made false tanning somewhat cool. The Light Tanning Drops included in this photo are subtle but putting a couple of drops into your moisturiser adds some serious glow.
It’s always a little risky to buy clothing for someone, no matter how well you know them. Accessories, on the other hand are a little easier. A scarf is something that most people will wear, in their hair, tied to their bag or just… you know, round their neck like they’re designed for. A silky scarf always feels really luxurious as well so it would be such a nice thing to receive. I was sent the one pictured here by the brand Style By Portobello, who handpick vintage scarves and deliver them to you! This totally takes away the time-consuming element of vintage shopping but still allows you to get something totally unique, purse-friendly and environmentally and ethically A-OK for a friend.
Finally, a notebook. It’s a classic gift but for good reason. Who doesn’t love them? I could probably create an edit of about 1000 notebooks I love but I picked this one up from & Other Stories recently as a gift from me to me recently. It’s not currently on the website but it’s still in stores.
The items discussed and photographed here are ones I already own. But here’s an edit of many other things that you could buy for your best friend this Christmas…
Books:
Beauty/Skincare:
Clothes & Accessories:
Other Random Bits (Homeware/Stationary):
