Little Things: How To De-stress

I'm writing this at 2:30 a.m. after copious cups of coffee and 4 movies whilst waiting for my beau to return from the pub, because I am a chronic worrier and I can't sleep. Quite ironic when you consider the title of this blog.

Anyway, lately I've been thinking about being more ~mindful and learning how to manage my own stress. Exam season is approaching rapidly (too rapidly for my liking) so I think it's a good time to start finding ways to de-stress. I'm probably one of the most stressy people I know in the way that everything worries/stresses me out. But I'm trying to change that, even if it's just a little.

Earlier I stood on the balcony - which sounds fancy, but would be a lot fancier if it wasn't facing the apartment complex bins which are surrounded by stolen Lidl trolleys - and just watched the world go by, and it struck me how rarely I just stop. I'm always running around tidying or on my phone or cooking or in college, and it's not good for stress. So, without further ado, here are just a few tips on how to make your daily life just a bit more chill.

Do 1 different thing every week - and do it for you

During the week I went to the cinema with a friend, and I realised how little I actually do things like that. I've become a creature of habit since starting college, and I've noticed myself just coming home and doing the same things day in, day out. I didn't realise how therapeutic a break in the routine could be until I finally did it. It doesn't have to be the cinema with a friend - it could be buying yourself a nice top you've been eyeing up, getting your nails done (or doing them yourself and having a pamper night at home), or going to a café you've always wanted to try. I find by just taking some time out from my usual day really peps me up. 

Keep a stress or anxiety diary

I'm no stranger to anxiety, having had it before myself and receiving CBT to combat it. I still suffer from anxiety sometimes - often in the quietest moments like when I'm washing up or trying to fall asleep. It can be a pain, but recently I read about anxiety diaries and how to make one. I chose a pretty notebook, wrote down everything I was anxious about, and what I could do (or was doing) to change it. After a few times using the diary I noticed a significant difference in how my brain handled negative thoughts. I suppose it's kind of like CBT in the way it trains your brain to think about situations differently. Either way, for me it's extremely helpful to have a vessel to cast my thoughts upon, and whenever I'm worried I open it and see all the positive things I'm doing to change my mindset. 

Try mindfulness

I know, it seems like 'mindfulness' is some kind of buzzwords people are using lately, but there's a lot to be said for it. Even something small like a mindful breathing exercise (try this website) can help. Sometimes when I'm trying to fall asleep and my brain won't shut up, I just try and focus on each breath and suddenly I'm asleep. I've heard that yoga is also good for mindfulness but I'm about as flexible as a wooden plank so that's something I'll have to build up to.

One step at a time

If you have a lot to do and no idea where to begin, try bullet journaling - basically, write down everything you need to do and use symbols to prioritise them - what needs to be done today and what can wait? This can help you delegate your tasks and ease the load a little bit. I also like a method called the Pomodoro technique which is where you do a specific task - for example, tidying or studying - for 25 minutes and then stop for a break, then do another 25 minute burst. It really does make you get things done and it doesn't feel so arduous when it's only 25 minutes.

Listen

Music, whale sounds, those weird cooking videos where they emphasise the noises (they make me feel sick but some people love them) - whatever floats your audiological boat. I'd probably be sitting in bed listening out for every tiny little noise if I weren't playing music right now. My neighbours probably love me. Try and play happy music or mellow music instead of heavy metal or sad songs - unless that does de-stress you, in which case blast it! I like the Spotify 'chill' playlists so that I don't have to scramble to find a new song whenever my current one ends. 

So those are just a few tips on how to wind down when you feel overwhelmed - I hope this helped some of you out and hang in there.

Resolutions

I never stick to New Years' resolutions. 

So why should 2017 be any different? I think there comes a point where you really desperately want to get your sh*t together and sit yourself down and tell yourself: "You're kind of an adult now, maybe you should stick to some of your resolutions." It's really easy to develop bad habits.

For example, sometimes instead of cooking dinner I'll sit there and eat a plate of crackers spread with soft cheese. Or I'll just snack instead. I have so many fabulous cooking utensils, ingredients and a passion for cooking, so why don't I fuel my passion? Because I'm lazy sometimes a lot of the time, that's why. In 2017, I resolve to keep practicing in the kitchen and experiment every day. Whether it be making my own pizza dough or perfecting a recipe I've always wanted to nail, I'll do it. Or at least try to.

With that comes the classic trying to eat healthy resolution. I'm sick of feeling sick from eating rubbish so I'm determined to really give some sort of structured eating routine a go, instead of eating a whole tub of Pringles and wondering why my jeans won't do up. Watch this space.

I feel like 2016 - the latter half especially - has consisted of a lot of rushing around and not a whole lot of taking time out for myself. Since moving in with Laurence I've noticed myself becoming a bit needy and dependent on him which I think can be smothering in a relationship. 2017 will be the year I try and take up a new hobby (I'm not sure what yet, any ideas?) and practice more ~self love. Cheesy as it sounds, there's a lot to be said for having a pamper evening, going for a walk or even making yourself an indulgent breakfast you really love. Everyone needs to be a bit selfish sometimes.

Since starting college I've found myself slipping into a very same-y style of dressing. I used to always dress up in skirts, nice tops or dresses with tights and heels or boots, and lately I just dress for comfort which isn't like me at all. I was very lucky to receive some Penneys vouchers for Christmas and I'm determined to do a wardrobe blitz and sort out my style. For some reason I went through a phase of buying sleeveless summery clothes that are more suited to Malibu than Westmeath. Not very logical for Irish weather, but on my next shopping trip I'll be sure to opt for slightly warmer clothes!

This year I've been so busy I feel like my blogging has fallen by the wayside, and I've felt a little disheartened about how my blog has been faring. There's such fierce competition in the blogging world lately, but as they say, there's nothing wrong with healthy competition. Sometimes it feels as though the blogging community isn't a community and everyone is totally out for themselves though. Google has decided to take my blog off the search engine which has drastically affected my stats, and it's really getting me down. However, I won't let it defeat me. I will resolve to keep blogging, e-mail Google to see what's happening, and try and make my blog more varied. After all, blogging is an outlet for everything going on in my head and I really do enjoy it - even if there's only a handful of people reading!

So those are just a few of my resolutions - what are yours? I hope you all have a happy, safe and healthy New Year. Time to fit as many Pringles as possible into my mouth before the healthy eating kick tomorrow.

Something To Smile About: Festive Edition

Ahh, Christmas. A time of happiness, love and seriously worrying about whether or not your favourite trousers will still fit you by the time St. Stephen's Day rolls around. This is my first year not living at home for Christmas, but I've come back to stay for a week or so and spend time with my beloved family - who have just moved into a new house which is the best Christmas present ever. Apart from me coming home with all my washing, obv. ;-)

Seeing as there are a lot of happy moments to be had at Christmas, I thought I'd do a quick blog post about the things this week that've made me feel all warm and cozy inside.

1. Driving home for Christmas (I sound like Chris Rea) with Laurence and being so excited to see all my family. Ringing the doorbell of the new cozy house and being reunited was such a lovely feeling.

2. Mine and Laurence's first Christmas whilst living together. We put on Christmas music, wrapped our presents, had a bottle of wine and danced around the kitchen while preparing our pre-Christmas dinner, and finished the night by watching Elf. What could be more Christmassy?

3. Lunch and a gossip with my mum. We headed to the Gourmet Parlour in Collooney (which I've never been to) and I was over the moon to see they had loads of vegetarian options, and they all sounded amazing! I went for a good old jacket potato with cheese, and my mum got a spinach and mushroom pie. The food was gorgeous, especially the Asian noodle salad served with the pie which I just have to know how to make. Drool.

After our catch up we collected the gateaux and cupcakes mum won from Mc G's Cakes. They are absolutely beautifully made and taste as good as they look!

4. Finally getting my Christmas shopping finished. Laurence and I headed into Athlone town centre to tackle the shops on Thursday. We started bright and early with a McDonald's breakfast (sometimes it has to be done), and I mentally put on my warpaint to brave the crowds. When we initially went into Golden Island shopping centre it was surprisingly quiet, but it only got worse as the day progressed. I ended up almost having a nervous breakdown in the middle of Argos because a) it was like the zombie apocalypse with people everywhere, and b) both of my present ideas for Laurence ended up being sold out so I had to resort to something less exciting. I also spent about an hour in Penneys and got myself a few nice bits - because if you can't treat yo'self at Christmas when can you?

In the middle of dashing around trying to get gifts for everyone I started getting extremely overheated. I was wearing a top that was bodysuit style so it had poppers on the, erm, lower area. Now apparently when I was born I had a very long torso which means bodysuits are pretty much impossible to wear. I had to do a sort of contortionist/gymnast move to try and do the damn thing up, and when I finally did I got out of the car and it popped open, meaning I spent my entire shopping trip with this stupid bodysuit top wedged up my arse. That's pretty much my life in a nutshell.

Anyway, I ended up feeling so faint Laurence brought me over to the fridge section of Tesco (romantic) and told me to "pretend to reach for a hummus" so I could put my hands on something cold. We eventually made our escape and headed to Insomnia for a nice relaxing drink, and breathed a sigh of relief.

5. It's Christmas! What else can I say?!

Feel free to let me know what made you smile this week - I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year. 

Beauty Review: Penneys P.S. Beauty Brush Cleaning Mitt

Phew, that was a bit of a mouthful, wasn't it?

I don't do many beauty type posts, even though I am a bit of a beauty aficionado. Laurence claims I have enough makeup to sink a ship but I disagree. After all, there are lots of days in a year and each one requires a different makeup look, obviously.

Anyway, along with lots of makeup comes lots of makeup brushes, which is good and bad. Good because I love makeup brushes and bad because it's a pain in the arse to wash them, quite truthfully, and I don't do it half as often as I should. Oops.

I've decided lately that has to change. I don't think it's doing my skin any good by using dirty makeup brushes, and it's nice to have clean brushes anyway. They're much easier to work with when they're not caked with makeup - who'd have guessed?!

Whilst on my thrice-weekly (ha) trip to Penneys, I went to the beauty section as usual and was delighted to find a black silicone brush cleaning mitt. Seeing as it was only €2.50 I decided there was no harm in trying it and popped it in my basket. 

I left it unopened for a few days (you have to sneak up on cleaning your makeup brushes, they can smell fear) and finally decided to complete the arduous task. I chose a few of my dirtiest brushes and set to work with the unassuming cleansing mitt. I noticed the mitt had lots of textured lumps and bumps for getting right in there with the brushes. 

I applied baby shampoo - you can use any brush cleanser though - to the mitt, a little bit of water and then swirled my brushes around. I'm not kidding, it was like magic. The dirt just fell off the brushes and the textured mitt was perfect for scrubbing off every trace of makeup. Even the really dirty foundation brushes weren't a problem for this little beaut - I had all my brushes washed in a fraction of the time it usually takes. Result.

Overall, for the price this thing is amazing. The Sigma one may look a bit fancier and prettier but at €30+ it's not cheap, and I've heard the Penneys one gives it a run for its money. For €2.50 you really can't go wrong - give it a go.

Have you tried out this nifty little brush mitt or any other P.S. Beauty bits?

Something To Smile About

I'm a natural born worrier. I worry about everything. The typical stuff like money, studying and health, and then the non-typical stuff like, oh, everything else. I worry about toys left behind on the pavement, I worry about children dropping their ice cream cones seconds after getting them, you name it I probably worry about it.

With all this worrying it can be hard to stop and think about all the nice things in the world. So, with that in mind, I've decided to do a weekly blog post about things that made me smile lately. Most of them are tiny little things, but it's good to appreciate all the small things (alright Blink-182). #mindfulness

1. This wall art in Athlone IT. In the graphic design campus the walls are decorated beautifully, it's so refreshing to see and it brightened up my day.

2. Midterm break. A loooong week off of chilling and sleeping. I've been so exhausted lately and it's nice to be able to have a proper sleep in my quiet bedroom at home.

3. Winning a Bellamianta tan and Sleek makeup from ChemCo chemist in Sligo. Yay!

4. Coming home to warmth, love and a tidy room. Having dinner with my family, a heart to heart with my mum and the fact my brother is staying with me and Laurence this weekend.

5. An evening walk along Strandhill beach and hot chocolates with my boyfriend. Spending time connecting with each other helps lessen the stress of adjusting to living together!

What made you smile this week? Let me know!

Saving Without Starving: Student Meal Ideas

Since I'm now a ~proper student, I know all too well how tempting it can be to eat a Pot Noodle and a packet of crisps for your dinner. I'll admit there have been a couple of times all I've had for lunch is a bowl of popcorn, but I suppose it could be worse. So far I haven't totally succumbed to the beans on toast and pizza student stereotype. Well, yet.

It doesn't have to be so hard to eat well on a tight budget, you just need to be savvy about it. Since moving out I've learned a few tips and tricks to make my money and my weekly food shop stretch a bit farther. I'm quite lucky in the sense a) my boyfriend has a car so we can shop around for the best deals and b) because we do our food shop together everything is split in half so it doesn't seem as expensive. However, even if you don't have a car or an other half you can still be a smart shopper.

Disclaimer: Laurence and I are both vegetarian so it is significantly cheaper for us to shop as we're not buying meat, but I've seen lots of butchers advertising meat deals where you get loads of meat for €20 and you can always freeze it if you can't eat it all in time!

1. Learn to cook.

It seems pretty self explanatory, but if you hate cooking or don't know how to, you may struggle more to use the food you've bought. Being able to cook can be a real life saver when you're staring in your fridge and there's a single tomato, some cheese and an egg left. I find YouTube great for cooking tutorials, or even those little Facebook videos by Tasty and other such pages, for quick easy recipes. Or you can go old school and get some cookery books from the library. #retro

Just a few of my favourite meals. Left to right: Apple pie porridge, tofu stir-fry, smoothie bowl.

2. Shop later.

Best tip ever: go to the supermarkets 15 - 30 minutes before they close. It may seem weird and you might have to force your arse off the sofa to go out to the shops but this is the time when the supermarkets reduce loads of their stuff. Last week our weekly shop came to €6.50 and that got us 3 packets of asparagus, peaches, bread, carrots, tomatoes, a bunch of flowers, chillies, olives and even some sandwiches. So we got about 2 weeks worth of fruit and veg for under a tenner! And where did we get all that stuff for so cheap? You'd never guess... Marks and Spencers. That's right. If you go in close to their closing time, the staff have gone around twice reducing fresh food including fruit, veg, desserts, cakes (!), bread, and ready meals. I've seen lettuce for 10c, a punnet of tomatoes for 30c, asparagus for 30c, etc. You can get some lovely treats there for a fraction of their normal price and what's even better is their fruit and veg lasts ages and is really nice quality! Of course if you don't live near an M&S you can also try Tesco, Lidl and Aldi.

3. Stock up on staples.

No, not the ones you use to attach two pages together, the cupboard type. We manage to keep our food shop so low because we have a lot of staples in our cupboards such as rice, pasta, etc. and of course we buy eggs and bread as we need them too (usually every few days because Laurence seems to live on eggs and bread). I recommend getting some cheap pasta and rice from Tesco (their pasta is around 49c and they do all sorts of snazzy pasta shapes which makes dinner more interesting) and try and get creative.

4. Pick a different cuisine each week.

I hate eating the same thing over and over again so I love to experiment in the kitchen. One thing I like to do is choose a cuisine (for example Italian, Mexican or Spanish) and cook something related to that cuisine as a fun dinner. So for Italian it could be pizza or spaghetti, for Mexican usually burritos, and for Spanish something like a paella or patatas bravas. Again, cookbooks and the internet are great for inspiration for these types of meals and it keeps things exciting.

5. Freeze!

If you're lucky enough to have a proper freezer and not a shitey little box freezer in your fridge - which is what we have at the moment and it's a nightmare - I recommend buying a bag of frozen veg or if you find lots of fruit or veg for really cheap get a bunch of them and freeze them. That way you won't have to keep buying fruit and veg and eating it quickly to ensure it doesn't go off before you finish it, you'll have it all in the freezer ready for you to use in curries, soups, stir fries or smoothies.

Just before I moved up to Athlone I was lucky enough to win a €25 voucher for Dawn Fresh in Sligo, and this was such a massive help to get me started for college. I was surprised by how much stuff I got for €25 considering it was a greengrocers and all the fruit and veg was really good quality. Because it's just Laurence and I we ended up freezing a fair bit of the fruit and veg so it wouldn't go off and it worked out perfectly. I definitely recommend checking out Dawn Fresh if you live in Sligo, they are great value.

6. Plan & prep

Get yourself a nice notebook just to meal plan. Meal planning makes the difference between sticking to your budget and spending €20 on 3 Pot Noodles and some cans of Dutch Gold. Write down what food you have in and then plan your meals around your ingredients. If you don't meal plan you're more likely to buy random stuff while you're out and then have to try and make a meal out of a packet of Doritos and a few slices of EasiSingles. By prepping your meals ahead of time not only do you save money but you also save time. If you have your lunch ready to go for college you won't be tempted by buying a meal in the canteen, and you can pick something to make for your lunch that you really like.

7. Treat Yo'self 

If you have a little extra cash at the end of each week you could  use it to buy yourself  a treat in your next food shop. It could be a tub of ice cream, your favourite pizza or a spice box from the local chipper - anything. You won't feel as hard done by if you still get to treat yourself, even while keeping the purse strings tight.

Sample: What I Eat In A Day

Breakfast: For breakfast I'll either have an omelette with some leftover veg and toast, pancakes (so cheap to make), fried potatoes in a tomato-y sauce with eggs on top, homemade granola and yoghurt, and sometimes I'll even have soup for breakfast if I'm feeling really lazy. On the weekends I'll have something more decadent like unhealthier pancakes, French toast or a vegetarian fry-up.

Lunch: My typical lunches are leftover dinner, curry with rice, a homemade noodle bowl, or just a plain old wrap or sandwich. I try and make my lunches the night before while I'm making dinner so it doesn't feel as much of a chore and I can just pop it in the microwave the next day. Pasta salad is also a great option as you can put anything in it and eat it cold.

Dinner: Again, quick cheap meals with loads of veg in such as soups, curries, stir-fries, noodle bowls, pasta dishes, burritos... the list goes on. It's also helpful to make things you can also eat for lunch the next day in case you're feeling lazy, and it reduces food waste.

So those are just a few tips in case you're stuck in a food rut. I hope this was a bit helpful not just for students but even for those of you who are just on a tight budget!

Ch-ch-changes

Yesterday was a big day for me. I moved out for the first time, and moved in with my boyfriend.

I said goodbye to my dad and my brother the night before, and my brother started playing that Beatles song 'She's Leaving Home' which nearly set off the waterworks, but I managed to reign it in. My mum and I set off in the morning for Athlone, with our little green Hyundai Getz almost as weighed down with boxes as I am after a Chinese takeaway. We laughed and chatted the whole way there, and stopped halfway through at McDonald's for obligatory hash browns and coffee. I was half excited and half filled with dread, because for all the excitement of unpacking with my mum I knew she'd soon have to go and we'd have to say our goodbyes.

My mum was such a fantastic help through the whole moving process, I dunno what we would've done without her. I'd have probably ended up moving in with just a toothbrush and a pillow! I managed to sneak nearly everything I wanted to bring in the car. It was like car Tetris trying to get everything to fit, but we did it (well, I say we, really it was my mum).

The next big hurdle was trying to get everything from two cars (ours and Laurence's) up 4 flights of stairs. Our apartment block doesn't have a lift so there was some serious manouevering required. Thankfully Laurence asked Shane, a friend of ours (who happens to be really strong) if he would mind helping us lift some boxes and he obliged. He was a fantastic help and we had all the boxes up within a couple of hours. He even unblocked the gutters for us! The lads sat down playing a video game - typical boy, the first thing Laurence unpacked was his PS4 - while we cleaned, unpacked and then went to Mr Price and Tesco to get a few last minute bits we didn't have.

I tried to hold it together while I said goodbye to mum, but it was incredibly hard. I didn't want to start crying because I knew I'd set her off crying and it'd make it even tougher! Laurence and I waved her goodbye and then went back up to say goodbye to Shane a.k.a kick him out. Laurence left me in the apartment for a few minutes while he waved Shane off. I decided to read my mum's blog post while I had a few moments to myself. Poor Laurence walked back into the apartment to find me crying my eyes out in front of a bowl of half-eaten cold spaghetti hoops. All the emotions I'd built up had finally culminated and the floodgates were open. We had a little cuddle as I sobbed onto his shoulder and got snot and makeup and tears all over his shirt (#sexy), and then he started crying because I was crying.

Last night was such a weird night. Our first night living together. We went to Lidl to get bin bags and kitchen roll (exciting) and then made our first dinner in the new house. I lit a scented candle and we enjoyed our food with a glass of wine, making a toast to a new chapter.

I was so emotionally exhausted I didn't want to do anything else so we just snuggled up on the sofa, watched half of a shite film on Netflix (it was called Before We Go - don't watch it - Chris Evans I'm ashamed of you), and got drunk off the gorgeous bottle of wine my mum gave us as part of a fab housewarming hamper.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit homesick and I miss my family like crazy already. It's like a piece of me has been taken out and I'm wandering around trying to feel normal again. I sat at the table this morning eating my breakfast on my own as Laurence is at work, and I felt very lonely.

I'll miss talking to my mum every night before she went to sleep, sitting on her bed and having a gossip or a bitching session or just a laugh. I'll miss her coming into my room to wake me up so we could go shopping. I'll miss cooking dinner for her and dancing in the kitchen. But I know it will get easier, because hopefully my family will come to stay - we have a spare room, ooh get us - and I can sit at the table at night with them having a cup of tea and a chitchat. I can go shopping in Athlone with my mum and give her a tour of the town. And I can cook her dinner yet again, except this time in a different kitchen with a much smaller fridge and a niggling worry about how much electricity the oven uses.

Despite everything, Laurence and I are so happy we're together and already we've made this apartment feel like a home. And despite all the boxes and bags around us and checking the Pinergy electricity meter every few minutes - I could get used to this.