50 Random facts about me

I was watching Ingrid Nilsen the other day and she uploaded a video on her 50 random facts about me and I thought how good that would be as a blogpost so here is my 50 random facts that you may not know about me.

1. I own more socks than I do underwear.  They are so cheap and you can never have enough pairs of socks.  I can get 7 pairs for £2 at Primark.
2. I can eat Nutella straight from the jar with a spoon.  I always tell people that if they get me a jar of Nutella, a spoon and a corner I will sit and be quiet!
3. I am a first year university student and want to become a Neonatal Nurse.
4. For 22 months I was in a hostel and within those 22 months I feel that I have grown up a lot as it was a very eye opening experience.
5. I cannot stand watching the movie 'ET'  From a small age, I have always been afraid of the film.  I went to DisneyWorld in Florida when I was 12 and my dad made me go on a ride that was 'ET' related and I had to sit right in front of the basket where it would pop up.  I bawled my eyes out for an hour afterwards.
6. I binge watch videos on YouTube.  Only the YouTubers I like.
7. My favourite number is 7 (or any number with the number 7 in it...like 77 or 777)
8. I don't like custard or cream and my boyfriend calls me a freak because of it!
9. I read Daphne de Maurier's Rebecca when I was 8 and I love reading books (if only I had the time to read anything other than books relating to my course at the moment!)
10. I have only ever broke one bone in my body and that was 3 weeks into year 11 (I was 15 at the time) and that happened as I was helping put up the trampoline in P.E.
11. I love going to the gym.  I started going to my university's gym as I gained a scholarship which gave me a free gym membership.  It gives me a break from work and I can just plug my headphones in and forget the world for a hour.
12. I only went to two freshers events back in September as I don't like going to nightclubs.
13. I got a 1st in my first set of assessment results and I am so proud of that.
14. I am lost without my glasses.  I am that short sighted that I have to have things right up to my nose before I can see things.  
15. Speaking of glasses I have been wearing them for 21 years.  I was 4 when I started wearing them.
16. I have met Bear Grylls who is the Chief Scout in the UK and I share the same birthday (7th June for reference)
17. I love snow.
18. I hate been cold and always say that I am living in the wrong country.
19. Instead of holding my knife in my right hand (the normal way) I have my fork in my right hand.
20. I grew up with two left handed parents.
21. I lost my dad 3 weeks into my first year of university.
22. I was the only one in my family who could tame small animals.  
23. I have had 3 dogs, 1 cat, 1 bunny, 5 guinea pigs, 6 hamsters, I budgie and countless amounts of fish. (I feel like I am forgetting a few pets.)
24. It took me 5 years to get into Harry Potter and now I am obsessed and cannot believe the saga is over *starts crying*
25. I spend more time tweeting on my blog twitter account then I do on my personal account.
26. I love writing stories.  I completed NaNoWriMo back in 2012 and haven't completed it since.
27. I am a Scout leader and love everything about scouting but gutted I don't have the time now I am at university.
28. My boyfriend is my District Commissioner in my scout district so I get to take part in event automatically (unless I am busy at the time)
29. I am obsessed with stationary.  I only wish that I was living in the US as they seem to have much prettier stationary than the UK.
30. I bought my first high end foundation at the age of 25 and have a wish list for so much more.
31. I recently chopped off my hair to shoulder length and my friend almost cried when I did it (It was half way down my back)
32. I don't like wafers but I can eat Cornettos and KitKats.
33. I cannot stand feet.  
34. I hate my feet being touched yet I allow my boyfriend to rub them sometimes.
35. My favourite colour is pink.  Doesn't matter what shade of pink it is as long as it's pink.
36. I drink too much Coca Cola or Pepsi.  Not the diet versions but the regular version.
37. I put mayonnaise on virtually every hot food.
38. I have been with my boyfriend 2 and a half years at the end of February.
39. I am 4 foot 11 inches and everyone comments on how small I am...annoys me sometimes but I have learned to accept my shortness.
40. I am the eldest out of three children and my 21 year old brother will graduate before me.
41. I have two mothers, one who is my biological mother and one who is so much like a mother, I sometimes call her mum.
42. I love sleep (who doesn't?)  I could sleep for ever but I go to bed late so don't get as much sleep as I want.
43. I don't have a passport.  I have never owned one but have been out the country.  (on my parents passport)
44. I have been to Crete three times, Menorca once, Paris twice, South of France once and Florida once.
45. I spent my 12th birthday in Florida which was a really good experience.
46. I get bored easily.
47. I have started a blog so many times and each one of them have failed after a week apart from this blog.
48. I can crochet and cross stitch really well and taught myself how to do them both.
49. I hate spiders.
50. People say I am kind and considerate and always think of others.

So that my friends is fifty random facts that you may not have known about me.  I don't think I have done much in my life but looking at the list shows me that I have some interesting parts to me.

What randoms facts do you have?  Have you any that are similar to mine?

Bye for now.

Jess. x

My University experience so far

For a lot of people, university starts at 18 and when you are at that age, you want to go out drinking and partying all night and suffer the consequences in the morning (and that's good...I'm not judging you on that one)  But because of that, the stigma is that ALL university students do this and that is what I got when I started telling people I had got into university.

For most, university starts when they arrive at their chosen university, for me however, this started from the moment I put my application in.  Now as you probably know, I am 25 now and I am classed as a mature student.  Going to university was and still is a big deal for me in so many ways.  I still walk around my campus in awe that I am here and that has something to do with me being in a hostel almost 5 years ago, so going from being homeless to a stable, mature student is a very big deal. (If you want me to do my experience of being homeless and being in a hostel, don't hesitate to comment)

Because my experience started from the application form being sent, I started to sort out what I needed to get into university and what I was going to take with me. I also needed to sort out my flat and start getting that unpacked as I was giving it up.  I was feeling good...that was until a week after the application deadline...I got my first rejection.  I felt deflated.  I thought that was it, I wasn't going to go to university.  Fast forward a couple of weeks and my spirits soared, I had an interview.  My boyfriend drove me there and back (what a nice boyfriend, taking the day of work to drive me there)  The interview went as good as I could get it (didn't get in if you are wondering) Fast forward some more weeks and I finally got a place in university.  I could finally breathe a sigh of relief and start packing and applying for finance and accommodation.

September came and I finally moved in and I was in disbelief that I was finally here.  Saying goodbye to my boyfriend was hard and knowing I wasn't going to see him for a while hurt like hell and I could tell he was hurting too.  I watched him drive off after a long goodbye and went back to my room to unpack (it took me a week in total to have everything in it's new place.)  

Freshers week was good.  Now as I said before, being a mature student, going out and drinking until I am completely wasted is not my cup of tea but that didn't mean I couldn't go out during freshers week and enjoy myself and that is what I did.  

The lectures and seminars exceeded my expectations and getting into a routine with juggling university classes and directed study was hard to begin with but now I have got into the swing of things and have a routine, I can finally organise my work and this showed in my results of my first set of assessments (I got a 1st in one of my modules :D *does a happy dance*)  I now know what is in store for me for the next 2 and a half years.  

Although there has been a lot of ups for me, there has been a few downs such as My father dying three weeks into my semester and worrying about my mum being in hospital...all this messed up my sleeping patten for a bit so it was nice to go back home for Christmas and see my boyfriend and my family and friends and have a nice relaxing break. 

University is the best thing, since my boyfriend obviously, that I have ever done in my life.  I don't regret doing this sooner as I wouldn't be the person I am today but it is changing me in a lot of good ways and I hope that this experience will be some of the best years of my life.

I will be updating as often as I can depending on what has happened.  My next update will be in may when the year has finished but I suspect I will do an update in a few weeks as I have a placement to go on.

Have you been to university?  What was your experience like? 

Bye for now.

Jess. X

What's in my Bag - February 2015

I thought I would do a 'What's in my Bag' post as this is one blogpost I love to read and watch as I like to see what is in people's bags...nosey or what?  My bag is what I mainly use for University as it can hold what I take to Lectures and Seminars.

My bag is the THG Black PU Leather Handbag that I purchased from Amazon.

Inside my bag.

Oxford Campus Notebook - I use these to write in notes from lectures and seminars.  All of my notes from each module are in one notebook as I have tried using separate notebooks before and that didn't work for me.  At the moment this is working but I know when I start in year 2, I might try something different.

Button Folders - I don't really know what these are called but I call them button folders as they have a press stud button on the front.  I have one for each of my three modules in three different colours and these hold the module handbook, slides for each week and any other information and sheets related to the module.  This is a new thing I am trying and so far it is working brilliantly.  

Post-it notes - I keep a few pads of post-it notes which I use to write extra notes on and stick them in my notebook.

Pens, Ruler and highlighter - I keep a black and red pen in my bag at all times as well as a ruler and a highlighter.

Brown Metropol Personal Filofax - This is my planner.  It has everything from my blog planner to a weekly calendar.  This is what I use to plan my days and try and keep as organised as I can.

Hand creams - I honestly didn't think I had that many in my bag and to be honest, I am only using one this month so three will be removed after this.

Brush - Self explanatory.  Everyone needs to have some form of hair brush especially if you live in the UK as it can get quite windy.

Lip Balm - I am using the Nuxe Reve de Meil Lip Balm.  I love this product and it smells like chocolate orange which is a plus!

Ted Baker Regent House Body Spray - I love this scent as it is really fruity. 

Mirror - I always keep a small mirror in my bag in case I get anything in my teeth or my make-up smudges.

Juice Cube Portable Charger and charge cable - I now have an iPhone and as you iPhone users know, the battery doesn't last long so I invested in a Juice Cube Portable Charger so that I wasn't stuck somewhere with a dead battery.

Earphones - These are the standard earphones that came with my iPhone and I use them mainly for Gym and if I am on the train home.

Hand Sanitiser - No one like germs and if there is no soap in the dispenser, I at least have this as a back up to wash my hands.

Painkillers and Cold & Flu Tablets - I am always weary about catching colds and I carry these around in case I start to feel unwell or I have a headache.

Receipts - Sometimes, I am too lazy to put them in my purse or throw them away so the end up at the bottom of my bag.

Well they are the contents of my bag.  I sometimes have a pack of tissues in my bag but I am all out and I need to go buy some more.  I also don't have any make-up in either as I tend to put what I am using in on the day.  

What do you carry around in your bag?

Bye for now.

Jess.  X

BONUS POST - I've been awarded!

So...something awesome has just happened this evening. I was just chilling out, watching YouTube, looking through Twitter when I saw a notification and within this little notification was a Tweet stating that I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by Fiona of Little Happy Thoughts. Thank you so much!  This just makes me feel like all my work is being noticed, even if it is by one person :D

Anyway, for those of you that don’t know what the Liebster Award is, it’s an award given to new and up and coming bloggers with small followings (generally less than about 200). It helps new bloggers connect with each other, and find each other!

The rules are as follows:

·        Thank and link the person who nominated you.

·        Answer the questions given to you.

·        Nominate other bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

·        Create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer.

·        Notify the nominees so that they know they have been nominated.

1. What was your inspiration for starting a blog?

     I had just started University and bought a few new items and wanted a place to call my own, a place for my opinion and also something different that can just sit and do when University work gets too much.

2. What is your favourite hobby (besides blogging)?

     I love Scouting.  I have been a Scout leader for nearly 2 years and as much as I don't do a lot at University, I try to keep up to date with what is going on in my district and help out when I can when I'm back at home.

3. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

    I have always said I would change my height.  Being 4'11", I struggle with clothes not fitting, reaching higher shelves...the usual things that are associated with being small but as I have gotten older, I have learnt that being small can have its advantages such as looking younger than you are.

4. What is your favourite place you have visited?

     I love London.  I never get lost when I go there.  I used to go to London a lot when I was younger and loved it then.  If I could, I would live there.

5. What 3 beauty products could you not live without?

     Foundation, eye shadow & a lip balm.

6. How do you handle a stressful day?

    That's a tough one...I don't really have stressful days but when I do, I tend to just have a rant to my friends and then sit and read blogs and do things that will take my mind off my stresses.

7. What is the first thing on your wish list?

    To own a Michael Kors Bag.  That is going to be my graduation present when I graduate University.

8. What is your biggest fear?

    I don't really fear much but I would say loosing anyone in my family as well as my 2nd mum (my friend)  

9. What is your favourite TV programme?

    I have quite a few but my favourite has to be The Simpsons.  I have loved that show since I was younger and I will always have a laugh when I watch them.

10. What is your most prized possession?

      I would have to say my laptop.  I know there are better things out there but my laptop is my life.  It is also something my other half gave to me on my 25th birthday last year and I would hate it if I lost it or it broke as I feel that this was something he spent a while looking for and it always makes me smile when I look at it as I am 70 miles away from him at the moment.

11. What advice would you give to your younger self?

      Don't think you are right when clearly you are wrong because it can get you into a ton of mess and you don't want to end up climbing your way from rock bottom.

I would like to nominate:

Hannahking

AlittleFreckle

HaPeaDays

My questions are:

1. What brought you to the blogging community?
2. What is your top holy grail product?
3. Where can you see your blog going in 5 years time?
4. What do you thing the best thing about blogging is?
5. Apart from blogging, do you have another job or go to school/college/university?
6. How did you tell your close friends and family about your blog?
7. What was your first blogpost?
8. What do you like to do other that blogging?
9. Have you got something you would hate to loose?
10. Would you ever venture into filming and YouTube (if you haven't already)
11. What is your next follower goal?

I again would like to that Fiona from Little Happy Thoughts for the nomination.

Bye for now.

Jess. X

#30DaysTested

Oh...hello there February!  How nice of you to come so quickly.  So January has gone and that means only one thing...my update of #30DaysTested.  This was created by Gemma from Beautiful Things.  She came up with a great idea of actually using a product for a month to see how well it actually performs as most of us tend to buy products, use them and go onto other products after a short period of time. Each month, I am testing on product out of the categories (Found here) and just using that product exclusively throughout the month.

This month is the turn of Lip Balms.

What brand is it?
Pixi by Petra

What is it?
Shea Butter Lip Balm in Ripe Raspberry

Where is it from?
Can get it from Pixi Beauty, though I got mine free with a Birchbox

What is it said to do?
'soothes lips immediately & nourishes them long term'

How much was it?
£8 from their website.

Did you use it for the full 30days?
No.

First thoughts?
'wow this smells amazing!'  It is a good lip balm that has a slight tint to it.

Positives...
Nice smell, nice colour, great packaging

Negatives...
I didn't think it kept my lips nourished and it didn't soothe my lips.  It was fine for the first 2 weeks but once I came back to University and the weather changed, it just didn't help my unusually dry and chapped lips...in fact, they actually started to hurt when I put this on.  I had to stop and use another lip balm as this was doing nothing to help my poor lips.  This doesn't mean to say I wont use it in future, I just wont be using it when my lips are dry and cracked.

Will you buy it again?
I might do but in a different colour.

Overview
Great for using when lips aren't dry and cracked and comes in different colours.

Next months #30daystested product will be a hand cream. So look out for that.

Bye for now.

Jess. X