The Weekend Post: Clearing Space

You know the drill. New Years brings opportunities of a fresh start and new goals, but the first few days of January pass before you can blink and you realise you haven't kept to your resolutions even though the year has only just begun. So this Sunday it's time to chuck away the chocolate wrappers and get out of my PJs and sort out my life. Or, maybe just my room to start with anyway. 

Sort through drawers

Toiletries that are past their time, receipts and post-it's that are months old and just any crap floating in the sea of stuff, just get a black bin liner and dump them. Then pile the things you wish to keep somewhere temporary and clean the insides and outsides of your drawers. Today I am doing this for my bigger drawers for toiletries/skincare/haircare and smaller drawers for makeup.

Slim down wardrobe 

For this, I am making three piles of clothes: keep, donate, chuck. It's disgusting how many old clothes are sitting in my wardrobe, so today's the day they go. Also, take the time to rethink your storage. Refold or hang your keep pile, and return any loose clothes or underwear to their correct place. 

Clear the floordrobe

99% of the time, my bedroom floor is part carpet, part a sea of black garments. We've all had a floordrobe at one time, and if now is your time, it's time for it to go. Now for a couple of rounds of washing and a good hoover. Now I've finished with my room, time to light a candle and open all windows for that fresh scent. 

Get sh*t done

Clear space, clear mind. Buy a new diary (possibly the best New Years activity), transfer important dates and appointments you need to remember. Then consider the aspects of your life you want to organise whether it be work, money, univeristy/college/school or blogging, find or buy a notebook for each and start making to do lists. Always try to be one step ahead. Then close the windows, grab a cup of tea and catch up on your reality TV. It's a Sunday necessity. 

The Weekend Post: Coffee And Catch Up

It's become a tradition of mine in the last couple of months to send in the weekend with a soy latte; the calm before the storm of being a Saturday salesgirl at our local garden centre. So I thought I would take this moment of calm to catch up with my readers of my little corner of the Internet.

It's been several weeks that I have been studying for my third year at college, so I have established my old routines. Sleeping in on a Monday before a 11am lecture is beyond brilliant and very necessary before the full week ahead. As for my studies, my fast track business is anything but the wrong choice, and my retake for my second year of Anthroplogy has sent me back stronger and savvier than ever. But one things for sure is that I miss being with people my age, particularly my friends, who have all started at uni and surely settled in. 

As for work, I am putting my work ethic to a test. I am constantly on the go, cycling miles a day commuting from class to job, and although it's tiring and testing my brain power, I am loving every second of it. And even though I still drag myself to my Saturday job, I am happy to have great colleagues at both of my jobs to keep me company.

As I decided to quit cheerleading a few months ago, I bit the bullet and joined my local gym. I am going after college on days I don't work (twice a week) and I feel so much better for some high impact exercise back in my routine. I also am beginning to love my thrice weekly dog walks with my puppy, Skye. She's a cheeky girl but I love her to bits.

Looking forward, I am about to begin applying for university, by first tackling my personal statement - oh crap. On the flip side having my blog is a constant reminder of how much I love English Language and writing, which essays and applications can make me bloody resent the task. Amd as for blog content, I am aiming to post twice a week (on Wednesdays and Sundays) so keep your eyes peeled for brand new blog content on those days on Desk Parties.

The Catchup Post: July

Hello again! I am back with another update post, but this time with a different kind of title...

This month has seen many 40-hour working weeks as I have been seeing two jobs this summer; my Saturday Job at a Garden Centre (where I have worked for around a year now) and a temporary summer job at our local council. I have to admit I love the luxury of the office life - a constant flow of tea and coffee, lush outfits (a lot more feminine than my usual work uniform - consisting of combat trousers and bulky boots) and a happy set of colleagues.

On top of managing work, I have had my fair share of playtime, too. Making the most of my bike cycling around town, shopping (alot!) and in particular discovering a new diner - Chariots and Cherry Pie, so expect a review to pop on my blog very soon!

And most importantly, July is my birthday month, so several celebrations took place for my 18th birthday that was on the 30th of last month. I spent the actual day with family and friends, and on the Saturday took on my first day out on the town. For more on my first night out, take a look at my Get Ready With Me the night out beauty bag bare essentials posts for my perspective, and the beauty blogger in me's perspective of the night.

I hope you are all having an amazing summer, I can't wait for the next couple of weeks - a free house and festivals galore. Oh, and work of course.

The Saturday Night Out

Oh Monday, you are my enemy right now. Particularly this week; as on Saturday I had my first night out/clubbing experience. Boy, it was good.

Me and 12 of my friends hopped into our local Italian 'Da Vincis' for some good grub, then I followed their footsteps as they showed me how to have a good night in our town. I had their spinach and ricotta tortelloni in a rich creamy sauce *drools* with a glass of rosé (because, now I can!). After our meal, we popped into the local pub for a drink, before heading to the clubs. We danced the night away and I didn't get home until after 2am. 

The first thing I organised for my birthday was in fact my outfit - #bloggerproblems or what? I lept into this strapless jumpsuit number, partnered with this beautiful beaded clutch, from none other than F&F, or otherwise known as Tesco. I definitely would not expect this outfit to be a supermarket purchase being such good quality and wonderful fit.

I spent most of my evening on the dance floor, so by about midnight I abandoned my 4 inch platform heels for my trusty Primark flats. Nevertheless these heels are actually the only pair I own. Yes, you read that correctly. Thankfully they are so simple and worked nicely with the outfit, so I opted out of buying a new pair of heels. Perhaps next time...

I wanted to wear things that made me feel comfortable, and in turn the most confident, so I kept my face makeup bronzed and fresh, all thanks to my NYC 'Sunny' Bronzing Powder, and a few dabs of the Soap & Glory . For my eyes I used my much-loved Naked Basics Palette to create a subtle smokey eye, and my favourite eyeliner of the moment; Benefit's They're Real Push-Up Liner (in love) and the matching mascara. And for my lips I was very excited to test drive Revlons Moisture Balm Stain in Barcelona Nights, which stood the test of time as it dried almost instantly and lasted all night - so it was smiles all round in the lip department.

Overall I had a great first night out on the to'on, but let's not get too carried away, we all know my next will be how I found a new flavour of green tea in Sainsburys.

Jacob's Coffee House, Bath

It's no secret that I love coffee. So when my parents offered me a lift into the beautiful city of Bath; somewhere I visited countless times, but definitely more for rugby matches than shopping or mooching, i took prime opportunity of taking some time on TripAdvisor the night before to find the best independent cafés in the centre. Let's face it - I am a coffee snob...

The cafe is tucked away on a corner of Cheap Street - one of the main shopping streets in the city. The cosy size and rustic interior invited me in, but it's polished overall look convinced me that this could be a damn good cup of coffee. I usually take my coffee black, but over the summer I find myself falling for an iced soy latte, and I was very pleased to hear not only that they carried soy, but there wasn't an extra charge. Win win! 

I perched myself on a bench outside of the cosy cafe, as the weather was sunny and the view of the Abbey was too pretty to miss. Plus it was incredibly busy in their upstairs seating, so I am assured the cafe is a local favourite as well as a TripAdvisor tourist hotspot. However I noticed the temperature had risen about 10 degrees as I climbed the stairs, so perhaps if it were cooler I would of waited for a seat on the top decks.

The most important factor was the coffee, of course, and it did not disappoint. The milk was light and smooth, not the tangy, and sometimes the almost gone-off, taste that some other soy milks have. I should of asked what brand they carry to bring the Jacob's taste back home with me! The espresso was just how I like it too, strong but not too bitter.

So thanks Jacob's for a great coffee, but I wouldn't visit you on a humid rainy day - as either sitting in the rain or the hot just, well, doesn't sound hot!

Until the next post,

Libby

5 Things I Have Learnt Working 9 to 5

      

Over the last month I have been working in a small team of ladies; tucked away in our local council offices for 3 days a week on a 9-5 schedule for the holidays. So I thought I could update you all on the matter by suggesting 5 lessons I have learned working from full time:

1) Caffeine is your best friend

I have always been a morning person, but by 4pm I am ready to get my PJs on and put the day to rest on the sofa. For the rest of the day, I will drink gallons of green tea and water, but relying on coffees and teas at that 4 o clock slump is a must.

2) Your travel-sized stash will come in handy

When in a rush, I have a habit of throwing more than I need for the day, which results in handbag zips that won't zip and very sore arms! To keep things simple, I always keep a mini hand cream, sanitiser and perfume, plus my lippie of the day. Yesterday I discovered 8 different lipsticks in my bucket bag, so a reminder to constantly clear it out is now on my agenda!

3) Yes, you can do eyeliner flicks in under a minute

I always leave doing my makeup till the end of my morning routine, so an on-demand steady hand for my flicked eyeliner has been required for the last month. And my skills with the pen have proved quite successful; surprisingly smudge and stress free!

4) Every meet up is now always a catch up

Now that I only have two days in the week free, meeting up with friends has been proven quite difficult (especially with holidays and their corresponding jobs) so I have found I am falling behind the radar. So weekly catch ups with at least one friend, and accepting every party invite I get are almost compulsory if I want to stay on top of the goings on in my social group!

5) You will spend 90% of your spare time shopping

And finally, as we all know, points make prizes, or in my case, several pay packets a month, and even saving most of my cash for driving lessons, still leaves me enough to introduce new friends to my wardrobe and beauty drawers. Besides, I do deserve it.

The Beach Beauty Bag // deskparties

Yesterday I spent the day on Bournemouth with some of my friends. But before I left I had to pack some of my favourite, much needed (!) beach beauty essentials for a day at the beach. 

As soon as I even get of the car, I slap on some suncream, and this year's favourite is Reimann's P20 Once a Day sunscreen. It has SPF 30, and I don't need to reapply during the day: basically anything to avoid sticky, sandy skin action and I am sold. 

I then cover my lips in Labello's Classic Care lipbalm. I picked this up from Germany last time I went and I like it a lot more than it's counterparts; creamy and not sticky, and stays put for a long time, which is much needed when I will be scoffing chips and ice cream throughout the day. And for a hint of colour, I always turn to my Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in Sultry. These balms are the bomb.com: stay tuned for a review coming soon!

For my hair, a folup brush by The Body Shop and Batiste Dry Shampoo keeps my hair non-greasy and tamed. 

Towards the end of the day, I top up any sore patches of my skin with a sample sized Hawaiian Tropic Sun Lotion, just to prolong the longevity of the P20, and keep my skin flake-free. After applying, my hands are left pretty sticky, so A blob of The Body Shop's Mango Hand Cleanse Gel cleans this up when the bathroom queues are unbearable, and a thin layer of Loccitane's 20% Shea Hand Cream to keep my hands feeling super soft.

Going along with the Mango theme, I am always reapplying The Body Shop's Mango Eu De Toilette when I am spending time somewhere hot. It's my favourite summer scent and reminds me of being on holiday - period.

And to store my beauty stash, I used my H&M transparent ice cream print cosmetic bag - it matches my favourite beach snack, so what's not to like?

Let me know in the comments what your must-have product is at the beach - I would love to try some of your suggestions, 

Until the next post, 

Libby.