Birthday G&Ts

I've had a change of taste.

Long gone are teenage nights with Caribbean Twists and Vodka and Mixers. So turning twenty *cries under breath* called for a new tipple: gin and tonic. 

At first I was fearful, firstly as it`s my dad`s drink of choice (although this hints to some sophistication), and secondly, I`d heard it was pretty gross. But after finding a few recipes, gin and tonics each with a different twist, the results were pretty fab. So if you're a G&T novice, or fancy a twist on your favourite tipple, here are a couple of recipes tried and tested by a beginner-in-gin-and-tonic birthday girl.

Strawberry and Mint Gin and Tonic 

(For 1 person)

2 shots (50ml) dry gin

1 handful (around 8) strawberries

250ml tonic water

1 sprig (4 or so leaves) mint 

Ice cubes (to serve)

First, grab your gin, strawberries and a couple of leaves of mint and either crush or blend until the strawberries form a thick, watery paste. Then, take a sieve and strain the gin infusion into your glass. 

Then, pop in your ice, top off with your tonic and use the last couple of leaves of mint to garnish. 

Cranberry and Thyme Gin and Tonic

(For 1 person)

2 shots (50ml) dry gin

150ml cranberry juice

100ml tonic water

2 or 3 pieces of thyme

Ice cubes (to serve)

A rather simple, but sweet concoction. Take the gin, top with the cranberry juice and tonic over the ice, and pop the thyme in to infuse for a few minutes.

My question of the day is: what`s your favourite summer drink? Let me know!

See you on Wednesday.

A New Year

Inspired by one of the biggest babes in blogging; Olivia, I'm thinking it's time to cut the 'new year, new me' crap for now, and celebrate some of the things you've achieved in the past 365 days (well, 369, I'm a few days late)

Here are a few of mine, for team spirit and all...

Receiving offers from all of my university choices

After sweating over my personal statement the September, it would have been amazing to get one offer from all of the universities I had applied for, let alone 5! 

Working two jobs (and surviving)

This is something I did for the most part of 2014 also, but looking back now I don't know how I did that, and managed a third round of A-Levels simultaneously.

Voted for the first time

As my 18th birthday was only a couple of months short of the local elections in 2014, it was quite special to cross a ballot paper for the first time, and for a General, too.

Volunteering for charity 

...and being able to watch bands as I work? Win-win.

Seeing amazing live music

My festival hopping with Oxfam this summer meant I not only worked several gruelling night shifts, dealt with dozens of drunken punters and had many laughs in the meantime, but I also got to see some of my favourite bands in the flesh, from the likes of Panic! to Frank Turner.

Getting into my dream university 

The greatest achievement of the year for me was definitely getting my unconditional offer from Cardiff University on results day. Hands down.  

Moving to a city 

Even though I've moved several times in my lifetime, I've always been a small-town girl, so moving to a city, a capital city even was a definite adjustment. And I'm loving every second of it. 

Attending Fresher's Week (heck, fortnight)

This definitely deserves a medal, particularly for how shit I felt when the 14 days were up. But even though the whole fortnight is a bit of a haze, some unforgettable memories and amazing friendships were surely made.

What made your 2015 amazing? Pop a comment below or perhaps you've been inspired to blog about it!

Looking forward to posting more in 2016!

Life Lately

Long time, no catch up! To say life has been hectic in the last couple of weeks is an understatement, from back-to-back festivals, to birthday celebrations, everything has been put on hold for a three week party! But I'm back to posting twice-weekly now - so keep an eye out for a new post this coming Wednesday!

First things first - my birthday! As I was in a field in deepest Dorset on my actual birthday, my family, friends and I pretty much celebrated a birthday week. The weekend before being the main event, with a cocktails night in (see Mojito above) and a riskay v-neck playsuit number from Motel (found half price on ASOS...) for a night on the town on the Saturday, followed by an obligatory lazy Sunday nursing a hefty hangover, of course!

And after two weeks in a tent, a (very small) handful of showers, numerous train/coach journeys, I have spent some of the last 14 days volunteering at both Camp Bestival and Boardmasters festivals. I will write a full blog post on my experience very soon, as my final festival, Reading & Leeds, is yet to come, but I worked several shifts with Oxfam and it was a lot of fun! And I can't wait to print my memories with the Polagram app, as I did for my birthday celebrations (see above) - perfect for displaying in my university room in September!

As mentioned earlier, a new post will be up here on the blog on Wednesday (festival related, obvs) so if you're heading to Beautiful Days/V Fest/Reading/Leeds/Bestival in the next few weeks, I'm here to help! 

Quit Your Job

Don't be intimidated by the title of this post, I just thought that I would take the rare opportunity to write a post about something personal and life changing for me.

Recently, I handed my notice in at my 2-year strong part-time job, and this weekend, I waved my goodbyes to my first second job.

There was no other reason for leaving the role other than my voluntary work over the summer booking my weekends up and starting at university in September, but nevertheless the move was emotional, but I am confident in moving forward in doing what I really want to do.

It was lovely to see my way through college with cash in my pocket (with some more thanks to my second job in my third year), getting a taste for the work environment and cementing my goals and aims for my future, i.e working hard wherever I work, just as the women, my former colleagues, showed me for almost 2 years.

So going back to the title - this isn't a blog post to convince you to pack in your 9-5 and travel the world, because well ain't nobody got cash for that! 

But it's more of a paraphrase - be happy, and always take steps (big or small) every day to earn happiness. Because you deserve it. And sometimes stepping back can make you realise what you have learned, and what you are/have been grateful for.

Money-Saving Tips

Whether your saving money to start or invest in something new, in my case, funding Freshers week and flat furnishings for university, or looking to save on your summer plans, here a few of my tried and tested tips when it comes to saving more and spending less.

Save on your summer plans

Day out? Use dayrider tickets using your local bus company - you'll be surprised how far you can travel for a reasonable price. I can travel from my hometown to Oxford (50 miles away) and back for less than £3 with my student card - bargain! If your destinations a bit further, consider investing in a 16-25 railcard, they cost £30 for a year of 1/3 off train tickets, and it pays itself back quite quickly; I saved the price of the card on just one pair of my train tickets for my festivals this year!

Sell, sell, sell!

I don't know about you, but I own a lot of crap. So what with moving into a room a fraction of the size of mine in a couple of months I am taking the opportunity to sell a few unwanted things this summer. My favourite app for this is Depop; when ebay met Instagram and had a app baby, therefore quick and easy platform to pop my unwanted clothes and small gifts and things up for sale. And what's more is that it charges less than Ebay! Pretty and practical...

Count your pennies

How many times do you justify a purchase with a phrase like 'well at least it was cheap' or 'it's only £2!'. In my case the answer would be too many! Try cutting back on small expenditure eg: small treats, things by the checkout in Primark and decor and you'll be surprised how much that could save you!

Get a job! 

This seems like the most obvious one, and possibly the hardest to achieve! But my tip is to think outside the box. If you've already handed your CV to 826457 places and had no reply (I feel your pain!) then think of ways you can employ yourself! Neighbours have had a new baby? Offer to babysit, they'll appreciate a night out and babysitting always pays well! Rainy week last week? Ask your parents or family members if you can clean their car, windows, front of house. 

Team Internet

Not only are online auctions great places to earn cash, but there are many other ways you can make money on the web! Online surveys are the easiest way; for most sites you complete market research questionnaires and earn points, which can be redeemed as cash or vouchers. Here are one and two of my favourite sites - they can take a while to begin earning (Toluna requires you to earn £35 worth of points before you can make a PayPal transaction) but vouchers are often redeemable earlier. Have a lot of spare time over the summer? Start a blog or YouTube channel! You may not earn straight away, but brands may begin to contact you offering freebies and small cash rewards for sponsored posts.

July's Read

My reading schedule used to stretch to just one or two issues of Elle a month, but in the last couple of months I have rekindled my love for picking up a paperback and gettimg stuck into a story. Plus a good book goes great with a good cup of tea...

I know that a lot of people will already have this book on their to-read list this month, as the film is set to release next month in the UK *squeals*. I've been a fan of John Green's books since before my break from reading, so as I left this book half-read a couple of years ago I thought it would be the perfect time to give it another go. 

Much like John Green's other books, the beginning of the story moved at a slow pace, which in a way I quite like, as it really sets the scene before things get interesting. The plot follows character Q, or Quentin Jacobsen; an American teenager with a few friends, a band, drives his mum's van, and is secretly fascinated by his next-door neighbour, Margo Roth Speigelman, played by the babin' Cara Delevigne in the film, obvs. One night, she knocks on his bedroom window and they spend a night driving around town causing chaos. The next morning, Margo is gone. And Q makes it his job to find her.

This book will make you laugh (out loud), possibly a bit teary, and finishing it in around 3 days, I can confirm that you won't want to put it down. Or for it to finish. Ever.

What is your book of the month? Share your latest reads in the comments or tweet me @deskparties! I'd love to hear your recommendations...

TWP: Long Time, No Talk

Hello, stranger! It's been 3 months since I put up a post in this little corner of the Internet, what with A-Level exams and coursework deadlines my blog had to take a backseat.

Not much has happened since I last updated you, as life tends to slow down when you're swamped down by hundreds of prompt cards and A3 posters, however I have a lot of exciting plans this summer, from festivals to quick getaways, that I can't wait to share, so keep an eye on my blog for bi-weekly posts on Wednesdays and Sunday's at 9am GMT, and almost daily updates on my Instagram and Twitter, both @deskparties. 

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday; drink too much coffee, watch too many episodes of your favourite series of Netflix (I'm currently hooked on House of Cards) and add one too many steps to your skincare routine tonight. You deserve it. See you on Wednesday! 

The July Playlist

...and then it was July. Where has the year gone? With spring now far behind us and in the midst of a week long heatwave, this summer is definitely off to a scorching start.

So for all the students and those with booked holiday slots this month, or even people that are making the most of the summer sun on their very few days off, this playlist is for you. Keeping it cool and collected, I've included a lot of soft electronic and folk music , with tracks from the likes of Clean Bandit, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Alt-J, for those carefree, car roof down vibes.

If you have Spotify, or not, you can listen to the full playlist for free below or through this link. But make sure if you are a member of the site to follow my playlist - as I will be adding more tracks throughout the month...

...now where's my Mojito at?

The Week In Photos.

For this weekend's post I am bringing you yet another instagram round up, as I think its a good way to update this space on what's been occur'ng with me in the last 7 days. Now I have to confess that a few of these photos were taken a couple of weeks ago, as I am having to play a bit of catch up after my two-week blog break. If you want to see almost-daily updates from me in photo form, follow my instagram @deskparties.

If you read Wednesday's and Friday's posts, you will know that I recently visited one of my best friends at university in Swansea. Although I have visited her there in the past few months, this time I stayed overnight, staying out until almost the crack of dawn, and crashing in her small but cosy student accomodation flat. It was brilliant. Although I definitely felt it the next morning, and learned that sitting in the opposite direction of travel on a 2-hour long train journey with a bad hangover is not the best of combinations...

Fast forward to this week, as the Easter holidays are finally upon us, the next two weeks will see me start some serious prep for the summer exams, so coffee, good music and even more coffee were at the top of my agenda this morning. Keep your eyes peeled for a post on studying going up mid-next-week. You heard it here first.

Let me know in the comments what your favourite thing is to do on a Sunday? Chilling 'till you drop, or playing end-of-the-week catch up? I'll answer my own question and say I definitely the latter!

The Weekend Post: Mum's The Word

Happy Mothers Day everyone! This week I am spending my Sunday making several cups of tea and ushering boxes of chocolates into my mums hands (no change from the usual, but it counts more on Mother's Day, right?)

Other than that, I surprised her with a few things from LUSH's Mothers Day range, which I thought I would share with you because, I'm going to be honest, I wish I bought some of these things for myself!

First off I picked up the Ultraviolet Bubble Bar; made with violet and jasmine absolutes and ylang ylang oil, this product smells of Parma Violets and I imagine would make the bath water look amazing. Then I popped the Mother Superior Bubble Bar in my basket, which I bought mainly because it looked so darn cute, and I knew it would make mum laugh. It contains mimosa absolute, which I have to be honest, doesn't smell incredible, but the novelty of this bubble bar won mum and me over.

After picking up a few bath things, which i thought would be a lot more relaxing and luxurious, my mum is in fact more of a shower person. But as LUSH lack a good range of shower products other than body wash, I opted for the Yummy Mummy Shower Gel. With notes of orange and geranium I knew this would be a delicate yet refreshing gel perfect for a morning wash. And as mum wakes up ridiculously early to get ready for work, I thought this would do just the trick to wake her up.

And lastly, I grabbed a pot of their Bubblegum Lip Scrub, because, well, their lip scrubs are amazing, and as mum and me have a similar skin type (dry/sensitive-combination) and she too always complains about having dry lips, I thought I could show her what she was missing out on.

Enjoy spending time with your family today, and if unfortunately you don't have a mum or mother figure  to share Mother's Day with, allow yourself the day to treat yourself for staying strong.

This Week On Instagram #3

Happy Sunday!  Looking back at this week - it's been a long one, and a bit stressful too, so there was a significant lack of photos on my feed.

I have been quite anxious this week, I wish I could pinpoint why but nevertheless there were points this week where I had to take a step back, especially with social media - I love writing and photographing for my blog, but I have been trying harder to avoid the bits that make me feel this way, including (mainly social media). However this was only one reason I was feeling this way, so I did take some time away from the Internet and more time reading and relaxing. 

I visited my new favourite coffee house again this week; whiche I wrote about in this weekend's post, which went live this morning. I decided to treat myself to a few things on Friday, including my first issue of Vogue - which made me feel like instantly cooler and older, until I realised in the same transaction I had picked quite the substantial amount of Comic Relief merchandise. Not quite a grown woman yet. And how could I forget the Lindt dark chocolate bar (salted caramel - the bomb) as first it was on offer, and I am trying to cut and limit dairy in my diet, so a win-win purchase all round. 

Sorry this has been a boring one, but it's quite the typical week for me. However I do have a few exciting things lined up in the next few days, so I am sure next weeks update will be a lot more exciting. 

The Budget Buy: Wash And Blow Dry In A Bottle

Dry shampoo; a lazy girls best friend. Going for more than three days without a shampoo session is a regular occurrence for me lately, so I always rely on a can of the dry stuff to refresh those roots and go. But the bane of my life? That dry, white residue that sits in your scalp, and won't budge no matter how  long you try to brush through it, it still stays put - hello, dandruff look-a-like.

So when my local Superdrug finally started stocking Colab's Dry Shampoos, I didn't hesitate picking a couple up. It struck my attention mainly because it's designed by Ruth Crilly; a total blogger babe, however it's sheer invisible formula was something that was worth a shot. And it works.

I picked up the London fragrance: scented with bergamot, musk and magnolia so with the mix of floral and musky notes it leaves your hair smelling warm, clean and fresh. I find the best way to apply any dry shampoo is to take my hair section by section and then spraying a few inches away from my face, onto my scalp. And the first time I picked up my can of Colab it came to my surprise to see no white patches! As I brushed it through my hair, I could definitely see the product absorbing all grease and oil and it left my hair looking somewhat presentable. 

I also grabbed the Extreme Volume edition in the same fragrance, and I find this worked well after washing and blow drying for a back combed effect, without the tangled hair mess teasing leaves you with. So at £3.49 a can (£4.49 each for the extreme volume range) for perfect third day hair every time, and reducing my frequency of bad hair days, I think this is definitely my best budget buy for quite some time...

This Week On Instagram

No Weekend Post from me this week, the exciting things I got up to were mistakenly not joined by my DSLR (woops!) However I did take a few quick snaps on my phone, that I uploaded on my Instagram, deskparties, so give me a quick follow for a daily dose...

The last 7 days have consisted of long days in Costa sipping soya lattes whilst ploughing through piles of college work. And commuting on my bicycle was deemed impossible on Tuesday when my hometown saw a layer of snow hit our pavements overnight. So skidding across was avoided by stamping through the White stuff in my new H&M cleated sole brogues.

However the highlight of my week was spending my Friday off (shoutout to my lecturer for setting us a reading week, freeing up my Friday) visiting my best friend at Swansea University. She showed me around campus, I met her hilarious roommates for the first time, who let me in to her flat while she was at a lecture and made me feel very welcome. When she arrived, my arrival was followed by a suprisingly sunny afternoon's walk (Wales, your weather didn't disappoint this time!) along the seafront, followed by catching up on gossip over coffee and cake.

What did you all get up to this week? And what are your plans for the next? I'm back at all my college lectures this week, so along with work I will be busy, busy, busy! Roll on half term!

The Weekend Post: A Coffee At Jacob's

One of the best things about Sundays is grabbing or making several coffees, especially if it's the day after a night out. In fact, when it comes to coffee I would consider myself quite the nerd. So as a regular visitor in Bath, I discovered a coffeehouse gem a long time ago, that I talked about on my blog this summer, and I've never gone back.

I got my regular: a soya latte, but as we didn't want to hit rush hour on the way home from a rugby match, I had to take it to go this time. However I love the cosy, small space above the coffee bar; perfect for taking some time to yourself, and to nosy at other people walking along the high street.

But on this occasion, I sipped my soya latte while singing along to the car radio. Needless to say I wasn't unhappy with this alternative. 

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. 

In My Bag: College Edition

Hello again! I am currently writing this from an overcrowded library surrounded by 17 year olds and the faint smell of fast food. Which can only mean one thing - college has started again. As I am studying my third and final year I have finally collected what I would consider my college essentials.

I have carried a rucksack pretty much everyday I have been studying here, and my go to at the moment is my New Look Rucksack in a pale lilac colour, which you would have seen photographed for my 5 things for your first day post. It's big enough for A4, perfect for worksheets, and has several pockets including a massive front pocket, which I mainly use for secret snacking in lectures, but it's also handy for carrying stuff too.

First thing to mention is that 99% of the time I don't take written notes in class. Shock horror. Instead, I have slimlined with my new iPad Mini I got for my 18th birthday. It's the perfect size for my rucksack and even my smaller tote bag for working and blogging out of college. And not having to lug several notebooks and folders around with me all day is the main selling point. So teamed with my document folders from WHSmith, for any worksheets or coursework I need to transport home crease free, I have the perfect lecture line up. But just in case I encounter an uber complicated graph or task that can't be typed up, I keep a notebook on hand for these emergencies.

As for stationery, I have two pencil cases; a cute pencil print number from Tesco, and a clear exam style pouch from Sainsburys. And they are both necessary; the printed pouch houses all my essentials: pencils, pens, sharpies, you know the drill. The clear case contains my unhealthy obsession for colourful ones. Inside you can spot my most loyal stationery items; the staedtler ball points, and the flouro version by Staples. Both brilliant for making boring equations and key words stand out in your notes or revision. 

And as true blogger, I keep a notebook handy for any spur of the moment ideas, and for sneakily writing posts in library booths. At the moment I am jotting in these patterned composition pads from Homesence. Super cheap and super cute.

I keep my beauty bag simple, however keep your eyes peeled for a specific post in the very near future, but for now let's appreciate how adorable this makeup bag from H&M is. Just adorable. And usually it houses the lip colour and scent I am wearing that day, touch ups including concealer and eyeliner, a mirror, hairbands, bobby pins, paracetamol and hay fever tablets. So overall very unglamourous. 

For my front pocket, I keep my keys, coin purse, work and college ID, tissues and as mentioned earlier, any secret snacks for munching in lectures. As for my phone and card wallet, I keep this in the fastened main section for safekeeping. 

And now for the taboo of all 'what's in my bag' posts, the 'sea of shite' at the bottom of my bag. And if you insist this doesn't exist in your handbag, you're not fooling anyone. Receipts, mints, lip products, pens, more lip products, sometimes even a pair of socks. Pretty impressive after only 2 weeks of college starting, I must say...

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.