Hi Dubai!

If you have seen my previous blog post, you will know that I went to Dubai over Easter and had an amazing time (the video shows it all). I have been back over a week now and I already feel the need to take a trip down memory lane and look at all my photos. Sometimes it's good to put your blog into good use and use it as an online scrapbook for everything you love. This is me doing just that...

If you are wanting to visit Dubai, these photos and my video are probably the perfect resources in persuading you to go (or in my case making me a bit depressed that I'm not there- sorry!). It may give you some ideas on what kind of stuff to see or do if you ever want to visit. Who knows?! Have a peek. 

(WARNING: excessive photo-taking and posing)

Our first night there we went on a little wooden boat in old Dubai to the souks at sunset. From what I know it was pretty cheap so it's a nice thing to do to venture out of the skyscraper jungle. Go at sunset for the best photo opportunities. Just look at that! 

The second day we went on a desert safari with Emirates Arabian Adventures. It was so fun and really good value for money (about £50-60 per person). It includes all transport, dune-bashing, drinks, camel-riding, 3-course meal in the desert, entertainment, henna tattoos, shisha, and more which I have probably forgotten. We got picked up from the Jumeirah Beach Hotel that had the best view of the Burj Al Arab so I, of course, had to take a very Instagram-able photo. 

For good measure, I thought I would throw in a picture of the Palace hotel where we picked some people up from for the desert safari. We later went for drinks there in the evening as we sat under the Burj Khalifa drinking Sangria. 

Sunset in the desert! (*tick it off the bucket list*)

Now skiing in Dubai was a pretty surreal moment. Ski Dubai is the largest indoor snow centre in the world so I had to go. The place was so big it had a chair lift in it, and penguins, a snow park AND a zipwire. I decided to stick to the skiing and it was incredible. I was so happy that I took a selfie by myself on the chair lift because I had no cares. 

These are the views from the Palace hotel which I mentioned earlier. Dubai is so pretty at night. 

Below is a picture of my crew before we went for brunch. Too. Many. Gins. 

The Atlantis waterpark, Aquaventure, was on the next day's agenda. I emphasise that the price on the website is wrong! We turned up and had to pay a bit extra and pay for a towel but we were too excited to care that much. The lazy river at Aquaventure is the king of lazy rivers, with rapids, slides, and a wave pool. I think we went round about 3 times and it is long. The staff even recognised us on our last circuit...

A really fun (scary) ride. And below: the queuing system in this waterpark was the best- a sit-down conveyer belt.

On our last evening we went to Dubai Mall to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, to see the fountains, and to go up the Burj Khalifa- the tallest building in the world. Due to Dubai laws not permitting the sale of alcohol in restaurants, the Cheesecake Factory had an amazing 'mocktail' menu that we all chose a drink from. They were huge and sooo good, I just wish were outside drinking them in the sun!

The portions at the Cheesecake Factory are absolutely massive. I will award anyone who finishes one of their portions a medal because my word, I struggled. It looked like I hadn't touched the plate when I finished. It was such good value for money considering the portion size and in hindsight, we should've shared! I decided on a Chinese Chicken Salad with orange, rice noodles and plum sauce. I mean, look at it, its the size of a small child!

(I am loving culottes at the moment- these are from Topshop). 

Up the Burj! SO TALL.

And there you go! As you can tell I had an awful time ;)

Take me back!

x

10 Steps of Organisation...

We all want to be more organised in life. It is sometimes the simplest things that make us feel ten times better, whether that's new stationary or writing a to-do list. I am a fan of the latter, making endless lists containing even the tiniest tasks that weigh a ton on my shoulders. Organisation makes life so much easier, but for some can be daunting and time-consuming. Truth is, it isn't. If it is, you are doing it wrong. Organising your life, your social life and work life, makes your week a whole lot better, finding you will have more time to have fun and relax which I'm sure we all need. Oh life, why are you so tough?! 

Most people say I'm a pretty organised person so I'm here to share with you the tricks of the trade that work well for me. It may not work well for you but hey, it's worth a try...

1. Make to-do lists

I make many. I put them on my whiteboard which I bought for a mere £2 from Asda. I draw bullet points as hearts and fill them in once I've completed the task and trust me, the colouring in of that little heart is an amazing feeling. 

2. Buy storage

Now storage comes in many shapes and forms and for pretty much everything. I even have a storage tray for my lipsticks as girls, we all know that lipsticks grow legs and escape from our bags. Storage allows things to not go missing, meaning you can save a lot of valuable time instead of frantically rushing to find things. It also allows you to categorise your belongings, from uni work to your toiletries. You will find you will become a much tidier and less stressed person.

3. Setting your clocks/watch 5 minutes early

Time is valuable so do everything 5 minutes before you were meant to. This is a hard one as you have to tell yourself that your watch is on time, but if you are an organisation pro you will just assume that your watch is correct. Imagine never being late for things, seems ideal doesn't it?

4. Begin a project as soon as you can

Even just laying out the foundations or an idea will gain your project some momentum. Obviously some projects can't start too soon, but start it as soon as you can. This will mean that you don't panic about what your doing and you will have more confidence in what you are doing, which will ultimately reflect in the outcome. 

5. End your mailing list woes

We all get emails from companies and shops that we no longer are loyal to. Simply scroll to the bottom of the email and click on the button that tells you to unsubscribe. Waking up to no annoying emails is a wonderful thing.

6. Make plans

Your social life tends to take the backseat in your list of the priorities so scheduling that time to go out and see your friends makes you become more organised to get things done as you'll have something to look forward to. Some would say this takes the fun out of it, but it only does if you make it. I always find this makes my week a lot more exciting. 

7. Get a family planner

I live in a house of 4 girls. We are not technically a family but sometimes it feels as if we are. So what else to make our family more like a real family than getting a family planner to document our whereabouts over the month. We were so excited about getting this that we began to question ourselves. Not only does this assist point number 6, it makes our life easier by knowing where each other is rather than sending out multiple texts if they haven't been home in a few days.

8. Bulk buy/Use the deals

Not that this is an excuse to shop more (it kind of is), buy the things you need whilst they are on offer. If your deodorant is reduced then stock up; you will never have to go through that annoying process of going deodorant-free whilst popping to your nearest supermarket/drugstore to grab one. It does save money in the long-term.

9. Take a trip to Paperchase

Sometimes the fancy stationary is the answer to making us more organised. I mean.. it's just so pretty...

10. Use folders

I use folders for pretty much every bit of paper I own. For my uni work, I have a different colour folder for each unit and for important documents, I have another. If I ever lose something, I look here first and 99% of the time it will be in one of these folders. As you can imagine, this saves time and stress as having to find the information elsewhere is a pain. Don't you ever just wish you could receive an email back-up for every bit of paperwork you get?!

I hope this helps you in some way.

I am most definitely open to more organisational tips... 

Christmas 2014 Wishlist...

Christmas, as per usual, is quickly approaching with festive adverts and songs seemingly following us. And it's only November! Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of year but it is also the busiest time as everyone is trying to dodge the Christmas shopping mayhem in an effort to get the best presents (hello internet shopping). So being my organised (and excitable, keen) self, I have selected what I personally think are the best Christmas gifts this year for 20-something girls like myself, and put it into a series of wonderful collages (ahh) with a mince pie in hand. 

Click on the description below the collages for direct links.

 Top Left Clockwise:

ASOS Turban Hair Wrap

Yankee Waikiki Melon Jar Candle

UniqOne Hair Treatment

Oliver Bonas Copper Initial

James Dashner 'The Kill Order' and 'The Death Cure' Novels

Top Left Clockwise:

Gourmet Gadgetry Popcorn Maker
Nails Inc Autumn/Winter Collection Polishes
Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette
Schwarzkopf Medium Ceramic Brush
Dune Trish Pull-On Boots
Zara Rhinestone Necklace
Cheap Monday Round Sunglasses

Top Left Clockwise:

ASOS Holy Grail Heeled Sandals

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne 

ASOS Hologram Make Up Bag

Liz Earle 3 Piece Beautifully Balanced Skin

ASOS Black and Gold Clutch

Next Grey Slippers

Top Left Clockwise:

Topshop Dogtooth Weekend Bag
ASOS Zodiac Watch
Oysho Clouds Dressing Gown
Kenwood Juicer
GirlBoss Book by Sophia Amoruso 
ASOS Cat Eye Sunglasses
Real Techniques Sam's Pick Brush Set
ASOS Knotted Turban Headband



BRING ON CHRISTMAS 
XXX

Recent High St. Finds...

I never intend to buy anything in the autumn because all I plan to do is save for uni and nights out. However, as per usual, I never stick to this. I go shopping and all plans fall through. At times, I really do think I'm Rebecca Bloomfield in Confessions of a Shopaholic. After all, we do have the same name…

I find autumn/winter clothes so difficult as I believe the British high street hates people who have boobs- expecting all of us to look like, let's just say, Kendall Jenner. Layering and oversized jumpers make girls like me look swamped what looks like blankets of knitted fabrics. Unrealistic to the majority of us, clothes shopping can be pretty unbearable. However, I have come to my senses in my shopping habits and follow a set of rules when it comes to updating my wardrobe.

They are as follows:

1. It doesn't matter on the size- everything comes up too either too big or too small. Maybe it's Topshop's way of slightly hinting at us that those cool printed shorts were not made for us. Now, I pick up the size above and my actual size (even though I still don't really have one) because after all, who looks at what size you're wearing? As long as it looks good, you're fine. 

2. You don't always have to follow fashion- especially if you have boobs and backless is in, or if you have a tummy and crop tops are having a 'nineties nostalgia'. Sometimes it's best to avoid fashion rather than follow it. If it's on the high street it must be in fashion in some way or another, even if it isn't necessary the 'it' thing at the time. I'm a firm believer in that it's how you wear it rather than what you wear.

3. Changing rooms can make things look weird- particularly if your trying on a printed skirt with a clashing printed shirt. If this is the case and if the item fits you well, take it home and try it on with things that go.  

4. If you prefer it to the outfit you're wearing, it's a keeper- my motto since I read it in Coleen's autobiography in 2008 (how intellectual). This is so true. If you follow this rule, your wardrobe will only get better and have less 'why did I buy that?' moments (FYI, I've had plenty).

After incorporating these rules as my shopping motto, I have had some surprising success recently so it's only fair that I share them on here. They are all from a mixture of shopping days in Bournemouth, Brighton, and online. (Just had the realisation that this is going to be a big wake-up call to how much money I've spent. Oh lord.) 

Note: I'm no model (haha)- can't take this seriously!

Bank Burnout Black T Shirt
New Look Dupe Disco Pants
Adidas Trainers

ASOS Panda Printed Dress

ASOS Marathon Loafers
ASOS Black Jeans
Topshop Swing Cropped Vest
Primark Checkered Scarf

Topshop Khaki Coat


Happy Shopping! 
x

How To: Easy Up-Do...

I'm currently going through a bit of an experimental stage with my hair since it has got to the length where I feel I can do most hairstyles with it. After many hours (sadly) on Pinterest, I have found various incredible up-dos that seem near-on impossible. I did however, find one which seemed pretty achievable. This hairstyle is perfect for long to mid-length hair, and can be adapted easily for straight or curly hair- in fact curly hair will be perfect for this up-do (think of all the time you can save on curling it!). My hair is naturally quite straight so I needed to wash it the night before so it wasn't too silky to fall out the grips. You need this to be as secure as possible so it lasts all day/night. Here's the easiest guide for this hairstyle that I can scrape together:

You will need:

- Lots of kirby grips

- One hairband

- Hairspray

- Curling tongs/straighteners

- Dry Shampoo

1. Brush through your hair. Knots will only make you regret not doing this (think, a birds nest). I spray Batiste Dark and Deep Brown dry shampoo to my roots to get some volume so my hair is full of secrets (please appreciate the Mean Girls quote…).

2. Separate your hair into two and clip the top half so you can forget about it for the moment. This doesn't have to be neat because you'll be covering the wonky parting with your luscious curls. Mmm.

3. Secure the bottom half with a bobble in a low ponytail so it is tight to your head. The more securely this is fastened, the less time you'll be worrying about your hair falling out. Not literally- just the style. 

4. Now, backcomb the ponytail. If you think you are finished, you probably aren't. Backcomb until you feel your arms are falling off or until your hair resembles that of blonde/brown cotton wool. You will thank yourselves later.

5. This is where the hairstyle starts to take shape. Twist the ponytail upwards and curl it into a large bun- using your fingers to hold it into place. Then, clip this with kirby grips onto your head, making sure its secure. Spray it with hairspray so you don't get any stubborn fly-away hairs. 

6. Release the top half of your hair and use curling tongs to give it some lovely curls. The size of these curls is up to you. I tend to do them quite small, then brush through them to get a nice wave. To get even more volume once you're done curling, backcomb the roots as it's your last chance to all night! Your hair at this stage will look very strange like a doll, but don't worry, the next bit will make it all come into place…

7. Using kirby grips, bring your curls over the backcombed bun and pin into place underneath, on top and on the sides. Don't worry about making this look perfect, it's meant to look quite messy and boho. To complete, spray hairspray all over so your head feels invincible.

The finished result! 

x