That moment you realise you're all grown up

Hello my lovelies! 

I have been rearranging and sorting my room since getting home and while doing so I have had some very unlike me kinda thoughts... And it's led me to wonder, have you ever hit that moment when you realise you're no longer a child?

I've put together a list of things that have made me notice my ever increasing bond with adulthood:

1. Getting stressed out by clutter 
As a kid I was always messy, in fact, right up until this summer! But recently I have had days where I get irritated if my room isn't clear or my bed isn't made and while sorting out my room at home I've fallen in love with the emptiness and clear spaces.

2. Job hunting isn't something to put off any longer
From the age of 13 most kids start casually browsing for paper rounds or babysitting, but in the past year and a half it's become a must have for me. Being now 19 and at university, I need to start earning if I want to be able to move out of the family house or go away with my friends. 

3. Junk food doesn't quite taste the same
Is it just me or is there a point in life where McDonalds and Dominoes are either not so delicious or simply just aren't as appealing and salads or proper meals become your best friends? That or it becomes far too delicious and you want it constantly.

4. Caring about how you look isn't such a big deal
Yeah... This is something that hasn't bothered me for a good few years now... But it deserves a place on the list. PJ bottoms are the best!

5. Nights out actually wear you down
Come on guys, 4 nights out in a row? It's no surprise you want to skip everything and sleep all day! 

6. Money is actually something to think about
It's surprising how much money is needed just to survive each week. How on Earth do our families manage to fun our demands throughout childhood? Parents deserve a medal.

7. The TV programmes that entertain you aren't cartoons and have complicated story lines
I'm going through a phase of loving all the soaps.. I hope it's just a phase. I don't mind loving all the cop shows though, some of those men are hothothot.

8. Going places means a little more than the corner shop or local pool
Coffee shops become your best friend and a trip to the museum or a local National Trust site aren't out of the question. Especially on a summer's day with a picnic!

9. Family time is cherished
As a child you don't really appreciate how precious the time you spend with your family is but I have realised that as I've gotten older, within a day we don't actually spend that much time with those who care for us. School takes up most of our time and then we either move away to university or get a job which means less time seeing each other... Eventually we only end up spending holidays and special occasions with the family! 

10. You care about the opinions of other
More importantly, the opinions of elders. As kids we're care free and we do what we want or what our parents tell us, but with age comes freedom and we have to make our own decisions. Eventually it comes full circle and you start asking those who you know have more experience or knowledge for their help and opinions. 

So there we have it, my top ten signs that you've become an adult. If you have anything to add to the list, do let me know or maybe I've enlightened you and made you realise that you're not quite a child any more. Or maybe you are. Who knows? Only you. 

Anywho; comment, share, like, follow, subscribe etc. etc. blah blah blah. You know the drill guys, if you like it let me know! Also, please do click the external link somewhere below as every click helps me out!

Don't forget you can get in touch with me in many ways, just look at the 'Contact me' page for all the information. 

Love you all! 

T xxx

Happy St Valentine's Day!

Hello my lovelies!

This is just a quick post to share my love for you all, yes even you. I just want to take a quick moment to thank you all so much for reading these posts, messaging me with lovely thoughts and even the adorable emails I've had from some of you guys. Even though I've only been doing this for a few months and there's not even 20 posts, it's great to know that there are so many of you enjoying the content and it makes me all the more motivated to get this blog organised. 

I personally answer every single comment, message, email and post that you guys send and it's just so overwhelmingly sweet to know that y'all care so much about the content. If you ever want me to do a post about a particular topic then let me know and I will most likely get the post done pretty quick for you. I try to make sure you all are getting what you want when you come to my blog, it's in your hands. 

I hope you've all had a wonderful Valentine's Day whether you've spent it with a loved one or curled up with some chocolate on the sofa celebrating Single's Appreciation Day. Someone out there loves everything that you hate about yourself and more so don't just survive life by going through the motions each day; live it! 

I challenge each and every one of you to do one new thing this month that you would never even dream of doing, whether it's trying a new food, going out somewhere new, talking to someone new or something bigger.. It could be signing up for a half marathon or arranging a holiday with your mates! Whatever it is, I really want you all to do something for yourselves. Put that life back in to your veins and really LIVE!

You may have noticed I also now have adverts appearing on the blog. Thanks to you guys, I can earn money (even if it's just a few extra pennies) because I've got the content and the page traffic to do so. So again, it's a big thank you to you all for helping get this blog out there and seen. 

Much much love to you all! 

T xxx

P.S. My YouTube channel is almost ready to get going! I'll be filming and editing the first few videos in the upcoming weeks so keep your eyes peeled!

Freshers: Fresher's Week - Night Time

Hello my lovelies! 

Alright alright, calm down, it's here. The one thing I know you're all wanting to know about. Fresher's Week night life and the craziness that is involved. Now, I'm not saying that fresher's week is all about the partying and socialising but... it really is in so many ways. Before I say any more I must encourage you guys to drink responsibly and follow the legal requirements of your country. There, that's the formalities outta the way so let's "skip to the good bit".

University sure is the place to make lots of friends, especially during freshers week so do make the effort to go out with your house-mates or course-mates and get to know people. It is very likely that on the day you move in and throughout the week there will be reps from the local clubs and bars coming round the halls and student houses selling wristbands or tickets and if you know people are going then why not join them? Everyone goes a bit mental in freshers just try not to take it to the extreme. One thing you really should look out for is any reps selling bands that will last you for more than one night. In Chester this year we had a golden wristband that allowed us entry in to one of the clubs most nights for free for all of freshers week AND the week after for the same price as one night's entry. It's something worth getting plus you're able to keep it as a souvenir.

There will most definitely be theme nights at the different clubs, we had an army theme night at one and there was all sorts of stuff going off at another plus there was the SU which is a must have experience during freshers. Whatever day it's on (in most places it's a Friday night), even if you don't intend on going for the rest of the year, you simply have to go to your SU night. It'll be big, it'll be wild and you'll see everyone you've been getting friendly with since you joined. Also, if you don't drink it can be nice to go along anyway just for a little bit of a dance, chillax and bonding session.

It is likely that you or someone you know will make a few bad decisions during freshers, whether it's drinking one too many or getting down and dirty with the guy or girl two doors down... But for this one week only, it's not frowned upon! Sure, you may end up with a running house joke (you know exactly what I'm talking about ladies of CCC8) or the hangover of the century, but it's worth it. I'm not encouraging you to go to the extreme; there are people who end up in hospital and have terrible horror stories from freshers week because they went too mad with alcohol and they don't have any good memories. Do have fun, don't get stupid.

Not every night has to be about going to the local club and getting drunk, there may be some of you who don't drink at all and YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Every university tends to put on some evening activities such as tea parties, religious services and activities, karaoke and alcohol-free events. Even for those of us who do drink. it can be nice to take a night off and go along to something a little bit different.

Tips for freshers week evenings;

- Take one night as a house, get takeout and watch a movie. Not every night needs to be going out partying.

- Get yourself down to the SU and see what it's like when everyone's there having fun.

- Drink responsibly. You don't have to be paralytic to have fun. 

- DO NOT go out the night before your lectures start, use it as a detox night. 

- Keep an eye on what you're spending, your loan won't come in straight away and you need to survive!

- Never ever go off on your own, if you want to go home find someone to go with you. 

- Look out for reps, they'll give you better deals than paying on the door.

- Drink too much and you will get Fresher's Flu. You have been warned.

Oh, and before I forget, if you don't get up to much during freshers week... there's always re-freshers after Christmas! 

Feel free to comment, subscribe, follow, email etc. I'm always happy to reply.

Let me know what crazy stories you have to share from your own freshers weeks!

Love you all!

T xxx

Anxious Issues: Moving Out

Hello my lovelies! 

That's right, it's time for another instalment of anxious issues! And this week I'm all about living away from home. Now, many of you won't know this but I chose to spend sixth form at boarding school in Yorkshire which helped me prepare mentally for living away from my parents when I finally got to Uni. I know how daunting the idea of leaving the comfort of being at home and cared for by your parents can be but it really doesn't have to be all that bad. 

Whether you decide to move out for educational purposes or simply because you want to, the idea of leaving everything you know behind can be very scary. Even if you've been fairly independent throughout childhood, when it comes to fending for yourself in the working world you can begin to feel a little like you're drowning in responsibility. You suddenly have to do your own cooking, cleaning, laundry and you have to earn your own money to be able to have the luxuries you were once used to and it seems a little unfair that it can all be so sudden. But you must remember, you're not alone. If you look around you, there are hundreds upon thousands of people who are either going through the same thing or have already and for most people it all works out perfectly fine in the end.

The main reason a lot of people leave home is to go to university but I don't want to spend the entirety of this post talking about that because I have a whole other series dedicated to that very thing. I will, however, point out that going to university can be great for those who are moving out because if you can get a job and earn while at uni and then try and get in to a full time job once you finish your degree it means you can move straight in to a place of your own (sure it may be rented or a small flat, but it's a start in living independently). The educational element of uni can be a good distraction of the fact that you're having to do everything yourself because it keeps you busy but that doesn't mean it's right for everyone and there are always people who commute to uni from home.

For me, it's not so bad being away from my parents because I've had the time to get used to it while in sixth form, however I have had house-mates and friends who have been incredibly homesick and who really struggle with independent living even though they're sharing a house with 5+ other people just like them! Homesickness is something that always puts people off moving out, but it's only natural, especially when you're somewhere you may not necessarily know very well. The idea of leaving your parents to go off on your own adventures is terrifying and it can feel like once you're gone you won't be allowed back even though that is never the case. 

We have to face the facts that living with our parents for our entire life just isn't practical. You may want to get in to a career that isn't very big where your family are, or you'll get married and have kids and there won't be the room or maybe you will end up eating away at the family's retirement funds and they'll end up kicking you out (not recommended, that's for sure). Sure, many people live with their family well in to their twenties, but they are earning money or at college and they are often donating funds towards the running of the household which is perfectly fine plus it means you have that little bit longer to be saving money for a really nice home.

I would really like to live on the seafront some day, something I know I don't want to be doing with my parents but rather as an independent woman or with friends. Sure I don't have the money to get the nicest place possible just yet, but I am saving up and it is possible to get loans to help with costs. I suggest that if you wish to move out, you make sure you have at least some money saved up otherwise you aren't going to find anywhere that's really liveable. It's also a good idea that when you initially go off in to the world to find your own place, you choose to do so with one or two people. That way you're not alone and it can be much more cost effective if you have a few people putting money towards the bills. Also, don't expect to be moving straight in to your dream apartment. As a young person you won't have the money for the biggest, swishiest, fanciest house on the block; in fact, you're more likely to find a small flat or apartment that'll suit you fine for a while.

Things you really ought to know before you decide to move out:

1. How to cook - Grab a cook book and start helping out with the meals if you don't already otherwise all the money you earn will go on takeaways and you'll end up regretting things.

2. How to budget - Offer to do the weekly shop and set a target amount as practise. Plan ahead and never get things that aren't on your list to stop yourself from overspending. Also, try and get your head around the idea of paying bills! 

3. How to do laundry - Seriously, you don't want your white turning pink! Ask your parents or friends, read the instructions and always separate whites, colours and darks

4. How to keep safe - Tut tut, get your brain out of the gutter! I mean by remembering to lock doors, close windows and use alarm systems if you have them. Don't make things easy for those who do wrong.

5. How to keep things clean - And I don't just mean tidy, I mean properly clean. As in scrubbing the toilet, washing the bathroom, hoovering and dusting everywhere... It's only healthy!

6. How to fix clothes - You won't always be able to go and buy a new top just because there's a hole in it. Grab a needle and thread and learn to sew.

7. How to get up in the morning by yourself - Need I say more? 

It is so SO important that when you do find your first place, you understand your rights as a tenant or home-owner and it is recommended that you let your parents/family/friends/people who understand legalities help you out. Never ever sign for somewhere without seeing the property, reading the contract and understanding your rights. You should also think about fire safety, first aid and knowing what to do in an emergency because you will no longer have someone watching over your every move. 

On that note, with this being a long post, I shall stop there! 

If you have any questions or comments, do get in touch as I'm always happy to chat with my lovely readers.

Love you all!

T xxx