Summer Evening Routine

Hey peeps!

As it is summer time where I live, I thought I would explain to you my evening routine. The evening is the time when I wash off all the sweat and stuff the hot, humid summer day gave me (lovely image, Nicky, well done). Anyway, on with the routine!

 Shower time!

When I get in the shower, the first thing I do is wash my face. Since Christmas, I have been using The Body Shop’s Facial Buffer with some Simple Spotless Skin Triple Action Face Wash to wash my face. I scrub in little circles all over my face to exfoliate just enough to get rid of all the dead skin on my face from the day. Then I move on to washing my body. Currently I am using the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush body wash, which smells ah-mazing by the way (if you’re a long-time reader, you would already know of my love for it).

Skin care

Once I’m out of the shower (after maybe having a bit of standing under the cold water to make up for the summer heat), I do my night time skin care. I don’t have any serums, oils or anything like that (mainly because I'm broke and can’t afford them), so I go straight on to toner and moisturiser. I am currently using the Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3 on a makeup remover pad all over my face (except around the eyes, obviously). It works well to keep my blemishes and pimples away, which is ALWAYS a plus for me.

After toner, I go straight on to moisturiser. Currently I'm using the Simple Spotless Skin Anti-Blemish moisturiser to great success. It is a really light moisturiser that sinks into my skin almost immediately. I must admit that sometimes I do forget to do my night time skincare, either because I'm too tired or my brother decides he needs to go to the toilet right after my shower (which does happen more than you’d think).

Dinner time!

After doing my skin care (if I remember), I go to my room and quickly put on my pyjamas before dinner. Then I go help Mum finish cooking the dinner, set the table or just go straight to the table (if the former was already done). After dinner, we watch the TV for a bit. Currently, we watch police shows and get really into them. We also watch cricket (when my dad is home from work) and Once Upon a Time (when dad is still at work, so he doesn’t get spoilers. I know we should wait for him and watch it together, but we are so much further ahead of him in terms of episodes, so yeah).

At about nine thirty we switch off the TV and get ready for bed. I go and brush my teeth (which is particularly important since I have braces) and do my puffer so I don’t get short of breath (I have had asthma since late 2015). After that I go back to my room and switch on my air conditioner. I tidy up my room a bit so that I don’t end up wading through masses of mess to get to my bed. I then tuck myself into bed and read for a bit. I'm currently reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; I’m rereading the series for the third time. Once I’ve finished a chapter or two I turn off my light, put my air conditioner on sleep mode (so it turns off automatically) and go to sleep.

What is your current evening routine?

Love, Nicky x

New Year, New Beginnings

Happy New Year peeps!

How’s 2017 treating you so far? Good? Good. As it is my first post of 2017, I would like to talk to you about some of the things in my life going on this year, and some aspirations and goals I would like to achieve during the year.

Going to University

As I graduated high school last year (wow that sounds weird: last year), I will be attending university this year (and for a couple more years after that). I haven’t yet received an offer from the uni I applied for, but they have sent me an email saying that I will be getting an offer on the 16^th of this month. I am so excited! I will be finding out what I will be doing for potentially the next three or four years of my life! I have applied for a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Fine Arts – Creative and Professional Writing at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT for short). I’m sure I will get into the writing course, as the OP I achieved (11) is not good enough to get into the business course, which needed an 8.

Getting a Job

Another thing I will be seriously looking into this year is finding a job. I need one. Well, Mum says I do, anyway. I think it would be a great way to earn some money for myself, but then that, mixed with having uni at least three days a week would mean that yet again this blog will be put on the back burner. I would like a job at my local shopping centre, seeing as it is really close to where I live. The only thing about that is that the last time I went around handing out resumes, they all said:

“We don’t take physical resumes.”
“Try applying online.”
“Go to our website and apply there.”

This is great and all, but when I go online to apply for a job that was advertised in the physical store, there is no job opening listed. Do you see my problem? Mum keeps on saying that if I keep looking, a job will come up eventually, but I don’t know how much more rejection my self-esteem can take.

Learning to Drive

I also have to get back into learning to drive this year. Like this blog, learning to drive was put on the back burner since September last year (September 11^th, to be exact). I have racked up a total of 38 hours and 58 minutes of driving (though most of it was triple time, so I’ve really only driven for about 19 hours). I know how to do the basics (mostly).

The last time I did driving, I stalled the car at a green (previously red) light and there were people waiting behind me and I was panicking (by this point I had stalled it maybe twice or three times in a row and the people were getting impatient). The worst part was that I was starting on a slight hill and I am not confident with hill starts, so I just revved the engine (maybe a bit too much) and fluked my way through the intersection, practically hearing the other drivers’ thinking ‘thank God she finally used the right pedal’.

So those are my major goals for 2017, now here are some minor goals that are still important, but not ‘top three’ important:

1. Build up this blog more. Basically, I would like to post weekly, perhaps do giveaways, and integrate ads once I turn 18 (only a couple though, not too many).

2. Read more books. I have gotten back into reading recently (in case you couldn’t tell from the amount of books I got for Christmas) and would like to expand my imagination and vocabulary by reading some books. I am going to try to read one book per month and will tell you the books I have read and enjoyed in each monthly favourites.

3. Stop cracking my knuckles. Scientifically, there are no side effects to knuckle cracking other than annoying and grossing out people in my vicinity. I have had this habit for about 2 years and my mum hates it, so I think it’s time to do something about it.

Do you have any goals for 2017? Are you starting anything new in 2017?

Love, Nicky x

My Christmas Day 2016

Hey peeps!

As it was Christmas last Sunday, I thought I would share with you my Christmas day.

On Christmas morning I woke up at about 6am (because of my 14 year old brother) to see a bag full of presents on my floor. I grabbed my bag and went out to the tree to find more presents with my name on them (one from Mum and Dad, the other from Santa). First, I opened up my bag and rummaged around, pulling out all manner of different things. The first being a lamp (and light bulb that mum had sneakily bought in my presence) with a rose gold lamp shade. This will go on my desk once I’ve tidied it up a bit more. Next, I pulled out a rose gold compact mirror with diamantes on it. Then I pulled out some cleanser and an exfoliator thing (both from The Body Shop). Finally, I tipped the bag upside down and a small avalanche of chocolate coins fell out (and surprisingly, I still haven’t finished them).

I then moved on to the wrapped presents, starting with Santa’s. It was a Bluetooth speaker (ironically, not blue) with an Extra Base feature. I have tried it out on multiple occasions and I really enjoy the sound quality that the speaker emits, fyi. The second present under the tree was in a shoe box, and because Mum often uses shoe boxes as mock boxes I assumed that there was something else in the shoe box other than shoes (last time there was an iPhone 6S). I was wrong. There was a pair of white lo cut Converses in the box and I love them so much that I have worn them almost every day this past week.

We then went to the dining room where Mum was finishing up cooking breakfast. After a little while, breakfast was served. It was waffles with strawberries caramelised in maple syrup, and extra maple syrup for good measure. It. Was. So. Good. Oh, and did I mention there was ice cream as well? Best. Breakfast. Ever! We did Christmas crackers and told our crappy jokes and put on our paper hats (mine was green) and we had a jolly old time until we had to get ready to go to dad’s family’s Christmas.

When we got to where we were having dad’s family’s Christmas, we did a lot of waiting (we had got there a bit early). Once everyone was there, we did some catching up with everyone. Then we moved on to doing presents. My first present was from my dad’s aunty and uncle and it was Illuminae by Amie Kaufman. I am so excited to read this, but it is a massive book so I better get onto it quickly so I finish it before I go to uni (I’m not good at reading books while I have more important things to do). From another of my dad’s aunties I got a pink bag and a silver purse (which comes with a chain so I can carry it like a bag). The purse also came with $20 in it as well (thanks Aunty!). From my dad’s cousin’s family I got Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. This wasn’t on my list, but I really want to read as I have heard many good things about it. From my granddad and grandma I got two bags of Maltesers (which I have already eaten so I don’t have any pictures of them) and On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher. Maltesers are always welcome as a present and I can’t wait to read Carrie’s book!

After presents, we did Christmas lunch, which was made up of many salads and a variety of meats. It was all so yummy and I had a great time. Unfortunately we couldn’t stay for dessert because had to leave early to go home and set up for Christmas dinner with Mum’s family.

Once we got back home, we had half an hour to set up for Christmas dinner, which we did quite well I think! Everyone started arriving bearing gifts and food at about 3 o’clock, which we helped set up and put away. Then we did some chatting and catching up for a little bit before doing presents. My first present was from grandma and grandpa and it was Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon and a lovely phone case (which is already on my phone). From one of my aunties I got a white jumpsuit and a pair of rose gold sunglasses. From my other aunty I got the Maybelline Blushed Nudes palette and the same phone case that grandma got me (so I gave it back to her and she’s going to get me something else later on).

In case you were wondering, I was ready to go Boxing Day shopping.

Then we did talking for a little while longer until it was time for dinner. We had a whole array of different salads and meats (different from lunch) that were delicious. We did Christmas crackers, told our awful jokes, and wore our paper hats. Some of us decided to go for a walk to let our dinner settle before pudding. One of my aunties made a delicious chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce and custard. This was the first time we had it, but now we’ll have every year from now on – that’s how good it was.

So, overall I think it was a pretty good day.

How was your Christmas?

Love, Nicky x