The Land of Laura

Hello Lovelies,

Welcome back to the new post in mine and Jess' "Lets Talk About" series, this week we'll be discussing all the things they don't tell you about growing up, from periods to drinking, we've got your girls guide to growing up covered, telling you all the little nitty gritty things no-one else ever did.

You can see mine and Jess' advice on four topics on my blog and then another four on her's.

But for now, on my blog we're going to be discussing what they don't tell you about moving out, periods, getting tattoo's and drinking!

Moving Out

Laura - 
From my personal experience, moving out is the exact opposite of everything you expect and plan it to be. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing, but impossible to prepare for! If you're like me you'll tell yourself that you'll start/stop doing a million things when you move out. For example, "i'll start making my bed" or "i'll stop leaving my washing up until the next day". While you will certainly develop your own habits and routine, it'll take time, and it'll never be perfect! I spent so much time in the first few weeks kicking myself because i broke the promises i made to myself, I just eventually had to realise that nobody is perfect and that I was developing my own little way of doing things that works for me. So, i think the main thing people don't tell you about moving out is that it's a long and messy journey of figuring out exactly who you are, and how your life best works for you ! 

Jess-
Something that everyone will face one day and the one thing that I could not wait for. I moved out of my family home into student halls but they were luxurious. I had a fab room with my own en-suite and then a huge kitchen/living area. My halls may have been luxurious but I definitely did not live with luxurious people, one of them was a complete scutter. This is where I get onto what I wish someone would have told me. I turned up to uni with my Nan's old Denby kitchen stuff, so I was very protective of it and get very annoyed if it was being abused by my awful flatmate. I really wish someone would have said actually go to Asda and buy 50p plates and cups as you probably will be lumped with someone who will ruin it. There were many occasions where I would bleach and then wash my plates and cups because they had used them and let them go mouldy and suffering with OCD did not help. So I'm giving you the advice now, if you are moving into shared accommodation don't take nice stuff that will be accessible to anyone as I can guarantee there will be somebody who will, to be frank, take the piss with it and the more you run around and clear up after them so your stuff doesn't get completely ruined the more they will do it.

Periods

Laura - 
Ah yes, periods. That wonderful topic that for some reason, we all act as though it's a taboo. I think one thing I wish someone had told me when i first started my periods is that, in most cases, they get better! With every period you have, you become one step closer to conquering those painful little sods! Everybody has their way of dealing period pain, talk to people, get some ideas, try them all, see what works for you. For me, a heat pack and nap does this trick! However, at 16 I went on the contraceptive pill as it is known to dramatically reduce period pain, and when i was missing 4 days of school every month because i was in so much pain, it was needed! I would recommend trying some home remedies first, because they can work wonders, but if you do get very intense period pain, i strongly suggest talking to your doctor and seeing what they can do - they've heard it all before! Don't fret though, in most cases your period will regulate themselves as you get older, so you can start planning for your unwanted house guests, and you'll nearly always find a way to kick their ass!

Getting Tattoo's

Laura-
I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm an expert when it comes to tattoos, mainly because those serial tattooers will laugh at me! But there are a few things I wish i'd known before i got my first tattoo. The first one is THINK, THINK, THINK, whatever you get will be on your body forever so you need to think about three key things; what to get, where to get it, and who's going to do it. All of these are so important as not thoroughly thinking about just one of these things can lead to a botched tattoo that you hate! Luckily, I love mine, and the artist did an amazing job! Another thing I wish I'd known is that getting a tattoo on your ribs hurts like a mother-trucker and the pain can't be described or anticipated. For example, when I was being tattoo'd at the bottom of my ribs, I got a really bad pain in my nipple - weird and unexpected! Finally, if you can't afford to get it done properly, don't do it! It doesn't matter if your friend offers you "mates rates", you know whether they're capable enough of doing the tattoo you want, if they're not, save up your money and go elsewhere!

Jess-
Ever since I was a little kid I had always wanted tattoos! I love the idea of being covered in artwork that everyone can see. For my 18th birthday my parents had promised me faithfully that they would pay for a tattoo for me, I'm 22 this year and still waiting for it to happen, so when I moved to university I decided I would get a tattoo, only something small and cute. Some kids go to uni and do drugs, I got a heart tattooed on my lower left forearm! I'll be completely honest I was absolutely crapping myself about getting it done, I'm petrified of needles and I don't really cope well with pain. So I get to the tattoo shop and am papping myself, trying to talk myself out of it with every excuse under the sun but at the same time psyching myself up and talking myself into it! The tattooist must have thought I was mental. We went into the room and I find out she's got a silent tattoo gun which instantly puts my mind at ease as the noise goes straight through me, she starts doing it and I honestly can hand on heart sit here and say it was one of the least painful, pain driven things I've felt. It's very niggly and irritating but not painful, this could have been because of where I got it as I know it is painful if its on bone but that would make sense! I would recommend getting your first tattoo on a fleshy part of your body so you get a feel for the sensation!

Drinking

Laura - 
While this is a serious topic that should not be taken light-heartedly, I'm not going to sit here and preach at you, saying that "drinking is bad" or "you shouldn't do it". The problem with drinking is that it can so easily become a problem, without you realising it. I see this all the time at university! By 'problem' I don't necessarily mean alcoholism (although this is something that can happen to), i'm more referring to the state you get yourself in when drinking. Only once in my life have I been blackout drunk. So drunk i didn't know how i got home or what had happened the night before. Luckily for me, this happened at a party where i was surrounded with friends to take care of me, and not around strangers. Some people aren't so fortunate. All i'll say on this matter is that binge drinking is an incredibly dangerous habit. Having the best night of your life, to then not have those memories in the morning is a horrific feeling. If you choose to drink, do it safely! Drink and be merry, and then stop, drink some water, and get home safe. 

Jess-
I will hold my hands up high now and admit that I'm a bit of a lightweight. Its cheap for me on a night out. I hardly ever go out or drink really though and there were definitely points where my friends thought I was boring because I wouldn't go out clubbing with them. I have never seen the appeal to going out, I'd much rather have my friends round and have a few drinks with them and thats fine. Clubs are way too expensive. My first night out when I moved to Cambridge I spent £10 entry and then probably £30 on drinks. That's extortionate, a bottle of echo falls is £5 from co-op and that keeps me more than happy. It's easy to give in and just go out if you're friends are but it really is about weighing up if its worth it, the sting to your bank account, the hangover the next morning or even those horrible drunk regrets. If these aren't worth it see if your friends would rather come round for a few social drinks, if they don't there is nothing wrong with you staying in having a glass of wine and watching a soppy rom-com by yourself!

Check out the rest of our post over on Jess' blog!

Until Next Time, 

Laura & Jess xoxo

Hello loves,

If you read my post last Thursday, you'll know I've been in somewhat of a rut the last couple of weeks. If you've not read my post from last week, you can do so here. So, it's Monday now and I feel much more on top of things, so I thought I'd share my little tips on how to get yourself out of a rut and find your fire again.

1) CLEAN YOUR SPACE
If you're anything like me, you find it incredibly hard to stay on top of the cleaning! If your space (e.g your room, office or whole house) is a mess, it really helps to give it a good clean! I know it may seem like an overwhelming task but just take it one room at a time and you'll be done before you know it. A clear space really helps to achieve a clear mind! This is something I'm really trying to improve on, and now I've finally got a clean room, I'm aiming to keep it that way! It also helps to make your bed every morning. You'll be surprised how much cleaner your room looks!

2) LIST EVERYTHING
It really helped me to break everything I had to do down into as many small tasks as possible. I briefly touched on this last week but I'll explain some more now. Writing every small task down may make your list longer, but you'll constantly be crossing things off, making you more motivated to keep going, and consequently increasing your productivity. It also helps if you're particulary struggling with a task, such as an essay, to break it down so you can overcome it one baby step at a time and it doesn't seem like an unachievable task!

3) BREAK THE ROUTINE
Routine can be such a comforting thing that most of us fall victim too, but sticking in a routine for too long can really make you feel trapped. Do something a bit different such as a weekend away or a night out with the girls - get yourself out that house and have some fun, (most) work can wait till Monday! You'll come back on Monday feeling much more refreshed - especially if you're coming back to a clean space!

4) FORGET THE SMALL THINGS FOR NOW
If one of things you've got on your to do list is 'hoover under the bed', FORGET IT. Do the visible things, and the big tasks first. You can shorten your to do list down no end by scrapping all the silly tasks. Don't forget them forever, you can return to them when you're feeling more on top of things.

5) DON'T PRESSURE YOURSELF
There is one thing that all us humans need to realise, no-one has their shit together! Everyone at some point feels like they're in a rut and thats okay! Theres no need to feel bad for it, we've all been there. It's also okay to not come out of your rut straight away, sometimes we need time to take a breath and recuperate. Stay in bed, eat some ice cream, binge on Netflix, work out whatever it is you're going through, but set a day that will be the turning point. It can start with something as easy as getting out of bed earlier, making your bed and having your breakfast. It's all about baby steps!

6) REWARD YOURSELF
If you've been feeling really down, reward yourself everyday! Okay so you didn't get all the laundry done today like you planned, but you got up, made the bed, did the dishes and cooked dinner, good job! Now go make yourself a Gin & Tonic! Criticising yourself because you didn't achieve a million things in one day is only going to put you back in a slump. Reward yourself for the little things, and every day you'll feel better and get a little bit more productive, promise!

You've got this!

Laura xoxo

Hi Guys,

Welcome to the first official post in my new series "Lets Talk About:"! To see what this series is all about check out my previous post (although, its fairly self explanatory). To kick things off I wanted to talk about something that I've wanted to do a post on for ages - university! I kept putting off writing about university because I wanted to wait until I was close to my graduation (which I now am, go me!), so that I could truly impart some proper wisdom, rather than just saying "jaegerbombs are grim after the second one", which is truly the only advice I could have offered as a fresher. I've broken it down into categories and given you my top 3 pieces of advice for each topic, although not necessarily in the right order! I decided to focus on advice for when you're actually at University, if you'd like a post offering advice on the application process and choosing where to go, let me know!  So here it is....

Books
 - don't go nuts buying loads, they cost a bomb and you most likely won't need half of them ! Try taking them out of the library and see which ones are worth getting first !
- for books you do need to buy, try getting second hand ones, university forums and social media pages are great for this, there is bound to be people in the year above you that don't need their anymore.
- for books you need from the library, get in there early! The library will only have a limited number of books and if it's a core text book for the course, they will run out !

Accommodation
- stay in halls in your first year (if possible), it's a great way to meet new people and make friends. Be careful about what accommodation you use though, look at what you can realistically afford. For example, my student loan wouldn't cover me having an en suite room, so take this into consideration!
- if you choose to move into a student house, NEVER GET 12 MONTH CONTRACTS. They seem great at first because you don't have to move all your stuff home at summer, but if your in my position (I.e you get basically the minimum loan) you won't be able to afford rent over the summer. Look at the cost of renting and see if you can afford it, but realistically, most people don't stay at uni over the summer, so it becomes a waste of money anyway.
- If you do live in a student house there will sometimes be a downstairs bedroom, if this is the case, avoid it like the plague! You'll be woken up constantly!

Work
- get a part time job (even if you don't need one), it looks great on your CV and it's a good way to meet new people.
- get into a habit of starting your uni work early. Getting into a good habit with this will make your life much easier later on ( I didn't do this, and boy do I wish I had)
- any extra things you can do such as volunteering will look all go on your academic record and look great on your CV, anything extra you can do makes you more employable when you graduate.

Social
- be yourself, literally anything goes at uni and you're pretty much guaranteed to find someone who likes the same stuff you do, so there is no need to pretend to be into stuff you're not.
- depending on where you go, there is a pretty big 'drinking culture' at University and it is ABSOLUTELY FINE to not be in it. If your not a big drinker (or you don't drink at all) do not feel pressured, you can still go on nights out if you want to and people will like you just as much!
- Join a society. Societies are massive at university and they range from the academic (such as the medical society) to the down right wacky (my university has a Quiddich Society!). There's bound to be something for you and they're a fantastic way to meet people and escape from work every now and again.

Graduating
- If you're not graduating until June, start applying for graduate job before Christmas, since this is when a lot of the application deadlines are for graduate schemes.
- Even if a company isn't advertising a job, drop them an email and your CV anyway, it shows passion and initiative - I got an interview from doing this!
- Don't promise loads of people that they can come to your graduation, there is normally a two person ticket limit!

Money
- Live within your means. It may be nice to have an en-suite bathroom but if you cant afford it you will begin to resent that bathroom more than anything. Nothing stresses you out more than not being able to afford your rent - shared bathrooms honestly aren't that bad! (depending on how many people you're sharing with).
- Food shopping is extortionate. Make a rough meal plan and a list before you go shopping, try to buy things that can be used for a lot meals (chicken breasts for example) and buy things that can easily be frozen. Its horrible spending a fortune on food and having to throw it away because it's gone out of date.
- When choosing where to bank, don't be drawn in my by the massive overdraft limits and freebies. I went with Santander for the big overdraft and free railcard. BIGGEST. REGRET. EVER. Setting up their online banking is a nightmare and their mobile app is shit. Mobile/Online banking is fantastic at uni for when you inevitably have to pay your housemate for your share of the Dominoes.



There is probably a million things I've missed but these were all the main things I wanted to cover! I hope if you're thinking of going to University or are at University already you found at least some of these useful! I had a fun time writing this, laughing to myself about all the stories that inspired each piece of advise. I'll be back on Sunday with another post and next Thursday  with another "Lets Talk About:". What would you like me to cover next?! Leave a comment or tweet me @LauraCharlotteG!

Until next time loves,

Laura xoxo

Hey Guys!

Just a quick post to tell you about my new blog series called "Let's talk about:..." where every week I talk about about a new topic - some serious, some not so serious, just a variety of things I feel I could offer insight, advice, or opinion on. First post coming to you Thursday!

As well as writing about things I want to talk about it, i also want to address topics proposed by you guys ! I'd love you hear your ideas ! To have your topic featured on "Let's Talk About:" simply comment or tweet me; @LauraCharlotteG.

I'm so excited to start this!

Back Thursday,

Laura xoxo