Slaying It 2017 || Cutting it in College (Part 2) || Financial Series

Hey Friends,

Today I am back with part 2 of cutting in college. Here I am sharing with you some of my tips and tricks for surviving college on a budget. It can be done my friends. Is it easy? Heck no but I guarantee it will be worth it. If you missed my first post you can check it here (Cutting it in College - Part 1) it will also be linked below!!

When anyone thinks of college, its the lifestyle that comes to mind first & even though I have been through it already even I glamourise it a little in my head. We think of always looking our best, having all our college work up to date & acing all our classes, having cute instagram worthy houses and rooms. Is that what college is actually like? Again heck no. That doesn't mean it can't worth it and a hell of alot of fun at the same time. However most companies know we have this little ideal vision in our head and that's what they market towards. College is hard enough and expensive enough without us adding pressure by wanting our lives to look like Instagram or a Pintrest board. 

I have for you here 6 more of my tips and tricks for saving the pennies during your college years!! Please leave a comment below if you have any of your own!! We all need to help each other out to make college the most enjoyable experience for everyone! 

Pack your shizz the night before

Forgetting is the enemy of saving!! Never forget that! I have actually been caught more than once already with this. I know we all have nights where we are too busy, too tired or simply just forget but if we can remember nine times out of ten to pack everything we need the night before then we will save so much money in the long run. The problem is unless you live very close to the college, if you forget anything then you are going to end up buying it again!! It such a waste. I mean you will probably end up using the new item anyway but there should be no need to buy double items unnecessarily.

Student Discounts

Make sure to take advantage of all student discounty goodness. Now don't use it as an excuse to shop! What I mean when I say this is if there is something you need and can get a student discount on it then don't let that go to waste! Be aware of student offers in your area and if there are any on items you particularly need. Use that card to your advantage! Make it work for you!! 

Clothes

Clothes is probably the place where we feel like we want to spend the most money! Sometimes college can feel like a fashion show. We spend the entire day surrounded by so many people with so many different styles. Atleast ten times a day we are going to think to ourselves "ooh thats cute!!" or "I love her shoes, bag, jacket ect..." My advice is to have a closet that works for you. By this I mean have wardrobe where all/most of the pieces are interchangeable. That way you will always have different looks and outfits. Be aware of seasons for example have atleast one good coat to get you through winter, Have 2 or 3 scarves & gloves. Same when it comes to shoes have a good pair of boots, runners and / or pumps. If you have a few key good quality pieces that will carry you through a semester then you won't feel the need to run to your local Pennys / Primark atleast once a week. I think it is also important to keep a little money in the budget (not every month mind you) but if you keep a little "blow" money so to speak, even just €20 so you can buy a little treat every now and then to make you feel like your not constricted. As long as you have your main staple wardrobe then you can add a couple of accessories and completely change the overall look without going on a €200 shopping spree. Don't forget, Like with everything else, take the best care of your clothes that you can. That in itself will save you soon much money as it will extend the life span of all your pieces. The best advice I can give you is to sit down and really think about your wardrobe as a whole. Spend an afternoon with your wardrobe and by the end of it, you will know everything in it, all the outfits you have at the ready and anything you need to make it complete. Once you have a complete wardrobe of key, interchangeable items you will no longer feel the need to buy items on the spur of the moment which could end in buyers remorse. I will be doing a whole post soon on putting a wardrobe together that works for you. So stay tuned for that.     

Get the most out of your course

This might seem like a simple one but think about it. You have decided to make this commitment and whether you fully realised it at the time or not but that is a huge commitment that impacts all areas of your life. The only way to make it all worth it is by trying your best and getting the absolute most out of your college and course. Get you college work done and submitted on time. Put the effort in and get those grades, make all this sacrificing with your money worth it. Make the time and effort you're putting into this work for you. Get the degree out of it and in the future you will thank yourself as you will know have the knowledge and the opportunities you may not have gotten prior to doing the course in the first place! 

  

Emergency kit

Again this is another one that I am going to do a full post on soon!! Like I said earlier forgetting is the enemy & to be honest I have already been caught more than once! My advice is to create a little personal emergency kit. In this include little things that you might need so you are not caught off guard unexpectedly. In this kit I include items like feminine products, plasters, deodorant, hand wipes... ect.. by doing this you can really save money. Like food and water you can buy these items relatively inexpensively in bulk at places like Aldi, Lidl or Euro Stores / Dealz / Poundland. This means if you have forgotten something as simple as deodorant then you won't have to buy it for 4 times the price in the nearest convenience store. It also saves you from embarrassing TMI moments if "Aunt Irma" catches you unawares. 

   

Cut it down/out

Lastly and maybe the most important tip of them all is you need to take a good look at your budget and figure out what are your weaknesses are and figure out a way to either cut them down or cut them out completely. Thats probably where your going to save the most money. Mine used to be coffee, water and snacks but now with a bit more preparation I can enjoy all my goodies without breaking the bank balance. There are ways and means to everything you just have be a little more self aware and self disciplined. You can do it! I believe in you!!

There you have it!! All my little tips and tricks for sticking to a budget while also trying to put yourself through college too. Like most things in life its not going to be easy but it will be worth it!! 

Please if you have any tips and tricks of your own, then leave us a little comment at the bottom and share them with us. I'd love to hear them. I'm always looking for ways and means of saving a euro or two.

Chat soon x

Thank You For Reading

xox

Previous Posts -

Slaying it 2017 || Cutting in College (Part 1) || Financial Series

Slaying it 2017 || Money, Money, Money || Financial Series

Slaying it 2017 || 2017 Goals & Resolutions Review

Have you checked out my Beauty Blog!? - Beauty La Linda - MUA

Previous Posts -

Haul Time! Collective Drugstore Beauty Haul!

Beauty Currently Loving

Beauty Haul!! (Makeup Revolution, Pennys / Primark, Blank Canvas Cosmetics, Wet & Wild)

TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda

INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda

SNAPCHAT - @beautylalinda

BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty  &  Lifestyle

GOOGLE+ - BeautyLaLindaMUA

Slaying 2017 || Cutting it in College (Part 1) || Financial Series

Hey friends,

I'm back with another post that will hopefully give you some inspiration when it comes to money matters. If you missed my last post you can check it out right here - (Slaying it 2017 || Money, Money, Money || Financial Series) I will also have links below. 

Today I want to talk about college. Oh that college lifestyle...... How fun it was. No money but somehow didn't end up homeless and also seemed to be able to drink our body weight, dance like there was no tomorrow while amazingly still being able to keep up with the latest trends!! How did we do it?? I'll tell you.... Debt! Thats how we did it!! Debt from the banks (including bank of mom & dad!.... Does that really count?? Yes it counts!) I, like many others worked part-time through college & also got a grant but still somehow this wasn't enough! I needed a loan from the bank & a sizable overdraft to see me through. Otherwise how could I keep up with the cool kids. Damn them Jones with their perfect hair, clothes & lifestyle.  

Like I said in my previous post. I have learned from my ways & I am steadily righting my wrongs money-wise. Its a learning curve. No-one is born with the ability to handle money because money is not a natural thing (contrary to popular belief it does not actually grow on trees. Money is man-made and all the laws around it are man-made too which means no human in the history of the world can be born with money sense. It is something we learn but again this is not something they bother teaching in school (not from a personal finance point of view) so how are we to know. Unfortunately most money making companies and money handlers are counting on this.... that's how they make their money.... Banks, Insurance companies, Car financing companies.... just to name a few. Now don't get me wrong I am not saying that theses companies are out to trick the consumer or doing anything out-right illegal, but lets be real it does work out in thier best interest if you know absolutely nothing about how these companies work & are just will to pay out premiums out of ignorance.

If you follow me on Twitter then you will have seen me tweet about college. This is because I have recently decided to go back at the ripe old age of 27 to change my career path. This time however there will be no loans, no hand-outs from mammy & daddy. I have decided to do this so I will be paying for it by myself. However considering I have decided to do this while also on a debt-kicking, sorting out my finances buzz it means I will be cutting costs where ever I can to make sure that I can continue to try and rid my life of the money woes that weigh me down. I will be working part-time now instead of full-time but the company I work for are more than happy to give any over-time available hours that will fit into my college schedule.

Cost Cutting Measures

Invest in a Lunch Box

This year I will be packing my own lunches for college. It's not exactly Kyle Jenner vibes but I honestly can't justify buying lunches everyday when for less that half the price I can just pop into Aldi and have lunches provided for the whole week! While the cool kids are spending €5-€10 a day on lunch I will be munching on my own little lunch knowing that all that money I will be saving will benefiting my future. I will also be buying quick breakfast goodies too. Instead of picking up a breakfast bar with my coffee or a pastry I will be picking them up in Aldi. You can by them in bulk which means the cost of each is cut down dramatically. One bar in the shop or a pastry can set you back anywhere from €1-€2 whereas you can buy a pack of 6 (which will last an entire week) for about €1.50!! And thats just good sense.   

Caffeine & Hydration 

I needs my coffee & water. These are probably what I would spend the most money on a week consistently. There are a few ways to solve this problem. 

First lets tackle coffee. Need your cup o' joe in the morning? Me too. Generally I will stick to decafe but whether its a placebo effect of not I need it to wake up. So I have invested in a travel mug. Penny's do really nice pretty one's at the moment if you are sticking to the budgetting plan (also Dealz / Poundland & most grocery stores) but if you are a girl/guy who loves your brands then there are plenty of options at TK Maxx & most coffee brand chains will even sell their own e.g. Starbucks, Costa, Gloria Jeans. There are so many options to fit all your coffee needs. Also if you (like me) need your flavoured coffees they also sell the flavourings. You can get them in specific coffee stores for about €12 for a very large bottle (not sure exact quantity forgive me) but I have found them for €3 a bottle (half the size of the €12 counterpart. Lasts me about a month) in Lidl. So if you are willing to put a little bit of work in yourself in the morning then you can enjoy that coffee buzz for a fraction of the price.

Water is something I drink quite alot of. Which is good but can get quite expensive. Here are my cost saving tips. Purchase a good sturdy water bottle that you can refill from your tap. It's a one time investment. You can even buy infusion bottles where you can add fruit for a bit of flavour and some added nutrients. If like me you only drink bottled water because either you can't drink the tap water or don't like the taste of tap water then you can do what I do which is buy bottled water in bulk in Aldi or Lidl. Its costs me €2.49 for a 12 pack of 500ml bottles of water in Aldi where as it cost me atleast a €1 per bottle individually in town or in college. (So if I do the math quickly thats a saving of  €9.51 each 12 bottles) Alternatively you could buy the large 5/10 litre bottles of water in Aldi for around the same price and pour it into your infusion reusable bottle & still get that fruity flavour.  

Travel

Now this one will be different for each and every student. Some of you will be living on campus, student accommodation and so on. Others like me will be living further out so you will have to figure out your travel arrangements. Here are a couple of tips.

• Look for bundle offers such as a weekly, monthly or even semesterly bus/train tickets. These will save you more in the long run as long as by doing the math you can figure out whether the price of the ticket is cheaper than paying for each trip individually. You can do this by figuring out how often you will need the bus, adding up the face value cost price and see how it compares to the bundle ticket.
• If you are driving, plan out your route so you can budget your fuel costs. Find out where the cheapest (while good quality) fuel is and see if you can map it into your route to or from college. Also try and only fill up once a week. It means you are less likely to be tempted by all those convenience goodies. Lots of stations also have offers or loyalty cards. If you are going to be using their services and products anyway then you may as well reap any benefits they have to offer.  Find your parking area and whether thats going to cost you or not. Again look into whether there are any parking facilities or offers for students attending that college. If you have toll roads on route then look into getting one of those electronic tag thingys. Again depending how often you use the road it might save you money in the long run. Also don't forget car pooling. Save on fuel costs while also saving the environment - win win.
• Use your student card if you can. Most colleges have offers to students to help with travel costs. Look into it maybe your college offers more than you know. 

Gym Bunnies 

Many of us want to try and incorporate so form of physical activity into our weeks if possible. Unfortunately gyms can be super expensive. This is probably the one area where students win compare to the general public. There are so many different societies & clubs in college from football to horse riding, spinning classes to zumba. If you want to be apart of it take advantage. Most colleges either have their own gym or are partnered with a near by gym which means either free or cheaper classes. Run Free little bunnies, Go wild!!

Printing & College Equipment 

Ok as many of you will have started college already by the time you read this but college books, stationary and all that jazz can get quite expensive especially since stationary has gotten very "trendy" in the last couple of years what with all the Erin Condren planners floating about (Great, like we needed a new area of our life where we have to feel like we have to keep up with those jones again!!) Anyhoo here is my advice on the subject. 

First of all, don't buy your stationary in bulk - unless it actually works out cheaper. By this I mean don't get all stationary happy in the store and pick up 100 notebooks, refill pads, folders and 4000 types of pens just because its cute and you think "ah, it will come  in useful somewhere". Chances are it probably won't and you've just spent €10 on a notebook that you will completely forget about a month in. Instead really think about your course. Will you be using a laptop alot? How many modules/classes do you have? What do they entail? Do you need a calculator? Do you need a Notebook for each class? Will materials be provided by the college, like computers, college diary? My advice would be get one or 2 notebooks for the first couple of days then when you really know what you need you can get shopping then. Also don't worry about the jones, a notebook is a notebook at the end of the day whether it has a cute picture or slogan on the front or not. Spend what fits your budget and you feel is appropriate. Make sure they are good enough quailty to last you the college year but remember if you don't need it and won't use it then its just a waste of money and takes up space in your home and life. 

When it comes to printing, very few of us can avoid it. Now in college they will have the facilities available but sometimes by hunting around you can actually find it cheaper in other stores or your local library so if you feel that the college are charging a little too much and you know that you are going to have a lot of printing throughout the year then hunt around and you might get lucky. The other alternative is to buy a cheap printer. Again do the math to work out whether this will actually work out cheaper for you. But if it does then look into places like Argos even Tesco, Lidl & Aldi. Alternatively you can check out second-hand options online on sites like Done Deal, Ebay & Amazon. I won't be looking into this option because it doesn't make sense for me but if it does for you give it a go!!

Tech Savvy

Many of us will either already have or will invest in some technology to help us on our path to becoming knowledgeable beings. However this can be very expensive. Here are a few of my tips. If you need anything from a laptop to a flash drive do your research, shop around, compare like with like especially prices!! If you don't mind buying second hand you might get a really good product for a fraction of the price!! remember knowledge is power. If you are going to invest put the work in and you'll end up with a better quality product for the best price!! Finally when you have everything you need be sure to put all the necessary measures in place to protect them. Keep them safe and you will get the most out of them!! 

  

That's all my tips for now folks!!!

I hope you enjoyed this post and stay tuned for part 2. 

Do you have any tips of your own to share with us? I would love to here them as I am always looking for new money saving tips and techniques!!

Chat soon x

Thank You For Reading

xox

Previous Posts -

Slaying it 2017 || Money, Money, Money || Financial Series

Slaying it 2017 || 2017 Goals & Resolutions Review

Puppies are a girls Best Friend!

Have you checked out my Beauty Blog!? - Beauty La Linda - MUA

Previous Posts -

Haul Time!! Collective Drugstore Beauty Haul!

Beauty Currently Loving ~ July 2017 ~
Beauty Haul!! (Makeup Revolution, Pennys / Primark, Blank Canvas Cosmetics, Wet & Wild)



TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda
INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda
SNAPCHAT - @beautylalinda
BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty & Lifestyle
GOOGLE+ - BeautyLaLindaMUA

    

Slaying it 2017 || Money, Money, Money! || Financial Series!

Hello Friends, 

Today I want to talk to you about money, money, money. In the past year I would say, I have been really trying to get in control of my finances. You will have heard me talk about this in the past! I mention it every now & then. It's also in my yearly goals & resolutions for the past couple of years & something I am constantly working on. However I don't think I have ever talked about it in any great detail. 

This topic goes hand in hand with trying to minimalise my life & be grateful for everything I have. When you decide to go minimal or financially savvy a shift takes place in your mindset. You start to see things a little differently. You won't even notice at first you will just think "Yeah I'll give it a go" or "Ooh I didn't realise I spent that much on that" before you know your knee deep in excel spreadsheets & Dave Ramsey books & podcasts, tracking every step & giving yourself a little high five when you reach a goal. 

I've decided to start a financial series on this blog because over the past year (although I am still a beginner & honestly don't believe I am anywhere near the standard of the vets of this topic I want to share with you my journey & if you guys can gain any inspiration from it then its worth every second of writing this!!

A little backround info

I am a spender! Yup no other way of saying it. Money used to slip right through my hand like water!! On payday I'm rich, 24 hours later I'm wondering how I am going to eat for the rest of the week! The crazy part is I have now been working consistently (apart from a few months last winter) for almost 11 years!! Where has all that money gone!! My mam has always said to me "Linda, you live a very rich lifestyle for someone who can't afford it!" But I could afford it! Well I thought I could. Sure I deserved to eat out all the time, Take out fancy coffees everyday, Newest phone (on contract of course), More makeup than one person could possibly use in a lifetime, 2 latops, car, 3+ Wardrobes full of clothes (while still having nothing to wear) & lets not even get started on skincare, jewelry, accessories & home decor. Yup I worked hard to waste all that hard earned cash as quickly as it came into my account & for what? Most of the things I owned I either never used (because I was working all the time) Forgot I even had, ate or drank. Yup pretty smart of me.

Now lets make this worse shall we. On top of all of this I was broke & somehow it wasn't my fault (damn economy!! picking on millenials for the baby boomers mistakes) Why me? I wanted to go to college, I wanted to get car, I wanted to go on trips..... so what did I do? I took out credit cards & loans. Sure it was the only way! "I know what I'll do I'll take out a loan for the money I will need (while also taking a little extra for living and shopping) then I'll pay it back (a small amount every week) and as i'm working I won't even notice it going out of my paycheck. Perfect! I'm a genius!! Haha #winning. 

Well genius you are now 27 and still working down the debt you shouldn't have taken out in the first place (not to mention the interest that was accrued in this time), your credit rating is shit & you currently are spending most of your time and effort trying to fix all the mistakes you made financially when this all could be avoided (PS after going through your shit you have now thrown out / donated almost 8 black bin bags full of clothes and most of the shit that was so important to spend all that paycheck on back then. 

So now I'm here. In the past year I have paid off a good chunk of the debt I owe but realistically I'm looking at another few months - 1 year before I'm debt free & let me tell you it ain't happening again. The next reason I will be in debt will be when I buy a house. Which won't be for another few years yet.     

Anyway from now on I will be sharing my journey with you. I would love if you would join me!! I will be sharing all my tips, tricks, inspirations & goals. 

It can be scary to start, believe me! The numbers alone are enough to give you nightmares but believe me it is the most freeing and satisfying feeling in the world when you start to feel like you are really getting a handle on your finances. Unfortunately for us millenials we we're born and grew up in the age of consumerism, online shopping, social media & recession. That's quite a mixture and I know that although its not nice I'm not alone in this boat. In fact I'm pretty sure the boat is sinking at this point with the weight, but there is hope!! we can do this!! In Ireland the highest number of adults living at home as has been recorded recently. That's crazy and up until a few months ago I was one of them for a while! We need to stick together! Share our ideas and tips! Work together and create a debt free life for ourselves. We are too young for all this financial worry and with a bit of financial savvyness we can have a brighter less stressful future!

Leave me a comment below if you have any tips, tricks or anyway you would like to share! I would love to hear from you!!

Chat soon x

Thank You For Reading

xox

Previous Posts -

Slaying it 2017 || 2017 Goals & Resolutions Review

Puppies are a girls bestfriend!!

Slaying it 2017 || Healthy Living Series || The B12 Complex

Have you checked out my Beauty Blog!? - Beauty La Linda - MUA

Previous Posts -

Haul Time!! Collective Drugstore Beauty Haul!!

Beauty Currently Loving ~ July 2017 ~

Beauty Haul! (Makeup Revolution, Pennys / Primark, Blank Cosmetics, Wet & Wild)

TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda

INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda

BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty  &  Lifestyle

SNAPCHAT - @beautylalinda

GOOGLE+ - BeautyLaLindaMUA

Slaying it 2017 || 2017 Goals & Resolutions Review || Beauty La Linda ~ Lifestyle!

Hey guys,

Its about that time of year again. Ok so we are past the 6 month mark now on 2017 which seems to me like the right time to have a look back over the Goals & Resolutions that I set myself in the beginning of 2017. If you would like to read that post then you can just click on the link here - My Goals & Resolutions 2017!! Ok then, Lets go!!  (May want to grab a cuppa!!)

Clean up my act

This I actually made a good start on. I given away about 6 bags of clothes and had about 6 bags of rubbish to come out out of my life in the past 6 months and I ain't stopping now. I'm still on a mission to make my life more minimalistic and freeing. Even though I have already organised, given away, donated or thrown out a lot of stuff I still don't feel like I'm quite there yet. I know it's a process though and I'm happy to be doing it. I have even inspired my brother to do the same! Woop woop!! 

Sort out my finances

This is also another one that I have been steadily working on. I have been focused on steadily working down my debt but constantly saving at the same time. I have also been sticking to a budget I would say about 90% of the time but there is definitely room for improvement. My Boyfriend & I have a big goal for autumn 2017 (which I will no doubt be revealing soon & budgeting & finances play a big part in it) so we are currently very focused on getting better at this adulting thing!!

Getting on a Plane

Although there is travel on the horizon I don't think it involves getting on a plane. Neither myself or my other half enjoy plane travel so it's not something I'm forcing myself into just now but you never know.....

Learn a Language

Again (I'm just gona say it straight up!) I feel like this isn't one that I will be getting around to this year. When I said in the past that my boyfriend was polish... well... he was but he is no longer my boyfriend & believe me I am eternally grateful for that because otherwise I would not have met my current boyfriend & I've honestly never been happier. Everyone who knows me knows I believe everything happens for a reason & this time I think the universe may just be looking out for me. If not I know my nan's watching over me! So yes I would still love to learn a language but I ain't putting pressure on myself to get it done by the end of 2017.

Building Proper Routines 

This is another one I can honestly I strive for. I have had more change and upheaval in the past 6 months then I can ever remember. I went from living back with my parents, no job, recently split from my ex & having one of the people I loved most in the world  pass away to in a few months living in a beautiful apartment with my best friend and now boyfriend, possessing a full time job and planning for the future. Thats alot of change and believe me it took a lot of strength to get where I am now (not forgetting little luck, help, support and good fortune also) I still have bad days, I still have days where I can't function and grief is too much or I can't calm down & my anxiety is going crazy but I am so grateful to be where I am right now & have the life I have. However it means that we are still trying to find our norm & routine as it keeps changing but I think we are getting there!! I am enjoying the process.

Understanding Me! 

Also another one I'm constantly working on. If this year has taught me anything it is that you don't have as much time on this planet that you think you do! If you want something go out and grab it. Work for it!! If you want it.. its out there!! I'm incredibly lucky to have what I have right now but I want to dream, work & create a future where I never have to feel that low again!! Where I can inspire others to get up... out  of bed... into the real world & do their part to make their dreams come true!! You hold the power! I in no way have everything worked out & maybe I never will but I know I'm heading in the right direction & that's the main thing!!  

So there we have it!! Slowly but surely working my way through the goals I set for myself this year. Looking back already I am quite proud of what I have managed to achieve so far!! I am so grateful to have the life I have right now. If you had asked me a few months ago if I thought I would be here right now there is no way I would have thought it possible! 

I would love to know how any of you are getting on with your goals for 2017! Are you #slayingit?? I hope so. Leave me a comment down below and let me know!! I would love to hear all about it!! You can also contact me on any of my social media! All my links are down below!!

Chat soon my lovies x

Thank You For Reading

xox

Previous Posts -

Puppies are a girls best friend!!

Slaying it 2017|| The B12 Complex - Healthy Living Series

Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ March ~

Have You Checked Out My Beauty Blog!? - Beauty La Linda - MUA

Previous Posts -

Beauty Haul!! (Makeup Revolution, Pennys / Primark, Blank Canvas Cosmetics, Wet & Wild)

Ride or Die Makeup Products!

Haul Time!! (Includes New Products From Essence)

TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda

INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda

BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty & Lifestyle

SNAPCHAT - beautylalinda

Puppies are a girls best friend!!

Hello friends,

Happy Bank Holiday Monday, I hope you have all had a fantastic weekend!!

Recently I was contacted by PuppySpot about creating a post for #nationalpuppyday. Unfortunately I missed the mark on that but I thought to myself everyone should hear & read about puppies!! It doesn't matter if it's the national day for it or not. The Doggie pictured on the right is my sisters baby her Golden Labrador - Buster.

You can check out her here on Instagram if you want to see more - @unicorncandycane

As an absolute animal lover I was more than happy to colaborate on this project. Basically the purpose of this post is too create awareness about keep a doggy in your life and how it is important to put alot of thought into it before you pick up your new family member.

As you may already know there are many benefits to having a canine in your life. Theres everything from the social & loving aspect to the health benefits (as you are now more active taking pup for walkies) & also it has been proven that having a furry friend in your life reduces stress, anxiety and blood pressure which is why you have so many service & pet therapy dogs now. Ideally when I am in more of a position to do so I would like to train my own therapy dog and bring some joy to the community.

My Mothers baby when he was 16 weeks old - Belgian Shepard - Levi

Although there more benefits than I could ever count, both measurable & immeasurable when comes to having mans best friend there is also alot to consider before picking one up. Anyone who has been a long time follower of my blog will know that I have want my own puppy for as long as I can remember but unfortunately it has never been the right time. I know it is completely unfair to bring any life into my home if I neither have the time nor lifestyle to accommodate him/her. There are thousands of dogs all over the world that have been abandon or handed in the shelters due to many reasons that are completely out of the control of the dog. Many of these animals could have avoided this fate if their owners had either been more informed about the type of animal they had chosen or had taken the time realise what a commitment they had been  making. It's very easy to pick up a cute, adorable puppy on a whim but people seem to forget that dogs can live anywhere from 8-16 years. Thats a long term commitment to a living thing that will love you more than anything and depend on you for everything. For these reasons I have decided that I will not be getting one until I know my life is stable enough to share it with him/her.

My Besties (Dara, Blogger - Purple Button Cuture - +PurpleButton Couture) White German Shepard - Tanzie  

However if you are in the position to pick one up congratulations & I am so jealous!! haha!! Although there is still more to consider. With an estimated 339 dog breeds in the world at this present moment in time there are alot to choose from. This might seem daunting but if you do your research there is reason why you can't end up with your perfect canine companion.

PuppySpot have given me this chart to share with any of you thinking about getting a puppy. Hopefully it will help with the decision making process.

*I am not being paid for this post. All of what I have written are all my own thoughts and feelings on the subject*

If you can't see this properly please leave me a comment down below with your email address and I shall send it to you personally.

It may not be the right time for me but that doesn't mean I don't want see your puppy friends or hear all about them. Please leave me a comment and tell me all about your favourite furry friends!! If you prefer you can also connect with me through my social media. All links and info below!! 

Chat soon my loves x

Slaying it 2017 - Healthly Living Series || The B12 Complex

Hey Friends, 

Today I wanted to you about something that I have only learned about recently. I happened to learn about it accidentally from a new colleague in work. That is all about the vitamin B12. Now before you roll your eyes & click the little x in the corner, stay a minute & hear me out. 

When this colleague started to tell me all the terrible side effects from a B12 deficiency I have to admit I, myself was internally thinking.... "please" while internally eye rolling. However the more he told me about it the more I realised I had alot of the symptoms of a deficiency.

From what I have learned recently I can tell you that the vitamin B12 is essential for your mental & psychological well being. Symptoms include feeling overly tired & fatigue even if you have slept for 8 hours (psychological tireness, not I haven't slept in 3 nights tiredness) Feelings of anxiety, inability to cope. In extreame cases it can lead psychotic episodes and Alzheimer effects. Wierd sensations like pins & needles, sluggesh & feelings of weakness, bouts of dizziness,  Obviously I am not a doctor therefore I am in noway capable in diagnosing anything or anybody. However I think its crazy that more people don't know about this. If you want to know more google will be able to tell you everything you need to know.

Just think the simple act of taking a vitimin supplement everyday can save us from disastrous effects. I have now been taking a Vitamin B complex tablet everyday. Its not a very expensive or fancy type. Its the Activ-Max from Tesco (like I said I was sceptical & unwilling to fork out a lot of money for it). However I have the wierdest thing to report which is why I am sharing it with you. I forgot to take it for 2 days & I really felt the difference. I was so much more tired & slugesh. I can't guarantee it was all due to the lack of vitamin tablet however I have noticed I don't feel as off when I have taken it on a daily basis. I will finish out this bottle & then I will wander in to one of those healthy places & pick up a fancy one maybe but right now this seems to be doing the job.

This whole experience has made me realise how important vitamins and minerals are to our bodies. We seem to forget that we are animals at the end of the day. We are just evolved enough to make all the decisions when it comes to our bodies. All other living things on the planet instinctively fuel themselves with what their body requires, humans however are not as in touch with their instinctive roots. Apart from breathing humans pretty much make a choice on everything they consume, I mean some people even decide not to drink water!! A basic necessity for life!! Then they get sick and run to the doctor for man made chemicals to cure them. I'm not saying this is not always necessary but this post alone proves that for the sake of taking a vitamin tablet you could prevent some extreame illnesses like psychotic episodes & Alzheimers. 

One of my missions this year was to be more healthy and food wise I think I am starting to accomplish this. However now I am going to include learning more about vitamins and minerals. I don't see why we should use modern medicine for cure when we can use natural means, that this wonderful world provides for prevention instead.

So please if I can ask anything of this post, please do your research see if any of it applies to you. Get yourself a bottle of vitamin tablets & see if it has any effect. You can ask your doctor to test you for it if you want to be sure of whether or not you have any deficiencies & please read the label to make sure you are not heading for the other extreame and over doing it on vitamin & mineral supplements. Finally lets spread the word. Lets see if we can help improve lives & prevent a lot of pain and suffering just by recommending a vitamin!!           

I have decided to start a whole "healthy living series" Where we can learn all about vitamins & minerals together!      

If you decide to take any of this on board or have any stories to share please leave a comment down below. Lets all help each other out!!

Chat soon x

Previous Posts

Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ March ~
Book Review || The Life-changing Magic of Tidying up by Marie Kondo
Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ February ~


Have you checked out my Beauty Blog!? Beauty La Linda - MUA
Previous Posts
Ride or Die Makeup Products ~ February 2017 ~
Haul Time! (Includes new products from Essence)
Currently Loving Beauty ~ February 2017 ~


You can also connect with me here -
TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda
INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda
BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty & Lifestyle
SNAPCHAT - beautylalinda

Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ March ~

Hello Everyone,

So Im running a little late on my favourites post for last month & soon I will be posting my April favourites. However better late than never!!

Wedding Bells

Im going to kick this favourites off with a wedding I attended of two good friends. It was so good to see old friends that I haven't seen in a couple of years! All dressed up & suited & booted. Good food, good atmosphere & good company!!

The Big Move!

Last month I moved out once again from my family home. New home, new job, new start....

New Job

I started a new job last month. I was a little nervous, new people, new environment and all that jazz. However I need not have worried. They were so welcoming and nice. I really felt very welcome to the company and the team!

New Apartment

I got so lucky and found my beautiful apartment with the most amazing view. I have to get my wifi sorted (not really much fun being a blogger with no wifi) but other then that I am not (almost) a fully fledged adult. Job (check) Apartment (check) - now all I got to sort out is my car and hopefully a dog.. maybe in winter time.

Smaller highlights

• Crufts
• Cheltenham

What have your highlights been for the month of march. Please leave me a comment & share them below. I would love to celebrate with you!! 

Chat soon x

Previous Posts

Book Review || The Life-changing Magic of Tidying up by Marie Kondo

Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ February ~

Slaying it 2017 || Beginning my Minimalism Journey

Have you checked out my Beauty Blog!? - Beauty La Linda - MUA

Previous Posts

Rie or Die Makeup Products ~ February 2017 ~

Haul Time!! (Includes New Products from Essence)

Currently Loving Beauty ~ February 2017 ~

You can also connect with me here -

TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda

INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda

BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty & Lifestyle

SNAPCHAT - beautylalinda

Book Review || The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Hey Friends,

As today is wednesday I would usually have a #midweekmotivation for you guys but today I thought I would do something different. Today I thought I would share with you guys a book that has been extremely motivating for me in the past few months. That book is - The Life- Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.

This book has gained extreme popularity in the past year or so & for good reason. I decided to check this book out for myself in the new year on audible. I have to say I was kind of skeptical in the beginning but as I made my way through the book everything she was saying was starting to make a lot of sense!

I mentioned in my post about beginning my minimalism journey (If you missed it you can check it out here - Slaying it 2017 || Beginning my Minimalism Journey!) I spoke about how after moving back to my family home last november I felt like my life was just over-flowing with stuff!. I hadn't given anything away or thrown anything out, possibly ever!! (I mean obviously apart from rubbish or something that was actually broken) Over the years I had just been consuming, consuming, consuming yet somehow my life and home felt empty. I mean obviously not physically as I could bearly move for things but it was time to change.

It was around this time that I downloaded The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up by Marie Kondo. I had heard/read so many reviews & thought it just might be what I needed! I was indeed correct. Like I mentioned above, in the the beginning I was quite skeptical but as I listened on I really came to see what Marie Kondo was talking about.

This book talks alot about having a sense of pride & feeling of joy for your possessions, the things you keep in your life & surround yourself with. I realised this was one thing I was lacking in my life. Although I thought I keep my things in good condition I realised that it was impossible to truely take care of everything I owned when in all honesty I had forgotten about some of the things I owned.

I also had 3 wardrobes bursting full of clothes! Who needs this amount of clothes!? I decided to go through them all & in Kon Marie fashion discard any item that didn't bring me joy! I wouldn't say I have a small wardrobe now by any means & to be honest maybe I could go through it again.. I do suffer with a small little hoarder voice in my head. However I am making headway & thats the main thing.

She also talks about clutter impacting your life, how we use (I am included in this) tidying as a way of avoiding other issues in our life. She says that through the process of tidying we also have to, whether consciously or not, examine our lives, where we are & where we are headed. This was one of the things that in the beginning of the book I didn't truly understand or believe but its true. As we go through everything we own we see that everything is either a reflection of us & our personality or a reflection who we were & where we were in our lives at specific moment in time. I found this part fascinating if I'm honest. I always find psychology fascinating. If you think about it, if you are going through all your earthly possessions then you are going through your life through things. It's forcing you to remember & evaluate things & believe me that can be scary in itself but really it's no wonder that people truly find their passion after they clean up and go through everything they own, as Marie Kondo talks about in the book!!

So many things in this book stuck with me. I honestly felt like finally tidying was being explained to me in a way that was actually clicking with me!! I mean why keep things in your life that don't truely make you happy!? With a smaller collection of things that truely bring you joy, it means your life will bring you more joy & you will be able to (& want to) take better care of your things. Also your house will feel more light, airy, spacious & finally more personal. Your home will be your kingdom!

In this book Marie Kondo gives many case studies & also answers many questions or addresses many thoughts you or I would have during a tidy session. I found this not only helpful but interesting too!!

Would I recommend this book?

100% I found this book both interesting & helpful. I think even if you don't feel like all the information is for you, you would definitely get something out of it!! At the very least I think it would give you the motivation to get up & get your home in order!!

I am currently reading here second book Spark Joy at the moment (You will already know this if you follow me on Twitter, Links Below) I will have a review coming soon!! Stay tuned!!)

Have you read this book!? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!!

Chat soon x

Thank You For Reading

xox

Previous Posts-
Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ February ~
Slaying it 2017 || Beginning my Minimalism Journey
Slaying it 2017 || Here come the girls 

Have you checked out my Beauty Blog!? - BeautyLaLinda ~ MUA
Previous Posts-
Ride or Die Makeup ~ February 2017 ~
Haul Time!! (Includes New Products From Essence)
Currently Loving ~ February 2017 ~


You can also connect with me here -
TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda
INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda
BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty  &  Lifestyle
SNAPCHAT - beautylalinda

Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ February ~

Hey Friends,

Now I don't usually post a Lifestyle post on a Tuesday but as it is the last day of the month I thought why not!? I am happy to report this month, although again not one of the best or easiest months of my life it has a lot easier than January (If you missed that post, you can check it out here - Monthly Highlights 2017 ~ January ~) 

So here are my highlights for the month - 

Learning more about my family

Okay so what I'm about to talk about isn't exactly what I would call a highlight. Instead it was extremely difficult & something that I would not like to have to do again & wish didn't have to be done in the first place. As I mentioned in my post last month, on the 27th of January after a tough battle we lost my beloved grandmother. As I am writing this I can't believe its been a month. So as you can imagine the first couple of weeks of February entailed cleaning out my grandmothers home. This was a long and difficult process but during the process I learned so much about my family. I thought I knew my family so well but there was so much more I never realised. There were many times that I wished I could ask my nan things but unfortunately it was not possible.   

These past 6 weeks or so I have been so grateful for my family & it has really made me appreciate the people in my life!! I wouldn't really say it was a highlight parse but it is something that has been on the fore front of my mind. I have learned so much & realise now more than ever just how important family & loved ones are in our lives. 

Trip to Kerry

I decided I need to get out for a few days. I decided to go back to kerry & visit the people I missed while I was away. I had not seen some of them in 3 months! Like I said above if I have learn one thing already this year is to keep the people you love around you! I had such a good 3 days in Kerry. I got to see so many people I love and just relax for a while. Just enjoy the scenery & surroundings again for a while. Part of me can not wait to get back there in a couple of weeks, the other part of me is not mentally prepared to leave my home & family again! 

Dinner with Bestie

It had been so long since I had just been doing normal things like meeting friends for coffee, lunch, dinner, that I jumped at my friends offer to go out for dinner! It was such a good night, catching up! & the food was delicious! This was definitely a highlight this month!!

Trip to Dublin

Last weekend I also took a trip to Irelands capital city, Dublin city. I had tickets to see Russell Howard Live in Vicar Street. It was just brilliant!! I love him!! Honestly one of the best Gigs / Shows I have ever been to! I will definitely be going to another gig again the future! Well worth it!! Also it is one the things on my 30 before 30 list (You check it out here if you haven't read it already - 30 Things to do before I'm 30) The rest of the trip was great too! I stayed at one of my besties apartment. We chilled out, watched movies & reality TV, ate junk food & take-away & we also went to see the movie Sing. It was so good!! Highly recommend it if you are looking for a feel-good, funny, easy to watch movie!! Loved it!! 

Spark Joy

For the train journey home from Dublin I decided to pop into Eason's to see if they would have this book. I really wanted something for the two and half hour journey but I didn't want to just pick up anything. I've had my eye on this book ever since I "read" the first one on Audible around Christmas time, but it was never really in my budget & was very expensive anytime I spotted it. I couldn't find it available on Audible.  

This year I plan to become debt free therefore I cannot be spending money all the time & have to watch what I spend my money on, budgeting every purchase. I told myself that if they had this book for under €10 I would buy it. It seemed unlikely as everywhere I had seen it previously it had bee between €12 - €20.  

It was my lucky day!! €8.99! It was on sale!! So I picked it up and I'm about half way through it now. I will have reviews coming up on both books very soon!! 

So as you can see February was not so bad. Still tough but slowly, everyday it is getting easier & It will continue to get easier. I have my nan watching over me now & I know she will protect us & guide us! 

Let me know in the comments what your highlights have been this month as I would love to share your happiness & enjoyment!! 

Chat soon x 

Thank You for Reading

xox

Previous Posts -

Slaying it 2017 || Beginning my minimalism journey!

Slaying it 2017 || Here come the girls!

Slaying it 2017 || Midweek Motivation || Procrastination - The Enemy of Productivity

Have you checked out my Beauty Blog!? - Beauty La Linda ~ MUA

Previous Posts -

Haul Time!! (Includes new products from Essence!)

Currently Loving Beauty ~ February 2017

You can also connect with me here - 

TWITTER - @Beauty_La_Linda

INSTAGRAM - @beauty_la_linda

BLOGLOVIN' - Beauty  &  Lifestyle 

SNAPCHAT - beautylalinda