Post-uni Life Lessons

In honour of Father's Day, here's me and my dad (looking all smart!) at my graduation :) 

So it's been about a year since I left Bournemouth, and to say my life has dramatically changed has been an understatement. While i've seen plenty of my peers enjoy their post-uni freedom by going travelling and taking trips, i've settled into a full-time job and my own place with my other half. Although not envious at all, it's definitely made me reflect on this past year and the thing's i've learned, and some i'm still struggling to wrap my head around:

I've learnt...

That living in a student house isn't the same as living in your own place
Living in student accommodation has the advantage of having someone else taking care of your bills. Yes, you need to pay them, but no one has to deal with meter readings and all that rubbish. Now it's all down to you - from setting up the internet to making sure the direct debits come out on time. It's stressful at first, but when you get the hang of it, there's a sense of responsibility and confidence that's totally new. Is that sad? Quite possibly!

That being broke is just a way of life
When I was practically living in my overdraft I thought of having no money was part and parcel of being a student. It wasn't until I moved away I realised I wasn't exactly going to be swimming in cash after my first 'proper' paycheque. Accumulating savings is hard, and although my parents have been a great help, there comes a point when you can't simply run to mum and dad whenever you need a bit of extra cash. You're an adult now, jeez.

How to cook without using a packet mix
I never used to really bother about eating well during uni as I lived so close to home I would just head to my mums for a good meal when I fancied it. But since they now live 100 miles away, i've learned to make my own comfort food. I now know what foods to make when i'm feeling sad or sick, and i've started actually getting excited when Rob brings home a new kitchen appliance for me to play around with (fresh pasta maker? Yes please!).

How to appreciate the weekends
I actually get two days off in a row now! I never had the luxury of being able to go without a job during uni, so I didn't get to have hangover fry-up's on sunday's at Wetherspoons or go shopping with my friends on a Saturday. So now, I make every weekend count. Sometimes I need the two days to recharge my batteries, but I try to make use of my time by not sleeping in, going on day trips and visiting friends and family whenever I can.

How to make a Netflix series stretch for more than a week.
During the summer between second and third year of uni, I watched nine seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Nine. Oh, those were the days! I've now learned to ration my programmes to give myself something to look forward to when i've had a particularly stressful day at work. Deadlines are a lot less daunting when there's new Pretty Little Liars to look forward to when you get home!

That living with a boy is hard!
During the last two terms of uni, Rob and I were basically living at each other's houses, making me think that living with another person would be a breeze. But be warned: You will argue about the washing, paying the bills and not cleaning up after each other. You don't want to become a nag, but sadly, it's inevitable. But the good definitely outweighs the bad and I couldn't imagine it any differently now :)

How much you need family your family and friends
You lean on your family and friends more than you ever thought you would. When I was at uni, I was still close to my family but I could go a fair few days without making contact. Now, I try to speak to at least one of them every day, and i'm constantly making plans to visit. Living on your own is hard, but living 100 miles away from everyone is even harder. It's important to stay in contact with everybody and ensure that the effort is equal from both parties.

I still need to figure out...

How to separate washing properly
Colour catchers are my new best friends, but yet the thought of turning something pink still terrifies me. I have a red and blue top that's been sat at the bottom of my washing basket for the past 4 months - what do I wash it with?!?!

How to make a bed
There's nothing quite like having your mum make your bed for you. Why are my sheets so creased? Why do they keep pinging off of the mattress? Are my children destined to sleep in crappy, half-made beds as i'm not blessed with the bed-making gene? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

What I even want to do
I thought i'd have it all figured out by the time I graduated. However, I see so many people straying from the traditional path of 'uni, work, house, marriage children' and completely making up their own rules. At 23, i'm incredibly lucky to have the life that I have and for the opportunities that have arisen for me - but it scares me to think where my life could be another year on from now! I suppose it's okay not to have all of the answers, but it makes me nervous all the same.

How I Clean My Make-up Brushes

Cleaning make-up brushes is boring as hell. No one wants to spend their evenings scrubbing countless fluffy eyeshadow brushes, but unfortunately it's something that must be done if you love wearing a full face of make-up every day - so I thought i'd share how I clean mine!

There are two different combinations of products I use to clean my make-up brushes, each being really simple and using products that are cheap to buy. Instead of forking out the cash for a branded 'brush cleanser', I pay no more than a couple of pounds and the products really do last for ages! To be honest, I do have lots of make-up brushes with different bristles and i'm not entirely sure what sort of cleaner is recommended, but these seem to work just fine with my brushes :)

Option One: Johnson's Baby Shampoo

If it's good enough for a baby, it's good enough for me! I love this stuff because it's really inexpensive, comes in a squeezy tube and leaves my brushes feeling super soft and smelling amazing.

1. Wet brush with warm water and squeeze on a small amount of baby shampoo.

2. Massage the shampoo into the bristles - don't be scared of losing the shape or getting a bit rough with it!

3. Rinse with warm water until the water runs clear (You may have to repeat the second step for foundation brushes or any dense brush that picks up a lot of product.)

4. Dry off the excess on a clean towel, reshape if needed and place on another towel on a flat surface. I like to have my brushes hanging off the edge of something or facing slightly downward so that the water runs off and doesn't loosen the glue that secures the bristles.

Option Two: Washing Up Liquid and Olive Oil

I love this combination as it contains everyday things you'd find in the kitchen. The olive oil helps break down the make-up and softens the bristles whilst the washing up liquid gives them a good old clean!

1. Combine two parts washing up liquid and one part olive oil into a small bowl.

2. Swirl each brush into the mixture until it's completely covered.

3. Massage into the bristles and rinse with warm water until clear.

4. Exactly the same as option one - dry off the excess on a clean towel, reshape and place on a another towel.

Leave to dry for 24 hours and there you have it! Lovely, clean brushes. If you can, (as I know we're all busy!) try to do this once a week to keep your brushes bacteria-free and in the best possible condition.

What do you guys use to clean your make-up brushes? :)

Making a Change

I feel like i've been walking around with my eyes closed for 23 years. I've spent ridiculous amounts of time and energy fretting about my weight and my health without acknowledging the fact that I literally have no idea what i'm putting into my body. It came to me after i'd been using MyFitnessPal for 3 months, eating 1300 calories a day and beginning to get a bit bored with having to measure everything down to the last gram. One day I saw I had 60 calories left over and went to reach for a banana, when I realised how many calories it contained and went for a Weight Watchers digestive biscuit instead. It was then I realised - how ridiculous is it that I would choose a processed concoction of chemicals and sugar instead of a piece of fresh fruit?! I was starving my body without even realising it. I knew then I needed to change what I consider to be the healthier option.

I did some reading, followed some blogs, subscribed to some YouTube channels, watched some documentaries and started paying attention. I've now opened the floodgates to this some-what terrifying world of healthy eating and now I know too much to close them. My attitudes towards food have completely changed. I'm fretting a lot less at how my body looks and more about how I feel. The idea of eating a McDonalds or KFC repulses me (although walking past it I can't beat the fact that it smells delicious!) and I now know if I work on taking care of my body instead of repriving it of the nutrition it really needs, the results will come. So today I thought i'd share with you the kind of 'rules' i'm trying to live by. I'm definitely not an expert and i'm not saying there won't be a ton of slip-ups, but the more I try the easier it will be:

Measure in goodness

This is the thing i've found the hardest to do.

Calories are the most confusing and misleading things ever. They don't take into account the good or the bad ingredients that make up what we eat - in my opinion, a calorie is just an irritating number. An avocado has round about the same amount of calories as a bag of Malteasers, but which one do you think is better for you? It's a no-brainer. I keep telling myself to measure in goodness instead of calories and that if I want to eat pure almond butter straight from the jar then it's not going to kill me. We've all been programmed into thinking that we must 'eat less, move more' when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle, and although I agree with getting lots of exercise, it's definitely more about providing your body with the nutrients it needs instead of ensuring you don't exceed a silly number. 

If you don't understand it, don't buy it! 

Next time you're in the supermarket, grab your nearest 'fat-free' item and take a look at the ingredients. I guarantee they'll be a few things you can't pronounce, let alone understand. This does involve some reading to understand what certain ingredients are used for, but i've come to the conclusion that if something is made with a ton of chemicals I don't understand, then I have no business putting it in my body. On the other hand, if it grows in a garden, i'm gonna eat it.

Shop locally

I really enjoy knowing where my food has come from. I love knowing that i'm contributing to the local economy and that i'm eating something that was in the ground just a few miles away from me. It's far less likely to be processed, meaning it contains lots of lovely nutrients.  Obviously when things are out of season this is different, alongside sometimes it's difficult to find time to shop in multiple places, but this is something i'm looking to do a lot more. It's also often much cheaper to shop locally than in the supermarket, meaning you can really load up on veggies without denting your bank account.

Love your freezer

The freezer has to be one of the best inventions ever made. Seriously. It just saves me so much time and money! One of my favourite things to do when cooking is to double up on the ingredients, portion it out and stick it in the fridge or freezer for future meals. I love knowing I have another portion to look forward to for tomorrow's lunch if the meal was extra tasty and means that I am less likely to end up at the supermarket grabbing a pre-packed sandwich or pasta pot. It also means you can stock up on frozen vegetables when you can't get to the supermarket - most are picked and frozen within the first 24 hours so most of the nutrients are still there. 

Prep, prep, prep!

I think the greatest thing about processed food is that it's so convenient. It has a crazy-long shelf life, meaning it can just sit out waiting for you whenever you're hungry. So really, cooking things from scratch does feel like a bit of an effort at times. This is why I like to set aside a weekend afternoon (or weekday evening if i'm away or busy) to prep things for the week. Last weekend, for instance, I made a big batch of vegetable stock that I then split into freezer bags to keep for whenever i'm cooking, as well as a container of granola for the week ahead. I also made a tray of sweet potato brownies for whenever i'm feeling peckish. I actually did such a good job of prepping last weekend i'm set for the next few days! I find if I put something on Netflix in the background and just get on with it, you stop paying attention to how long it takes you and it's hugely satisfying to know you have lots of goodies to show for your hard work.

Be brave

I think one of the biggest steps is accepting that the way you look at food is going to change. The foods that I used to comfort myself are now my worst enemy. It's also about accepting the fact that's it going to be a bit more of an effort to get to where you want to be. Re-educating yourself about food is scary, but it can also be really enjoyable. I've recently discovered medjool dates - which are absolutely beautiful. They look gross, but my god are they sweet. I'm now hoping they will curb my sugar cravings, but only time will tell. On the flipside, don't force yourself to like something just because it's good for you. I tried a dairy-free almond shake from Pret the other day which was supposed to be really amazing, but I hated it (Far too sharp and waaay too much banana!). Find what works for you. I'm not a massive fan of celery and tomatoes, so I just choose something else instead. But at least give it a try!

I still crave pizza massively, and to be honest, I can't promise i'll never have a Domino's again in my lifetime. When I see my friends and they want to go to a restaurant that isn't super-healthy, i'm not saying I won't go. But I think making even the smallest change is a massive leap in the right direction. You hear so many people say "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change" and they are totally right - a diet is inevitably temporary and this certainly is not.

I'm always seeking new recipes to try or any information that will help guide me in the right direction so any help will be greatly appreciated :)