BLOLIDAYS #6 – STATIONERY HAUL

IT’S THE LAST BLOLIDAYS POST OF THE YEAR! Hopefully you’ve been enjoying this series, since writing it has been so much fun.

This week’s post will be a look at what I bought on Thursday in preparation for the new school year! I decided not to get a few things, since some things like my pencil case and maths set were still in tact from last year. Saving money, why not?

School Bag

I found this in wilkos, and it’s a lot less vibrant than last year’s fluorescent pink Under Armour backpack. The red leather kind of reminded me of Emma Swan’s red leather jacket in Once Upon A Time! And this was £12, reduced from £15.

Bic Pens

I usually just get the normal ball point pens, but they only had those in blue or the packs with red, green, blue and black. So I opted for these, which are very similar, but have a grip, and clear lids. Can’t go to school without pens!

Staedtler Pencils

I definitely bought these last year, and probably several times before. Staedtler are probably most of what people are buying for pencils, because they seem to be so much better quality than other pencils!

Shatterproof Ruler

I picked up the pink one, probably because it was on top of the pile (lazy, I know). I don’t usually go for full length rulers, but the folding ones always snap for me (I’ve never managed to keep one) so I ended up getting this! 😀

Highlighters

These are the same as the highlighters I bought last year, but I loved having a wide range of colours to chose from (especially in poetry analysis for English literature) so I got them again!

Filing Folder

Last year, I bought a blue one of these and it’s currently behind me, bulging with exam papers, revision notes, reports and so much other random stuff I’ve stuffed in there (seriously, I think my electric toothbrush instructions are in there). Since it was such a life saver, I decided to get another one for this year!

Butterfly Project Book

I love using notebooks for copying out notes from my school books, so the stuff I need to revise is all in one place. I’m never really a massive fan of online revision or flashcards, so revising in a notebook is definitely the way to go for me!  Not to mention, it has the little tabs on the side so you can separate the subjects!

I don’t know what to call these?

I had two of these from last year (my sister had the other two) and it ended up not quite enough space for all my school books, so I picked up another set! 😀

And that’s most of what I bought this year!

Thanks again for reading and responding to this series, it’s been a lot of fun, and I guess we’ll see blolidays next year! 🙂

–Awkwardsaurus

BLOLIDAYS #5 – Summer Skincare Routinne

Can you believe next week will be the last week of these blolidays posts?

This week, I thought I’d share how I’ve been looking after my skin (trying to) during the summer. I’ll take you through some of the products I use on a daily basis, and some of the others that are more for specific days! Before we get into it, I’ll mention that my skin type confuses me a good bit, but I think it’s a combination of dry and oily. I tend to get quite oily on my forehead (hence the acne up there), and sometimes my nose, but I also get flaky skin around my nose too.

SO!

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Daily Wash

I bought this in a Clean & Clear kit a few months ago, and it’s very quickly become one of my staples. It claims to give softer skin from day 1, cleans skin and unblocks pores with gentle micro-beads. The beads are actually my favourite thing about this face wash, because they’re so good at removing dead skin, that could otherwise clog your pores. To use this, I usually start by putting my face in a sink of warm water, to open pores, using the wash all over my face, and then rinsing the suds off in the sink (this is really important, because you’ll need to make sure you get the beads off your face).

Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturiser

This is the second product in my kit, and I’ve been loving it just as much. On the front, it says that it moisturises and helps prevent spots and blemishes. There’s something called salycilic acid in this one, which I may have mentioned on my blog before, but it’s essentially an acid (bet you didn’t guess that) that dissolves the grime and skin debris that would usually cause acne. While I do still break out fairly often, I’ve definitely noticed that my skin has been doing a lot better! And it’s oil free, so in the hot summer months it won’t just be adding oils to the sweat on your face already, as a lot of moisturisers do!

Aloe Vera Gel

As you’ll probably know aloe vera is soothing and moisturising, which makes it super ideal for if your skin is recovering from a pretty bad breakout. I’ve just been using an aftersun gel, and it seems to bring down redness while also healing scarring a little quicker than it would without. 🙂

Salycilic Acid Spot Treatment Gel

As I mentioned above, salycilic acid is so good for treating acne, but sometimes a little bit in a moisturiser doesn’t cut it. So, I have a spot treatment gel, in a little tube. You can use it in more specific areas, like directly onto a spot, and if you keep re-applying it throughout the day, it seems to go down pretty quickly. I CAN’T FIND MINE AT THE MOMENT THOUGH!!!

Very Little/ No Makeup

With school not in session, I’ve had no reason to really wear makeup over the last five weeks, unless I’m going out with friends (it’s literally happened 3 times), so I haven’t been wearing makeup. Especially in the summer, it’s quite important to make sure you’re not clogging your face up with heavy makeup. If you do, though, make sure you wash it off before bed! Which brings me onto my next product…

Clean & Clear Deep Action Facial Wipes

This one says that it cleans deep down to prevent spots. It’s the third and final tool in my Clean & Clear kit, and I usually use it to take of the makeup I’ve been wearing in the day, so I haven’t used it too much recently.

And that’s most of what I’ve been doing for my skin this summer! What about you?

–Awkwardsaurus

P.S. I’m sorry this post is up a day late; my Wi-Fi was being hella annoying yesterday! 

BLOLIDAYS #4 – 44 Shaving Things

It’s been a damn while since I last did one of these posts (if you’re relatively new, I sometimes do posts where I’ll list 44 things to do with a certain topic), and with it being summer, more people will be shaving than in winter, I’m assuming? Unlike me, who literally never leaves the house anyway, and wears jeans 24/7. It’s all good, though, I live in the UK so it’s never that warm anyways. 🙂

HOWEVER, with being a fifteen-year-old girl, who has to do PE in a short skort (hybrid skirt and shorts?) I’ve come up with a LOT of things that either happen or go through my head while shaving. Let’s get into it, shall we?

1. Wondering which razor is the newest out of your many ongoing razors – does that one even work anymore?
2. Thinking “screw it”, and taking several razors to see which one works the best once you’re in the shower
3. Shaving cream? Hah, I’ve literally never owned any in my life. I usually end up using shower gel suds and bubbles
4. The art of choosing a speed to shave that actually works
5. Shaving too quickly and not taking off a single hairs
6. Shaving too slowly and also not taking off a single hair while slowly sending you into insanity
7. The little strip thing (still zero clue what it actually is) slowly disappearing
8. REMEMBER TO GET BEHIND THE KNEE
9. ANKLES ANKLES ANKLES
10. Literally, ankles are the most problematic areas to shave, and I always end up managing to nick my skin there
11. Damn near yoga poses trying to reach all the areas whilst keeping your balance on wet feet and slippery surfaces
12. The ridiculous, stinging pain of the tiniest cut somewhere but you can’t seem to find it anywhere – it’s literally like finding a needle in a haystack
13. Or the cuts that never stop bleeding???
14. I didn’t know I had this much blood????
15. Oh, you’re still gushing?? I’mma name you Niagara Falls!
16. POWER THROUGH I AM A STRONG WARRIOR
17. Only shaving the parts of your leg people will actually see 😉 😉
18. What will actually motivate me to shave when I don’t have to wear a P.E. kit anymore??
19. INGROWN HAIRS, I HAVE A LOT OF NASTY WORDS FOR YOU (I will refrain from using them here)
20. When it’s been five million years since you last shaved and you look like Chewbacca’s long lost cousin
21. And then actually getting rid of it is so difficult and takes SO LONG
22. Putting on soft pj pants with hairless legs ❤
23. FEEL MY LEGS GALS
24. Feeling like a dolphin when you’re finally finished
25. I am so streamlined I could swim faster than Phelps
26. Lies – I definitely couldn’t I’d be like a sunken potato
27. When you shaved reaaallllly well, and your friend also did – Rachel and I have actually stroked each other’s smooth legs before
28. Advertisements for razors shaving the smoothest freaking legs I’ve ever seen?? uMM???
29. Having to turn your head and strain your eyes at horribly uncomfortable angles purely so you can see your own armpits
30. Lord knows I’m not shaving there without seeing it – I’d probably die
31. What if I’m shaving for nothing? What if we don’t have P.E. tomorrow?
32. One more leg to go
33. WHOAAAHHHHH WE’RE HALF WAY THERE
34. WHOAAAHHHHHHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER
35. Swiping hands up and down freshly shaved legs as fast as possible, sending water flying all over the place like you’re in some sort of
36. – honestly I don’t know what sort of anything  would involve that so I’m not even going to try
37. The calm before the storm
38. Aka the few hours before the razor bumps show up
39. I AM A QUEEN
40. Feeling like a princess walking around with your super smooth legs
41. And then realising you missed a stripe on your shin
42. DAMMIT
43. Nobody will see it, right?
44. Last but not least, this meme:

–Awkwardsaurus

BLOLIDAYS #3 – SUMMER HAUL

Who doesn’t love a good shopping spree? Well, besides my purse, I think most people would agree that splurging is so therapeutic, even if it only moves my worries from school life and friendship dramas to the sudden drop in my savings. 😉

A couple of weeks ago, I had a rather daring day out and managed to fill a huge Primark bag with both Primark things, and a few bits and bobs from elsewhere (that’s a lie, it was a lot of bits and bobs…).I think we should get into it!

First stop: Primark!

Turquoise Summer Print Tie Top – £6.00 (UK Size 4)

 

High-Waisted Blue Jeans – £9.00 (UK Size 6)

 

 

Cropped Purple Hoodie – £7.00 (UK Size 4)

Button-up Denim Shirt – £8.00 (UK Size 4)

California Print T-Shirt – £2.50 (UK Size 6)

Onto Boots!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – £4.19 (Shade: Fair 1)

Collection Speedy Highlighter – £3.99 (Pearl Sheen)

Barry M Feature Length Mascara – £4.99

Barry M Mist & Fix Setting Spray – £4.99 (Matte)

Barry M Matte Me Up Lip Kit – £6.99 (Shade: Blowout)

And that’s what happened when I took to town! To save boring anyone, I took out a few oddball things like grey t-shirts (gotta have some, am I right?), socks and razors, etc/.

What are your favourites?

–Awkwardsaurus

 

 

 

 

BLOLIDAYS #2 – 7 Summer Activities

Hello and welcome to the second Blolidays post of the series! We’re two weeks into the holidays now, and about to start the third week. If you’ve got to the point where you and your friends want to meet up, but have zero clue what to do, then this post should help! I’ll put together some of the ideas my friends and I have for days out (or in) and hopefully you’ll take some inspiration!

Theme Parks

While it does involve spending money, riding rollercoasters is such a fun way to hang out with friends! One of my favourites is Blackpool Pleasure Beach, but Alton Towers comes at a close second! It’s important to consider when you’re going; you wouldn’t want to go when it’s raining (the rides might be closed) but on super hot days, the queues are ridiculously long! Settle for a happy medium!

Country Park Walks

For a free outing, you could take your friends out to the countryside. It could be a woods, or a park near where you live. Dogs are a lot of fun to bring along, and if any of your friends are aspiring photographers, it’s a great opportunity to snap some shots of the natural world! And there’s no money involved – Bonus!

Stationery Shopping

Maybe the new school year is the last thing you want to be thinking about in your time off, and if so, this one probably isn’t for you. For any of my fellow dorky friends who love having new notepads, stacks of sticky notes, freshly sharpened pencils, and rulers that are still in good shape, this one is for you! Take a trip out into town and stock up on everything you need for the 2017/2018 school year!

Movie and Takeaway Day

Who doesn’t love a good movie? I know my friends will definitely be heading over to Regina’s house at some point and using Netflix probably all day… We might even order a sneaky Domino’s takeaway – the chocolate brownies are to die for.

Cards Against Humanity

If you’ve never played Cards Against Humanity, or heard of it – let me enlighten you. In a nutshell, you have white cards and black cards: the black cards have either a question or a sentence with blank spaces, and the white cards have the answers. Each player is given ten white cards, and has to fill in the blanks on a black card, with their own white cards. Some of them get super offensive, dirty, rude and just in general, ridiculously funny. It’s bound to leave you in heaps of giggles, and is a great way to pass a rainy day!

Baking

Any cookery prodigies in your friendship group? You could head over to their house with a few others (the more the merrier) and have a day of baking cakes, pies, muffins, and whatever else your stomach is grumbling for. Feast!

Go to the Beach

It’s summer! When the weather gets hotter and the sun makes an appearance, grab your towels and head down to the seaside! Grab an ice-cream or a cone of fish and chips and press play on your beach vibes playlist, or splash around in the water if you’re feeling adventurous!

And those are some of the things I plan to do this holidays! Let me know what you and your friends will be getting up to! 😀

–Awkwardsaurus

 

BLOLIDAYS #1 – Summer 2017 Playlist

HELLO AND WELCOME TO MY ANNUAL SERIES – BLOLIDAYS.

Every week (although I’ve missed two Saturdays so this is me making up for that) in the 6 week school holidays, I’ll have a summery post, flying into the world wide web, for you all to read! Summer used to be one of my least favourite seasons, because I don’t really enjoy the feeling of sweating my entire face of makeup off, and probably the skin underneath, leaving me sitting in a pool of wet clothes and a messy face. However, since then, I’ve grown to love it! But what’s a great season with great outings without an even greater playlist?

I present to you…

AWKWARDSAURUS SUMMER 2017 PLAYLIST:

1. Down – Fifth Harmony (are you surprised I kicked it off with my favourite ladies on the planet? I’m not!)

2. Crying in the Club – Camila Cabello (also one of my favourite ladies who is killing it at the moment!)

3. Most Girls – Hailee Steinfeld

4. Anything’s Possible – Lea Michele

5. LA Devotee – Panic! At The Disco

6. The Life – Fifth Harmony

7. Unforgettable – French Montana ft. Swae Lee

8. Five Colours In Her Hair – McFly

9. Homeland – Chord Overstreet

10. Legends – Kelsea Ballerini

11. Your Song – Rita Ora

12. Back To Me – Marian Hill & Lauren Jauregui

13. Cake By The Ocean – DNCE (yes, I still love this song)

14. Everybody Talks – Glee Cast

15. Hard Times – Paramore

16. Know No Better – Major Lazer, Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, Quavo (obsessed)

17. California – Jack & Jack

18. Rose-Coloured Boy – Paramore

19. Heavy Love – Lea Michele

20. Despacito – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee

21. Controlla – Drake

22. She’s On My Mind – JP Cooper

23. Cool Side Of The Pillow – Kyle Dion

24. Unwind – Healy

25. Starships – Nicki Minaj (could I resist? No, I couldn’t)

And those are some of my favourites this summer! What have you been jamming out to? And what are your favourite beach day songs?

See you next time! 😀

–Awkwardsaurus

 

 

 

 

BLOLIDAYS | Stationery Haul

Hi,

I’m Just Average Teen Me. I know, this post is a whole week late, but I hadn’t actually been shopping for school stuff until about Tuesday, and by the time I got around to actually writing this post it was Thursday, and there was school on Friday, and basically I just thought I’ keep it as a Saturday thing. Obviously because of being back at school, I have to finish the Blolidays posts here. I’ve had such a fun time writing them all, so I hope you got just as much enjoyment out of reading them! 😀

Before we start, everything (unless I’ve said otherwise) is from b&m. I’m not sure if they’re anywhere other than the UK, but they sell good stuff for a lot cheaper than other shops! Also, being the terribly forgetful person I am, I took all the labels off without thinking about how useful they would be when writing this post… So, if there isn’t a price or a link on something, that’s why…

Anyway, let’s get into it.

Bic Ball Point Pens – Black

As I do every year, I pick up some blue and black pens. But last year, I bought a box of 50 Papermate blue pens, so I won’t be needing any more of them! Bic pens are always a staple (no pun intended) when it comes to school equipment, so I just had to get some again this year.

 

Staedtler Pencils

I think most people would know, that Staedtler have some of the most high quality pencils you’ll find in an ordinary shop like B&M, despite the ridiculously difficult name to spell – and pronounce for that matter. I picked up a pack of five, and I’m hoping they last through the whole year!

8 Pack of Erasers

Usually, by the end of the year I’ll have no rubbers/erasers left at all (I don’t even have a clue where they go… People just seem to inherit them), so any work I have to do in pencil must be perfectly done, because there’s no fixing it. This year, though, I thought buying more might hep with that! So, here’s to a year of keeping my stuff!

Helix Maths Set 

Anyone who’s done maths in my school (and probably a few others) would know that 90% of the protractors are scratched, the compasses are way too swingy and basically any of the equipment isn’t as easy to use as it could be. That’s why this year I got my own. It comes in a little plastic case, which I’m planning to keep it all in, so that I can keep it separate from my normal pens and pencils etc. In the case, there’s a protractor (180 degree), two of the triangle things I haven’t actually used before other than when I’ve lost my ruler, a 15cm ruler, a compass, a sharpener, a tiny pencil, and a little rubber. It was only £1, which is amazing for that much stuff, as well as it being an actual brand!

List Book

This is one of my favourite things from the whole haul, and I’m not even completely sure what I’ll be using it for. It’s a really bright and colourful A5 hardback book thing, and inside it has a bunch of Sticky Notes. The inside is filled with sticky notes of all different colours and sizes, depending on what you’ll be needing it for. I’m sure I’ll find something to do with it, but I can’t wait until I do!

6 Pack of Highlighters

Everyone in education will know that highlighters not only make things look nice, but they’re definitely a boost in revision and remembering things for a test! In B&M, there were a bunch of different brands, for relatively cheap prices, but then I came across some B&M branded ones for 99p. They have six colours (yellow, green, orange, pink, blue and purple) which is actually more than some of the other packs, and for cheaper! They’re still great quality too, which is obviously a bonus!

Silicone Pencil Case 

Last year, my bag wasn’t very waterproof, probably because it kind of fell apart, but I’ll get onto that later. That meant that on more than one occasion, everything in my bag was wet, even my pencil case, which wasn’t waterproof either. This year, though, I think it is, so it should be good? It’s a bright green colour with a pink zip and it’s a pretty good size for everyday school stationery and stuff. 😀

A4 Project Book 

There’s no doubt that when exam season comes around, I’ll want to have a notepad to revise in, so I picked up this one with the little tabs on the inside, so I can separate each section for each subject that I’ll need to revise on paper for.

 

 

Under Armour Backpack 

This one is from Sports Direct. As I said earlier, last year’s bag (Hot Tuna brand, I know, odd name) was quite terrible. It was falling apart on the inside, wasn’t waterproof at all, and had a gaping hole in the bottom corner after not even a year. This bag, I’m hoping, will last a little better than that one did. On the link, it’s in grey and black, but in the shop I went to, it was pink and grey like in the picture on the right…

I’m starting to realise how long this post is getting, and I have no clue what to do about it… I’ll just list some of the smaller things I got…

6 Whiteboard Markers

30cm Folding Ruler

3 Pack Pritt Glue Sticks

I think that’s everything? Even if it isn’t, that’s still more than enough! This post is way too long already! 😀

BYE! 😀

–Just Average Teen Me

 

BLOLIDAYS | Back to School To-Do List

Hi,

I’m Just Average Teen Me. As you’ve probably already noticed, it’s Saturday, which means there’s a new Blolidays post! There’s only two weeks left before I go back to school, so next week will be the last one. 😦

Back to today, though. Since I have done pretty much zero preparation for the next school year, I thought it might be useful to list some of the things that I have to get done. Think of it as a to-do list! 😀

Buy school supplies

This an obvious one, but I still haven’t done it. At one point, we (my mum and my siblings) will probably go out to Tesco or Asda at some point. I could probably do a whole post on just what I need to get in that area, but I plan on doing a haul once I’ve done it all anyway.

Clear off my desk

You may have realised, this was in my Summer Bucket List post, and yes, I did it at the start of the holidays. However, my desk has become trashed again. Not as bad as it was earlier, but just quite cluttered, and if I plan on filling it with school supplies and books, which I do, I’ll have to make some room.

Get some new trousers

At my high school, we have the choice of wearing a skirt or trousers. If you knew me, you’d know that I hate skirts and dresses and I do not feel comfortable in them at all, so I wear the trousers. That does mean that shrinking in the washing is a lot more noticeable, so I have to buy new ones about twice a year. Mine definitely need replacing… 😀

Order a new guitar book

If you didn’t already know, I passed my guitar exam in late June, so I’ll be starting on Grade 6 this year. I can’t start without a book for it, so that’s something that needs doing!

Get some new concealer

We aren’t actually supposed to wear makeup at school, but I hardly know anyone that doesn’t. For the last 6 ish months, I’ve been using the Collection Lasting Perfection, which has worked awesomely, but I was wondering if there are any others you guys love (I found that one got a little cakey and drying at the end of warm days)? Preferably under £8, good for covering redness and comes in pale shades. Have any of you tried the Bourgois Radiance Reveal one?

That’s everything I have left to do (I think)! What’s left for you? And when do you go back to school? I’m back on September 2nd 😀

BYE! 😀

–Just Average Teen Me

BLOLIDAYS | Favourite Summer Foods

Hi,

I’m Just Average Teen Me. Welcome back to Blolidays! It’s the fourth week already! Only three more Blolidays posts after this! Hopefully, you’ve been enjoying this series. 😀

Today I thought it would be interesting to share some of my favourite Summer vibe foods! Who doesn’t love food?

1. Yogurt (literally any kind)
2. Smoothies (especially berry ones)
3. Barbeques because why the heck not
4. Magnums ❤
5. Ice lollies (my favourites are tropical and citrus ones)
6. Onion ring crisps
7. Pineapples
8. Buttery corn on the cob
9. Ice cream (duh)
10. Anything mango flavour (or literal mangoes. Just went on Google to check the plural of mango. For some reason there’s an ‘e’ in there.)
11. Strawberry Shortcake – obviously with whipped cream!
12. Berries in general
13. Pancakes – all year round!

That’s everything I could think of! I know this post is super short compared to others, but hopefully we can have a discussion in the comments!

BYE! 😀

–Just Average Teen Me

 

BLOLIDAYS #3 | Summer Expectations VS Reality

Hi,

I’m Just Average Teen Me. Welcome to week 3 of of Blolidays! Can you believe we’re already at week three? Well, technically I’m not at week three as I write this, because it’s actually the day before I’ll post week two, which should be up as you’re reading this.

SO, I just sneezed about five million times, so my nose feels like a balloon.

For this week’s Blolidays post, I thought it would be fun to do some Summer Expectations VS Reality stuff. You guys seemed to like my Revision one of  those, so I’m hoping you’ll like this one too!

Sleep Schedules

Expectation: I’ll have a fan in my room so I don’t die, and I’ll get plenty of sleep every night.

Reality: Sudden heat wave crashes into the UK. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? IS THIS A FREAKING INCUBATOR? And then the brother screams the Star Wars theme song at stupid o’clock in the morning. -.-

Meeting Friends

Expectation: We’ll meet up every now and then so we don’t forget that we all exist, right?

Reality: Mum actually tells me to get out of the house and do something because all I do is sit in my bedroom all day…..

Staying Fit 

Expectation: P.E lessons aren’t here anymore, so I have to make sure I don’t become a potato!

Reality: You expect me to exercise in this heat? HAH, NO THANKS!

Eating Healthy

Expectation: We bought a death machine! Aka a blender, and I’ll live off smoothies and be really healthy! They’ll be so tasty too!

Reality: Well this is disgusting. Let’s not try to do that again. I’ll stick with toast.

Wearing Nice Clothes

Expectation: Prancing around in holiday/beach-wear 24/7 and looking like an angel

Reality: Hold up, I don’t actually own any summery clothes… Looks like I’ll be in a hoodie and jeans then!

Shaving

Expectation: My legs are going to be so beautiful they’ll kill people

Reality: I’m a bear, I’m a bear, with brown fuzzy hair

And that’s everything for this post! I hope you enjoyed it, and I’ll see you next Saturday with another Blolidays post!

BYE! 😀

–Just Average Teen Me