Best and Worst Memory

Best and Worst Memory

I was inspired by a friend of mine to write this as my second article here on my blog :)

Now choosing a best and worst memory for me was an extremely difficult process! Mainly because there are two many good memories that are worth a mention. And, if you didn't know, I am literally the most clumsy, awkward person you could ever meet in all of time. I'm not even joking. 

So, after much consideration, I have narrowed it down to my top best and worst memory. So, are you sitting comfortably? Then, let's begin.

(And if you have any silly stories to tell please do leave them in the comments, I could do with a laugh right now!)

My Best Memory

Okay, so I don't actually remember this one very well, because this happened to me when I was only four years old, but still, it's something that has stuck with me for a very long time. 

Revisiting Shanklin in 2014

I visited the Isle of Wight when I was four years old with my parents, sister and grandma. I don't remember anything else of the trip, just this single memory. We went to Shanklin Chine one evening. And let me tell you now, it was stunning. If you don't know what Shanklin Chine is, then I'll explain. It's like a forest, but not any ordinary forest, like from a fairy-tale kind of forest. It's honestly beautiful. There's waterfalls, views of the sea, and a little cafe which holds a few haunted stories. 

The one thing I like most about Shanklin Chine is the fairies. And if you don't believe in fairies, then I recommend you visit Shanklin because they are real, okay? Okay. 

Anyway, my sister was crying because she is in a wheelchair (Yes, she is disabled) and couldn't go down the steep paths of Shanklin, so had to stay by the entrance. Suddenly, a little light appeared and landed on the end of her nose. A fairy. It was actually magical. 

I'll never forget this night, the scenery, the stars, the fairies. The                                                             tranquility of it. It was beautiful. 

The photo above was me in Shanklin Chine this past summer, when we revisited. It was just as amazing the second time. And, we managed to catch a fairy in this photo. Brilliant! 

Worst Memory

So this memory is obviously not going to be as peachy as the one above, but still, this is my worst memory after all. 

Don't get me wrong, I love animals. I mean, who doesn't? But after this, I was no so sure I wanted a pet cat anymore.

About two years ago now I had 2 lovely pet mice; Emma and Lily. I also had 2 lovely pet cats: Chloe and Timmy.

Not such a good combination, really.

One day I had both the cats and mice in my room at the same time (okay, so by now you probably know where this story is heading).  I decided that I would quickly nip to the bathroom to get a glass of water.

I know and I knew I shouldn't have left them alone, but I was only going to be gone for a maximum of ten seconds. Ten seconds was unfortunately too long.

When I returned one of my cats had managed to get into the mouse cage and had Emma dangling limp in her mouth, I screamed. I screamed so loud I'm sure you could have heard me all the way over in Australia (yes, hello Izzy :) ) 

Thankfully, I managed to rescue poor little Emma from the depths of my cats shark-like teeth. However, it was not quite enough for after two days she passed away from the shock.

I'm not so sure about having pet cats AND pet mice anymore.

Anyway, if you have any silly stories, do comment them down below, I think I need a cheer up after writing that.

Next post will be more beauty themed, so please do subscribe if you're interested :)

Love always,

Holza 

xoxo

Dealing With Exam Stress

Dealing With Exam Stress

So this may seem like a boring first blog post but it's something that has been on my mind a lot lately. (Plus my camera isn't working so I had to publish something that I didn't need pictures for).

As a perfectionist and an anxiety-sufferer exams are something that could have come straight out of hell for me. Especially ones that go on for months like they are this year (uh, hello GCSEs.) The crippling nerves before, during and for the month after whilst I wait in agony for results.

Am I the only one who gets like this at exam period? A wreck of nerves? I'm sure other teens out there feel the same.

But don't you worry! I have compiled a list of ways to stay relaxed during an exam period. This is your go-to guide for staying calm when your world is crumbling.

1) Regular face masks

During exam period I know that the last thing you want to be doing is wasting 15 minutes with some cream on your face, when you should be revising. But this has soooo many benefits. Believe me now, it's worth it. I pick up a couple in Boots whenever I can. Personally, I like the Mud Pac 'anti-stress'. I use these with cucumber cooling eye pads which you can find in just about any store that sells beauty (cough boots or superdrug cough).

2) Liquid Melts to relieve anxiety

If you are able to purchase these I recommend doing so, especially if you also suffer from the pains of anxiety like me. I use the Rescue Liquid Melts by Bach when I have anxiety attacks and they help to calm my nerves right down. You can also take these just before exams for the same effect. You just pop them on your tongue and let them dissolve away all your worries. Highly recommended.

3) Lavender Oil

This is one which I feel like has various uses, all of which help to relieve stress. Personally, I just sprinkle a couple of drops on my pillow the night before the exam which helps me to sleep well. Before using this I would get about one hour sleep the night before exams, but now I can sleep straight through the night so this is something I definitely recommend purchasing from your local pharmacy. However, if that is not your thing, you can also massage this into your shoulders, neck and back or add it to your bath for the same relaxing effects.

4) Meditation

Okay so I feel like everyone should do this regularly whether stressed or not as it is a holy grail of mine and I meditate for roughly 15 minutes per day. If you just do a quick search on YouTube for meditation exercises you'll find a number of walkthroughs, These are what I use :) Once you feel happy enough, you can start making up your own sessions and perform then in the middle of an exam just for a few minutes to relax yourself.

5) Breathing exercises

This won't work for everybody, but for some it will work wonders. This is great for in the midst of the exam and you have precious seconds to spare as this is something you can do whilst you fill in the answers to the test. Just breathe deeply in and imagine your lungs in your head filling up with the tense, stressed air. Then breathe slowly out, imagining in your head all that stress leaving your body. Then, breathe in deeply again and picture cool, calm air entering and filling your body with calmness. You can perform this as often as you like. I like to picture the tense air as red, and the relaxed air as blue. 

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps some of you out with your exams this year. And Good Luck to those of you with exams in the near future!

If you want me to speak more about my experiences with anxiety, please comment so as I would be happy to share more about my mental health and how I cope :) 

Next week I will post more about beauty (I have some great things planned so do subscribe <3)

Love always,
Holza 
xoxo