Amy Beatrice: February 2016

Challenging myself

Since coming to university in September I have become much more confident in myself and my abilities. This new-found confidence has allowed me to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone more and more times. And I've found that with each 'step' I take, this zone gets bigger and bigger.

Source

Starting this blog was a big challenge for me and the positive outcome has made me determined to challenge myself as much as possible throughout this year, even if it's just small things like retrying foods I thought I hated or speaking up more in seminars. But I've set myself quite a big challenge too;

Those of you who know me know that running is a large leap outside of my comfort zone. At school I was the girl who faked an injury every year to get out of cross country and who hid behind the lockers to avoid getting picked for sports day. But last week I signed up to do a 5K in September. (You did read that right, I am voluntarily running).

If you know me you'll also know that I'm a massive Disney fan and this race just so happens to be taking place within the Disneyland Paris parks, during their inaugural runDisney half marathon weekend. But although I'm excited to spend a weekend in Disney, this is about more than just limited edition pins and medals. Although more experienced runners may see a 5K as a piece of cake, I have never done anything like this before and I'm determined to prove to myself that I can cross that finish line (although at the moment just the thought of doing a 5K has me breaking out in a sweat!)

What are you going to do to challenge yourself this week?

Amy xxx

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, by Amy Beatrice

In Hawaii, holiday

Throwback | Hawaii and San Francisco 2015 | Part 2

Here's the second of my Hawaii and San Francisco blogs, this time featuring my favourite photos from the last few days in Hawaii and our time in San Francisco. You can check out the first part here if you haven't already.

I had such an amazing time on this trip and look back on it with fond memories that will stay with me forever. I felt so lucky to have the opportunity to go on this trip and I hope one day I will be able to go back and create even more amazing memories.

Thanks for reading

Amy xxx

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, by Amy Beatrice

In Hawaii, holiday

Throwback | Hawaii and San Francisco 2015 | Part 1

"A school trip?! To Hawaii?!" Yep, you read that right, last year I went on a geology field trip to Hawaii and San Francisco.

On the 14th February 2015 I boarded a plane to Los Angeles and began what would turn out to be the trip of a lifetime. That means it's been a whole year since I spent a week sunbathing, swimming and walking across lava fields (yes, we did have to do some actual work whilst we were there too!)

So, I thought I would share with all of you some of my favourite photos from the trip, a task that wasn't quite as easy as I'd realised. I somehow managed to pick 24 photos out of the 985 that I took over the week and a half, but that was still too many for just one blog post so this is only part 1!

This post features some of my favourite photos from the first half of the trip; be prepared for lots of trees, beaches and sunsets!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for part 2 on Thursday

Amy xxx

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, by Amy Beatrice

In lifestyle, room decorating tips

Uni accommodation room decorating tips!

For the majority of people, their first year at university is spent living in university owned student accommodation or 'halls'. I was lucky enough to be put into brand new accommodation, so I didn't need to cover up any peeling paint or try and mask any odd smells, but it still had that 'one room suits all' feel to it. The walls and furniture are plain white and the desk is dark brown, the only pop of colour being my desk chair and a disgusting orange notice board taking up a far too large section of wall. At the start of the year I was determined to make the room my own and I absolutely love how it's turned out, so here are my tips for making your uni room your own!

Put up posters

Posters are a great way of covering up large blank spaces on your walls and allow you to easily add your own personality to the room. My university had a huge poster sale during fresher's week (which is where I got my two from) where there were posters of everything from famous paintings to your favourite TV character. If you know a sale like this will be taking place near you then definitely take advantage of it, the poster above my bed has become one of my favourite parts of my room!

Print off some of your favourite photos

This is such an important part of my room. It took me a while to order all of my photos and I really didn't feel like my room was complete until I had them up all over the walls (and it was a great way of covering up the gross notice board!) Although it's such an amazing experience, coming to university is also absolutely terrifying and moving away from your family and friends is definitely the hardest part. But seeing all of their faces on my walls is the best way for me to feel better if I'm not feeling well, or I'm stressed about my latest piece of coursework. Even though university is about looking forward to what will come in the future, it's great to be reminded of all the amazing times and experiences I've had already.

Decorate with Washi Tape

I can guarantee that most of the people reading this won't even know what washi tape is, but I think it's invaluable when it comes to decorating your room! Washi tape is colourful and patterned reusable tape that can be used on pretty much any surface. I've used it in my room to add a splash of colour to my shelves but the possibilities are practically endless. The fact that it's reusable means it's great for decorating a room that you don't actually own; it's so easy to take off and won't leave any marks on your walls. (I have to admit that I've become a bit obsessed with the stuff and bought 8 different kinds of Christmas themed tape in December, so buy it with caution!)

Use a diffuser

I love scented candles and it makes me so sad that I can't have any at uni, but diffusers are a perfect substitute and much less hassle. Having a diffuser in your room will make it smell so fresh and clean whilst also masking any cooking smells from the kitchen just down the corridor.

Bring sentimental items from home

This could be a vast array of things, but for me it's 2 toy giraffes that sit on my windowsill. Giraffes are my favourite animal and they were bought for me by my brother and Dad when we went to London Zoo in the summer. Not only do they make me smile but they remind me of my family and a lovely day we had together. I also have my Minnie and Mickey 'Tsum Tsums' on my shelf which I think are so cute and show off the Disney lover in me.