Sparkle of Pink: Back to School

Saturday, 27 August 2016

Back to College Wishlist

Hey guys!

So College/Uni is just around the corner. I'm so excited to start College and have compiled the ultimate wishlist for anyone who is prepping for school or college!

1. Backpacks

Michael Kors Rhea Leather Backpack

Michael Kors never fails to impress and I love their Rhea backpack. It's the perfect size for notebooks and a laptop. If you're willing to invest in a backpack I would definitely recommend the Rhea Leather Backpack.

The Rhea Backpack is available from Brown Thomas for €350 in a variety of colours.

New Look Badge Backpack

This cute backpack is perfect if you want to have a neutral bag with a pop of personality. Big enough to hold your notebooks and strong enough to last the year, this bag will fit almost any budget.

The Badge Backpack is available from ASOS for €26.65.

Mi-Pac Pink Classic Backpack

These bags were everywhere last year! Not only are they comfortable to carry but they can carry a lot of schoolbooks too. If you're looking for a new bag to carry the heavy JC and LC books around, look no further.

The Mi-Pac Classic Backpack is available from Debenhams for €30.

2. Notebooks

Disney Tsum Tsum A5 Notebook

Not only is this notebook adorable but it's perfect for jotting down thoughts or things to do during the day. Whether it'll be full of doodles or daydreams, this notebook will definitely make you smile when you take it out!

The Tsum Tsum Notebook is available from Etsy for €4.21 plus shipping.

Beautiful Moon Notebook

All of these styles are so pretty and the style you receive is random which I find pretty cool. The quote on each notebook is so pretty and you'll definitely have some unique supplies!

The Beautiful Moon Notebook is available from Mini In The Box for €14.69

A4 Multicoloured Notebooks

Simple but fun, these notebooks will add a pop of colour to your day. Rather than buying the plain old notebooks you buy every year, add some colour to your routine with these bright notebooks!

These Multicoloured Notebooks are available from Paperchase for €5.75

3. Pencil Cases

Plush Stitch Pencil Case

Okay so I am in love with this pencil case. It probably wouldn't stay clean for long but I mean who doesn't love Stitch? I found this on AliExpress so I don't know how reliable the seller is.

This Stitch Pencil Case is available from AliExpress for €1.28

Pink Unicorn Pencil Case

Who doesn't need a little but of magic in their lives? This cute pencil case from Paperchase will hold all of your stationery and it's pink, what's better than that?

The Pink Unicorn Pencil Case is available from Paperchase for €8.50

Harry Potter Pencil Case

I came across this cute little pencil case on My Moemoe's Etsy store and I adore it! Instead of the usual Harry Potter stationery, this pencil case is unique and I would love it.

The Harry Potter Pencil Case is available from Etsy for €7.30 plus shipping.

4. Stationery

Purrmaids Pastel Gel Pens

These gel pens are perfect for revision notes or class notes, adding colour to each page and making them easier to remember. Using different colours while revising has been proven to increase the amount of information you recall.

The Purrmaids Gel Pens are available from Paperchase for €8

Ice Cream Erasers

These adorable erasers will ensure your pencil case is no longer boring! Each eraser is unique and will definitely add a pop of colour to your day. These erasers are sold in packs of 5.

The Ice Cream Erasers are available from ShopMissA for €1

Sharpie Colour Burst 5 Pack

Sharpies are essential for anyone in school or college. In school, you always need them for projects and class posters. In college, it's a great way to organise your lecture notes by colour coding pages. A pop of colour is always better than plain black or grey.

The Sharpie Colour Burst Pack is currently €3.87 in Tesco.

5. Planners

Erin Condren Planners are the dream. If you love being organised then you will love this planner. Completely customisable, the planner has 18 monthly pages and detailed weekly pages. You can buy stickers to jazz up your weekly plans or keep it plain and simple. Either way, you won't find yourself forgetting anything important if you jot it in one of these.

Erin Condren Life Planners are available from erincondren.com for €50 plus shipping.

Paperchase Vintage Mid-Year Planner

I love Paperchase planners and have one myself. If you don't like having to switch planners during the academic year, a mid-year planner is perfect for you. With monthly pages as well as separate weekly layouts, this planner has you covered for the 2016/17 academic year.

The Vintage Mid-Year Planner is currently available from Paperchase for €9

Ban.do Planner

Ban.do has a variety of 17 month planners that are perfect to keep everything together and in one place. They have a monthly page as well as a weekly layouts. Also customisable with stickers or washi tape, these planners are perfect for those who miss their school journal and the organisation that came with having one.

Ban.do Planners are available from the Ban.do website for €24.84 plus shipping.

This list could go on for days but I'll leave it there.

What's on your back to school/college wishlist?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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Saturday, 29 August 2015

Back to School Survival Tips

September is right around the corner and I'm going back to school on Monday. Sixth Year is such a big year when it comes to school and everyone needs life hacks to keep level-headed during the stressful months.

I have compiled a few of my favourite back to school tips for everyone, not just Sixth Years to help you ease back into the school routine!

If you're like me and you struggle to get up in the morning, Sleep Time will be your new best friend! This is a free app the tracks your sleep cycle and can wake you up when you're in a lighter sleep. It can go off a half hour before you've set it or anytime between the thirty minutes.

Studies have shown that if you chew the same flavoured chewing gum while studying and taking the test, you will retain more information. Always keep a pack in your bag and one on the desk or area where you study!

If you're like me and find Sraith Pictiúr difficult to remember, voice memos are your new best friends! I record whatever I want to learn and play it back to myself when I'm going to sleep or on my way to school. I would definitely prefer to listen to music but I have found the information easier to retain and I will definitely be using voice memos for a lot of my oral work this year!

Everyone tells you to keep your journal organised! It definitely helps with keeping up-to-date on assignments and tests. I like to write each subject in one column, the assignment in the main body and then I draw a small column for the due date. Staying organised will help to reduce your stress levels and keep on top of everything!

Expanding file folders are another way of staying organised and knowing where everything is. I only have one at the moment with one section for each subject but this year, I will inevitably need more during the year and they are so easy to store!

If you're finding the first few weeks of school difficult, have a movie night with your friends! Whip out all the high school classics like Clueless, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Mean Girls, even High School Musical if you're up for it! Movie nights are perfect for just chilling out with your friends and I hope to do it at least once a month with my friends this year!

Last year I kept on taking the wrong notebooks out of my bag in class because they all looked the same. This year, I plan on colouring the top section of each notebook a different colour so I don't get them mixed up in my bag! You could even write the name of the subject on top of the notebook to make things easier!

During the summer, I bought a small storage box that looks like a book. I plan on filling it up with essentials and keeping it in my locker during the year, the box will blend in with everything else in my locker as well! You could fill it with lip balm, tissues, paracetamol, bobbins, emergency snacks and anything else you think you may need!

If you're like me and you hate having your hair tied up but you want it out of your face, the top knot is perfect for you! This hairstyle keeps any wispy bits out of your face but still look cuter than a ponytail because that just does not suit me at all!

The Pretty in Pink scene has absolutely no connection to this tip but I had to fit in an 80s high school movie somewhere...... Walking on the right-hand side of the corridor will stop so many traffic jams! The older years should know which side of the corridor to walk on by now but younger years will need to be told. It saves so much hassle and stops people pushing around!

I've been long-listed for the 2015 Irish Blog Awards in not one, but two catagories; Best Beauty Blog and Best Youth Blog! The shortlist will be posted on September 2nd so fingers crossed until then! Thank you to everyone who nominated me!

Good luck to everyone starting back to school!

I hope my back to school survival tips help you in the new school year!

Do you have any tips you'd like to share?