Summer Bucket List Revisited

I haven't been around much recently because I've been crazy busy with packing, moving back to uni & just general life things but now that I'm back & in a better routine hopefully I'll get back to posting more often. 

I thought I'd do a post on how I got on with my Summer Bucket List and Im kinda surprised by how many I ticked off because I was not expecting to do the first two.

1. Get my nose pierced but shh don't tell my parents.
My mum was actually the one that took me to get this done as she was fed up of me constantly going on about how much I wanted it done and I am so happy with it. I didnt think I would be this in love with a piercing

2. Get my tragus or my thirds pierced. Parents should be okay with that 
I also got my tragus done too as I was in the piercing shop anyway so might as well and love it although I love my nose more

3. Find someone to draw up my tattoo idea to see if I do actually like it

4. Visit more places around the UK, difficult when friends & family all work.
I did visit a few places around the UK, not as many as I would have liked but it's a start.

5. Dye my hair an awesome colour. I'm thinking pink & purple dip dye
I did it first with just a few random pink and purple streaks but now my whole bottom layer is pink & purple and next time my hairdresser wants to do all my hair. I am so in love with it. Pink hair was made for me.

6. Throw one of my epic house parties
Sadly friends work schedules meant this didnt happen but we'll make up for it at uni with flat parties.

7. Go on holiday with my friends - should be happening in September
We went to Nice and oh my god it was amazing. The weather was stunning and Nice is gorgeous. I was made to live in a climate like that. So warm and we were like 5mins from the sea, Heaven.

8. Make a scrap book from last years holiday with my friends in Berlin
I didnt get to start it but I have everything ready to start and now I get to add Nice into it too.

9. BBQ on the beach
I was so gutted I didnt get to do this but it will happen at some point

10. Make my room more homely
This kinda happened and Im gradually buying more stuff for my uni room which isnt good because I dont really have room or money buut it looks pretty.

11. Read more, I have so many books on my kindle I haven't read yet
I have a few book reviews to come and I am loving getting back into reading

12. Take more photos. I haven't really put the camera I got for Christmas to good use yet. I also want to put some of my pics on canvas to put up round my room
I took loads of pictures in Nice and Im really pleased with how they turned out and when I get some money I may get some on canvas to remind me of the gorgeous place

Look at this awesome picture I got of the moon. Im so proud of it

13. Work on my blog photos. I always end up over editing.
I think my blog photos are slowly getting better and dont too over edited any more. Obviously I still have a way to go on them, but baby steps

14. Go and camp up our field like the country bumpkins we are with no facilities
I didnt get to do this but I did go to a little music festival in one of the villages near ours which was really good.


15. Buy a MAC lipstick
I bought 2 on world lipstick day with the Debenhams offer. I got So Chaud which I really like and Candy Yum Yum which Im still not sure on but I now own MAC and get to see what all the hype is about. I love the staying power and really want Lady Danger next


16. Start doing outfit posts...maybe
Still havent plucked up the courage to do this but maybe soon

17.  Make some memories
I definitely did this. Amazing memories with awesome friends and my amazing family. 

Did you manage to do everything you wanted with your summers?

Beth...x

Thea Skincare

My skin is normally pretty good but it has been very temperamental recently so I jumped at the chance to review some skincare from Thea Skincare and I was sold on these by smell alone. They smell gorgeously fruity and kind of remind me of sherbet lemons. All of Theas products are paraben & sulphate free, vegan-friendly, pH balanced and not tested on animals. 

I was sent products from the new skin brightening range which has been formulated to brighten and revive dull skin which I definitely need. The fruit enzyme formulas gently exfoliate the skin without having to use harsh scrubs resulting in smoother and brighter skin. Thea also gives you a list of the ingredients in their products as well as letting you know what each ingredient does.

Packing for Uni Chronic Illness Style

Trying to remember everything is a nightmare. You can guarantee I will forget something every year. First year I forgot sharp knives, chopping board, cheese grater and a colander so I couldn't even drain my pasta. Luckily I joined forces with one of my flatmates and we combined our kitchen utensils and we were fully prepared. With a chronic illness it's a bit trickier as there is so many vital things to remember.

- MEDS and a Prescription list. Most important. Remember all of your meds. Also I would suggest you get 2 months worth just in case you can't get an appointment at your new Drs to set up your repeat straight away.

- Join a new Drs surgery. Not so much packing but remember to find a new Drs. No matter how much we hope us chronic illness warriors will end up in the Drs a lot plus we need our prescriptions.

- Supports & splints. I forgot my knee splint in my first year and after a bad dislocation and a night out on it because I didn't want to miss a party I had to head to A&E for a 4hr wait with a hangover to get strapped up with a new one. Plus point the fracture clinic Dr was gorgeous.

- Mobility Aids. Walking stick, crutches, wheelchair, buggy, walking frame etc plus any chargers. Pretty obvious but I nearly forgot my wheelchair wheels once because I am an idiot

- Electric Tin Opener and anything else that helps make life easier like straws (makes you popular at parties), sippy cups, adapted cutlery etc. This is a very loved gadget in our kitchen once everyone works out how to use it that is. I cannot use normal tin openers with my crappy hands and normally I could ask family but this makes life so much easier.

- Ice Packs/Hot water bottle. Can't live without either of these. I forgot my ice packs one year and I had to use ice lollies (we didn't have frozen peas) and believe me they are not the same.

- Grab Handle. If you don't have an accessible shower you may find a removable grab handle handy

- Cushions. Pack all the cushions. I think I have a total of 8 on my bed at the moment. They are great for propping yourself up and taking into the kitchen to make the very uncomfortable chairs more bearable.

- Comfy clothes. As a student it is perfectly acceptable to spend the majority of your life in a onesie and as a student with chronic illness normal clothes are never expected. Most of my flatmates are back in pjs or at least trackies within 10 mins of getting back in. One of my flatmates spends most of his life wrapped in a blanket and I spend my life in my pjs.

- Easy food. Obviously youre not going to have your parents to cook for you when you feel like death so make sure you have easy food to hand. I like to have porridge sachets or frozen mash handy.

- Favourite DVDs. Great to chuck on when you feel like crap but you can also involve your flatmates. We have so many film nights. All curled up on my bed with my billion cushions watching a film.

- Slippers. I never go in the kitchen without my slippers. The floor is cold and usually not that clean plus it eats socks. It is an evil floor. So many tights & socks have been killed by our floor

- First Aid Kit. I still need to get one of these. I keep saying I will and the most we have now is burns gel and monkey plasters. Everyone in our kitchen seems to burn themselves and plasters with monkeys on are obviously an essential.

- Dry Shampoo, This is a staple in my life anyway but don't forget the dry shampoo. Showers are exhausting

- Sensible shoes. Going out does happen and although you will be tempted to wear your gorgeous heels your feet and legs will die and you will regret it so just use it as an excuse to buy all the prettiest comfiest shoes you can find

- Ear Plugs. If you have noise sensitivity issues I would recommend ear plugs or noise cancelling headphones as some night can be a bit noisy. Halls aren't loud constantly but there are some nights with parties or elephants/kangaroos living above you (pretty sure a herd of elephants had races above me last year) that you just don't need when you're in a flare.

Thats all I can think of for now but if I think of anything else I'll do another post. Uni is an amazing experience and I hope anyone going has an awesome time.

You can see my post about moving in here 

Beth...x

Moving to Uni Chronic Illness Style

Moving away from home and trying to pack is scary and hard enough without having to factor in a crappy body as well. I was terrified for like the whole month before moving in day. It didn't help that I was a shy person anyway (still am) but knowing I would have to pretty much look after myself all whilst my body had a temper tantrum about over doing did not sound that enticing.

Now I will say you probably will over do it in Freshers week. No matter how much you try not to it's kind of inevitable. It's a big shock for your body and there is a lot to do. I'm going into my 4th time at moving in and I still haven't managed to do it without over doing it & I don't even have to do all the administration stuff 1st yrs have to do. Out of the 3 Freshers weeks I have done so far I have only managed one without getting ill, mainly tonsillitis. I'm pretty sure my tonsils prepare themselves to only make my life hell when I'm supposed to be having fun - Freshers week and New years eve. 

Anyways moving on, I thought I would give you a few pointers and let you know what it will be like to try and reduce any extra stress. 

- In my uni our halls move in over 2 days, the Saturday & the Sunday. This is the hardest weekend of the whole of uni so prepare yourself. I still live in halls and I am now allowed to move in on the Friday to give me an extra day to pace myself. If that's something you think would help you could email your halls department & explain but I understand that moving somewhere new on your own is scary. 

- Pace your packing. Packing is a killer task. You have to pack you whole life into one room. I think the first year I started packing about a month before moving (I get to keep my kitchen stuff there now so not as much to do). My house was just full of boxes and crates. It did help though as whatever I bought new I just packed straight away. 

- Moving in day is a long day. I would suggest getting there as early as you can because cupboard space goes quickly, there are never enough cupboards. Although once you get to know each other you usually start sharing space. Plus getting there early gives you longer to unpack & get to know everyone before people start going out. On my first night our peer guides got us to go out at 6pm to meet the people on our courses.

- If you have a long drive maybe stay somewhere closer the night before so you don't have to get up as early and spend as long in the car on a busy day. In my first year we stayed 20mins down the road to make it easier on my body as I live over 3hrs away.

- Take slaves (siblings are good). I'm so lucky that my parents are amazing and they come with me every year to help me unpack. I tend to just sit on the bed and point where I want things now,  it's great. 

- Pace unpacking. Unpacking seems to take me longer every year. One year I think it was nearly Christmas when I finally unpacked my last bag. Just do a bit everyday plus bags make great storage so technically you don't need to unpack. 

- Make your bed first. This way if you crash you have somewhere to rest

- Take food with you. Everyone will descend on the supermarkets on moving in day and I mean everyone. Obviously it's great if your parents offer to buy your first shop so do not turn them down. It is worth braving the crowd but make sure you have the essentials with you in case you cant hack it. I now take the essentials with me & do my shop a few days later. By essentials I mean coffee obvs, tea, sugar, milk, pasta (student staple), few tins, bread, peanut butter (I cant cope without) and obviously alcohol if you drink. I took wine and any left over spirits we had and made loads of new friends. Also take food to eat on the go because it's going to be a long day

- Have some of the essentials to hand like mugs, tea, coffee so you don't have to unpack everything before having a cuppa. If you move into my flat I have extra on hand for grumpy dads and flustered mums. Offering people a cuppa is always a great conversation starter. I mean everyone loves a good cuppa

- Now the most important part - I know you are exhausted and probably in a lot of pain and just want to curl up in bed but you have to get yourself out there and meet your new flatmates. These will be the people who you will see the most (except that one weird person that your not sure if they died or not as they never seem to come out their room). Prop open your door, bond over the ridiculous amount of crap you have to unpack, how awkward your parents are being and how nervous you are. I bonded with one of my best friends over how many tins we had courtesy of our parents (didn't want us to starve) and another one over the fact that we had no idea how to set up our internet so my dad went & found out & did it for us, cheers dad. 

There is a huge thing about how in Freshers week you have to go out every night and get smashed but I have never done that. Now don't get me wrong I love a good party and I have more than my fair share of drunken stories and I do get drunk but I'm just not one of these clubbing people. It's a lot of effort when you could have a flat party in your slippers with your bed nearby. 

- I would say do try to go out once, just to get to see whats about. My first night out I was back home by half 10 because I was just too exhausted but I still had fun. I preferred going out with my new flat mates because we all really got on and we had an amazing time & we weren't with complete strangers. 

- Don't feel like you have to drink. Don't make yourself ill just to try and fit in. Alcohol doesn't mix well at all with some chronic illnesses and meds. There may be a few people who make a joke but for the most part no one cares. More alcohol for them. Plus you get to be the person to tell everyone the stupid things they did and waking up without a hangover. 

If you have any questions or worries or you just want someone to let you know it will all be okay leave a comment or you can email me at mermaidindisguise@outlook.com. 

Beth...x

Expendables 3

I'm a huge lover of action films and anything with Jason Statham in is kind of a must. I love the Expendable films so obviously I had to go see the third one. I went with my brothers last week and I have to say it didn't disappoint but it could have been so much better.

Source

Barney (Stallone), Christmas (Statham) and the rest of the team comes face-to-face with Conrad Stonebanks (Gibson), who years ago co-founded The Expendables with Barney. Stonebanks subsequently became a ruthless arms trader and someone who Barney was forced to kill... or so he thought. Stonebanks, who eluded death once before, now is making it his mission to end The Expendables -- but Barney has other plans. Barney decides that he has to fight old blood with new blood, and brings in a new era of Expendables team members, recruiting individuals who are younger, faster and more tech-savvy. The latest mission becomes a clash of classic old-school style versus high-tech expertise in the Expendables' most personal battle yet

There's a few new additions in this film including some rather attractive younger guys and even a gorgeous badass girl which creates some friction within the team causing an old vs new divide. I loved Mel Gibson in this and I think he was one of the best villains out of the 3 films as there was a history and he knew how the team worked. Although it was a tad disappointing that the old team didn't get as much screen time as I would have liked especially Terry Crews. Antonio Banderas plays such a funny character though and you can't help but fall in love with the new members. There is a lot of action in it and there are some funny parts but not as many one liners as the first film. As usual you cant have an action film without a big fight seen at the end which wasn't quite as dramatic & drawn out as they usually are. It's great to see the old guys try and learn all the new technology and how they can do things differently but the old school style is still there.

 I'm not really sure what this film was lacking but it wasn't quite as good as the first one but I would still watch it again and will probably get it when it comes out on DVD as I did really enjoy it.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Beth...x

Sunday Summary

Time seems to be flying by at the moment and this time next week I'll be doing last minute packing for my holiday and next thing you know I'll be heading back to uni. This summer has flown.

So things that made me smile this week

1. We finally booked our holiday (technically last week). I'm going to Nice for 5 days with 2 of the most awesome people ever. I cannot wait. Last year we went to Berlin and had the best time ever. It was amazing

2. I somehow joined a wheelchair basketball team. Yep I have no idea how that happened either. I took my brother for a taster session as it's something he's wanted to do ever since he had to start using a chair and somehow I got talked into having a go even though I had a huge migraine & thought I was gonna puke. Next thing you know I'm a member of the team. 3 dislocated fingers and a head that felt like it was gonna explode later and I had played my first game. I had so much fun though and everyone was so lovely, never thought I'd be able to play sport again and I loved it. Need to work on my aim though.

3. I had a sibling day out with my 2 brothers one of which I never get to see because he's a chef and is crazy busy and it was so good to all be together again, plus we saw expendables 3 and Jason Statham always makes the day good.

4. Someone said my pictures of the Charmed Ivy jewellery I posted were amazing and oh my god I have never been so happy. My photography has a long way to go but that made my day.

5. I painted my nails with the most amazing nail polish. Its so sparkly and it looks different colours in different lights. I cant stop staring at it.

6. Friday night was spent curled up on the sofa with my brother drinking lattes, after his new found love for them, and watching crime shows

7. Today I am going to watch my first wheelchair basketball game. Fingers crossed my team wins.

Things that did not make me smile
- My carer shrunk my favourite cardigan
- I had to sleep in a onesie and socks the other night because it was so damn cold. What the hell happened to summer.

What made you smile this week?

Beth...x

Charmed Ivy Jewellery

Sorry for the lack of posts. I haven't been feeling too great and I've been crazy busy. Anyway as you may know I love my jewellery and after spending many nights browsing Charmed Ivy and drooling over their really well priced items I finally made an order and I'm so glad I did. I'm really into necklaces with a longer chain and a bigger pendant at the moment so I picked these 3 and I am so in love with all of them.

Turquoise Small Horn Necklace - £3.50

I wanted the bigger version of this which can be found here but they didn't have a turquoise one so I went for this one instead but I think it may actually better because it's perfect for layering with others. The horn is such a gorgeous colour and I have worn this so much since buying it. The chain is 25" but you can customise the chain length on any necklace if you want to.

Catch Your Dreams Necklace - £5

I am obsessed with dream catchers. I went through a phase of my meds giving me the pleasant side effects of nightmares so my brother bought me a dream catcher and I have never been happier with a present from him. They're just so pretty and this necklace is no exception. It also has blue stones on it which could not be any more perfect as it is my favourite colour. This was the necklace that prompted me to make my order. As soon as I saw it I needed it in my life.

The Spear of Isis Necklace £5

This necklace is so gorgeous. As it's black it will go with everything and it goes perfectly with the earrings I got from Black Tied a few weeks ago. I can see this being worn all the time in winter. For a fiver this is such a bargain.

Charmed Ivy has so many gorgeous items for really good prices and even better postage is only a £1. What more could you ask for? There are so many more items I want like this headchain and these arrowhead earrings I know I'll end up making another order soon.

You can also follow them on twitter and instagram for even more temptation

What jewellery are you loving? 

Beth...x