This or That | Summer Edition
31 July 2016
Ben Rhydding, UK
One of the best ways to get to know people is to find out
what they like and what they don’t like. It’s not difficult to figure out what
I don’t like because I have a tendency to complain and do plenty of that on
Twitter. Still, I absolutely love reading “this or that” posts, or watching “73
questions” videos, and I figured doing a post like that on Anika May would be a
great way to start a Sunday morning. So without further ado…
Ocean or pool?
Ocean, it smells better and I like the tides and waves. Plus
I have a think about pools being full of germs.
Beach holiday or wilderness?
I’ve been on a beach holiday before (and sadly only one in
my entire life), so I would say wilderness as it’s something new.
Watermelon or strawberries?
In all honesty, I really don’t like either! But I can drink
a strawberry milkshake.
Bikini or one-piece?
I only like high-waisted bikinis, which are kind of like a
one piece. So I guess one piece.
Lemonade or iced tea?
Ooooh I think lemonade. As much as I like iced tea, I feel
like lemonade will always win.
Hotdogs or burgers?
I am totally and completely a burger girl. I’ll eat a hotdog
any day but I love a solid burger, as you can probably tell by the image above.
Hat or sunglasses?
I have extensions so hats make my head really hot, so I
don’t wear them as much in summer. But I love sunglasses to hide my eyes!
Windows down or AC?
I always feel too cold with the AC on, but the windows down
gives you that nice windswept look and you can fake a music video.
Sports game or concert?
Concert! I recently went to see Rihanna
while the sun was shining and it changed my life!
Ice cream or ice lolly?
Ice cream for sure. I can’t bite into ice lollies so they
are difficult to eat but I love ice cream, especially with gummy sweets on top!
Fireworks or campfire?
Can I have both? I love a campfire in the summer, but
fireworks are so much fun to watch.
Flip flops or bare feet?
Depends where I’m walking. I like bare feet on the sand, but
flip flops pretty much everywhere else. The noise flip flops make is horrendous
though!
Water balloons or squirt guns?
I like water balloons, especially now there’s balloons that
fill way quicker than they used to! Guns are too much effect for me.
What would your answers be?
*whole outfit above from Next*
*whole outfit above from Next*
Nighty Night Shirt
28 July 2016
Eldwick, UK
I can be pretty lazy when it comes to getting dressed. Sometimes
there are days where I really don’t want to put any effort into my appearance,
and some days when I just don’t care.
A huge shirt is perfect for that kind of mood. With most of my outfits, I hate
to feel weighed down so men’s cotton shirts are ideal. I like women’s shirts
too, however they’re built with the female body in mind, so have a slight curve
for the waist, whereas men’s shirts and tops are usually just straight down the
sides which is what I like. During a shopping spree, it’s just so easy to drift
off into the men’s section and find way better items that some of the pieces in
the ladies’ section.
I have a habit of buying clothes that are too big, and today
is no different. With most clothes, I prefer them to be loose-fitting, but with
shirts, I go way over the top. I can’t help it! I literally want them to flow
in the wind. Also, the bigger the shirt, the skinnier my legs look so that’s
always a plus. I picked jeans and shoes that would match my look, my shoes in
particular being a new favourite. I’ve had them for a really long time, but
recently re-found them during a closet cleanout and found them in tip top
shape! I’m so happy I discovered them again as they’ll be perfect for Sunday’s
trip to Alton Towers.
Shirt // Tesco (SIMILAR)
Jeans // NEW LOOK
Shoes // Nike (SIMILAR)
How to Decide If Your Job Is Wrong for You
25 July 2016
Leeds, UK
There are thousands
of people who could tell you the worst thing about their job, however some find
at least one aspect they like or one area they thrive in. Sadly, on the other
hand, some employees simply can’t stand going to work and daydream about
quitting every day. I’ve been there, and it took a lot for me to finally decide
to pack in that sense of security and realise I was in the worst job ever.
Detesting your
routine
It’s Sunday night, the idea of Monday is nauseating and
the whole routine is just a headache waiting to happen. This is something
that’s really common, but if the idea of the week ahead is sickening so much it
affects quality of life, I would definitely say it’s time to figure out the
next step. I used to love Friday nights, but also feel slightly sad because I
knew the next week was so close – that was my sign!
Extreme lack of
enthusiasm
I have a lack of enthusiasm when it comes to most things…
like to think I’m quite similar to April from Parks and Rec, I’m pretty moody
and have the bitchiest resting face, but if you give me something I really care
about, I will jump up and become full of life. At work, most of my co-workers
probably thought I was miserable, and it’s because I was. If there’s not even
the faint flavour of zeal at work, maybe it’s not the best place the build a
career.
Counting down to
the weekend
While working full time, I used to say “every week is
just a countdown to the weekend” and that’s really not the mindset to have. It
was difficult for me to realise this train of thought isn’t productive at all,
as it means I’m just wishing my life away and life is way too short to be doing
that. It’s important to value the time we have, and that shouldn’t be spent
wallowing around the office.
Little respect for
your manager and colleagues
It wasn’t difficult for me to imagine my manager being
hit by a bus every so often. I can’t even lie about it, the woman was evil. As time grew on, I lost more and
more respect for her and the workers who did nothing all day. At that point I
noticed I wasn’t in the right job because I don’t care for the authority or the
rules, not the attitude to have.
Dreading team
nights outs
Ugh. Nothing was worse. Yates Leeds became known as the
local hell for me because it’s where all the team nights out were held. As soon
as someone has a birthday, or retires, or moves house, or passes a test… or
sneezes. Saying no over and over become very difficult, so team nights out and general
co-worker association is a devastating occasion. When that’s the worst thing
life could throw out, it’s time to leave.
Waiting until
08:59 to enter the building
This always makes me laugh because I did this every day. The
funniest thing is that I would get into Leeds for around 8:30, and take the
longest walk to work, before spending a good fifteen minutes in the bathroom
playing Kim Kardashian: Hollywood before strutting to my desk to ensure I was
never late, but more importantly never
early. Even on days where I had to start at 7am, I sat and ate my breakfast
before even thinking of logging on. Avoiding work like that showed me it was
the wrong job for me.
Have you ever quit a job? How did you know it was the
wrong career path for you?
Disclaimer:
I understand many people don’t enjoy their jobs but it’s their only means of
survival. I know this from experience and would like to stress this post is
just for entertainment.
W7 In The Nude Palette | Review
22 July 2016
Leeds, UK
When it comes to beauty and cosmetics, I love to collect eye
shadow palettes. It’s one of my
favourite ways to play around with colours and experiment with techniques while
spending little money and time. As much as I like to contour every so often, I
can’t always be bothered to do it every day, but a different shade of eyeshadow
can brighten an entire look. Since being about 12 years old, I’ve worn eye
shadow – bear in mind that was when I wore white eye shadow, or a navy blue
shade with absolutely no eyeliner or mascara. I know.
Now that’s I’ve matured (slightly), and have sat through
hundreds of make-up tutorials, from cut creases to smoky eye; I like to shop
for different palettes and try to collect a wider range of colour. On the
boring days, I stick to darker nudes (browns, maybe the occasional black), but
I have recently really gotten into pinks on my eyelids, as I think the blend
pretty well and can easily become a transition shade.
Shades from left to right: Teddy bear, Wonderland, Cracker, Happy, Lady Luck, Twister, Di Di, Delilah, Magic, It's a dram, Up in smoke & Dawn
I recently bought the W7 In The Nude Eye Shadow Palette from
Amazon
(only £5!) and was quite surprised at how much I liked it. Usually, when
cosmetic products are under £20, there’s a slight worry they may not be of a
high quality; but this palette could easily be a high street dupe for the UD
Naked 3 palette! I have never owned a Naked palette, simply because the price
is too high for me, but I think the selection of colours by W7 are perfect.
One thing I really liked about the palette was the pigment
of the eye shadows, it was incredibly strong, and I’ve been using quite a few
shades for a while, and have barely made a dent in it. I can use plenty of
different brushes and the shadows spread really well and don’t clump up on my
eyes. I have found that some eye shadows have a tendency to be too heavy which
becomes a struggle when it’s a time to apply liquid eyeliner, or they’re so
light and transparent, I have to apply layers upon layers which eyeliner
doesn’t respond well to.
Two colours I’ve been loving are Twister and Up in smoke as
they work really well together. However, it’s really easy to blend a few
colours together and create a girly and looks with the lighter shades, or a
darker look with the deeper purples. I sometimes worry that dark colours will
make my eyes look to small, but the shimmer in the shadows really helps to
bring out the bright in your eyes, and then I can use the lighter colours
around my tear duct if needed.
Overall, I really like this palette, I have been pleasantly
surprised by W7 (check
out my review of their setting spray) and I think, like Sleek, they’re
definitely a brand to keep an eye on as their products are constantly improving
and staying at an affordable price. My one wish, was that W7 products were
available in more stores!
12 Ways Full-Time Employment Changed Me
18 July 2016
Harden, UK
For just over a year, I worked a basic 9 to 5 office job for one of the county’s biggest building societies. It was an eye-opening experience for me, not only because I learned to grow up and actually adult at life, but I also found that I had changed quite a lot, and for the better. I’ve always been a reserved person, but working in a large team of people, surrounded by hundreds of others, I have realised growing up isn’t the worst thing in the world.
#1 I developed a thicker skin
Naturally, I’m a very sensitive person, sometimes I don’t take well to criticism and there have been times in my life where I have just cried because things aren’t going my way. Well, that’s exactly what happened at my office job. It was my first real job and I cried almost every day for about three weeks. However, as time passed, I began to notice a change. As much as I hated my job and my manager hated me, I really didn’t care. Insults and digs didn’t bother me anymore and that has stayed with me today.
#2 Businesses aren’t all fair and proper
When I first started working, I was absolutely horrified at the way some people behaved. But I figured they would be punished or disciplined for their actions that were clearly against the rules set out to me on my first day. Well, it was quite the contrary. In fact, the managers were worse than the employees and for a company that deals with the finances and mortgages of other people, it didn’t sit well with me. It’s surprising to see how some of the biggest establishments in the country are not as pristine as they make out.
#3 Not everyone is going to like me
Not that I assume everyone I meet is going to fall in love with me and want to be my best friend, but I figured the human thing to do is be civil with the people you work with. Well, a whole year in employment taught me otherwise. In the office I worked in, if you didn’t like or get alone with someone, you made it clear. My manager wasn’t my biggest fan and this affected my colleagues’ view of me as well. I got to a point where I finally accepted, not everyone is nice, and not everyone will love me.
#4 It's okay to cry if you feel sad
As mentioned, I can be very sensitive so it’s not hard to get me to cry. However, I always felt bad for stressing out about my job and crying at work. Part of me wondered why no one else seemed as awkward as me. Of course, anxiety played an enormous role is my attitude to the job, but I was in a toxic environment for a year – it’s normal to feel down about it. Towards the end of the job, I just learned to get on with it, but this is a lesson it took me a while to get used to. And if I’m sad, yeah I’ll cry!
#5 Stand up for yourself!
Because I’m such a shy person, I just tend to adhere to authority, and as this 9 to 5 was my first job so I didn’t really know any better. My manager wasn’t the nicest person on Earth and often found that she was handing me jobs that were way out of my job description. This happens from time to time, and I’m happy to do it when needed, but cleaning a storage cupboard all day and refusing to give me any work when there is work to be done is a step too far. And so, one day I decided to say something and stand up! This made no difference In her attitude, but I feel much better than before.
#6 There’s always a positive
There have been many times in my life when all seems to be going wrong and there’s no up. However, working in full time employment has helped me to learn that bad days have a positive, even if I can’t see it until a week or a month later. It’s totally normal to feel down, but it’s really important to remember not to stay down. No matter how horrific a working situation got, I always forced myself to remember: “you can only go up from here”.
#7 I find motivating myself easy
After working somewhere I called “hell” for a year, I have no problem doing many of the jobs I do today. For example, there are days where I really don’t want to blog – I just want to lay in bed at watch Parks & Rec all day while stuffing my face with mini marshmallows. Similarly, I currently work for two amazing charities, Clothing Solutions and Beaneezy (please give the Facebook pages a like if you can!), and sometimes don’t feel up to doing all the reporting and finance stuff, but then I remember: would I rather be here or at my old job? And now I have no problem motivating myself!
#8 It makes a great horror story
Telling people about my experience always leaves them with horrified expressions on their faces. I get the “how on Earth did you stay there for a year?!” question which always makes me laugh. In a way, I guess it’s like a (very weak) survivor story and because of my experience I feel like a much stronger person today. I’m able to face most challenges head on and prepare for the worst, rather than shrivel up in fear every time.
#9 My skills were refined
I’m quite the introvert so putting myself out there isn’t the easiest thing in the world. While working at the building society, I learned to improve my conversation and social skills because I spoke to so many different people every day. Working on a computer each day also helped me improve those skills, from touch typing to using keyboard shortcuts. I no longer work in customer services, but working in an investment department and talking to customers frequently gave me the confidence to speak to more people – a valuable skill!
#10 Hello confidence!
Before starting the job in Leeds, I was incredibly shy, awkward and weird around people I don’t know. Nowadays, I’m still the same shy weirdo but I don’t freak out or panic as much in a public situation. If someone talks to me, I don’t say the first thin my brain thinks of, I’m able to respond like a human and that shows an increase in confidence for me. Despite not being at a place where I can rock up to a photoshoot and pose like the next Tyra, I’m a lot more confident taking photos in public and speaking to new people.
#11 I have a sense of ambition
I never thought of myself as an ambitious person. Honestly, I can be very lazy and occasionally find it difficult to get motivated. While working in the building society office, I learned I didn’t like my job. I just wasn’t enjoying any aspect at all, and didn’t look forward to each day. I know it’s normal for people to hate their jobs, but most the people in the office just stayed because they couldn’t be bothered to job hunt. On the other hand, I was the complete opposite – I hunted for jobs every single day and applied for hundreds, so maybe I do have the potential to strive for more.
#12 I know how to use public transport/navigate rush hour
This is something I would have never known how to do unless I experienced it. If I went to London, I wouldn’t be as fearful of using a busy underground or bus station because I have experience using Leeds’ transport during the busiest hours of the day. When I first started, I didn’t know up from down; but towards the end, I turned into an employed zombie like many of the other strangers in suits, tutting at those who can’t swipe their travel card properly and hold up the queue. It’s a good understanding to have!
Have you ever worked full-time? Has it changed you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
