goodbye 2016

Wow! The sun has just risen on what is the last day of 2016. It always seems that the start of the year drags on and then you blink and the year is over. Today I am going to share a few things, looking back on 2016.

First of all, I've chosen my favourite memory from each month to share.
JAN: Camping at the coast
FEB: Seeing all my friends again.
MAR: Easter camping
APR: Spending lots of time with Family.
MAY: Beautiful autumn leaves and evening walks.
JUNE: My birthday
JULY: Seeing the snow
AUG: Time with friends
SEPT: Queensland
OCT: Whale Watching at the lighthouse
NOV: Finding out about an overseas holiday next year
DEC: Christmas

Next, I am going to share a short letter I have written, as seems to be a common thing in the blogging world.

Dear 2016...
Everyone keeps saying what a horrible year you have been. And I know that some things have been difficult. But it hasn't all be horrible, lots of amazing things have happened in the past 12 months and I have certainly learnt a lot of lessons.
To begin the year, I had a wonderful time camping at the coast. A relaxing and fun way to end the summer holidays and begin my 9th year at school.
Adjusting to all the new pressures, stress and challenges that came along with this new year proved to be a challenge, but before I knew it term one was over...and I'd learnt important lessons about dealing with pressure and coping with change.
March came with a welcome break, in the form of the Easter  long weekend. Abi and I went camping in the mountains and while mother nature might have tested our resistance to the below freezing temperatures it was nice to get away.
April and May  flew by, helped along by mountains of never ending school work.
By the time it was June and my birthday, I could barely believe the year was half over. I had an amazing birthday, and go to see a lot of my family and friends.
July brought with it a wonderful trip to the snow, and a week of chickenpox. Being out for a week gave me a chance to get ahead of my school work, preventing the stressful last minute work I'd dealt with in the first semester.
August was reasonably uneventful, what you could call a normal month.
September was one of the best months of the year for me...because it contained my trip to Queensland.
October was when it began to get warmer. My family and I were lucky enough to go to a lighthouse and watch some whales.
November was Abi's birthday, and we got to start planning our overseas trip for next year .
And all of a sudden it was December, and Christmas time!
You have taught me many lessons, 2016. I've learnt and grown a lot and am very different from the person I was 12 months ago.
Thank you,
xxx Poppy


I hope you enjoyed reading about my year, and I'd love to hear your goodbye 2016 letters in the comments below. In the next few days I will be sharing a list of projects for 2017, so stay tuned! Have a wonderful New Year,
see you next year,

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Shopping and arty things

Today Poppy and I went shopping (with my mum). We got some pretty cool stuff, and I might (?) make an outfit post because clothes was pretty much all we got.

We went to Sportsgirl where Poppy got a bag and I got cactus socks which are the bomb x100. From Cotton On I got shorts, a dress and more socks, and Poppy got socks and pjs. We went to Myer where I got a towel (it's high key the best thing I'll ever own) and a skirt. Later we got on a bus to another shopping center and I got adidas Superstars. 

Anyhow, lately I've been really interested in the Lowbrow art scene. The movement started underground in California during the 1970s, but has lately resurged in my city (in Australia). Here are some of my favourite artworks.

Claudia Ducalia´s piece from her single exhibition, "Forma Mentis". 

Ray Ceaser's "Calamity"

peace out dudes

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Merry Christmas

What a big week it has been. The week before Christmas is a weird one, it seems to go both really quickly and really slowly at the same time. I hope everyone had a wonderful day yesterday, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. Today I am going to share some photos of some of the lovely things I received for Christmas.

36 Pack Staedtler fine liners

 Nail Polish and Care set

Bathroom/toiletries bags

Tokyo style guide and Japan travel journal

Gilmore Girls hoodie

Johanna Basford Lost Ocean colouring book and colouring canvas

What did you get for Christmas?

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laotong- its all new

hey all

it's abi (once upon a time known as mop) and this is our new design. we are currently in the process of a change to something that suits our blog's existence a little more. if you have our button on your blog, we'd love it if you could send us an email at poppyandmop@outlook.com. 

our new name is laotong which is mandarin for a bond between two girls that is so strong they are eternal sisters, which pretty much sums up poppy and i.

until next post-

abi ♡

cycloneabi.tumblr.com

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5 of My Favourite Christmas Treats

Hey,
Christmas is really getting close now. 6 days to go and it is finally sinking in! Today I wanted to share a list of some of my favourite Christmas treats. If you haven't tried any of these yet, I recon you should definitely make sure you do so during this festive season.

1.Gingerbread
I'm sure everyone has tried gingerbread at some point, it tastes great and is super fun to make and decorate.

2.Pavlova
I love eating pavlova on Christmas day, probably my all time favourite Christmas treat. Pavlova, for those of you who don't know, is a layer of meringue covered with cream and fruit. The one I make has berries and a raspberry sauce...perfection.

3.Fruit Mince Pies
I've never actually made these but we buy them from the bakery sometimes, and they are delicious.

4.Fruit Cake
I don't eat much fruit cake, but I do enjoy a little bit every now and then. I haven't ever made it, we usually buy it, but my Grandma typically does and I love that one the best.

5.Pudding
A traditional Christmas treat, and here is always one at my Christmas lunch and dinner. Again, I've never made it but other family members have.

It was hard to come down to just 5 of my favourite Christmas treats, there are so many out there! Let me know in the comments what you think of these treats and if you have any other favourites I've missed.

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Christmas Photography

Hello,

Sorry this post is a bit late- I've been working really hard to get the photos ready. It's almost Christmas time...the shops are filled with people buying last minute gifts, everyone has started preparing Christmas food, people are going away or coming to visit. And there is a general cheeriness about.

With 8 days to go, I finally got around to taking some photos of the Christmas tree! Such a beautiful symbol of this time of year. Mop and I tried to focus on the lights and reflections of the decorations. This is my first real go working with light, and creating effects with the light. I'm pretty happy with the results, and I'm finally ready to share them with you....enjoy, and feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments.

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9 things I love about Christmas

Hello,
It's that time of the year again! Christmas! I absolutely love this time of year, everyone seems so happy and joyful. Here are  9 things I love about the festive season!

1.The Christmas Carols
Christmas music makes me so happy. I love listening to it as often as I can (even if it feels to early)

2.Everyone is so happy
Something about the holiday season makes everyone so happy. Christmas is one of those things that most people look forward to and in the days leading up to it everyone has something to look forward to and a reason to be happy.

3.Start of the summer holidays
The end of the school year is always fun, not much work gets done! And because I live in Australia we get a seven week break starting a week or two before Christmas! What more could you ask for?

4.Seeing distant family
My mum's family is huge, and the only time I really get to see all of them is at Christmas dinner. It's really nice to see people who I haven't seen in ages (even though sometimes I don't recognise them until after they've left). And of course, I get to spend some time with Mop.

5.Buying presents for people
I absolutely love taking the time to find a gift that someone will really love, and their face when I give it to them.

6.Wrapping presents
I have a weird fascination with wrapping presents, I love it!

7.Baking!
Christmas food makes me happy. Gingerbread, cookies and little treats are as fun to make as they are to eat. Tomorrow I'm going to try and make mini Christmas trees with strawberries and green chocolate. (don't know how well its gonna go)

8.Setting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house
Nothing says the start of December like setting up the Christmas tree, the shops always seem to do it really early, but my family usually waits until the first of December (sometimes later). I love pulling out all the decorations I've made, or bought.

9.The food
Nothing beats Christmas food. When else can you eat 3 desserts? And PAVLOVA!

I'm so excited for Christmas! We are getting close now! What are your favourite things about Christmas?
Have a great week

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8 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started my Bullet Journal

 Hey,
I've been bullet journaling for a few months now, and today I am going to share 10 things I wish I knew before I started...

1.You don't have to do it everyday
When I first started bullet journaling I would use it most days, but on the few I forgot or didn't need to I would rush late at night to fill in some stuff for that day. I've realised now that if I don't need to use it for that day, I just don't use it.

2.It's not just for to-do lists!
Originally I believed that the only thing that could go in my bullet journal were tasks I had to do. Now I understand that I can put whatever I want in there, trackers, calendars, tasks, notes...anything!

3.Find something that works for you!
At first, I would try and imitate spreads I saw on pinterest, or instagram and wouldn't use half of the things on the page. Eventually I worked out that I should chop and change things to suit me.

4.It doesn't have to be perfect!
At first I was really worried about making a mistake, so much so that I would use pencil and then go over it in pen. However, now I just go straight in with the pen, and embrace the mistakes.

5.You don't need expensive pens or books.
At first I didn't think this would work for me because I would have to go out and buy heaps of expensive stationary. However after some researching I worked out that anything will do, and just used the things I already had.

6.You can start whenever...
Before starting my first bullet journal I waited until the start of a new month. I kind of wish that I knew you can start a bullet journal whenever you want.

7.You don't have to be creative...but you can be.
It can be kind of daunting looking at all the beautiful pages on instagram, but I wish I'd understood that my journal didn't have to look like that- I could include/ not include as many pictures as I wanted.

8.It works really well!

I really wish I'd known how much I would enjoy bullet journaling, and how much it would make things easier for me....I would have started much sooner!

Make sure you check out all my other bullet journal posts! And let me know in the comments below what you love about bullet journaling.

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5 of the best bullet journal instagram accounts!

Hello, and welcome to December! The Christmas season can begin!

There are so many different instagram accounts that have amazing bullet journal inspiration. Today I am going to share 5 of my personal favourites.

Bullet Journalers SO many amazing pictures of beautiful bullet journal spreads, if you are looking for inspiration you should definitely give this account a follow.

Bullet Journal Inspire Another amazing account filled with beautiful spreads and stunning inspiration.

That Journal (Emma Bryce) Absolutely stunning pictures of the most beautiful bullet journal headers and pages.

Bullet Journal Ideas (Courtney) This account features lots of different types of bullet journal spread from all different people- a must if you are still working out what you want to do with your bullet journal.

Bullet Journal (Ryder Carroll) The original bullet journal account features heaps of links to great blog posts and giveaways.

Go on, check out all these amazing bullet journal accounts- I can almost guarantee you will be inspired!

I'm currently coming up with lots of Christmas post ideas, and I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments.

Do you have any amazing bullet journal instagram accounts I should have a look at?

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Dealing with mean girls

Hi,
It is a simple fact- at some point everyone is going to have someone be mean to them, no matter who they are and sometimes for no apparent reason. Today I am going to share a few researched tips on ways to deal with people who are being horrible to you, or you are in an argument with.

Everyone, at some point, will experience being the 'mean girl' and being the victim. Being the victim is no fun, and we have all been there. It is hard, and horrible and sometimes it feels like there is nothing you can do. Try these few things next time you are the victim, and see if it makes a difference.

1. Don't assume someone is horrible
It is important to remember that just because someone is being nasty one day doesn't mean they are a horrible person- you have no idea what is going on in their life. This is no excuse for being mean, but you still need to understand that there is almost always a reason behind this- it may just have nothing to do with you. Remembering this when you are being targeted is hard, but will almost certainly help you understand why this is happening. For more information, make sure you look at some websites, such as this one, about reasons behind bullying and nastiness.

2.Tell and adult.
You don't have dob the person in, but make sure that an adult knows that something is going on. They can then support you, and it will be much easier to explain when something that needs their attention happens. A lot of people think they can deal with it on their own, but having someone else (preferably an adult) know what is going on can be invaluable.

3. Don't spread it.
One of the worse things you can do, and one of the ways to most upset the 'mean' girl, is telling everyone about the issue- and getting more people involved. It is best to just leave the issue, and only tell one close friend if you absolutely have to.

4.Don't be mean back.
Don't give them anything they can use against you. If they say something, don't retaliate, and don't send messages when you are angry. And perhaps most importantly, don't give them back what they are giving to you.

5.Try and avoid talking/messaging on social media
Texting or sending messages is not the best way to deal with any situation. Try and avoid confronting or talking to someone who is being mean to you any way that isn't face to face, especially because messages can be taken the wrong way or used against you.

6.Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a form of emotional/mental abuse that involves manipulation of events, conversations and actions to make the victim believe they did something that they didn't do, or that they are actually the one in the wrong. Make sure you are aware of how to recognise gaslighting, and how to respond to it. It is really important to stop yourself from believing this stuff, because it can be really damaging and affect you dramatically.

Hopefully you'll remember these tips when you are next in one of these situations. If you need some more information this and this website may be useful.

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Books I've been reading.

 Hi,
I feel like it has been a long time since I wrote a post about what I've been reading, so today I am going to give you an update.

How to keep rolling after a fall by Karole Cozzo
Everyone deserves a second chance. After copping the blame for a cyberbulling incident Nikki Baylor's life is in shreds. She turns to a wheelchair rugby player, and learns how to get her life back on track.

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Liz Hall has died, and she quickly finds herself in elsewhere. Elsewhere is very similar to Earth, however you age backwards- from your day of death back to being a baby, when you are re-born. Liz has to learn to let go of her old life, and be happy with her new one.

Quiet:growing up as an introvert in a world the can't stop talking. by Susan Cain

See this post.

A week of Mondays By Jessica Brody

Ellison Sparks wished for another go, a do-over. And she got what she wanted...a week full of Mondays.

Falling into Place By Amy Zhang

Liz Emerson decided that the world would be better off without her. She ran her Mercedes of the road, but still doesn't understand what repercussions her actions will have.

Enter title here By Rahul Kanakia

Reshma is the perfect student and well on the way to being valedictorian. She believes the only way she can beat all the other perfect students is by writing a book. To do this she has to do 'normal' high-school activities.

The lies about truth By Courtney C. Stevens

Sadie Kingston has survived the car accident that killed her friend Trent and left her heavily scarred. But as she reconnects with other people involved in the accident, she struggles to work out what the truth is.

Let me know in the comments below if you would like me to review any of these books.

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6 easy steps to starting your own bullet journal!

Hello!

It's almost Christmas time! That means lots of Christmas carols, it's getting hotter (or colder) and lots and lots of gift giving! It can be hard to keep track of all the things you have to do around Christmas time, and it can also be a great time to start bullet journaling! Don't put it off until next year, grab yourself a notebook and get ready for December. Below I will share my easy steps to creating your own bullet journal.

1.Get yourself a notebook and a pen!

Simple as that, it doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just grab the empty notebook sitting in your top draw or a simple one from the local office supplies store. You can, of course, go fancy and get a proper bullet journal, like I have, but it is not necessary and I would probably recommend trying the system using some normal (and less expensive) notebooks first.

As for pens, they can be anything, I use a uni pin fine line 0.2, but anything will work- just make sure it doesn't go through the paper.

2.Create an index

Or a contents page. Some books already have the built in, but if not simply title the page index and use it to record the pages that things are located in (you may want to leave 2 pages for your index). This makes it heaps easier to find the things that you need.

3.Create a yearly spread.

You can do this any way you want, you could have a list of the things you need to do or events scheduled for each month under sub-headings or you could go full out and create a mini-calendar. This gives you the ability to plan ahead, especially useful for things like school holidays or birthdays. Make sure you add it to your index!

4. Create your monthly spread.

Googling 'bullet journal monthly spreads' will bring up heaps of images of different ideas. Personally I like the idea of a calendar to record events for that month, but find what works for you. This is a more detailed view of your yearly spread for each month. Don't forget to add it into your index.

5. Create your weekly spread

These weekly spreads are the bits of my bullet journal I use the most, and therefore spent the most time perfecting. Generally I will have a small rectangle dedicated to each day, where I can record events and tasks for that day, a study/homework tracker and notes/coming up area. Once again, make sure you find what works for you. Look on pinterest of google for inspiration.

6.Add anything else you want!

The best thing about bullet journals is how easy they are to customise. Simply open to a new page, record it in your index, and fill it with whatever you need. In this post I shared a list of page ideas for your bullet journal. Also make sure you look on pinterest and bullet journaling sites to find more great ideas.

Hopefully these easy steps to starting your own bullet journal have helped you start your own bullet journal. Let me know in the comments below your thoughts on this post, and any easy steps you have for new bullet journalers.

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Relaxation

Hi,

I've been going through a lot of stress and pressure lately, especially with the end of assessment time at school and all the things that have been going on. I know that it is really important to relax and take some time out, especially when things are super busy and today I am going to share some ways to relax.

Why should you relax?

Stress is often seen as such an ugly word, and a horrible thing. Whilst this is not always the case it is important to take some time out, give your mind a break and relax. Relaxation does (according to this site) have some important health benefits including reduce your risk of some disease, improving your mood, reducing risk of depression and assist with decision making. It is actually a necessary part of your lifestyle. Believe it or not!

How do I relax?

Relaxing doesn't always mean sitting on the beach looking out to the horizon and day-dreaming. Although I wish it were true that is very rarely the case for many people. There are heaps of different ways to relax, google ways to relax and thousands of ways appear, today I am going to share a few of them with you. (I used this website)

Journal
Journalling (or maybe bullet journalling?) gives your creative side a chance to have a go, and that is really important. It gives you a chance to unwind and let all of your problems go. Try grabbing a notebook and a pen and give journalling a go, I'd love to hear if it works.

List the good things
Make a list of some of the things you are grateful for, or that you did that you are proud of. I've never tried it but apparently this is a great way to let go and be happy.

Be in nature.
Going outside and sitting in the garden, or (if you are lucky enough) onto the beach can be a great way to re-evaluate the situation and remember what is important.

Do some colouring in.
This is one of my favourite ways to relax, and there are so many 'adult' colouring books out there you have so much to choose from. Spending anywhere between 10 minutes and hours colouring really helps me to de-stress and relax. Particularly if I am having trouble sleeping.

Do something you love
If you get nothing else out of this list, I hope you take away that finding and doing something you love is the best way to relax, there is no magic solution- you have to find what works for you.

Hopefully you can get something out of this post and feel better by giving yourself time to relax. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Have a great weekend.

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Let's Stop Complaining

Hello,

Yesterday I saw this quote on pinterest (it is from here)

It got me thinking. Why are people always complaining? Why do we always forget all the good things when one thing goes wrong? Don't worry, I'm guilty of it too. I undestand that a lot of people, myself included, try to be positive and make the best of most situations, but we still end up complaining an awful lot. I think that we all need to learn that it's not the end of the world, everything happens for a reason and we need to be grateful for what we have, not worried about what we don't have or think we want, or the things that we might need to do.

When you walk through the school corridors all I seem to hear is 'ugh, I've got (insert subject here) next' or 'ugh, why do we have to be here' or 'that test was so hard- they didn't teach us anything' Thin k about it for a second. Not one of those things is positive. No one seems to care that they are gifted to be at such a good school, and be able to learn things, and choose the subjects they want to learn. It's all about the bad things. And yes, I understand that people are positive sometimes, but the vast majority of the time everyone is complaining about one thing or another.

All these thoughts on Sunday, let me to pay close attention to the things I heard today, and I noticed (probably more than I usually would) the amount of time everyone wastes complaining about things. Nothing is going to get better if you just spend all your time wishing it was different and complaining about it. I then decided to do some research, and I found that it is common, across all ages, for people to complain ALL THE TIME. I also found that complaining is important, you need to get negative thoughts out. I just do not believe that you should complain all the time about everything, as seems to be the case.

People complain for all sorts of reasons, sometimes they think it will get things fixed (and sometimes it will), sometimes they just want everyone to know what is wrong, and sometimes they think that focusing on the problem will make it solve itself (new flash: it won't). And sometimes letting someone know when something is wrong is important. But it is also important to realise that complaining about everything makes it impossible for you to see the ways you are blessed, and to be positive. It has been scientifically proven that positive thoughts are really good for your mental health, and complaining squashes these positive thoughts.

Which leads me to my challenge, finally, I would love it if we could all try and just for 24hrs not complain once- not a single time. Give it a go and see how much better you feel. After this 24hrs you may be more aware of your nasty complaining habit and you can then focus on complaining less. I know that it is one of my goals for this week.

I really encourage you to give it a go, instead of thinking 'oh, I don't like (insert meal here)' think 'at least I have a hot meal to eat'.

Let me know in the comments why you think we're are so addicted to complaining. What is it that makes it impossible for us to be thankful, and why do we, unknowingly and unwillingly, constantly complain about things- wishing they were different and/or better?

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Productivity Tips

Hi,
This week is, for me, one of the busiest times of the year. All my assessment for school is on and if I am honest I find it pretty difficult to manage my time effectively. Today I wanted to share 10 productivity tips that I have discovered (and I did do some research) in the hope that it will help you to be more productive.

1.Be neat and tidy
Have an area to work that is not cluttered will save you time- you don't have to clear space before you start and you can focus all your attention on what you are doing.

2.Find some peace and quiet.
Get away from the noise and conversations and be alone in a quiet area. I like to listen to music to help me stay interested.

3.Use a planner (or a bullet journal)
Know when you are busy, and plan accordingly.

4.Create to-do lists
Have a clear idea of what you need to do, and which things are the most important.

5.Work out how much time to spend on each task, and stick to it.
Create a timetable, or allocate half-an-hour to an hour for each task- but make sure your timing is realistic and you stick to it.

6. Remove distractions
If you can't resist, or get distracted easily remove this distractions. Turn your phone off, and put it across the room, log out of social media and stay focused.

7.Don't multitask
While it might seem like a good idea, doing one thing at a time will help you stay focused and do a better job.

8.Set yourself goals.
Set yourself realistic goals for when things need to be completed, and stick to them.

9.Get up early
Start your day early and tackle the big tasks before you get distracted by other things.

10.Reward yourself
Just finished a big task, reward yourself with a treat (or a break) or some time reading or on social media.

Hopefully these tips will help you get the most out of your time. Let me know what things you do to make yourself get more done- I'd really appreciate some tips.

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PRESSURE...

Good Afternoon,
It's here, the dreaded exam week. For me this week is the busiest on my assessment calendar, with a test, or two, each day. A few things come with exam/assessment week- one of them being the huge amounts of stress and pressure. A narrative in an hour, really?

Pressure has some significant consequences on your health, and can make everything seem 10x harder than it actually is. We are constantly surrounded by pressure to succeed and be better than we were last time. But once again, no one is magically going to make the pressure go away. It's not going to magically disappear- you just have to learn to deal with it. Constant pressure leads to stress. Stress can impact your health by causing nausea, over/under-eating, changes to sleeping patterns, and some mental conditions. It is really important, especially with the way things are going, to learn to deal with pressure and stress in the best way possible. Having some strategies to ensure that you minimise the pressure on yourself to succeed will in turn make you stress less. And that is what I would love.

Pressure can come in two forms: from others and from yourself. For me, the biggest source of pressure is myself. I am constantly pushing myself to do better and be the best I can be- and sometimes that is just not possible, sometimes all I want is a break. The pressure I put on myself can sometimes be a really good thing, but other times it makes me stressed and anxious over nothing. I have tried to lessen my internal pressure (is that what it is called?) but I never seem to be able to let go of the high standards I hold for myself, especially when it comes to school.

Outward pressure can also be a good or bad thing. It can encourage you to do your best, but it can also force you to live up to unrealistic or impossible expectations. Being constantly told that you can do better is very damaging to your self esteem, sometimes you just need to be happy with what you are doing and not worry about the pressure family, teachers or friends are putting on you.

The pressure to be perfect all the time, or even at all, is generally very outward motivated. Your friends, family and teachers expect something of you and that is why you are constantly feeling the pressure to meet those expectations. People do not seem to understand that sometimes you just cannot meet those expectations, sometimes you fall down and make mistakes- and even though it happens to everyone no one seems willing to give you a break. I know how it feels to be told to do better, or be as good as you were before all the time, it is exhausting.

All I want is for someone to understand that keeping up high standards is exhausting and it is ridiculous to expect someone to turn up everyday and be at their best all the time. It is not humanly possible to meet every one's expectations, and people need to understand that. Just because you think that I should be able to do something does not mean that I necessarily can.

Pressure is sometimes known as an 'evil' word and I want you to remember that it is not, pressure can push people to do amazing things. But I also want you to remember that putting too much pressure, or having unrealistic expectations for someone is not fair and needs to stop.

Have you ever had unrealistic expectations put on you? How do you deal with stress and pressure?

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Having an Creative Outlet

Hello,
Did you enjoy my bullet journal post? I loved writing it! Writing blog posts gives me a chance to have a break from school, and all the other things I have to do, it lets me be myself and have a chance to share my ideas. Today I wanted to share some thoughts about having a creative outlet, such as this one, and what it does for me...enjoy!

Before you go 'oh, I'm not creative', consider this: creativity doesn't have to be painting drawing (which is lucky for me, I cannot do either), it, by definition, is use of imagination or original ideas to create something. Creativity simply means using your imagination to create something. And that something can be anything...from a photo, to a story, or even a blog. Don't tell yourself creative outlets are never going to work for you because you aren't creative. Everyone has an imagination- it's the thing that keeps you up at night worrying about what's going to happen tomorrow, and the thing stopping you from climbing a tree- because you are imagining falling. Don't let your imagination be wasted- use it for good!

Our world has become so obsessed with doing everything 'right' that we are losing our creativity. At school, I am constantly told exactly how to do something- and that there is no alternative. We almost never do something just to 'get it out', everything is about meeting deadlines, being good and getting it done well, quickly. Having some way to keep a hold of your creativity is really important, and it can make a whole lot of difference in later life. Expressing yourself and taking some time to do what you want is vital to staying mentally-healthy.

For me, having a creative outlet is really important, everything is always so serious and fact-based that I need some time to just do whatever I want and not let it be right or wrong. A creative outlet allows me to be free to express myself, without worrying about how it will affect me later. Even art classes at school cannot really be counted as a creative outlet because there is a lot of pressure to do something, and that can take the fun away from it.

One of the ways I use my creativity is through blogging. Whilst blogging is not necessarily entirely creative- it does give me the freedom to say whatever I want, without having to worry about what other people will think. It lets me get my opinions heard, when they may not be heard otherwise...

I find that blogging, and the other creative things I do, helps me de-stress and re-focus. When I have a huge day with lots of studying and/or homework, taking a small break to blog, take a few photos or just write helps me concentrate and be much more focused on what I need to do. Having a break to do something I love, and use some of the other parts of my brain really is one of the most effective ways for me to get a lot done.

Hopefully, from reading that, you understand why I believe a creative outlet is important. I assume, that you are now considering taking up some form of creative outlet yourself (if you don't already have one). Remember, when you are choosing \what you want to use to express yourself make sure it is

• Fun and enjoyable- having something that just stresses you out is not going to achieve anything.
• Not too time-consuming- make sure that you can fit whatever you choose into your schedule i.e. don't take up blogging if you will never be able to find the time to post.
• Not based on what other people think- it's their loss if they don't like something you do, and choosing something just because that's what everyone else is doing is not a great way to find a way to express yourself. Different things work for different people.
• Not full of pressure- doing something creative with pressure to do well, or succeed is sometimes great. But never forget that it is important to have some no-pressure time to just express yourself too.

I'd love to know what you do to express yourself, maybe I can find a new creative outlet, let me your thoughts in the comments below. Don't forget to take some me time once in a while.

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Bullet Journaling

Hey,

Thankyou for all your lovely comments on Monday after I posted about being a quiet learner. I'd love to know if you would like to see more of that type of post, you can let me know in the comments below. Today I wanted to share some of the reasons that I enjoy bullet journaling and (finally) some photos of my bullet journal. I've also been thinking about changing the direction of this blog a bit so that it is more focused on certain areas and less 'about everything'. For November, I am going to start focusing more on 'issues' than just a bit of everything.  If you think this is a good idea please let me know.

For me bullet journaling is a way to cope with the sometimes mountainous to-do lists I have. I am always paranoid that I have forgotten something, or to do something and a Bullet Journal is a way I have found to make sure that this paranoia is less common. Bullet journaling more than just an excellent way to keep track of things, it also gives me time to de-stress, take some time out, and (most importantly) have some me-time (that isn't doing something for the blog, or school). Each week I get at least an hour where all I do is bullet journaling, and that is a great thing for me. I know that not everyone may see bullet journaling this way, and for some people it might just be a way to keep track of things. But I find that it really helps me de-stress (in case you hadn't noticed I am a planner, and not knowing something drives me crazy) to have a clear plan of my week.

Bullet journaling  also helps me to balance my time between school, blogging, sport and time-out time. It gives me a clear idea of what I need to do, and stops me doing things that really didn't need to be done. (especially for school). And it also helps me be positive. I have a section that I record my favourite part of each day, even if it is as simple as 'sitting in the sun', and starting next month I am going to have a positive part of today log.

Hopefully you can see just how much I find bullet journaling useful now. I really encourage you to take it up, even just for a week in a scrappy-old notebook. Just give it a go and see what you think, I am almost certain you will find it just as useful as I have.

Today I am (finally) going to share some pictures of my bullet journal. If you would like to see more photos of any of the pages, just let me know...enjoy!

This is my monthly spread, kind of like a calendar, where I record all the things I have coming up. I also have a section for next month, notes and goals.

For each month I have a reading log, where I record all the books I have finished during the month.

Below the task section of every day I have a small area to record the weather and the date.

I have a section this size for each day of the week, to record any tasks, to-do's, events and other information.

Last week I trialed having a study schedule at the bottom of each day, this didn't really work so I am not continuing with it anymore.

Instead I am using this study grid. At the beginning of the day I draw around each of the subjects I need to study, or complete homework for, with a felt tip marker. When I complete what I needed to do for that subject I colour in the box with a coloured pencil.

What kinds of things do you have in your bullet journal?

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Being a quiet person.

Hi there,

I have a different kind of post planned for today, it's going to end up being a pretty long one. Today I wanted to share what I think about 'class participation'.

Every semester (that's twice a year) I receive a school report and must go and meet with all my teachers to discuss my learning. The feedback is almost always good. I am doing my work, achieving well in my assessments and I do most of the things that the teachers ask. But the one thing I hear from almost all my teachers is that I need to speak up and participate in class more. Sometimes every single one of my teachers will tell my parents and me that I can get better grades, especially for application to studies, if I participated in class discussions and shared my ideas with the rest of the class.

Honestly it makes me annoyed that I am expected to be willing to share my ideas with the rest of the class all the time, even if that is not who I am or what I want to do. Often it is overlooked that I do all my classwork and go up to ask the teachers questions when I need to. I am told that because I do not put my hand up in class discussions very often I am not participating in classes. I am always told that one of my goals could be contributing to class discussions more, and to a point that is a good goal. But my point is that it is not fair to expect me, or anyone else to be someone who they are not and do things they do not what to do simply to be participating.

I am an observer. I don't like jumping into things that I don't know anything about. I will listen, and think and form an opinion and idea and then, if I want, I will share it. I am not the sort of person who puts their hand up every single time the teacher asks a question, or just shouts out the answers. If I know the answer I will occasionally offer a response. But I don't want to be called upon all the time when I am perfectly happy to write my thoughts down and share when I have something meaningful to say.

I am tired of being overlooked, or told that what I am doing is not what they want. Especially when it comes to class participation. It is not taken into consideration that I take the time to carefully formulate my ideas before sharing them. No, it just isn't good enough that I am rarely sharing my ideas and answers. I am expected to adapt and fit in with all the noisy students in the class who shout out and are perfectly happy to share meaningless responses with the rest of the world. I am generally not allowed to learn in the way I prefer, quiet.

I believe that we, as a society, need to learn that it is important to value everyone how they are...not make them change to suit to circumstances all the time. I understand that I need to learn to adapt sometimes, but I do not think that it is fair to expect me to change all the time when there are some students who meet all the requirements, simply because they are vocal with their ideas- all the time! I find it difficult, especially since starting high-school last year, to be comfortable enough to speak up in my classes when the people I am around are constantly changing. Eventually, usually around this time of year, I am comfortable enough to start regularly contributing my ideas. But even then, I find it hard to keep up with the pace at which the discussion moves- I barely have any time to think of a response. I think that it is vital that we learn in include everyone, and give everyone equal opportunities to succeed and have a go- regardless of what type of learner they are.

There are ways around this problem. One of my teachers uses discussion based programs that give everyone a chance to properly think of a response before sharing it and seeing what others have done. Some teachers mark class participation on more than just speaking up, they take into consideration class work that you complete and completing the required activities. But some people don't seem to understand that not everyone wants to share, some people participate in different ways. There is one class in which I often get ignored because the teacher is too distracted by people yelling out to them.

I understand that I need to learn to work with others and share my ideas. But I don't believe that it should be this way all the time. The class needs to be suited to all different types of students not just those who work best bouncing their ideas off others. Or, at least, if we must do group work and share our ideas with everyone else at least the students pick people they are comfortable with talking to. Knowing one person in a group of 5 makes all the difference for me, yet no one seems to understand this. I am constantly being overshadowed by more vocal students.

Our world is increasingly becoming one for vocal and extroverted people. People who want to share and work in loud and stimulating environments. Everyone needs to be reminded that there are people who are not like this, people who mightn't work best in loud and stimulating environments. Yet no consideration is taken for these types of people. Everything is tailored towards more confident, out-going and extroverted people. We need to remember that our world is a balance of different people and just because someone doesn't speak up doesn't mean they don't have a valid opinion and something to share.

Below I have included a TED talk that I watched and found related closely to what I was taking about in this post.

Also, take a look at these articles, about being a quiet learner in the busy classroom, quiet students and being a quiet person.  

Please let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this post, any thoughts you have or if you would like to see more of this type of post.

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