It's 11pm and as I organise my outfit and books for the academic day ahead inspiration strikes leading me to write this post. I couldn't decide what t-shirt to wear with my PULL & BEAR imitation leather jacket, so I just grabbed a couple of shirts and hung them up hoping that my indecisiveness will cease by tomorrow morning and that I'll grab whatever shirt tickles my fancy in the morning.
The two things I always make sure are in my school bag (or any bag I carry)? My classic Carmex moisturising lip balm and my Cuticura anti-bacterial hand gel. Carmex is my go-to brand for lip products, the ultra-soothing formulation is perfect for when my lips start to get a little dry and chapped. Once applied the moisturising lip balm keep my lips feeling smooth all day, 1 application is all it takes!!
When travelling using the tube (subway), and any other form of public transportation, you never know who could've sneezed on the handle bars or wiped their sweat on the arm rest, so I always make sure that I carry around a mini-bottle of anti-bacterial gel. This gel is not as good as actually washing your hands but is just the fix you'll need when you're rushing about in town. The passion flower & mango scent also leaves your hands smelling super fresh and luxurious.
After washing your hands, it's always great to have some hand-cream to ensure they don't get all dry and parched. So I used this hand cream from THE BODY SHOP. Made from Fair Trade hemp seed oil this moisturiser works hard to soften and moisten rough and dry hardworking hands!!
Now let's get down to the serious stuff...
This classic looking day planner, I got from Paperchase, is made in Italy. It's great for jotting down all the things you have to do, so you don't have that fear that you've forgotten something lingering in the back of your mind. The planner is also available in a week-per-page view, so that you can see all the assignments, classes & meetings etc, that you have in the coming days.
I find that whilst travelling, instead of awkwardly trying to avert your gaze from a stranger you just accidentally had eye-contact with, a good book is the perfect solution to the boredom that may strike you on lengthy train and bus journeys.
I stumbled upon this novel by Haruki Murakami when I was searching for a random book at my local FOYLES bookstore. To be honest the cover attracted me to the book, as I had no previous knowledge of the author and his stories. 1Q84, a reference to George Orwell's 1984 (a literary cult classic), focuses predominantly on the lives of two Japanese civilians who have a mysterious and intertwined history.
What's class without RULED PAPER?!? Practical and lightweight, I always carry a pack around with me to take all my notes in. I used to purchase really neat and colourful note-books but I used to go through them like a baby goes through nappies, and so I opted for the most cost-effective and practical make-shift notebook.....LINED PAPER!! These are also practical in the sense that you can always rip some out to hand over to your classmates and if you want to jazz it up, you can always buy a colourful binder!!
These colourful STABILO pens make note-taking that little less boring!! Think you're going to pass-out and sleep in class from a night of cramming and your teachers drawling monotonous voice? Well then grab some of these colourful pens to awaken your eyes and make your notes that much more fun and entertaining!! (Unfortunately they won't sort-out the bags under your eyes, but you're halfway there!!) The pens make me think of note-taking as less of a chore and more of a grown-up colouring book, I always end up doodling here and there. But you know what they say? Doodling can strengthen your memory!!!