A Beauty Detox Revisited

Around the same time last year I shared with you my tips on how to give your beauty collection a little clear out (here), and so many of you really seemed to relate to the post as I got tons of tweets telling me you were going to have a spring clean! When the winter season starts transitioning into spring, I religiously have a big clearout. My wardrobe has a big sort through, I clear out all unnecessary tat, I even review who I follow on social media as I simply don't have the time for annoying or negative people in my life (*goodbye to the girl who I spoke to for approximately 30 seconds during freshers week and have never seen again*) - I basically just like to take the time to declutter my entire life. SO! I thought I'd do a slightly updated version of what I told you last year and share with you some quick tips on how to declutter!

Pull everything out of one drawer/cupboard. The only way to assess the situation, is to take one drawer out at a time and empty the contents onto the floor. There is no point getting all of your possessions out at once as you will just get overwhelmed and give up before you've even started. The best thing to do is to have a little sort the things from the drawer and divide into three separate piles. One of things that should actually go in that particular drawer, one of things that belong in another places, and one of stuff to get rid of/donate/sell. Do a quick (or thorough if you have the time) clean of the drawer and put the things that should go in that particular drawer back in. 

Put a load in your car to take to charity/take rubbish outside. If you’ve bagged up a fair amount of stuff to go out, chances are it's starting to take over an area of your room. So take a couple of minutes to take the stuff out to the car so when you are next going out, you can drop it off and get rid of it. By doing this you will have more space to carry on clearing out, and it will stop you rummaging through stuff and changing your mind!

Pick up 10 things, and find a place for them. These should be things that you actually use, but that you just put down because you don't have the time to put them away properly. Like when you are doing your makeup on a morning and you leave your products tipped out on the bed because you have to dash off to catch the train. If you don’t actually have a place where these things belong, you have to find and designate a spot for them. Having a place for everything makes you much more likely to put something away after you've finished using it - trust me!

Clear everything off a surface. For example a bedside table, is there a mug from last night's cup of tea? Clear off everything possible, except maybe one or two essential things like a candle or your lamp - give the surface a quick clean, and arrange it nicely. While you're at it you can even give the ornaments a quick clean too!

Look at each item individually and decide whether or not you need it. Looking at each thing one at a time makes you more likely to make a better decision when deciding whether you want to keep it or not. With each item, ask yourself whether or not you actually need it - and if not give it away to charity or someone who will make proper use out of it!

Will you be having a spring clearout this year?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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The Joy Of Early Mornings

Since going back to university in September (and stupidly deciding to commute every single day), I have had my fair share of early starts. With 9am lectures, I end up having to leave the house by 7am before driving, taking two trains and then catching the university shuttle bus. And although I definitely don't consider myself a morning person at all, there is something quite nice about seeing the sun rise and all the hustle and bustle of the city center. Plus there's the well known saying "the early bird catches the worm" right? Of course there's nothing nicer than a lay in when you have nothing to do or nowhere to go, but I have surprisingly been enjoying getting up that bit earlier. So I thought I'd share with you what I'm getting out of waking up that little bit earlier (besides being on time and a better car parking space). 

You get more done

This is kind of a given thing as your days are longer, but in my 2015 reflection post I mentioned that since starting my second year of university I have had such a much better work ethic. All my assignments have been finished weeks in advance and I have a whole new outlook on life. I think all this is down to having to wake up really early, as I start the day with a mission to get things done and be proactive with my time. By starting things earlier, it means I get to finish earlier - so there is plenty of time for relaxing, and winding down before it's time to go to bed. 

You can do whatever you want

Ok... maybe not whatever you want, but if you have got up earlier than you need to you can do whatever you want to do with the time that you have. I make sure I set off in plenty of time to catch my train, and I usually end up getting to the train station about 20 minutes earlier. Before I leave I usually make a cup of tea in a little travel mug/ flask, and I use this time to properly start the day off. I'll sit in my car with a cup of tea and I'll read a book or catch up with the news - whatever I feel like doing at the time. Sometimes I'll treat myself to a muffin or some breakfast from Starbucks, and I'll just use the time to sit and watch the sunrise whilst I eat.

Peace

I'm not one for rushing around as I get really anxious and stressed out when I'm running late. But by getting everything ready the night before, I can start of my day with ease and don't have to worry about things like deciding what I want to wear or where my keys and books are. This means my mornings always start out super chilled and I'm ready to take on the day. Waking up early in the morning is nice because you get to experience the world before it has properly awoken. All the shops are still shut, the birds are chirping at the start of a new day, and there are generally a lot less people around.

Control

By dedicating time in the morning to plan out your day, you can choose exactly how your day is going to pan out. Obviously there are going to be some things that you can't control, but there are so many things that you can decide early on the day. I like to plan out my day to start off in the best way possible. I'll try and do things that I enjoy early on the day (like reading a book), so I start off in a better and happier mood. By doing this I never 'dread' the start of the day, I see it in the same way as I do getting to relax at the end of the day. 

Are you a morning person? What do you like about getting up early?

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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