My Month in a Nutshell | November 2015

Hello everyone! I cannot believe we are almost at the final month of 2015. It is quite scary to tell you the truth. I decided instead of a monthly favourites post, I would do a new series on my blog called 'My Month in a Nutshell'. Here it goes!

November has been quite a hectic month for me. I have had so many assignments to hand in and a lot of preparations for exams, which are starting next week. My assignments have been helpful so far because I seem to be in a good position in relation to my grades. It is because of this that I am not stressing too much over my tests. It's also great because my lecturers more or less told us what is coming up on the exams, which is so relieving. I have a reading week now so I have been tipping away at study. My exam timetable has worked out pretty well which also brings stress levels down. I have four exams and then I'll be finished on the 18th of December. I am looking forward to getting off for Christmas as I will be off for more than a month.

I have managed to have a catch up with my friends on different occasions. I went out with one of my friends for lunch and I had a nice chat with her about how I am really feeling about college. It was nice to finally have a heart to heart. I met another one of my friends randomly at the bus stop while I was on my way to college. I had a lovely chat with her on the bus. I am really looking forward to being able to catch up with my friends properly over the Christmas holidays.

Speaking of buses, bus journeys can be extremely boring, I'm not going to lie. In order to make them more entertaining, I listen to music. An album that I have been absolutely loving at the moment is Made in the A.M by One Direction. I have loved this band for so long. This album is honestly incredible. Their vocal and songwriting abilities are definitely showcased throughout the entire album. I cannot pick a favourite it is that good. I am so proud of these boys. It is an album that should be listened to, even if you aren't a fan of them. This album will change your opinion of them. 

In relation to songs I have been loving the following:

• Chasers by The Academic

• Jackie and Wilson by Hozier

• The Feeling by Justin Bieber and Halsey

• Catch Me If You Can by Walking on Cars

• Youth by Daughter

• Waste the Night by 5SOS

• Get Loose by The Coronas

As my weeks have been getting busier, I have taken up meditation. Every night I meditate before I go to sleep. I have been using Tara Brach's website. It has been so benificial for me. My sleeping pattern has improved and it completely relaxes me, helping my worries drift away for a while. It is great and if your thoughts tend to get in the way of your sleep, meditation is the way to go. I will leave a link to Tara Brach's website at the end of this post.

My love for reading has also grown in the past month or so. I recently read a book that has had a huge impact on me; Me and My Mate Jeffery by Niall Breslin ( Bressie ). This book has helped me so much in relation to learning how to live with anxiety. If you live with anxiety or know someone who does, you should really read this book. It is extremely helpful. Bressie was incredibly brave to write this book and he has helped so many people in Ireland. 

I finally tried a gingerbread latte in Costa after wanting to for over a year. It did not disappoint. I am not the biggest coffee drinker but I really enjoyed it. I absolutely loved the little penguin Christmas cup and the little gingerbread man that came with it was so adorable. I sat upstairs in Costa and watched the rain patter against the window whilst I sipped on my drink, feeling all warm and cosy.

I am currently trying to organise what presents I need to get for people. I am feeling quite unorganised with it all to be honest. I am hoping that tomorrow will sort that out. I am going to Galway to see the Christmas markets and go shopping. ( yes, there should be a blog post up about it later this week ). 

My love for photography is growing more and more each day. Here are a few pictures I took this month:

I bought myself a hot water bottle this month as the one I had before was quite old. This one is so much better. My Mom also bought me a cool vintage glass which came with a candy cane coloured straw. I love it so much! 

I have been wearing my mustard infinity scarf non-stop. It is so so cosy and the fact that it only cost me €2.50 is amazing! 

So there you have it, my November in a nutshell. I really enjoyed writing this post. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I hope you all had a great month and hopefully December will be happy and merry!

Tara Brach's Guided Meditations: http://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditations/

Note: This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

Room Tour | Festive Edition

Hello! I hope you are all having a wonderful day. 

As November is rapidly coming to a close, it is getting more and more acceptable to talk about Christmas and get into the festivities of it all. In fact, it is only a month until Christmas Eve! How exciting. 

I am a sucker when it comes to anything to do with Christmas. Everyone that would know me personally would tell you that straight away. I decorated my room around two weeks ago. I know what you are all thinking: oh my god that was way too early!!! I couldn't help it. It is not just the Christmas part that I love about it. I love how calming and relaxing it is. I decided it would be nice to give you an sneak peak into my decorations that I have put in my room so far. I hope you enjoy! 

Before I get into this I would like to apologise for the quality of some of my photos. The lighting was not particularly the best.

My mini Christmas tree. I absolutely love this. My Mom got me this last year and I think it is so adorable.

What's a Christmassy room without some fairy lights? I purchased these in Pennys ( or Primark as it is commonly known ) and they add so much to this room. They are so cute.

 

My mini Santa. My favourite thing about this is that when you flick on its switch underneath, it lights up in different colours and star shapes reflect against the wall. 

I got this last year in the 2 Euro shop. I like having it hang off of my wardrobe. It adds so much Christmas vibes to my room.

I put this tartan scarf over my dressing table to add a Christmassy / Winter vibe to it. I decided because I don't wear this scarf that much, I wanted to put it to some use. I think it makes my room that little more cosier. 

I love how it looks so far. It makes me feel really relaxed and it makes studying a little bit more bearable. My candle isn't a Christmas candle, it has a simple scent that is very soothing and it doesn't make my room smell too strong. I wish I could keep my room like this all year long. I hope you liked seeing my decorations so far! I am sure that I may buy some more within the next few weeks. Thank you for reading this.

 

#PrayForParis

Hello everyone. I had a blog post planned for today but I didn't feel it was right to post it today. I will hopefully have it up for tomorrow.

This isn't exactly a blog post but I wanted to simply acknowledge the tragedy that happened in Paris yesterday. 

Rest in peace to those who died in the tragic events last night. My thoughts go out to the victims, survivors and their loved ones. What happened last night was way beyond religion. I hope one day John Lennon's wish for a peaceful world will be true. 

Paris, my thoughts are with you during this incredibly hard time. x

• Winter ❄️ || Why it is my favourite season •

Winter. It is by far my favourite season.

That sensation of the cool, crisp air blowing in your face making the colour of your cheeks turn a light, rosy tone. The cosy feeling of wearing a big jacket along with other layers underneath. The fog being visible as you take a breath. The feeling of warmth as you hold a hot mug in between your hands, savouring the heat of your tea or any other hot drink.

Sure, the wind and rain may make you feel miserable when being out in it, but once you are home with the warmth of a fire going, you suddenly forget that it is awful outside. Once you go to bed, all tucked up and hear the wind and rain patter against the window, you smile to yourself knowing that you are cosy and warm.

The atmosphere of joy and delight amongst the busy streets as people prepare for the holiday season. Busy shoppers, Christmas lights and happy faces. Seeing the festive colours everywhere. That Christmas spirit is clearly visible throughout and it is truly magical.

The best part, however, is the time that is spent with family. Saturday night television, Christmas films and talking about your day. All sat together whilst the fire is on. Having a laugh and smiling.

That is why I love the winter season.

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I hope you enjoyed this very different post I put together. To me, this is what winter is all about. It makes me feel calm and relaxed, even though it is such a busy time of year. Thank you for reading my blog.

• Ways to Destress •

Hello and happy Friday! I hope you are all having a great evening. If some of you haven't seen my last blog post, I just want to say I am very sorry for neglecting this blog. I also want to say that I decided to change my url because I felt that IsMissCaoimhe did not catch on as much as I thought it would. Faith-Trust-PixiieDust reminds me greatly of my childhood due to my obsession with Peter Pan. I've missed blogging and I will be posting once a week from now on. Let's get on with the post! 

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With the months flying by, I feel that this time of year can be stressful for everyone. Christmas is fast approaching which can be quite a busy time of year. I have had so many assignments and I will have tests coming up and I am sure this is the case with a lot of people around this time of year. I have been doing some activities to destress and get those anxiety levels down. 

Note: I am no expert in this area. I am still learning how to deal with anxiety and stress. I am a seventeen year old and I just want to share how I destress.

• Express how you are feeling •

It is very important to let out how you are feeling, whether you do it through talking it out, writing, singing - whatever makes you feel comfortable. Bottling up feelings is not a good thing to do. I guarantee you once you have let out your feelings, you will have a weight lifted off of your chest.

• Drink some tea •

I have always associated tea with relaxing and when I am having a bad day, tea is something that makes me feel ten times better. In the evening time I recommend drinking a decaffeinated tea or some herbal tea. Caffeine can actually keep you up during the night if you drink it a few hours before you go to bed, which is not good if your anxiety and stress levels are high. If you are a massive tea drinker like myself ( and everyone that is Irish haha ) I recommend Robert Roberts decaf tea. It tastes exactly like any good tea except it does not contain any caffeine.

• Go for a walk •

Taking a walk can be very calming. Being surrounded by nature and taking in fresh air can really clear your head. Plus if you are an Instagram addict, you can take some cool pictures to make your feed on point.. but in all seriousness, going out for a walk can be the key to clearing your head.

• Listen to music, read a book - do whatever you love to make yourself feel better •

This is key for me! I absolutely love reading and it helps me feel much better about my worries. Listening to music can also be very calming for me. I have a blog post up called My Less Stress Playlist which is very helpful and calming. Do whatever it is you love doing and that you know will make you feel happier.

• Buy a colouring book! •

This may sound very silly but it honestly works. I have read so many things online about people buying colouring books for adults and I felt that maybe that would be a good thing to invest in. I was walking through Tiger one day and I saw one there for around €4 and I had to buy it. It was a really good investment. It is a great way to unwind after a long day. 

• Calm Breathing •

This is definitely a great way to destress. I downloaded an app called MindShift. There is a section in this app when you can go into relaxation tools and go into calm breathing. You can either click a male or female voice and it talks you through breathing exercises. This helps me immensely. If you feel any bit anxious during the day, find a quiet space and use this app. It is so helpful.

I hope this post was helpful to at least one person. I know these things seem really basic but honestly sometimes the simplist things are overlooked. Leave a comment if you have any tips on feeling calmer and less stressed.

Thank you for reading this post! ❣

Caoimhe xo

• I'm Back + Some Changes.. •

Hello! It's been over two months since I last posted on this blog. How crazy! 

I've missed blogging so much. College has been very hectic. I've had so many assignments and a lot of study to do. I haven't had time to come up with the content I wanted to put up on this blog, which sucks. I decided, however, it was wrong to cut out writing on here. I believe that I should allocate some time to post on here on the weekends.

Also,I have been doing a lot of thinking and I decided to change the url of my blog to faith-trust-pixiiedust. I just like that name much better than IsMiseCaoimhe and it reminds me of my childhood as I was obsessed with Peter Pan. 

I will try to post once a week on here. I love having an outlet to discuss whatever I want and I do not want to abandon this blog. I am looking forward to writing more on here. Sorry again for the abandonment and I hope you will continue to read my blog.

Thanks for reading ❣