Ambiance Clothing

I don’t know if you have those periods, maybe it’s just me, where you’re tired of everything. University has been killing you and work is an absolute disaster, you are exhausted af. But I have a few methods that might help you cope with this feeling and get your life back on track, they might not solve everything, and if you’re really in a dark place then you might want to talk to. But if you just want a quick fix, then I’m here for you.

Sleep, sleep a lot

This may feel a bit straight-forward, but sometimes it feels like you can’t sleep until you’ve finished all your tasks. But sleeping, even it feels like you don’t have the time, can really help. After a good, long night of sleep, you’ll be able to be more productive than when you’re barely sleeping.

If you can’t manage to sleep a lot at night then you can resolve to take a short nap during the day. Even a 20-minute power nap during your lunch break can give you a lot of extra energy, you should give it a try sometime.

Write everything down

When all the things you still have to do are just floating around in your head then it can feel like a lot more than it really is, so write them down. Creating a list will probably show you that it’s not all that bad. And then you can start working down that list with more peace of mind.

Yoga or meditation

This may not be for everyone, but for me, it can really help. An hour-long yoga session or even just 10 minutes of meditation can really calm me down and give me more energy to do the things I need to do. You could try yoga with one of the many videos available on Youtube or download one of the many meditation apps. Starting is so easy, and it could really make a difference.

Accept the way things are right now

I know, I know, this is easier said than done, but you can at least try. Perhaps you failed a test or you missed a deadline, it’s not the end of the world, things will turn out alright. When you accept the way things are then you might finally find the room for a little bit of peace and take some much-needed rest. You’ll feel much better after this.

What of these things do you do when you’re exhausted and which other things help you? I know that I can use all the tips that I can get 🙂

During fall I love to partake in as many typical fall activities as I have time for, and as my wallet allows since I am also just a university student. So, I need to go and find the most fun activities for fall that do not rob me of all my money, and I’ve found a couple fun things you can also do this fall, things that you can do with your friends, your partner or your family.

Visit a museum

Now I know this isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but a museum doesn’t have to be an art museum. You could visit a science museum or a history museum for example. Another benefit is that students will often get a discount when visiting the museum, so it’s even cheaper than it already was. And if the museum bores you, then you can always enjoy some coffee in the cafeteria 😉

Go for a walk in the forest

Nature is rarely more beautiful than during fall when all the leaves turn color. I don’t know about you but I can spend hours admiring all trees when walking through a forest, or park if you live in a big city. It doesn’t cost you any money whatsoever, and you can end your walk by getting some hot chocolate at a café or at home if you’re on a very tight budget.

Make your own Halloween costume

With all the tutorials available on Youtube, it shouldn’t be a problem to find a costume you like and recreate for a lot less money. When you’re with a group you can even do a group costume, or a couple costume when it’s just you and your partner. Trust me that you’ll be able to find any costume you want to recreate online, and if you have no idea yet, then there are plenty of videos and websites to get some inspiration

Movie and snacks night

If you don’t really feel like going out, which I understand when it gets really cold, then this is a good option. Gather your partner or your friends and spend a night indoors making your own delicious snacks and watching your favorite horror movies or romantic comedies. It won’t cost you any money but it will be a lot of fun, trust me. You can find my favorite horror movies here, and you want some snack inspiration then leave a comment 🙂

Visit flea markets and thrift shops

There are relatively way more flea markets during fall, so grab your chance! Yes, you will be spending money, but most things are cheap so it’s better than regular shopping. Plus, this is your chance to score some awesome Christmas gifts without spending a lot of money, so ultimately you’ll be saving money

What ideas seem the most fun to you? I personally will try to do as many of these as is possible to have a fun and cheap fall 🙂

 

 

I would like to start this blog post with a note, which is that I won’t be posting a weekly blog post anymore but once every two weeks. If you follow my blog then you might notice that I haven’t managed to post weekly, just because university is a lot of work and I have less time. But you can expect to still find a blog post once every two weeks

Now onto the fun part, starting with the fact that’s it’s October and we only have 26 days left till Halloween! Now I am from the Netherlands, where Halloween officially isn’t a thing, but it has become more and more popular over the years. I’ve celebrated Halloween annually for quite some years now, which also includes watching horror movies. I am a horror fan, so the dawn of October is the perfect excuse for rewatching all my favourite horror movies. Let me inspire you with some personal and possibly unknown favourites.

The skeleton key

This movie starring Kate Hudson never got much attention or praise, which I find unfair. Now I have to admit that not all the critics and reviews were positive, but personally, it’s my favourite movie.

This movie tells the story of Caroline who starts a new job as a nurse to a terminally ill man, Ben, who lives with his wife Violet. She receives a skeleton key, which opens all the doors in the house but the attic. As you can expect the plot has something to do with this attic and some hoodoo is involved. It’s terrifying but brilliant, trust me.

The silence of the lambs

This movie doesn’t have the jump scares you sometimes want in a horror movie, but it sure is unsettling. It’s an older movie, 1991 to be precise, so don’t expect too much from the visuals.

The movie tells the story of Clarice, an FBI trainee, who talks to Dr. Hannibal Lecter, an imprisoned cannibalistic serial killer, to get advice on finding another serial killer Buffalo Bill. You’ve probably heard about this movie before, but if you haven’t seen it then you should now, it’s a work of art.

Let the right one in

You may think vampires are lame after Twilight, but this Swedish masterpiece is completely different. I believe this movie is not so much scary as an artistic masterpiece.

You will follow Oskar, who develops a friendship with his neighbour Eli, who isn’t what he thinks she is. Spoiler, she’s a vampire. But the movie is not so much about that, but more about the underlying message of two lonely souls connecting. Watch it, do it in Swedish, and stay away from the American remake Let me in.

Cabin in the woods

I wouldn’t necessarily say this is the scariest movie ever, but it sure has a surprising end. This movie starts out as a really cliché ‘Teens go to a cabin in the woods and all die’ story, but it ends in a way you could never predict.

I remember being in shock the entire second half of the film and just loved how quick this movie went from ‘boring and cliche’ to ‘what am I even looking at’.

So, are you going to watch any of these videos? I will for sure be rewatching some of them. What are your favourite horror movies? I still need some inspiration to get through October so please help me out

Something you might have noticed if you’ve been following my blog for a while is that many of my posts are related to what my life looks like at the moment and how I am dealing with that. This post is no exception. So, while I am still trying to figure out how I all manage it, maybe you can get some ideas from what I’ve found and perhaps you’ve got some good suggestions for me.

Meditation

I’ve meditated for a couple of years now and I tend to do it each morning, but university life was so hectic that I just couldn’t make it happen. Now I am determined to start again because I know it makes a huge difference. Meditating each morning or evening gives you a chance to clear your head, which is just what you need when you have a lot of things on your mind

Set aside time for yourself

I know that some days this feels like it’s totally impossible but I can assure you that there is some time that you can spend on yourself doing whatever you like. This time can be spent on calling a friend, watching a movie or reading your favorite book. Whatever helps you relax is fine, half an hour each day is enough.

Try to eat healthily

With all the partying you might want to do, or the study snack you might be craving, eating healthy all the time is just not fun. But it is a good idea to try and eat healthy most of the time, then you’ll be able to afford a pizza once in a while without gaining weight and feeling sick. Good food will give you more energy to study and do all the things you love as well.

Exercise

I know that I have a lot less time to exercise now then I did last year, but I still try to do it as many times as possible. Exercising is good for you, it gives you a lot of energy and it can be fun when you choose the right thing to do. Why would you now want to do it?

It doesn’t even have to be expensive to exercise as well, there are many things you can do at home, like yoga, or outside, like running.

Make the most of planning

Anyone who reads this blog knows how big I am on planning, and I need it now more than ever. So, I would definitely recommend you to get a planner and use it to know when you have social activities, when you have assignments due and when you have other stuff to take care. You will be a lot less stressed out when you know what is coming your way.

Get enough sleep

This is one thing I struggle with quite a bit, but I always notice how good it feels when I do get enough sleep. So I would recommend you to try and always sleep enough, even if that means taking a nap in between lectures, there’s nothing wrong with that if it keeps you going for the rest of the day.

Of course, there are many more tips, but then this is going to be too long. Perhaps I will write a part 2 at some point when I found my own sanity back. For now, I would love to hear any tips that you guys have. I am most curious

I’ve been gone from the blog for a little while, which is all of because of the topic of this blog. Moving out and starting university took up a lot of time, but now things are starting to settle down I will have more time again.

I’ve only really lived on my own for a couple of weeks, regardless I’ve run into a lot of things that I found worth sharing. So stay tuned and find out what it’s like to live on your own for the very first time.

You’re going to be a lot more aware of the mess you make

I don’t know about you, but my mom used to clean up the kitchen all the time, so usually, I wouldn’t bother to. Now that I have to clean up everything myself each drop I spill is one too many. I am continually realizing that I am the only one who is going to clean stuff up, so you’re going to be more careful, trust me.

Living on your own costs a lot of time

It’s obvious that living on your own is expensive compared to living with your parents, everyone knows that, but it also costs a lot of extra time. I knew that it would cost me some time, but I didn’t expect it to cost this much time. You’ll have to clean, do your laundry, do groceries and cook (just kidding I never cook). All of this will slowly add up to cost more time than you anticipated.

You won’t be alone, like ever

Many people are scared to move out because they will be alone since they are not surrounded by family anymore, but trust me you won’t. If you’re going to university you will have to fight for your alone time. I’ve never spent as much time with people as I have the past few weeks so I wouldn’t worry about that too much if I were you.

You’re in full control of everything

My mom never gave me many rules anyhow, so I have to admit that the difference wasn’t that big. But getting to determine absolutely everything is still a lot of fun. A couple of examples are that you’ll only have the food you love, you get to come home as late as you want to and you’re in full control of your schedule.

Now I would love to know, do you already live on your own or are you trying to? Have you experienced anything remarkable or do you have any tips? Please let me know!

 

 

As much as we do not want summer to be over, soon enough all of us students will be stuck in the school building once again. For me, this is an extra exciting year since I am starting my first year at the university. Although I haven’t been through that yet and I wouldn’t know how to prepare in the best way, after 6 years of secondary school I can give you a few tips on that.

Time your back-to-school shopping

There are two times that are ideal for back-to-school shopping, which one is the best depends on what you find the most important. The first option is to go back-to-school shopping in the early days of summer. This is when all the good stuff is still in stock.

Another option is to go when the year has already started. Some stuff may be gone, but the prices have probably lowered drastically. So if you’re looking for a good bargain then this is when you should do it.

See a new class as a new opportunity

Perhaps you’re starting your new school year with all your friends from previous years, which can be very comforting. On the other hand, sometimes you start the year with all these classmates you’ve never met. It can be quite daunting, I won’t lie to you.

On the other hand, you can see a new group of people as a new opportunity. Here you can be whoever you want, start fresh. And if you are scared then you should just remind yourself that everyone is just as scared as you.

Do all the research you can do

Being prepared is half of the work, as we tend to say. If you want to avoid the possibility of looking like a fool, then know your stuff. Research new classes you’ll be taking, learn the names of your teacher’s and learn the map of your new school. All these things will make you feel a lot more secure.

Skim your books

I know that you would like to avoid this tip as much as possible, but I am not asking you to read the books, just skim them. Sort of knowing what the first lessons will be about can be very helpful. Perhaps you find a topic that you find particularly interesting and you’ve already started doing some research.

When you follow these tips then I can assure you that you will start the school year feeling more prepared and more confident, which is the best way to start the school year. If you want to find even more tips to excel in school then you should definitely check out my ebook here!

It’s still blazingly hot in the Netherlands, but that doesn’t mean that we should stop having fun. We should be using this time to do the 10 activities that I have gathered which are ideal for hot summer days. You’ll be having fun working with the heat instead of against it. So let’s start with all of these fun activities.

Have a day at the beach or the pool

Let’s begin with getting the obvious out of the way because everyone knows that the beach or a pool is the best place to be on these hot days. You have constant access to cooling down and you can work on your tan.

You can fill this one in however you like. It can be a girl’s day with cocktails in a beach bar, a romantic beach picknick with your boyfriend or a day at the local pool with your family. Or do all three of them, it’s not like the heat is going anywhere.

Visit a waterpark

When you want to take a pool day to the next level, then you need to visit a waterpark. You are never too old to go to a waterpark, they are just too much fun. You can go swimming, try all the slides or tan in the summer sun. You are bound to have a lot of fun.

See a movie at the cinema

A movie doesn’t sound like a very summertime thing to do, but there are few places cooler than the cinema. If you want to escape the heat for a while, then this is where you want to go. You can enjoy a movie, a snack and the coolness of a good air conditioning.

Get ice-coffee or ice cream

Who doesn’t love ice-coffee and ice cream? I wouldn’t be able to think of someone. So take whoever you want to spend the day with to a place where they have one of these cold and delicious desserts to cool down a bit. Have a talk, enjoy the cold food and the afternoon will be over before you know it.

Read with your feet in water or ice

Reading is a very relaxing thing to do when it’s hot, it takes very little effort. It feels even better when you’ve got cold feet because cold feet will make your entire body cool down. So, sit outside and dip your feet in a bucket of cold water, or of ice, depends on how cold you like it.

Have a water fight with your family or friends

Getting your physical activity in when it’s this hot outside feels impossible, but a water fight is a good option. You’ll probably be running around, so you’ll get your cardio, and you’ll be cooling down from all the water that’s hitting you. On top of this, you’ll have some quality time with the people you love. It’s a triple win for you.

Nap outdoors

I don’t know about you, but the heat makes me feel very drowsy, so all I want to do is sleep. Sleeping is very good for you, so why don’t you try to take a nap in the beautiful outdoors. It will probably be cooler outside when you don’t have an AC. Make sure to nap in the shadow, otherwise, you might wake up like a lobster

Go indoor ice skating

If you want to be cool, then you should hit the ice. It won’t be far as busy on these ice skating rinks than it is during winter. In the Netherlands, some ice rinks won’t be open during the summer, but if you’re lucky enough to find one that is, then you should definitely go.

Have a cocktail party

So, I did this the other night, and it was so much fun! Perhaps a bit too fun but that’s beside the point. Cocktails are typically cold drinks, with plenty of ice, so you will be able to cool down while enjoying the drink. You can get really creative with these cocktails and think of your own recipes, it guarantees a night of fun.

Have a carwash

If you want to make some money with the help of your younger siblings and cousins, then this is what you need to do. You can ask people in your neighborhood whether you can wash their cars for a small fee. The continue spraying of a hose will make sure that all of you get wet and cool down.

 

I don’t know about you, but the Netherlands is blazingly hot right now, and it’s only getting worse. Since we are not used to this kind of weather, it’s a shock, and work seems harder than ever.

To get through the heatwave, I’ve come up with some of my best tips to make it through the day. With these tips, you won’t be overheated and you can enjoy these summer days, while still getting done what you need to get done.

Water is your best friend!

You’ve heard it hundreds of times before: Drink enough water! Eveon though you know this damn well, I’ll repeat it for you one more time so you don’t forget. Make sure that you always have a water bottle with you, preferably with some ice cubes in it, and drink from it.

Besides drinking water, you should also use it to cool yourself. Splashing some water in your face in the bathroom, or emptying a water bottle above your head, it all works to cool yourself down immediately.

Don’t have air conditioning? Get a fan!

In the Netherlands, most houses don’t have AC, simply because it doesn’t get hot here very often. But when it does get hot, a fan can already help you stay cool. I have one in my room, otherwise, I wouldn’t even be able to sit here

I recommend you to get one as well, it will make you feel a lot better, I ensure you

Avoid bulky and filling meals

If you’re anything like me then you won’t feel like eating at all with this kind of weather, but if you do then you should try to eat light meals.

Rich food, especially with a lot of protein, can speed up your metabolism, which then makes you exert extra heat. If there’s anything you want to avoid right now then it’s exerting extra geat, so stick to a summer salad.

Ice compress your neck

If there is one spot on your body then you really want to keep cool it’s your neck, and a great way to do this is by putting an ice compress in your neck.

When you don’t have an ice compress you can always freeze a towel and put it on your neck. You will certainly feel a lot cooler within no time

How hot is it where you live and how are you beating the heat right now? I’d love to know what your best tips are 🙂

Summer is the time that many of us have a lot more free time than we usually do, and this is a great thing! This means that you have time to do all of the fun things that you can’t seem to make room for when you’re always working or studying.

Perhaps you already have a bucket list in your mind, or you have no idea where to start. It doesn’t matter because after reading this you will know exactly what you still want to do this summer. So let’s get to the fun part of this blog!

Reinvent your look

If you always buy the same kind of clothes and you’ve been rocking the same old hairstyle for three years then it is time to try something different.

You can:

• Get your hair dyed
• Spend a day at the mall trying all kinds of clothes you would never try
• Ask one of your friends for a make-over
• Try some Youtube make-up looks

Not only will all of this be a lot of fun, you may also develop a new style that you are totally in love with.

Visit a music festival

Festival season is happening right now, and why wouldn’t you want to participate? It doesn’t matter if you visit three festivals all-weekend or one free festival for a day, as long as you have fun. Festivals are a great way to enjoy music, the good weather and playing dress-up with all that fringe and glitter. I know that I always love visiting a festival.

Go on a girls only trip

You could fill this in whatever way you want to. Perhaps you want to go on a road trip along the west coast of the USA, or you’re more thinking of a week in Ibiza. The only rule is that it’s girls only, and if you want to get truly crazy then it is even more fun when it’s single girls only 😉

Learn something new

Yes, this is a generic tip, which is why you can choose to do what this tip what you want. You can take some cooking lessons and impress your upcoming dates, you can learn how to write an amazing novel or you could even follow a workshop in Burlesque!

Fulfil your craziest dreams and learn something that you always wanted to be able to do, or know. Now is your time to develop yourself.

Go out all by yourself

Of course, it’s important that you’re safe when doing this, so don’t drink too much and make sure someone knows where you are at all times.

If you’ve got that figured out then it can be incredibly exciting, but also a little scary, to go out by yourself. If you’re the kind of girl who likes a hook-up now and then, then you’ll love all the attention that you get as a girl in a club or bar all by yourself. Or perhaps you don’t like it at all, you can always go home, it’s definitely something to experience.

Throw an amazing BBQ with all your friends

Nothing screams summer like a good ol’ BBQ, so I had to include it in this list. You can keep it simple, or you can go all out for once. Get the best meat from an actual butcher and search the internet for some delicious salad recipes.

If you want to upgrade your BBQ party even further then you can make sure that you have some kind of pool in your garden, whether that is a deep built-in pool or small inflatable pool.

Stay in all day to watch Netflix

I don’t know about you, but I usually feel guilty when I watch too much Netflix while I should actually be doing work, so a marathon is just not going to work. Summer is a completely different time though, a lot more time mostly. This is the perfect period for that all-day Netflix marathon where you don’t even get dressed and eat a lot of take-out food. You are allowed to treat yourself now and then.

Score some insta-worthy pics

Even if you stayed in all summer watching movies and eating ice cream, your followers are allowed to think that you went on all these crazy adventures. So take one day, put together a lot of outfits, gather your girlfriends, and travel all across town to take some of your best pictures. You will have a lot of fun and enough Instagram photo’s for the coming months.

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So, which of these bucket list items are you planning to do this summer? I would love to hear which ones speak to you to the most 🙂

Don’t forget to share this post if you liked it and follow me on my social media to always be updated and see much more of my work!

As I sit here staring at my screen and organizing what I am going to write in my mind, I know that I’ve come a long way. There are always ideas popping up in my mind on what I can do next. It is 5:30am on a Saturday and while the rest of my family sleeps I am pounding away on my laptop. I drink a cup of coffee and I periodically watch the news that is always on while I’m working. Work? I know I used that word, but I don’t consider it work because I love what I’m doing. I love blogging.

If You Don’t, No One Else Will

No one is going to tell you what you need to do to be successful unless you purchase their time. No one will show you how they make 6-figures in a year unless you buy their how-to videos or subscribe to their pricey marketing plans. If you have money for their services then, by all means, buy them. It will probably save you some time gaining all that knowledge, but it won’t drive traffic to your blog, vlog, or any of your social accounts. You must put in the work.

My blog, DIYerfy.com had been active for 3 years before I decided in December 2017 that I wanted it to be successful. I had a subscriber list and I blogged here and there, but I had no real traffic. No one came to my website because I was extremely inconsistent with it. I had no online presence that represented my blog to the world. So, I made myself a promise. I dedicated every morning before work to my blog. I posted a new article on a weekly basis. For the first few months, I didn’t see much movement or success. But I knew that I had to take charge. I had to be the one to make my blog a success because no one else would unless I had a ton of money to pay them to do it.

The Importance of the Blog Family

Slowly I started building my online presence through some of the channels I really love such as Twitter and Pinterest. I opened an Instagram account, but I have a love/hate relationship with Instagram and I am still figuring out the “Insta crowd.” I started following other likeminded bloggers that focused on family, crafts, and other things that aligned with my own blog. Why? Because their fans can easily become my fans. I started to interact with them on Twitter and Instagram, liking their posts and responding to their comments. I started to make some friends. I then started to follow anyone on Twitter. Why? Because the internet isn’t going to “find you” for people, you need to find the people. You never really know if someone is interested in what you have to offer unless you put yourself or your product in front of them. It’s like fishing, you must throw out the bait and hope to catch a fish.

The more time I spent on social media, the more I learned. I read blog post after blog post about how other people became successful through things like affiliate marking, creating printables, selling their success stories, and working with brands (to name a few). I was frustrated because they always wanted to sell you something at the end. I felt cheated. I felt like they were fishing for me and if I take the bait, it would cost me hundreds of dollars in exchange that I didn’t have. It was then that I learned about having a blog family and the importance of collaborating with other bloggers. I started to get involved with link parties, commenting and following other bloggers, and opening my own blog for guest posts. This increased my own exposure to other people who follow their blogs as well because I get to leave my own footprint on their blogs with a guest post.

Playing the Social Media Game

One of the most important things you can do as a blogger is to stay engaged. As soon as you walk away from social media, people start to forget you. This is not to say that you’ll lose your “blog family” but that people that followed your feeds will unsubscribe because you are inactive. They may start to think that you are no longer there. Like many other bloggers, I subscribe to an auto-posting service to keep my online presence going even when I’m taking a little break from social media. Two of my favorites are Tailwind and Crowdfire and both have free accounts as well as paid subscription offers. Why use a service? What if you don’t have that much content on your blog? Both options allow you to post content from other blogs and websites. Crowdfire allows you to add your own feeds (to Tweet) and Tailwind allows you to join a “Tribe” which a group of people who collaborate and repin (on Pinterest) each other’s blog posts.

When you schedule social media posts, you can usually schedule days out. You can fill time slots when most of your subscribers are online with content. It doesn’t have to be your own content all the time. I like to mix it up with content from other sites as well as content from my own site. Just think about it for a second. Are you really going to be on Twitter every hour of every day to check in with content? Are you really going to have a picture ready to go several times a day for Instagram? Probably not unless you’ve dedicated all hours of the day to build your brand. Another important part of the social media game is hashtags (#). Use them! Follow others that will repin or retweet your social media posts, they help with your reach. In exchange, give them a shout out and some love, ok?

Stay Focused and Blog

Blogging isn’t for everyone because it really is time-consuming and lonely. There’s a lot of pieces to it that you must keep active all at the same time. As the internet grows and as social media channels continue to change algorithms and terms of service, you’ll have to adapt and change as well. Your most valuable asset will be your own email list and you should work to build that up. It can be very lonely and at times you may think that no one is reading your blog. The important things are to stay focused, keep to your schedule, and make some blogger friends. Be courteous and keep in mind that they aren’t your competition, they are friends and you can use this friendship to build up your own website while you are helping to build up theirs. Lastly, keep up with social media and if you can’t dedicate hours to it, get a scheduler to help you out.

Finally, stay positive because there’s always little milestones to overcome and there is light at the end of the blogging tunnel.

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Bio:

Alice V is a blogger at www.diyerfy.com. She writes about crafts, preschool activities, home décor, home improvement, weight loss, family adventures and local tourism in Southern California. She has many interests in life including astronomy, cooking, painting, and creating while having fun with her family.