Long Distance Relationship- What I've learnt

It's the 1st of August and I'm so happy. 

Firstly because I have just got my first ever proper pay check  (shopping time!!), and secondly, I'm so proud and happy that there is one month less until I see my boyfriend again.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my boyfriend moved to Australia for 5 months to partake in a study abroad. Having experienced long distance with him before, I live in Ireland and he lives in London so every Summer, Christmas etc we are apart, I was semi prepared for what's to come. But this time, when he is halfway across the world and I know, no matter what, I can't see him until December has made things a lot different.

Whether you are about to experience it, currently experiencing it, or have in the past, the hardness of long distance relationships cannot be ignored. I want to share with you my own personal story of my LDR. My experiences, thoughts and advice, and I would love for you to share yours with me too.

I hope this brings you comfort in some way...

If you are and your partner are willing to go through a long distance relationship, it is clear you love each other. So in terms of breaking up, love is never a problem, however, growing apart is.
I can't stress enough how important communication is. It seems like an obvious one, and it is, but the power of it cannot be  underestimated.
In LDR's it's very likely your life is a lot different without your partner, whether it be because you have adjusted to life without them, or new experiences and opportunities have been thrown your way. Therefore, it is so important to ensure you both communicate so you are still part of each other's lives and you don't grow apart. Whether it be messaging or sending photos on Whatsapp, writing letter or emails, or Skyping, it is so important to always make time for one another.

Whether you live together or thousands of miles apart fights  are inevitable. There will be hard days, but it's about working through the fights and not giving up because you know when you see them again in the future it will all be worth it. It's emotionally frustrating you can't be together, you ask 'Why me?', and this frustration can cause a lot of fights. To put it simply, sometimes when we are fighting with our loved one, in a LDR we feel the closest to them because fights show you care about each other. But this isn't a healthy way to deal with things. Although fighting to a degree is normal, petty fights are not. Instead, turn your emotional frustration to a simple message saying 'I miss you' or a quick Skype session just to hear their voice again.

It's also still so very important to celebrate the milestones and be proud of what you are trying! I know a lot of couples who break up when they move to another city 1 hour down the road. I'm not saying the relationship will work out, but I think the fact you are trying a LDR is amazing! The love you both must have for each other really shows so never stop celebrating this.

I'm not sure how many of these posts I will do, let me know if you would like more on my journey. Also I think it is important to note that I am 100% not saying follow these tips to a perfect LDR. Every experience is different, and this is mine. I really want mine to work, but in reality, it may not, so talking to you guys about this is a big deal. Whether my LDR works or not, I am so proud at 20 years old I have met someone who is willing to wait for me and me them.

Let me know if you enjoyed this post or have any thoughts, comment, tweet, DM or share this post.
And to all you who are in a LDR right now, be proud because what you are doing is amazing.

Much love,
Those Young Years x
@thoseyoungyears

Behind the scenes- The ups and downs

It's so obvious and I can't lie to you all that recently the frequency of my blog posts have been poor to say the least. But if I'm honest life just got in the way.

It's incredible how much can change can happen in such a short space of time, it's almost as if as soon as you get comfortable in your situation life decides 'Nope, get up off your ass, appreciate what you have, take challenging opportunities and beat any difficulties I throw at you'. Well at least that's what it feels like for me.
My last blog post was in June, so let me tell you a little about what has happened within the past month behind the scenes of this blog into my life:

Exams

 I hate exam season. Everyone is stressed so tempers are running high and there is nothing more you want than no responsibilities for a day so you can just chill out and watch some Netflix without feeling guilty.
Thankfully, my hard work did pay off and I got my results last week and passed all my exams with a high 2:1, yipeee!

Holiday

I was lucky enough to be able to go to the beautiful Santorini in Greece, with my boyfriend mid-July after my exams. I will do another blog post to follow on this, but it was beautiful, fun and amazing.

Placement

After a gruelling process all year I was fortunate enough to land myself a year placement within one of the largest corporations in the world. This means a year out of uni, working a real job at a real company (which means a real salary, HELLOOO TopShop). So far it has been amazing, but don't get me wrong still getting used to the 6:45am alarm and the commute everyday. I love my bed too much!

Moving house

As I am now working and taking a year out of uni I have also had to say goodbye to my old housemates (I love you guys!), and welcome with open arms my new ones.

Long distance relationship (LDR)

Although all the above are positive experiences in my life, this one is not so much. As I mentioned in my post 'Life's harsh truths; Everyone's battle' which you can click here to view, I have been mentally preparing for a situation I could have never have actually been ready for...Today my boyfriend moved to Australia for 5 months. Obviously I am immensely proud of him and 100% support him in following his dreams, but I cannot deny that this news also saddens me. Long distance relationships are hard and take alot of work. The future is uncertain and, is it bad to say I miss him already after a measly 7 hours? This situation is just hard, but I'm hoping that with a new job, being incredibly busy and having new housemates to hangout with that time will fly.

I am finding the sudden realisation of the fact he is gone hard and I would really appreciate to hear from you guys. Have you ever been in a LD relationship? How did it work out? Do you have any advice?

As I said in my About Me section, I want this to be a friendly, loving community which we can support and help each other on, so let's do exactly that!

As you can see, this month has been full of changes, and although I love writing this blog (and I hope you love reading it), I realised I had to focus on my future in exams and preparing for placement, aswell as making the most of the time I had left with my boyfriend.

So share with me your experiences below by commenting, share with any friends you know possibly dealing with a LD relationship or even direct message me on twitter @thoseyoungyears and I will be chuffed to read and reply to what you have to say. I hope you can understand my absence, but I promise from this day, there will be ALOT more content from me.

Much love,

Those Young Years

x

Girlfriend on her period? The do's and don'ts

Well, it's that dreaded time of month again. It's something we can't avoid (and don't want to unless we want a baby), but oh my goodness, do we hate it.

There is the age long debate between males and females, what more painful, giving birth or being kicked in the male private parts? Well let us girls tell you, try going through the pain, both physically and emotionally, of mother nature every single month until you give birth! Not cool!
It's sore and it plays with our hormones making our emotions about as up and down as a rollercoaster! But we can't help it, we don't want to be tired 24/7 with sore tummy's and on the brink of crying approximately 70% of the time, so please be patient and understanding that this is a horrible week for us!
But fear not, partners (and even friends and family) to the PMSing girl, I have a bundle of advice which will save you from the crazy monster of a girlfriend. Follow my top 5 do's and don'ts of when your girl is on her period, and I can guarantee it will make your life a hell of alot easier ( and win you lots of brownie points!!)

1. Don't ask us too many questions on the period situation
We don't mind talking about it a little, but don't ask us any gory details, like 'how much blood is there?, Does the blood look different to normal blood?'. Quite frankly, having a period is painful, so asking us a million and one questions on the gruesome truth, will remind us of it, and the only way to get the pain out of our heads is to not think about it.
However, if you do want to ask us how we are feeling, if we need any medication or a cuddle, we will love that!!

2. Don't tease us!
It is a well known fact that the time of month does mess with our hormones making us extra sensitive making the possibility of a laugh turning into a cry extremely possible.
When you are bleeding from that area 24/7 for a whole week (sorry it's the truth), we feel disgusting about ourselves and extra bloated. Our self confidence has taken a hit, we don't feel as pretty as we should and we just want to crawl into our beds and not leave until the week is over. So try not to tease us, as there is a 99% chance we may take one of your comments to heart and get upset (or bite your head off), so beware!
To avoid this, it will mean the world to your girl to not approach any sensitive topics and try to give her a few simple complements like 'You look nice today!'

3. Don't deny us the right to stuff our faces
I don't know why, but periods make us just want to eat, eat and then eat some more. And when I'm talking about eating, I don't mean fruit or vegetables, I'm talking ice-cream, pizza and anything we shouldn't be eating.
So unless you want the look of death, don't even bother saying things like 'I thought you were on a diet', or 'Do you really need more ice-cream?'.  Like seriously, this is the worst mistake you could make. Instead, cuddle up on the sofa with us, order in pizza and dessert for afters and have a night full of movies, blankets, cuddles and not giving a s*** about that summer diet we were meant to be on!

4. Do come prepared
As I said above periods are painful, and in that week, we just want to lie in bed all day cradling our stomach. So nothing will make us happier if you bring a pack of painkillers and a big hot water bottle to us. Then as the drugs set in, a tummy rub while we watch TV will go down a treat and we'll be smiling again in no time.

5. Don't ask us if we are done bleeding yet

Really? You want to go there?

Trust us, this is more of a pain and inconvenience for us than it is you, so shut up. Secondly, you can't just turn it off, we definitely didn't decide so let this month's run on a few extra days. But since you aren't keen we'll get the magical fairy of mother nature to stop it for us, since its bothering you so much.

And there it is, my top tips for avoiding the crazy b***h of a girlfriend while she is on her period. Girl's make sure your boyfriends or girlfriends read this, so share, share and share again!

Comment below if you have any more top tips to help everyone, especially those boys who don't understand!!
Those Young Years,
x

@thoseyoungyears
www.facebook.com/thoseyoungyears

The road to recovery after burning my hair off!

In follow up to my 'Help! I burnt my hair off' blog post which you can view by clicking here, I am going to share with you the products and treatments I used, post haircut, to get my hair in healthy condition again (and keep it that way). All my products were bought in my local drugstores Superdrug or Boots, because who doesn't like to be rewarded with points to buy more lovely things with every purchase?!

Please note that this blog post is NOT sponsored, so everything I do tell you is my own honest opinion. 

Enjoy!

OGX Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil 100ml; Superdrug £6.99

Often referred to as 'liquid gold' I had to give Argan Oil a try after hearing all the hype, and I must say, it exceeded my high expectations! By putting a 20p size worth in my palms and rubbing it onto the ends of my hair, the oil left it much shinier, and even tamed my frizz giving me a new sleek healthy hair look! But most importantly, it has worked wonders for preventing and helping my split ends. The great thing about this product is how versatile it is, as it can be used on both wet and dry hair! I use this product most when I have just curled my hair and notice the ends are looking a bit dry, I simply rub a little onto my ends and it instantly makes them look thicker and healthier. Although one of the priciest, this is a product I could not do without, it's a must buy!

TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Control 230 Straightener; Superdrug £59.99

After my hair straightener fiasco, I sadly had to throw my expensive pair out as the protective coating was completely non-existent. As I sat staring at my hair which was either dead or full of horrific split-ends, I couldn't help but think, no wonder my hair has ended up in this condition. When it comes to strengtheners, we are exposing our lovely hair to around 200 degrees every day (if not more)! And on this thought, I decided I wanted a new pair of strengtheners which had various temperature settings so as I wasn't exposing my hair to 200 degrees as frequently. In light of this, I am in love with my new strengtheners, TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Control 230 Straightener, which have 3 temperature settings, and a protective coating which isn't eroded (bonus)!

Although I have thick, wavy hair naturally, due to being more informed on what I am exposing my hair to everyday, 90% of the time I use the lowest temperature setting, and it does the job perfectly! They are extremely quick in heating up, only a few seconds, and the

style stays in my hair longer than I could have hoped for on such a low heat! 

Although currently attached with a selling price of £59.99 in Superdrug, when I bought these they were on promotion at £34.99. Having originally set out to buy a cheap pair of straighteners, I probably would not have bought them at the current price, even though you do get 200 ml of Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray and a heat protection matt for free. However, if money is not a big issue, and you do want a good investment, they are good value for money, and paying the extra dollar is totally worth it! 

TRESemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray 200ml; Superdrug £2.72

Although I got this heat protection spray free with my straighteners (as mentioned above), it can be bought individually at Superdrug for only £2.72, a fairly average price for heat protection spray.  The spray does leave my hair feeling smooth and healthy. However, it is important to note that this product is currently on offer at this price, usually standing at £5.49 per 200ml. Unfortunately, I would not pay this amount of money for only 200ml, as other amazing heat defence sprays such as TRESemme Heat Defence Styling Spray can be bought at £4.99 per 300ml, and is currently on offer at £3.32.

After a shower, I towel dry my hair then give my damp hair a few sprits and brush through before blow drying. I also spray some on my hair before using styling irons, although make sure it has dried into your hair before applying heat as it can cause your hair to sizzle if not! Although I find both sprays good, there is no major difference in quality with the major difference in price. However, I have found heat defence spray a staple in keeping my hair in good condition and damage prevention, so I really recommend you get some!!

TRESemme Split Remedy Leave-In Treatment 125ml; Boots £5.75

My old strengtheners synged all my hair and left it dead and full of split ends, however, from the help of a flatmate, I was informed of this wonderful product! Although fairly expensive at £5.75, I definitely think it is worth the money. With the labelling stating an 80% reduction in split ends after 3 uses, from looking at my hair, I strongly believe it has reduced my number of split-ends significantly! I use the product after having washed my hair whilst it is damp. I use two pumps worth and rub them into my ends.  The treatment smells great, and doesn't leave your ends feeling greasy!

I have a lot of love for this product and will definitely be a repeat purchaser. This product is a must have if you want to have healthy hair, and are avoiding the hairdressers to keep or grow long locks!

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Conditioner 20ml; Superdrug £1.09

After my hair disaster I bought two packets of this product, and one packet of the colour protection version. With 3 small 20ml packets in hand, having never tried this product before, I didn't want to commit to a big bottle incase the product wasn't great (also they were on offer at 75p at the time!) 

If you are in a rush, or just want your hair to have an extra nice condition, 1-3 minutes is

sufficient. However, if you really want a deep condition to transform dry, damaged hair, leave it in as long as you can. Though make sure you have a shower cap at hand to allow you to do everyday things like sitting on a chair without getting product all over it! I have lots of friends who go to bed with the shower cap on and let the product work wonders over night!Having now tried the product (and fell in love), I would invest in the bottles available at £4.99 in Superdrug for 250ml, as I plan to use this product every 1-2 weeks to keep my hair in extra tip-top condition!

VO5 Give Me Moisture Hot Oil 4 x 15ml; Superdrug £4.29

I had always heard hot oil was great for repairing damaged hair, so in my hour of need I decided to test out this product. To use this product you put one of the oil tubes in hot water until the oil has warmed up, then rub it onto the ends of your hair and leave in for a minute (no longer or this can be very bad for your scalp) and I must admit the oil did give me the squeaky clean feeling! 

However, considering the price and the other products which I have tried I wouldn't purchase this product again unless I experienced another hair disaster. Although this product was good, it wasnt as amazing as the products mentioned above, so for me it'll be a while until my next repurchase!

My everyday big recommendations are argon oil, heat defence spray and the split-end remedy serum, alongside using the deep conditioner once a week! Using these products have given my hair new life, and I really believe products which keep your hair healthy, especially if you want to grow it and avoid the hairdressers scissors, are a worthwhile investment.

Now I want to hear your story!

Have you tried these products? Is there any other products you have found to be a life (or hair) saver?

Comment, email or tweet @thoseyoungyears and let me know! Don't forget to follow me on Google or give my new Facebook page, www.facebook.com/thoseyoungyears, a like if you enjoy what I write, I'll be forever grateful!!

 Much love,

Those Young Years

x

Life's harsh truths; Everyone's battle

This post may seem unorganised and like a huge jumble of words which are not making a lot of sense, and you are right, it probably doesn't. 

The truth is alot has happened within the past month, I've started exams, preparing for placement and I am dealing with something which I never expected or  could have ever prepared myself for. As much as I would love to tell you and get your lovely help and support, I'm just not ready yet. Although, hopefully with a few more weeks to digest the news, I do plan on sharing it with you, keeping you informed on the journey it will take me, discussing the topic with you and helping each other  who are in similar situations.
This blog was always going to be addressing some of the harsh truths in life, and this particular news has definitely taught me that sometimes it does seem like life can be cruel, throwing obstacles in your imaginary life plan which in your head seemed all so simple and beautiful. However, although it may seem like a painful complication now, I am a firm believer in that everything does happen for a reason. Sometimes it is important to remind ourselves that it may lead to greater happiness and love in the future, or things may not work out how you wanted them to, but if you allow it, it can help build you as a person and enable you to become stronger than you could have ever imagined.

"Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a battle of their own"

I find this quote to be comforting yet sad. Comforting because it's nice knowing you are not alone in over-coming hard situations every day. Sometimes, in our own sorrow, we look to other peoples 'perfect'  lives and wish that ours can only be half as easy as theirs. However, the sad truth is that, everyone IS facing their own battle, whether it be a battle within themselves, friends, family or relationships. It is important to know that nobody has the perfect life, some of us are just better at hiding it than others, so it is important that we execute kindness with everyone. If you know someone facing a hard situation, even if they do not wish to discuss it, a simple 'I'm here for you', can be all they need to hear. If they do want to talk, it's important to listen, be patient and understanding of their thinking or situation.

However, I'm definitely not one for negativity, and although I do love a good cry about sad things sometimes, I try not to let them get me down for too long. Next time your sad, even try and think of one thing your thankful for in your life, or a good thing which could come out of your situation. The latter may seem very difficult in some circumstances, and it is, but sometimes only time can help you realise these things. Has it taught you what you want in life, how you don't want to act towards others or made you appreciate the little things in life like the constant support of family and friends?

Although everyone is facing their own battle, always remember that life is beautiful, and when something kicks you down in life, take time to be sad if you need to, but as soon as you have cried everything out put on a song that makes you feel good then get back up and fight back even harder to make your life the best it can be!

Please let me know if you found this post comforting. Share it with others if you think it will help and don't hesitate to comment or direct message me on twitter @ThoseYoungYears if you have anything you would like to share. I ALWAYS look forward to reading your lovely comments!

Sending alot of love and happiness your way,
Those Young Years

x

Update: Good news everyone! I've joined Facebook! I'd greatly appreciate it if you gave facebook.com/thoseyoungyears  a like! I'll keep you up to date on blogposts, everyday life and anything I find on the big internet which I want to share x

Help! I burnt my hair off!!

Last week my absolute nightmare happened, my hair burned/ singed/ died. Whatever you want to call it, it wasn't good!

It all started in my final week in England before coming home for Easter. I was curling my hair as usual with my strengtheners, being extra careful spraying on the heat defence spray so it wouldn't burn (oh the irony), when mid curl I heard loud sizzling. With a burning smell and sizzling hair, I told myself I must have sprayed a little too much heat defence, making my hair damp, thus, causing the sizzling. So I left my hair for the night, gave it a wash to get rid of the slight burning smell (which was still present days later), and put the issue to the back of my mind.

A few days later, as I was going out for dinner I grabbed my straighteners to create some lovely waves. Once again, it happened. But this time, 100x worse. I heard my hair frying with an almighty hiss, but what really made me panic was the burning smell. I have NEVER smelt anything like it. And no matter how many times I washed it, it was still present a week later and no amount of perfume could mask the stench. I put the straighteners down and examined my hair, as I looked through it, my heart sank. Now girls (or guys trying for the long haired look or man-bun), nothing pains you more when you've spent months looking after your hair with extra protective serums and argon oil to try and grow it, when suddenly your hair is so burnt, it's split ends galore. And at that moment, I knew, that the longer hair I had so looked forward to and had been trying to grow was not happening. It was soul destroying.

As I looked through my hair further, at the front of my head, I found one section which had completely frazzled. And by frazzled I mean...my hair was dead. And before I knew it, in panic, I picked up the scissors and cut off the bit of hair. To be honest, it looked OK. It was in my top layer, so it didn't take any off my overall length, it just made a section of my layer a bit shorter.

At this point, I fully knew, the problem was in my strengtheners. These were expensive but old straighteners. The protective coating on the ceramic had worn off, making my hair fully exposed to 300 degrees heat (no wonder it burnt)! Although expensive, and a very well known brand, if I'm honest these straighteners had served me well over the years and had done there time. But I just wished they could have not burnt my hair in their final days and died another way! 

As I got talking to my University flatmate, telling her about my hair dilemma, she informed me that cutting your own hair with kitchen scissors can in fact cause more split ends, that I needed a hairdresser (top tip!).

The road to recovery...

Firstly, I threw my scissors in the bin. I wasn't making that mistake again! 

Secondly, I booked an appointment at the hairdressers, explaining to her my situation and thankfully she said only 1.5 inches needed to be taken off the length to remove the burnt split ends (I say ONLY 1.5 but it feels so much shorter now, but so much healthier!)
I should also mention, that I have not used any straighteners or form of heat on my hair since the burning, one week ago, and do not plan to again until next week. I feel my hair just needs a break!

Thirdly, I popped down to my local Superdrug and hunted the shelves....


*And here it is, the perfect time to insert my product reviews.
I will be reviewing 2 products I used to recondition my hair, comparing them, and telling you the truth in if they actually helped my hair!

Follow me on twitter @thoseyoungyears, subscribe by email or follow me on Google+ to hear more of the story continued (all links to the right-hand side of this page).Expect the product reviews within the next week!

Until then, let me know if this has ever happened to you and if there are any straighteners you would recommend?

Keep living and learning,
x

P's. Good news, he product review has been done!! Read which products I love, and those not so much by clicking here!

Handling the exam Season!

stress, Stress AND MORE STRESS

Although its Easter and I've never been happier to see the sun and have a break from University, anyone who attends school, sixth form or uni will know, although it's the Easter holidays, there is a catch. Exam season is fast approaching.
From when I started secondary school, it felt like any holiday I had (apart from Summer), was ruined by the upcoming exams. Yes, it's amazing to have two weeks off, but, suddenly the happiness gets slowly sucked out of you when you have 3 homework's due and 8 exams to revise for. On the bright-side, every student in the world feels your pain.
I often found myself internally angry at the education system, how could they ruin our holidays like this? So I'd forget about work, and enjoy my time off (even though the mountain of work was always on the back of my mind), and before I knew it, school started in 3 days and I had done nothing. Nightmare!
As I grew older I realised exam season didn't have to be this stressful, the key to it all was having a clear mind and an organised work schedule and place...

Step 1: A clear mind
Putting off work for the whole holiday and being constantly worried at the back of my mind about the mountain-load which was not decreasing, does not create a clear mind.

After a term of school, yes, we are entitled to a break. However, I realised for me it was best to dedicate a few days at the start of my holiday to not worrying about my workload, and concentrating on relaxing, clearing my head and enjoying myself. Because let's face it, after a term of early mornings and too many homework's, your brain does feel like mashed potato (Irish problems). I found that when I did then start my work 4 days later, due to actively dedicating a few days to no work, I didn't feel guilty. Therefore I had a fresh, ready to go mind, which made me more motivated and work harder after the 4 days of rest.

Step 2: The transition day- A day dedicated to preparation
It's the oldest trick of the book, taking a full day to write a revision timetable, to then realise you need the next day to buy stationary, then the day after you need to do this, this and this.... And before you know it, you've wasted 3 days on preparing to start, now your revision timetable is messed up and you're going to have to spend another day fixing it. Procrastination at its finest.
So instead, spend a morning writing a to do list for revision. One might look a bit like this;
*File block
*File dividers
*Coloured pens
*Highlighters
*Sticky notes
Then in the afternoon, go get all the stuff you need, write a revision timetable, then start your revision the next day. No excuses!

Step 3: The revision timetable 
Whether you organise your revision through time periods (2 hours of Biology revision), or topics (Finish topic 1 of Biology), find the method which suits you best in the time frame you have! Revision timetables are fun to make, and can be quite motivating. So make sure you are realistic in your goals, and I always find colour coding by subject helps!
Take breaks when you need to, there is no point revising for 3 hours straight but not being able to remember a thing because your brain is exhausted. And if you're like me, snack if it helps! Nothing makes me happier than a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit whilst revising.

Step 4: Get revising
Turn off all distractions (Facebook, Twitter etc), until

your revision is finished or you have earned a well deserved break. Drink lots of water and get cracking!
Being prepared and dedicating a few hours a day to revising means you can still do fun stuff throughout your holiday, it doesn't have to be stressful.  So good luck, and if the beautiful, shirtless photo of Ryan Gosling doesn't motivate you, I don't know what will!

Are you stressed about exams? Have you any other revision tips?
Comment and let me know!

Keeping living and learning,
X  

p.s. I've just got Twitter! Everyone follow me at @thoseyoungyears, to find out more about everyday life and to interact with each other more!