Jun
2016

6 Pinterest Tips for Newbies

categories: Blogging Tips

Since my post on 10 Tips for the Instagram Newbie was so popular, I thought I’d do one on Pinterest. Not many people use Pinterest that often which is a shame as it can be so useful. I got my first sponsored post opportunity through Pinterest so I believe in it strongly. Here are six tips for the Pinterest newbie:

1) Have a decent number of pins per board

Personally I feel that your board looks abandoned if it has any less than ten pins. Make sure your boards have a good number of pins so that people know that you’re active on Pinterest.

 

2) Be active on Pinterest

Like, follow and repin other members. They may return the love. If not, atleast you know you’ve found great new pins.

 

3) Create a Pinterest board for each of your interests

My Pinterest boards consist of fashion, college, books and blogging. Make sure you state clearly in your description what can be found inside your Pinterest board.

4) But don’t make it too broad

I once saw a great pinner who had about 20 different boards from make-up and organisation to blogging and food. I was too lost to even look at the pins. Ensure that your boards are not too different from one another.

5) Don’t have a million different boards

Just like boards that have nothing to do with each other, a large amount of boards are overwhelming. Stick with enough boards that someone can browse through them and not feel like they’re in a Pinterest maze.

6) Update your Pinterest whenever necessary

Delete boards and pins, create new boards and pins. People change and your Pinterest should change with you especially if you’re using it as a business.

What are your tips for Pinterest? What are your favourite tips of pins? Let me know below.


Jun
2016

Fiction Friday: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

categories: Books, Reviews

November 9
November 9 by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story has a sweet idea but falls flat towards the end. It seems like the characters are dragging out their romance simply because November 9 is a special day for them. If you look past that obvious flaw this is an amazing book, well-written with intriguing characters.
Fallon and Ben have an instant connection and because she is moving away, decide to meet every year on November 9. However life gets in the way and as they grow, they struggle to keep to their arrangement.

View all my reviews


Jun
2016

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J Maas

categories: Books, Reviews

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A “Beauty and The Beast” retelling that involves fae…How can you not like this book? Feyre accidentally kills a faerie when out hunting for her family’s dinner. Tamlin, another faerie, demands that Feyre returns with him to his home in return for killing his friend. (Yes this makes absolutely no sense but play along coz it will eventually make sense).
Eventually Feyre and Tamlin fall in love. But there’s a dark evil force that could tear them apart.
I don’t think my review can be trusted to be 100% non-biased because I love anything to do with Beauty and The Beast. However this is a far darker and an infinitely more compelling tale. This book is my everything and I am obsessed with it! I really believe that everyone should read this book. It’s compelling, it’s different, it’s very well-written and the evil monsters in here are absolutely terrifying. Read it. Now!!!!

View all my reviews


May
2016

My First Visit to Readers Warehouse

categories: Books

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST HAS BEEN COPIED FROM THE OLD Playground of Randomness SITE. THIS POST ALSO INCLUDES AFFILIATE LINKS

 

I remember my first visit to Readers Warehouse the way some people might remember their first boyfriends. To me, that was the moment that I fell in love. All my life I was told not to buy books because they were expensive and here was a place that sold them for ridiculously cheap prices.
It was December 2011 and I was in Johannesburg with family. Uncle George decided we should go to the lifestyle market which sounded pretty boring. So we looked at some plants and some waterfalls. And then I saw it. Nestled in a corner as if it in hiding, there was a bookstore. I was thrilled when we went in.
I was also thrilled when I found books for R50(at that time it would have been lucky if you found a book for R98. No one sold books for R50).
Eventually I ended up with a stack of books for R400 and the kind saleslady seeing the glee in my eyes (and the heap in my arms) got me a basket. I’ve never seen a basket in a bookstore before so that delighted me even more.
Unfortunately my uncle caught sight of me and made me leave a few books behind.
“You can’t take all of these.”
“Yes I can. They’re cheap,” I replied defensively.
He picked a few out that he thought weren’t age appropriate. Eventually we settled on eight books for R250. Still a great deal so I was okay.
In retrospect it was a good idea he stopped me since I ended up spending the rest of my money throughout that holiday.
Have you ever fallen in love with a bookstore? I’d love to know! You can find out more about Readers Warehouse and their bargains by visiting their site here.

Their stores are only in Cape Town and Johannesburg but you can order online. We all know that book mail is the best mail.


May
2016

How to Avoid Burnout in College

categories: College

The stress of college can all too easily lead to burnout. Here are a few tips to help you make it to the end of the semester with your sanity and energy levels intact.

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1) Plan Yourself Well- Failing to plan is planning to fail. Those words were drilled into my high school senior year Accounting class. Those words can also be my life motto. It’s difficult but always ensure that you have enough time to get an assignment done (possibly even extra time in case of any unexpected circumstances).

2) Have fun- I’ve been known to literally just sit around and read for hours or have a TV show marathon when I should be studying. Downtime is very very important to ensure you don’t overstress yourself. Take breaks and take them often.

3) Work smart not hard- Okay so this is going to make me sound so bad but I always work harder for the first assignment of each module. The reasoning behind this is that if I get a good enough mark for the first assignment, I don’t need to worry as much for the second one. If you kick ass at both assignments then you’re pretty much guaranteed a pass for the semester (depending on how your final mark is compiled).

4) Don’t compromise on your sleep- Sleep has health benefits and blah blah blah. Don’t give up on your sleep even if it’s for an all-nighter. Your body needs rest to recover from the day and prepare for the next one.

How do you avoid burnout in college?


May
2016

5 Items to Help You Survive Winter

categories: Lifestyle

I’m sitting in the library right now and I’m freezing. Unfortunately the air-conditioning isn’t even on. Yes, winter is coming and it can even be felt in Durban (which is normally pretty hot). Here are a few things you’d need to help you get through winter:

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1) Hot-water bottle- Heating a hot water bottle is a quick and easy way to get warm. For kids, you can get one of those stuffed toys with the hot-water bottle or sandbags inside. It’s such a treat to be warm and toasty in your bed while the rain falls outside.

2) Winter clothes- I strongly believe that you should always go out with layers of clothing especially when it’s winter. This allows you to be warm when you’re cold and you can simply shed a few items when you’re feeling hot.

3) Socks- my dad once told me that “you can’t be warm unless your feet are warm”. I don’t know what the science behind that is but it’s true.

4) Pack an umbrella- an umbrella is nice to have unless you live in one of those areas with a really strong wind.

5) Cold and flu medication- Pretty much everyone I know and their grandmother has already gotten sick from the cold. Stock up on cold and flu medication- especially med-lemon to help protect against cold and flu.

What are your tips for surviving winter?


May
2016

Fiction Friday: Recoil by Joanne Macgregor

categories: Books, Reviews

RecoilRecoil by Joanne Macgregor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I feel this review should start with a warning- this book is part of a series (which will all thankfully release this year).I don’t generally like dystopian fiction but I really enjoyed this book. I feel like with the hundreds of dystopian novels that are already out, you can either go very right or very wrong with the genre. My first impression of Recoil was that it was very strange but in a good way. This is a world where people can die if they go outside without proper protection. A lethal plague poses a danger to everyone and they are forced to remain at home 24/7.Jinxy is a teen who is an eager gamer. (What else would she do with all her free time?) Jinxy is soon recruited to join in the force against the terrorists and meets Quinn. However Quinn seems to suspect that their new job is a part of something bigger and more terrifying. What I loved about this book (besides the hot Irish male- I have a weakness for boys in books AND the Irish so obviously I loved Quinn) was that it was pretty different from the usual dystopian book. Unfortunately I can’t say any more without giving spoilers but trust me, if you like dystopian books you’re going to love Recoil.

View all my reviews


May
2016

10 Tips for The Instagram Newbie

categories: Blogging Tips

When I first got an android device, Instagram was the first app I installed. This was about two years ago. I’ve only just started figuring out how to use Instagram and use it well. If you’re a newbie to Instagram, here are my tips:

Instagram Mobile

1) Always add hashtags: Hashtags increase the visibility of your posts. Don’t know what hashtags to use? I always use “Instaworthy” (if a pic isn’t Instaworthy why would it be on Instagram) and other variations with “Insta” such as “Instatravel” or “Instapets”.

2) Interact with others: Like all social networks, Instagram is a place to be social. I’ve met so many great people through Instagram.

3) Return likes and comments: if someone likes or comments on your pictures, it’s always a good idea to return the favour.

4) Try to take as many shots as possible in the daylight: I don’t know if I’m the only one who didn’t know this but natural light is the best for pictures. Take out as many pics as you can during the day.

5) Photo-editing apps are made for Instagram: okay no they’re not but they make your photos look so much better. My favourite apps are Photo Editor and YouCam.

6) People are less likely to follow you if your profile is on private: With private profiles there’s always the risk you might be rejected and who wants that?

7) If your profile isn’t on private, ensure that there’s nothing that would give a future employer a bad image of you: you don’t want or need your employer seeing your Friday night out on the town.

8) Don’t overload people’s feed: Don’t post so often that your photos are the only ones that appear on your followers’ feed. That’s like Instaspam (which, if it’s not a thing, should totally be one).

9) Post regularly- Don’t post once a month either. Post on a regular basis so your followers know that you’re still around. If your last photo is from ages ago, chances are people are going to unfollow you thinking that you’ve abandoned ship.

10) Find your community- I think this is the most important thing. There is someone out there Instagramming the same shots that you are. This may be someone who Instagrams their German Shepherd (if you’re this person, kindly leave your Instagram link in the comments thanks) or pictures of beautiful sunsets. Find the people who Instagram the same things you do and connect with them. I love seeing pictures of German Shepherd puppies and pretty bookstagrams when I log in to Instagram.

What are your tips for Instagram? What do you post on your account? Feel free to leave a comment below.


May
2016

How to Balance Your Blog with College

categories: College

College is hard. Being a college student with a blog is infinitely harder. However with some handy tricks you can learn to balance your blog with college.

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1) Schedule everything- You might have noticed by now that I’m a huge fan of planners and to-do lists. Scheduling your commitments ensures you don’t forget them and are aware of them long before they occur. Write down both your college deadlines and important blog post dates. For me every Friday I write a Fiction Friday post so I write this in my diary.

2) Work in advance- Do things before they’re due. Write a few posts before they’re due to be published and queue them up. I usually write an entire week of post on the first day of the month and then work from there.

3) Delegate work- Ask for guest bloggers to post on your blog or ask a friend to help you study when college gets overwhelming.

4) Combine the two- Blog about your college experience. I especially like this option because anyone who is/has been in college can relate to the stress of it.

What are your tips for balancing college and a blog?


May
2016

10 Signs You’re Meant to Be an English Major

categories: College

Considering majoring in English? (The answer to this question is always yes btw). Here are 10 signs that you’re meant to be an English major.

UPDATE: It’s been 7 years since I posted this and it’s still one of my most popular posts. As an English graduate I have no regrets (unless you count the crappy job market but that has nothing to do with my studies). Here’s a more recent post that I did about the 5 useful skills I picked up as an English major

1) You enjoy reading

via GIPHY


2) You enjoy writing
3) You’re good at both reading and writing
4) Your literary collection consists of more than just the latest bestsellers. You have the classics too.
5) You can write an essay in your sleep

6)  You’ve written something that wasn’t for school (poems, short stories, fanfiction)
7) The idea of having to read and be rewarded for writing about what you read, excites you. Hello easy A
8) You’ve read a classic novel without it being compulsory for class.
9) You don’t mind putting in work for a module that most believe will only lead to you working at McDonalds or Starbucks.
10) Well you’re reading this so you obviously believe you’re meant to be an English major.

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