School Stationary!

Hey guys!

I know that I was supposed to post about my 16th birthday last week, but I wanted to leave that for another week, to address something much more relevant and exciting... school stationary!

Yesterday, I went and purchased all my stationary for the year of school. Now I know there are a lot of people out there who are like me, and find buying stationary one of the best things about a school year, hence why I wanted to share everything that I bought for this year!

First of all, I'll start with binders. I'm a huge freak when it comes to organisation; diaries, calendars, reminders, the lot! But the one thing I love the most about school, and will especially enjoy with the two year course that I'm completing this year and the next, is organising my notes and hand outs into their own binders and sections, to give them a home that's super easy to locate for future reference, when studying begins. 

I know this may seem crazy to some, but a binder per subject is going to allow me to keep everything organised and locatable, as well as inspire me to regularly sort out my notes and keep everything looking pretty!

I was recommended to invest in some high-end binders, around $15-20 NZD each, but I soon realised that no matter which ones I buy, due to the immense amount of notes that I will be taking, my binders will break at some point. The binders I did purchase were $2.50 NZD each, and although they won't last me as long, they won't hurt my bank account as much when repurchasing. 

Alright, onto a lot of people's favourite; pens, pencils, notebooks and other bits and bobs! Every year, no matter what I have at home, I will always purchase new highlighters, pens, pencils and notebooks. I know this could be a major waste of time and money, as I could easily find some barely used stationary, but there's just something about starting a new school year with completely new stationary that just is so appealing...

I use refill for all subjects (and keep all my notes in my binders), however, for maths, it's a lot easier to use grid books rather than refill. I also got Faber-Castell highlighters, as I've been told they're the best, and some Paper Mate InkJoy pens, as they've also had some great reviews. I also grabbed your run-of-the-mill erasers, pencils, sharpeners and correction fluid for any mistakes! I'm super excited to use all of this.

And finally, something that I've always wanted to use for the two year diploma I'm doing, a 1 TB (or 1000 GB) hard drive. As I have a MacBook Air with very minimal storage, I found it very difficult to not run out of space during school last year. And, as I have to keep all my work, notes and assignments for two years on this laptop, I thought it'd be best to just purchase a hard drive that I could store everything in, without getting remotely close to running out of space.

This hard drive was $89 NZD, very cheap for something that can hold so much stuff, and is super small and thin, so if I ever need to transport it to somewhere other than at home, it'll be very easy! This has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm already super anxious and nervous for this diploma to start (this Tuesday by the way!!!), so knowing that I have something to rely on other than my low-storage laptop to hold everything is a great feeling.

So there you guys go! I hope you enjoyed reading through this, this post was for you stationary fiends out there who crave fresh pens... I get you guys.

Sending out my best wishes and luck to everyone for the new school year. You got this, no matter how you feel about the year ahead, go out there and smash it. 

All my love, until next week!

Bella x
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bellahowarth
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bellahowarth_
Tumblr: http://bellahowarth.tumblr.com
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Your Future

Hi guys,

This post was supposed to be about my 16th birthday on the 20th of January, however, due to some recent events I've decided to post about something else.

This is a similar vibe to the last post, so if you want something more upbeat and fun, next week's post will be about my birthday, so make sure you stick around and check that out. 

~~~

School is really important to me. I think I've expressed this a few times in other posts, but what I study at school and where it's all going to lead me is a major part of my life and my plans. I know people don't care about school, a lot of people don't, but to my beliefs and morals, it is a very significant aspect of my life.

Currently, I'm in the process of making an extremely tough decision between subjects at school, as two of my favourite and best subjects are on at the same time, so therefore I can't do both. Due to the diploma I'm doing, the subjects I choose now are ones that I do for the next two years until I graduate, so what I choose is very important.

Deciding between these two is going to break me, and hurt a lot, as I've put so much work into both of them over the years, and have also been looking forward to both courses immensely. However, it is a choice that I have to make, and I have to look into my future and see what is most necessary.

But this post isn't really about school, it's about the situation I'm in. We make decisions every second of every day. We are forced and thrown into different positions where we have to choose what's about to occur to us. It's life, everyone experiences it, and everyone learns from those decisions.

Right now, this subject choice seems massive in my life. However, in two years time once I've hopefully graduated and got into University, this decision might not be as large as I see at the moment. Changing subjects will make me work hard, even harder than I would if I didn't have to change, so in retrospect it could all be a sign, and beneficial. I guess time will tell.

Dropping either subject also unfortunately rules out some amazing opportunities, such as travelling to another country as part of my study. For me, life was seeming almost perfect going into this year, so having an early challenge could do me a lot of good in preparing for the future.

Sorry for another weird and kind of down post. I really appreciate all the support I get on this blog and it helps me realise how caring people are for one another. You, the one reading this right now, are amazing, special and so so beautiful. Thank you for existing, and making this world brighter.

Best of luck for you all this year, have you faced any challenges this month yet?

This is also my first blog post as a 16 year old! Weird... hopefully a great year ahead.

All my love, comment, follow and share this around!

Bella x
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bellahowarth
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bellahowarth_
Tumblr: http://bellahowarth.tumblr.com
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Self Love

Hello.

This week, I decided to really open up to you guys. I'm not really an open person, and I struggle to find an accurate way of expressing myself, especially on topics like this. But I need to talk about it, I need to show people that no one is alone and everyone has battles of their own, that's what happens in life.

This is also an aspect of this blog which I want to maintain as a regular topic, talking to you all about these topical issues to bring light to the fact that they happen to everyone, no matter what their situation.

~~~

In our world today, we're surrounded by media; the internet, magazines, movies, posters, music, billboards, newspapers... the works; and somehow, we are pressured into believing that being influenced by this media is wrong. We are forced to drive towards a bigger butt and a thinner waist. We are forced to constantly feel guilty about that pizza we just ate because no one plasters their Instagram with them eating pizza. We are forced to stand in front of a mirror and judge everything we see. In our world today, teenagers of all shapes and sizes feel unwanted and unwelcome, because they don't look like the photoshopped images and videos on our computers, mobile phones, tablets and TV screens.

Over the past few weeks, since the end of 2016, I have been completely focussing on my body and my health. Working out, exercising and eating less is a motto that I have been abiding by, and even after noticing it's wrong, I'm unable to stop. Some of the goals I have in my life, both short and long term, revolve around my appearance and improving the person I am, and I have been so hard on myself lately in order to try and achieve them.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have battles, mainly with myself. I have been getting a lot of comments lately, from friends and strangers, mentioning my weight, or my size, or my strength, or my height. What I find strange is the words they say don't correlate or connect to the words that are on repeat inside my mind when I see myself in a photo, or in the mirror.

I have insecurities, we all do, and I feel like people become oblivious and insensitive to that. Before commenting on someone else's appearance, realise that, just like you and me, they will most likely be struggling with an insecurity or two, and your comment could make or break them.

I hope your New Years resolutions are made because of your own personal benefit, and not to impress or attain attention from others. In this society, everyone's fighting for themselves and their own social rankings, and no one cares about your achievements. Do what you want, but make sure what you do is for you. No one's praise or acceptance can outrank that of your own, so push yourself until you are happy being you.

In tough times like these, what I'm experiencing with myself at the moment, it's important that I express it to the world. This is not written to obtain compliments of any sort, or even comfort or approval, it's merely to prove that everyone of all shapes and sizes can periodically dislike who they are, due to the influences of others. I constantly compare myself to other people, a terrible habit I know, and one I need to get out of. At this time, to win this battle, I need to continue doing what makes me happy, so I can be comfortable in my own skin.

Thank you guys for reading this, and I'm so sorry how serious this post was. I just wanted it to be realistic.

Please reach out to me if you ever need someone to talk to, all my links are at the bottom of all my posts. 

How are you guys? Keep your head up for as long as you can if you're not feeling the best. This is my last blog post of being 15! I turn 16 this coming Friday... super excited!!!

I'll see you all next Sunday, share this around, leave a comment and subscribe to this blog for email notifications when I next post.

Sending love,

Bella x

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bellahowarth
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bellahowarth_
Tumblr: http://bellahowarth.tumblr.com
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Organisation: Tips + Tricks for Planning!

Hey guys,

Yes, you're reading this correctly; I'm currently on a three week streak of posting on schedule and on time. Who am I and what happened to Bella?

I'm sure a large majority of you reading this know me personally and understand how intensely driven I am towards success in every aspect of life. Recently, I've been asked how I manage to stay on top of everything that I'm experiencing in my life, and still manage to enjoy it all. It may seem complicated from the outside, but quite frankly, staying organised is nowhere near as daunting or scary as one may think.

I thought I'd share with you some of my organisation tips leading into the New Year and, more specifically, the new school year. Similar to a lot of you guys reading this who are in my year at school, I am about to embark on a journey that is the IB diploma, a massive leap of faith into intense and time-consuming hard work. But, surprisingly, I'm really not dreading it nearly as much as I thought I would be. This is merely due to my organisation and preparation for the next two years that I'm about to undertake. So here are my tips to staying organised in the messy lives that we all lead.

Keeping a Diary

No, I don't mean the whole 'Dear Diary' fiasco, I mean noting down homework, training times and schedules, and when your music lessons position themselves in your week.

I have a reasonably large group of friends, and each of us have vastly different personalities. Some of my friends are not into school whatsoever, whereas some, like me, love the idea of school and staying organised (I know it's weird and seemingly abnormal but it's true!). These differing personalities lead to different ways of organisation, and more specifically, different ways of maintaining a diary.

Personally, alongside some of my close friends, I love a physical diary. Something that I can hold and write in, because writing things down through a pen onto paper works in forcing me to remember things. Also, I just love the look of an organised, beautifully written page of my week, month or even year... it's so aesthetically pleasing!

However, I have friends who much prefer to type, whether it means on their laptop's calendar or their phone reminders. This is also just as effective! It all depends on which form you prefer, so my tip is to test them all out. I sometimes vary between both digital and physical forms of organisation, it all depends on how I'm feeling!

Staying On Top of Your Diary

This is a biggie, and really quite difficult to get into the swing of, and also something I still haven't mastered. As I assume you have all experienced, sometimes life gets hectic! It's really hard to remember to always write something down or put it into your phone, however, it's so so so so so (that's not even stressed enough) important.

Your diary is kind of your best friend, it always tells you what you have on, where it is and when you have to be there, however it can only work if you utilise it! I try to, every Sunday, review my diaries (yes, I have multiple - and am proud!) to ensure that my life is going to be in order the following week.

The worst thing you could possibly imagine is forgetting to meet with your friend for lunch, or mistaking your football training for 7pm instead of 6pm. Whenever plans arise, at least note it on your phone and update your diaries when you return home to prevent missing anything!

Being Unafraid to Say No

At my school, and I'm sure at a lot of others, there are endless opportunities to join clubs, hang with friends, play a new sport or participate in a performance. Sometimes, it's actually necessary to say, well to put it bluntly, no.

It's always hard to turn things down, but actually one of the best qualities in life is the ability to say no to others. Being selfish and putting yourself first is 100% okay! And actually, it's the way you should lead your life. Of course putting others before yourself is typically the right way to live and is very important, but when it comes to your mental health and well-being, in an attempt to avoid stress, it is important to put yourself first. Personally, having dealt with anxiety and panic attacks in my past, I understand exactly how it is to feel overpowered by your life. To prevent that, it is therefore extremely important to know which opportunities to turn down, to focus and prioritise your aspirations, school work and/or fitness regime.

Stationary

This is practically an age-old trick that will ensure instant motivation when it comes to organising your life, purchasing diaries, pens, pencils, highlighters, phone cases, digital calendars, and other stationary this is, well, pretty!

Stationary that is pretty will inspire you to use it. When you feel drawn, connected or even, in some cases, in love with your stationary that is your favourite colours or favourite styles, you will want to utilise your purchases! This is will influence you to constantly feel driven to write or type into your beautiful calendars with beautiful equipment... ah, just thinking about it makes me happy!

Popping down to your nearest stationary shop, or even your favourite one that's miles away, to discover and invest in some amazing stationary is something that will prevent you from dreading planning and organising, especially if it's not your forte. Trust me, this really does work!

Maintaining a Tidy, Happy Lifestyle

This may get a little deeper than a post about organisation and diaries should, however, I hope it's helpful!

There are so many things in life that can keep you happy, and being happy prevents stress and anxiety, so your organisation can stay in tact! For me, I love to exercise. Going for a run to escape my school work or friend troubles is always such an effective escape, while also keeping your body in a good state - increasing your happiness!

But also, keeping your environment tidy is super important in staying organised. If your room is an absolute tip, which I must admit does happen to the best of us half way through the year when everything gets a little too much, or your in a bad place with your parents or friends, then it is important to clean it all up! Re-do and re-organise your bedroom (something I will be doing this year, so keep an eye out for that!), talk it out with your parents and friends, or push away the toxic friendships from your life so you can maintain focus on keeping your life in order. When you do start to feel frazzled, like your life is messy or your unhappy, it's super easy to just let go and forget all your morals and all the heard work you've put into keeping things in order. It's important to find ways to make yourself happier to prevent this from happening as much as you can!

In saying that, your life can never be completely under your control. There'll be curve balls, some good and progressive while some horrible and hard, but that's how it works. Make 2017 the year of you, focus once again on your happiness and life before dropping everything for someone else.

So there we are! Five tips that'll hopefully guide you into a more organised life. Sorry for the SUPER long post, I think I made it quite clear that organising and planning is a passion of mine... is that sad?

I hope these tips helped you, please let me know if they did! And if you have any other tips to help everyone out, don't be afraid to comment below (anonymously if you feel more comfortable that way!). I love getting comments, especially with the small little audience that I have. Thank you for your support so far... I can't wait to continue and see where this goes.

How has your first week of the New Year been? Is 2017 going to be good for you? Let me know all of that also!

See you next week, and maybe start getting organised for the great year ahead.

Bella x

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bellahowarth

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bellahowarth_

Tumblr: http://bellahowarth.tumblr.com

SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth

Snapchat: BellaHowarth

2017

Hello all!

Welcome back to my blog, I hope you all are doing well on this fine day. Welcome to 2017! I feel as though I won't find that statement normal until this time next year.

Over the past week that I've been on summer holiday, I have experienced so many new things that have allowed me to develop as a person. The people I've met, things I've done and aspects of life that I've tried have all shown me a side to life that I'd never really been apart of until now, and it also made me realise where I stand and where I want to be.

This year is going to be interesting, full of more experiences that will change me and those around me. Some advice for you all for this year, which may seem obvious but I feel is a point that many people forget as time goes on; focus your energy on the people and activities that excite you and allow you to be yourself. Trying to fit in with people or do things that scare you or make you uncomfortable can be a good way to learn, but can also affect how you view yourself as a person. Be yourself this year, and make 2017 the year for you.

I hope your New Years was just as exciting as mine, and you have a great first week of this fresh start.

Bella x
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bellahowarth
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bellahowarth_
Tumblr: http://bellahowarth.tumblr.com
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth

A New Beginning...

Hello everyone!

As you've noticed already, I'm terrible at keeping to a schedule. I always seem to let life get on top of me, and I guess that prevents me from pursuing what I want to do with my life, blogging being one of the little things that I want to do.

Over the past few months since I last posted, a lot has happened. Dealing with disrespect and rudeness from school peers, as well as a lot of disappointment. By a lot of disappointment, I mean A LOT. Missed opportunities, not being good enough, you know, the works. But those downs in my life have been succeeded by too many highs to count. Moments that I am forever grateful for, and some that I will never forget.

This world we live in is crazy, fast paced and unpredictable. No one is safe nor can escape the chaos and that's something we all learn to live with. However, everyone also finds their outlets of pain or sadness that allow them to cope with this world that is never silenced. Music, books, parties, exercise, sleep... the possibilities are endless! Of course there are negative outlets of this sorrow, such as through alcohol or other drugs, but the positive ones always prove to be more comforting when faced with challenges or hardship.

My outlet is this blog, or the internet in general. Sharing my perspective of life with people from all over the globe, as well as seeing how people live their chaotic lives through their Instagram photos, Snapchats, Facebook status', Youtube videos or even blogs of their own.

I guess what I'm trying to get across is that, although this world is unpredictable, all of us have an opportunity to create some sense of comfort through a certain aspect within the chaos. My comfort is this, what I'm doing now, and it was hard to see that opportunity drift away as the craziness engulfed me. But I'm back, and committed, and feeling ready to start this new year with, of course, a new blog.

This new layout is, well, perfect in my eyes. It's exactly how I want it to look, and I hope you all love it too. This post officially marks the relaunch of my blog!

2016 is closing, and I am writing this on Christmas day. Please don't even ask how another Christmas has arrived already, I can't even begin to comprehend it! But as this year comes to a close, more opportunities, chaos, highs and lows await. I hope, for those who are interested, some of you who are reading this will join me on this ride that will be 2017.

Merry Christmas to you all, and I will see you next Sunday on the first of January 2017, where you can join me in welcoming the new year. Sunday will be my official weekly upload day, so mark that in your calendars! My posts will be up in the evenings, around 7-9pm, so I hope you enjoy some structure in your lives.

See you all next year! (Why does it feel so wrong to be saying that already...)

Bella x
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/bellahowarth
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bellahowarth_
Tumblr: http://bellahowarth.tumblr.com
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth

The Moment

My favourite times in life are the ones that you can't quite capture perfectly through the lens of a camera. Like being in love, or watching the sunrise, or looking for constellations in the stars.

Living in the moment, that's what it's called, and it's one thing that this generation, including myself, struggle with. My ambition and goal for the rest of this year is to just take a breath, look around and enjoy where I am at that moment, at each and every moment, because you can't rewind and you can't fast forward.

Even the bad moments, the bad times you want to scratch from your memory, we all need to find the good in those times and make them worth living for.

Throughout my life, I've been through struggles upon struggles and I'm only 15! I know there's more to come, more hurt, more pain, more tears, but that's part of life. Without those times, I wouldn't be able to stand up for myself, be confident or even be proud of who I am. Some of these struggles seem to be never ending, but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how much darkness happens to be engulfing you, there will always be a flicker of light leading you to the greater good. At least that's what I believe.

I decided that, for this post, I might as well just give you a little insight into some of my favourite things and memorable moments I've created recently. So here they are:

1. Hawaii
   Two weeks ago today, I was lounging on the beach in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, Honolulu. It was an experience of a lifetime and I genuinely would go back in the flicker of a heartbeat.
2. Dancing
   After completing around 8-9 years of non-stop dancing and committing my life to it, and then pulling out last year, I was given the opportunity to dance on stage once again. I never thought I would miss it as much as I do, and I will cherish that moment of performance for a long time, even thought it was small and short-lived.
3. Forgiveness
   I made some major mistakes last term that I would go back and change if I ever could. Losing so many friends was really eye-opening to me, and has definitely made me want to improve the person I am, as I definitely need to work on some aspects! But being alone for a while and having not many others to go to was hard, but I needed it. Then having forgiveness from some of my close friends has made me grateful to know them, even though I still need to prove myself and apologise to others. To those friends who may be reading this, I am sorry. I love you and will do everything in my power to be a better person. You know who you are.
4. Music
   Ariana Grande and Rihanna's new songs are freaking phenomenal and have helped me through these tough past few months. If you're ever looking for some good ballads, listen to 'Love on the Brain' by Rihanna, 'Moonlight' and 'Into You' by Ariana.
5. Family
   My family always makes me happy and calm. They've supported me through thick and thin, helping me through so much to get to where I am. I have so many exciting things planned for the near future that would be impossible without them in my lives.

There you go! A small look into my world. What's coming soon you ask? Improvements, hard work, enjoyment, happiness and hopefully some more forgiveness and second chances.

Bella x
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Instagram: @bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth