As a mother and a full-time University student, balance makes everything in my life possible. University tutors often hold students of all ages and circumstances to a standard so high, we often hear about students feeling low and stressed out because of being over-worked and losing track of their ‘to-do-list’. So this week, here’s a guide on how students can manage their endless assignments, get good grades, and feel healthier and happier. 

1. Create a daily routine 

Routine is everything! Having set times to achieve tasks allows you to set time aside and prioritize the most important. This is perfect for people with extra responsibilities, for an example if you are a student with a part-time job, or someone who likes to exercise regularly or a student who is also a parent, time management and a schedule is key to helping you balance your daily workload.

2. Take time to rest

We constantly feel we need to take time out to work, however, what about taking the time to relax? Time to sleep, time to watch our favourite Netflix shows, etc. Similar to smartphones, we have to recharge. To work to the best of our abilities, we must allow our bodies time to unwind. 

3. Plan and prepare

Uni work can become challenging; However, mapping out your work and writing plans on how you will prepare for assignments may make your work easier. 

4. Communicate with tutors

If you hit a brick wall and feel unsure of the next step, ask the person who set the task. They can give you the tools in order for you to work to the best of your ability. 

5. Get some fresh air

Spending the mornings and afternoons outside can refresh your mind and give you more energy. Whether you go for a walk or meet up with a friend, the change of scenery will help clear your mind.

6. Stay hydrated! 

Keeping a bottle of water with you every day can help you drink plenty of water, which is an energy booster and will help keep your concentration going when it’s time to get some work done. 

7. Eat a healthy balanced diet

Eating healthier foods consistently and regularly will encourage your body to function to its best level, therefore getting things done before a deadline won’t feel as stressful because you are taking care of your body and eating at regular times. Always place your health first, don’t skip dinner because you have books to read. Eating meals are a priority and you can always get straight back to your laptop, books, and notes once you’ve had something to eat

8. A regular bedtime

I think we have all been guilty of staying awake until midnight, knowing that we have an early start the next morning. It’s not the end of the world if you do that every and now then, however having a regular bedtime will not only help you fall into a daily routine (mentioned in the first tip), but it will also help you feel refreshed and ready to go the next morning after having a restful night’s sleep.

If you stay up late to get your work done, try going to bed earlier and waking up earlier instead, this way you can get some work done in the morning and afternoon rather than having to cut into sleeping hours at night. This may not be possible every single night, but try to create a schedule that allows you to get plenty of sleep whilst still allowing plenty of hours free in the daytime for your study time. 

And that’s your 8 tips to help de-stress as a student. What ways do you balance out your schedule for University? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Kamisha x

Leading up to the First birthday and Planning

When you first have a newborn baby it is hard to imagine ever planning their first birthday because it feels so far away. I had originally planned to have a quiet Family BBQ for her first birthday celebration and the reason I decided to scrap the BBQ idea, is because we had only recently moved into our new home a few months before Iyla’s birthday and it would have been too hectic trying to organize the home and back garden in time for the party. So we decided to combine her 1st Birthday and Christening, and this was the best decision and I couldn’t wait to start planning her day.

The Invitations

The invites are the starting point and set the tone for any special event. I found some inspiration on Instagram of course and decided to go with a soft baby pink carriage shape, with large glitter wheels and a glitter crown with black Italic writing inside the carriage with details of the Christening and Reception. The designs were bought to life by a company called Thakurpress.

The Christening Ceremony

We braced ourselves for a full and busy day because we had a lot to celebrate! We arrived at our local church bright and early at 11 am and Iyla gets christened. The service was 2 hours long and initially, I worried because I thought, ‘how do I keep a lively one year old happy and content for that length of time?’ Thankfully Iyla was good as gold and had a little nap during the service.

The Photographer

Thankfully we have a family friend, a talented photographer named Wes Whyte who did all the photography at the Ceremony. He was super relaxed and snapped pictures throughout the entire day. He captured a lot of natural off guard moments too. I was so pleased that he was able to capture the joy and atmosphere of the day. The guests had professional group pictures taken by him in front of the floral backdrop as this will make a lovely keepsake for them from Iyla’s Christening.

Entertainment

My mum contacted a magician named, Steve McGill who was a great asset​ to the party. He arrived after all the guests had finished their meals and he traveled to every table doing magic tricks for everybody. He was also a big hit with the children too, as he made animal balloons for them as well as magic tricks.

Details and Guest tables

Enchanted Fairy was my chosen theme, floral and fairy details were throughout the party. The welcome sign, at the entrance,​ was a 3d board with pastel orange, yellow, baby pink and white flowers inside the golden frame.

Each table had a tall gold vase carrying pink and white flowers surrounded by gold confetti. Every table also had a pink runner and pink bows on each chair.

Tall golden branches added even more height to the flowers, decorated with tiny fairies and butterflies which added such a magical touch. Tiny fairy lights are wrapped around the branches which had the room glowing beautifully! Each table had tiny white bags with a small white candle inside and personalized pink hearts with Iyla’s name written on them as the party favours. The welcome sign, table centrepieces, and floral backdrop were all hired from events specialists Georgie.

Food and Drinks

The reception began with a formal sit down meal, made authentically by Caribbean cooks arranged by a family friend.

Two bottles of wine one white and one red, in transparent ice buckets on every single table, to drink as a toast to the baby. Side note: my mother loves wine! The spare bottles which were leftover did not go to waste.

Dessert Tables and Sweet Cart

We had a beautiful white sweet cart, with lots of treats provided by a family friend, Carmen from her brand sweet daze. For the cakes we had cupcakes and a Peppa pig birthday cake, all personalized and sprinkled in glitter and topped with gold accessories, by a brand on Instagram called Sprinklemeecakes. The cakes looked great and they also tasted amazing! We also had a beautiful Christening Fruit Cake, baked in the traditional Caribbean style with Rum, made by a cook named Beverley. I bought Krispy Creme doughnuts the night before, for the dessert table and of course, this table went down a treat – everything went super fast!

Now that the party is over, it feels good to be able to relax and not plan any more parties for now. I spent a week eating birthday cake covered in buttercream and have no regrets!

My Top Tips:

1. Respect the nap – if you’re planning to celebrate your little ones birthday/christening/or baptism let your baby nap as usual so that they aren’t in a bad mood and keep their favourite snacks on stand by so they feel as relaxed as possible.
2. Allow plenty of time to plan, to ensure that planning is as stress-free as possible!

If you have a little one who has already had their 1st Birthday, what did you do to celebrate? Or if your baby is still under one, feel free to let me know what you’re thinking of doing for your little one’s first birthday!

First of all I would like to say, where does the time go? One minute you’re cradling a tiny baby in your arms who can’t support their own head, and then the next thing you know they are babbling away, wriggling out of your arms, trying to walk, attempting to climb out the bath/and cot and no longer want to be laid down for more than three seconds, unless its nap time.

One thing which was important for me with my daughter, was to establish some type of daily routine with her. I mean you may get a taster of what it is like to have your own children before becoming a parent yourself, by looking after your little neice or nephew – however it is true what they say – it doesn’t compare to having your own children and nothing ever really prepares you. I have been very blessed because my daughter is an extrememly easy going and happy little soul, which made my life as a first time mum exciting and enjoyable. However there were some tweaks and adjustments I felt were neccessary to make in order for us to be our happiest and healthiest everyday.

Life with a newborn: from 0-4 months

When my daughter was a newborn, she didn’t sleep all the way through the night like majority of newborns. I would breastfeed Iyla whilst half asleep in the middle of the night. I loved how intimate it felt to provide my newborn daughter with comfort and mother natures milk, also it was extremely painful to breastfeed in the beginning so I was proud of myself for not giving up and being able to get through it, as I know how extrememly difficult and/or painful breastfeeding can be for many mothers. When Iyla was around 1.5/2 months old, I switched to bottles and she actually began sleeping through the night – this time period worked perfect for us and I wasn’t worried about her having a bed time as I didn’t feel this was essential for a baby who was still so young. She pretty much went to sleep whatever time myself or her dad did, never too late maybe around half 10pm because her dad gets up for work in the morning so we all went to bed together.

Finding our routine 4-8 months

At four months old she was growing beautifully and had hit many milestones early, such as holding her head up and looking around whilst we were out and about. There was just one issue… We were going to sleep at 1am every night or sometimes later and waking up late (approximately between 10:30am-12pm). All of sudden Iyla became a night owl who refused to go to sleep, once her dad was ready to go to bed she would be full of energy and wanting to play, so we would go downstairs and I would sit with her until she fell asleep.

I would wake up feeling low in energy and trips out always seemed impossible before 2pm. Desperately needing a change, I began waking her up one hour earlier each day until we were waking up between 8am/8:30am every morning and naturally my daughter began falling into a pattern where she slept earlier at night which was around 10-11pm to begin with and just recently she has started going to bed between 8pm and 9pm and sleeps all the way through the night! This new pattern has worked amazing for us because we now we spend mornings enjoying breakfast together rather than sleeping in, feeling fresher and can leave the house to do activities BEFORE 1pm, we can attend any morning baby groups without feeling like tired zombies and if we do need to go out early for plans or for an appointment it doesn’t feel like such a task and not to mention the ‘me time’ I get at night feels so rewarding. I feel it is important for mothers to have a little time for themselves even if it’s just thirty mintues at night to have a quiet cup of tea or watch a programme that we like, because when we take care of ourselves it enables us to thrive in our roles as parents.

For the mums who naturally wake up at 6am, they may be thinking, ‘I can’t relate to this’ – so this is mainly for the first time mum who use to naturally fall asleep around midnight (or later because uni can do that to you when you have mountains of coursework to catch up on) and then would wake up whenever they felt like and is now trying to find the balance of being more organised with a little one. I want my daughter to enjoy fresh air and have a set time for her feeds/meals and a regular bedtime which she now has and I knew in order to be a hands on and organised mum I needed to step my game up. So to anyone with a newborn baby or young child who feels like their usual pattern has been thrown out the window and they don’t know what day of the week it is, I promise it gets easier with time.

The most fulfilling thing about seeing your child growing up is watching them flourish in every aspect. My daughter has achieved huge milestones in a short space of time. More recently her hand coordination has blossomed, she is facisnated with holding everything she sets her bright eyes on, she has been clapping her hands since she was exactly 7 months old, bum shuffling to travel from a to b, and loves standing on her feet. Iyla will pull herself up in her cot or bath tub so I am always on high alert to make sure she doesn’t fall! Iyla also loves music and has done since I was pregnant with her as she use to kick when I listened to music, she dances and sings along to music and enjoys looking at the pictures in her books during story time.

Present day, I am pleased with where we are now and wouldn’t change anything about my motherhood journey so far, as I think everything is trial and error and the most important thing for me is enjoying your child and the new role as a parent. I think the best thing to do is whatever works best for you.

Would love to know how you found your perfect daily routine with your newborn or little one!

Kamisha x