Practical Session - Invertebrates

I always seem to be really busy to do blogs so thought of showing you guys what I'm always busy doing. So I have lectures three days a week, one day studying and three days doing practicals and volunteering. I can't volunteering much at the moment due to mass amounts of assignments and then exams in a week but the first half of the year I had much more time so volunteered at the small zoo on my campus at the weekend. Even though I don't get to volunteer much any more, as part of my course I have practicals every Friday where I work (usually only in the morning) in the zoo. Anyway, I take pictures for my portfolio so thought I'd share with you (with images!) what I actually do as part of my university course.

So my this blog will be about my work with invertebrates (warning pictures of big spiders!). I spent six weeks working with the exotic section of the zoo and it was actually really fun. I've never worked with 'exotic' type species before so was certainly a learning curve!

Mission Golden – Eyed Tree Frog

For those who don't know, I have been doing this work at Reaseheath Animal Management Zoo and there are many species in this Zoo but the species I worked with over six weeks are: Curly Hair Tarantula, Asian Forest Scorpion, Chilli Rose Tarantula, Red Knee Tarantula, Indian Ornamental Tarantula, Tailless Whip Scorpion, Thorny Stick Insect, Sudan Uromastyx, Pancake Tortoise, Bearded Dragon, Leopard Geko, Mission Golden – Eyed Tree Frog, White’s Tree Frog, Crocodile Newt, Snake-Necked Turtle.

Red Knee Tarantula

I haven't got pictures of most of these species because I do actually have to do work and am not suppose to be taking pictures all the time (oops) but have a few pictures for you.

Crocodile Newt

I liked working with these species as I felt comfortable working with them thus was able to enter their enclosure to clean inside and out, change the water, food and mist without much stress to the animal. Of course there are many health and safety regulations to follow while working with these animals to insure no one gets hurt and causes minimal disturbance to the animal.
 

Chilean Rose Tarantula

I actually love tarantulas and snakes, as you can see from the pictures but I certainly enjoy playing with them while most hate them. Although I didn’t help feed or clean the Thorny Stick Insect, I was able to handle this species which greatly increased my knowledge of this animal.
 

Thorny Stick Insect

In the invertebrate room, I would like to have worked with more species but I have a fear of cockroaches so this very much limited my ability to work with many animals (as in I couldn't work with any animals surrounding them or even enter the room if the doors of the enclosure of the hissing cockroaches are open). 

(Not going to put pictures as I hate them that much)

I have never worked with snakes before so, at first, I didn't feel comfortable enough to handle snakes thus I worked with species I didn't have to handle. I have now, however, learnt how to handle non-venomous snakes so wish I could have worked more with the different snake species in the exotic corridor.

Western Rattlesnake

5 Hair and Face Product Essentials for the Morning After

Like most young adults - especially those who go to university - I have experience quite a lot in the last two months what it's like to go out partying at night... And waking up in the morning, late, with face full of left over make-up from the night before. The first time this happened to me, I was not prepared and went to my first lecture looking like a zombie. Now this has happened more times than I would like to admit, I have gotten to appreciate a few essentials in that rushed morning.

1) Simple facial wipes - of course you should always wash off all make-up before going to bed but while you are scrolling in at 3 in the morning and it's a miracle you even find your bed and don't pass out on the floor, that's hardly the first thing on your mind. So in the morning after, I always use just a wipe as it's quick, easy and can give your face a rest.

2) Tangle Teezer - I have a quite a few brushes to deal with my ginger mass on my head but no matter what your hair is like, no matter how long, you will always wake up looking like you've been dragged through a hedge (and sometimes you have). One solution: Tangle Teezer. This little miracle allows you to brush through your mess without pulling on your delicate head, also helping to remove any products left over.

3) Dry Shampoo - doesn't matter which one you prefer, this little spray is a god-send when you have 10 minutes to get ready and simply no way you can have a shower. Just a few sprays of this and you're ready to go with refreshed hair! (Tip: I don't use hairspray on nights out as it makes the 'no shower' opinion near impossible and your hair almost unmanageable)

4) Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer - I don't put much make-up on after a night out since - as I mentioned before - I like to give my skin a rest. However, the tired eyes in the morning are a huge give-away that you aren't feeling your best (plus the spots haven't magically disappeared over-night). So to solve this problem, a little concealer here and there can hide the aftermath of that drunken night without covering your skin all over again. I personally find the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer to be the best at this job as it doesn't give too much coverage thus making you seem completely natural while the anti-fatigue effect helps to brighten up your skin even if you have only had a couple hours of sleep.

5) Burts Bees Lip Balm - This is a daily essential for me anyway so couldn't miss it out. This is an amazing product! It tastes and smells gorgeous which I find hard to come by in most lip products but the reason it's in this run down is due to the way it is able to make even the most dry, damaged and generally unhealthy looking lips look beautiful! As many of you may know, a night out drinking alcohol does terrible things to not only your skin but also your lips as it dehydrates them. Of course make sure you drink lots of water throughout the day after drinking alcohol but this lip balm can erase the look of dry lips almost instantly!

So that's my 5 hair and face product essentials for the morning after. Hope it helps anyone who is going to lectures every morning after a social night looking as though you have just walked out of the grave!

Also, I don't count this as part of my morning after essentials as it's something you can do the night before in order to help you in the morning. Two words: waterproof mascara. This allows you to have mascara and even almost going-out-perfect eye make-up in the morning too. If your favourite mascara isn't waterproof, don't you worry! Just put a coat of waterproof mascara afterwards and most of the mascara will retain for the morning! However, be warned that too much mascara will need to be taken off as it will become clumpy and flaky by the morning.

Started Uni!

Just about to finish my second week of university and it's already gone so fast! I've met loads of new and lovely people and had such an amazing time! I must admit, I have had a slightly hazy last two weeks as freshers 'week' tailed over a little, but had so much fun (the bits I can remember anyway). It feels so great to be away from family and old things holding me back, it's not like starting again but it's a great way to get back to just being me.

I couldn't believe how quickly I could make friends here as I am usually very shy and guarded but in just two weeks I feel I have made friends that could hold with me for the rest of my life. I had been feeling so down this last month but, even though those problems haven't just magically disappeared overnight, I have so many new and exciting things that it's really been helping me to cope and move on.

I'll admit I was very nervous about the night life of university because I have only ever been out drinking once before and that was with some friends I trusted very much. To go out drinking in a place you don't know with people you've only just met is very scary for me! Unfortunately like many people out there, I do suffer from anxiety problems so was suggested that maybe I shouldn't go to university but I have never wanted it to stop me. I have had two attacks in clubs so far but the last time I went out I didn't and I found if I start feeling a little enclosed on the dancefloor then it's best to just go and sit on the side for a bit to calm down.

Just hope any advice I can give to those with are nervous about university will help you to see - it doesn't matter if you are shy, suffer anxiety, have another issue to contend with or just worried - it does NOT mean you cannot go and enjoy yourself! I've got no one else to look to for answers so I'm figuring everything out on my own but loving it!

Travelling to see family

As this isn't really part of the whole 'university life' theme of this blog I don't want to write too much on my last holiday visiting family before university. As a lot of university students however, I will be moving away for university so visiting family is an important part of being at university... Doesn't make much sense...

Unfortunately for me, to actually visit my family takes quite a while. Friday with my incredibly panicked over-packing I caught a coach at half 4 in the morning... It was not fun! Luckily I managed to sleep through most of the 6 hour journey to Aberdeen where I had to lug loads of bags plus my guitar to the ferry terminal. I was able to leave most of my bags there and go to get my favourite meal: sushi!

Yes, I did actually take a picture of my yummy sushi and cute travel chopsticks! It was so yummy that it, plus a little Starbucks, gave me enough energy to go find a massive suitcase from Debenhams which luckily was on sale so great bargain (I needed it to put all my over-packing in so I didn't have to carry around loads and loads of little bags on the way back).

I got onto the ferry before it actually set off so I could get some sleep as I was knackered. Unfortunately, that was the only sleep I managed to get. The rest of the night was being on my laptop for less than an hour before it ran out of battery while the only item I could charge: my phone, had no signal or wifi, so just listened to music and read my book. The view from my window in the morning before hitting any land mass was worth not sleeping though.

Short Introduction on Results Day

Right now I'm sat in a hotel room, sat up in a double bed on my own watching ‘first time farmers’, eating sushi, wearing Sanctuary’s 5 minute detox thermal mask (embarrassing face-mask selfie below… Great for first blog clearly).

But the reason I've started writing tonight - even though I won’t be able to upload tonight - is because it’s results day! Hope you all got whatever you hoped, worried, panicked and stressed about (whether A level like me, or AS Level or GCSE in nine (?) days). I will just share with you I got into Chester University (my first choice!) to study animal behaviour and welfare! So once I start next month, I will blogging from my halls in Reaseheath College (and maybe filming certain things for youtube).

I just wanted to make this my short introduction to my blog as it’s really the first day of university for me! I shall be blogging about the rest of time I have before university actually starts as I will be spending it with my family so if you want to see where I am, look (if it’s on, it may not be). But thank you very much for taking a look and hope you return for more well... me c=

Introducing the lovely grey-skinned me!
(I really loved this face mask so will be buying more and shall do an actual review in time)