Top 5 Student Travel Tips

Hello everyone and welcome back to Chamomile & Colour! I’ve got some very exciting news; I’m leaving for a school study trip soon! I just can’t stop thinking about it so you I’ll be posting lots about it on here! Today I’m sharing my top five travel tips, particularly for students going on exchange. Hope you enjoy!

Number One. Back up your data!
Pick-pocketing and other forms of theft can happen, particularly on vacation. Be prepared by saving all of your important documents from your phone, computer, camera, etc. on a USB. Don’t forget to bring some photocopies of valuables like your passport and boarding passes too.

Number Two: Pack snacks!
I don’t know about you, but I HATE plane food. The smell (and thought) of it makes me want to retch! If that sounds like you, I cannot more highly recommend gum, mints and general snacks like chocolate or chips to help fill that void in your stomach during a long flight. I’ll probably be uploading a post about my favourite plane snacks soon… : )

Number Three. Save on adaptors with a powerboard.
This is such a good tip if you’re in a group as it’s likely that you’ll all be charging your phones or other devices in the evening after a long day of sight-seeing. With a large powerboard, you’ll all be able to plug in at the same time AND you’ll only need a single adaptor. That’s a win-win situation in my eyes!

Number Four. Place heavy items on the bottom of your suitcase.
I just recently discovered this tip and I think it’s so useful! If you pack heavy things near the wheels of your suitcase, it’ll be much easier to carry your case around and, as a bonus, you can feel serene knowing that no items have been squashed underneath your hiking shoes or your hair straightener!

Number Five. Reuse containers!
If you have lots of small mint containers or plastic gum jars, reuse them for small items like coins or cotton swabs. This save lots of space and means you don’t have to go out and buy small containers, pouches or bags if you already own some.

Interested to learn more about traveling as a student? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back, I’ll be posting lots about my upcoming study trip. Feel free to follow my blog using email or WordPress to stay tuned!

3 Easy Ways to Be an Eco-Friendly Student

It’s back to school season! Do you know what that means? It means a Back 2 School series on Chamomile & Colour! 🏫 📑 Yep, that’s right! Today I’m sharing the easiest ways to become a more eco-friendly student but I’ve got big plans… If you’d like to see easy lunchbox ideas, 5 apps every student needs or even a “What’s in my Backpack?”, follow this blog to be notified when I post!

I’m kicking off Back 2 School with something that’ll hopefully become a series in itself; How to Be an Eco-Friendly Student. I want to publish 20 different things anyone can do to encourage y’all to get involved in counteracting the Climate Crisis.

So, let’s not delay this any longer! Here are 3 things YOU can do to save the world!

Here’s Number 3:

Taking reusable containers for your water and food each day.

Plastic and aluminium are so bad for the environment, we all know that! If you haven’t already got some reusable containers, now’s the time to buy some. If you’re used to snap-lock bags and would rather bring a little bag for your food, go to Keep Leaf, a site with amazing little snack packs that you can bring to school. I drink sooo much water each day. Are you looking for an Australian brand of stainless steel water bottles? Klean Kanteen is a site where you’ll find homegrown sustainable bottles, mugs and straws. Check it out if you don’t believe me!
On another note, I really recommend creating a meal plan to ensure you’re not buying take-away food each day. Not only is it bad for the environment, but it also doesn’t help your body. If you’re a regular at a coffee shop or burger place near your school or work, start small. Cutting down the days you eat out doesn’t have to be difficult! With a meal plan and some reusable containers, you’ll be doing wonders for yourself and the environment! However, if you’re really struggling for time, take your reusable containers and cutlery to your favourite take-away restaurant!

On to Number 2:

Choose your stationary (and stationery) wisely! Don’t forget to buy second-hand textbooks and reusable pens and pencils!

Refillable pens and pencils are a thing and, trust me, they save so much time and money! Just buy a set of pens and a couple of refills and you won’t have to go back to the stationary shop for a REALLY LONG time. I use these at the moment because of my notebook system but there are so many other options (just like this or these).

Second-hand textbooks? That’s another easy fix. Before the school year, contact friends in other year levels or head over to second-hand book stores/sites or even online groups.

And lastly, another thing that’s important to remember is where your pencil case is coming from. Try to avoid brands that exploit their workers or, better still, make your own! If you don’t think you’re quite up to it (I most certainly am not), you can go to a local store and buy one that’s handmade or that supports a charity you feel passionate about.

Finally, the Number One thing you can do today is:

Travel using public transport or pedal power.

I know that this may not be achievable for every single person, but making an effort to ride/walk to school or work close every day can make a huge difference! If it’s really out of the question, you could consider ride-sharing or car-pooling as these are certainly better than driving alone in your car every day. You’ll save time in traffic by taking a route for bikes, pedestrians or trains and you might even get some exercise!

Thanks for reading my top three ways to save the planet as a student! If you have some suggestions for future tips, feel free to leave them in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you! None of my links were affiliate so you can be sure that every item I talked about was something I’ve loved for years. For more posts on helping out the environment, check out my “green” tag here. See you around!

My Bullet Journal Supplies; A list of all you’ll ever need

I’m a big believer in bullet journalling in whatever notebook you like; dotted, grid or blank. To me, it doesn’t matter as long as it doesn’t inhibit your creativity! I’m currently using a Leuchtturm 1917 official Bullet Journal notebook but I used to have a large blank notebook from Ikea (similar version here -> https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60425519/ ). If you’d be interested to hear my thoughts on the best notebook for bullet journalling, comment a 💯 or just let me know. I definitely have lots to say on both and how my style is different on dots instead of blank.

As for stationary, I do have a few Tombow Dual Brush Pens but I haven’t been very happy with the results. When I received a set of pens from a different brand as a gift a few years ago, I was ecstatic. I haven’t stopped using my dual brush pens since. (Here’s a site that sells them -> https://www.otriostationery.com/products/sta-dual-tips-watercolor-brush-marker-fineliner-set-of-12-24-36-48-80-colors .) This brand makes pens that are really durable and the 12-piece set is a perfect selection of colours!

I believe that a ruler is also really important when bullet journalling and an eraser is key. For the nitty gritty, you can find my list of travel bullet journal supplies here.

Finally, washi tape. This is a hard one to write about as everyone has their own personal preferences but I’ll honestly take any colour or thickness. I think it’s such a great tool to add some colour and texture to a two-dimensional spread! My personal favourites are tapes with images that can be reused in lists, for example airplanes or items of clothing but I’ve never owned any like that. Here’s a pick of my mini collection but do let me know if there’s a shade you think I’m seriously missing out on.

If you want to see more on the bullet journal, you can read; How to pack: The Bullet Journal Way or My Top 3 Bullet Journal Spreads and, of course, The Bullet Journal Holiday Essential Packing List (long title, I know!😅). I hope you enjoyed today’s post!

FTC: None of my links are affiliate links, these products are ones that I truly love and couldn’t live without!

The Bullet Journal Holiday Essential Packing List

When going on vacation, the bullet journal is definitely a necessity for me. Not only do I love to plan my trip in its hardcover pages but I love documenting my experience in a trusty travel log. Sometimes, it can be hard not to leave anything behind when packing bullet journal supplies so here’s a little list of my essential items.

• The journal (duh!)
• Brush pen (mini) set
  About six key colours should be enough but you can also pack according to your theme or travel log palette.
• Eraser
• Ruler
• Pencil & Sharpener
  If you can’t bring a sharpener on the plane, make sure your pencil is very sharp!
• Washi Tape
  Two rolls are usually enough for me. It’s great for including images or brochures for your travel log.
• Pen
  I’ve only ever used black in my journal. Do you do the same?
• Black Fineliner
  I personally don’t use coloured fineliners but they can give a pop of colour to your drawings so feel free to add some in.

Have I forgotten anything? Comment below if you think I’m missing an essential bullet journal supply. If you like bullet journal content definitely leave a like on this post because I’d love to keep writing about this topic.

See you around!

How I only use one notebook for school

Happy World Environment Day everyone! 🌏 
Today I wanted to share a post all about my note-taking system that’s great for the environment as well as your back (imagine having only one notebook in your bag!).

I’ve been using the Rocketbook Everlast as my main notebook for over a year now and I’ve come to love its tree-free pages. It has a sleek finish and is incredibly lightweight. I think its the perfect notebook for tech-savvy students and Earth-lovers alike as it is entirely erasable with water, syncs effortlessly with online locations and can be used for years. If you don’t know how it works, feel free to check out the rocketbook website ( https://getrocketbook.com.au// ) or just head to youtube (you know the drill 😉).

Another amazing thing about it is that it pairs with the Frixion Pilot Erasable Pens (which just so happen to be refillable) meaning that even your pens are good for the planet! I highly recommend this notebook and it’s worth every penny spent. I had to get used to the plastic feel of the pages and of the erasable pens but it’s a great design and is made of a material that I believe is easy to write on.
WARNING: Heavy hands beware – this notebook doesn’t work well with hard lines as they mark the pages. Be sure to write softly on this notebook to make it last longer.

I’ve separated my notebook icons into my core subjects and I use it for my notes in almost every class – it works well with my style of learning that involves lots of practise questions that I don’t look over more than twice. Nevertheless, I have a separate notebook system (which includes the rocketbook) for LOTE that you can find out more about here.

Happy Environment Day and stay green! 🌲 

FTC: This post is not sponsored and links are not affiliate. All opinions are entirely my own and this post aims to encourage the purchase of sustainable school supplies.

My TOP 3 Bullet Journal Spreads

Hey everyone!

Today I’m trying something new and sharing my top three bullet journal spreads to include in a monthly layout. I’ve been bullet journalling for a long time and these spreads have been the most effective throughout my ups and downs with the BuJo.

In third place …
The Master To Do List

This large list for tasks is often used in weekly spreads and occasionally in monthly layouts. I find it’s most effective (and most satisfying) when there’s a space for inserting the date of completion so you know the exact day you finished a task. This list is a great way to jot down larger things that may not be quick enough to put in a daily to-do list but aren’t events that can be put in your calendar.

…

Coming in at No. 2…
A “Gratitude” and/or “Memories” Log

inspired by AmandaRachLee on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNZuF6mw5uU

I’ve tried this a few times and have found it to be such a rewarding thing to look back on! I prefer not to be constrained to a certain number of things to be grateful for each day so I usually make it very simple and open-ended. My favourite gratitude logs have been the ones that I combined with a “memories” page since it’s really easy to look back on memories and be grateful for them.

…

And finally, at No. 1…
Things I’ve Learnt

This one is a great holding place for little snippets of information or fun facts. My first “things I’ve learnt” spread was pretty random and I added so many useless facts that I had found throughout the month. Looking back, it was so funny to see the bits of information I had accumulated over time! This is a new one I’ve made for the second half of this year…

If you enjoy bullet journalling too, let me know and I’ll be sure to write about it in the future! I’ve been journalling for over two years and I’ve learnt so much along the way! If you’re interested, you can find my other bullet journal posts here: https://chamomileandcolour.wordpress.com/?s=bullet+journal .