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2020 Christmas Gift Guide - Supporting Small Businesses

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2020 has given us all an opportunity to re-evaluate where we spend our money. With Christmas 2020 less than 6 weeks away I've pulled together a gift list, including some lovely small businesses in Scotland to consider this holiday season. Many have international shipping for anyone further afield.  If you can, please consider donating this year to spread that Christmas joy a little further. I'm Dreaming of - Jewellery  Ruth Brown Jewellery Glaswegian designer and silversmith, based in the UK. Ruth has something for everyone: necklaces, rings, cufflinks and more. Each piece is handmade by Ruth with precious metals, inspired by architecture and the built environment her jewellery is geometric and sculptural. I have several pieces from RBJ, they all bring so much joy.  Shop here . Instagram: @ruthbrownjewellery Images: Ruth Brown Jewellery Iona Lundie Design Scottish contemporary designer inspired by fire festivals. Iona's work is sculptural and dynamic, reflecting the textu...
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You're Not a Machine - It's Ok to Not Be Productive | Mini Post

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Mini Post Catching up with friends, the dreaded question - what did you do today? Quarantine has shaken everyone's routines. Some have improved their skills in the kitchen, others are improving their fitness. I've seen countless posts on social media telling people NOW is the time to be productive, NOW is the time to chase after a goal. I would agree to an extent, many people have more time on their hands to do something they didn't previously have time for. However, it's ok if you don't feel up to it. Some days I'm really productive and it feels great, but why do I feel stressed, anxious and guilty when my answer to the "dreaded question" is - I woke up, ate 3 meals and watched some videos? Nobody is keeping a record of your productivity. We're going through a global pandemic, you're not going to get a gold star at the end because you were 100% productive. Maybe today the most productive thing you've done is wake up and that...
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5 Financial Mistakes I Made in My Early 20's - Millennial Money

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Hello and welcome. Shaking it up today to discuss 5 financial mistakes I made in my early 20's. With everything going on at the moment finances can be a huge cause of stress. While I have no professional experience in finance I've made mistakes along the way that hopefully, you can learn from. ONE - NOT TRACKING MY MONEY I've never been in debt so I thought I was good with money. While I wasn't bad with money, I certainly wasn't good. I didn't have debt, but I also didn't have a healthy savings account. I covered my bills and spent what was left. If I had tracked my money I would have seen how much I was wasting on takeaway coffees, snacks, doubling up on transport costs etc. By not tracking my spending I was failing to plan for the future and practically burning through money. TWO - SPENDING ON AN UNSUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE For most of my early 20's I was in fulltime education with a part-time job working around 20 hours a week as a waitress and...
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Architecture School - What Books Should I Buy?

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Hello and welcome to another Architecture School blog post. Reading books is a vital part of your education and will undoubtedly make you a better designer in the long run. It can be daunting when you get a list of books through from your school outlining the required reading for the year, Architecture books are expensive and can quickly run up a steep bill. Don't worry, it's not bad news! Hold off on buying ANY of the books on the required list because if it's on there your school's library should hold a copy of it. You should be able to check what books your school library holds through their online portal. Sometimes your school won't carry a physical copy; however, you may be able to download a PDF of the book through your school's online library. If a book on the required list isn't available in your school's library OR available through the online portal you can request that the library purchases a copy. Every department is given a budget a...
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Architecture School - 5 Things I Wish I'd Known

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Hello and welcome. Since you're here I'm going to assume you are either considering Architecture School, currently in it or just curious. Architecture is a strange course, it falls somewhere between artist and engineer. I graduated in November 2019 with a Masters in Architecture from the top school in Scotland (5th in the UK). From the seven years of school and placement, I have a lot of things I wish I'd known from day one. ONE - ALL NIGHTERS WON'T MAKE YOU BETTER A toxic trait of Architecture School is the studio culture of 'pulling an allnighter'. Throughout the years of school, numerous tutors would ask when we were going to start our allnighters. For a long time, I brushed it off as a hangover from their time studying. However, I noticed a LOT of students burning themselves out with sleepless nights. The sad truth is it wasn't making them better students. I don't know a single person who improved their grades from sleepless nights. The stude...
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A Leap of Faith: Call to Action | MiniPost

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Mini Post I opened my Instagram Stories a few months ago and was being directed to a woman (let's call her Erica), she was talking about how important it is to take a step forward sometimes, even when you're terrified. Not all moves towards your goals have to be a leap of faith. Sometimes a small terrified baby step forward is all it takes to set a new path into action. Don't let yourself be paralysed by the thought of failure. Erica mentioned how there are often ideas we let roll around in our heads, we brush them off for excuses, but sometimes for valid reasons. Excuses are one thing, but when genuine risk is involved we tend to shy away even more. If I fail, it is going to have a negative financial impact on my family...but if I succeed it would provide a lifestyle for my family that we don't have right now. I'm surrounded by ambitious people. I could pretend I was fortunate and luck played a role, but there was no luck. Everyone has limited time...
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We're All Busy - Ditching the Excuses

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Hello, it's been a while. Happy New Year! I took a break from writing blog posts while I was doing my masters over the summer and working part-time. Things were a little bit chaotic and definitely overwhelming at times - I was busy. I internally laugh every time some tells me how busy they are. I'm guilty of saying it too, but I'm trying to kick the habit. The truth is if you work/study full-time or have children, you've got a lot of things demanding your time. How you spend your time is a reflection of what you prioritise out of desire or necessity. I've been working full time in my graduate job for four months. I get more done in an evening now than I did while I was studying, the reason - I've kicked a lot of time-sucking habits that were 0% productive. "Activity suggests a life filled with purpose."  - Captain Von Trapp, The Sound of Music Priorities I like to look at my time in a similar way to running a business, to stay in the...
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