Fuji Film Instax Mini 8 - review

Hi guys! 

Ok, I recently (January... But anyway :P) got a Fuji Film Instax Mini 8 for my birthday! Before asking for it I wanted to look on the internet for some reviews about it, but I didn't really find any which was disappointing. But I decided that I would take the plunge and just ask for it. Fortunately my parents bought it for me, so I was super excited to start using it! 

Now there are 5 different exposure settings that you can choose from: indoor, cloudy, sunny, really sunny and high key. When you turn it on there will be an orange light that will choose the setting that will be most suited to where you are and the weather. So you just turn the dial and stop when the little hole stops on the lit up setting. 

There is no way to turn off the flash, since there are no other settings to choose from. But the flash is what makes the photos come out so original and unique, because you don't know how the lighting will go with the flash. They are very easy to learn how to use which is great for those who just want an instant photo to share with their friends and family. It just takes AA batteries so it's super easy to get it working again after the batteries have run out, because AA batteries are just everywhere... Well they are in my house anyway aha.

I have the white instax mini so it gets dirty quite easily as you can see in the picture above, soo buying a darker colour will mean that you don't have to clean it as much. It comes in 4 colours which are white, black, pink, blue and yellow- where the pink, blue and yellow are pastel and very pretty. You can buy cases for them but I just can't be bothered.. Typical me :P 

Now the only thing I don't like about it is the cost of the film! It's really pricy- $20 for 10 at JB HiFi and Dick Smiths. I was fortunate enough to get a pack of 50 for my birthday (5x10 packs) but I'm almost out so I'll have to fork out a heap of money to buy some more. But it's defintitely worth it if you love the vintage look of them like I do :) 

Here are some that I took that I thought came out pretty good ----> 

 

As you can see, I just used a fine felt pen to write the date/event so I will remember later on when and where I took the photos :) 

That's all for now! I hope this has been helpful to you :) 

- Tianah xo

Study Tips

Hi guys! 

So at my school the year 11 and 12 first semester exams are starting this week... Scary... Now being in year 12 I have lots of exams to study for 7 -to be exact- and all are within 3 weeks so I decided to start studying last week. I was looking up helpful ways to study just to add to what I already do, so I've come up with a few tips that help me and hopeful you too! 

1. Write a list! 

For me writing lists helps a lot with getting myself organised and ready to conquer all the topics I have to cover. So I have 5 subjects which all have heaps of topics in them which I've covered over the semester. Now, by writing a checklist of everything you need to study you are making a physical reminder of how much or how little you have to remember, and it will help with getting you ready to start. 

For example, I study chemistry. I went through my notebook and booklets that my teacher gave me, and made this list with all the topics I need to remember or perhaps relearn before the exam. 

So now whenever I have finished studying one of those topics, I can just tick it off and not have to stress... As a bonus, ticking things off on a To Do List is always fun and makes you feel like you've accomplished something! :) 

2. Study in an environment where you know you can concentrate! 

Some people can study really well with music, whilst others can't. I can't. I need things to be super quiet so all my attention is on what I'm suppose to be doing. If you know that you can only study with music then listen to music, and if you can't then don't. I personally think that studying without music is more effective. My maths teacher is a firm advocate of studying and doing work in a quiet environment, because studies have shown that when you listen to music while you study your brain doesn't make the right connections and you only remember things for a short amount of time, and if it's quiet then information can reach your long term memory and stay there. 

3. Flash cards!

Even though it's the 21st century, flash cards are still one of the best ways to remember information! You write down the question or word, write down the answer or definition, and bam you're ready to start studying! You've probably all heard of flash cards.. Who hasn't!? But did you know that you can get apps for your portable devices which I think most of us have at least one! I have 2 (not sure why I have 2 but anyway..) called FlashCards++ and Flashcardlet. Both are great, yet one is free and one isn't. You can write your own flash cards or download ones that other people have created and made available on Quizlet which is really helpful if you are too lazy to make your own sometimes! Hehe 

4. Have food!!!!! 

The exclamation marks were totally needed there! You get to eat while study! Whateven!? 

Having food with you when you study will prevent you from wondering around the house, continuously opening and closing the fridge expecting something new to be there every time, and endless procrastination (because let's face it, food is amazing). Having healthy food with you is even better for your studying. It will give you energy that you need to be able to remember information or stay up. A good choice is some fruit like a banana or apple, or saltanas (mmmmm my favourite). 

5. Have a clean study area! 

My mum tells me this nonstop and I think it might just be starting to kick in after 17 years... I always find that I study better and have less distractions if my desk is clean and tidy, that way I can't play with anything that shouldn't be on there, and trust me it happens. You won't even notice that you're doing it until 10 minutes or so has passed and your still playing with that bouncy ball on your desk. I don't know, who even has a bouncy ball on their desk... Not me :P 

Now that's all for now! Hope these help and good luck! :) 

- Tianah xo

Great Reads!

Hi guys! 

Books! There's so many of them in the world. Some funny, some action, some sad and a some are romantic. Sometimes you just can't work out which book to read because there are so many you want to read, but so little time! 

That's the situation I'm in right now. I've got a book to read for school, books to read for myself and books to read so I can talk about them with my friends, and the list just keeps getting longer...

So I thought I'd write out a list of books that I have loved reading, or in the middle of reading, so you can start making your list! :) 

First, The Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner. This is one of my favourite series due to the fact it is sort of futuristic, it's full of action, it's romantic and it mysterious... Everything I personally look for, all in one book!! You'll start reading it and you'll just refuse to put it down, PROMISE! But one strange thing is that it is a trilogy, yet there is actually 4 books... Strange huh?! Hehe. The books in order go: The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure and lastly The Kill Order. The last book is actually the prequel to it but you should definitely read the others first! 

Second is the I Am Number Four series by Pitacus Lore. These books are great! They're action, sci fi and romance, where things get intense in all 3 of those categories... If you saw the movie for the first book you'll know how amazing the plot is, and when you combine an amazing plot with great writing and another 3+ novels what could be better! The books in the series are I Am Number Four, The Power of Six, The Rise of Nine, and The Fall of Five. They are amazing! 

Thirdly is Divergent of course, by Veronica Roth! I was a bit late to the craze of this book but I jumped in with full force after reading the book in a whole 3 days! Now I'm not a fast reader so you can see how much a read each day to finish it in that short amount of time! I'm half way through the second book, Insurgent, which I can say that I'm thoroughly enjoying and I can't wait to read Allegiant!  

Fourth is probably the most chilling of all, The Power of Five series by Anthony Horowitz. This is a great book for those of you who like novels which make you wonder how the author thought of it. It can give you shivers in some parts but also give you a sort of adrenaline rush because your so involved in the characters lives! There are 5 books: Raven's Gate, Evil Star, Nightrise, Necropolis and Oblivion. They are quite large books but well worth it! 

And lastly, the one and only... The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I'm only just starting this but I can see what all the rave was and still is about! It's amazingly written and is very interesting. I can't really say much else about it since I'm only on chapter 2... I should really get on with it shouldn't I ;) 

That's all for now, hope this helped in giving you an idea about some books that you might like to read! 

Byee

- Tianah xo