Harry Potter Items I Use in My Everyday Life|CarenzaOnBooks

Being a Harry Potter fan is great because there are so many items I can use in my everyday life. There are quite a few that I use every day and I thought I'd share with you guys which items they are.

Laptop Case

An item I use every day is my Harry Potter laptop case. I got mine on Redbubble where there are thousands upon thousands of different designs. I believe it was around the £18-£25 mark and it is excellent quality. The case itself is really padded and the material the design is on is really high quality. I would highly recommend laptop cases from Redbubble as they are good quality and have a wide range of designs. 

 

Moleskin Diary/Planner

For my birthday back in August, my best friend bought me a Harry Potter 2018-19 planner. It is honestly the best thing I've ever received because I use it every single day. It's well designed so you have a space to write things in every day as well as a whole blank page for notes. I use mine for keeping a track of my finances as well as what homework and lectures I have that week. I know they have released a wide range of designs in various sizes, so if you are looking for a diary/planner then Moleskin is the place to look.

  

Bedding 

An obvious item that I use every single day is my Harry Potter bedding. Like most people in the Harry Potter community, I bought mine in Primark for a fairly cheap price for bedding. The bedding is always great quality and there is a wide range of designs.

Tea Towels

Something else that I use every single day are my Harry Potter tea towels from Primark. Again, these are super affordable and come in a wide range of designs. Personally, I have the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw double pack and it cost me £5.

 

Coasters

Harry Potter coasters are something I'm gathering a small collection in. I have two in my uni room and I use them both every single day. I have one on my desk and one on my bedside table. Like the items from Primark, they are fairly inexpensive. 

My University Reading Nook| CarenzaOnBooks

Since moving to University a month ago, I have created a little reading nook in my room. I've always wanted a little reading nook and I'm very proud of how this one turned out. I thought I'd share with you how you can turn your university room into the perfect reading space as that was something I was very keen to do when I moved out.

An overview of my reading nook in my university bedroom

Blankets and Cushions

The first stage for me was to add lots of cushions and blankets. I have always been a fan of cushions and blankets. If you go back to some of my earlier blog posts, you will see that from my old bedroom. For me, cushions and blankets can add so much to a space. They make it feel more cosy and welcoming. All the ones in these pictures I have bought from Primark, proving that to have a cosy and fandom themed room doesn't need to be expensive. I've also added some cuddly toys because who doesn't love cuddly toys? Also, my giant Totoro plush is incredible and well worth the £34 I spent on it in Edinburgh.

My Harry Potter cushion collection and some cuddly friends

    

Fairy Lights

Again, I have always been a sucker for Fairy Lights. Not pictured, but I do have some Pumpkin fairy lights on my bookcase. At night, fairy lights add to the cosy environment and there is nothing greater than curling up in bed with a good book and turning on my fairy lights. I managed to pick up both of these sets for under £10.

Top set- Amazon

Bottom set- Primark, Harry Potter potion bottle fairy lights

 

Posters and Decorative Things 

Even though I'm technically not allowed to have posters on the wall in my uni room, I've stuck up quite a few. I love posters. I'm always collecting new things to stick to my walls as without them, I found the walls here to be quite bland. I've mostly focused on the area around my bed as that's where I wanted the room to look its best. 

Posters from various places

Cosy but Practical 

As much as you want your reading nook to be cosy, it is also important to make sure it is practical and functions well. Make sure you are well supported by cushions as there is nothing worse than being uncomfortable while reading. Also, make sure it is well lit as it can cause damage to your eyes if you are straining to read.

A memory foam cushion to support me

A bedside lamp to make sure the area is well lit

August and September Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

Once again, I owe you guys an apology. It's been ages since I posted on here and that's because I moved to University. I am now a Creative and Professional Writing student. I've been very busy (especially in September) moving to uni and then settling in. But now I've been here for a few weeks, I want to get back to blogging. My aim is to have at least one post a week up on here. My content won't be changing, but I will occasionally miss posts if I'm snowed under with uni work. Anyway, this post is my August and September favourites as August and September have been some of the best months of 2018.

Books

I read two really great books in August. The first was The Gentlemen's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. I had been dying to read this for ages and I finally picked up a copy. I can safely say that it lives up to the hype. It is a fantastic historical YA novel with amazing LGBT representation. I am so excited for the sequel The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, which is already out in America and is coming out in November in the UK.

Another great book I read in August was Autoboyography by Christina Lauren. Also a great LGBT novel, it was a heartwarming and quick read. I prefer TGGVV as I found Autoboyography predictable in places, but it didn't stop it from packing an emotional punch in places. 

When I moved out to University in the middle of September, my dad gave me a copy of Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G Wodehouse. We had watched the series (Jeeves and Wooster) when we first moved into our flat in 2016 and we began to rewatch it when I moved out. I read the book and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I definitely want to read more in the series as they are such fun and light-hearted books.

Culture

Over the summer I went to York Pop Up Theatre and saw two plays. The first was Romeo and Juliet, the second being Richard III. I really enjoy seeing Shakespeare plays and to see them in a theatre as close to the original theatres Shakespeare's audience would have seen them in. I'm hoping that they do another event like it in the future as it was a cool experience. 

If you've been a long time reader of mine, then you will know that I go to the Edinburgh Fringe every single year and this year was no different. This time, however, was the first time I spent overnight in Edinburgh and did two days of shows. I would love at some point in my life to go for a week and just immerse myself in the Fringe experience. I also got some cool merch such as a vintage style hoodie and the last Edinburgh Fringe teddy bear, which I have called Eddie.

 

I finally saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (both parts). I saw it for my birthday and it was incredible. I am 100% going to see it again before the cast changes as the cast I saw was amazing. Scorpius Malfoy is a precious little bean and I want to protect him with all my heart.

In September I moved to University. I have always wanted to go to University and so being able to finally do it was life-changing. I love the course I'm studying and my flatmates are amazing. I know this is going to be an incredible experience.

Since moving to University, I have been to the local Cat Cafe. Cat Cafes are the best invention and I wish there was one on campus. The cats were so cute and I can't wait to go back. Also, they did great hot chocolate.

Bits'n'Bobs

When I was in York I found a piece of clothing I had been looking for for ages- black dungarees. I had wanted a pair since I saw Bill from Doctor Who wearing them. They are so cute and if I could, I'd wear them every single day.

With the new Fantastic Beasts movie coming out, that means new FB pop funkos. The ones that I have so far are so cute and you can bet I'm going to be getting them all. At the moment, I only have Newt with me at uni, but the others are fabulous.

Speaking of Fantastic Beasts, the final trailer for the movie came out and it was jaw-dropping. A certain character reveal was completly out of the blue. I can't wait for the movie, you can bet I'm going to see it when it comes out.

For my birthday, my best friend got me a Harry Potter 2018-19 Moleskin planner and it has to be the best thing I received. I use it every single day and it was a godsend. I will be getting one of these when I finish mine as it is amazing.