21 Things Left To Do Before Turning 21

It’s December which means it’s my birthday month, and as I am turning 21 here are 21 things left to do before turning 21 …

Happy December everyone! It is almost like that now it has turned December the temperature outside has just plummeted. That is what I am saying to myself at least. But can we just talk about how it is December?! This year has been a funny hold year but it has also gone VERY quickly. It’s been a crap one admittedly, but only last week we were just going into lockdown 1.0. We are nearly there though because it is December and it is also the month of my birthday. And as it’s my 21st I wanted to do a little 21 things left to do before turning 21 blog post. 

I have always joked about how my birthday is very close to Christmas. When I went on my first date with Jack, I told him how my birthday was only a week before Christmas and he then went and told me how his birthday is on Christmas Day! So it is quite a hectic time of year, to say the least. For me, it is the busiest month work-wise, it is also the month before January deadlines, so as much as I want to chill over the festive period it won’t happen. But to keep the motivation levels up here is my list!

1 – Finish buying all my Christmas presents. I absolutely love buying Christmas presents for other people. Usually, I am quite good, even if this year my ideas have been postponed due to COVID. I have one person left to buy for and then I am done.

2 – Round off my client’s shoots for 2020. I have one more big client shoot for my business left before my birthday. Setting up a business before turning 21, during the middle of a pandemic, and whilst in the middle of a degree hasn’t been easy but I am so proud of myself. This shoot will be a tough one but I think the content will be amazing. If you don’t follow my business check out @thirtyfivethestudio on Instagram.

3 – Test out my Polaroid camera. During the Black Friday sales, I treated myself to a Polaroid camera! It is something I have been wanting for a while and then I saw Georgia Ellen use hers on our shoot the other week and it made me want to buy one. So I did just that! I haven’t used it yet but I think the photos will be so cute in the run-up to Christmas. 

4 – See my boyfriend. Because of lockdown, I haven’t seen him in over a month so I just can’t wait to spend some time with him! 

5 – Get all my blog posts up for the rest of the year. I did blog posts every single day last week in the run-up to Black Friday and it was so full-on I felt I just wanted to stop for the rest of the year. But we have gotten this far and after nearly 5 years of doing this, I am not going to stop until my annual Christmas break. 

6 – Finish filming my university film. I have to make a cultural film for my current university module. I am determined to get this filmed and edited before Christmas so it ticks another thing off the list!

7 – Finish reading the Harry Potter collection. This year I have been reading the Harry Potter collection. I am such a big fan of the films, yet I had never read the books. As I am writing this I have a couple of chapters left of the Half-Blood Prince and then I have one left!

8 – Watch the Crown series 4. I am just SO obsessed with the Crown and I am only two episodes in so far. It is one of my favorites series so I want to treat myself to a binge day before my birthday.

9 – Put up the Christmas decorations. It is tradition (even though me and my mum have been debating it) that we always put the decorations up before my birthday. So it is a MUST DO. 

10 – Shoot all my own Instagram content in advance. I still have some content to shoot before the Christmas break, and they are mostly home shoots now so I just have to devote a day and shoot shoot shoot!

11 – Go back to the gym. The gym obviously had to shut in November due to lockdown, and December normally is so busy that I miss out on some of my gym sessions. But I want to make use of my membership this month!

12 – Clear up my skin. My skin over the last month has been breaking out left right and center. To some, it might not seem much, but as someone who has been fairly lucky with their skin, it just makes me feel a bit meh. I think it’s a combination of masking wearing, stress, and hormones. But I just hope it will get better before my birthday. 

13 – Bake biscoff banana bread. I have been saying for weeks I am going to do this and haven’t yet. Hence why it’s made its way onto this list as yet another reminder for me to do it.

14 – Bake gingerbread. Its a seasonal tradition so it would be criminal not too.

15 – Get myself in a good position with my uni work. I have deadlines in January and I have a hefty amount of work to do before then. But I always like to get myself in a good place before the deadline rather than leaving it all to then end. So the more I do this side of Christmas, the better position I will be in after. 

16 – Have a girls night with lots of pizza. I haven’t seen my friend Rosie in ages and I am hoping for a girly pizza night!

17 – Buy myself a birthday present. It’s my 21st so why not. Only something small though.

18 – Get in the Christmas spirit. It’s been one of those years that has just made this time of year feel a bit meh. So I am planning a Christmas day, including a drive-through carole service that might get the spirits up!

19 – Hit 20K on Instagram… or get closer to it. I set a goal at the beginning of this year to hit 20K before the end of the year. I am not too hopeful of this but I want to try my best at it! 

20 – Drink as much gin/wine/prosecco as I want. Because WHY. THE. HELL. NOT. 

21 – Relax. When planning this post, I thought it would conclude a list a little more out there, exciting and experimental. But with all these COVID restrictions it’s not that easy. So yes. One of my tasks is to relax. The last month or so has been a whirlwind of emotions so I just want to relax a little you know? I think after this year we all deserve that much. 

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