You're My Golden Sun, Take My Hand And Rule The World

I've seen this tag on blogs and YouTube a lot recently so I thought i'd give it a go. I haven't really been in the mood to blog much this week so I thought i'd do something that didn't require much effort ;)

One. What do you order at Starbucks?

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I don't go to Starbucks that often as there isn't one really close by but when I do I order a hot chocolate with lots of cream on top or at Christmas, a gingerbread latte. I need to be more adventurous and venture into the world of proper coffee don't I?!

Two. One thing in your closet you cannot live without

I wouldn't say there is anything special that I can't live without but I do love my black bodycon skirt and leggings are also a staple in my wardrobe.

Three. What's one thing most people probably don't know about you?

I can't stick my tongue out further than my bottom lip 

Four. Name one thing you want to do before you die

I'd like to find a job that I really enjoy, have a little family of Guinea Pigs and go to a music festival 

(just realised the question asked for one thing, not three!)

Five. What's one food you cannot live without?

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I would pick something sweet but there are too many things to choose from so i'm going to say tomato ketchup - you can use it to make anything savoury taste nice ;)

Six. What quote/phrase do you live by?

There isn't really one in particular but I read this one recently which I liked:
'There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.' Paulo Coelho. 
I also love everything by TheQuoteWhore

Seven. What do you like/dislike about the blogging community?

Like - the supportive friendly people i've met along the way who take the time to read my posts.

Dislike - how so many blogs are now shaped by PR companies rather than the people that write them.

Eight. What's your most listened to song on iTunes?

Now Faded Photographs by My Forever (quite proud of this as they're a little unsigned band) although i'm currently addicted to Golden Sun and the rest of the Fenech-Soler album!

Nine. What kind of style would you define yourself as having?

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Simple. I love plain tops and leggings with lots of jewellery to accessorize. (I wish I had Frankie Sandford's wardrobe!)

Ten. Favourite number?

21, always!

Eleven. Two Hobbies?

I hate it when people ask this question! I was asked this in a uni interview and said 'nothing', haha! But for the sake of answering this question properly i'll go for blogging and baking

Twelve. Two Pet Peeves?

#1 People who write 'brought' instead of 'bought' and 'your' instead of 'you're', I know some people don't find writing easy but it's just something that really annoys me!

#2 People who don't take the time to get to know you and judge you straight away. This annoys me just by thinking about it! I'm basically describing half of Sixth Form here to be honest!

Thirteen. Guilty Pleasures?

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Celebrity gossip, watching trashy TV and eating cookie dough ;)

Well I'd Give It All Back Just To Do It Again, Yeah I'd Turn Back Time, Be With My Friends

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.1. I had my hair cut on Thursday for the first time since August. I know, shameful! It looks a lot healthier and i've had some long layers cut in to make it a bit lighter and give it a bit of shape. I really need to get into the habit of having regular trims as it makes a lot of difference and the hairdresser didn't actually cut too much off for once! 

.2. It was my friends' 18th recently and we went to Frankie and Benny's for a meal. It's the second time i've been this month so i'm not being too healthy but it's nice food so at least I enjoyed it! I shared a BBQ Chicken pizza and then we had a few cocktails afterwards. A few of us ended up having quite a bit to drink back at their house which wasn't exactly my intention but I had a good night which is all that matters haha.

.3. I'm not impressed with the clocks going forward today, it's made me feel so tired although I didn't get a lot of sleep last night anyway! I've not been feeling too motivated to blog in the past couple of weeks; I think it's mainly down to the amount of work I have to do for 6th form and to be honest it's not going to get any easier as exams are just around the corner. I'm sure i'll have a few posts up soon though and the fact summer is only a few months away will make me feel a bit more positive as it will be so nice to have a break!

♥ A few to follow: Sammi and Rosie

♫ I'm currently listening to: Noah & The Whale - Give It All Back and Take That - Happy Now

Graze

I'm pretty sure most people who read this will have heard of Graze so i'm not going to write too much about them.

To put it simply, you can order a box of 4 different snacks to be sent to you either once or twice a week. The snacks are a combination of things like flapjack, fruit, nuts, seeds and olives. You can pick the types of things you'd like to be sent and the things you wouldn't which is good if you're quite picky like me, for example I don't like things like olives or most types of nuts.

I got my first box a couple of weeks ago which contained:

New England (Dried Apple and Dried Cranberries) - I actually eat both of these a couple of times a week with cereal so I already knew i'd love them and I enjoyed having this little box as a snack. The cranberries were really sweet and juicy and went well with the apple and they've inspired me to start snacking on dried fruit more often to get my sweet fix.

Olive, Rosemary and Siciliano Pesto Focaccia - I'm not normally a fan of olives so when I was picking the things i'd like to try I avoided everything in the main olive section. I really like bread though so I said i'd like to try this. It was actually really nice and had quite a distinctive flavour which wasn't too strong. I don't think whole olives are for me but I don't mind a few smaller pieces on bread.

Very Nori-sh (Japanese Seaweed Crackers) - Part of the reason why I signed up to get a Graze box was that I wanted to try new things. I like to snack on crackers so I was pleased to see these in my box. They have a nice light texture and have the lowest calorie content out of everything I got. They have quite a fiery after taste which surprised me but it wasn't that bad! I did like them although you might need a glass of water to hand if you eat them one after the other!

Honeycomb Flapjack - I loved this as it has a soft texture and is very sweet. You can really taste the syrup and honeycomb in it and i'm kind of glad you can't buy this in the shops as i'd probably end up eating a crazy amount of it! It's a really nice treat to get this in your Graze box and although it isn't healthy it is really tasty.

Graze boxes are £3.49 each which includes free first class delivery which I think is actually really affordable.

The thing I like the most about it is that you get a nice surprise when you open your box as you have no idea what combination of things you'll be sent. It's also quite healthy and gives you the opportunity to try new things you wouldn't normally eat. In your box you get a handy sheet telling you the use-by date of each product and the nutritional info so it's great if you're quite health conscious.

I got my first box completely free and my second half price which is a really good offer and gives you the chance to see if you like the idea. If you'd like to get the same offer you can use the code: 71TNFD8. 

You can cancel really easily after you've used the offer if you don't want to continue paying the full price for each box. It's definitely worth trying as you'll get two boxes for £1.75 instead of £6.98. At the minute I can't afford to purchase a box every week but i'll be treating myself to one when I have the money as there are lots of snacks i'd love to try! 

I know quite a few people have already tried Graze so if you have i'd love to know what your favourites are :)

It Could Be Yours, The World We See, The Future's Ours, Stand Close To Me

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.1. I finally made my ASOS order to spend my groupon voucher! I wanted to buy things i'd actually wear so I decided on a few basic tees as you can't go wrong when you're saving £11! I bought this one in white and this one in mink and was quite happy that I waited a little while and got free next day delivery too :)

.2. I watched Comic Relief on Friday night and did my bit and donated a few pounds to a good cause. I seriously admire Chris Moyles and Dave Vitty for staying up for over 50 hours to raise over 2 million pounds, I would have easily fallen asleep after about 24! I also loved Smithy's Sketch!

.3. On Friday I found out that Truffle has cancer. I'm staying really positive about it because it doesn't seem to be affecting her; she's still eating non stop and running around! Thank you to everyone that sent me nice tweets about it on Friday too, your support means a lot!

♥ A few to follow: Kate, Jemma and Aqsa

♫ I'm currently listening to: One Night Only - Can You Feel It and Parachute - The Mess I Made

Recipe: Tomato & Basil Sweet Potato

I am a huge lover of rustic comfort food and this recipe is something I could easily eat everyday. It takes quite a bit of time to cook but the recipe is really simple and tastes amazing! Sweet Potatoes are a bit of a new discovery for me but they taste so much nicer than normal ones!

This recipe is quite healthy and is really versatile so you can easily add and take away ingredients so that it suits your taste. It also counts as two of your 5 a day but like me you could add sweetcorn or a salad to make it even better!

Ingredients:
1 Sweet Potato
30g Cheese
7 Cherry Tomatoes
5 Basil Leaves

Method:
-Pre-heat your oven to 200°c
-Wash the sweet potato and stab with a knife a few times
-Bake in the oven for 1 hour, turning it over after 30 minutes
-Grate the cheese, chop the tomatoes and finely chop the basil leaves while the potato is cooking
-Remove potato from the oven and cut in half
-Scoop out the filling and mash it in a bowl
-Add your fillings to the bowl and mash it all together
-Scoop the filling back into the potato skins
-Add a sprinkle of grated cheese to the top
-Return the potato to the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown or the cheese has melted

Nutrition:
303 Calories, 51g Carbohydrates, 5g Fat, 19g Protein, 19g Sugar

If you try this let me know what you think; if anyone has any other interesting flavours or suggestions for sweet potatoes i'd love to hear them :)

But Sometimes, It's Just The Way Things Go, I Know

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.1. I really enjoyed this week as it's been full of little things to brighten up the not-so-great things ;) I got my first Graze box (love it!-review to come soon), went on a spontaneous ice-cream parlour trip during our dinner break with the girls (I had toffee ice cream), celebrated Sage's 3rd Birthday and handed my ICT project in so I can be stress free for a few weeks! 

.2. On Thursday I got my result for the Business exam I sat in January. I got a B which I was so happy about although it's made my uni decision harder as I was two marks off an A so I could get into a better uni than I thought. A lot of my friends sat more exams than me so we decided to go out for lunch to celebrate. We chose Frankie and Benney's (somewhere i've never been before) where I opted for a BBQ Chicken Pizza which I know isn't healthy but it tasted good and filled me up for the rest of the day! 

.3. Lent is going really well so far; I know i'm only 5 days in but i'm enjoying the feeling of resisting bad foods and making healthier choices. I had a wholemeal pitta bread filled with tuna, tomato and sweetcorn yesterday which is probably the healthiest lunch i've had this year! I always need a sweet fix and dried fruit is my new best friend! Apple and Cranberries are my favourites and i've also been loving fresh fruit with natural yogurt and honey. I'm really hoping I can keep this up as I want desserts and chocolate to become more of treat to me instead of just being something I snack on as i'll enjoy them so much more!

♥ A few to follow: Katie and Natalie

♫ I'm currently listening to: Bluey Robinson - I Know and The Vaccines - If You Wanna 

New Purchases

Primark: Flower Headband, Lilac Bracelets and Anchor Bracelet, all £2 each

Primark: Nude Tee £6 and Navy Ruffle Sleeve Tee £4

I headed to Primark nice and early while everything was organised and picked up a few purchases. The lilac bracelets and flower headband are little reminders that summer is on the way and I can't wait to wear them! I'd also seen the Anchor bracelet on a few blogs and knew it had to be mine as I love the chain.

I love both of the tops I bought as they're both really good quality considering the price. Zara have some tops made from exactly the same material as the nude one for double the price so I was really glad I went to Primark first! I love the ruffle detail of the navy top and it's really soft and fits nicely too.

H&M: Bracelet £5.99

H&M: Ruffle Skirt £12.99 

I've been lusting after the brown bracelet for a while but thought it was a bit pricey for what you're getting. In the end I bought it as I knew i'd regret it if I didn't! It's actually one long piece of cord so you can wrap it round to fit any wrist size which is good as I find a lot of the bracelets (like the anchor one above) are a bit big. 

The black skirt has to be one of my favourite purchases as it was so cheap! I've seen similar skirts in Topshop for 3 times the price so I had to have it after i'd checked the pricetag. It fits really nicely and is perfect to wear on a night out or dressed up with a simple blouse.

H&M: Pink Knitted Top £12.99 and Leopard Print Scarf £4.99

I lost count of the number of knitted tops I saw while out shopping but I fell in love with the colour of this one. Primark are selling similar ones for £12 but the H&M ones are much better quality so it's worth paying a tiny bit more! I'll be wearing this over a white vest with a skinny waist belt to nip it in as it's a little bit big! 

The one thing I wanted to pick up was a new scarf as I only have a plain white one so I loved this leopard print one! I'll probably wear it with a plain top and jeans to brighten up the outfit.

Lush: It's Raining Men Showergel £4.25 & Honey I Washed The Kids Soap Sample

I broke my showergel ban to buy this product but I only bought a tiny bottle so it isn't that bad! I've heard lots of good things about this and as a lover of the Honey I Washed The Kids scent I thought it was worth picking up. I'm looking forward to trying it out and i'm hoping to make it last as I think it's limited edition!

I didn't go out intending to buy as much as I did but believe me I have very little money now so I won't be buying much for a few months! I'm really happy with everything I got and I know it will all get worn so it was money well spent!

Pancake Day Inspiration

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I love Pancake Day and this year i'm making the most of it as i'm giving up chocolate and sweet things for lent! I haven't decided which flavour i'm going to have; i'll probably end up having a few different ones as they all look so tasty! I normally go for either Orange or Lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar or something traditional like Maple syrup. 

If anyone is on the look out for a good pancake recipe this one by The Pink Whisk is helpful and this one by Made With Pink also shows you how to make American Style Pancakes :)

I'd love to hear your flavour suggestions in the comments!

And You Fight Like A Little Contender

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.1. I went to another uni open day on Wednesday which meant that I only went to 6th Form for 3 days instead of 5, love it! I enjoyed the open day but the accommodation really put me off even though the course is good. I don't want to go to uni and be really unhappy because of where i'm living as I know it will ruin the experience and to me it's important that I find some accommodation i'm completely happy with. There is some nice accommodation but not many first years stay in it so i'd feel like I was missing out if I stayed there. It's safe to say i've got a lot of thinking to do!

.2. Yesterday I went to my friend's for a girls night in. It was a really good night and after realising that we'll all be going our separate ways in just 6 months i'm starting to appreciate the time i've got left with them. 6th Form isn't the nicest place to be as everyone is in firm friendship groups and it can be really bitchy so I feel lucky to have 5 good friends who I can spend my time with. We had a Chinese takeaway, watched Take Me Out (i'm still in shock at Lucy getting a date!) and lots of drunken secrets were shared ;)

.3. I'm going to try and give up chocolate, biscuits and general rubbish for Lent. I'm not a religious person but I want to prove to myself that I can stick to something and the satisfaction of completing it will be worth it! I'm definitely going to enjoy some really tasty pancakes on Tuesday before the real challenge begins! I'm hoping it will help me to be a bit healthier too; Jess's post about body confidence is really worth reading and it has inspired me to make a few changes in the hope i'll become a bit happier with the way I look.

♥ A few to follow: Laura, Jade and Lauren

♫ I'm currently listening to: Fenech Soler - Contender and the Hollister Playlist

February

This post would have been up a lot earlier if blogger had saved everything i'd written so I apologize for how long it's taken me to sort it out! I thought it would be nice to write a little roundup of my memories and favourites of February to share with you.

Music

When I went to Bournemouth I put my iPod on shuffle for the 4 hour journeys there and back and rediscovered lots of music i'd forgotten about. Maroon 5's newest album was one of them and their cover of Alicia Keys' If I Aint Got You is a beaut! Have a listen here:

Food

Blueberries, Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey is my new found love of February! It's simple, quite healthy and tastes amazing! It reminds me of summer even though the weather has been crap this month ;)
I've also been loving M&S Chicken & Broccoli Pie which is the perfect comfort food. I don’t eat a lot of ‘ready meals’ but this one is to die for! I think it’s the sauce and the creamy mash that does it for me and it's also good value for money as it serves 2 even though the packet says 1.

Beauty

I can't get enough of Burt's Bees Almond Hand Cream; I actually don’t think I can explain how nice this smells! It’s a bit like marzipan and I honestly just want to eat it! It’s a lovely product and works a treat on any dry skin around my cuticles or in between my fingers. I never thought I’d say this but I actually like it more than Lemony Flutter by Lush!

TV

The past couple of months have been all about trashy TV for me. Sun Sex & Suspicious Parents, Take Me Out, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding and One Born Every Minute are just a few I’ve been loving. I’m not normally a big TV watcher and I think there are certain times in the year when there just isn’t anything worth watching. Most recently i've been loving Junior Doctors: Your Life In Their Hands on BBC3 which i'm sure i'll be watching throughout March too.

Life

February saw me give (a little bit of) blood, get glasses and visit Bournemouth for 3 days. For me that's quite eventful as there are quite a few months where i'll do nothing! Parsley also turned 3 which made me realise how fast the past few years have gone. I can still remember when she was tiny! I also set myself up a LastFM profile which has highlighted the crazy amount of music I listen to! I'm pretty sure i'll be at 9000 plays by the end of March ;)
February was also the month I decided to change my blog. Your support on my post about it was so overwhelming and shown how much I couldn't live without blogging. I've only been writing what I like for a couple of weeks but I already feel so much better about it and explaining it all in my blogpost lifted a huge weight off my shoulders.

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I can't believe it's March already! It only seems like a few weeks ago we were celebrating New Year so this year is already going so fast! It's inspired me to work a bit harder and get some coursework done as my deadlines are getting a bit too close and before I know it i'll be doing my exams! I haven't got a lot planned for March but I am looking forward to Pancake Day next week ;)