January and February Favourites

Ok, I'll admit it; the last two months have run away with me. I've been a bad, inconsistent blogger and I never got round to writing a January Favourites post. I know, I know - terrible stuff. But this does mean you get a double dose of favourites in a combined January and February Favourites post! What fun!

So what have I been loving over the last two months?

Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara

I bought this in a Soap & Glory eye set in the January Sales and have been using it every single day since. Whilst I don't think it's my favourite mascara of all time (I think I'll be trying a new one soon so any recommendations are welcome!) it does a great job and my lashes do look thick, dark and pretty good after using it! There have been no major issues with this one, and I like it a lot so I'd recommend it if you're looking to try something new. One of my favourite recent makeup purchases, for sure. Soap & Glory haven't let me down yet!

Disaronno Amaretto

This is a bit of a different one. Anyone who knows me will also know I'm not a huge drinker. I rarely drink, and when I do I like my alcohol sweet. This has been my go-to drink for a few years now, and it has become a tradition for my friend C and I to drink this whenever we go to the pub together! I love it - it has an almond-y taste, quite like marzipan, and I normally have it with coke or cranberry juice. It also goes very well in cocktails - my housemate introduced me to Amaretto Sours which are divine! I was given this bottle as a Christmas present and have only used it once so far so this will last me a long time! It's just a nice, adult treat - of course, not one for those under 18!

For the record, I feel like I should just state that I do not endorse underage drinking or excessive drinking and all alcohol should be consumed in moderation!

Nakd snacks

If you haven't discovered these already, you have to try them! Nakd produce healthy, raw snacks for those of us with a horrendous sweet tooth. It's a great way to get nutrients into your diet and to get an energy kick without devouring processed, sugary and unhealthy treats! Their bars are dairy, gluten and wheat free and contain only natural ingredients. Their infused raisins are pretty amazing too! My favourite bars include Pecan Pie, Gingerbread and Banana Bread flavour, and their Cola infused raisins are a great natural alternative to Haribo Cola Bottles! I cannot get enough of them.A great way to still enjoy sweet snacks when you're keeping healthy. I know a few supermarkets stock them in their health aisles, along with GF and Lactose free products.

Yankee Candle in Vanilla Chai

I've already raved about this candle before so I'll keep this short and sweet - it's amazing, sweet and spicy and the scent lingers in my room for days. Heaven. I've been burning this nearly every day!

Paul Smith Floral 

This was the first perfume I ever owned and it's still a favourite. Floral  contains a mixture of floral scents  mixed with zesty, fruity notes to create a really fresh, sweet perfume - perfect for day and night. It's not sickly but is a scent which instantly perks you up and brightens your day and, dare I say it, is perfect for spring! It contains fragrances including orange, grapefruit, ginger, magnolia and orchid and I find it irresistible. It's been a staple on my dressing table for years and I was recently given another bottle as a gift because you can't always find it in shops - it seems to be occasionally elusive! I really recommend this if you're looking for a new perfume. I've been wearing it every day for weeks now.

Lush's Rub Rub Rub

I'll keep this short and sweet too, since I've already reviewed this. It's my favourite body scrub, smells scrumptious and makes my skin feel wonderful. Can't say a bad word about it! A bi-weekly essential. 

Schwarzkopf Got2B Oil-licious Tame & Shine Styling Oil

This is my latest haircare addition and it's fast become one of my must-haves. There are SO many hair oils out there and I never know what to buy when I go looking for one - however this was cheap at the time (I got it for £3!) and I wanted to try a new brand - something that hadn't been over-reviewed online. I've got to say I'm not a fan of the name - it's almost a little childish for my taste and anything with numbers instead of letters turns me off (is that just me? It makes me cringe!) , but I'm glad I didn't let that stop me from buying it. I use if after I wash my hair when it's still damp and my hair feels so so soft and shiny once blow-dried! My hair becomes manageable and silky without looking greasy. This product has Argan oil in it too, so you know it will work. One to check out if you're looking for a new nourishing treatment. I might even review it in full on here, if you're interested.

 Music

I've been using the online playlist site 8Tracks for months, after I discovered it while I was working on my dissertation. Since then I've been using it to discover new music and I've had THIS playlist on loop for weeks now. Sure, it's a bit of a sickly title, but there are some really good tracks on it and it's a great soundtrack for blogging. I am a particular fan of a Carla Bruni and Beach House track, but there are too many to choose from. The site is a great way to discover new music so I really recommend checking it out.

Film & Television

I watched Tangled for the first time two weeks ago and adored it! I'm going to see Frozen today too so I'm hoping it's equally as good. I have also been loving the return of My Mad Fat Diary on E4 and First Dates on Channel 4, which are two programmes I'll never miss. My Mad Fat Diary is so much better than the adverts let on - it's really tackles issues about mental health in an easy-to-understand but often hard-hitting way. Plus, the nineties music throughout each episode is amazing.  It's a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, and I love to watch it on a Monday night with my housemate and a hot cup of decaf tea.


So there you go! I'm looking forward to seeing what I discover in March.

Let me know what you've been loving in the comments below, or if you like any of my favourites too.

Jo

xxx

 

Falling in Love with Yourself

Valentines Day has come and gone - heart-shaped chocolates and wilting red roses are half price or less in shops and supermarkets, and singletons everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief.

Love isn't something which you can confine solely to one grey day in February each year; it should be felt and shown every single day. Telling your friends, family and partner that you love them and care for them should be, and probably is, something you do on a daily basis. But how many of us do the same for ourselves?

I have recently become very aware of the importance of loving yourself. Most of us will constantly put the feelings and needs of others before ourselves in all relationships, whether they are a friend, partner or a member of your family. The problem is that the majority of us then forget to treat ourselves in the same way.

There's the old saying that you should 'treat others how you wish to be treated'. Of course, it goes without saying that this is a good motto to live by; but how about turning it around, and saying 'treat yourself how you wish others to treat you too'? This makes a real difference to the way you see your attitude towards yourself. Your loved ones would never be harsh, critical and oppressive on a daily basis towards you...so why should you do it to yourself?

Image my own - please do not use without my permission.

The sad fact is that I know a lot of lovely people who struggle in this way and, I have to really admit, I am one of those people too. It's all too common that we wake up in the morning and harshly criticise what we see in the mirror, pointing out our own flaws; the two extra pounds you maybe gained over an indulgent weekend away; the cluster of spots gathering under your left cheekbone; the overly-bushy eyebrows which will (probably) never stay slim and symmetrical. It doesn't just stop there; you ate too much at lunchtime; you're struggling to meet the deadline at work or at uni because you can't quite grasp something; you don't have the energy to go to that class at the gym this evening. Days are spent feeling inadequate, unattractive or imperfect, and you beat yourself up about the smallest things, especially on bad days. But would your loved ones ever talk to you like this? No. So why on earth would you talk to yourself in that way?

For some reason, criticisms like this are almost acceptable in our minds when we say them to ourselves. However,  if they were uttered by somebody else to your face, it would be harsh, cruel, and completely necessary. This is exactly why it's astonishing that we do this to ourselves on a regular basis. So many people, myself included, put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to be perfect, to try harder - but whatever happened to loving ourselves for who we are, flaws and all?

Showing yourself some love is a really important thing to do, and isn't just something you should do on special occasions. Taking a step back and complimenting yourself, or trying to see the bright side, isn't going to be easy, but it's important to bring in a little positivity and love into your life. Otherwise, days can drag by, and you'll never truly be happy - and we only have one life to live.

Image my own - please do not use without my permission.

I've always been to harsh on myself, and from personal experience have trouble seeing the positive side of things. Throughout my time at university I never felt I was working hard enough; I'd blame myself for relationship troubles of any kind, and would mentally punish myself if I overindulged in ice cream or chocolate for an evening. To be honest with you, I still do this now, but I'm starting to realise that this is just not healthy.

I've started to try to feel a little more confident and a little more positive about things, building up self confidence and happiness. If you struggle to treat yourself as you wish to be treated by others, maybe you should start doing this too. I can promise you that all is not what it seems; nobody will notice your bad skin, let alone point it out; eating a huge pizza (followed by Ben and Jerry's, of course) in one evening will not make you morbidly obese, and nobody will judge you for  skipping that gym trip for one evening if you're just not up to it.

It's hard for me to practice what I preach, but let's all stop for a moment and appreciate ourselves. We only get to live one life, and self-inflicted misery is not a great way to spend your time on this earth.

I'm going to start loving myself a little more this year, and I hope you'll join me in doing so. After all, we're all pretty wonderfully unique!

I'm hoping to write a few blog posts on this theme, and I'd love to hear what you have to say about this too, so let me know in the comments below.

Jo

xxx

 

Happiness is...#5

At work last week I went to a creativity training day and managed to bring my personal life into it, by using the skills I learnt to brainstorm for SWB! It was a great way to combine my two lives and I learned a lot. As you can see, I have so many ideas!

I went home this weekend for the first time in a while; nothing beats leaving work and catching a train knowing that in a matter of hours you'll be back in the house where you grew up. This train journey was the first smooth-running journey I've had for months, without one cancellation or delay, so I was very happy!

My Dad bought me some very sweet daffodils at the train station when I arrived - they really, really smelled quite strongly, but they were adorable and dainty and they prove that spring is finally springing. Often, nothing makes my day more than a little bunch of flowers. Unfortunately they didn't last long and have already wilted, so I'll just have to get some more.

When I was at home I went for a pub lunch with Mum and Dad and indulged in a delicious prawn baguette (with a side of chips and a mocha to follow, of course). Nothing beats getting out of the house and spending some time chatting with loved ones, especially when there's comfort food involved!

I also went for a long walk in the countryside surrounding my home - one big reason why I love the fact that I grew up in the countryside. Lovely to get away from the city and breathe in some fresh air, getting all muddy.

I dressed up on Saturday for a family member's 21st Birthday! I love fancy dress and it's one of the main things I miss about my student social life. Nothing beats a great costume, especially if it involves a bow-tie and some corny jokes! Can you guess what I went as?

I bought these delicious biscuits from my local farm shop to share with my housemates. I couldn't resist and they taste as good as they sound. Mmm...

Starting my week with a cheeky Nescafé Gingerbread Latte to give myself a tiny caffeine boost after a long weekend. It tastes of winter lingering in the spring, and is a perfect substitute for my usual mocha when I give up chocolate for Lent next week!

I have been trying to go to the gym at least twice a week, which is better than nothing, and I ran my fastest Kilometer, 1 km in 6 minutes, earlier last week. Then I managed to run my fastest mile, in 10.21 minutes. It night not sound fantastic, but it's great to feel as if I am improving and hopefully now the only way is up. I'd love to go to the gym three times a week but life is so busy at the moment and, lets be honest, it's not always at the top of my post-workday schedule.

What has made you happy in the last week?

Jo

xxx

 

I'm Not Really a Waitress

A few weeks ago, when I arrived at my desk one morning, a colleague came up to me and passed me something small and heavy wrapped in bubble wrap.

"I know you were admiring my nail varnish last week," she said, "so I ordered you some!"

It was the most random gift, and so generous, I couldn't believe it! It completely made my week, and I couldn't wait to go home and paint my nails - as you can imagine. It sat on my desk all day, glinting at me, until I was allowed to go home.

The varnish in question was 'I'm Not Really a Waitress' by O.P.I - a stunning deep red, with a slight metallic twist, which was super shiny, sophisticated and classic. It is, as you can imagine with a blog name like mine, the perfect colour for me. I've never owned O.P.I varnish before and was so excited to add it to my growing collection!

Isn't is divine? You'll have to excuse my poor painting skills - staying 'inside the lines' was never my strong point!

Even the name is fantastic - giving the wearer a sense of an alternate identity. One slick of this, and you're a glamorous vixen beneath the drab office-worker exterior (or at least that's what I tell myself!)

The bottle itself is simple, and instantly recognisable as the brand. You get a generous amount of colour in one pot, so it seems to be value for money, too. The lid is easy to grip when you apply it, and it only took two coats to give my nails a deep, rich colour which shone beautifully. It's definitely up there among the nail varnishes I find easiest to apply!

However, as beautiful as the product is (the photos just don't do the colour justice, I promise) I did have a problem with the staying-power. Unfortunately my newly-painted nails were chipped in less than 24 hours, whilst I was just going about my usual daily routine. Even though this was without a top coat (which I suppose is a cardinal sin!) I do like my varnishes to be a little more resilient without any extra help. This left me a little disappointed, as I had such high hopes for this pretty product.

I did re-paint them using a top coat afterwards, and it stayed on for longer, chipping after a couple of days. I mentioned this to a friend who agreed that her experience of O.P.I varnishes was the same - that they chip incredibly quickly. I think in the future I will need to invest in an excellent top-coat, so that I can really get the most of this beautiful colour. Any recommendations?

I did get a lot of compliments on the colour too which  was a boost, I have to admit! It's clear that this really is a showstopper.

I love 'I'm Not Really a Waitress' and it is without a doubt one of the most beautiful colours I own. However, I am not really convinced by how easily it chipped. I will keep wearing it though - it's just too pretty to ignore!

Are you a fan of O.P.I Varnishes, or do you find they chip too easily?

Jo

xxx

 

Oh, Oreo! Ultimate Oreo Brownies

Brownies have always been my favourite thing to bake. I regularly made them throughout my time at university, much to my housemates delight, and they always went down a treat. Creating variations was also fun - including Rocky Road brownie and Triple Chocolate.

I know, I want some right now. Mmmmm....

This Valentine's Day, I wanted to bake a gift for my boyfriend - sometimes nothing beats a hand-made present, and what's more indulgent and sweet than a box of brownies? But not just any brownies, oh no. I wanted to make these ones extra special, so after a bit of a think, I decided to add something extra to them.

Meet my indulgent Oreo Brownies:

So much chocolatey, biscuity goodness in one photo!

I was so pleased with how these turned out that I wanted to share them with you. They're super easy, require minimal ingredients, and will make sure you're the most popular person in the house / office / class. They're soft, squidgy chocolate brownies, with chocolate cookies and chunks inside inside. What could be better?

I've always used a recipe which my mum passed on to me. It's an American Brownie recipe from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course book, but I have tweaked a few things here and there, adding extra fillings. It's a great book, by the way, with hundreds of classic recipes inside. You can't really go wrong!

You will need: 

1 baking tin, greased and lined with baking parchment.
50g dark chocolate (buy a large bar for extra chocolate chunks...and snacking)
110g butter
2 eggs, beaten
225g granulated sugar
50g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet of Oreo biscuits (I bought two just in case!)

First of all, pre-heat your oven at Gas Mark 4 / 180 Degrees Celsius, to get it nice and hot.

Melt the butter and the chocolate together.

While the chocolate and butter is melting, mix the sugar, flour, baking powder with the eggs, making a deliciously thick batter.

Next, chop up your Oreos! This can be quite tricky as the biscut will crumble. It's not a problem, as it all tastes wonderful, but I found very carefully and gently cutting them into quarters did the trick. I ended up using a whole packet, but had extra on hand just in case.

Chop up as much of the leftover dark chocolate as you want into chunks, to make the brownies extra chocolatey. Remember that you have the Oreos too, so don't go mad - you need the cake mix to stay together!

When the butter and chocolate is melted, pour into the plain cake batter and combine, making sure that it is all mixed up properly.

Add in the chocolate chunks and chopped Oreo biscuits, stirring gently so that they're as evenly distributed as possible.

Pour this mixture into your lined and greased tin, again making sure that you have an even distribution of Oreos and dark chocolate chunks. Pop some on top to make it look tantaslisingly tasty.

Place into the oven for about 30 minutes. To test, stick a skewer or knife into the centre - when they're done, the blade should come out mostly clean ( though don't over-bake, as it will get dry - we want these to be lovely and gooey).

Et voila! Instant Brownie love. 

Leave to cool, if you can bear to wait, then cut unto large squares and enjoy warm with some moreish vanilla ice cream,  save them for a loved one, or take them into the office. I can guarantee whatever you do with them, they won't last long! If you do have some self control, however, they will last for a few days, perhaps up to a week.

Enjoy!

Jo

xxx

 

Happiness Is...#4

It's been a couple of weeks since I last posted a happiness update - life has just been running away with me, and I haven't had a moment to collect my thoughts, photos and best bits together! So apologies for that - I'm sure you all know what it can be like!

These are the things which have been making me feel happy and blessed recently (warning;contains mostly delicious, unhealthy food!)

Two weeks ago I went along to Lou Lou's Vintage Fair with a friend for tea, cake and bargains. I had a wonderful day there and managed to find a gorgeous vintage Jaeger jacket (also pictured) which I have been wearing non-stop and deserves to have a blog post of its own. You can read about my vintage adventures HERE.

I received a letter from my dear friend Ellie this Valentine's Day, all the way from Denmark. Ellie is a very dear friend of mine, and her letter was so wonderful, encouraging and full of love. It made me remember how lucky I am to have such great friends like her. Ellie actually has her own  brilliant blog about her new life studying in Denmark, which you can find HERE.

I've been absolutely loving Graze's Breakfast boxes, containing delicious portions of porridge. They make my breakfasts so much more interesting! Naturally, I blogged about it HERE.

I was never allowed chocolate spread as a child, and even throughout university I never bought my own. However, after receiving a mini tube of Galaxy hazelnut spread at Christmas, I have become addicted, and bought my first ever very own tub of Nutella! Needless to say, half the jar was eaten with a spoon. Naughty! But it certainly has made me very happy indeed.

This Valentine's Day I made a delicious pie for my boyfriend. It went down a storm, and I couldn't believe I managed to pull it off! I'll be writing a post about this soon, so get your shopping lists ready! It;s a fantastic recipe.

Breakfast is my favourite meal, and this week I made an effort to put in a little effort. This photo has chocolate spread / jam crumpets, cinnamon yoghurt with blueberries and banana, and pomegranate green tea (a bid to force myself to enjoy drinking it!) breakfast makes me happy, especially before a long day at work.

I randomly entered a Facebook competition to win a £10 voucher for Wagamama about a month ago...and I couldn't believe it when I won! I've never won anything online like that before, so I was super excited, especially when it came in the post with a note. I' counting down the days until I can go and have some Yaki Soba. Mmmm...

My boyfriend came to visit me last weekend, and I naturally treated him to all sorts of delicious meals (including the pie!). On his first morning here, we made big, thick slices of eggy bread with smoked bacon and mushrooms. So gluttonous, so unhealthy...but so good!

Later that same day (can you believe it!) we went out for burgers at 7Bone, in Southampton. He fell in love and has since claimed he will never be able to eat burgers anywhere else again. It was delicious, as usual! You can read my review of 7Bone from last year HERE.

I used to love art, but haven't really done any since I finished school years ago. When my boyfriend bought me some pencils and a sketch pad for Christmas, I couldn't wait to get started again, and finally got round to practicing a few sketches last weekend. They weren't my best, but it felt so great to get back into it after so many years. I can't wait to do more sketching!

My mum sent me a Sainsbury's coupon in the post, and I decided to spend it on a good book instead of food! I ended up choosing The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, which has been intriguing me, so I can't wait to get stuck in on my next train journey.



Phew! What a great few weeks! This is just a selection of little things which have made me happy. Needless to say, food is a big thing for me, and it certainly makes me happy - but even more importantly, so does the company!

It's vital to remember these little moments of joy whenever life gets you down.

What has been making you happy over the last few days?

Jo

xxx

 

The Graze Good Breakfast Club

I've been a huge fan of Graze for years. Their little snack boxes helped me to survive many gruelling essays in my degree, and since re-starting my orders (thanks to no longer living on a student budget) I have been loving their little tubs of goodness at my desk. In fact, as I write this, I'm munching on 'Millionaire's Shortbread'. Talk about inspiration!

If you're not sure who Graze are, they're a little company who send you healthy snacks and goodies in letterbox-sized packages to keep you happy, full and healthy throughout the day! Once you have an account you're able to tell them what you do and don't want to receive, so you never get any nasty surprises, and there is so much variety you'll never get bored. The element of surprise brings the fun back into post - much more exciting to see one of these beauties on your doorstep than just boring bills and flyers!

So when I saw that Graze were releasing breakfast products, my heart skipped a beat. These were two of my all-time loves coming together; Graze's healthy, tasty and varied products, and my favourite meal of the day. How could I say no?

I ordered my first box at the special price of £2.99, selected the flavours which took my fancy, and eagerly awaited the arrival of my first batch of porridge.

Here's what I received in my little brown box:

They all sound delicious, don't they?

The idea is that you dispense your oats in a bowl, followed with 1 1/2 punnets of milk, and microwave until done. Extremely simple, no hassle, and even perfect if you like to have breakfast in the office. Some flavours even come with a little dollop of honey to sweeten things up!

I have since been enjoying these flavours over the last two weeks, and have been really impressed. The flavours are amazing. Although they contain dried fruit, there is no risk of munching down on a dry, wrinkled berry or crunchy old raisin. When the porridge is cooked, the fruit becomes plump, juicy and flavoursome, and incredibly tasty. The flavour combinations have been really well thought out and include some combinations I'd never try out if I was creating these myself. It's very easy to claim that these could be made at home, but when you have very little time in the morning, all the hard work has already been done for you.

My favourite ones this time were Cherry and Almond and Flame Raisin and Hazelnut. So moreish, I could have eaten three whole punnets of these flavours alone!

This brings me nicely onto one of my few issues with the Graze breakfast box; the little punnets don't really provide a large enough serving. As someone who normally has quite a big breakfast, I found that I had to eat my porridge with extra servings of toast, fruit and yoghurt on the side to keep myself full enough. This may not be an issue for some, as I know many barely eat anything in the mornings - but I like my first meal to keep me full up for four hours, and these little pots wouldn't be able to do that alone unless I had lost most of my appetite.

I have a feeling I need to train myself to eat smaller portion sizes!

Another little issue was my need to add honey to them. At the moment, I am struggling with a very sweet tooth, and I found that the oats which came without honey needed sweetening. Now, this may be because I need to cure my need for sugar at the moment - the fruit should be enough, and it defeats the 'healthy' nature of the Graze box - but just a warning for those of you who, like me, like things sweet. You may need to tame your tastebuds or add honey of your own.

I've been enjoying my delicious Graze porridge with a side of Nutella toast, banana, or even topped with a dollop of yoghurt (this makes it extra creamy!). They really have been making breakfast exciting again, and have broken the monotony of Bran Flakes and toast at the start of every day.

I've loved having these little pots for breakfast - it really makes these drab, rainy mornings bearable, and I really recommend trying them out if you need to enjoy breakfast a little more, or fancy a change to your usual routine. I'm already looking forward to my next delivery!

Are you a fan of Graze boxes? Would you consider ordering a breakfast box?

Jo

xxx