adult

What I Miss About Being a Student

November 24, 2016

After graduating in July, I officially am no longer a student. And haven't been for the past 4 months. It sucks. I miss the learning, the writing and of course the partying; I even miss the stress not to mention the array of student discounts you can get and getting away with the excuse of being lazy because you are a student. 


I have been in education since I began nursery which was a lifetime ago. I didn't take any gap years or breaks throughout my education and since 2010 when I first started my GCSEs, I have been an extremely academic girl always putting my work before anything. All my hard work and sacrifice for my GCSEs and A Levels paid off and I made it onto the course and the University that I really wanted to attend.

University life was amazing. Endless partying, meeting new people and learning new things; it was a real learning curve and helped to bring out a new confidence within myself which I lacked throughout school. Although there was a number of tired and endless nights and the fact that I probably cried myself a mini river throughout my time at University, I wouldn't change it for the world. Except for Harvard referencing. I despised that.             

After graduating and entering the big scary adult world that we live in, you begin to realise how much you took student life for granted. Having to get up to go to work instead of learning about a passion of yours is quite tiring which is why I am currently looking to further my academic career as I am currently applying for Masters courses. I have basically learnt that since graduation, a profession in my degree area is much easier to get with a Masters. Also since graduating, I feel like my intelligence is slowly but surely depleting. I hope I'm not the only one who feels like this! I am used to being force fed tonnes of information everyday but now the only information I get is from the news. I think I need to get back to reading books and articles on my subject area again. 


I can't wait to finish my Masters application, hopefully be accepted and start learning again! A year out of studying is too long for me and I can't wait to call myself a student once again. If you're currently a student, make the most of it!

Are you a graduate who misses being a student? Let me know in the comments below!

Best of wishes. 

Christmas

My Christmas Haul so Far (Part I)

November 18, 2016

Although Christmas is over a month away, it is never too early to begin buying items for Christmas. I have bought a couple of presents so far but my main focus at the minute is the decorations for the house. This is my third Christmas with my boyfriend but it is the first Christmas that I will actually be spending with my boyfriend and I can't wait! It is also the first Christmas where we actually have a house to ourselves so lots of new decorations are needed to make our own little Christmas. We started buying these a couple of weeks ago as I believe in buying decorations and spreading the cost over a few weeks. Early is better than late!

So far, we have bought decorations for the tree although we don't actually have a Christmas tree! We have probably done it the wrong way round but we visited the Christmas floor of Fenwicks in Newcastle and got the Christmas bug for decoration buying. That is where it all began. We decided on a red, gold and green theme as we believe these are the true colours of the festive season and decorations of these colours can be found everywhere!

Selection of 55 differently sized baubles of green, red and gold colour from Wilkinsons - £10

Skiing reindeer from Marks and Spencer - £5

Skiing girl from Tiger - £2

Christmas stockings with initials from Fenwicks - £4 each

Robin from Fenwicks - £2.50

Hedgehog from Fenwicks - £5

Robin on a postbox from Fenwicks - £4.50

Santa tree topper from Asda - £3
I cannot wait to add lights and other decorations to this collection but I think I need to actually get searching for a tree first!

Do you have any unique Christmas decorations? Let me know in the comments below!

Best of wishes.

banana

Homemade Banana Bread Packed with Protein

November 17, 2016

Wanting a sweet snack without any artificial sugar and packed full of protein? You've come to the right place. This deliciously soft and fluffy banana bread is the perfect snack for you and it can be made and baked in under an hour.


What you need:
 - 4 mashed bananas
 - 1 cup of oats
 - 1 cup of plain flour
 - 4 scoops of banana protein powder
 - 6 egg whites
 - 5 teaspoons of apple sauce
 - 10 teaspoons of sweetener
 - 2 teaspoons of baking soda
 - 2 teaspoons of chia seeds

First set your oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Mash up 4 bananas (the riper the better!)

Add all the dry ingredients (excluding the chia seeds) to the mashed banana and mix.

Then add the remaining ingredients (still excluding the chis seeds) and mix thoroughly.

When completely mixed, pour the mixture into a loaf tin.

Then sprinkle the chia seeds onto the top of the mixture.

Bake for 40 minutes, ensuring that when a knife is inserted into the middle of the loaf, it comes out clean and without any unbaked mixture.

Allow to fully cool then tuck in!


What are your thoughts on this recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

Best of wishes.

breakfast

Porridge and Why You Should Eat It Daily

November 14, 2016

Happy Monday morning! It's the start of a new week and there's not a better way to start the week than with a healthy breakfast. And a coffee of course. Porridge. The first thing I used to think when I saw or heard the word 'porridge' was a bland, cement-like and just very boring food. But porridge isn't boring and is the perfect breakfast or snack for these cold winter months.


 Porridge on it's own is I openly admit very boring and is more like a chore to eat rather than an enjoyment. Food is there to enjoy and porridge can be yummy believe it or not!
An excellent quality about porridge is that it compliments a variety of foods ranging from fruit to nuts, seeds to nut butters, sauces to syrups and even chocolate!

My favourite toppings include:
 - Peanut butter
 - Chia seeds
 - Goji berries
 - Cacao powder
 - Golden syrup
 - Linseed
 - Nicecream
 - Frozen mixed berries
 - Sunflower seeds
 - Pumpkin seeds
 - Banana
 - Chocolate
 - Jam
 - Desiccated coconut

I love a different combination of these toppings so my breakfast always tastes different but my key ingredient is cacao powder. It makes eating porridge so much more easier and it tastes amazing along with any of the other toppings listed above.

Porridge

 So why is porridge so good you may ask? The fact that you can make porridge in just two minutes in a microwave means there is no excuse for not having the time to make it. And the health benefits of porridge make it one of the top food staples to eat.

Oats are the predominant ingredient in porridge and have many health benefits. Oats are packed full of minerals, vitamins and fibre along with evidence of lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure. They also release energy slowly giving you the feeling of being fuller for longer. Oats contain vitamin A which reduce the risk of chronic disease as free-radicals are destroyed by this vitamin. Iron is also found in porridge which helps transport oxygen to red blood cells around the body. Making porridge with milk, which is what I prefer to water, also means calcium will be found in this breakfast which is involved in hormone secretion, muscle function as well as the strengthening of bones.

So involve porridge in your daily diet as either your breakfast or for a snack and reap the benefits! Experiment with toppings until you find your perfect combination and enjoy!

What are your favourite toppings? Let me know in the comments below!

Best of wishes.

Game of Thrones

My Top 3 TV Shows on NowTV

November 09, 2016

This time of year is definitely made for Netflix and chill or in my case NowTV and chill. I have been subscribed to both Netflix and NowTV and I find that NowTV is so much better. What an unpopular opinion. Sorry Netflix. Struggling for something to watch? Here are my three favourite shows to watch on NowTV and why you should watch them.
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is undoubtedly my favourite ever TV series to watch. Constant drama and bursting at the seams with amazing story lines, what's not to love? A medical drama based on the fictional lives of doctors, residents, attendings and interns, you get to see a real insight into how stressful but rewarding becoming and being a doctor is. As if training to be a doctor isn't hard enough, throw in romance, death, betrayal and deceit and you have a real drama on your hands. Well done to the series creator Shonda Rhimes; Grey's Anatomy is highly addictive and I am sure I'm not the only one who thinks this.

Scandal
Another amazing series by Shonda Rhimes, Scandal, just like the name, is absolutely scandalous. Although it did take me a while to get into it, I am so glad I persevered with it. It is a political thriller surrounding a crisis management firm as well as the President and his associates. The main character, Olivia Pope, is the leader of the crisis management firm and is a previous employee for the President and as if this doesn't create enough political drama, there is an ongoing strange, and often romantic, relationship between Olivia and the President, although the President is married with children! Along with assassinations, suicides, kidnapping, affairs and the back stories of the main characters, Scandal really is a truly amazing watch.

Game of Thrones
If you haven't heard of Game of Thrones then where have you been for the last few years? Based on the kingdoms that make up Westeros, the Iron Throne is up for grabs. The nine noble houses are at war at who should be on the Iron Throne, therefore King, and be in control of Westeros. Along with the war and political confusion, an ancient force is awakening which is a threat to everyone. AND people from another dynasty are planning to take back their homeland. Whilst all his is happening, there are lots of other important story lines involving corruption, dragons, other mythical beings and relationships. So much drama! It will truly shock you!

What are your favourite TV shows? Let me know in the comments below!

Best of wishes.

adult

Stuck in a Rut

November 02, 2016

Up until recently, I have began to feel extremely lethargic. Colder and darker mornings make it even harder for my snuggled self to get out of my toasty warm bed everyday and it means lots and lots of coffee but over the last few days I have had an epiphany; I need to cease the day! And sooner, rather than later.

Coffee

The constant cycle of me going to work (a lot recently although I am only part-time) then coming home to apply to new jobs which will utilise my degree has made me feel stuck in the same routine. But after chatting to my boyfriend about our future prospects, this should hopefully all change next summer. 

After extensive searching, we have both found masters courses in the same city that we are really passionate about studying meaning the possibility of moving to Leeds to study which is scary and a little bit sad, is also exciting and life-changing. 

Because of me feeling so lazy, I have also taken a step back from blogging but I am now refreshed and ready to post more content than ever! I have such an exciting couple of months ahead - the perfect way to end this amazing yet somehow rocky year. 

I have also been more demotivated than ever to work out even though we have bought gym equipment for the house. This needs to change as I know once I get back into it, I will love it just like I used to, especially with Christmas just around the corner where my calorie intake is going to be significantly larger than normal!

Hopefully things are now beginning to look up for me but I am still really disheartened about not being able to find a job related to my degree since graduating 4 months ago. I think I have to accept that these things take time and I am determined more than ever to find one to pass over the next few months allowing me chance to experience a professional workplace in my field before moving onto hopefully studying my masters degree. Yay.

P.S, the holidays are coming and I am so excited for Christmas this year!

Have you been feeling sluggish lately? How do you overcome feeling lazy? Let me know in the comments below!

Best of wishes.