The Lovely Lakes

Long distance friendships can be pretty tough to maintain, especially when you live in Sunderland and seem to be so far from everyone! I'm pretty lucky that I have some very close friends from uni that all like to make plans to meet up, often in really lovely places. This weekend was one of those meetings. We'd planned a while ago to see Sam Smith in Manchester, as we all worship his buttery voice! From there we decided to drive to the Lake District, as Chloe's family own a gorgeous house there. It seemed the perfect opportunity to have some relaxation and get out in the country air!

It goes without saying that Sam Smith was amazing on Thursday night, and it was a great way to kick off the weekend. The rest of the trip was filled with long walks in the mountains, board games by the fire and lots of catching up! It was so good to be outdoors for such long periods, and I came home feeling like my lungs had been Spring cleaned! The Lake  District is so nostalgic for me, as I spent a lot of time there as a kid- being there with 2 of my best friends was so lovely. Very much looking forward to wherever our next adventure will take us...

Weird tree trunk with coins stuck in!

Hehe

Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

Well, my March ‘sugar abstinence’ lasted all of 5 days! I was visiting a friend at the weekend in her new flat near Liverpool, and she likes to indulge as much as I do- so our plans were sprinkled with chocolate and sweeties! It maybe wasn’t a good idea to attempt this challenge on one of the rare months that I have quite a few social plans! Nevertheless, I am back on that proverbial horse, but will no doubt fall off it dramatically when I have another trip away on the 19^th...

When I arrived in Liverpool on Friday, my friend and I had a little wander around the city centre. We walked past this amazing book swap, which I was very impressed with. I would have loved to be able to pop in a book in return for a different one, but as I mentioned here I am back on my kindle. I have just finished my most recent read (pretty quick for me, all thanks to long train journeys), which was Starter for Ten by David Nicholls.

I picked this novel as I read and loved Nicholls’ book One Day. Also, I’d seen the film adaptation of Starter for Ten a while ago -starring the lovely James Mcavoy- and wanted to give the book a whirl. The story is based around Brian, who is blundering his way through the first year of university. He has always been fascinated by University Challenge, so decides to sign up to compete for his team. But, as any successful plot goes, not all runs according to plan.

 I found the book hilarious from start to finish, and felt a strong compassion for Brian throughout. I attracted a few funny looks on the train when I was stifling giggles, but being part of the trials and tribulations Brian endures while trying to establish himself at his new institute made for very funny reading. What Nicholls does so well is making you feel as though you genuinely know the main characters inside out, and can imagine how they would react in any situation. After having seen both the film adaptations of One Day and Starter for Ten, I can safely say that the books are much better-which I believe is a testament to Nicholls’ writing ability- even though I’m a HUGE James Mcavoy fan.

If I had this book in paperback copy, I would have definitely left it in that book swap for someone else to enjoy. I am now a fully- fledged David Nicholls super-fan, and I am looking forward to reading more of his stuff (which may be short-lived, because as far as I know he only has 2 other novels!). I'd love to hear any book recommendations that you have, so feel free to comment below. 

Tiers of Joy

The prospect of afternoon tea is one that never fails to excite me. What could be better than tasty sandwiches and sweet treats arranged delicately on a three-tiered display?! It was my Auntie’s 60^th birthday this week, so we thought it a suitable occasion to go all out on an afternoon tea. We visited Perrywood garden centre in Tiptree, Essex (where they make the jam) and it was such a delicious treat that I had to share it here.

We started off on the bottom tier where we had four types of sarnie: cheese and plum chutney, beef and horseradish, salmon and cream cheese and ham and tomato chutney. YUM.

The middle tier was dedicated to a fruit scone accompanied by Tiptree jam (of course) and a whooole load of clotted cream and butter. Even more yum.

The top layer went above (literally) and beyond the other two layers with a baileys truffle, dainty Florentine, warm apple crumble and custard, orange Victoria sponge and a lemon mousse. And we polished off the lot (barring the leaves- nobody eats those!). I was intrigued to find out if many people do finish off the whole lot, as the waitress had presumptively handed us takeaway boxes for our ‘leftovers’. I think we may have impressed her, as she said that it’s not often customers clear the three plates. I don’t know if I was proud or embarrassed at my gastric capacity.

Seeing as I’m on the subject, here’s another two afternoon tea set-ups that I have enjoyed. The top one is from Let There be Crumbs in Roker, Sunderland, and the bottom one is from a little further along the coast at the Marriott hotel in Seaburn, Sunderland. Both delicious! I’m trying to give up sweet treats for March (not lent, just a month to see if I can actually do it!). I guess this is my way of bidding farewell to sugary goodness- let’s see how long I’ll last! 

Kindle Break: Bridget Jones Omnibus and Lena Dunham

I adore my Kindle. I can get pretty much any book that I want with a tap of the screen, and it has allowed me to re-immerse myself into reading for pleasure after 4 years of studying boring old textbooks. But I must admit that I do miss real paper books. I love the smell (sad, I know) and feel of them, taking me right back to my childhood of drinking in the pages of Jacqueline Wilson and J.K Rowling on long summer days.

My last two reads allowed me to indulge my ‘real book’ love as I received Lena Dunham’s first novel ‘Not That Kind of Girl’ as a present from a friend for my birthday. It was already on my ‘to-read’ list, so I was very excited to crack it open (and smell the pages, obviously).  I’ve never seen Girls (on my ‘to-watch’ list!) so I wasn’t particularly familiar with Lena, but I had read a couple of her articles in magazines and knew she was a pretty funny girl. My opinion still hasn’t changed since reading the book, as Lena had me chuckling quite often with lines such as “your pants are so high-waisted I could cry” and anecdotes from her past that resonated very much with me. The fact that she moved back home with her parents after graduating has provided me with great comfort in my current situation. She’s probably rolling in it now, too, so I guess there’s still hope for me!

The book is set out pretty randomly in terms of its chapter topics, but I guess that’s synonymous with the random thoughts and experiences of a 20-something girl (or at least that’s how I saw it). I love how candid Lena is in her approach to pretty much anything, and her no-holds barred attitude to sharing is relatable and quite often hilarious. This girl has seriously seen and done an awful lot in her short life!

Another of my most recent reads was ‘The Bridget Jones Omnibus’ by Helen Fielding, including ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’ and ‘The Edge of Reason’. I’ve seen the film adaptations so many times, so I was a bit apprehensive that I wouldn’t enjoy the books as much. But for £3, I couldn’t resist adding them to my bookshelf. And it was a 3 quid well spent! Bridget Jones is a character so likeable, so relatable and so bloody hilarious that I spent most of the time reading this smiling like an idiot and giggling to myself. I loved the relationship Bridget has with her friends and how it is documented, and her slightly manic and deluded diary entries were very entertaining to read. I did, however, want to give her a good shake from time to time, but her vulnerability just makes her all the more likeable.

Here’s a couple of my favourite lines:

“There’s nothing worse than people telling you you look tired. They might as well have done with it and say you look like five kinds of shit.”

“I remember when I first came to London I used to smile at everyone until a man on the tube escalator masturbated into the back of my coat.”

Hahaha oh I do love her. Something I did find quite ironic about the books is that Colin Firth is referenced a lot, as Bridget and her friends seem to be obsessed with him. And he plays Mark Darcy in the film. Coincidence?

It’s back to the Kindle for me now to read ‘Starter for Ten’ by David Nicholls, who I love. The Kindle doesn’t smell quite the same L . 

Sweet Potato Brownies!

Sunday posting is starting to become a weekly occurrence for me! The weather was lovely today (no snow yayyyy), so I decided to take myself off for a run around my usual track that takes me along past the sea. There was a cracking view so I took a little snap as best as I could mid-run.

Now, after this 4 mile run (and later walking 4 miles with my Mam!) I felt that I very much deserved a treat, so made myself some sweet potato brownies from a recipe I've had my eye on for a while. The recipe initially seemed pretty doable, as I had most of the ingredients in my cupboard. However, when I went to pick up the coconut flour from Asda I saw that it was a steep £5.99! So I paid the site another visit to check the reviews to see if these brownies were really going to be worth paying 6 quid for, and was met with an endless list of people saying how they couldn't even wait for them to cool to eat them, and that they ate the whole batch in one night! So I parted with the cash, and oh myyy was it worth it!

The brownies were really easy to make and only a small amount of the coconut flour was actually required, so it seems I'll get more than my money's worth out of it. I used my Jane Asher measuring utensils from Poundland which made the whole 'what the hell is a cup?' malarkey a lot easier than I usually find. I was pretty sceptical about putting sweet potatoes in a dessert, but when I had my first bite I was past caring as they were just SO GOOD! I couldn't wait until they had cooled down to dig in either, and I'm still fighting the temptation to go and grab my third chunk as I type this. Definitely another recipe for my collection!

'Appy Sunday!

Ahhh Sundays. I think it’s quite possibly my favourite day of the week. I take it upon myself to use the whole day for relaxation and enjoyment. No email-checking, no list-making (and sometimes no social media, shock horror!) just good old chilling out. Hence the message on the bottom of my slippers- very appropriate.

I feel so good on Sundays as they’re more often than not stress-free. I get stressed sometimes as I can get carried away with my thoughts and can’t seem to see the bigger picture. For this reason I have always been interested in meditation. I remember being in an R.E lesson in school when I was about 13 and learning about meditation. When I got home I immediately found my Mam’s ‘nature sounds’ tapes and lay on my bed listening to waves and birds and all kinds of outdoor noises, willing myself to relax. I never really got the hang of it, so was pretty excited when I heard of Headspace app’s Take Ten.

The app is free to download, and can initially be used for free. The Take Ten part of the app allows ten free sessions (10 minutes each) of the lovely Andy talking you through the exercise. What I liked about this app was that it contradicted my preconceptions of meditation as all baggy pants and hippies, and really was just about taking ten minutes out of your hectic life to regain some focus and control of your mind. Another thing that I loved were the colourful animations that sometimes play before your daily session begins, analogies of our mind and thoughts. One in particular that I warmed to was seeing our mind as the sky and thoughts as clouds: often our minds can be pretty ‘cloudy’ with various thoughts, and on other days less so. But despite the number of thoughts or ‘clouds’, the clear and blue sky is still in there somewhere, reminding us that we can have clarity as long as we have focus and perspective.

During the course of the Take Ten series, I can’t say that I noticed a considerable difference in my focus until the last few sessions. I found myself approaching situations more calmly, and having more of a clearer perspective on things. The app offers users to carry on using it, but this involves a fee. Considering that I am currently in saving-mode, I unfortunately couldn’t take Andy up on the offer of 2 months free if I signed up for a year, but I think once I have more cash to spare it is something that I feel would be a good investment. I’ve read a lot about the health benefits of meditation, and really believe it has a place in our modern lives. Plus, I’ve heard Emma Watson and Millie Mackintosh use Headspace- that’s a good enough reason for me!

Attempting a yoga pose 

For now I think I’ll stick to my 2015 goal of stretching as being my relaxation time. I’ve been pretty good at it so far, doing it at least once a day. I even bought this USA Pro mat yesterday to help me along, as it’s not pleasant trying to perform some stretches on laminate flooring. It was only £7.99 from Sports Direct, reduced from £15.99. Bargain! Happy Sunday! 

Worrrk it!

Okay, so I may have developed a bit of a gym-kit obsession. I put it down to the various fitness brands that I follow on Instagram- the allure of colourful and practical workout clobber when I'm scrolling through my feed just gets me every time! I find if I have nice stuff that I want to wear then I am so much more likely to get my arse into gear. One particular brand that I follow is Sweaty Betty and- having never come across one of their stores beforehand- was ecstatic to find one of their shops on a recent visit to Marlow. I was in there like swimwear, and managed to pick up a reasonable priced and beautifully coloured sports bra in the sale. It serves me very well in the various bootcamp, spinning and tabata classes I've been getting involved in to shift the post-Christmas podge!

I love Adidas, and was lucky enough to receive the black leggings as a Christmas present, which are great as they don't ride up and are really soft. The top I found hidden in the sale in Debenhams, and is effectively tight at the top (to prevent the ouchy bounce) but then more loose and breathable at the bottom.

Now designer stuff is all well and good, but I couldn't be happier that Primark have jumped on the sportswear bandwagon- and they seem to have gone all out. Yoga mats, kit bags, bottle holders- they really have embraced the growing fitness trend. I picked up these two items today and was very happy when looking at the price tag. There is a chance that they may not last as long as the other items, but for £4 for the top I'm not really sure that I care!

Great British Cupcakery

I had planned today's post to be all about my lunch at Pitcher and Piano with my cousin for Newcastle's Restaurant Week. However, after experiencing pretty poor service there we decided to go elsewhere to satisfy the inevitable post-meal sweet tooth. The Great British Cupcakery is just up from the Quayside on Queen's Street, and I was impressed even before I crossed the threshold with this delightful chalk-board message.

Just what I needed to read! This place has everything you want in a cake shop: Gorgeous window displays, check. Cute bunting, check. Pastel hues, check. And a counter chocked FULL OF CAKE! What to choose? I opted for the red velvet cupcake, and enjoyed it very much. I'll definitely be visiting here again some time in the near future! I won't settle until I have sampled the whole glorious menu. 

Film Frenzy

A lot of the time I find that films are like buses; there’ll be none that I want to see for ages, then suddenly all the corkers are released at once! That’s what seems to have happened in the past few weeks, so I have been practically living in the cinema. So ahead of tomorrow’s Oscar nominations announcement, I thought I’d dedicate a post to three cracking films I’ve seen recently.

Into the Woods

In the past I’ve been a bit sceptical about film adaptations of musicals (don’t get me started on Mamma Mia), so I was intrigued to see this movie and, given that the cast was pretty star-studded, my expectations were high. I was unaware of the story from the musical beforehand, but liked the way that the various Brothers Grimm fairytales were woven together through the original story of the baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), who try desperately to lift a curse put on them by an ugly-looking Meryl Streep.

The story takes numerous beloved fairy-tale characters ‘into the woods’, all the while belting out some catchy songs (annoyingly, they will get stuck in your head). I love pretty much everything James Corden does, and this was no different. I had no idea he sang so well (no, that wasn’t him singing in ‘One Chance’), and he put in a genuine and heartfelt performance as the baker. Emily Blunt was another vocal surprise- where has she been hiding that lovely voice of hers? Another stand out for me were the kids of the cast. Little Red Riding Hood and Jack (the kid with the beanstalk) seemed as though they had been acting for years, and no doubt have a long and successful career ahead of them. Johnny Depp, as ever, was brilliant as the wolf- given he only had a short part in the film.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed being whisked away to a far off land for a bit of fantasy viewing and a few giggles along the way. And the tunes are still stuck in my head. If only I could remember the words…

The Theory of Everything

There has been such a buzz about this film, and rightly so. Eddie Redmayne is phenomenal. Through his uncanny portrayal of Professor Stephen Hawking- at every stage of his life and the development of his motor neurone disease- we learn the story of his triumphs in science, his home life and how powerful the mind can be. It is amazing to see how someone has surpassed his life expectancy and gone on to achieve outstanding things. When watching it I kept thinking of how much hard work Eddie would have put in to get Stephen’s mannerisms and expression down to a tee. Apparently Professor Hawking himself has acknowledged the actor’s resemblance to him!

Ultimately the story is one of love, documenting the relationship between Stephen and his first wife Jane, played by Felicity Jones who is excellent. I only watched this film a week or so ago and feel like I would love to watch it again, as it was just so good. And as I’ve said on twitter, if Eddie doesn’t win an Oscar for this role then I will give up chocolate (only for a month!).   

Unbroken

Well what an emotional journey this was! Angelina Jolie’s first directing role and starring that kid from ‘Skins’, I was naturally intrigued by this film. I’m a sucker for a true story, too. Jack O’Connell plays the part of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who becomes a prisoner of war when captured by the Japanese navy during WWII.

We first experience the physical and emotional challenges faced by Louis and two of his crew men who are stranded on an inflatable raft in the middle of the sea for 47 days. Then we go through the harrowing reality of a prisoner of war. We see Louis make companions along the way, and watch the mental and physical struggles faced by him and his camp-mates. The actors must have had to lose some serious weight for their role, as there were times when their faces were so gaunt and their bones protruding, only portraying the reality of the awful effects of the ordeal.

I won’t spoil it, but at the end we are reminded that all of this brutality was experienced by a real human being, and we are hit by a second wave of emotion. The film’s called ‘Unbroken’, but I won’t lie that after it, I felt broken! It was such an eye-opening story to experience, but I don’t think I’d be able to go through watching it again! If you’re looking for a feel-good film, I’d stay clear of this one. 

New Year, New Goals

So we're more than a week into 2015 and the 'New Year, New Me' Facebook statuses have started to die down. Personally, I feel that we shouldn't be aiming to completely change ourselves, but learn and grow towards improvement. On New Year's Eve (and also the eve of my 23rd birthday!) I sat in a small Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden with 3 of my best friends (and a bottomless jug of rum cocktail), in turn putting forward our goals for 2015.

We decided that 'resolutions' were not for us, but we simply wanted to highlight things what we aimed to conquer in the coming year. I could have a list of about 20 things that I want to do this year, but I thought that unrealistic so whittled them down to 5:

1. Improve my flexibility. When I try to touch my toes, as far as my fingertips get is just below my knee. This is something (weirdly) that has always been a source of frustration for me, so I am making the effort to stretch every day after working out in order to increase my range of movement and alleviate next-day muscle pain. I'll never be one of those people who gets their palms on the floor or who seem to be able to contort themselves into freaky shapes, but hopefully by the end of the year I will at least be able to graze my toes with my fingers.
2. Be more present.  We've all been guilty of it at some point. We're having a conversation with someone or watching a film and, despite looking as though we are paying attention, our minds are completely elsewhere. I want to focus on what's going on right there in the moment, and not be thinking about what I'm having for tea, or what  I'm going to do with my whole life! This is a major one for me, as I sometimes adopt the mindset that I'll be happy when I've landed my dream job, or I'll be happy when I've got more money- constantly thinking about the future. I need to just be happy now, as life is too short to wait. 
3. Blog more! I've fallen off the blogging wagon a bit (as you may be able to tell from my December photo challenge that never materialised!). This year I want to carry on blogging about things that I love as long as I am enjoying it.
4. Do something to make me proud. This one's pretty vague, but I just want to be able to reflect on 2015 at the end of the year and feel proud of at least one thing that I've done. Whether it be in my career, volunteering, friendships, writing or whatever, hopefully something within the whirlwind of another year will bring me pride.
5. Cook more. After the success of the fruit crumbles and paella that I made for myself and my family in 2014, I really want to start creating more in the kitchen. Making healthy, tasty and easy meals and snacks means that I can do something nice for my family, and also maintain my own clean diet as best I can. On that note, I have just whipped up a pretty random lunch for myself. I raided the fridge for omelette ingredients, and came up with a 'chorizo, feta and tomato' concoction. Whacking on a side of smoked salmon and avocado, this weird combination of a meal actually tasted pretty amazing!

Hopefully by putting my 2015 goals out here online will give me added motivation to stick to them! Wishing you a happy and healthy year!

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