*Review: Graze Snackbox

Hey there,

I love coming home after a long day at work to a parcel waiting for me at the door! I promised myself that 2015 would be the year I introduce more reviews onto my little space of the Internet  and I love to share my opinions. I spend a lot of my time scrolling through product reviews on my favourite bloggers sites, so I thought I'd give it a go!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you should all be familiar with Graze - a healthy box, filled with 4 yummy snacks to eat on the move! I was particularly impressed with the packaging of these snacks and was especially pleased that it could all be recycled. Graze offer you a free box on your first purchase and enable you to get your fifth box free, so it's well worth purchasing! 

If you continue to purchase these boxes, you will receive a different selection of snacks each month to munch away on. Below are my reactions to the snacks I received this month:

Coffee & Walnut Cake - mix of chocolate coffee beans, walnuts, sponge pieces & raisins

I decided to tear open this little box first. I've never been a big fan of walnuts, but I loved the look of this box, so didn't think twice. I was met with a strong scent of coffee as I ripped off the plastic, which I loved. However, I felt this snack was too dry for me and wasn't surprised when I choked on the walnuts! Although, the chocolate coffee beans made it more manageable to eat, I definitely won't be purchasing this snack again!

Triple Berry Smoothie - mini strawberries, blueberries, cranberries and banana

I've always been a huge lover of fruit - I'd much rather a bunch of grapes than a carrot stick. Infact, I'm hoping to save up for a Nutribullet smoothie maker soon! After skimming through the contents of this packet, I just couldn't wait to open it! I started with a banana piece, before trying a handful of mixed fruits and was absolutely amazed at the intense flavours! This wasn't my favourite snack, but I was seriously impressed and would definitely recommend trying it. 

Soy Roasted Seeds - packed with essential nutrients

For anyone that knows me personally, it's pretty obvious that I am an avid lover of savoury food. I'd choose a packet of cheese puffs over a slice of chocolate cake any day. I bet can imagine how excited I was when I found these in my Graze box! Being a vegetarian, nuts and seeds are a significant part of my diet - I'm basically a parrot! I was easily pleased with this selection of seeds and couldn't eat them fast enough. They definitely got my vote!

Fruity Mango Chutney - with black pepper dippers

I think I made the right decision to save these until last. Don't they just look so appetising? They were easily my favourite snack - packed with flavour and definitely worth having in your box.

Overall, I would definitely recommend these for anyone who's constantly on the move. These are brilliant for a snack at lunch time, perfect for day trips out and easily affordable at only £3.99 per box. Definitely worth a try and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

Bye for now! Xxx

Books of 2015 #1

Hey there!

Can you believe it, it's we're almost a quarter of the way into 2015 and what a year it's been so far! we're already 3 weeks into 2015 and what a year it's been so far! If you're an avid reader of my blog then you should be familiar with the challenges I set myself at the start of this year, (which you can read all about here.) 

Top of my list in my resolutions for 2015 was to rediscover my love for reading and there's nothing better than tucking into bed, after a busy day, with a creamy, hot chocolate and a good novel. Instead of burying my head deep inside a book tonight, I thought I'd start a series sharing with you my favourite books of 2015!

Girl Online - my first book of 2015 just had to be the YouTube sensation Zoella's, Girl Online. Despite all the controversy associated with this book, I was eager to start reading and did not hesitate to pick it up. 

Girl Online features a young teen called Penny, who lives with her family, next door to her gay best friend, Elliot and set in her seaside town, Brighton. Penny suffers from panic attacks, (much like the writer,) and finds herself in some awful situations. A whole spiral of events unfold around her including a handsome, young man sweeping her off her feet, but we all know romance never comes easy!

This book honestly had me hooked! I may be biased, as you all know how much I idolise Zoe, but I found this novel to be an extremely addictive read - I managed to fly through it in a matter of days.Written mainly in first person with cleverly written blog posts - a nice little added touch to the novel, as we all know online content is what Zoe writes best! 

I'll be honest with you, I found the ending of the book a little too rushed and was expecting more from it, but nevertheless I really enjoyed the novel and would recommend you go and buy it - it's definitely worth the money!

Rating: 9/10 

I can't believe it's taken me this long to rekindle my love for reading, but I can assure you there will be plenty more reviews appearing on my little slice of the Internet - so keep your eyes peeled!

Comment below: what's your favourite book to read during the spring?

Bye for now! Xxx

Water Challenge

Hey there!

Christmas is over now, but unfortunately that doesn't mean in the UK the weather is getting any warmer. The winter bugs are spreading and the bitter wind chills your bones! I've never had any problems in the past with my skin - I've always made sure to moisturise well and have managed to avoid the teenage acne, but winter this year has been an issue. During this time of year, my skin tends to dry up and flake away - sounds gross I know, but with the help of my collection of moisturisers, I seem to power through the tough months! 

Due to a number of circumstances, my stress levels have gone sky high. As a result of this, my skin is slowly breaking out with unwanted spots. Most teenagers in this scenario would head straight to the chemist and grab as many spot creams as possible, but I'm positive I've found the perfect solution. 

I seem to always forget to hydrate myself properly - it's a habit I've slowly fallen into. During the day at work I usually drink endless amounts of coffee, but never take advantage of the water cooler in my office. It's become apparent that I've been feeling sluggish and rather lazy with constant headaches. Recently, I've decided to ditch the caffeine and pour myself a glass of cold water instead. Not only do I feel it would do wonders for my skin, I believe it will really help to clear my mind! 

Alongside drinking plenty of water, I'm determined to start exercising - I've become a solid couch potato since Christmas! Stress is one of the major factors for my breakout this year, but after browsing the Internet for tips on diffuse my situation, I found this list of activities to stress less. Since I've decided that this is the year I focus on myself and my habits, I felt these would really help my first obstacle of 2015:

However, I understand that exercise isn't everyone's cup of tea and sometimes it's just not physically possible to fit this into your daily routine. Therefore, I would highly recommend trying out The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Cleansing Lotion. I've been using this for a couple of days now before I settle down to sleep and I can already see some improvements. I love the way it leaves a refreshing lasting effect after wiping away the face wash and I am pleased that my skin is reacting well to the lotion - fingers crossed I will be spot-free by next week!

I hope this helps some of you who may be suffering with the same skin breakouts this winter!

Bye for now! Xxx

#3 Weekly Favourites

Hey there!

You may remember if you're a regular reader of my blog, that I started this series of posts a while back. However, I never really connected well with it and instantly regretted it as I didn't have anything worth sharing with you that I'd enjoyed during the week. My exams have taken a toll on me recently too and therefore, I haven't really had time to sit down and enjoy my favourite shows or books. 

What I've Been Eating

It's a well known fact that you can't revise successfully without a good stash of goodies to munch on! My trusty companion for this always has to be a huge packet of biscuits to last me the entire exam period. It was a no brainer this year, just had to be Oreos - the famous 'twist it, lick it, dunk it!' For years I had been so tempted to try them, but never really had the opportunity. I actually REALLY enjoyed them and they've certainly kept me going. They'll definitely be on my shopping list next year! 

What I've Been Watching

After a week of crazy revision and a bunch of important exams, I treated myself to a well deserved rest and a movie marathon on the sofa. I managed to watch 3 much-loved movies in this time, which I will share with you! Kung Fu Panda 2 was my go-to movie. I'm not usually a big fan of movies involving violence and fighting, but you just can't resist this one! I'm a huge fan of animated films and love the creativity that goes into making them. I like to wind down with a film that doesn't involve a lot of thinking and this was definitely a good pick! Next was Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang! After watching the first movie, a couple of years back, I was tempted to see the sequel. It had me in fits of giggles at times and overall it was a good movie to relax to! Finally, I watched Forrest Gump! I've been meaning to watch this after years of constant quotes and references by my friends and I finally got the opportunity. This was one of my favourites, which also had me laughing. It's hard not not get attached to Forrest - a down to earth guy, with a big heart and lot of love. To summarize - 'Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get!'

What I've Been Trying

A couple of days ago, I received in the post a free sample of RESCUE Pastilles. These little gems are designed to sooth any worries or stresses you may have during the day. They help you to remain calm and set your mind and tummy at ease. I'd say I am definitely a worrier and often get stressed about the most ridiculous things - over thinking doesn't help either. When I received them I was thrilled, they couldn't have come at a more convenient time. With my exams starting the next day, I was in desperate need of them and was eager to use them! After trying these out, I would definitely recommend these to anyone, who like me, panics themselves with worry and stress over the simplest of things. They worked for me and hopefully, will work for you too!  

Bye for now! Xxx