The British Tag

Hey there,

It's been way too long since I last updated my blog, but fear no more I am back - here in the flesh, tapping away my keyboard! Recently, I've been rushed off my feet with one thing and another so have had no time to spare for my little slice of the Internet. More importantly, I've been hidden away with my head in a book for what seems like eternity - how I've missed catching up with my favourite authors! 

Unless you've been hidden under a rock, you'll have noticed that everyone seems to be significantly happier - thanks to these longer days and perfect sunshine! Not quite short wearing weather yet, but just enough to expose a little bit of leg. I can't help but daydream for summer to arrive, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to take part in...

1. How many cups of tea a day do you have? How many sugars?

I'll be honest, I'm not a huge tea fan - I'm more of a coffee drinker. If I'm not tucked away with my favourite book, then I'm most probably sat in Starbucks treating myself to a frothy coffee. Most days I'll get through 2 cups of coffee with just the one sugar. I'm already sweet enough - cue the cringe!

2. Favourite part of your roast?

Hands down, it just has to be roast potatoes. No Sunday dinner would be complete without a handful of crispy spuds - seasoned with just enough herbs to make your mouth water. 

3. Favourite dunking biscuit?

Definitely a tough one to answer, but I do love a good Bourbon. For something a bit more fancy, I'll never say no to a rich tea biscuit. 

4. Favourite quintessentially British pastime?

A monthly trip to London has always been on my checklist. Visiting landmarks and joining the local hustle and bustle is definitely something to admire about Britain - I just can't get enough of London!

5. Favourite word?

Bollocks - not the most pleasant of British words, but I'm forever catching myself saying it whenever I make a balls-up of something. Definitely brings the common side out of me!

6. Cockney rhyming slang?

Fortunately, I've had the privilege of being brought up by a former East-end father. I've always been fascinated by the language and love learning new phrases too! 

7. Favourite sweet?

You just can't beat a lemon sherbet. Definitely popular in the UK and I just can't get enough of them!

8. What would your pub be called?

Tough question I think - I've never been a creative one myself. British pubs always seem to be named after monarchs, so I guess mine would be have to be dedicated to the royals.

9. No.1 British person?

Hands down, Michael McIntyre! Enough said really - he's just so down to earth and never fails to make me giggle. 

10. Favourite Shop/Restaurant?

I've always been a big fan of the Harvester - that's one place I'm well known for! I do love a good pie and mash meal and I've always taken advantage of my local cafe too. Guess I'm just a food fanatic!

11. What British song pops into your head?

I wouldn't be British if I didn't mention our anthem. Known all over the world and something I'll never forget the words to. Can't beat a good ol' classic of Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley! That's definitely one to be saved for flashing those moves in your bedroom!

12. Marmite?

I'll admit I've never been a huge fan of marmite. They say you either love it or hate it, but I think I'm definitely an exception. If I'm in a rush, marmite on toast is the way to go!

Worth giving a go? I think so - I challenge all of you reading this to take part in the British Tag!

Bye for now! Xxx

My Adventures in Hospital 02/03/15

Hey there, 

It's definitely been a while since I've updated my little slice of the Internet  and to be honest, I can't apologize enough! How I've missed eagerly tapping away at my keyboard, frantically spewing out the contents of brain onto my blog for all you nosy viewers to read! 

I'm not asking for sympathy, but I can assure you last week was not an easy ride! You may think I'm making a big fuss out of nothing, but I've never been a huge fan of hospitals. Always full of disappointments, bad news and don't even get me started on the smell! 

For over a year now, I have been wearing a brace - pretty obvious if you've seen my countless number of photos, (a girl can never have too many selfies!) Just recently I've found a new attachment to it and can't bare to part with it yet. However, as much as I love my braces, I do not enjoy the tedious trips to the hospital with dentists towering over me peering inside my mouth - too close for comfort! 

But it doesn't just stop at the braces - oh no, my case is a lot more complicated than you may think! A couple of months ago, I was hit with the news that my jaw appeared to be slightly asymmetrical. At the time I remained quiet, yet calm, confident that it was nothing too serious. That was until they told me it meant I'd have to have my jaw realigned to prevent any problems in the future - definitely not something I was prepared for! 

Last week was the first initial step towards the end result and I'll admit I was definitely unprepared for what was yet to happen. Surrounded by patients in a hospital bed nervously waiting to be called in for my wisdom teeth to be removed was not my idea of fun!

Nevertheless, despite all the nerves I had been suppressing for hours on end, I couldn't resist whipping my camera out to pose for my outfit of the day - the typical hospital gown, (how attractive!)

Fortunately, I am back to my usual, perky self again and will be posting regularly on my blog again, so you won't have to miss me too much!

Bye for now! Xxx

#3 10 Things That Have Made Me Happy This Week

Hey there,

Seriously though, where did January go? I can't believe we've almost whizzed through February too - this year is flying by! I'm proud to say so far that my New Year's Resolutions are yet to be broken and I have high expectations for the rest of this year. Unfortunately, I had a turn for the worst at the start of this week and my fairytale relationship has come to an end. I am determined not to let this bother me and sometimes I think to myself it was a blessing in disguise. Love is a foolish emotion and I'll admit it hasn't been easy, but luckily for me I had the support I needed to make this week a good one!

1. Interacting with new bloggers on Twitter

2. Involving myself with a new group of friends

3. Watching the sun set in the evening from my office.

4. Finally meeting up with a good friend of mine.

5. Spending hours on Skype uncontrollably laughing to myself. 

6. Seeing my favourite bands play live at the O2.

7. Forever performing into my hairbrush in front of my mirror, being a diva.

8. Wasting pennies in the arcades. 

9. Messing about with my friend's dog.

10. Having a well deserved lie-in on a Sunday.

Bye for now! Xxx

HOW TO: Deal With Plane Stress...

Hey there,

I know what you're all probably thinking after reading the title of my blog post, have you seen the weather outside? I agree, it's not my ideal weather for a vacation. However, after having moved into the loft at work, I'm constantly watching planes flying overhead - it's hard not to day dream about my holiday! I'm nowhere near an expert on this, infact I've only ever flown once, but I remember feeling so anxious sitting in that airport for the first time. I know how terrifying flying can be for certain people, so I wanted to write a post to offer some helpful tips to ensure your flight is a good one...

Hydrate Yourself - it's always good to ensure you drink plenty before and during your flight. I find that my mood increases dramatically by hydrating myself well and prepares me for my travels.

Rest Well -  there's nothing worse than a sleepless night the evening before your flight. Reading before bed is a good way to relax, ensuring I fall asleep with no trouble.

Boiled Sweets - I found that squashing a packet of sweets in my coat pocket was the best decision I ever made on my first flight. Sucking on hard candy is a great distraction when flying and also the best way to help when your ears pop!

Relaxing Music - before you head on your journey, ensure you have a playlist with your favourite music stored on your phone/iPod. Listening to your most loved songs is the best way to help with any anxieties you may have.

I hope you find my tips useful and take note of these when flying abroad!

Bye for now! Xxx

5 Things I Want To Make A Habit

Hey there, 

Habits are usually something you want to give up, right? Biting your nails, binging on junk food for example? Occasionally I'll do things that make me feel good, things that I want to spend more time on to enable me to become more organised. These activities are what I want to become a habit to make me a better person, but in order for that to happen I must share them with you!

I'm a huge fan of lists, I don't think I could possibly be productive without them! If I'm not sat scribbling away in my notepad, then I'm probably rushing around completing all the tasks I was meant to do that I didn't have time for because I was too busy creating my list. In-fact, I'm pretty certain that making lists is my new favourite habit!

Listed below are my top 5 things I want to make habits:

1. Spend 5 - 10 Minutes Putting Things Away

Everyone loves coming home to a tidy bedroom, right? I feel it creates a better thinking space and makes me feel more productive. I usually have spare moments in my day, which I could use to declutter my space and generally tidy my occasional mess. I choose not to just so I can watch my favourite series on Netflix or catch up with my friends.

If you haven't guessed by now, I am the best at procrastinating. especially when it involves housework. I even blog away at work just to kill some extra time, but I've decided this needs to stop. My new routine will be to leave at least 5-10 minutes - making the bed, cleaning my desk space and throwing away all my old products!

2. Burn Scented Candles

It's almost impossible being a blogger to not like candles. I am a huge fan of Yankee Candles and can spend hours in store testing every single scent. There's nothing better than having a warm glow on your bedside table/desk on a winter's evening whilst blogging away!

3. Use My Travel Time Wisely

On an average working day, I spend at least an hour commuting to and from work. As much as I enjoy rocking out to my favourite tunes along the journey, I find that reading would be a much better way to pass the time. I love to get stuck into a good novel, but find I don't have much spare time to do this anymore. I'm not much of a people person in the morning so I think this would be a great way to spend my travel time!

4. Spend at least 30 Minutes Reading A Night

There's no denying that I'm a little geek! Growing up, I was an avid bookworm and used to always have my head in a book. I miss reading every evening with the warm glow of my lava lamp in the background. Recently, I've been recommended a couple of books that are worth reading, so I think adding this to my daily routine will be a good idea!

5. Save One Night A Week For Me-Time

It's not often I get the chance to treat myself to a pamper session at home. I love to treat myself to a bubbly LUSH bath with some relaxing tunes or Netflix playing in the background. I would consider myself to be a social butterfly and love to spend my evenings hanging with a group of my friends. Recently, I've found these late nights leave me feeling groggy and demotivated in the mornings and so I feel a night in would solve all my problems!

If you liked this post, comment below what things you want to make a habit?

Bye for now! Xxx

*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

Blogger's Q & A

Hey there, 

I hope you're all well and spent your weekend in style! Recently, I've been a social butterfly and really embracing my new found confidence. Last weekend, I even found myself dressing up and braving the dance floor, after having a few drinks of course - such a classy teenager. Anyway, enough with the introduction, let's get on with the blog post!

This week, I wanted to create an opportunity on my little slice of the Internet to interact with you lovely readers! I love participating in bloggers chats on Twitter and hearing what everyone has to say - it's a great feeling being a part of this community. Therefore, I decided to give you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have to feature in my next Q&A post. 

I'm looking forward to reading your comments below and thank you so much for supporting and reading my little updates on here - it really does mean a lot!

Bye for now! Xxx