I do drink, i like juice, lemonade, a cuppa tea. I'm also partial to an alcoholic beverage; a glass of wine (rosè) or a vodka, soda & lime (that's my drink btw!). Sometimes. Sometimes i drink way too much of it. Sometimes i don't want to drink at all, in fact, most of the time i'd rather have a quiet night in with a movie or a book with a cup of tea. Does that make me a terrible student?



Now we all know the drinking culture the surrounds university and student life, more so in the UK. Which makes it pretty difficult being a student if you aren't big on binge drinking.

I find it quite hard to understand why it isn't socially acceptable to admit you don't drink, you don't want to drink and you won't be out because you don't want too. I find it sad that we have to make excuses like 'I'm driving' or 'I can't i have a 9am tomorrow'.


On our way home from a fun day in Edinburgh (where i drank no alcohol btw!), the train conductor commented "Look at all these students asleep; probably because of all the drugs and alcohol they've had this weekend.". Like what?! Another woman on the train looked at me like 'what the hell'. I couldn't believe he had just said that. You mean we were tired because we got up early to go to Edinburgh, had a pesky fire alarm at 3.30am that morning and had been busy working our arses off ALL week so we could have the day off! Not all students are automatically hungover or on drugs. Not all young people spend their weekends going on nights outs.

Of course, things are getting easier, what with 'Dry January' and September Cancer Research 'Dryathalon'.  Going tee-total seems to actually be catching on. And while i'm not bashing drinking because i do like love a night out. I just dislike the whole drinking culture which makes you feel less of a student if you don't. I dislike how students are defined by drinking and social situations that revolve around drinking (see this article).

The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde

The Cursed Child - J.K Rowling

                   Would i reccomend this book? Yes
                   How many stars out of five?     ****

Me Before You & After You - Jojo Moyes 

How to:

1. Toast one slice of bread.
2. Dice some pepper and onion - of if you're lazy throw it into a food processor/chopper.
3. Dice or grate some vegan cheese.
4. Add the toast to the food processor & blend until it looks like breadcrumbs.
5. Mix all the above filling together with some flavouring.. herbs, spices, salt & pepper etc. Then, add to the mushroom.
6. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

This is the perfect fancy, vegan dinner. Definitely one for date nights or a meal with friends - they'd never know the difference. I ate two of these mushrooms with some sweet potato wedges and a biiiiggg bowl of veggies on the side. It would make a great 'help yourself', buffet-style dish.

The lip creams are an 'oldie but a goodie'. They do the job. They apply easily, set fast and last a fair amount of time for the price (£5.50). I can't really complain much over these because they're such a bargain! All i can say is, make sure your lips are well moisturised and not chapped or this could end up accentuating that, especially after eating and drinking. But overall the colour pay-off is great (1-2 coats does the trick). Zurich, the latest in my collection, is now also my favourite. It makes a wonderful day-to-day colour. The other shades are a bit bright for my liking although, Antwerp does make a wonderful s/s shade.
Here are three of the latest lip products from NYX. Safe to say i purchased them the minute they were available on the Boots website. A bit eager but they are so worth it. I really love the formula of all of these lip products. The Liquid Suede starts off very smooth and soft wheres the Lingerie is more sticky. They both dry to a matte finish and they are both incredibly long lasting (the Lingerie even more so). For £6.50 you are getting your moneys worth, it also means you can throw one in your bag and you won't be so heartbroken if it does go missing (we've all done that before!).

I really love these liquid lipsticks from NYX and do plan to buy many, many more. I'm desperate to try out some of the brighter shades and more unusual shades they have to offer. But overall, i don't think you can go wrong with picking up some nudes/browns especially the from the Lingerie/Suede collection!

Today i want to share my favourite vegan snacks. Some are healthier than others, some are great for on-the-go and some are for sharing. But there's lots for everyone! It just shows how being vegan isn't difficult, there's SO many options! So if you're thinking of being more vegan.. this is a good place to start, odds are you eat a lot of these things already. I hope you find some new snacks to enjoy, let me know your favourite treats in the comments below!

Aldi

Pea Snacks

Chocolate Orange Rice Cake Bars

Biscuits

Oreos - Mint, Chocolate, Original.. 

Bourbon Creams (usually own brands e.g. Asda,  Sainsbury's)

were vegan? This not-so-healthy snack is usually reserved for lazy weekends with a cuppa tea and a film. Probably best to leave the packet in the cupboard and just take a few with you.

Graze 

Dark Chocolate Cherry Tart

Cranberry & Hazelnut Toasts with Cocoa Dip

Misc

Banana Ice-cream/Chocolate Pops

Homemade Brownies/Blondies

Carrot Sticks & Hummus 

Everyone loves chocolate, don't they? 

I'm a 'people person' and i love speaking to people; new, old, familiar. All the people. I find a simple 'Hello' and a smile from stranger can really brighten up your day. I have one of them faces that screams 'TALK TO ME', which means i always end up in a conversation with a random person in the middle of a supermarket isle. Or at the busstop. Or in the New Look queue. Anywhere really.

1. Remove your headphones. 

2. Smile.

3. You go first - say hello. 

5. Put yourself into sociable situations. 

It really helped.

The majority of this wishlist comes from Kikki K.. fairly obviously why, right?! I fell in love with Kikki K when i stumbled upon it in Covent Garden (and splurged £22 on a journal, eek!). My love affair has grown ever since. On the most part its fairly affordable - well the pieces above are - with some incredibly gorgeous designs.

I personally love getting organised at university that includes; my daily planner so i can jot down everything i have that day and see it in chronological order, my to-do list/notes which sit on my desk so i can cross off other tasks as the day goes along and a food planner so i can make sure i eat relatively healthy and minimise my waste. A lot of people underestimate food planning but it's so helpful at university to make preparing food easier, faster and more efficient.