PFF

What kind of blogger would I be if I didn't end this year with a reflection post?! I'm going to share with you 8 things that have made me a very happy lady this year and 8 things i've learnt throughout the last 12 months. Gosh it has it gone SO fast, I honestly cannot believe it. 2016 has been pretty turbulent but on the most part it's been a good year. I'm reflecting on this year with a humongous smile. Here goes...

8 things i am grateful for:

Meeting new people

2016 has been THE year for meeting a whole bunch of amazing new people (although we can't forget all the existing amazing people I already know! - i love ya). I love getting to know new people and i've been lucky to make some amazing friendships.

Travelling (a lot!)

I have also travelled a lot this year! I experienced my first long-haul flight to Malaysia (eek!), visited two lovely islands with incredibly blue seas (Kos & Cyprus), visited some new cities within the UK, went to 'Dam, spent Christmas in the Canaries. It makes me feel incredibly, incredibly lucky and I am thankful for every single trip I take. Nothing fulfils me more than spending time in nature and exploring new places. Happy, happy days!

Graduating

I made it. I finally bloody made it. Now i'm onto my master's but never mind.. who doesn't want to graduate twice. I feel so lucky to have graduated with 1st Class Honours and fab marks in my dissertation. I am thankful because I worked so hard and i'm so glad it paid off. I'm grateful for having the chance to educate myself, to learn new things and to have the amazing experience I had. Yes it was actually fun sometimes too.

Getting ma car 🚗

Brum Brum. In 2016 I managed to not only pass my driving test but also (with the help of my lovely mother) get myself a little Fiat 500. Yas, hello, i'm happy, I love it. I've only had it around a month but it gives me so much more freedom and independence so I don't have to get my chauffeurs (my mum and my boyfriend) to drive me everywhere.

Becoming 100% vegetarian and 95% vegan

I want to try and avoid labelling myself as much as possible but... I am incredibly happy I found a way to eat that suits me. That makes me happy. It's been a long time coming after a long time with body/food 'issues'. This type of diet suits my beliefs and my loves - nature, animals, compassion, equality etc. It makes me feel great - less binging, more satiating, full of nutrients. Eating like this has helped me a lot and I feel better than ever.

Growth in self-love/body image

Linking to the point above, this has been the year of learning to love myself mentally and physically. In 2015 I struggled a lot with body issues (I eluded to it in this post). Whereas 2016, especially the latter half, has really helped me with those self-esteem issues. I've learnt to love myself a lot more, i'm embracing my flaws and learning to value myself for more than just what I look like. Looks aren't everything believe it or not! This is something that WILL continue in 2017, i'm not quite there yet...

Bringing back my love for blogging

I used to blog back in my college days (2010-2012 ish) and gave up due to A-level demands. Oh the fun. So i'm really glad I managed to rekindle my love for blogging. The community is so lovely - yes i'm talking about you lovely lot! It's been an amazing year of blogging which i've managed to keep up throughout university, exams and all that jazz. Yay me.

Experiences > things (life's short yo', appreciate it!)

This year i'm so grateful for all the wonderful memories i've had chance to make. It's been the year of saying 'yes' for me. I've experienced so many new things (see my bucket list post) and simply learnt to enjoy every moment I do have. I've realised how short life is - I guess that comes with age eh - and learnt to appreciate experiences more than things. That means less shopping and more travelling, going out, eating out, hanging out...

8 things I have learnt in 2016:

Be a good egg

Not that this is new to me. I've always tried to be a good egg. But this year i've focused on being a 'good' person. I've learnt that it is very good to be a good egg not just for yourself but for others. So be a good egg people

There's more to life than food and weight - so love yourself regardless

This is something i'm grateful for like i said above but, it's also something i've had to learn. I've had to learn that loving myself for what and who I am is farrrrrr more important than trying to be a certain weight or look a particular way. I've had to learn that looking in the mirror and liking what I see is about more than what my body looks like. Actually, I can love me. Losing 10lbs will not make me a better, happier or more loveable person. Life is for L I V I N G and not about the number on the scales!

I can venture out the house in joggers and no makeup

Funnily enough this has taking me 21 years to figure out. When I think back to how obsessed I was about how I looked.. it makes me cringe. In 2016 I have embraced my natural, curly hair for the first time in around 10 years (no lie!), I have embraced my bare skin and ventured out without a full face of makeup most days and i've looked like a scruff for the majority. But that's ok, you're allowed, you're you, be you.

Boys are hardwork but some of them are almost always worth it

Some of them, sometimes. Basically ladies, appreciate the good ones and don't let them go!

I am more resilient than I think

I've learnt to doubt myself less. I can overcome everything with a little perseverance, hard work and some help from my nearest and dearest. I've done a lot of things I thought I couldn't in 2016 and i'm still here so...

Family are da bestest

Whoever 'family' is to you. They are the bomb. The bee's knee's. Clearly the most important people ever. I've always appreciated how amazing my family truly are but this year even more so. Maybe it's because i've grown up, I just really understand how much they do for me. They help me out so much.

Sleep is a girls best friend

It is. I'm a grumpy sod without it. I do a whole lot better with it. I've learnt to prioritise it. Having a lie in is fabulous and good for you so why not?!

Happiness is something you create

It doesn't always just come to you. Life is a rollercoaster - the ups and the downs! A positive mindset is everything. That glass half full/half empty thing is ridiculously true. Happiness is something you can create through the way you look at things, react to things and deal with life's shortcomings. Everyday I have learnt to wake up and appreciate the small things, to look at my life through rose-tinted glasses and just TRY every single day to be happy. Try being the key word.

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin’| Google+| Youtube

There's so many cool, hip (did i really just say that!), fancy, cheap, nice food places to try in Amsterdam. I am definitely a foodie and that's the first thing i'll want to try whenever I visit a place. I want to try it all. I definitely felt like a weekend in Amsterdam wasn't enough. I didn't even get to try the infamous Febo (vending machine style fast-food) because i was SO full the whole time. Oh well. Maybe next time eh.

In this post i want to share with you two of my favourite places i ate in Amsterdam. My first ever Wagamama's was also enjoyed here although, it's not very cultural is it?!

Bagels & Beans

This is one of the first places I found when searching Google for places to eat in Amsterdam. There is a few dotted around the city. We went to the one near Vondel Park. This was a perfect spot for brunch after having a photo with the infamous 'I Amsterdam' sign.

I was really undecided between a sweet and savoury option. I went for the sweet option, obviously, it is me, but the Veggie-Chicken option did tempt me! I got the Banana sweet bagel with maple syrup and cinnamon on a cinnamon and raisin bagel. DELICIOUS. Everything you would want from a bagel and actually kept me full all afternoon. I also got an americano alongside with steamed milk (i'm pretty sure this was soya). The perfect midmorning fuel.

Bar Bukowski

A true gem that we just so happened to stumble upon. I'm really glad we did. I would highly recommend this place followed by or after a walk in Oosterpark which is lovely by the way. This is a cafè restaurant by day and cocktail bar by night. Named after the writer Charles Bukowski, his quotes are displayed everywhere and the decor is quirky and very instagram worthy. The menu is in Dutch, most of which you can decipher, but the waiter was super lovely and happy to help translate/answer all my annoying questions. We sat outside because it was July and it was really hot. I opted for an iced americano and the American pancakes! They were pretty amazing too. Totally unhealthy but worth it. The fruit on the side made me feel ever so slightly better about my decision #healthgoals.

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin’| Google+| Youtube

I absolutely love listening to podcasts. I don't listen to them as much now as I used to. I used to listen to them everywhere I went. I was always the girl walking around with headphones in - anti-social, I know. My preference of podcasts has also changed; I used to listen to ones based around food and nutrition now, I'm enjoying more lifestyle-based humorous podcasts (although both are good). Please let me know if there are any podcasts you think I should listen to!

My Dad Wrote A Porno

I finally gave in and started listening to this podcast after hearing about it through social media. I kept hearing SO many good things - as in it's hilarious - and they were so right! This podcast has me laughing out loud (on the train, walking around campus, in the gym - everywhere). If I need a laugh this is definitely top of my list. The presenters (Jamie Morton, James Cooper and Alice Levine) are so funny; they never fail to make me giggle. Bless poor Jamie having to read all his dads' dirty ideas for the world to see. I love how light-hearted these guys are - the book doesn't stand a chance! It's all a bit of a 'piss-take' to be honest. If you love that kind of banter, you will like this.

Be warned: This podcast will make you laugh out loud in public places. You will look slightly crazy.

Fitter Food

An old favourite of mine. This is one of the first podcasts I ever listened to and it's still a firm favourite. This is very nutrition based but i love the principles they hold: move more, eat better and look after your damn self. Although they are paleo-ish and I am vegan now, i still like to listen to their knowledge and their information. They do talk a lot about other health related lifestyle things like sleep, mindfulness and balance. Keris is SO knowledgable and Matt is hilarious - they make the perfect podcast duo, i never get tired of listening to them and their couples banter.

Be warned: You will go away from this podcast feeling like you know EVERYTHING there is to know about living a healthy lifestyle, KNOWLEDGE BOMBS for the win.

Ctrl Alt Delete

Another new favourite of mine. I really enjoy these interview type podcasts where they speak to different people. It means i never get bored and I always love finding new people to ~~stalk~~ check out on social media. The interview with Mara Wilson (Matilda!) was a favourite of mine. This podcast is hosted by Emma Gannon; a fellow blogger and writer, she's all about social media and how that affects our day to day lives. Her book Ctrl Alt Delete is all about 'growing up online - i would love to read it! I'm really picky about the kind of voices i listen to on podcasts but, i love the way Emma speaks, the kind of questions she asks and the range of topics she speaks about.

Be warned: This podcast will leave you wanting to listen on and on and on...

Coffee with Chrachel

Where 'the only thing filtered is the coffee'. This is another chatty podcast about a whole range of things. Chris and Rachel live together in Seattle and as the name suggests, they sit down with cuppa coffee and have a good old natter. Every podcast is unique and each one makes me giggle. They talk about absolutely everything from Harry Potter to veganism to quizzes to coffee (obviously). They naturally bounce off each other and it's really nice to hear both a male and female perspective on everything that's going on. They go through current affairs (including Gilmore Girls, Harry Potter etc), Q&A's and binch time (don't ask, just listen).

Be warned: This will make you giggle, want to take silly Buzzfeed quizzes & make you want a relationship just like theirs (i'm talking about the couple not with the coffee..).

Health, Nutrition and Functional Medicine - Dr Ruscio Radio

Another one with all the knowledge bombs. This is another foodie based nutrition one but again, it focuses on holistic health. Dr Ruscio does some fascinating interviews on all sorts of fascinating topics e.g. ADHD, SIBO, Supplements, Gut microbiome. These all things I find interesting anyway, if you're not into this kind of stuff then you should probably switch off. I have learnt SO much to do with functional medicine and holistic health from this podcast.

Be warned: This is one for the nerds who love to learn about health, biology and nutrition. Lavvv it.

So there you have it. My podcast recommendations. I try to listen to something every evening before bed to help me relax. It's nice to switch everything off, lay in bed and just listen in the dark. Although if you listen to My Dad Wrote A Porno you will probably keep yourself awake by giggling too much!

What are your favourite podcasts? Do you listen to any?

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin' | Google+ | Youtube

Homeware

Scented potpourri silk pouches - these are super simple and i like to have them as decorations and scent around my room. All you need is potpourri and a silk pouch (like these ones here or here). Simply stuff the pouch with potpourri, any scent you like, and use them as a little stocking filler.

Winter filled jars - I call these winter filled jars because you can fill a mason jar with whatever you like: pinecones, dried out leaves/petals, conkers, potpourri.. Anything with some wintery/neutral colours like gold, red, brown. I like this idea of spray painting fake leaves gold!

Candles - a cliché kind of gift but a good one nevertheless. If in doubt; buy a candle. Yankee are usually my favourite (p.s. my favourite scent is 'christmas cookie'). You could go for one simple jar or a gift set. Alternatively, you can get creative with a DIY candle holder and some scented tea lights. This DIY cinnamon candle holder would be perfect and this branch candle holder would look great all year round.

Food

Homemade chocolates - see the recipe in my post here. I would put these into a christmas decorated jar: like this DIY reindeer one, or buy one from Matalan here. Homemade is so much more personal and you can pick the flavours to suit the person you're giving them too.

Christmas hamper - you can find them online e.g. here and here. Although, these can be so expensive and it's much more personal if you make one yourself. You can pick up a box at a really reasonable price from any card shop or christmas design ones from Paperchase. All you do then is fill it with their favourite snacks. I would fill mine with a cute little mug, a bottle of mulled wine and some of my favourite vegan snacks (have to include mince pies obviously!).

Hot chocolate packs - there's nothing better at christmas time than a mug of hot chocolate. These nice little hot cocoa packs make an inexpensive gift that you can give to all your friends. Buy a packet of hot chocolate, marshmallows, sprinkles, cookies etc. and split them out between different containers/sandwhich bags. You can even gift them in a homemade snowman mug.

Beauty

Nail varnish with a homemade twist - adding a little tag like this or this to a simple gift such as a nail polish will make it stocking filler worthy. I would do a little bundle of about four of these for my beauty loving friends.

Spa in a jar - you can do this for both men and women. Pop in Superdrug to their mini's/travel section and fill a MASSIVE mason jar with lots of little beauty treatments. Little beauty products like these will come in so useful all year round.

To see ALL these idea's (and more!) in one place; head over to my 'Christmas Gift Idea's' Pinterest board.

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin’| Google+| Youtube

It's a nice thing to do!

It's as simple as that. Giving your time up to help other people/causes is pretty selfless. It's a nice thing to do, i think everyone will agree. There are SO many ways you can volunteer e.g. at an animal shelter, for a specific charity, mentoring, helping out at your local charity shop, helping pack bags at the supermarket. The list could go on forever! If you need help deciding on something to do, there's websites like https://do-it.org that can help you find something to do. There's so many little things you can do to make someone smile or to help out someone in need.

You learn.. a lot!

There are so many skills involved in volunteering which are valuable and transferable: Time management, communication, dedication, creative thinking. You will learn so many new skills and reinforce those ones you already have. For example, volunteering at a club for children with autism - i have learnt so much about the condition, how to interact with the children and how to play Minecraft (truthfully, i'm not very good).

You're helping yourself by helping others.

We can't ignore the fact that volunteering is incredibly helpful for a lot of careers and looks great on your CV. So whilst you are doing something that is helpful to others, you're also helping yourself. You're nurturing skills that potential employers or universities will like. Especially as a psychology student i find that volunteering vastly improves my applications, it gives me skills and experiences that are necessary for my desired career path. There are obviously so many other reasons to volunteer, this is just one of them.

It's productive. Stop wasting time!

Volunteering gives you something good and worthwhile to do with your time. Rather than spending 3 hours binge-watching TV series (that is totally acceptable too though btw), try doing something that's going to help your life, help others lives and help improve your skills. Basically all the points above.

Makes you see the world in a different way.

Volunteering really helps change your view of the world. Cheesy, i know. But, you learn to appreciate the little things in life like, making someone smile or helping someone across the road. These little things mean much more to you. It helps to broaden your view of the world by meeting a variety of new people, learning their life views and their life stories. I'm so much more knowledgable after volunteering, i've got to meet a wide range of people and learnt about things i never would have thought of. You learn things about yourself you didn't know already know. There really are things that will broaden your outlook of the world.

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin' | Google+ | Youtube

I can't believe we're in December already. It sounds so clichè but where has 2016 gone?! Where?! I don't often do monthly favourites, mostly because I'm forgetful and throw away half of the products. But, November has been a pretty decent month filled with lots of good memories and FOOD. I've taken a visit to Manchester Christmas Markets, took countryside walks, drank lots of Christmas coffees and ate lots of mince pies (oops!). So here are some of my favourite foodie and life bits from November...

Aldi Dark Chocolate Lebkuchen

Coincidentally my German friend introduced me to these after the Manchester Christmas Markets. I've never tried these before but, they're absolutely delicious. They're just Christmas in a biscuit. Perfect with a cup of tea, a hot chocolate or a Christmas coffee. Your choice. I'd have one (or probably two or three) of these with one of my homemade lattes.

Aldi Dark Chocolate Orange Rice Cake Bars

I've been obsessed with these for a long time. I featured them in my Vegan Snacks post. They're the perfect chocolate hit. They satisfy your sweet tooth and they're only 92 calories. Perfect Christmas snack. What's more christmassy than (Terry's) chocolate orange!

Chocolate buttons

I like chocolate OK! Chocolate buttons are cute AF. They remind me of childhood and they seem to last a lot longer than a regular chocolate bar. I like these sprinkled on oats or on hot chocolates. These are my two favourite flavours: White Chocolate from Tesco (40p) and Chocolate Orange from Asda (37p). They're both so good. Two of my favourite vegan chocolate finds.

Asda Dark Chocolate and Mint Spread

Ugh, where do I even start with this? This absolutely BEAUTY. You NEED this in your life. Spread this on toast, chocolate rice cakes, mix with hot milk for hot chocolate, eat straight off the spoon. You get the hint. It's just gooey, spreadable chocolate goodness. It can get pretty sickly but on the most part, you'll probably find it quite hard to put the spoon down. Also, the fact it is £1.50 just makes it even better.

Lidl Spiced Biscuit Spread

If you thought the chocolate spread sounded good then you will LOVE this. This is basically Lidl's version of Lotus Biscoff spread. It's also £1.50 which makes it tempting to buy two (yes I have done that!). If you don't believe how good this is, you can ask my flatmates. We've made it through a fair few of these jars and I'm taking orders to pick some up for Christmas (we're up to 8 jars in total!). So if you like Lotus biscuits and you like spreads.. this is for you. It's so damn delicious, I have to restrain myself, like a lot.

Flowers

I love getting fresh flowers, they make such a nice addition to the room. These were a lovely little treat off my boyfriend (brownie points). Combined with the festive Caffè Nero takeout cup (this is the 3rd Christmas cup in my room - crazy, I know!), I think this makes a really cute Christmas display. So pretty. It's always nice to be spoilt with pretty flowers. Who agrees?

Christmas Decorations

I wrote a blog post all about how I'm getting ready for Christmas. I'm feeling so christmassy this year and I don't know why. My favourite thing this November has been decorating my room in a Christmas theme (follow me on Instagram, I'm always sharing new roomie bits). I have a red, gold and green themed shelf in the photo above and my window is decorated with blues, pinks and whites. I have fairy lights galore. I'm honestly in Christmas room heaven.

DIY

This month, as well as decorating my room to be #roomgoals, I have been enjoying making some homemade, decorative roomie bits. I've been enjoying being creative. Pinterest has kept me busy that's for sure! I made the little parcel in the photo above out of an empty toilet roll. You can find out how to make it here. Not only is it fun but, I love spending my money on cute, crafty bits and bobs. Any excuse for a shopping trip!

Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin' | Google+ | Youtube

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

featured Slider

8 things i am grateful for:

Meeting new people

Travelling (a lot!)

Graduating

Getting ma car 🚗

Becoming 100% vegetarian and 95% vegan

Growth in self-love/body image

Bringing back my love for blogging

Experiences > things (life's short yo', appreciate it!)

8 things I have learnt in 2016:

Be a good egg

There's more to life than food and weight - so love yourself regardless

I can venture out the house in joggers and no makeup

Boys are hardwork but some of them are almost always worth it

I am more resilient than I think

Family are da bestest

Sleep is a girls best friend

Happiness is something you create

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you're all having a wonderful time! xox

Putting up the Christmas tree with Momma

Manchester Christmas Markets

Lancaster University Campus Christmas Markets

Flat Christmas Meal

Date Night with Bae

Bagels & Beans

Bar Bukowski

Mince pies

Graze Mince Pie Flapjack

Aldi Dark Chocolate Lebkuchen

Hot chocolate

Nakd 'Christmas Pud'

My Dad Wrote A Porno

Fitter Food

Ctrl Alt Delete

Coffee with Chrachel

Health, Nutrition and Functional Medicine - Dr Ruscio Radio

Homeware

Food

Beauty

It's a nice thing to do!

You learn.. a lot!

You're helping yourself by helping others.

It's productive. Stop wasting time!

Makes you see the world in a different way.

Manchester Christmas Markets

Weekend with BAE.

Shopping dates with Mum.

Engagement party!

More weekends with bae.

Aldi Dark Chocolate Lebkuchen

Aldi Dark Chocolate Orange Rice Cake Bars

Chocolate buttons

Asda Dark Chocolate and Mint Spread

Lidl Spiced Biscuit Spread

Flowers

Christmas Decorations

DIY

About me

Popular Posts

Blog Archive

Search This Blog

Insta

Twitter