Eat Greek for a Week


I came across this book whilst watching 'Sunday Brunch' with my mum at the weekend. Tonia Buxton was on the show and cooking some of her recipes, and I instantly fell in love. I've always loved Greece and Greek people but i've always been a bit cautious of the food as i'm quite picky. What struck me most was how passionate Tonia was about her cooking and the recipes in her book. She made a simple chicken and potato dish but it looked so amazing, and simple enough that somebody like me could make at home. I decided to take the plunge and ordered the book.

 Eat Greek for a Week promises to provide recipes for fabulous food that will improve your health in seven days. The book contains over 100 delicious recipes and I can't wait to get stuck in and make some of the dishes for me and my husband!

 The book contains nutritional information divided into 5 subsections.
1. Eat Greek to look (and feel) younger
2. Eat Greek to manage and prevent diabetes
3. Eat Greek to increase your libido
4. Eat Greek to reach the ideal weight
5. Eat Greek to get pregnant

 The recipes are organised in sections according to the type of meal (breakfast; soups & salads; fish, meat and poultry as well as puddings, bakes and cakes) and are also colour coded to correspond with the 5 categories listed above.

 Most of the recipes in the book call for fresh food, which is on the whole quite expensive. If you can't afford the freshest ingredients (like me) then buying what you CAN afford is better than spending the same amount on unhealthy foods.

 I'll be trying out my first meal on Sunday and I can't wait!

 Have you tried any of the recipes in this book?

 Let me know what you think lovelies!

 A xo
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The Love/Hate Tag


I was tagged this morning by the lovely Emma at Carpe Diem Emmie (You can read her blog here- and you should, it's great!) to take part in the Love/Hate Tag. 

I think the Tag is a great idea, and I'm really excited to share my loves and hates with you!

The rules are simple:

When you are nominated by a blogger, you simply state 10 things you love and 10 things you hate.
To complete the tag, you then tag 10 other bloggers to take part.

10 things I Love:
1. Sharks. This may seem like a strange one but I find sharks so fascinating, any time there's a documentary on about sharks (or even the ocean) I have to watch it.
2. Chicken. I love chicken. So much so, that on my wedding day, my best friend said "If there's no fried chicken, it's not your wedding". Unfortunately, there was no chicken. 
3. Taking photographs. I love taking photographs, of everything. From flowers to people I just love being behind the lens, if i wasn't a teacher i'd probably try and make a go of having a photography business.
4. Tea. I drink tea all the time, and I blame my mum and brother for it. They're always making coffee at home and of course I can't turn down a lovely cup of tea.
5. Rain & the cold. I think rain is the most beautiful thing. People always call me weird and can't understand why I prefer the cold to the heat and the rain to the sun, but i just do.
6. My husband. We have our ups and downs but I love him with all of my heart & soul. Our wedding day was the most magical, and happiest day of my life.
7. My family. I can hear you all saying to yourselves how cheesy this is. But I love my family more than anything, yes they annoy me but they are there for me when it counts.
8. Netflix. I'm obsessed with Netflix at the moment, it's the easiest place I can watch Wentworth Miller on my screen for hours on end (currently watching 'House' because i've never seen the whole series before). 
9. Liverpool FC. My football team. People always used to call me a glory hunter for supporting a team that aren't London based, and my response is always the same. 'What glory?' Liverpool haven't won anything in a long time (it breaks my heart) but I will support them win, lose or draw.
10. Stationery. I admit it, i'm a stationery freak. Without fail, year after year I will ask for stationery for my birthday and christmas. Stationery cupboards are my favourite place.

10 things I hate:
1. Lies. White lies, big lies, small lies, lies to make people feel better. I don't like them.
2. Melted cheese. Even the thought of it makes me cringe. I think its the texture of it that I don't like.
3. Fake friends. People who are only there when they need something from you. 
4. Spiders. EEEEK. I can't stand spiders, they absolutely terrify me (doesn't matter how big they are) to the point where I can't sleep if I think theres one in my room.
5. Rudeness. I hate rudeness. It's not hard to be polite. 
6. TV shows ending too soon/bad endings to series. I wish shows like the IT crowd hadn't ended so soon, and I wish that Prison Break didn't end the way it did (YAY for the mini series coming out soon though)
7. Being ill. 
8. Bus drivers terminating their route when theres a little bit of traffic. This has happened to me on too many occasions. You wait an age for your bus to come, when it comes you get on it, hopefully find a seat, and make yourself comfortable. You're stuck in traffic and suddenly the automated voice speaks "the destination of this bus has changed" before "this bus terminates here". 
9. People constantly texting or being on their phone. I have been guilty of being on my phone too much, and it's something I'm trying to change, but when people are too busy on their phones to engage in a conversation it really bugs me.
10. Slow drivers. Now, i'm no speedster when I drive, but slow drivers can really bug me. I actually think that when people drive too slowly it's dangerous.

So there you have it, My 10 Loves and 10 Hates.
Now its time for the nominations.

I nominate:

Melishia // MelishiasCorner
Pallavi // WildfireCharm
Abbie // abigalexo
Patti // shiftingtales

I don't actually know 10 bloggers to nominate (yet) so i've done 6.

Leave me some comments below and let me know what you think of my loves and hates!

A xo
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Review: Essence Studio Nails- Ultra Strong Nail Hardener


Do you have weak/flimsy nails?
Are your nails always breaking?

If you answered yes to either of the questions above then Essence Studio Nails- Ultra Strong Nail Hardener is for you!

For the longest time I have had weak nails. They are always splitting and breaking at the slightest of knocks. It's always the way that when i'm really loving the length of my nails- one of them breaks. Without fail.

I've always wondered why this happens to me, and after researching online- here are some of the possible reasons for why your nails are breaking.

1. Leaving nail polish on for too long.
Okay- hands up. I'm so guilty of this. I'm the type of person who will put nail varnish on, and leave it on until it comes off on its own. Nail polishes contain drying ingredients that take out moisture from the nail, causing them to weaken. It is recommended that nail polish should be removed after 5 days, and the nails should be given a few days to recover before painting again.

2. Texting/typing
I know this seems far fetched, and you're probably thinking this is a stupid reason for nail breakage- BUT it actually makes some sense. If your nails are hitting the keyboard or screen of your phone repeatedly, it can cause them to split or fray at the edges. In the world we live in, practically everything we do is on our phones, tables or laptops!

3. Not applying hand lotion
I have to admit, I rarely use hand lotion. When you wash your hands the water dries out your skin, and if the skin beneath your cuticles is dry, then the nail is more likely to split, break or crack.

So there you have it. Some possible reasons for why your nails break. The solution? Okay, so you could stop using your laptop to blog, you could apply hand lotion after you wash your hands, you could remove your nail polish and give them a few days to recover, and you could stop texting.

But what if none of these solutions solves your problem?

Essence Studio Nails- Ultra Strong Nail Hardener works wonders for me. From the moment it hits my nails they feel stronger. The polish coats the nails beautifully and leaves them feeling strong, as well as giving them a lovely shine.

After one application.
Essence recommend using the polish for two days and taking a break for one day (for no more than three weeks). I find that the gradual build up of the hardener leaves my nails feeling healthy and strong. I have never had to apply the polish for as long as three weeks as I find applying the polish as and when my nails need it works for me.

I have even applied other nail polishes on top of the hardener. The smoothness that the hardener creates on the nail makes applying other polishes on top a doddle. The hardener is easily removed with nail varnish remover (not that you'd want to- because it's amazing!)

I cannot praise this hardener enough, it has never let me down. My nails feel and look better than they ever have!

 Essence Studio Nails- Ultra Strong Nail Hardener costs £1.99 and is available in Wilko's stores.

I'd love to know your opinions. Have you used Essence's nail hardener before? If you have what do you think of it? If you haven't, would you consider it?


A xo
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Journalling


The idea of journalling has always appealed to me, except i've never made a real go of it. I guess this blog is a sort of a journal for me, to communicate with others, but i'm not great at dealing with my feelings and emotions privately! I'm the kind of person who tends to bottle up my feelings until one day they all come out at once, usually in the form of tears!

I decided to go for it and buy a journal (pictured below) from amazon (You can get one here).


I'm going to try and set aside 20 minutes a day to write down my thoughts and feelings. I think it will help me to grow, and also be a good way to release emotions. I'll be starting tonight! I read online that journalling is a tool for empowerment, growth, and life balance - A daily routine that could change your life. I'm hoping it will help change mine!

I'm really interested to know how other people feel about journalling, I've done some research online- but i'd love to know your opinions! 

Do you write a journal? 
If you do journal, what do you write about?
Do you find journalling useful?
Any helpful tips/hints?

A xo
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'Getting Glam'


Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm not a 'girlie girl', for a few reasons...

1. I love football
2. My outfits hardly EVER match
3. I can't apply makeup without looking like, well, let's just say it's not pretty
4. I don't really like shopping...

BUT, I'm always talking about how I want to take more pride in my appearance (sorry Starla Says) and how I want to try and make myself feel and look (hopefully) quite pretty. After being taken to a blogging event hosted by Essence by my best friend, and coming home with bags full of make up and other goodies I'm going to try and learn how to apply my own makeup- with the help of some other blogs!

I'll be posting some before and after photos as I try out some new techniques and products, and posting some reviews from the viewpoint of a total newbie to all things makeup!

Do you have any tips for me, or can you recommend any blogs that will help with my mission?

A xo
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Jogging



If you're anything like me- the thought of jogging will send fear through your body.

The phrases 'I'm just not a runner' or 'I can't run' were regularly used (both excuses) to avoid going for a run.

After overindulging on the honeymoon and the weeks after, my husband (an avid jogger) was back to his old running ways, and I felt the urge to join him to try and lose some weight. On the way to the forest I had built myself up and was ready to go (I thought we were jogging in the forest) but when my husband told me we were jogging on the road around the forest, fear set in. I was so worried that people would be judging me as I ran, that one my favourite phrases were put to good use- 'I can't do it.' After some words of encouragement from Simon I was ready to go! 

After my first jog I got a huge blister which lead to a trip to Sports Direct to find some new trainers. Which leads me on to the main point of this post- some tips that help me through jogs! 

1. Wear the right shoes.
Every time I have tried jogging I've ended up with a blister. At Sports Direct there is a great machine that tells you the type of shoe you should wear (turns out I have a high arched foot). It even suggests which shoes to buy! 

2. Listen to good music.
I was so worried that I would be panting like a dog after the first few steps that I put my iPod on full volume to drown it out! I listen to Katy Perry when I run- her upbeat tunes really get me in the mood.

3. Focus on your breathing.
As I mentioned above, I was worried I'd be panting like a dog. Some advice Simon gave to me worked so well! Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. When I got into the rhythm of taking long breaths like that I didn't realize I'd run the whole forest!

4. Try and run with a buddy.
Having Simon with me on my first major run was a big reason I didn't give up. Just a simple thumbs up from him made me feel like I could do it (and I did)! He also set the pace really well and didn't leave me behind!

5. Ignore the haters (including yourself!)
As cheesy and cliche as it sounds, just forget about what anyone else thinks, don't worry about what you think people are going to say, and have fun! If you've taken the action to go out and actually try something new to improve yourself in some way, then you've won.

What do you think? Have you got any helpful tips for beginner joggers? 

A xo 
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Finding my place...




For the longest time I felt like I didn't know where my life was heading. I have had a surprising amount of jobs, but I knew none of them were the right job. I felt like I had very few true friends. Yes- there are people in my life who I thought were friends, but when I got married (yay) I realised that many of them aren't real friends.
During the time I was planning my wedding I was also studying for my PGCE (the right job), and so much of the time I felt alone, friends wise. People who I was once close with slowly drifted away, and turned into 'friends-when-they-need-something' type of people. I was busy, but I still tried to make time for my "friends".
My husband has been a constant in my life, even before he was my husband, but a woman still needs her girlfriends! I guess re-watching my DVD boxset of 'Sex and the City' wasn't the best idea, it just reminded me of what I wanted. A close of group girlfriends.
After returning from my honeymoon, I was surprised that very few of the people I had considered friends had tried to get in touch or responded to my attempts. When I messaged or called them, messages were ignored and calls missed. I may be married now but I'm still a person who needs to spend time with friends. 
It was after a night in with one of the few people I can consider a true friend, that I realised i'm better off without those people in my life, and it doesn't matter how many true friends I have, as long as I appreciate the ones I do have.
My life is slowly falling into place- I've found the job of my dreams, the man of my dreams, and a true friend.

A xo
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