Aloha! It's been a while since I did a monthly favourites post (October to be precise), and I had great intentions of bring it back this year so here is what I have been loving in February! (Let's just pretend I didn't miss January!)

Food: I don't think I'm ever going to get sick of Mexican food! I bought an awesome Mexican and South American cookbook in a bargain bookstore after Christmas and I've been having a great time trying out some of the recipes at weekends.  

TV Show: I've just finished watching season 3 of Orange is the New Black (hurry up season 4!), but apart from that I've also been watching Love & Better Call Saul! Gotta love a Netflix original!

Song: Coldplay - Hymn for the Weekend. 

Beauty Product: At the moment, it's Biore's Charcoal Facial Cleanser. My skin has been really bad lately so it has been helping reduce blemishes and keep my skin soft!

Candle: Yankee Candle Coconut Collection No 6. This one is coconut and pineapple scented and smells just like Malibu and Pineapple. I'm starting to swing towards the summer scents now!

Event: February has been quite quiet but I had a nice night out with the girls from work in the middle of the month. Of course, Valentines Day was also fun! We didn't go out but had a really tasty Chinese takeaway instead!

Now we are into March and the countdown to Summer is on!

xxx

Lifestyle | TheSundayPost - 21st February

Aloha! Another week has been and gone and here I am sitting typing this post in my PJ's having not left the house all weekend! I am such a lazy bean!

Here's what I've been up to this week!

As usual, the dreaded work! I used a days annual leave on Friday though and I'm also off tomorrow so that's nice! 

On Saturday I was a little bit hungover after spending Friday night round at a friend's house! I decided to light this candle so I could pretend I was on a tropical island! It's part of the Yankee Candle coconut collection and is the Coconut and Pineapple one. It smells just like malibu and pineapple. Yum! 

I cooked up this yummy smoky beef stew on Saturday night! It was a bit of an experiment but it was really tasty! I'll post the recipe here soon!

And on to today. I have done nothing useful today except finally go through all of these wedding magazines and cut out the pictures I like for my wedding scrapbook/moodboards! It's taken me all afternoon! 

And I also cooked this Sunday roast! We haven't had one in ages so I thought it would make a nice change! I slow cooked the chicken and it made such a difference! It was literally falling apart!

And now it's almost time to start a new week! I think tomorrow I'm going to take a wander up into town and see what bargains I can find to treat myself with, as well as buy boring household items we need!

Have a great week!

xxxx

TheSundayPost - 26th July

Aloha! Once again it's time for a Sunday Post! Where do the weeks go?! 

This week has actually been quite busy! So here is what I've been up to!

1- Monday brought the usual dread of having to go to work after a lazy weekend! Honestly, I don't think I'll ever enjoy Mondays! 

2- I got these flowers for a bargain 13p on Monday night though! I love a Tesco bargain!

3- On Tuesday it was my 23rd Birthday! Unfortunately I was at work, but I still had a nice day (once I left work haha!)

4- Meet Eric! He's my sponsor cat which Mikey set up for my birthday! We can't have a cat in our flat until we buy our own place so I'm paying for Eric's place in a shelter until he finds a forever home! #goodkarma

5 & 6 - Mmmm Cuckoo's Bakery! My mum bought me this banana and salted caramel cupcake as my birthday cake! It was hands down the best cake I've ever had. If you live in Edinburgh, you will find Cuckoo's on Dundas Street & in their new shop in Bruntsfield!

1- Birthday dinner! My birthday decided to fall before payday (helpful) so we had an austerity dinner and made our own Nando's! I have to say it was pretty authentic! 

2 - On Wednesday night I decided to go spend some of my birthday money! I was in desperate need of some new make up and decided to try the benefit counter! After a mini makeover, I decided to take the plunge and buy Porefessional & Hello Flawless! 

3- The rest of the week was a bit uneventful, so I was glad to see Friday (who doesn't love Friday?!)

4 - I was in Tesco (again) after work on Friday, and spied these in the frozen aisle! Who else remembers Maxibons! I was so delighted I bought 2 boxes which between the 2 of us we have demolished over the weekend! 

5 - Yup, more chocolate. This is a Reese's peanut butter Krispy Kreme doughnut! It was pretty delicious. 

6 - And finally, yesterday was National Tequila Day! We all know how obsessed with Mexico I am, so I had to celebrate with a bottle of tequila flavoured beer (or 4)! 

And now it's Sunday, the weekend is almost over and I'm preparing to go back to work tomorrow for my final week before I move on to my new challenge! 

Have a wonderful week! 

xxxx

TheSundayPost - 18th July

Aloha! I've been rather quiet again this week, for some reason I feel exhausted! Anyway, here is what I've been up to this week! 

I've been at work all week (boring!), so I treated myself to this hugeeee slice of chocolate tray bake. I'm not sure I'm cut out for this working full time malarkey! 

It is my birthday next week, but I'm working on the day so we've been celebrating this weekend! On Saturday we went to my all time favourite place, Pinto! I got an absolute feast! It was sooooo good! It's a must visit if you are in Edinburgh or Glasgow!

After our afternoon out in town, we went back to my mums house where she was having a few people over for drinks. Here is Smudge protecting his bottle of prosecco from any unwanted paws! 

Today I am nursing a slight hangover! Mikey is away golfing so I'm chilling out in Costa with a coffee, magazine, and a huge bit of carrot cake! I'm currently trying to build a short list of venues for our wedding, so if you know of anywhere good in Central Scotland give me a shout! 

Have a great week everyone! 

Xxx

TheSundayPost

Aloha! Sorry I've not posted much lately! I was away last weekend and I've been catching up on sleep all week! 

So now it's back to reality, here is this week's SundayPost. 

- As I've mentioned, last weekend we had a weekend away! It was a Uni visit to London, intended to see the supreme court and parliament but we had a day and a half to ourselves too! I'll do a little post on what we got up to soon! 

- On Pancake Tuesday I made banana and nutella pancakes! Let me know if you'd like to see the recipe! 

- This week seems to have passed in a flash! Nothing exciting happened all week so I was determined to get out and do something this weekend! So after a little lie in yesterday, I headed to North Berwick, a seaside town about 25 miles from Edinburgh, with my little cousin, my auntie and my mum! We had a lovely wander along the beach, collecting shells for my cousin to make pictures with, then we stopped in a little tea room for tea and cakes before heading home! 

- Today is going to be spent writing up blog posts and finally making a start on my dissertation! 

So that is all I've been up to this week! 

Hope you all have a lovely week! 

xxx

TheSundayPost

Aloha! So this week has been rather eventful! Apologies for the lack of posts!

Here is what I've been up to! 

1- Ugh Monday. Weekends are just too short! This photo made me giggle a bit!

2- On Tuesday, I made my first visit to Pret. One has opened up near my work and everyone in the office raves about it. I have to say it is very good! 

3- I had an interview for a promotion at work on Wednesday so on Tuesday night I was burning this Yankee Candle wax tart! It actually did help me sleep that night which was helpful as I'd been awake worrying for 4 nights in a row! 

4- On Friday I was given the news I had been unsuccessful in getting a promotion. Of course, this made me rather sad but I have been offered an exciting opportunity instead so hopefully everything will work itself out. I spotted this picture on Instagram and it made me cheer up a bit! We also went for drinks on Friday night to celebrate my other offer/cheer me up!

5- On Saturday I was nursing a hangover so we went to Frankie & Bennies for lunch! I obviously had to get a bannoffe milkshake!

6- Mikey bought me these easter yankee candles which I have been banging on about for weeks, as a present for my job news! I absolutely love them both. They smell amazing! 

So that was my week! It's been rather busy and I'm exhausted. Here's hoping next week is a bit quieter! 

xxx

TheSundayPost

Aloha! This week has been rather quiet! I've been trying to save my pennies (badly) as Mexico is due to be paid off by next weekend! Here is the few things I have been up to this week!

- Of course, most of this week has been taken up with work! I've been really struggling to get up in the mornings which has made me rather grumpy! I should really start going to bed earlier!

- This week I submitted my application for a promotion at work! It would give me some job security for the next year which would be lovely. And it would be a nice first full time job after leaving uni! Fingers and toes crossed! 

- As you can see, I've been a little carried away with the candle buying this week! I've still got a few to be delivered! Some of these were for a candle swap I am doing with a friend in France! As sad as it sounds I am rather excited for my parcel to arrive! It's become a little hobby of mine to collect rare candles which might sound sad but it's good fun! 

- The weekend has been a bit more eventful! On Friday night we went round to a friend's house for drinks and nandos. Then on Saturday we went to a comedy show which an ex-boss of mine puts on every year!

Now it is time to get prepared for the week ahead once again! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week! 

xx

TheSundayPost

Aloha! It felt like this week was the longest week ever! That might have something to do with me being on the countdown to payday! 

1- It's been so bloody cold this week! Thankfully it got a bit warmer for the weekend!

2- On Monday night I managed to miss my tram stop and ended up in the Yankee Candle store. I managed to pick up these lovely little bargains! 

3- By Wednesday I managed to pick up the lovely cold that's been doing the rounds in my work. I was feeling totally run down all day which resulted in me having a day in bed on Thursday. That must have been exactly what I needed as I was feeling much better on Friday

4- On Saturday I did a little bit of baking! We were heading out to our friend's house for a bring a dish dinner party at night.

5- This was the result of my baking! Coffee kisses and cheese nibbles! Blog post coming up later on in the week!

6- And finally, this weekend we've had Mikey's brother's cat staying with us as he is away on holiday! I've really enjoyed having a little bundle of fur to look after the past few days! She's with us until Tuesday night :)

Hope the week ahead is great for you all!

xx

TheSundayPost

Hello Everyone! As usual, here is what I've been up to this week!

The majority of this week has been spent at work! This was my last week before classes start up again so I was working full time to make some pennies for Mexico. I got to wear my brand new coatigan which I featured in my Amsterdam Haul post!

On Monday, I started back on my diet! I started hot yoga on Monday which was an interesting experience. It is in a room heated to 40 degrees celcius so you sweat like a pig! It definitely made me feel a lot calmer so that's gotta be a good thing! I also cooked this amazing chicken and mushroom pie. You can find the recipe for it here

Friday ended up being a bit of a cheat day! I slept in for work so I had no time for breakfast which resulted in me buying a bacon roll from the canteen! Then the free krispy kreme doughnuts arrived with the stationary order just in time for my lunch hour! I then ended up munching a bag of these after work as well! It was worth it :P 

Yesterday was my little brother's 18th birthday! We headed out to Pizza Express for a lovely meal to celebrate as he was going out with his friends at night! Seems like it was just yesterday he was a little boy playing with his tool set! You know you are getting old when you start saying things like that haha! 

So that has been my week this week! Next week I am back to uni so no doubt it's going to be a rather stressful one! Have a great week.

xx

The Me Time Tag

Hey Everyone! I've seen this tag floating about the blogosphere lately and thought I would get involved! I love a bit of me-time, so here are my answers to the questions below!

What do you read or watch during me-time?

I usually read a book on my kindle or a magazine. My favourites are look and heat magazine! I love catching up on my favourite youtubers' videos too! Lately I've been loving watching the Saccone-Joly's and Zoella! 

What do you wear during me-time?

My PJ's of course! I love wearing the legging type PJ's as I find them the most comfy! I received some Ugg slippers for my christmas so I'm sure I will get plenty of wear out of them! As soon as I get home on a night I get my slippers on!

What are your me-time beauty products?

Anything from Lush! I've got a big box of bath bombs beside my bath which I like to keep stocked up! I received some bath things for Christmas so that will top the box up a bit! I'm also partial to a wee face mask from time to time! 

Current Favourite nail polish?

I have to admit, I don't really paint my nails that often! I constantly chip them then spend my day picking the polish off! If I do have anything on my nails, it has to be gel so I don't chip it! I do love Rimmel nail polishes though, and I have a little collection of them.

What do you eat or drink during me-time?

Hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream is a favourite of mine! I also love a little cider or disaronno on the rocks! To eat, I love chocolate (who doesn't) and I also love crisps! Sweet Chilli Sensations are my all time favourite! No healthy snacks in my house haha!

Current favourite candle?

Oh god, I don't even know where to begin with this one! I have a serious Yankee candle buying problem! I would have to say my all time favourite scent is Baby Powder! My other half bought me 5 of the wax tarts for christmas and I've just treated myself to the large jar! 

Do you ever have outdoor me-time?

Yeah, I love going for long walks in the countryside, either with or without company! My favourite place to go is up to the reservoir near my parents house! I spent a lot of my childhood there, walking with my family and it's really beautiful! 

Would you ever go and see a movie alone?

Probably not to be honest! I've never really had to as I've always managed to rope someone along with me. I see going to the cinema as a social thing where you can share popcorn and laugh together at the movie!

Anything else to add? What else do you like to do during me-time?

My favourite thing to do during me-time is put my favourite spotify playlist on, light some candles and get writing some blog posts! Or do some online shopping haha! 

Please feel free to copy and paste this tag to your blog! Let me know if you decide to do it. I'd love to read your answers! 

xxx

10 things I wish I knew 10 years ago.

1. People will forget what you did & what you said, but they won't forget how you made them feel.
2. Don't be afraid of who you are! - When I was a teenager, I used to try and fit in with all the popular girls at school. Now I know that it doesn't matter as long as you are happy inside!
3. Sit back and enjoy the ride. - Have a lazy sunday in bed if you want, eat the food you love, go to the places you love, live your life the way you want to!
4. Confidence is the key to just about everything, and it can be learned! - I was the shyest person ever up until I was about 16! Since getting a job and working with the public, I slowly came out of my shell and now I like to think I am confident and bubbly!
5. Don't make assumptions about people. You will be wrong 85% of the time! - I'm not going to lie. I made assumptions about a lot of people on my course at uni when I started. Now some of those people have become my good friends! It doesn't get you anywhere to assume things about people and you don't know their story until you get to know them!
6. Saying no is not selfish. - I have a serious problem with not saying no to people. I want to please everyone and go out of my way to do so. Sometimes it just isn't worth it, and you get left with no time for yourself!
7. Don't beat yourself up when you fail. - Practice makes perfect!
8. Don't worry about making everyone like you! - It's impossible for a start!
9. You occasionally need to remove people from your life. - Sometimes there is just no other option.
10. Life can change at any second and so can you!

My University Experience

Aloha everyone! It's that time of year where 17 and 18 year olds are getting ready to apply for university. I thought I'd share my experience of university which might be useful for anyone who is unsure about uni! 

I'm not going to lie to you, Uni is hard! You will spend many a day stuck in the library writing huge essays and suffering from writer's block! However, the benefits are worth it (apparently, I'm not finished yet!)

I am currently in my 4th year of a Law degree at Edinburgh Napier University. Yup it's dissertation year! Law was not my first choice. In fact I actually started a journalism degree but for various reasons I dropped out after 3 months and took 9 months out to consider my options. I ended up starting Law and i'd definitely say it's the right choice for me. Therefore, it is okay if you are unsure about what you want to do! I still don't know where I want to go after Uni! I'm just grateful my degree can take me in various directions! 

University will bring you a whole new group of friends. I've made lots of new friends since starting uni and I hope to stay in touch with most of them when we finish up in 6 months time! 

We have our Law ball every year, in May which is always a great night! 

And you never know, you might just meet your soulmate! When I started university in 2011, I had just gone through a break up with a long term boyfriend. Of course, I was rather upset but my dad told me I would go to Uni and find someone new. And he was right! After only 2 months at Uni, I started dating my other half after he made advances on me at a halloween party! Haha! We've been together 3 years now! 

Any degree is hard work. You have to give up a lot of your free time for studying and it gets harder each year. University is not for everyone but if your prepared to work hard to get where you want to be, I'd say go for it! You will say 'I'm quitting' more times than you can count, but then remember why you are there and get on with the 3000 word essay that's due in 5 hours! And you will make a whole bunch of great friends with whom you will have many great nights out! 

Talking of essays, my dissertation proposal is due on Friday and I currently have 0 words of 2000. I best get back to it! 

Enjoy your Monday everyone! 

xxx

TheSundayPost

Aloha! It feels like this week has been never ending! As usual, this week has been full of Uni and Work with a little bit of Christmas shopping thrown in too! (Finally getting somewhere with it woohoo!) Here is my picture round-up of the week! 

Not actually from this week, but I took this photo from the train on my way back from Aberdeen last weekend! It is the sunset over the River Forth with the famous Forth Road Bridge! I was really proud of this, especially since it was taken on a train travelling at 40mph! haha!

I had a right giggle at this picture! My research proposal for my dissertation is due in on Friday, and as usual I haven't even started it! Fourth year is really proving to be a struggle! I just want my degree now! 

On Thursday we got the first of our marks back for this semester. For one of my modules I got a first for my presentation, and I was one mark off a first for the report that goes with it! I was pretty happy with this, so I got a bar of my favourite chocolate to celebrate! I am expecting the first marks for my other modules back on Wednesday this week! Hopefully they are also good! 

On Friday, I had an afternoon off work so I finally got around to clearing out my wardrobe! I was pretty ruthless and got rid of anything I haven't worn in the last 9 months! I am pretty proud of how tidy it is looking! Now I just have to keep it looking like this...

On Saturday my other half was watching the rugby. I'm not that interested in rugby so I decided to cook a Lemon Chicken for dinner! It was pretty tasty. I'll put the recipe for it up later this week! 

After cooking dinner, I settled down with my favourite cider to watch X Factor! 

And finally, today has been a rather quiet day. We slept till really late then headed to the local shopping centre. I've been trying to get a storm trooper dressing up costume for my little cousin but it's out of stock everywhere! Obviously I had to treat myself to a hot chocolate from Costa whilst we were out! :) 

So that's pretty much it for this week! Now I'm going to sit down and get some blog posts sorted for next week as I'm sure I'm going to be rather busy with this dissertation malarky! 

Have a great week everyone! xx

Weigh in Wednesday #3

So in the last week I've kinda fallen off the diet wagon. Oops!
What with deadlines at uni and our anniversary at the weekend, I just haven't had time for healthy eating! It's been so easy to grab a ready meal or fast food on the way home from the library, and we spent the weekend indulging in great food.
However, in saying that last week I was 12st 4lbs.
This week I am still 12st 4lbs!
I can't believe I have stayed the same weight after all the junk I've eaten this week! Hopefully next week I'll manage to lose a bit!
Xx

3rd Anniversary Weekend - Knockderry Country House Hotel

Hello lovelies!
So some of you may know that Friday 31st October was my partner and I's 3rd Anniversary! On Friday morning I received a card telling me to pack an overnight bag and get ready to leave at 1pm! I was so excited to see where he was taking me. And I was not disappointed!
We headed off towards the West of Scotland, eventually arriving at the stunning Knockderry Country House Hotel in Cove, near Loch Lomond.
I honestly couldn't fault the stay at all! It was just perfect. We had a beautiful room overlooking Loch Long, with a huge four poster bed!
Here are some photos from our stay!

How cute are these mugs?! I need to try track some down for myself! 

The other half had arranged for a bottle of prosecco to be in the room for our arrival! Yummy! 

Look at that stunning view. Even the murky Scottish weather can't spoil that view! 

This bath was so good, I had to go in it twice! Obviously the prosecco was enjoyed in the bath! 

Lovely Arran Aromatics products in the bathroom! 

Just look at that bed! It was like sleeping on a cloud! Best nights sleep I've ever had. 

Now of course, we ate in the hotel restaurant. The food was just to die for! 

Starter- Wood fired Pigeon Breast 

Main- Fillet Steak with Chunky Chips

Dessert- Meringue with Lemon Curd Ice Cream and Poached Apricots

I genuinely don't have a bad word to say about the meal. It was just out of this world. I am craving more meringue just looking at the picture! 

If you are in the West of Scotland and looking for a nice place to stay, I can't recommend Knockderry House enough! I will definitely be returning!

You can check out their accommodaton here

xx

100th Blog Post!! My favourite Posts from 2014

Woohoo! This is my 100th Blog Post!! 

What better way to celebrate than to do a little round-up of my favourite posts from 2014! 

1. Meet Smudge - My little fur baby means the world to me, so it was great to introduce him to my readers! 

2. Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made - My very special trip to New York in January. It was honestly the best trip of my life and has inspired me to do so much more travelling the world in the coming years! (Mexico is my next big trip in May 2015)

3. My Heroine - A tribute to my gran on her 91st birthday! What a woman! 

4. 10 Reasons Why Shelter Cats Are Best - I posted this exactly 10 years after we brought home Smudge! 

5. Banana and Pineapple Loaf - Still my favourite cake, and (kinda) healthy too! 

So thank you all for sticking around and reading my posts. You guys make it all worthwhile! Here's to the next 100 posts! :) 

xxx

MondayMunchies: Sweet Pepper Omelette

Hey Everyone! Today I have a tasty recipe for one of my favourite, easy meals! Monday nights are just the worst. You've hardly had any sleep the night before (is it just me who can't sleep on a Sunday night?!) and work has drained any energy you may have had! So this recipe will make your Monday much more relaxed, when you can't be bothered cooking! 

You will need:

3 Large Eggs, 

20g Cheddar (I use 1/2 fat cheddar) 

2 sweet peppers (or 1 normal pepper if you can't get your hands on the sweet ones) 

1tbsp of sunflower oil

Some salad as a side dish. 

Finely grate the cheddar, chop up your sweet peppers and whisk up your eggs (season with salt and pepper) 

Heat the oil in a frying pan, let the eggs cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add the cheese and peppers down one half of the pan (it makes it easier to fold I think)

I use a metal fish slice to get under one side of the omelette and fold over to make a semi circle! 

After letting it cook for another 2-3 minutes to let the cheese melt, serve with a yummy crispy salad! I like to drizzle some white wine vinegar and olive oil over mine to give it a little bit of flavour! I've found my favourite bagged salad is one from Asda called Italian style salad. It has a bit more flavour than your standard bagged salad! (I hate salad but I need to get my 5 a day somehow!)

So there you have it! Such an easy meal to make after a hard day at work! It can be made with almost anything as a filling too! Sometimes we have minted pea and feta cheese in ours too! 

Happy cooking!

xx

DIY: My Bedroom Feature Wall

Today I have something a bit different for you. My bedroom wall was so plain and dull and I've been looking for something to jazz it up a bit for ages. Whilst browsing ebay I found THIS wall sticker. Yup that's right it's a sticker! I've got a real passion for travel so it suited me perfectly. It comes in a huge range of colours, but I picked violet as it goes with my colour scheme. I had photo's printed and popped them up around the places I've visited with my partner. One day I hope to fill the wall haha! I've not quite finished decorating this wall. I'm hoping to find boarding cards and other souvenir items to stick up to make a really pretty travel feature on my wall. 

It really cheers me up every morning when I wake up and look at a picture from each place I've been to remind me of the wonderful times I've had. Perfect for a gloomy monday morning in Scotland! 

Let me know if you've done any similar DIY projects, or have any ideas for how I can jazz it up further! 

xx

My Heroine

Today is the 91st Birthday of the woman I look up to most in my life. Meet my Gaga! (I couldn't say Gran as a kid and Gaga just stuck!)

Ever since I was a little girl I've spent loads of time with her and she's simply the best Gran anyone could ask for! So here is why she's my heroine:

- Firstly, she's 91 years old and is still as fit as a fiddle! If I make it to 91 I hope to be just like her! She travels the 8 miles from her house to the city centre every day, has a wander around the shops, gets the paper and enjoys a cup of tea in a cafe. It's her secret to staying youthful in old age! 

- She's raised 3 children who've turned out to be intelligent and wonderful people.

- She looked after both me and my brother when we were tiny so my mum could go back to work and have a career. 

- She loves spending time with her grand-children. Every school holiday she would take us into town for the day which always ended with a little treat dinner in Burger King (She had a small chips and a cup of tea every time without fail!) I'm 22 years old and she still believes in giving me £5 pocket money every week so I can have a little treat! 

-She's just hillarious. Her one-liners have me crying with laughter every time! 

- She's always right! You can go to her for advice and whatever she says, it's sure as hell true! 

So a huge happy 91st birthday Gaga! I hope you have a wonderful day, the memories we've made together will stay with me for the rest of my life! 

xxx