Hey man, now you're really living.

I have only been back in York a week? Well it feels more like a month, I've been so busy! I only have three weeks left at Uni which frankly makes me feel a bit sick when I think about it, but at the same time I'm really excited to take the next steps in life :) I still don't have a teaching job so it's all still a bit up in the air at the moment; I really want to enjoy my last chance at being a proper student but I have SO MUCH to get done before it's all over...

Library living

You know it is assignment time at York St John when you have to get to the library before 10am to get a computer or a table for your laptop. Honestly it has been sooooo busy, I spent eight hours in there the other day which I think is my personal record! I've been writing my personal philosophy of education, which is quite nice but it's so difficult to find research and books that link to what you believe in :( I'm supposed to be in the library right now (Saturday morning) but after a few drinkies last night I managed to fall back asleep after I'd got up and started to get ready.. such a Granny, can't deal with late nights! Apologies for being a total let-down guys, you know who you are <3

Snapchat Procrastination

THE BANE OF MY LIFE. Rather than actually doing work, everyone is now sending each other pictures of themselves next to piles of work and books..not actually doing any work. If you don't know what this snapchat malarky is, it's just an app where you can send stupid pictures for a couple of seconds. That is it.  I still managed the other night to have a snapchat battle with Sam for OVER AN HOUR. Seriously. What is wrong with us? I could have written 300 words of an assignment in that time but no, I made myself look like Mr Napkin head instead...

Oxfam volunteering

Inbetween applying for teaching jobs and going teacher-stuff mad, I wanted to sort out something fun to do over the Summer. I've been volunteering with Oxfam since September and once you do 3 months with them it opens up a lot of doors to other things. I was so excited to get back there last Sunday after a few weeks off while I was on placement :) it helps me clear my head of Uni things and keeps me sane... kind of. So I decided to apply for Oxfam festivals this summer :)

I got accepted to do five days at Kendal Calling, right in the heart of the Lake District! I basically have to get there early, set up the shop and make it look pretty :) then while the actual festival is on, I do a six hour shift each day and have the rest of the time off, sweeeeeet! They also feed me while I'm there :P Kendal Calling is only a small festival but I'm still excited to go, plus Primal Scream are headlining! COUNTRY GIIIIRL TAKE MY HAND...

Yoga obsession

I'm starting to become one of those annoying people that just talk about yoga and it's benefits all the time, but I really don't care! I'd been bitten by the yoga bug and I love it so much :) You can do a gentle stretch or really push yourself with a vigorous strength, balance, fat-burning or flexibility session. 

I apologise to people who follow me on instagram because you are probably fed up of yoga-related pictures but there is a really big yoga community on there and I want to get iiiiin ooon thaaaaat. There are some amazingly powerful yogis on there who have inspired me to try and push myself! A month ago I couldn't do the crow :) look at me now haha. Here are a few people that I follow, absolutely amazing...

hip to your jive                                       yoga stuff

 

Happy lotus yoga                             yoga chic 111

Lovely outings

My student loan is pretty scarce this semester as they've given me less than usual and I'm not too sure how long I'm in York for. However, I'm still partial to a treat here and there ;) On Friday I did a bit of double whammy because I went out for lunch and drinks! I'd put in a good 10+ hours in the library all week so me and Sam decided to go to Cafe 68 on Gillygate for a spot of tea and yummy homemade food. We both opted for a fruity Twinings tea and a gorgeous veggie burger with chunky chips. We had the perfect seat looking out of the back window. Bliss!

After a very slow bike ride to Morrissons because my stamina is ridiculously bad, I had to try and make myself look lovely. I can't remember the last time I actually did something even resembling proper eye make-up and felt like bloomin' bambi! When I'd finally remembered how to put make-up on, I headed off out in TORRENTIAL rain... well until we caved and got a taxi. Holly recommended a little pub near the shambles called Pivni where we had a delightful raspberry beer. Yes, I said beer. Me, drinking beer!

We then moved onto the cocktails in Slug and Lettuce and Bora Bora which is something I have more expertise in ;) We ended up in Duchess and didn't realise it was an R&B night... cue hilarious dancing! Let's just say my booty just don't do it like Beyonce's...

Hope you guys all had an awesome week too!

The prettiest thing to wear is a smile..

...but sometimes a little help can't hurt ;)

Every girl has a secret stash of products that they always use; it's like there is an unwritten rule that once you find something that works, you must remain faithful. Honestly one of my worst nightmares is when one of my favourite products are discontinued, they are like rare magic potions that can never ever be replaced! I love trying new things that have been rated highly in reviews but this week I thought I'd give you a sneak peak into my holy grail girly essentials...

Body

Body Shop vanilla lotion, Venus Spa Breeze razor, Soap and Glory breakfast scrub, Sudocrem, Original Source vanilla raspberry shower wash, St Ives apricot face scrub, Dove pomegranate deodorant.

I love subtle and fresh scents when it comes to body products rather than really overbearing strong aromas. The vanilla tones in the shower wash and the lotion are lovely and don't detract from the fresh pomegranate deodorant or my perfume.

Soap and Glory breakfast scrub is my absolute all time FAVOURITE scrub. It smells like banana and maple syrup, with just a hint of a coffee. It is quite expensive so I have this as a weekly treat; seriously it's so good I could eat it.

My skin really just doesn't like any face products, I use a variety of different face wipes and washes depending on how it's feeling but the only constant is the St Ives apricot scrub. It smells gorgeous and my skin is always so smooth and soft after I use it.

The Sudocrem is my spot cure :) it dries them right up!

Hair

Aussie mega shampoo & conditioner, Organic coconut milk serum, Lee Stafford hair growth treatment, Bastiste dry shampoo.

I know you are supposed to change your shampoo every time you buy, but I always just alternate between Aussie and Herbal Essences. I usually do the swap to Herbal when my hair needs some TLC because they have a fab coconut shampoo for dry hair.

I bought a bottle of coconut serum last summer to try, even though it seemed a bit expensive for the tiny bottle. However I still have the same bottle now, 10 months later! You only use the tiniest blob on the ends of your hair. It smells soooooo divine, sometimes I can't help but give my hair a sniff!

The Lee Stafford hair growth treatment was something I had read a lot of reviews on and I was a bit sceptical about at first. I think I'm probably on my 20th tub by now! I don't think it makes your hair grow significantly faster but what is does do, is promote healthy growth. My hair has never felt so smooth and shiny :) You can use it every day inbetween your shampoo and condition but I prefer to use it twice a week now for a nice hit of minerals.

Bastiste dry shampoo is just a life saver! I like the 'wild' one because it smells just like the Lee Stafford products :) Hair scent compatibility of course!! 

Make-up

Nivea BB cream, Bourjois bronzer & healthy mix foundation, Burt's Bees lip balm, Natural Collection peach melba blush, Max Factor false lash effect mascara.

On a usual day I just stick to my BB cream, a quick lashing of mascara and some lip balm. I used to wear the Nivea tinted moisturiser but it's now really hard to get your hands on :( after a mini-breakdown I decided to move with the times and try their BB cream and it's okay! I had a bad experience with Garnier BB cream (breakouts galore) so I'm really glad this one works.

On a day or a night out I'll wear a smidge more make-up; I mix a small blob of Bourjois healthy mix foundation with my BB cream for a bit more coverage. I then use either the Bourjois bronzer in the summer or the Natural Collection peach melba blush when I'm a bit paler. Sometimes I might do a brown eye-liner flick or a teeny bit of eye shadow, but it's rare!

Perfume

Marc Jacobs Daisy, Paco Rabanne Black XS.

I do usually wear perfume on a daily basis but sometimes I do forget! Black XS is my first choice perfume, I always get a bottle for Christmas :) When that runs out I usually have a Daisy sitting in my drawer as my back up. I used to wear Britney Spears' Fantasy as my day to day perfume but it got a bit too popular for my liking, even though it's quite a cheap option! 

If anyone has any beauty suggestions or products they think I should try, I'd love to hear! 

Escapades of a Northerner in The West Midlands

One of the benefits of being one of the few Midlanders in a very Northern orientated University, is that nobody really understands your local Geography or culture; it's as if I live in a whoooole other country! Rather than me bang on about how Wolverhampton and Birmingham are NOT as bad as the sterotype everyone knows, I'm going to let Sam share her experiences instead...

Visiting Jenny

Hello readers of Jenny's blog. I haven't done this before, and my writing style is no where near as good as Jenny's, so please forgive me! This weekend I ventured from my hometown of Teesside in North-East England, to Jenny's hometown of Wolverhampton. To me Wolverhampton is 'deep south' however I have been assured that it is in fact 'The Midlands'.

The train here was not too bad, it took from 9am until 1pm to get to Birmingham and I only had to change once at York. When I arrived in Birmingham it was very busy, literally, you get off the train to a wall of people. First of all we walked through Birmingham centre to get to a pub for something to eat. Jenny pretty much decided on food for us- I must admit though, she made a good choice!

After lunch we visited the sea life centre, it was obvious very quickly that Jenny should be working there. She knew every fish by name and was an overall sea life centre geek. This is me with a shark above my head...

After the sea life centre we went shopping in Birmingham. Birmingham is reeeaallllyyyy good for shops! I don't often get to go to big city centres shopping so I really enjoyed it.

Birmingham have a really big Selfridges store- we spent quite a while in there. Jenny totally splashed out on this Marc Jacobs bag ;) (I wish! - Jenny)

After our shopping, we visited Krispy Kreme's. Although I have had these before, Jenny assured me that Birmingham is the place to have them from as it was one of the originals. I also got to see how they are made and bought a super sickly chocolate one. Jenny bought three (fatty!).

After the doughnut buying I visited the Doc Martens shop as I have been wanting a pair for a while and have been jealous of Jenny's. I originally wanted some shiny blue ones, however I spotted a pair of flowery blue ones which were much comfier and Jenny persuaded me to purchase these instead. They even did student discount! Woohoo! Here are the boots I bought, alongside my original choice... what do you think?

Here are some additional 'I'm a tourist' photos from Birmingham. The photo on the left is me and the bull outside the bull ring shopping centre. I am not sure why it is called the bull ring, but Jenny has a good analogy of it being shaped like a bull's nose ring. The photo on the right is a replica made entirely of jelly beans! 

This photo is on the bridge at Brindley Place, this is apparently where the posh people go for lunch. It was very nice with lots of barges sailing along the canal. I didn't even know Birmingham had a canal!

Day Two

Today, we had more of an outdoorsy sort of day. We visited Bridgnorth and Ironbridge. Bridgnorth was a small country town based around a cliff. In order to get to the top of the cliff to 'high town', we went on a cliff railway. I lost my ticket twice so Jenny's Mum and Dad beat us up on the steps both times. 

In Bridgnorth I introduced Jenny's family to Geocaching. This is a bit of a geeky thing that people either seem to really get in to, or absolutely hate. I have so far converted Holly and am in the process of converting Jenny. For those of you who are wondering what I am blabbering on about the website is here. Basically, there are millions of geocaches all over the world and the aim is to find them using the GPS on your phone as well as clues and write your names when you find it.

This afternoon I visited Jenny's local town of Wolverhampton. Wolverhampton was a nice local town (AHEM.. city - Jenny) and had some good shops without being too busy. Jenny showed me the lovely Iceland where she used to work, and we had a wander round the shops including Wolverhampton's House of Fraser equivalent, Beatties. Finally we ate more doughnuts and sat in Starbucks window seat for a frappuccino and to watch the world of Wolverhampton go by. 

Day Three

So... this morning started well! Breakfast was very yummy in the Davison household this morning! (Made by my Mum, not me. Don't be getting any ideas guys. - Jenny).

After breakfast we walked to Tettenhall, which is Jenny's local villagey sort of place. It was really nice and had some lovely little shops in as well as a nice green area which Jenny said lots of people sit around in the summer months. While we were there we went to a little cafe called The Angel and also found another Geocache!

Now unfortunately it is time to start the long journey home after a fantastic weekend. Thank you Jenny and the Davison family. :)

Healthy living for the Lazy Girl

As the title says, this is a guide to healthy living (sort of) written by a lazy girl.

Diet

Now most of you will be well familiar with the Eat Well Plate :) it's probably the easiest way to explain a balanced diet. We obviously need to eat our greens for essential vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates for energy and then mix in some protein, calcium and of course a few treats! I'm no saint, I have been guilty of scoffing half a pack of biscuits or eating a whole bag of walkers sensations. As long as you keep a pretty balanced diet, the calories are not your enemy! 

Dairy free lifestyle

I have been living dairy free for almost a year now since I found out that I have reactions to the hormones in animal milk. It took a lot of willpower to give up my daily pint of milk but I've learnt I can still get my calcium AND chocolate fix! There are loads of products out there to try and I still don't think I've discovered them all yet! There is almond, hazelnut, rice, oat and coconut milk to try if you aren't a fan of soya :)

Superfoods

There are loads of websites such as the boots webmd and UK Good Food that can explain this way better than I can. What makes something a superfood and why they get all the hype. Lucky for me soya products are considered a superfood, yay! However, most places say that nuts are also a great healthy snack, but I'm awkward again because I have reactions to certain nuts; brazils, walnuts and pistachios are off the table!

I've listed some of my favourite superfoods below :) They are my favourites because they are obviously yummy, but also because they are so easy to get into everyday meals.

Blueberries

Chockablock full of antioxidants and they reduce bad cholesterol! I like mine with pancakes, granola and yoghurt, or sometimes just a handful on their on. Sometimes maybe in a muffin ;)

Broccoli

This yummy green goodness contains antioxidants, vitamin C, a phytochemical called sulphoraphane that has specific anti-cancer properties and it's a particularly good source of folate (naturally occuring folic acid). I eat this with a variety of evening meals :)

Oats

High in protein, minerals, vitamin C, fibre and B vitamins as well as having a low GI (Glycaemic Index), which means they release energy slowly. I get my fix from granola or porridge in the mornings :) I am a huge fan of breakfast! You can add fruit and yoghurt to granola and you can make your porridge with different milks and juices to mix it up a bit.

Avocado

Potassium, B-vitamins, folic acid, lowers cholesteral, source of monounsaturated fats, regulates blood pressure, helps guard against heart disease and strokes, aids digestion, flushes out toxins, vitamins C and D, riboflavin and manganese, maintains a strong immune system, vitamins A and E, helps protect against cancer, high in omega-3 and lecithin, a type of fatty acid crucial for healthy nervous tissue. Is there anything this food can't do? Oh, and it's perfect in salads, toasties, bagels, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, wraps, pittas, dips, quesadillas, ryvita, tacos or on their own! So much love for these <3

People are sometimes put off by the high sugar or fat content of some healthy foods, but you must remember that these are NATURALLY OCCURRING. Avocados can have as much as 400 calories!! Just check the label, raw cane sugar and coconut oil are much better than E numbers and added sugar!  Innocent smoothies got some serious slack for this but they are 100% fruit, which are full of natural sugars :) Don't worry Innocent, I'm still your number one fan!

Exercise

This is something I find reeeeeeally hard. Healthy eating is easy because I have an irrational fear of greasy food (I am a pizza blotter) and I happily eat my five-a-day. I'm not really the sporty type at all so any form of conventional sport is already out the window! I am much more of a yoga doing, bike riding, hula-hooping, swimming type.

I have decided that now I'm not on placement and I have much more free time, I want to get into a regular exercise routine that mixes up all the things I like to do so that I don't get bored :) I've been looking for inspiration in magazines and pinterest as well as bugging sporty friends for advice. My new exercise mission is to get nice defined abs :) I know this isn't going to happen overnight but I'm lucky to have a pretty flat stomach anyway, just got a million and one crunches to go! 

Fitspiration

The first step into forcing yourself into exercise is finding pictures that will inspire you to get your bottom moving. Whether this is pictures of you looking pants, others looking good, or whatever else floats your boat. My inspiration is going to be pictures of toned-belly lovelies with no dreaded sit-down podge.

Start off simple

It's not a race, the only person you are trying to better, is yourself. Any little bit of exercise you do is way better than being sat on the sofa burning zero calories. Everyone has strengths in different areas; I can stretch way past my toes, but I can't run a mile AT ALL. If you push yourself too far you will just end up with injuries. It's better to do 10 minutes every day than to train like a crazy lady for an hour and then write yourself off for three days. Yes have goals, but be realistic with your lazy traits and exercise willpower ;) Maybe one day....

Enjoy yourself

Then you might just forget you are exercising at all! Excerise is sooooo boring, so I'd rather feel like I'm not doing a chore. When you go shopping, take the stairs and power walk instead of dawdling. Dance with your hoover. Walk or cycle to the supermarket on a free afternoon instead of getting a home delivery. Get a friend to go on a walking adventure somewhere, or go swimming, or just having them workout with you can make it much more of a laugh.

Now if  the ultimate lazy girl (me) can live a healthy(ish) life, so can you!