It’s been a while...

So much has changed and I have so much to update you. Where to start?

I completed my apprenticeship!

I finished my Level 2 in Business Administration and was kept on at my job! I am still in this job and loving it everyday.

I’m learning to love fitness.

After a long-term relationship and a habit of stress eating my life away I had come to the realisation I was fitting into a Size 16 better then I was my usual size 12. Neither of these sizes are good or bad but we all know when we’ve pushed the limit into an unhealthy weight.

I realised I needed to make a change and one I would enjoy or I just wouldn’t stick at it. I joined a local gym and worked with an in house PT for 10 sessions of an hour. My gym routine is still constantly evolving as I learn but I feel as if I have come a long way so far and my aim is only to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

I went back to uni!

Two years ago, little old me quit uni and said ‘No! I am never going back’. This year after starting to embrace change I considered what I love most. Art. I thrive from an artistic surrounding. Something I’ve never spoken much of here.

I took a look at my qualifications, my strengths and where I would like to see myself as an adult. I applied late, only July of this year but I got in to study in September. Now here I am studying a Degree in Visual Communication: Graphic Design.

  

I’ve taken a while to get everything back on track and stay balanced (or so I’m trying)! I have had a think about my blog and decided I want to add more of my art into it, so kind of an 'in the life of an art student', as well as still speaking of everything lifestyle. I hope you enjoy this little twist as much as I do!

Thanks for reading,

Poppy!

What I've Been Up To - March 2016

Hello,

This is a little early I know but it's nice to sit down at the end of the month and see what has been going on.

4th March - My Proactiv+ Skin Kit was delivered, this is one of my most exciting sponsored posts yet, I couldn't wait for it to arrive and give it a go.

6th March - Mothers day. We popped to a local American Diner for lunch and had bought gig tickets for the following week.

12th March -  Lianne La Havas Concert. Absolutely incredible, I wasn't a massive fan before but now I am fully converted. 

22nd March - My hometown is Hastings, East Sussex in the UK. If you didn't know our pier was burnt down a few years a go. Because of my job I had the privileged of going onto the pier to see the last plank being nailed in, by Suggs from Madness. To me this was a pretty big deal, I love supporting anything in my local area and the weather was absolutely perfect, which just put the cherry on the cake,

25th March - I was meant to be working at my 2nd job over the weekend (bank holiday Easter) but I luckily ended up with the majority of it off. The Friday I spent the day have a pub lunch with my parents and then putting up my new bed, these are the little things that make it feel like spring!

What was your favourite moment in March?

Thanks for reading,

Peanut Butter & Banana Porridge

Hello again,

Making a yummy breakfast that will fill me up to lunch time is something I struggle with. I've been sticking to peanut butter and banana on toast. But then I thought, why not chuck it in a bowl of porridge?

So I did, I used 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 whole banana (sliced).

This is super yummy and I did actually stay pretty full until my lunch!

What is your favourite breakfast?

Thanks for reading,

Avocado and Egg On Toast

Hello,

I just wanted to pop up a quick post about a new breakfast discovery I've been loving!

Grab bread of your choice (toast it if you fancy), mash up half an avocado on top. Poach, fry or scramble your eggs. Chop up a handful of cherry tomatoes and a handful of spinach, plop them on top. Then you're ready to tuck in.

It super easy, super quick and super yummy.

Thanks for reading,

What I've Been Up To - December 2015

Hello,

Here is an overview of December 2015.

4th of December - I went to a work-do at the race horses (I didn't bid at all as I don't wish to support it). It was still great fun and the three course meal was rather yummy.

9th of December - I made mince pies. This was so much fun and I had never made any kind of pie before so it was lovely to try something different, especially when the outcome is so delicious.

23rd of December - My mum, nan and I went to our local theatre to watch a pantomime, this year it was Cinderella. The fairy godmother being Jessie Wallace aka Kat Slater from Eastenders. We have started seeing the panto every year now which is a really nice way to get into the Christmas spirit.

25th December - Christmas Day!

Christmas day was so lovely this year. It's all about the food, the movies and just sitting around in pyjamas. We kind of have a routine now, so we get up have breakfast together (I had pancakes with bacon and maple syrup), open presents, tidy up, relax, make dinner, eat dinner, relax, then a small buffet in the evening. It's so nice to just spend the day together and not having to worry about anything.

I hope you have enjoyed my overview, there isn't too much going on but I did managed to have a lot of lazy days with my family.

Thank you for reading,

Baked Banana, Raisin and Summer Fruit Oatmeal

I'm back after a rather long unexpected break, but hello again!

For Christmas I received the Deliciously Ella cookbook, as one of my new year resolutions is to eat more of a plant based diet. This cookbook has immediately made me so passionate about eating healthier and cooking/baking for myself.

So here I've interpreted a recipe from the cookbook and made it my own by changing up a few of the ingredients. I took the recipe which serves 2 and halved it, but I think this could still serve 2 as you will see later.

Ingredients;

- 1/2 a cup of oats

- 1/2 a cup of summer fruits (I used frozen ones. Which were a mix of strawberry, blueberry and raspberry)

- 1 ripe banana (1/2 for in the oatmeal 1/2 for the topping)

- 1/4 cup of raisins

- 1/4 cup of almond milk

- 1/2 a handful of pecans

- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon

- 1/2 a tablespoon of honey (optional plus there are so many alternatives)

Preheat the oven to 190C

I put the 1/2 cup of oats in a bowl and covered with boiling water, then let them sit for around 10 minutes. By the end of this time the water should be almost or completely soaked up.

Whilst waiting for the oats to soak I chopped up the bananas and put 1/2 aside. I also chopped up the pecans, I like quite big chunks but this is really down to personal preference. Then I measured out the rest of the ingredients

When the oats are completely soaked add all of the ingredients together and mix.

Then pour into your baking dish and place a few bananas on top for decoration.

Then bake for 20 minutes or until the top has browned.

EAT!

This is honestly the yummiest oatmeal. It is so warming, especially for a typical British winter morning.

I hope you've enjoyed this blog post as it is something a little different.

Thank you for reading, 

What I've Been Up To - October 2015

Hey,

here is another overview of my month!

I went home from maybe the 8th to the 11th, I can't really remember. I had a lovely time at home, here you can see when I went out for lunch with my dad. It was in a local cafe called Petit Fi,  I chose the red pepper and butternut squash filo tart and boy was I impressed! Whilst I was at home I also purchased a new camera, it's the Canon EOS 5d mark ii. I'm still yet to seriously play with it but I've been loving it so far.

On the 17th I went to Sprinkles with a uni friend, which is a dessert restaurant if that makes any sense!? I had a crepe with crushed oreos, bananas, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. So tasty but so sickly.

Then from the 20th to the 25th I went back home again. On the 20th I carved pumpkins with my mum. Then on the 21st we used the leftover innards to make soup, which was actually so much yummier than I expected.

The 21st was continued with cuddles with baby Gus Gus (kitten on the far left) and a takeaway pizza. This pizza is from Pizzarelli and is the best pizza I have tasted (in my home town) besides Pizza Express.

On the 23rd my family and I went to pizza express, where I had the carbonara pizza (one of my favourites). After that my dad and I headed out for cocktails. It was so nice to be home and to be relaxed.

This month couldn't sum me up more. Food, cocktails and cats.

I hope you enjoyed the insight,