Lifestyle Favourites | Winter 2015

Food: 

This winter I have been loving smoothies. Using a hand blender to make my own (or buying the occasional cute supermarket variety) has mean my breakfasts are now fruitful ('scuse the pun). I love this Innocent Pomegranates, Blueberries and Acai pure fruit smoothie, with its own cute knitted hat; the hats are hand-knitted and raise money for Age Concern and Age UK. Double win! So why not boost your antioxidant/vitamin intake for the day and put a smile on your face at the same time.

Beauty:

Winter can put a strain on everyone's skin, let alone people with sensitive or dry skin. With rapidly changing indoor/outdoor temperatures and dry, cold winds our skin can be left dehydrated and dull. Maintaining a good regular skincare routine is vital during winter. One area we often neglect is actually our hands. I've been loving this Nivea Anti-Dryness Smooth Nourishing Hand Cream with Macadamia Nut Oil and Hydra IQ. 

Drink:

Winter is the time for hot drinks. Drinking regularly, including cups of tea, is a way of boosting not only your nutrition but also your mental health, as tea is a proven stress-reliever. I have been trying out all types - Twinings Mango and Cinnamon, Twinings Earl Grey (occasionally, as it stains my teeth) - but have recently been trying Pukka Supreme Matcha Green, which is Fairtrade :)

Dental Care:

As some of you might know, I am at the end of fixed appliance dental brace treatment. Anyone who has had braces knows that they take a lot of maintenance and mean that you have to be extra vigilant with keeping your teeth clean. I use the Colgate Plax Antibacterial Mouthwash twice a day as it is alcohol free and so doesn't taste disgusting! 

To see some of my previous braces updates:

http://cupcakesandcosmeticsbyclare.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/honey-and-tooth-decay-hidden-perils-of.html

Entertainment:

February can be a quiet time on the social life front. Stuck between Christmas/winter celebrations and Easter/spring, a lot of people (including me) like a good hibernation. But that is no reason to be bored! Films, books and plays were made for winter! I have been getting back to 'reading' after a few months of slump and have been posting regular book reviews. Look out for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Hamlet posts soon!

My review of the 1979 Moonraker film:

http://cupcakesandcosmeticsbyclare.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/review-2015-film-no-1-moonraker.html

A review of the original book of The Jungle Book:

http://cupcakesandcosmeticsbyclare.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/review-2015-no-4-jungle-book-by-rudyard.html

5 Days Camping In A Cottage: A Photo Diary

Carpe Diem xx

Watch Wednesday: Una Stubbs Who Do You Think You Are review

This kick-off to the tenth series of what is becoming a British institution proves that one of the most important elements of the show is personality. The charming, sweet character that comes across whenever actress Una Stubbs is on screen, sporting a black beret, makes the episode, but it is her family's story that's at the heart of it. As is often the case in Who Do You Think You Are, and in family history in general, you don't have to look far to unearth a hidden past. 

Una knew little of her family and learns more about her grandparents, specifically her grandmother who grew up in poverty in York and followed Una's career without her knowing, and her great-grandfather Ebenezer Howard, founder of the idealistic Welwyn Garden City. A great start to the series and a sign of good things to come, although I'm sure fellow enthusiasts will agree that  the programmes only touches on some of the more interesting stories.

Who Do You Think You Are, Wednesday 24th July 2013, 9pm BBC1 is available on BBC iPlayer

Carpe Diem xx

My Stay-At-Home Graduate Gap Year

So, after finally finishing all my exams, handing in coursework, ordering my graduation cap and gown, looking at travel tour brochures and realising it would take a lot longer than I hoped to save up for one, I spent a lot more time looking out of the window and deciding that what I wanted to do with my life was to be a cat....

Ok, so graduating two years earlier than most of my school friends, skipping the around-the-world post-A levels gap year, and being one of the youngest in my year group, I can relax slightly on the job front and have decided on a gap year of sorts. A stay-at-home gap year is a very environmentally friendly way of working out what you want to do, gaining valuable transferable skills and experience and generally getting your life in order. 

Here's what I plan to do with my 'stay-at-home graduate gap year':

1) Volunteer - I've already worked in local charity shops and at local events so plan to continue on the same road as its a great way of gaining customer service and retail experience.

2) Blog and YouTube - I started my blog two years ago and have recently started blogging every day, so watch this space and enjoy!

3) Job Hunt - Generally work out the specific jobs and sectors I want to work in and apply for jobs in those areas.

4) New Experiences - While I don't have the time pressure of a 9-5 job I'm going to take on as many new experiences as come my way.

5) Travel - I'm not sure what will happen here, it depends on how quickly I can save money, if at all, but I have got plans for a few adventures in the UK, so holiday-at-home it is!

Check out these websites on stay at home gap years:

http://www.do-it.org.uk/magazine/features/personaldevelopment/gapyearathome

http://www.ecofriendlykids.co.uk/stay-at-home-gap-year.html

Are you planning one?

Carpe Diem xx