rebecca

Hello You Lovely Lot!

So...we can all see that i didn't post a Blogmas yesterday...not the day before. i won't lie to you all, the day before yesterday I was just about to fall asleep when I remembered and I just couldn't bring myself to get out of bed and write a post.

Yesterday I wasn't feeling too great so I just got in and ate a load of chocolate before going to bed. I'm not even sure what to write today, so maybe just a life update?

I'm no longer a Vegan! I'll write a whole blog post and do a YouTube video on it soon but now I'm just a vegetarian for now. Just know I'm really appreciating cheese and chocolate (and also Yorkshire puddings, had about half of one on Sunday.

It's only a few days until I finish for Christmas, in fact, tomorrow is my last day! I am coming back Saturday to get all my things but I'll be with dad so it won't really feel like coming back I guess. I'm so excited to be at home for Christmas. At the moment I just want to crawl in to my bed at home and only see my dogs and my parents. I have a trip to Chester Zoo planned with Melanie on the 28th so if that happens that'll be so nice! I haven't seen Melanie in a while and I feel like a catchup is needed.

I have one essay and one 'exam' left until I'm finished. The essay is nearly done with and the 'exam' is also sorted. It's just a Drama exam that isn't marked, it just determines if I'll be able to choose the module I'm doing next year.

I feel like I didn't give you a life update that long ago so I can't think of much else I have to tell you! But there'll be another post up tonight...I hope... for Blogmas day fourteen!

Thanks For Reading!

Becky x

Hello You Lovely Lot!

As I'm sure all of you know I'm a vegan and so this year I can't have my beloved Dairy Milk advent calendar. My parent's actually bought me a Yankee Calendar for this year so I still has something to open every day...not like I'm 20 in January or anything...nope. And so, with that being said, I thought I would compile a list of Advent Calendars that didn't include chocolate for vegans, people who don't like chocolate or people who just want something different this year! I know it's a little late but it's never too late to buy an advent calendar (plus the later you buy it the more you get to open in one go so, that's a plus)

Yankee Candle - Holiday Party Advent Calendar (£17.49)

This is the one that I have and I LOVE it! You basically get a tea light every day and then on Christmas even you get a slightly bigger one on Christmas Eve. There's six scents in it I think? All of which are just lovely I have to say. Also, the tea lights last for a really long time considering they're only little!

You can buy that here!

Oliver Bonas - Nutcracker Jewellery Advent Calendar (£20)

This is out of stock now but what an amazing idea for next year! I've never heard of a jewellery advent calendar and I love the idea of it. As someone who doesn't wear jewellery I think that this would make me wear it more. Especially considering it's Oliver Bonas I imagine all the pieces to just be gorgeous. I think it would also get someone who just wears the same pieces again and again to go out of their comfort zone!

Yankee Candle - Holiday Party Special Party Pavilion Advent Calendar (£20.99)

This appears to be one step up from the one I have because there's more scents and there's also bigger candles in some of the windows! This is for the person in your life that REALLY loves candles (which I do, so next year I might have to buy this for myself) and it's not that bad of a price if you think about how expensive Yankee Candles are!

You can buy that here!

Tanya Burr Cosmetics - 12 Days of Christmas Gift Set (£25)

I have never had a beauty advent calendar but I feel like if I was going to have one this would be where I would start. It's on the low price end for beauty advent calendars but still amazing quality. I have an eyeshadow palette by Tanya and the makeup is lovely! It's always nice to try a load of different products and I'm pretty sure that in this you get a few things that aren't in her collections!

You can buy that here!

Makeup Revolution - Beauty Advent Calendar (£30)

I LOVE Makeup Revolution and I had no idea that they even had an advent calendar or I totally would have bought it for myself! I think advent calendars like this are such a good idea because you get to try stuff you never would have bought otherwise and could possibly find a new favourite product! A must have for next year for me!

You can buy that here!

Perkulate - Coffee Advent Calendar (£35)

I found this on notonthehighstreet which is amazing anyway! I'm not the biggest coffee fan although I have been drinking it more in the mornings because I'm just SO tired. If you know someone who's just got in to coffee I reckon this would make a perfect gift because they get to try a different coffee every day and they can't complain about that.

You can buy that here!

Lime Tree London - Letter Advent Envelope Bunting (£39.50)

Now this isn't necessarily an advent calendar itself but you get to put your own gifts in the little envelopes so you can put whatever you like in them. Obviously this isn't really one you'd buy for yourself because you'd know what you were getting. It also would be, more likely than not, a little bit more expensive because you'd have to buy the gifts too but I think the thought is lovely!

You can buy that here!

POSTTEA - Advent Calendar of Tea (£49)

I love tea too and I drink a lot more tea than coffee. I had a look at the Bluebird Tea Company one but it was sold out and then they said they some of their vegan ones left but I couldn't find them but I didn't want to put it in if it wasn't vegan because that might be why you're here! However I think this one is vegan! I am constantly trying new teas and so to have a new one every day would be absolutely amazing!

You can buy that here!

Ciaté - Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar (£50)

Now I don't have any nails really so this would be a bit pointless for me (it's because I bite them, the shame) but for someone who is a nail varnish fanatic this would be perfect. I don't think you'd ever need to buy nail varnish ever again if you bought this lets be honest. I don't even think they're samples I'm sure they're full size which is amazing for the price it is.

You can buy that here!


So there you have it! A list of Chocolate Free advent calendars! I hope this helps people and makes everyone realise that even when you grow up and your parents wont buy you a chocolate one (which mum tried to do last year, she didn't get away with it) there are other alternatives!

Thanks For Reading!

Becky

Hello You Lovely Lot!

Sorry this is up so late but I've been thinking all week about what I could upload, I know that next week will be my October Playlist so you can all get excited about that one) and I was going to do one about my little holiday but that was kind of last week! I then thought about doing this blog post but it's only just been three weeks so it's not really the one month update at all but let's admit it, the 'three week update' is just not a catchy title.

SO. I have been vegan for about three weeks now. Technically I've been trying to be vegan for over a month but I made a lot of slip ups at the beginning e.g.eating nandos rice which i didn't know had butter in, having a big mac when I was really hungover and a few other slip-ups. I even slipped up yesterday when I had a bit of someones homemade hummus and then asking what was in it because it was lovely and finding out it had cream and cheese in it...whoops. Safe to say I didn't have any more.

Sometimes I find it hard like when I'm really hungry or tired or hungover I think about how much I would love Chicken Nuggets, and there's even a McDonalds at the end of the road which makes my temptation stronger, however I have yet to give in to that. I've learnt to do food shopping right after I've eaten, to cook when everyone else cooks and that slip-ups and mistakes are fine and just things that you learn from.

Day to day I really don't think that I'm missing out on meat and the only time I reckon I could eat it is when other people are sat eating something I used to love. However, I know that I'm doing something that's good for my body by not eating dairy and something that's good for my tastebuds by not eating meat because I am the worst cook and any meat I cooked was mediocre.

I thought that going to see my family was going to be a big challenge because my family is the definition of a 'meat and two veg' family. I've always eaten meat and dairy too but when I became lactose intolerant a few years ago the amount of dairy I ate became slightly less. However, I would still eat it and make myself ill. My Dad (and loads of other people) have said to me 'well, why don't you just not eat dairy and meat?' and it winds me up. If I say to myself I'm not allowed to eat dairy at all (which is what I'm doing by being Vegan) then I don't eat it. I've only eaten it by accident so far, however before I was vegan I knew that I shouldn't eat dairy but I ate it anyway! And I don't even like egg so there's no point in that really.

If anything changes I'll let you know but hopefully it will all be good until the two month update!

Thanks For Reading!

Becky x

Hello You Lovely Lot!

So, I am currently on holiday (kind of). I came home for less than 24 hours before driving 2 hours to end up in Filey! it's basically a little town near the sea for anyone who doesn't know, just my kind of place. I'm only here till tomorrow afternoon and then I get a train back to Liverpool to my beloved house. Back to watching too much TV, eating too much food and complaining that my room's a mess yet doing nothing about it!

We're actually here to celebrate Mum's birthday (that isn't even until next month but there you have it) because she used to come here as a kid with her Mum and Dad! The rest of my family are staying until next week but as I have lessons to go to I have to back to University tomorrow (boo hoo).

It's really lovely here even though I haven't seen much of it, we went to Whitby today and it was tipping it down for most of the day but when it was sunny it was all very pretty although there was a lot of fish places (which you'd imagine for the place that is obviously known for 'Whitby Scampi'). I also had a lovely slice of Vegan cake (and a vegan wrap but the cake topped it all). I feel like this is turning in to a life update post but Veganism is going well for anyone interested! It's been just over two weeks now since I've had a slip up and even though it's hard sometimes I feel much better overall.

Some of you will know that last year I struggled a lot with homesickness but this year has been great so far! We sit and watch TV or a film every night in our pyjamas with blankets and food and it just feels so homely. The only time I'm really in my room is when I'm asleep to be honest which is just how it should be (although I probably should be in there doing work but I'm not, I just tend to do my work whilst watching Bakeoff or X-Factor). I'm enjoying my lessons a lot more this year but I think that could be because I'm actually paying attention to them and making notes.

That's about all I have to update you on at the moment!

Thanks For Reading!

Becky x

Hello You Lovely Lot!

A few years ago I tried to be Vegetarian but as I was around fourteen or fifteen, I had been used to just eating what Dad cooked. My parents were both very helpful and I cooked my own dinners for a while but when it came to roast dinners I just gave in.

Now I'm at University I have decided that I want to take control of my own eating habits and diet again and this time I think it will be much easier. Somehow I ended up watching loads of those videos on YouTube that are like 'What I Eat In A Day'. As someone who has struggled for years with food, I was just being nosy as to how much other people ate and what they were eating. I ended up on a Vegan one and the woman basically ate the nicest looking food. That got me round to thinking maybe I should try cooking that some time! With being at work quite a lot I find it difficult to squeeze in time to cook for myself and if I get home and Dad's made something, I just eat that because it's quicker and easier.

When I'm at University I am so unhealthy. I will just eat something quick, even if I'm in all day. Usually that't a takeaway or a pizza or something else unhealthy and I want to snap out of this. I started to watch more and more of these videos and realised that maybe the only way I could stop myself from eating these things is if I am someone who literally can't.

I have tried many diets and each one has failed miserably and I think that's because in my mind it was just salad and other boring things. The more recipes I discovered through these videos the more I realised that healthy food doesn't have to be boring. Obviously, I'm sure not all vegan food is healthy but there are so many healthy alternatives to things like chocolate and ice cream that are vegan! I've had LOADS of people say to me 'why don't you just turn veggie?' or 'why don't you just eat vegan meals every now and then?'. My answer to this is, if I buy meat and put it in my fridge but only eat meat like twice a week (like my dad suggested) then I will either have a freezer full of meat or loads of meat in the bin. I wasted quite a lot of food last year and I want to really cut down on that this year. I also want to keep my fridge organised and not have loads of out of date food (whoops). I said to Nicole that being Vegan would be like being on a diet, but not really being on a diet. I just want to put more goodness in to my body and see what happens. I'm hoping that the lack of dairy will clear my skin up and that maybe I will lose some weight but what I'm really hoping for is to just feel better in myself I guess.

SO, there's a little explanation for you!

Are any of you vegan? Do you have any tips or recipes? Let me know!

Thanks For Reading!

Becky x