Weekend Wish List!

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Spring is coming and some new bedding would be a nice update for my room, this floral bedspread from H&M looks lovely and would be great in summer too. At just £30 this bedspread is a lovely choice and is definitely affordable too. 

I am in dire need of getting my eyes tested again soon and definitely need some new glasses and I would seriously love to treat myself to some more Ray-Bans. I got some Ray-Bans sunglasses and I love them so much, but I got them years ago and my eye sight has definitely changed since then. However, I managed to get them for £50 last time so I need to keep my eye out for another great deal again! 

I am definitely overdue some new straighteners and I would love to treat myself to some more GHDs. I used to have a pair and then I was stupid enough to leave them on the floor and I accidentally stood on them and broke them. I do have straight hair so I don't tend to use straighteners that often, but it would be nice to have some new ones. 

I love this Nails Inc nail varnish too, it is so cute! Anything red is a must for me, love my red nails especially on my toe nails! I have quite dry heels too so would love to try this Burt's Bees foot cream, I love their lip care range so it would be good to try some of their other products too. 

Book Review: The Silver Linings Playbook.

I have recently finished reading The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick and thought I would do a quick review of the book. I am yet to do a book review on my blog so hope its okay! 

I saw the film "The Silver Linings Playbook" when it first came out and absolutely loved it! The film definitely made me fall in love with Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence a little bit more after seeing the film, and from reading the book I appreciate how amazing both of them were and acted in the film too now. The both portrayed the characters so accurately. Definitely agree with the Oscar that Jennifer Lawrence received for this role! 

The book is narrated by Pat Peoples who comes from New Jersey, and has moved back home after spending some time in a psychiatric hospital ("The bad place"). Pat thinks he has only been in there for a few months when in reality it has been years. The book hints that his mind has repressed his bad memories and that is why he cannot remember everything that has happened to him. Pat is aware that he is separated from his wife, Nikki, but calls it "apart time". He has a theory that life is a film created by God and that its "silver lining" will be the end of 'Apart Time' with Nikki. Pat strives to improve himself, both physically and mentally, as he believes it will help him win his wife back. Pats old friend Ronnie introduces Pat to a girl called Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrences character in the film). Tiffany really doesn't need much of an introduction if you have seen the film or have heard of Jennifer Lawrences acting in this film.  

That is about as much of the story I will give away as I truly believe that everyone should give this book a read, or at the very least watch the film. The book is really easy to read and is quite a short book, and the chapters are fairly short so you feel like you can pick it up to read a couple of chapters before bed.

I love how much this book emphasised focusing on the positives in life and also to look for the silver linings in life. Throughout the book I was really rooting for Pat, in the hope that he would get his silver lining at the end of it all. I found that the story was so believable and felt  that the Peoples family was actually like or similar to a typical family that many people can relate to. 

One other point I like about this book is although Pat is argued to have mental health problems, (as he was in a psychiatric hospital and subconsciously repressed his memories, as well as having quite intense anger issues) however I found myself asking "what actually counts as 'normal'"? Several other characters in the book could also be argued to have mental health issues or at least causes for concern, which I love about this book as it made me further question some aspects of mental health diagnosis and treatment. And seeing as I have a keen interest in Psychology ( as that is what my degree is in), this book really interested and gripped me throughout. 

Furthermore, Pat is out to improve himself which is pretty inspiring, for example Pat often tries to be nice instead of right for a change, and this helps him to sympathise with other people more and understand their point of view, which I personally feel that a lot of people could benefit from doing too. 

The film doesn't allow for as much character development as the book does. For example Pats mother definitely deserves a mention because she is such a great and loveable character. Many parents could definitely relate to her and would be rooting for her during the book too. 

This book is definitely a 'happy' book and would recommend everyone to read it. I hope to read some more Matthew Quick novels in the future too! Don't feel like you shouldn't read the book if you have already seen the film because they are both different and great in their own ways! Some parts of the book are not included in the film so definitely give the book a try! 

Has anyone else read this book? Or have any similar reading recommendations?

Weekend Wishlist.

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I love these pink shades for lips and nails, I'm usually not the fan of pink but I love pale pink nails and lips and both these items are so affordable. I have never used a lipstick from New Look but hopefully it's good quality but at £3.99 you can't really complain. 

I definitely due some new shoes at the moment too, and these loafers from H&M look perfect! at £9.99 they are a great price too, I tend to wear a lot of jeans too and during spring these loafers would look great. A trip to H&M is needed! My black Nikes are also looking a bit old nowadays too, so I would love to splash out on these Nike trainers, or perhaps I will just replace my current Nike trainers. 

I always seem to want new jeans, even when I don't really need them. I've not bought any jeans from H&M in a while and I used to find they didn't really fit me very well; I've got huge hips but love skinny jeans. But I would love some more black skinny jeans! These jeans have a waxed finish to them too so I think that they would look great on a night out! I also love both these casual tops, I am actually wearing a similar top to the white and brown one at the moment and love these style of tops so would love to have a few more. 

I adore this illustrated fox plate! It is by a lady called Katie Spragg and it would be a lovely collection to have, hopefully there are other designs of animals too. 

Hope you all have a great weekend! 

An update on my new year resolutions...

As January is coming to a close I thought it would be a nice idea to do a review of how I have been getting on with my new year resolutions.

So far one resolution I have definitely stuck by is cutting down my sugar, I have successfully began to have 1 sugar instead of 2 in my tea. I can't say that this has been making a massive difference to anything except from perhaps I like my cups of tea less... I have also been trying to eat more fruit, which I have been doing whilst I am on placement at least. However I should probably also try to cook and eat some different recipes, for example ones including lots of different vegetables. I haven't done any baking for a week or so but the other weekend I tried a new recipe; Cinnamon Rolls, which was one of my resolutions. Perhaps this weekend I will bake something different again. 

Unfortunately I can't say I have really done any more exercise recently. Definitely need to do some more soon! I mean obviously I walk my pooch a lot but I do really want to try to do some more yoga and pilates. Think I am just lacking both inspiration and motivation at the moment, perhaps if I had a goal or holiday booked then I would do some more.

Sadly I haven't travelled anywhere in the past few weeks either, I went to Manchester last weekend but that hardly counts as travelling. I would love to book a city break/trip away with my boyfriend sometime in the near future. Also I think a trip to see my university friends is definitely needed soon! 

Looking back at my new year resolutions has definitely been useful too, it has allowed me to see if I have actually progressed at all through the month or if there are still a few areas I need to change (like doing some more exercise...). I would definitely recommend everyone to have a look back at theirs if they did some of their own new year resolutions. 

I can't believe how quickly January has passed me by! I hope everyone has had a great start to their year! 

Saturday treats: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls.

I was in the mood to do some baking today and I have been craving cinnamon rolls all week so figured I would spend my afternoon baking. I found the recipe online and thought I would give them a try. The recipe makes 8 rolls. 

Ingredients:

Rolls: 

350g Self Raising flour (with some extra to dust the worktop surface)

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

1 tsp (heaped) ground cinnamon 

100g melted butter, extra for greasing

2 egg yolks 

200ml of milk, extra for glazing. 

Filling:

1tsp (heaped) ground cinnamon

55g brown sugar

2 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

Icing:

125g icing sugar

2 tbsp cream cheese

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp boiling water

1 tsp vanilla essence

You will also need: Mixing bowls, rolling pin, baking tin. 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Grease a round baking tin with plenty of butter and line the bottom with baking paper.

3. Mix the flour, salt, caster sugar and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl. 

4. Whisk the butter, egg yolks and milk together (ensure the butter is melted beforehand). 

5. Combine the dry and wet ingredients together to make a soft dough. 

6. Knead the dough to form a smooth dough. Roll the dough out onto a surface which has been lightly sprinkled with flour. Roll the dough into a large rectangle.

7. To make the filling mix the ingredients together, spread evenly over the dough and roll up (like you would for a Swiss-roll) to form a log. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 even-sized slices and place into the prepared tin. Glaze the rolls with the extra milk. 

8. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. 

9. Remove the rolls from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before removing the rolls from the tin. 

10. For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Place the cream cheese and butter in the centre, pour over the hot water and stir the mixture to form a paste. Add extra water, a few drops at a time, until the icing is a slightly runny consistency. Stir in the vanilla essence, then drizzle the icing over the rolls. 

11. Serve the rolls warm or wait for them to cool. 

I would give the rolls a bit longer time to bake in the oven, more like 40 minutes to ensure that they are cooked all the way through so keep your eye on them whilst they are in the oven. 

One other thing to note with this recipe is that the rolls are also very doughy and are more like a cake than a roll. So one roll is definitely enough and is extremely filling! 

I also found that there was a lot of icing left over, so reduce the amounts for the icing if you would prefer less icing on the top of the rolls. Though the icing is super delicious and compliments the rolls very well! In fact the icing is that yummy I had to stop my boyfriend from eating it all on its on.  

I found the recipe online here, and adapted the recipe a little bit for example adding a bit more sugar/butter. I am sure you can make the recipe a little less fattening by exchanging the sugar for sweetener or by using less. This recipe is definitely not good for anyone on a diet! 

Hope you enjoy the recipe too! 

Walk time with my favourite.

I go back to work tomorrow after having two weeks off (perks of being a teacher in training), so I figured I needed to make the most of my last day off and go for a lovely walk with my favourite, Pennie. 

Today is the last chance I'll get to take Pennie out for a walk on a weekday for about 6 weeks so i made the most of it. I took her to a lovely park near my house, which is a really lovely park and fortunately never seems to be that busy with other dogs, at least when we go it isn't.   

The park has lots of different wooded areas full of rabbits and squirrels, which is Pennies favourite part of her walks so this park is ideal. I wish I lived within walking distance of this park so that I could take her there more often without having to drive there. I would definitely would recommend this park! 

 

 

 

 

 

New year; new wish list.

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Here's my January wish list, some of the items are more expensive than others but I definitely feel the need to treat myself soon! I know I got loads of goodies for Christmas but it is always important to remember to treat yourself! 

 I begin work again in a couple of days and this black blazer would look perfect with some fitted black pants for whilst I'm teaching, plus it is not too expensive which is also a plus, especially if I have a messy day in School. 

I love this red OPI nail varnish, it's such a bright and vibrant colour and would brighten up any outfit. I love wearing black so this red would really compliment my outfits. 

I am also in need of some new trainers, and I simply love Nike trainers they are by far the most comfy trainers I have ever owned. I wanted these Nike shoes months ago but settled for a different pair as they were on sale. Maybe this month I will treat myself to some lovely new black Nikes!

For Christmas I got a benefit gift set off my boyfriends Nanna, and it contained a miniature version of Benefits lollibalm which was really good. It looks more like a lipgloss compared with a balm, it provides a slight pinky gloss colour and keeps your lips so smooth and hydrated. This product or the other benefit lip balms are definitely must-buys for combating the cold January weather. 

I need to get my eyes tested again in the near future, and I'm contemplating treating myself to some new Ray-bans. I have some Ray-ban sunglasses but would love to own some normal glasses too. I managed to get a cheaper deal with my last sunglasses, I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for a good deal. 

My skin's so horrible at the moment, which I think is mainly due to hormones, however I would love to treat my skin to some luxurious skin treatment. I have loved every single Philosophy products that I have tried, and I believe that this product will be excellent too. Has anyone used this product or would recommend any other products? 

I always wear a watch when I'm working as I need to keep my eye on the time constantly, and this watch would look so gorgeous and would go with every single outfit. It's a little expensive... of course, so again I may have to find a cheaper version. 

I need to invest in some more clothes too, and this dress from Oasis is lovely. I love wearing the colour blue as I feel that it matches my skin tone and hair colour, and this dress would be a suitable length to wear on several occasions, for example for work, or for meals out, or family events. 

What's on your wish list for January?