Mad Cucumber: Bournemouth's Vegan Lounge

As I have previously mentioned, I am a newly-complicated eater, meaning I don't eat any dairy, egg, or gluten. Eating out can be an ordeal so when I discover eateries where I don't have to worry about what's on the menu or ask someone what is in the dish, I become a bit like a kid in a sweet shop. So overwhelmingly excitable and happy. There are no words. 

I stumbled upon Bournemouth's 'Mad Cucumber': a self-described vegan lounge. Even though I am still very much a carnivore, the prospect of eating out is just easier if I call myself a vegan. I know I'm not and I'm sorry to all those loyal vegans but my word, it makes life easier. People just understand your diet difficulties a lot better. Besides, I love healthy food, vegetables and all that so vegan food suits me pretty well. 'Mad Cucumber' has a delightful food and drinks menu that almost makes you question how on earth it is all vegan. Quiche, cakes, brownies (which I did take some home and they were amazing)- it is baffling how this all vegan. I even saw someone have a rather extravagant hot drink with whipped cream on top. I now live in my regret for not asking what the cream was made from- cashews? Suppose that's another reason for me to return...

I love eating out and the interior is just as cool as the food. The lounge had a very hippie and casual feel about it- lots of reused furniture and mismatching accessories. The walls were covered in lots of interesting... erm... nick nacks (?!) which made us look around the cafe like a couple of tourists. 

I get the idea that the menu changes quite a bit. We decided to opt for the 'Greek Style Beans' with rice and a Quiche with salad and neither disappointed. The price was reasonable, with my bean lunch being only £3.95. There was also a long list of juices which I aim to try them all out. We had banana, apple, ginger and cinnamon, which to be honest, would have been better without the cinnamon. It would best suit a cold winters day. Maybe that's because I associate cinnamon with Christmas. 

Before I left I grabbed a couple of takeaway desserts. For someone who has such a sweet tooth, the world of puddings, desserts, and chocolates is a world I can no longer enter *sobs* so having a large array of loveliness to chose from made my week! I decided on the chocolate brownie and the raw lime cheesecake to takeaway to enjoy over the weekend as I simply didn't want my vegan experience to end. 

Now, whenever I pop into Bournemouth's town centre I will have to go and stock up on vegan cakes and puddings. It is an ideal lunch spot, or even a drinks break when you fancy somewhere else other than Starbucks. With no queues, overpriced goods, and unnecessarily unhealthy foods, 'Mad Cucumber' is my number one choice. Even though my non-vegan friend loved it, I now have to persuade the rest of them!

Where else is good to eat out as a vegan/gluten-free? 

Liz Earle: My New Skincare Regime

So, if you are like me, you hit your 20s and realise you have been doing the same skincare regime since you first discovered make up at like, 13. That trusty face wipe that occasionally made a team with the odd moisturiser that you nicked from your mum is no longer satisfying your ageing skin (harsh but true). There's this saying floating around that the way you treat your skin now will become more visible the older you get. I never really believed this, finding that any skincare product never really matched my oily skin. Most products made my skin more oily and acne-prone. 

When I was 14, my mum took me into a Clinique store in Florida and we left with a facial cleanser, a toner, and a moisturiser but being the commitment-phobe I was back then, I couldn't fully commit to a skincare regime. I think I stuck with it for a week and found it a lot of effort. What I would tell myself back then is that my skin hadn't really developed itself fully. I was still yet to go through a series of spot-induced times in my life that would not have been helped really by some fancy, expensive products. 

Now, verging on 21, I have bought the most revolutionary products known to man. Extreme I know, but I really believe that after years of heading to the doctors to cure my acne, Liz Earle's skincare really does keep the spots at bay. Full of natural ingredients for problem-prone skin (hiya!), it feels absolutely incredible on the skin and isn't too pricey. I would literally recommend Liz Earle's products to anyone who has been through some really tough times with their skin and is in need of gaining an easy beauty routine. After reading reviews online, which were all pretty amazing, I put the kit on my Christmas list and the rest was history. 

I use the Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Facial Cleanser religiously both morning and night, followed by a spritz of the Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer and at night time only, the Skin Repair Light Moisturiser for Combination/Oily Skin. I know some experts will say to apply moisturiser before applying your make-up but I find my oily skin plus the moisturiser will make the make up slide off a lot more. I find my skin doesn't need double the amount of moisturiser in the day, so I just apply it generously at night. 

Every other morning I apply the Gentle Facial Exfoliator and every other evening I apply the Deep Cleansing Mask- finding that they don't need to be applied everyday. I wouldn't have the time everyday! These really give the skin a boost by brightening the skin, smoothing the skin and eliminating any problem areas in terms of redness and spots. 

As you can gather, I have been so pleased with the results Liz Earle products have had on my skin. Coming from someone who has tried a lot of beauty products and has been so unsatisfied until now, these products are shockingly amazing. I understand they can be quite pricey but I find the products do last a long time, especially the Hot Cloth Cleanser which I use twice a day and has lasted me 2 months. And if that isn't enough, when you purchase a 100ml bottle of the Hot Cloth Cleanser, you get a 30ml bottle of cleanser free. 

You can buy Liz Earle products from the online store, the stores in London, Isle of Wight, Leeds and Guildford, or in selected Boots stores. Now I'm on my last legs of it, I need to order some more... 

Have you used Liz Earle products?

The Copper Interior Trend

It is no secret that I love Pinterest and interior design. The two pretty much go hand and hand and it's the go-to place for some much-needed inspiration. Currently, I am going through a slight obsession with the copper-trend, especially when teamed with monochrome, geometric prints and typography. I just love how the metallic pieces stand out against the muted and simplistic backgrounds. Yet again, Pinterest is the blame for my wish to re-decorate and go homeware shopping. I mean, you know when you are getting old when you get excited about a pretty copper floor lamp. 

I have spent my mornings roaming the internet on my favourite homeware online stores and everything is just so pretty. I have put together the best interior pieces to really boost a space into a stylish one. One that I kind of wish was mine... (one day Becca, one day...)

Shop the Trend:

Click on the description for direct links.

Clockwise from top left: 

'It Is What It Is' Print

'The most wasted of all days is one without laughter' Print

'Non je ne regrette rien' Print

Alphabet Rose Gold Print

Clockwise from top left:

Geometric Cushions

Copper Desk Lamp

Grey Geometric Bedding

Monochrome Throw

Clockwise from top left: 

Grey Geometric Rug

Copper Wired Shelf

Pink Magazine Wall Rack

Copper Floor Lamp

Here's to hoping my next post is a bedroom haul of all things copper and geometric...

The Liebster Award

Now this is a post I would describe as very 'bloggy'. I made this blog as a kind of therapeutic mechanism (as you can probably tell by my rather argumentative opinion posts!) that would also help with my writing skills alongside my degree. It's also a rather fancy thing to put on your CV, I mean blogging can pretty much be a part-time job. So it is always pretty strange to me that there are hundreds of you reading my blog and associating me in the actual blogging world. I just think it's just me, myself and I. Instead of talking about something or someone else, this post is all about me! My friend Ellie from amourellie.blogspot.co.uk  nominated me for something called the Liebster Award (thanks!)- a blogging award that acknowledges new bloggers in the blogosphere. I have to answer the 11 questions Ellie has kindly given me and then nominate my favourite blogs that have less than 200 followers with my own questions. Suppose it's a good opportunity to know me a little better...

1) What inspired you to start blogging?

My obsession with other peoples blogs. I believe there is nothing better than reading the honest opinion of like-minded people before you buy something. 

2) What is the best meal you have ever had?

I can't say I have had one particular meal that has stood out to me as being the BEST. I did have a pretty good roast dinner last year in halls that was cooked by my housemate who is a culinary student. I think it was the blessing of a proper dinner cooked by a semi-professional chef that made it amazing. 

3) Where is your favourite place in the world?

New York. It is just amazing. It is my life ambition to live there one day. That or Disneyworld in Florida, I fit in there pretty well...

4) Which celebrity would you most like to have for dinner?

I can't pick one! If I was to have a dinner party then the guestlist would include Ellen DeGeneres, Alan Carr, Julie Andrews, Walt Disney, and David Beckham. David Beckham for obvious reasons...

5) What is your favourite thing about blogging?

The chance to just freely write about things I love. There are no rules, only your own. I just love writing about anything that takes my fancy and then reading other peoples reviews for similar products. 

6) Go out partying or cosy night in?

I do love both but if I had to pick it would be a cosy night in. Sometimes wearing no make up, eating loads of food, and watching trashy TV is just bliss. 

7) What are your goals for 2015?

To get a good grade for second year, to get the placement which I love, and to just have a good time with it all. Stressing out about things is just so not worth it!

8) What is your favourite type of post to write? Why?

Recently I am loving the foodie ones. Recipes are pretty fun to write and to do as well. It is also a good excuse to eat and procrastibake. 

9) What job did you want when you were little?

Every job under the sun. I remember the main ones being a teacher, a ballerina, and a paramedic. I also wanted to be a nutritionist which I suppose I would still love to be but science is just not my strong point. 

10) What is your worst habit?

Cleaning as a form of procrastination. I tell myself that I am being productive which realistically, I'm not. 

11) What has been your biggest achievement?

I'll say my ski season. It was the most tiring, testing, and challenging thing I have ever had to endure but I survived with no broken bones or any other extreme disasters. It was the best time of my life. I look back on it now and wonder how on earth I managed to cook 4-course meals, 6 days a week on 4 hours sleep and still manage to have so much fun. 

My questions for my nominees:

1) What made you pick your blog's name?

2) If you had to use one brand of make up for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?

3) Are there any new topics you want to do blog about soon that you may not have tried before?

4) What 3 items would you take if you were stranded on an island?

5) If you had to shop at one shop for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?

6) What is your most played song on your iTunes?

7) Heels or flats?

8) What is your earliest memory?

9) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

10) Post your favourite photo. 

11) If you could go back in time, where would you go?

My nominees are my friends- and some of them haven't blogged in a while so hey, here's an excuse ;) haha. 

heythisisgee | l'amourdecaitlin | lisschareleen | wordsfromrosie

Vegan & Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Since I am now a very complicated eater, meaning I cannot eat a lot of the everyday foods like dairy, eggs, or gluten, I have become a bit more experimental in cooking and baking. Creating the luxuries like cakes and biscuits using wholefood ingredients has had some pretty surprising results. After all, I will not let these intolerances stop me from having an indulgent pudding/snack every now and then. Behold the vegan and gluten-free peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie bars! These wonderful, cakey delights are made with chickpeas- not your average pudding ingredient some would say. The outcome of these cookie bars has a gooey texture that makes you wonder whether you are actually eating chickpeas as a sweet snack. Yes, it is true. Chickpeas have provided something quite revolutionary in the healthy cooking world. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest (my favourite website ever) but I have adapted it to make it a little better (sorry original recipe). It uses only a few ingredients and are so easy to make that I read over the recipe twice before I put it in the oven just to make sure that I did everything. It only took 5 minutes! All you need is:

1x can of 400g chickpeas

1/2 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup of maple syrup

tsp of baking powder

tsp of vanilla essence

2oz of gluten-free flour

1/2 cup of dark chocolate buttons

(sunflower margarine for greasing)

And all you need to do is:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 celsius

2. Blend everything together (minus the chocolate buttons) with a hand blender (or food processor) until it is lovely and smooth

3. Stir in the buttons to give it some chocolate lovin'

4. Put it in a fairly deep baking tray and sprinkle some more chocolate buttons on top so it looks delightful when it comes out of the oven

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes

6. When the knife comes out clean, it is ready! Allow it to cool for 30 minutes before cutting it into squares

What I love about this recipe (besides the taste), is that it is so simple and does not use ingredients that are expensive, which is common in healthy, vegan recipes. Being a student, my bank account would not allow it but 80p for a can of chickpeas is more like it! 

These cookie bars are perfect for a snack or warm with some ice cream (my favourite is Booja Booja). Now that my first batch has run out, I think it's time to make some more mmm... 

Christmas 2014 Wishlist...

Christmas, as per usual, is quickly approaching with festive adverts and songs seemingly following us. And it's only November! Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas, it's my favourite time of year but it is also the busiest time as everyone is trying to dodge the Christmas shopping mayhem in an effort to get the best presents (hello internet shopping). So being my organised (and excitable, keen) self, I have selected what I personally think are the best Christmas gifts this year for 20-something girls like myself, and put it into a series of wonderful collages (ahh) with a mince pie in hand. 

Click on the description below the collages for direct links.

 Top Left Clockwise:

ASOS Turban Hair Wrap

Yankee Waikiki Melon Jar Candle

UniqOne Hair Treatment

Oliver Bonas Copper Initial

James Dashner 'The Kill Order' and 'The Death Cure' Novels

Top Left Clockwise:

Gourmet Gadgetry Popcorn Maker
Nails Inc Autumn/Winter Collection Polishes
Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Palette
Schwarzkopf Medium Ceramic Brush
Dune Trish Pull-On Boots
Zara Rhinestone Necklace
Cheap Monday Round Sunglasses

Top Left Clockwise:

ASOS Holy Grail Heeled Sandals

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne 

ASOS Hologram Make Up Bag

Liz Earle 3 Piece Beautifully Balanced Skin

ASOS Black and Gold Clutch

Next Grey Slippers

Top Left Clockwise:

Topshop Dogtooth Weekend Bag
ASOS Zodiac Watch
Oysho Clouds Dressing Gown
Kenwood Juicer
GirlBoss Book by Sophia Amoruso 
ASOS Cat Eye Sunglasses
Real Techniques Sam's Pick Brush Set
ASOS Knotted Turban Headband



BRING ON CHRISTMAS 
XXX

Over The Opinion...

Will Gore- The Independent:

Unfortunately so, journalists are too busy trying to meet the requirements of their readers- ignoring any morals and laws that are in place to regulate the potential, underestimated harm that words can do. Words can often go off on a tandem, bringing hysteria and virtual anarchy to social media. Journalists are too busy, that some (not all) are skimming past and ignoring the facts: that their words become a canon for future journalism. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on matters, but their opinion on people, written down in either print or online, read by the masses and absorbed by some (not all) people into believing that they could be right, is becoming all too common in an industry of dog eat dog. Personally attacking people is now a journalistic norm that has evolved from comment/opinion writing, and has been greatly encouraged through the access of online platforms for citizen journalism. It's when professional journalism becomes too brutal and in in this case, too embarrassing to read. The question is: when did journalism get so arrogant? 

A budding journalist myself, and also being pretty opinionated, it would seem a shock to some that I believe journalism is not regulated enough. It would seem like a dream to write a column in a magazine or regularly write on an online blog, getting paid for simply stating my opinion. But I would never make personal remarks about someone, for example their looks, when they aren't there to stand up for themselves and for thousands to read. Online and in print, opinion writing needs to draw a line between personal bullying and professionally stating an educated and carefully evaluated opinion. Sometimes provoking a reaction is taken too far. Journalism in some publications have great success on their opinion columns, but the words used can be highly offensive and blatantly rude. Take this article for example.

Her success is undoubtable. Her success also depends on filming her life which means just being herself. An easy job some may say, getting paid for filming your everyday activities, but not everyone could do that and be liked- I don't even think I could. Becoming a digital ambassador for the charity Mind and achieving a book deal with Penguin, Zoella is leading the YouTube parade. None of this would have been achieved without her blog and YouTube channel where she has gained a loyal following of 6 million followers, which to me, is pretty frightening! That's a lot of people! Therefore, her success is due to her likeable personality, so how can someone skim past that and attack her looks. Making fun of her enormous eyes and calling her a "startled bird" is only feeding our corrupted norm of noticing flaws in people. Journalists forget that people will only consume this idea and habit, and adopt it in their own everyday norms. And for journalists who are the most educated on the impact of media, should know that personal attacking can only escalate, as demonstrated in this journalists follow-up article. 

The journalist said that she "expected a backlash". The backlash that she did receive was indeed, very extreme, ranging from abusive tweets to threatening hate mail. I don't think she expected backlash on such a massive scale but why wouldn't she? Attacking Zoella's fandom is like attacking One Direction's- it is a teenage, global affair. It would be ignorant to not know that you will receive extreme threats when you insult one's teenage idol's looks. I understand the power of social media is unfortunately and overwhelmingly scary, how many opinionated minds of all ages have the freedom to say anything within a few seconds for absolutely anyone around the world to see it. But it is ignorant to not understand the audience you are addressing your 'opinion' to, and not expect the threats that unfortunately come with it. 

The YouTube platform is one that has grown so vast in the last 5 years- making it's own tribe of online celebrities. YouTube culture, in particular, is one that is becoming so popular that it has gained a hysterical following (e.g. chasing people down the streets- not cool). But to me, it is a slight relief that many young teenagers are idolising YouTube stars for simply being themselves and advising their viewers, as close to the truth as you can get in the media, on anything from dealing with anxiety to what beauty products are the best to get. It makes a nice change from idolising 'celebrities' for doing nothing. The journalist did think it was ridiculous how Zoella and many other YouTuber's are recommending young girls on how to improve their appearance, but the fact is, that's what their viewers want. And in modern-day journalism, young women are being taught that looks are important, and unfortunately for you, your choice of words in the article show you are also contributing to this idea, that good looks are important- or you will be penalised in the media for them, regardless of your success. 

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