Welcome my little rays of sunshine! Guess what? We are starting a podcast!
Who are 'we'? - You might be asking. Well, Katie (who is also a blogger and you should check her out because she's excellent) and I are bored of putting all our time into university work and as we pretty much spend all our time together anyway, we thought this would be a grand opportunity to actually do something productive.
Check out her blog here!
So anyway, we are extremely excited to introduce our podcast 'A Coffee and A Cry'. If you don't know how Katie and I became friends or what our friendship is like, then you can read my 'A Note On...Adult Friendships' (click here) but basically, it centres around drinking way too much coffee and crying. Thus 'A Coffee and A Cry' was born.
Where can I find the podcasts?
After much discussion about where the podcasts should be situated, we have both decided that it will be living on Katie's blog. There will be a new one every Friday and on every one of my Sunday posts, there will be a link at the bottom to the latest. I am so so excited!
What will you be talking about?
Anything and everything basically. Katie and I don't want to limit ourselves topic-wise! We talk for England anyway, so we might as well record it. The only problem is, we sound exactly the same and we talk over each other a lot. So, starting a podcast is definitely a good idea but also definitely a crazy idea!
Anything and everything basically. Katie and I don't want to limit ourselves topic-wise! We talk for England anyway, so we might as well record it. The only problem is, we sound exactly the same and we talk over each other a lot. So, starting a podcast is definitely a good idea but also definitely a crazy idea!
Where ever you see it, that's where we will be...
We are both so excited to co-host this new adventure together and we hope you will join us along for the ride. Thank you so much for your on-going support, my little rays of sunshine!
Do you have habits that really annoy you or really annoy other people? I do. I definitely, definitely do. I was really excited to write this blog post because I am sure most of my friends were looking forward to me owning up to all my annoying habits. But now, sitting here, writing it, I am have found that actually most my habits annoy even me.
I leave my rings EVERYWHERE
Like most girls in England, I buy my rings from Primark. Meaning they are cheap and they usually turn my fingers green over time. However, for the first like two weeks of wearing said rings, they look pretty good. Although at the end of the day, they are super cheap and I class them as 'throw away items' meaning, they are easy to replace. So, I tend to leave them everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean it. The other day, my best friend/room-mate saw a spider in her bedroom, so naturally, we tore it apart. In the process of moving every piece of furniture around her room, we moved her bed and guess what was under there? No, not the spider. Three of my beautifully cheap rings. Baring in mind, I have never slept in her bed, she thought that was kind of strange. So yes, in short, leaving my rings everywhere is definitely one of my bad habits.
My Addiction to Coffee
This doesn't sound like a habit does it? But let me tell you, it could definitely be classified as 'annoying'. If my housemates or friends had a pound for every single time I said I was ill when in reality all I needed was a coffee, they would be rich by now and able to buy me all the coffee I needed/desired.
Chewing Plastic
This annoys my boyfriend to no end. He hates it when I chew plastic. Okay, let me explain... I love plastic. You know at birthday parties they usually have those plastic confetti pieces on the table? Yeah those, I love chewing those. And not only does it make the most awful noise in the world and my boyfriend will physically open my mouth to remove the remnants, but it also probably isn't very good for me. But you know, everything in moderation.
The Way I Pronounce Things
Okay, shout out to all my friends that listen to my talk every day. I literally can only pronounce a handful of words and no of them are intelligent. We live in Farnham, a beautiful town in Surrey and usually, we travel to Aldershot to go to the cinema or to dinner. However, I don't pronounce it Aldershot, I pronounce it Elder-shot, which is in all regards, wrong. So wrong in fact, that sometimes people don't even know where I am referring too. Which is excellent, as I am a creative writing student and I can't even describe where I actually am . Also, actors names is another channelling feet for me. I usually confuse actors first names with other actors second names and then again, no-one knows what I am talking about. So the question is - how have I ever actually communicated with other humans?
I am sure that I have plenty of other annoying habits that drive my friends, family and boyfriend crazy but what I want to know is, what's yours? What are your really annoying habits that are so irritating, that sometimes, they even get on your nerves? Let me know in the comments!
What I was listening to whilst I wrote this: Young Volcanoes- Fall Out Boy
I am sure that I have plenty of other annoying habits that drive my friends, family and boyfriend crazy but what I want to know is, what's yours? What are your really annoying habits that are so irritating, that sometimes, they even get on your nerves? Let me know in the comments!
What I was listening to whilst I wrote this: Young Volcanoes- Fall Out Boy
Sunday, 23 September 2018
#3 FTSS- Bafflingly Brilliant Battered Fish and Chips
Yes, before I cooked fish and chips the other day, I had never tackled cooking any type of fish. But this week, I am partnering with Gousto so I had the chance to basically be guided through cooking some Basa Fish! This post is sponsored by Gousto and I am super excited about writing for them! I genuinely have loved and still love cooking with their products! What is Gousto?
Gousto is a company where you can order a book full of ingredients and recipes that you can cook throughout the week. You get four recipes in one box (of your choice) and you subscribe monthly, however you are able to skip any box you don't want and change up any meals you don't fancy that week! So all around it's a good investment. As a student, actually finding time to go food shopping and even spending your money effectively can be tricky, but honestly, Gousto is such a good idea. I ordered a box of four recipes, so you will definitely be seeing those this week, and one of them was a Crispy Fish and Chips with Lemony Mayo!
So let's get into it!
Every Gousto meal is made for two people and has enough ingredients to feed them. For example, with this recipe, there were two Basa fillets.
What you will need:
- 1 Large British Free-Range Egg
- 3 dollops of Mayo
- 80g of Sugar Snap Peas
- 1 Lemon
- 1 tsp dried dill (optional)
- 30g of Panko Breadcrumbs
- 2 x Basa Fillets
- 400g Potatoes
To me, that doesn't look like a lot of ingredients for this amazing dish and also, you don't even have to shop for them! Gousto will literally drop this box off at your doorstep and it will be full of all the ingredients you need! It is so so simple! They will give you every single thing that will be listed and then some. There is a part of this recipe where you need a sprinkle of flour and in your massive Gousto box, they will have provided you with a tiny bag of flour for this one step, how amazing?
Recipe Time!
Chips
1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees/425f/Gas Mark 7
2. Cut the potatoes (leaving the skins on) into the thinnest chips you can.
3. Place down some foil on a baking tray, place your homemade chips on them and add a helpful dose of oil, salt and pepper.
4. Let them cook until they are golden brown (25-30 mins)
Fish
5. Once the chips are nearly all cooked, grab a paper towel and dab your two Basa (fish) fillets to dry them out a little.
6. Add a small handful of flour onto a plate and a large pinch of Salt and pepper.
7. Crack a large egg into a bowl and beat it with a fork
8. Add the Panko breadcrumbs to another plate
9. Coat the fish fillets in the flour, then dip them into the beaten egg and finally press them into the breadcrumbs.
10. Make sure the breadcrumbs are evenly spread across the fish.
11. Heat a pan with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil and once the oil has heated a little, add the breaded fish and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Vegetables
12. Meanwhile, Slice the Sugar snap peas into halves
13. Grab a saucepan, fill it with water and heat for 3-4 until soft and tender. Then drain the excess water.
Mayo
14. Combine the mayo with the dried dill and add a squeeze of lemon into the sauce.
15. Add a pinch of salt for taste.
16. Serve hot and enjoy!
I have already really really enjoyed working with Gousto, they are a super amazing company that is really good for poor students who miss their mums cooking. It is like having a guide that shows you through very simple steps on how to make fantastic meals for you and your friends. Thank you Gousto! And keep your eyes peeled for upcoming posts featuring them as I have ordered so much from this week!
Welcome to another 'A Note On...' post. Let's add to this little series, shall we? To quote the classic Mulan film, let's get down to business...
This week, I want to talk about friendships, but most importantly, adult friendships. Yes, there is more to friends than the ones you make in primary school or high school. I am talking about a certain, mature friendship that comes with years of complaining, bitterly drinking coffee and crying together. There is nothing that will bring you closer. But most importantly, I want to talk about my friends. The people who I see pretty much every day (without fail) who make every day, that little bit brighter, that little bit lighter and that little bit more fun.
So, if you are a regular reader (if you aren't, then welcome, good to see ya), then you would often read a post which will include the words 'my roommate' or 'my best friend who I live with'. This is Shalieka, the yin to my yang, my partner in crime, my best friend who is currently sat, drinking coffee in my room with no trousers on. She is basically my assistant. She takes all my photos, navigates through the majority of my contracts and helps me when I am stress-crying about my posting schedule alongside uni work. Although we differ in many ways, she is great to get drunk with and will even make a coffee in the morning when I am too hungover to move. So when you see the word 'roommate' or 'housemate', that's my best friend Shalieka.
Katie or Katherine as I shall call her from now on is my spark in an otherwise dull day. If she had a pound for every time I called her crying at early hours of the morning, she would have exactly...£4, which I know doesn't sound a lot, but I am not really a crier and as we have only been best buds for just over a year now, that's a lot to me! She is my go-to when I want to drink wine, cry, study or watch WAY too many hours of YouTube videos instead of studying for our degree. We are in constant contact. I mean that literally. Constant. If we are not together, we are either putting witty comments in our group chat or on the phone to each other. We spend so much time together that her having a bad dream is regualry a topic of our conversations because the time we go to sleep is actually the only time we spend apart. An adult friendship is offering support but also, it's being able to spend countless hours with each other and never getting bored.
Hello, Tamar. I know you are definitely reading this, but will you comment on it today? Who knows? It is often said, that friendships that start rocky usually end up the best and I think that applies here. To all the messages that we send expressing how much we love each other, only to be met with 'how drunk are you?' in response and to all the times, we have actually got drunk together, let's keep those coming, I enjoy those. Thank you for letting me nest in your house throughout summer, thank you for remembering every detail about me and thank you for being in my life.
Lauren/Loz, I want to begin first by apologising. I am sorry for screaming at you repeatedly to make a good video, I am sorry for waking your mum up and I am sorry for navigating you into that tiny parking space, which ended up in you scratching your brand new car. But more importantly, I am sorry for making you pee yourself that one time - and I am sorry for repeating it now, on the internet, when I have nearly 10k in followers. I love you lots. Thank you for inviting me into your crazy family and making me into your life-long friend. I will always visit you, a bottle of wine in hand and watch (shameless), countless hours of the Kardashians, whilst cuddled up in bed. Also, massive thank-you for my coffee addiction, that was all you. I shake now when I don't have coffee for 24 hours now.
I didn't know whether to include my boyfriend in this post about adult friendships. But, as I thought about it more, I realised that adult friendships are about compromise, support and patience. Which is exactly what an adult relationship entails. My boyfriend definitely has to be to one of my best friends. You will listen to me bitch, express my feelings and laugh so hard that I cry. You will tell me every day that I look beautiful and that I can accomplish every task that I have set for myself, even if I don't feel like it. You will make sure I have eaten properly that day and that I have turned my straighteners off before I left the house. You also tolerate my snoring, my hair being all over your clothes (even though I haven't seen you that day) and my general messiness. Thank you for being in my life.
Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte, where do I begin? I don't think 'wife' or 'better half' is a strong enough phrase to quite describe what type of adult friendship we have. If I have gossip, I will call you. If I have done something not exactly 'smart', I will call you. But most importantly, you are a good influence to my bad ways. Every time I sip my PSL (pumpkins spiced lattes for all my uncultured, un-basic readers), I think of you. Every time I shop for Halloween decorations, I think of you. Thank you for making my sixth form the funniest and laziest two years of my life. I love you, my queen.
Hello Katie. I really hope you are reading this because an adult friendship is exactly what we have. And I want to thank you for many things. First of all, thank you for letting me loose on your Tinder that one time, it was funny and I apologise (from both me and Charlotte) for all the creepy messages you have received. I will always be there when you are worried because I know you worry a lot. But that's what adult friendships are. Think of me as your leaning post. Something you can lean on whilst you hike up the mountain of life and you need to catch your breath. Thank you, my OG princess (cringe, I am so sorry).
Liam, my heart, my soul, the one who will remove my shoes and makeup when I am drunk. One day, I will cut off your tongue for chewing loudly next to me. An adult friendship is all about compromise and believe me, there is nothing but compromise in ours. Sometimes I want to murder you. But when I hear you trip-trap down the stairs to make you midnight toast, I can't help but calling you into my room and having a catch-up session about our day, even though, we have, as usual, spent pretty much all of it together. Thank you for listening to me whine and cry at 1am in the morning, thank you for washing up after me when I decorate the kitchen in food and more than anything, thank you for worrying about me.
You never forget your first university friend and believe me, I never will. I won't see you for months and once we are finally reunited, we are able to pick up exactly where we left off, all over again. You made me a cup of tea and watched Fresh Meat with me whilst I cried on my first night of university. You are always the first to comment on or like my posts. You always make time to see me for coffee.. You are the best, first university friend I could ever ask for.
Basically, what I am saying is, if there is a friend in your life that has been there for you, do not let them go.
If I have missed you off of this list - I want to say thank you. This is just a handful of my adult friendships that I experience every day. I hope this very personal post wasn't boring to read. I really enjoyed writing it. Thank you for reading, my little rays of sunshine.
Hello Autumn
As Autumn is slowly tumbling into our everyday life and university is starting back up again, I thought I would show you some of my absolute September favourites. As a student, I don't spend a lot of money unless I really have too, so whenever I buy something, I have to be completely in love with it. So without further ado, here are my autumn favourites.
An Adorable Cushion - The Charity Shop
I love cushions and when I was bargain hunting earlier this week, I found this adorable cushion sat by itself in one of my local charity shops. I love it. This picture doesn't really do it justice but it's plain white with little palm leaves scattered across it. It goes perfectly with my plain white duvet and my other, colourful cushions.
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
I love cushions and when I was bargain hunting earlier this week, I found this adorable cushion sat by itself in one of my local charity shops. I love it. This picture doesn't really do it justice but it's plain white with little palm leaves scattered across it. It goes perfectly with my plain white duvet and my other, colourful cushions.
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
I love this book. I have a copy of it already, but I must have leant it out and it has never been returned. On that note, if you are reading this and you have my original copy of Lolita, please give it back, I miss it. However, I saw this adorable copy of Lolita in Oxfam books the other day and picked it up for a measly £2.00. I am in love! Thank you Oxfam.
Nivea Indulgent Moisture - Coconut
I am obsessed with finding new, nice smelling body wash. I don't think I have ever bought the same body wash twice because I literally want to try every single scent that has ever existed. However, being a sensitive skinned human, heavily chemical body wash isn't always good for me. When I saw Nivea on sale for literally £1...that's right...£1! I had to buy it. It smells amazing and it leaves my skin feeling so so soft!
New Phone Case - Case App
Am I the only person on this planet that loves having a new phone case? I hate having a boring phone case and that's why this week I am collaborating with Case App! I have loved their products for a while and now I finally get to work with them. You guessed it, this post is sponsored. But honestly, I love these cases. You can upload up to 10 photos to create an adorable collage on your case like I have or you can use one of their very own, unique to Case App, patterns. I am also one that loses their phone a lot. So having a cute, personalised case makes this a lot less likely!
I will also be hosting a giveaway for them this week, starting tomorrow. If you would like to enter, you have to be following me on either Instagram or Twitter and all the further instructions will be posted tomorrow on both of those social media handles.
Thank you for reading! This has been a list of my all-time September favourites! Just for a little reminder - I will be starting my giveaway with CaseApp tomorrow! If you follow me on Instagram/ Twitter, you will see all of my posts about it. You could win a free phone case for your phone that you can customise exactly how you would like it!
See you tomorrow!
What I was listening to whilst I wrote this: Talk about you - Mika
✶This is sponsored content but all opinions are my own.
Do you hate the sound of people chewing? I do.
*Warning - this post is going to be a bit more of a rant than my other 'A note on...' posts*
For all the lucky people who don't know what misophonia is, it is when you are sensitive to certain sounds. Noises like someone popping their gum, chewing their food too loudly or overly loud breathing can cause you to have feelings of anger or panic.
I live in a house with four people and we all eat dinner together. When we are all eating, I tend to put music on. Usually tunes that everyone knows, so that it's an enjoyable experience but I do this, so it masks the sound of them chewing. I have found that my hatred for people chewing always increases when I am already stressed because my emotions are already on the surface and it doesn't take much.
One thing I have really not been able to stand at the moment is Youtube videos, where people are chewing or reviewing a food project. The sound of the chewing coming through the speakers is literally the worst noise I can physically think of. If a YouTuber has 'Mukbang' (where they eat a lot of food) in the title I will not, repeat, will not click on that video. It does not make me want to try the food, it does not want to make me want to watch the video, it makes my skin crawl. I would highly say that people eating loudly is one of my biggest, if not my biggest, pet peeve.
What I wanted to know though, is it normal? Is this common? So, as most people do, I took to the internet to find this out. So actually being diagnosed with Misophonia is rare, but it is common amongst people with anxiety and who get easily stressed. The main sounds that trigger a reaction (for me, an internal rage) are, babies crying, people chewing or heavy breathing. I can't say that babies crying is a trigger for me, but definitely chewing and breathing is.
After scouring the internet, I found that no-one was really sure how many people could suffer from Misophonia, but they estimated that it was 20% of the population. According to a study, '81% of people responded "no" when asked if they had spoken to their doctor about having this hatred of sound'. So why aren't more people talking about it? Again, after extensive research, I have found that people are still trying to raise awareness of this. Which I found extremely interesting.
Sorry, this post has been super ranty, but I find the concept of Misophonia very interesting and something that should be talked about more often. Below, I have listed the two studies that you can read if you are still as interested as I am. Thank you for reading my opinion filled post! All of my 'A Note On...' series is brutally honest, but with this post, I really tapped into something I feel is very personal.
What I wanted to know though, is it normal? Is this common? So, as most people do, I took to the internet to find this out. So actually being diagnosed with Misophonia is rare, but it is common amongst people with anxiety and who get easily stressed. The main sounds that trigger a reaction (for me, an internal rage) are, babies crying, people chewing or heavy breathing. I can't say that babies crying is a trigger for me, but definitely chewing and breathing is.
After scouring the internet, I found that no-one was really sure how many people could suffer from Misophonia, but they estimated that it was 20% of the population. According to a study, '81% of people responded "no" when asked if they had spoken to their doctor about having this hatred of sound'. So why aren't more people talking about it? Again, after extensive research, I have found that people are still trying to raise awareness of this. Which I found extremely interesting.
Sorry, this post has been super ranty, but I find the concept of Misophonia very interesting and something that should be talked about more often. Below, I have listed the two studies that you can read if you are still as interested as I am. Thank you for reading my opinion filled post! All of my 'A Note On...' series is brutally honest, but with this post, I really tapped into something I feel is very personal.
What I was listening to whilst I wrote this: Where You Are - Moana
*This is not my photo
Read more about the study: here
Read more information about Misophonia: here
'You are my sunshine on a rainy day'
As much as going on a date can be a fun and bonding time for you and your other half (or even you and your friends). When you are trying to save your pennies, sometimes an expensive night out isn't always on the cards. When I say date I mean both in the literal sense of a date with your partner and also, I mean, a night/ day out with your friends.
I have compiled a little list of ideas that I put into practice often when it comes to dates!
Go for a Coffee
As an avid coffee drinker (maybe even a coffee addict?), the idea of just popping down to my local coffee shop and grabbing a hot drink sound very appealing to me. Especially considering that it's starting to get colder now, I feel that majority of bonding can be done over a hot cup of coffee.
Have a Homemade Dinner
This is definitely one of the best and cheapest ideas for couples and friends on a budget. Instead of spending loads of money out at a restaurant, why don't you use what's in your cupboards or freezer and cook up a lovely dinner at home? Light a candle and bottle of wine and have your very own date night right at home. You could even order some flowers as a surprise for your other half.
When ordering flowers there isn't always the guarantee that they will be fresh or last that long once they arrive at their destination. However, recently I got sent some flowers from Prestige Flowers, which were beautiful. What's different about Prestige Flowers, is that they do next day delivery if you order before 9pm, which is a really large window to order your flowers in. I know that I always forget about upcoming birthdays and being able to order flowers as a gift that close to the date would really save me some time. Also, when you send a bunch of flowers from Prestige Flowers, they give you a free box of chocolates with it. Which just adds that a little more of a personal feeling to your flowery gift. I love sending flowers in the post and being able to do it for as little as £19.99 (not including postage) sounds really good to a poor student like myself. They make an adorable date gift, especially if you have saved so much by making dinner at home!
Organise a game night
This is a perfect idea for a double date or even just a good, inexpensive night together with your friends. Organise a game night and have a group of people come round to play or just have a good, one-on-one night with your partner. I always find that a good game of Monopoly is a great way to bond, argue and fight until eventually you all give up and go to bed, but it is definitely something to laugh about in the future. Remember, making memories with your close friends or other half doesn't always have to involve money.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post! I hope it helps you in your dating life or just your friendships in general. I feel that making time for a date and even saving money for a date can be super hard. But I also feel that it's really important. Whether it's a date with a bunch of friends or even just with your other half, you should really make time for all the important people in your life.
(Bit of a strange one) Go Thrift shopping together
I don't know if this is just me, but I love thrift shopping. I feel like you will get to know the most about someone when you go from charity shop to charity shop with them. Also, this date idea is absolutely perfect for students. With limited money, the idea of snagging a bargain whilst also being on a date sounds really good too me! As a creative writing student, I am a little bit (actually a massive...) bookworm. I love reading. I feel what people like to read can really tell you a lot about them as a person and as I buy most my books second hand from charity shops, it sounds like an amazing date idea to go thrift shopping.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this post! I hope it helps you in your dating life or just your friendships in general. I feel that making time for a date and even saving money for a date can be super hard. But I also feel that it's really important. Whether it's a date with a bunch of friends or even just with your other half, you should really make time for all the important people in your life.
If you want to grab yourself a beautiful bouquet of flowers, then you can if you click right here
What song I was listening too whilst I wrote this: Home - Gabrielle Aplin
✶This is sponsored content but all opinions are my own.
What song I was listening too whilst I wrote this: Home - Gabrielle Aplin
'We are not perfect human beings, nor do we pretend to be. But it is necessary for us to be the best version of ourselves'
I want to talk about a very important topic this week. I have been thinking about this for a while and I thought a Sunday post would be the best place to tackle this topic. Anger or more specifically, being hotheaded.
If you don't know me personally, then you won't know that I can be quite hotheaded. I am not someone to shout or yell at someone, but I am quick to anger and I do hold grudges quite easily. But recently, I have been trying to break out of this cycle. As you grow every day, you find certain parts of your personality that are almost counterproductive to your goal of self-love and overall acceptance of yourself.
1. Ask yourself, is this something worth getting angry about?
Are you just getting angry because it's your first natural response? It's so important to understand, that if you are naturally hot-headed, getting angry is usually easier than any other response. But, it isn't always the correct one.
2. Take a breath
Sit, take a breath and think, does this matter? Is this going to affect me in the long run? Somethings really aren't worth your tears or arguments.
3. Take a break
But your phone down, get up, leave the room, evacuate the entire situation. Remove yourself. Stop replying to the texts or posts that are making you angry. If something is meant to go a certain way, it will. Take a breath, relax, sleep on it and in the morning, if you are still angry, then go from there.
4. Think about the other person
If you are angry due to someone else's actions, consider why they have done that before you get angry. This is definitely a new step for me. Sometimes, people go through things and their feelings bubble in certain ways. Not everything that makes you angry is necessarily aimed at you and you need to think about other people around you. People make mistakes and although you shouldn't always let your anger go, as it may lead to you being treated like a doormat, you have to learn who is going through a tough time themselves.
5. Anger is sometimes a completely rational response
Don't get me wrong, anger is sometimes the correct feeling. Anger is a completely valid feeling to have. If you do all the things above, you take a breath, you think about it, sleep on it and you are still angry, then express it. I am not saying anger is a completely negative feeling but having the hotheaded trait does mean that it's the easiest thing to express. Maybe the correct response is to ignore actions but maybe, just maybe, it's to stand up and explain why you feel the way you do. Anger can be healthy too.
So from one hotheaded human to another, please think before you shoot straight to anger. Sometimes, your anger is not misplaced and believe me, I am all on board with being treated with the respect you deserve. But think first. Do I need to get angry about this right now? Sometimes, it's better to ignore and move on.
What I was listening to whilst I wrote this: Would you be so kind - Dodie
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