bloggers in Birmingham

Life - Change is Good

12:37:00 pm

It's been a while hasn't it, I hope you don't mind for the lack of normal posting in the last couple of weeks but you know when life just takes over, that. If you read this post you will already know I am spending my first month back in England with Charl from Ginger Girl Says and so far it's been really good, I am just so glad to be back in England!  It took me a couple of weeks just to adapt to British life again after being in Morocco for such a long time but I'm getting back into the swing of things now and have had lots to do keeping me busy, so I thought I would give you a bit of an update on all the exciting things I have been doing.


Since I got back Charl has been kind enough to invite me onto her radio show Ginger Girl Says on 6 Towns Radio.  It has been such a cool way to spend our Wednesday nights and is really just an extension of conversations we have between ourselves everything from Celebrity Gossip to our personal dating stories.  You can join us on Wednesday nights from 9-11pm here.

At the start of this week I spent what felt like two full days in Selfridges Birmingham, not that I am complaining, it was a pleasure especially with the brand new beauty hall.  It was my first visit since the re design and I was honestly gobsmacked, it is everything a beauty lover could wish for and more!  The surprise of lots of new brands was great, especially  Urban Decay and Charlotte Tilbury.  There is also now a Beauty Personal Shopping Service available with the lovely Rose, meaning your entire Selfridges Beauty Experience can be tailored to your needs.  I was lucky enough to meet Rose at an event in London just over a year ago and have to say she was absolutely made for this position, she is such a great addition to the Selfridges Beauty Department.  You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the beauty goings on.

Last Monday I spent the afternoon with Urban Decay.  Learning  more about their new launches and was lucky enough to have my make up done by their National Make Up Artist Karen, she is literally a magician with a make up brush!  It was really good to have a closer look at the products that had launched recently as well as the much talked about Naked 3 Palette which launched when I was away.  This little visit also made me completely rethink my foundation routine for summer, so there will be more about that very soon.



Tuesday last week was a truly great day.  I was invited by Dermalogica to take part in their debate as part of Selfridges Beauty Project to discuss the topic, Does The Stereotypical Notion of Beauty Really Empower Women?  We had two sessions throughout the day and I was delighted to be in the company of such inspiring ladies, it was really fantastic to see how beauty can empower women in so many different walks of life.  Doing things like this can really help to change the way people think about careers in beauty and to remove the stigma of it being a less academically challenging profession.  I would really love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below.



Something else really exciting happened on Tuesday, I met a guy who convinced me to let him take me for a coffee that same night, we went for coffee, walked around my favourite area of Birmingham and will be seeing each other again next week.  The day after we met the most beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived on my doorstep, the most romantic thing anyone has done for me in a long time.  Lets be honest girls flowers are always a welcomed surprise, I will keep you all updated on this situation.



Since arriving back from Morocco I have been shopping so much, I'm going to try and put together some kind of clothing haul as that is what I have bought the most of, having shops on my doorstep again has been far too tempting.  In the last little while I have also  received some really lovely items to feature here on the blog from Skincare, Body Care, Clothing, Accessories and Pizza!  I have so many exciting features planned and genuinely cannot wait to bring you some new and exciting content.  Myself and Charl are going out today to take some outfit pictures including some pieces we have picked up recently so look out for those in the coming week.

I hope you enjoyed this little update, if you like this kind of thing keep an eye on my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter where I share little bits of my days, seven days a week! 

friendship

Life - The Thrill of Coming Home Has Never Changed

10:11:00 am



































I'm going to keep this really short and sweet as I genuinely cannot put into words how excited I am!

The picture above is Miss Charl and myself.  Incase you didn't know, Charl writes one of the best blogs on the internet, Ginger Girl Says and is basically an all round good egg and close friend of mine.
Since meeting this flame haired beauty at a blogging event in December 2012 we have remained friends and at times Charl has been one of the only people I could count on 100%.

As some of you may know (if you read this post you will) I have been in Morocco for a little while and a couple of months ago I began searching for a job back in the UK.  Unfortunately I wasn't really getting anywhere due to my address being in Morocco and I wasn't able to attend interviews.  I had mentioned this to Charl in one of our many Skype conversations and a couple of days later she sent me the kindest message  I had ever received

"Come live with me for a bit, just until you find somewhere of your own, you know get you on your feet again"

So after keeping it a little bit of a secret for about a month, I have made a decision - I AM MOVING BACK TO THE UK!

This Saturday I will be flying from Marrakech to spend the start of the summer with the best friend a girl could ask for.  I am extremely excited about kick starting the summer with a four week long sleepover in Charl's ultimate girl pad!

See you soon England! 

Do you know Gemma Button

Life - Get to Know Me Tag

4:32:00 pm

Do you know Gemma Button, Get to know me, Life, twenty one questions, tag, Gemma Button, Button's Blog
Do you get asked questions alot ? 
To be honest not really but I do ask a lot of questions, I am very inquizative and question everything in every situation.


1. Are you named after anyone? 

Gemima Puddle Duck, don't laugh my Mum was obviously high on laughing gas, she wanted to call me Gemima but was convinced post birth that Gemma would be a better option, thank all of the gods!  My middle name is also the same as my Granny's so I suppose im named after her too, which I love, you know with me being all sentimental.


2. When was the last time you cried? 
Again please dont laugh, this makes me sound sad and far to involved with something that has nothing to do with me.  When Judy from Its Judy Time gave birth to the twins, I have been watching her vlogs since before she had her first baby, Julianna and followed the family through this whole pregnancy, it was emotional.


3. Do you have kids?

I don't but maybe one day.  Never mind the maybe, being an only child I often longed for brothers and sisters so I want quite a big family maybe 3 or 4 children.  Ask me this again in 5 years please.

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? 

Yes definitley, I think I'm a really good, loyal friend.

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

No, Never.  Don't even know what it is.

6. Will you ever bungee-jump?

No way in hell! Why would people even do that its like jumping and letting your life be in the hands of a tiny little rope, have you seen the scales when I stand on them, that rope would snap!

7. What's your favorite cereal? 
I love cereal, in the morning, at night, at anytime of the day to be honest.  I like to switch it up everytime I get a new box but one I never get bored off it good old weetabix.  Weetabix can be so good with lots of different toppings and is not too sweet or sickly and it says its good for you on the box, winner.

8. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Teeth and hair, funnily the two things I am most concerned about on my own body, as long as they look acceptable I am okay.  Nearly forgot, Eyebrows, never trust a person with bad eyebrows.

9.What is your eye colour

Green, Blue depends on the light but mostly green.  I like my eye colour.

10. Scary movie or happy endings?
Happy endings, after all they only exist in movies.  The world is scary enough without movies too!

11. Favorite smells? 

Bacon cooking, scented candles, bleach.  Three very different scents but I love them all the same, weirdo.

12. Summer or winter?

I think winter.  I like the fashion more, layers are great.  Make up lasts longer.  Movember, need I say more.  Bonfire Night, Christmas and Valentines Day are all in Winter.  I also find family always get together in Winter, much more so than in the summer.

13. Computer or television?

I don't really watch television, if it is on I normally just use it for backround noise if my Ipad is on charge.  I much prefer the internet the possibilities are endless.

14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home?

Tenerife I think, my geography is horrendous.  Is Tenerife further than Morocco from the UK?

15. Do you have any special talents?
I can function on very little sleep, I can eat a whole lemon (please don't ask why I know this)

16. Where were you born? 

Inverness, Scotland.  This lassie is a highlander through and through.

17. What are your hobbies?

Obviously blogging.  Cooking, walking, film watching, attending gigs and concerts, over thinking, procrastinating.

18. Do you have any pets?

This is a bit confusing.  My ex boyfriend bought me a puppy in 2009, two months later he slept with my best friend, I left him and had to move home to a place where I couldn't take the dog.  I was going to have to get rid of him and everytime someone came to view him I didn't answer the door or if someone phoned I would say he was already sold.  My Grampa seen how much I loved the dog and had grown slightly attached to him too, little Cal the yorkshire terrier became my Grandparents pet and I genuinely believe that dog prolonged my Grampa's life.

19. Favorite movie?

Ever, ever?  Almost Famous, Im not telling you why.  Watch it.

20. Do you have any siblings?

I have a half sister and brother but don't have much contact with them, being honest it's out of choice.

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

A Wife and Mother.  Most people want career's and 'make something of themselves', of course I want these things too but my ultimate goal is to be the best Wife and Mummy one day.


boybands

Life - The Boyband Gene

3:00:00 pm

life, national holidays, One Direction, Win One Direction tickets, One Direction Where We are tour 2014, boybands, fandoms, fan girls,
When I was younger and all my friends had their bedroom walls covered in posters of Westlife, Five and Backstreet Boys, I was more than likely in my room with a pair of earphones in blasting Eminem and 50 Cent, boy bands were never really my 'thing'.  I was much more into Rap, Hip Hop and R'n'B and didn't really listen to anything else, much to my parents dismay.  I just didn't have 'the boy band gene'.

Fast forward to 2010 and something strange happened, a boy band was created and from the get go I was hooked.  It's like all of the time I missed listening to boy bands in my younger years will be made up, listening to this band!  There really is only one boy band I could be talking about, made up of five boys from around the British Isles, One Direction.  Four years later and I'm still listening to their music daily.  I wanted to write this post to highlight why, at the age of twenty two I am not ashamed of being a fan of the biggest boyband around!  Just to make it clear to the people reading this who are not fans, I am not some crazy fan girl that waits outside every hotel and venue screaming and crying,  unlike these girls I am significantly more in control of my actions.

It all started when I was eighteen, sitting in a bar in Tenerife, watching X Factor, waiting for the Bar Crawl I was working on to begin.  I was just sipping on my coke when a young boy from Cheshire walked onto the stage, I was glued to the screen, we now all know this young boy as Harry Styles.  This was my first memory of the beginning of One Direction, I remember Liam and Zayn's auditions too but not Louis's and Niall's.  As they all auditioned separately it wasn't until the Bootcamp stage of the competition that Mr Cowell and guest judge Nicole made the best decision ever.  Putting all five boys together in a band, that unknown to them, would one day be selling out Madison Square Garden!  I followed the show religiously until the final and I am not embarrassed to admit I turned off my TV when the boys were voted off, coming third.  One thing always stuck in my mind Zayn's comment 'This isn't the last of One Direction' - wasn't he right!

Three albums later it's safe to say One Direction have captured many girl's attention.  This is one thing I think is fascinating, girls as young as two love them and ladies of forty (my mum) listen to them, appealing to such a wide age range is amazing and something not many boy bands can say they have managed.  So often people question why I like One Direction, with my age often being the reason.  Why should age determine which bands or type of music I should like, it shouldn't so here I am telling everyone, so what I love One Direction, does it matter?  Why should I get funny looks when I'm buying One Direction albums, dvd's, fragrance, nobody should be judged for their taste in music, or anything else for that matter.

Baking for Beginners

Life - Everybody Thinks That a Girls Dream is to Find Mr Right...

3:00:00 pm

















































































The title of this post is kind of correct, I do,but most of all I want to eat cupcakes that don't add inches to my hips.  Unfortunately I have never come across a delicious fat and sugar free cupcake so until then I will avoid calorie counting and enjoy the yummy ones I bake.

I used a basic Mary Berry cupcake recipe and just altered it to make them into my favourite flavour, chocolate.  I created the butter cream recipe myself but it kind of happened by accident as the original recipe I was following didn't work out so I had to add a few things to correct it.  As these were so simple to make, I thought I would share the recipe with you all.

Cupcakes - Makes 12
125g Self Raising Flour
125g Caster Sugar
125g Softened Butter
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Eggs
30ml Milk
30g Cocoa Powder
Milk Chocolate (to decorate)

Raspberry Butter Cream
125g Softened Butter
250g Icing Sugar
12 Raspberries
100ml  Double Cream

Before I start the cupcakes themselves I preheat my oven to gas mark 4 (180 degrees) and line a cupcake tin with paper cases. It should only take about 10 minutes to make the batter so in this time my oven is ready.

I start the cupcake batter by mixing the sugar and butter with a wooden spoon until it looks lighter in colour, then I add the two eggs and mix really well.  Next I sieve the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the other ingredients and mix well with a whisk before adding the milk.  Spoon the mixture into the paper cases equally and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  After twenty minutes I place a metal skewer in the middle of one of the cupcakes and if it comes out clear they are ready, if not I bake for the full 25 minutes. Once they are ready remove them from the tin onto a baking rack to cool.

Whilst the cupcakes are cooling I make my butter cream.  I used my food processor this time but you can just use a hand whisk or wooden spoon if you don't have one.  This couldn't be easier, put all of the ingredients into the food processor and mix on a medium/high speed until smooth.  That is it.  The first time I made this butter cream I didn't add the cream and it just wasn't as light as I wanted it, the cream weirdly seems to make the texture lighter and the flavour less intense complimenting the chocolate pefectly.

When the cupcakes are completely cool I just decorate using a piping bag and grated chocolate.  Then they are ready to be enjoyed.  Told you they were easy.

Let me know if you try out this recipe!

Beauty

Beauty - MiSmile Invisalign Clinic Launch Birmingham

3:38:00 pm





Back in February I mentioned in my, Smoking and Teeth Whitening - Why the Two Don't Mix feature,   that I really wanted my teeth whitened.  Since then I have taken steps to cut the disgusting habit for good, but I'll be posting about that in more detail next week.  As I'm taking steps to cut out the habit that was putting me off having my teeth whitened I have also been looking at where to get the treatment done.

I received an email last week about a brand new dental clinic which opened in Birmingham last week which has really caught my eye.  MiSmile opened last Friday, 25th April and is situated in Burlington Court, right in the heart of Birmingham.  This is the place I have chosen to have my first whitening treatment performed, of course I will be having a consultation before hand to make sure the treatment I decide on is right for me and the health of my teeth and get all the information regarding the treatment.

Teeth Whitening isn't the only treatment available, Mi Smile is the UK’s first Invisalign only clinic.  Invisalign are in invisible braces that use a series of clear, removable aligners (similar to gum shields) that are worn for two weeks and then swapped with the next aligner in the series each slightly different, means that the teeth move gradually.  The number of aligners needed will vary according to case severity at the end of the process patients are left with a beautiful smile.  This is something I doubt I would be overly interested in as I'm quite happy with the shape and position of my teeth but I wanted to mention it as some of you reading might not be.

The owner and principle dentist of this brand new clinic is, Dr Sandeep Kumar, an Invisalign Diamond elite dentist.  He is fast approaching his 1000 case and has performed over 3000 teeth whitening cases with different techniques and methods and has used and tried all the major teeth whitening systems available in the UK.  Over the years Dr. Kumar has become the celebrity dentist of choice, With celebrity clientele including Catherine Tyldesley, Michelle Keegan, Shobna Gulati, Georgia May Foote, Jorgie Porter and Ray Quinn to name but a few.

Dancing on Ice ultimate champion, Ray Quinn is a current patient of Dr Kumar and had this to say about his treatment so far, at the launch last week;
'Sandeep has been amazing, he’s been showing me how to get the smile I’ve wanted without having to worry about disrupting my work schedule.  I’m just here today to say thanks'

I think it's safe to say I am going to be in great hands especially after watching all of the customer testimonials on the official MiSmile website.    I'm excited to visit the clinic and share my progress and experience with you.

What are your thoughts on teeth whitening, is it something you would have done yourself?



*I received no financial compensation for this post

#prrequest

Life - #PRREQUEST,

3:00:00 pm

I have felt the need to voice my opinion on the much talked about hash tag of the moment, #prrequest.  The #prrequest is something that, if used in the correct manner, can be very useful to Pr's and bloggers, but some people are using it in a way that was never intended, in doing so they are ruining it for others and turning it into some kind of joke.  If this subject is of interest to you please read on although please do not expect a completely negative attitude as I feel that using #prrequest in a positive way can be highly beneficial to everyone.


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The Good
As I said above using #prrequest can be  beneficial to everyone, if used in the correct way.  I personally respond to requests from brands, Pr's and journalists and doing so has resulted in some great opportunities for myself personally and for my blog.  Most recently I have been able to work with some of my favourite brands in the fashion and beauty world, this was all down to responding to a tweet found whilst browsing #prrequest.  If you are a regular reader you will know that from time to time I feature sponsored content, the most recent ones have all been brought to my attention via the pr request hash tag.  Relevant sponsored content is my way of earning a little bit of extra pennies whilst writing about things I would of anyway, nothing wrong with that, is there?

The Bad
People moaning on twitter about people misusing the hash tag is getting a bit old now to be honest, so instead of filling up your twitter time line with my two pence worth I decided this was a better way of voicing my opinion in a constructive way.  Yes it's a shame that some people are not to knowledgeable in the 'networking' side of things, that does not mean I want to read about it whilst looking for relevant collaboration opportunities.  My advice is, if what you see upsets you unfollow the person or don't search #prrequest.  Maybe more experienced bloggers could give the newer bloggers or people not using the hash tag to their advantage some advice instead of slating them.

#prrequest, life, bloggers, when to use the #prrequest effectively, when not to use the #prrequest, pr, bloggers do's and don'ts, sponsored posts, pr samples, the good the bad and the ugly,



The Ugly
You never have and never will see me tweeting about the pr request hash tag in a negative way because what someone else tweets is not my business but I do have a slight rant niggle, begging.  There is a massive difference between putting your details out there for people to contact you and specifically begging for a product or item.  When I see someone tweet their details and making Pr's/companies aware they accept sponsored content, I don't see a problem with it, this is networking.  When I see someone asking for a specific item because they can't be bothered to save up for it or just want a freebie it riles me.  This is the part of the hash tag that is giving bloggers a bad name.  Yes some of us are lucky enough to receive items to review but begging for it on social media, really?  I hope people realise how degrading and embarrassing this is and stop, it is giving people a bad first impression. 


#prrequest, life, bloggers, when to use the #prrequest effectively, when not to use the #prrequest, pr, bloggers do's and don'ts, sponsored posts, pr samples, the good the bad and the ugly,

There you have my thoughts on the subject everyone seems to be talking about, this is the first and last time you will see me write anything about it as everything I want to say is above, what are your thoughts?

a letter to my younger self

Life - A Letter to My Younger Self

3:30:00 pm

A letter to my younger self; I genuinely wish there was a way for this to be reality, an unwritten rule that at birth you are given this letter to refer to throughout life, it really would eliminate some of the questions I find myself asking now in my twenties. Unfortunately this will never be the case, unless a time machine is invented, so I intend to let you in on the advice I would give a younger Gemma Button in my 'birth letter' from myself.

Hi Gemma, (not Jemima Roberta, it was a close call)

Welcome to the world, it's the 24th September 1991 and everyone is delighted you are finally here after arriving 9 days late, you must have been comfortable in your Mummy's tummy!  This here is your guide to life, well kind of, more of a when you’re not sure, refer to me guide.  It will contain most of the important stuff, the photos are a glimpse into the future, it's up to you to make sure some of them never happen and be happy with the things that do, capture every moment.

Firstly, I urge you to make the most of the people who make the most of you.  One person you will build a close bond with is your Mum.  Your Mum loves you more than anyone else in the whole world and will be the one person who is there for you every single step of the way and will never give up on you, even when everyone else does.  Appreciate the little things she does like, building you a toy room, injecting magic into your life with the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, helping with homework, always providing anything you need and trying to keep you safe.  This amazing lady will show you that anything is possible if you work hard enough, watch her triumph through hard times and take strength in that you have it in you to do the same. 
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Your Auntie Sinead is special, make the most of every single one-on-one moment with her because one day she will have a beautiful baby of her own and one-on-one time will become less regular.  Every word of advice she will ever give you is in your best interests, please listen to her.

Your Grandparents are two of the most amazing people you will ever have the pleasure of spending time with, love them both so much your heart could explode and tell them at every possible opportunity, trust me one day you will wish you could say it just once more. 

That boy with the ginger hair, do not get into a relationship with him and definitely do not let him put a ring on your finger, he's a rat.  Hang onto 'The One' when you find him.  Erin, Rachel and Carolann are the best friends you will ever have.  You will also meet loads of new ones, including Miss Charl, who you will one day describe as your brain twin, without a doubt an all round good egg.  Please, please make sure you have at least one holiday abroad with each of these girls, you will regret it if you don't.

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All the women in your life are very intelligent, listen to them when they tell you to pay attention in school and get the grades you are capable of, not grades that just get you by.  You MUST go to college and complete a course in online marketing - it will benefit you in the future.  Find a job you adore, within the tourism or beauty industry, you will love it. Whatever you do don't let educational or employment based opportunities pass you by, grab them all with two hands and most importantly do not let a boy get in the way.  Also when everyone tells you to never get an overdraft listen to them, open a savings account instead. 

Beauty will always be a big interest of yours, I urge you to make wise decisions from a young age as far as 'trends' go.  Do not shave your legs until you really have to and whatever you do leave the hair on your arms alone!  Neon pink eye shadow will never look good, especially not with silver glittery eyeliner.  At the age of twelve you will be gifted a pair of hair straightening irons, be grateful and look after them but whatever you do don't use them every fifteen minutes!  Bleach is for cleaning, end of story, never be tempted to have your hair bleached, it ruins your gorgeous locks.  False tan should always look like you have been lying on a beach for a couple of days not like you have been rolling around in Doritos for 12 hours.  Please don't cut your hair short, you won't like it and get bad entensions.  The final thing is eyebrows - do not pluck them, ever, leave it to the professionals.
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Look after yourself by making your health a priority, do not smoke, only drink alcohol in moderation, enjoy exercise and build up a healthy relationship with food, at no point in your life will twenty cigarettes, red bull and crisps be a healthy daily diet, ever!  If you insist on doing these things at least get open a life insurance policy.

Above all, always be the best version of yourself and live an honest life and hold onto the special memories you make with the special people in your life, they will be priceless.

I'm sure you are now wondering who this letter is from? Well, I am the one and only person who knows you inside and out…………..the twenty two year old version of you, make me proud!

 This post surprised me how many different emotions I experienced whilst writing, the power of writing amazes me.  I urge everyone reading to write a letter to your younger self, blogger or not.  Of course there is a competition that Legal and General are running so you could win something for your efforts, (details below) but even if you don't put it online writing it will truly make you realise how special the people in your life are and how much you have achieved, or how little, which will in turn give you the motivation to make some changes.


Best Place to Read Blogs

Life - How to Make Bloglovin Work For Your Blog

3:30:00 pm

Best Place to Read Blogs, Bloglovin, Favourite Place to find new blogs., Follow me on Bloglovin, Life, Up and Coming Blogs, Where to Follow Blogs,

This is something I haven't done before on Button's Blog, show you exactly where to follow me and going into more detail why you should.  Of course you can always discover the different social media platforms I use,  for yourself by clicking the icons in the little birds above my profile picture, but in these posts I will be letting you in on some secrets I use to make these platforms work best for my blog and why I like using them.  I'm no expert but these are just little things I do and they seem to be working. I will be writing a a separate post for each specific platform to make sure I can go into more detail.  First up in this series will be all about Bloglovin so keep reading if you want to know more. 

Bloglovin is my preferred place for everyone to follow me due to it being the first place my posts are published other than directly at my URL, lets be honest I doubt anyone sits with my page open on their browser 24/7 refreshing in the hope of a new post, making Bloglovin the place to be.  Following me here will ensure you are one of the first people to see any new and exciting content before anyone else due to everything I post on my blog being automatically posted to Bloglovin, this is just one of the great features of connecting your blog with Bloglovin allows.  There is also a feature which lets you have every post instantly posted on Facebook and Twitter at the same time.  This would be great if you have little time on your hands to personally promote your new posts, at the moment I am blessed to have some extra time on my hands so like to promote my posts myself, although I will definitely need to use this additional tool in the future.

Also people who do not have a blog or use any other platforms can sign up to Bloglovin via email or Facebook, most of my family and non blogging friends follow my posts this way now.

I decided it was a must for my readers to follow me on Bloglovin because it is my personal favourite place to keep up with my own favourite blogs.  It is so easy to keep up to date as everything is in date and time order of when it was posted and marks which posts you have read, meaning no more clicking on a post only to realise you have read it previously.

 As well as being the ultimate reading platform, Bloglovin tells you who followed you so you can check them out and follow back in return if you enjoy their blog.  The like feature also lets you achieve the same but also allows you to see at a glance which posts are being most enjoyed by your loyal readers.

Tell me in the comments below if you found this useful and is there anything you do on Bloglovin that I should know about?

death by google

Life - Just Google It

3:30:00 pm

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life, google, death by google, dont believe everything you read, why google is dangerous, real life,
After recent events in my life 'Just Google It' - something my Mum says to me on a daily basis - is a subject that I feel the need to address.  It is always said completely innocently, simply because it's what Mum would do herself, but it can have some pretty drastic results if taken literally.  That's why today I want to reiterate the fact that you shouldn't believe everything you read on the Internet.

One example of when to be cautious is when you are ill.  The past ten days or so I have had the worst flu I have ever experienced, which turned into a full blown chest infection, and I feel I have been metaphorically dying.  I was always told you don't need to consult a doctor with cold and flu symptoms because there is pretty much nothing they can do other than suggest rest, home remedies and a list of over the counter medication as long as someone with legs up to here.  In Morocco there is no NHS so you really don't go to the doctors unless you have a serious concern and according to Mother Button, this has to be pretty severe.  So.........when your body feels like a bus has ran over it (a thousand times),  your head feels like an over inflated balloon and your coughing so much you begin to develop muscles in your stomach you never even knew existed, who do you turn to?  Google of course!

The first thing I searched was, 'What foods are good for you when you have flu'. This was reasonably successful in providing me with relevant information including foods that help build up physical strength to fight the illness,  those high in vitamins to strengthen the immune system and foods that will be highly nutritious if you are not able to eat a lot.

This advice had me huffing and puffing my way to the shop for turkey, bananas, chicken soup and adding garlic and ginger to every single thing I ate.  One suggestion was toast, blooming toast, are you serious? I have never read so much rubbish in all my life and the description given was even less helpful.  According to the web page I landed on, 'toast is nothing to ignore. If you can manage food, try toast or crackers. It can be a convenient food when you're fighting illness. Plus, they pair well with chicken noodle soup and their satisfying crunch can take the edge off hunger when your stomach can't handle much'.  Basically because it goes well with chicken soup and the crunch can apparently curb feelings of hunger it is described as a good food to eat when you have flu.  Reason No1 of why you shouldn't believe everything you read.

The next few keywords searched would have me believe within five minutes flat, had I been gullible enough,  that I was suffering with a fatal illness and needed to see a doctor immediately.  Thankfully not the case but when you are in pain you believe anything in order to put a reason to your suffering.  'Cold or Flu Symptom Check'  was my next search phrase and it took me to the NHS online symptom checker and after answering a few questions about how I was feeling I was presented with an alarming message. 'SPEAK TO YOUR GP IMMEDIATELY', followed by 'if your surgery is closed you should follow their instructions for contacting the emergency doctor'.  Totally ridiculous after detailing clear cold and/or flu symptoms.  It is advice like this that leads to the NHS being abused by making you believe you urgently need to see a doctor, when really all you need is a mug of hot lemon & honey and a few days rest.  Reason No2 of why you shouldn't believe everything you read.

I could go on but I am sure you get my drift, be it Google or any other Internet source, content is only as reliable as the opinion of the person that wrote it and should never be treated as gospel.  This way of thinking should also be applied if you are an avid social media (especially twitter) user, it would definitely save a lot of misunderstandings and disagreements, savvy?

To leave you all with something to think about - ask yourself - if someone else could see the last three things you typed into Google, would you cringe?

cocktail making at home

Life - If You Can Dream It You Can Do It - Disney Cocktails

5:21:00 pm

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HOW AMAZING ARE THOSE!  Cocktails by Cody is the best thing the internet has allowed me discover so far this year, well aside from my Stila 'Gemma' lisptick but that was a given.  As soon as the Cinderella masterpiece popped up on my Facebook news feed I was transported to a daydream of Disney themed fancy dress parties and matching beverages. These are the most amazing cocktails I have ever layed eyes on and now I'm addicted to Cocktails by Cody's Facebook page awaiting the newest invention. 

On discovering these Disney themed cocktails I just had to get in touch with the man himself and ask him a couple of questions. Let me introduce you to the genius behind these creations, Cody.


How did Cocktails by Cody all begin? 
I started dabbling in mixology shortly after I turned 21, I saw bar tending as a skill set that would provide some decent financial reward.  I practised for a good 8 months learning everything I could, but as soon as I started applying places nobody would even look at me without a year minimum experience. With this set back I decided to brand myself as Cocktails by Cody, build some web presence, and attack the job market from a new angle.  I decided a few Disney themed drinks would get me a bit of traction and beef up my web traffic. With the help of Tumblr and Facebook, within 6 days my cocktail creations had been seen by over 2.5 million people.

 How are you finding the attention ? It's been crazy, but the support is overwhelming, I'm very thankful

What's next for Cocktails by Cody?
I am currently plugging away at this e-book for the drinks and their much anticipated recipes which will be out this year and I aim to make another themed cocktail book sometime after. I will be sure to keep everyone posted!

I'm so glad I got the chance to ask Cody these few questions as his story behind his journey from wannabe bartender to cocktail magician is quite remarkable, once again proving my point of how powerful social media can be.

I'm super excited to see what he comes up with next and secretly hoping for an Up themed cocktail, my favourite Disney film ever, which one is your favourite?

Chilli Con Carne from Scratch

Life - Sometime's the Most Unexpected Matches Surprise You

3:54:00 pm

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 Every time I purchase beef mince I have two recipes in mind, Spaghetti Bolognaise or Chilli Con Carne, on this occasion is was the one with a slight kick.  Chilli is one of my favourite meals and can be used in so many different ways, with chunky potato wedges, piled on top of tortilla chips or if you prefer to keep it traditional, with fluffy white rice.

You will need:

200g Beef/Steak Mince
Olive Oil (1/4 tsp)
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 (200g) Medium Onion
1/2 Medium Chilli Peppers (down to personal preference, I use 2)
200g Kidney Beans 
2 tbsp Tomato puree
3 (200g) Tomatoes chopped
200ml Water
*secret ingredient*

I start by preparing all of my ingredients, finely chop the onion and chilli (remove the seeds to avoid burning your whole mouth off) and grate the garlic.

After adding a tiny bit of olive oil (1/4 tsp) I lightly warm the garlic and add the mince and cook on a low heat until browned.  Once the mince is cooked through the onion, chilli and kidney beans are added, just mix these in with the beef and cook until softened slightly.  Then I add the tomato puree and mix in thoroughly, cooking lightly before adding the chopped tomatoes and water.

Once everything is in the pan cover with the lid (or a plate like me if you have lost the lid) and I leave it to simmer for about 30 minutes on a very low heat.

*Secret Ingredient*
4 (50g)Squares unsweetened dark chocolate 
Once the chilli has been left to simmer for 30 minutes, add the chocolate and allow to melt,  for an absolute taste sensation!  It must be unsweetened dark chocolate, milk chocolate will not work.  This compliments the flavours in the chilli like a dream, you can't taste the chocolate specifically but it really does enhance the flavour.

Chilli Con Carne is such an easy, affordable and incredibly delicious meal and using this recipe it should serve 4 people.  I have served it with fluffy rice here, I totally cheated this time and used boil in the bag though.  Mum and I always keep some Chilli until the next day, something magical happens to the flavours in the fridge overnight, normally to make nachos.

 Would you like a recipe for Nachos with Cheese, Sour Cream and homemade Guacamole?