Filomena Kaguako, Author at Enhance What's Yours - Page 17 of 28Enhance What's Yours

Posted on May 2, 2015

Win!!! Cocoa Brown Gift Set +More!!!

win

And the winners are:

1. Laura Rahill

2. Zoe Forde

3. Kimberly Edosa

I’ve emailed you all, please reply with your address details as soon as you can, as you only have 24 hours to claim your prize. Thanks a mill for entering the competition, looking forward to hearing how you get on! Until next time 🙂

It’s competition time!!!!!

Realistically, I should be calling this my summer giveaway, but it hurts me to say those words when I look outside the window – typical Irish weather! So to take the sting out of things, we are going to call this my bank holiday giveaway until things begin to brighten up (gotta stay hopeful!).

~~So what’s up for grabs!?~~

~~1. Catrice Gift Set & Eylure Dramatic Lashes~~

This makeup set has everything you need to go from a soft day time look to a sexy night time look. From beautifying lip smoother to dramatic false lashes, these bad boys will take you a step further from your basic everyday look!

~~2. Cocoa Brown Gift Set~~

Not that I can ever be an advocate for this brand, but word on the street has it that Cocoa Brown is one of the top brands in Ireland for faking some colour! Marissa Carter’s Cocoa Brown Tan is an award-winning product in the Emerald Isle and will soon be launching in UK and the U.S!

~~3. €25 giftcard for Arnotts~~

Nothing beats knowing you will get €25 off one of your favourite purchases. So whether you are a makeup addict or shoe lover, you can spend this gift card anywhere in the store! And if you do happen to be a shoe lover (it’s hard not to be), then come and say hello to me in the Shoe Garden. I promise I won’t try to sell you anything 🙂

~~To win one of these fabulous prizes, you must do the following:~~

Comment on any blog post.
Subscribe to http://enhancewhatsyours.com
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter
Like my Facebook page

~~Remember, those who engage with my posts the most have a better chance of winning! Good luck gals 🙂~~

Terms & Conditions:

You must be a resident of Ireland. If you are under 18, you must consent from your parents to enter the giveaway as the winners will be required to give me their address in order to have their prize sent out to them. There will be three winners. Each winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize, otherwise another winner will be chosen in their place. Giveaway ends on Sunday 24th^th June at 10pm.

Note: I’ve extended the entry date for giveaway so you have more time to enter 🙂

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Back to school giveaway with Flormar makeup
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And the winner is Leona Melling! Big congrats and please check your Facebook messages! x September means uniforms for some, fresher’s week for others and the end of summer for everyone else. I know, it all sounds so dreary, doesn’t it just? Because I know a lot of people don't…
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Win!!! SOSU Christmas Gel Polishes!!!
33
The winner is simmybellenails!!!!! Please check your Instagram messages to see how you can claim your prize! Thank you all for entering, keep an eye out for the next one! x With Christmas just around the corner, I’ve decided to do a giveaway for one of my much-loved readers. As…
Tags: prize, winner, will, giveaway, instagram, facebook, twitter, claim

Posted on April 28, 2015

Coconut Chia Pudding

recipes

Chia seeds have been a staple food in the health and fitness world for quite some time. They are loaded with antioxidants, have a good amount of protein, and they also have a serious amount of calcium in them – gotta look after those bones!

For this recipe, you only really need two ingredients to make a basic chia pudding: chia seeds and milk. But because chia seeds can be quite bland, there is a lot of room for variety. You can add your favourite toppings or flavours to give it that extra bit of goodness!

Without further ado, here’s how you make a basic chia seed pudding:

Ingredients:

50g chia seeds
120ml coconut milk

1 tbs honey (optional)
Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Put the chia seeds into a glass or a jar.
Add in the milk and mix it together with a fork.
Add in honey and cinnamon, if using and then mix again.
Refrigerate overnight.
The next morning you should have a thick and creaming chia pudding with a little bit of a crunch.

You can have the chia pudding on it’s own, or you could chop up some fruit to give your pudding some life! I didn’t add honey or cinnamon to my mixture, so my pudding was in desperate need of life! I diced a mango and put the pieces over my pudding.

Then, I drizzled some honey and coconut milk over it.

Finally, I sprinkled some milled chia seeds over the pudding and dug in!

What I love the most about this recipe is that it can be made to your own preference. If you don’t like coconut milk, you can use almond or rice milk, and if you don’t like mangoes, you could use berries!

If you do decide to give this recipe a go, send me a tweet over @FilomenaKaguako, would love to know how you got on! 🙂

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6 Dairy-free milk substitutes
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There are a number of reasons why you might like to eliminate cows milk from your diet. Whether it’s due to a dairy allergy or simply because you want to make more health conscious decisions about what you consume (it’s nearly that time of year again!), you can find a…
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Food Diary Friday
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https://youtu.be/Fw-hd43IhAg Happy Foodie Friday guys! :) If you follow my Instagram story at all, then you would know that I am big into healthy eating! As a self-proclaimed #FitFam and #Foodie, I've decided to start a mini YouTube series called Unethical Vegan. The dream (diet-wise) is to one day be…
Tags: chia, pudding, seeds

Posted on April 22, 2015

7 reasons your ‘diet’ isn’t working

Diets/ fitness/ Health/ health benefits

There’s nothing more annoying than spending so much time in the gym, doing calorie counts at a restaurant, avoiding all your favourite snacks and still seeing no results. Despite all your efforts and ability to maintain will-power for so long, the number on the scale doesn’t seem to want to budge– mind-boggling, right?

Luckily, you don’t have to throw in the towel right away and you might even find it comforting to know that you probably aren’t the only ‘dieter’ who isn’t seeing the desired results.

In most cases, it could just be because you’ve picked up on a few small – and extremely common – habits that are preventing you from seeing the scale drop. All it takes is making a few smart lifestyle changes that will have you shedding weight sooner than you think.

Here are some of the reasons your ‘diet’ isn’t working:

#1: Calling it a ‘diet’ to begin with

I personally don’t like the word ‘diet’. To me, it implies starvation, limitation and robbing your body of what it needs to survive – ok, that’s a bit of a stretch, but you know what I’m getting at. I think it’s better to regard your weight loss goals as creating a lasting healthy lifestyle – this also promises a lot more consistency!

#2: Not knowing your eating personality

I recently wrote a piece about knowing your eating personality. Knowing whether you’re a socialiser, a binger or an emotional eater can bring you one step closer to seeing the the results you want because you will know how to go about on making your lifestyle changes.

#3: Going cold turkey

I’ve already touched on the idea that I associate the word diet with restriction and limitation. But it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that labelling certain foods as big no-no’s will only make you want them more. Remember, moderation is key! If you focus on having more of what your body needs i.e fruits, vegetables and water, then you can treat yourself every now and again.

#4: Trying to eat as little as you can

Don’t get me started on this one. Nothing hurts me more than hearing someone say ‘I’m starving, but I can’t eat past 8pm’ it drives me absolutely insane! Some people seem to forget that food is their body’s fuel. You need it to keep energised during the day. Eating within a healthy range of foods is not bad for you – even if it is after 8.30pm!

#5: Misreading the scale

When I first started at the gym I was 50kg, then after a couple of months, I went up to 52kg. Some people would freak out about this, but I knew that it was just all the muscle that I was gaining for working out! If the scale isn’t budging, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t losing inches. You could simply getting fitter and gaining lean muscle mass.

#6: Dieting but not exercising

If you want to see results, then you need to bare in mind that watching your diet and exercising go hand-in-hand. If you’re too embarrassed to go for a jog and don’t want to join any gym classes then there are a lot of YouTube videos that can help you achieve your weight-loss goals in the comfort of your own home- you have no excuse!

#7: Giving up too soon

Anyone can have a setback, but it takes someone with real determination to get back up and try all over again. I’m not going to lie, I have my moments when I give up completely and need a few weeks to get back on track. But when I do, I get enthusiastic about it all over again! It all comes down to being realistic about what you can achieve in the time that you have. Remember, if you can dream it, you can do it!

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Posted on April 21, 2015

Healthy homemade granola

Health/ recipes

When it comes to granola, I’ve always thought that making it at home was far better than consuming the store-bought stuff (like most things, I suppose).

Ready-made granola tends to be packed with sugar, unhealthy fats/oils and unnecessary ingredients. Homemade granola allows you to have full control of what you put in and how much of it you want – you are the boss here!

This recipe takes no more than 20 minutes to make and if anyone around the house is a fan of nuts and oats then most likely, you will have most of the ingredients at home!

So let’s get started….

Ingredients:

200g organic oats
2 tbsp coconut oil
25g sunflower seeds
3 tbsp seasame seeds
2tbsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsp honey
55g dried fruit

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil in a large pan and then add in oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon powder and honey. Gently stir until everything is well incorporated.
Cook at a medium heat for about 8-10 minutes or until the oats are golden brown in colour.
Remove from heat and allow to cool on a baking paper.
Once cool, stir in the dried fruit and store in an airtight container.

Tip: Once you get the swing of things, you can switch up the nuts and add your favourite seeds – make it your own! Serve with Greek yogurt or in a smoothie bowl, enjoy 🙂

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Healthy peanut butter cups
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This 3-ingredient peanut butter cup recipe is to die for! These chocolatey treats are thick and gooey (in a good way) and just melts in your mouth at every bite. They also taste much better than the store bought versions and as always, they’re much healthier too! Ingredients: 2 tbsp natural…
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Today was a very productive day: I made my very own Nutella.That's right, I made a thick and gooey hazelnut spread with a touch of cocoa that tastes very much like the much-loved 'breakfast' spread, Nutella itself. Now I know it doesn't look like the most appetising chocolate spread out…
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Posted on April 16, 2015

3 Green smoothie recipes

recipes

I’ve been asked on several occasions to to do a few smoothie recipes on my blog. If you follow me of Facebook or Twitter, you would know that I am big into making smoothies (they’re just so refreshing!)

Lately, I’ve been trying to add some vegetables into my recipes and after a series of trial and error, the three smoothies that made it to the finish line are…..

3. Banana and avocado smoothie

Since bananas are naturally sweet, this smoothie doesn’t need an additional sweetener!

If you really have a sweet tooth, you can add some honey (nobody’s judging you…)

2. Avocado and spinach smoothie

This green smoothie makes for a great post-workout snack! Since it has spinach, it helps increase muscle growth – Popeye had it right all along!

1.Spinach and apple smoothie

I particularly like this one because even after 48 hours in the fridge, it still tastes amazing! You can make it at night, bottle it up and have it for breakfast! (for two consecutive days if you’d like)

I’m still experimenting with kale and a few other vegetables, but for the moment, I’m liking these three! Let me know if you decide to try any of them!

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Posted on April 15, 2015

Food cravings: What your body is trying to tell you

Health

Although people have food cravings for a number of different reasons, an abnormal craving for something is usually a sign that your body is low in a particular mineral, nutrient or vitamin.

When you crave a particular food, your body is speaking out to you and trying to tell you that you’re lacking in something important.

Here are some of the most popular food cravings and what they mean:

Sugar

Sometimes, a craving for sugary foods can simply mean that your body is under hydrated and may need some water. But at other times, sugar cravings could indicate a blood sugar imbalance or more precisely, a drop in sugar levels. However, instead of reaching for cakes and biscuits to ‘stabilise’ your blood sugar level, it’s a good idea to consume more fibre-enriched foods to give your body the fuel it needs without spiking up sugar levels.

Suggestions: Beans, whole grains, fruit & vegetables.

Salt

Changes in stress hormone levels in the body can often lead to cravings for salty foods. So if you tend to always carry around a packet of crisps with you during exam season, this could be why. The adrenal glands, responsible for helping the body cope with stress, tend to get tired from hormone production. To support these hard working organs and to keep the salt craving at bay, add more B-vitamin foods to your diet.

Suggestions: Nuts, seeds & vegetables.

Fizzy drinks

A craving for carbonated drinks usually indicate low levels of calcium in the body. Calcium, as you probably already know, is associated with bone growth. When the body is low in calcium, it will draw this mineral from it’s bones, which could lead to health problems in the future. Instead of reaching for a fizzy drink, try including more calcium- enriched foods in your diet.

Suggestions: Low-fat dairy products or leafy greens

Oily foods

A craving for greasy foods can often indicate a fatty acid deficiency. Instead of having a deep fried snack, try including more good fats in your diet. This will provide the body with essential fatty acids and may reduce cravings for unhealthy fats.

Suggestions: Omega-3 and omega -6 fatty acids and more fat-soluble vitamins E, D K & A.

Carbs

White flour based cravings can indicate fatigue, changes in blood sugar levels or insulin resistance. If you tend to crave a lot of white bread, crackers or foods that have a lot of white flour in them, then it is important to include more fibre in the diet. This will give you better blood sugar control.

Suggestions: Fibre, magnesium enriched foods like bananas or spinach & more protein.

Fish

A fish craving can indicate low levels of protein in the body. Adding more protein to your diet usually does the job when you are craving fish in general, but when it is more specific i.e salty fish, then it may mean the body needs more sodium.

Suggestions: Nuts, leafy greens and beans.

Red meat

Cravings for red meat are usually a sign of an iron deficiency. So if you often crave steaks or burgers quite regularly then it may be time to eat some more iron-rich foods. Since vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, it’s a good idea to eat foods that are high in this vitamin along with your iron-enriched foods.

Suggestions: Legumes, dried fruit & beans.

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Disclaimer: This list is only an indication. Specific food cravings could mean different things for different people. See your doctor if you have any concerns.

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Posted on April 12, 2015

10 signs you’ve been friend zoned

Dating

You may associate the word ‘friend zone’ with men who get repeatedly rejected by women who are out of their league. Or more precisely, that poor fella who wants more than a platonic relationship with his bestie but because she’s never given him the green light, he keeps his mouth shut – sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

While the friend zone is most commonly a place where men are left to rot in, there are also times when women find themselves in that same dreaded situation – that’s right, women get friend zoned too!

Luckily for me, I have yet to experience it myself (never say never). But sadly, I have witnessed one or two gals being friend zoned and are somehow blind to it.

If you keep using his ‘shyness’ as an excuse for not making a move on you, then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate the situation. Here are 10 telltale signs that you’re in the friend zone.

1. When he asks you to chill, you actually chill

You watch a film from start to finish, you’re under the same blanket but never cuddle, he burps in your face and isn’t shy about it – you get the picture. If you never miss a single scene when watching a film together, then that is undeniable proof that you’re in the friend zone – sorry to break it to you.

2. He calls you bro

You could wear all the dresses in the world if you wanted to, but once he calls you ‘bro’ (and feels comfortable about it too) you are deep in the friend zone and you won’t be swimming in the shallow end anytime soon! He clearly sees you as one of his male friends – nothing more, nothing less.

3. He tells you about the women he pulls

Every time he shacks up with someone new, you’re one of the first people to hear about it. He has no problem telling you about his hot dates, problematic relationships or steamy one night stands. In his mind, you are there to listen.

4. He tells you that any man would be lucky to have you

5. He introduces you to people as his sister

When you meet his new friends, he often throws in the word ‘sister’ as a little reminder of where you two stand – not purposely, of course. He just loves you SO much, you’re like a sister to him. It has gotten so bad that you’re even starting to wonder whether or not people actually know you by name.

6. He doesn’t notice when you’re dressed to the nines

When he first saw you in a bikini he didn’t bat an eye lid and when you’re all dolled up for your night out, he doesn’t even flinch. At this stage, you feel you could walk by him half naked and he wouldn’t even notice! Friend zone level? deep!

7. He continually tells you to get with one of his boys

He keeps telling you what a cute couple you and John would make. Meanwhile, you are thinking about what a cute couple you and him would make.

8. He never ever flirts

If he flirts with every woman that walks into the room except you, then that my dear is what you call the extreme level of friend zone. Can you even remember the last time he paid you a compliment? I thought as much.

9. He pats you on the head

When you see him interacting with other girls, you see him poking them, tickling them and having a laugh. Not to mention, they always get a kiss on the cheek before they part ways. Other women get a kiss on the cheek, but you get a pat on the head – friend zone at its finest.

10. He often makes you his sidekick

If you can’t remember the last time his wingman was actually a MAN, then most likely you are in the friend zone for the long run. You might as well get yourself new runners, some baggy pants and get used to him calling you ‘dude.’ If that doesn’t suit, then remove yourself from the situation and go find yourself a new distraction. Oh yea, and chin up!

Until next time 🙂

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Posted on April 11, 2015

5 runners that will motivate you to workout

fitness/ Health

A gym instructor once told me that the sexier your workout clothes, the more productive your workout will be. Now, I don’t know if it was just his way of getting women to wear yoga pants in his classes or not, but I do think there is some truth to this statement – especially when it comes to running shoes.

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I am crazy about my pink Nike runners. They’re the most comfortable pair of running shoes I’ve ever owned and when I first got them, I was so motivated to workout that I managed to do a bit everyday – even if it was just a 10 minute walk up the road, I was all game!

So if you think you could do with a bit of gym motivation then I think these runners could help transform you to ultimate fitness fanatic:

New Balance Fresh Foam Zante

Photo Credit

Of course I had to start with New Balance as they seem to be everywhere at the moment! While the New Balance running shoes aren’t suede or anything fancy like the fashionable ones you see everyone wearing, they are a very firm and responsive footwear with cushioning that allows for longer runs. This shoe is also the ‘2015 Road Shoe of the Year’

RRP: $99, Newbalance.com

Nike Air Max Thea

I’m obsessed with the look of these runners; I think they’re the cutest thing ever! If you aren’t a huge fan of the colour (the first thing that caught my eye) then not to worry, as it comes in about a million other colours too! The Nike Air Max Thea is a lightweight shoe that is mesh at the forefoot and has perforations at the heel for breathability. It’s overall texture gives it a lightweight feel so you won’t want to stop running once you put them on!

€107, JD Sports

Sketchers Equalizer Expect Miracle

I’ve never been a huge fan of Sketchers in general. But I must say, after I tried on a pair of their running shoes for the first time I had a new found respect for the brand. The Sketchers Equalizer has a memory foam insole, which means it molds itself to the shape of your feet with every step you take. What can possibly beat a customized fit?

RRP: €82, Schuh

Asics GT 2000

Photo Credit

It might not look as pretty as the others, but the Asics GT 2000 is such a comfortable shoe that it wouldn’t even matter. I think a lot of the comfort comes from the fact that it has a DuoMax support system at the midsole which is positioned to enhance both support and stability – there will be no limits to your running with these bad boys!

RRP: €130, Elverys

Nike Free 5.0

Last but not least, the Nike Free 5.0. Not only are they stunning looking, but they are amazingly comfortable too! The Nike Free 5.0 is an extremely flexible lightweight shoe with ample cushioning. This shoe has an abundance of forefoot space, giving your toes the necessary space to move around freely. I have the Nike Free myself, and whenever I have them on, I feel like I have on slippers – love every inch of them!

RRP: €113, JD Sports

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Posted on April 8, 2015

7 Bad beauty habits to break

Beauty/ Skincare

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit: you leave mascara on your lashes today, you forget to wash your face tomorrow and before you know it, going to bed with a full face of makeup becomes a normal part of your life.

Sleeping with makeup is probably one of the most common bad beauty habits out there – next to nail biting, that is. But just because these habits are common, it doesn’t mean you should carry on biting your nails or sleeping with makeup on like it’s okay!

Here are some of the worst beauty mistakes you should never fall victim to:

1. Using dirty brushes

Now when I say dirty, I don’t mean that you can physically see dirt on your makeup brush (that would be pretty bad). What I’m talking about is the brushes that don’t get washed as often as they should. Using unclean brushes on your face spreads bacteria all over it. As well as that, makeup doesn’t apply so smoothly when you use an unclean brush so if you want a flawless finish, be sure to use a clean brush! Here is a quick guideline for cleaning your makeup tools.

2. Using old products

Since cosmetics aren’t required to have a sell by date on them, it is always a good idea to make note of when you first opened your beauty products. This way, you’ll have some sort idea as to when you should replace your products. But, even without little reminders, a bit of common sense can tell you when to dump out a face cream that has been lying on your shelf for years. If it looks funny or smells funky, then dump it!

3. Biting nails

Although biting nails can be a sign of nervousness, a lot of people do it out of boredom. Apparently, there are more bacteria under your nails than there are under a toilet seat. In other words, you’d be better off licking the toilet seat than chewing your nails – apologises for the mental image. If biting nails is one of your bad habits then maybe you should consider getting a nail varnish that helps with nail biting. There are plenty of these available on the market at the moment. They work by simply putting a vile taste in your mouth every time you bite your nails – genius!

Photo Credit

4. Licking lips

There’s nothing worse than licking your lips in the hopes that it’ll keep them moisturised. If anything, it’ll only cause you to want to moisturise them even more. When your lips are dry, use a lip balm (preferably with an SPF), balms should be your only go-to when it comes to keeping your lips nice and moist, not saliva. My favourite is the Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm as well as the Nivea Fruity Shine Lip Balm in Cherry – it actually looks like gloss!

5. Skipping the SPF

Without a good SPF, your skin becomes more sensitive to sun spots, aging and wrinkles. If you think it’s too much hassle using a sunscreen as well as a moisturiser, then you could always try to get a moisturiser that has an SPF of some sort, even if it is just 20. In my books, sunscreen is what keeps you young looking – as well as a good diet of course!

6. Face touching

This habit is pretty hard to break as most of us do it without even noticing. But it definitely is a habit that you should attempt to break if you want to avoid unpleasant breakouts. All the touching, scratching and rubbing is one of the worst ways to spread dirt, oil and bacteria on your skin.

7. Sleeping with makeup on

It can be very tempting to fall asleep without giving your face a good clean. But, if you don’t want to wake up to any unpleasant surprises in the morning, then be sure to cleanse your face before going to bed. Clogged pores can cause breakouts on your face, and a deeply cleansed skin help your night cream work a lot better!

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Are you using the right cleanser for your skin type?
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In one of my previous posts, I covered skin types and discussed how you can find out whether you’ve been blessed with normal skin, have combination skin, suffer from oiliness or, are at the other end of the spectrum: suffer from dryness. While this might seem blatantly obvious to…
Let's talk about skin, hair and nails
38
Growing up with acne-prone skin has turned me into a bit of a skincare junkie: from beauty tools to beauty products, I pretty much like to get my paws on everything and anything that will give my complexion even the slightest glow! So when I read reviews on how Perfectil…
Tags: skin, beauty, nails, idea, good, it's, pretty, products, work

Posted on April 7, 2015

5 simple no-cook breakfast ideas

fitness/ food/ Nutrition/ recipes

‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ – These are words that have been drilled into us from the very beginning of time. Yet even as adults, we manage to deprive our bodies of the fuel it needs to get us through the day.

If you tend to skip breakfast because you feel you don’t have the time in the mornings, then here are some simple meals you might like to try out:

Yogurt Parfait

Put a layer of plain yogurt in a cup or bowl.
Add some sliced fruit and then sprinkle with nuts or granola.
Add another layer of yogurt and then repeat until you have a mountain of deliciousness!

Tip: If you stick to one fruit, it makes your job much easier!

Oaty Smoothie

Chop up two or three fruit and toss them into a blender.
Pour in some water and blend until you have a smooth texture.
Add in some oats and blend again.

Tip: Soak your oatmeal in water overnight. This will give you a better blend!

Fruit Salad

Cut up your favourite fruit and put it in a bowl.
Add in some nuts and seeds.
Dress it up with some honey and orange juice before mixing together.

Tip: If you use a lot of berries, you don’t have to worry about slicing too many things up!

Homemade beet juice

Throw two beets, 1 celery and 2 glasses of water into a blender.
Process until smooth.
Filter the contents into a glass using a sieve.
Put whatever is left in the sieve back into the blender and then add some more water.
Blend and repeat process until you have yourself a nice glass of beet juice.
Add a dash of lemon juice and enjoy.

Tip: The good thing about this is you can prepare it the night before!

Oatcakes

Spread peanut butter over two or three oatcakes.
Slice up a banana and evenly spread the pieces on top of each.
For some added fibre, sprinkle with chia seeds.

Warning: You will probably want more than two or three of these, they are addictive!

Hope you like these easy recipes, let me know if you decide to give any of them a try! 🙂

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Energising carrot juice
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Carrots are full of vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamins A, C and E, all needed for good eyesight, a better immune system and maintaining healthy cells – but it doesn’t end there. Since they’re also loaded with antioxidants, a regular consumption of carrots (or this energising carrot juice) can help…
3 Green smoothie recipes
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I've been asked on several occasions to to do a few smoothie recipes on my blog. If you follow me of Facebook or Twitter, you would know that I am big into making smoothies (they're just so refreshing!) Lately, I've been trying to add some vegetables into my recipes and…
Oat bran muffins
10000
I love porridge. I have it every morning and it wouldn't be the worse thing to have in the evening (if need be!). So you can only imagine my disappointment when I opened a packet of what I thought was porridge and found oat bran instead - not the best…
Healthy homemade granola
31
When it comes to granola, I’ve always thought that making it at home was far better than consuming the store-bought stuff (like most things, I suppose). Ready-made granola tends to be packed with sugar, unhealthy fats/oils and unnecessary ingredients. Homemade granola allows you to have full control of what you put in…
Tags: oats, seeds, granola, nuts, add, fruit, honey, things, homemade, smoothie

Posted on April 1, 2015

Ziaja Cocoa Butter Creamy Shower Soap & Body Scrub

product review

Last Thursday, I attended the 25^th Anniversary of Ziaja Skincare in Cleary’s Pharmacy, Talbot Street Dublin. Emma of Mastering Your Makeup hosted the event, and gave us a quick talk-through of some of the Ziaja products as well as an opportunity to test out the body butters. Throughout the event, there were plenty of chats among my fellow bloggers and towards the end of it there was a Q&A session, spot prizes and of course, a few nibbles.

Like with most blogger events, I was given a complimentary goodie bag to bring home with me. My bag included one of my favourite Ziaja shower products of all time– the Cocoa Butter Shower Scrub. I think it’s quite selfish of me for only reviewing this product now *holds head down in shame* as I have been using this product for quite some time now, and absolutely love it!

So you can only imagine how excited I was to find a brand new body scrub in my goodie bag. To put the cherry on top, I was also introduced to a new product from the cocoa butter range: the Ziaja Creamy Shower Soap. Now I have to admit, I have only used it a couple of times, but I think I’ve tried it enough times to know that it deserves a review!

So without further ado, here are the two products from the Ziaja Cocoa Butter range that I’m going to share with you:

Ziaja Cocoa Creamy Shower Soap 500ml (€2.99)

This creamy shower soap nearly works as a body lotion. Its moisturiser-and-shower-gel formulation nourishes the skin and cleanses it at the same time. The active ingredient, cocoa butter is known to deeply moisturise the skin, so if you tend to be on the dry end of the scale then this product is definitely worth giving a try. What I particularly liked about this creamy soap is how the scent lingers on the skin well after you wash it off – it smells nearly as good as the scrub itself. Not to mention the price of it – €2.99 for 500ml, I think Ziaja are being more than just a little bit generous here!

Ziaja Cocoa Butter Shower Scrub 200ml (€7.99)

This has become one of my Holy Grail shower products – it smells absolutely divine! I usually like making own body scrubs. But on my lazy days, this is my go-to product for exfoliating dead skin on my body. This shower scrub encourages blood circulation in the body and helps restore the natural smoothness of the skin. So if you need to give your legs that extra bit of glow before a holiday, then this product is for you. I have yet to witness this myself, but the Ziaja Cocoa Butter Shower Scrub is also said to reduce cellulite….. always a bonus in my books! 😉

Other products from this range:

ZIAJA COCOA BODY BUTTER – €7.99

ZIAJA COCOA BUTTER BODY BALM – €4.50

ZIAJA COCOA BUTTER CREAM LIGHT FORMULA – €5.99

ZIAJA COCOA BUTTER HAND CREAM – €2.99

ZIAJA COCOA BUTTER BODY LOTION – €5.99

Remember, you can find Ziaja online at www.originalbeauty.ie, SHAWS department stores, MULLIGANS pharmacies, TOTAL HEALTH pharmacies and in independent pharmacies nationwide.

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Ziaja Olive Leaf Face & Body Collection
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This year, Ziaja Skincare is celebrating their 25th year anniversary. To mark the big occasion, Polish founders Aleksandra and Zenon have decided to launch a new olive leaf range that is natural, effective and affordable. Although the products in the Olive Leaf Face & Body Collection are budget friendly, they…
Product review: The Eylure Brow Revolution
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Eyebrow lovers, brace yourself, because the news just broke in! Eylure’s extensive new brow range is now available at Boyne Grove Pharmacy in the very lovely town of Drogheda (and I’m not just saying that because I live here!) The name Eylure might ring a bell to some of you, as…
D.I.Y Vanilla & Coconut Body Scrub
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For my first post of 2015, I've decided to share a simple D.I.Y beauty recipe! This timeless recipe only requires 3 ingredients that you can easily get a hold of. Here I’ve put together two of my favourite scents to make a simple scrub that will give your body silky smooth…
The Body Shop: African Ximenia Scrub
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Summer might be well over, but that doesn’t mean we should stop pampering ourselves. If you know me at all, then you would know that I enjoy a relaxing bath: I play some soft music in the background, light up a few scented candles and just enjoy the moment. I…
Tags: scrub, body, skin, product

Posted on March 31, 2015

5 steps to moving on

Dating/ men

Breakups suck. They really do. And whether it’s the end of a romantic relationship or a platonic one, nobody enjoys getting rid of someone who played such a huge role in their life. That’s why it’s important to take necessary steps to ensure that you move on in the healthiest way possible.Yes, there will be some ice cream involved – there is always ice cream involved! So when I say healthiest, I’m talking about your mindset here. It’s about moving forward without bringing all that crazy with you.

These five steps should help you keep your sanity hat on – even if you feel you have every reason in the world to take it off! #StayStrong

1. Closure, chats and all the rest

When a relationship ends, I do the usual: delete, block and suppress – it’s like it never happened! Then, I get on the “I hate men” bandwagon, until I get over it and find another idiot who makes me go through the whole thing again (no wonder I’m crazy). But overtime, I have come to learn that the ‘C’ word actually does help. That dreaded talk after a breakup might seem like an impossible task, but once you finally build up the courage to do it, you’ll find that it helps give a clearer idea of what went wrong in the relationship so that you can make any necessary changes and improvements for your next – we’re thinking positively here, people! As well as that, it gives you the opportunity to get everything off your chest. Whether it changes the situation or not is completely irrelevant. It’ll put your mind at ease knowing you said everything you wanted to say.

2. A night in with the girls – or two!

This is probably one of the most important steps to getting over a breakup – spending a night with the girls. Get some wine, chocolate, ice cream or whatever it is that you like to indulge in (the sweeter the better), and make a night of it. There’s no point in isolating yourself in your room or feeling sorry for yourself. Have a few drinks with the girls and just let it out, you’ll feel much better in morning (take it from a girl who once brought over three bottles of wine and two tubs of icing to a friends), this is a foolproof plan, it absolutely works! And you know what they say about good friends, they multiply joys and divide sadness.

3. Retail therapy is a must

You know that handbag you had your eye on a few weeks ago but were unsure about how to fit it into your budget? Now is the time to buy it! There’s nothing a bit of retail therapy can’t fix. Whether it’s a new bag, new shoes new makeup or all the above, just go out there and get yourself some retail therapy. And when you’re done, take a break and do it all over again! Your bank account can’t possibly be angry at you forever now, can it? 😉

4. Back to the drawing board

When people are in a relationship they tend to do things together. A Friday evening catching up on your favourite TV series becomes a movie night with your significant other and a Sunday morning doing yoga becomes a walk in the park + 1. Your own habits and interests can sometimes become a lost memory after spending so much time with someone else. So when you become single again, it is important to go back to base. Think about the things you once enjoyed and start doing them again. Who knows, you might make some new discoveries in the process!

5. Find your zen

Now I’m not going to tell you to get out there, walk barefoot in the grass and start talking to the trees or anything like that (I haven’t quite reached that level yet). But, what I will say is this: dedicating 10 – 15 mins of your day to meditate and practice some breathing exercises really does help get through the day. Practising calmness is essential for your physical health as well as mental health and there are plenty of YT videos related to meditation that can help you get started. You can choose to do it first thing in the morning or right before bedtime, the choice is yours. Start off with 8 minutes and then slowly build it up. Believe me it gets easier!

It would make sense for me to finish off by saying that it’ll get better in time, but I honestly can’t stand any of those quotes related to time. So what I will say is this:

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl. But whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

Hope you have a fab day! 🙂

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8 types of men you should avoid dating
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I can’t sit here and say that every single one of my exes were idiots, because that would be a lie. But there were certainly one or two – okay maybe three - four max, that I would gladly give that title to. If all the years that I’ve spent being…
Do you like him or are you just obsessed with him?
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I found out I don't like him. I was just obsessed with the idea of him, even though I still want him. - Anonymous A normal person would look at those words and question the mental health of the speaker. But when those words were spoken to me, I had an 'a…
8 signs it’s all in your head
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I recently spoke to a good friend of mine who was telling me how devastated he was about something that happened between him and his love interest. While it was quite saddening to listen to, I also thought it was a bit of a relief – let’s face it, men…
8 perks of being a single gal
47
I was once told that I am a frilly pair of knickers away from being a Bridget Jones. Although I've never had much interest in the films and consequently know the absolute minimum when it comes to Bridget’s actual character, common knowledge would tell me that I wasn’t being complimented.…
Tags: single, you're, time, life, day, relationship
“You’re a frilly pair of knickers away from being a Bridget Jones” and other funny quotes about me!
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https://youtu.be/dMiQUSBC5DE I was once told that I am overly concerned with using Instagram, taking selfies and eating Happy Meals. Although there was a time in my life where I would have found the truth in those words incredibly offensive, I can't help but laugh at them today - especially since I can't remember…
Tags: time, people, quotes, instagram, things, point, facebook, twitter, hope, i'm

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