Simple Breakfast/Dessert Recipe - Yoghurt & Granola

One of my favourite things to do is try new, simple recipes! I stress the word 'simple' as I'm useless in the kitchen and still struggle to boil an egg without any help. God knows what I'm going to do when I move out. The other day I thought I'd get a bit creative with my dessert with a bunch of ingredients I found in the kitchen. The end result was a delicious concoction of granola, yoghurt & fruit! I also thought that this would make a great breakfast if you wanted something a bit fancier than your usual toast and porridge. You can also switch up some of the ingredients to your preference.

You will need:

a small glass

granola

yoghurt

blueberries (or other fruit of your choice)

Optional ingredients:

coconut flakes

nuts/seeds

1) Fill the bottom of your glass with granola so that it's completely covered. I used Apple & Cinnamon Crunch Toasted Oats from White's but any granola will do!

2) Next cover the granola with the yoghurt. This layer should be the biggest and should be right in the middle. I'm using a coconut flavoured yoghurt but I also think a vanilla or honey yoghurt would work really well.

3) Finally add your chosen fruit and any other additional ingredients. This time I added blueberries, coconut flakes and chai seeds.

What I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. You could eat it for breakfast, as a snack or a dessert. You can change up the flavour of yoghurt and your toppings or even add another layer of granola!

I'd love to know if you guys decide to make this and if you switched up the ingredients or not. Also, let me know if you'd like to see any other simple recipes.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

Kawaii Monthly Review - August '14

Another month, another Kawaii Monthly box. However, before I delve into this months review I'd like to say that this will be the final time I review a Kawaii Monthly box. But do not fear for I am going to subscribe to a similar box! This one is called Kawaii Box and is slightly cheaper than Kawaii Monthly and instead of five items you get between 10-12. The items included are usually smaller, miscellaneous things such as keyrings, phone charms and small accessories. I feel like I'll get a lot more use out of Kawaii Box than this one. But anyway, ON WITH THE REVIEW!

Rilakkuma Strawberry Puffs

As always, this months box included a snack. These are branded Rilakkuma strawberry corn puffs. They're basically like little balls of cereal with a strawberry flavoured coating. As soon as you open the tub there is a strong scent of strawberry and the flavour is no different. They taste a little like strawberry Pocky but instead of the biscuit it's corn. They're very moreish and I could have easily finished the whole tub in one sitting. I love it when snacks come with something extra, and these came with an adorable Rilakkuma sticker. And not to mention the packaging is super cute!

Kumamon Deco Tape

I've always wanted some fancy, decorative tape but have never actually bought any. I'd only end up not wanting to use it and just have it out on display. But I finally have some! This deco tape features the bear Kumamon who is the mascot of the Kumamoto area of Japan. The tape is made of a traditional material called washi paper which is made from completely natural ingredients. I'm going to try my hardest not to just leave this sitting on my desk as a decoration. I'm planning to use it for wrapping birthday/Christmas presents. Whether I follow through with that plan is a completely different story.

My Melody Pencil Case

I've always been that person to have a pencil case. I would never dream of taking it out and putting it on my desk, but you could always guarantee that I'd have one in my bag. Despite some people possibly thinking this pencil case completely childish, I've been using it for college. It's a good quality pencil case and features the super 'kawaii' character, My Melody who is a character from the brand, Sanrio (the brains behind Hello Kitty) and is an officially licensed product. The design is super cute and girly and as you can see is very pink. It's also the perfect size and fits into my bag nicely.

Romantic Falsies Case

This is probably the product that I'm least excited about this month. However, I will admit that it's a super handy thing to have. This vintage style plastic case is the perfect size to pop in your handbag and an easy way to keep your curbies, hair bobbles or any other small bits and bobs together when you're out. There's also a mirror inside which is always useful to have! I think it'd also be handy to keep jewellery in, especially earrings.

Oshibori Set
The final product in this months box was something I had never heard of or seen before. 'Oshibori' means wet towel in Japanese and this set includes a face cloth and a super cute container. Wet the face cloth, roll it up, place it in the container and pop it in your bag. The container helps to lock the moisture in the face cloth so you can use it to clean your hands or cool off when you're out and about. I think this item could be super handy, however I don't think I'll use it all that much. A simple face wipe can achieve the same result. The container is pretty compact and the moisture does indeed keep well in the face cloth.

And that's it for my final review of Kawaii Monthly. The first review of Kawaii Box may be a little later as I'm not sure how quickly the first box will arrive. Are any of you subscribed to either of these 'kawaii' boxes or are you subscribed to another kind of box? Feel free to leave a comment below letting me know!

Until next time,
Elijah xo

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Tips For Getting Through High School

Hey everyone.

It's that time of year again where everyone is either back at or getting ready to go back to school/college/university and so I thought I'd do a quick post on the subject of high school. I've now been out of school for over a year and I don't know if this is the case for everyone, but I know that if I could have my time at school again I would definitely do things differently. It's as if as soon as you sit those final exams and have that old school shirt filled with signatures of people you never even spoke to that everything suddenly becomes a whole lot clearer. So, for all of those who are still at school I share with you some tips to get through those years.

Don't worry!

I think a lot of people wish they could go back in time and tell their younger self these two words. I spent a lot of my time at school worrying about small, pointless things. Things that would have no impact on my life whatsoever in ten years time. Didn't complete your homework on time? Fallen out with your friends and you now have nobody to sit with at lunch? Made a complete fool out of yourself in front of the guy/girl you like? DON'T WORRY! These things happen to everyone and these things will pass. When you're out earning a living these things will be irrelevant. It's bad enough stressing about exams. You don't need to add anything else to that stress. I can guarantee you by next week it'll be forgotten about. Even when it comes to the exams you really don't need to worry so much. Yes, they are important but if you put the work in then there's nothing more you can do! What's the point in worrying if you know that you've done all of the work and studying you can? Even if you don't get the final grades needed to get onto the course or into the uni that you want, there are other ways in which you can achieve that dream career. It may take a little longer but if you have the drive and right frame of mind you will get there!

Listen and talk to your teacher

Okay, okay, so there are some teachers that do spout a lot of bullshit and are the most unhelpful people on the planet. But the majority of teachers really do want you to do your best and want to see you achieve and be successful in their subject. They wouldn't be standing at the front of the classroom if they didn't. Listen to the advice they give you whether it be on studying or just life lessons in general. Remember, there was once a time that they were sitting at a desk, studying for exams and trying to figure out what they were going to do for the rest of their lives. And don't be afraid to go up and talk to them either. Ask the questions. Even if it doesn't have anything to do with school work. Sometimes it's easier to speak to a teacher about certain situations than your parents.

Ask for help

If you're struggling to keep up with the work or simply don't understand the question, don't just sit there in silence. I was terrible for that! I would always get anxious about speaking out in class and never raised my hand to answer a question. If I didn't understand something and I didn't have a friend in the class I would just sit there and pray that someone else would ask about it. Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you don't understand something then chances are you're not the only one. Teachers are there to help you. They won't laugh at you or shrug their shoulders in reply. Also, ask your classmates. You're all on the same boat here. Help each other out and work together!

Don't stress about the future

Don't know what you want to do when you leave school? Don't worry about it. I still don't know for sure what I want to do. There are people older than me who still don't really know what it is they want to do. You'll figure it out eventually. It may take you a few months or it may take you ten years. I know that when I was at school everyone made a huge deal about knowing what it was you wanted to do. Even if everyone else says they know what they want to do, chances are that it'll change somewhere along the line. I was set on becoming a nursery teacher so last year I studied Early Education & Childcare but after a year I decided that actually that wasn't what I wanted to do. I'm now about to start a Media & Communications course which is COMPLETELY different. When I was at school I didn't even think about a job in the media. The opportunities that are open to you are endless. So take your time and live in the present.

I hope some of these tips helped you out a little and if you have any more feel free to share them in the comments! Also, if you want any more tips or advice on specific topics then let me know and I'll see if I can help.
Until next time,
Elijah xo

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My Lipstick Collection - S/S14

Hey everyone!

When I first delved into the world of lipsticks about two years ago I wasn't one to wear them all that often. It's not that I didn't like wearing them, I just sort of forgot about them whenever I was getting ready. However, over the past few months lipstick has become a staple in my make-up routine much like concealer or eyeliner. The thought of going out for a day without any sort of colour on my lips is horrifying. I don't have the biggest collection of lip products, but it is expanding, slowly but surely. It's becoming a struggle to leave Boots or Superdrug without buying a new one. So, today I thought I'd share with you my current collection before it gets too out of hand and I end up with too many to list.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish

Naturally the first lipstick I ever bought was one of the cheapest I could find. I'm always like that when it comes to beauty products. I'm never willing to spend more money than necessary on something I'm completely new to. My first lipstick was Rimmel's Lasting Finish lipstick in the colour 'Heather Shimmer.' I didn't want anything bright and in-your-face and this one fit the bill nicely. As the name states, it's shimmery and despite it being purple it actually has more of a peachy undertone to it when it's on. Being one of the cheapest drugstore lipsticks, I knew that they weren't going to be the best. If I forget to apply lip balm beforehand these dry out my lips very quickly. However, the colour lasts for most of the day and I find them very easy to wear. I currently own four of these - 'Heather Shimmer', 'Heart Breaker' (a deep pink shade), 'Alarm' (a staple red) and 'Sugar Plum' (a shimmery pink/purple colour).

Rimmel London Kate Moss

I only ever hear good things about the Kate Moss lipsticks and I agree with it all. These lipsticks have great staying power and are highly pigmented. The only thing I dislike about these lipsticks is that it doesn't tell you the name of the colour on the product itself but that's just me being picky. I'm pretty sure every lipstick fiend has '107'. It's definitely one of my favourites. I love matte lipsticks and this is no exception with its deep wine colour (I think 'wine' is actually the name of this one). '16' is a pretty pink shade with a slight peachy undertone to it.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew

These are hands down my favourite range of lipsticks from Rimmel. As the name states, these are incredibly moisturising. There's something about a lipstick that doesn't require lip balm put on beforehand that excites me (but I do recommend putting it on before anyway no matter how moisturising the lipstick is). 'Vintage Pink' is exactly that - VINTAGE PINK! It's more purple in colour and reminds me of something a Hollywood actress from the 60's would wear. 'Let's Get Naked' is a basic pinky nude colour that anyone could pull off. These lipsticks also smell really good. Am I the only one who cares whether a lipstick smells good or not?

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick & Lip Butter

I decided to put these two together even though one of them technically isn't a lipstick. I swear the Super Lustrous Lipstick packaging turns me on. It's so chic and gives it a 'higher end' feel to it even though it's high street. I think it's the black and gold that does it. If you haven't already guessed, 'Pink In The Afternoon' is of course pink. The lipstick is moisturising, creamy and very easy to wear. I thought I'd also throw in the lip butter here as I do treat it like a lipstick. These bad boys have the colour pigmentation and staying power of a lipstick but are more of a balmy consistency. I don't know if it's just this particular colour, but I find that this does smudge a little especially when applying it. Other than that I have no complaints!

Topshop

It took me AGES to finally get round to trying Topshop's lipsticks and I'm so glad that I finally caved and made the purchase. They are fab! The colour pigmentation and staying power is on point and they're fairly moisturising and creamy. 'Macaroon' is a pretty pink shade that is quite similar to the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in number 16. The only criticism I have for these lipsticks are that they do tend to cling onto any dry patches on your lips so I try to avoid wearing this one if my lips are having a bad day.

Maybelline Colour Sensational

These are by far my favourite brand of lipsticks. The staying power of these are incredible as is the colour pigmentation. I am currently OBSESSED with 'Hollywood Red.' I like to think of it as more of a grown up red lipstick and like the 'Vintage Pink' Moisture Renew lipstick, it reminds me of old Hollywood. 'Coral Tonic' is a much brighter colour with orange undertones. These lipsticks legitimately last all day and you don't need to reapply after eating/drinking even though I have a bad habit of doing so anyway. Oh, and they smell like vanilla which is a plus.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I'd love it if you commented down below telling me about any of your favourite lipsticks! I'm always on the lookout for new ones. Also, if you'd like to see any other parts of my make-up collection then let me know!
Until next time,
Elijah xo

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