EAT, SHOP, DO #2

Welcome to my latest round up of food, fashion/beauty and frolics…

EAT

I am making attempts to eat a bit more healthily. I can’t claim a complete diet overhaul (I have a slight addiction to Mini Eggs right now) but I am more conscious of what I’m eating, and the quantities that I am eating.

EAT, SHOP, DO #1

Welcome to the newest series on my blog. As well as my Thoughtful Thursday posts, I bring you ‘Eat, Shop, Do.’

I thought it would be nice every once in a while (I don’t want to promise this on a weekly basis and then not always deliver) to share with you my latest food finds, shopping purchases or wish list items and finally a random favourite ‘do’ing thing (I wasn’t quite sure how to explain that one, so just humour me. You know what I mean).

So without further ado (geddit?)…

Sticks N Sushi

There's nothing like a pay day Friday, especially after 5 long weeks, Christmas, and a miserable, cold and wet January. Katie and I had some 'flatmate time' booked in the diary for a long time, and we wanted to go to a good restaurant on Friday night. I turned to trusty Time Out and looked up 'best sushi restaurants in London', which is how I found Sticks n Sushi. After more investigation, and realising that the Londoner had been, I knew we had to check it out.
 

My first bit of advice is to book early; I booked on the Tuesday and could only get the downstairs 'Sushi Bar' (although in hindsight for two people it actually worked perfectly). Here you can watch all the chefs in action!

 

Prague: Part Two

On our second full day in Prague we decided to head to Prague Castle. It's a taxi journey away from the main city centre, but we took Ubers which were really cheap (we realised on the first day that local yellow taxis were going to try and rip us off so much if we took them).

Recipe: The Insanity Burger

I think it’s safe to say that if you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know that I’m a bit of a burger fan. Ok, not just a bit, I am basically obsessed.

So when I flicked through the Jamie Oliver ‘Comfort Foods’ cook book and saw something called the ‘Insanity Burger’ you can imagine my excitement. I mentally flicked through my calendar to work out when I would next be able to attempt the Insanity Burger, contemplating whether I could cancel any of my dinner plans just to stay at home and make it (ok, I’m kidding, but I just wanted to demonstrate my sheer excitement).

Thoughtful Thursday: A ban on Whatsapp?

I'm ashamed to admit it, but often I find out the latest news and scandals from my social media feeds. This week was no exception, and to my horror I was browsing my Facebook news feed yesterday lunchtime, and came across an article that someone had 'shared' suggesting that David Cameron is proposing a ban on smart phone apps such as Whatsapp, Imessage, Snapchat and Facetime. Sorry, what?

Prague: Part One

Every year my group of friends from Uni take a trip together around Christmas time. Unfortunately in previous years the timing has never worked out for me, but in 2014 I was determined to go. And instead of doing the usual UK staycation, we decided on Prague. 

The Thursday evening we boarded a Whizz Air flight (don't EVER do it, trust me) after Kumayl arrived late and brought a bag double the size of the one allowed for hand luggage, and Shamil nearly lost his iphone 6. Good start. 

Likya

My Mum's company have recently opened up a new pharmacy in Golders Green, and recently they had an event where high end make up products were heavily discounted (more on those at a later date). We went along to the event after work, and then had to find somewhere to grab a bite to eat having spent ALL our money at the pharmacy (we were like children in a sweet shop).

Smack Lobster

 When I heard that a sister restaurant to the infamous Burger and Lobster was opening up in London I planned my trip faster than you can say lobster.

BOBO Social - Experimental Burger Society

A few weeks ago the girls and I did something a little different for my pre-birthday dinner and went to BOBO Social on Charlotte Street. On normal nights, the restaurant is a burger/cocktail restaurant, but on Mondays they hold the 'Experimental Burger Society.' For £25 you get a night with the restaurant's head chef, you make and eat your own burger, and a cocktail is also thrown in. Sound good? Read on.

RECIPE: Mac and Cheese

Now I don't know about you, but in the cold Winter months I love comfort food. I think it's in the knowledge that you don't have to bear all in a bikini, and surely it's a crime not to take advantage of all the Christmas food offerings in the supermarkets? With that in mind, I had a craving last week for mac and cheese. I did a little bit of research online at recipes, and decided that rather than copy something I was going to freestyle it. Mac and cheese a la Ellie. I didn't really just want plain mac and cheese – I fancied some extra ingredients. The beauty of this is that you can pretty much add whatever you have in your fridge at the time – if you like mushrooms they'd be great with this.

Thoughtful Thursday: Is unlimited holiday a thing of the future?

Recently I stumbled across an article stating that Virgin, Richard Branson's company, are offering its employees unlimited holiday. An employee of Virgin will be able to request as many days off as they so wish within the calendar year.

Sorry, what?

Thoughtful Thursday: Coping with Change

                       

I will admit that before a few years ago I wasn't the best at dealing with change. I found it hard when we moved towns, changed schools, went to University or even changed my morning cereal (ok, too far). However, 2 and a half years ago I went through an extremely difficult break up during my Finals at Oxford. I lost my best friend and someone who had been a constant in my life for many years, and whilst it was extremely difficult it taught me so much about myself and coping with these big changes in our lives.

Without getting too personal, I have also gone through a break up and the loss of my Gran, which has left me feeling very contemplative. I wasn't sure whether to talk about these things on my blog, but when I started this at the end of last year I promised it would be like a personal diary for me to look back on. Therefore I want to be real and talk about real things. Life isn't all burgers, new clothes and adventures around the world! Adjusting to a new life where a big change has happened, such as a break up, a lost loved one, or a geographical move can be quite difficult, but during many hours of thinking time I've come to the following conclusions...

1. Change doesn't have to be negative. Every cloud has a silver lining. Since ending my relationship I have found I have more time to dedicate to others in my life. I have gained a good balance of being a good daughter, sister, friend and work colleague and I'm feeling very content with life. It's always sad when you lose something you had before, but there's also so much to be gained and I have some wonderful people in my life that deserve so much attention and love.

2. Which brings me onto my next point, and that is to 'just say yes.' I am trying to make a conscious effort to grab every opportunity with two hands, and stop saying no to things that may be outside my comfort zone. I am taking two trips abroad in the next month, hosting a big fancy dress birthday party  and fulfilling one of my life long goals (more to be revealed at a later date!)

3. Work on you. Often I find it's very easy to get wrapped up in caring for those around you that you forget your own self-esteem and confidence and personality needs some love too. Being on your own means you have to do more for yourself. That power cut at 12am needs YOU. It's so cliche, but if change means falling in love with yourself a little bit more, that can never be so bad thing.

4. Treat yourself. Whenever I'm going through a hard time I know exactly what will cheer me up. Some retail therapy, a pamper session, my best girl friends and a night on the town. It's perfectly acceptable to be a little indulgent when you've had a rough time, and it's the little things that bring a smile to your face that are so important.

I know none of this advice is ground-breaking, but it is definitely things I've learnt from some tough few weeks! Just remember, good things often fall apart so better things can come together. And without giving too much away, some great things seem to be coming together over here on LBL...

Thoughtful Thursday: SEXISM - It's A Two Way Street

This week, Emma Watson (or the 'silly little Harry Potter girl' as she called herself) took to the podium at a UN conference to present the 'Heforshe' campaign. The campaign aims to target men, and encourages them to support and advocate feminism. Not feminism in a form which is pro-woman and anti-man, but feminism which recognizes that all humans are equal, and therefore all women should be treated equally, with no gender perceived better than the other. Rather than most campaigns of its kind, it targets men to make the difference, rather than only aiming to evoke 'empowerment' in women. It's revolutionary; aiming to address and resolve the problem of gender inequality, rather than only helping women to 'cope' with the problem.

Long time no speak...

Slap on the wrist, I've done it again. I've managed to go well over a month without one single post on LBL. My apologies for that, but I promise that usual habits will (hopefully) resume from now and everything will be back up and running a little more regularly.

Best Burger Award goes to...

Anyone who knows me or follows me on Instagram will know that I am a BIG burger lover. And when I say big, I mean I am practically obsessed. But who doesn't love chowing down on a burger? Over the past year I have made it my mission to try all the different burger joints in London and I have mentally ranked them accordingly. I thought I'd share my thoughts with you so next time you fancy some burger goodness you know where to head to. You can thank me after (or take me with you. Either will do).

Thoughtful Thursday: Female Role Models

A couple of days ago I ended up in a heated debate with a colleague of mine about Beyoncé. Who knew Queen B could cause such massive arguments (other than her sister assaulting her husband in a lift)? She was arguing that the world famous popstar couldn't sing, had no talent, and whilst she was a great performer she was nothing of a role model for young women, and that parading around on a stage in very small underwear was nothing to be proud of. We moved onto the pop industry in general and other names were thrown up: Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga. All of these women attract constant media attention for their outrageously sexy outfits, as well as their latest love, sex or drugs scandals.

Thoughtful Thursday: Imperial War Museum

Outfit: Zara dress (S/S 2014), Topshop sandals, Zara bag and sunglasses from T K Maxx by the brand 'Marilyn Monroe'

Today's Thoughtful Thursday post is a little bit different, as I felt urged to write it after my weekend antics. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a self-confessed nerd. I don't try to hide it; my parents have photos of me at the age of 4 or 5 sitting butt-naked on our patio in Lanzarote with a Maths Letts book rather than playing with a light saber like my brother. My favourite make-believe game was playing a teacher so I could 'mark' the student's (also me) spellings and maths sums. At the age of 11 or 12 my favourite part of the weekend was going to the library and stocking up on 5 books, and then staying awake, using my phone as a light, reading into the night. That's right, I'm a nerd.

Graduation

Despite finishing my degree and getting my results back in the Summer of 2012, I still hadn't got around to graduating. For most that seems bizarre, as usually graduation is a set day a few weeks after results, organized by the University, and everyone plans for it realy far in advance and everyone attends. Oxford works slightly differently, as it is the student's responsibility to book a day, and you can graduate up to 10 years after finishing your course. My friends and I are very disorganized, and so didn't get around to booking our ceremony until this year, on July 12th.

The Modern Pantry

A few weekends ago on a Saturday, I booked a little surprise for Katie as a post-birthday treat – a table at The Modern Pantry for brunch. I’d only heard good things about the place, and it came on Time Out’s top 10 places for brunch in London. I LOVE Time Out; they rarely get it wrong when it comes to food places.

So on the sunny Saturday morning we hopped on the tube to Farringdon and walked to Clerkenwell. I have to say, there isn’t much in the area and it’s absolutely dead at the weekend, but The Modern Pantry is set back a little bit from a main road. It’s got tables outside which would have been perfect for the sunny weather, but we got a table upstairs by the window. It was lovely and cool, and nice and bright and airy. So far so good.