Bloggers Bake Along to GBBO: A Trio of Baked Cheesecakes

Sunday 30 August 2015

From left to right: Lemon, Peanut Butter and chocolate, Vanilla Honeycomb


I can't believe I have been baking for #Bloggersbakealong for 4 weeks now! I haven't missed a single week, that's a serious achievement for me... This week the bakers had to make a show-stopping three baked cheesecakes, and I decided to go ahead and baked three too, and I'm not going to lie, all in all it took me about five hours of baking to churn these babies out. Two of these recipes came from my GBBO Celebrations book, and one from BBC good food which you can find here.


I started by making the Peanut Butter cheesecake which has a pastry base, which I baked before mixing the filling ingredients together. Then I threw the chocolate chips in there, which were supposed to sink to the bottom, but for some reason they didn't.


Then I started on the Honeycomb cheesecake, for which I first made my own honeycomb, which took two attempts. Making caramel on a Gas stove is seriously difficult, even a millisecond and it can be burned. My second attempt turned out pretty well though! This cheesecake had the same base as the Peanut Butter one so I made another batch and baked it. With this one I mixed most of the filling ingredients together, then took a third of the mixture out, before adding crushed honeycomb to the other 2/3 remaining. This was then poured onto the based, followed by the plain cheesecake mix, before baking.


Finally I moved onto the Lemon Cheesecake, which had a more traditional biscuit base, made from digestive biscuits and melted butter, giving that yummy crunch on the bottom. Then it was as simple as mixing the filling ingredients together, pouring it over the base and then baking.


These were the finished cheesecakes! Some of them didn't turn out so pretty to be honest, but they tasted absolutely amazing. My favourite had to be the lemon one, but that could also be because lemon cheesecake is literally my favourite dessert!

Mummy Mishaps
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Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood

Friday 28 August 2015



Max: The Curse of the Brotherhood is a super cute little platformer game that Tim and I bought absolutely ages ago, but I have literally only just got around to playing. I even managed to complete it in a few days, that's how much I enjoyed it!

This is what the Steam Page says about the game:

'Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a cinematic adventure filled with action-packed platforming and creative puzzle-solving. Armed with only a Magic Marker, Max must confront evil at every turn in a hostile and fantastical world in order to save his kid brother, Felix. Join Max on his great adventure!'





In the game Max accidentally gets his brother zapped into an alternate world where the evil Mustacho wants to transport himself into the child's body so that he can continue to live. Max has to traverse this new world (in true platforming style) to save his baby brother! Max gets given a magic marker, which he can use to interact with the environment, growing branches, making pillars appear from the ground and even growing vines. Using this you have to work your way around the environment collecting Mustacho's evil eyes so that he cannot spy on you!

This game is exactly the kind of short and fun game that I love to spend a couple of days on... If the game was any longer than that I know I would lose interest, so I think one thing they did well was to keep the game short and sweet. Each environment is different enough to peak your interest with new challenges thrown at you. There are even some 'quick time' events in which time slows down slightly and you have to quickly use your magic marker to stop yourself falling to your death! These moments were amazing, but also made me panic, I'm not a great gamer under pressure truth be told... The game also implements certain enemies and creatures that you cannot battle, but have to use the powers of the magic marker to work out how to defeat them. Some of these puzzles were honestly the hardest parts of the game, particularly if you had to try and use the magic marker quickly as controlling a drawing implement with a thumbstick is not the easiest thing in the world to do!

This is definitely a game I would recommend if you are looking for a new platformer to play that has an interesting and new twist, and you can actually pick this up for £11.99 on Xbox Live at the moment!

What games are you playing at the moment? Would you recommend any to me?
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Youtube Video: My Sister Does My Makeup

Thursday 27 August 2015


A few weekends ago Tish and I were up in London for Summer in the City 2015 and we decided to film a challenge video! I thought this would actually go pretty well... although all she did was make me look more like her! Safe to say she won't be doing my makeup again...
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National Dog Day!

Wednesday 26 August 2015




I was not even aware that national dog day was a thing, so when I went online this morning and saw it was National Dog Day, I thought I should probably celebrate it!

First off I should probably talk about how this whole day came about... Here is what the website (www.nationaldogday.com) says about it:

'National Dog Day serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year, and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort. Dogs put their lives on the line every day - for their law enforcement partner, for their blind companion, for a child who is disabled, for our freedom and safety by detecting bombs and drugs and pulling victims of tragedy from wreckage.

National Dog Day is against any kind of "breed ban". Dogs should not have to lose their lives because of the atrocities they have been forced to endure at the hands of man. And while we feel that American's have the constitutional right to purchase a pure breed dog, we strongly discourage buying dogs from pet stores supplied by puppy mills, backyard breeders, the internet and newspaper ads. Rather, we encourage those seeking new canine companions, to consider choosing adoption first and if you'd like a pure breed dog, look into a pure breed rescue to see if they might have just the dog you're looking for.'


The website also has plenty of suggestions for ways that you can celebrate National Dog Day...

1. Adopt a dog from your local shelter or pure breed rescue organization. Volunteer at your local shelter and offer to walk a dog or play with a dog, clean cages or anything else they need help with.

2. Have a safety check of your home to make sure it's safe for your dog and others.  

3. Donate blankets, food and toys to animal welfare organizations.  

4. Organize a peaceful demonstration in front of your community pet store that sells puppies.  

5. Write your Congressman and ask that he/she support the ban of Puppy Mills and Gas Chambers in your state.  

6. Order an adorable dog shaped flower arrangement from 1-800-Flowers.com and enjoy a 10% discount by using code GOODLIVING when placing your order!  

7. Have a National Dog Day party and invite all your friends and their dogs!  

8. Spend the day taking photos of your dog and then enter our photo contest!  

9. Buy an official National Dog Day Tee here and sport it proudly!  

10. Assist an ill or elderly neighbor by walking their dog.  

11. Have a portrait painted of your dog to suspend the fleeting magic of dogdom.  

12. Buy your dog a fun new dog toy....or two...or five.  

13. Give your dog some fun exercise by taking him or her to a doggy play resort.  

14. Say "BECAUSE DOGS" all day, every time someone says hello!

15. Brush your dog to eliminate excess fur.  

16. Give your dog a massage or holistic spa treatment.  

17. Teach your dog a new trick.  

18. Buy your dog a fashionable collar and leash.  

19. Hire a professional pet photographer for a fun photo shoot.  

20. Take your dog to the beach.




I will be celebrating National Dog Day in the best way I can think of, spending time with my dog, Maizey. Unfortunately I will not have time to do this today, and as I don't live with her it makes it harder, but tomorrow, my little doggy is going to be seriously spoilt! She deserves to be shown as much love as she shows me every single time I see her... She always goes crazy when I visit, and makes sure she cuddles up on my lap for as long as she possibly can.

So here's what I have in store for her:

  1. A bath and a brushing - She hates the bath part, but loves the brushing!
  2. A new football - She LOVES fetching footballs that you kick for her, it's a shame she doesn't have the, and my brother hates her chewing his footballs. She also doesn't care for any other toys...
  3. A long walk - Maizey LOVES walks, even more so when she gets to go somewhere she has never been before, the excitement in her eyes just fills my heart with joy.
  4. A Special Dinner - I'm going to make her a proper dinner, chicken and vegetables and gravy... something like that anyway. I've NEVER done that for her and I know she's going to love it.
Do you have a special doggy that you are going to be spending time with for National Dog Day?


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Wishlist Wednesday: Xbox Live Games

Wednesday 26 August 2015


1. Unravel: Unravel introduces Yarny, a new, lovable and endearing character made from a single thread of yarn, that slowly unravels as you move.  Inspired by the unique and breath-taking environments of Northern Scandinavia, Unravel is a visually stunning, physics-based puzzle platformer. Using his yarn to Swing from tree branch to tree branch or hitch a ride on a flying kite, no feat is too big. Yarny is brought to life as the representation of the ties that bind loved-ones together.  Embark with Yarny on a seemingly larger than life adventure to reconnect the long-lost memories of a family. Told completely without words, experience an exciting and heartfelt story about love, hope and the journey of life.

2. The Long Dark: The Long Dark is a thoughtful, exploration-survival experience that challenges solo players to think for themselves as they explore an expansive frozen wilderness. Monitor your Condition, search for life-saving supplies, and master survival skills like fire-building, maintaining your gear, hunting, fishing, and landmark-based navigation. There are no zombies -- only you, the cold, and everything Mother Nature can throw at you.

3. Goosebumps: The Game: he walk home from school today is going to be a lot spookier than usual… Your sleepy neighborhood’s been overrun by monsters! Werewolves prowl the woods, Gnomes roam underfoot, and scarecrows walk at midnight. But these aren’t ordinary monsters—they’re R.L. Stine’s famous Goosebumps monsters, released from their books and looking to wreak havoc! You’ll need to use your wits to investigate the surroundings, puzzle out clues, and outsmart the monsters before it’s too late! Survive a trek through your neighborhood, unravel the mysteries of the Dead House, and sneak through the mall after hours; only then can you confront Slappy and stop his plans for revenge!

4. Bridge Constructor: Become an appraised bridge engineer and architect in Bridge Constructor. Create and design your own constructions and watch the cars and trucks pass over them - or see them fall and crash while your inferior creations collapse due to weight and the laws of physics! Progress through numerous levels and build bridges over deep valleys, canals, or rivers. Stress tests reveal whether the bridge you build can withstand the daily stress of continual use from cars and trucks. Choose between a range of materials for each individual bridge, such as wood, steel, cables, or concrete pillars. Use the appropriate materials and stay within budget to build the perfect bridge. The choice of materials enables you to build each bridge in almost infinite variety – your budget is the only limit.

5. ZOMBI: London is falling. Are you prepared? The Last Blight is upon us. It was foretold. For the second time in history, a great plague has shrouded London in a fog of death. Big Ben tolls as thousands of unprepared die, or worse, are infected by a sickness more gruesome than death. You’re still breathing, for now, but how long will you survive the labyrinth of London’s streets and underground canals, abandoned by the outside world and surrounded by infected? The horrifying remains of humanity, ravaged by the terrifying disease, are shuffling through the streets, waiting at every turn to prey on your living flesh.  

6. Never Alone Arctic Collection: Experience the epic journey of Nuna and Fox as they search for the source of an eternal blizzard that threatens the survival of everything they have ever known. Never Alone is an atmospheric puzzle platformer developed in collaboration with the Iñupiat, an Alaska Native people, drawn from a traditional story that has been shared across the generations. Guide both characters in single-player mode or play cooperatively with a friend or family member as you trek through frozen tundra, leap across treacherous ice floes, swim through underwater ice caverns, and face numerous enemies both strange and familiar in the journey to save the girl’s village.

7. Brothers A Tale of Two Sons: The critically acclaimed and award winning masterpiece arrives with Bonus Content including Director’s Walkthrough Commentary, Art and Sound Gallery. Share in the epic journey of two brothers, as they set out to find a cure for their dying father. Travel across beautiful vistas, through dark and foreboding forests, down perilous rivers, up hazardous mountain sides and experience the wonders of Nordic mythology along the way. Use the unique control system to control each brother with a stick, for concurrent gameplay throughout the adventure.

8. Submerged: Submerged is a third-person combat-free game in which you explore a mysterious flooded city and discover the beauty of desolation in vast outdoor environments. You take on the role of Miku, a young girl who has brought her wounded brother to the city in their small fishing boat. Navigate the flooded city streets by boat, scale the drowned buildings, and use your telescope to scour the city for the supplies needed to save your dying sibling. As you explore the city at your own pace, you encounter the habitat that flourishes in this colorful place and discover hidden objects that piece together the story of a broken world and a broken family.

9. Beyond Eyes: Beyond Eyes is a modern fairy tale about finding courage and friendship as you carefully guide young Rae on a life changing journey, uncovering an incredible world, step by step. Blinded as a young child, and reluctant to leave the protection of her family home, Rae’s world is once more shattered as Nani, her pet cat, goes missing. Summoning up all the courage she can muster, Rae learns to face her fears and ventures out into the world, to find her best friend.   


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Sum Up Monday #25

Monday 24 August 2015

 Dying my hair blue, volunteering at Summer in the City, Travelling Selfie, Temporary Tattoos with meaning.

It's been a busy few weeks for me, what with a long weekend up and London for Summer in the City, and then a trip up to Wakefield this past weekend, I am seriously tired out!

Let's start with Summer and the City, this year Tish and I decided to volunteer this year, which meant we got to spend time with lots of awesome people who are just like us! We travelled up on the Thursday so that we would be nice and rested for Creator Day on the Friday. Creator Day was our only day to ourselves so we made the most of it and went to some panels, including 'Self Shooting' and 'Production on a Shoestring'. These were both run by people from the Youtube London space, and were really informative. There were also a tonne of booths there from charities to universities, and there was masses of merch, and even a craft fair! I picked up some awesome Harry Potter themed badges, and a ceramic Jack Russell necklace which was too cute to pass up, and of course I couldn't leave without getting an official SITC shirt!

Then on Saturday and Sunday Tish and I were volunteering for 8 hours a day, which turned out to be both amazing, and amazing tiring. I was a 'directional/roaming' volunteer which basically means I was wondering around the open areas, and managing any impromptu meetup lines that formed. Which was both very stressful and fulfilling, considering there was a serious issue on the Saturday with a panel that Dan and Phil were involved in. Then on Sunday I was lucky enough to have a FOUR HOUR free period, so I got to attend a lot of awesome panels, including watching some of my favourite 'tubers play Mario Kart 8 and get all competitive with each other. I honestly couldn't be happier that I met some amazing people that I am definitely keeping in touch with!

Spending time with Jade, Living in a Castle, A sandy beach, You're never too old to wear a tiara.

Then this weekend Tim and I made the long trip up to Wakefield to see Jade and her boy Jared, and they had a whole weekend of fun planned for us! On Saturday we travelled up to York, and wandered around the shops, bought some expensive fudge, and just generally had a good old wander. We also went into the Disney store and I found some Tiara's that I am desperate to own. Then on Sunday we went all the way to Bridlington to spend a day at the Seaside. We went to a Shell shop and Jade and I picked up matching bracelets (you know because we are besties!). Then we saw some little boats that you could drive around, and decided to go on them, and I made Tim agree to let me drive of course! In the evening we went to Taybarns, an all you can eat restaurant that had BBQ, a Cavery and a spice food section, and I ate SO MUCH that I could barely move afterwards... all in all a top weekend all round!

Currently I'm:
Reading: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Listening To: Disney Songs
Playing: Star Stable again 
Feeling: Happy to be sleeping in my own bed.
Looking Forward To: A long weekend alone with my man next week...
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Blogger Bake Along to GBBO: Chocolate, Salted Caramel and Pecan Quick Bread

Thursday 20 August 2015


Welcome back the the #Bloggerbakealong everyone! I can't believe we are on week three already... how time flies... am I right? So this week it's all about bread... Quick Bread to be precise. Once again this weeks recipe is courtesy of my 'The Great British Bake Off: Celebrations' Recipe book that I picked up from Tesco a few weeks ago...


First off I had to make the dough. I did this by sifting the dry ingredients together into a bowl, then roughly chopping my pecans before mixing them in. Once this was done I made a well in the centre of the ingredients ready for out wet mixture.


To create the 'wet' mixture I first melted butter and sugar together before stirring in buttermilk, followed by beaten egg. Once all combined I simply had to pour it into the well I had already created!


Then using a wooden spoon I incorporated the ingredients until I had a slightly wet sticky dough.Which I then turned onto a floured surface and kneaded for a few seconds. Finally halving the mixture, rolling it into a ball, flattening it with my palm, and scoring a cross into it. Then placing both loaves in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Removing them once firm, and leaving to cool completely.


Whilst that was baking I had to do the bit I was most nervouse about... caramel. Firstly I made the salted caramel sauce by melting butter into whipping cream and salt, and leaving this aside. Then heating sugar up until it boiled and became a golden caramel colour, immediately removing it from the heat and adding a small amount of the cream mixture, before using a wooden spoon to stir in the rest of the creamy mixture. Then I made my caramelised pecans by repeating the caramel step, and pouring it over pecan halves, then leaving it to set!


Then all I had to do was put it all together. I was pretty impressed with the final product and I cannot wait to taste it once I take it out to my mum's later!

Mummy Mishaps


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Brand Focus: Poundland Makeup

Tuesday 18 August 2015


A couple of weeks ago I walked into my local Poundland and was surprised to find that they had released their own makeup brand, with the items coming to £1 each (obviously). I quickly snapped up £12 worth of products and thought I would share them with you all. If you would like to see how the products look on my face then please view the video above, alternatively you can read some of my opinions below...

  • FOUNDATION: This was surprisingly thick, almost like a mousse, but it honestly didn't have a very good coverage.
  • CONCEALER: Didn't really cover anything that I needed it to, would prefer to spend a little more and get the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer.
  • POWDER: Did what is said it would do... not bad...
  • BRONZER: So orangey... and didn't blend very well at all!
  • BLUSHER: Barely did anything to my face.
  • BROW PENCIL: I actually like this product, it defined my brows well but kept them natural.
  • EYESHADOWS: The light pink shadow would be a really great highlighter shade, but the silver/grey colour just would not blend!
  • EYELINER: Very gloopy and wet, much like most eyeliners that come in that form, but didn't do that bad.
  • MASCARA: Was basically non existent on my eyelashes.
  • LIPLINER: Had to press really hard to make the product come off onto my lips, and it was very scratchy.
  • LIPSTICK: The colour was amazing, however what wasn't was the fact that this lipstick moved everywhere, and was even on my teeth after a few seconds of talking!
All in all I wasn't greatly impressed with this brand, and I will not be using or repurchasing this makeup. There are so many better budget brands out there that may be a little more expensive (e.g. MUA, Makeup Revolution, Collection), but definitely have that edge on quality that Poundland makeup doesnt!

I also need to add that an hour after applying the makeup I had to remove it due to the fact my face began to itch all over... It wasn't the greatest experience in all honesty!
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Daily Vlog: Waiting Forever for my Sister...

Tuesday 18 August 2015

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Beauty Besties: Beauty Box Swap

Saturday 15 August 2015


Welcome back to Beauty Besties, it's been a few weeks since we've managed to get a post together, but we've done it! This week Kerrie (Pish, Posh and Polish), and I decided to make up Beauty Boxes for each other as a little surprise for one another. So we met up in the week for dinner and swapped boxes, and I literally couldn't wait to get home to open my box and see what was inside! Believe me when I say that Kerrie thoroughly spoilt me, please watch the video below to see what I got in my box...



There were so many amazing products in my box, some of which I literally couldn't wait to start using, and some I have been using every day since I opened the box. Have you done a Beauty Box Swap before, if so what is the best thing you ever received?
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Daily Vlog: Big Blue and Biscotti

Saturday 15 August 2015

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Friday Favourites #17

Friday 14 August 2015


Welcome back to Friday Favourites, where I share with you some of my favourite things from the internet this week!



The Great British Bake Off has returned, and with it come many a meme, but this is one that came up on my Facebook feed that seriously made me giggle. Anyone else want to give this drinking game a go? Well I would, except I don't drink anymore...


The UK's first crisp sandwich shop has arrived, and UNILAD shared this video on their Facebook page giving the shop an introduction. I can't say I'm that big a fan of crisp sandwiches, how about you?


This lecturer has to be the coolest in the world, right? I wish my university lecturers had been awesome enough to give a lecture like this, it certainly would have made me sit up and listen rather than fall asleep...


How did I never even know that rats were really intelligent? I mean I know they were cute little fuzzies, but just look at how clever these guys are, easily as clever as a dog!




You may recognise this guy from Vine, his name is Ben, and for some reason he often pranks his brother, and nothing could be more hilarious than his brother's reactions! In this video Ben manages to superglue his brothers hair gel and hilarity ensues!


If like me you are a huge Disney fan then at some point or another you may have asked yourself what you favourite Disney Princess' look like without makeup. Well wonder no more! Buzzfeed has the answer, and you can check out this article to see more, my personal favourite without makeup iis Snow White!

What have you been enjoying on the internet this week?

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Daily Vlog: Blue Hair and The Gift

Thursday 13 August 2015

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Blogger Bake Along to GBBO: Two Types of Biscotti

Thursday 13 August 2015



Welcome to Week Two of the #BloggersBakeAlong, this week on GBBO was all about the biscuits! The show featured Biscotti, Arlette's and show-stopping Biscuit boxes filled with biscuitey goodness. I really REALLY wanted to make a biscuit box, but as I am off to Summer in the City this weekend I knew I really wouldn't have time. So instead set myself the simple challenge of making two types of Biscotti (sarcasm). So as soon as I settled on Biscotti I went in search of a recipe and was glad to discover once by Paul Hollywood online which you can check out here. On the recipe Paul gave three flavour variations to add to a basic biscotti mixture, and I honestly couldn't settle on one, so I made two, Pistachio and Cranberry, and Chocolate, Almond and Orange flavours, both of which made my mouth water... I also saw in the picture for Paul's Biscotti that he had some sort of dipping sauce, so I decided to make a dark chocolate to go with mine, the recipe for which can be found here.


I started by making the basic Biscotti mixture, which involves mixing together flour, sugar and baking powder, and slowly adding egg until your dough starts to form. Now with my pistachio mix I managed to make a super wet dough, because I added WAY too much egg but it turned out alright in the end!


Then I added my roughly chopped pistachio's and cranberries and folded them in with my hands. A little bit of kneading later and my dough was ready to be shaped, so I divided it in half and rolled it into two sausage shapes... this part was surprisingly easy considering I am terrible at shaping dough!


Then it was time to make the chocolate mix. I repeated the same mixture as my first batch but adding 30g extra flour, and then adding 50g melted dark chocolate after adding the eggs. Once combined I threw the ingredients in kneaded the dough, making it into two sausage shapes again. Then I popped both batches into the oven for 30 mins for their first bake.



Once the first bake was done I let them cool for 10 minutes before cutting them diagonally into little strips, placing them on their side, and putting them back into the oven. This time for 15 minutes first, then giving them another 15 minutes after turning them all over. Whilst they were having their second bake, I made the dipping sauce. This was super easy and simply involved throwing all the ingredients into a pan and letting them melt until I had a smooth sauce! That's all their was to it...


I'm still trying to think of new and creative ways to display my bakes... but what do you think?

Mummy Mishaps
Hosted by the lovely Jenny of Mummy Mishaps


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Wishlist Wednesday: Animal Themed Jewellery

Wednesday 12 August 2015


This wishlist Wednesday is all about animal themed jewellery, and I have found an amazing selection to share with you... some of which I have already purchased before even finishing this post... don't judge me!

4. Bunny Ring: £10.86
5. Sloth Cuff Bracelet: £130.31
6. Koala Necklace: £7.90

Let me know in the comments which of these are your favourite, I'm already buying the Tapir Necklace and the Jack Russell Necklace!
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July Favourites 2015

Tuesday 11 August 2015


This year is seriously flying by so quickly and I don't think I can cope with it! It feels like it was just yesterday that I finished my Makeup course, but in actual fact it's been 4 months since then!! I thought it was about time that I got to posting my July favourites, considering we are almost half way through August already... HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?!?

On my favourites list this month were:
  • Essence Soft Touch Mousse Makeup in 01: This has become my go to everyday foundation because it feels so light on my skin, almost like I'm not even wearing any makeup. Which to me is perfect for summer.
  • Essence Sun Club Bronzer in Blondes: This bronzer is amazing if like me you are a paler girl, and to top is all off it smells like coconut! Honestly when I apply this I feel like I am on holiday because the scent just transports me there.
  • Essence Make Me Brow Gel in Blonde: This product is perfect for quick and easy brows, and is exactly the same as Benefit's 'Gimme Brow', honestly having used both, I can hand on heart say that they both do the same thing, except the Essence one is a good £15 cheaper!
  • La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo Moisturiser: This moisturiser has honestly been a god send since my skin started playing up, its a little on the pricey side at £15, but I've definitely noticed that it will decrease the size and redness of my spots.
  • Facial Massager from China: This has to be the best £4 that I have ever spent! I bought this from an app called Geek, as I noticed that it would be good for cleansing my skin, and I have not been disappointed. I have been using it religiously for a few weeks now and my skin is so much smoother, and there is a definite decrease in the number of blackheads around my nose and chin.
  • Evil in Return by Elena Forbes: This book got me through July, and it was the first crime book that I have bought in a long time. It was gripping and kept me interested, and every time I put the book down I found myself trying to solve the mystery in my own mind, and to me that is the signal of a good crime book!
What have you been enjoying this month?
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Music Mondays: Will The Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?

Monday 10 August 2015



Welcome back to Music Monday's and this week, I'm going way back to when I was a young'un and fancied myself a little bit of a rebel of the system... Who doesn't like a good bit of classic Eminem? If you don't you should leave this post now because I'm about to get all nostalgic!

I can't remember when I first heard an Eminem track, but I know that when I did, something about it just really struck a chord with me, I don't really know why... Maybe it was the fact that he just doesn't give a flying f***! I came upon him in my late childhood to early teens, and I remember I was hooked. I had his Encore album and I used to sit in my room listening to it back to back. constantly so that I could learn all the lyrics... Looking back some of those tracks probably weren't 100% suitable to my age group at the time, but all I know is I loved it. I think it was definitely the feeling of rebellion, and being allowed to not agree with the masses that appealed to me most!

The Real Slim Shady is one of my absolute favourite Eminem tracks, it's right up their with, 'Without Me' which is by far my all-time favourite, and in fact when this track was released people used to sing it at me because my surname is Slade... they called me Slim Sladey (I know sad right... but it happened), and to this day I still sometimes sing 'Slim Sladey' instead of 'Slim Shady'... I am so pathetic...

I happened to stumble upon, 'Without Me' the other day, which around it's release was a really popular song with myself and my family, and I played it to my dad, my sister, and my brother all separately and they all still remember all of the lyrics... Can't believe we all bonded over such a hilarious song, not that I am complaining!

What memories do you have of this song? Let me know in the comments...
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Sum Up Sunday #24

Sunday 9 August 2015

From Top to Bottom: My Nephew is cuter than yours!, Black Forest Birthday Cake, Inflatable Cone of Shame, Summer Mocktails, Breaking Makeup Rules, Cleaning a Million Brushes.

This week has all in all been a pretty boring one for me, well right up until the weekend that is! This week I started something that I have wanted to do for the longest time, Daily Vlogs! I haven't managed to do one every single day just yet as I am still getting used to doing it, but you can see the ones that I have made over on my Youtube channel here. Ever since I first started watching Youtube videos back when I was 13/14 I wanted to make vlogs, but I never really had the confidence, but now I seem to have got my Youtube channel onto some thought of track, I thought it was about time I gave it a go!

This week also saw the return of the Great British Bake Off, which you should all know by now, is one of my all time favourite TV shows! That means it was the first official week of the #Bloggersbakealong that I took part in, and Tim wanted me to make him a Black Forest Gateau for his birthday BBQ. Thankfully having bought the new GBBO book the week before I found a recipe immediately, and on Friday I went over to my Nan's house (where I would be storing the cake until the BBQ) and made it. It turned out pretty amazing, and I have had nothing but compliments from everyone who has seen/eaten the cake, which I am very pleased about. Considering that making the thing really REALLY tired me out! You can check out how I made it here

Then yesterday it was time for Tim's birthday BBQ. Even though his birthday isn't until next weekend, we decided to celebrate it with family this weekend, as I will be away in London next weekend for Summer in the City! When planning the BBQ I had the idea that we could have mocktails, and then I found these cute Jar glasses in Tesco, and I just knew we had to make them... We found a tonne of recipes online that we liked, but ultimately settled on two different cocktails, a sparkling cranberry punch and a citrus cooler that we added grenadine to, which made the perfect sunset cocktails! There were a hit with everyone that attended, well that was until they began attracting the wasps who seemed to enjoy them as much as we did! I was very lucky that Tim's sister brought her son out to see us so there were plenty of cuddles had, and we discovered that he quite likes taking selfies!

What have you been up to this week?

Currently I'm:
Reading: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
Listening To: Oldschool Eminem
Playing: Star Stable again (now that my subscription has been renewed)
Feeling: Tired after a long weekend
Looking Forward To: Summer in the City!! (still)




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Bloggers Bake Along to GBBO: Black Forest Gateau

Saturday 8 August 2015



Welcome back to the Bloggers Bake along to GBBO, this week featuring cakes! The first episode of the new series of GBBO was certainly exciting, and it saw the bakers taking on Madiera cakes, A frosted walnut cake and the showstopping Black Forest Gateau. As it is Tim's Birthday BBQ today I let him decide what cake I would make for him, and he of course settled on the Black Forest, one of his favourite flavours!

Thankfully last week I bought myself the brand new GBBO recipe book, so I found an amazing recipe for a Black Forest in there...


I started with the chocolate cake, by whisking 6 eggs and sugar together until they reach ribbon stage, then folding in the flour and cocoa powder. Before dividing the mixture into the tins, and baking for 25 minutes.


Whilst that was baking I moved onto the cherry mixture, which started with draining the cherries and chopping them into quarters, which honestly took me forever! Then I placed some cornflour in a saucepan, mixing in a little of the syrup until it was like a paste, then I adding the rest of the syrup, bringing it to the boil, stirring constantly until it thickened... It seemed to thicken almost instantly so it's definitely something you'd want to watch! Then you stir in the chopped cherries, waiting for it to cool before putting it in the fridge to chill!


Then it was time for the chocolate work! So I melted white and dark chocolate, which I prefer to do in the microwave as I feel like it happens much quicker! All you need to do is put the chocolate in on 10 second bursts, stirring in between until it is melted. Then I had to dunk 20 cherries in the two different kinds of chocolate, once that was set I placed the remaining chocolate into two piping bags and carefully zig-zagged it over the cherries. Then using the rest of the Dark chocolate I piped some trees for decoration!


Then all that was left to do was to cut my two sponges in half, and whisk the cream, then putting it all together following the instructions in the book!

This recipe was SO tiring, I don't know why, but it was still great fun to make, and it turned out really well! I cannot wait to see people's reactions to it later on today... Don't forget to check out the bakes by the other bloggers below!

Mummy Mishaps
Hosted by the Lovely Jenny of Mummy Mishaps


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Wishlist Wednesday: Nerdy Hoodies

Wednesday 5 August 2015


I am in severe need of a new zip-up hoodie, but I struggle to find any that I like! I'm not a big fan of plain dark hoodies, and would much prefer something more interesting and colourful. So I wandered onto the internet (as per usual) and had a look for some weird and wonderful hoodies, and let's just say I was not disappointed...

3. Sailor Moon Hoodie: £118.62
4. Fluttershy Hoodie: £131.80
5. Fluffy Eevie Hoodie: £46.13
6. Charizard Hoodie: £65.90
8. Toothless Hoodie: £112.03

Let me know below, which of these are your favourite!
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Benefit Porefessional Dupe?

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Left to right: MUA Undress Your Skin Primer, Benefit Porefessional Sample Size

I have been an avid promoter of Benefit's POREfessional ever since I first bought it a couple of years ago, this was around the time that I had my first Benefit Makeover, which you can read about here. Then when I worked for Benefit for a short while my love for the primer grew, mainly from having to wear it everyday! I was just so glad that I had something that not only made my skin look amazing, but that protected it from all the makeup that I was piling onto my face (unfortunately working on a counter does that to you). 

The other day I happened to be rummaging around in the bottom of my makeup case and I rediscovered my MUA Undress Your Skin Primer, and I decided to have a play around with it. To my surprise I found it had very similar effects to the POREfessional! It left my skin feeling silky smooth and helped to reduce the appearance of my pores... Now considering that there is a considerable price difference between the two, I thought I should compare them...

From left to right: Benefit's POREfessional, MUA Undress Your Skin Primer

As you can see from the above photo, side by side the primers look completely different. POREfessional has an fleshy colour, whilst the MUA primer is clear. 

So what really are the differences between the two?
  • Packaging: Porefession comes in a tube and the packaging is bright and fun and easily recognisable (probably one of the reasons it does so well), whilst the MUA primer comes in a bottle with a pump, and honestly I wouldn't give the packaging a second look, it's pretty dull!
  • Smell: POREfessional has a very lovely fruity kind of smell to it, whilst the MUA primer is odourless.
  • Consistency: The MUA Primer is thicker than the POREfessional, but I honestly don't think that effects the way in which it performs, to me it simply means that I would need to use less product to get the same effect.
  • Pore Visability: Both minimise your pores equally well in my opinion.
  • Feeling on skin: The POREfessional sinks into the skin very quickly and makes your skin feel silky. The MUA primer feels a lot more 'slippy' on the skin to me, and takes slightly longer to sink into the skin, but once it does the feeling is similar to POREfessional.
  • Price: A full sized tube of POREfessional contains 22ml of product and costs £24.50 whilst the MUA primer contains 15ml of product and costs £5... that's a considerable difference!
I'll be entirely honest, both of these products do exactly the same thing, and it's hard for me to se the difference once they are both applied. Considering you could buy almost 5 of the MUA primers for the cost of one POREfessional, it's really a no-brainer for me. 

Have you tried either of these primers, if so let me know what you think of them below...


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Sum Up Monday #23

Monday 3 August 2015

From Top Left to Bottom Right: Comfortable Cat, New Running Shoes, Cinema Selfie #1, Inside Out Sippy Cups, Baking again, Sven and Olaf, Cinema Selfie #2, GBBO New Book, Walking Maizey.


I'm surprised with what I have managed to get done last week to be honest. I've been to the cinema twice, starting running, done some baking for the first time in seven months, and managed to take my dog for a stunning country walk!

Let's start with the cinema. Tim and I both get the Meerkat Movies 2 for 1 cinema tickets, so we decided to go to the cinema twice last week! Firstly we went to see Inside Out which I have been dying to see since I first saw the trailer... When we got to the concessions we saw they had these sippy cups with the characters on top, and I knew I had to have one. I went for Sadness and Tim opted for Anger, which is funny because they both turned out to be our favourite characters in the entire movie! I don't want to give too much away but it was such a good film, and was very true to the Pixar aesthetic, and there were even a few tear jerker moments included. There was also a really cool Pixar short shown at the beginning about two volcanoes that was super cute!

Then the next night we opted for something the complete opposite and went to see a new horror film, The Gallows. I don't know what we really expected with this but honestly Tim and I were both pretty on edge watching this. Although I was disappointed to see it followed the whole 'hand-held' camera trend that has become super popular among horror films ever since Paranormal Activity was released, I was actually pleasantly surprised. If there is one thing that this film has in spades, it is suspense... There were points in the film where I was literally holding my breathe because it was so tense. I was surprised that there was actually a pretty good twist at the end that I personally didn't see coming, although Tim claims he knew pretty early on in the film. Either way this one is definitely worth a watch!

Last week also saw the first time in SEVEN MONTHS that I have baked anything. I literally cannot fathom how it has been that long since I last baked something... Anyway, as you may know if you read my blog I am taking part in a Bake Along with GBBO challenge and myself and the other bloggers were far too excited to wait until GBBO started (this wednesday) and so we set ourselves the challenge of making something from one of the Ex-Contestants. I made myself some Pain au chocolat blanc made by the one and only Louis from last season. You can check out how they turned out here

Finally yesterday Tim and I went over to see Maizey and decided to take her for a long summer walk. It was a good opportunity for me to show Tim some of my Village that he has never seen, and also to take Maizey on a walk that she had never done before! We managed to find a random pile of logs on our trial and decided to used them as a photo opportunity, and it actually turned out pretty well!

What have you been up to the past week?

Currently I'm:
Reading: I've literally just finished Evil in Return by Elena Forbes
Listening To: Oldschool Eminem
Playing: Flash games online
Feeling: Excited for GBBO on Wednesday
Looking Forward To: Summer in the City!! (still)

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