Perfect Chia Porridge

Hello everyone,

I'm back today with a quick post about the breakfast I have been obsessed with for the past few weeks.

Porridge! It's warm, filling and packed with energy to set you up for the day. A perfect low sugar, low fat alternative to cereal or deceivingly sugary granola.

All you need for this porridge bowl is:

40g (half a cup) of oats, I use Flahavan's Organic Porridge Oats
1 and a quarter cup of almond milk or your preferred dairy alternative milk
2 teaspoons of chia seeds

Optional:
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (I love my cinnamon so I lash it on)
Half a teaspoon of raw cacao powder

Go Wild and Garnish:
Any berries of your choice
A drizzle of soya cream
Coconut flakes
Sunflower seeds

I usually pop all the ingredients in my handy rice maker and time it so that my porridge is ready when I wake up in the morning but you can also microwave for 1 minute at a time, stirring in-between or you can use the hob by bringing your mixture to the boil then simmering and stirring until the oats have reached your desired consistency.

Tip: for extra 'creaminess' you can leave you oats, milk and chia seeds over night which is why I love my rice maker. Just remember to add in about a half a cup of water so that the oats and chia seeds don't soak up all the liquid over night. You can also add a little bit of coconut milk which makes them even more deliciously creamy!

Satisfy your Cravings with 'graze'

Hello lovelies,

So if you're like me and seems to be constantly hungry no matter what time of the day or suffer from eleven-sies nibbles you'll like what have in store for you today.

I found a voucher for a free 'graze goody box' in my monthly magazine and decided to give it a try. Whenever I get a bit peckish or hungry midmorning or in the evenings I try to snack on healthy foods, a handful of almonds/walnuts or apple pieces with some peanut butter (sometimes followed by another cheeky spoonful of peanut goodness..). However it's good to switch it up every now and again to get some variety into the diet, that's why I was seriously excited to get my graze box in the post.

Made from healthy, nutritious ingredients and none of those nasty additives, you can choose from 100s of snacks, they even send you a leaflet with the nutritional info of each snack you choose. Luckily for me they even have a breakfast box option!

Delicious banana dippers with toffee sauce.....

Dried fruit and chocolate chips!

I haven't tried the rest of my snacks yet but those flapjacks are calling to me...

Thanks for reading,

Ciara xxx

My Daily Skincare for Sensitive and Normal Skin

Hello lovelies!

Lately I've been getting quite a lot of problems with my skin due to stress and starting back to school where undoubtedly my hands are covered in germs and dirt and which gets transferred to my face when I touch it. So I thought I'd do a post about the type of products I use to keep my skin clean and healthy.

Please note I am not a beauty pro so most of the products I use are pretty basic and may disgust those of you that know their skincare products.

Overall my skin is pretty normal apart from the occasional red blemish and redness around the nose and cheeks so I don't really use any specialised products. However the skin is very sensitive and fragile so it is important to use natural and gentle products so as not to damage or irritate your skin.

My first confession is that in the morning I don't actually wash my face. I know I know many die-hard skin fanatics will cringe at this fact but personally I feel that my skin gets too irritated if I mess with it too much so it's best for me just to give it a wash at night and moisturise in the morning.  

For my cleanser I like to use Good Things Stay Clear Mango and Blueberry because it's full of anti-oxidants which are great for the skin and leaves my skin freshly clean.

 

After that I use a liquid exfoliator because it's less harsh on my skin than a granule one. The product I use is from La Roche-Posay and is from the Effaclar range. Apply with a cotton pad and smooth around the face in circular motions.

A toner is always handy to give the face a plump and healthy texture and also to remove any last remains of the day's make-up you may have missed whilst cleansing. A lovely and gentle natural toner is Rose Water and Witch Hazel which can be bought at any local pharmacy.

One of my saviour products which help reduce red blemishes and prevent spots is La Roche-Posay's Effaclar K serum. I like to use this at night and in the morning and could not live without it. As you can see from the photo I'm in need of a refill too.

 

Finally you've always got to moisturise the skin in order to keep it hydrated and soft especially during the cold months. My preferred moisturiser is a simple daily cream from No. 7  for normal/dry skin. It says daily but I like to use it at night too primarily because I find night moisturisers very heavy and tend to clog up my pores and make my skin more oily. This product is also hypo-allergenic and doesn't contain any nasty fragrances which can often chemically irritate the skin.

However when I think my skin is in need of a more intense treatment I have 3 other products I like to use.

For a stronger cleanse I like to use Vichy Normaderm Gel.

To tackle bad blackheads and spots I use St.Ives' Apricot Scrub which contains small particles which smooth away dead skin and deep rooted dirt. Since exfoliating the skin with a granule exfoliator everyday isn't the best I only use this product 2-3 times a week.

 

To combat the drying and invasive effects of a strong scrub I tend to use a slightly creamier and heavier moisturiser to prevent my skin getting too taught and dry. For me, Boots' brand Botanics Mattifying Day Cream with extract of willowbark is a good choice because it leaves my skin almost instantly softer and fuller.

So that's my usual skincare routine for the week, I hope it's given some of you a little advice on how to take care of your sensitive skin.

Thanks for reading,

Ciara.