Chasing the Winter Solstice Sunrise

Hello lovelies!

So today is the 21s of December which marks both 4 more sleeps to Christmas and Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. I always find that both Winter and Summer Solstice tend to fly by unnoticed so this time my sister and I decided to get up early and try get a few snaps of the sunrise.

Getting up at 6:30AM. Not a good idea. 

Happening to spill a bucket of paint in the shed whilst trying to get  out the bikes. Also not a good idea.

However after a dead quite, pitch black bike ride through the empty village we set up the camera and waited for the sunrise to begin. 

And then it was time to brave the cycle home with defrost the fingers and toes with a warm cup of tea.

Thanks for reading,

Ciara xx

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

Christmas Dinner, Student Style

Hello lovelies!


Next week my flatmates and I are all splitting up for the Christmas holidays which meant only one thing, we had to have our own flat Christmas dinner. A lot of planning and timetabling was involved ( a kitchen table ma or may not have been rolled down 2 flights of stairs) but I think it was quite successful. I am proud to say I seasoned and basted my own chicken which turned out delicious. 

Of course all the girls were in the kitchen ( I made my Slutty Chocolate Brownies) while the boys did nothing but that wasn't too bad because they were the ones who were stuck with the washing up.

Not too shabby for just £5 a head from good old ASDA ;)

Then to settle our bursting bellies a few of us took a stroll around campus through the Christmas fairy lights.

Who else is ready for it to be Christmas Eve already?

Thanks for reading,

Ciara xx

iPhone Diary: A Festive Weekend in London

Hello lovelies!

As it is officially the 1st of December I feel it's sociably acceptable to start getting excited for Christmas and all the festivities that come with the holidays.

I'm now going to uni near Manchester and my best friend is down in London so this weekend I jumped on a train and headed down to her for a weekend getaway.

It was a wonderful weekend with lots of late night trips for frozen yogurt (there are no good froyo places up here so I had to stock up), brilliant ice skating at Somerset House and of course, shopping....

Prepare yourself for the money shot....

Such a good weekend but now that I'm back at uni it's time for me to hit the books :(

Ciara xxx

Co Co Markets at Marlay Park

Hello lovelies!


It's a beautiful sunny Saturday here in Ireland also one of my last weekends before I move away for college. To make the most of the nice weather we headed to Marlay Park to have a mooch about the Sunday markets.

I opted for a breakfast cr epe with egg, ham and cheese which was quickly followed up with a lovely white chocolate cookie.

We spotted these snack balls made of peanut butter, fruit and oats which seemed like tasty little treats to nibble on and I'm sure you can even make them at home.

I love going to markets and trying out new foods made by locals and it's a great way to spend a sunny morning. 

Thanks for reading,

Ciara xx

Moving into Uni Halls? Here's what I packed.

Hello lovelies!

As you may not know in a few weeks time I will be starting university (for the second time) at Lancaster University to study advertising and marketing. Not only does this mean I'll be moving country and leaving all my friends behind it also means I'll have to move into university halls for my first year at least. 

At most halls you're provided with the bare necessities; bed, bathroom, fridge, freezer, oven and hob which means that if you're like me, and have never lived on you're own before you'll need to buy everything brand new. As a savvy saving student, as we all are, I'm guessing you won't be prepared to fork out a whole load of cash for your new homeware. So thank the land of the Swedes for coming up with a solution to our need for stylish and economical homestuffs by gifting us with IKEA.

My very first trip to IKEA was to stock up on things for moving out and now that I've aquired quite the stash of kitchen utensils and bed linen I thought I'd make up a little checklist for any other students out there who need a few ideas of what to bring to halls with them. 

STORAGE

Now most halls rooms will be well fitted with shelves, wardrobes and under the bed storage space but if you're like me and you're planning on hauling your whole wardrobe over with you you'll want to invest in a few storage items. After all where are us gals going to put all of our shoes?

Yellow File Box, Wooden Drawer Organisers, White Shelf Splitter, Hanging Wardrobe Shelves- All IKEA

Felt Hangers- Dunnes Stores

These are a few storage bits I picked up to help organise my room. The hanging shelves are a brilliant idea because they attach with velcro to your wardrobe rack and instantly you have so much more space to put your t-shirts and jumpers. If you don't know what the shelve splitter is don't fret because I didn't understand either at first. If you have a press with to very high shelf spaces you simply pop the splitter onto a shelve and voila, you've now got 3 shelves instead of 2. 

Here are the hanging shelves in action.

KITCHEN UTENSILS

When I was looking around for things I needed for the kitchen I had to keep in mind that I wouldn't have a lot of room to put them in seeing as I think I've only 2 presses and a drawer which will primarily be storing all my food. So I looked around for items that could be multipurpose for example, a deep frying pan I could use as a wok for stir-fries and as a pan for making pancakes!

Chopping Boards, Pots, Plastic Sandwich Bags, Frying Pan, Glass Baking Dish, Grater, Whisk, Ladle, Fish Slice and 'Poached Egg' Spoon-Trio, Measuring Jug, Mixing Bowl, Glass Tupperware, Plastic Tupperware, Can Opener, Wine Opener, Scissors, Sharp Knife, Dish Scrubber- All IKEA

Tea Towels- Dunnes Stores

Baking Tray- M&S

CROCKERY

Again keep in mind you won't have a lot of room to store 6 bowls, plates, glasses and mugs in your uni kitchen so stick to the bare minimum.

Set of 4 Forks, Knives and Spoons, Bowls, Plates, Glasses, Serviettes- All IKEA

Mugs- Homestore And More

BATHROOM

Save the actual toilet, shower and sink there's not a lot you have to get for your bathroom. A few towels and cleaning stuff will suffice. Don't forget a shower caddy so you don't have to put all your shower gel and shampoo on the floor.

Laundry Bag, Toilet Cleaner, Shower Caddy- All IKEA

Towels- Dunnes Stores

Shower Mat- Penny's

BEDDING

Unless you want to sleep on solely a mattress for your time in halls get yourself a good pillow and a comfy duvet. Also don't forget a mattress protector because who knows what could have gone on in that bed before you.. I decided not to get mine in IKEA because I don't think the quality is as good and I'd rather pay a bit more for the comfort in the long run.

All from Dunnes Stores

BEDROOM

You're going to be spending a lot of time in your bedroom while you're at uni whether that's studying at your desk or just procrastinating on your laptop in bed so make sure you get a few bits and bring some things from home to make you feel at home in your room.

 Butterfly Cushion- Next

Eiffel Tower Cushion- Homestore and More

Fake Flowers, Bed Linen, Lamp- All IKEA

Covent Garden Sign- Shop in London

MISCELLANEOUS 

Last but not least if you're a girl and prepping for a night out you'll want to have the hair dryer, straighteners and phone charging all at once so may I suggest investing in an ultra glamorous extension cord? Some batteries and white-tac won't go astray either.

3 Way Plug, Extension Cord and Light bulb- All IKEA

I've a few more things to pick up before I head of but all this stuff is the bones of  what I'm bringing. If you have any suggestions as to anything else I have to lug across the pond with me please do pop them down in the comments. And to any one else who's frantically running around from shop to shop I hope this gives you a list of ideas.

Thanks for reading,

Ciara xx