We've Made It On The Littlewoods Ireland Blog Awards 2016 Longlist

Major Announcement: The Uninteresting Life? has made it on the Littlewoods Ireland Blog Awards 2016 Longlist for two categories! We are on the Lifestyle Blog Longlist and Health & Well-being Longlist.

I'm so happy to have been considered and to have made it through the first round of judging especially for two great categories. I've had a look through the other blogs that were nominated and they're all wonderful so I'm happy to be among them. 

Perhaps I should make another Vision Board focusing all my energy on getting onto the shortlist.....

Fingers crossed,

Huawei Snapys 2016 Launch Event!

Earlier this month I attended the Huawei Snapys 2016 launch night and had a great time. For anyone who doesn't know about The Snapys, they are Ireland's very own independent Instagram awards. They launched in early July and will be running until late October.

On the night we were treated to complementary drinks from Jameson and Galway Hooker and there were even a few nibbles too!

IgersDublin, the Instagram community, were also putting on their Dublin: Reflective City finalist exhibition and I must say some of the entries were amazing!

I didn't manage to get a proper photo taken so a quick iPhone snap will have to suffice!

Today they released their launch night video so I thought I'd share it with you because I may or may not make a little cameo ;)

        

If you want to enter into The Huawei Snapys all you have to do is use the hashtag #huaweisnapys and the category hashtag in the description of your photo when you upload on Instagram! Next you can tell all your friends to go and vote over here. I know I'll be entering a few snaps ;)

Thanks for stopping by,

Ciara xx

A Weekend of Food & Fun in Cork

So late weekend my boyfriend and I decided to head off to Cork for the weekend to give ourselves a mini getaway. I recently got my driving licence (yay) so we took advantage of the family car to do the 3 hour drive in style. 

As it turns out it's very hard to do any exploring when it's wet and windy so to be honest we spent the weekend going from one eatery to another....

On our last night we decided to visit Scoozi, an Italian that showed with with great reviews on TripAdvisor. Inside, your surrounded with a cosy, warm atmosphere and decor consisting of old china plates hung on the wall, cottage floral wallpaper and regal chandeliers. 

I went for an easy vegan no cheese pizza with a delicious crispy base and spicy sauce and the boyfriend went for an interesting hazelnut and pesto burger.

For dessert I opted for some vegan chocolate buttons I had in my bag but the boy went all out on some Mars Bar cheesecake. 

I have to admit I may have tasted a bit and it was really delicious. I'm usually not a big fan of cheesecake but this one had a fluffy, light textured filling as opposed to the traditional, more solid filling. A solid 5/5!

We decided to finish the night off with a walk up the hill in the rainy mist to get a bird's eye view of the city.

(make it quick before you get run over!)

I think this weekend was really needed by both of us and I can't wait for our trip to London in a few weeks time!

Thanks for stopping by.

Ciara xx

Living Consciously | Vegan Haircare for Dry Damaged Hair

Hello everyone,

I'm back with another update on my journey to living consciously, talking about everything from cruelty free food and cosmetics to yoga. I want to try it all. In case you missed my original 'Living Consciously' post you can check it out here.

This week I thought I would share with you the amazing vegan and natural haircare products I've been trying out. My hair has always been on the dry side and coupled with the fact that it's naturally waved (a fancy way of saying its plain old frizzy) I like to go for products that will condition and smooth down my flyaways.

While I was getting my hair done at my local salon my hairdresser used the some Pureology Hydrate haircare products on me. Pureology is great because its 100% vegan. No animal products, by-products and no animal testing! Not only are their products great for the world but they're also incredible. My hair felt instantly softer and stronger after one use. I liked them so much I bought the shampoo and condition myself at Peter Mark. They're a bit pricier than your regular high street products but not ultra expensive either. Plus their concentrated formula means you only need a little bit at a time.

I've been using them for a few weeks now and my hair is still as soft as ever and their no sulphate formula doesn't weigh my hair down.

Next up is the Aveda damage remedy for intensive restructuring. I leave it in my hair for 5 or so minutes after using a clarifying shampoo. This product contains quinoa protein which actively repairs damage and wheat protein which helps protect against heat styling damage. I once got my hair highlighted at an Aveda salon and was worried my hair would become dryer but because of the natural ingredients I haven't experienced any dryness out of the usual.

Of course I still use regular products that aren't so natural but it's a process of slotting in a few products at a time. I'm trying out a few other natural body care products too so I'll keep you updated if I find any winners.

Well that's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by,

Ciara xx

Vegan Chocolate Protein Smoothie

Hello everyone!

Today I thought I would share with you a breakfast that I have been obsessed with over the past few weeks and that is my chocolate protein smoothie. Its has a balanced amount of carbs, protein and fats to set you up for the day and satisfies your sweet tooth cravings in a healthy way.  Its super quick and easy to make which makes it perfect for a busy morning or if you're like me and you're starving when you wake and can't wait!

Here's what you will need:

1: 2 Bananas (I would recommend frozen)

2: Approximately 300-400ml of your dairy alternative milk of choice or water.

3: A handful of pecans or any other nut you want. I'd recommend walnuts or hazelnuts.

4: A cup of ice to make things frosty. (if you use frozen bananas you don't need to add ice)

5: A chocolate flavoured vegan protein powder of your choice. I'm using Sunwarrior protein which I'm loving at the moment.

6: A tsp of cocao powder or cocoa powder will do the job too.

All you have to do next is bang all your ingredients into a blender and blend it all up until everything is smooth. 

And here is the finished result.

Sorry I don't have a Pinterest worthy image to show you but my hunger made me impatient...

I usually pair this with some cereal and berries to make my breakfast a bit more substantial. Also we can't forget a cup of hot coffee! Try adding oats or peanut butter if you want a heartier smoothie that will keep you fuller for longer.

Let me know if you try this out and if you thought it was tasty!

Thanks for reading,

Ciara xx

A Poem For the Forest

Hello everyone,


Exams are finally finished so no more stressful nights and studying boredom. However all the built up exhaustion and tiredness did hit me over the weekend so a good rest was much needed.

A few of my friends and I decided to go on a nice relaxing stroll through a nearby forest to catch up on everything we've missed during the exam period. Walks are always such a great way to destress and get the body moving without tiring you out too much. A casual stroll was just what my body needed.

Considering it had rained all through the day before we were actually quite lucky and didn't get a single drop of rain while we walked. It was quite eery and quiet as we walked through the trees with no one around through the damp, still air. But nevertheless it was great to have the place practically to ourselves for a little while.

I snapped a photo on my phone a decided I'd try write a little poem about it. Emphasis on the word 'try', I'm by no means a writer or a poet but I was in the mood to do something new.

I took a walk in time 
To clear my mind

Leaves, branches, trees thick with moss and ivy laden trunks
Winding paths through green archways pierced by sunlight 
Water and life released 
       a clarity, serenity and presence 
From their roots

Nutrients, ancient wisdom, strength and balance
Food from the base of Earth

Feed it to your soul
Watch it grow

So yeah there's my little poem about our walk in the forest as you can see its no Plath or Yeats but it was fun to think up. Maybe I'll try jot a few more down as they come to me and see how much improvement I can make with some practice...

Thanks for stopping by,

Ciara xx