Camping! in the Lake District

Hello!

We've not long got back from a lovely short break in the Lake District :) We hired a car, a ridiculous little thing called a Chevy Spark, and drove the 5 hours North to Duddon Valley picking up Little Chicken on the way. It really was beautiful!

We pitched our tent (an adventure in itself) and went hiking along the river and up into the fells. 

We highly recommend the Turner Hall Farm  camp site :)

The tent beast!

A cool monster tree :)

Barbecuing in the dark!

Little Chicken checking out her conquered mountain :)

Gorgeous!

This sheep had a red mohawk!

I wish I could stay here forever :)

Little Chicken is all tired out.

On the early drive home.

I'm very sad to have had to come home and can't wait to plan our next little trip!

Shop Till We Drop: Red Gingham!

The weather has finally perked up here in the UK and all I can think about are summer picnics! Summer picnics led me on to red gingham :) I love it! Here are a few things I'm craving right now...

These shoes are delicious and perfect for trawling round London in the summer! 

Gingham and owls, is there a better combination?

A gorgeous dress, perfect for summer BBQs and picnics :)

I want to hang this all around the trees :)

Hayfever? No problem with this adorable tissue holder!

From the desk of...

I recently discovered a website called From The Desk Of and now I often find myself sitting and trawling through the pages getting more and more jealous of some of the fabulous workspaces that people have created. I hope to one day possess an inspiring, creative office for myself but this is my workspace in the meantime...

I work in the geeky side of television broadcasting but one day I hope to be able to build a more exciting career so watch this space!

Thrifty Living: Supermarket Success!

We're all facing tough economic times at the moment. The news is full of depressing financial stories and saving money is a hot topic. I figured it would do me good to learn a few economising skills and of course I'll share a few tips with you too!

• Get organised - work out your meal plans for the week in advance. Once this grisly task is done, you'll be able to sit back, relax with a glass of wine and fly through an online shop with elegance and grace (without the dazed aisle wandering).
• When making your list, remember to check your cupboard and see what you've already got in stock. This will save you from silly, unnecessary purchases (don't forget to check the use-by dates!).
• Stretch your leftovers - don't just bin them! My boyfriend once cooked a roast which could've fed a small army, tasty but far too much for the two of us. I threw all of the leftover vegetables into a pan with my favourite stock and boiled it all up to make a random but delicious soup. Get imaginative with your leftovers :)
• Don't be a snob when it comes to own-brand products. Don't say it too loudly but word is that they're basically the same product ;) Although I would only ever buy Kellogg's Cornflakes, I certainly don't mind choosing a 30p can of chopped tomatoes instead of the £1.36 version. See, I've already saved myself £1.06!
• Don't be blinded by bargains - A bargain is only a bargain if you were already planning to buy it in the first place!

And the golden rule is.... never EVER shop when you're hungry. Just don't even think about it! You'll only find yourself at the mercy of a sugar-lusting, comfort-seeking mentality. Nooooooooo!!!

Hannah xo

Health Kick: Hot Lemon Water

Source

Lately I've been hearing many positive things about having a cup of hot water and a slice of lemon first thing in the morning. So, I decided to try it for myself and build it into my daily morning routine! This sounds easy, except the first thing I crave in the morning is a cup of tea and a spoonful of sugar... And as I'm usually not really awake at that point, I have a hard time reaching for anything other than the teabags. So I decided to list the benefits I've heard about here, hopefully they'll creep into my subconsciousness :)

• Lemons are packed with vitamin C, which just so happens to be one of the first casualties of stress. Hot lemon water will help build up those C levels again ready for whatever the day decides to throw at you. 
• Vitamin C also boosts your immune system, helping you to ward off cold and flu. 
• Lemons contain potassium, important in controlling blood pressure and encouraging brain and nerve function. 
• Pectin fibre helps fight hunger cravings, aiding in weight loss. Lemons are full of it. 
• Vitamin C has skin-cleansing properties and is said to decrease wrinkles and blemishes. It also clears toxins from the blood. In fact, lemon juice can be directly applied to scars to reduce their appearance. 
• Helps cleanse the body of unwanted materials and aids the liver in making bile which is needed for digestion. 
• Lemons help to balance the body's overall acidity, they are very much an alkaline fruit.
• It is a breath freshener and can help in relieving tooth ache and gum disease.
• It will save you from drinking at least one cup of coffee each day ;)
• .... And it helps remove coffee stains from mugs!

And so I have stated my case in favour of hot water and lemon! However, there is one thing to be weary of when starting this new routine of mine... Lemon juice is very good at eroding tooth enamel so it is very important that you brush your teeth after drinking your lemon!

So boil your water, slice a lemon and squeeze the slice into your mug. Drop the slice in and fill with hot water and voila! You have yourself a great kick-start for the day :)

Hannah xo

A little more info...

Hello. Hi. How are you?

One of my favourite ways to 'pass the time' while I was meant to be cramming for an exam or writing up a first class assignment for my uni studies was to hit up Myspace and swap quizzes with my favourites. I came across one the other day and thought 'why not?' Just for old times' sake ;) 

1. First thing you wash in the shower? 

My hair. 

2. What colour is your favorite hoodie? I love my man's purple hoody. I no longer have any nice ones :(

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? YES! I will when I get home :)

4.Do you plan outfits?Only for special occasions and only if I'm organised.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?Tired. I'm in the middle of a run of night shifts. ZZZ. 

6. Whats the closest thing to you thats red?A red stapler.

7. Do you say aim or a-i-m?Umm... the second one if you're referring to that messenger thingy?

8. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?I got a new hamster! :D

9. Did you meet anybody new today?I met the guys from our local Indian restaurant/takeaway. They gave us free poppadoms! <3

10. What are you craving right now?

Bed. Oh, and a bath. 

11. Do you floss?Yes, but I wish I could make myself floss daily rather than thrice weekly. 

12. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?Soup. Where did that come from? I've never even tried cabbage soup. 

13. When was the last time you talked on aim?So. Long. Ago. 10 years maybe?!

14. Are you emotional?I do have emotions, yes. Not a robot!

15. Would you dance to the taco song?After a quick google search, no. What is this devilry?

16. Have you ever counted to 1,000?No. 

17. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?Lick it, it's far too cold to go straight ahead and bite it!

18. Do you like your hair?Not at the minute, I need a cut. 

19. Do you like yourself?I'm not too bad :)

20. Have you ever met a celebrity?Yes. Many of the rock star variety thanks to my old job. 

21. Do you like cottage cheese?Ick. 

22. What are you listening to right now?The clicking of a mouse, the tapping of keys and the soft crunking sound of the air conditioning.

23. How many countries have you visited?11; Scotland, Wales, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Holland, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia and America thus far. 

24. Are your parents strict?Not at all :)

25. Would you go sky diving?I would love to, though not sure my nerves would allow me to!

26. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?Why would I do that now?

27. Would you throw potatoes at him?That would be a waste of the good stuff!

28. Is there anything sparkly in the room you’re in?Other than my nail varnish, no. 

29. Have you ever been in a castle?Yes! Castles are cool!

30. Do you rent movies often?I have a Lovefilm subscription :)

31. Who sits in behind you in your math class?I'm a little old for maths class...

32. Have you made a prank phone call?Yes! Oh the joy of a successful prank call!

33. Do you own a gun?I don't even own a water gun.

34. Can you count backwards from 74?I think I may be capable. 

35. Who are you going to be with tonight?My night shift boys!

36. Brown or white eggs?Chocolate eggs only, please. 

37. Do you own something from Hot Topic?I have a cool notebook, it's really heavy!

38. Ever been on a train?Every day on the ol' London commute!

39. Ever been in love?I'm very lucky to be in love right now :) it's the best!

40. Do you have a cell-phone?Yup.

41. Are you too forgiving?I don't think I am forgiving enough actually.

42. Do you use chap stick?I keep a stick on me. 

43. What is your best friend doing tomorrow?He's having a lazy day and having dinner with me. 

44. Can you use chop sticks?I can use children's chopsticks ;) 

45. Ever have cream puffs?Oh, you mean profiteroles? Then, yes!

46. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?Great film. 

47. What was the last question you asked?Who delivers the Portuguese subtitles files?

48. What was the last CD you bought?I bought my Mum a Take That CD. 

49. Boys or girls?They're both great! 

50. What is your bus number for school?I don't go to school any more, silly!

51. Is your hair curly?Only when I curl it. 

52. Last time you cried?I watched a film called 'Lost Valentine' last night. Tragic and most definitely a tear-jerker.

53. Ever walked into a wall? I wish I could say no!

54. Do looks matter? Sometimes, sometimes no.

55. Have you ever bought anything from Pac Sun?Google tells me no. 

56. Have you ever slapped someone?Yes. And they deserved it. 

57. Favorite time of the year?Every season ever!

58. Favorite color?Blue. 

59. Are you sarcastic?Rarely. 

60. Do you have any tattoos?No, I could never decide on one. 

61. The last person you held hands with?My man :)

62. Do you sleep with the TV on?Not anymore. 

63. Where was your default picture taken at?My Myspace default picture was actually taken in a bathroom at a Guitar Hero launch party. Classy. 

64. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?No. 

65. Do you like your life right now?I could definitely improve a few things. 

66. How often do you talk on the phone?

Daily. 

67. What is your favorite animal?Pug.

68. What was the most recent thing you bought?An Indian banquet.

69. Do you have good vision?Yes, but I get headaches from my eyes straining to keep good vision. 

70. Can you hula hoop?I fail at the hoop. 

71. Could you ever forgive a cheater?Not if they're cheating to beat me at pool ;) 

72. Do you have a job?Yes. But I need a new one. 

73. Can you handle the truth?

Yes and no. 

74. What are you wearing?

Tee, jeans, trusty boyfriend cardigan and my comfy boots. 

75. Have you ever crawled through a window?Yes. My Dad and I once climbed onto the scaffolding outside our house because it looked like fun.