Postcrossing!

Source

Hands up if you love receiving real post? Yes, me too! I was thrilled to discover Postcrossing. It's a project which encourages people all over the world to continue sending real mail instead of all these email things. So impersonal and let's face it, emails really do all look the same!

So, I just signed up and my profile is here. Now I just need to go out and find some cool postcards to send so I can join this beautiful post party! Get involved ;)

I'll let you know how it goes!

Hannah xo

A Walk Through Leafy London

Yesterday was beautiful and I had nothing planned so I took myself and my camera for a walk. I really like the area in which I currently live in North London. It's leafy and green and away from all the hustle and bustle of the city. I love Hampstead Heath because it feels never-ending and I always discover something new every time I visit :)

View of London from Parliament Hill

A stern crow!

A secret garden?

Hannah xo

28 before I'm 28!

Hi there :)

So, I got a little freaked out when I realised that I'm 28 in only 6 months time. Massive eek! I really don't know where the years have gone... One thing I do know is that somewhere along the line I got stuck in a big ol' rut and I need a little change in my life. I feel like all I do is work, clean and sleep. How lame! In an effort to improve things and get myself motivated I've come up with a few (well, 28!) goals for me to complete before I turn another year older. I'm going to be a very busy girl but bring. it. on.

1. Get a new job. I've been working in my current position for about 18 months now and I'm in desperate need of a change. I work long 12 hour shifts and often work all through the night. I barely get to see my friends, not to my mention my man. My health is suffering. Did I mention that it's dull?! I didn't work super hard at uni and for the last four years for this, hell no! 
2. Plan out the perfect second anniversary trip. Come September I'll have been with my man for two years and this year it's my turn to plan something special. I'm really excited about this and have already set the wheels in motion ;)
3. Discover a fitness activity I actually enjoy. Exercise? Bleurgh! I am yet to find something I can stick to though I'll admit I have tried little. Running is horrible, I've decided, and I need something less... intense. It's time to shape up and get healthy!
4. Make my outfit photo debut. I have outfits I want to show you but I'm so self-conscious that I can't bring myself to even take any photos. I despise photos of myself! I need to overcome my fear of cameras!
5. Customise an old bike. I don't have said bike yet but I love the idea of fixing one up and making it pretty :) Plus maybe this could be my answer for number 3 ;)
6. Perform a full digital clearout! I am soooooo bad at keeping my laptop and computers clutter-free. I even have a super old laptop which I need to deal with. And my inboxes? Stuffed to the brim! I need to digitally sweep it all clean and organise it all up. Who knows what I may find on my hard drives? I'll let you know if I find anything good :)
7. Buy a polaroid camera. I've always wanted one, why wait any longer? 
8. Make something involving a vase, twigs and fairy lights. I've been threatening to make something along these lines for 6 months now. I'm going to make good on those threats. 
9. Board the London Eye. I've lived here for almost 4 years now and still haven't checked this off. It's time. 
10. Finish Star Trek original series. Incredibly geeky I know, but I love studying television history! I started this about two years ago and I'm still only halfway through the second season out of three. 
11. Find something I'm truly passionate about. The problem I have with finding a new job is that I've never figured out what it is I actually want to dedicate myself to. In the meantime, I'm just looking for something with conventional hours that I already have the experience to do. But I'd love to work out what makes me tick and make a career out of it. 
12. Sort out my vast collection of stuff. My boyfriend was horrified when he discovered how much stuff I own as we moved into our very own first flat together. Up until that point I'd kept a lot of my valued possessions at my parents' house (they had their own room...) but he got a shock watching my Dad gleefully piling up our rental van with all of my stuff. Said stuff is now cluttering our small flat and I most definitely need a ruthless clearout!
13. Study web design. I love being a geek and I need to bring out my own creativity so this could be a match made in heaven for me. Plus it can only be beneficial for this blog :) Possible new career? We'll see!
14. Read a Spanish language book. I have a Spanish degree and a pile of Spanish books so... 
15. Read 6 books. Well, I'll already have a head-start with number 14 ;) I love reading and escaping into another world but I don't make enough time for it.
16. Spend a week with my family. I visit home about once every 3 months but it's usually only for a day or two. I'm going to spend a week there so I can catch up with old friends, hang out with the fam and of course take Little Chicken on lots of picnics and long walkies :)
17. Organise a girls get-together. As I said earlier, I barely get to see my friends due to my long and often unsociable hours at work. I want to arrange something fun where I can spend some good quality time with my neglected but awesome friends. 
18. Create a piece of artwork for our flat. Our flat is currently lacking the personal touch so we need some things to make it more 'us' and not 'generic flat'. We're both kicking some ideas around but neither of us has made anything yet!
19. Learn how to play keyboard (again!). I learnt to play keyboard when I was in primary school and I loved it! My parents bought me this high-tech keyboard but it fell by the wayside after a year or so. I'd love to learn to play my now retro keyboard again. Plus I can do a Ross from Friends (the keyboard has some super cool effects!). 
20. Start sending postcards all over the world! I just found this amazing site where you can send and receive postcards from ALL over the world. How cool is that?! I'm very keen to get involved! Snail mail rules!
21. Dye my hair bright red. I used to have bright red hair and I loved it. I now want it again. I should maybe wait until after I have a new job though... Not sure what they'll make of it in interviews, ha!
22. Go swim in the sea. I haven't done this for a long time. And paddling doesn't count! 
23. Get a new pet. It has now been a year since I lost my dear hamster, Domino. I'm trying to convince my man that we need some new animals in our lives but he is very hesitant due to my complete breakdown over Domino's untimely death. Understandable but I miss having a cool furry sidekick. 
24. Add six new recipes to my limited repertoire. Thinking of something to cook each night is both difficult and exhausting. I need new recipes, particularly the quick and easy kind. 
25. Visit Madame Tussauds! I haven't been since I was 7 years old and I quite fancy a pic with the Biebs ;)
26. Bargain hunting at a thrift store. To replace the stuff after I've completed number 12 :)
27. Go to the cinema every month. This is one of my favourite things to do yet I never do it! This is going to change. 
28. And last but not least, go to a gig once a month. The perfect excuse for a date night :) 

So, there you have it! My 28 before 28 list. This is pretty epic, especially for me as I'm so used to just working and sleeping. I'll keep you updated every month :)

Do you have a list of goals? Good luck if you do!

I'll leave you with this wonderful masterpiece of artistic genius ;)

Hannah xo

Shop Till We Drop: Turquoise!

The bad weather has hit the UK again and I'm really diggin' turquoise at the moment. It feels like the perfect colour to keep me going until the sunshine comes back :)

How adorable are these wellies?! Perfect for the festival season :)

This dress is perfect for summer days (or for wearing snuggly tights under and throwing a cardigan over in our current weather ;) 

I've fallen for this sweet pendant necklace.

I never knew laptop cases could be so stylish!

Recipe Box: Easy Bean and Veggie Burritos!

Hello folks!

I found this recipe over at Spark People a couple of years and it has since become a favourite go-to dish of mine. It's quick, simple and inexpensive. I often whip up a batch before a good run of night shifts :) You can make it as hot or as mild as you like. Once I'd made it a few times, I became less finicky about the ingredients portions and just started piling it all in! I like it super hot ;) Follow the instructions below to make enough for 4 tortilla wraps. 

Ingredients

443g can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained.

1 cup frozen sweetcorn. 

1/2 green pepper, chopped.

226g salsa.

1 teaspoon chilli powder.

1 dash hot sauce.

4 whole wheat tortillas.

As much cheese as you like!

Non-stick spray

To the kitchen!

• Drain the beans and rinse well.
• Spray a medium-sized saucepan with a little non-stick spray and put it on a low heat.
• Add the beans and mash them with a fork, leaving a few beans in one piece. 
• Add the sweetcorn, green pepper, salsa, chilli powder and hot sauce. Mix it all up on a medium heat until the mixture is hot. 
• Warm up the tortillas according to the package instructions.
• Spread a quarter of the bean mixture onto one of the tortillas and add the desired amount of cheese.
• Fold in both sides of the tortilla and roll up into a secure wrap. 
• Continue to do the same with the other three and enjoy!

Thrifty Living: Water Bottled!

Buying bottled water on a regular basis? Yes? Stop and step away from the chilled drinks section! I'm here to tell you three good reasons why you shouldn't drink bottled water. Here goes...

1) Think about how much you spend each time you buy a bottle. I've been spending anything from 36p to £1.57 on a bottle of water, depending on where I am when I need one. Factor in a few bottles a week and it quickly adds up!

2) Every time you buy a bottle of water, you're buying a plastic bottle. A plastic bottle. What a waste! Although many of us have taken up recycling, the vast majority of people do not recycle effectively. This leads to environmental destruction, not to mention tragedy for many species of wildlife. For more information on this subject please take a look at 5 Gyres. It's certainly an eye-opener!

Source

3) Here's a shocking truth I was informed of recently: bottled water is bad for your health! Well, more specifically the plastic bottle is. The plastic contains a chemical element called antimony which leaches into the water from the plastic over time. So what? Well, in small doses, antimony can cause depression or an ill-feeling. But in high doses it can cause violent vomiting and even death. We are dealing with low doses here though people so don't panic! The concern is around the long expiration dates of bottled water; the longer the water stays in the bottle, the more antimony can leach into the water.

So, there you have it. Bottled water = bad news! So what now? I just purchased an aluminium water bottle. It saves me money, I'm not contributing to the plastic bottle phenomenon and no more antimony for me! Plus it's kinda sweet :)

My shiny new water bottle

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!