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Lifestyle

  • Recipes

    Simple and tasty chocolate fairy cakes

    I don’t do complicated recipes. I like everything to be quick and easy with minimal ingredients. These chocolate fairy cakes are beyond simple to make and they taste A-MAZING!

    So let’s get started!

    Ingredients –  For the cake (makes roughly 20)

    • 225g Caster Sugar
    • 225g Margarine
    • 225g Self Raising Flour
    • 4 Eggs
    • 3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

    For the topping:

    • 225g White chocolate
    • 150g low fat cream cheese
    • Chocolate sprinkles to decorate

    Now to get baking!

    1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5
    2. Set out 20 cake cases into a baking tin.
    3. Cream together the caster sugar and margarine until you get a smooth mixture.
    4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix after you’ve added each egg.
    5. Sieve in the SRF and mix until the mixture is smooth.
    6. Add the cocoa powder and mix again.
    7. Fill each cake case wth the mixture and place in the oven to cook for roughly 30 minutes. (Check the cakes are cooked properly as they may need slightly longer)

    Leave the cakes to properly cool down before you decorate the top of them.

    Now lets make to topping …

    1. Melt the white chocolate in a bowl and leave to cool slightly for a few minutes.
    2. Add the cream cheese to the melted chocolate and mix until smooth. You will end up with a relatively thick and sticky consistency.
    3. Spread the mixture over the top of each cake and decorate with some chocolate sprinkles.

    Make sure to keep the cakes refrigerated because of the cream cheese!

    Enjoy!

    Charlotte xx

     

     

    August 16, 2017
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  • Motivation and Goals

    How to survive the stress of university

    Do you know what really annoys me? When people say that university is easy. It isn’t.

    You’re probably moving away from your home, your parents, your friends, your life. It’s a big step and can be hugely daunting. I was really home sick when I first moved away and massively struggled.

    I was suddenly drowning in projects, I couldn’t find a way to spark my creativity and every time I started to get somewhere my tutor would rip my work to shreds.

    University is tough – I studied Graphic Arts and it was seriously brutal at times. When I was at college my teacher used to praise everything and I was full of confidence and suddenly I was in a situation where everything I did seemed to be wrong.

    Now I’ve probably just put every one off of going to university haha – It isn’t all bad! These are some tips that I have for surviving university and having an amazing time.

    1. Make sure you look after yourself:

      It’s so easy to fall into a diet of chicken nuggets and chips but that isn’t going to help. Try and cook healthy meals that will give you the energy you need to get all of your work done.

    2. Try and connect with a group of people with similar interests –

      There are so many clubs/ societies that you can join. Even if you’re shy (like me), I seriously recommend trying to meet like minded people. You need support to get through university, so it’s really important that you have some close friends that you can rely on.

    3. Keep in contact with home –

      I’m a home person, I like to be in my safe space at home. I found it helped to arrange a Skype session once/ twice a week with my parents. It was something to look forward to, and I could always rely on my parents for support.

    4. Make a plan of action each day –

      My work was 100% coursework based which meant I had a lot to do. The days that I wasn’t in university, I made myself a to do list to make sure I was remaining productive and making best use of my time.

    5. Take regular breaks –

      As I worked through my to do list, I would take regular breaks as it kept me motivated. I also used to treat myself with an hours worth on Netflix over lunch time to give my brain a rest for a while. I would have a ‘wind down’ time in the evening; I would stop working and hang out with my housemates, read a book, bake something etc.

    6. Don’t take everything to heart –

      Your tutors aren’t trying to be mean, they’re trying to help you develop. Take on board what they say and try and apply it in your next project.

    7. Plan your dissertation early!!

      I can’t even stress this enough. There is NOTHING worse than having to pull all nighters and rush your dissertation to get it finished. Be prepared, have a plan of action and stick to it. I used to write a few hundred words each evening and it soon builds up to where you need it to be.

    8. Go out and have fun –

      I was about half an hour away from London by train when I was at university. My best friend and I often used to head into London and go shopping or catch a show at the Westend. It’s a great way to take a break from all of your hard work and it gives you something to look forward to.

    9. You will cry

      Be prepared for the fact that you will probably cry a lot. You will feel like giving up; but you have to keep pushing and you’ll get there eventually. Support each other and you’ll get through it together.

    10.  Enjoy every moment

      University doesn’t last forever. You have 3 years so make the most of it. I graduated in 2014 and I wish more than anything I could go back to university and do it all over again. It was stressful and hard at times, but I miss the freedom and carefree life I used to have. I now have to be a ‘proper adult’ and I’m not going to lie, it’s crap.

    I hope this helps anyone who is thinking of going to university or currently struggling their way through university! What are your tips for surviving? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

    ‘See ya real soon!

    Charlotte xx

    August 8, 2017
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  • All things Disney

    My Disney World Trip | 2017 | Day 1

    Day 1 – Epcot

    We were all up at the crack of dawn and raring to go! We left our Hotel (Rosen Inn at Pointe – International drive) at 8am to be at Epcot ready for the opening. As soon as they opened the gates we headed straight to Test Track to avoid the long queues later on in the day. This worked a treat as it was only about a 10 minute wait. My mum hates Test Track but we still managed to drag her on and got a classic photo of her on memory maker looking terrified!

    As soon as we had finished on Test Track we headed straight over to Soarin’ – Again this was to avoid the inevitable long wait times … We had to wait for about 20 minutes which is pretty darn good! Soarin’ is one of my favourite rides, it literally takes my breath away with how incredible it is.

    Next up we had a Fastpass for The Seas with Nemo and friends – I absolutely love seeing the Manatees, they’re so unique! We also watched Turtle Talk with Crush which is always great fun. It’s so unpredictable as you never know what the kids are going to ask.

    By this point it was about 12.30 and we were all feeling pretty hungry – we headed to the Electric Umbrella and grabbed some food. My first day tradition is always chicken nuggets and chips. Nothing beats Disney Chicken nuggets! I opted for the kids meal, I don’t have a big appetite, so it was plenty big enough for me.

    Once we were re-energised from lunch we headed over to Ellens Energy Adventure – Let’s be honest this ride is totally outdated but we still enjoyed it. Next up was our 2nd Fastpass which was for Spaceship Earth – I seriously love how they’ve made this ride interactive, it adds a bit more excitement to the ride.

    Up next is the ride I was most excited for – Frozen Ever After. We managed to get a fastpass for this which I was super happy about. To be totally honest, the ride is just aimed at kids but I still enjoyed it. My mum and dad not so much haha. I love hearing the Frozen songs, they just make me so happy.

    We then had a gander around Mexico and China in the world showcase. By this point we were all feeling pretty tired and ready for an early night. The jetlag had definitely kicked in. We headed back to our hotel and then went to TGI Friday’s for some food.

    Favourite ride of the day – Soarin’ 

    Favourite moment of the day – Walking through the entrance and feeling like I was home again. 

    ‘See ya real soon!

    Charlotte xx

    August 4, 2017
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  • Motivation and Goals

    August Goals | 2017

    July was such a fun month for me as I spent 2 weeks in Disney World. I’ve pretty much accepted the fact that August won’t be anywhere near as good, but I guess all holidays have to come to an end and reality must take over. With that being said, I’m still going to try to make August a productive month.

    Here are my goals for the month ahead:

    • Cancel my swimming membership – I’ve had a swimming membership for years, I used to go swimming 3 times a week and loved it! In February there was a fire at my local pool. It still hasn’t re-opened and doesn’t look like its going to anytime soon. Their communication with the whole thing has been pretty crap, so I may as well save myself £23.00 a month and cancel the membership.
    • Join a gym – There’s a new gym opening and it’s literally a 20 second walk from my house …. That’s like having a gym in my back garden. Now, I’m ridiculously unfit and as I haven’t been swimming for months, I’m feeling sluggish and yuck! I’ll probably be rubbish and hardly ever go, but I’ll do my best. The good thing is that the membership is only £14.99 a month and you can cancel at any point. Hooray for not having to commit to a year!
    • See a mortgage adviser – Yep, that time has come! Shaun and I have been saving for 2 and a half years. We finally have enough money for a deposit for a house …. Eeek (I feel so grown up). We’re going to go and see a mortgage adviser this month to get a rough idea of how much money we can borrow so we know the price range we can look at.
    • Plan my Christmas crafts – Christmas in August?! Yep – That’s right! I have so many ideas for cards, decorations and crafts that I want to make this year. I need to set a plan of exactly what I’m going to do, then I can start buying materials. It’s always best to start early, else it gets to November and it’s suddenly a mad rush to get everything done.
    • Have a successful charity fundraiser day – My wonderful Nan very suddenly passed away in April, it was a complete shock to everyone as one minute she was fine and then she was gone. My Nan LOVED to bake, she taught me most of the skills and recipes that I know. I thought the best way to remember my Nan is by having a cake and coffee morning, to raise money for Hospiscare Southwest who cared for my Nan in her last few days. I’ve sent invites out to family, neighbours and close friends and have asked people to kindly bake some cakes to bring over. All money raised will go to charity to make sure people continue to get given the care that they need.

    July was a fun month, and August is looking to be a productive month!

    What plans do you have for the month?

    ‘See ya real soon!

    Charlotte xx

     

    August 1, 2017
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  • Life Things

    Do what makes you happy

    For years I wanted to have my own blog (I created one when I was at university but I quickly deleted it again). I guess I was scared that people would judge me or make fun of me.

    But why do we worry so much about what other people think of us?!

    Since being with Shaun, he’s really helped me realise that other people probably don’t care what you’re doing and honestly it’s none of their business anyway. When I first met Shaun, I was scared he would judge me because I’m a fussy eater and I don’t drink alcohol … But he didn’t care. I still remember him saying to me ‘I love you for everything that you are, and if that means you’re fussy with your food and don’t drink then I love that too’ (Top Boyfriend points right there!)

    When I told Shaun I wanted to start my own blog he told me to go for it and do what makes me happy. So I did and I’m honestly so happy right now!

    I LOVE being creative, I love designing hand made cards. It’s what I enjoy and I’ve enjoyed it since I was a child. I stopped making cards when I was about 14 because it didn’t seem like a ‘cool’ thing to do. But last year I decided I wanted to start making cards again – I’ve even been selling them to friends and family and it’s such an incredible feeling when someone tells you how great something is that you’ve made.

    Now that I’ve actually starting doing things that I enjoy I feel so happy….  When I’m sat in work with the boring drag of a 9-5 job, I sit and think about what I can design when I get home, or what I want to write about next. I’ve honestly felt like a different person over the last couple of months. I’m full of ideas and creativity and it’s because I’m doing what I love.

    I guess all I’m trying to say is do what you love – If people don’t like it then screw them! You don’t need people in your life who are negative and bring you down.

    Be yourself and be proud of that! 

    ‘See ya real soon!

    Charlotte xx

    July 27, 2017
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