Avon Sleep Serenity

Everyone knows how hard it is to juggle your job or school work and a social life as well time with family/SOs. When you've got a lot on in your life, more often than not, it’s your sleeping pattern that takes a hit. I know I used to go weeks on about three hours sleep a night when I was at uni, just trying to cram in a few extra words on a project or coming in at 6am from a night out, crashing for a few hours, and then dragging myself to a class!

Even now that I’m semi-adult, with a full-time ‘grown up’ job and a mortgage to save for, I still manage to pull all-nighters like I’m in my first year of uni! Whether it’s stressing about work, or bills, or relationships there always seems to be something keeping me up at night, no matter how hard I try to sleep!

I’ve tried every type of sleeping technique going – everything from counting sheep to controlled breathing! As a last resort, before dragging myself to the doctors, I ordered some Avon Sleep Serenity products which are designed to calm and soothe you before you sleep. After leaving the doctors with a long list of recommended products designed to help you sleep I totally forgot I’d ordered from Avon.

When my order arrived a few weeks later I was already getting to sleep quite well with herbal remedies that I’d found thanks to my doctor, but I thought there was nothing to lose so why not give it a go? I got the sleep mist and balm, the mist is to spray on and around your pillow before you get into bed and the balm is to rub on your temples and chest (kind of like vapour rub).

Both the products smell faintly of lavender which is relaxing on its own, so I was pretty optimistic as I got into bed that night – and you know what? They actually did help me to relax.

Now I am in no way claiming that these products are a miracle cure for sleepless nights. However they did give me the one thing I needed, which was a distraction. I lay in bed thinking how nice they smelt and how relaxing it was to be surrounded by the fresh scent of Lavender….and then I just drifted off! No assistance needed!

They simply relax your mind so all the stress from the day simply floats away and you’re free to sink into sleep! I still need to use the other sleep products from time to time, but if I haven’t had a particularly stressful day I just spray my pillow, rub the balm in and lie back, soothed to sleep!

If you’re a bit stressed at the moment, or are staying up to meet deadlines I strongly recommend trying out these little Avon beauties. You can order them your local Avon salesperson or alternatively check them out on the Avon website.

Remember if you are having serious trouble sleeping or are overly stressed you should always speak to a friend or family member, or visit your doctor instead of suffering in silence. It may feel silly to visit a doctor over sleep sometimes but when you go they more often than not can give you a simple solution! Alternatively I’m always here if anyone needs advice or a chat – I’ll always try to help to the best of my ability.

What do you think about Avon Sleep Serenity? How do you get yourself to sleep at night? Let me know in a comment below!

5 easy ways to budget your money

This time of year, as exciting as it is, comes with its own selection of anxiety inducing issues. The worst of which is money, how are we expected to stretch our normal wage over all the extra food, events and gifts!? At times it can seem impossible and can even make you start to resent a time of year you should be celebrating.

To help you get the much needed relaxation you all deserve this Christmas, I’ve come up with five simple steps that will keep you from falling into the big black pit of money despair! If you’re on a low income, on a student budget or are just looking to save a quid or two this Crimbo then these easy tips will help you get your finances on track!

Step one: Plan – Firstly you’ll a need a plan of action. The first thing I do when I see my payslip each month is sit down and write down all the things I need money for that month e.g. phone bill, travel, friends birthday. Then I order them from most important to least and work out places where I can make cut backs, such as car sharing instead of getting a train, or buying smart price goodies to lower my food budget.

By doing this you know exactly how much money you have left over to play with. After you’ve sorted out the most important parts of your list, pay for them first and then there’s a load off your mind straight away.

Step two: Paper money – What is paper money I hear you ask!? It’s those weird note things and bits of metal that no one uses anymore. Yep in this plastic card era it’s easy to forget that we have one really easy way of limiting our spending, taking out cash before we can blitz through it with our credit cards!

The first thing you should do after paying off all your bills and ensuring any direct debits are paid out of your account, is take out exactly the right amount of money you’ll need for the next month. For example: £30 for a girl’s night out, £150 for your daily commute, £20 for that friend you keep saying you’ll pay back and so on.

You can even separate each chunk of money into its own envelope and seal it so you’re not tempted to spend it before its time! Just remember to write on each envelope what the money is for, so you don’t end up spending your £150 commute money on your night out (we’ve all done it).

Step three: Bad habits – Something you need to rid yourself of if you ever want to save any money! Whether it’s smoking, drinking, junk food or Starbucks hazelnut hot chocolates (guilty) everyone has that naughty little habit that bites off a big chunk of budget each month!

Sorry to say but it’s time that you waved goodbye to bad habits! And what better time to do it than Christmas!? Get a head start on all the ‘New year, new me’ sheep and change yourself for the better starting now! Cut out those cigs, mochas and cheeky Nandos – it’s time to make a change! Cheaper replacements like a free quite smoking pack from the NHS, home made coffee in a flask and delicious packed lunches will all help save the pennies.

Step four: Recycle – this could technically be classed under bad habits as we are all guilty of refusing to wear an outfit because we were wearing it in our last tagged pictures on Facebook! It’s time to swallow that pride and start recycling your old outfits! Try adding a belt or statement necklace to an old dress to make it new again, you could even mix and match outfits with a friend if they’re on the budgeting hype!

We live in an age where thriftiness is chic so you would even have a go at making your own skirt, adding embellishments to an outdated dress or you could even give the good old charity shop a browse for a bargain – pennies saved for you and a donation to charity at the same time!

Step five: Be flexible – you could stick to every one of the steps I’ve given you and still have to fork out a tonne of money for some unexpected reason. You can’t account for everything in life: you could get a damp wall that needs fixing, or your phone could break and need repairing, or if you could get a fine for something – all of these things will take a chunk of money out of your budget that you hadn't anticipated.

But that’s okay! Try not to worry about it too much and work out a way around it, knock your £30 party budget down to ten and tell your friend you’ll give them their £20 next month. We can’t anticipate everything in life, we only do our best to deal with things when they do happen. Saving a spare £10 each month for ‘unforeseen’ circumstances could help you a lot – think of it as insurance for when something in your life goes t*ts up…..failing all this I hear the bank of mum and dad has really good interest rates.

I hope this post has helped you all a little bit and I hope that you’re all feeling a little more confident about the coming months! If you liked this post let me know in a comment below, also if you have any other budgeting tips then feel free to share them also!

Goodbye October

As we say goodbye to October and take one step closer to Christmas it’s time for a monthly catch up – via Instagram, naturally. This month has been pretty exciting with Halloween and various events so I haven’t been posting too much - hopefully I'll be back in my usual routine this month!

Top row, left to right: My lovely powder contour kit from Make up Revolution, the November Vogue issue, the sun set I see on my evening commute as I go over the Arnside viaduct, some Christmas scents for my new reed diffuser, lovely sunrise at Lancaster station, my little Peggy resting in the sun - she was quite unwell earlier on in the month, but is a lot better now!

Second row, left to right: Night time delays at the station, New trials vs Neutrals eye shadow palette from Make up Revolution, free water and biscuits on the train for National Customer Services week, pumpkins carved by me and Joshua, my new love - gingerbread green tea - and a blueberry muffin (a very healthy breakfast I know...), my lovely Halloween flowers from Joshua.

Third row, left to right: The kittens investigating the pumpkins (they tried eating a bit and hated it!), my skull make up for a Halloween party, my beautiful new Iphone 6S in 'Rose Gold', the 'beyond flawless' eye shadow palette - also from Make up Revolution, Lancaster castle looking lovely as the leaves started to fall earlier in the month, more train freebies for Customer Services week - two brews, water and more biscuits!

Bottom row, right to left: Léa Seydoux in November's Vogue - featuring Prudence's paw, lovely leaves in Lancaster, my base corrector kit from Make up Revs - I went on a make up spending spree last month, in case you haven't already guessed! Next is the collection of beauty products on my bedside cabinet (which you can read more about HERE), a picture showing my natural hair - it's grown a lot since it all fell out and I finally felt confident enough to show my hair without extensions and finally is the beautiful BOCA toothpastes, which I reviewed HERE.

If you want to see more of what I get up to day to day then you can follow me on Instagram or Twitter, just search 'alicelouisealk' and hit follow! 

What did you get up to in October? What did you think of this post? Let me know in a comment below!

Protein World

A while a go I was given the opportunity to trial Protein World’s premium weight loss package. I’ve been trying to shed the pounds I’ve gained since re-starting office work, and a quick fix like slimming shakes did seem appealing. However I’ve always been quite sceptical of diets like these, shakes and pills seem unhealthy and I’ve had a few friends who have had bad experiences with similar diets, light headedness, shaking and racing hearts have been common side effects.

I also know people who have done really well in shedding stones with these kinds of diets, only to pile the weight back on the second they stop having the meal replacements, shakes etc. Despite this I felt safe enough to give Protein World a go after a lot of research and reassurance from the brand.

So I stared my Protein World journey about two months ago now and overall it has been a success, I’ve lost 14lbs (1 stone) in total, although it has not been without its downfalls. In the weight loss package I received a tub of the best-selling slender blend protein powder, a tub of slender blend capsules, a tub of multi-vitamin capsules, a protein shaker and a weight loss guide; full of recipes and weight loss tips and tricks. Protein World also sent me a sheet of super cute gold transfer tattoos!

Each day you are advised to have two shakes (one for breakfast and lunch) and a balanced and healthy evening meal. You are advised to take one vitamin in the morning and one in the evening and slender blend capsule with your breakfast shake and one with your lunchtime shake. This goes up to two capsules in the morning and two at lunch after your first week.

My first week I was really committed, I stuck to a healthy diet and paid great attention to calories, fats and balanced meals. I managed to lose 6lbs in just seven days! That weekend I went away to Liverpool, taking my shakes with me! I stuck to a reasonably balanced diet, food-wise, but drank quite a bit of alcohol one night and was horrified to find that I’d put 4lbs back on when I got home!

I stuck to my diet after that and as I said lost a stone in two months, but in the first few weeks I felt a lack of energy and motivation – something I couldn’t rectify with coffee as it’s one of the ‘bad’ drinks listed by Protein World! However after about three weeks I was back to normal and was adjusting well to the new routine.

Over-all it’s been a pretty decent experience. The shakes and capsules have been easy to transport to and from the office and has worked out cheaper than my daily meals. Also the weight loss part has obviously been pretty successful and I’m feeling a lot better about my weight!

My one concern is the speed at which a managed to regain the weight I lost after a small binge! I would suggest weaning yourself off the shakes, rather than stopping outright, to anyone wanting to try Protein World. Your appetite should be smaller after trying this diet for a while so weaning yourself back onto normal foods by trying soups and light salads for a while instead of stuffing yourself will definitely benefit you more.

I think I’ll carry on with Protein World for a while longer and see if I continue to lose weight and feel healthier. If anyone else wants to give it a go you can click THIS link. If you do try it, and at any point start to feel unwell, do get in touch with a doctor immediately or tell a family member who’ll be able to help you – do not continue with the shakes until you are sure you are safe to do so!

Also I’d like to take this opportunity to tell any of my followers who are struggling with their weight, or any insecurities, that I’m here to help! No matter the time or day, no matter how insignificant or strange you feel your problems may be – I am always happy to listen. I will try my best to help and offer advice, or at least offer you the details of those who’ll be able to offer the best help for you. Just remember you’re not alone!

Have you ever tried Protein World? Or do you have any interesting diets that you would recommend? Let me know in a comment below!

Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm*

I recently received a sample of the Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating flash balm to review, I'm a big fan of Elemis products but had never tried this particular one, so I was really excited to give it a go. This skin radiance flash balm promises to brighten, smooth and rejuvenate the skin to give you a more youthful and healthy looking complexion.

Although I'm only 20 I do worry about wrinkles and having old looking skin, so a product that promises to give me a 'smooth and even complexion' and 'dewy luminosity' was one that I couldn't miss out on!

Elemis state that the product will: "Instantly brighten the complexion and exude health and vitality". The balm is formulated with a powerful vitamin complex that protects against moisture loss, whilst the Purple Orchid, Noni and Acai used in the formula help to defend the skin against early signs of aging e.g. the stress lines I'm starting to get on my forehead and under my eyes!

Ultimately Elemis promise that the flash balm will reveal a smooth, even and dewy luminosity that you never even knew was achievable! But did it do everything it said on the tin?

My first impressions of the moisturiser were good, it's a light product so it doesn't feel cloggy when you apply it to your face. I used it for a week straight to see the full result and I have to say I was slightly disappointed.

Now I wasn't expecting to see my face completely crease and flaw free however I did expect to see some change. The dewy look that was promised looked more like greasy skin and the most significant improvement to my face was that the dry skin around my nose had gone - achievable by using Asda's own smart price moisturiser.

That was about all I got from this product. Does it make a good moisturiser? Yes it does keep your skin fresh and moisturised. Does it give everything it promises? No it doesn't. Is it worth the price? Definitely not.

At £32 for 50ml this product really isn't worth the price as you can get the same results from using a drugstore moisturiser that costs around £5. The product was okay but not worth the price and I probably wouldn't use it again. However if you do want to try out for yourself you can shop the product here.

Let me know if you've ever tried any other Elemis products, as I'd like to know if they have other products that are better and this was just a one off or if they're all just average, by leaving a comment below!

The 'bedside' routine

So today I wanted to share with you, what I like to call, my ‘bedside’ routine. It’s my morning/bedtime beauty routine consisting of a few god sent products I keep on my bedside cabinet. I go through this routine when I wake up in the morning and before I sleep at night and I've seen dramatic improvements in my skin and well-being since starting it a few months ago!

As you can see above (left to right) the first thing on my bedside is a little white porcelain jewellery holder. As annoying as it is, taking your jewellery off at night is really important! The natural chemicals of your skin can quicken the wear and tear of even the finest jewels so giving them time away from your skin while you sleep will help you prolong the life of your bling. It’ll also give your skin and ears a rest from supporting bracelets, earrings etc.

Next we have my little Yankee candle, not necessarily part of a beauty routine but something I count as essential. I light it when I’m getting ready for bed as the scent of lavender is really relaxing and soothing – perfect to help you drift into a deep sleep. However if you are the sort of person who drifts off really quickly DO NOT light candles before you go to bed, it’s not worth the risk of leaving a burning candle on overnight.

Next we have my Garnier micellar water which I use with the cotton pads that you can see in the glass jar on the left of the cabinet. Micellar water helps remove makeup and cleanse your skin without scrubbing or rinsing so it’s perfect for cleaning your skin in bed. I use this the second I wake up in the morning just to freshen my skin for the day and prepare it for the makeup onslaught it’s about to deal with!

In front of the water are my Garnier make up wipes, these are for dry skin (which I have a lot of) and are really good for preventing flaky skin, greasy noses and spotty breakouts. I use these to take off my make up before I sleep, followed by a quick wipe over with the Garnier micellar water.

After that is my Bliss aloe leaf and peppermint foot moisturiser. Everyone should have three moisturisers in my opinion, one for your body, one for your face and one for your feet, and Bliss’ foot patrol is the perfect exfoliating and softening cream for your poor feet! It’s an essential after a long day of work, chasing trains and torturing my feet with high heels and drunk dancing! I use it after my morning shower and just before I go to sleep at night.

Next is my E45 moisturising cream, not particularly glamorous but it’s probably the most exciting/least medical of all my moisturisers. Because I have psoriasis (a skin condition that makes your skin crack, flake and open raw sores due to the over-production of cells) I need to use a lot of moisturisers that have medical, as well as cosmetic, benefits and E45 is the perfect light moisturiser for this. I use it morning and night after I shower and use a small tube throughout the day on any exposed/sore skin.

Finally on the right are my Protein World vitamins. I take two multi-vitamins a day and I also take two Vitamin D supplements every day as they have been proven to help with psoriasis. Protein World’s vitamins are really helpful just because they come in a large jar for a pretty reasonable price. Multivitamins are always handy to have as it’s hard to get a lot of natural vitamins (that our body should get from the sun) when you live in the UK!

This routine helps keep my face fresh and free from breakouts and has helped the state of my poor scabby skin improve so much over the last few months! Also thanks to the vitamins my hair and nails have all improved dramatically! Another thing I usually have on my bedside is a bottle of water, I try to drink a pint in the morning and one before I go to sleep – water helps with energy levels and has tonnes of natural benefits, so a pint of cold water is the perfect way to start and end your day!

I hope this post has helped some people who suffer from skin problems as well as anyone just looking to improve their beauty routines. I’m considering doing a post specifically on treating acne/break outs and maybe one specifically on how I treat my psoriasis, so let me know if you’d like to read more in a comment below!

Burger Parlour

A few posts ago I told you all about my crazy July and all the good things that happened for me around that time. As luck would have it I wasn’t the only one that fortune shone on that month.

Josh applied for a new job in June, heard back at the start of July, passed all the required tests and interviews and was offered a place at the end of July. He has just started his four year apprenticeship training and is insanely excited!

To celebrate even more good news we went to the Burger Parlour that has just opened up near us. We’d heard good things about it but had never had chance to go there, but with a reason to celebrate we thought we’d give it a shot!

Burger Parlour mainly serves burgers (surprise surprise) but also has pizzas, steaks, hot dogs and much more on their menu. There is also a super cute ice cream parlour attached to the restaurant which I was pretty excited about!

I had the Crispy Coated Chicken Burger which was is a bread crumbed chicken breast topped with bacon, brie, Hawkshead chilli jam and salad, served in a sesame seed bun with fries.

Josh went for the Wild Boar Burger which was a 5oz minced boar meat patty, infused with garlic, spring onion, honey and oyster sauce, topped with jalapenos and blue cheese. That was served with homemade crackling, pepper mayo and sweet potato fries.

If I’m completely honest I’m not a huge burger fan and only picked the option I did because I love brie! But I really did enjoy my meal, all the ingredients for the burgers (and other dishes) are locally sourced and the food has a wonderful ‘homemade’ feel to it.

Josh loved his meal but was slightly disappointed with the crackling, it came slightly anaemic looking and soft, whereas crackling is usually slightly darker and tougher/crispier. We asked for it to be cooked for a little longer but it returned anaemic and still oddly soft – we gave up on it after that.

For dessert I ran to the ice cream counter like a child running downstairs on Christmas morning! Josh opted for the chocolate fudge cake and I got a three scoop sundae with bubble gum, mint choc chip and cookies and cream flavours!

Dessert was brilliant and all the ingredients were, again, locally sourced – it’s always good to know where your food is coming from!

The service was also excellent at the Burger Parlour and you can watch the chefs cook your meal through the serving hatch that stretches along the wall of the restaurant.

Overall the meal and experience at Burger Parlour was excellent, with the exception of the crackling, so I’d probably give it a 4 out of 5 stars!

Have you been to a Burger Parlour recently? Where’s your favourite place to grab a burger? Let me know in a comment below!

Lasting finish by Kate: Nude collection

Last month Kate Moss and Rimmel London launched their new Lasting Finish Nudes collection. So, embracing the nude lip that has been featured so heavily in the AW catwalk shows, I decided to give the collection a go.

The collection consists of five nude shades that promise up to 8 hours of coverage and are designed to give a bare lip look to any skin tone. However the shades also look fantastic mixed and matched with different skin tones.

I decided to go for two very different shades; 42, the shade recommended for my skin tone by the 'make-up specialist' in store, and shade 48, the darkest in the collection.

Shade 42, shown above is a pink/peach shade but not quite nude I'm comparison to my skin. Sorry 'make-up specialist' you were wrong.

Although it is a gorgeous colour, I can't really wear it as a nude because my skin is several shades lighter than the lipstick. However I do plan on investing in shade 40, the palest in the collection, in the hopes it will work better with my skin tone.

Shade 48 is a deep brown and looked really nice in contrast to my pale skin and I can imagine it'll make a beautiful nude for people with darker skin tones.

So by this point I've decided the shades are pretty awesome, but what about the 'long lasting' colour promised by Rimmel? They claim their product will last for up to 8 hours, but does it really do what it says on the tin?

Well yeah pretty much. Shade 42 lasted me a full day at work (7 hours) and then a full night of drinking after a quick re-application on the train. The colour did start to dull slightly after about five hours but was still visible without having to reapply.

Shade 48 was even more durable than 42, it lasted a full day of work and only had to be reapplied after I'd eaten, 8 hours after the first application! 

Overall I am a fan! I also got two Rimmel lipsticks from Kate's regular collections in shades 3 and 38. Both colours are, again, nudes - I'm a nude fan don't judge me!

Shade 3 is a beige/pink colour whereas 38 is more of a coral/creamy pink shade. Both lippys are also lasting finish and each lasted about 6 hour before I had to go over them.

Overall I absolutely adore my new lipsticks and would seriously recommend them to anyone looking for the perfect Autumn shade!

Have you tried any of the nudes collection? What did you think of the shades I picked? Let me know in a comment below!

5 easy ways to organise your life

I know how hard it is to juggle all the important aspects of life; work, uni, relationships, family all whilst trying to maintain a healthy social life. My lecturer used to call it ‘spinning plates’, trying to focus on one part of your life without neglecting the others really does seem impossible sometimes, especially when you have deadlines to meet!

So good old me has compiled 5 easy steps that you can take to organise your time better! These steps probably won’t solve all your problems, but hopefully they might make your lives a little easier and maybe, just maybe, they might give you a little more me time!

Step one: Write things down! I can’t even begin to tell you how important this is if you want even the smallest amount of order in your life! Get yourself an organiser, like mine shown above, and write down important dates!

Start with important things like deadlines and work hours and school/college/uni times, then add specific time slots to complete your work in – aim for times that you’ll be alone or in the environment you work best in. Then go for the personally important things like social events and time with your loved ones. Finally in the spare space you have left over add your much needed ‘me’ time – get some face masks and wine and chill girl – you deserve it!

Step two: Stick to your schedule! Just writing stuff down isn’t enough!  You need to make your schedule and stick to it. Sure it seems impossible to complete all your deadlines in the time allocated but if you organise your time wisely and stick to your plan you will pull it off! – I believe in you!

Step three: Keep your work space clear! If you want to be organised you need to try and remove any distractions that could lead to procrastination. Make sure your work space is clear and that any unnecessary clutter is put in its rightful home! A clear desk equals a clear mind people!

As well as your desk make sure your room/home is de-cluttered regularly. It’ll help you focus and again will help you avoid procrastination. Also if you clear out your unused belongings you can sell them on ebay and maybe earn a bit of money!

Step four: Work hard! You will not achieve anything unless you work your ass off! You need to work hard to maintain organisation and success. Work hard when doing your uni or school work, commit to your job. Hard work pays off and if you complete work earlier than expected it opens up space on your planner for ‘me’ time!

Step five: Don’t be too hard on yourself! This could be the most important step of all time, yes you need to schedule and work hard, but don’t be mad at yourself when you slip up. Sure you’ll miss a meeting, sometimes you’ll forget to call your great-aunt to thank her for the slippers she crocheted you and yeah you might even have to work over a ‘me’ time session because you forgot you had homework for the next day!

But you can’t hate yourself for messing up! We’re all human and we make mistakes and that’s fine, just make sure one mistake doesn’t lead to you giving up on your new schedule altogether! Get back into it and go easy on yourself!

I hope these steps will help you organise your time better and hopefully help you de-stress a little! Let me know how you organise your time, or let me know what you think of my steps, in a comment below!

Jamie's Italian

I am a food super-fan. You only need to take one glance at my Instagram to realise I’m a hard-core foodie (seriously though I do not recommend looking at my Insta if you’re on a diet, its burger central at the moment).

As well as the eating part, I quite enjoy the cooking part also. I absolutely love cooking shows and am a celebrity chef fan girl, of which my absolute favourite is Jamie Oliver. Seriously though his 15 minute meals rock my world.

So you can imagine my excitement when Josh told me he’d booked us a table at Jamie’s Italian in Liverpool! We were booked in for an evening meal after my graduation and I genuinely don’t know what I was more excited about; my graduation or eating at one of my idols restaurants!

The restaurant itself looks modern Swiss meets classic lumberjack inside, with wooden walls, recycled metal tables and so many waiters sporting lumberjack beards that I began to wonder whether it was through choice or if it was a compulsory part of the uniform at Jamie’s.

Our waiter, who sported a particularly bushy beard, was really friendly and chatty and took time to discuss the menu and cocktails with us despite the restaurant being jam packed.

After much deliberation I decided on the crab and avocado bruschetta for a starter and Josh chose the crispy squid – we’re both big seafood lovers.

The white and brown crab meat came served on a bed of crunchy fennel. This was piled high atop the crisp bruschetta and avocado spread then drizzled with yogurt and chilli. The taste was absolutely sensational, I love crab and the chefs cooked and prepared theirs perfectly!

Josh’s squid came lightly battered, fried with chilli, parsley and garlic. I didn't try the squid but considering he managed to demolish it in about five seconds I think its safe we assume it was good! I did however try the garlic and lemon mayo that it was served with which was beautiful.

For my main course I chose the ‘famous prawn linguine’ which was prawns fried with garlic, fennel, tomatoes, chilli, saffron and lemony rocket served up with fresh linguine pasta – made fresh in the restaurant that day. The dish was cooked to perfection and was an extremely generous serving considering I choose to have the ‘small’ portion.

Josh’s main was the crispy Italian-spiced duck leg, which was slow roasted and served with a watercress, lentil, orange and fennel salad topped with a fresh pomegranate and orange dressing. I ended up getting everything but the duck and orange scraped onto my plate as, in Joshua’s own words, he ‘doesn't eat anything green’.

Despite the restaurants attempt to poison him with salad, Josh loved his main course, the duck was cooked perfectly and the salad was beautiful, even if it was sloppy seconds!

We also ordered a side of garlicky green beans between us which are served with spicy Sicilian sauce and pecorino. They were beautiful but pretty spicy so do not order if you don’t like hot foods!

By dessert we were pretty much full but couldn't resist ordering off the beautiful menu! I opted for lighter option of strawberries soaked in elderflower and lemon, served with baby basil, poppy seed crisps and frozen yogurt.

Josh, true to form, went for the not so light option of the ‘molten chocolate praline pudding’, which I just about had time to photograph before it was gone it three swift bites!

Overall the meal was amazing, the atmosphere was great, the service was spot on and the prices were really reasonable! Five stars to Jamie’s!

Have you ever been to Jamie’s Italian? What did you think of it? Let me know in a comment below!

One hell of a month

To say July was one hell of a month is perhaps an understatement. It has been a crazy, amazing emotional roller coaster that has hopefully set me on a path to my dream future.

It all started on the 29^th of June, I woke with a jump, shaking with my heart doing approximately 10 million beats per second (slight exaggeration has been used). It was results day and I’d just jumped out of a nightmare that I’d failed my degree, been forced to pay my £50,000 of debt upfront and had then been disowned by my entire family…it sounds crazy but I know all you other students know the kind of nightmare I’m talking about!

I threw myself out of bed and ran to my laptop to view my results, as they loaded I remember feeling insanely sick and wanting to throw my laptop out the window. As my transcript finally popped up on the computer I burst into tears – I was graduating Uni with a 2:1 BA Honours degree!

Thus began the start of my most successful month to date. Following my results I graduated on Monday the 13^th of July in Liverpool, I’ll be doing a separate post on graduation soon. It was one of the most amazing and exciting days of my life and I can't wait to tell you all about it! Then guess what happened - the day after I was offered a job interview.

That Thursday I travelled to Lancaster for my job interview with Netplay TV and, following a casual chat with my potential employers, I felt pretty confident on my return journey. About an hour after I got home I received a phone call from Netplay to say they wanted to offer me the job! Obviously I accepted!

I started the following week and have been there for about three weeks now! It’s such a great job and it’s so good to be working in a city again!

To top off all my amazing news I celebrated my 21^st birthday last week with all my friends and family, we had a garden party with afternoon tea and then a BBQ and cocktails later on in the day. I was spoilt rotten and got pretty drunk – a successful 21^st celebration if you ask me!

So hopefully my crazy month offers some excuse as to why I haven’t blogged much throughout July! It’s been one hell of a month indeed! I should be back to blogging as usual this coming week as I get used to commuting and working full time again!

I hope all your months were as successful, let me know what you got up to in July in a comment below!