simplycarinaxo

7 TIPS ON HOW TO SURVIVE A CRAZY BUSY MONTH!

Published on September 2, 2017August 31, 2017 by simplycarinaxo1 Comment

Good morning beautiful souls,

This month has been crazy busy for me! It began with me having to work 19 days in a row without a single day off! (Ok quick disclaimer, I technically had 3 days off in between however they were for my best friends wedding so although I wasn’t working, they were not exactly days off in the sense that I could physically and mentally recuperate). As soon as I had a day off I was off to Manchester to visit a friend for two days and when I got back I had one more day of work followed by one day to clean the house before my friend and her fiance came to visit me for a week. As soon as they left I was back at work again! I have never felt so stressed and busy in my life! Now I am currently away at the Lindisfarne festival, finally enjoying a well earned getaway!

Being prepared is very important for such a busy month and taking care of you body and mental health is a necessity. So I want to share with you some tips that helped me get through this month and that can hopefully help you in busy stressful times too to keep you energised and calm.

Tip no.1 – PLAN YOUR MEALS

After a long day at work I usually never know what to cook when I get home and I stumbled about the kitchen nibbling on stuff before I eventually decide what to cook! So having it all laid out before you means no wasting time being indecisive!

Tip no.2 – MEAL PREP

A very easy and important one! When working long days (which working at my dads coffee shop is as I have to leave the house at 7am ish and don’t get home till 6pm ish) I often can’t be bothered to cook in the evening. Thus the temptation for quick unhealthy carb filled meals or a takeaways is soo much more tempting (especially as I have just discovered the Lebaneat 3 mins away from me which makes Borak Sabanekh, a deep-fried Lebanese pastry filled with onion and spinach, that is absolutely delicious!). Also as my friend Nadia and her fiance came to stay with me, it was good to have some meals cooked in advance so I didn’t have to waste time when they were here, stressing about cooking; I can just defrost and warm up a soup or a curry in no time at all, quick and easy!

Tip no.3 – GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

This is an important one for me! I’m terrible for not getting enough sleep. It is something I really need to make a conscious effort with. I try to go to bed between 10pm-11pm and I feel so much better when I do manage this and get 8-9hs sleep. My usual is more like 6-7hs and I don’t do well with little sleep!

Tip no.4 – CREATE A PRODUCTIVE MORNING ROUTINE

The other week I woke up at like 4.55 am!!! I think my housemate going to the toilet woke me up or maybe it was the sunrise as it was so bright already, who knows! Anyway as I couldn’t get to sleep again I browsed my Instagram and grumbled over the idea of whether I should rest some more or be good and just get up and start my day. About an hour later I decided to start my day on a positive high by being productive. I made myself a cleansing green tea and started planning some blog posts. About 40 mins later I made a smoothie and then headed to the gym followed by a swim before starting work at 10 am. Go me! The sun was out that morning and I was on such a high from having started my day productively! It really helps me feel good if I give myself some time in the morning to get things done before work!

Tip no.5 – DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

Again, another thing I have always been terrible at! I never drink enough water; so of course I had to put this on my tip list. Staying hydrated is very important and can help the body feel less sluggish a symptom I feel I live with 24/7. So my aim was to drink 2 liters of water a day and that could be made up from water, tea or squash. When I am home I find it a great help to have my large 900ml mason jar next to me and then I will automatically just keep sipping from it! Although I usually didn’t manage 2l a day, I definitely increased my water intake and am continuing to make a conscious effort to drink more.

Tip no.6 – SCHEDULE IN SOME ME TIME

Let’s say 2-3 times a week; set aside some time for yourself to relax. Candles, incense, a movie, a hot chocolate, a bath, some pamper time with a face mask and calming music, whatever feels right for you, just make sure to give yourself some time to relax and put your feet up!

Tip no.7 – EXERCISE

I really struggled with this over the past few weeks as I was just so exhausted from working long days. The only exercise I managed to fit in was Yoga on a Wednesday evening. However I do know that getting some exercise done makes me feel instantly better as I’m doing good to my body and feel like I am being productive. So I will try and schedule in a little bit more exercise again now, at least 2-4 times a week hopefully, even if it’s just a 30min swim before work!

It just makes me feel so much better about myself if I’ve started the day with some exercise 🙂

Well these are my top tips on how to survive a busy month! I hope you find these tips helpful and I’d be interested in hearing about your best coping mechanisms for busy stressful times!

Love Carina xo

AUGUST FAVOURITES

Published on August 30, 2017August 30, 2017 by simplycarinaxo1 Comment

Hey friends,

I love reading monthly favourites posts but have only ever written one so far, so I thought it was high time for another. August has been crazy busy for me, so here’s what I’ve enjoyed this month in between all the craziness!

Tea!

I have been loving the Pukka Cleanse tea this August. It is light in flavour and comforting. Nettle, fennel and peppermint are all great herbs to help settle the stomach, so this tea is great for your stomach when stressed. It is very calming in general, I like to drink it in the evenings when I settle down to read before bed.

My Glasses

Yes, ok, I’ll put it out there straight away – I don’t need glasses, these are fake – please don’t judge me haha! I just like the look of these pale pink geeky glasses. They are a fashion accessory to me and I kinda love them. I had wanted a pair for a while but couldn’t find ones that suited me. I kept browsing Primark’s collection whenever I was there and eventually I found these. They were about £2.50 so a bargain really, I don’t ever spend much on glasses for fear of breaking or loosing them haha.

Music

These four albums have been my most listened to this month.

Step Up is the perfect soundtrack for a productive morning as it makes you want to dance about the house.

Tropical Gypsy by Molotov Jukebox is a good choice for happy vibes. Upbeat somewhat crazy songs that will put a smile on your face and brighten your day. I saw them live at the Lindesfarne festival last year and they were great!

A Creature I Don’t Know by Laura Marling is a more peaceful CD and makes for perfect reading or game playing background music. I also love to listen to Laura Marling when having a relaxed breakfast.

Southpaw – another great soundtrack; this one is great for the gym or exercising because it has dome great paced beats.

My Best Friend’s Wedding

This is more of an event rather than a thing of course, but I couldn’t not mention it, because it has been a favourite this month. It was a beautiful day seeing my best friend get married and I was honoured to be a bridesmaid on her special day!

Game Time

Towards the end of August I had my friend Nadia and her fiance Roland visit me and it was lovely as I hadn’t seen her in four years!!! We spent so much of our time together playing games and it was great fun! I love board games! They are such a great way to spend time together with friends having fun. We played many rounds of Yatzi but I also rediscovered a favourite game of mine which is called Die Siedler Von Catan. If you like games and haven’t heard of this one I recommend you go buy it right now haha (you can buy it in English too, don’t worry). It’s about acquiring building materials and then gaining points by building streets and cities… I love it!

My New Piercing

I used to have the side of my lip pierced but took it out about a year ago because I wanted a change. Looking back on pictures I always missed it though so I decided to get my lip re-pierced, but this time in the middle where I had originally wanted it pierced. At first I wasn’t too keen as it pierced a little too close to my lip for my liking, however I have gotten used to it now and I love it! So glad I got it re-pierced!

Sainsbury Mugs

I bought these mugs in Sainsburys about 2 years ago and they are currently my absolute faves again! I originally resisted buying them but I couldn’t stop thinking about them so I just had to go back and buy them haha! I’m so glad I did! They are a good size easy to hold and nice to drink out of, wether coffee or tea, I have been using them every day this past month!

Vegan Pesto Pitta Pizzas

So quick and easy to make; using a pitta bread as the pizzas base, spread a little vegan pesto on and top with whatever you choose! My favourite toppings with pesto are definitely just some fresh tomatoes and vegan feta style cheese with a bit of seasoning – yummy! Pop in the oven for 10 minutes and you’re good to go – enjoy!

Watermelon

I have been absolutely obsessed with watermelon this month! When you get a good one they are so refreshing and tasty! Definitely my healthy go to snack this August!

I hope you have enjoyed my August favourites post. I think I will try and make monthly favourites a regular post on my blog because I have loved writing this post and sharing my favourites with you!

Love Carina xo

10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ME

Published on August 27, 2017March 1, 2024 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Hi friends,

I think it is time for a get to know me tag, I saw this idea on another blog and thought it was a good idea. So hope you enjoy getting to know me better.

1. Do you have a nickname?

Nope, not really. When I was young some of my friends would call me Cari and whilst at Uni I occasionally got Car, but nothing stuck.

2. Do you have any weird habits?

Erm, I have a little OCD tick with toilet roll having to face forward; as in to pull from the front and not the side facing the wall if that makes sense.

3. Do you have any phobias?

Agoraphobia – the fear of being trapped in a public place, the fear of not being able to escape.

So if I go to the cinema for example I need to sit on an aisle seat same goes for the theater and planes and trains…

4. Do you have any habits others find annoying?

Yes aha, I crack my finger joints all the time which others can’t stand.

5. What position do you sleep in?

I am a stomach sleeper.

6. What drink do you always order at Starbucks?

I try and avoid Starbucks to be honest. Being a barista I prefer to support independent coffee shops. If available, my go to would be a freshly filtered coffee, but occasionally I would also enjoy an oat milk flat white.

7. What is your favourite comfort food?

Ooh this is a difficult one. I’m really not sure; crisps are definitely high up there for snack comfort food!

8. What series are you currently watching?

Z The Beginning Of Everything – It tells the story of Zelda’s marriage to F Scott Fitzgerald. So far it is quite good, although it is not painting F Scott Fitzgerald in a very good light haha.

9. Who are your three favourite YouTubers?

I follow a lot of YouTubers who cover various topics from makeup to veganism. It’s hard to just pick three, however if I had to I would say currently my three favourite YouTubers are Helen Anderson (makeup & fashion), Kate Flowers (health & veganism) and the SacconeJolys (family life).

10. If you could only use three makeup items for the rest of your life what would they be?

Oh it would definitely be concealer as my skin is always blotchy and red and my mascara and brow kit to make my eyes more prominent.

Well that’s it for now, until next time peepes, I hope you enjoyed this post!

Love Carina xo

3 WAYS TO STYLE A DENIM DRESS

Published on August 20, 2017March 1, 2026 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Hey guys,

Before summer disappears I thought I’d share 3 of my favourite ways to style my denim dress for sunny days. I had searched high and love for a denim dress that would look good on me but was never satisfied with any I tried on. Then finally one day I was browsing a charity shop and discovered this beauty! It fits well and suits my bodyshape. I would say the only problem is that when sitting down it is a little too stretched for my liking and so if I’m sitting for a while I will undo the two bottom buttons. Anyway lets get to it;

Outfit no.1:

Top: Primark, Bag: Primark, Shoes: New Look

Outfit no.2:

Top: Primark, Bag: ? , Shoes: New Look, Sunglasses: Camden Market

Outfit no.3:

Blouse: Topshop, Shoes: Primark, Bag: Primark

I love the versatility of a dungaree dress! It can be dressed up or dressed down and worn for so many occasions.

MY GARDEN BEFORE & AFTER

Published on August 16, 2017August 26, 2017 by simplycarinaxo2 Comments

Hello friends,

The other week my parents came over for dinner and brought me a little present. I’d been saying for ages that I needed to de-weed the garden and so they showed up with a little trowel and my own cute gardening gloves! The back garden almost looked like a little wilderness and I couldn’t wait to tidy it up! So on a sunny day off I got my fingers dirty and took out all the weeds!

After a good two hours of gardening, here are the after photos; from a weed infested garden, to a tidier, cleaner looking back yard! Although surprisingly tiring work I enjoyed myself and can now enjoy soaking up the sun again on nice sunny days!

All that is left to do now is the front garden!

Love Carina xo

HOLIDAY BLUES!

Published on August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 by simplycarinaxo3 Comments

Hello my beautiful readers,

I have been dreaming of a holiday for ages, the need to get away for a couple of days really gets to you esppecially when working 19 days in a row with no days off as I am at the moment! However I finally have something to look forward to now at the end of August! A mini getaway with my best friend Emily and perhaps a few others if they decide to join us. Just before she set of on her honeymoon interrailing Europe we booked our tickets for the Lindesfarne festival!

This will be our second time going to the Lindisfarne festival together; last year we wnt for the first time ad it was the first festival experience for the both of us. The Lindisfarne festival is a small new (this year is only it’s third year) local festival in one of my favourite places (a stunning coastal plot of farmland overlooking the beautiful Holy Island in Northumberland). Holy Island (see photos above) was were I had my first every job as a waitress in the holidays. I used to stay on the Island when working there so it was like a holiday for me even though I was working. I love the place; it it idylic, peaceful and just holds a speacial place in my heart. Thus it was without question a great descion for the Lindisfarne festival to be our first festival experience. As it is a small scale festival you can walk from your tent into the arena within minutes and there weren’t any overbearing crowds. It was a great first festival experience and I’m hyped to be going back again this year! Let me share some photos from last year:

The festival didn’t have any famouse artists playing, more local and smaller talents, but it was nice to discover new people; for us the highlight was Molotov Jukebox and meeting the artists afterwards including Natalia Tena (Tonks from Harry Potter/ Osha from Game of Thrones). Their music was bizar but upbeat and happy and got us all dancing with smiles plasterd on our faces! Loved it! Comedy was also offered there as well as the Sanctuary a wellness tent with holistic treatemants and the like. On our second morning we participated in meditation followed by partner yoga which was hilarious and great fun, even though my back killed afterwards from lying on the uneven ground aha. We treated ourselves to a massage afterwards and then continued to enjoy the music, views and general atmosphere of the festival. Not long now till this years festival and I can’t wait!

Love Carina xo

MY CURRENT CRUELTY-FREE & ECO EVENING SKIN CARE ROUTINE

Published on July 31, 2017 by simplycarinaxo7 Comments

Hey guys,

I have been wanting to blog my Cruelty-free Eco Skin Care Routine for quite a while now and I’ve finally got round to taking some photos and being organised again. I hope you enjoy and can be inspired to start in-cooperating your own cruelty free eco products into your skin care routine!

Firstly I want to introduce you to an amazing eco friendly cleansing pad hack which my best friend Emily told me about! I love it – it’s fab! Instead of using cleansing wipes or cotton pads which only add to our piles of landfil rubbish that can’t be recycled why not use Organic Nursing Pads which can be washed and reused time after time again and will save you a fair bit of money in the long run too! I find the nursing pads are gentler on my skin in comparison to the harsh chemicals on cleansing wipes which I used to use all the time!

Now as for my skin care routine, I’m feeling great knowing the things I ma now buying are cruelty free and mostly vegan too. In this blog post I am using products from the Bodyshop (a brand that doesn’t test on animals and which is mostly vegan bar products like the honey range) and BalanceMe (a brand that doesn’t test on animals and aims to be as natural as possible) just going to put it out there, I very often don’t use products the way they are designed to be used; eg. I might use a toner as as a makeup remover instead of using it as the last step in my makeup removal cleansing routine.

I begin taking my makeup off with the Bodyshop Vitamin E Hydrating Toner. I love this toner. It is gentle on my skin, works well at removing makeup and leaves it feeling fresh and bright. What’s not to like?!

The Bodyshop Tea Tree Clearing Foaming Cleanser is what I had originally bought to remove my makeup before using the toner, however even two pumps of the foam doesn’t go very far. It doesn’t wet the nursing cleansing pad well enough for my liking to efficiently remove makeup and just kinda disappears. Thus I use it after the toner to just remove the last dregs of makeup.

Next I use the Bodyshop Vitamin C Energizing Face Spritz. I’m not exactly sure it energizes my face, however it is very refreshing especially on a warm summer morning and I feel gives some hydration to my just cleansed skin.

Now these my next two products are testers I received in a magazine and I love them!!! I really want to repurchase them but they are on the pricier side of things although then again they do stretch quite far too. Both the BalanceMe Restore and Replenish Face Cream and the BalanceMe Wonder Eye Cream smell amazing! They really do smell like the natural ingredients that they use, which I love! I massage the eye cream onto my skin first and then follow with the face cream. I find they are also absorbed quite quickly into the skin and leave it feeling very soft and refreshed! If you haven’t tried any BalanceMe products yet but don’t want to splash out the big bucks, definitely keep you eyes open in magazines for testers!!!

Well that’s my evening skin care routine for you! I hope you’ve enjoyed it! Let me know of your favorite cruelty free/vegan products in comments below!

Love Carina xo

MY VEGAN MONTH REVIEW

Published on July 19, 2017July 19, 2017 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Hey guys,

Firstly, I am so sorry that I have been MIA recently! I have now finally got the internet back and will be trying to get back to blogging regularly again!

As you know I spent the last month being vegan. I really enjoyed the challenge and only caved once to have a nibble, literally a teeny bite of an egg and of a teeny bite of a slice of salami. However although I managed pretty well I did miss certain things, or rather a month without was fine, but a forever without stresses me a little aha. Thus I have decided for now to allow myself the occasional exception, eg. 1 croissant a month and a dippy egg or something.

You may think well that’s not being vegan and no, it isn’t being 100% vegan, but you know what, I am still proud of myself for the changes I have made so far. Leading a mostly vegan diet is still making a bigger impact on my health, the environment and animal welfare than if I hadn’t made any changes at all! I used to eat a lot of meat and dairy and I do hope that I will eventually become 100% vegan, just not right now.

So here just a couple of my Vegan meals from the last month:

Hope you have all been keeping well!

Love Carina xo

VEGAN WRAP PIZZA

Published on June 22, 2017June 24, 2017 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Good morning guys,

Yesterday I decided I would try making a pizza with wraps. I have seen so many people doing this and thought it was about time I tried it. I was plesantly surprised! It was yummy!

I started by putting a very thin layer of tomato pasta sauce on a wrap and then putting a second wrap on top. I thought a slightly thicker base would be nicer and the little tomato sauce stuck the two wraps together. Then I topped the second wrap with more tomato sauce, shallots, cherry tomatoes, vegan feta, salt, pepper, dried basil, parsley and oregano and cooked in the oven for about 10 mins till cheese had melted and the wrap looked crispy. Finally I topped it with fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic. It really was rather tasty and I shall definitely be making this again! Its so quick and easy!! And filling!!

Have you ever tried wrap pizzas?? What are your favourite toppings, I’d love to know!

Love Carina xo

COOKING A 3 COURSE VEGAN MEAL

Published on June 17, 2017 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Hello friends,

Yesterday my sister came down from Edinburgh for the day and so I had the whole family over for dinner at my new place, which was really nice!

I love cooking for people and so I had great fun making a three course vegan meal for my family.

For starters I made an avocado dip which we ate with a yummy toasted organic white loaf, topped with tomatoes.

Mains was a kinda curry using all my leftover veg such as carrots and bean sprouts. The curry wasn’t spicy as my mum can’t eat spice, however my sister, dad and myself sprinkled it with some chilli flakes which gave it a nice bite of heat.

And for dessert we had a scoop of Alpro hazelnut and chocolate ice cream with warm berries – mmm!

I love having my own place and I’ve really settled in now. It was so nice having the family over! Catching up together and playing a game with dessert. Codenames by the way is an absolutely brilliant game and I urge you all to get your hands on it!

Oh and I know it’s random but I spotted my first ladybird today! It put a smile on my face so I thought I’d share hence the seemingly irrelevant cover photo!

Well I hope you have a great day guys!

Love Carina xo