Wellbeing – Page 2

BUTTERBEAN DIP

Published on January 26, 2018March 3, 2025 by simplycarinaxo9 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

I have recently been obsessed with this Butterbean dip for the Peace & Parsnips recipe book. It is soo good I just had to share it with you! I use my mini food processor to blend this delight together and recommend you buy yourself one (you can find a link on my Shop page) it’s cheap and super useful. The Cookbook is another I would recommend – even if you aren’t vegan I believe it’s great to try different healthy meals you wouldn’t usually eat and have some fun exploring new recipes. Anyway here goes the easy quick Butterbean dip:

Ingredients:

Garlic (I would use at least 4 large cloves – use this as your starting point and you can always add more or less depending on your taste)
Butter Beans
Parsley or Coriander (I like to use quite a lot of fresh herbs, more than in the recipe, but again start with a little and keep adding to suit your taste)
Pepper & Salt
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice

Method:

Depending on the size of your blender you might be able to make this in one go or like me have to split the ingredients in half and blend two lots.

Chop up you garlic and parsley/coriander and put into blender
Add the Butter Beans, the olive oil and the lemon juice
Grind some salt and pepper into the mix
Now blend together

Suggestion – I admit I never measure the lemon juice and olive oil, I just keep adding them into the mix bit by bit until I get a smooth slightly thicker than hummus consistency

Ways to use the Butter Bean dip:

This recipe comes in the cookbook as an accompaniment to the beetroot burger (which recipe I will most definitely be sharing at some point too as it’s amazing!) but I have since used it in many different ways and here are some of my favourite – have a go and see what you like and if you can think of any other ways to use the Butter Bean dip, do tell me because I would love to know!

Use it like a dip (make it less thick by adding more oil, lemon juice or a splash of water) then chop up some carrot and cucumber sticks or use bread sticks, dip in and enjoy!
My favourite is probably these pitta breads – pop a pitta in the toaster and spread the Butter Bean dip on then top with tomatoes or cucumbers or whatever topping you like!
I tried this one for the first time last week and though it was yummy – the Butter Bean dip works well in a wrap and filled with delicious fresh veg like carrots, cucumber and salad – you could also add some falafel which would be scrumptious.

MATE DATE AT THE BOHEMIAN

Published on January 12, 2018January 12, 2018 by simplycarinaxo1 Comment

Good evening beautiful souls,

On Wednesday I went to Newcastle to catch up with an old friend from uni. My friend Rachel was doing dry January and so we decided to meet up over lunch in Newcastle instead of over drinks as we usually would. I was excited to see what Newcastle had on offer regarding food because with my biggest new years resolution being to eat a vegan diet this was a great opportunity to try out a new restaurant I wouldn’t previously have given much thought. After some browsing I decided on The Bohemian which had great reviews. It took us a couple of minutes to find (google maps aren’t always helpful aha), but once we found it I realised I’d walked past it many times before as it was just past one of my favourite pubs in Newcastle, The Fourth. It has a cute vibe and is a mix of restaurant, bar and record shop. I didn’t look at the records this time round but will definitely have a browse next time I go!

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Once in and seated we were lucky to discover that The Bohemian was participating in the Newcastle restaurant week and so we got a special three course menu for £15, not a bad deal at all. After some deliberating (I’m actually glad we had a restricted menu as all the choices sounded so good) I went for the Shredded Peking Jackfruit, with hoi sin sauce, pancakes, spring onion and cucumber for starters, The ‘Greek’ Pizza for mains and the Cointreau and chocolate tart for dessert. Wow it felt like I was splashing out, I mean I never order three courses when I go out!

I really loved the starters, the peking jackfruit was ok on it’s own but wrapped up in the pancake with the spring onion and cucumber and dipped into the hoi sin sauce was an amazing combination!

The Greek pizza was also scrumptious; on what seemed like a homemade stone baked pizza base the vegan cheese was perfectly melted and flavours fantastic. Now I’ll admit vegan cheese can definitely taste different and isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the vegan mozzarella on the pizza tasted fab to me and I really enjoyed the pizza as it had been a while since I had a freshly made stone baked pizza.

After starters and mains I really was rather full, however I still managed to polish of my dessert! The chocolate tart served with a fruity sorbet was the perfect combination of light and tart with creamy and heavy chocolate – heaven.

So if you haven’t been able to guess – I would highly recommend The Bohemian in Newcastle. If you ever try out this restaurant do let me know what you think – I’d love to know!

Love Carina xo

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!

Published on January 7, 2018January 7, 2018 by simplycarinaxo8 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

It’s that time of year where inspiration is found around every corner and motivation fills my pores driving me to succeed. I don’t know if you enjoy making resolutions, but I personally love this time of year. Although every day can be seen as a new start, there is just something about the new year specifically that fills me with hope, a belief that this will be the year I succeed, that this will be the year I work towards my dreams.

2017 was good to me, although it had it’s bad moments and threw many learning curves my way, when I look back on last year there is so much for me to be grateful for and with this positive mindset I am excited for the year ahead and have made some resolutions I hope to fulfil; here goes:

Turning Vegan – I have reduced my meat and dairy intake in the last year and have felt soo much better for it. I have toyed with the idea of turning vegan for quite some time now, but always put it off making excuses thinking I’d miss certain foods such as eggs (eggs are definitely going to be the hardest part of turning vegan for me) however every time I watch a vegan documentary and am reminded of all it’s benefits and positive impact on our health, the environment and of course animal welfare it fills me with a deep longing to be a part of this movement and thus I decided that this year is my year to make the transition.
My Health & Weightloss – Last year I lost 2 stone and then slowly and annoyingly put 1 stone back on again. I always begin the new year on a high and then bit by bit get comfortable again eventually falling back into old habits. I am hoping that eating a Vegan diet will help me loose some more weight, but I know that the main culprit for me is sugar which I can still eat on a vegan diet of course! What I need to work on this year is curbing my sugar addiction. Now I know diet isn’t everything and thus upping my exercise is another thing I need to work on. Getting into a regular gym routine is back on the menu as well as making myself walk to work again rather than just hoping on the bus – this will also save me some pennies. So all in all, my resolution is to loose 2 more stone this year and keep them off.
Work On My Mental Health – I want to take more time for myself this year to work on myself. I know from previous experience that meditation works well to start my day on the right side of the bed and give me a more peaceful nights rest, so one goal is to start meditating in the mornings and evenings again. Another thing I want to work on is my anxiety, I want to learn to not let it hinder me from fulfilling my dreams.
Re-learn To Play The Cello – For Christmas I got the best surprise present ever, a cello on loan. I haven’t played the cello in over 6 years and so I want to make the most of this opportunity and re-learn how to play the cello maybe even take some lessons and really enjoy being able to make music again
Minimalise – Another big goal for this year is to become less attached to my possessions and slowly de-clutter and minimalise my belongings.
Start Saving – For the past few years I have had a deep urge to travel the world, but never managed to scrape quite enough together for a lengthy trip, so my last goal for this year is to begin a travelling fund!
Make More Time For Friends – Sadly so many of my best friends do not live close by, they are scattered across the UK from London to Edinburgh or even further afield like Germany and France. This means I rarely see them and I miss them greatly so I want to make a conscious effort this year to call more and hopefully actually visit them too.

Well there you have my main resolutions for 2018! I’m excited to start working on all of them and shall update you throughout the year as to how I am getting on! Did any of you make any resolutions for 2018 – I would love to know what goals you are working towards?!

BEST OF 2017

Published on January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 by simplycarinaxo9 Comments

Hey there beautiful souls,

I have seen a lot of these posts circulating and really wanted to write my own. This Christmas I wrote a letter to my friends and whilst updating them on what’s been going on in my life within the last year I realise how many wonderful events actually happened in 2017. I often allow the few bad spots to overshadow the good, but reminiscing has filled me with a happiness and positivity I now want carry into this new year. So anyway here are a few of my favourite events summed up through some photographs:

17799421_10212529640860481_5480807714145819332_n — A trip to the Peak District with my German bestie

18198771_10212801448815510_7413291190709253743_n — My best friend Emily’s Hen Do

20292931_10213687151477523_588975193652197366_n — Newcastle Pride with my work family

20994121_10213987839834544_3583880790755534946_n — Having my French friend Nadia and her fiance visit me!

24993467_10214883203738082_2673976222829125173_n — My best friends wedding ❤

21740111_10214153599538433_1203961689433127868_n — Lindisfarne Festival with Emily

Once Upon A Time themed Halloween Party at mine

24852303_10214833432373829_9023243599886223849_n — First Christmas in my own place

ORANGE PUMPKIN CRISPY CAKES

Published on October 29, 2017March 3, 2025 by simplycarinaxo1 Comment

Good evening guys,

On Friday I hosted a Halloween games night and made these cute pumpkin crispy cakes. I thought you’d like this easy recipe, so here you go.

You will need:

Silicone moulds (these pumpkin ones were from Lidl)
195g mars bars
90g butter
3 cups of rice crispies
Orange extract
200g milk, dark or white chocolate

Melt chocolate in the microwave and pour a little into each silicon mould. Pop into the fridge to cool. Now chop up butter and mars bars and melt on a low heat until smooth. Add a couple drops of orange extract. Once smooth take off heat and stir in rice crispies. Take moulds out of fridge and fill with rice crispy mixture. Leave to cool down before putting moulds back into fridge to set. You’ll be able to enjoy them after an hour or two.

Love Carina xo

MINI GETAWAY – DESTINATION ALNMOUTH

Published on October 8, 2017September 2, 2024 by simplycarinaxo4 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

At the beginning of the week I was away in Alnmouth, a beautiful village on the seafront. It is my dads 50th this November and he’s celebrating early with his brothers, sister, their spouses and his mum who have all flown over from Germany so they can enjoy a weeks holiday together in Alnmouth. I could sadly only visit for three days as I had to work, but I did enjoy three days with my extended family. I took the train up on Monday and on Wednesday we all drove down back to Durham together so the family could see our hometown. Although short it was so lovely in Alnmouth; I am already missing it. Anyway the coastal scenery is just so beautiful there I just had to share some photographs with you.

On Monday we went to Bamburgh a short drive up the coast from Alnmouth, for a lovely walk at the beach, although it was so windy the sand whipped around our legs in a bit of a sandstorm.

The next morning the sun was rising over the beach and I enjoyed my breakfast with a view. The living room window had a lovely window seat looking out onto Alnmouth beach and it was the most peaceful breakfast I have had in a long time – breakfast goals on point!

After breakfast I went for a walk at the beach with my dad which was lovely as the sun continued to shine. The weather was just fab!

Later on in the day we went to the Alnwick Gardens where we had booked to eat lunch in the tree house in which is just so cute and quaint. The food was amazing and we all enjoyed ourselves. I sipped on my favourite Rose Lemonade, had a terrine for starters and pork belly with broccoli and apple mash for mains which was just scrumptious!

After our meal in the tree house I walked to Barter Books in Alnwick. It is one of the cutest bookshops I have ever been to. A large building filled with secondhand books, antiques and first editions. One can really spend half a day here browsing through all the books. If you are ever in Northumberland I totally recommend you take the time to visit this quaint bookshop. There is a little cafe for refreshments and chairs to sit and read in oh and there are some CD’s and DVD’s too, but only a small section. As far as I am aware you can also exchange books, as in if they don’t already have certain books you can trade them.

On Tuesday evening we continued family time and had a lovely night reflecting on the past by looking at old photos which was cute.

Well that sums up my mini getaway in Alnmouth; thanks for reading! Also I’d love to know if you have ever been in Bamburgh, Alnmouth or Alnwick, so please do let me know!

Love Carina xo

RECENT BUYS – HAUL TIME!

Published on September 24, 2017 by simplycarinaxo4 Comments

Hello guys,

So I’ve been really excited to write this blog post! I have been spending a little too much money recently aha but sometimes I just can’t help it, all things fashion, beauty or homeware just excite me too much and I don’t always have enough willpower to listen to my reason telling me ‘No Carina you don’t need this!’ aha. So here is my haul, anything I can find online I will add a link to. I hope you enjoy!

Unicorn Slippers – £4.99 B&M

Black Loafers – £15 Asda, Sunglasses – £1 B&M

Palm Leaf Duvet Cover – £14 (King Size) Asda, Yellow Cushion – £4 Asda

Buddha Tealight Holders – £3 each Asda, Fairylighs – £1 Poundland

Ivy plants – £1.50 each B&Q, White Romantisk Tray – £7 Ikea, Napkins – £0.90 Ikea, Tealights – £1.35 Ikea

Trinket dish – £1.50 Ikea, Candle holder – £2 Asda

Reusable Glass Bottle – £3 TKMaxx

Anybody else in a current shopping phase and buy anything exciting?

Hope you are all having a lovely day!

Love Carina xo

AUTUMN WISHLIST!

Published on September 21, 2017 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Good morning guys,

Recently I have been in a real shopping mood because there are so many cosy autumnal things that I currently want. It’s a dangerous time seeing all these things I want to buy and it’s difficult trying to restrain myself from spending too much money aha.

I like all seasons and can never decide which is my favourite time of year; however when it comes to fashion, Autumn has definitely got to be my favourite! I am a sucker for deep dark colours so when the mustard’s and wine reds come out and it’s time to snuggle up in big knits, I get really excited, I mean what’s not to love?!

Another thing I have become obsessed with in the last 3 years is homeware. I feel like I should have studied interior design so I could homeware shop all day long for other people, because I just don’t have the space or money to constantly rejig my bedroom theme or buy more homeware decorative pieces or add to my kitchen… aha.

Well, here are some of the things on my current wishlist, I might treat myself to some, like a new candle, others, like the yellow velvet shoes, I really want but would barely get any wear out of, I will only gaze at from a distance but not buy. Sometimes I wish I had an office job so I could wear nice clothes, get my nails done and wear heels aha, but when you work in a cafe/as an artist your clothes will always get dirty with coffee or paint, your nails would be ruined in no time and you’re on your feet most of the day so heels are not comfortable at all. Anyway, here’s my current autumn wishlist:

Yellow Velvet Block Heels, Wanderlust Canvas, Chevron Knit Throw, Cream Colour Block Ladder Lace Up Jumper

These New Look Mustard Velvet heels are the bomb! I am in love! However I know I would only ever wear them once or twice as I am not good with high heels; but that doesn’t stop me from admiring them from a distance!

This canvas from Wilko’s is just super cute and would fit well into the accessories scheme in my bedroom I think. I dream of travelling one day, this wish is so rooted into me that I feel it would only be appropriate to have the Wanderlust definition on my wall with this pretty floral nature pattern around it.

Throws, throws and more throws, I mean you can never have enough right?! This throw from Next just looks super cosy and snuggly and I need it aha. It’s getting solder now and my duvet just isn’t quite warm enough anymore so I want a new throw to match my new bedroom colour scheme to keep me that bit warmer at night.

What can I say about this River Island jumper?! It’s just so funky! I love the colour mix and pattern with the laced through effect on the side and sleeve. This would also look well cute with the velvet boots and a pair of black skinny jeans.

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Black Suedette Embroidered Block Heel, Yankee Candle Cosy By The Fire, Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette, Black Sheer Floral Duster Coat, Black Fringe Sleeve Sweater, Vegan Polley Shoes

Again another pair of beautiful New Look Boots and again a pair I will probably admire from a distance as I sadly just wouldn’t get much wear out of them, but oh the embroidery is just stunning. I love floral patterns and this is a really nice design in beautiful colours.

I know it’s not Christmas yet but Yankee candles just smell amazing I think it’s never to early to accost your nose with wintery smells. They just ooze out cosy evenings and I love nothing more than to enjoy an evening in candle light whether it be with my favourite book or watching a movie with my housemates.

OMG can someone please just buy me this pallet already!?! Ever since Urban Decay’s Naked Heat pallet came out I have been drooling over these beautiful rustic colours and itching to try them. However I try to be sensible and I’m not sure I can justify splashing out on this at the moment whilst I have plenty of eyeshadows for the time being; but wee’ll see, maybe I’ll cave aha!

This River Island duster coat just aught my eye because of the beautiful rusty hues. This is probably to cold to wear without a coat in autumn, but would be perfect for a night out with a LBD for example.

Ah Dr.Martens how long I have eyed your shoes up! These pretty Polley shoes are from their Vegan range as I would not buy real leather shoes anymore. I am in love but at £115 I’m going to have to save up for quite a while!

I do love black as it just goes well with anything and this tassel jumper is just fab. The tassels just add that something extra and make it fun. You could pair this with a skirt, on top of a dress or with jeans, it’s a great versatile jumper.

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Grey Check Trousers, The Little Book Of Hygge, Palm Leaf Duvet Set, Light Wash Ripped Mom Jeans

Trouser time! I have always been a leggings girl, but recently I have been loving my black cropped jeans and really want to add to my trouser collection. I love these checked high waisted trousers from River Island. They are smart but can be worn casual with just a black t-shirt and so they’d be perfect for me to wear to work still as well.

The Little Book off Hygge – it’s been on my wishlist for a while. Learning how to live well, finding a peaceful state of mind, seems like an important thing fro everyone to do! I think this is one of my wishlist items I will treat myself too!

Bedding – I love new bedding and I have resisted so long to buy new ones, but this one from Asda I just love. All my bedding is white or light colour based with greens and greys, but I love that blue is the background colour here. It gives a nice rich feel and with it getting colder I think I want a deeper darker coloured bedding, so I think I will invest in one.

And last but not least these cute River Island Mom Jeans. I struggle to find jeans that fit; as I have big thighs for them to fit there they will then usually be to loose around the waist. But I as I mentioned I have been loving a pair of black cropped skinny’s which I found in a charity shop actually, and they made me want to start wearing jeans more often which is great for this time of year anyway. I think I will definitely have to go jeans shopping soon!

So that is it for my current wishlist, do let me know what you think guys and I’d love to hear what’s on your current wishlist too!

Love Carina xo

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

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!